Electoral Commission To Probe Police Vote

Low Turnout For Police Commissioner Polls

Updated: 7:33pm UK, Friday 16 November 2012

Dire turnouts have threatened to undermine the first ever police and crime commissioner elections, with as few as 10% of voters casting their ballots in some areas.

The Electoral Reform Society branded the elections a "comedy of errors" after a record low turnout left at least one polling station - in the Newport area - completely unused.

It said it could end up being the lowest voter turnout ever in peacetime history.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the elections for the new commissioners had descended in to a shambles, with many voters taking to Twitter to describe the low turnout at their polling stations.

A UKIP MEP, John Bufton, even called for Home Secretary Theresa May to resign for presiding over a "shamefully low turnout".

In Wiltshire, the first force area to declare, the overall turnout was 15.8% as Tory candidate Angus Macpherson, a magistrate, won after a second round of voting ahead of Labour's Clare Moody.

But in one part of Wiltshire, Devizes, only 10.41% of voters took part.

Polling stations elsewhere across the country appeared to be equally as quiet as many people opted not to vote for the first generation of PCCs, despite about £75m being spent on the campaign.

Newport City Council confirmed to Sky News that no voters attended one of its polling stations, despite it being open for 15 hours from 7am to 10pm on Thursday.

Elsewhere, turnout was 11.42% in Wigan, 12% in Rochdale, 12.59% in Oldham and 12.49% in Manchester. For Greater Manchester as a whole it was 13.46%.

In Essex, just 12.81%% of voters took to the polls.

Even in Humberside, where Lord Prescott's name on the ballot paper raised the profile of the election, turnout was only 19.48%.

Sky's election analyst Michael Thrasher said the low turnout was "hardly surprising" given the elections were held in dark and chilly November "for an office that no-one has heard of" across unfamiliar police authority areas.

He said the numbers raised questions over the legitimacy of the office and those elected.

Mr Thrasher, a professor of politics at Plymouth University, added that it could end up costing as much as £13 per vote that was cast.

"When you work out how much it's going to cost per vote it becomes quite ridiculous," he said.

But policing minister Damian Green defended the turnout, saying it would improve in years to come.

He told Sky News: "I think it's likely with something new coming on that people will take time to get used to it.

"But I'm absolutely sure they will get used to it in the future and the measure of the success will be the difference they make to policing over the next few years."

Prime Minister David Cameron insisted police commissioners would have a mandate despite the low turnout.

He added: "Remember, these police and crime commissioners are replacing organisations that weren't directly elected at all."

Elections for the new office have been held in 41 police areas outside London.

The newly-elected police and crime commissioner will have the power to control budgets, set policing priorities, and hire and fire chief constables.

The Electoral Reform Society had predicted a turnout of 18.5% before the polls began, which would be below the previous record low in a national poll in peacetime - 23% in the 1999 European elections.

The society's chief executive, Katie Ghose, said: "This election has been a comedy of errors from start to finish.

"The Home Office has operated under the assumption that 'if you build it they will come'. Democracy just doesn't work that way.

"There have been avoidable errors at every step, and those responsible should be held to account."

One of the biggest problems has been that people are not prepared to put a cross beside the name of someone they know little, if anything, about.

Glenda Adcock from Great Yarmouth in Norfolk said she always votes, but not this time.

"I know nothing about the candidates or anything really so I'm not bothering," she said,

And while Bernard Jennings had decided he would take part, he agreed the information had been poor.

"I think they could have done a lot more to help people out so you have a better understanding of what everyone stands for," he said.

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Abortion: India Puts Ireland Under Pressure

The Indian government has contacted the Irish government over the death of a woman who was allegedly refused an abortion.

New Delhi has demanded a "transparent" probe into the death of Savita Halappanavar after doctors in Ireland apparently rejected her requests for a termination even though she was miscarrying.

Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid said: "I'm confident that the Irish government, with whom we are in constant touch will properly investigate this case and will strive for a system so such incidents do not happen again."

On Friday, foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said the concern over Mrs Halappanavar's death was growing in India.

About 100 opposition protesters held a demonstration outside the Irish embassy on Friday - accusing authorities of committing "medical murder".

India is demanding a transparent probe into the death

 MrMrs Halappanavar's family said the 31-year-old dentist repeatedly asked staff at University Hospital in Galway to terminate her pregnancy but doctors kept telling her "this is a Catholic country".

Abortion is illegal in Roman Catholic-dominated Ireland unless it occurs during medical intervention to save the life of the mother. There is no agreed method for determining such circumstances.

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny described her death as a "tragedy", while two separate investigations have been announced.

Indian communist party leader Brinda Karat said Mrs Halappanavar's condition should have been treated as a "medical emergency" as she joined calls for a tough line with Ireland over the incident.

Mrs Halappanavar was allegedly refused an abortion

"The fact that they didn't is a crime and the Irish authorities are responsible for committing a crime of a loss of a human life and I think the Indian government must step in here," she told reporters.

Smriti Irani, president of the women's wing of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata party, was among the protesters outside the embassy and she was allowed in as part of a four-person delegation to meet the ambassador.

"The Irish ambassador assured us that there could be a possibility of inviting international experts to be part of the investigation and we told him that Savita's husband should also be part of it," Ms Irani said.

She added that the ambassador had acknowledged the "intense pressure" from around the world following the death.

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Egypt School Bus Crash Leaves Dozens Dead

Fifty people have been killed after a train collided with a bus in a city south of the Egyptian capital Cairo.

A senior security official in Assiut, near the crash site, said 48 of the dead were children, aged between four and eight years.

One woman and a man, who was the bus driver, also died, he added.

The state news agency said another 15 people were injured. A medical source said as many as 28 were injured, 27 of them children.

"They told us the barriers were open when the bus crossed the tracks and the train collided with it," doctor Mohamed Samir said, citing witness accounts.

Distraught locals search through the wreckage at the crash site

He said the bodies of many of those killed were severely mutilated, indicating the force of the crash, which took place in the city of Manfalut, near Assiut, some 190 miles south of the capital.

President Mohamed Mursi ordered his ministers to offer support to the families of those killed.

Transport Minister Mohamed Rashad has offered his resignation as has the head of the railways authority, which President Mursi was considering, state media reported.

The governor of Assiut, Yahya Keshk, has ordered an inquiry.

Egypt's roads and railways have a poor safety record.

Egyptians have complained that successive governments have failed to enforce basic safety standards, leading to a string of deadly accidents.

Earlier this month, at least three Egyptians were killed and more than 30 injured in a train crash in Fayoum, another city south of Cairo.

In July, 15 people were injured in Giza, close to the capital, when a train derailed.

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Explosion In Tel Aviv After Gaza Pounded

Sirens are sounding in Tel Aviv following an explosion, a day after a rocket crashed into the sea off the Israeli city.

The sirens sent people running for cover as TV images showed the Iron Dome anti-missile system firing on an incoming rocket, hitting it in mid-air according to the Israeli military.

The Israeli ambulance service said there were no casualties.

The armed wing of Hamas said it had fired a long-range Fajr-5 rocket at the city.

Damage to an apartment block in Ashdod caused by a rocket fired from Gaza

Earlier on Saturday, four rockets hit the southern city of Ashdod. 

Israel's military said on Twitter: "4 rockets fired from #Gaza struck Ashdod: 1 on a house, 1 on a car, 1 near a kindergarten & 1 in an open area." 

No-one was killed in the attack.

Before Saturday's rocket attacks, Israel carried out nearly 200 airstrikes on Gaza City overnight

The strikes hit targets in the territory including the Hamas Prime Minister's office, a police compound and a vast network of smuggling tunnels.

Israeli aircraft kept pounding their original targets in the airstrikes

Israeli aircraft also kept pounding their original targets, the militants' weapons storage facilities and underground rocket launching sites.

Rocket fire by Palestinian militants into Israel resumed after dawn following a relative lull overnight. 

Medics told news agency AFP that eight people died in central and southern Gaza and 30 were injured in the latest strikes.

The latest deaths raised the overall death toll in Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip to 38, as both sides continued to hurl missiles at each other. 

Tunisia's Foreign Minister (L) meets with a senior Hamas member in Rafah

Three Israelis have been killed in the recent violence. Four soldiers were also hurt in rocket fire along the southern flank of Israel's border with Gaza, the army said on Saturday.

Israel stepped up its air assault in retaliation to an unprecedented rocket strike aimed at Jerusalem.

Israel's military also called up 75,000 reservists, raising speculation of a ground invasion.

Despite the violence, Tunisia's foreign minister Rafik Abdessalem arrived in the coastal enclave early Saturday in a show of Arab solidarity, heading to a hospital to visit the wounded.

A house near Ashdod in Israel damaged by a rocket fired from Gaza

Mr Abdessalem called on the world to help stop Israel's "blatant aggression", and said the Arab League should act as it gathers for talks in Cairo.

Since the start of its operation, Israel's army says militants have fired more than 640 rockets over the border, 410 of which hit Israel, and 230 of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system.

Israeli leaders have threatened to widen Operation Pillar of Defence if the rocket fire from the Gaza Strip does not halt.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said options included the possible assassination of Hamas' Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and other top leaders.

"Every time that Hamas fires there will be a more and more severe response," he told Israel's Channel 2 TV.

US President Barack Obama has reiterated his country's support for Israel's right to defend itself against rocket attacks from militants in the Gaza Strip.

In a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr Obama also expressed his regret over the loss of Israeli and Palestinian civilian lives, the White House said.

The fighting in Gaza escalated on Wednesday when Israel killed Hamas's military chief in an airstrike.

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Ikea 'Regrets' Using Forced Prison Labour

Ikea says it "deeply regrets" use of forced prison labour by suppliers in communist East Germany more than two decades ago.

The Swedish furniture giant apologised after commissioning a report into claims political prisoners worked in factories making its products in the 1960s and 70s.

The company says it never condoned the use of forced labour but the report showed it failed to properly vet how its suppliers were operating.

The report concludes that Ikea managers "were aware of the possibility that political prisoners would be used in the production of Ikea products in the former GDR".

"We deeply regret that this could happen," said Jeanette Skjelmose, an Ikea manager.

"The use of political prisoners for manufacturing was at no point accepted by Ikea."

But she added: "At the time we didn't have the well-developed control system that we have today and we clearly did too little to prevent such production methods."

Ikea commissioned accountants Ernst & Young to look into claims aired by a Swedish TV documentary in June but first raised by a human rights group in 1982.

Rainer Wagner, chairman of the victims' group UOKG, said Ikea was just one of many companies that used forced prison labour in East Germany.

"Ikea is only the tip of the iceberg," he told The Associated Press in an interview earlier this week.

Wagner said he hoped that Ikea and others would consider compensating former prisoners, many of whom carry psychological and physical scars.

"Ikea has taken the lead on this, for which we are very grateful," he told a news conference in Berlin, where the report was presented.

Peter Betzel, the head of Ikea Germany, said the company would continue to support efforts to investigate the use of prisoners in East Germany in future.

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Jerusalem: Hamas Claims Rocket Attack

Hamas said it has fired a long-range missile at Jerusalem - first time the holy city is thought to have been targeted by rockets fired by the Gaza militants.

The Israel Defence Forces confirmed that a rocket was fired from Gaza to an uninhabited area outside Jerusalem.

The rocket caused no damage or injuries, the Israeli army said.

Israel media reported that two rockets had landed outside Jerusalem.

The armed wing of Hamas al Qassam Brigades said on Twitter: "Al Qassam Brigades launch two M75 homemade missiles towards occupied Jerusalem."

Twenty-two Palestinians - eight of whom were militants - have now been killed in the violence. Three Israelis were killed by a rocket on Thursday.

Earlier, there was a second rocket attack by Palestinian militants on Tel Aviv in 24 hours.

Air raid sirens went off in the centre of Israel's largest city on Friday afternoon and people were forced to scramble for cover. There were no reports of any injuries and it is believed to have landed in the sea.

Israeli police detain a Palestinian during clashes in Jerusalem's Old City

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said: "We believe it landed off the shores of Tel Aviv".

A witness told AFP that the rocket landed some "some 200 metres (yards)" from the beachfront US embassy.

The attack sparked panic among beachgoers, although several people tried to swim out to the point where the rocket landed, the witness said.

It was the second day in a row that a rocket from Gaza had reached the Tel Aviv area in what Israeli networks said was the first time rockets had been fired at the city since the 1991 Gulf War, when it was hit by Iraqi Scud missiles.

On Thursday, another rocket fell in the sea and the other landed in a Tel Aviv suburb, causing no damage or casualties. Israel responded with airstrikes.

The latest rocket came as the Israeli air force continued a major bombing campaign across Gaza Strip.

Senior Israeli cabinet minister Moshe Yaalon warned that Israel was considering a ground operation in order to stamp out rocket fire.

"We are preparing all the military options, including the possibility that forces will be ready to enter Gaza in the event that the firing doesn't stop," he wrote in a series of postings on his official Twitter account.

There were fresh exchanges of fire between Israel and Hamas militants earlier on Friday despite a temporary ceasefire in place for a visit by Egypt's prime minister to Gaza.

Hisham Kandil (L) and senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh during the visit

Several sites in southern Israel have been hit by rockets fired from inside the Gaza Strip, while a Hamas source said the Israeli air force attacked a Hamas commander's house which resulted in the death of two civilians, one a child.

But Israel's military strongly denied carrying out any attack from the time Mr Kandil entered Gaza, and accused Hamas of violating the three-hour deal.

During his three-hour visit, the Egypt prime minister Hisham Kandil condemned Israeli action against Gaza as "unacceptable aggression", saying his country will intensify efforts to secure a truce in the conflict.

"This tragedy cannot pass in silence and the world should take responsibility in stopping this aggression," he said at a news conference in Gaza City's Shifa hospital after seeing some victims from an airstrike.

"Egypt will not hesitate to intensify its efforts and make sacrifices to stop this aggression and achieve a lasting truce."

His visit comes as 16,000 Israeli army reservists have been called up and heavy artillery has been seen on the Gaza border, increasing the possibility of a ground attack.

Israel has given the green light to the call-up of up to 30,000 army reservists.

Overnight the Palestinian territory suffered a heavy bombardment, with Israeli warplanes hitting targets in and around Gaza City.

"There have been 130 strikes overnight until now," Hamas interior ministry spokesman Islam Shahwan said.

He said the strikes destroyed a building belonging to the interior ministry, while there were also reports that training positions used by various Palestinian militant groups had also been hit.

The Israeli army said 11 Palestinian rockets had been fired from Gaza at Israel overnight.

Meanwhile, European Union foreign policy chief Baroness Ashton said Israel had the right to protect its people against Gaza rocket attacks but urged it to stick to a "proportionate" response.

She also voiced hopes that the Egyptian prime minister "will be able to calm the situation".

And Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague urged both Israel and the Palestinians to make efforts to halt the violence.

But Mr Hague made it clear that he believes Hamas bears the greatest responsibility for the current crisis, as well as the ability to bring it most swiftly to an end.

Mr Hague told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that there had been "a large increase" in rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza over recent weeks.

Israel's Iron Dome fires an interceptor rocket near Sderot in the south

And he added: "What Israel has done is obviously the Israeli response to that. The thing that would bring this most quickly to an end would be for Hamas to stop launching rockets at Israel.

"But of course, there are also responsibilities on Israel... Both sides have a responsibility to try to bring this to an end."

Asked whether Britain would condemn a ground offensive, Mr Hague said: "We will see what the situation is. This depends on the actions of two sides, not just one side."

The conflict has been intensifying over recent weeks, but flared up dramatically in the wake of the Israeli strikes against senior Hamas figures.

Mr Netanyahu has warned that his country is prepared to extend its operation against Hamas, sparking fears of a repeat of the ground incursion four years ago in which hundreds died.

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Labour Takes Tory Seat In Corby By-Election

Labour's Andy Sawford has been elected MP for Corby and East Northampton, winning a key marginal seat from the Conservatives.

Mr Sawford secured a majority of nearly 8,000 in seizing the Commons seat from the Tories, comfortably defeating rival Christine Emmett.

The Liberal Democrats humiliatingly lost their deposit despite demanding a last-ditch recount.

It is the first time in 15 years Labour has taken a Tory seat in a by-election, giving a boost to Labour leader Ed Miliband.

Turnout was just under 45%,in stark contrast to the police and crime commissioner elections, which also took place on Thursday and saw as few as 10% of voters bothering to cast a ballot in some areas.

Victorious Mr Sawford suggested it had set the party on track for a successful general election in 2015, declaring: "The road to Downing Street runs through Corby."

He said the result was "a damning verdict on (David) Cameron's betrayal of the British people".

But the Prime Minister dismissed the outcome as "a classic mid-term result".

The election was triggered after Louise Mensch resigned

Turnout was just under 45%,in stark contrast to the police and crime commissioner elections, which also took place on Thursday and saw as few as 10% of voters take to the polls.

Before the result was declared, Mrs Mensch, who quit the seat in August so she could move to New York for family reasons, said she would accept responsibility for an election loss.

Taking to Twitter, Mrs Mensch said: "Election result will not be a verdict on either Christine, or the Conservatives, but only on the decision I took to step down mid-term."

She added: "Though I had to resign to unite our family, there was large & entirely understandable local anger. I wish I had been able to see out my term."

Conservative Party co-chairman Grant Shapps took a swipe at Mrs Mensch, saying he believed MPs who stood for election "should stay there".

He told Sky News: "I saw a tweet from her saying that actually she understands why people would be miffed.

"I have been there and I've heard what people say on the doorstep - MPs should stay the course. I think it would be very helpful to stand for the full parliament."

The result came as Mr Cameron struggled to defend the Government's handling of the PCC elections.

The Prime Minister insisted the victorious candidates still had a mandate, arguing that turnout was always going to be low for new posts.

But the Electoral Commission announced that it will carry out an inquiry into the lack of public engagement, saying it had disagreed with "a number of decisions" taken by the coalition.

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Dave Lee Travis Arrest 'Nothing To Do With Kids'

DJ Dave Lee Travis has denied any wrongdoing after being arrested by police investigating the Jimmy Savile sex abuse claims.

Speaking outside his home near Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, the 67-year-old protested his innocence and said he did not want his name associated with "bloody evil" child abuse.

He said: "This is nothing to do with kids, all right? That's the first thing. Because that to me is the most important thing in the world and I do not wish to have my name sullied around something that bloody evil, to be honest.

"The second thing I want is to say, yes, there's a complete denial there, but there's nothing else I can tell you because otherwise I might be stepping on the police's feet and I don't want to do that because it might affect their investigations."

Travis had previously denied allegations, made last month, that he groped two women while in BBC studios. One claimed he had put his hand up her skirt, while the other said he had "jiggled" her breasts.

The former radio One DJ told reporters today: "There's one very important point I want to get across here - when I read the papers this morning I could not believe it. It was like, you know, 'DLT caught in Savile probe' and all this.

Dave Lee Travis, pictured in 1982

"I'm going to make one thing extremely clear to you - the Savile probe is nothing to do with things I've been talking to the police about.

"I was accused quote of squeezing the boobs of a couple of women. One, you know... and the other was somebody from 19... God knows, 67 or something, which is incredible.

"So the point I want to make here is that none of the things I've been talking to the police about, or have talked to them about, is to do with children."

He added: "I am and always have been completely abhorred by anything to do with children and anything to do with child molestation and anything like that.

"I don't really want to be in a headline where people look and see Savile's name and see my name and think 'Oh God, is he at it as well?'

"Not true, all right? You have a categorical denial about children. That is absolutely set in concrete, I promise you."

Travis said he had willingly spoken to police and would happily continue to help them.

Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi used to listen to DLT's World Service show

His comments came after his weekend radio show was taken off air "with immediate effect" by Magic AM following his arrest on Thursday.

A spokeswoman for Bauer Media, which owns Magic AM, said: "Bauer Media has decided to take (Dave Lee Travis) off air with immediate effect from his Magic AM weekend shows, which broadcast across the north of England.

"We understand that the allegations about which he was questioned by police pre-date his time as a freelance contributor to Magic AM.

"While we can make no judgement on the matters under investigation, we believe it would be inappropriate for him to broadcast until they are resolved."

The Metropolitan Police have revealed they are now dealing with around 450 potential victims, the majority of whom claim they fell prey to Savile.

Officers are looking at three strands within their inquiry: claims against Savile, those against Savile and others, and those against others.

Most of the "others" allegations have been made against people associated with the entertainment industry.

Ex-glam rocker Gary Glitter, comedian Freddie Starr and a 73-year-old man have already been arrested and bailed in connection with the investigation.

A 1977 episode of Top Of The Pops featuring Travis was due to be shown on BBC4 last night but was pulled.

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Gun-Wielding Shop Robbers Caught On Camera

Video of two robbers holding up a shopkeeper with a handgun has been released by police.

The CCTV footage of the raid in Rochford, Essex, shows the pair threatening staff before they made off with a three-figure sum of cash, two bottles of alcohol and several packs of cigarettes.

The men struck at the Mace shop in Ashingdon Road at around 3pm on June 12. Police have just issued the video as they appeal for information.

DC Ian Ling said: "One of the attackers wore a reflective jacket which may have drawn some attention from members of the public.

"He was also the man who brandished the firearm. We would ask people to look closely at the faces of the two men and contact us with their names."

The gunman is described is white, in his mid-20s and of slim build with short, dark brown hair.

The other man is in his early to mid-20s and has what are described as long facial features.

A 37-year-old man in the shop suffered a minor head injury during the robbery, but he did not need treatment.

:: Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Railway Guard Jailed Over Teen's Death

Railway guard Christopher McGee has been jailed for five years over the death of teenager Georgia Varley.

The 45-year-old was convicted of the manslaughter of the drunk teenager after he signalled for a train to move as she was leaning against the carriage.

He was found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence by a unanimous jury at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday following a two-week trial.

College student Georgia, 16, had been on a night out in Liverpool with friends when she fell between the train and the platform at the city's James Street station in October last year.

She was three times the legal drink-driving limit and had 0.083mg of the drug mephedrone, or Mcat, in her system at the time, the court heard.

Georgia was described by her father as "special and unique"

The prosecution said McGee, of Edenhurst Avenue, Wallasey, Wirral, was negligent because he gave the signal to the driver to start the train when Georgia was in contact with the train and was in an "intoxicated state".

McGee, who denied manslaughter, told the jury he thought Georgia was moving away from the train when he gave the signal to depart. He also said he did not know how drunk she was.

But Mr Justice Holroyde told McGee: "In my judgement, the CCTV footage is unequivocal, Georgia Varley was not moving away and she was not showing any sign of moving away.

Christopher McGee had denied manslaughter

"She only moved when the movement of the train deprived her of support and caused her to lose balance and fall to her death."

He added: "You did not intend to kill or even injure her, but you displayed an appalling disregard for her safety, and she paid for your criminal negligence with her life."

CCTV footage of the incident was shown to the jury during McGee's trial.

Georgia could be seen mistakenly getting off the train just before 11.30pm, and then turning around and leaning against the side as she realised her friends were still on board.

The Birkenhead Sixth Form College student was then seen to stagger and fall down the gap as the train moved off, before stopping after travelling around 30ft.

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BP Spill: Staff 'Face Manslaughter Charges'

Two BP employees are facing manslaughter charges over the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, according to reports.

The British oil giant is also said to have agreed to pay a criminal penalty amounting to billions of dollars over the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

The spill killed 11 people and set off a spill that continued for 87 days, fouling large areas of the southern coast of the US.

A source speaking to the AP news agency said BP will plead guilty to obstruction for lying to Congress about how much oil was pouring out of the ruptured well.

The impending agreement covers all of the United States' Department of Justice (DoJ) and Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) claims against BP in relation to the blowout.

Oil gushed from the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico for weeks

The proposed settlement will not include civil claims under the Clean Water Act and other legislation, pending private civil claims and state claims for economic loss.

In a statement earlier on Thursday BP said "no final agreement has yet been reached" and that any deal would still be subject to court approvals.

The settlement was expected to dwarf the largest previous corporate criminal penalty assessed by the DoJ - the $1.2bn (£750m) fine imposed on drug-maker Pfizer in 2009.

Criticism was focused on Tony Hayward

BP has set aside $37.2bn (£23.4bn) to cover its liabilities from the incident, but the company has said the final cost is uncertain.

BP also recently announced it expects to make the final payment this year to a $20bn (£12.6bn) trust fund to cover damage from the blowout.

In March, BP announced a settlement with multiple claimants for medical and economic losses, which is estimated to cost $7.8bn (£4.9bn).

The spill exposed lax US government oversight and led to a temporary ban on deepwater drilling while officials and the oil industry studied the risks, worked to make it safer and developed better disaster plans.

BP chief executive Tony Hayward stepped down after the company's repeated gaffes, including his statement at the height of the crisis: "I'd like my life back."

BP's environmentally friendly image was tarnished, and independent fuel station owners who fly the BP flag claimed they lost business from customers who were upset over the spill.

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Dave Lee Travis 'Arrested By Savile Police'

Former DJ Dave Lee Travis has been arrested by police investigating the Jimmy Savile child abuse scandal, Sky sources say.

The one time Radio One star and former presenter of Top Of The Pops, is reportedly being questioned on suspicion of sexual offences.

He was arrested by detectives from the Metropolitan Police's Operation Yewtree at his home in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, at 7.45am, according to sources.

Sky's Tom Parmenter is at the DJ's home. He said: "We have seen a number of police vehicles, firstly one marked police car and then an unmarked police car leaving this property. Then another two cars arrived.

"We believe that Dave Lee Travis' wife is still inside the home and we wait to see if there are any further developments."

He added: "We know from previous statements from Dave Lee Travis that he has always strenuously denied any misconduct or any sexual assault allegations made against him."

Dave Lee Travis, left, with Jimmy Savile

It is understood that the allegations do not directly involve Savile and are classed under the strand of the investigation termed "others".

The Metropolitan Police Service is leading a national investigation into abuse allegations made against disgraced Jim'll Fix It presenter Savile.

So far, around 450 potential victims have come forward and 200 allegations of sexual assault have been made.

Officers are looking at three strands within their inquiry - claims against Savile, those against Savile and others, and those against others.

Most of the "others" allegations have been made against people associated with the entertainment industry.

Former glam rock star Gary Glitter, comedian Freddie Starr and a 73-year-old man have already been arrested and bailed in connection with the investigation.

More follows...

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Woman 'Refused' Abortion In Ireland Dies

By David Blevins, Ireland Correspondent

Investigations have been launched after a pregnant woman died in hospital in Ireland after allegedly being refused an abortion.

Savita Halappanavar, 31, suffered a miscarriage and septicaemia. Her husband Praveen claims doctors refused to carry out a termination for religious reasons.

Mrs Halappanavar, who was from India, was 17 weeks pregnant when admitted to Galway University Hospital.

She was suffering from agonising pain and, according to her husband, made several requests for an abortion.

Mr Halappanavar, 34, said doctors had refused to terminate the pregnancy because there was a foetal heartbeat and told his wife: "This is a Catholic country."

The young woman, who had been practising as a dentist in the Republic of Ireland for some time, died on October 28 after developing septicaemia - an infection in the blood.

Her death is expected to spark a backlash against the Irish government, criticised by left-wing members of parliament for failing to introduce new laws to permit abortion in life-threatening circumstances.

Clare Daly, a Socialist Party member of parliament, said: "A woman has died because Galway University Hospital refused to perform an abortion needed to prevent serious risk to her life.

"We were told this situation would never arise. An unviable foetus - she was having a miscarriage - was given priority over the woman, who unfortunately and predictably, developed septicaemia and died."

Galway Roscommon University Hospitals Group and the state's health officials have launched an investigation.

The family will be interviewed as part of that review and results are expected within three months.

The Galway hospital said doctors have carried out all standard practices in notifying the death to the coroner, informing the Health Service Executive and completing a maternal death notification.

"It is standard practice to review unexpected deaths in line with the HSE's national incident management policy," it said.

"The family of the deceased is consulted on the terms of reference, interviewed by the review team and given a copy of the final report."

A spokesman added: "The Galway Roscommon University Hospitals Group wishes to extend its sympathy to the husband, family and friends of Ms Halappanavar."

The Department of Health also expressed its condolences but said it would wait for the two investigations to be completed before commenting further.

Abortion remains illegal in the Republic unless it occurs as the result of medical intervention to save the mother's life.

There is, however, no agreed method for determining such circumstances.

Abortion is legal in Northern Ireland but only if there is an immediate threat to the mother's life or a long-term threat to her physical or mental health.

The first private abortion clinic on the island opened in Belfast last month.

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Baby Died After 'Serious Failures' At Hospital

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

A baby died at Birmingham Children's Hospital after "serious failures", a coroner has ruled.

Hayley Fullerton suffered heart failure following corrective surgery in November 2009, one month after her first birthday.

Recording a narrative verdict following an inquest into Hayley's death, Aidan Cotter, coroner for Birmingham and Solihull, said: "The failures by a number of the staff at Birmingham Children's Hospital were serious but not gross."

He said he could only make a finding of neglect if there had been a "gross" failure to provide medical attention .

Paula Stevenson holding her daughter Hayley.

Following the verdict, Hayley's mother, Paula Stevenson, said that she planned to sue the NHS over her daughter's "preventable and predictable" death. 

She said: "Today is Hayley's day - I have been waiting three years to speak up.

"Hayley died like an abandoned animal - nobody listened to me while Hayley was dying and nobody listened to me when Hayley was dead."

Ms Stevenson, who flew to the UK from Australia to attend today's hearing with Hayley's father Bobby Fullerton, added: "Our entire family has been completely devastated by what happened and to this day we continue to grieve for Hayley.

"I still cannot understand how trained medics could ignore the fact that she was slowly deteriorating before their eyes.

"They had seven days to spot that something was seriously wrong but all those precious opportunities were missed."

Hayley was born with a condition that restricted blood getting from her heart to her lungs.

After an operation at another hospital, she was sent to Birmingham for corrective heart surgery.

Hayley Fullerton suffered a collapsed lung after heart surgery.

The operation was a success, but complications set in when Hayley's right lung collapsed.

Ms Stevenson, told the coroner's court earlier this year: "I was hoping she would be put in intensive care.

"I was waiting and waiting for someone to come so I was very aware and alert. I was telling her sorry I could not get help."

She also claimed that her child had been failed "abominably" and said her experience at the hands of some staff has been "brutal".

Ms Stevenson, who is originally from Northern Ireland but now lives in Australia, went on to allege that she gave a nurse a £100 gift voucher in an effort to secure better care for Hayley.

"I truly believe if the medical teams had listened to me and my parents, Hayley would still be alive today. They turned their back on her. She was overlooked and neglected," she said.

In an internal review of Hayley's death, the NHS found that a "hierarchy" among medics deterred junior staff from referring Hayley back to a paediatric intensive care unit in the days before her death on November 11.

In a statement issued after the coroner's verdict, the Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: "When Hayley died we recognised that some of her care fell below our usual high standards and for this we offer a heartfelt apology for the distress that has been caused.

"We've taken all the steps possible to learn from this."

Ms Stevenson has now set up a website, heal-trust.org, which campaigns for the NHS to use Rapid Response Teams, which families, friends or patients can call if they feel their concerns over treatment aren't being heeded.

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Top Hamas Commander Killed In Israeli Airstrike

Israeli airstrikes have hit a series of targets across Gaza City, after one killed the commander of Hamas' military wing.

The group said the assassination had "opened the gates of hell".

Two of its training facilities were among the targets of the bombings and an Israeli military spokesman said the attacks could trigger days of fighting.

Brigadier-General Yoav Mordechai told Channel 2 TV: "The days we face in the south will, in my estimation, prove protracted. The homefront must brace itself resiliently."

Hamas said Ahmed al Jaabari, who ran the organisation's armed wing, the Izz el Deen al Qassam, died along with a passenger after their car was hit by an Israeli missile.

Israel's Shin Bet domestic intelligence service confirmed it had carried out the attack, saying it had killed Jaabri because of his "decade-long terrorist activity". He has long topped Israel's most-wanted list.

It marks a dramatic resumption of Israel's policy of assassinating Palestinian militant leaders.

Jaabari becomes the most senior Hamas official to be killed since an Israeli invasion of Gaza four years ago.

Witnesses said Jaabari was travelling in a vehicle in Gaza City when the car exploded.

Crowds of people and security personnel rushed to the scene of the strike, trying to put out the fire that had engulfed the car and left it a charred shell.

Hamas police cordoned off the area around a hospital where at least one body from the strike was taken. It was draped in a white sheet, with a burned leg poking out.

Israeli officials had said in recent days that they were considering assassinating top Hamas officials following a wave of heavy rocket fire from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, triggering Israeli airstrikes.

Hamas police said three other airstrikes hit other targets in Gaza City, Khan Younis and Rafah.

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Anti-Austerity Strikes: Protests Grip Europe

A wave of anti-austerity anger is sweeping across Europe with general strikes in Spain and Portugal and walkouts in Greece and Italy - grounding flights, closing schools and shutting down transport.

Millions of workers are taking part in the dozens of co-ordinated protests in a so-called European Day of Action and Solidarity against spending cuts and tax hikes.

Italian media reported that six police officers were injured, including one seriously, as clashes broke out with protesters at demonstrations in Milan and Turin.

Around 20 activists allegedly beat an officer with a stick and baseball bats in Turin, while five officers were hurt during running street battles in central Milan.

In Spain - the fourth-biggest eurozone economy - activists and unions will be staging an evening rally outside the parliament in the Madrid.

Protests got underway early in Madrid and Barcelona, with protesters clashing with police as they attempted to blockade buses and cause disruption at food markets.

Spanish police used night-sticks to quell unrest on picket lines

Riot police fired rubber bullets at hundreds of protesters in Madrid's Cibeles Square and used night-sticks to quell picket line disturbances as more than 80 people were arrested.

:: Live: Follow the protests across Europe as they happen

Airlines operating in the country including Iberia, Iberia Express, Air Nostrum, Vueling, Air Europa and easyJet cut more than 600 flights including some 250 international routes.

Hospitals in Spain will fully staff emergency and surgery rooms but non-essential care will be scaled back.

Spain, where one in four workers is unemployed, is now teetering on the brink of calling for a European bailout, with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy trying to put off a rescue that could require even more EU-mandated budget cuts.

Italy's biggest trade union CGIL called strikes in dozens of cities - and thousands of workers took to the streets calling for more safeguards for jobs and pensions and protesting against Prime Minister Mario Monti's government.

Parts of Rome were at a standstill as protesters clashed with police

Student Mario Nobile, 23, said: "Europe is waking up today - from Rome to Madrid to Athens."

Protests are also being called in 40 towns and cities across bailed-out Portugal, including Lisbon and Porto.

Portuguese airline TAP said it was grounding more than 160 flights, most of them international.

Greece, struggling to satisfy international lenders that it has cut spending sufficiently to qualify for bailout funds and to avoid default, has called a three-hour walkout and a rally in Athens.

The European Trade Union Confederation said it was the first time that it had appealed for a day of action that includes simultaneous strike action in four countries.

"By sowing austerity, we are reaping recession, rising poverty and social anxiety," its general secretary Bernadette Segol said in an online statement.

"In some countries, people's exasperation is reaching a peak. We need urgent solutions to get the economy back on track, not stifle it with austerity. Europe's leaders are wrong not to listen to the anger of the people who are taking to the streets."

Union-led rallies are also being called across France and in Poland, while high-speed Thalys rail services between Belgium and Germany have been cancelled for the day.

Just 20% of Spain's long-distance trains and a third of its commuter trains are expected to run, while Lisbon's Metro will be shut completely with only 10% of rail services in action.

Tensions have been rising in Spain since last Friday when a woman jumped from her apartment to her death as bailiffs tried to evict her from her home in the country's second apparent suicide linked to evictions.

On Monday, the country's largest banks agreed to halt repossessions for the most vulnerable for two years.

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Frankie Dettori Has 'Positive Test'

Jockey Frankie Dettori is to face an inquiry after a 'positive test' at Longchamp in France.

The rider's legal representative, Christopher Stewart-Moore, revealed that Mr Dettori will face a France Galop inquiry next week following the test in September.

He released a statement with the news that the Medical Committee of the French authority are planning a hearing.

The statement said: "On behalf of Frankie Dettori I can confirm that, as a consequence of a positive test at Longchamp on September 16,2012, he will be the subject of an inquiry by the Medical Committee of France Galop next week.

"In compliance with, and out of respect for, the regulations of France Galop, he will not be commenting further until the France Galop procedures have been completed."

Dettori had four rides at Longchamp on September 16, a day of major trials for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe meeting the following month.

The Italian partnered Marco Botti's Joshua Tree to finish third in the Qatar Prix Foy, while the John Hammond-trained Sarah Lynx trailed home last in the Prix Vermeille.

He was then beaten just a head into second on Godolphin's Farhh in the Prix du Moulin and was third for his former employers on Willing Foe in the Prix Gladiateur.

France Galop have not commented on proceedings and in previous similar cases they have not issued a statement before the hearing.

Dettori made the headlines last month when his 18-year association with the Godolphin stable came to an end, with the jockey planning to ride as a freelance in 2013.

The 41-year-old partnered nine English Classic winners in the royal blue silks, including their first in 1994 Oaks victor Balanchine, and a total of 110 Group or Grade One winners for the owner.

A host of Dettori's big-race winners have been trained by Godolphin handler Saeed bin Suroor, including four of those that formed the rider's 'MagnificentSeven' at Ascot on September 28, 1996.

He had recently been sharing the Godolphin rides with fellow retained jockeys Mickael Barzalona and Silvestre de Sousa before the split.

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Abu Qatada Freed After Winning Appeal

Terror suspect Abu Qatada has been released on bail after winning his latest appeal to avoid extradition to Jordan.

The radical cleric smiled as he was driven from Long Lartin prison in Worcestershire and returned to his family home in north west London.

Qatada smiling as he leaves prison

He was taken from the maximum security jail in a black Volkswagen people carrier and made no attempt to hide from photographers.

Protesters gathered outside his house shouted "out, out, out" when he arrived later and was escorted inside by officials.

Resident Jackie Chaunt, 50, said: "He shouldn't be here. It's a disgrace." Aaron Baker added: "We're paying for all this as taxpayers. Its ridiculous."

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said in the Commons that the case shows why the Human Rights Act needs overhauling.

"All of us believe the law should not operate in this way and this case underlines my view that there is a very real need to major changes to the way the European human rights framework operates," he said.

Qatada was granted bail on Monday after judges ruled returning him to his home country to face trial would breach his human rights.

Home Secretary Theresa May had obtained assurances from Jordan that evidence obtained through torture would not be used at his trial.

But in a serious blow, the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) said this could still not be guaranteed and refused to back the Government.

The radical cleric arriving at his London home

The decision is the latest twist in an 11-year legal battle, that is believed to have cost the British taxpayer at least £1m.

Qatada, once described as Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe, will have to obey a 16-hour curfew and can only go out between 8am and 4pm.

He will also have to wear an electronic tag, cannot use the internet and will be barred from contacting certain people - who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Round-the-clock surveillance of his home is now expected to be put in place, at a reported cost of up to £100,000 a week.

Downing Street has said the Home Office will be ensuring "we take all the necessary steps" to make sure Qatada does not pose a risk to national security.

Qatada was granted leave to remain in Britain in 1994 after arriving here and seeking asylum but he was convicted of terror charges in Jordan in his absence in 1999.

Since 2001, Britain has been trying to deport him to his home country so that he can be retried but every attempt has been thwarted.

In April, he was rearrested and Mrs May declared he would soon be on a plane - but yet again, he managed to appeal.

Britain has been trying to deport Qatada since 2001

The Home Secretary insists he is still "a dangerous man" and the Government is appealing the latest court ruling on the basis that Siac applied the wrong legal test.

"We believe that we have got the right assurances from the Jordanian government," the Prime Minister's spokesman said.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg added: "We are absolutely determined to see this man get on a plane and go back to Jordan, he does not belong here.

"He wanted to inflict harm on our country and this coalition Government is going to do everything we can to challenge this every step of the way to make sure that he is deported."

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'Idiot' Driver Wears Sign As Punishment

A woman who was caught on camera driving on a path in Cleveland has served the first of two hour-long humiliations, standing in the cold holding a sign warning people about idiots.

Shena Hardin served out her highly-public sentence for an hour on Tuesday, with the second hour to come on Wednesday.

Shena Hardin begins her punishment

The 32-year-old was bundled up against the harsh weather, puffing on a cigarette, wearing dark glasses and avoiding comments as passing vehicles honked their horns.

Her handwritten sign read: "Only an idiot would drive on the sidewalk to avoid a school bus."

Satellite TV trucks streamed the event live.

Hardin repeatedly drove across across a path, rather than wait behind a parked school bus as it unloaded its passengers.

The bus driver captured her in the act on his mobile phone and then contacted police.

Hardin's licence was suspended for 30 days and she was ordered to pay $250 in court costs.

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Wrong-Way Motorway Death Driver Museka Jailed

A drink-driver who caused the death of an aspiring model by driving the wrong way down a motorway has been jailed for eight years.

Wilfred Museka was travelling at "motorway speed" when he was in a head-on collision that left 20-year-old Rebecca Caine, from Leeds, with fatal injuries.

Zimbabwean national Museka, 31, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at an earlier hearing at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.

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Amelia Arnold Search: Police Find A Body

Police looking for Amelia Arnold have found a body they believe to be that of the missing teenager.

The discovery comes after searches took place in a wooded area of Hatfield in Hertfordshire.

Formal identification and post-mortem tests are yet to be carried out, a police spokeswoman said.

Ms Arnold, 19, went missing from her home in Hadrian's Walk, Stevenage, on Wednesday.

Detective Chief Inspector Tim Redfearn, who is leading the investigation, said: "Amelia's family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers at this difficult time.

"They have requested that their privacy be respected whilst they come to terms with what's happened over the past few days."

Ms Arnold's boyfriend Jack Wall, 22, with whom she lived, was arrested on suspicion of murder after he handed himself into police on Sunday.

He remains in custody, police said.

Meanwhile, another man, Joseph Potter, 41, has been charged in connection with Ms Arnold's disappearance.

Potter, from Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, is accused of perverting the court of justice and is due to appear in court.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police by calling the non-emergency number 101.

Alternatively call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

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Fulham Murder: Police Appeal For Witnesses

Police are appealing for witnesses and information after a pensioner was stabbed to death at his home in southwest London at the weekend.

Officers discovered the body of 73-year-old Joseph Griffiths after responding to reports of a burglary at the house in Fulham during the early hours of Saturday morning.

He had been stabbed multiple times in what police described as a "violent attack" at the address on Hazlebury Road.

Local media reports suggested the grandfather was initially found by his 72-year-old wife, Judith. Another relative was also said to be at the home. Neither were injured.

The pensioner was pronounced dead at the scene and a post-mortem later revealed Mr Griffiths, who has two grown-up sons, had been fatally stabbed.

No arrests have been made so far, and police are now investigating the possibility that Mr Griffiths, who ran a car repair centre in south London, was killed as he disturbed an intruder.

Detective Chief Inspector Steven Lawrence, of the Met's Homicide and Serious Crime Command, said: "We continue to appeal to anyone who may have witnessed anyone suspicious prior to or after this incident or anybody who has any information which would assist us.

"We are conducting house to house inquiries in an around Mr Griffiths' home and forensic examinations are also ongoing."

Anyone with information should contact the Belgravia Police Incident Room on 020 7321 7228 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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BBC Boss: We're Working To Rebuild Trust

Names In Line For BBC Top Job

Updated: 12:00pm UK, Monday 12 November 2012

A number of high-profile candidates could be in line to become the BBC's next director-general.

:: Acting director-general Tim Davie is used to difficult situations.

In his current role of director of BBC Audio & Music, with overall responsibility for BBC Radios 1, 2, 3, 4, and the BBC digital radio stations, he had to address prank calls made by Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross on Radio 2.

In October he was appointed as the new chief executive of BBC Worldwide and was due to take over in December.

Soon after beginning his post Mr Davie had to deal with the decision to shut 6 Music - a call which was later reversed, bringing more scrutiny.

Mr Davie, who is married with three young sons, read English at Cambridge University, and later joined Procter and Gamble's marketing department, becoming a brand manager in 1991.

:: Michael Jackson, the former chief executive of Channel 4, has a varied and strong pedigree.

His reputation at Channel 4 blossomed with his commissioning of such hits as Da Ali G Show, Queer As Folk and So Graham Norton.

He also launched the two successful channels, FilmFour and E4.

He has succeeded on both sides of the Atlantic.

When he left Channel 4 in 2001 to work in the US one network producer told the media staff were "devastated".

Mr Jackson was previously controller of both BBC1 and BBC2 at various times in the 1990s. His move to the States, where he became president and chief executive officer of the USA Entertainment Group, surprised the industry.

The 54-year-old was the first British TV boss to get a top job in the American industry since Michael Grade, his predecessor at Channel 4.

:: Caroline Thomson, 58, is the BBC's former chief operating officer.

She narrowly missed out to George Entwistle earlier this year and left the corporation at the end of September when her post was axed.

A former BBC journalism trainee who went on to produce BBC Panorama, she became head of corporate affairs at Channel 4 before returning to the BBC as deputy director of the BBC World Service, becoming director of policy and legal and then chief operating officer in 2006.

Having previously deputised for the director general, she could yet become the first woman to land the top job.

Recently she told The Daily Telegraph that the BBC "still has a long way to go on the equality agenda for women and ageism".

:: Helen Boaden, who has stepped aside as BBC director of news until Nick Pollard's report into possible failings of management over the axed Newsnight Jimmy Savile investigation.

:: Ed Richards has been chief executive of Ofcom, the regulator for the communications industry, since 2006.

A former policy adviser to Tony Blair, Mr Richards made the final four for the director-general role before Mr Entwistle was appointed.

Mr Richards, who has also worked in consulting at London Economics Ltd and for former prime minister Gordon Brown, is a governor of The London School of Economics & Political Science, and a trustee of The Teaching Awards Trust.

:: Danny Cohen, controller of BBC1, finds his name in the frame for a big promotion.

He is responsible for the overall direction of the channel and determines its editorial policy, priority, style and presentation based on analyses of target audience needs.

From 2007 to 2010, Cohen was Controller of BBC3 and his commissions included Being Human, Blood Sweat And Takeaways, Our War, Junior Doctors, Him And Her and Russell Howard's Good News. Before that he was head of E4 and Channel 4 Factual Entertainment.

He is paid £262,600 annually.

:: Peter Fincham, 56, ITV's director of television is thought to be another frontrunner.

He joined the commercial broadcaster in 2008 and the channel has seen a creative renaissance with the commissioning of popular programmes such as Downton Abbey and the Fred West drama Appropriate Adult which won a clutch of awards - with The Only Way Is Essex being one of the shows of its age.

Mr Fincham might be reluctant to return to the BBC where he was appointed controller of BBC1 in 2005.

He was forced out two years later in a row over a misleadingly-edited trailer for a documentary about the Queen.

"I worked hard to become a BBC insider," Mr Fincham said later. "When Queengate kicked off I quite quickly realised I wasn't."

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Qatada Given Bail After Winning Latest Appeal

Timeline: Qatada Legal Battle

Updated: 3:36pm UK, Monday 12 November 2012

Abu Qatada has challenged and ultimately thwarted every attempt by the Government to detain and deport him since 2001.

Here is a timeline of the legal battle.

1993: Abu Qatada claims asylum when he arrives in Britain on a forged passport.

1994: Allowed to stay in Britain.

1995: Issues a "fatwa" justifying the killing of converts from Islam, their wives and children in Algeria.

1998: Applies for indefinite leave to remain in Britain.

1999: April - Convicted in his absence on terror charges in Jordan and sentenced to life imprisonment.

October - Speaks in London advocating the killing of Jews and praising attacks on Americans.

2001: February - Arrested by anti-terror police over involvement in a plot to bomb Strasbourg Christmas market. Officers find him with £170,000 in cash, including £805 in an envelope marked "For the mujahedin in Chechnya".

December - Becomes one of Britain's most wanted men after going on the run from his home in west London.

2002: Arrested by police in a council house in south London and detained in Belmarsh high-security jail.

2005: Freed on conditional bail and placed on a control order but arrested again in August under immigration rules as the Government seeks to deport him to Jordan.

2008: April: Court of Appeal rules deportation would breach is human rights because evidence used against him in Jordan might have been obtained through torture.

May - Granted bail by the immigration tribunal but told he must stay inside for 22 hours a day.

June - Released from Long Lartin jail in Worcestershire and moves into a four-bedroom house in west London.

November - He is rearrested after the Home Office tells an immigration hearing of fears he plans to abscond.

December - Qatada's bail is revoked by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) after hearing secret evidence that the risk of him absconding has increased.

2009: Five Law Lords unanimously back the Government's policy of removing terror suspects from Britain on the basis of assurances from foreign governments and it is ruled he can be deported to Jordan to face a retrial on the terror charges.

He is awarded 2,800 euro (£2,500) compensation by the European Court of Human Rights after the judges rule that his detention without trial in the UK under anti-terrorism powers breached his human rights.

2012: January - European judges rule he can be sent to Jordan with diplomatic assurances but not while "there remains a real risk that evidence obtained by torture will be used against him".

February - He is released on strict bail conditions.

April - Rearrested as the Government prepares to deport him after Jordan gives assurances it will "bend over backwards" to ensure he receives a fair trial.

March - Qatada's legal team loses its bid to have the case heard by the Europe's human rights judges, clearing the way for deportation proceedings to continue.

May and August - Siac rejects Qatada's applications for bail.

October - Siac holds appeal hearing.

November - His appeal is granted and he is granted bail.

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Israel Fires 'Warning Shots' Into Syria

Israel says its forces have fired "warning shots" into Syria after stray mortar fire from fighting in the civil war-hit nation struck the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

It was the first time Israel has been drawn into the unrest in the neighbouring country, and was the first Israeli fire directed at the Syrian military since the 1973 war.

The Israeli army said: "A mortar shell hit an IDF (Israeli Defence Force) post in the Golan Heights adjacent to the Israel-Syria border, as part of the internal conflict inside Syria.

"In response, IDF soldiers fired warning shots towards Syrian areas."

Sky's Middle East correspondent Sam Kiley said: "Sky sources tell me the warning shot was an anti-tank missile fired by Israel into Syrian territory, close to the crew that was identified as having fired this mortar round.

"So, already the Israelis are signalling that both sides should back off. They don't want another front line opening up in their ongoing conflicts, not least because in the last 24 hours there has been an escalation of violence in Gaza."

The shell overshot the Golan disengagement fence and exploded near a Jewish settlement without causing casualties, it was claimed.

There were no reports of damage or injuries inside Israel.

A string of mortar shells have struck the Golan during the 19-month long Syrian conflict between rebel fighters and forces loyal to President Bashar al Assad.

Israel's military chief, Lieutenant-General Benny Gantz, warned troops on the Golan Heights a week ago: "This is a Syrian issue that could become our issue."

The Jewish state captured the Golan from Syria in the 1967 Mid-East war.

Meanwhile, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country was "prepared to escalate" its response to Palestinian rocket fire, after one of the worst flare-ups along its border with Gaza in recent years.

The latest unrest began on Saturday evening when Gaza militants fired an anti-tank missile at an Israeli jeep along the Gaza border, injuring four soldiers, one of them severely.

Israel retaliated with air strikes, shelling and artillery fire that left six Palestinians dead and 35 injured by Sunday afternoon, and Palestinian militants fired at least 82 rockets into southern Israel.

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Missing Girl: Man Hands Himself In To Police

A 22-year-old man wanted in connection with the suspected murder of a teenager has handed himself in to police.

Hertfordshire Police said Jack Wall was arrested by officers investigating the disappearance of Amelia Arnold, who was last seen on Wednesday.

Detectives fear that Miss Arnold, aged 19, has been murdered and are focusing their enquiries on her home in Hadrian's Walk, Stevenage.

Wall, also of Stevenage, has been arrested on suspicion of Miss Arnold's murder.

He presented himself to officers at a police station in Hertfordshire after detectives appealed for him to contact them.

Detective Chief Inspector Tim Redfearn, from the joint Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: "Amelia's family are extremely distraught and are desperate for information on her whereabouts."

Officers particularly want to hear from anyone who lives in and around Hollybush Lane, Welwyn Garden City, and saw a white van or anyone depositing items in the area on Thursday afternoon or evening.

"I'd also renew my appeal for anyone who saw or heard any suspicious activity in Hadrian's Walk between Wednesday and Friday to come forward," added DCI Redfearn.

Meanwhile, police are continuing to question a 41-year-old man arrested on Saturday.

Anyone with information which could assist the investigation is asked to contact police on the non-emergency number 101, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Remembrance Sunday: Tributes To The Fallen

Two minutes' silence have been held to remember those who have fallen in battle.

Marked by the first stroke of Big Ben at 11am and the firing of a gun from Horse Guards Parade by The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, the silence at the Cenotaph in London was followed by The Last Post, sounded by the Buglers of the Royal Marines.

The Queen laid the first wreath in Whitehall, followed by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex, the Princess Royal, Prince Michael of Kent and Field Marshal Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank.

The Queen laid the first wreath

Wreaths were also laid by Prime Minister David Cameron, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, opposition leader Ed Miliband and Westminster Plaid Cymru group leader Elfyn Llwyd, as well as high commissioners from Commonwealth countries and leaders of the Armed Forces.

Thousands of veterans have also marched through Whitehall to pay their respects at the Cenotaph.

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, currently on their Diamond Jubilee Tour in New Zealand, had already paid their respects, laying a wreath of poppies at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

Prince Charles visited Auckland War Memorial with the Duchess of Cornwall

There are a number of services taking place, including at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, which was attended by around 3,000 people.

The arboretum's focal point, the national Armed Forces Memorial, is designed so that on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, a shaft of sunlight dissects its inner and outer walls, falling on a bronze wreath sculpture.

Services also took place at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh and Enniskillen in County Fermanagh.

For the first time, the two most senior members of the Irish government attended Remembrance events in Northern Ireland.

Irish premier Enda Kenny was in Enniskillen, 25 years after the 'Poppy Day bombing' which killed 11 people and injured more than 60. Mr Kenny laid a laurel wreath at the war memorial, only yards from where the no-warning blast detonated a quarter of a century ago

Political leaders also paid their respects

Deputy leader Eamon Gilmore also laid a wreath with Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers in Belfast.

In Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan, around 150 servicemen and women attended a service at 11am Afghan time, marking the two-minute silence before a bugler sounded the reveille.

Other ceremonies have been held across Helmand at patrol bases and checkpoints by the 9,500 British forces serving there.

Thousands of people also respected the two-minute silence on Twitter, abstaining from posting messages during the period of reflection. The idea was spread using the hashtag #2minutesilence.

On Saturday night, Rod Stewart performed for the Queen at the Royal British Legion's Festival of Remembrance in honour of Britain's war dead.

The show included the traditional two minute silence as poppy petals fell from the roof of the Royal Albert Hall, each representing a life lost in war.

Two minutes of silence begin at 11am every year on November 11 to commemorate the armistice signed between the Allies of World War One and Germany for a ceasefire on the Western Front, which took effect at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.

The England cricket team fall silent during their tour match in India

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BBC Needs To 'Get A Grip', Says Lord Patten

The BBC needs to "get a grip" to restore trust in the broadcaster after the Newsnight child abuse slur and Jimmy Savile scandal, Lord Patten has said.

His comments follow the resignation of BBC director-general George Entwistle, plunging the BBC into its deepest-ever crisis.

Lord Patten said he would be meeting with Tim Davie, the acting director-general of the BBC, to discuss the future of the flagship programme and its management.

The 68-year-old BBC Trust chairman, who is tasked with restoring public confidence in the corporation, told Sky's Murnaghan programme there were "big issues" that needed to be tackled involving the corporation, including tough managerial decisions.

He admitted the broadcaster had "taken a big hit" and needed to win back the confidence and trust of licence fee payers by ensuring its journalism was of the "highest quality".

"We have got to make changes and we will make changes," Lord Patten said.

"What we now need to do is get a grip on what's happening in the BBC, including the journalism which is at the heart of what we do and what we are about.

Lawyers say Lord McAlpine's reputation has been "severely damaged"

"We have to make sure that a very large and complex organisation has a leader who has the right sort of support."

He said his own position would be under scrutiny, adding that if he failed in his job, he was certain people would tell him to "take my cards and clear-off".

Number 10 sources said the crisis at the BBC was "very difficult, very serious", but the corporation needed to "show grit" as it had the capacity to "reform itself".

Mr Entwistle quit after 54 days in the job after a Newsnight report wrongly implicated former Conservative Party treasurer Lord McAlpine in an investigation into child abuse allegations at the Bryn Estyn care home in North Wales.

A report on the allegations, which have since been exposed as false, was due to land on Mr Entwistle's desk today.

He said stepping down was the "honourable" thing to do as he had to take responsibility as editor-in-chief of the BBC, for what Lord Patten described as "unacceptable shoddy journalism".

Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman said Mr Entwistle was a "talented man"

It was the second scandal to hit Newsnight in recent weeks, following the storm over the dropping of its investigation into Jimmy Savile.

Lord Patten, who appointed and appeared alongside Mr Entwistle when he delivered his statement outside New Broadcasting House on Saturday night, said he had done the "honourable and decent thing".

"It was his decision to leave. To be honest, I didn't try to argue him out of it because I think he'd made the right decision," he said.

"George was a very fine broadcaster. It was a tragedy that he was laid low by a lot of the things which he wanted to deal with."

Mr Entwistle's fate was sealed after he was grilled by John Humphrys on BBC Radio 4's Today programme during which he admitted he did not know about the Newsnight investigation until the day after it was broadcast, and had not seen newspaper reports casting doubts on the probe.

Lord Patten said Mr Humphrys' "interrogative" questioning was an example of the BBC trying to "expose the truth - even when it's horrible about itself".

He added it was imperative Mr Entwistle's successor was appointed within "weeks, rather than months".

The Trust chairman later sent an email to BBC staff entitled The Way Ahead, saying the priority was to address the serious questions regarding the botched Newsnight report and Savile abuse scandal.

Culture Secretary Maria Miller said Mr Entwistle's resignation was a "regrettable situation, but the right decision".

Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman said his departure was "a great shame" and that he had been "brought low by cowards and incompetents".

Sky's Michelle Clifford said Mr Entwistle "bowed to the inevitable because he had shown himself to be completely in the dark about the fundamental facts of what was going on over the last few weeks".

George Carey, a former editor of the news programme, said the Newsnight brand would "recover" from the two scandals, but added it was paramount the BBC got to the bottom of what happened.

"There is a heart of darkness in this story which is between the editor of Newsnight and George Entwistle, and in there, someone must know why the decisions were taken - both the early decisions relating to Savile and also the McAlpine decisions," he said.

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