Teens Suspected Of Sex Attack On Suicide Girl

Three teenage boys have been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl who killed herself after photos of the alleged attack were shared online.

Audrie Pott hanged herself last September, eight days after passing out at the party where the humiliating assault is said to have taken place.

Police in Santa Clara, California on Thursday arrested two 16-year-olds at Saratoga High School and a third at Christopher High School in Gilroy.

The Pott's lawyer Robert Allard said she posted on Facebook that her life was "ruined" and that she was going through her "worst day ever" shortly before committing suicide.

"The family has been trying to understand why their loving daughter would have taken her life at such a young age and to make sure that those responsible would be held accountable," he said.

The Pott family, who wanted the case to be made public, has requested privacy until a planned news conference next Tuesday.

They have started a charitable foundation to provide music and art scholarships and offer youth counselling and support.

The foundation website alludes to the teen's struggles, but until now neither law enforcement, school officials nor family have discussed the sexual battery.

"She was compassionate about life, her friends, her family, and would never do anything to harm anyone," the site said. "She was in the process of developing the ability to cope with the cruelty of this world but had not quite figured it all out."

The arrests came on the same day as developments in a similar case in Canada. 

Rehtaeh Parsons was bullied online for months before taking her own life

Authorities in Nova Scotia are examining the case of a teenage girl who hanged herself on Sunday after an alleged rape and months of bullying.

A photograph said to be of the 2011 assault on 17-year-old Rehtaeh Parsons was shared online.

No charges initially were filed against four teenage boys being investigated.

Now, four government departments have been ordered to look into the case.

Audrie's story has also been compared to the recent conviction of two Steubenville high school footballers, who raped an unconscious girl at a party and then posted pictures online.

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Russia Builds Giant Space Base In $52bn Push

The Space Race: A Timeline

Updated: 1:06pm UK, Friday 12 April 2013

A timeline of the significant dates in space exploration:

July 29, 1955: US announces plan to put satellite in space.

October 4, 1957: Soviet Union launches first satellite, Sputnik.

November 3, 1957: First dog orbits Earth. USSR's Laika died of over-heating within hours.

October 1, 1958: Nasa starts operations, set up by Dwight D Eisenhower in direct response to Sputnik.

April 12, 1961: Victory for USSR as  Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man to orbit the Earth.

May 25, 1961: John F Kennedy promises to put a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s.

February 20, 1962: Astronaut John Glenn orbits the Earth three times.

September 20, 1963: Mr Kennedy offers to join forces with Nikita Krushchev to work on space exploration but is assassinated before deal can be struck.

June 16, 1963: Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space.

March 18, 1965: Cosmonaut Alexey Leonov carries out the first space walk.

August 21, 1965: Astronauts L. Gordon Cooper and Charles Conrad spend a record eight days in space.

November 11, 1966: Buzz Aldrin's five-hour space walk.

January 27, 1967: Crew of Apollo 1 killed by a cabin fire during a ground test.

April 24, 1967: Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov dies when his re-entry chutes fail.

December 21, 1968: Apollo 8 becomes first to orbit moon.

July 20, 1969: Neil Armstrong takes first steps on surface of the moon.

April 19, 1971: Soviets launch first space station, Salyut 1.

November 27, 1971: USSR lands first probe on Mars.

May 14, 1973: US launches its space station Skylab1.

July 15, 1975: First joint US and Soviet Union space mission, effectively marking the end of the Cold War Space Race.

April 12, 1981: Launch of first US Space Shuttle, Colombia.

January 28, 1986: Challenger disaster – seven crew killed when the shuttle breaks up 73 seconds into flight.

February 19, 1986: Russia launches Mir space station

June 1992: George H W Bush and Boris Yeltsin agree to cooperate on space exploration and the Shuttle-Mir programme begins in earnest.

February 3, 1994: First launch in Shuttle-Mir programme.

November 20, 1998: International Space Station launched.

February 1, 2003: Colombia disaster – seven crew killed when shuttle disintegrates on re-entry.

December 4, 2006: Nasa announces permanent moon base to be built by 2024.

April 15, 2010: Barack Obama ends Space Shuttle programme and cancels moon base plan refocusing project on Mars saying astronauts will orbit planet by 2030s.

July 8, 2011: Atlantis is last Space Shuttle flight.

August 31, 2011: Space Shuttle programme ends.

November 11, 2011: Russia's Phobos-Grunt Mars lander launches unsuccessfully, crash-landing back on Earth.

August 6, 2012: Nasa lands Curiosity rover on Mars.

April 12, 2013: Vladimir Putin announces $50bn (£33.8bn) space drive.

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Leaping Shark Steals Scared Fisherman's Catch

A fisherman had a fright when a 9ft-long shark leapt out of the water right by his kayak and stole his catch - all caught on camera.

Isaac Brumaghim was trying to reel in his mackerel tuna when the shark jumped up behind him and attempted to take the fish for itself before going back under the water.

In the video, the panicked man was then seen trying to haul the tuna on board that he wanted for a competition.

But it broke off his line and then disappeared under the surface off Hawaii.

Mr Brumaghim, 37, put his fishing rod away, picked up his paddle, shouted "Oh my God", and starting paddling.

He checked his hand for injuries before cheering, shivering and laughing in excitement.

Recalling the experience off the Waianae Coast, he said of the shark: "He exploded under my kayak, his dorsal hit my kayak. It was just like a rush."

Many thoughts ran through his head: fear, excitement and disappointment at losing a big catch. "The shark scared me," he said. "But I really needed that fish for my job."

The next thought after the rush subsided was: "I hope I got that on camera."

He often goes fishing with a camera mounted to his kayak. At home, he watched the footage and posted it online, not expecting it to generate the attention it is getting.

Meanwhile, many people are said to be sceptical, accusing him of doctoring the footage.

The father of three is still in shock. "I just have to laugh about it," he said, hoping the experience at least brings some attention to the growing sport of kayak fishing and Aquahunters, the company he runs.

He also said the experience was a humble reminder of the creatures he shares the ocean with.

"You get the chills when it happens," he said, "but it never scares me from going in."

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Ex-Apprentice Winner Loses Sugar Job Case

Former Apprentice winner Stella English has lost her claim of constructive dismissal against millionaire businessman Lord Sugar.

Ms English, 34, sued the Labour peer after resigning from the £100,000-a-year job that was her prize for winning series six of the BBC1 show in 2010.

She had complained her role at Lord Sugar's Viglen division was that of an "overpaid lackey", which her former boss strongly denied.

Ms English also claimed the job was "a sham" and a "PR construct", a tribunal heard last month.

The businessman insisted he had no case to answer and that Ms English was a "chancer" and a "money-grabber" who brought the case with the intention of settling out of court.

"I'm afraid she underestimated me and her reputation is now in tatters," Lord Sugar said.

In a written judgment, tribunal judge John Warren said: "This was a claim which should never have been brought."

Ms English and Lord Sugar pictured after she won The Apprentice

Lord Sugar has now vowed to take on the so-called claim culture as a "personal crusade".

He said: "She picked on the wrong person here and I do hope that, apart from it being a victory for me, that other business people will start to realise they shouldn't succumb to this type of blackmail and they should fight it."

After winning the TV series, Ms English was given a job at Viglen, supplying IT equipment to academy schools.

But she claimed that when the business mogul told her he would not be renewing her contract she was given no choice but to resign.

Ms English, who quit Viglen in May 2011, said she had no real role there and was not taken seriously by her colleagues.

She said she did not feel like Lord Sugar's "apprentice" as she only saw him five times during her 13-month employment.

Ms English had fought back tears in court as she said she was given no guidance about what she was meant to be doing, and was "ostracised" by her colleagues.

She claimed her employment was a "sham" and that she had been relegated to administrative tasks.

Lord Sugar said Ms English tried to 'extract money' from him

Ms English, of Whitstable, Kent, also said she felt pressurised into taking up a new position at Lord Sugar's internet set-top box company YouView, but the tribunal panel said this was unfounded.

In September 2011, Ms English was told that her contract was not being renewed and she then quit.

However, the peer said at the time there was no long-term position available at YouView and that she had already made it clear she did not want to work at Viglen.

Lord Sugar said during the case that Ms English wrongly believed he was "scared" of articles about him or The Apprentice appearing in the press and that he would pay her off to avoid a hearing.

The tribunal judgment said it was made "abundantly clear" to Ms English that she would not be working directly under Lord Sugar.

It said she had the wrong idea about how glamorous, or otherwise, the role would be and that she had stated in her evidence that she believed previous winners of The Apprentice "had accompanied Lord Sugar in his private jet".

Lord Sugar said afterwards: "There was never a case for us to answer but her need for money and fame meant that the whole system was subjected to this charade.

"I have been cleared of a derisory attempt to smear my name and extract money from me.

"The allegations were without substance, and I believe this case was brought with one intention in mind - the presumption that I would not attend the tribunal, that I would not testify and that I would settle out of court, sending Ms English on her way with a tidy settlement."

He added: "This case was a sham and a total abuse of a tribunal system, which is there to protect employees who have been mistreated.

"It is not there to aid those chancing their arm at landing a big payday. I hope that other companies will learn from this example and also fight off derisory claims."

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'Hounslow Slasher' Jailed For Knife Attacks

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky News Reporter

A man dubbed the "Hounslow Slasher" after he knifed two women in random attacks in London has been jailed for 18 years.

Sasha Masamba, 21, from Hounslow, grabbed both women from behind before cutting them in random attacks 10 days apart last August.

He was sentenced at the Old Bailey for two offences of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm following the attacks on Kaja Zablocka, 19, and Deserilyn Aurelio, 26.

He had previously pleaded not guilty to attempted murder.

The knife wounds were near arteries and the victims could easily have died

Speaking in court, Bobby Cheema QC said Masamba was "every woman's nightmare, a man that arms himself with a knife, prowls around in public places waiting for a lone female to attack".

One reason for the length of the sentence was the apparent lack of motive behind the attacks.

On sentencing, Recorder of London Judge Brian Barker said: "This is a most disturbing case. Noticeably, there was no request for money or sexual intent. The deep concern is a lack of any rational explanation for these acts.

"The victims could easily have died because the knife wounds were near arteries."

After the sentencing, DCI Amanda Hargreaves said: "This lengthy sentence reflects the nature of the offences.

"Masamba was caught before he potentially killed someone, which I believe was only a matter of time."

Police later released a statement from one of the victims, in which Ms Aurelio said: "The night I was attacked it just felt like a small cut to my chin at first, but the next day I realised how serious it was and became more and more scared.

"I have lost my confidence and avoid being outside alone at night.

"I have an awful scar on my face, it is very visible on my chin, this is a constant reminder of the attack and how close I came to being killed.

"I am still waiting for plastic surgery on the scar so I can then hopefully begin to look at myself as normal again.

"I am still very self-conscious of the scar. People stare at it and often ask what happened. This always upsets me as it reminds me of that horrible night."

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Thatcher: Policeman Quits Over Tweets

A police officer who reportedly posted a series of offensive messages online following the death of Baroness Thatcher has resigned from the Met.

Sergeant Jeremy Scott, who worked in a back-office role for the Metropolitan Police, is understood to have written on Twitter that he hoped Lady Thatcher's death was "painful and degrading".

Scotland Yard confirmed Sergeant Scott had submitted his resignation and it was accepted with immediate effect.

Commander Allan Gibson added: "This officer's behaviour was completely unacceptable and it is right that he has resigned."

Under the Twitter handle @thinbluespeck, which has since been taken down, Sgt Scott said Baroness Thatcher's death was "87 years too late" and added that the world was a "better place".

He had also greeted "death parties" held after she died with the tweet: "Marvellous stuff! Margaret Thatcher's death greeted with street parties in Brixton and Glasgow."

Before resigning on Friday, Sgt Scott reported the matter to the Directorate of Professional Standards, which is responsible for investigating complaints against officers' professional conduct.

An example of one of the police officer's anti-Thatcher tweets

According to Sky News' Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt the 52-year-old officer was about to be suspended but quit his post instead. By doing so, he will keep his police pension.

His resignation comes after figures from Scotland Yard revealed that three police officers have been sacked for misusing social media over the past five years.

Allegations linked to the use of sites including Facebook and Twitter have been recorded against 75 Metropolitan Police officers since 2009, with 38 of the claims substantiated.

Prime Minister David Cameron has already branded some reaction to the death of Baroness Thatcher as "pretty distasteful".

As well as "death parties", an online anti-Thatcher campaign has driven sales of the Wizard of Oz song Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead to number four in the official chart.

Asked if he was disappointed about animosity towards the former prime minister, Mr Cameron said: "I think the overwhelming sense across the country ... is that we are mourning the loss of someone who gave a huge amount to this country, that was an extraordinary leader."

Meanwhile, a council leader has joked that his authority should fly a flag bearing "a happy smiling face" to mark Baroness Thatcher's funeral.

The comment in an internal email to Labour colleagues was made by Coventry City Council's leader, John Mutton, as they debated whether to lower the Union Flag to half-mast on Wednesday.

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'We Stand With Allies': US Warns North Korea

US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned North Korea it would defend its allies after holding talks in the South Korean capital Seoul.

Speaking at a joint news conference with South Korean counterpart, Foreign Minister Yun Byung Se, Mr Kerry said the US would never accept North Korea as a nuclear power and described rhetoric from Pyongyang as "unacceptable".

He added that a missile test would be another "unwanted contribution to an already volatile situation" and a "huge mistake".

He said: "It would indicate who was being provactive with an exclamation point again.

"We will defend our allies. We will stand with South Korea, Japan and others. We will defend ourselves.

"Kim Jong Un needs to understand, as I think he probably does, what the outcome of a conflict would be."

A US agency believes that Kim Jong Un does have nuclear weapons

Intelligence reports from the Japanese, South Koreans and Americans have indicated that a North Korean missile test could take place at any time, though there has been silence from the leadership in Pyongyang.

The focus in the North Korean capital has been on a weekend of celebrations to mark a year in office for Kim Jong Un, which fell yesterday, and the anniversary of Mr Kim's grandfather, Kim Il Song, the founder of the nation.

The level of rhetoric to emerge from North Korea is unprecedented.

Over several weeks, the regime has declared itself to be in a "state of war" with the South, announced that a mothballed nuclear site is to be reopened and threatened to carry out nuclear attacks against the US.

Mr Kerry arrived in the region as confusion surfaced in Washington over the true status of North Korea's nuclear capability.

North Korea is celebrating a year in office for Kim Jong Un

The broad consensus is that while Kim Jong Un does possess nuclear devices and has crossed the "nuclear threshold", he does not have the capability to launch a nuclear missile.

However, at a congressional hearing on Thursday night, it emerged that one US government agency believes that Kim Jong Un does have nuclear weapons which could be placed inside a ballistic missile and fired.

Republican US Representative Doug Lamborn, quoting from a March 2013 DIA report which was inadvertently labelled "unclassified", said: "(The) Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) assesses with moderate confidence the North currently has nuclear weapons capable of delivery by ballistic missiles, however the reliability will be low."

The Pentagon was quick to issue a written clarification on the matter.

Spokesman George Little said: "In today's House Armed Services Committee hearing on the Department of Defence budget, a member of the committee read an unclassified passage in a classified report on North Korea's nuclear capabilities.

Flower displays for the anniversary of Kim Il Sung's death feature missiles

"While I cannot speak to all the details of a report that is classified in its entirety, it would be inaccurate to suggest that the North Korean regime has fully tested, developed, or demonstrated the kinds of nuclear capabilities referenced in the passage."

Washington added it was concerned about unexpected developments linked to the inexperience of 30-year-old Kim Jong Un.

One official said: "Kim Jong Un's youth and inexperience make him very vulnerable to miscalculation. Our greatest concern is a miscalculation and where that may lead.

"We have seen no indications of massive troop movements, or troops massing on the border, or massive exercises or anything like that that would back up any of the rhetoric that is going on."

North Korea has said that it does possess advanced nuclear devices.

President Barack Obama, speaking after White House talks with UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, said "nobody wants to see a conflict".

He added: "We both agree that now is the time for North Korea to end the kind of belligerent approach that they've been taking.

"It's important for North Korea, like every other country in the world, to observe basic rules and norms."

This whole crisis stems from Pyongyang's desire to pursue a nuclear programme which it says it needs to defend itself from "American aggression".

By manufacturing this crisis, Kim Jong Un is likely to be demonstrating strength domestically and thus bolstering his legitimacy.

Internationally, he is determined that his country is taken seriously as a nuclear power.

He would want an acceptance from the Americans that he is part of the 'nuclear club' as a pretext to any negotiations to end this crisis.

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Clive Mantle Ear Bite Accused In Court

A man accused of biting off part of former Casualty actor Clive Mantle's ear has appeared in court.

Philip McGilvray, 32, appeared at Newcastle Magistrates' Court charged with wounding with intent.

Mantle was appearing in The Ladykillers in Newcastle

He is accused of attacking Mantle, who has also appeared in the hit US TV show Game Of Thrones, at a Travelodge on Newcastle's Quayside on Sunday, March 24.

The 55-year-old actor had been appearing in a touring production of The Ladykillers in the city and it was believed an incident occurred after he asked other guests to keep the noise down.

McGilvray, who is from Hamilton in Scotland, did not enter a plea and the case was sent to Newcastle Crown Court for a hearing on April 26.

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Rapist Who Filmed Attack Has Sentence Doubled

A man who filmed himself raping a woman on his tablet computer has had his jail sentence almost doubled.

The original term imposed on Hesam Khosravi in January was increased from six years to 11 years for being "unduly lenient".

During the "sustained" attack in Trafford, Greater Manchester, the 24-year-old Iranian immigrant threatened his victim with a knife.

The appeal judges were told that other "aggravating" features of the case included "deliberate and gratuitous violence" and "degradation and humiliation", which included the filming of the crime on an iPad.

It was argued on behalf of Attorney General Dominic Grieve at the Court of Appeal in London that six years failed to reflect the seriousness of the offence, the need for deterrence and the "public concern that offences like this give rise to".

Lady Justice Hallett, sitting with two other judges, said: "Watching the footage was an extraordinarily unpleasant task.

"The victim's obvious pain and distress is excruciating to watch.

"How the victim must feel knowing that the recording has been shown in court and watched by outsiders one cannot imagine."

She added: "What is particularly chilling is the offender's calm dominance throughout."

The judge said: "The offender was determined to terrify and humiliate at the same time. He succeeded.

"His behaviour that night was simply cruel, and the lasting psychological harm he has caused is immeasurable."

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Five Dead In Crash Between Lorry And Car

Five people have died in a head-on crash between a lorry and a car on the A18 in Grimsby.

Police said the victims were a family from Durham. Three died at the scene and two in hospital.

An ambulance service spokeswoman said: "The emergency 999 call was received at 12.30pm today and reported a road traffic collision between a lorry and a car in Grimsby."

Three ambulances and the air ambulance were sent to the accident at Laceby.

The spokeswoman added: "Our first response was on scene within three minutes of the call being picked up in control. Police and fire services also attended.

"Two patients were transported by land ambulance to hospital in Grimsby."

More follows...

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Australia: Dead Nurses 'Tied To Tree For Days'

An inquest into the death of two nurses who were found bound and beaten in a Queensland bush four decades ago has heard how they were tied to a tree for days.

A second inquest into the 1974 killings of hitch-hikers Lorraine Wilson, 20, and Wendy Evans, 18, has reopened.

In one of the country's most shocking unsolved crimes - the women's skeletal remains were discovered near the town of Murphy's Creek in 1976.

Their skulls were crushed and their bones tangled with cord from venetian blinds.

Betty Staid, who gave evidence via phone, said one of the key persons of interest - now deceased, Donald "Donny" Laurie - lived with her for five weeks in the 1970s and made some shocking admissions at the time.

While they were watching a crime show about the murders, she said Mr Laurie told her he had wanted to give the women water when they were tied to a tree for two or three days.

"I was in shock and said: 'How did you know that, Laurie?'," said Ms Staid. "He looked at me like he'd said too much and said: 'I hear things.'"

Ms Staid said her housemate once offered to take her to the crime scene but she refused.

Two of the only three surviving persons of interest in the case - who were named for the first time last year - have given evidence at the inquest while the third, Desmond Roy Hilton is due to take the stand.

Allan Neil "Ungie" Laurie, 63, and Terrence James "Jimmy" O'Neill insisted they had nothing to do with the murders.

The inquest was told the men had a habit of abducting women, taking them to the bush, beating them and raping them - which they also deny.

Trevor Hilton, the uncle of key suspect Wayne "Boogie" Hilton, said his nephew and his friends would ambush young women in Toowoomba's main street on a weekly basis.

Mr Hilton said the group of men, which included now deceased Allan John "Shorty" Laurie, Donald "Donny" Laurie, and Larry Charles, were notorious about town.

Ms Wilson and Ms Evans were last seen leaving a relative's home in the Brisbane suburb of Camp Hill in October 1974 to hitch-hike to Goondiwindi where they were to pick up a car and drive to Sydney.

An inquest held in 1985 found the women had met foul play, but no charges were laid.

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Weather: Temp To Hit 20C As Spring Comes

Spring will bloom next week as the cold snap that is winter's last blast moves away, according to forecasters.

Temperatures will reach up to 20C on Sunday in parts of the south and east and will get up to double figures across all of Britain after one of the coldest recorded Marches in history.

Sky News meteorologist Chris England said temperatures are set to rise next week as the jet stream steers away from the Atlantic. The narrow band of very strong winds, which moves weather systems around the globe, has been blamed for the recent bad weather.

He said: "It's going to turn warmer as the weather system comes over from the south but the downside is that there'll be rain and wind before we get there."

Billy Payne, a forecaster for the Press Association, said: "We are seeing change on the way through today, with heavy rain pushing north and bringing temperatures up with milder air before things get warmer next week.

"By Sunday and into Monday temperatures should be driving towards 20C in the south east and East Anglia, and double digits in Scotland and the north of England."

A car travels through the snow near Allenheads in Northumberland

The unseasonable weather has caused chaos for farmers, the transport network and homeowners throughout March and the Easter holiday.

In some parts of Britain, the continuously low temperatures have formed rarely seen ice formations.

Hundreds of farmers have lost livestock and wildlife is said to have been hit hard by weather that has left many animals struggling to find food.

Average temperatures between March 1 and 26 were just 2.5C (36.5F), three degrees below the long-term average, the Met Office said.

This would make it the coldest March since 1962 and also the fourth coldest in the UK since records began in 1910.

The coldest March in the UK was in 1962, at 1.9C (35.4F), followed by 1947, 2.2C (35.9F), 1937, 2.4C (36.3F), and 1916 and 1917, 2.5C (36.5F).

Geoff Lee at an ice wall which has formed on Durham Dales

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Lanzarote Kidnap Attempt: Face Of Wanted Man

Police have released photos of a man - believed to be British - who allegedly tried to abduct a three-year-old girl from her parents in the Canary Islands.

A family from Milton Keynes were on holiday in Costa Teguise in Lanzarote on January 30 last year when a man attempted to kidnap the girl in a shop.

The victim's father noticed she was missing, left a store and spotted the youngster being led around a corner into an alleyway by a man, who was holding her by the hand.

He shouted out and ran up to his daughter, pulling her away from the man who then left the scene.

The family were on the beach a short time later and saw the same man, who spoke fluent English, sitting between some rocks and acting suspiciously.

The victim's father confronted the suspect but he had gone before police arrived.

The family says the man was acting suspiciously on the beach

The family took photos of the man which have now been released by police in an attempt to identify him.

The suspect is white, with pasty skin, aged between 40 and 55, stocky with broad shoulders and around 5ft 8ins to 5ft 9ins tall. He had short dark hair and a dark moustache.

Detective Constable John Swallow, the investigating officer, said: "This is a very concerning incident in which a young girl was led away from her family by an unknown man.

"The victim's father knew it was his daughter being led around the corner because he recognised her flashing trainers.

"The incident was reported to Thames Valley Police after initially being reported to police in Lanzarote and we have been making enquiries to try to establish the man's identity since then.

"We are working closely with the Spanish authorities and Interpol on this case and will continue to do so.

"We have reason to believe he may be a British citizen as he spoke fluent English and made references to being on holiday.

"I am appealing for anyone who recognises the man in the images or has information on his whereabouts to contact police as soon as possible."

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Thatcher Funeral: Police Search Web For Threats

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

Police are braced for potential threats to the Thatcher funeral from far-Left groups, obsessive individuals and Irish dissident republicans.

Detectives are scouring internet chatrooms and social media networks for any hint of planned demonstrations and trying to identify individuals who may pose a threat.

In the past police have made pre-emptive arrests, but sources suggest that is unlikely unless there is strong evidence of crimes about to be committed.

A source said: "Someone simply talking about a desire to cause trouble would not be enough to justify an arrest."

The Fixated Threat Assessment Centre (FTAC), a small group of police and psychiatrists,  is monitoring known Thatcher obsessives.

Magaret Thatcher was a very divisive figure

They are concerned about those with mental health  issues who have fallen through the care net.

Scotland Yard's counter-terror chief warned recently that dissident  republicans active in Northern Ireland continue to harbour ambitions to launch attacks on the UK mainland.

On the day of the funeral, thousands of uniformed officers will line the route to protect the cortege from any disruption.

Operation True Blue will involve officers from the Metropolitan force, the City of London and British Transport Police.

Some people celebrated news of Thatcher's death

The security details are being discussed and updated at daily meetings, though the broad plan was formulated more than a year ago.

Within minutes of the announcement of Baroness Thatcher's death on Monday, all new police leave applications were turned down.

Teams of mobile reserves will be on standby for any outbreak of violence, but there are no plans to bring in colleagues from outside London.

One major, unrelated police operation planned for the day of the funeral has been postponed to ensure the maximum number of officers is available.

Forces around the country are also preparing for potential demonstrations, after a wave of "death parties" on Monday night in Bristol, Liverpool, Glasgow and Northern Ireland.

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Terror Plot 'Bigger Than 7/7': Pair Admit Role

Two members of a gang who planned atrocities bigger than July 7 have admitted terrorist offences.

Mohammed Rizwan, 34, and Bahader Ali, 19, both from Sparkbrook in Birmingham, pleaded guilty to engaging in conduct in preparation of acts of terrorism at Woolwich Crown Court, police said.

They were members of a gang led by Irfan Naseer, 31, Irfan Khalid, 28, and Ashik Ali, 28, all from Birmingham, who were convicted in February.

Gang leaders convicted in February

Police believe it was the most significant terror plot to be uncovered since the 2006 conspiracy to blow up transatlantic airliners using bombs disguised as soft drinks.

The gang had planned to set off up to eight rucksack bombs and possibly other devices in crowded places. Khalid even boasted that their plan could be "another 9/11".

Naseer and Khalid spent a total of 15 months, during two trips, in terror training camps in Pakistan before sharing all they knew with Ali.

In September 2011 when they started to experiment with making bombs, officers, who had them under surveillance decided to arrest them.

They were recorded discussing the use of AK47 assault rifles and poisons as well as blowing themselves up.

Inspired by al Qaeda, the cell criticised the 7/7 London bombers for not putting nails in their explosives.

Six other men, who are also from Birmingham, had already admitted terror offences.

They are Rahin Ahmed, 26, from Moseley; Mujahid Hussain, 21, from Yardley; Naweed Ali, 25, Ishaaq Hussain, 21, Khobaib Hussain, 21, and Shahid Khan, 21, all from Sparkhill.

All 11 are due to be sentenced later this month.

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Prestatyn Fire: 'Accused Made Threats To Kill'

By Nick Martin, Sky News Correspondent

The woman accused of starting a fire that killed two adults and three small children had made death threats, a court has heard.

Melanie Smith, 42, denies five counts of murder following the fatal house fire in Prestatyn, north Wales, on October 19, last year.

On the first day of the trial at Mold Crown Court, the jury heard how Smith, who lived in the flat below the victims, had "demonstrated anger and hostility" towards her neighbour Lee-Anna Shiers, 20. 

Five died in the fire on October 19, 2012

Jurors were told she had threatened to set the house on fire following a series of rows with Ms Shiers.  

The court also heard that Smith had accused Ms Shiers of having an affair with her partner.

Prosecuting Stephen Murphy QC said: "The prosecution says that the fire was deliberately started by the defendant who had been drinking heavily on that day and who, over a period of about two months leading up to the 19th October, had demonstrated anger and hostility towards Lee-Anna and also jealousy.

"It is the prosecution's case that on a number of occasions... the defendant made threats to or about Lee-Anna that she would "set your house on fire with you and your kids inside."

Ms Shiers, her four-year-old nephew Bailey and two-year-old niece Skye died in the blaze at their home.

Firefighters managed to rescue Ms Shiers' 15-month-old son Charlie and his father, Liam Trimble, 23, from their first-floor flat, but they both died later in hospital.

A recording was played to the court of Mr Trimble's desperate call to the emergency services. 

Firefighters were unable to save the family

He was heard shouting: "Help, help. Someone has put it on purpose, we're inside the flat... Oh my god, oh my god, we're gonna die."

The prosecution said Ms Shiers, trapped in an upstairs bedroom with the children, called her father, saying: "Dad, there's a fire downstairs, I can't get out."

Some jurors wiped away tears as the tapes were played and some members of the public gallery wept. 

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Margaret Thatcher's Son: Family Overwhelmed

Baroness Thatcher would be "humbled" that the Queen is attending her funeral, her son has declared as he spoke of her death for the first time.

Sir Mark Thatcher gave a statement on the steps of the former prime minister's home in London after flying in to help arrange next week's ceremony.

He said his mother had been blessed with "a long life, and a very full one" but that her death was "without doubt a very sad moment".

He also expressed gratitude for the messages the family had received "from far and wide", which he said would be a source of strength in the days ahead.

Margaret Thatcher died on Monday

Sir Mark is the first member of the family to speak publicly about Lady Thatcher since she died on Monday at the Ritz in central London.

His statement came moments before a special Parliamentary session allowing MPs and peers to pay tribute began.

In it, Prime Minister David Cameron paid tribute to Lady Thatcher, describing her as an "extraordinary woman".

He said: "She made the political weather, she made history and - let this be her epitaph - she made our country great again."

Lord Tebbit, one of Lady Thatcher's key allies in Cabinet and her former party chairman, paid an emotional tribute for the support he received after he and his wife were injured by an IRA bomb in Brighton in 1984.

He said: "She was brought down in the end not by the electorate, but by her colleagues."

More details were released about her ceremonial funeral, which will be held next Wednesday at St Paul's Cathedral.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are breaking with protocol by attending the service, which is not an official state ceremony.

Tony and Cherie Blair will be at the funeral next week

Sir Mark said: "I would like to say how enormously proud and deeply grateful we are that Her Majesty has agreed to attend the service next week at St Paul's and I know my mother would be greatly honoured as well as humbled by her presence.

"By any measure, my mother was blessed with a long life and a very full one. However, the inevitability or the inevitable conclusion may appear of the recent illness that she suffered, it is no easier for us to bear in what is without doubt a very sad moment.

"We have quite simply been overwhelmed by messages of support and condolence of every type, from far and wide, and I know that my mother would be pleased they have come from people of all walks of life."

He said many of the messages contained personal stories related to "the journey of my mother's life".

Former ally Lord Tebbit paid an emotional tribute in the House of Lords

"We are all enormously grateful for the warmth that these messages convey and they will be a source of encouragement and strength as we face the inevitable days ahead," he said.

Britain's longest-serving prime minister and the only woman ever to hold the role is being given a ceremonial funeral, one below a state occasion.

More than 700 members of the armed forces from all three services, including those with links to the Falklands war, will take part.

A public holiday has been declared on the Falkland Islands next Wednesday to allow people to watch Lady Thatcher's funeral and to attend a memorial service in Stanley.

Members of the Honourable Artillery Company will fire procession minute guns from Tower Wharf at the Tower of London.

Representatives of all three services will also line the funeral route, while three military bands play - their drums draped in black as a mark of respect.

A huge security operation costing millions is expected in central London during the ceremony amid fears of protests and disruption.

Lady Thatcher's estate will contribute but the rest of the money will be provided from the public purse.

Downing Street is refusing to give details of its total cost ahead of the service and ministers have defended the expense.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "The rebate she negotiated for this country from the EU has brought us so far £75bn - which is twice the size of our annual defence budget.

"I think that puts money in perspective ... so I think we can afford to contribute to a funeral."

Plans for the ceremony have been dubbed Operation True Blue and Lady Thatcher is to be given full military honours.

Units linked to the Falklands war will play key roles at the ceremony

Tony Blair and his wife Cherie as well as Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah will be at the ceremony, which will be one of the largest public funerals of recent decades.

Lady Thatcher's coffin will be transferred to the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in the Palace of Westminster on Tuesday ahead of the ceremony.

There will be a short service following its arrival before the coffin rests in the chapel overnight.

The streets will then be cleared for a procession taking the former leader's body from parliament to Church of St Clement Danes, the RAF Chapel on the Strand.

At the church, it will be transferred to a gun carriage drawn by the King's Troop Royal Artillery.

The streets will be cleared for the procession on to St Paul's and members of all three services will line the route, as well as bands from each.

The Gun Carriage will be drawn by six horses, three of which are mounted, with a sergeant riding alongside, an officer riding in front and three dismounted troops on foot.

A Bearer Party made up of all three services will walk alongside the coffin, and will include those from ships, units and stations notable for their service during the Falklands campaign.

Outside St Paul's there will be a Guard of Honour of 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, as well as the Welsh Guards Band.

For the coffin's arrival, there will also be a Step Lining party made up of 18 personnel from all three services.

These will include six Navy, six members of the Blues and Royals, Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, and six RAF, plus Chelsea Pensioners of the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

Ten members of staff from the Ritz, where Lady Thatcher had been staying since Christmas, have also been invited in recognition of the care she received at the hotel.

The public will not be able to attend the funeral service itself but will be able to line the route of the procession.

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Horsemeat Scare: 50,000 Tons Of 'Beef' Recall

Dutch authorities have recalled 50,000 tons of meat which has been sold as beef across Europe because it may contain horsemeat.

Around 370 different companies in Europe and a further 130 in the Netherlands are affected by the recall because they bought meat from two Dutch trading wholesalers.

Firms have been told to "take it off the market as a precautionary measure" and "verify all products".

The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) has taken the decision to recall the meat because its exact source cannot be established.

As a result, "its safety cannot be guaranteed", it said, ordering the immediate withdrawal of the beef from sale on Wednesday.

The statement said there was no immediate suggestion of any danger to human health.

The horsemeat scandal has spread across Europe

"The buyers have probably already processed the meat and sold it on," it said.

"They, in turn, are obliged to inform their own customers."

The Authority does not know where the meat has ended up, but it may have been used in frozen products.

The Dutch wholesalers involved are Wiljo Import en Export B.V. and Vleesgroothandel Willy Selten B.V.

Officials began a large-scale investigation into the country's meat industry in February following revelations across Europe that horsemeat was being sold as beef.

Inspectors examining Willy Selten's records found that the origin of the meat it supplied was unclear.

This makes it impossible for them to confirm whether slaughterhouses have been acting according to procedure.

"It might contain traces of horsemeat, but we don't know for certain at the moment if this is the case," a spokeswoman for the NVWA said.

The Authority has warned its foreign counterparts about the recall via a European rapid alert system.

Tests have been carried on products for contamination

Sky's Europe Correspondent Robert Nisbet said: "One of these factories that processes meat was raided on February 15.

"Prosecutors at the time said they believed that the management inside was shredding up horsemeat then adding it to beef and selling it on as 100% beef.

"What they (authorities) are saying is that they don't believe that there is horsemeat in all of this 50,000 tons - but they cannot be sure - therefore they want to take it off the shelves and subject it to more tests.

"If you remember the previous horsemeat scandal that was detected from Findus products that was made from Comigel in Luxembourg that was traced back to horsemeat from two Romanian abattoirs. That horsemeat was then sent to another processor in the Netherlands.

"So this would suggest that the Netherlands is an area that people are looking at very closely now in terms of oversight in this massively sprawling industry that runs across Europe.

"Could it be there that many of the problems have originated since this horsemeat scandal blew-up back in January?"

A preliminary investigation by the Romanian government suggested paperwork from the two accused abattoirs was in order and that the livestock entering the facilities were accurately documented.

It also suggested that the meat which emerged from the slaughterhouses was properly labelled, and so therefore the substitution happened elsewhere in the food production chain.

The Europe-wide horsemeat scandal has seen many products pulled from supermarket shelves - damaging confidence in the continent's vast and complex food industry.

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North Korea: South On Alert For Missile Launch

Visiting Secretive North Korea

Updated: 11:52am UK, Wednesday 10 April 2013

Despite the current tensions on the Korean Peninsula, tourists have been able to travel to North Korea.

A Sky News employee has just returned from a four-day trip. Journalists are strictly banned from the county without visas, which are rarely issued, so we are not revealing her name, but here is her story:

I flew from Beijing to Pyongyang. On the flight with me were lots of North Koreans with plenty of excess baggage: TVs, vegetables and meat.

Nothing felt abnormal. There was no feeling of tension.

Only when I arrived at the Demilitarised Zone were we prevented access to some of the buildings because of the current situation.

Throughout the four-day trip, which was organised by a Chinese travel company, we were assigned two North Korean minders.

One of them was more senior than the other. She watched us and watched her colleague too.

They did not want the war but were also determined to fight if the country decided to start a war. They emphasised to us that they believed in the country from their hearts.

We were not allowed to move freely. We could only do tourist things according to the guidance of the tour "guards".

We were not allowed to take photographs in the car or anywhere without the minder's permission. We were told not to photograph anything that looked bad or makes North Korea look bad.

"Don't bring bad impressions out of Pyongyang," they said.

People were very friendly. There was little traffic, so people would stare at our bus wherever we drove.

People there are very aware of the potential war.

Every time we arrived at the places of interest, the tour guides would always ask us in Korean (the minders would translate into Chinese) about the latest situation and our opinions about the situation, particularly our opinions about the US, as they all believe the tensions are the fault of America.

When we asked the minders what would happen if the war breaks out tomorrow, they said: "If the war breaks tomorrow, until midnight tonight, we are still building the socialist constructions."

We also asked them whether they know where Kim Jong-Un lives and works, as we explained to them that in Beijing, all the top leaders work and live in a place called Zhongnanhai. They all said they had no idea.

The two minders liked to sing. One of the songs they sang was apparently written by a South Korean musician to express his admiration toward Kim Jong-Il.

On one of the days we went to Myohyang San, a North Korean mountain. The six of us on the tour were locked in the restaurant because the North Koreans were so afraid that we would wander around.

There is a museum near the mountain, where gifts from foreign countries are displayed. A lot of them came from Japan.

We asked them how could they receive so many gifts from Japan given that North Korea considers the Japanese as enemies. They told us that the Japanese really admire the leaders, so they gave us many gifts.

We stayed in the Yanggakdo International Hotel, where we could watch international TV channels including the BBC, NHK, (Japanese TV), Phoenix (Hong Kong TV) and CCTV (Chinese TV).

The minders live on a specific floor where they only have three North Korean channels to watch. They never ate with us and when we asked what they had eaten, they always refused to tell us.

We were not allowed to use the local currency, and they never showed us their money. We could use Chinese RMB, US dollars or euros.

There were not many opportunities to see any ordinary North Korean people apart from the shopkeepers, tour guides or waitresses in the hotel.

There is a casino on the underground floor of the Yanggakdo International Hotel, where most of the staff members come from Liaoning Province over the northern border in China, and North Koreans are not allowed to enter.

The casino is managed by people from Macau. The staff there told us it was empty because the tensions mean far fewer people are travelling to North Korea.

Staff at the casino are all Chinese. When we asked to go to the casino, one of the minders said to us: "You must be non-communists, because communist members don't go to casinos."

Wherever we go to visit, they always asked us if we think their places or things are pretty. They only wanted to show us the good side of the country.

As soon as we travelled outside the capital city, it felt very like the real North Korea: rural, no tall buildings, only farmland.

We never felt the tension of war on our trip. On the streets, on our tour, in the hotel and even at a school we visited, the students were studying as normal.

The people we spoke to asked us if it was true that living in Beijing is hard. They think living in North Korea is the happiest thing in the world.

It feels as though those North Koreans who have travelled outside the country have never mentioned what the outside world really looks like.

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Level Crossing Death: Network Rail Fined £450k

Network Rail has been fined £450,000 after a woman died when the car she was in was hit by a train at a level crossing.

The firm was found guilty of health and safety breaches over the "entirely preventable" death in the village of Moreton-on-Lugg, Herefordshire.

A judge also fined one of the firm's signalmen, Adrian Maund, for his part in the death of Jane Harding.

Network Rail failed to ensure the safety of non-employees at the crossing by choosing not to install an automatic barrier locking system.

A trial at Birmingham Crown Court heard such a device would have detected the oncoming train and kept the crossing's barriers down.

Car passenger Mrs Harding, 52, died in the collision which happened just seconds after the barriers were raised by Maund who mistakenly thought the train had already passed.

Mrs Harding's husband Mark, who was driving the vehicle, suffered serious injuries in the tragedy in January 2010.

Maund, from Leominster, Herefordshire, was fined £1,750 and ordered to do 275 hours of unpaid community work.

The 42-year-old defendant was convicted in February of failing to take reasonable care for the safety of people using the crossing.

The company will also pay £33,000 and Maund will pay £750 towards prosecution costs.

Sentencing, Judge Melbourne Inman QC said the death would not have happened if the "approach locking" barriers had been installed.

He said there was a "significant fall in standard on behalf of Network Rail. There was a considerable degree of public risk", adding the firm "failed to do everything reasonably practical to avoid tragedy".

Jane Harding died in the collision in January 2010

The judge went on: "This tragedy could have been avoided if Network Rail had installed an approach locking system (at the crossing) which would have rendered it impossible for a signalman to raise the barrier."

Addressing Maund, described in court as a thorough employee who had been commended during 19 years of exemplary service, the judge added: "Clearly something caused you to take the terrible decision to raise the barrier.

"I accept that you obviously did not intend what happened and admitted to having made a terrible error immediately after it had occurred, after you had contacted the emergency services and whilst you were awaiting them."

Maund's trial heard that he was distracted by a telephone call from a farmer using a nearby unmanned crossing.

Mr Harding said in a statement: "On January 16, 2010 we lost a loving and devoted daughter, sister, wife and mother to a then 13-year-old son, in an accident we not learn could have been prevented.

"If Jane's passing is to have any meaning, it will be that in future, rail and road users will be placed at the forefront of those in the rail industry whose responsibility it is to ensure the general public's safety at level crossing.

"Safety - not cost - must be the top priority. The cost of any life, as we can testify, is incalculable."

Network Rail said: "We are deeply sorry that through no fault of their own, the Hardings found themselves involved in a fatal train accident.

"Mrs Harding's death at Moreton-on-Lugg level crossing was a tragedy that has had a profound impact upon many families and railway staff.

"Since the accident alterations have been made at Moreton and other similar crossings to prevent such a rare signaller error leading to tragic consequences.

"Over the past few years, Network Rail has adopted a policy of closing crossings wherever possible - to completely remove risk.

"So far nearly 700 have been closed and this along with a £130m investment in improvements across the country is making level crossings even safer. This work remains a key focus for the company."

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