Edward Snowden Charged With Espionage

Edward Snowden, the whistleblower who revealed secret government spying programmes, has been charged with espionage by US authorities.

A provisional arrest warrant has been issued and Hong Kong authorities have been asked to detain him.

US prosecutors have filed a criminal complaint, charging Mr Snowden with three offences including unauthorised communication of national defence information, which comes under the Espionage Act, and theft of government property.

He is also charged with willful communication of classified communications intelligence information to an unauthorised person.

All three crimes listed carry a maximum 10-year prison penalty.

The former CIA technician, who has worked for America's National Security Agency (NSA), leaked details of American telephone and internet surveillance programmes.

Court papers list three offences including theft of government property

He revealed the existence of a surveillance system called Prism that was set up by the NSA to track the use of the internet directly from ISP servers.

The NSA and FBI have said that the secret programme provided "critical leads" in preventing "dozens of terrorist events" - although some terror experts dispute the claims.

President Obama has also said the programmes were carried out with "systems of checks and balances" and overseen by the courts and the US Congress.

The Prism revelations sparked outcry in the UK when The Guardian reported that the GCHQ eavesdropping agency had been accessing information about British citizens through Prism.

Mr Snowden fled to Hong Kong on May 20 after copying the last set of documents he intended to disclose at the NSA's office in Hawaii.

Protests in support of Mr Snowden have taken place in Hong Kong

Sky News Asia correspondent Mark Stone said the move marks the official start of government attempts to bring him back to the US.

"We are yet to hear from the Hong Kong police and authorities on whether or not they will act on the request by the Americans to arrest Edward Snowden.

"It's my understanding that they know exactly where he is. The Americans haven't yet asked for his extradition, they have simply asked the authorities to arrest him."

There are reports a private plane is on standby to take Mr Snowden from Hong Kong to Iceland, where he hopes to get asylum.

The latest documents from Mr Snowden claim to show that British spies have secretly accessed fibre-optic cables carrying emails, Facebook messages and other communications.

The Guardian reports that GCHQ can analyse data from the network of cables that carry global phone calls and internet traffic under an operation codenamed Tempora.

It claims that communications between innocent people are being processed, as well as those from people marked out as security threats.

The NSA programme helped to prevent terror attacks, say US spy chiefs

"It's not just a US problem," Mr Snowden told The Guardian.

"The UK has a huge dog in this fight. They (GCHQ) are worse than the US."

Mr Snowden worked for the NSA as an employee of various outside contractors, including Dell and Booz Allen Hamilton.

"I can't in good conscience allow the US government to destroy privacy, internet freedom and basic liberties for people around the world with this massive surveillance machine they're secretly building," Mr Snowden previously told The Guardian.

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Lansley Was Warned Of Baby Deaths In 2010

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

A former Health Secretary was warned about a cover up over baby deaths at a hospital in Cumbria three years ago.

Andrew Lansley received a letter from James Titcombe whose son Joshua died aged just nine days at Furness General Hospital.

In the letter, written on June 4, 2010, Mr Titcombe raises concerns about regulatory bodies, including the hospitals watchdog, the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

He writes: "Despite all of these regulatory bodies, Joshua's death was preceded by the preventable deaths of other babies, yet no action was taken in time to make a different (sic) to our son."

He continues, "...there seems to be a gap in that the CQC can not investigate individual events and the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman do not assess complaints to their office against principles of patient safety".

"In order to save lives in the NHS and react more quickly when things go wrong it is clear to me that the system in place at the moment needs to change," said Mr Titcombe.

Current Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt (L) with Andrew Lansley

He received a response from a Department of Health official on June 15, 2011, stating that "the Department of Health is unable to comment on individual cases and therefore the Secretary of State is not able to intervene personally on your behalf".

Hospital watchdog officials have been accused of a cover-up for allegedly deleting a report which showed they had failed to investigate properly a series of baby deaths.

James Titcombe and other families who lost babies at the hospital are now calling for a police investigation and an independent inquiry to establish who knew about the alleged cover-up.

Mr Titcombe told Sky News he believes the CQC may have been under pressure from senior health officials not to uncover another big hospital scandal.

He added: "What's important now is that there is really a forensic examination of possibly the Department of Health's involvement, what ministers knew at the time, what David Nicolson (head NHS England) knew at the time ... these are really important questions."

He said that there was evidence, for example, that people who worked in the CQC at the time believed that the organisation was "dancing to the tune of the Department of Health".

An extract from James Titcombe's letter to Andrew Lansley

A Department of Health spokesperson said: "Concerns about the capability of the CQC were raised with the Department on a number of occasions by different sources, including Mr Titcombe.

"The Department of Health launched a Performance and Capability Review into the CQC which commenced in October 2011. In February 2012, the review concluded and the Chief Executive of the CQC resigned.

"We apologise to Mr Titcombe for not keeping him updated on this process."

Meanwhile the Conservative MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, David Morris, has written to Andy Burnham, the shadow health secretary.

Andy Burnham was Health Secretary under Labour until May 2010

Mr Burnham was Health Secretary until Labour lost the General Election in May 2010.

In his letter Mr Morris asks Mr Burnham: "How much 'pressure' did you put on the CQC to 'tone down' its criticism of hospitals? You were the Labour Secretary of State for Health, when the first whitewash inspection of the Morecambe Bay NHS trust occurred in the spring of 2010. This was a crucial pre-election season for you.

"The Chair of the CQC at the time, Baroness Young, later said that Health Ministers - including you, who she specifically named when giving evidence on MidStaffs – had put the regulator under 'pressure' to 'tone down' criticism of hospitals around that period.

"What was she referring to? What is your recollection of these events? Do you now regret your role in suppressing NHS whistleblowers on early 2010?"

He has also requested that Mr Burnham make public any emails, texts and letters in which the CQC was discussed and detail conversations he had with Cynthia Bower, the former head of the CQC, before the hospital was given a clean bill of health.

A Labour spokesperson said: "This is a shocking cover-up on this Government's watch and they're clearly more interested in blaming others.

"David Morris will have a full answer later today and he'll be told in no uncertain terms that he should stop peddling these baseless and groundless allegations.

"People will see it for what it is - a political smokescreen to divert attention from Government and Andrew Lansley.

"Both this week's report and the three-year Mid Staffs inquiry found no evidence of Ministerial pressure."

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Harwich Ferry Crash: 500 Stuck On Board

Almost 500 passengers are stuck on board a ferry after it hit a quay in Essex and started to let in water.

The Sirena Seaways ferry struck the quay at Parkeston near Harwich just after midday, but the water it was taking on was "quickly stopped", said Thames Coastguard.

The master of the ferry is currently in talks with engineers, coastguard and the harbour authority about how they will tow the vessel into the harbour.

There are no reported injuries to the 489 passengers, who are still on board, and no reported pollution.

A helicopter hovers above the ferry (Pic: Alex Dace)

The vessel will be moved and its ramps lowered, to allow the passengers to exit.

A spokeswoman for Thames Coastguard said: "We got contacted just after midday today.

"We were told that the Sirena Seaways had struck the quay at Parkeston and was taking on water but that was quickly stopped."

The master of the ferry sorted the water issue, the spokeswoman said.

The ferry was pictured tilted to one side after the crash (Pic: Kevin Dace)

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said that "no-one is trapped" and "there are no casualties", but said there has been "damage to the ship under the water line".

The service said: "Firefighters were sent to assist at the scene while the ship's own crew plugged the hole from inside and built a compartment with water tight doors to stem the leak as part of regular safety precautions.

"The passengers and their vehicles are still on board but in no danger and the vessel will shortly be re-berthed so that they can continue their journey."

Terry Jewell, station officer, said: "This is one of the regular ferries that comes into Harwich and as it docked it hit the side of the quay making a hole under the water line.

Almost 500 passengers are on board the ferry (Pic: Kevin Dace)

"The ship is stable now and we are standing by as a precaution while the vessel is moved so that ramps can come down and passengers can leave."

Sirena Seaways is part of the ferry operator DFDS Seaways which travels to France, Holland and Denmark.

DFDS Seaways said in a statement: "There is no danger to passengers or crew, and we are working hard to disembark the passengers and vehicles from the ferry as quickly as possible."

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US Wants Taliban Talks 'Back On Track'

US Secretary of State John Kerry says he hopes to get talks with the Taliban "back on track," but is unsure if that is possible.

Mr Kerry warned that a recently opened Taliban office in Qatar may have to close if the peace talks do not proceed.

"We need to see if we can get back on track. I don't know whether that's possible or not," Mr Kerry told a press conference in Doha.

"If there is not a decision ... to move forward by the Taliban in short order, then we may have to consider whether or not the office has to be closed," he said.

Mr Kerry is on a seven-nation trip through the Middle East and Asia

Mr Kerry met with his counterparts in the Qatari capital on the first stop of a seven-nation trip through the Middle East and Asia where he is tackling foreign policy issues.

Talks between the US officials and the Taliban had been set for Thursday in Qatar, but Afghan government anger at the fanfare surrounding the opening of the Taliban office in the Gulf state threw preparations into confusion.

The opening of the Taliban office was a practical step paving the way for peace talks to end Afghanistan's 12-year-old war.

But the official-looking protocol surrounding the event raised angry protests in Kabul that the office would develop into a Taliban government-in-exile.

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Dead Bees: 25,000 Found In Car Park Amid Probe

Around 25,000 bees have been found dead in a shopping centre car park in the US state of Oregon.

They were discovered clustering under dozens of blooming European linden trees in Wilsonville, south-west of Portland.

Experts believe it could be a poisonous species of the tree that caused them to die, or they may have been poisoned by insecticides.

Most were gold-and-black bumble bees but honey bees and some ladybirds were also found dead.

Early investigations suggest the trees were recently sprayed with an insecticide known to be toxic to bees.

One official said experts will be looking at a pesticide called Safari that apparently was applied in the area last Saturday to control aphids such as greenflies.

Safari is part of a family of pesticides called neonicotinoids that are considered acutely toxic to pollinators.

Workers plan to wrap bee-proof netting around the trees in an attempt to prevent the deaths of more bees.

Dan Hilburn, plant programmes director at the state Agriculture Department, visited the car park and confirmed "thousands of dead bees", adding: "I've never seen anything like that before".

He went on: "Honey bees and bumble bees were arriving as we were there, and bees are still dying."

Mace Vaughan and Rich Hatfield collect samples (Pic: CBS)

Bees play a crucial role in pollinating berries, flowers and other plants.

Conservationists Mace Vaughan and Rich Hatfield have been at the scene, filling test tubes with samples to take back to a laboratory.

There, they will try to confirm either theory for the bees' sudden deaths.

"When I was here on Monday, it was even more dramatic than it is today," Mr Hatfield told KOIN-TV. "There were bees raining out of trees."

Mr Vaughan said European linden trees are often treated with insecticides because of the aphids that "rain down" nectar from the trees.

But there is also a chance that it is not insecticide at all. Mr Vaughan took pollen samples and will test the buds and flowers from the trees.

"We can't say for sure that it is something that they put on the tree," Mr Hatfield said, "because these trees are European Linden trees, which have been known to be toxic to bees."

Officials say tests to confirm the cause of the deaths could take two or three days. 

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Robber On The Run After Fleeing Court Dock

Police are searching for a teenage robber who fled a court dock as a judge was about to send him to jail.

Unemployed Ricky Kerry, 19, ran from the dock at Southend Crown Court after being sentenced to 28 months in prison for robbery, said Essex Police which has begun a manhunt.

A spokesman added: "He made off on foot at just after 12.45pm in the direction of Baxter Avenue. He was wearing a grey tracksuit and has brown eyes."

It is understood Kerry, of Southend, escaped through heavy double doors at the entrance to the court and down two flights of stairs.

Security guards chased him but could not catch him.

The force said Kerry was being sentenced for a robbery in Southend in April in which he punched a man and took his mobile phone.

Anyone with information should contact Essex Police on 101.

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Baby Deaths: CQC Exec 'Wanted To Speak Out'

Care Quality Commission media manager Anna Jefferson says she wanted to speak out after being implicated in an alleged cover-up of the organisation's failure to investigate baby deaths in Cumbria.

The health watchdog has revealed its ex-chief executive Cynthia Bower, her former deputy Jill Finney and Ms Jefferson were present during a discussion about deleting an internal review which criticised CQC inspections of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, where a number of mothers and babies had died.

The three women deny that they tried to cover up the report and Ms Bower insists she "gave no instruction to delete" the report.

Since their names were revealed, Ms Bower has resigned from her current post as a non-executive trustee of the Skills for Health lobbying body, while Ms Finney has been sacked as chief commercial officer of internet domain company Nominet.

More than 30 families have taken action against Furness General - run by Morecambe Bay NHS Trust - in relation to deaths and injuries to mothers and babies since 2008.

It is claimed Ms Jefferson, who still works for the CQC, said during the key meeting, "Are you kidding me? This can never be in the public domain nor subject to FOI (a Freedom of Information request)."

Anna Jefferson denies suggesting the CQC review should be suppressed

But Ms Jefferson told Sky News she "felt sick" and wanted to waive her anonymity when she realised she was implicated in a review by City consultants Grant Thornton, which was published on Wednesday.

She said she does not remember any instruction to delete the review being given and denies suggesting it could never be made public.

She claimed she pushed for proper external scrutiny of the CQC's actions regarding Morecambe Bay "several times", the last time on July 17, 2012, during a meeting where the CQC's current chief executive David Behan was present.

She said: "The thought of what the families who have lost babies at this hospital have gone through is heartbreaking.

The Health Secretary said those behind any "cover-up" could lose pensions

"I would never have conspired to cover up anything which could have led to a better understanding of what went wrong in the regulation of this hospital and I am absolutely devastated that I have been implicated in this way."

James Titcombe, whose son Joshua died at Furness General Hospital, called for police to interview Ms Bower and senior colleagues after it emerged the CQC's former head and two officials previously declined to speak to officers about the baby's death.

The CQC told Cumbria Police in an email that statements from the trio would "not add any value" as they had no "direct day-to-day" involvement in the case.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has suggested that current or former CQC staff found to have been involved in a cover-up could be stripped of their pensions.

Joshua Titcombe's family raised concerns after he died at Furness Hospital

He said the CQC must follow "due process" but he would back the regulator "absolutely to the hilt" if it chose to take action against individuals.

Asked what action should be taken against those responsible, Mr Hunt told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "These are very, very serious allegations and they should have very, very serious consequences if they are proved.

"I know the CQC are looking into disciplinary procedures and what can be done, what sanctions are available, whether you can have forfeiture of pensions, all those things.

"There has to be due process, but... it is totally appalling that this kind of thing should happen. It's exactly what shouldn't be happening in our NHS.

"It lets down the millions of doctors and nurses who do an amazing job day in, day out, and we have to root it out."

Downing Street said Prime Minister David Cameron agreed that all sanctions should be on the table.

Tory health select committee member Charlotte Leslie called for an inquiry into a "sinister, Mafia-like network at the centre of NHS".

Meanwhile, Mr Behan and current CQC chairman David Prior are to be summoned to appear before the Commons health select committee.

Its chairman, Tory former health secretary Stephen Dorrell, said he has asked for them to be given an "early opportunity" to give evidence.

Morecambe Bay NHS Trust was given a clean bill of health by the CQC in 2010, but an internal review was ordered by the hospital regulator in 2011 into how failings resulting in deaths had gone unnoticed.

Grant Thornton's investigation found that the report was not made public because it was decided it was too critical of the CQC.

The investigators concluded this "might well have constituted a deliberate cover-up" by the CQC employees who decided it should not be made public.

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Jeremy Forrest Jailed For Five And A Half Years

A teacher who fled to France with his pupil and spent a week on the run has been jailed after admitting five counts of sexual activity with a child.

Jeremy Forrest, who was convicted by a jury yesterday of abducting the schoolgirl, pleaded guilty to the additional charges and was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison.

During his trial, the prosecution labelled him a "paedophile" and said he "groomed" the vulnerable teenager.

The 30-year-old insists he still loves the youngster, who broke down in tears and told him she was "sorry" as he was found guilty of her abduction.

She did not attend court for his sentencing but in a victim statement her mother said she had been "robbed" of her childhood.

"I feel like the worst mother in the world," she said. "Someone has got my child and I never saw it coming."

Forrest is led onto a plane to be extradited from France last October

Passing sentence, the judge at Lewes Crown Court said Forrest "chose to ignore the cardinal rule of teaching" by starting a sexual relationship with the teenager shortly after her 15th birthday.

"Your behaviour in this period has been motivated by self-interest and has hurt and damaged many people - her family, your family, staff and pupils at the school and respect for teachers everywhere," Michael Lawson QC said.

"It has damaged you too but that was something you were prepared to risk. You now have to pay that price."

He added: "I have seen nothing in the evidence which shows that at any stage you tried to provide proper boundaries between yourself and her, to discourage her, or let other staff deal with the matter appropriately.

"Indeed all the evidence shows that you encouraged her infatuation and provided opportunities for her to communicate with you and be alone with you."

Forrest arrived back in the UK with his head covered

Rumours of Forrest's relationship with the teenager surfaced in February last year, when the pair were spotted holding hands during a flight on a school trip to Los Angeles.

The girl, now 16, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted having a crush on Forrest, who taught at Bishop Bell Church of England School in Eastbourne, East Sussex.

They exchanged flirty text messages, tweets and photographs but denied any wrongdoing when pressed by the school.

Fearing their relationship was about to be exposed when police were alerted last September, Forrest abducted the youngster and took her on a cross-Channel ferry to France, where they spent a week on the run.

The couple dyed their hair, assumed false names and dropped a mobile phone into the English Channel in an effort to avoid being caught, but were tracked down after a Europe-wide search.

The family of Jeremy Forrest give their reaction to the sentencing

In a statement read outside court, Forrest's family said he was "very sorry for his actions" during what they described as a "sorry episode for all concerned".

"Despite the verdict and today's sentence, there are many factors in this case which need to be examined and addressed, including the failure to properly act on early warnings," they said.

"We sincerely hope these are looked into and not simply swept under the carpet."

A spokesman for Bishop Bell School said the staff had only "very limited anecdotal hearsay and no evidence of relationship" when concerns were first raised.

He said that before Forrest fled the country, the school had intended to remove him from the classroom while an internal investigation into possible professional misconduct was carried out.

A jury took just two hours to find Forrest guilty of abduction

The spokesman said staff remained "deeply shocked by the actions of Mr Forrest and his betrayal of the trust that was placed in him".

"It is important that the strongest possible message is sent to all who work with children that they hold a position of responsibility and trust for the lives, and wellbeing, of those in their care," he said.

"We take our responsibility extremely seriously and our safeguarding policies and procedures are robust.

"However, we are determined to implement any learning from these events to ensure that all pupils at the school are as safe as they possibly could be."

Jeremy Forrest was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in jail

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Ling, of Sussex Police, said Forrest was in a "position of responsibility, authority and trust over the children in his care, which included this young, vulnerable victim".

"He grossly abused the trust placed in him and his actions caused distress and anxiety amongst parents, family members and the school community," he said.

Nigel Pilkington, of the Crown Prosecution Service, added: "We're pleased that Forrest has been sentenced for the full extent of his criminality, sparing his victim and her family from having to go through another trial."

Forrest, of Petts Wood, London, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison for each count of sexual activity. The sentences will run at the same time. A one-year sentence for abduction will run consecutively.

The judge also imposed a sexual offences prevention order on Forrest, banning him from working or volunteering with children and unsupervised contact with children forever.

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South Wales School Car Crash: Several Casualties

A car has overturned after smashing into children and adults outside a primary school in South Wales, injuring nine people.

Karin Williams

An air ambulance was scrambled to the "very serious" accident at Rhoose Primary School and treated casualties at the scene.

Five children and four adults - including the driver of the car and a lollipop lady - were taken to hospital.

Police said no-one had been killed in the collision, which was not thought to have been deliberate. They say the 61-year-old male driver of the vehicle is assisting officers with enquiries.

The lollipop lady was named locally as 50-year-old Karin Williams.

A black Audi was seen on its roof on the pavement just yards from a pelican crossing near the school, before being removed by recovery workers.

A lollipop stick lay on the ground near various items of clothing.

The overturned Audi was removed from the scene

Jeff James, the Vale of Glamorgan councillor for Rhoose, said the driver of the Audi "had a coughing fit and he hit the accelerator instead of the brake".

"I'm on site at the moment," he told WalesOnline.

"What I can tell you is that it was an incident whereby a car was manoeuvring in a lot of traffic and the person who was driving the car had a coughing fit and he hit the accelerator instead of the brake.

"The main brunt was borne by the crossing attendant. Several children were hit as well. I'm not sure how the car ended up on its roof but I would imagine it was due to the driver trying to swerve."

Ellie Stuart, a pupil at the school, told Sky News one of her close friends had been hurt in the accident.

"There was a massive crowd of people and everyone was screaming and crying," she said.

The school is in the Vale of Glamorgan

Local radio reporter Lucy Short spoke to Sky News from outside the school in Fontygary Road.

"Reports that I've got from people who witnessed the accident say that the car was pulling off at quite a slow rate of speed and accelerated suddenly," she said.

"It's not known why that happened. It would appear to be a sad but freak accident.

"It appears that as it went over the speed bump where the crossing is, it may have turned over because of that and the collision with the pedestrian."

South Wales Police say the accident caused a mixture of serious and minor injuries, but no fatalities. The ages of those hurt is not yet known.

Steve Francis from Capital radio told Sky News that witnesses reported hearing an "incredible bang".

A lollipop lady's sign could be seen lying at the side of the road

He said he could see "blood everywhere" outside the school, which teachers could be seen attempting to clear.

A number of people at the scene were said to be in tears.

Ian Morris, divisional manager for surgery at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, said: "The emergency unit at University Hospital of Wales is treating adults and children involved in the incident in Rhoose."

A spokeswoman for Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust said a "major incident" had been declared and that casualties had been treated at the scene for more than an hour before being taken to hospital.

The road has been closed and emergency services have asked motorists to avoid the area in the Vale of Glamorgan.

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Jeremy Forrest: Teacher Guilty Of Abduction

How Search For Teacher Unfolded

Updated: 3:29pm UK, Thursday 20 June 2013

Jeremy Forrest was found guilty of abducting a 15-year-old pupil less than a year-and-a-half after rumours of their relationship first unfolded.

These are the key events which led to his arrest and, ultimately, his conviction:

:: February 2012: During a half-term school trip to Los Angeles, the girl and Forrest are spotted holding hands on a flight.

:: Spring: Tweets, including private messages, are exchanged between the pair, which become increasingly flirtatious. The school speak to them but both deny anything inappropriate.

:: September 19: Police and a social worker visit the girl's home amid continuing rumours of a relationship and pictures being exchanged between them.

:: September 20: The girl asks her mother if she can stay overnight at a friend's house. Fearing their relationship was about to be exposed, Forrest books them on a cross-Channel ferry. They arrive in Calais in the middle of the night and later head to Paris before moving on to Bordeaux.

:: September 21: The girl is reported to police as missing after failing to arrive at school. Forrest's wife, Emily, is contacted by police as he is absent from school too.

:: September 22: The girl's family appeals for her to get in touch, saying: "We are worried and miss her terribly."

:: September 23: Police say they are at a "critical stage of the investigation" as the girl's family and friends make appeals on social networking websites. Officers urge Forrest or the girl to get in touch.

:: September 24: Details emerge of a blog post apparently written by Forrest four months earlier under his music stage name, in which he mentions a "moral dilemma". Meanwhile, Terry Boatwright, executive headteacher at Bishop Bell C of E School in Eastbourne, East Sussex, where Forrest was a teacher, says the school is "deeply concerned" and "shocked" by the disappearance of their pair.

:: September 25: A European Arrest Warrant is issued for Forrest for child abduction. Interpol, the UK Border Agency, the British Embassy in France and the French authorities are all working to help trace the youngster.

:: September 26: The Europe-wide search has no new sightings of the pair.

:: September 27: Forrest's tearful parents, Jim and Julie Forrest, appeal directly to their son to get in touch, saying: "We are all here for you both. Please, please get in contact."

:: September 28: Sussex Police confirm the girl has been found and Forrest arrested at the same time. Both are "safe and well".

:: October 10: Forrest is extradited to the UK and charged with child abduction later the same evening.

:: January 25, 2013: Appearing at Lewes Crown Court via videolink from HMP Lewes, Forrest pleads not guilty to child abduction.

:: June 10: Forrest stands trial at Lewes Crown Court.

:: June 20: Forrest is convicted of child abduction.

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Baby Deaths Cover-Up: Ex-CQC Boss Named

The former boss of the health care wathdog is among those allegedly involved in a cover-up of an NHS regulator's failure to investigate a spate of baby deaths.

The Care Quality Commission's former chief executive Cynthia Bower was present during a discussion of the deletion of an internal review.

The review criticised the regulator's inspections of University Hospitals of Morcambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, where a number of mothers and babies died.

Her then deputy Jill Finney and media manager Anna Jefferson were both also present when the matter was discussed, a CQC spokesman said.

Louise Dineley, the author of the internal review, told independent investigators that Ms Finney had ordered the deletion of the report and Ms Bower and Ms Jefferson had "verbally agreed".

The names had initially been redacted following legal advice to the CQC when the report was published on Wednesday.

However, the regulator's current head, David Behan, said a decision was made to publish the names "in the public interest" following legal advice.

He said: "A decision which reviewed the involvement of the organisation ... should have been made in an open and transparent way.

"We failed some people who had trust in our judgement. I think it's absolutely essential that we begin to restore public and political confidence in the CQC."

The report suggested that CQC bosses were so concerned about protecting the watchdog's reputation that they ordered an internal review to be deleted because it showed their original inspection was flawed.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he was "very pleased" the individuals had now been named.

He said: "It's a sign that the NHS is changing.

"There has been a history of cover-ups for many years but there has to be accountability within the NHS for people's actions when something goes wrong.

"It's to the credit of the new management of the CQC that they got an independent report and did not run away from this problem." 

Concerns were first raised about the trust in 2008, but in 2010 the CQC gave the trust, which serves 365,000 people in south Cumbria and north Lancashire, a clean bill of health.

Joshua Titcombe died in 2008 aged just nine days old in Furness General Hospital after staff failed to spot and treat an infection.

His father has previously described news of the cover-up as "shocking".

More follows...

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Rubbish Chute Baby: Mum Given Jail Sentence

A woman has been sentenced to 30 months in prison after throwing her baby five floors down a rubbish chute.

Jaymin Abdulrahman was found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm but cleared of attempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm with intent. She will serve half of her sentence.

The 25-year-old put her six-day-old daughter in a binliner and dropped her more than 40ft (12m) down a chute at a block of flats in Wolverhampton in September 2012.

The child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was discovered with serious head injuries, including a fractured skull, in a bin by her father and taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital.

Birmingham Crown Court had heard how the baby would have taken 2.2 seconds to fall down the chute, reaching a maximum speed of 29 mph, before hitting a metal plate designed to deflect rubbish into a bin.

The judge described the baby's injuries as "catastrophic head injuries" from which she "will never fully recover" and will be "dependent on other people for the rest of her life".

Justice Kate Thirlwall accepted the incident was not premeditated and that Abdulrahman was suffering from a form of postnatal depression known as postpartum psychosis, which prevented her from forming an intent to kill or cause serious injury to her daughter.

But she said: "You will have to live with the consequences for the rest of your life.

"As you said yourself, you were her mother. You should have been her guardian."

Abdulrahman had denied all three charges.

Abdulrahman initially told police her child had been kidnapped by strangers but she was found a few hours later, apparently lifeless.

Prosecutors alleged that the Iraqi national deliberately placed her daughter into the chute with the intention of killing her.

But Abdulrahman, who accepted that she put her baby into the chute, told the jury she had not planned the incident and had "lost control of her thoughts".

The court heard that she was "tired, sad and exhausted" in the week after her daughter's birth and unaware of why she was crying.

Rachel Brand QC, defending Abdulrahman, described her as a competent and loving mother.

Speaking through a Kurdish interpreter, Abdulrahman told the court she was in tears while cleaning her bathroom shortly before placing the baby in the chute.

She told jurors: "I was extremely sad. I went to the living room, I put the baby in a rubbish bag and I threw her away.

"After I had done so, I just couldn't believe what I had just done, and I couldn't understand why I did it. I was in shock."

Answering questions from Ms Brand, Abdulrahman said: "Even now as I am speaking to you, I am still in a state of disbelief of what I have done. I have lost control of my thoughts when I did so.

"I can't tell whether I was crying at the time or not, but I have done this. I wasn't aware of what I was doing.

"If I thought that by doing so I would do some harm to the baby, I wouldn't have done it."

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Woman And Child 'Used As Slaves' In Ohio

A mentally disabled woman and her child were allegedly kept as slaves by three people who threatened them with snakes and a pit bull dog.

The woman and child, who the Federal Bureau of Investigation have not named, were held for many months in a basement in Ashland, Ohio.

Ashland is just 60 miles south of Cleveland, where three missing women who had themselves allegedly been held captive were discovered recently.

The FBI, who issued an indictment against the Ashland woman's alleged captors, said they threatened and abused her, and threatened the child with snakes.

Later, they allegedly forced the woman and child to sleep in a padlocked room with a "large iguana".

Jessica Hunt with her snakes that were allegedly used to terrify the child

The woman finally escaped by stealing sweets from a shop, prompting police to arrest her.

She told officers she would rather go to jail than go home as her housemates "were mean to her".

Her alleged tormentors have been arrested on human trafficking charges.

Jordie Callahan, 26, Jessica Hunt, aged 31, and 33-year-old Daniel Brown were detained on Tuesday and charged by the FBI with forced labour.

Callahan was also charged with an additional count of tampering with a witness. Callahan and Hunt are said to be in a relationship.

Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Cleveland Office, said: "These defendants violated the victim's most basic civil right, freedom, by exploiting her most basic instinct, the protection of her child.

"The FBI continues to aggressively pursue and bring to justice those individuals who abuse and harm innocent members of our community."

The FBI said the alleged 'slavery' began in May 2011 and continued until October 2012, when the woman was arrested by police.

They identified the woman only as S.E.

An FBI statement, outlining an affidavit which contained the allegations, said: "Callahan and Hunt forced S.E. to clean the house, do laundry, walk to the store to do their shopping, and care for their numerous pit bulls and reptiles.

Hunt and Callahan kept pit bulls that were allegedly used against the pair

"S.E. was timed when she went to the store and was not allowed to bring her child with her.

"At various points, Callahan threatened S.E. with a gun. S.E. and her child initially were forced to sleep on a cement floor in the basement with no mattress.

"Later, they were moved to a room upstairs, again with no bed or mattress.

"Callahan and Hunt also repeatedly taunted and threatened S.E. and (her child) with injury from the couple's snakes, including a poisonous coral snake, a ball python, and a Burmese python that weighed 130 pounds."

The affidavit said the three slammed a rock into the woman's hand on one occasion and injured her back on another so she could get medication for the pain, which they then used.

When she fled, one of those who she lived with alleged that the woman had abused the child herself. Police investigated, but have taken no further action.

Andrew Hyde, who has represented Callahan, called the charges against his client ludicrous and said the woman moved in and out as she pleased.

Mr Hyde said: "There was never any forced labour, any forced co-habitation. She was never forced to do anything."

He said: "She used this story to get out of trouble she was in," referring to the abuse she allegedly carried out on her child.

Mr Hyde accused federal investigators of not looking at all the evidence before jumping to conclusions.

Callahan's mother, Becky Callahan of Ashland, told the Associated Press that the allegations were "all lies."

She said that the alleged victim was friends with her son and Hunt, her son's girlfriend, and that they tried to help the woman out by offering her a place to live because she didn't have a home.

A federal defence attorney for Hunt, Ed Bryan, said his client will plead not guilty and said there were credibility issues with the mother.

A little more than a month ago, three women were freed from a house in Cleveland, Ohio where a man allegedly imprisoned them for a decade, raping them during that time and fathering a child with one of them.

Ariel Castro has pleaded not guilty to more than 300 counts against him, which include kidnapping, rape and felonious assault.

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Baby Deaths 'Cover-Up': Health Sec Apologies

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said the covering-up of failures by an NHS watchdog to properly investigate baby deaths should never have happened.

The Care Quality Commission has been accused of destroying their own report into maternity units that were part of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust.

An independent investigation found the CQC failed to properly inspect the Morecambe Bay Trust, where up to 16 babies died.

Joshua Titcombe died in Furness General Hospital after staff failures

In one of a raft of measures the government plans to prevent problems in the future, Mr Hunt said President Obama's former health adviser Prof Don Berwick was being taken on to ensure a new safety culture.

The Health Secretary, in a statement to the House of Commons, said: "What happened at Morecambe Bay is above all a terrible personal tragedy for all the families involved.

Furness General Hospital in Cumbria, which has been criticised

"I want to apologise on behalf of the Government for all the appalling suffering they have endured.

"A culture in the NHS had been allowed to develop where defensiveness and secrecy were put ahead of patient safety and care. Today I want to ... ensure this kind of cover-up never happens again.

MP Tim Farron called for an urgent question to be tabled in the Commons

"Events at Morecombe Bay and many other hospitals should never have been covered up, but they should never have happened either."

Concerns were first raised in 2008, but in 2010 the CQC gave the trust, which serves 365,000 people in South Cumbria and North Lancashire, a clean bill of health.

Wednesday's report suggests that CQC bosses were so concerned about protecting the watchdog's reputation that they ordered an internal review to be deleted because it showed that their original inspection was flawed.

Mr Hunt said a number of actions were being taken to prevent problems occurring in the future.

He said he had every confidence in the two bosses that had recently been appointed at the CQC to put the changes that were necessary into place.

He said the CQC would appoint three new inspectors, there would be a new Chief Inspector of Hospitals and a new regulatory approach would put in place Ofsted-style ratings so people could know how well their local hospital was performing.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is to make a statement after PMQs

He said failure by hospital administrators to adhere to new requirements could result in criminal prosecution.

Andy Burnham, the shadow Health Secretary, said: "Today's report will leave people stunned. What is never acceptable is when people try to hide ... mistakes.

"Today's report says the order to cover up may constitute a broader cover-up.

"I would like to ask the Health Secretary, ... is anybody who was involved in the decision to delete still working at the CQC or anywhere else in the NHS?

"If they are, people will find it hard to accept that. This matter doesn't end with the deletion of the report."

Joshua Titcombe died in 2008 aged just nine-days-old in Furness General Hospital, one of the hospitals overseen by Morcambe Bay NHS Trust, after staff failed to spot and treat an infection.

Earlier, his father James had described the report into the cover-up as "shocking".

Westmorland General Hospital, where Morecambe Bay NHS Trust is based

"It embodies everything that is wrong with the culture in the NHS. It's something that's been rotten really about the system," he said.

"We need it to change. We need that culture to change. Patient safety should be the number one priority, and organisations that work within regulation need to be aligned with that principle."

Responding to the report's findings, the regulator said: "We let people down, and we apologise for that."

New CQC chairman David Prior said: "The publication draws a line in the sand for us. What happened in the past was wholly unacceptable.

"The report confirms our view that at a senior level the organisation was dysfunctional. The board and the senior executive team have been radically changed."

The CQC, which faces at least 30 civil negligence claims, is to be subject to a public inquiry.

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Jeremy Forrest 'Feared Schoolgirl Was Suicidal'

A teacher accused of abducting a schoolgirl and taking her to France only accompanied the teenager abroad because he feared she may kill herself, a court has heard.

Jeremy Forrest's defence lawyer told the jury at his trial that the pupil involved was "very desperate, had suicidal thoughts and she was assertive."

Lewes Crown Court was also told the 30-year-old, who denies a charge of child abduction, will not be giving evidence during his trial.

The jury previously heard that the pupil was 15 years old when she started a sexual relationship with Forrest after developing a crush on him at Bishop Bell CofE School in Eastbourne, Sussex.

Fearing they were about to be exposed, Forrest booked them on a cross-Channel ferry from Dover to Calais last September before spending a week on the run in France.

Defence lawyer Ronald Jaffa told the jury the scenario Forrest feared was a a "realistic situation" and that the defendant had acted to ensure her well-being.

He said it was not a case of Romeo and Juliet

"In that play the lovers died in the end, a pair of star-crossed lovers is the way Shakespeare put it," he said.

"Fortunately Jeremy chose to go to see her and go with her, what could have happened if he had not?

"What would it matter if she had money or not, she could have hitch-hiked, she could have ended up in a city alone, desperate, suicidal. She was very desperate, she had suicidal thoughts and she was assertive.

"If he had not taken her, the alternative consequences were likely to be much worse.

"If he had taken her back to her mother or the police, no-one would be able to stop her, it may indeed have been the catalyst for worse consequences."

Forrest broke down in tears as a witness statements praising him were read out in court .

Benedict Beaumont, a former ICT teacher at Bishop Bell School, said: "Jeremy was one of the most gifted teachers that I have ever met.

"In my opinion, one of the reasons that he was such a good teacher was that he cared deeply about the welfare of all his pupils.

"He was popular with pupils and staff at the school, but more importantly was respected by everyone as a talented and conscientious teacher.

"He is still relatively young but had a very bright future in teaching ahead of him."

Forrest continued crying as a statement from his sister, Carrie Hanspaul, said she believed his caring nature had got him into trouble.

"Jeremy has always been the quietest of us all," her statement said.

"He is very good natured and extremely mild-mannered. He never has a bad word to say about anyone and always strives to do whatever he can to help other people and care for them.

"Unfortunately I believe this has contributed to his recent actions. Jeremy has been in a very difficult relationship for the last six years but did not want to worry any of his family, especially our parents, with his problems.

"Instead he withdrew more and more and tried to deal with the issues himself. I believe he became more and more depressed."

A statement provided by his best friend, Dale Ives Routlett, said Forrest had "always been a thinker, not a person who made rash decisions without taking consequences into account".

Summing up the prosecution case, Richard Barton told the jury Forrest could be considered as a "paedophile" who had "groomed" the schoolgirl.

"You do not have to decide whether he was a paedophile; you may consider, in the context of what he did, that is not an inappropriate label for him," he said.

"It is about his desires to have that young sexual flesh, to satisfy his own carnal lusts. You may feel it had nothing to do with her, it was to do with him, with his desires.

"You may feel he is a man who is flattered by the attention of very young, vulnerable girls.

"There is a word for it. It's called grooming - being caring, being kind, being close, gaining confidence, gaining the trust of that person and then you can do what you want to do with them."

Mr Barton also said it was not a case of Romeo and Juliet as they would have to have been "equal" partners in what happened. He said in this case it was Forrest who organised the elopement.

"A teenager isn't going to get out of Eastbourne, let alone out of the country," he said.

Then, directing his speech at Forrest, he said: "How did you feel, Mr Forrest, that first time with that 14-year-old girl in the classroom in her school uniform, when you kissed her the first time?"

Judge Lawson adjourned the case until tomorrow when he will sum up the case before sending the jury out to consider its verdict.

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Kate To Give Birth At Same Hospital As Diana

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

The Duchess of Cambridge will give birth at the same hospital wing where Diana, Princess of Wales, had Princes William and Harry.

Sky News has also learned that Kate is expected to have a natural birth at the private suites of the Lindo Wing in St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, next month.

Despite months of speculation, she and Prince William have chosen not to find out the gender of their first child in advance of its arrival.

While Kate's exact due date remains a closely-guarded secret, Kensington Palace says Prince William intends to be by his wife's side during labour, despite being on duty in Anglesey in the run up to the Duchess' due date.

Details have also emerged about the medical team set to be alongside the Duchess once she is admitted to hospital.

The Queen's former gynaecologist, Marcus Setchell, will deliver the baby.

Charles and Diana leaving St Mary's Hospital with baby William in 1982

Mr Setchell, who delivered the Countess of Wessex's two children, also assisted Kate after last year being admitted to hospital suffering from acute morning sickness.

Assisting Mr Setchell will be the Queen's current gynaecologist Alan Farthing, the former fiancé of murdered TV presenter Jill Dando.

Having undergone extensive refurbishment and now comprising 17 en-suite rooms, the Lindo Wing boasts on its website it is a "dedicated facility which provides modern, world-class consultant-led care in one of the UK's leading teaching hospitals".

At a cost of well in excess of £5,000 for the first night, the Duchess is expected to take up one of the suites equipped with satellite television, radio, a fridge and a choice of newspaper brought to the room each morning.

"We offer a comprehensive wine list should you wish to enjoy a glass of champagne and toast your baby's arrival," the website adds.

Kensington Palace told Sky News: "This will be a deeply private moment. But the couple recognises that this is also a moment for national celebration."

The Duchess at her last solo public engagement before the birth

It has also become clear how the announcement will be made upon the birth of the future monarch who will become third in line to the throne.

Taking precedence over new media such as Twitter, the first indication Kate has given birth will be when a bulletin or 'notice of birth' is publicly transferred from the Paddington hospital by car to Buckingham Palace.

The notice, signed by key medical staff, will confirm the time of birth, weight and gender of the couple's baby, and will be placed by a footman on an easel on the Palace forecourt in public view.

The easel is understood to be the same as that used for the announcement of Prince William's birth in 1982.

But the bulletin will be transferred from the hospital only once key members of the Royal family, including the Queen, and the Middleton family have been notified about the good news.

But birth announcement plans will likely be adapted should the Duchess of Cambridge be admitted to hospital late in the evening or during the night.

Kensington Palace says it is unclear at this stage when the name of William and Kate's baby will be announced.

In the case of Prince Harry, it was on the day he was born, but it took a few days before the name 'William' came to light.

After pausing for photographs as a family for the first time on the steps of the Lindo Wing once Kate is discharged, it is understood Prince William will take the statutory two weeks paternity leave before returning to work as a search and rescue pilot.

The length of maternity leave for the Duchess is thought to be a personal and private matter for the couple.

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Girl Killed With Friend On Rail Line Named

A teenage boy and girl from the same school have died after being hit by a high-speed train in Hertfordshire.

The youngsters - one of whom has been named as 15-year-old Charleigh Disbrey - are believed to have climbed over a fence close to Elstree and Borehamwood station.

There are no level crossings near the station and the deaths are not being treated as suspicious.

Miss Disbrey, a singer whose music videos have been viewed thousands of times on YouTube, was in year 10 at Hertswood Academy in Borehamwood.

The teenagers' friends at Hertswood Academy are being offered counselling

The other teenager - an 18-year-old sixth form pupil who was midway through his A-level exams - has not yet been named.

Their headteacher, Paul Gillett, said: "As a close community, obviously we are devastated by this tragedy. Both students were talented, hard working and well respected members of our academy. 

"Our thoughts are with their families at this most difficult time.  We are supporting our students and staff in coping with this terrible loss."

Friends of the two teenagers paid tribute to the pair on social networking sites.

The teenagers were struck by a train in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire

One Twitter user wrote: "I'm actually so shocked. I saw them walking together like nearly everyday on the way to Hertswood. They looked so happy. #RIP"

Another said they would both be missed, adding: "I hope heaven looks after you."

"I will never forget you and the memories we made," a friend of Miss Dibrey posted on Facebook.

"At peace and with the angels. God bless," wrote another.

The youngsters were struck close to Elstree and Borehamwood station

A spokesman for British Transport Police said both teenagers were pronounced dead at the scene.

"Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the two teenagers involved in last night's tragic and acutely sad incident," Superintendent Phil Wilkinson said.

"Although my officers are continuing their investigations, as part of our work to prepare a file for the local coroner, there are not thought to be any suspicious circumstances and no one else is believed to have been involved."

The empty First Capital Connect train was travelling from St Albans to Sutton when the youngsters were struck.

A spokesman for the train operator said: "This was a shocking incident and our hearts go out to all those involved."

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US To Hold Talks With Taliban 'Within Days'

Taliban Insurgency: A Timeline

Updated: 4:44pm UK, Tuesday 18 June 2013

As Afghan forces take control of national security, marking a major milestone for the withdrawal of US-led combat troops, here is a timeline of the 12 years of Taliban insurgency in the country.

:: September 11, 2001 - al Qaeda hijackers fly passenger planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing nearly 3,000 people. Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is known to live in Afghanistan, which is ruled by the Taliban.

:: October 7, 2001 - A US-led military campaign begins with air strikes against Afghanistan, followed by troops, to hunt down bin Laden and topple the Taliban.

:: December 2001 - The Taliban are forced from power, but bin Laden is not found. Plans are laid for an interim government and a multinational force. Hamid Karzai is appointed to lead the government and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) begins to deploy.

:: October 9, 2004 - Afghanistan's first presidential election takes place. Mr Karzai is proclaimed the winner. He is declared to have won another term in November 2009, amid accusations of massive electoral fraud.

:: February 2007 - Taliban insurgents attack at US base as vice president Dick Cheney visits, killing 24 people.

:: November 2008 - Barack Obama is elected US president, and vows to end the war in Iraq and focus on Afghanistan.

:: December 1, 2009 - Mr Obama orders a "surge" of 30,000 troops into Afghanistan but says withdrawals will begin in July 2011. The number of NATO-led forces reaches a peak of 150,000 in the summer of 2010.

:: May 2, 2011 - Osama bin Laden is killed by US special forces in the Pakistan town of Abbottabad.

:: June 22, 2011 - Mr Obama announces the withdrawal of 33,000 US troops by the middle of 2012.

:: July 2011 - Western troops and officials begin handing authority to Afghan forces in some areas.

:: August 6, 2011 - 30 US troops, mostly special forces, and eight Afghans die when the Taliban shoots down their helicopter in the biggest single loss for foreign troops in the war.

:: September 20, 2011 - Burhanuddin Rabbani, a former president and Mr Karzai's peace envoy, becomes the most senior politician to be killed since the start of the conflict in an assassination blamed by Afghan officials on the Taliban.

:: November 27, 2011 - US air strikes kill 24 Pakistani soldiers, prompting Pakistan to suspend overland NATO supply routes into Afghanistan for several months.

:: December 6, 2011 - At least 84 people die in suicide blasts at shrines on the Shiite holday day of Ashura. The biggest attack takes place in Kabul, killing 80.

:: February 2012 - Deadly protests kill 40 people and force Mr Obama to apologise after US troops burn copies of the Koran on an Afghan military base.

:: March 11, 2012 - A rogue US soldier walks off his base in Kandahar and kills 16 Afghans, most of them women and children.

:: February 2013 - Mr Obama announces 34,000 US troops will return from Afghanistan by mid-February 2014. There are currently 98,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan.

At least 3,336 foreign troops have died since the start of operations in 2001.

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Forrest Trial: Wife Found Message From Girl

The wife of a teacher accused of abducting a schoolgirl has told a court how she asked him to stop communicating with the pupil on Twitter after she found a message from the teenager.

Lewes Crown Court has been hearing from Emily Forrest, who said her marriage to 30-year-old Jeremy Forrest was in trouble by the end of 2011.

He is said to have begun a sexual relationship with the pupil and allegedly took the then 15-year-old to France in September of the following year.

Mrs Forrest, who was in tears at one stage as she gave evidence and asked the court for a break, told how her husband had become "really distant" in their marriage and that they would sleep in different beds.

The 32-year-old, who married the defendant in 2009, said she was concerned he would get into trouble with his boss at Bishop Bell C of E School in Eastbourne, East Sussex, after finding the tweet from the schoolgirl.

She asked him to stop sending messages to her because it was "not appropriate", the court heard.

She said: "Teachers shouldn't be tweeting children from their school. They shouldn't even be friends with them."

Earlier, the schoolgirl's mother told the court how she had learned of rumours about the pair in the months before they went missing.

She said she was first warned by the school about claims surrounding her daughter and Forrest after a school trip to Los Angeles in February of that year.

Her daughter "broke down" when she confronted her and said they were "just nasty rumours".

The court heard that in the summer of last year, Forrest called the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

The mother said he was "seriously concerned" about his career and that he wanted to "nip (the rumours) in the bud" before the new school year.

"He alluded that (my daughter) was being a bit of a pain, he said (she) kept hanging around him," she told the court.

"He was upset about it getting worse, he kept going on and on about his career."

She said she apologised over her daughter's behaviour and that she was "mortified that my daughter could put someone in that position".

"I was horrified, ashamed and I had a go at her," she said.

"She said 'It's not true', she was in tears, she broke down, she said 'It's not true, it's not true'."

A police officer turned up at the girl's home in September and told the mother there were reports of indecent images of Forrest on her daughter's phone, the court heard.

Her daughter was "angry" about the claims and handed over her phone for them to look at.

The court has heard that, fearing they were about to be exposed, Forrest booked them on a cross-Channel ferry from Dover to Calais on September 20 before spending seven days on the run in France.

The mother said she did not know the whereabouts of her daughter for the seven days before she was found and had feared she was dead.

The court also heard evidence from friends of the girl, who is now 16.

One told police that the girl had stayed at Forrest's house while his wife was away.

The teenage witness, who counted herself among the schoolgirl's best friends, told police that the schoolgirl would be picked up by Forrest in his car after school and they would go to a crematorium to talk.

She said they would spend time at hotels as well as his home.

Scots-born Forrest, of Chislehurst Road, Petts Wood, Kent, denies child abduction.

More follows...

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G8: Syria Statement Omits Anti-Assad Calls

Q & A: What is the G8 all about?

Updated: 3:21pm UK, Tuesday 18 June 2013

The G8 is a group of eight countries which are among the world's richest, plus the European Union.

It comprises the UK, the US, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada, Russia and the EU. As a result of their shared wealth, they have common interests and meet annually to discuss the issues that affect them.

What does it do?
It aims to overcome some of the major world problems by creating and agreeing solutions. Each year, the host sets the agenda and sometimes promotes practical ways of resolving issues.

Who are the leaders attending?
The UK's David Cameron, The US's Barack Obama, France's Francois Hollande, Germany's Angela Merkel, Italy's Enrico Letta, Japan's Shinzo Abe, Canada's Stephen Harper, Russia's Vladimir Putin and the EU's Herman van Rompuy and Jose Manuel Barroso. 

Why is this year's being held in Northern Ireland?
Each year, a different country takes its turn to host the summit. This year it is Britain's turn. Northern Ireland, which experienced  paramilitary conflict until the Belfast Agreement brought it to a close, was chosen because it symbolises how working together can result in a successful peace.

Why do protesters demonstrate when it's held?
Much of the criticism of the G8 relates to claims that the group does not do enough to help the developing world, either through lessening Third World debt, or through reducing the cost of medicines. Other critics are against the way the grouping together of wealthy countries distorts power, by causing 'globalisation'.

Who pays for the summit and its policing?
The member country holding the G8 presidency is entirely responsible for organising and the cost of each year's summit. That includes its policing. This year's has been held at the Lough Erne Resort in County Fermanagh. The cost is estimated at £60m, with the Northern Ireland government paying £6m and the UK Treasury meeting the rest.

When was it last staged in UK and what happened?
It was last held in the UK in 2005, at Gleneagles, near Stirling, Scotland. On the agenda were the cancelling of third world debt and global warming. Ahead of the summit, finance leaders agreed to write off $40bn worth of debt owed by the 18 most highly indebted poor countries. The members also agreed a joint declaration to tackle global warming. More than 10,000 police officers from all over the UK kept order at protests. There were 700 arrests and in the middle of the event, on July 7, four terrorists set off suicide bombs on the London transport network, killing 52 people.

What has it ever achieved?
Many have argued that the G8 is becoming increasingly irrelevant, as other nations outside the eight become wealthier. The five leading developing nations, China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa are not automatically invited. As a result, the meetings are sometimes seen as being a 'rich man's club, which is limited in its decision making. Some have suggested the G20, which involves the world's 20 richest countries, should replace it.

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