Max Clifford: Publicist Vows To Clear Name

Publicist Max Clifford has vowed again to clear his name - after being charged with 11 alleged indecent assaults, including one against a girl of 14.

Clifford stands accused of sexually assaulting seven women, all teenagers, between 1966 and 1985.

The publicist has denied the allegations, dismissing them as "nonsense" and "completely false" and insisting he has never indecently assaulted anyone in his life.

Clifford said on Saturday it had been "horrible" for his wife and daughter, but added he was grateful for the support he says he has been receiving from his clients and the public.

"I find it hard to accept that women, 30 to 40-odd years later, can make complaints like this and they remain anonymous," Clifford told Sky News outside his home.

"And, of course, you have got to prove that you're innocent."

Clifford says he has been living a 'nightmare' over the allegations

He noted his lawyers will now have access to all information about the claimants and said: "If nothing but the truth comes out, I will be absolutely fine."

Clifford's initial arrest in December 2012 was carried out as part of Operation Yewtree, which was set up to investigate allegations of sex abuse carried out by the late BBC host Jimmy Savile.

There is no suggestion that his alleged offences are connected with Savile's.

Clifford is accused of allegedly abusing the first girl, who was 14, in 1966.

A further three females, aged between 15 and 18, allegedly suffered five offences between 1974 and 1978.

Clifford is also accused of assaulting another three females, aged between 16 and 19, between 1981 and 1985.

He is due to appear in court on May 28.

Until then, the 70-year-old says he will try to live as normal a life as possible, keeping up his work and going to the children's hospices he is a patron of.

"I've had tremendous support from everywhere, not just people who know me and did know me, but my clients and also people I meet everywhere I go," Clifford said.

"All of my clients have remained loyal and I'm working with all of my clients on a regular daily basis," he said.

"That support is as strong as it has ever been, which I'm very grateful for."

Prosecutors said on Friday that they had concluded there was sufficient evidence for Clifford to be charged with 11 offences of indecent assault relating to seven complainants.

There were three more allegations but prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence to authorise charges.

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Demo Against UK's Use Of Armed Drones

Anti-war demonstrators have marched from Lincoln to an RAF base to voice their opposition to the UK's use of armed drones in Afghanistan.

Members of the Stop The War Coalition, CND, The Drone Campaign Network and War on Want are taking part in the mass rally outside RAF Waddington.

The RAF began remotely operating its Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles deployed to Afghanistan from the Lincolnshire airbase earlier this week.

Previously operated from a US Air Force base in Nevada, the aircraft are used to support coalition ground forces in Afghanistan.

Drone missions over Afghanistan from British soil began this week

The hi-tech Reaper drones are primarily used to gather intelligence on enemy activity on the ground, but they also carry 500lb bombs and Hellfire missiles for precision strikes on insurgents.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the RAF said it had commenced supporting the International Security Assistance Force and Afghan ground troops with "armed intelligence and surveillance missions" remotely piloted from RAF Waddington.

The organisers of the protest march and rally are calling on the Government to abandon the use of drones, claiming they make it easier for politicians to launch military interventions, and have increased civilian casualties.

Commenting ahead of the protest, War on Want senior campaigns officer Rafeef Ziadah said: "Drones, controlled far away from conflict zones, ease politicians' decisions to launch military strikes and order extrajudicial assassinations, without democratic oversight or accountability to the public.

"Now is the time to ban killer drones - before it is too late."

Remote pilots can operate the drones and fire missiles

Chris Nineham, vice-chairman of the Stop the War Coalition, claimed drones were being used to continue the "deeply unpopular War on Terror" with no public scrutiny.

Calling for armed drones to be banned, Mr Nineham said: "They're using them to fight wars behind our backs."

The Ministry of Defence has defended its use of drones in Afghanistan, which it says have saved the lives of countless military personnel and civilians.

An MoD spokesman said: "UK Reaper aircraft are piloted by highly trained professional military pilots who adhere strictly to the same laws of armed conflict and are bound by the same clearly defined rules of engagement which apply to traditionally manned RAF aircraft."

Lincolnshire Police have held talks with the organisers of the protest to minimise disruption to the local community.

The route of the march from South Common along the A15 to the peace camp site opposite RAF Waddington will see the road closed in phases to limit inconvenience to drivers.

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Late Tax Returns Mean HMRC Fines For Many

By Pete Norman, Sky News Online

More than half a million taxpayers are set to be hit with daily fines after failing to file their tax returns, Sky News has learned.

An estimated 650,000 to 850,000 self-assessment taxpayers still have not given HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) annual returns for the 2011-12 financial year.

The Tax Office cut-off date for the returns was January 31.

HMRC sent out automatic £100 penalties to around 850,000 people by February 20, boosting tax coffers by some £85m.

The defaulting taxpayers were then given three months to file their accounts.

However, it is believed that hundreds of thousands have still to complete their forms.

On May 1, three months after the January deadline, a new daily fine will be levied on those who have not processed the form.

In addition to the earlier £100 penalty they will be hit with the daily £10 fine, up to a maximum of £900.

An HMRC spokesman told Sky News: "Anyone who hasn't yet sent their 2011-12 tax return to HMRC will have already incurred a £100 late-filing penalty.

"Non-filers have to file to avoid further penalties or contact us to ask to be taken out of self-assessment, and provided they meet the criteria, we will take them out of SA and cull any penalties incurred."

Those who allow the filing delay to extend beyond six months are handed another £300 fine or 5% of the tax due, whichever is higher.

HMRC is then entitled to give those who fail to file within 12 months a tax demand up to 100% of the tax due instead.

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M62 Crash: Hen Party Minibus Victim Named

A woman who died when a minibus collided with a lorry on the M62 has been named as 18-year-old Bethany Jones.

Ms Jones, from Pontefract, died at the scene of the crash about 11.30am on Friday.

On Saturday her family released a statement saying that she would never be forgotten.

"Beth was a fun and bubbly girl who was caring and considerate to everyone she met. She was the apple of her grandad's eye and she will never be forgotten and sadly missed by everyone."

Her uncle, Anthony Jones, posted a message on Facebook in the wake of his niece's death.

The minibus collied with a Farmfoods lorry on the westbound carriage

"Thanking everyone on Facebook for there thoughts sympathy and condolences for the tragic of my niece Bethany Jones rip beth uncle tomy and family and all that new you god bless angle xxx xxx xxx".

Twenty-one people remain in hospital after the collision, which occurred as the minibus travelled to Liverpool for a hen party.

Among the injured is the bride-to-be, who has been named locally as Stefanie Firth.

Seven of those wounded in the collision are suffering serious injuries.

Also among those injured is Ashleigh Warner, who posted a photograph on Facebook with Ms Firth.

Ms Jones, from Pontefract, died at the scene of the crash

Before the accident, Ms Firth's friends had posted excited comments about the upcoming hen-do.

On Friday morning, Ms Warner wrote on Facebook: "Jumping on the Liverpool status bandwagon ......... Cos I'm sooooooo excited had my tshirt on since 8 this morning:))) hope Stefanie Firth has the best time xxxx".

The group had set off from South Elmsall, near Pontefract, West Yorkshire, when their vehicle collided with a Farmfoods lorry at junction 32 of the westbound carriage of the M62.

The driver of the lorry, a local man, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving but has since been released on bail.

In total 21 of the women were injured in the crash, which left the minibus on its side across a carriageway and luggage strewn across the motorway.

The collision occurred on Junction 32 of the M62

Six air ambulances were called to the scene, and four took casualties to hospitals nearby.

Firefighters called the crash "the worst they had seen in a number of years", Dave Walton, assistant chief fire officer at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said.

One patient, a woman in her 40s, suffered suspected serious chest injuries and was anaesthetised before being transported, while another was airlifted to hospital also with chest injuries.

Doncaster firefighter John Nichol was passing the scene of the accident as a passenger in his father's car.

Mr Nichol said: "I got out to see if I could help, and realised there was only me there.

"First I saw a lady at the back of the minibus and realised her leg was severely broken. Then I put my head through the roof and just saw a mass of bodies.

"I think there were 11 or 12 in there, with various injuries, and around five people were out of the vehicle, hobbling around.

"I tried to calm people down and, although a bystander had called 999, I called them back to say this was a major incident and that several resources and air ambulances would be needed."

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Syria Chemical Weapons 'May Have Been Used'

David Cameron has said there is growing evidence of the use of chemical weapons by Bashar al Assad's regime, condemning reported attacks as a "war crime".

However, he said that the latest developments did not mean that Britain would send troops in to Syria but urged for more pressure to be put on the Assad regime.

His comments came as footage emerged of victims of an apparent sarin attack in the city of Aleppo.

The video, which was taken in a hospital and shows men and women frothing at the mouth and twitching from the effects of the nerve agent, was posted online just over a week ago.

The images were recorded at the medical facility in Afrin, about an hour's drive from the city of Aleppo, where the alleged sarin attacks by the Bashar al Assad regime were carried out.

Dr Kawa Hassan, an orthopaedic surgeon who treated the first casualties, told Anthony Lloyd, a journalist for The Times who travelled to the medical facility: "We received an initial five casualties, then a second group.

The US says the Assad regime is likely to be behind any chemical weapon use

"Many were foaming at the mouth and their pupils were dilated. Then some of my medical staff started to become affected, too. We gave them all atropine. For most, it had an immediate positive effect."

Mr Cameron told BBC Breakfast: "It is very disturbing what we are seeing. It's limited evidence but there's growing evidence that we have seen too of the use of chemical weapons, probably by the regime.

"It is extremely serious, this is a war crime, and we should take it very seriously."

He said that it was now essential to gather further evidence and for Britain to work with the international community to put pressure on the Assad regime.

He added: "But this is extremely serious, and I think what President Obama said was absolutely right - that this should form for the international community a red line for us to do more.

Vials of sarin found in Iraq in 2004

Syrian officials denied the government has used chemical weapons against rebel forces.

Sharif Shehadeh called the US claims "lies" and likened them to false accusations that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction.

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel announced during a trip to Abu Dhabi yesterday that evidence of chemical weapons use had been found.

His comments were backed by the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, who said the Syrian regime had carried out two small-scale chemical weapons attacks.

Mr Kerry made the claim as he left a Congressional hearing, but did not give further details.

The White House said forces loyal to Assad probably used sarin gas against rebel fighters on a "small scale", but emphasised more assessments were needed.

Victims of the alleged attacks in Aleppo were treated at an Afrin hospital

Barack Obama has repeatedly said that any use of chemical weapons would be cross a "red line", triggering possible military action.

He is expected to discuss the matter when he meets King Abdullah II of Jordan later today.

The latest disclosures by those in his administration have led to calls for tough action including enforcing a no fly zone and creating safe zones inside the country.

Speaking yesterday, a White House official said if it was determined that line had been crossed, the US would consult with its allies on the next step - and "all options are on the table".

The official said the Assad regime is believed to have chemical weapons, and any use of them in the country would probably have been carried out by government forces.

Miguel E Rodriguez, assistant to the president and director of the Office of Legislative Affairs, revealed the claims in a letter to senators John McCain and Carl Levin.

The aftermath of an airstrike in Aleppo earlier this month

"Our intelligence community does assess with varying degrees of confidence that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale in Syria, specifically the chemical agent sarin," he said.

A senior defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press the letter was not an "automatic trigger" for policy decisions on the use of military force.

Senator McCain told Sky News: "The problem is that the president has consistently said that's a red line, so the question is, will the president act in a way that I have advocated for a long time?

"(This involves) providing a safe zone for the Syrian resistance, provide proper weapons and have operational capability to secure these chemical weapon caches."

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon announced earlier this month that he had a team of 15 inspectors on stand-by in Cyprus ready to go and investigate allegations of chemical weapons us.

Today his spokesman Martin Nesirky said: "The Secretary-General has consistently urged the Syrian authorities to provide full and unfettered access to the team. He renews this urgent call today.

"The fact-finding team is on stand-by and ready to deploy in 24-48 hours."

Sarin is a colourless and odourless liquid, and is an extremely potent nerve agent.

It is classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the UN, and the production and stockpiling of sarin was outlawed by the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993.

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Video Shows Fireball Bursting Out Of Pavement

A huge fireball has burst from a pavement on a busy street narrowly missing a passer-by standing just yards from the blast.

The dramatic explosion was said to have shaken nearby buildings and left a gaping crater at the side of the road.

Video footage of the blast shows one astonished bystander running from the scene as flames shoot from the ground.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said it was investigating the explosion which happened on Pimlico Road in central London on Thursday morning.

Cables at that spot carry up to 11,000 volts.

Nearly 2,000 people in the area saw their power interrupted following the explosion.

"We are aware of this and we are making inquiries into what happened," an HSE spokesman said.

A spokesman for UK Power Networks, which maintains the electricity distribution network in the region, said: "At 10.25am yesterday a fault on our underground electricity network in Pimlico Road interrupted power supplies to 1,867 customers.

"UK Power Networks engineers rerouted supplies to 861 customers within 10 minutes and all supplies were reconnected by 1.55pm.

"Safety is our top priority and the cause of this incident is being investigated.

"We apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused by the power cut and our staff restored all supplies as quickly as safely possible."

A National Grid spokesman said the explosion was not gas-related.

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M62 Crash: Hen Party Minibus Collision

A minibus carrying a group of women to a hen night has been involved in a motorway crash with a lorry leaving 17 injured and one dead.

Firefighters, paramedics and at least six air ambulances attended the scene of the collision on the M62 in Pontefract, West Yorkshire.

A number of casualties remained trapped in the wreckage of the minibus but have now been freed.

The collision happened on the M62 westbound, near junction 32. Yorkshire Ambulance said there were at least 17 injuries, some serious.

Some of the injured remained trapped in the minibus

Police said the accident had left the motorway closed in both directions and advised motorists to avoid the area.

One man - believed to be the driver of the lorry - has been arrested. The women in the minibus are believed to be from the local area.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Dave Walton said that firefighters had remarked that the crash was "the worst they had seen in a number of years".

Picture by driver Leon Butler

"The crews that arrived described to me a very difficult scene, some of them saying it was the worst they'd seen in a number of years and some very experienced fire officers have been attending this scene.

"However, they very quickly got to work and brought in a range of equipment including cutting and lifting equipment to effect as quick a rescue as we could of those casualties who were still in the vehicle."

Speaking at the scene Chief Inspector Mark Bownass, head of West Yorkshire Police's roads policing unit, said: "We believe the minibus at this time was heading to a hen party in Liverpool."

Map shows the scene of the crash

He said the casualties had been taken to numerous local hospitals.

Assistant Chief Constable Craig Guildford of West Yorkshire Police, added: "Anyone who is concerned about a family member or who has witnessed the collision itself is asked to contact West Yorkshire Police on 101 for information."

A spokeswoman for Yorkshire Ambulance said the alarm was raised at just after 11.30am this morning.

"Due to the scale of the incident we have enacted our major incident plan and dispatched a number of resources to the scene including ambulances, our hazardous area response team, doctors and air ambulance," the spokesman said.

The injured were taken to hospitals including Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield and Leeds General Infirmary.

One man who was stuck in traffic on the motorway tweeted: "Nine ambulances 4 fire engines and god knows how many police cars have gone past."

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'Bulger Killers Photos': Two Men Spared Jail

Two men have been sentenced for publishing photographs on the internet said to show James Bulger's killers as adults.

Social media users Neil Harkins, 35, and Dean Liddle, 28, were given nine-month jail terms, suspended for 15 months.

In February this year, two days after the 20th anniversary of the toddler's murder, they put photos on Facebook and Twitter respectively, which purported to depict Jon Venables and Robert Thompson as adults.

Venables and Thompson were aged 10 when they killed two-year-old James in Bootle, Merseyside in 1993.

Liddle and Harkins admitted breaching a January 2001 injunction, that was binding on the whole world and imposed before Venables and Thompson were released and given new identities in June that year.

The injunction prohibits the solicitation or publication of any information purporting to identify their physical appearance, whereabouts, movements or new identities.

James Bulger was killed by Venables and Thompson

Sir John Thomas, President of the Queen's Bench Division, and Mr Justice Tugendhat said Liddle, of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, and Harkins, of Bridlington, East Yorkshire, knew what they were doing was wrong and it was no excuse that others were doing it.

Sir John said that the court would consider a custodial sentence, not only to punish but also to deter others, but would take the exceptional course of suspending it in this case.

He warned there was very little prospect of an offender avoiding a very substantial and immediate custodial sentence if there was any similar publication in future.

Sir John said Harkins, a house husband, and graphic designer Liddle had both removed the offending pictures very quickly and apologised.

He added that a fine would be wholly inappropriate to the gravity of what was a serious contempt and an unprecedented case.

He also said the penalty had to make clear the determination of the court to protect the potentially numerous people at risk and the importance of upholding the rule of law.

The judges had heard Harkins had 141 friends on Facebook and his post had been shared 20,000 times. The father-of-three accepted he had been extremely foolish and had shown genuine remorse.

Attorney General Dominic Grieve

Liddle, who had 915 followers on Twitter, undertook various charitable activities, the court was told, and an immediate custodial sentence would have major consequences for his profoundly deaf son.

Harkins said "no comment" as he left the Royal Courts of Justice. Liddle said: "I am just going to go home and see my son."

The action against the two defendants was brought by Attorney General Dominic Grieve.

He said the public interest required the injunction's enforcement to mitigate the "very real risk of serious physical harm or death" to anyone who might be identified, whether correctly or incorrectly, as being either of the killers.

After the ruling, Mr Grieve said: "An internet posting takes seconds but can have major consequences.

"These people were fully aware that there is an injunction in place which prevents publication of any images or information claiming to identify anyone as Jon Venables or Robert Thompson, yet they carried on.

"It has been in place for many years and applies to both media organisations and individuals.

"It is irrelevant whether the postings in this case were of who they claimed to be.

"The order is meant not only to protect Venables and Thompson but also those members of the public who have been incorrectly identified as being either of them."

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Dhaka Factory: '40 Pulled Alive From Rubble'

Dozens of people have been found alive in one room of a collapsed factory block in Bangladesh, TV reports are saying.

Loud cheers broke out among the crowd of thousands of people massing at the scene near the country's capital Dhaka when the news broke.

First reports put the number rescued at 40 but another spokesman later said it was 24.

The death toll has reached 250 after Wednesday's disaster at the factory which supplied several British store chains including Primark.

The rescue came as it was reported that the owner of one of the garment factories which ignored order to stop working had fled.

Around 3,000 worked in the building and at least 1,000 are said to have been injured.

Army Brigadier General Mohammed Siddiqul Alam Shikder said late on Thursday that hundreds more people may still trapped in the building.

Thousands waited below the building for news of loved-ones

Screams were heard coming through the cracks in the concrete suggesting more survivors were awaiting help.

Throughout the day on Thursday a steady stream of bodies had been pulled out forcing the recorded death toll to almost double.

Earlier it emerged that officers ordered the building to be evacuated the day before it collapsed but clothing factories that worked there continued operating, ignoring police instructions.

The order was made after deep cracks became visible on Tuesday.

Managers of a bank that also had an office in the building, evacuated their workers and suspended their operations.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association had also asked the factories to suspend work starting on Wednesday morning, just hours before the building fell.

"After we got the crack reports, we asked them to suspend work until further examination, but they did not pay heed," said Atiqul Islam, the group's president.

Survivors described hearing a loud crack just before the eight-storey building collapsed, with each level pancaking on top of those below.

Rescuers are having to cut through concrete and steel to reach victims

The building, in Savar on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka, housed at least four factories producing clothes for leading Western retailers.

The high street giant Primark has confirmed that one of its suppliers occupied the second floor of the building.

In a statement released on the company's website, a Primark spokesman said: "The company is shocked and deeply saddened by this appalling incident at Savar, near Dhaka, and expresses its condolences to all of those involved."

Tens of thousands of people have gathered at the site, weeping and searching for family members.

Bangladesh's prime minister vowed that the garment factory owner who fled would be tracked down and punished.

"Those who're involved, especially the owner who forced the workers to work there, will be punished," Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told members of Bangladesh's parliament.

"Wherever he is, he will be found and brought to justice," she added.

Elsewhere in Bangladesh, hundreds of thousands of workers walked out of their factories in solidarity with their dead colleagues.

Some workers' leaders attacked western firms, who they accused of turning "a blind eye" while using Bangladeshis as "money-making machines".

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Justin Bieber: 'Drugs And Stun Gun On Tour Bus'

Drugs and a stun gun have been found on board Justin Bieber's tour bus, Swedish police say.

An officer on crowd duty smelled marijuana from the empty vehicle outside the Stockholm hotel where the pop star was staying just before his concert in the capital on Wednesday night, police spokesman Varg Jyllander told Sky News.

He said drugs police were alerted and followed the bus to the venue before searching the empty vehicle after around 10 passengers - including Bieber - had entered the arena.

Mr Jyllander said: "They found a small amount of drugs and a stun gun.

"Now the drugs are sent over to the forensics lab and before we have the analysis results we won't (comment further). It was a short search for around half an hour.

Bieber during a recent concert in Norway's capital, Oslo

"There is no suspect at the moment. The crew left and took the bus, but the investigation is still going on.

"It was a small stun gun and in this country you need a permit to carry one or have one and they hadn't."

He said testing the drugs was "not a high priority" and that it could be some days before the results are known. Mr Jyllander added that the singer and his entourage were free to leave the country.

Bieber is travelling around Europe on his 'Believe' tour and is due in Finland for a concert on Friday.

It is the star's latest in a series of brushes with controversy during the tour.

He was criticised earlier this month after a museum dedicated to famous Holocaust victim Anne Frank said the 19-year-old had written that he hoped the young Holocaust victim would have been a 'belieber' - the word used by his fans to describe themselves.

In March, the Canadian singer had a 17-week-old capuchin monkey - known as Mally - seized in Germany after he failed to produce the correct paperwork.

He was also pictured walking bare-chested through customs in Poland and was reportedly asked to leave a top hotel in Paris.

The star also apologised for appearing on stage late during a run of shows in London - and was caught on camera "struggling" during another concert.

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Boston Suspects' Mother: US Took My Kids

The mother of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects has said she does not believe her sons carried out the attack and were framed by the authorities.

Zubeidat Tsarnaeva said she regretted moving to the United States and claimed "America took my kids away from me".

An emotional Mrs Tsarnaeva said she was told her she could not see her 19-year-old son Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who is in hospital where US officials said he is being questioned by investigators.

She said: "They already told us that they are never going to show us Dzhokhar even if we come there, until he will be put into their jail we wouldn't be able to see him."

She said her sons were "nice boys" who "loved each other", and said they had been happy in America and had plenty of friends.

Mrs Tsarnaeva said the family had moved to the US because she thought "America was going to protect us".

Family photographs of brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev

She said Dzhokhar's lawyers had said that investigators had not started to question her son because he was not well enough.

She said she had been told he had a "really bad wound to his right neck" which meant he could not eat and was being fed by a tube.

Reports in the US have claimed the teenager suffered a self-inflicted throat injury during a shoot-out and subsequent stand-off with the police.

According to US officials, he said his brother Tamerlan, 26, who died in a gunfight with police, recruited him to take part in the attacks only recently.

Mrs Tsarnaeva being questioned by reporters in Dagestan

However, both Mrs Tsarnaeva and her husband Anzor Tsarnaev said there was no way their sons were responsible for the attack which killed three people, including an eight-year-old boy, and injured more than 180 others.

She said her sons were victims of a conspiracy and had been framed. She claimed she had seen a video of Tamerlan being arrested and was later shown pictures of him alive.

Mrs Tsarnaeva said she had spoken to her son after the bombings and before he was killed in the police shoot-out during which he told her "Don't worry mamma" and tried to reassure her he was safe.

Tamerlan during a boxing match in 2009

Mr Tsarnaev told reporters: "I am going to the United States. I want to say that I am going there to see my son, to bury the older one. I don't have any bad intentions. I don't plan to blow up anything."

Banging the table as he spoke, he said: "I am not angry at anyone. I want to go find out the truth."

Mrs Tsarnaeva said she was not sure whether she would accompany her husband. She was charged with shoplifting in the US last summer and is concerned she could be arrested.

They were speaking as it emerged that Tamerlan's name had been included on a database of suspected terrorists by the CIA in 2011, 18 months before the attacks.

He was investigated after Russia's FSB security service raised concerns that he had become a follower of Russian Islam.

Dzhokhar graduating from Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School in Boston

Mrs Tsarnaeva said she did not believe that Russia had raised concerns over her son with the US authorities.

The press conference came as Russian President Vladimir Putin gave his annual question-and-answer session during which he said the Boston bombings showed the need for closer cooperation between Moscow and Washington.

He said: "We always have said that we shouldn't limit ourselves to declarations about terrorism being a common threat and engage in closer cooperation.

"Now these two criminals have proven the correctness of our thesis."

Mr Putin also criticised the West for refusing to declare Chechen militants terrorists and offering them political assistance in the past.

He said: "I always felt indignation when our Western partners and Western media were referring to terrorists who conducted brutal and bloody crimes on the territory of Russia as rebels."

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Thatcher Funeral Cost Revealed By Number 10

Baroness Thatcher's funeral cost the taxpayer an estimated £3.6m, Downing Street has confirmed.

Several thousand invited mourners attended the funeral at St Paul's Cathedral, including dignitaries from around the world and all Lady Thatcher's prime ministerial successors.

The Queen attended and her presence effectively raised it to a state event.

It was the first time the monarch had attended the funeral service of a former prime minister since Sir Winston Churchill's state ceremony in 1965.

No 10 confirmed that Lady Thatcher's family would be making a contribution to the overall cost, including covering the costs of the undertakers and the flowers.

The amount revealed by the Government includes some £2m "opportunity costs" for police who would have been on other duties on the day.

Ceremonial costs, including the service at St Paul's, the reception at the Mansion House and the printing and circulation of invitations, came to around £500,000.

An estimated £1.1m went on providing additional security and policing.

The final costs will published in due course, although the Prime Minister's spokesman said he expected they would be close to the estimated totals.

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Bangladesh: Dozens Dead After Building Fall

At least 70 people have died after an eight-storey building collapsed on the outskirts of Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka.

Another 700 are reported to have been injured in the building's collapse which involved several garment factories.

"The toll will rise as conditions of some injured were critical," said Hiralal Roy, a senior emergency ward doctor at the nearby Enam hospital.

Tens of thousands of people gathered at the site, some of them weeping survivors, some searching for family members, with 1,000 people still reported to be trapped inside the building.

Clothing factories are usually staffed 24 hours a day.

Firefighters and soldiers using drilling machines and cranes worked together with local volunteers in the search for other survivors from the building, which fell into itself, leaving it about two storeys tall.

Hundreds of factory workers were trapped inside the building

Some workers complained that the building had developed cracks on Tuesday evening, triggering an evacuation, but they had been forced back to the production lines by their managers.

"The managers forced us to rejoin and just one hour after we entered the factory the building collapsed with a huge noise," said a 24-year-old worker who gave her first name as Mousumi.

"I am injured. But I've not found my husband who was working on the fourth floor," she said, estimating that 5,000 people worked inside the building, which also housed apartments, a bank and shops.

Thousands gathered on the streets where the building collapsed

The collapse stirred memories of a fatal fire in a clothing factory in November that killed 112 people and raised an outcry about safety in the nation's garment industry.

That fire at the Tazreen factory drew international attention to the conditions workers toil under in the $20bn-a-year (£13bn) textile industry in Bangladesh.

The country has about 4,000 garment factories and exports clothes to leading Western retailers - the industry wields vast power in the South Asian nation.

Tazreen did not have emergency exits and its owner said only three floors of the eight-story building were legally built.

Surviving employees said gates had been locked and managers had told them to go back to work after the fire alarm went off.

The factory made clothes for Wal-Mart, Disney and other Western brands.

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Motorist Admits Killing Couple On Tandem

By Isabel Webster, West Of England Correspondent

A driver has admitted killing a couple after mowing them down in his car as they rode their tandem.

Nicholas Lovell entered guilty pleas to causing the deaths of Ross Simons, 34, and his wife Clare, 30, in a crash in Hanham, near Bristol, on January 27 this year.

Lovell fled the scene of the crash, leaving his partner Louise Cox to give a false account of who was driving the vehicle to the officers.

Louise Cox owns the car driven by Lovell

He handed himself into police hours after the collision and was arrested.

The 38-year-old pleaded guilty at Bristol Crown Court to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one of driving while disqualified.

He spoke only to confirm his name and enter the guilty pleas during the 10-minute hearing.

Ross and Clare Simons died less than 24 hours after celebrating the news that they could undergo fertility treatment to start a family.

Friends described them as "two peas in a pod" and "the perfect couple".

Cox, who owns the Citroen Picasso driven by Lovell, has pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.

The 35-year-old from Bristol admitted providing police with a false name and description when she was asked to identify who had been driving her car.

The judge remanded Lovell in custody while Cox was released on police bail.

They will be sentenced on May 22.

Tributes left at the scene in Hanham

Detective Chief Inspector Rachel Williams, of Avon and Somerset Police, said: "The pleas entered today by both Nicholas Lovell and Louise Cox reflect that both have taken some responsibility for the deaths of Ross and Clare.

"While these pleas will never bring Ross and Clare back, I hope they go some way to providing comfort for their families."

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Qatada Fight Could Last 'Many Months' - May

May Survives A Commons Grilling

Updated: 3:42pm UK, Wednesday 24 April 2013

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Theresa May is not known for her rib-tickling sense of humour, and the battle to deport hate preacher Abu Qatada has been no laughing matter for the Home Secretary.

In recent months, those MPs talking up her Tory leadership prospects have spoken of her ice maiden qualities and compared her to Germany's "iron Chancellor" Angela Merkel.

But during what was always going to be an awkward appearance in the Commons explaining the latest setback in her attempts to deport Qatada, she mercilessly lampooned one of her Tory critics.

Slapping down a rather pompous intervention from Eurosceptic backbencher Mark Reckless, she told him: "Urging the Government to break the law is, if I may say so, a reckless step!"

The tall, balding Reckless - who bears a passing resemblance to the late Carry On film actor Bernard Bresslaw - was not at all amused and later complained to Speaker John Bercow about "personal abuse".

In the 45-minute grilling by MPs, the typically unflappable Mrs May was forced time and again to tell Conservative MPs she was not going to break the law to put Qatada on a plane to Jordan.

Behind the tall figure of Reckless sat the feisty, fizzing figure of Nadine Dorries, still suspended over her "I'm a Celebrity" jungle jaunt.

"Just do it", she kept shouting at the Home Secretary from what the Speaker calls "a sedentary position".

When she was called to speak, Nadine demanded to know "what is the worst possible thing that could happen to us if we did just put Abu Qatada on a plane.

"If it is a fine or displeasing of the court of the ECHR, would it not be better for us to withdraw temporarily so we could do that, put him on a plane, and then re-join again?," she asked.

Mrs May replied rather wearily that Nadine had raised this many times and said: "The answer I give is the same as I have given in the past - I believe the UK Government should abide by the rule of law."

She was forced to repeat that many times, adding later that the Government could end up having to bring Qatada back to the UK and compensate him for acting illegally.

But considering that many of her critics believe she and her Home Office officials have bungled the legal process, the Home Secretary survived her Commons interrogation relatively unscathed and lives to fight another day … and another Tory leadership election.

How she must regret, however, telling MPs a year ago: "I believe that the assurances and the information that we have gathered will mean that we can soon put Qatada on a plane and get him out of our country for good."

Whoops!

But clearly anticipating criticism of her handling of the case, Mrs May came to the Commons armed with a weighty announcement about a new treaty with Jordan, which seemed rather to disarm her critics.

She was fairly restrained, too, in response to Tory calls to rip up Labour's human rights laws and withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights.

"We should have all options, including leaving the convention altogether on the table," she said. "The Prime Minister is looking at all options and that is the only sensible thing to do."

In other words, this will be in the Tory manifesto at the next election, but is a non-runner while the Conservatives are in coalition with those pesky Liberal Democrats.

The Prime Minister is said to have declared the current impasse over Qatada makes his "blood boil".

I doubt if the ice-cool Theresa's blood has ever boiled. The Government must operate within the law or change the law, she kept repeating, calmly.

She was cool, too, to the suggestion by Labour veteran David Winnick, a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee, to put Qatada on trial in the UK.

Prosecutions were not a matter for the Home Secretary, she said icily.

But while she would not admit it to MPs, Theresa May is running out of options now.

As Labour's Yvette Cooper put it, she's almost "back to square one".

And the chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Keith Vaz, said the legal battle had become "a farce".

Both of these are true.

After her rather premature "on a plane" boast a year ago, Theresa May is making no such claims now, warning MPs the process could still be a long, slow one because Qatada will appeal against every move.

She might also, considering her own Tory leadership ambitions, think twice before offending her more "reckless" backbenchers until the radical cleric really is on his way home.

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Luis Suarez Bite: 10-Game Ban For Striker

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has received a 10-game ban for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic during a game.

The player's club immediately released a statement saying it was "shocked and disappointed at the severity" of the Football Association's punishment, decided by an independent regulatory commission.

An FA statement said: "A three-person independent regulatory commission today upheld the FA's claim that a suspension of three matches was clearly insufficient and the player will serve a further seven first-team matches in addition to the standard three.

"The suspension begins with immediate effect."

Suarez has until midday on Friday to appeal the additional suspension.

Liverpool's managing director Ian Ayre said in a statement: "Both the club and player are shocked and disappointed at the severity of today's Independent Regulatory Commission decision.

"We await the written reasons tomorrow before making any further comment."

Suarez was banned in 2011 for racist insults he directed at Patrice Evra

The 26-year-old had issued statements apologising to Ivanovic in the wake of the 2-2 draw at Liverpool's Anfield. The incident was missed by referee Kevin Friend but could be seen clearly on television replays.

Suarez was banned for seven matches in 2010 for biting PSV Eindhoven player Otman Bakkal while playing for Ajax in the Dutch league.

He was also suspended for eight games in December 2011 for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra during a match.

The player has been repeatedly accused of diving to win penalties and free kicks, and was criticised after scoring a goal despite a blatant handball in an FA Cup tie this season against minor league Mansfield Town.

His reputation was first damaged when he was sent off for a deliberate handball to prevent Ghana from scoring a late goal in a World Cup quarter final match in 2010.

He was seen celebrating on the sideline when Ghana missed the spot kick and Uruguay advanced in a shootout.

There is no standard minimum or maximum punishment for biting in football's disciplinary code, unlike rugby union which has a 12-week recommended suspension for first offences and up to a four-year ban for the most serious biting offences.

Suarez was criticised for using his hand before scoring against Mansfield

Liverpool moved quickly to deal with the latest crisis surrounding their star striker and imposed a club fine which is being donated to the Hillsborough families' support group.

Suarez remains among the favourites for the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year award, which will be announced on Sunday.

Many commentators have suggested the player, who is Liverpool's lead scorer with 23 league goals this season, will leave English football in the summer following his latest controversy.

Liverpool are facing their fourth season outside the Champions League and the player recently said: "I am very happy at Liverpool but you never know in football.

"A player's ambition is always there, the ambition of wanting to play in elite teams is always there.

"If another team comes around with more prospects of competing in international club competition games, which is willing to have me, they are welcome."

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Abandoned Baby Alia Was Alive When Born

A newborn baby found abandoned by dog walkers was not stillborn, police have revealed.

Detectives believe the girl, given the name Alia, lived for a short period of time after her birth.

They have released images of items which were recovered along with her body in the hope of tracing her parents.

The child was discovered shortly before 4.55pm on Thursday March 14 in Ox Hey Lane, Lostock, near Bolton, by a man and woman out walking their dog.

The cotton trousers found at the scene

She had been wrapped in clothing and placed inside a plastic bag, and there was a message requesting that she receive an Islamic burial.

Following discussions with the Bolton Council of Mosques, detectives named her Alia, meaning beautiful.

A specialist neonatologist has established that she was born alive and lived independently of her mother for up to two hours.

However, the cause of her death has yet to be established, as does her ethnicity.

Three items recovered along with her body included a Tesco bag, with the words "Please please bury him Islamic way please please" written on it in English

It is believed baby Alia was wrapped in a white shirt and cotton trousers and placed in this bag, which was in turn placed in a JD Sports bag.

A pair of three-quarter length, paint-stained cotton trousers were also found at the scene.

Detective Inspector Aaron Duggan, from Greater Manchester Police, said: "Despite the passage of time, our primary concern still remains the welfare of baby Alia's parents, in particular her mother.

"She was found almost six weeks ago and we still need to make sure both mum and dad are OK, both physically and mentally.

The JD Sports bag in which the Tesco bag was placed

"This will have been a traumatic experience for them, particularly if they are young."

DI Duggan added: "What we don't know, and what we are trying to establish, is how, where and when she died and when she was placed at Ox Hey Lane and by whom.

"I want people to think about someone that perhaps they knew or suspected was, up until recently, pregnant and, coupled with these images, now think they know who the mother or father is and to call us in confidence.

"I want to appeal to the parents directly to come forward, to talk to us and explain what happened to their daughter. I want to reassure them that specialist help is still available if required."

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 5448, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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Becky Godden Murder: Mother's Plea To Killer

A mother whose daughter was murdered has pleaded with the man who led police to her daughter's remains to "come clean".

Karen Edwards urged taxi driver Christopher Halliwell to confess to killing Rebecca Godden, who was known as Becky.

Halliwell, 49, is serving life imprisonment after admitting murdering Swindon office worker Sian O'Callaghan, 22.

A narrative verdict was recorded at an inquest into Miss Godden's death on Tuesday.

Oxfordshire Coroner Darren Salter said it was likely that she had died an "unnatural and violent" death due to an "unlawful act of a third party".

Miss Godden, 20, who turned to prostitution after becoming addicted to heroin, was murdered and buried in a shallow grave on farmland in a Cotswold beauty spot.

Pathologists were unable to ascertain the cause of death due to the length of time between the body being buried and it being found.

The family of Miss Godden listened to detailed post-mortem reports about the state of her decomposed body. Her mother, Karen Edwards, cried as the court heard that her skull, arms and parts of her feet were missing. They have never been found.

Halliwell admitted her murder but was not charged because he had not been cautioned by the police.

Halliwell pleaded guilty to the murder of Sian O'Callaghan

Speaking after the inquest, Mrs Edwards appealed directly to the father-of-three.

"I feel that, as her mum, I will get to the root of this even if it's with the last breath in my body; I will get a conviction of some description," she said, fighting back tears.

"And I'd also like to appeal to Christopher Halliwell - this is your chance now. Come clean, please, please, what have you got to lose?

"My personal opinion, I don't think he's ever going to come out, so why not put everyone out of their misery?"

Mrs Edwards said: "What I would like to do today is appeal to anybody out there who knows anything at all - any tiny, tiny, little bit of evidence - anything that may help to convict Becky's murderer.

"Any tiny little thing and I would be eternally grateful... just please get in touch with the police.

"This is still very much an open murder investigation. The police are working very, very hard behind the scenes and I would like to think that I am working with them.

"I want Becky's murderer found and I want a conviction."

The inquest heard that the last positive sighting of Miss Godden, then aged 20, was by a police officer on December 27, 2002, in the Manchester Road area of Swindon.

Her family did not know where she was and thought she was living in the Bristol area.

It was not until police knocked on their door on what would have been her 29th birthday - April 4, 2011 - that they discovered the horrific truth.

She had broken off contact with her family after saying she could not put her mother through the pain of watching her succumb to drugs.

Her family had previously paid for private rehabilitation treatment in an effort to help her "get clean".

Detectives had been led to the field in Eastleach, Gloucestershire, by Halliwell in March 2011.

He had confessed to killing Miss Godden and Miss O'Callaghan, taking Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher to where he hid their bodies.

But Mr Fulcher's failure to follow the rules meant the murder charge in Miss Godden's case had to be dropped.

The hearing also heard that the police investigation remains open and officers are determined to bring Miss Godden's murderer to justice.

Detective sergeant Peter Ritson said police were working on the basis that Miss Godden died in either December 2002 or early 2003. He added that there was no known location for her death.

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Qatada: New Court Blow For Theresa May

Court of Appeal judges have rejected the Government's bid to take their fight to deport Abu Qatada to the Supreme Court.

The ruling is the latest blow to Home Secretary Theresa May, who is battling to send the radical cleric back to Jordan to face terror charges.

Now the only avenue left is for the Home Office to appeal directly to the Supreme Court - which it immediately vowed to do.

A spokesman said: "We are disappointed with the Court of Appeal's decision but will now request permission to appeal directly from the Supreme Court.

"The Government remains committed to deporting this dangerous man and we continue to work with the Jordanians to address the outstanding legal issues preventing deportation."

Theresa May arriving for Cabinet on Tuesday

The normal process is to submit a permission to appeal application which would then be considered by three Supreme Court justices.

They would decide whether or not the application raised a point of law of general public importance.

The Government had been trying to launch an appeal after the Court of Appeal last month rejected the latest in a long line of attempts to deport the terror suspect.

In March, judges backed an earlier ruling by immigration judges that he could not be deported due to fears that evidence obtained through torture would be used against him.

Qatada, who featured in hate sermons found on videos in the flat of one of the 9/11 bombers, has for eight years thwarted every attempt by the Government to put him on a plane.

A resident in the UK since September 1993, he was returned to jail last month after he was arrested for alleged bail breaches.

A hearing over whether he should be granted bail again was due to be held last month, but was delayed.

Police searched Qatada's family home in London before he was held and have since said that he is being investigated over extremist material.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said Mrs May's strategy had "completely failed" and warned it could lead to Qatada being released.

"The Home Secretary must tell us urgently what she is going to do now to get Abu Qatada deported or tried, and keep him off our streets," she said.

"What is Theresa May going to do now? Is she going back to Jordan? Is she going to seek to prosecute Abu Qatada here instead? We need to know."

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Godolphin Trainer 'Sorry' Over Doping Scandal

By Paul Kelso, Sports Correspondent

British racing is facing its biggest-ever doping scandal after 11 horses at one of the country's top racing stables tested positive for anabolic steroids.

Trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni will have to attend a disciplinary hearing and faces a lengthy ban from the sport after admitting administering the drugs at the Godolphin stables in Newmarket.

The positive tests at the stables owned by Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum were revealed after spot tests on 45 horses by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).

The animals who failed included Certify, the ante-post favourite for next month's 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket, and 2012 Royal Ascot Gold Cup runner-up Opinion Poll.

Mr Al Zarooni admitted that he had administered two steroids but he claimed he did not know it was an offence to use the drugs when the horses were not racing.

In a statement, he said: "I deeply regret what has happened. I have made a catastrophic error.

"Because the horses involved were not racing at the time, I did not realise that what I was doing was in breach of the rules of racing.

"I can only apologise for the damage this will cause to Godolphin and to racing generally."

Sheikh Mohammed congratulating his jockey after winning the Dubai World Cup

The episode is deeply embarrassing for Godolphin's patron Sheikh Mohammed, who has invested hundreds of millions of pounds in British racing over the last 20 years.

His racing manager Simon Crisford said the findings marked a "dark day" for the stables.

"His Highness Sheikh Mohammed was absolutely appalled when he was told and this is completely unacceptable to him.

"We will await the outcome of the BHA inquiry before taking any further internal action.

"Sheikh Mohammed has instructed me to begin an urgent review of all of our procedures and controls. That is already underway and we will take advice from the BHA in completing it," he said.

It is highly unusual for performance-enhancing drugs to be revealed by doping tests in racing.

Most of the 25-30 positive tests revealed in an average year are for medication used in breach of the rules.

The samples were taken from the Godolphin stables in Moulton Paddocks, Newmarket, on April 9.

Seven horses were found to have ethylestranol in their system, and four the drug stanozolol, the steroid used by disgraced Olympic sprinter Ben Johnson at the Seoul Olympics.

Adam Brickell, director of integrity, legal and risk for the BHA, said: "Ethylestranol and stanozolol are anabolic steroids and therefore prohibited substances under British Rules of Racing, at any time - either in training or racing."

He added: "The horses which have produced positive tests will also not be permitted to race with immediate effect and for an extended period of time.

"As part of the ongoing process a decision will be made as to what period this suspension will be imposed for."

The National Trainers Federation's chief executive Rupert Arnold said he had been "shocked" by the test results.

"The Godolphin management, for whom Mr Al Zarooni trains, is a byword for the highest levels of professionalism, integrity and sportsmanship," he said.

"News reports so far suggest this case is an aberration and is not indicative of wider use of anabolic steroids in British horseracing.

"We fully endorse the British Horseracing Authority's testing in training regime and all efforts to prevent the use of any prohibited substance to gain an unfair advantage.

"Without wanting to diminish the seriousness of this case, in some ways it is a positive message that the presence of these substances was detected so the sport is kept clean."

The Godolphin stable was founded in 1992 and has won more than 2,000 races worldwide, with winners in 14 countries.

Mr Al Zarooni has trained a series of big-race winners since joining Sheikh Mohammed's operation three years ago.

They include the richest race in the world - the Dubai World Cup - with Monterosso last March, and then the St Leger at Doncaster with Encke in September.

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Boston Bombs: Suspects' Father Planning US Trip

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent

The father of the surviving Boston bombing suspect has said he hopes to travel to the US to help his younger son who remains in a serious condition in hospital.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, was injured in a shootout with police as he hid in a boat in a back garden before being captured.

His older brother and suspected fellow bomber Tamerlan, 26, was killed after a gun battle earlier on Friday from which Dzokhar escaped.

The younger sibling is reportedly beginning to respond in writing to questions from investigators - he is unable to speak due to a gunshot wound to the throat.

The suspects' father has insisted his sons are innocent and the attacks were orchestrated to frame them.

Speaking to Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, Anzor Tsarnaev repeated his wife's claims that his elder son was under surveillance by the FBI and accused them of staging a 'pre-planned show' to set the brothers up.

Mr Tsarnaev, who is living in the southern Russian republic of Dagestan, said he had last spoken to Tamerlan after the marathon bombings.

Anzor Tsarnaev has insisted his sons did not carry out the bombings

He said his son told him he had received a phone call informing he was a suspect, although this is disputed by the FBI.

He said: "Tamerlan told me that they suspected him. My son said it's their problem. If they suspected him, why would they speak about it openly?

"They wanted to frame Tamerlan, and Dzhokhar was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Tamerlan was taking him to school, when they started shooting at them.

"At first it was a Mercedes, now a Honda, none of this happened - it's all lies. There is not a single video confirming they were shooting the police.

"It's a set-up, a political order, a Hollywood show."

An FBI spokesman reiterated the bureau's only previous contact with Tamerlan Tsarnaev was an interview in 2011.

At that time, they were investigating a tip-off from their Russian counterparts that Tamerlan was a "follower of radical Islam" who may have been preparing to travel to Russia to join unspecified underground groups.

The FBI said it found no evidence of terrorist activity, but both of Tamerlan's parents insist he was still being watched.

Mr Tsarnaev said: "It started two years ago. They constantly kept my Tamerlan under surveillance. The FBI came and said they were taking preventative measures, so that the streets wouldn't be blown up.

"They said that they know what they eat, where they go, what they are doing.  This was a pre-planned show for the world to see."

Bombing suspects: Tamerlan (L) and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

Mr Tsarnaev acknowledged Tamerlan had become more devout in recent years, but denied he held radical Islamist views.

He said: "Tamerlan did get religious after getting married. He went to the mosque every Friday. He prayed five times a day. He was a righteous Muslim, and could not have done what he is accused of."

Mr Tsarnaev's family lived briefly in Dagestan before moving to the United States a decade ago. The father had only recently returned there.

Tamerlan last visited Russia in January 2012, ostensibly to renew his passport, but travel records show he stayed for six months.

His father said his son, who had a wife and young child, talked about moving his family to Dagestan and had seemed reluctant to return to the US.

"He didn't want to leave, he said that he wanted to bring his family over here. He didn't like it there, although he was a famous boxer in Boston.

"Tamerlan changed jobs a few times: he delivered post, he changed tyres, he was a boxing trainer and in recent months a baby-sitter - he stayed at home with his three-year-old child.

"His wife worked. She looked after disabled people."

He said of his younger son: "Dzhokhar was an 'A-grade' student at Cambridge. He worked as a lifeguard at a pool. He had big plans: to become a doctor, to open a business, to come over here.

"He said, Dad, don't worry.  I'll finish studying and come over, I'll help you."

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Paedophile Hunting Group Leads To Arrests

By Rhiannon Mills, Sky Reporter

A group of parents who aim to trap potential paedophiles by posing as teenagers online has told Sky News it is providing a valuable service.

The mothers and fathers from the Midlands have set up around 80 fake profiles on Facebook, chatrooms and dating websites pretending to be underage girls. 

They then collect information about possible sex offenders and arrange to meet them.

Instead of a teenage girl turning up, the target is confronted by a team of adults, a video camera and a dossier of the alleged offences.

Police have confirmed that four arrests have been made as a result of the video evidence gathered by the group.

They have confronted individuals in Leicestershire, Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire.

The leader of the group, known as 'Scumm Buster', told Sky News he had set up the group in January after finding out a friend had been abused as a child.

He said all the members had children and wanted to keep them safe.

He added that the group had approached police to make sure they were gathering the right kind of evidence to help prosecutions.

When asked whether their actions were counterproductive, Scumm Buster said: "We know we are ruining people's lives, but they don't seem to care that they are ruining children's lives."

But police forces have warned the activities could interfere with criminal proceedings.

In a statement, Leicestershire Police said: "The main focus of any paedophile investigation has to be the victim - protecting the victim, getting justice for the victim.

"Unfortunately, these kinds of public naming and shaming activities can actually have a negative effect on victims of child abuse.

"While we understand the strong feelings that motivate this kind of activity, it can seriously affect the chances of success in court, preventing victims from getting justice and increasing the chances of offenders walking free.

"The best thing people can do, if they have evidence of child abuse or paedophile activity, is report it to the police, Crimestoppers or the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) so that we can conduct a thorough investigation and make sure measures are put in place to ensure the safety of any potential victims."

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Boston Bomb Suspect 'Responding To Questions'

The surviving Boston marathon bomb suspect is beginning to respond to questions from investigators, reports say.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev remains in a critical but stable condition at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, where some of those wounded in the blasts are also being treated.

The 19-year-old is said to have a wound to his throat - reportedly caused by a gunshot through his mouth that exited the back of his neck - which prevents him from speaking.

But major US news networks say he is responding to questions in writing.

He is under armed guard in hospital and federal prosecutors are preparing to file criminal charges against him.

Tamerlan died in a gunfight - his wife apparently suspected nothing

Dzhokhar is also reported to have been shot in the leg during a shootout with law enforcement the night before his arrest.

His older brother and fellow suspect Tamerlan, 26, died in that gunfight.

A lawyer for Tamerlan's wife, Katherine Russell Tsarnaev, said US authorities have also asked to speak with his client.

Amato DeLuca said Mrs Russell Tsarnaev did not suspect her husband of anything, and nothing seemed amiss after the explosions.

Three people died and more than 180 others were injured in the twin blasts at the marathon, the worst bombing to take place in the US since 9/11.

Dzhokhar leaves the boat he was hiding in

One of the hospitals treating the wounded was Boston Medical Centre, which said 11 of the injured were still there, including one who was critically ill and three in a serious condition.

The Boston Red Sox, Major League Baseball and several affiliated organisations have contributed more than £400,000 to One Fund Boston, established to help people most affected by the blasts last Monday.

After Tamerlan was killed early on Friday, Dzhokhar escaped, triggering an hours-long manhunt that shut down Boston.

It ended with the teenager's capture in a boat parked in a backyard late on Friday night.

It has also emerged police chiefs believe the Tsarnaev brothers were planning further attacks.

A forensics team examines the boat on Monday

Commissioner Ed Davis said officers found a large stockpile of weapons and more than 250 rounds of ammunition at the scene of the earlier gun battle.

"They had IEDs," he said, referring to improvised explosives devices. "They had homemade hand grenades that they were throwing at the officers.

"The scene was loaded with unexploded improvised explosive devices that actually we had to point out to the arriving officers and clear the area."

He said one IED was found in a Mercedes the brothers had abandoned. "This was as dangerous as it gets in urban policing," Commissioner Davis said.

There was a manhunt for Dzhokhar, who escaped after the first gun battle

The city's residents have been asked to observe a moment of silence at 2:50pm today, exactly a week after the first of two bombs went off within seconds of each other near the marathon finish line.

A private funeral is also taking place for Krystle Campbell, a 29-year-old restaurant worker who was among the dead.

A memorial service will be held at Boston University for another victim, Lu Lingzi, 23, a graduate student from China. The youngest person to die was eight-year-old Martin Richard.

Mr Davis said federal authorities were trying to track down how and where the two suspects obtained the firearms and explosive devices.

Three people were killed in the twin bombings

The two were ethnic Chechens who had been living in the United States for a decade.

Dzhokhar became a US citizen in 2012, while his older brother's application was reportedly held up.

Tamerlan began posting militant videos on social media sites in recent years, and travelled to Dagestan, which borders Chechnya, in 2012. Both Russian regions host separatist rebel groups.

The brothers' social media pages appeared to express sympathy with the struggle in Chechnya, which has been ravaged by two wars since 1994 between Russia and increasingly Islamist-leaning separatist rebels.

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Boston Bombings: Funeral For Krystle Campbell

Mourners are gathering at a funeral mass for Krystle Campbell, one of the three people killed in the Boston marathon bombings.

Ms Campbell, 29, died with Lu Lingzi, 23, and Martin Richard, eight, last Monday when two devices exploded near the finish line of the race in the heart of the city.

Despite it being billed as a private funeral, a long queue of people formed outside St Joseph's Church in Medford, north of Boston, hours before the service.

A guard of honour lined up outside the entrance of the church as Ms Campbell's coffin was carried from a hearse through the doors.

The website Boston.com reported photographs from throughout the young restaurant manager's life have been on display at St Joseph's.

Ms Campbell, a restaurant manager, died with two others in the blasts

In the confused aftermath of the attacks, Ms Campbell's parents had been mistakenly told that their daughter was one of those being treated by medics. They later learned she was in fact among the dead.

Her mother, Patty, paid an emotional tribute last week, saying: "She was a wonderful person and everyone who knew her loved her.

"She was always smiling and was such a hard-worker in everything she did. This just doesn't make any sense."

Ms Campbell's funeral is the first to be held in the wake of the killings.

A silence will be held in memory of all the victims at 2.50pm local time, exactly a week after the first of the two bombs went off seconds apart.

Lu Lingzi, 23, and eight-year-old Martin Richard also lost their lives

Bells will ring across the city and state of Massachusetts after the minute-long tribute. President Barack Obama will also be observing a moment of silence, the White House said.

Hours after that, a memorial service is due to be held for Ms Lingzi, a graduate student from China.

As well as the three people killed, more than 180 others were hurt and many required amputations.

Law enforcement officials say that two brothers, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev - ethnic Chechens from Russia - planted the devices among spectators at the race before they were tracked down later in the week.

After Tamerlan, 26, was killed early on Friday, 19-year-old Dzhokhar escaped, triggering a manhunt that brought Boston grinding to a halt.

It ended with the teenager's capture in a boat parked next to a house late on Friday night. He was found with gunshot wounds.

The motive for the bombings remains unclear but Tsarnaev, who is unable to talk because of a throat injury, has been able to write responses to questions from his hospital bed.

More to follow...

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Measles Victim Died 'After He Was Sent Home'

The first victim to die in the measles outbreak in South Wales had been sent home from hospital, his mother has claimed.

Gareth Williams, 25, was found dead on Thursday morning at his home in the Port Tennant area of Swansea.

Initial tests revealed that Mr Williams, who is believed to have suffered from asthma, was infected with measles at the time of his death.

Further investigations are being undertaken by the Swansea Coroner to establish whether his death was due to measles or something else.

Mr Williams' mother, Angela Colfer, said he had been admitted to Swansea's Morriston Hospital after breaking out in red spots.

However, she said he had been released from hospital after several days because doctors thought he was over the worst of it.

More than 800 cases of measles have been reported in Swansea

Ms Colfer told the South Wales Evening Post: "He was covered in a rash, and what with the measles epidemic in Swansea we wanted to get him to hospital.

"He had been in Morriston Hospital for five or six days before he was sent home."

The claim came as hundreds more MMR jab vaccinations were administered over the weekend at emergency sessions at four hospitals around Swansea.

Thousands of children have received the MMR jab over the last three weeks amid rising concern at the rocketing rate of measles cases.

Mr Williams was treated at Morriston Hospital before his death

The headline rate rose to 808 on Thursday after 43 separate new cases of measles were recorded over a two-day period.

Up to 2,000 more children were vaccinated in school this week as efforts were targeted in communities most at risk.

With the pool of unprotected children reducing on a daily basis, hundreds have still turned out to hospital drop-in sessions.

Rapid vaccination teams at all four locations were well able to deal with the large numbers turning up.

Thousands of children missed out on MMR jabs from the late 1990s due to unfounded fears linking the vaccination with autism.

Despite the progress made in reaching thousands of unprotected children, the health board and Public Health Wales (PHW) are still urging those who have not been vaccinated to come forward.

They warn that people in the 10 to 18 age group, who missed out on the MMR jab in the past, are being hardest hit by the disease.

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London Marathon: Tributes To Boston Victims

Thousands of runners at the London Marathon, including Olympic champion Mo Farah, observed 30 seconds of silence at the start of the race, which took place less than a week after the Boston attacks.

The poignant tribute was followed by applause as the runners gathered at the start line for the elite men's and mass race with large crowds lining the streets of the UK capital under heavy security.

Many of the 36,000 fun runners, athletes and fundraisers wore a black ribbon as a mark of respect to those affected by the attack.

Some had the name of the US city emblazoned on their vests, while some spectators held up banners saying "For Boston".

Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia won the men's race in , while Priscah Jeptoo of Kenya won the women's event.

The marathon has drawn thousands of people

Huge crowds turned out to watch the races on a glorious spring day in London despite concerns raised by the bomb attacks on the Boston Marathon.

"It was incredible, the amount of support, people coming out from everywhere, just cheering the whole way. Unbelievable," said a breathless Farah.

Prime Minister David Cameron wrote on Twitter : "Congratulations to the inspiring runners in the #LondonMarathon - a fantastic showcase for the city."

Prince Harry, who waited at the finish line on the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace to hand out medals to the winners, said the large turnout was "fantastic" and "typically British".

He also paid tribute to Boston, saying: "The way that Boston has dealt with it has been absolutely remarkable.

"It's never going to get anyone down here, the great thing about the marathon is no matter what colour you are, or religion, no matter what nationality you are, everyone comes together to run a certain distance to raise money for amazing causes.

"I think that you can never that take away from people," he told the BBC.

Virgin London Marathon has pledged to donate £2 for every finisher to The One Fund Boston, which was set up to raise money for the victims of the explosions.

Three people were killed in Boston, including an eight-year-old boy, and over 170 injured, some seriously.

Priscah Jeptoo posing for photographers after winning the women's race

Following the attacks, hundreds of extra police were deployed in London - a 40% increase in the usual number of officers.

Authorities stressed the increased security was aimed at reassuring the public and was not a response to a specific threat.

Despite the sombre tributes and the increased police presence, the mood was a festive one, with spectators cheering the runners on and some competitors showing up in fancy dress.

"It means that runners are stronger than bombers," said Valerie Bloomfield, a 40-year-old participant from France.

Barbara Stephenson, charge d'affaires at the US Embassy in London, told Sky News the show of respect by London Marathon runners for the Boston victims underlined the "special relationship" between the two countries.

"We've had responses from Her Majesty the Queen, all through Twitter from the British people, and now we have got tens of thousands of London Marathon runners wearing a black ribbon in solidarity with the people of Boston."

Mo Farah says he overslept ahead of the race.

She went on to say that "it's moments like this when you know what the special relationship's really all about."

The winding route from Blackheath to Buckingham Palace took the runners past some of the capital's most famous landmarks.

Farah, the Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m champion, ran about half the race, stepping off the course at  the 13.1 mile mark near Tower Bridge.

He revealed before the event that he had overslept. "I'm late! I woke up late! I'm going to miss the bus!" he joked.

Paralympic star David Weir said he was disappointed with his fifth place in the men's wheelchair race.

Speaking near the finish line, the six-time London Marathon champion said: "It was a tough race, but I knew it was going to be tough after four months out.

"I just had to do my best, and that's what I did today."

The winners with Prince Harry and Richard Branson

Among the celebrities running this year were the shadow chancellor, Ed Balls, and the singer Katherine Jenkins. Speaking on the finish line, Mr Balls said that the Chancellor, George Osborne, had sponsored him.

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