Maria De Villota: F1 Driver Found Dead In Hotel

Ex-Formula One test driver Maria de Villota has been found dead in a hotel room in Seville.

The 33-year-old Spaniard lost an eye and fractured her skull when she crashed into a truck at Duxford Aerodrome in Cambridgeshire on July 3 last year.

But although she no longer raced, she was said to have been rebuilding her life and had become part of the FIA's Women In Motorsport commission.

It is understood she was on a tour promoting her autobiography at the time of her death.

Spanish police said it appeared she died of natural causes.

A scan shows De Villota's skull injuries after last year's accident

"There are no signs of violence, but we need to wait for the autopsy," a police spokeswoman said, adding that a forensic team was at the hotel.

She was the daughter of former F1 driver Emilio de Villota, and competed in F3, GTs, touring cars and the Superleague Formula before joining up with the Marussia team.

A statement on de Villota's Facebook page, signed by her family, read: "Dear friends: Maria has left us.

Maria de Villota was daughter of F1 driver Emilio

"She had to go to heaven like all angels. We are thankful to God for the extra year and a half that he left her with us."

De Villota was in hospital in Cambridge for a month after last year's accident and wore a patch over her lost eye.

X-ray images of her fractured skull led many to describe her survival from the crash as a "miracle".

Friends said the accident did not appear to have dampened her spirits.

Susie Wolff, a Williams development driver, said: "After the accident she was so behind me and had such a lust for life, she was so happy to be alive and that she'd survived it and she had so many great plans for the future.

The Spaniard was a test driver for Marussia

"She was just an incredible lady, no matter about what she did on the racetrack. She was just an incredible character."

The news of de Villota's death broke as Formula One teams completed the second practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka, but they still took to Twitter to pay tribute to the driver.

A message from the Sauber F1 team read: "We are shocked to hear about the death of Maria de Villota. Our sincerest condolences and sympathy to her family for this tragic loss."

Caterham F1 Team added: "We'd like to echo the thoughts of the whole paddock and express our deepest condolences on the news of Maria de Villota's passing. RIP."

Sahara Force India said: "Very sad news coming from Spain about brave Maria de Villota passing away. Our thoughts are with Maria's family and friends in this moment."

De Villota married her personal trainer Rodrigo Garcia Millan in July.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

'White Widow' Lewthwaite 'Key' In Al Shabaab

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent, In Kenya

Sky News has obtained a Kenyan intelligence report which for the first time shows the reach of the al Shabaab terror network - which carried out the Nairobi shopping mall attack - and the extent of British involvement within the group.

It suggests that Samantha Lewthwaite - the British woman known as the 'White Widow' because she was married to one of the 7/7 London bombers - is an important figure in the terror outfit, plotting multiple bomb attacks across Kenya.

Sky has also been given access to a personal diary of hers which gives a fascinating insight into her mind, where she talks about her ambitions for her children and her love for her husband.

The intelligence report, which is 35 pages long, gives a detailed breakdown of how the network is operating throughout Africa with recruits and cells working in a huge range of countries including Somalia, Uganda, Burundi, Zambia, Tanzania, Mali and South Africa as well as further afield in Yemen and Pakistan.

The report says Lewthwaite is a 'logistician' in a six-person terror cell

But what seems clear is that the group's stronghold and focus is in Kenya with major operational bases in the capital Nairobi and Mombasa.

The report is highly damaging for the Kenyan authorities as it also shows there were clear warnings up to eight months ago that a "Mumbai-style attack" was being planned in Nairobi on the Westgate shopping mall.

It goes on to identify 29-year-old Lewthwaite as a "logistician" within a six-person terror cell which the Kenyans believe was co-ordinated by Abdulkadir Mohamed Abdulkadir, whose alias is Ikrima.

Ikrima is a Kenyan who the authorities believe has been elevated to al Shabaab management.

He was the target of the US Navy Seals' mission last weekend which set out to "capture or kill" him from the Somalian port town of Barawe.

She is implicated in the Nairobi shopping centre attack in September

The mission was aborted when the Seals encountered tougher resistance than expected when they landed.

The other members of the terror cell Ikrima was co-ordinating include Fahmi Jamal Salim, who is apparently the cell leader and who the intelligence agencies believe is now married to Lewthwaite.

Other members are said to be Jermaine Grant, who is currently on trial in Mombasa on terror charges which he denies.

The report details how the group was plotting multiple attacks targeting the Kenyan parliament buildings, UN offices in Nairobi, restaurants and a string of assassinations focusing on senior politicians within Kenya.

Londoner Jermaine Grant is also believed to be part of the same group

Kenyan intelligence believes Lewthwaite was living in an exclusive villa in the Shanzu area of Mombasa when the attacks were being planned.

A police raid on a nearby apartment rented by Grant - which led to his arrest - then prompted a subsequent raid on the upmarket villa where Lewthwaite was living with her children.

But the mother-of-four was not there. The police say they found a stash of ammunition there as well as a laptop and excerpts of a diary or journal which Lewthwaite had begun writing.

Lewthwaite's husband Jermaine Lindsay (L) on a dry run for the 7/7 attacks

The journal appears to be the start of a book which Lewthwaite was working on entitled I Want To Be A Mujahid (Islamic military fighter).

It outlines questions she was going to pose to interviewees as well as gives an insight into her love for her husband and reveals a little about how she is bringing up her children.

She writes with pride about how two of her children want to emulate their father - Jermaine Lindsay, who was one of the London 7/7 bombers in the Tube and bus attacks in 2005 which killed more than 50 people.

She recounts how her husband had asked her children what they wanted to be when they got older.

Lewthwaite writes: "Both had many answers but both agreed to one of wanting to be a mujahid."

Extracts from Lewthwaite's diary recovered by police

She goes on to express her commitment and desire to be a good Muslim and how blessed she believes she is to have been married to a shaheed (martyr) in reference to her suicide-bomber partner.

We managed to persuade one of Kenya's most controversial religious scholars to sit down with us and talk about his views - which have led to him being accused by the UN of recruiting al Shabaab fighters and raising funds for the outfit.

Sheikh Abubakar Shariff, who is also known as Makaburi, told us the accusations against him were all "b*******".

Interpol recently issued a 'Red Notice' for Lewthwaite's arrest

He accused the Kenyan government of waging a religious war and allowing the persecution of Muslims who he believes are all being targeted and labelled as terrorists in the wake of the Westgate mall attack.

"Because of the failings of our Government and our military and police in stopping the attack, we, as Muslims, are all being targeted now," he told me.

Makaburi who is also accused by the Kenyan authorities of inciting violence and of encouraging young men to take up jihad (or Holy war) in Somalia, denied he was a member of al Shabaab but said: "I am a Muslim. I speak truthfully. I might have association with al Shabaab without me knowing they are from al Shabaab.

"I cannot say no, I don't know al Shabaab. Maybe one of my friends is a member of al Shabaab without me knowing. But do I have, what you call it, ties with al Shabaab? No, I don't."

He went on to say under his interpretation of the Koran, the Westgate attack was justified because of all the wrongs being meted out to Muslims by the West, the Kenyan Defence Force (who are fighting al Shabaab in Somalia), Ethiopians and other military in "Somalia, Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and all over the world every day".

There is little chance the woman being hunted by Interpol is still in Mombasa, but what the intelligence report indicates is it is now a major hub as well as gateway to terrorism for those bent on violence.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria Rebels Parade Child Hostages On YouTube

Rebel forces in Syria have killed at least 190 civilians and seized dozens of child hostages, who they have paraded in a video posted on YouTube, Human Rights Watch says.

Fighters burned villages, threw bodies in mass graves and kidnapped women and children in acts described as likely "crimes against humanity" by HRW.

Witnesses gave harrowing accounts of family members being executed in their beds during an attack on August 4.

One man said he was forced to flee, leaving his paralysed son and wife to die at the hands of armed rebels.

Graves in a back yard of a village home. Pic: Human Rights Watch

A 105-page report by the New York based human rights group said the findings "strongly suggest" crimes against humanity were committed in the rural Latakia area.

HRW said it conducted an on-scene investigation and interviewed more than 35 people, including survivors and fighters from both sides.

One child said: "My mum was here in the house with me. She came out of the house first, and I was behind her.

"We saw the three fighters just in front of us, and then we fled on foot down behind the house and into the valley.

"The three fighters that I saw were all dressed in black. They were shooting at us from two different directions. They had machine guns and were using snipers.

Picture of body bags released by the Ministry of Health

"My older brother came down and hid with us as well. We hid, but my dad stayed in the house. He was killed in his bed.

"My aunt, she is an 80-year-old blind woman, was also killed in her room. Her name is Nassiba."

HRW said two opposition groups - the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham and Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar - were holding around 200 hostages from Alawite villages, where most inhabitants were considered loyal to Syria's leader Bashar al Assad.

"The evidence strongly suggests that the killings, hostage-taking, and other abuses committed by opposition forces on and after August 4 rise to the level of crimes against humanity," Human Rights Watch said.

Rebel fighters attacking villages. Pic: Human Rights Watch

The report came the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) continued its mission to deal with Syria's chemical weapons stockpile.

International inspectors have so far visited three sites linked to Syria's chemical weapons programme, OPCW spokesman Michael Luhan said.

In another development OPCW - based in The Hague - was awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Caffeine-Packed Energy Mints Blamed For Death

A painter and decorator died from a huge caffeine overdose after eating mints bought from his local sweet shop, not knowing they were packed full of the stimulant.

John Jackson, 40, was found dead by relatives at his West Midlands flat after eating Hero Instant Energy Mints.

Just one of the sweets is said to contain more caffeine than a whole can of high-energy drink like Red Bull.

Coroner Robin Balmain told an inquest in Smethwick he would be writing to the Department of Health demanding answers over Mr Jackson's death.

He said: "This is a potentially very dangerous situation. The level of caffeine is enormous. I think it's as certain as it can be that Mr Jackson didn't know that he was going to expose himself to this sort of danger."

The mints are sold alongside other sweets, but makers Hero Energy Ltd, based in Birkenhead, stressed they had taken a series of measures to warn about the high caffeine content.

Mr Jackson was found dead by his estranged partner and stepdaughter at his flat in Darlaston on May 2.

The makers have warned about the high caffeine content in their mints

A post-mortem examination showed he had 155mg of caffeine per litre of blood in his system, and just 10mg would have been considered an overdose, according to pathologist Dr Dragana Cvijan.

She told the inquest: "The most important compound found in the post-mortem was caffeine. I must say this is the first time in my experience that I've come across a caffeine overdose."

She gave the medical cause of death as caffeine toxicity, but said Mr Jackson, a heavy drinker, also had cirrhosis of the liver, leaving him unable to absorb the stimulant properly.

Stepdaughter Rebecca Court, 23, from Tipton, said Mr Jackson had bought the mints from a local shop.

"On the box they said one tablet equals one can of energy drinks. A kid could go in and buy them and the same thing could happen to him," she said.

Paul Hayes and Steve Hones, the directors of Hero Energy Ltd, issued a statement saying they were "shocked and deeply concerned" at Mr Jackson's death.

Warnings about the mints are clearly marked on packaging, websites, and shelf displays, including the advice not to consumer more than five in 24 hours, they stressed.

00.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Human Remains Found In Mansfield Garden

Police have found the remains of two people in a garden near Mansfield.

The discovery was made by officers in the back garden of a property in Blenheim Close, Forest Town, on Thursday, according to Nottinghamshire Police.

A spokesman said it is believed the remains had been there for some time.

Police were led to the address after information came to light about an "incident" alleged to have taken place in the late 1990s.

The remains have yet to be formally identified, and according to police it could take weeks or even months for this to be completed.

Forensics teams could be seen entering the garden, and the scene has been cordoned off while examinations were carried out.

A white police tent and a digger, along with piles of soil, were also visible, and two officers were stood outside the property.

A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said she knew of an elderly couple who used to live at the house in the 1990s.

Police officers on guard outside of the property in Mansfield

The 51-year-old said: "I only saw the man a few times. I never saw the lady or any family.

"I never saw anyone coming or going. My friend and I always used to say 'I wonder what happened to that couple'.

"They just disappeared. We thought they had emigrated."

She said she believed the house then stood empty until the present occupiers moved in around seven years ago.

Post-mortem examinations to establish the cause of death are due to take place today.

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Mark Webster, said the two bodies had been removed from the address.

He said: "As a result of information we received in force last week we commenced a search at premises on Blenheim Close in the Forest Town area of Mansfield and yesterday we uncovered the bodies of two people.

"Forensic tests are taking place at this moment to identify who they are formally."

The current residents of the house are not being investigated by police

The officer said the current tenant and the owner of the property had been "extremely helpful" and did not feature in their investigation at this time.

Insp Webster refused to comment any further on the information they had received last week.

Asked whether they had made any arrests, the officer answered: "No, we haven't at the moment."

Appealing for anyone with information to come forward, Mr Webster said: "If anyone in the Mansfield or surrounding areas knows anything that could help the police we'd be very grateful for anything that anyone can give to us.

"It's a historical inquiry because of the length of time the people have been there."

Reassuring the local community, the officer added: "We don't believe that there is any risk of any harm coming to the community.

"People are clearly going to be concerned when an incident of this nature happens and we would like to reassure them and we'd like to thank people particularly the local neighbours on Blenheim Close they've been really helpful to us."

00.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Father Killed On Walk For Gay Suicide Son

A man whose gay son took his own life has been killed while walking across the United States as he tried to raise awareness about bullying.

Joe Bell was struck by a truck on a highway in a rural area 20 miles north-west of Kit Carson in eastern Colorado, authorities said.

Investigators believe the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel when he hit Mr Bell as he walked on the hard shoulder.

Mr Bell's 15-year-old son Jadin died in February after trying to hang himself in a school playground.

A passer-by saw the teenager and tried to help but the boy later died in hospital.

He had reported being bullied but he did not leave a suicide note.

Mr Bell, from La Grande in Oregon, began his walk in April and planned to finish in New York City, where Jadin said he wanted to live.

Truck driver, 49-year-old Kenneth Raven, of Bryan, Texas, has been charged with careless driving resulting in death, a misdemeanour.

A friend of Mr Bell put up an announcement about his death on a Facebook page chronicling the walk.

It said: "Thank you to everyone who has come here to support Joe's family in this difficult time."

00.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Shark Attack Kills South Africa Snorkeller

A snorkeller has been killed by a shark at a world-famous surfing resort in South Africa.

The man's body was recovered from Jeffreys Bay in the Eastern Cape region after he was dragged into deep water by the shark.

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said a volunteer rescue crew was dispatched at 11:30am local time after reports of the attack.

"On arrival on-scene remains of a body, believed to be those of an adult male, have been recovered from the water and handed into the care of the police and the forensic pathology services," it said.

According to eyewitnesses, the man had been snorkelling close to rocks at the time of the attack.

"Just saw NSRI carry the body of a shark attack victim in bag. Hectic man. No surfing today," one local tweeted.

Great white sharks are believed to carry out the most attacks on people

A man in a kayak reportedly saw the victim lying face-down in the water and tried to fend off the shark with his paddle in order to recover the body.

According to some reports, witnesses initially believed there were two sharks involved in the attack because of the length of the animal from its dorsal fin to tail fin.

However, local media later said a single shark more than four metres long killed the snorkeller.

It was not immediately clear what breed of shark was involved.

Last year there were four shark attacks in South Africa, three of them fatal, according to the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History.

00.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Royal Mail Shares Soar In First Trades

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

Nearly 150,000 Royal Mail staff were sitting on shareholdings worth more than £3000 after a first day of trading that left the Government exposed to accusations that it had vastly undervalued the company.

The postal operator's shares ended conditional trading on Friday up 38% on their sale price of £3.30, capping a session in which institutional investors engaged in a stampede aimed at bulking up their holdings.

The frenzied trading followed the vastly oversubscribed demand for shares which saw more than £40bn in orders received by advisers to the Government.

The closing price of 455p gave Royal Mail a market value of £4.55bn, meaning it would be guaranteed entry to the FTSE-100 index when its next quarterly review takes place before the end of the year.

Royal Mail employees now hold shares worth £455m after being handed 10% of the company by ministers keen to smooth the path to privatisation. However, they are unable to sell the stock without incurring a tax liability for five years.

At the closing price, each employee's shares were worth just over £3033.

Royal Mail's eleven board directors also benefited from the surge in the share price. The collective owners of 33,557 shares, the directors were sitting on stock worth £152,685, a profit of more than £40,000 on the day.

Ordinary retail investors who received the basic allocation of £750-worth of shares were sitting on a paper profit of more than £270m, with many expected to try to sell their holdings when full trading gets underway next Tuesday.

Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, told Sky News that allegations that the Government had undervalued Royal Mail were "nonsense", but a continued upturn in the share price in the coming weeks would lead to uncomfortable questions about the advice given to ministers and the fees paid to the investment banks working on the privatisation.

Chuka Umunna, the shadow business secretary, said Royal Mail had been "significantly undervalued with taxpayers being left short changed. Vince Cable has shown how out of touch he is in dismissing the hundreds of millions of pounds which the taxpayer could have lost out as 'froth' at a time when families across Britain are facing a cost of living crisis."

00.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Newspapers Denounce Press Royal Charter Deal

The newspaper industry steering group has criticised the three main political parties' new plan for press regulation.

Labour had agreed to a series of changes put forward by Culture Secretary Maria Miller intended to make the proposed royal charter more palatable to the press.

But a statement issued by the alliance representing national, regional and local newspapers said the latest proposals could not be described as either "voluntary or independent".

"This remains a charter written by politicians, imposed by politicians and controlled by politicians," it said.

"It has not been approved by any of the newspapers or magazines it seeks to regulate.

"Meanwhile the industry's charter was rejected by eight politicians, meeting in secret, and chaired by the same politician who is promoting the politicians' charter.

"Lord Justice Leveson called for 'voluntary, independent self-regulation' of the press. It is impossible to see how a regulator operating under rules imposed by politicians, and enforced by draconian and discriminatory provisions for damages and costs in civil cases, could be said to be either voluntary or independent."

A Government source had earlier said: "We have a deal and the Labour Party have finally agreed to the changes proposed by the Culture Secretary to try and make it more workable."

Lord Leveson's inital proposals were also dismissed by the newspapers

The agreement came following talks between Mrs Miller, Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman and senior Liberal Democrat peer Lord Wallace of Tankerness.

It will now go forward to the Privy Council for final agreement on October 30. The changes include provision for a fee for use of a new arbitration service, intended to deter speculative claims.

They also agreed to the industry drawing up a code of conduct for editors, to be approved by the independent regulator.

The new version supersedes the text controversially agreed by the parties at a late-night meeting over pizzas in Ed Miliband's office in Westminster last March, in the presence of lobby group Hacked Off.

Under the charter, the job of adjudicating on complaints and imposing penalties will be performed by a new self-regulatory body set up by the industry to replace the Press Complaints Commission.

A recognition panel would be required to verify whether this watchdog was effective and genuinely independent of publishers. However, it would be up to individual publishers to sign up to a regulator endorsed by the panel.

It had been suggested that many or all of the major newspapers could opt out of the proposed system if it does not address their concerns over freedom from political interference.

The agreement by the parties was welcomed by Hacked Off , which has led the campaign for tighter regulation of the press.

The group's executive director, Brian Cathcart, said it should finally bring to an end the 11 months of wrangling over the recommendations of the Leveson report on press standards.

"We note that, in the last-minute technical changes to the charter, there have been further concessions to the press industry lobby; notably, that it now permits an administrative charge for members of the public to use the new arbitration service," he said.

"This is not what Lord Justice Leveson recommended and may well deter some members of the public from seeking redress when they have been wronged by news publishers.

"We trust that those newspaper organisations which have been demanding this change - notably the local and regional press - will now accept that they have no reason to object to the system and will fully embrace the charter process.

"The way is now open to create a system of independent, effective press self-regulation that will benefit the public and poses no threat whatever to freedom of expression.

"Victims of press abuse now look to the industry to embrace that opportunity and put behind them a shocking period in which, in the words of Lord Justice Leveson, some sections of the press all too often wreaked havoc in the lives of innocent people."

00.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Migrant Vessel Sinks With 200 People In Water

A migrant boat has capsized leaving at least 200 people in the sea says the Italian Navy.

A spokesman said naval vessels and helicopters were assisting at the scene between Sicily and Tunisia.

It is also being reported that bodies have been spotted in the water.

"There are at least 200 people in the sea and our helicopters are picking them up," said a navy spokesman, adding that two ships were on the scene.

The incident comes just over a week after a boat carrying African asylum seekers caught fire and sank off Lampedusa, killing up to 350 people.

Residents of the remote southern Italian island have long complained that they have been left alone to deal with the thousands of migrants who come ashore each year from Africa and the Middle East.

Some 30,000 migrants have flocked to Italy so far this year. An estimated 17,000 to 20,000 have died while crossing the Mediterranean during the past 20 years on overcrowded fishing boats or rubber dinghies, seeking a better life in Europe.

Eritrea, Somalia and Syria are the main countries of origin and the majority of arrivals are on Lampedusa, Italy's southernmost point which is closer to north Africa than to the Italian mainland.

More follows...

00.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Halloween Killer Gets 30 Years For Boy's Death

A South Carolina man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing a trick-or-treater who knocked at his door on Halloween 2008.

Quentin Patrick, 27, was sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty to murder in the death of 12-year-old TJ Darrisaw.

Prosecutors say the boy was shot at least a dozen times as he stood on the porch of Patrick's home.

The boy's stepfather and a brother were wounded.

Patrick, a convicted drug dealer, said he fired his AK-47 because he thought a rival drug dealer was back to shoot him again.

Patrick has already been sentenced to more than 16 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a weapon.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sir Menzies Campbell To Quit At 2015 Election

Former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell is to stand down from Parliament at the general election scheduled for May 2015.

Sir Menzies - known to all at Westminster as "Ming" - said he had written to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to inform him of his intention.

The 72-year-old has served as MP for North East Fife since 1987 and was leader of the Lib Dems from 2006-07.

Sir Menzies said: "It's been an enormous privilege to have been an MP for 26 years and to represent such a wonderful constituency as North East Fife. My wife and I have made many friends and have been supported by constituents of all political persuasions and none.

"It is always a regret to begin the process of retiring from the House of Commons but I believe now is the time to start. I have written to Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats, and to Harry Wills, chairman of the North East Fife constituency party."

Sir Menzies (centre) in 2006 when he was elected party leader

In his letter to Mr Clegg, Sir Menzies said he had "reached the conclusion that now would be the right time to step down and to allow someone else to have the opportunity to serve the people of North East Fife".

He said he would maintain his links with the constituency through positions including his chancellorship of St Andrews University.

He told Mr Clegg, who replaced him as leader in 2007: "Between now and 2015 I will maintain my efforts to be as effective a representative of my constituents and their interests as I can and to the best of my ability support yourself, our party and its interests."

A barrister and former athlete, who held the UK 100m record and competed in the 1964 Olympic Games, Sir Menzies entered Parliament as a Liberal MP on his fifth attempt in 1987, and became a Liberal Democrat on the party's creation the following year.

He served on his party's frontbench - most prominently as foreign affairs spokesman - for the majority of his parliamentary career, but his stint as leader following Charles Kennedy's resignation was marked by poor poll ratings and he stepped down after just 19 months.

He has most recently served on the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee and the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

MI5 Boss Warns Of Growing UK Terror Threat

By Tim Marshall, Foreign Affairs Editor

Britain will face at least one attempted major terror attack every year for the next few years, the head of MI5 has warned.

In his first speech since taking over the Security Service in April, Andrew Parker told a private audience at the Royal United Services Institute: "Since 2000, we have seen serious attempts at major acts of terrorism in this country typically once or twice a year.

"That feels to me, for the moment, unlikely to change."

Among the reasons for this are the increasing numbers of Britons going to Syria to try to become jihadists.

In his off-camera speech, Mr Parker said: "A growing proportion of our casework now has some link to Syria, mostly concerning individuals from the UK who have travelled to fight there or who aspire to do so.

"Al Nusrah and other extremist Sunni groups there aligned with al Qaeda aspire to attack Western countries."

Hundreds of Britons are thought to have joined fighting in Syria

More than any recent conflict, Syria has attracted would-be fighters from the UK.

Sky News understands that the number of individuals involved over the last three years is in the low hundreds.

The fear is some could return to the UK even more radicalised.

Mr Parker repeated a warning made by his predecessor, Jonathan Evans, saying: "It remains the case that there are several thousand Islamist extremists here who see the British people as a legitimate target."

He also mentioned the growing fears about terrorism in Northern Ireland after several incidents and the threat of more.

"Rejecting the political process in Northern Ireland, these ragged remnants of a bygone age are in a cul-de-sac of pointless violence and crime with little community support," he said.

"We will continue to work with the police to put these thugs and killers in front of the courts."

He then turned to the subject of how to combat these threats and the use of technology.

Mr Parker alluded to information leaked by Edward Snowden

When former CIA contractor Edward Snowden leaked details about surveillance tactics, it is thought he inflicted massive damage on several spy agencies, including Britain's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).

One source said some of the things leaked by Snowden amounted to "an instruction booklet on how to evade surveillance".

This explains why Mr Parker appears to have entered the debate about The Guardian newspaper's publication of some of Snowden's material.

The Guardian was not mentioned by name, but in his speech Mr Parker said: "It causes enormous damage to make public the reach and limits of GCHQ techniques.

"Such information hands the advantage to the terrorists. It is the gift they need to evade us and strike at will."

There are also passages explaining the thinking of MI5.

He accepts there are choices to be made about how and whether communications data is retained, but concludes: "We cannot work without tools."

The language used is temperate, but behind it you sense a passionate argument by a man who understands that there are sections of public opinion which deeply mistrust the security services. 

He asks if it should be accepted "that terrorists should have means of communication that they can be confident are beyond the sight of MI5 or GCHQ acting with proper legal warrant. Does anyone actually believe that?"

It is for Parliament to decide the powers that MI5, MI6, and GCHQ should have, including access to the email of people they suspect of wrongdoing.

That is an ongoing debate which will be revisited when the heads of the three services give evidence to the Intelligence Select Committee next month.

David Cameron has given his full support to the controversial speech, with a No 10 spokesman saying: "The Prime Minister thinks it was an excellent speech."

He also supported Mr Parker's suggestion that intelligence leaks, and their publication, helped terrorists undermined the spy agencies efforts to keep people safe.

In a statement a Guardian News & Media spokesperson said: "A huge number of people - from President Obama to the US Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper - have now conceded that the Snowden revelations have prompted a debate which was both necessary and overdue.

"The President has even set up a review panel and there have been vigorous discussions in the US Congress and throughout Europe. Such a debate is only worthwhile if it is informed. That is what journalism should do."

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mid Staffs Trust Admits Failings Over Death

Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust has admitted breaching health and safety law over the death of a diabetic in-patient.

The scandal-plagued hospital trust pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the safety of Gillian Astbury, who lapsed into a fatal diabetic coma while being treated at Stafford Hospital in April 2007.

She died after staff failed to give her the insulin she needed.

The Trust admitted breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act by failing to properly manage and organise hospital services, including its systems for record-keeping, patient information and communication between staff members.

The prosecution at Stafford Magistrates' Court was brought by the Health and Safety Executive.

It came three years after an inquest jury ruled that Mrs Astbury's death was contributed to by low staffing levels and a systemic failure to provide adequate nursing facilities.

The inquest also concluded the failure to administer insulin to the 66-year-old amounted to a gross failure to provide basic care.

Mrs Astbury, from Hednesford, Staffordshire, died in the early hours of April 11, 2007, while being treated for fractures to her arm and pelvis.

Stafford Hospital has previously been the subject of several highly critical reports, including a full public inquiry, which identified "routine" neglect of patients between 2005 and 2009.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lampedusa Tragedy: Barroso And Letta Heckled

European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso and Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta have been barracked during a visit to Lampedusa where a boat carrying African asylum seekers caught fire and sank, killing up to 350 people.

Residents of the remote Italian island have long complained to the EU that they have been left alone to deal with the thousands of migrants who come ashore each year from Africa and the Middle East.

Both Mr Barroso and Mr Letta were booed and jeered by protesting islanders who shouted "disgrace" and "killers".

Up to 500 people were on the boat when it sank

"They should be ashamed of themselves. They should solve this humanitarian problem." one protester said.

Another added: "We've been living with this for 20 years. We've had enough of death. These deaths are on the conscience of Italian and EU politicians."

Mr Barroso pledged Italy would receive an additional 30 million euros (£25m) in EU funds to help improve standards at its immigrant holding centres following last Thursday's tragedy.

And Mr Letta said that Italy would hold a state funeral for the migrants who died after their boat capsized.

The coffins of the victims in an airport hangar in Lampedusa

They visited the airport hangar where the coffins of the dead have been laid out.

"That image of hundreds of coffins will never get out of my mind," said Mr Barroso.

The pair also visited the island's refugee centre which houses around 1,000 migrants, but only has 250 beds.

Some 30,000 migrants have flocked to Italy so far this year. An estimated 17,000 to 20,000 have died while crossing the Mediterranean during the past 20 years on overcrowded fishing boats or rubber dinghies, seeking a better life in Europe.

The Tunisian man suspected of being the captain of the refugee boat

Eritrea, Somalia and Syria are the main countries of origin and the majority of arrivals are on Lampedusa, Italy's southernmost point which is closer to north Africa than to the Italian mainland.

During Wednesday's visit, Mr Barroso also promised to work "tirelessly" to implement an EU-wide asylum policy and to beef up Frontex - the EU's border patrol agency - to prevent future tragedies.

Meanwhile, Italian authorities have detained a 35-year-old Tunisian man suspected of being the captain of the boat, from which only 155 refugees are believed to have survived.

He faces charges of aiding illegal immigration and multiple counts of homicide.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Passenger Lands Plane After Pilot Falls Ill

The pilot of a light aircraft who fell ill forcing his passenger to perform an emergency landing at Humberside Airport has died overnight.

During the flight on Tuesday evening, the pilot made a distress call when he became so sick he was unable to continuing flying the light aircraft.

Humberside Police confirmed the pilot died later that night but do not yet know his cause of death.

Two flight instructors were called in to talk to the passenger from the ground while he took control of the plane, an airport spokesman said.

The man had very limited flying experience and had never landed an aircraft before.

Despite this, he managed to successfully land at the North Lincolnshire airport just after 7.30pm.

The Aircraft seen today

Roy Murray, one of the instructors who helped coach the passenger down, said the man completed the landing with no lighting inside the cabin.

"I didn't want to upset him and tell him to move all round the cockpit (trying to locate the light switches), all I was interested in was keeping him flying the aeroplane straight and level."

Mr Murray, who has taught flying for 30 years, said he's never come across a situation like this before.

"When I think about it now that lad did extremely well, no lights, in the dark, no experience, flying a strange aeroplane in a strange area, he must have been nerve-wracked as well as us."

The man took three passes over the runway before landing on the fourth approach.

Mr Murray says the man – who he knows only as John – kept his composure and was able to land the plane safely.

The plane took off from Sandtoft Airfield

"He was very calm and he followed all our instructions and he did a beautiful landing," he said.

"I've never met him, I'd like to meet him, obviously just to say 'Well done, lad. Together we did it'."

Police have not yet released the name or age of the pilot who died. His family has been informed of his death.

The light aircraft took off from Sandtoft Airfield, near Doncaster, for training with one passenger.

The man and pilot were the only two people on board the aircraft.

Humberside Airport praised the response of emergency services in a tweet: "We are pleased to say that the incident that started a few hours ago has been successfully dealt with. Great response from emergency svs!" the airport said.

Flights coming into the airport were delayed while the plane was moved from the runway.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Japan: Leak Contaminates Fukushima Workers

Six workers at Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant have been doused with highly radioactive water after wrongly disconnecting a pipe.

The accident sent toxic water spilling on to them and the entire floor of the facility which houses a set of three units designed for water treatment. 

The workers were wearing face masks with filters, protective hazmat suits and raingear, and their exposure is believed minor but still under investigation, said Yoshimi Hitosugi, spokesman for operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco).

The workers were part of an 11-member team, and the remaining five were not splashed, he said. They managed to reattach the pipe later.

Water on the ground as workers work on clearing the leak

The accident is latest in a string of mishaps. A week earlier, workers overfilled a storage tank without fully checking water levels, and caused a leak of 430 litres (113 gallons) of contaminated water which is thought to have run into the sea.

Tepco has been battling to contain radioactive water since the plant suffered triple meltdowns and hydrogen explosions following a devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.

In the latest incident, the company said a worker mistakenly detached a pipe connected to a treatment system which removes salt from the hundreds of tonnes of cooling water Tepco pumps over the melted fuel in wrecked reactors.

Tepco said seven tonnes of water were spilled in Wednesday's incident but was contained within the site.

The area where the latest Fukushima leak occurred

Masayuki Ono, Tepco's general manager, said: "At the moment we only have provisional figures, but we think the amount of water that leaked was about seven tonnes.

"We have confirmed the leak has stopped within the building and has not seeped out into the wider area."

The accidents at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, 130 miles (220 kilometres) north of Tokyo, are adding to a crisis no one seems to know how to contain, and stirring doubt over Tepco's abilities to carry out a complex cleanup widely expected to take decades.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Madeleine McCann Police Probe Possible Suspect

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

Scotland Yard is to appeal for information about a new suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

Detectives are to issue an e-fit image of a man seen near the holiday apartment from where the then three-year-old vanished in 2007.

Her parents Kate and Gerry McCann have been shown the image and say they are "greatly encouraged" by the progress of the Metropolitan Police, who have effectively taken over the hunt for the missing girl.

The officer in charge of the case, Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, is expected next week to give details of the suspect's movements around the resort of Praia da Luz, Portugal, on the day Madeleine disappeared.

But sources said police will not know how significant the suspect is until he is identified, traced and interviewed.

Kate and Gerry McCann believe their daughter is still alive

He is one of 41 individuals police believe are "people of interest" they need to talk to.

The image of the possible new suspect is expected to form a crucial part of fresh appeals at the beginning of next week.

Police will give some idea of what witnesses have said about his behaviour on Monday.

They will be making an appeal for new witnesses to come forward if they recall seeing him around the apartment six years ago, or recognise him now, from the detailed image.

The Metropolitan Police now has a team of six Portuguese detectives based in Faro who are carrying out inquiries on its behalf.

The Portuguese investigation is officially closed but authorities there are backing the Scotland Yard inquiry and officers from both countries will work together in pursuing new leads.

Madeleine's parents have said they remain "optimistic" of finding their daughter and will not accept she is dead until they are presented with clear evidence.

Her disappearance is to be the subject of a Crimewatch appeal on Monday to try to produce new witnesses in the case.

It will also be aired in Holland and Germany - where many tourists in the Algarve come from.

There appears to be some doubt as to whether it will be shown in Portugal.

Former Met detective Peter Kirkham told Sky News officers were likely to get "hundreds, if not thousands" of phone calls off the back of the world-wide coverage the television appeal would receive.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Artist Ovenden Jailed Over Child Sex Offences

Artist Graham Ovenden has been jailed after judges ruled his non-custodial sentence for child sex offences was "unduly lenient".

Court of Appeal judges sentenced the internationally-renowned painter to two years and three months in prison.

Ovenden, from Cornwall, abused children who posed for him in the 1970s and 1980s, and was convicted in April of six charges of indecency with a child and one of indecent assault relating to three girls.

Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas, sitting with two other judges in London, quashed the suspended 12-month prison sentence the 70-year-old initially received and said Ovenden had not shown a "shred of remorse" for his victims

The judges also rejected Ovenden's application for permission to appeal the conviction, ruling that the verdicts were "safe".

When he was arrested the artist, whose youngest victim was just six, told police he had a "major reputation" for having "some of the best portraits of children in the last 200 years".

Ovenden claimed that his interest in young girls was artistic and not sexual - but that claim was rejected by the three judges.

Lord Thomas said the girls had "no understanding of the true purpose" behind what Ovenden was doing.

He said: "There was no doubt that his purpose was sexual. There is no doubt that he had a sexual interest in children."

When considering the appropriate sentence the court had to have regard to the fact that the only mitigation Ovenden had was his former good character and his age.

Lord Thomas added that against that "there are a very large number of aggravating factors", including the "very serious impact on the victims, magnified by the way in which he had grossly manipulated them and degraded them by the photographs he had taken".

Attorney General Dominic Grieve QC MP, decided to refer the 70-year-old's case to the Court of Appeal in July.

Speaking after the hearing, the Attorney General said: "Graham Ovenden committed terrible sexual offences against vulnerable young girls who were in his charge and ought to have felt safe. He manipulated them and abused his position of trust.

"It is right that sexual crimes, whether committed many years ago or more recently, should be punished appropriately.

"Today the court affirmed this and sent a clear message that people who have behaved in this way in the past will face the consequences through the courts."

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Microsoft Pays First $100k Hacking 'Bounty'

Microsoft is paying out its first $100,000 (£63,000) "bounty" after a London hacking expert found security holes in Windows 8.

James Forshaw, a computer vulnerability researcher, discovered a new way to attack the flagship operating system.

Microsoft said it could not go into details until it had come up with a solution, but said it was "thrilled" to pay out the reward.

In a blog post, the company said finding out about the new "mitigation bypass technique" would help it protect users against a whole new class of attacks.

"Congratulations and well done," wrote Microsoft security expert Katie Moussoris. 

"You not only made history by receiving a total of $109,400 from our bounty programs, you're also helping us make our customers safer from entire classes of attack.

"On behalf of over a billion people worldwide - Thank you and way to go!!"

Microsoft unveiled the bounty programme four months ago to try to bolster anti-hacking efforts.

It has also already paid out $28,000 (£17,000), mainly to users who found flaws in its Internet Explorer 11 web browser, with some of the winners donating their money to charity.

Budding security experts can still bag a reward of up to $100,000 for finding further security problems with Windows, and up to $50,000 for coming up with a solution.

Windows 8, the company's latest operating system, launched in October 2012 with improved security features, but is still being refined.

It received mixed reviews on launch, with some saying it is confusing and not user-firendly.

The 8.1 update is due for public release on October 17.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More