Alan Whicker: Broadcaster Dies Aged 87

The broadcaster Alan Whicker has died at the age of 87 after suffering from bronchial pneumonia.

The presenter and reporter - whose career spanned almost 60 years - passed away in the early hours of Friday, his spokeswoman said.

Whicker, who was probably best known for his Whicker's World TV series, died at home in Jersey.

The star - who had been with partner Valerie Kleeman for more than 40 years - regularly presented Whicker's World, which famously brought a glimpse of the exotic jet set lifestyles of the rich and famous into UK homes, for a little over three decades.

In 2009, he returned to some of the locations and people who featured over the years for a BBC series, Alan Whicker's Journey Of A Lifetime.

His distinctive voice and delivery led to him regularly being parodied by, among others, the Monty Python team, and a jokey rap delivered Whicker-style, called Wikka Wrap, even made the top 20 in 1981.

He once entered a Whicker soundalike contest and managed to finish in third place.

Whicker was parodied in a Monty Python sketch

Egypt-born Whicker had also been a war correspondent and, during his own service in the Second Word War, he was among the first group of Allied forces to enter Milan and he filmed footage of the body of Mussolini.

Whicker, who was awarded a CBE for his services to broadcasting eight years ago, moved to the UK as a child. He went on to become a captain in the Devonshire Regiment, and was in the Army Film and Photo Unit in Italy in 1943.

After the war, as a news journalist he was a correspondent in the Korean War, during which he was mistakenly reported to have been killed, but in a telegraph to reassure people he was still alive he wrote: "Unkilled. Uninjured. Onpressing".

After joining the BBC in 1957 he became a reporter for the Tonight programme and within a couple of years he had launched Whicker's World, which continued until 1990.

The show saw him interviewing the rich, glamorous and powerful as he presented viewers with a glimpse into the lives of figures such as Joan Collins, Peter Sellers, the Sultan of Brunei and the Haitian president Papa Doc Duvalier.

He was also an early shareholder in the ITV regional station Yorkshire Television, which produced Whicker's World for many years.

Whicker was honoured with the Richard Dimbleby Award at the Baftas in 1978 for his contribution to broadcasting.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lee Rigby's Funeral: Soldier 'A Gentle Soul'

By Mike McCarthy, North Of England Correspondent

Thousands of people lined the streets and filled Bury town centre for the funeral of Drummer Lee Rigby, who was described as a "gentle soul" and "loving father".

Crowds applauded the murdered soldier's family and comrades as they arrived at the military service at Bury Parish Church.

Relatives hugged each other on the church steps before entering the church.

His two-year-old son Jack wore a T-shirt with the words:  "My Daddy. My Hero" printed on the back.

On the front of son Jack's T-shirt were the words: "My Daddy's A Fusilier. Lee Rigby."

Mourners lined the street to the funeral to pay their respects

The father-of-one was hacked to death in broad daylight as he returned to Woolwich barracks from the Tower of London in May.

Drummer Rigby's fellow soldiers from 2nd Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (2RRF) held a two-minute silence in London as the funeral service began in Lancashire. 

The 25-year-old soldier's body had been guarded by comrades overnight following a vigil on Thursday.

Prime Minister David Cameron and London Mayor Boris Johnson were among dignitaries who attended the service in Bury.

As the crowds outside stood in the sweltering midday heat listening via loudspeakers, Drummer Rigby's friend and fellow soldier Sean Sheer gave a eulogy that brought laughter from mourners.

Mr Sheer said he first met Drummer Rigby he found him the "most annoying, campest man I have ever met", citing his singing and love of boyband Westlife as the reason.

Mr Johnson and Mr Cameron arrived together

Mr Sheer said his comrade's young son came "crashing" into his life but Lee "took to fatherhood instantly".

"Everywhere Lee went, Jack went with him," he said.

"Lee's time on this earth was tragically cut short" but he was a "loving father and devoted husband".

"We will love you and miss you," Mr Sheer said.

Drummer Rigby's commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Jim Taylor also delivered a eulogy, describing him as "truly charismatic".

"To be with Lee was to be where it was most fun - the centre of good times and much mischief," he said.

"Lee had a natural swagger and the confidence of someone truly comfortable in their own skin.

The Order of Service for the memorial

"He was always happy. His smile was infectious, as was his enthusiasm for soldiering and his passion for life."

Lieutenant Colonel Taylor said Drummer Rigby joined the Army in 2006 on his third attempt, fulfilling his "lifelong ambition".

 "Today we, his regimental family, salute a fallen comrade," he said.

"A talented soldier and musician. A larger-than-life character. A loyal friend and brother-in-arms. A gentle soul.

"Above all a true Fusilier - daring in all things. We all feel his loss keenly. We will remember him with pride always.

"Today we stand shoulder to shoulder with his family and friends. We will continue to do so in the years to come.

"So, thanks be to God for Lee Rigby - father, husband, son, brother, friend, Fusilier. We will remember him."

The hymns at the service were Who Would True Valour See, Lord Of All Hopefulness and I Vow To Thee My Country, and the choir sang Deep Peace Of The Running Wave.

Drummer Rigby took to fatherhood instantly, his friend said

Veterans lowered Union flags and the cortege then departed for a private family committal in Middleton, where Drummer Rigby lived.

The soldier's family had wanted a private funeral service and asked the public to show their respects by lining the streets.

Drummer Rigby served in Afghanistan as a machine gunner and was attached to the regimental recruiting team when he was killed.

His murder sparked nationwide shock and revulsion and led to an outpouring of support for his family from the public.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Trayvon Killer 'Was Protecting Himself'

George Zimmerman's defence attorney has told a jury not to make "snap judgments" over the neighbourhood watch volunteer who fatally shot unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin.

Delivering his closing arguments, the attorney told the jurors he would convince them of Zimmerman's "pure, unadulterated innocence" of second-degree murder.

"He's not guilty of anything but protecting his own life," Mark O'Mara said.

Zimmerman says he fired in self-defence when he shot the 17-year-old Trayvon during a night-time confrontation in February 2012 in his Florida gated community.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charge of second-degree murder.

Mr O'Mara told jurors that the prosecution had failed to prove Zimmerman's guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Zimmerman with lawyer Mark O'Mara in court

He said the prosecutors had built a case on a series hypothetical "could've beens" and "maybes".

"If it hasn't been proven, it's not just there," Mr O'Mara said.

"You can't fill in the gaps. You can't connect the dots. You're not allowed to."

The case drew national attention and protests when Zimmerman, 29, was not arrested for weeks after the shooting, and the case is rife with racial overtones.

In Sanford, the small Florida town where Trayvon was shot and the trial has been taking place, police are trying to head off any potential protests as the trial draws to a close.

Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic and the prosecution maintains he was racially profiling Trayvon, who was black and unarmed at the time of the confrontation.

Zimmerman says Trayvon was slamming his head into the concrete pavement when he fired his gun.

Holding up a picture of his client's bloody nose, Mr O'Mara told the jurors: "This is undeniable. This is significant injury."

At one point during the defence's closing arguments, Trayvon Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, walked out of the courtroom, local media reported.

After the defence wrapped up its case, the prosecution began delivering a rebuttal before the jury can start deliberations.

Jurors can also consider the lower charge of manslaughter.

Because there were no eyewitnesses, jurors will have to largely rely on testimony from police, neighbours, friends or family members.

In his final argument, prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda depicted Zimmerman as a "wannabe cop" who took justice into his own hands.

"A teenager is dead. He is dead through no fault of his own," he told the jurors.

On the night of the fatal shooting, Trayvon was visiting his father and his father's fiancee at the same housing complex where Zimmerman lived.

Zimmerman observed the Miami teen while driving in his neighbourhood, called police and the fight ensued after the neighbourhood watch volunteer got out of his vehicle.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Nail Bomb' Near Mosque Probed By Terror Cops

Counter-terrorism officers are investigating a suspected nail bomb attack outside a mosque in the West Midlands, Sky sources say.

Police were called to Binfield Street in Tipton around 1pm after residents reported hearing a loud bang.

Officers said the explosion is being treated as a terrorist incident and some residents have reported finding nails and other debris in the area.

No-one is thought to have been injured but a cordon was set up in part of the town and several streets have been sealed off.

The blast was believed to have happened on a disused railway line behind the mosque.

It was reported near the Kanz-ul-Iman Muslim Welfare Association Central Jamia Mosque in Binfield Street, local councillors said.

Tipton Green councillor Ian Jones said residents in the area had described hearing a "loud thud", while councillor Syeda Amina Khatun said she was not aware of any previous attacks on the mosque.

"The explosion has gone off on the disused railway line behind the mosque," she said.

Several roads were closed after the suspected attack

"There are lots of police around so there must be want for them to be here. The whole estate has been blocked off. People are surprised that something like this has happened."

A police statement said: "Police have been called to Binfield Street in Tipton this afternoon following reports of a loud explosion.

"Officers were called at 1.06pm and are currently at the scene. A cordon has been set up and the immediate area has been evacuated.

"Some residents have reported finding debris in the area and finding nails. This is being investigated by counter terrorism detectives and forensic officers at the scene.

"There are no reports of any injuries to anyone at this time.

"An investigation is being led by the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit and it is being treated as a terrorist incident. There are some road closures in place around the Binfield Street area."

Among the road closures are parts of Sedgley Road East, Dudley Port, Jays Avenue, Tudor Court, Park Lane East, Crompton Road and Victoria Road.

Anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area is urged to call police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

The blast came on the day murdered soldier Lee Rigby was remembered at a private funeral service in Bury, Greater Manchester.

Meanwhile, West Midlands Police are still investigating an explosion which occurred near a mosque in the Caldmore area of Walsall on June 21.

The remains of a home-made explosive device were found on June 22 in an alleyway adjoining the Aisha Mosque and Islamic Centre in Rutter Street, Caldmore.

The earlier incident, in which no-one was injured, forced the overnight evacuation of around 150 people from their homes in the surrounding area.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

F1 Legend Fangio's Car Fetches Record £19.6m

A classic Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz has become the most expensive car to be sold at public auction after fetching more than £19m.

The 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 was the racing car driven by five-times F1 world champion Juan Manuel Fangio when he clinched the second of his titles in 1954.

The Argentine drove the 2.5-litre car to victories in the 1954 German and Swiss Grand Prix races, the first successive triumphs achieved by the Mercedes-Benz team in its post-war comeback.

The single-seater was auctioned by Bonhams at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Chichester, West Sussex. 

The previous world record for the most expensive car sold at public auction was a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa which went for more than £10m in California in 2011.

The Mercedes was sold over the telephone to an undisclosed bidder. 

Racing historian Doug Nye said: "The first time I saw this car I needed oxygen. It's landmark technology and it was driven by a landmark driver.

The car was sold in its current condition, with noticeable blemishes and dirt.

"What's so special about it is that it has this wonderful, untouched patina," Mr Nye said.

"Some people think it looks grotty - that's not the point - the really rare cars today are the unrestored ones.

"Every car that's restored has lost a part of its history because it's been obliterated by repainting or by rebuilding. Nothing's been obliterated on this, it's just a beautiful survivor."

Mystery surrounds the discovery of the car after so many years out of the spotlight.

Auctioneer Bonhams would not comment on where the car was found, stating only that is was found "in a warehouse".

Bonhams chairman Robert Brooks said: "I have handled some of the world's most desirable and important motor cars during a motoring auction career spanning five decades, but I have reached a peak today with this legendary Grand Prix car.

"It was a personal privilege to preside over the sale of this vehicle, which is not only one of the most significant motor cars of the 20th century, but also the most important historic Grand Prix racing car ever offered for sale...

"Mercedes has long been recognised for the world-class quality of its products and in 1954/55 they set out to rebuild their reputation for automotive excellence post-war. With this W196 and its sports car sisters they did just that, and how."

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rugby Player Gavin Henson 'Punched In Bar'

Premiership rugby club Bath are investigating reports that new signing Gavin Henson was punched by a team-mate in a pub.

A video taken in the Pig and Fiddle in the city shows Henson apparently unconscious on the floor.

Wales international Henson, who joined the club last month, was involved in the alleged fracas on Wednesday night.

The Aviva Premiership club said in a statement: "Bath Rugby can confirm there was a minor incident in the city centre ... involving a few members of the playing squad.

"The club are investigating the matter as a priority and will only make a statement when further information is available."

Avon and Somerset Police received a call reporting "aggressive behaviour" that night but while the caller was on the line the group left the pub and so officers did not attend.

Consequently no offences are being investigated.

The Pig and Fiddle has declined to comment on the matter while Henson's representatives could not be contacted.

Bath is 31-year-old Henson's fifth club in the space of two years as he seeks to revive a career that promised much in his youth.

The fly-half or centre has won two Grand Slams but has not represented his country since winning the last of his 33 caps in 2011.

The player was the former partner of singer Charlotte Church and is the father of her two children.

00.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Heathrow: Dreamliner Plane Catches Fire

A fire on a parked Ethiopian Airlines Dreamliner plane has forced both runways at Heathrow Airport to close.

Nobody was on board the aircraft which was stationed at a remote parking stand and no injuries were reported.

A spokesperson for the airport said the plane suffered an internal fire.

All arrivals and departures were temporarily suspended due to the fire which was reported shortly after 4.30pm, but the airport has now fully re-opened.

Foam surrounds the Ethiopian Airlines Dreamliner

Separately, another Dreamliner operated by the holiday company Thomson has been forced to turn back mid-flight after technical problems.

A statement from the company said: "Thomson Airways can confirm that flight TOM126 travelling from Manchester to Sanford, Florida experienced a technical issue and the aircraft returned to Manchester Airport, as a precautionary measure.

"Passengers have disembarked and our dedicated team of engineers are now inspecting the aircraft.  Our customers will be moved to an alternative aircraft to ensure they get away on their holiday as soon as possible."

Damage to the top of the Dreamliner's fuselage

Footage from the Skycopter over Heathrow showed fire retardant foam on the runway around the plane with at least nine fire engines in attendance.

The pictures also appeared to show damage to the top of the Dreamliner's fuselage.

A Boeing spokesman said: "We're aware of the event. We have Boeing personnel on the ground at Heathrow and are working to fully understand and address this."

Boeing temporarily withdrew the Dreamliner from service earlier this year for modifications after concerns that batteries on board could cause fires.

Various production problems delayed the aircraft from entering passenger service for three years, operating its first commercial flight in October 2011 for Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways.

The company's shares fell dramatically on the New York Stock Exchange following the news from Heathrow.

The Civil Aviation Authority has said that at this stage they will not be investigating the fire.

More follows...

00.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Edward Snowden Wants Asylum In Russia

Intelligence services whistleblower Edward Snowden plans to request asylum in Russia, accusing the US of trying to block him from travelling to other countries.

Snowden remarks came in a statement after closed-door talks with human rights groups and lawyers at the Moscow airport where he has been holed up for weeks.

In a statement released after the 45-minute meeting, Snowden said: "That moral decision to tell the public about spying that affects all of us has been costly, but it was the right thing to do and I have no regrets."

He said he had given up his family and a "home in paradise" to put an end to what he said was a "serious violation of the law".

"I did not seek to enrich myself. I did not seek to sell US secrets. I did not partner with any foreign government to guarantee my safety," he said in the statement.

Pic: Courtesy of Tatyana Lokshina/Human Rights Watch

"Instead, I took what I knew to the public, so what affects all of us can be discussed by all of us in the light of day, and I asked the world for justice."

Snowden is wanted by the US on espionage charges over a series of leaks about spying programmes, with his most recent claims involving collaboration between Microsoft and American intelligence services.

The talks included representatives of Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

A picture of Snowden at the meeting, taken by Human Rights Watch representative Tanya Lokshina, shows him with WikiLeaks representative Sarah Harrison on his right. 

It was the first time that he had been seen since the scandal broke.

He seemed nervous, but in apparently good health, according to one of the participant, Duma member Vyacheslav Nikonov.

Politician Vyacheslav Nikonov took part in the meeting

The former NSA contractor, 30, accuses Washington of waging a campaign to stop him from leaving Russia and getting asylum.

"The government and intelligence services of the United States of America have attempted to make an example of me, a warning to all others who might speak out as I have."

"I have been made stateless and hounded for my act of political expression," the statement said.

Snowden said he was grateful for those countries, including Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua, which offered support and asylum, saying he accepted all offers that had been extended and any future one.

But, he said, given the "unlawful threat" posed by the US and his inability to reach those countries, he planned to formally request asylum in Russia until he can legally travel to Latin America.

Protesters have shown their support for Snowden

Austrian authorities last week searched the Bolivian president's plane when it was diverted to Vienna because the US suspected Snowden was on board.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for President Vladimir Putin said Snowden might be allowed to stay in Russia if he stops releasing leaks that would damage the US or Russia-US relations, repeating conditions the Kremlin had set out earlier.

Both Mr Nikonov and Genri Reznik, a lawyer who participated in the meeting, said Snowden was willing to stop leaks.

"He said he was informed of this condition and that he can easily accept it. He does not intend to damage US interests given that he is a patriot of his country," Mr Nikonov said.

Snowden fled to Moscow from Hong Kong on June 23 and has been in limbo in Sheremetyevo airport's transit area despite the offers for asylum.

The US has revoked his passport, and doubts have also been raised about whether Snowden could fly from Moscow to any of those countries without passing through the airspace of the US or its allies.

He is seeking to avoid extradition after divulging embarrassing evidence about the activities of US spies, as well as the British eavesdropping agency GCHQ, to newspapers including The Guardian.

The latest files said Microsoft helped America's National Security Agency (NSA) to circumvent encryption so it could view web chats on the Outlook.com portal, which is replacing Hotmail.

Evidence seen by the paper said Microsoft also worked to give the NSA easier access to its cloud storage service SkyDrive, which has more than 250 million users. And by July 2012, nine months after Microsoft bought Skype, the Prism intelligence programme was collecting triple the amount of Skype video calls.

Entrances were guarded during the meeting at the airport

Microsoft told the paper it only provides information about users when demanded to do so by the government.

Snowden's files have also revealed the NSA claimed to have access to the servers of web firms including Apple, Google, Facebook and Yahoo, while GCHQ scans vast amounts of internet traffic through a system of fibre-optic cables.

00.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Asiana Flight Crash Victim Hit By Fire Truck

One of the teenagers killed in the Asiana Airlines crash was struck by a fire truck while she was covered in foam sprayed to douse the jet's fire, police have said.

It was not clear, however, whether 16-year-old Ye Mengyuan was already dead or whether she was alive after the crash Saturday at San Francisco airport.

Authorities were still trying to determine the cause of death.

Emergency personnel sprayed fire retardant foam on the plane

Police officials confirmed that she was hit after responding emergency personnel failed to see her on the ground near the downed airliner.

"When the fire truck repositioned itself to continue battling flames from the fuselage, the victim passenger was found in the tyre track of the fire truck," police spokesman Albie Esparza said.

Asiana Flight 214 collided with a rocky seawall just short of its intended airport runway on Saturday.

Wang Linija was also killed in the crash

Two people were killed and dozens of others injured although most suffered minor injuries.

Investigators have said the plane came in too low and slow.

Nearly a week after the crash, investigators have pieced together an outline of the event.

With each new bit of information, the picture emerging is of pilots who were supposed to be closely monitoring the plane's airspeed, but who did not realise until too late that the aircraft was dangerously low and slow.

Nothing disclosed so far by the National Transportation Safety Board investigators indicates any problems with the Boeing 777's engines or the functioning of its computers and automated systems.

The flight's four pilots have been interviewed, as have passengers and dozens of witnesses.

Air traffic control recordings and video of the flight's last moments, including the crash itself, have been examined.

00.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Paris Train Crash: 'Many Casualties' Reported

Up to eight people are believed dead and dozens injured after a train packed with 385 passengers derailed in a Paris suburb.

Early reports say up to eight people were killed when the train derailed

French interior minister Manuel Valls said: "The death toll is evolving constantly at this point and unfortunately it will probably rise.

"At this stage there are seven people dead, several dozen wounded and some of them are serious."    

The French interior ministry has issued a red alert folowing the accident

SNCF spokesman Jean-Paul Boulet said the train was carrying some 385 passengers when it derailed at 5:15 p.m. (1515 GMT) and crashed into the station at Bretigny-sur-Orge, some 20 kilometers south of Paris.

Four carriages piled up, he added.

Graham Hope, a passenger in the third of the train's four carriages, told Sky News: "The carriage I was in was bouncing for several seconds before we came to a halt. Everyone was very calm. A couple of people were quite concerned, but we worked together to get out of the carriage... 

Rrescuers pull survivors from the wreckage. Pic: @aishakurdish

"When I got out we could see the rest of the train was further up the line... I would be very surprised if people got out of the front carriage unscathed." 

Early reports of fatalities are varied. The Le Parisien newspaper said up to eight people were dead.

The train derailed at Bretigny-sur-Orge

A police source said: "The train arrived at the station at high speed. It split in two for an unknown reason. Part of the train continued to roll while the other was left on its side on the platform."

The Paris prefect's office said a "red alert" plan had been activated. 

Passengers who spoke to French media from the scene said the train was travelling unusually fast as it approached the station.

"Most of the people who suffered minor injuries have been taken care of. We are going to have to empty the carriages completely to see if there are victims or not," policeman Michel Pouzol said.

More follows...

00.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Terry Smith: Autistic Boy Missing In Desert

A massive search operation is under way for a missing 11-year-old autistic boy in a scorching desert area in southern California.

Terry Dewayne Smith Jr was last seen near his semi-rural home on Saturday when he followed his 16-year-old half-brother, who told him to return home, according to the Desert Sun.

His mother did not realise he was missing until the next day.

Authorities are concerned that he wandered away without food, water or his medication in an area that has seen triple-digit temperatures.

On a Facebook page, his mother said without his medication Terry may be "over sensitive and may be walking on his tiptoes".

Some 1,000 emergency crew and volunteers are concentrating on a 55-square mile area in the dry brown hills of Menifee where temperatures have topped 100 degrees every day since the child went missing.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department and other agencies, including the FBI, aided in the investigation and search of the region, which is about 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles, with the help of bloodhounds, helicopters and horseback riders.

Searchers were also instructed to call him by his nickname "Juju" because hearing his full name called out may cause him to believe he's in trouble and flee.

Terry's aunt, Tracy Armato, told KCAL-TV said people should "be gentle".

She added: "We don't know if he'll be scared of all the searchers."

TV news reports showed yellow crime scene tape around Terry's home.

Menifee mayor Scott Mann told reporters: "We pledge that we will continue this search effort until such time as circumstances dictate otherwise.

"We will continue searching. We will find Terry."

The 4ft 8in youngster has sandy brown hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing blue basketball shorts.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Danny Nightingale Guilty Of Gun Possession

A former special forces sniper has been found guilty of illegally possessing a Glock 9mm pistol and 338 rounds of ammunition.

Sergeant Danny Nightingale was convicted by a five-person court martial board in Bulford, Wiltshire.

He had pleaded not guilty to possession of a prohibited firearm between November 26, 2007 and September 16, 2011, and had also denied possession of the ammunition on or about September 16, 2011.

The 38-year-old of Crewe, Cheshire, said afterwards he thought his case was strong enough to clear his name and that the verdict "came as a great shock".

The pistol found in Sgt Nightingale's wardrobe

He thanked his family and supporters, saying: "I think at the moment we need it more than ever. There is a bit of David and Goliath going on.

"If I didn't have such a strong family we'd be broken," he said, adding that they were "close to financial ruin".

His wife Sally, who has attended the proceedings throughout, added: "He isn't guilty and he is not a criminal."

The items, said to be brought back from Iraq, were recovered by civilian police in September 2011 in the rented house the father-of-two shared with another SAS soldier, known only as Soldier N.

The pistol was found in Sgt Nightingale's wardrobe and the ammunition was under his bed in a plastic box.

Sgt Nightingale, who was serving in Afghanistan at the time, said he had no knowledge of them being in his bedroom and said someone else had put them there.

"I have physical or tangible memory. I have no recollection of receiving the gun," he told the court martial.

He said he was a "diligent" soldier who would not have "randomly" stored ammunition at home.

The Crown said Sgt Nightingale had put the public at risk by having the lethal arsenal stored in an insecure house.

Prosecutor Timothy Cray told the trial: "No soldier, no matter what his experience is or what unit he is attached to, is above the law.

"On the specific facts alleged - that is, the defendant's attitude to the retention of arms and ammunition - is that he made a series of mistakes that put the public at risk and that is why he now comes before this court martial.

The ammunition recovered by civilian police from Sgt Nightingale's bedroom

"No matter how he tries to deny it, the gun and ammunition were there in his bedroom because he put them there and he kept them there."

Mr Cray accused the soldier of changing his story after originally telling police the pistol was a "trophy" brought back from Iraq in 2007 and that he had accumulated the ammunition from training sessions in the UK.

But Sgt Nightingale insisted his confusion followed a serious brain injury he suffered while taking part in an endurance event in Brazil in 2009, which had significantly affected his memory.

William Clegg QC, defending, suggested Soldier N had brought the Glock pistol to the UK from Iraq.

Soldier N was sentenced to two years' military detention last year after admitting possessing a Glock 9mm pistol, which he brought back from Iraq in 2003.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing ammunition that was recovered by police at the house he shared with Sgt Nightingale.

Mr Clegg said Soldier N had good reason to disassociate himself from the second pistol as having two would have looked like he was collecting them.

"One can be a souvenir; two begins to suggest a collection," he suggested.

During the trial, which began last week, several members of the SAS gave evidence anonymously.

One serviceman said the storing of weapons in accommodation was a "gross breach" of Army regulations, while Soldier N said bringing back trophies from overseas operations was "part of the course".

Sgt Nightingale had originally pleaded guilty to the two charges in November last year and was sentenced to 18 months' military detention.

He appealed against that sentence and it was reduced to 12 months' imprisonment, suspended for a year.

The Court of Appeal later quashed Sgt Nightingale's original convictions and a fresh trial was ordered.

The ex-SAS sniper was released on bail after Wednesday's verdict.

Sentencing was adjourned to a later date pending a Court of Appeal judgement on the sentencing powers of the court.

Colonel Charles Barnett, from the Services Prosecuting Authority, said Sgt Nightingale's "fine record as a soldier is a matter that will no doubt be considered carefully when the board considers his sentence".

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Government 'Failing To Meet Midwife Pledge'

By Thomas Moore, Science and Health Correspondent

A Sky News survey has suggested the Government is failing in its pledge that pregnant women will have consistent care from a single midwife during labour.

Out of more than 1,400 women who responded, 46% said they had been cared for by several midwives during childbirth.

Of those, 21% were seen by a second midwife despite there being no shift change.

The Department of Health has repeatedly promised that women will receive one-to-one care from a midwife during labour.

Professor Cathy Warwick, head of the Royal College of Midwives, said ministers must speed up the introduction of 5,000 new midwives.

"The number of midwives that we have seen come into the workforce has not matched the rising birth rate," she said.

The Government's aim is for women to see just one midwife during labour

"What this government needs to do is to keep ensuring there are enough jobs for midwives after they have trained.

"We will then be able to say this government has met its pledge. At the moment, it hasn't done this."

With the Duchess of Cambridge due to give birth at the private Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital, London, Sky News invited women to tell their experiences of having a baby under NHS care.

Of the women who responded to the survey, 40% who said they were cared for by several midwifes felt that staff changes had made their childbirth more difficult.

Some of the new mothers sent Sky News videos in which they described their experiences.

Sarah Matthew gave birth to Archie several weeks early. While he got excellent care in the neonatal unit, her experience on the maternity ward was "mixed at best".

The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting her first child

"I was in a lot of pain a couple of days after the emergency (Caesarean) section but was ignored. I was told it was my pain threshold and to get on with it.

"They finally gave me antibiotics and decided I had an infection."

The Department of Health outlines its vision for childbirth in a document called Midwifery 2000.

As well as repeating the one-to-one pledge during labour, it said women should receive the majority of their care during pregnancy from the same midwife.

But the Sky News survey, which was hosted on the Sky News website and iPad app, suggested 83% of women who responded had not met their midwife before they went into labour.

The results also indicated that women were pleased with their care overall.

Around three-quarters of women surveyed were positive about their care

More than 74% were positive about their experience, while just 13% were unhappy.

Gillian Madira said her labour with Annabella had been excellent.

"The midwife stayed with me from the time I got there," she said.

"She was my dedicated midwife right up until I delivered at 8 o'clock at night.

"Luckily that was just before her shift finished, so I got to see the same midwife the whole way through."

Health minister Dr Dan Poulter said some women need several midwives involved in their care because they have long or complex labours.

But he added: "It's clearly the best thing to do to make sure that women have personalised care where possible from one midwife.

"From your survey, 90% felt that was the case. That's a good thing.

"But there is more that needs to be done. That's why we need to make sure that the 5,000 midwives in training go out and work in the NHS."

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tour De France: 'Urine' Thrown At Cavendish

British cyclist Mark Cavendish has reportedly been sprayed with urine during a time trial for the latest leg of the Tour de France.

French competitor and friend, Jerome Pineau, wrote on Twitter that Cavendish told him he had been whistled at and had urine thrown at him, possibly by a spectator.

"Yesterday I was so proud to see the support at the race but today I am ashamed," tweeted Pineau.

"Ashamed when my friend @MarkCavendish tells me he has been whistled and even sprayed with urine on the course. It's scandalous."

Cavendish declined to talk when asked about the incident, but a member of his team said with a grin there had "been a smell" when the road-racing professional returned to their bus.

Cavendish was blamed by many fans for a crash in the final 100 metres of Tuesday's stage 10 which sent Tom Veelers crashing to the ground, although he was cleared by race officials.

Omega Pharma team CEO Patrick Lefevere said he believed the clash was the reason for this incident.

"Probably some spectators were not very pleased with what happened yesterday and they yelled to him and then one other idiot threw urine at him," he said.

"Mark is really disappointed because he thinks he didn't deserve this."

Tony Martin set the early pace in the first individual time trial. The world time trial champion completed the 33km course to Mont-Saint-Michel in a time of 36 minutes 29 seconds to sit 39 seconds ahead of the second-best time, set by Vaconsoleil's Thomas De Gendt.

Cavendish set a time of exactly 42 minutes, more than four minutes behind team-mate Martin.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Missing Teen Hollie: Body Found In Sea

Police investigating the disappearance of a 14-year-old girl who was last seen in difficulty in the sea have recovered a body.

Hollie McClymont, from Glasgow, was reported missing after going swimming off Barry Island in South Wales on Sunday.

More than 40 specialist officers were deployed in the search for the missing teenager, as well as a helicopter and coastguards.

Chief Inspector Marc Lamerton, of South Wales Police, confirmed that a body had been recovered in Fontygary, a small seaside village three miles southwest of Barry.

"The body has not been formally identified," he said.

"But the family of Hollie McClymont, who was reported missing on Sunday afternoon, have been informed of this development and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time."

Steffan Wiliam, a Barry resident and Plaid Cymru councillor at the local Vale of Glamorgan Council, said: "This is awful, awful news - the nightmare scenario we have all been worrying about.

"If it is confirmed that it is the missing teenager, this is the most awful news we could have had."

Hollie had gone to South Wales with her mother, Sarah, for a holiday.

Police said they chose the area because they have relatives there.

The teenager was seen getting into difficulty at about 2.45pm on Sunday at Whitmore Bay, a popular destination for sun-seekers.

Coastguards said they were not alerted for an hour, something they said they were "dumfounded" by.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fake Ecstasy: Seventh Death Linked To Pills

A teenager has died after taking "dangerous" fake ecstasy tablets - the seventh reported death linked to the pills.

Police say the tablets circulating in Scotland contain toxic chemicals with potentially fatal effects.

In the latest case, an 18-year-old woman died in Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire, on Tuesday morning.

Three male friends aged 18, 21 and 25 were admitted to the Royal Alexandra Hospital. Doctors are still treating the 25-year-old.

In recent weeks there has been a rise in the number of people who have died after taking a tablet that they thought was ecstasy. The majority of these were people in their early 20s.

Police in the west of Scotland have identified the pills as green in colour and stamped with a crown logo and say some have been found to contain a dangerous stimulant called Methoxyamphetamine, also known as PMA.

They are also warning of a white pill with the Mitsubishi logo imprinted on it, found to contain the chemicals 5IT or AMT, and a yellow tablet with a star logo.

Officers in the north of Scotland recovered a large quantity of fake ecstasy tablets at a house in Aberdeen on Tuesday. These tablets are also green but with the Heineken logo.

There are also warnings of a white pill with a Mitsubishi logo

Superintendent Grahame Clarke, from Police Scotland's western division, said: "An investigation is under way and our inquiries have so far revealed that the woman, along with three friends, had taken what they thought were ecstasy tablets.

"The tablets were described as green with a Rolex crown logo stamped on them.

"Public warnings have been issued recently in relation to the dangers of taking ecstasy, or indeed tablets being passed off as ecstasy. They are illegal and could contain a cocktail of toxic ingredients.

"We have yet to establish if this particular pill is to blame for the death of this young woman, but the fact that she and her friends took pills described as green and with a Rolex stamp on it causes us real concern.

"The exact contents of the pills are unknown but they could contain dangerous chemicals."

People taking the fake pills can experience symptoms including high temperature, aggression and muscle pains as well as hallucinations and excitability, medics said.

Richard Stevenson, a doctor in emergency medicine at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, said: "These symptoms are treatable if help is sought early. I would urge anyone who begins to feel unwell or feels a more intense high than usual after taking any drug which they think is ecstasy or not to seek immediate medical help."

Police are keen to get the warning across ahead of this weekend's T in the Park music festival in Balado, Perth and Kinross.

Drugs "amnesty bins" will be available at the entrance to the campsites where illegal substances can be disposed of without risk of prosecution, police said.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cafe: No Entry If 'Allergic To Black People'

A cafe owner in a West Yorkshire market town has put up a sign warning customers not to come in if they are "allergic to black people."

Martha-Renee Kolleh, who runs the Caribbean and British-themed Yeanon Cafe in Ossett, said she put up the message because she was fed up of people leaving when they had seen her.

The sign on the entrance reads: "Attention. Everyone be aware I am a black woman, and always will be. If you are allergic to black people, don't come in.

"But if you prefer quality wholesome meals in a pleasant and clean environment, come in. I don't bite. Thanks, Martha-Renee."

Ms Kolleh, a single mother-of-three who has owned the high-street cafe for almost two and a half years, said customers were reacting differently to her than to white members of staff.

She said: "I put the sign up last Tuesday to vent my frustration and I was just expressing the way I felt at that moment.

"People would come in, open the door, look at me and turn round and go outside.

"At first I said to myself 'Maybe I'm being paranoid.' It's not like I've got two heads or something."

She said the market town of Ossett, which has a population of 16,000, of whom 97% are white, was not a racist place.

She said: "I've encountered some people who've been exceptionally nice. But I would say I've met some extremely horrible people too.

"It's not about who's racist and who's not. I'm just expressing the way I feel."

Customer Spike Falloon said he could understand why Ms Kolleh had made the sign. But he added: "Ossett is a lovely little town. It's never known any racist problems at all."

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

BBC Boss 'Shocked' Over Bumper Pay-Offs

BBC bosses have been grilled by MPs over how senior staff were given hefty pay-offs that often breached the corporation's own guidelines.

Director-general Tony Hall and chairman of the BBC Trust Lord Patten appeared before the Public Accounts Committee, along with human resources director Lucy Adams and trust member Anthony Fry.

The session in the House of Commons came after a National Audit Office (NAO) report showed huge payments, of hundreds of thousands of pounds in some cases, were made even though executives were not always entitled to the money.

Lord Patten began by telling the group of cross-party MPs that it was "a question of shock and dismay for us" when it emerged that staff had been paid more than they were contractually owed in some cases.

George Entwistle was paid £450,000 for being in the top job for 54 days

Asked why he did not know some pay-offs had gone beyond what was contractually needed, Lord Patten appeared to suggest former director-general Mark Thompson should be called to give evidence.

He told the committee: "If you call a previous director general of the BBC I will be as interested as you are why we didn't know."

Speaking about Mr Thompson's eventual successor George Entwistle, who stood down after a few weeks in the job amid the Jimmy Savile sex scandal, Lord Patten said his pay-off of £450,000 was necessary to prevent a potentially larger bill if they had got bogged down in legal argument.

He said: "We would have fetched up paying more than we in fact had to pay him."

The pay-offs to Mark Byford and Caroline Thompson have been criticised

Lord Patten admitted Mr Entwistle was paid for an extra 20 days work for the BBC to help manage the transition to a new director-general but "as it happened he wasn't required to do anything".

Lord Patten also revealed that the BBC Trust has been pressing for an overall pay reduction since 2009.

He suggested to the MPs that some of the payments had been approved to "get people out of the door" after the BBC decided to cut the number of senior managers it employed.

He agreed with committee member Austin Mitchell MP that the size of some of the payments had discredited the licence fee and said: "It's not only the licence fee payer that has been shocked by what's happened, it's people who work for the BBC".

Roly Keating handed back his pay-off

According to the NAO in the three years up to last December, the BBC spent £25m on severance payments for 150 high-ranking staff.

And since 2005, the corporation has made payments totaling £60m to more than 400 senior managers.

Among the pay-offs criticised was one to former chief operating officer Caroline Thomson, who left last year with £670,000 - more than twice her salary.

And former deputy director-general Mark Byford was paid £949,000 when he left two years ago.

But the former BBC2 controller, Roly Keating, who was given a £375,000 pay-off, returned the money after learning it had not been properly authorised.

Lord Patten says he was shocked at the NAO's findings

Ms Adams, who is paid a salary of £320,000, said Mr Byford had an expectation of a payment in lieu of notice of 12 months because it had become "custom and practice" at the BBC.

She said she raised the possibility of a cap on redundancy payments in 2011, adding: "I was well aware this was unsustainable".

Mr Hall said the issue was not just with the human resources department, but a broader problem with the culture at the BBC and "the amount of control at the centre over what was going on was simply not good enough".

He added that he was working to make the BBC a "simpler" organisation and it was "over-complex, over-layered".

Mr Hall said: "Culturally I think we'd lost the plot, we lost the way", but added he had faith in Ms Adams to continue in her role.

Mr Fry told the committee that some BBC staff were "out to lunch" in regard to how much they expected senior executives to be paid, and some people had got "unreasonable" salaries and pay-offs.

He said members of the trust, which is the governing body of the BBC, were not always included in all decision making.

There were times when "people like me were asked in not particularly pleasant words to get back into our box," he added.

Lord Patten said the BBC would publish the full cost of the Pollard review into a dropped Newsnight investigation which featured allegations of sexual abuse by the late TV presenter Savile next Tuesday.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Daniel Pelka: Accused Denies Stepson Murder

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

A man who allegedly beat his stepson to death and starved him for months has told a court he did not murder the child.

Mariusz Krezolek, and the four-year-old's mother, Magdelena Luczak, are accused of killing Daniel Pelka after a campaign of "incomprehensible" cruelty in Coventry in March last year.

Krezolek's barrister Nigel Lambert QC asked the defendant: "Did you murder Daniel Pelka?"

"No", he replied.

Later Mr Lambert asked: "And how do you feel now about all that happened to Daniel Pelka?"

"In prison, one sees things from another perspective", Krezolek replied.

"And I feel very bad about not having helped him. I did not want him to die and all that needed to be done was to have sacrificed more time for him and look after him in a proper way.

"What we were doing is not enough. I feel bad about it and I am truly sorry that he died.

"I did not take him to hospital but I didn't know he would die, if I'd have been told that it would happen, then I would not have listened to anyone. I would have taken him to hospital."

The two defendants deny murdering Daniel

The jury was told that Krezolek admitted cruelty to Daniel, by locking him in his room, imposing physical punishment such as making him kneel for up to 20 minutes at a time, and making him eat salt.

But he denied seriously assaulting Daniel, or "deliberately" and "systematically" starving him.

Birmingham Crown Court heard that after Daniel's death, Krezolek was questioned 14 times in three days by police.

Krezolek said he had lied on a number of occasions to protect Luczak.

Invited by Mr Lambert to tell the jury why he told detectives things which were not true, Krezolek replied: "I did not want her (Luczak) to go to prison."

Krezolek told the court he believed Luczak might have gone to jail because "we had a lot of time and did not take the child to hospital".

Later, Luczak's barrister Stephen Linehan QC asked Krezolek: "Yesterday you appeared to be on the verge of crying and you made loud sniffing noises of the sort people would make when they are crying. How was it that not a single tear appeared?"

Krezolek replied: "Maybe you just didn't see it".

Luczak also denies murdering her son.

The trial continues.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Royal Mail Sale: Cable Outlines Flotation

Royal Mail staff will get free shares under the Government's plans for the privatisation of the service, despite strong opposition to the sell-off among the workforce.

The Business Secretary confirmed in a statement to MPs the intention to float a majority stake in Royal Mail initially, with the rest following depending on market conditions.

Vince Cable told the Commons: "These shares will be free to eligible employees, recognising that many of them would otherwise find them unaffordable."

Royal Mail workers took to a 'protest' bus in London to make their point

As he announced that staff would hold 10% of the business under proposals first revealed by Sky News, members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) took to an open-top bus in the City to denounce the sell-off.

Some of the protesters - most of them employees of the postal service - held placards reading: "Save our Royal Mail" or "You own it, don't buy it."

They argued that they cared more about the future of the service, their pensions, jobs and working conditions than the prospect of a windfall worth more than £2,000 each for the 150,000-strong workforce.

Chuka Umunna questioned the Government's motives for the sale

The union's deputy general secretary, Dave Ward, dismissed reassurances about future employment rules to warn of the prospect of strikes unless legally-binding agreements were put in place to guarantee his members' conditions.

But  the chief executive of Royal Mail assured staff their pay and conditions would not be changed without their agreement.

Moya Greene said: "As we move into the private sector, the current legal position is that all terms and conditions that apply to Royal Mail employees would remain in place, on the same basis.

"To provide further reassurance, we will create a legally-binding and enforceable contract with the CWU. Pay and protections could not be changed for the period of the contract without CWU agreement."

Mr Cable said the flotation, which was expected to value the business at £3bn, would begin over the next year and the shares would be listed on the London Stock Exchange. They will be available to the general public as well as institutional investors.

"This is logical, it is a commercial decision designed to put Royal Mail's future on to a long-term sustainable basis," he said.

"It is consistent with developments elsewhere in Europe where privatised operators in Austria, Germany and Belgium produce profit margins far higher than the Royal Mail but have continued to provide high-quality and expanding services.

"Now the time has come for Government to step back from Royal Mail, allow its management to focus wholeheartedly on growing the business and planning for the future."

Labour said it would oppose the flotation.

Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna said: "Having nationalised the organisation's debts by taking on its pension liabilities, they now want to privatise the profit at the very time it is making money.

"There is every sign this treasured national institution is being sold off on the cheap to get income quickly to a Treasury whose economic strategy has failed."

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More