Spying: Obama Announces NSA Reforms

President Barack Obama has said he is ordering a "transition" that will end the US government's bulk collection of phone metadata "as it currently exists".

Mr Obama announced the change following a months-long review spurred by former National Security Agency analyst Edward Snowden's leaks about secret surveillance programmes.

"Effective immediately, we will only pursue phone calls that are two steps removed from a number associated with a terrorist organisation instead of three," the president said.

Critics of US spying programmes have rallied in support of Snowden

He also said he instructed the intelligence community to develop options for a new approach that can match the capabilities of the existing surveillance programme without the government holding onto the metadata.

"The reforms I'm proposing today should give the American people greater confidence that their rights are being protected, even as our intelligence and law enforcement agencies maintain the tools they need to keep us safe," Mr Obama said.

The president also warned that the transition would "not be simple".

He said the surveillance review panel's recommendation that data providers or a third party be responsible for holding the bulk data presented potential risks.

"Relying solely on the records of multiple providers, for example, could require companies to alter their procedures in ways that raise new privacy concerns," he said.

People demonstrate in Washington against NSA surveillance tactics

Mr Obama also announced on Friday a new directive banning US government spying on dozens of foreign heads of state and governments considered to be US allies.

He said the "leaders of our close friends and allies deserve to know that if I want to learn what they think about an issue, I will pick up the phone and call them, rather than turning to surveillance".

More follows... 

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Zara Phillips Gives Birth To Baby Daughter

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

The Queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips has given birth to a baby girl at Gloucester Royal Hospital.

Her baby, the Queen's fourth great grandchild and now the 16th in line to the throne, weighed 7lbs 12oz.

Buckingham Palace confirmed Zara's husband, former England rugby star Mike Tindall, was present at the birth.

"The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal, Captain Mark Phillips and Mike's parents, Mr Phillip and Mrs Linda Tindall, have been informed and are delighted with the news," added the Queen's Press Secretary.

Zara and her husband at Sandringham at Christmas

Mr Tindall later wrote on his Twitter account: "Thanks so much for all your kind messages. Definitely the best day of my life today, so happy.! The girls are both doing great!

"Big thanks to all involved at Gloucester Royal, they were fantastic! #newglawsfamilymember."

The baby's name has not been revealed.

Zara gave up competitive riding after her three-month scan

Zara's pregnancy was announced as the media gathered outside St Mary's Hospital in July last year waiting for Duchess of Cambridge to go into labour.

The Olympic silver-medallist had been reluctant early on in her pregnancy to give up competing in show-jumping events.

Admitting she was used to being on the go, finding it hard to put her feet up, the professional three-day eventer was photographed taking part in competitions after her 12-week scan.

But Zara, 32, soon allowed her sporting prowess to take a back seat, turning instead to baking to fill her days.

She and her husband opted not to be told the gender of their baby when offered the opportunity during early hospital scans.

A heavily pregnant Zara more recently accompanied the Queen by car to the traditional Christmas Day service in Sandringham.

The couple, who live at Princess Anne's Gatcombe Park Estate, have reportedly been busy "buying stuff" for the baby, according to Mr Tindall, who adds that he is "a big kid and so will fit in just right".

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Ditch Killer Dennehy Attacked 'To Have Fun'

Two men who survived knife attacks by serial killer Joanna Dennehy have been telling a court about their ordeals.

Robin Bereza and John Rogers suffered multiple stab wounds after she attacked them as they walked along different streets in Hereford in broad daylight.

Jurors heard how, after killing three men in Cambridgeshire, Dennehy and one of her alleged accomplices Gary Stretch drove 140 miles to the city in search of more victims.

As she scoured the streets, Dennehy told 47-year-old Stretch: "I want my fun," prosecutors said.

Mr Bereza was walking his dog when he was repeatedly stabbed by the 31-year-old murderer for no apparent reason.

Describing the attack in April last year, Mr Bereza said: "A car stopped. I didn't think any more of it. I just carried on walking with the dog.

"I felt a blow to my right shoulder. I turned around and saw this lady, she just stared straight through me."

Giving evidence, Mr Bereza described how he was stabbed twice before he realised what was happening.

He said: "I saw the lady with that thing in her hands, I didn't know what it was. I got worried then, frightened. I said: 'what are you doing?'

Gary 'Stretch' Richards denies the charges

"She said: 'I'm hurting you, I'm going to ****ing kill you'."

The retired fire service worker described how he tried to fight Dennehy off, but she did not stop.

"I kicked her and made contact, it had no impact on her, she just came straight towards me," Mr Bereza said.

"I ran into the road. I put my hand to my jacket and saw all this blood. She tried to come for me again, I kicked her again; she still didn't react."

The attack ended when a "big gentlemen" in a car gestured for her to leave before speeding off, he revealed.

Mr Bereza was treated by paramedics before being taken to hospital by air ambulance.

After attacking Mr Bereza she went on to attack Mr Rogers, again with no reason.

He said: "I turned around and saw the woman who stabbed me just standing there. She started stabbing me in the chest."

He asked Dennehy: "What's this all about?" and she commented on the fact he was bleeding, adding: "I better do some more", the court heard.

Dennehy is awaiting sentencing for three murders

Mr Rogers told jurors: "She didn't seem to be showing any emotion. She didn't seem to be enjoying herself. She just seemed like she was going about business."

Passers-by stopped to help him before he was taken by air ambulance to hospital for life-saving surgery.

Dennehy, of Orton Goldhay, Peterborough, has admitted murdering Lukasz Slaboszewski, 31, John Chapman, 56, and Kevin Lee, 48, who were found dumped in ditches in March and April last year.

She has also admitted the attempted murder of Mr Bereza and Mr Rogers and preventing the lawful and decent burial of all three murder victims.

Stretch and Leslie Layton are on trial accused of helping her dispose of the bodies and covering up her crimes.

Stretch, real name Gary Richards, of Orton Goldhay, denies three charges of preventing the lawful burial of three men and two counts of attempted murder.

Layton, 36, of Orton Goldhay, denies perverting the course of justice and two counts of preventing the lawful burial of the bodies of Mr Chapman and Mr Lee.

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Soldier Sentenced After Killing Baby Daughter

A soldier who surviving a rogue attack in Afghanistan has been jailed for six years for killing his baby daughter.

Lance Corporal Liam Culverhouse admitted at an earlier hearing causing the death of 20-month-old Khloe Abrams.

The Grenadier Guardsman was given a medical discharge from the Army after losing his right eye in an attack at an Afghan National Police checkpoint in Helmand Province in 2009.

Five of his colleagues were killed in the incident.

Eighteen months after returning home, Culverhouse assaulted Khloe at the family home in Northampton, resulting in the toddler suffering severe brain damage and fractures to her skull, ribs and limbs.

The toddler, who was then just seven weeks old, was admitted to hospital in Northampton but she never recovered and died in a hospice in Loughborough 18 months later in November 2012.

Sentencing Culverhouse at Northampton Crown Court, judge Jeremy Baker said it was clear the defendant had been suffering post traumatic stress disorder because of his ordeal in Afghanistan.

But that did not diminish the fact he had caused the death of his daughter, Mr Baker said.

"No one who has understood what happened to you in November 2009 whilst serving as a member of the British Army in Afghanistan can have anything but profound sympathy for the effect which it had upon you.

"Not only will you have to live with the physical symptoms including blindness in your right eye, but it is clear that the trauma of that and of witnessing the death of a number of your fellow soldiers has caused you to suffer from significant psychological damage, including post traumatic stress disorder".

But the judge added: "As I have said, I accept that the effects of your mental condition contributed to your treatment of your daughter.

"However, you acknowledged to police and others that, prior to your experiences in Afghanistan, you had always had a temper which manifested itself in other circumstances."

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Missing Mikaeel 'Could Not Have Left Alone'

It would have been "practically impossible" for three-year-old Mikaeel Kular to leave his home on his own, a missing persons expert has told Sky News.

John Moses, a former Royal Military Policeman and detective, said the evidence in the case pointed towards a "professional abduction".

Mr Moses, now a private missing person investigator, said that forensic officers would have established whether the boy's prints were on doors leading to the street.

Police have launched an air, sea and land search for the Mikaeel

"The biggest concern is 'how can a child of three years of age actually walk out of a premises at that time in the morning?'.

"To be totally honest with you, it's practically impossible. So police will be opening up the net and looking elsewhere as well."

Mr Moses continued: "I personally don't think a child would have been able to orchestrate this themselves - as in open the door and work their way through the system. 

"I believe that forensics would have picked up the hand print of the child, clawing at the door, actually opening the door and working its way out.

Forensic experts may have information on fingerprints from the home

"So forensics will be one step ahead at this time and it will give them a better understanding at this stage, which won't be disclosed, about where they should be looking."

Mr Moses said that the nature of the disappearance and fact that a body had not been found pointed to a possible abduction.

"An open mind is paramount. There's no body, so that indicates one more positive directive to actually suspect that this child has been professionally abducted," he said.

Police have activated the Child Rescue Alert system, which is usually reserved for abduction and kidnap cases and supported by all police forces across the UK.

A special telephone number has been set up for anyone who has seen the child or has information about his whereabouts. Calls to the 0300 200 0200 number will be answered by dedicated members of staff.

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Dave Lee Travis: 'Assault On Top Of The Pops'

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter, Southwark Crown Court

A woman has told a court how she was assaulted by Dave Lee Travis during a recording of Top of the Pops.

The woman, who cannot be named due to legal reasons, was 17 at the time of the incident which allegedly happened at the BBC studios in 1978.

She described how she had gone to the recording with her friend dressed in a "white gypsy style shirt, ra ra skirt" and with a flower in her hair.

Speaking from behind a screen, the woman said she was approached by studio staff who asked her and her friend if they "wanted to be on TV", they agreed and were taken to Travis.

She said: "I was stood next to him, he put his arm around me and he pulled me towards him...then he slipped his hand, he put it up my skirt. The skirt was just above my knee.

"It was like a fumble, for want of a better word, of my bottom area. I think he was trying to get into my underwear."

She added: "I couldn't comprehend what was going on. I was uncomfortable, in a state of shock..I felt violated, I felt vulnerable."

The court was played the clip and the woman can be seen standing next to Travis as he introduces The Smurf song alongside her friend.

The woman said: "My face shows how I felt at the time, very uncomfortable," adding that she would describe it as a "grimace".

She added she had not told the BBC or the police but had mentioned it to friends and she eventually told authorities after seeing allegations about Travis and other celebrities in the media.

Meanwhile, a former hotel receptionist has told a court how she was "horrified" after Travis "enveloped her in a massive bearhug" when she was left alone with him in his bedroom.

The woman, who cannot be named because of legal reasons, was a teenager at the time of the alleged indecent assault which happened in the early 1980s.

Speaking from behind a screen, the woman now in her late 40s, described how Travis had arrived at the West Country hotel where she was working at the time while on tour with the Radio 1 roadshow.

She described how when he turned up at the hotel in Bude, Cornwall, Travis had asked for help in carrying his suitcase to the room he had been given.

The woman said that while they were in the lift Travis started "fiddling with the bow on my blouse" but he didn't say anything and she added how she "felt relieved" when the doors eventually opened.

However, once in the bedroom Travis turned his attention to the woman and she said: "As I turned to leave he was facing me. He put his arms around me and enveloped me and gave me a massive bearhug.

"I was horrified. It went on for 20-30 seconds, it seemed to go on forever." When asked where Travis hands were she said: "They were at bra strap level and then went down my back to my bum cheeks.

"I was in absolute, utter shock. I'd never been in a situation like that and I didn't know how to deal with it."

The woman added she then fled the room, petrified that she would see Travis again and later that night she did when he came down to reception and asked her: "Will I be having the pleasure of your company later?"

She added she felt as if she had done "something terribly wrong" but did not tell anyone because she was afraid of "being laughed out of town".

The woman added that she did eventually tell her boyfriend of the time what happened but "not everything" because she did not want to upset him.

When asked why she had eventually told police, the woman said it was because she had seen Travis on TV denying sex allegations and she told the court: "That wasn't true. It is true, you've done it to me."

Under cross-examination the woman denied suggestions that the incident was made up.

Travis denies 13 counts of indecent assault and one of sexual assault. The trial at Southwark Crown Court is expected to last six weeks.

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Roache Trial: 'Victim Depressed After Abuse'

By Mike McCarthy, North Of England Correspondent

The victim of an alleged rape by Coronation Street actor William Roache claims she suffered psychological problems in later years.

The woman, now aged 62, was 15 at the time the star is said to have attacked her - first in his bungalow in Lancashire and then in a nearby cottage which he also owned. 

She told Preston Crown Court that she had suffered depression for a number of years following the alleged offences.

Appearing via a video link the woman was cross-examined by defence barrister Louise Blackwell QC about the first alleged rape in 1967.

"According to you this is a man you have known for some time and you lay there and say nothing. Is that right?" she asked.

The woman replied: "That's correct. I was speechless. I was shocked."

Ms Blackwell said: "Were you crying on your way back (home)?"

The alleged victim replied: "I could not answer that. I was upset about what had happened but cannot state 100% that I would be crying."

Roache (C) with some of his family

Ms Blackwell continued: "You said nothing the next day?"

The woman said:  "No. I went to school as normal ... I was humiliated. I was disgusted and ashamed. I was so shocked I would never have mentioned it to anyone."

It is alleged Roache raped the girl again sometime later the same year.

The defence barrister asked why the woman could not remember what had happened after the second alleged rape.

She replied: "You want to close your mind to them (memories). You don't want to remember them.

"You just black them out. I never thought I would ever repeat these. I have buried this for 47 years."

The woman said she suffered a nervous breakdown following the birth of one of her children and was admitted to a psychiatric department although she did not claim this was connected to the alleged rapes.

The complainant was asked if she continued to watch Coronation Street after the two alleged rapes.

She replied: "Yes. He is no threat when he is on television."

Roache, 81, has played the character of Ken Barlow in ITV's Coronation Street since the soap opera started in 1960.

He denies five charges of indecent assault and two of rape.

The trial continues.

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Valerie Graves Killing: Hammer May Be Weapon

Police investigating the murder of a grandmother have appealed for information about a hammer they have found.

The object, which is about 30cm long and has a distinctive red and black handle, may have been used to kill Valerie Graves.

It was found by detectives in the same West Sussex village where she was murdered.

The discovery came just hours after a 22-year-old man arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of killing Ms Graves was released on bail.

Ms Graves, a 55-year-old artist, was killed as she house-sat with her mother, sister and her sister's partner while the owners were abroad over Christmas.

Valerie Graves' killing has shocked the people of Bosham

Her body was discovered by one of her relatives in a ground-floor bedroom at the waterside property in Bosham, near Chichester, on December 30.

A post-mortem revealed she had suffered significant head and facial injuries.

The hammer is embossed with the words Forge Steel, with a picture of an outline of an anvil.

Detective Superintendent Nick May, of the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team, said: "We need to know the origins of this hammer. Do you recognise it?

"We need people to check if they have lost such a hammer or had one stolen in the period leading up to the murder.

The murder scene in the West Sussex village

"We would also ask police officers, prison staff, probation officers and professionals who work in mental health, if they have dealt with anyone who has talked about causing someone harm with a hammer, to let us know."

Ms Graves' death shocked the people of Bosham - a village which featured in an episode of the ITV crime drama Midsomer Murders.

Police are continuing to appeal for information from anyone who saw anything suspicious in the Bosham area from late afternoon on December 29 to 10am the following day.

Anyone with information is asked to call Sussex Police on 101, quoting Operation Ensign, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Michael Schumacher In 'Stable' Condition

Formula One great Michael Schumacher remains in a "stable" condition following a skiing accident in the French Alps that left him in a medically-induced coma.

The seven-times world champion has been in a Grenoble hospital with severe injuries since the accident on December 29.

For the first time, his manager Sabine Kehm did not mention the word "critical" to describe his condition.

In an email, she said: "Michael's family is very happy and confident with the work of the team of doctors treating Michael, and they trust them completely. Michael's condition is still considered as stable."

It is the first statement since Schumacher's wife, Corinna, appealed on January 7 for the family to be left in peace.

The scene of the accident in Meribel

Ms Kehm repeated that "any information regarding Michael's health not coming from the doctors treating him or from his management must be treated as pure speculation".

Doctors have not commented on his condition since January 6, when they said they still regarded him to be critical.

Investigators probing the reasons for the accident in which Schumacher smashed his head against a rock have ruled out faulty skis, inadequate signage and excessive speed.

Schumacher appears to have skied on a partially-covered rock, lost his balance and fallen on another rock further down, according to the prosecutor in charge of the investigation.

The impact was so strong it split his helmet in two.

The accident, in the upmarket French resort of Meribel, shocked Schumacher's legions of fans and devastated his wife Corinna and two teenage children.

Schumacher dominated Formula One before retiring in 2012, winning more titles than any other driver and enjoying 91 Grand Prix victories between 1994 and 2004.

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Mikaeel Kular 'May Be Victim Of Criminal Act'

Mothers Pull Together For Missing Boy, 3

Updated: 5:24pm UK, Friday 17 January 2014

By Kat Storr, Sky Producer, In Edinburgh

The area where missing Mikaeel Kular lives has not been described as "close-knit", but it is clear that everyone is united in their hopes for finding him.

Hundreds of volunteers attended a police briefing on the search for the missing three-year-old boy.

They were of all ages, on their own or with friends and family - and all bundled up in their warmest clothes.

But it was the many groups of mothers, with and without their children, who stood out most.

They empathised with how Mikaeel's mother "must be going mad". "Imagine if it was Jack," one asked her friend.

Mikaeel's family reportedly keep themselves to themselves, but as one woman said: "A community comes together in a crisis."

Her friend said: "I'd just like to think that if it was me, everyone would do the same."

One lady welled up with tears and could say nothing except that she felt "speechless" after finding out the news.

Mother and daughter Yvonne Bostock and Camilla Willett live in a neighbouring street and felt they had to do their bit.

"The more that get out there, the more chance you have of finding the little boy," Mrs Bostock said.

Mrs Willett said: "It must be horrendous what the family is going through."

After the briefing they set off to search gardens, hedgerows and any other area where a small boy could be seeking shelter.

As they walked off, two women's last words to me were: "We just hope we get some good news in this unimaginable situation."

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Roache 'Attacked Victim In Men's Toilet'

By Nick Martin, Sky Correspondent

A young girl was left "bewildered" after being indecently assaulted by Coronation Street actor William Roache in the men's toilets of a television studio, a court has heard.

The alleged victim, now 63, is the first witness to give evidence in the trial of the 81-year-old actor, who denies five counts of indecent assault and two counts of rape.

The witness told the jury that, in May 1965 when she was 14, she and a friend travelled to the Granada Television studios in Manchester to sing in a talent competition.

But, after failing to progress in the audition, the witness told the court that the pair "went exploring".

"We went down corridors wandering about looking for anybody or anything of interest," she told Preston Crown Court.

A court heard Roache sent the alleged victim a signed photo of himself

She said they spotted William Roache and fellow actor Alan Rothwell, who played Ken Barlow's onscreen brother David, in a dressing room and they were invited inside.

"We were two excited young teenagers who had just failed an audition," she said.

The atmosphere was "quite chatty", she said. "We were full of our recent experiences and just excited to be in the company of a famous actor.

"We were probably a little taken a back and excited and flattered, I suppose, that they were actually talking to us and interested in what we were doing."

The court heard that the alleged victim and William Roache ended up alone in a corridor of the studio building.

The actor with members of his family

"He pulled me by my arm into another room. Not so as to cause any injury or harm just roughly, grabbed by arm.

"He opened another door and that turned out to be the men's toilets. I was pulled in. I was taken aback, wasn't quite sure why I was there. I was in the wrong place, I shouldn't have been there.

"The next thing I remember about that situation was I was standing with him."

She told the court that William Roache then carried out an indecent assault.

"It was outside my experience. I was shocked. I really didn't understand what was going on. The one thing I really understood was that I shouldn't have been in the gents.

"I was frightened of causing a fuss because we shouldn't have been there.

Mr Roache has always denied the allegations

"I think I was on autopilot, just following instructions. I was still bewildered by what had happened. I was a bit ashamed."

The girls then caught a bus and did not speak about what had happened.

"It was a relief that we had the audition to chat about. I was still trying to come to terms with what had happened."

The court heard how the girl wrote to William Roache.

One letter from Mr Roache in reply to the youngster read: "Thank you for your marvellous letter and the nice things you said in it. I am enclosing a photo which I hope you will like.

The actor is Coronation Street's longest-serving star

"I am away for three weeks now but I would like a letter from you waiting for me when I get back. Write to me when you start school again and tell me more. Love Bill xx"

The teenager was later invited to visit the Coronation Street set by Mr Roache including a visit to the soap's famous pub, the Rovers Return.

The court heard how Mr Roache then arranged to pick up the youngster in his car around the corner from the Granada Studios on Quay Street, Manchester.

They drove to the suburb of Heaton Chapel, the jury heard. 

She said the actor quizzed her about her level of sexual experience and "checked" her age, the jury heard.

"I remember being parked there and some of the conversation that we had.

"He said to me: 'I won't do it properly until you're 16.' I took it to mean sex, intercourse," she told the court. 

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Fire Crews Tackle Fridge Warehouse Blaze

Dozens of firefighters are tackling a major blaze at a fridge warehouse and factory in Buckinghamshire.

The fire is believed to have started in the Liebherr building in Newport Pagnell, sending plumes of thick black smoke into the air.

People living nearby have been told to keep doors and windows closed while nearly 60 firefighters battle to bring the blaze under control.

Smoke from the scene could be seen from miles away. Pic: David Pacey

A spokesman for Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, which sent crews from Newport Pagnell and six neighbouring towns to the scene, said smoke from the blaze could be seen from miles away.

No one is believed to have injured, he said.

Emergency services received nearly 50 calls from members of the public shortly after the fire broke out.

Kam Singh, a local singer-songwriter, tweeted he had "never seen anything like this before", adding: "Hope everyone is safe."

Another Twitter user, Ian Christie, said he could see the smoke from Milton Keynes city centre, while Selina Lee posted: "Massive fire in Newport Pagnell. Huge cloud of smoke covering the town. Chaos."

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said several local roads had been closed and urged drivers to avoid the area.

According to its website, Liebherr makes refrigerators, freezers and wine coolers for both the domestic and commercial markets.

Its products are sold across Europe.

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Dave Lee Travis 'Put Hand Up Reporter's Skirt'

DJ Dave Lee Travis put his hand up the skirt of a radio colleague and tried to "put his thumb under her knicker elastic", a court has heard.

It allegedly came after he had previously touched the woman's breasts on a number of occasions, which had left her feeling "frozen, shocked and in denial".

Jurors were told the later incident, in the early 2000s, caused the local radio news reporter to "snap".

She said she screamed at Travis: "You are a pervert. How are you getting away with this? Why are you doing this?"

Southwark Crown Court heard that the pair had to be "pulled apart" before Travis said in the front of shocked colleagues: "I've never touched a woman inappropriately in my life."

Before that, she said that she and others had not told anyone about Travis' behaviour because "no one would believe us".

"We were young and frightened," she said.

She said Travis' reputation was such that female staff in the newsroom of her radio station would put their heads down and "pray that it wasn't them" when he came into room.

Travis, 68, whose real name is David Griffin, was in court having denied 13 counts of indecent assault and one of sexual assault.

The DJ was a presenter for various broadcasters, including the BBC, where he hosted the Radio 1 breakfast show and Top Of The Pops in the 1970s and 80s.

The court heard that, while at the BBC, he assaulted a fellow employee while she was on air during a broadcast.

His alleged victim, who was 26 at the time in the early 1980s, was about to introduce a radio programme when the DJ entered the studio.

She told the court that as she started to speak, Travis approached her from behind and went "right up behind" her.

"His arms were under my armpits and he put (his) hands on (my) breasts," she said.

The witness said: "(I was) frightened I was going to mess up the announcement."

The BBC employee said Travis' attitude and demeanour at the time "was that it was a joke, a prank".

If she had gone to management, she said she was sure they would have responded: "So what? You are a big girl. Deal with it."

"If I had reported it, it would have been a black mark by my name. (They would have thought I) can't take joke."

As a result, she said she could not recall talking to management about the incident.

The BBC witness added that, although she did not tell management about what happened, she did talk about it later as it was "useful" when speaking at conferences to "warn (people about the) sort of thing (women) might have to put up with".

She spoke to police in November 2012. Soon after, she told her husband what had happened, and then a journalist.

During cross examination, she denied embellishing her story. She said it was likely the incident would have been seen by any technician who was on duty, but could not remember the man's name.

The trial continues.

More follows...

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Gang Members Convicted Of Child Rapes

Two men and two teenage boys have been found guilty of a series of rapes and serious sexual offences against five girls, including one as young as 12.

A third teenage boy was also found guilty of sexual activity with a child, but cleared of rape.

The abuse by the gang, of Czech, Slovak and Kurdish backgrounds, took place in Peterborough from April to December 2012.

Ringleader Zdeno Mirga, 18, was convicted of eight counts of rape and one count of inciting child prostitution by a jury at the Old Bailey.

The court heard he "shared around sexually" one of the victims because he wanted money to buy cannabis and vodka.

"He did this using the power he had over her at the time, or threatened her and sometimes he used violence against her," Prosecutor Angela Rafferty told the jury.

Mirga had sex with the girl in the toilets in a park, and she was also abused on a park table, the court heard.

Two boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were also convicted of various counts of rape and sexual assault.

Between them, Mirga and the two boys were convicted of 14 counts of rape.

Hassan Abdulla, 33, was found guilty of four counts of rape and three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

The convictions followed a trial at the Old Bailey in London

Mirga's brother Dusan, 20, and David Ziga, 19, and a teenage boy, were found not guilty of the charges against them.

Judge John Bevan QC instructed the jury that they could deliver majority verdicts on each of the counts.

Afterwards, Detective Superintendent Gary Ridgway said: "These girls were targeted simply because they were vulnerable.

"They were seen as easy targets and exploited by this group of teenage boys and young men who abused them for their own sexual gratification.

"The victims, who were as young as 12 years old, were subjected to horrific ordeals. But they have shown incredible strength throughout this process, in particular by giving evidence at court in order to bring these people to justice.

"We are committed to helping those girls pick up the pieces and move on with their lives.

"Our priority has always been, and remains, to safeguard young people.

"We will continue to work with the city council and other partner agencies to keep young people safe from harm."

Peterborough City Council said it had called for a serious case review.

Chief executive Gillian Beasley said: "Listening to the catalogue of crimes committed against these children has been absolutely devastating and we wish they could have been rescued sooner.

"But it was not until our social workers and the police gained the trust of the victims, so they felt able to tell us the full extent of what was happening, that the police were able to arrest the criminals who were responsible.

"We are pleased that we have seen justice done today. We would also like to pay tribute to the victims. Without their courage to stand up in court we could never have secured these convictions.

Peter Wanless, chief executive of the NSPCC, added: "No child should experience what these girls have been through. After suffering an appalling ordeal they bravely gave evidence and relived their trauma all over again to help bring the boys and men who subjected them to such horrific abuse to justice.

"It is shocking, but sadly not surprising, that teenage boys were involved in this terrible on-going campaign of abuse. We must fight for young people to see this kind of behaviour for the horror it is. Peer-to-peer abuse is a growing concern and highlights the vital need to educate young people in schools about healthy and respectful relationships."

Mr Wanless added: "The national shortage of services to help prevent sexual abuse and give children the support they need to recover is a major concern and must be addressed."

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Tax Fugitive Michael Voudouri Held In Cyprus

One of Britain's most-wanted tax fugitives has been arrested in Cyprus after spending months on the run.

Michael Voudouri was seized at his home in the north of the country after allegedly using a forged passport, Police Scotland said.

He was listed among the UK's 10 most wanted tax fugitives last August after failing to appear for sentencing in connection with a multimillion-pound scam. 

Voudouri had pleaded guilty to money laundering charges linked to VAT fraud at the High Court in Glasgow, but was not present for sentencing in March 2012.

He is believed to have cost UK taxpayers an estimated £10m. 

His associates, Richard Housley and Caroline Laing, are serving four-year and two-and-a-half-year jail terms respectively.

A Crown Office spokesman said: "We are aware that Michael Voudouri has been arrested and is currently in custody in northern Cyprus in connection with an alleged immigration offence.

"We await the outcome of those proceedings with interest."

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Killer Shark Leaves Budgie Cage Diver Red-Faced

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia correspondent

An Australian man has been left red-faced after a stunt with a dangerous shark backfired.

Shaun Harrington, 27, decided to swim in the sea with a 2.4 metre man-eating tiger shark for an "extreme cage diving" experience.

But instead of using a proper reinforced steel shark cage for protection he used just a small budgie cage bought for $50 (£30).

Mr Harrington prepares for his swim

In an interview with Australia's Channel 9, Mr Harrington admitted his cage diving stunt was "not the smartest thing" to do and it "sort of went wrong".

The incident was all caught on camera. The footage begins with a joking Mr Harrington putting his head in the cage on board a boat before jumping into the sea off Coolangatta on Australia's Gold Coast.

The shark can then be seen swimming right up to Mr Harrington, forcing him to hold the cage with his hands in an attempt to fend it off.

Screaming in terror he then scrambles back onto the boat.

"I'm pretty much in the dog house," Mr Harrington told Channel 9's Today show, saying his wife is not talking to him.

Mr Harrington said he knew the shark - which had been landed by a professional fisherman friend - was in the water when he jumped in, but he had not expected the beast to "come at" him.

"I just thought 'I gotta get out of here'," Mr Harrington said. "I saw the shark coming and threw the budgie cage in front of it and it just bounced off it."

Fortunately, the self-confessed adrenalin junkie was not injured in the escapade.

"I thought I would just jump in, get a couple of shots and hop out, but the thing just went crazy.

"It wigged-out and came at me. It's probably one of the dumbest things I've ever done."  

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Alps Shootings: Brother's Bail Cancelled

The brother of a British engineer who was shot dead with his family in the French Alps has been released from police bail due to lack of evidence.

Zaid al Hilli was accused of orchestrating the shooting of his brother Saad al Hilli and his wife and mother-in-law in 2012.

Surrey Police did not name the 54-year-old but said he had been arrested in June last year on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

The force said: "A man arrested by detectives investigating the deaths of four people near Annecy, southern France, in September 2012 has today had his bail cancelled.

The BMW in which the family was killed

"At this stage there is insufficient evidence to charge him with any criminal offence and no further police action is being taken at this time."

Eric Maillaud, Annecy chief prosecutor, told Sky News: "There is no problem for the French judicial authorities with the decision by the English as that represents the English legal situation.

"Mr al Hilli is not under formal investigation in France, he was asked to come to France to assist the investigation but has not done so. The enquiry into the circumstances surrounding the incident continues."

Saad al Hilli and his wife Ikbal, who were from Claygate in Surrey, and her mother Suhaila al Allaf, who lived in Sweden, were all fatally shot on a remote forest road in Chevaline.

Saad al Hilli lived with his family in Claygate

The scene was discovered by cyclist Brett Martin, who found them in their BMW.

The al Hilli's daughter Zainab was shot in the shoulder and beaten, but survived.

Her four-year-old sister Zeena lay hidden under her mother's body and was only discovered eight hours after the murders.

Local cyclist Sylvain Mollier was also murdered.

In October, Zaid al Hilli, from Chessington in Surrey, publicly protested his innocence and offered to take a lie-detector test to verify his own account.

Speaking to the BBC's Panorama programme, he accused French investigators of a cover-up.

He said: "They are covering up for someone in France in that region and they know it. Sylvain Mollier was involved in family disputes and was an outsider to (his) rich family.

"There is something more to it locally - most crime has local roots."

The following month French investigators said they were looking for a mystery motorcyclist who was seen near the crime scene.

One lead in tracing the man was that he was wearing an unusual helmet, only a few thousand of which had been made.

The al Hilli brothers were alleged to have been locked in an inheritance dispute centred on the £825,000 home in Claygate where Saad lived after their mother died from a heart attack in 2003.

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RBS Bonus Row: Cameron Confirms Cash Limit

David Cameron has told MPs the Government will limit Royal Bank of Scotland's (RBS) cash bonuses to £2,000 for the fourth year in a row.

At Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, he also said he would reject any proposal by the part-nationalised lender to increase its overall pay and bonus bill.

Mr Cameron was speaking as the Government came under pressure to block an expected move by RBS to double the amount it is allowed to pay out in bonuses from 2014.

The bank, which will next month confirm its 2013 bonus arrangements, is in talks on invoking a new EU rule in 12 months' time which would allow it to pay out up to twice an employee's salary - providing shareholders approve it.

Crucially, Mr Cameron did not mention share award bonus levels when Labour leader Ed Miliband requested the Government reject any bid by the bank to raise its bonus cap this year.

Ed Miliband sees political capital in targeting bank bonuses

Labour, which has tabled an opposition day motion to be debated today, argues it would be wrong to allow a loss-making, part-nationalised lender to pay such rewards at a time when the country was suffering a cost of living crisis.

The PM said: "We will continue with our plans for RBS that have seen bonuses come down by 85%, that has seen the bonus pool at one third of the level that it was under Labour."

Under the EU cap, bonuses of more than 100% of basic salary must be approved by shareholders - in RBS's case, the British taxpayer, represented by the Chancellor.

George Osborne is challenging the cap in the courts, arguing it would not lead to bankers receiving less money.

He warned on Wednesday that financial institutions could be expected to respond by paying higher basic salaries, which he said would be more difficult to claw back if things went wrong.

Mr Osborne is in a difficult position in that while he tries to protect the City, he does not want to damage RBS through the loss of key personnel to better-paying rivals.

He is also mindful of Labour's accusation he is standing up for the wrong people in the wake of the financial crisis.

Barclays has already moved to support the bigger rewards under the new cap, but the bank received no state help at the height of the financial crisis and so the Government has no means to control its bonus scheme.

RBS boss Ross McEwan is planning further job cuts

Sky News learned last week that the new chief executive of RBS, Ross McEwan, was drawing up cost-cutting plans to be announced next month that could result in thousands more job losses at the bank.

It has significantly slashed its investment banking operation - traditionally employing those on the biggest bonuses - since its bailout, under orders to concentrate more on day-to-day lending in an effort to boost the UK economy.

A new round of job losses should help bring down the bonus total.

Mr Miliband is to use a speech on Friday to demand the five biggest players on the high street, HSBC, RBS, Lloyds, Barclays and Santander, be forced to sell branches in a bid to stimulate improved competition.

The banks last year accounted for 90% of bank customers and total lending.

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Hollande 'Affair': Actress Denied Arts Job

Hollande: Like The Others But Without Charisma

Updated: 12:20pm UK, Tuesday 14 January 2014

By Jason Farrell, Sky News Correspondent, in Paris

The whole thing is very French - the Actress and Le President. What's more, it is the one thing the French refuse to get angry about.

They'll bring Paris to a standstill over proposed changes to taxi laws - as happened on Monday - but it would be positively English to take issue with a two-timing head of state.

"It's private," is the most common response from Parisiennes asked about their President's alleged affair. The only question they seem to have is whether French taxpayers should be funding the lifestyle of the First Lady, Valerie Trierweiler, if she is no longer the President's girlfriend.

Francois Hollande must clarify, almost as if it were a cabinet decision, whether the First Lady will be reshuffled out, mid-term.

There is one other issue, however, which plays into Mr Hollande's general character. "He is as a man who can't commit," one Parisienne woman commented. "It's not good to be indecisive, if you are a President."

Mr Hollande never married his first long-term girlfriend, the politician Segolene Royal - herself a former presidential runner - with whom he had four children.

Despite moving Valerie Trierweiler into the Elysee palace there's been no suggestion of marriage since they got together in 2007.

While he spent Christmas with the First Lady and her family, under the cover of a moped helmet he was also allegedly sneaking one street away from the Elysee Palace to the appropriately named Rue du Cirque (Circus Road) for flings with French actress Julie Gayet.

"If he can't decide on his girlfriend, how can he make a decision on the economy?" ask his opponents. "And if the First Lady can't trust him can we?"

Up until now he has managed to convey a straight-laced image; a man who may have been failing to re-energise the French economy but his one endearing quality was his workmanlike approach to the job.

So if it turns out he's just like all the others, but without the charisma, what's left to like?

Political analyst Dominique Moisi said: "The fact is that this is the most unpopular president in the history of the Fifth Republic. He wanted to impress the French with the fact that he was a normal man, that he was a man of dignity, simplicity and moral rigour. And suddenly the French are discovering that he is like others, but in a less glorious manner, and really a more ridiculous manner.

"A president who has to hide under a helmet, driving with a bodyguard on a scooter to see his alleged mistress."

A sex scandal is the last thing France's president needs.

It has opened him to ridicule as well as dislike, and from now on he will forever be portrayed by cartoonists as a man wearing a helmet - with all the negative connotations that evokes.

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Drug Gang 'Sells Cannabis To School Children'

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

Sky News has gained exclusive access to a drugs gang that supplies primary school-aged children with cannabis.

The boss of the south London firm claims the cannabis trade in Britain is "the biggest it has ever been" despite continued police efforts to disrupt the illegal trade.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the man in his twenties told Sky News he employs more than 30 workers.

He explained how they had at least three factories supplying people in south London and even claims he exports the class B drug to the Netherlands, Germany and Austria.

Cannabis is bagged up and prepared for distribution

The boss said: "We have a type of weed over here called 'English cheese'.

"It was created over here - in Amsterdam they don't have that so they try to create that but they just can't because it is what we make and that's what they want."

But it is his claim that dealers are peddling drugs to primary school-aged children in London that will shock many parents.

He said: "You've got doctors, police, solicitors, teachers, bus drivers - everyone does it .... young kids, school kids, even primary school kids."

The gang leader said he personally does not sell to children, but admitted that dealers who work with his organisation do.

He said: "I blame it on the TV, the media, rap, YouTube, like Miley Cyrus on TV it is a common thing - they see it as the cool thing to do.

"Instead of binge-drinking they'll go and have a smoke."

The singer Miley Cyrus recently appeared to light up a joint while on stage at the European MTV awards in Amsterdam.

The drugs boss spoke to Sky News because he believes the cannabis trade in the UK should be legalised.

He said: "It should be legal so we don't have to hide what we are doing.

"If you look at LA and California and how they legalised it for medical reasons and stuff and how the crime rate actually drops.

"They legalised and it's a calmer place out there."

The factory is full of cannabis-growing material bought from garden centres

Commander Steve Rodhouse, who heads the Metropolitan Police's gangs and organised crime division, said the cannabis trade in the UK "fuels crime, fuels violence and anti-social behaviour. This is a real problem on our streets".

He also said some reports tend to give the impression that gangs can operate without fear of being detected.

"That is just not the case," he added.

"We do thousands and thousands of search warrants every year in London. We arrest and charge hundreds of people for this crime."

The Home Office said over the last two years police forces have seized more than one million cannabis plants, keeping an estimated £200m worth of the drug off the streets.

The number of offences related to cannabis production rose from 14,982 in 2010/11 to 16,464 in 2011/12, according to the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).

The worker mentioned Miley Cyrus apparently lighting a joint in Amsterdam

An ACPO spokeswoman said: "Police forces and the National Crime Agency (NCA) are finding that these criminals are going to ever greater lengths to conceal their illicit activity because they know that across the country we are shutting down these farms on a daily basis."

Crime Prevention Minister Norman Baker told Sky News: "In the UK, cannabis is controlled as a class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and is listed in Schedule 1 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.

"Those who grow and supply cannabis face up to 14 years' imprisonment. Production of cannabis for personal use is also illegal.

"We are determined to bring the criminal gangs who trade in cannabis to justice. I am also leading a study of drugs policy in other countries, which will build on the commitment in the drug strategy to look at what we can learn from the approach taken abroad."

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