Papua New Guinea: 'Witch' Burned Alive By Mob

A young mother was stripped, tortured with an iron rod and then burned alive on a pile of tyres after being accused of being a witch in Papua New Guinea.

Hundreds of bystanders, including many children, looked on as Kepari Leniata, 20, was doused in gasoline and set alight. Some took photographs.

Grisly pictures were published on the front pages of the country's biggest circulating newspapers, The National and Post-Courier.

Prime minister Peter O'Neill, police chiefs and diplomats condemned the killing - by a mob of up to 50 - as barbaric and vowed to punish the culprits.

Kepari, who had an eight-month-old baby, had been accused of sorcery by relatives of a six-year-old boy who died in hospital the day before.

She was tortured and set alight by a mob in the Western Highlands provincial capital of Mount Hagen, national police spokesman Dominic Kakas said.

"The incident happened in broad daylight in front of hundreds of eyewitnesses and yet we haven't picked up any suspects yet," Mr Kakas said.

Mr Kakas said onlookers were shocked by the brutality but were powerless to stop the mob.

Police officers were also present but were outnumbered and could not save the woman, he said. No arrests have yet been made.

Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has condemned the killing as 'barbaric'

Mr O'Neill said: "What has been reported is very barbaric and inhuman. No one commits such a despicable act in the society that all of us, including Kepari, belong to.

"Barbaric killings ... are becoming all too common in certain parts of the country.

"It is reprehensible that women, the old and the weak in our society, should be targeted for alleged sorcery or wrongdoing that they actually have nothing to do with."

Police Commissioner Tom Kulunga described the slaying as "shocking and devilish."

In rural Papua New Guinea, witchcraft is often blamed for unexplained misfortunes.

Sorcery has traditionally been countered by sorcery but responses to allegations of witchcraft have become increasingly violent in recent years.

In other sorcery-related killings, police arrested 29 people in July last year accused of being part of a cannibal cult in Papua New Guinea's jungle interior.

They were charged with the murders of seven suspected witch doctors.

Police alleged they ate their victims' brains raw and made soup from their penises.

By eating witch doctors' organs the cult members believed they would attain supernatural powers.

Murder is punishable by death in Papua New Guinea, a poor tribal nation of seven million people, although no one has been hanged since independence in 1975.

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Weather: Snow Threatens To Disrupt Travel

Sky News Weather Forecast

Updated: 7:11am UK, Friday 08 February 2013

By Nazaneen Ghaffar, Weather Presenter

Patchy light rain or drizzle across northeast England, the Midlands, Wales and southwest England on Friday morning, turning to snow initially across the hills and mountains in the north.

This rain band will slowly move southeastwards across the rest of England and therefore turning drier and brighter in the west.

Ahead of the rain it will be sunny over most of East Anglia and southeast England. Across Ireland and western parts of Scotland it will be a cloudy morning.

Ireland will start off with patchy rain, especially in the north and this rain will move eastwards into western Britain by this evening. Ahead of the rain it will become cloudier after beginning bright across much of Scotland and north-west England.

Overnight scattered wintry showers are likely for a time over East Anglia and southeast England, perhaps giving a thin covering of snow.

Cloudy with outbreaks of rain over Ireland, Wales, western England and western Scotland. The rain will be very light and patchy in the south but more extensive in the north with sleet and snow over the hills and mountains of northern England and Scotland.

Saturday will be a mainly cloudy day with patchy light rain or drizzle, mostly across eastern England. Some light snow is possible over East Anglia for a while, but only slight accumulations. A cold day in the far east, but milder across the west.

Rain across many southern and western parts of the UK and Ireland on Sunday, but cold air from the east will lead to the increasingly risk of snow. There is the potential for some significant snowfall on Sunday afternoon and into Sunday night, particularly across north England and Scotland but also Wales.

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Aamir Siddiqi Hitmen Jailed For 40 Years

Two hitmen who stabbed an innocent schoolboy to death by mistake have been jailed for a minimum of 40 years.

Ben Hope, 39, and Jason Richards, 38, both from Cardiff, were each paid £1,000 in "blood money" to murder a middle-aged family man who owed money to a shady businessman.

But the "hit" went wrong when the balaclava-clad killers, who were high on drugs, went to the wrong address in Roath, Cardiff, in April 2010 and murdered teenager Aamir Siddiqi by mistake.

The 17-year-old's frantic parents, Iqbal and Parveen, fought to save their son but were also knifed by the killers, who let out chilling howls.

Both men had protested their innocence throughout the four-and-a-half month trial at Swansea Crown Court and attempted to blame each other.

Aamir Saddiqi had won a place at Cardiff University

But a jury unanimously found them guilty of Aamir's murder and the attempted murder of his parents.

In sentencing, Mr Justice Royce said he had no choice but to "significantly increase" the minimum term of 30 years the prosecution had asked for.

"Aamir Siddiqi was the youngest child and only son of Sheikh Iqbal and Parveen Ahmed," he said.

"He was a bright, gentle and courteous boy who was much loved by his family. He had secured a place to study law at Cardiff and his future was brimming with promise.

"He was awaiting the arrival of his Koran teacher when he rushed past his parents to open the door.

Aamir's parents, Sheikh Iqbal and Parveen Ahmed

"You two came in, wearing balaclavas and making a terrible wailing sound. Your attack on him was brutal, savage, callous and cruel.

"You hacked him to death in front of his parents, who fought in vain to save Aamir.

"It was simply good fortune that they were not killed. It was your intention that they should die too. The aggravating features of this case mean the starting point should significantly increase.

"The starting point is 40 years. If you die in jail, few will shed a tear and many will say it will be more than deserved."

Following the sentencing, Aamir's sister, Nishat Siddiqi, posted on her Twitter page: "Am amazed and humbled by the kindness, love and support shown to my family and me in the aftermath of Aamir's murder. I will never forget."

The teenager was set upon on the doorstep of his home

During their trial, the court heard Hope and Richards had been paid by a businessman, angry over a collapsed property deal, to kill a father-of-four who lived in a neighbouring street.

But they went instead to a similar looking red brick, end-of-row house just around the corner in Ninian Road in the leafy suburb of Roath.

Aamir had run down the stairs to answer the door expecting to see his imam, who was due to give him a Koran lesson. Instead, he opened the front door to two masked killers high on heroin.

Hope and Richards wielded daggers over their heads and howled as they set upon the helpless A-level student.

The teenager desperately tried to run back into the house but they chased him and repeatedly lashed out.

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EU Leaders Agree Historic Budget Deal

European Union leaders have reached a historic agreement on the first ever cut in their common budget.

The breakthrough was declared in a tweet from the president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, saying: "Deal done! #euco has agreed on #MFF (Multi-annual Financial Framework) for the rest of the decade. Worth waiting for."

The deal, the first decrease in the bloc's 56-year history, aims at placating millions of European citizens struggling with austerity measures and recession.

Reports said the agreement fixes a spending limit of 960bn euros (£820bn) for projects the EU can promise to fund between 2014 and 2020.

That is far less than the 1.03tn euros (£871bn) that the EU Commission originally proposed, reflecting Europe's tough economic times.

But not all those projects will be completed - as some are cancelled or postponed - meaning the maximum amount the EU will ever pay out is 908.4bn euros (£774bn).

The current spending limit is 942.8bn euros (£803.4bn) so the actual spending cap will be reduced by 34.4bn euros (£29.3bn).

Prime Minister David Cameron called the agreement a "good deal" for Britain

"I think the British public can be proud that we have cut the seven-year credit card limit for the European Union for the first time ever," Prime Minister David Cameron told an end-of-summit press conference.

He said, however, that his country's net contributions would rise - but by less than had been feared. He called it a "good deal" for Britain.

The deal "shows that working with allies it is possible to take real steps towards reform in the European Union", Mr Cameron said.

However, the EU Parliament must still approve the deal - and some legislators have suggested that the cuts are unacceptable. Securing any parliamentary approval is likely to take months.

Sky's Europe Correspondent Robert Nisbet said Mr Cameron appears to have made good on his promise to achieve at least real-terms freeze.

Mr Cameron, supported by other northern European leaders, argued that the EU could not decide an increase at a time of austerity, but differences remained on where to cut.

The deal was reached after marathon talks over two days in Brussels. French President Francois Hollande called the deal a "good compromise".

The cuts agreed on Friday fall mainly on spending for cross-border transport, energy and telecommunications projects.

Spending on agriculture was spared further cuts, and there was an increase of about 1.5bn euros on rural development over the seven years, satisfying France, Italy and Spain.

More follows...

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Dale Cregan 'Fired 32 Bullets In 31 Seconds'

Relatives of two police officers allegedly shot dead by gunman Dale Cregan wept as they heard how the victims were gunned down in a hail of 32 bullets.

Dale Cregan launched a 31-second attack on PC Fiona Bone, 32, and PC Nicola Hughes, 23, after luring the pair to a bogus burglary with a 999 call, a jury was told. 

He ended the emergency call by telling the operator: "I'll be waiting," Preston Crown Court was told.

The jury also heard how Cregan handed himself in to police at Hyde Police station after the shooting telling them: "Sorry about those two that have been killed, I wish it was men."

He allegedly went on: "I've dropped the gun at the scene and I've murdered two police officers. You were hounding my family so I took it out on yous (sic). I'm wanted by the police and I've just done two coppers."

The jury was shown video of the moment Cregan was arrested at the front desk of the police station.

He is seen speaking on his mobile phone, cradling it, after a police officer jumps over the front desk and handcuffs him.

Relatives and friends of the two murdered officers sobbed as they watched footage of the pair leaving the police station for the last time.

The court was told how on September 18 last year, Cregan was in hiding in a house in Abbey Gardens, Hattersley, Greater Manchester after making the 999 call.

Nicholas Clarke QC told the jury: "He had carefully put in place a plan that he knew would ensure that an unsuspecting police officer or officers would be sent to the door, to attend to a householder who had been the victim of damage to his house.

"Cregan knew that the officers who attended would have no idea what would be waiting for them."

PC Hughes and PC Bone were assigned the call and made their way from Hyde Police station to the address.

"On arrival, the two officers stepped out of their van and walked forward the short distance to number 30.

"Cregan's carefully laid plan had been successful," said Mr Clarke.

"He had lured two unarmed officers to his door and he was armed, ready and waiting for them.

"As Nicola and Fiona walked through the small front garden, he opened the front door and immediately fired his Glock."

The jury heard how both officers were shot in the chest. The body armour they were wearing protected them and the bullets did not penetrate, the prosecution said.

The officers, the court heard, made a "tactical retreat".

"PC Fiona Bone moved to the right, getting out of the line of sight and PC Nicola Hughes turned to run up the path. As they retreated more shots were fired.

"PC Hughes was shot just below her armoured vest in the middle of her back and was immediately paralysed causing her to fall forwards onto the path.

"As she was falling or lying flat on her stomach she was shot three more times.

"Cregan then turned his attention to PC Fiona Bone. She was trapped in front of the lounge window and he discharged 24 shots at her. Some struck the officer, others the house," the court heard.

She managed to draw and fire her Taser but it was discharged into a hard surface, probably the paving, the jury was told.

The court was told that only a matter of 31 seconds had passed between PC Hughes switching off the engine of their vehicle and PC Bone firing the Taser.

Mr Clarke said: "Most of the bullets struck her body armour or the wall at the front of the house but she was the central target."

PC Bone was shot between five and eight times receiving a total of eight gunshot-related injuries, the prosecution said.

"As she turned and fell one bullet managed to get through under her arm. She was killed by a perforating shot to the upper left side of her chest which caused fatal injuries to the top of her heart.

"Cregan wasn't finished. He turned his attention to PC Hughes and fired three more shots into the back and side of her head. She was shot eight times causing a total of seven gunshot-related injuries.".

The court was told that Cregan fired a total of 32 bullets at the two unarmed police officers.

Mr Clarke added: "Before he fled Abbey Gardens he made sure he left his usual calling card.

"He launched a fragmentation grenade back towards the garden of number 30 where the two police officers were lying on the floor."

Cregan denies the murders of PCs Bone and Hughes, the murders of Mark and David Short, the attempted murders of three others in a pub, and the attempted murder of a woman called Sharon Hark.

He also denies a single charge of causing an explosion.

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Lloyds Eyes Branches Float Amid Co-op Doubts

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

Millions of high street bank customers face further uncertainty amid growing concern that a takeover of more than 630 branches by the Co-operative Group will be abandoned.

I have learnt that Lloyds Banking Group, which is 41%-owned by UK taxpayers, is stepping up plans for a flotation of the branches despite having agreed an £800m sale to the Co-op last year.

The move has been triggered by doubts about the ability of the two sides to complete the deal, according to people familiar with the discussions between the two banks.

One insider said this week that the Co-op was in active talks with the Financial Services Authority (FSA) about a string of issues related to the deal, one of which was about the capital position of its banking division.

"There has been no change in the tone of the discussions with the regulator," a person close to the talks said.

Codenamed Project Verde, the 632-branch network has to be sold in return for the state aid required to rescue Lloyds at the height of the 2008 banking crisis.

If the deal does collapse, it would be the second-such abandonment following Santander UK's withdrawal from a deal to acquire more than 300 branches from Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) late last year.

People close to Lloyds insisted that its preferred option remained the deal with the Co-op but conceded that it was accelerating preparations for a demerger of the Verde business onto the public markets.

In a statement on Friday, a Lloyds spokesman said: "We are continuing negotiations with Co-op and are making good progress in creating a stand-alone challenger bank. We expect to have a separate TSB branded bank on the UK high street from the summer."

The Co-op is likely to provide an update on the Verde talks when it announces annual results at the end of March.

A collapse of the deal would be an embarrassment to George Osborne, the Chancellor, who has hailed the takeover by the Co-op as an important step towards fostering greater competition in Britain's high street banking market.

The Verde network has well over three million customers and a market share that would alone make it Britain's seventh-biggest bank.

Growing pressure on UK lenders to bolster their capital positions from the new Financial Policy Committee of the Bank of England has, however, placed greater focus on the structure of the Verde deal, according to people close to it.

The Co-op declined to comment.

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Choirmaster Michael Brewer Guilty Of Sex Abuse

The woman at the centre of sex abuse allegations involving top choirmaster Michael Brewer killed herself during the trial, it has emerged.

The body of violin teacher Frances Andrade, 48, was found at her home less than a week after she gave evidence against Michael Brewer at Manchester Crown Court.

In a statement released after the verdicts were delivered, her son claimed she had received no help or support from authorities despite twice attempting to kill herself.

Brewer, a former National Youth Choir music director, and his ex-wife were found guilty on five counts of indecently assaulting the former music student more than 30 years ago.

The 68-year-old was convicted of sexually abusing her in his office at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester when she was aged 14 and 15.

Frances Andrade was described as "an amazing person"

His ex-wife, Kay Brewer, 68, was also convicted of indecently assaulting Mrs Andrade, then known as Shorney, when she was an adult at their former family home.

The jury returned not guilty verdicts on charges that Brewer raped her when she was aged 18 and that Mrs Brewer aided and abetted the attack.

Brewer was also cleared of one charge of indecently assaulting Mrs Andrade when she was a child in his home.

The Crown Prosecution Service decided to continue with the trial and the judge ruled that news of Mrs Andrade's death should be kept from jurors until after they reached their verdicts.

Sending the jury out, the judge said: "Tragically a lady has lost her life during the course of these proceedings. She took her own life. She left no note. We do not know the circumstances in which she took her own life."

Mrs Andrade was visibly agitated on occasions as she gave her evidence over two days on January 16 and 17.

She chose to take to the witness box in full view of everyone in the courtroom, including the two defendants in the dock.

The jury heard that the police investigation was sparked by National Youth Choir teacher Jenavora Williams after Mrs Andrade, her friend, told her about her time at Chetham's.

Mrs Andrade told the court she wanted it to be dealt with internally but she said Mrs Williams went to the police in 2011 without telling her.

She then agreed to co-operate with the police and help the prosecution.

The mother-of-four, from Guildford, Surrey, who was married to acclaimed viola player Levine Andrade, was supported from the public gallery by one of her sons.

At one point she complained about Brewer smiling as she gave her evidence, but she chose to press on without drawing a curtain to block off the dock.

Judge Martin Rudland remarked that she was "clearly undergoing a cathartic experience, whatever the source" while giving evidence.

He said she was "combative" during cross-examination by Kate Blackwell QC, representing Brewer, and she had taken personal issue with some of the barrister's questions but the judge indicated that Ms Blackwell had acted professionally.

During the cross-examination, Mrs Andrade told her: "You are hugely insulting, even though it's your job."

Her son, Oliver Andrade

One of the defendants' four daughters gasped audibly in the public gallery when the jury returned its verdict on Kay Brewer.

The jury was told Mrs Andrade did not consider the Brewer's actions sexual abuse at the time and did not make an official complaint.

In a separate incident, Brewer quit Chetham's in 1994 after an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old girl.

The court heard she regularly visited his office and recalled he would persuade her to take off her top and bra and he would fondle her.

Giving evidence, Brewer -  who was awarded an OBE for services to music in 1995 - admitted the 1994 affair. The full extent of the relationship was covered up as he had resigned.

Brewer went on to become the artistic director of the National Youth Choirs of Britain and has directed the World Youth Choir.

Judge Martin Rudland told the defendants a jail sentence for both of them was "inevitable" as he remanded the pair in custody.

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'Child Sex Abuse' At RAF Base Investigated

A man has been interviewed over historic allegations of sex abuse against children at a former Royal Air Force base in Berlin.

The man in his 60s was questioned as part of an inquiry by the RAF Police Special Investigations and Intelligence Branch.

The allegations date back to between 1981 and 1989 and involve a former RAF serviceman who was stationed in Berlin during that time.

Wing Commander Mike Dixon said: "A man in his early 60s, from the London area, has been interviewed by the RAF Police regarding allegations relating to the sexual abuse of children whilst he was serving in the RAF at an RAF base in Berlin in the 1980s.

"Inquiries continue."

Investigators are asking any potential victims or witnesses to come forward.

Wing Commander Dixon added: "Anyone who served at, or had connections with, the former RAF base at Gatow during the 1980s and early 1990s, who believes that they have any information relating to the alleged offences, is urged to contact us in absolute confidence."

The Service Police Crime Bureau can be contacted on 023 9228 5170.

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Russian Banker's Shooting: Man Arrested

Russian police have arrested a man suspected of shooting a prominent Russian banker in London last year.

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Horsemeat Scandal: 'Criminal Activity' Blamed

Who's In Charge Of Keeping Food Safe?

Updated: 1:38pm UK, Friday 08 February 2013

There are a number of different agencies responsible for food labelling and safety in the UK.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is responsible for food standards legislation in England that is principally non-safety, and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) monitors standards that are safety based.

Food Standards Agency:

The FSA, a non-ministerial government department, is responsible for protecting public health in relation to food.

This includes food safety and hygiene, labelling for safety and allergies and food law enforcement.

It aims to:

1) make sure foods produced or sold in the UK are safe to eat

2) ensure imported food is safe to eat

3) make sure food producers and caterers give priority to consumer interests in relation to food

4) give consumers the information and understanding they need to make informed choices about where and what they eat

5) make sure regulation is effective, risk-based and proportionate, is clear about the responsibilities of food business operators, and protects consumers and their interests from fraud and other risks

6) ensure enforcement is effective, consistent, risk-based and proportionate and is focused on improving public health.

In the wake of the horsemeat scandal the FSA announced it is demanding a more comprehensive testing programme from food businesses.

Chief executive Catherine Brown said: 'Following our investigations into Findus products, the FSA is now requiring a more robust response from the food industry in order to demonstrate that the food it sells and serves is what it says it is on the label.

"We are demanding that food businesses conduct authenticity tests on all beef products, such as beef burgers, meatballs and lasagne, and provide the results to the FSA. The tests will be for the presence of significant levels of horsemeat."

There are separate FSAs for Scotland, Wales and the Irish Republic.

Defra:

In July 2010 food labelling was transferred from the FSA to Defra.

Food standards legislation sets out specific requirements for the labelling, composition and, in some cases, safety parameters for specific high value foodstuffs which are potentially at risk of being misleadingly substituted with lower quality alternatives.

The legislation makes sure consumers are not misled as to the nature of food products when it is sold to them.

It also makes the playing field level for food producers, so they have established standards they can work to when producing well known or traditional foodstuffs.

Most legislation on food standards is developed in Europe, with full involvement from UK Government officials.

Secondary legislation is then used to either implement the requirements or put in place enforcement powers, depending on the nature of the European legislation

Meat:

For a range of meat products there is legislation setting out specific compositional and labelling requirements.

The rules set out minimum meat content requirements for certain meat products sold using reserved descriptions such as sausages, burgers, corned beef, meat pies, pasties, etc.

In addition, there are very specific labelling rules for certain meat products that look like a cut, joint, slice, portion or carcass of meat.

Where any added water over certain limits as well as any added ingredients of different animal species to the rest of the meat must be mentioned in the name of the food.

Department of Health:

The DoH takes the lead on nutrition labelling police in England.

In October 2012 it announced proposals for front-of-pack nutrition labelling that displays how much fat, saturated fat, salt, sugar and calories foods contain.

This is colour-coded and shows a guideline daily amount.

The advertising of food is regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority.

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Alan Greaves: Funeral For Attacked Organist

The widow of a man who was killed on his way to midnight mass has told how her thoughts turned to those responsible as she sat by his body on Christmas Day.

Church organist Alan Greaves, 68, was attacked on Christmas Eve as he made the short walk from his home to his church in Sheffield.

Speaking at his funeral, Maureen Greaves said: "Alan bought me my last bunch of flowers on Christmas Eve morning. When I went to thank Alan and give him a kiss, he said to me 'I love you so much Maureen, and I'm so glad that I married you'."

She added: "On Christmas Day when I sat beside Alan's bruised and battered body, it was only natural that my thoughts would turn to the men who had so cruelly and brutally attacked him.

"But even then, I could hear Alan saying to me 'Maureen, don't give yourself permission'.

"I am so truly thankful to have loved and been loved by Alan. I am so proud of the man he was, and of the life that he lived.

"As my husband and my best friend, Alan loved me really well.

"He did so many little things that showed me every day how much he cared for me and supported me in all that I did."

Earlier, Mrs Greaves told Sky News that her husband's death was a "very great shock".

The couple were married for 40 years

The couple both worked for the Church Army and devoted a lot of time to helping and supporting others.

Just weeks before his death, Mr Greaves had helped establish a new food bank project for people in South Yorkshire.

Mrs Greaves said: "Obviously the house is full of memories. One of the saddest memories is that the piano has fallen silent.

"It is not something I'm going to get rid of, I will keep it and Alan's two daughters can play the piano and one day one of them might inherit it."

Close friend Rev Canon Simon Bessant told Sky News: "He was involved in the local school, he played the piano, he was a school governor, he did lots of visiting, he did counselling, a lay preacher and he's been involved in so many things.

"He never drew attention to himself, he was a fairly quiet person and I think it is people like that that often make the difference because they quietly get on and do things."

The couple got married in Sheffield in 1972 and had four children together.

Since the murder, the family has been touched by the huge support from people affected by his death.

Mrs Greaves said: "It has been very overwhelming and humbling.

"Whenever I have walked on the streets people have come to me to give me a hug to say how sorry they are and especially to ask if they can do anything for me.

"Some people that have done that I know well - others have been complete strangers."

Two men have been charged with Mr Greaves murder. Jonathon Bowling, 22, and 21-year-old Ashley Foster are in custody awaiting trial.

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'Car Sleepers': US Middle Class Hit By Crisis

By Greg Milam, US Correspondent

The shocking reality of the true cost of the financial crisis on middle-class Americans could sweep thousands of regular families into an 'epidemic' of homelessness.

Charities say the crisis is being ignored as more and more ordinary Americans face losing their homes and being forced to seek emergency shelter.

Amid all the talk of the strength of the US economic recovery, it is those who have traditionally formed the backbone of working America who have been hardest hit.

And many of those middle-class Americans have taken the desperate step of living in their vehicles.

The city of Santa Barbara in California, a legendary playground of the rich and famous, has become a haven for so-called 'car sleepers'.

James Frangella, 45, worked for more than 20 years as a painter and decorator in Illinois but now lives in a 1991 Ford Econoline van.

Mr Frangella has an overnight spot in a council car park

He told Sky News: "I had my own home and I had a good job and I lost the job, lost my home and never in a million years would a guy like me think he would end up living in a vehicle.

"But here I am and it has been my entire life for four years."

He is one of the lucky ones to have an overnight spot in a council car park.

The Safe Parking programme prevents 'car sleepers' from being fined for breaking a law which bans people from sleeping in vehicles.

The programme provides parking for 150 people every night and, with a lengthening waiting list, organisers are desperate for more spaces.

Nancy Kapp, who runs Safe Parking for the non-profit New Beginnings Counselling Centre, said: "Every day somebody calls me, people who have lost everything.

"The American dream is now the American nightmare. The truth of it is that nobody is acknowledging that this is an issue and this is going to become our epidemic."

At 5am in another Santa Barbara car park, Jami packs up her camper van to leave before commuters arrive to fill the same spaces. Until recently she was living with her family in a large house in Utah.

Jami also lives in a van

"Even people who currently have jobs are saying: 'We are just a pay cheque away from your situation'," she said.

"This economy is so difficult and people are drowning and month to month do not know what is going to happen to them.

"They don't know if they are going to end up like this."

The homeless have been drawn to Santa Barbara for decades. Its Mediterranean climate as popular with them as the people in multi-million dollar mansions.

It is estimated as many as 60% of those living on the streets in America sleep in their vehicles.

The number of homeless people in the US went down during the recession thanks to government spending on shelters. The number classified as 'unsheltered' though increased.

That government funding was slashed late last year and it is feared more spending cuts will impact thousands of people who are currently in work over the next decade.

Ms Kapp said: "You have the homeless and then the middle class on top of them. That is a lot of people falling into this crisis."

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Madeleine Lookalike Sends DNA Sample To Police

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia correspondent

A New Zealand girl repeatedly mistaken for missing Madeleine McCann has given police a sample of her DNA which will be sent to Scotland Yard.

The girl, who has not been named, is understood to have a similar eye defect to Madeleine, prompting members of the public to believe she is the missing child.

The DNA sample is a conclusive way of proving her identity, said Detective Senior Sergeant Kallum Croudis of Dunedin Police.

"The results of this process will not be known for some time," he told New Zealand newspaper The Southland Times.

On New Year's Eve police launched a five-day investigation when a retailer became suspicious of a man and a young girl, who bore a resemblance to Madeleine.

Kate and Gerry McCann say they will maintain their search for Madeleine

However, they said they were "absolutely satisfied" she was not Madeleine, and it was not the first time she had been mistaken for the missing girl.

Madeleine was nearly four when she vanished from her family's Portuguese holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in 2007 as her parents dined at a nearby restaurant with friends.

Madeleine's parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, have never abandoned their high-profile campaign to find their eldest daughter, who would now be nine.

Sightings have also been reported in Sweden, Belgium and Australia.

It is not the first time a child has been DNA-tested in relation to the case of the missing British girl.

In 2011, a young girl spotted in India with a Belgian man and French woman was tested and was also found not to be Madeleine.

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Pregnant Guard Had Affair With Cop Killer

A female prison guard in New York has been charged with sexually abusing a convicted killer whose child she is carrying.

A visibly-pregnant Nancy Gonzalez appeared briefly in court before a judge in Brooklyn before being released on bail.

Inmates cannot legally consent to sex. The 29-year-old faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Ms Gonzalez, who worked the night shift at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Centre, was accused of having a four-month affair with Ronell Wilson that ended last August.

Wilson was convicted for the 2003 murder of two New York City police officers.

The execution-style murder of the two undercover officers led to the first federal death sentence passed in the city in more than a half century.

But the capital punishment order was overturned by a federal court in 2010, and he is awaiting his sentence before a new jury.

Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Centre. Pic: Jim Henderson

Other prisoners told of his affair with Ms Gonzalez, according to court files.

They reported seeing the couple hugging and kissing, and Ms Gonzalez in Wilson's cell standing in front of him while his pants were pulled down.

CCTV cameras also captured some of their illicit liaisons.

"I took a chance, because I was so vulnerable and wanted to be loved and now I am carrying his child," the prison guard revealed in a recorded telephone call to another inmate.

She also allegedly said in the recording that getting pregnant with Wilson's child could help him.

"Why not give him a child, as far as giving him some kind of hope?"

The prison guard allegedly began a second affair last September with the other unidentified inmate, who offered to raise the baby as his own.

"She's had a very tragic life and as this case proceeds, you'll learn more about it and how these affected her judgement," her lawyer Anthony Ricco said outside court on Tuesday.

"People find love in the strangest places," he added.

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Mexico: Girl, Nine, Gives Birth After 'Rape'

A nine-year-old Mexican girl has given birth in what authorities have called a rape or sexual abuse case.

The baby girl was born on January 27 in Zoquipan Hospital in Jalisco state, weighing 5lbs 7oz.

The youngster, who is identified only as Dafne, was eight when she got pregnant by a teenager who has since run away, her mother told local officials.

She said: "The father is a boy who is 17, but we have not found him, since he ran away.

"We are looking for the young man to get his story because she does not understand what has happened. This is a rape or child sex abuse case," said Jorge Villasenor with the state prosecutors' office.

Both girls were released from the hospital over the weekend, apparently doing well.

But the hospital said it would have to do extensive follow-up work due to the new mother's age.

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RBS Hit With £390m Fine For Fixing Libor

Revealed: The Secret Libor Messages

Updated: 3:48pm UK, Wednesday 06 February 2013

Sexual references, free meals and coded discussions were all part of the communications between RBS staff and others as they abused Libor rate-setting - even after they knew investigators were on the trail.

:: August 20, 2007

Yen Trader 4: where's young [Yen Trader 1] thinking of setting it?

Yen Trader 1: where would you like it[,] libor that is[,] same as yesterday is call

Yen Trader 4: haha, glad you clarified ! mixed feelings but mostly I'd like it all lower so the world starts to make a little more sense.

Senior Yen Trader: the whole HF [hedge fund] world will be kissing you instead of calling me if libor move lower

:: December 5, 2007

Yen Trader 2: FYI libors higher again today

Yen Trader 4: 'ucksake. keep ours low if poss. don't understand why needs to go up in yen

Yen Trader 2: no reason dude[,] [Bank C] and [Bank D] went high yest

Yen Trader 4: send the boys round

Yen Manager: pure manipulation going on

:: April 2, 2008

Senior Yen Trader: i am sure some HF [hedge fund] will complain tomorrow

Yen Trader 1: tough

Senior Yen Trader: we will say we lower every tenor ..1m 3m 6m ..we feel rbs name has very good credit ..no problem getting money in

Senior Yen Trader: good way to boost share price!

:: September 15, 2008

Yen Trader 1: can we lower our fixings today please [Primary Submitter]

Primary Submitter: make your mind up[,] haha , yes no probs

Yen Trader 1: im like a whores drawers

:: August 22, 2007

Yen Manager: Hi Mate, where are u calling the 6m and 3s Libor today?

Yen Trader 1: i put in 1.05 and 1.15

Yen Manager: ok cool...is that close to consensus?

Yen Trader 1: i think my 3s are too high[,] 6s will prob be 1.13 too[,] but i wanted high fixes today

Yen Manager: ok cool[,] its all a random variable for us at this stage it is just we have some small fixings

Yen Trader 1: well let me know if you have any preferencves [sic][,] each day

Yen Manager: thx will do

:: December 3, 2007

Yen Manager: for choice we want lower libors...let the [Money Market] guys know pls

Yen Trader 2: sure i am setting today as [Yen Trader 1] and cash guy off [Primary Submitter]

Yen Manager: great set it nice and low

Yen Trader 2: 1.02 in 6m or lower

Yen Manager: yeh lower

Yen Trader 2: 1.01 then cant really go much lower than that

Yen Manager: ok

Yen Trader 2: u care for 1m and 3m too[?] looks to me like fra map pretty flat

Yen Manager: lower generally dude

Yen Trader 2: cool

Yen Manager: within the acceptable bounds

:: February 15, 2007, showing Libor collusion between RBS and UBS

Yen Trader 2: how many people can u get to put this 1m libor low

UBS Yen Trader: well us[,] [Bank E,] and a few others i think

February 21, 2007

Yen Trader 2: what ur guys calling 3s libor[?] we need to get some low fixes

UBS Yen Trader: .64[,] yes will ask for low low high[,] 1m 3m 6m

Yen Trader 2: our guy agrees but reckons it will be 67[,] not good

UBS Yen Trader: no way! …

UBS Yen Trader: […] make sure your boys set low 1m and 3m

Yen Trader 2: will try though [Yen Trader 1/backup Yen LIBOR submitter] wants high 3s and 6s

UBS Yen Trader: we want high 6's too? don't let [Yen Trader 1] keep 3m high to help [Senior Yen Trader][,] i hate that guy

:: May 7, 2008

UBS Yen Trader: Hi [Sterling Cash Trader] if this is you can you pls ask for a low 6m in jpy for the next few days[.] Hope you are ok, was good seeing you last week[.] Cheers [UBS Yen Trader]

Sterling Cash Trader: Hi mate, I mentioned it to our guy on Friday and he seemed to have no problem with it, so fingers crossed.

:: December 4, 2008, showing Swiss Franc Libor manipulative conduct within RBS

Swiss Franc Trader: can u put 6m swiss libor in low pls?

Primary Submitter: NO

Swiss Franc Trader: should have pushed the door harder

Primary Submitter: Whats it worth

Swiss Franc Trader: ive got some sushi rolls from yesterday? …

Primary Submitter: ok low 6m , just for u

Swiss Franc Trader: wooooooohooooooo[,] 0.01%? thatd be awesome

Primary Submitter: 1.33

Swiss Franc Trader: perfect[.] u r a nice man

:: January 30, 2009

Primary Submitter: libors as requested

Swiss Franc Trader: you a top dog

:: May 5, 2009

Swiss Franc Trader: can we get high 3m, low 6m pls!

Primary Submitter: maybe

Swiss Franc Trader: PPPPLLLLLEEEEEAAAAASSSSEEEEEE

Primary Submitter: ok 41 52

Swiss Franc Trader: perfect perfect

:: May 14, 2009

Swiss Franc Trader: [Primary Submitter] pls can we get super high 3m[,] super low 6m

Swiss Franc Trader: PRETTY PLEASE!

Primary Submitter: 41 & 51

Swiss Franc Trader: if u did that[,] i would lvoe [sic] u forever

Primary Submitter: 41 & 55 then …

Swiss Franc Trader: if u did that i would come over there and make love to you[,] your choice

:: June 26, 2009, :: RBS collusion with interdealer brokers

Interdealer Broker B: Hello mate, [Yen Trader 1]? You all set?

Yen Trader 1: Yeah.

Interdealer Broker B: Right listen we've had a couple of words with them, you want them lower right?

Yen Trader 1: Yeah.

Interdealer Broker B: Alright okay, alright listen, we've had a couple words with them. You want them lower, right?

Yen Trader 1: Yeah.

Interdealer Broker B: Alright okay, alright, no we're okay just confirming it. We've, so far we've spoke to [Bank F]. We've spoke to a couple of people so we'll see where they come in alright. We've spoke, basically one second, basically we spoke to [Bank F], [Bank G], [Bank H], who else did I speak to? [Bank I]. There's a couple of other people that the boys have spoke to but as a team we've basically said we want a bit lower so we'll see where they come in alright?

Yen Trader 1: Cheers.

Interdealer Broker B: Cheers no worries mate.

March 3, 2010, Former Sterling Cash Trader now employed by Interdealer Broker A

Former Sterling Cash Trader: can i pick ur brain?

Primary Submitter: yeah …

Former Sterling Cash Trader: oh[,] we hve a mutual friend who'd love to see it go down, no chance at all?

Primary Submitter: haha [former UBS Yen Trader at Bank C] by chance

Former Sterling Cash Trader: shhh

Primary Submitter: hehehe …

Former Sterling Cash Trader: gotcha, thanks, and, if u cud see ur way to a small drop there might be a steak in it for ya, haha

Primary Submitter: noted ;-)

Former Sterling Cash Trader: 8-)

:: September 19, 2008 RBS Yen Trader engaged in 'wash trades' to compensate brokers

Interdealer Broker B: can you do me a favour … you're not going to get paid any bro for this and we'll send you lunch around for the whole desk. Can you flat…can you switch two years semi at 5 3/4 , 100 yards [meaning 100 billion yen] … between UBS. Just get … take it from UBS, give it back to UBS. He wants to pay some bro. We won't bro you …

Yen Trader 1: Yeah, yeah …

Interdealer Broker B: Yeah. Yeah. 100 yards … actually can you make it 150 and I'll send lunch around for everybody?

Yen Trader 1: Yeah.

:: November 22, 2010, conduct continues after US investigatrions start

Senior Yen Trader: hey ...you think we be able to convince [Primary Submitter] to change the libor today?

Yen Trader 1: i can try ... at the moment the FED are all over us about libors

Senior Yen Trader: thats for the USD? [$]

Yen Trader 1: ye[]s

Senior Yen Trader: dun think anyone cares the JPY libor

Yen Trader 1: not yet[,] i will walk over ot [sic] them

:: November 24, 2010, reflecting feigned refusal over Bloomberg Chat, immediately followed by agreement in recorded telephone conversation

Senior Yen Trader: was wondering if it suits you guys on hiking up 1bp [base point] on the 6mth Libor in JPY ... it will help our position tremendously

Primary Submitter: how you doing with all the volatilities these days? … to be honest happy with levels we see at the moment

Senior Yen Trader: ok no prob ... wouldn't want to cause any problem ... thanks mate

A telephone conversation commences: Senior Yen Trader: Hello?

Primary Submitter: Morning, [Senior Yen Trader]? Hi, [Primary Submitter].

Senior Yen Trader: Yeah, how are you?

Primary Submitter: I'm pretty good sir. Very Good. We're just not, we're not allowed to have those conversations on [instant messages].

Senior Yen Trader: Oh, sorry about that. I didn't know.

Primary Submitter: (laughter)

Senior Yen Trader: (laughter) Oh because of the, the BBA [British Bankers' Association] thing?

Primary Submitter: Yes, exactly.

Senior Yen Trader: Ah, ok ok.

Primary Submitter: So yeah, leave it with me, and uh, it won't be a problem.

Senior Yen Trader: Ok, great.

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Scotland Set To Launch Its First Satellite

Scotland's first satellite is to be launched into space in June.

The UKube-1 will be launched on board a Russian rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Clyde Space, the Glasgow company behind the nanosatellite, is hoping it could be the first of many from Scotland.

The UKube-1 satellite is said to be one of the most advanced of its kind.

UKube-1 will use GPS technology to measure plasmaspheric space weather

When it is launched it will take part in a UK Space Agency mission that will see it use GPS technology to measure plasmaspheric space weather.

The plasmasphere, or inner magnetosphere, is a region of the Earth's magnetosphere consisting of low energy, or cool, plasma.

The satellite will also test how cosmic radiation could improve the security of communication satellites.

It will carry a further five experiments that students across the UK can become involved in.

First Minister Alex Salmond said the project was "one small satellite for Clyde and a giant leap for their extraterrestrial export business and a new hope for space science in Scotland".

He added: "It is great to see up close Scotland's first space satellite - representing another successful Scottish export drive, but not as we know it."

Clyde Space chief executive officer Craig Clark said: "UKube-1 is the first spacecraft to be designed and built in Scotland. If we are successful in our business plan it will be the first of many more Scottish satellites."

Lena Wilson, the chief executive of Scottish Enterprise, pointed out that the global space industry is forecast to be worth £400bn by 2030.

She said there was a "huge opportunity for innovative companies like Clyde Space to grab a share of this international market".

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Mid Staffs Scandal: More Hospitals Probed

Victims' Families Speak Of Failures

Updated: 7:20am UK, Wednesday 06 February 2013

By David Crabtree, Midlands Correspondent

The families of three patients that died at Stafford Hospital have spoken of the neglect and failings there.

It was March 2010 when 61-year-old Alan Nash walked into Stafford Hospital for a routine colonoscopy.

Inquiries were already underway into a scandal, which suggested that between 2005 and 2008 up to 1,200 patients may have died needlessly.

As a result the Nash family believed the standards of care would be high. But Mr Nash's bowel was perforated and he died the same day.

His daughter Marie Hillman said: "We felt that all eyes would be on Stafford Hospital so there would not be any mistakes. Obviously it is one of the biggest regrets I have that we talked him into going."

His wife Jenny Nash: "I don't exactly know where the room is where they do the colonoscopy. But I was just sitting in the waiting room and it is not a big area anyway.

"I did hear. It was just like somebody had been punched in the stomach where you get that gasp, if you like and it was quite loud. I think that is when they actually perforated it."

Ms Hillman said: "He had gone into hospital for a routine diagnosis. It was just like a nightmare. A nurse said to me, you will probably find that this happened at home. This happened before he came in.

"And I thought there is no way. Dad walked into the hospital, there is no way this happened at home."

The family thought that they were trying to blame Mr Nash and "pass the buck".

His wife said: "I wasn't with him at the time, I was outside. I didn't know he was going to die."

Ms Hillman maintains that there has been no apology at all.

She said: "We would like more answers. We would like reassurance that steps have been put in place that would prevent this from happening to somebody else. But we haven't had that as of today."

In the case, the hospital did not accept that it had breached its duty of care.

Doreen Duff had already suffered a stroke before she moved to Stafford and came under the care of the local hospital.

She developed asthma and other complications and used the Accident and Emergency on a number of occasions before she was admitted. Doreen was 64 when she died in 2008.

Her husband James Duff said: "The A&E department was just chaotic. You couldn't get a doctor. If you did see one they would go off once they had seen you and they wouldn't come back until they had time again. Short staffed, rude, very, very dirty.

"At one time she was discharged from A&E and was back in A&E within an hour. She suffered more strokes and was eventually paralysed from the neck down and couldn't speak.

"When Doreen went in she was quite a bubbly person and had quite a good quality of life. She had lost the use of her left side but she had still got all the right side and she was as bright as a button.

"When she came out she was paralysed from the neck down, couldn't speak and everything had just gone. That was just because of the care she received in Stafford Hospital, a lack of care. Not giving her medication, not given the proper fluids and left in a bed that is wet, in your own faeces.

"After what we have all been through, the relatives of these, the care still isn't as it should be. They are still getting complaints coming through."

Deb Hazeldine suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder because of her 67-year-old mother Ellen's death from the hospital superbug C-difficile at Stafford Hospital.

"I will never get over it," said Ms Hazeldine who admits that she still struggles to cope more than six years after her loss.

She said: "My mum was diagnosed with bone cancer in March of 2006. She had some aggressive chemotherapy and unfortunately she suffered a fall at home.

"She didn't sustain any injuries at that point and she was taken into Mid-Staffs where she was told she would need physio and rehabilitation just to get her back on her feet."

Her mother was put onto an open ward despite a family request for her to have a side room or an isolation wing.

"She very quickly contracted C-diff and MRSA. She died from C-diff. She was sitting in a bed in a ward and I was sitting opposite her. We were chatting and faeces fell and covered half of the floor. Obviously it was at visiting time and other people were looking across. My mum just started to quietly cry.

"She was mortified that she was in this state. I looked for a nurse and pressed the buzzer and after about five minutes nobody came.

"I got down on my hands and knees and I started to clean it. I couldn't let my mum sit there like that. 

"When she died we had a call from the undertakers that stated that mum had so many hospital infections that the hospital said she had to be buried in a sealed body bag because she would contaminate the ground she went into.

"Even now we are hearing of complaints that there is lack of support on the wards, these families are still raising the same concerns as I was raising six years ago, of having to go in and support their loved ones.

"I don't understand that six years on, I really don't understand that."

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Two Children Among Dead In Denver Shooting

Denver police say two children under 10 years old and a woman have been killed and a third child wounded in an apparent shooting at a house in the northeast part of the city.

Police Lieutenant Matt Murray says the wounded child is in critical condition.

Investigators are waiting for a warrant to re-enter the house, according to KUSA-TV.

Lt Murray said: "It appears to be an isolated incident. We are talking to people, we are now talking to witnesses, but we have no indication that there is a shooter out there on the loose in Denver."

Police at the scene (KMGH-TV)

Neighbour Debbie Martinez told KMGH-TV she did not hear any gunshots coming from the home and was alerted to the shooting only by the sound of police sirens converging on the house shortly before 7am local time.

The neighbourhood is in industrial area, surrounded by warehouses and a trucking terminal.

Ms Martinez told KMGH-TV the home was sold to a new family about six months ago.

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Ready Meals Withdrawn Amid Meat 'Alert'

Some frozen spaghetti and lasagne meals have been pulled from the shelves of two supermarket chains as fears over contaminated meat products spread.

Tesco and Aldi revealed they have withdrawn a range of ready meals produced by French food supplier Comigel.

The move follows concern over contamination of products with horsemeat.

A Tesco spokesman said it took the step as a precaution after Findus beef lasagne was removed from sale.

"Following the withdrawal of Findus beef lasagne, which is produced by Comigel, we have decided to withdraw our frozen Everyday Value Spaghetti Bolognese, which is produced at the same site, as a precautionary measure," the spokesman said.

"There is no evidence that our product has been contaminated and the meat used in the Findus product is not used in our product.

"However, we have decided to withdraw the product pending the results of our own tests."

Findus UK said it withdrew its 320g, 360g and 500g lasagne meals as a precautionary measure after a labelling issue with its supplier was uncovered. The company insisted it was not a food safety issue.

"Deserving consumers' trust is a key priority for us," said a Findus UK spokesman. "As part of that commitment, we have been constantly reviewing our supply chain."

Aldi has withdrawn two frozen products but would not confirm if the dishes may have been contaminated or mislabelled.

"Following an alert from our French supplier, Comigel, Aldi immediately withdrew its Today's Special Frozen Beef Lasagne and Today's Special Frozen Spaghetti Bolognese from stores as a precautionary measure," it said.

"Comigel has flagged concerns that the products do not conform to specification. They have been withdrawn immediately so that Aldi can conduct its own investigations into the factory concerned.

"These investigations are continuing. We will continue to maintain active scrutiny across our supply lines and will always put the quality of our products and safety of our customers first."

More follows...

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