England Set For World Cup Exit As Italy Concede

England look poised to crash out of the World Cup after Costa Rica took the lead against Italy.

The national side's defeat in their first two games left them relying on Italy to win both of their remaining matches if they are to remain in the tournament.

But after 45 minutes that saw the Italians struggle to break down their opponents - who had a strong claim for a penalty turned down -Bryan Ruiz put Costa Rica 1-0 up just before half-time.

It comes after FA chairman Greg Dyke said Roy Hodgson would stay as England manager until 2016, despite the team facing an early exit from the World Cup.

Hodgson, who has two years left on his contract, said following the Uruguay defeat that he would not resign, and on Friday Mr Dyke gave him his full backing.

Italy's Mario Balotelli rues a missed chance

Mr Dyke told Sky Sports News: "I think everyone's obviously disappointed, but we are supportive of Roy.

"He came to do a four-year cycle and ... people have been asking the question: 'Will he stay?', well the answer is yes.

"He came to do a four-year cycle leading up to the Europeans (Euro 2016) and we want him to stay and continue that.

"I mean it's disappointing to have lost both games, narrowly, both to sides that are in the top eight.

"There are some positives. We've got young players who have been blooded here ... who have got into tournament football here."

When asked if he felt Hodgson would remain in his job until the end of his contract at the 2016 European Championships, Mr Dyke added: "That is the view of myself, of everybody else here (in Brazil) and of others in the FA."

England's 2-1 defeats to Uruguay and Italy mean they are likely to exit the World Cup at the group stages for the first time since 1958.

Even if Italy beat Costa Rica, England would need them to also win against Uruguay. Meanwhile, England would have to triumph against Costa Rica in their final group match.

More follows...

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Teacher Caught Under Pupil's Bed Sentenced

A married maths teacher has been placed on the sex offenders' register for having sex with a 16-year-old girl.

Andrew Welsh, 36, was also given a 14-month jail term, suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out 200 hours of community service after being caught by the girl's mother, who found him hiding under the bed.

Bolton Crown Court heard he was caught when the the girl's mother returned home unexpectedly one morning last July.

Geoff Whelan, prosecuting, told the jury the girl had ruffled hair and smudged lipstick.

When the mother went upstairs, she noticed a pair of men's boots at the side of the girl's bed, he added.

This "understandably aroused suspicion" in the mother, who asked the girl: "What are you doing? Who is here?"

Mr Whelan continued: "However, as that was said, she looked down and saw movement in the drawer compartment within the girl's single divan bed and the valance sheet folded back.

"She saw movement of material which seemed to match the suit jacket her daughter was holding.

"The girl replied 'Mr Welsh'.

"Her mother ordered the defendant to get out from under the bed and recognised him from the school."

The shocked mother called her husband and the police and Welsh was arrested.

The court heard Welsh, of High Bank, Atherton, near Wigan, had begun a relationship with the "impressionable" girl last summer while she was taking her GCSEs.

The St Andrews University graduate bombarded the girl with obscene texts, including: "Have you heard about my maths lesson? We're going to find out if 35 goes into 16."

Welsh, who is married to a local doctor, tried to have the charges dismissed after telling police the girl was 16, the sex was consensual and all sexual activity took place after she had left school.

However, the judge ruled at an earlier hearing charges against the father-of-one should stand as Welsh had been in a position of trust. The defendant then pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual activity with a child while in a position of trust.

Passing sentence, Judge Knopf told Welsh: "You were nearly 20 years older than this girl.

"It is you who has to bear the responsibility for what happened. She was attracted to you, you should have exercised the judgment which you clearly lacked when you decided to embark on this relationship with her."

Welsh was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ian Wright Burglars: We'll Cut Off Kids' Fingers

Former England international Ian Wright's MBE was among prized possessions taken from his home by an armed gang.

The ex-Arsenal striker's wife was held at knifepoint during the attack at their home in St John's Wood, northwest London, while he was working as a World Cup pundit for ITV in Brazil.

He is now back at home after arriving at Heathrow Airport on Thursday.

Wright has offered a reward for any information about the burglary, writing on Twitter: "Thank you everyone for your kind words of support. There will be a reward for any information leading to arrests. Justice will be done."

He described his family's ordeal, saying it left him "really upset and angry".

Wright told The Sun: "There was a knock on the door - it was around 9.15pm, not even dark outside, so Nancy felt safe answering.

"As soon as she opened the door, they barged in, four of them wearing masks and holding Stanley knives.

"Next thing they were holding a knife to her throat and yelling at her to show them where our safe is."

The couple's two children were asleep in a separate room while all this was happening, Wright said.

He told the newspaper that the men threatened to cut off his wife's fingers and then do the same to his children as the gang became "louder and more desperate".

Ian Wright's home in northwest London

"She was even physically dragged upstairs as they thought the safe was up there," he said.

"Then they dragged her back down and forced her to hand over the key.

"She was begging them to stop shouting - she was saying 'I'll open the safe so long as you stop pushing me around and yelling'.

"They were out of control and hysterical - Nancy was calm."

Other items taken in the burglary included cash and a number of rare watches owned by Wright.

Police are carrying out house-to-house inquiries and are reviewing CCTV.

Detective Chief Inspector Mick Gornall, of the Metropolitan Police, said on Thursday: "We are trying to trace these four men, and I'd ask anyone who may know anything to get in touch with my team and help us.

"Fortunately no one was injured during the burglary, but it is still very frightening to have people force their way into your home and threaten you."

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Most Wanted: 'Handsome' Mugshot Goes Viral

The mugshot of a man arrested in California has gone viral, with some 48,000 "likes" on Facebook and comments befitting a male model rather than a felon.

Jeremy Meeks, 30, was arrested on Wednesday on weapons and gang charges.

The Stockton Police Department posted Meeks's photo on its Facebook page - and it was soon shared more than 5,000 times.

"Ralph Lauren better sign him lol," wrote one user, while another one said: "FREE JEREMY" next to a smiley face.

Some comments focused on the man's high cheekbones, chiselled face and blue eyes - and spanned several languages.

"Vraiment beau," commented one user, while another one wrote "Bellooooooooo!!!!"

However, other comments were disapproving.

"Ya would it change your mind if you found out he beat his wife, failed to pay his child support, was a stone cold killer," said one user.

Joseph Silva, a spokesman for the Stockton Police Department, said: "I have not seen that many likes for a photo before."

But he added that Meeks was "one of the most violent criminals in the Stockton area".

Meeks was one of four men taken into custody during an operation to curb a recent increase in violent crimes around Stockton, in northern California.

Four firearms were confiscated during the raid.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tory MP's Throat Punch Tweet 'Not A Joke'

Conservative MP Michael Fabricant is under fire for tweeting about "punching" a newspaper columnist "in the throat".

He made the comment about journalist, commentator and author Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, who demanded he apologise - which Mr Fabricant later did - and for Prime Minister David Cameron to take action.

The MP for Lichfield was responding to a heated clash between Alibhai-Brown and magazine columnist Rod Liddle on Channel 4 News on Thursday night.

The MP's initial tweet this morning

Mr Fabricant tweeted: "I could never appear on a discussion prog with @y_alibhai I would either end up with a brain haemorrhage or by punching her in the throat."

He also referred to her as "ghastly" in an earlier tweet - and retweeted a post by another account which said she "should be deported".

Alibhai-Brown, a Muslim who came to Britain from Uganda in 1972, said Mr Fabricant's tweet about her "was not a joke" and he was "not fit for the job" as an MP.

Mr Cameron told LBC radio Mr Fabricant's comment was "completely unacceptable", adding that "further action isn't necessary" because the MP had apologised.

Alibhai-Brown told Sky News: "I am a woman, I am not white and I don't take s**t. These people think I should be their cleaner... threatening violence against women is not acceptable."

Mr Fabricant later posted several tweets apologising to Alibhai-Brown

She said: "Why does he think even if I am infuriating that that calls for him to say that he wants to punch me in the throat?

"For an MP not to understand why that's wrong - he's not fit for the job." She added: "It was not a joke."

Mr Fabricant apologised for his comment in several tweets - including one which he posted directly to the journalist herself - insisting it was not a serious threat of violence.

He said: "Just out of dentist. 1 It appears that some people who don't know me think I actually go round punching 'in the throat'. Not true.

"2. If anyone believes I would seriously threaten someone with violence, I of course withdraw and apologise.

Alibhai-Brown rejects Mr Fabricant's apology

".Sorry @y_alibhai if you actually thought I would punch you. I actually don't do that sort of thing. But you are utterly infuriating! xx

But his apology was rejected by the journalist, who replied: "@Mike_Fabricant the tweet was offensive & your 'apology' useless. Tories like you think people like me should be ayahs or selling you curry."

Sky News approached Mr Fabricant at his constituency home, but the MP said he had just been to see a dentist and was not "going to be saying anything much" as a result, adding: "First time I've ever been door-stepped. I feel like a star."

Gloria De Piero, Labour's shadow minister for women and equalities, described Mr Fabricant's tweet as "utterly appalling" and called on Mr Cameron to "set out what action he will be taking".

It is not the first time a tweet by Mr Fabricant has landed him in trouble. Earlier this year, he was sacked as Tory vice chairman after tweeting "about time" after then culture secretary Maria Miller's resignation.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Police Target Huge Raves Planned For Weekend

Police are trying to trace organisers of two illegal raves planned in London this weekend, after a teenager died at one less than a week ago.

The latest events are being advertised on Facebook and other websites and are due to take place in Wandsworth, southwest London, and Erith in the southeast on Saturday night.

Rio Andrew, 15, died after falling ill at an illegal party attended by 2,000 people at a disused sorting office in Croydon, south London.

Fifteen people were arrested after violence broke out at the event as police tried to stop more revellers from getting close to the building.

CCTV images of seven men police want to talk to have also been released.

Scotland Yard launched an internal review after it emerged that officers received intelligence about the rave two weeks before it took place but took no further action.

Rio Andrew died following a rave in Croydon

There is not currently believed to be any link between the organisers of the Croydon party and those being planned in Wandsworth and Erith.

Police have launched an operation in preparation for this weekend's events, which hundreds of people appear to be planning to go to.

Commander Simon Letchford said: "The people that organise them need to be aware that they are responsible for people's safety when they plan and put on raves.

"Parties of this nature are not licensed and they are often dangerous. No security staff, no medics, no concerns about the number of people present and unsafe properties all add up to a really dangerous place for people to be.

"People who live near these suggested venues shouldn't have to tolerate the associated noise, crime and anti-social behaviour that can come with such raves.

"We will have a policing operation in place in both Wandsworth and Erith over the weekend. Officers have been visiting local properties and landowners to give advice on security."

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mansfield Bodies In Garden: Couple Guilty

By David Crabtree, Midlands Correspondent

A woman and her husband have been found guilty of murdering her parents and burying them in their own garden.

Susan Edwards, 55, and her husband Christopher, 57, showed no emotion as the verdicts were read out at Nottingham Crown Court.

Her parents, Patricia and William Wycherley, were each shot twice at close range in 1998 and their bodies hid in their own backyard at Blenheim Close, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.

The couple spent money on memorabilia, such as a signed Gary Cooper photo

But the Edwards had pretended her parents were still alive for 15 years by sending Christmas cards to relatives, forging signatures on official documents and setting up timers in the Wycherleys' home.

One letter written in December 2007 reads: "Actually, my father is remarkably fit for his age - as well as being more adventurous than in younger years, as his Ireland travels would show!"

The Wycherleys' bank accounts were closed and a new one set up which allowed the couple to syphon £245,000 from her dead parents' benefits and pensions, and the eventual selling of the Wycherley home, with the bodies buried in the back garden.

Despite stealing the money, the Edwards were found to be £160,000 in debt. When they were arrested, police found they held only one euro in cash.

The couple forged letters and signatures from the Wycherleys

It was revealed during the two-week trial that Susan Edwards had an obsession with celebrities and had spent thousands of pounds buying letters written by Hollywood star Gary Cooper.

In another bizarre twist, it also emerged that Susan Edwards had faked a decade-long writing relationship with French film star Gerard Depardieu.

The Edwards fled to France after they received a letter from the Department of Work and Pensions and the Centenarian Society asking to speak to Mr Wycherley at the approach of what would have been his 100th birthday.

Police dug up the back garden after Christopher Edwards' stepmother contacted police because he had asked her for money and confessed to helping his wife bury her parents 15 years earlier.

Edwards faked a decade-long writing relationship with Gerard Depardieu

After they were traced to France, the Edwards - who were arrested last October at London's St Pancras station - sent a politely worded email to the officer in charge, Detective Chief Inspector Rob Griffin, saying: "We are going to surrender".

DCI Griffin said: "It was straightforwardly about money."

Susan Edwards, a former librarian, admitted her mother's manslaughter, but both her and her husband had denied murder.

She claimed she had shot her mother after hearing her shoot her father while staying with her parents.

The judge, Mrs Justice Kathryn Thirlwall, told the Edwards they could expect a life term when they are sentenced next week.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Antigua Honeymoon Killer Shot And Captured

An escaped murderer who killed a British couple on their honeymoon has been shot during a confrontation with police and captured.

Antigua police said Avie Howell was shot by a local officer in a remote part of the island earlier today.

He had absconded from Antigua's jail on Thursday.

In 2011 Howell was sentenced to life in prison alongside accomplice Kaniel Martin for the murders of Ben and Catherine Mullany three years earlier.

Avie Howell (R) and Kaniel Martin were jailed in 2011

The Mullanys, from Pontardawe, South Wales, were shot dead in their hotel room on the holiday island.

The couple, both aged 31, had been married for little more than a fortnight.

Howell escaped from Her Majesty's Prison on the island, along with Kenroy Laurie Marshall, who had been detained on fraud charges.

Police said both were considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached.

Howell and Martin broke into Mr and Mrs Mullany's chalet at the Cocos Hotel in a dawn raid in July 2008.

The pair, who lived in Rhos, near Pontardawe, were both shot in the head before their killers made off with their phones, a digital camera and cash.

Mrs Mullany, a doctor, died instantly. Her husband, a physiotherapy student, was flown home on a life-support machine.

The former South Yorkshire Police officer died a week after the shooting, despite the best efforts of his wife's colleagues at Morriston Hospital in Swansea.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Colchester Murder Cops Arrest 19-Year-Old Man

Detectives investigating the "brutal" murder of a Saudi Arabian student in Colchester are questioning a 19-year-old man.

Nahid Almanea was stabbed 16 times while walking along a path in Colchester, Essex, on Tuesday morning.

The 31-year-old had been taking an English language course at the University of Essex since January as part of her studies for a life sciences PhD.

Essex Police said the man was held shortly after midnight in connection with a separate assault.

His arrest followed a report from a female jogger that a man had approached her and tried to grab her near Peache Road, Colchester at around 10pm, on June 19.

She was able to fight him off and make her way home - where she immediately contacted police.

A police spokesman said: "Following further enquiries he was then further arrested shortly after 4pm today in connection with the murder investigation.

Police have been patrolling a large area in Colchester

"He remains in custody for questioning."

Earlier, investigators promised to "unrelentingly" pursue all lines of inquiry in the hunt for the student's killer.

Police were investigating whether Ms Almanea's clothing - an abaya robe and hijab headscarf - was a factor in the stabbing, but stressed they did not  know for sure.

They said there were other possible motives and called for calm as they confirmed they were investigating threats of revenge attacks made on social media.

Officers warned local people not to go out alone and to be vigilant.

They said the fact that she was stabbed multiple times bore "obvious similarities" to the murder of James Attfield, a vulnerable man with brain damage.

He was stabbed more than 100 times in a park in Colchester in March, but Essex Police have stressed the cases remain separate investigations.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

'British Jihadist' Video Calls For Iraq Recruits

Faith Lost In Iraq PM Amid Political Limbo

Updated: 5:46pm UK, Friday 20 June 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor, in Baghdad

The US President, Shia politicians, Sunni chieftans and none other than the Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani has joined the clamour for Iraq's Prime Minister to move fast and form a government.

The nation has languished since elections on April 30 in a political limbo that arguably undermined faith in the central government, even among the Shia-dominated armed forces.

That might, partly, explain their rapid collapse in the face of far fewer forces from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) plus their allies.

But now that Iraq's supreme court has ratified the results of the elections what possible reason could Nouri al Maliki have for delay?

One explanation may simply be political.

His stewardship over previous years has entrenched sectarian divisions and seen an explosion in corruption.

His party bloc won 92 of the 328 seats in Iraq's parliament and he'll need 165 to form a coalition administration.

He, therefore, has to get involved in some serious horse trading with other Shia parties to build his coalition.

But they are now losing faith in him. Particularly in his apparent refusal to reach out to Sunni parties and offer them stakes in the central government - such as a security portfolio and a ministry which would give them access to patronage systems such as an education or public works - so that they feel both secure and that they have an investment in the future political structures.

A more conspiratorial thesis, fuelled by the conspiratorial utterances of lame duck ministers left over from the previous administration, is that Iraq's latest travails are the fault of external forces.

Jordan, Saudi Arabia (both Sunni countries), the US and others are being blamed for manipulating the Middle East and somehow creating ISIS.

There is evidence of Saudi individual, and possible state funding, for extremist militant groups in Syria, which may include ISIS.

And Jordan has played a significant role in trying to boost the fortunes of the non-extremist Free Syrian Army.

But Mr al Maliki may have calculated that he can either weather the latest storm - or let ISIS form an impoverished caliphate in the desert north of his country which would leave the Shia with Baghdad and the south.

It's the south, after all, that holds the lion's share of the world's second largest oil reserves.

It can ship its oil out through the Gulf, via Kuwait, or via Iran.

A Shia state or semi-state would not only be self-sufficient - it would be spared the burden of sharing Iraq's spoils with other sectarian groups like the Sunni and the Kurds (who already have their own autonomy and oil industry).

Such a move, or allowing events to drift to this reality, would place the south of Iraq firmly inside Iran's imperial embrace.

That is not something that Saudi Arabia would be able to tolerate in the long term as it vies with Iran for influence in the Middle East.

Nor is it anything that a rump Sunni 'caliphate' would be able to live with - the extremists within it would forever plot how to steal it back by force.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

MP Issues Public Apology For 'Degrading' Woman

Portsmouth MP Mike Hancock has issued an apology to a vulnerable woman for an "inappropriate" relationship that "degraded" her.

In the page-long public apology, Mr Hancock admits carrying out an "unprofessional relationship" with the woman and that he lied when she launched a legal action against him, accusing her of trying to make money out of the case.

The statement comes after the woman settled her claim for sexual assault against the former Liberal Democrat, who is currently being treated for depression in the Priory Hospital in Southampton.

In it he said: "In October 2009 you first came to me as a constituent to seek my assistance as your MP and councillor. Subsequently and over several months I came to your home on several occasions, sometimes unannounced, and conducted a friendship with you that was inappropriate and unprofessional.

"I understand that you felt degraded. I did not treat you with sufficient respect. I made you feel deeply uncomfortable and discriminated against, and I crossed the line."

Mr Hancock resigned the Liberal Democrat party whip in 2013 in order to concentrate on the legal battle but he has remained as an Independent MP for Portsmouth South.

He lost his seat as a Portsmouth councillor in last month's local election after 43 years.

The woman constituent was suing Mr Hancock, accusing him of sexual assault after she contacted him for help in a neighbour dispute.

Mr Hancock had vigorously denied the claims. He was arrested by police over the allegations in 2010 but no action was taken as the Crown Prosecution Service said there was insufficient evidence for a prosecution.

In his statement he said: "I also recognise that hurtful and untrue statements were made publicly about your motivation in bringing the claim. These statements sought to discredit and undermine you.

"This never should have happened. I accept that you did not bring the claim for financial gain and any statements made to the contrary were wrong."

The MP said he had learnt from his mistakes and would not repeat them.

The Liberal Democrats have said he will be expelled from the party soon, however, Sky's Deputy Political Editor Joey Jones pointed out there were questions to answer for the party because the matter had been so protracted.

The solicitor for the woman said that Mr Hancock was no longer fit to be an MP and there were growing calls for him to step down.

However, as an independent MP, there is nothing that can be done to remove Mr Hancock from his role and no party to put pressure on him to go.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fatal Attack Victim Was Wearing Muslim Dress

A woman has died after being attacked in Colchester - and police say her full Muslim dress and veil may have been a factor.

The woman, who has not yet been identified, was walking on the town's Salary Brook Trail at 10.40am on Tuesday when she was violently beaten and attacked with a knife or other bladed weapon.

Paramedics tried to save her but she died at the scene from injuries to her head and body.

Essex Police have said the woman, who was in her 30s, was wearing a dark navy blue full length robe (known as an Abaya) and a patterned multi-coloured Hijab headscarf.

Detective Superintendent Tracy Hawkings said officers were keeping an open mind about the motive of the attack.

But she added: "We are conscious that the dress of the victim will have identified her as likely being a Muslim and this is one of the main lines of the investigation, but again there is no firm evidence at this time that she was targeted because of her religion."

The murder took place in Colchester

A 52-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident.

Detectives want to hear from anyone who used the trail between 8.30am and 11am on the day of the killing.

They have also asked residents to check their gardens and rubbish bins for any discarded weapons or blood stained clothing.

A post-mortem examination is due to take place on Wednesday afternoon.

Officers have said they are not ruling out a link between this murder and that of James Attfield, a vulnerable man with brain damage who died after being stabbed more than 100 times at a park in the town in March.

Officers will be carrying out additional patrols in the area.

Anyone with any information should contact the major investigation team on 01245 282103, Essex Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

PM Warns Iraq Terrorists Will 'Hit UK At Home'

Timeline: How The Iraq Crisis Unfolded

Updated: 2:12pm UK, Tuesday 17 June 2014

A look back at the main events in the Iraq crisis, which has seen Sunni insurgents from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror group move to within 50 miles of the capital Baghdad.

December 2011: US troops complete their withdrawal after the 2003 invasion which led to the removal of Saddam Hussein.

August 2013: More than 70 people are killed in attacks at the end of Ramadan. ISIS claim responsibility.

January 2-4, 2014: ISIS declares itself in control of the western city of Fallujah and parts of Ramadi following clashes sparked by the clearing of a Sunni-Arab protest camp.

February: al Qaeda formally disowns ISIS, which was at one time an affiliate, because of its extreme methods.

April: Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki wins the most seats in a general election.

June 10: ISIS seizes all of Nineveh province in the north, including the capital Mosul - Iraq's second city. Mr Maliki asks parliament to declare a state of emergency.

June 11: The militants launch a wave of attacks further south, taking Tikrit and freeing hundreds of prisoners in Baiji. An assault on Samarra, 70 miles (110km) north of Baghdad, is repelled by security forces.

June 12: Iraq's air force strikes fighters' positions near Mosul and Tikrit.

US President Barack Obama says he is looking at "all the options" to help the government, which fails to secure authorisation for a state of emergency.

The army abandons its bases in Kirkuk, leaving Kurdish Peshmerga troops to take control.

June 13: A top Shia cleric issues a call to arms, telling the population to take up arms and defend their country.

Mr Maliki claims government forces have started to clear cities of "terrorists" and implements an emergency plan to protect Baghdad.

President Obama rules out sending back troops to fight ISIS.

The rebels move into the towns of Saadiyah and Jalawla in eastern province of Diyala.

June 14: Iran offers to work with the US to tackle the crisis, as Britain pledges an initial £3m in emergency aid to help refugees fleeing the violence.

The Iraqi army's fightback continues, with forces retaking the towns of Ishaqi, al-Mutasim and Duluiyah in Salaheddin province.

Troops also regain much of Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's home town.

US aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush is ordered to the Persian Gulf.

June 15: Photos emerge appearing to show an ISIS massacre of 1,700 captured government soldiers. Baghdad says number is exaggerated.

Reports say militants have overrun Tal Afar, the largest town in Nineveh province.

A bombing in central Baghdad leaves 15 people dead and dozens injured.

Former PM Tony Blair tells Sky News that critics who believe the violence is the result of the 2003 invasion are "profoundly mistaken".

June 16: Video footage purporting to show an ISIS fighter questioning and killing unarmed Iraqi soldiers draws condemnation.

ISIS takes control of Tal Afar and the al Adhim area of Diyala province.

US Secretary of State John Kerry says Washington is "open to discussions with Iran".

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Toddler Survives Crash That Killed 4 Relatives

A toddler is fighting for her life in hospital after she was the only survivor of a car crash that killed her mother and three other members of her family.

Eighteen-month-old Holly Hind was rescued by firefighters from the back of a wrecked vehicle that was in a smash with a tanker and a van.

Holly's mother Alison Hind, 28, her uncle Martyn Pugh, 47, and his parents-in-law Margaret, 65, and John Kehoe, 72, all died in the crash.

It happened at a notorious accident blackspot on the A44 at Llangurig near Aberystwyth, West Wales, as the family returned from a trip to the seaside.

Holly, who was pulled from the crumpled vehicle in a car seat, was flown by air ambulance to University Hospital of Wales Cardiff where she is in a serious condition but expected to survive.

Her father, Steve Hughes, 36, who was not involved in the crash, has been at her hospital bedside as she receives specialist care.

Holly's great-grandfather Emrys Davies, 80, said: "It is such a tragedy. The police came last night for Steve and he is down in Cardiff now with Holly in hospital. We are all just hoping she will be okay."

The family all lived in the village of Llanidloes in West Wales - where people told of their shock at the tragedy.

Friend Margaret Pugh said: "This is just terrrible - they were a very close and caring family. The one comfort we can take is that the little girl survived. We are all praying she will be fine."

Alison Hind and Steve Hughes have another son Ethan, six, who was in school at the time of the tragedy.

The crash happened at Llangurig in West Wales

Martyn Pugh lived with his partner Lynn Kehoe, 39, in the village of Llanidloes. He was a full-time carer for disabled Mr Kehoe who lived in a neighbouring street with wife Margaret.

He had taken the couple along with niece Alison - known as Ali - for the trip to the seaside town of Aberystwyth with baby Hollie because of the warm weather.

Llanidloes councillor Gareth Morgan said: "It is a dreadful shock - four in the car were killed but the little girl miraculously escaped.

"I often see Martyn with the little girl in the town walking their chocolate Labrador. She is a lovely child.

"They are nice people. Martyn was Mr Kehoe's carer because he hadn't been in good health for some years. He lived with their daughter Lynn who wasn't in the car at the time of the tragic accident.

"I imagine Martyn had taken his girlfriend's family out for a day trip when this terrible accident happened. They had been to Aberystwyth 29 miles away and were returning home when the accident happened.

"It was at a real accident blackspot, one of the most dangerous stretches of road in Wales. Fatal accidents have happened there far too frequently.

"But everyone here in Llanidloes uses the road regularly to get to Aberystwyth and the coast.

The tanker driver was taken from the scene by police, who are investigating the cause of the crash. 

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Iraq Asks For US Airstrikes To Combat ISIS

Iraq's government has asked the US to carry out airstrikes to help reverse the sweeping gains of Islamist militants in the country.

General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed the request on Wednesday, as Barack Obama prepares to brief lawmakers on what options Washington could pursue.

When asked whether the US should honour that request, Gen Dempsey said: "It is in our national security interest to counter ISIL wherever we find them."

A car bomb in a mainly Shi'ite district of Baghdad killed at least seven

Iraq's foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari said: "Iraq has officially asked Washington to help under the security agreement (between the two countries), and to conduct air strikes against terrorist groups."

But he added: "A military approach will not be enough. We acknowledge the need for drastic political solutions."

US officials said on Tuesday Mr Obama is not expected to approve immediate airstrikes, partly because there are few clear targets.

Claims made by ISIS in its 2013 annual report

Iraq's prime minister Nouri al Maliki has said his forces are "striking back" after a "shock" defeat at the hands of Sunni militants in the country's north, where fighters have taken swathes of territory.

Mr Maliki's address came as insurgents were seen parading through the city of Baiji with captured vehicles after reports they had taken over three-quarters of the oil refinery.

Smoke was seen billowing from the Baiji complex, Iraq's biggest, as an official told Reuters it had been infiltrated by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants - potentially giving them control of the energy supply in northern Iraq.

Volunteers to fight the insurgency take a training session in Kerbala

But chief military spokesman Lieutenant General Qassim al Mousssawi said government forces had repelled an attack and killed 40 fighters, although this has not been verified.

The attack on Baiji follows the revelation that ISIS charts its brutality and tactics in annual reports called al-Naba - The Report.

The 2013 version claims 10,000 operations in Iraq, including 1,000 assassinations and 4,000 improvised explosive devices planted.

An Iraqi boy joins a Shi'ite tribe preparing to fight the militants

Other claims in the 2013 report include the freeing of hundreds of radical prisoners - and hundreds of "apostates" being turned.

As ISIS continued its move towards Baghdad, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned "the great Iranian people will do everything to protect" revered Shia shrines in Iraq from Sunni militants - the clearest indication yet that Tehran is prepared to mobilise.

Mr Rouhani's chief of staff, Mohammad Nahavandian, said Iran could work with the US on Iraq if talks about its nuclear programme are successful.

Kurdish security forces in training in Irbil

The announcement came as David Cameron warned that if Britain did not intervene, terrorists will "hit the UK at home".

Mr Maliki's pledge to strike back against ISIS appears set to begin with the "liberation" of the strategic northern Shia town of Tal Afar, which a security spokesman said would be completed by Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, Kurdish forces in the northern towns of Saadiya and Jalula began a counter offensive against ISIS.

The Indian government has confirmed that 40 construction workers have been seized near Mosul.

Turkish diplomats are investigating reports 60 foreign construction workers, including some 15 Turks, near Kirkuk.

Some international oil companies have confirmed the evacuation of foreign workers.

The head of Iraq's southern oil company, Dhiya Jaffar, said Exxon Mobil had carried out a major evacuation, while BP had pulled out 20% of its staff.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

British Girl, Five, Drowns In Cyprus Hotel Pool

A five-year-old British girl has drowned in a hotel swimming pool in Cyprus during a family holiday.

The youngster died on Monday afternoon at the Evalena Hotel in Protaras, on the southeastern coast of the island.

The child had arrived in Cyprus on Sunday for a week's holiday with her mother, grandparents and other relatives, according to the Famagusta Gazette.

Adam Kirk, a spokesman for Famagusta Police, said: "At about 4.15pm on Monday afternoon a five-year-old girl from England was found drowned in the pool of a hotel in Protaras.

"A tourist saw the child in the bottom of the pool. He dived in and took her out but it was already too late.

"It seems that the parents had not seen the child. She was in the bottom of the pool for around five minutes."

He added that officers would be examining CCTV footage of the pool.

A post-mortem examination at Larnaca General Hospital on Tuesday confirmed the cause of death was drowning.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are aware of the death of a British national in Cyprus on June 16 and are providing consular assistance at this sad time".

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nokia 'Blackmailed For Millions Of Euros'

Nokia paid several million euros to criminals who threatened to sabotage its smartphone operating system, it has been reported.

It was claimed in a local TV report that the Finnish phone giant left the cash in a car park for the blackmailers to collect – as police looked on.

But the crooks managed to slip the police tail after picking up the money, and are still at large.

Detective Chief Inspector Tero Haapala, from Finland's police service, confirmed the force was investigating a case of alleged blackmail.

The Nokia N97 running the Symbian software in 2008

He said: "We are investigating felony blackmail, with Nokia the injured party."

The TV report claimed that hackers managed to get hold of the security encryption key for a key part of Nokia's Symbian software, and threatened to make it public.

If the hackers had done so, anyone could have written additional code for Symbian, including possible malware.

Nokia contacted police before agreeing to deliver the cash to a car park in Tampere, central Finland.

After the money was picked up, police lost track of the culprits.

The blackmail attempt happened in 2008, but has only just been revealed.

Nokia later moved to Microsoft's Windows software in its smartphones, and its phone arm has since been sold to the software giant.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Father Convicted For Avenging Daughter's Death

A man has been convicted by a French court for organising the kidnapping of his daughter's killer so he could be brought to justice.

Andre Bamberski suspected ex-doctor Dietrich Krombach, his 15-year-old daughter Kalinka's stepfather, of giving her a lethal injection so he could rape her.

The teenager was living with her stepfather, mother and younger brother in the German town of Scheidegg when she died in 1982.

Germany refused to extradite Krombach, who was convicted in his absence in France, on the grounds of insufficient evidence.

But Bamberski was determined  to see him face justice and took matters into his own hands in 2009 - hiring two men to kidnap Krombach and bring him across the border to face trial over Kalinka's death.

Krombach was found bound and gagged outside a French courthouse and convicted in 2011 of "deliberate violence leading to involuntary death".

The 79-year-old is currently serving a 15-year sentence in a Paris prison.

On Wednesday, Bamberski was given a suspended one-year prison sentence for kidnapping Krombach, who had been suspended from practising medicine in 1997 after admitting drugging and raping a 16-year-old girl in his office.

Bamberski, who had faced 10 years in jail, said he was "disappointed" by the ruling, but would not be appealing.

He said he believed he should have been acquitted because he had a "moral compulsion" to act.

Asked by a reporter if he regretted his actions, he replied: "No, no. Not at all. As I said again a few days ago, for me, the main thing was Kalinka."

The two men who carried out the kidnapping were also found guilty and each sentenced to a year in prison.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mayor Who Tossed Poo In Man's Yard 'Quits'

The mayor of a wealthy Los Angeles suburb who landed himself in the brown stuff after he was filmed flinging dog poo into his neighbour's front yard has reportedly quit.

San Marino leader Dennis Kneier resigned on Tuesday following an outcry from residents over what became known as "Poopgate", according to the Pasadena Star-News.

"I have apologised to my neighbour for my action, and I will pay a fine for littering," Mr Kneier wrote in his resignation letter, according to the newspaper.

"These events continue to be embarrassing to me and to the city. Because of this, I have decided to step down as mayor."

Kneier, who will reportedly remain on the city council, admitted he messed up after footage of the incident went viral earlier this month.

Householder Philip Lao called police after recognising Mr Kneier from his home surveillance video.

Mr Lao said he believed the incident was payback for his past opposition to some of the mayor's proposals, including plans for a dog park. 

Mr Kneier, who had begun his second term as mayor in January, denied this.

He said he and his wife were walking home from a park when they found the bag of faeces on a pavement.

Mr Kneier said he had made "a mistake" of dumping it in his neighbour's front yard instead of properly disposing of it.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

RAF Fighter Jets Sent To Head Off Russia Planes

RAF Typhoons were scrambled yesterday to intercept "multiple Russian aircraft" over Baltic airspace, it has been revealed.

A Russian SU-25 Flanker (top) with a RAF Typhoon fighter

The fighter jets from 3 (Fighter) Squadron were launched after four separate groups of aircraft were detected by air defences in international airspace near the region.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Defence said the operation was part of Nato's ongoing mission to police Baltic airspace.

Two Russian SU-25 Flankers with a RAF Typhoon fighter (distant) A Russian SU-25 Flanker

"Once airborne, the British jets identified the aircraft as a Russian Tupolev Tu22 'Backfire' bomber, four Sukhoi Su27 'Flanker' fighters, one Beriev A50 'Mainstay' early warning aircraft and an Antonov An26 'Curl' transport aircraft who appeared to be carrying out a variety of routine training," the statement said.

"The Russian aircraft were monitored by the RAF Typhoons and escorted on their way."

Russian Beriev A50 Mainstay early warning aircraft during the mission A Russian Tu22 Backfire bomber during the operation

It added that the Typhoon pilots involved in the operation were Flight Lieutenant Mark Long of 29 (Reserve) Squadron and a French Air Force exchange pilot Commandant Marc-antoine Gerrard, who is currently attached to 1(Fighter) Squadron.

Flt Lt Long said: "The Typhoon is a superb aircraft that makes intercepting other aircraft exceptionally easy, today's interception of the Russian Flankers is all in day's work for an RAF fighter pilot."

An Antonov An26 'Curl' transport aircraft during the intercept

Typhoon Detachment Commander Wing Commander Ian Townsend said: "We regularly intercept Russian and civilian aircraft ... so this type of mission is core business for us and exactly what we were sent to the Baltic region by Nato to do.

"It was a thoroughly successful operation with both my groundcrew and aircrew performing to the exacting professional high standards I have come to expect."

The RAF also released a number of images from the operation.

The Russian Beriev A50 'Mainstay' early warning aircraft A Russian SU-25 Flanker

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More