Robber Died Of Heart Failure In Botched Raid

A masked armed robber who collapsed after he was tackled by a have-a-go hero during a raid on a bookmakers suffered a cardiac arrest and died, an inquest has heard.

Career criminal Alan Levers, 50, was wearing a black gas mask and carrying an imitation handgun when he was wrestled to the ground by a punter at the bookies.

The man, known only as Robert, described to the inquest how he "jumped on him from behind and wrestled him to the floor" when Levers stormed into the Ladbrokes branch on Crownhill Road in Plymouth, Devon.

He had him in a headlock, seconds after Levers had pointed the fake 9mm pistol at the betting shop manager and demanded cash.

John Doyle and his brother Patrick, who were also in the bookmakers on the evening of January 25, went to help and knocked the pistol out of the gunman's hand, holding him down until police arrived.

Robert, who asked not to give his full name publicly, said: "The man was struggling quite considerably and I was scared to let him up because I was concerned he might have had potentially some unconventional weapon like a knife or a screwdriver that could do as much damage.

"The other man said not to hold on to him too tight and I remember replying that I wasn't holding on to him too tight, I was just making sure he didn't get up.

The attempted armed robbery took place at a bookmakers in Plymouth

"We also didn't know if he had any people outside the shop who could have done anything - kick us, stab us - do anything to release that man."

John Doyle said in a written statement that he "kicked the robber to the right side of his ribcage" and "punched out at him several times at his hand" to try and get Levers to release the gun.

He added: "Paddy kicked the gun out of his right hand. The offender was struggling for a few minutes and then seemed to relax."

His brother described how once he had got the gun away, he "did not see the robber move much more".

Officers found that Levers, an alcoholic and former heroin addict, was not responding to their commands and when they removed his gas mask he was unconscious.

Paramedics could not revive him and he was pronounced dead later that night, the inquest in Plymouth heard.

A post-mortem examination found that Levers, a former steel erector from Plymouth, had 289mg of alcohol in 100ml blood, meaning he was more than three-and-a-half times the drink drive limit.

Dr Russell Delaney said the cause of death was a combination of chest compression, restricted breathing and alcohol intake.

The court also watched a recording of the incident which had been captured on two cameras inside the bookmakers.

Detective Sergeant Paul Otter, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said the incident had been fully investigated and there was no evidence that any of the people involved in restraining Levers committed any offence.

Plymouth coroner Ian Arrow recorded a narrative verdict.

Levers' partner, Julie Lidstone, told the hearing he had been trying to overcome his alcohol addiction and that he had not been able to work as a roofer because of the bad weather and was short of money.

"I am sorry for what the witnesses were put through at Ladbrokes. What happened should never have happened in the first place and Alan paid the ultimate price," she said afterwards.

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Syria Rebel Beheaded In Error By Jihadists

Al Qaeda-linked jihadists in Syria have reportedly admitted beheading a rebel fighter by mistake.

They apparently believed he was an Iraqi Shiite fighting alongside President Bashar al Assad's forces.

A video posted on the internet on Wednesday allegedly showed two members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) holding up a bearded man's head before a crowd in Aleppo, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Rebel fighters prepare to launch a rocket towards regime forces in Aleppo

The UK-based watchdog's chief Rami Abdel Rahman said: "Some minutes after the video was posted, the man was identified as Mohammed Marroush, a fighter with rebel group Ahrar al Sham.

"ISIL later admitted the rebel had been killed by mistake and said it had arrested one of its men, a Tunisian, for decapitating him. He was referred to their Islamic court."

The second man, also a foreign fighter and from the Gulf, has not been detained.

The Islamist Ahrar al Sham is an ISIL ally.

A UN inspector at a Syria chemcial weapons facility in October

The fighter had been wounded in fighting at a regime military base east of Aleppo, Syria's second city and former commercial hub.

He was taken to hospital outside Aleppo for treatment, and in his drugged state was heard to repeat the names Ali and Hussein, two revered Shiite imams.

"The two ISIL men deduced he was a Shiite fighter and cut his head off," the watchdog added in a statement, calling the decapitation "a war crime".

It comes as the world's chemical weapons watchdog, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), met in The Hague on Friday to approve a tight timetable for ridding Syria of its entire deadly poison gas and nerve agent arsenal by mid-2014.

A protest against the dismantling of Syrian chemical weapons in Albania

Under a Russian-American brokered deal, Damascus agreed to destroy all its chemical weapons after Washington threatened to use force in response to the killing of hundreds of people in a sarin attack on the outskirts of Damascus on August 21.

The US and Western allies accuse Syria's government of being responsible, while Damascus blames the rebels.

Exactly where the weapons will be taken remains unclear, but Albania, which successfully destroyed its own poison gas arsenal, is being tipped as a candidate, triggering protests there.

Syria's conflict has killed more than 120,000 people in the past two years, according to activists, and displaced millions more.

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Birmingham 'Needle' Attacks: Suspect Hunted

Detectives have released a CCTV image of a man suspected of attacking women with a hypodermic needle in Birmingham city centre.

It comes after a 30-year-old was stabbed in the thigh. The victim felt a sharp pain, which was later confirmed as a puncture wound.

Police believe a hypodermic needle may have been used in each attack

The attack happened at around 3am on November 3 and was reported to police several days later.

Officers believe it may be linked to similar attacks on a 20-year-old on June 23 and a 28-year-old on October 6.

Detective Inspector Julie Woods said police had received five reports in total over the last year-and-a-half.

She said: "Although the women have not been left with any obvious physical injuries they have had to endure an agonising wait to check that they have not suffered any long-lasting health effects.

"Whilst we have been unable to confirm exactly how the injuries were caused, it is believed that a hypodermic needle may have been used on each occasion, with young women being specifically targeted.

"Due to the nature of the offences, victims have not realised they have been injured until hours or days later, which has resulted in limited lines of enquiry.

"But we now have a particularly clear image of a man we want to identify in connection with the attacks and I would appeal for him, or anyone who knows who he may be, to come forward.

"These are strange offences and the motive at this stage is unclear, which is why it's so important for us to identify the person in this CCTV image as soon as possible."

Police patrols have been stepped up in Broad Street and around the city centre.

Anyone who recognises the suspect can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Sun Set To 'Flip Upside Down' Within Weeks

The Sun's magnetic field is expected to flip upside down within weeks as its north and south poles swap sides.

The phenomenon, which will send "ripple effects" throughout the solar system, happens once every 11 years as the solar cycle reaches its peak.

It will be observed throughout the heliosphere - the vast region of space affected by the Sun's magnetic field, which extends billions of miles beyond Pluto.

The swap could cause intergalactic weather events such as geomagnetic storms, which can cause radio blackouts and interfere with satellites.

The heightened solar activity it coincides with is also expected to give stargazers a better glimpse of the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights.

Todd Hoeksema, a scientist at Stanford University's Wilcox Solar Observatory, said the polar reversal takes place as the Sun's magnetic field moves north or south from the equator, eroding the existing pole as it does so.

"It's kind of like a tide coming in or going out," he said. "Each little wave brings a little more water in, and eventually you get to the full reversal."

Latest measurements show the Sun technically has two south poles, caused by its two hemispheres being out of sync.

Phil Scherrer, who works with Mr Hoeksema at the observatory, said: "The north pole has already changed sign, while the south pole is racing to catch up.

"Soon, however, both poles will be reversed, and the second half of solar max will be under way."

Mr Hoeksema said in early August that a "complete field reversal" looked like being "no more than three to four months away".

Instruments at the solar observatory near San Francisco have been staring at the Sun for nearly 40 years and record its magnetic field every day.

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Gibraltar: Spain Did Break Law, UK Insists

By Sophy Ridge, Political Correspondent

The Government has insisted Spain is breaking the law with its Gibraltar border checks despite a European Commission finding the country has not acted unlawfully.

Travellers faced delays of several hours over the summer following a war of words between Spain and the UK.

David Cameron asked the commission to investigate the lengthy queues after a diplomatic row over an artificial reef sunk off Gibraltar.

The Prime Minister claimed the checks were "politically motivated" and potentially in breach of EU law on free movement of people.

However, after a fact-finding mission in September, the European Commission has written to Spain and the UK to say the checks did not break the law and urged the two countries to work together.

Delays at the border

The Foreign Office has issued a robust response to the commission's findings saying that while it may not have discovered evidence, it did not mean that Spain was not breaking the law.

A spokesman said: "The fact that the commission has not found evidence that EU law has been infringed is not the same as concluding that Spain has not acted unlawfully.

"Border operated significantly more smoothly than normal during commission visit.

"We remain confident that the Spanish government has acted - and continues to act - unlawfully, through introducing disproportionate and politically motivated checks at the Gibraltar-Spain border. 

A Spanish diver inspects the artificial reef at the centre of the row

"Commission is clearly concerned by the situation, as they: have made recommendations to Spain to improve border functioning; have committed to remain engaged and review in six months; are reserving the right to reconsider; and have explicitly opened up the possibility of another visit in their letter."

A press release from the commission stated: "The commission has not found evidence to conclude that the checks on persons and goods as operated by the Spanish authorities at the crossing point of La Linea de la Concepcion have infringed the relevant provisions of union law.

"The management of this crossing point is nevertheless challenging, in view of the heavy traffic volumes in a relatively confined space and the increase in tobacco smuggling into Spain.

"The commission believes that the authorities on both sides could take further measures to better address these challenges, and is addressing three recommendations to both member states."

The recommendations include optimising the physical space at the border, increasing the use of targeted checks and developing the exchange of information between the two countries.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage tweeted: "Commission statement on Gibraltar a complete whitewash."

The tightened checks came after a dispute this summer over an artificial underwater reef.

Gibraltar's government dropped 74 concrete blocks into an area of the sea regularly used by Spanish fishing boats.

The Spanish saw this as an act of provocation, leading to a diplomatic row.

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Plane Crash: Two Die In North Wales Accident

A man and a woman have died after a light aircraft crashed near a runway in North Wales.

Police were alerted to the incident involving the twin-engine aircraft near manufacturers Airbus UK, in Broughton, at around 1.10pm.

A police spokesman said: "The man was pronounced dead at the scene and the woman was taken to the Countess of Chester Hospital where she later died.

"Police are currently at the scene and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has been informed. A full investigation will be undertaken to establish the full circumstances of the incident."

A spokesman for Airbus said the crash at the airfield did not involve one of its aircraft.

The runway at Chester Hawarden airport is next to the Airbus factory and manages business and private flights.

Airport owner Aviation Park Group said it could not comment on the crash and referred all queries to the police.

More follows...

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Man Caught With Stun Gun Plotted To Kill PM

A paranoid schizophrenic who drove to London with a 950,000 volt stun gun and other weapons in his car told police he was on his way to kill the Prime Minister, a court has heard.

Irfaq Naz, 34, had hammers, kitchen knives, a machete, an unsheathed Samurai sword and masking tape in his Vauxhall Astra when he was stopped in July after going the wrong way down street.

Officers later searched his home in Middlesbrough and found the Downing Street postcode and the names of other prominent political figures.

The taxi driver was detained under the Mental Health Act and admitted possessing a prohibited weapon, three counts of possessing an offensive weapon, seven counts of having a bladed article and dangerous driving.

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, imposed a hospital order with a restriction order meaning Naz can only be released with the permission of the Home Secretary.

Teesside Crown Court heard he was stopped after driving down Camden High Street the wrong way.

Police found a knuckleduster in his shirt pocket and an 18-inch hunting knife in the waistband of his trousers.

Officers were concerned about his behaviour and found he had previously spent a month at Roseberry Park Hospital, Middlesbrough, as a mental health patient.

Nick Dry, prosecuting, said: "A search of his vehicle revealed other weapons. In the driver's door panel were three eight-inch kitchen knives.

"Between the driver's seat and door was a samurai sword, its sheath found nearby in the passenger foot well.

"From the rear seat officers recovered a claw hammer, a lump hammer and an axe which were in a plastic bag that also contained masking tape.

"In the boot they found a machete and a stun gun, shaped as a knuckleduster.

"That device, a Blast Knuckles 950,000 volt stun gun, was found to be in working order and a prohibited weapon."

The court heard that Naz had stopped taking his medication and was suffering from delusions at the time.

Dr Pratish Thakkar, a consultant psychiatrist, diagnosed paranoid schnizophrenia and said he posed a significant risk to others having acted on his delusions.

Outside court, Steven Orange, the district crown prosecutor for CPS Durham Tees, said: "It should be recognised that the sentence in this case is more about securing appropriate treatment for a man with significant mental health issues than punishment."

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Simon Cowell Slammed Over 'Get Lucky' Remark

By Amber de Botton, Deputy Head of Politics

Education Secretary Michael Gove has blasted X Factor boss Simon Cowell as "irresponsible and stupid" for suggesting that young people do not need to bother with education.

The Cabinet minister told the TV mogul he should "encourage" teenagers at school, rather than "rubbish" learning.

Mr Gove made the comments after the talent show boss advised that "the secret is to be useless at school and then get lucky".

Cowell admitted that he did not work hard at school, leaving at 16 without any qualifications.

"I was useless. The secret is to be useless at school and then get lucky," he told US radio station z100.

The remark appeared to be light-hearted and an agent at Cowell's production company, Syco, said: "This was quite clearly a joke made in a humorous radio interview and has been taken completely out of context."

But Mr Gove warned that "only a fraction of kids get lucky".

"This is an irresponsible and stupid thing to say," he told Mail Online.

"Teachers strive every day to ensure children understand the importance of learning, hard work and discipline. Simon Cowell's comments undermine their efforts. 

"The truth is that only a tiny fraction of people get lucky. For everybody else, it's all about hard work and that starts with hard work at school. Celebrities like Mr Cowell should encourage education, not rubbish it."

It is not the first time a politician has criticised Mr Cowell and his reality show.

In 2012, the Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith warned of a "twisted culture" that leads people to thinking that appearing on X Factor is "the only route worth pursuing in life".

And shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna has also cautioned against the "get rich quick culture" that certain TV shows promote.

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Toronto Mayor Ford Stripped Of Some Powers

Toronto's City Council has voted overwhelmingly to strip Mayor Rob Ford of some of his powers as he rebuffs huge pressure to resign.

The vote came a day after another series of antics from Mr Ford that angered city councillors, anti-drunk driving advocates and even Toronto's football team.

In the span of a few hours on Thursday, the leader of Canada's largest city used obscene language to deny that he pressured a female employee for oral sex, admitted that he had driven while drinking and then apologised for his vulgarity and said he was seeking professional help, though he refused to give details.

Mr Ford made an offensive statement while wearing a Argonauts jersey

Most city councillors are frustrated by Mr Ford's refusal to step aside since he admitted last week to smoking crack cocaine, but they lack the authority to force him out of office unless he is convicted of a crime.

John Filion, the councillor who introduced the motion on Friday, has said the goal is to prevent Mr Ford from firing executive committee members who speak out against him.

The vote suspends Mr Ford's authority to appoint and dismiss the deputy mayor and his executive committee, which runs the budget process.

Councillors turned their back on Mr Ford as he talked on Thursday

A subdued Mr Ford has vowed to fight the motion, which was approved in a 39-3, in court.

"I can't support this and obviously I have no other options but to challenge this in court," the mayor said.

The vote comes as it has been announced that Mr Ford it will be hosting a new weekly TV show with his brother.

Ford Nation will air on Monday on Canada's Sun News Network, following the cancellation of the pair's radio talk show just days ago.

Doug Ford, the show's co-host and a city councillor, said: "Rob is like Howard Stern or Rush Limbaugh. You just never know what he is going to say."

Mr Ford apologised with his wife by his side

Rob Ford's troubles began escalating in May when news reports first surface of a video showing him smoking crack.

After months of evading the question, the mayor last week admitted he had smoked crack when Toronto police announced they had obtained the video during the course of a massive drug investigation.

Mr Ford said he had smoked crack cocaine in a "drunken stupor". He does not face any criminal charges.

But then he was caught on camera in a drunker, profanity-laced rant where he issued angry death threats.

And the scandal further deepened this week when court documents suggesting sexual misconduct and drug use surfaced.

There have been numerous calls for Mr Ford to resign

Mr Ford was verbally abusive to aides, drove his car while drunk and entertained women thought to be prostitutes, according to news reports citing the documents.

He has admitted buying drugs illegally for the past two years, but denied other allegations and said he was taking legal action against people who had made them.

Defending himself at a news conference on Thursday, Mr Ford said that he was "happily married" and at one point used obscene language to say he did not need to seek oral sex elsewhere, shocking reporters at the scene.

Mr Ford drew gasps, giggles and at least one exclamation of "oh my God" from the journalists.

Mr Ford's bobblehead dolls sold out quickly earlier this week

His crude remarks led to a complaint by the Canadian Football League, which slammed Mr Ford for making the offensive statement while wearing a Toronto Argonauts jersey.

The mayor later appeared before camera to apologise for his language, with his wife Renata by his side.

Mr Ford's repeated controversies are not just fodder for late night comedians.

A low-cost American airline, Spirit Airline, said in an ad that "We're not smoking crack" as they offered cheap fares next to Mr Ford's silhouette profile.

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Sri Lanka: Cameron Mobbed By Tamil Protesters

David Cameron has been mobbed by 250 Tamil protesters in north Sri Lanka, who claim their relatives have been murdered by the state.

In chaotic scenes, the Prime Minister's convoy was surrounded by demonstrators all trying to show him their family pictures and tell their stories of suffering in the country's 26-year civil war.

The protesters were the relatives of "the disappeared" - those who have just vanished without explanation but whom, it is alleged, have been either captured or killed by the state.

Sky's Deputy Political Editor Joey Jones, who is travelling with the Prime Minister, said: "He was in a vehicle, in his Jeep, but people spilled through the police line trying to get up towards the Prime Minister ...

"One or two young women really pressed up against the car as it was departing, trying to get photographs and testimony to what they fear may have happened to their loved ones to David Cameron."

The Prime Minister has travelled to the northern city of Jaffna, to meet Tamils scarred by years of ethnic fighting in the country, ahead of his meeting with the country's president in which he will raise the question of Sri Lanka's human rights record.

Protesters broke through the police lines

Mr Cameron, who is the first president or prime minister to travel to the region since Sri Lanka gained independent in 1948, said he had been confronted by "incredibly powerful" images during his visit to the north.

He said: "Going to the headquarters of a Tamil newspaper here in northern Sri Lanka and seeing pictures of journalists, shot and killed, on the walls and hearing stories of journalists who have disappeared long after the war has ended, that will stay with me.

"And also the image, in this camp, of talking to a young woman who came here when she was very young - a child in this camp - and wants nothing more than to go to her own home."

Mr Cameron added: "The fact is about this country that there is a chance of success because the war is over, the terrorism has finished, the fighting is done.

"Now what's needed is generosity and magnanimity from the Sri Lankan government to bring the country together."

The Prime Minister has pledged to use the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) to challenge President Mahinda Rajapaksa over "chilling" claims of human rights abuses. 

Mr Cameron meets with Tamils in a local village

As many as 40,000 civilians are estimated to have died in the final months of the regime's fight with Tamil Tiger separatists, according to the United Nations.

There have been allegations of battlefield executions and rapes by regime forces and claims they indiscriminately shelled Tamils fleeing the fighting as the Tigers were defeated.

Mr Cameron will put pressure on Mr Rajapaksa to agree to an independent inquiry into the alleged war crimes by state forces.

The UN says that abductions and torture continue in the country.

Mr Rajapaska used the international conference to warn the Commonwealth not to be judgemental.

He told those present that it was thanks to him that the "menace of terrorism" was at an end.

Police officers intervene as protesters attempt to get to Mr Cameron

He claimed the war crimes alleged to have been carried out by the military in 2009 amounted to "exerting the greatest right, the right to life" for his country's people.

Paul Harrison, Sky's Royal Correspondent who is in Colombo at the meeting, said: "The image of Sri Lanka which Mr Rajapaksa would rather portray to the world is one of handshakes with foreign heads of Government, colourful cultural shows and visits by royalty, like Prince Charles.

"After months of criticism ahead of the biennial Chogm meeting, this time in the Sri Lankan capital, Mr Rajapaksa hijacked his own international conference to warn the Commonwealth not to be 'judgemental'."

Labour leader Ed Miliband had called on Mr Cameron to boycott the Chogm event in protest at Sri Lanka's human rights record and said he should join other Commonwealth members to block Mr Rajapaska from taking up the two-year chairmanship of the 53-nation group.

But Mr Cameron insisted it was far better to go and raise concerns than stay away.

Earlier on Friday Prince Charles kicked off the Commonwealth summit at a colourful opening ceremony in the capital, Colombo, declaring his "admiration" for the way the country has rebuilt after a devastating tsunami in 2004.

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