Fugitive Edward Snowden Leaves Moscow Airport

Fugitive Edward Snowden has left Moscow airport where he has been holed up for more than a month.

The wanted US intelligence whistleblower has been granted a year's asylum in Russia, his lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena revealed.

An airport spokeswoman added he had left within the last two hours - crossing the Russian border for the first time.

Mr Kucherena said the American had left in a normal taxi on his own. 

"His location is not being made public for security reasons since he is the most pursued man on the planet. He himself will decide where he will go," the lawyer said.

President Putin had approved the asylum request on condition the American stopped leaking US secrets, the lawyer said, adding his client had agreed to the condition.

Snowden had been stuck in the transit zone of the Sheremetyevo airport

Snowden, 30, is wanted by the US on felony charges after leaking details of vast surveillance programmes, but Russia has refused to extradite him.

Interviewed by Rossiya 24 television, Mr Kucherena held up a scanned copy of his client's certificate granting him a year's temporary asylum in Russia.

"He has gone to a safe place. I hope you will be understanding about this information," he told the TV station.

The whistleblower had been stuck in the transit zone of the Sheremetyevo airport outside Moscow since he flew in from Hong Kong on June 23.

His awarding of asylum status in Russia comes two days after US soldier Bradley Manning was convicted of spying for leaking US secrets to anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks.

Snowden's case has further strained US-Russian ties already tense amid differences over Syria, US criticism of Russia's human rights record and other issues.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama on Thursday is attending a private meeting with lawmakers to discuss surveillance programmes run by the National Security Agency.

The previously scheduled meeting in the Oval Office is to discuss concerns about privacy by lawmakers who are pushing to rein in the NSA's authority.

Mr Obama's national security team is trying to keep its surveillance powers intact while acknowledging some limitations appear inevitable.

The White House says the president wants to hear from Congress directly, including from critics.

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Linah Keza: Model Stabbed To Death At Home

A 29-year-old model has been stabbed to death at her home in east London.

A murder investigation has been launched after Rwandan national Linah Keza was found dead by paramedics at an address in King Edward Road in Leyton, in the early hours of Wednesday.

Police were also called to attend the knife attack by the London Ambulance Service at around 4.30am.

A 38-year-old man was arrested in connection with the stabbing and is being questioned over the death at a north London police station.

Scotland Yard confirmed officers had had previous contact with Ms Keza and the murder suspect - and that the case had been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

A spokesman said the Metropolitan Police had "voluntarily referred matters" to the IPCC, adding that "it would be inappropriate to comment further".

Tributes have been pouring in for Ms Keza (Pic: AMC Agency)

Ms Keza, who leaves behind a three-year-old daughter, was on the books at AMC Agency, which described the former Miss Africa contestant as a "very compassionate, amazing and a professional girl".

"Today is a very sad day for AMC as we have had the sad news that one of our models, Linah Keza, has passed away in tragic circumstances," the agency said in a statement.

"Anybody that has met and worked with her via the agency will miss her greatly."

There was a further outpouring of tributes to Ms Keza on a special Facebook "Remembrance" page

Anita Karissa wrote: "RIP pretty lady, may God bless n strengthen ur lito gal thru ths n e rest of her precious life."

Another, Priscy Jay, said: "R.I.p lenah. may God strength, most especially the little one."

And Brens Willie Wambedde added: "Rest in Eternal Peace."

Ms Keza's brother, Jack Hodari, expressed his anger and said he hoped his sister's killer would "know no peace and joy".

A post-mortem examination is due to take place on Thursday at Walthamstow Mortuary.

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Syria's Homs Explosions: At Least 40 Dead

A series of giant explosions ripped through a weapons depot killing at least 40 and injuring scores after it came under rocket fire by Syrian rebels.

Video of the blast was posted on YouTube by activists opposing the Bashar al Assad regime. It showed a giant fireball blasting hundreds of feet into the air followed by a number of smaller explosions.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said: "At least 22 people, including civilians, were killed and dozens wounded, some seriously, when an ammunitions depot blew up in the pro-regime Wadi al-Zahab district after rocket fire, most probably by rebels."

The rebels have been blamed for the explosions

The explosions, at the munitions depot which is operated by pro-regime militias, caused a significant amount of damage to the neighbouring area.

Those living nearby said They said that the attack hit a sports hall in the district of southeastern Wadi al-Dhahab, which the army has taken over.

The area is majority Alawite, the same sect as Assad. Sunni Muslim insurgents have targeted Alawite areas, especially military positions, around the country with bombs and mortars.

The shelling of the depot came as President Assad made a speech in the town of Daraya, south west of Damascus, saying he was confident of a victory against rebels.

Mr Assad said: "If we were not sure that we were going to win in Syria, we would not have the ability to resist and the ability to continue fighting for more than two years against the enemy."

UN inspectors will inspect three sites of alleged chemical weapons attacks

Daraya was a symbolic choice for Mr Assad as it the town was once overrun by insurgents but has in the main be retaken by the regime's army.

It comes as a United National weapons chemical weapons investigations team announced they will visit three sites in the country where alleged Sarin gas attacked have occurred.

Both sides have claimed the other has used chemical weapons, a claim largely acknowledged by the international community.

However, it is hoped the UN weapons inspectors will be able to establish whether chemical agents banned under international laws have been used in the two-and-a-half-year conflict.

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Ohio Kidnap: Castro Apologises To Victims

Ariel Castro has apologised to the three woman he kept captive, subjecting them to years of sexual and physical abuse.

Castro, 53, made a brief statement at the beginning of his sentencing hearing.

"I would like to apologise," he told the judge, adding that he would speak more later in the day.

Castro, a former school bus driver, has pleaded guilty to 937 charges, including kidnapping, rape, assault and aggravated murder.

A model of Ariel Castro's home is displayed in court

Prosecutors are expected to detail Castro's daily assaults on the women, recounted in diaries that compared the women's experience to that of prisoners of war.

He stands to get life in prison plus 1,000 years.

"Mr Castro does accept full responsibility for his conduct," defence lawyer Craig Weintraub told the court.

The women disappeared separately between 2002 and 2004, when they were 14, 16 and 20 years old - and were held captive for a decade.

One of them was lured into Castro's Cleveland home with the promise of a puppy for her son.

A police photo shows chains used to restrain the women inside the home

The three, Michelle Knight, 32, Amanda Berry, 27, and Gina DeJesus, 23, escaped in May, and Castro was arrested within hours.

For years, Castro chained his captives by their ankles, fed them only one meal a day and provided plastic toilets in their bedrooms that were infrequently emptied, prosecutors said.

He locked all of them in a vehicle in his garage for three days when someone visited him, prosecutors said.

Castro said he did not have an exit strategy from his complicated double life and finally gave the women a chance to escape by leaving a door unlocked, court documents showed.

At the sentencing hearing, witnesses, including a police officer who was among the first ones to arrive at the scene, described the desperate condition of the three victims.

Cleveland Police Officer Barbara Johnson said the three were "thin, pale, scared" and were asking what had happened to them.

Ms Knight was "very, very scared", and was having a hard time breathing, the officer testified.

Throughout the hearing, Castro listened and frequently talked to his lawyers.

Ms Knight sent police a handwritten letter thanking them for their help collecting cards and gifts for the women.

In the note, she wrote: "Life is tough, but I'm tougher!"

:: Ariel Castro Sentencing In Court: Live Updates

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Brecon Beacons: Third Reservist Soldier Named

A reservist who died after falling ill during SAS selection training in the Brecon Beacons earlier this month "adored the army", his family have said.

Corporal James Dunsby, 31, died in hospital on Tuesday where he had been in a serious condition since the military exercise on July 13, one of the hottest days of the year.

His death follows that of colleagues Edward John Maher and Lance Corporal Craig John Roberts, who also collapsed during the  exercise on south Wales' highest mountain.

In a statement issued through the Ministry of Defence (MoD) the family of Cpl Dunsby, who was a member of the Army Reserves (The Royal Yeomanry), said the 31-year-old had the "most infectious enthusiasm for life".

"He was the most loving and dependable husband, not to mention the most handsome of men of whom could not be more cherished," they said.

"James was and will remain a dearly loved, son, brother and husband. He had the uniquely wonderful ability to endear, enchant and captivate all who he met with his naughty sense of humour and highly intelligent wit.

Edward Maher collapsed during the exercise

"With James as your friend you were ensured loyalty, strength, allegiance, protection and most of all a damn good laugh.

"James adored the army and believed so passionately in his duty as a protector of Queen and country and of the realm.

"James was so dearly loved by so many and will be sorely missed. Hurrah and Huzzah for James Dunsby; a greater man you could not meet.

"We ask to be allowed to come to terms with our grief and loss of our beloved son and brother James."

The MoD, which confirmed Cpl Dunsby's death on Tuesday night, has not revealed where he was from. An inquest into his death is expected to be opened in due course.

Witnesses from July 13 have described seeing two soldiers "clearly in distress" who pleaded with them for some drinking water.

An inquest at Brecon Law Courts in Powys, mid Wales, gave the medical deaths of L/Cpl Roberts and Mr Maher as "unascertained" and said further tests would be carried out.

L/Cpl Roberts had been pronounced dead on the mountain at 5.15pm, while Mr Maher died at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil almost three hours later.

Investigations have been launched by both the police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

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Daniel Pelka: Police 'Fell In Love' With Child

By Lisa Dowd, Sky News Correspondent

A senior detective has told Sky News how he and his team "fell in love" with murdered Daniel Pelka as they investigated how the four-year-old was "starved, beaten, poisoned and drowned".

Detective Inspector Christopher Hanson, a specialist in child protection, said it had been the most serious case of child cruelty he has ever worked on.

"The whole circumstances have had a really profound effect on the investigation team. In many respects we have fallen in love with Daniel, we've worked so hard to achieve justice for him.

"We have photographs of Daniel up and around the office and it was just very, very important to us to do everything we could to provide evidence for the jury, overwhelming evidence in my opinion, that they could quite rightly convict these people who've done this awful crime.

"He was starved, beaten, poisoned and drowned. I can't think if anything else they could have done to this lovely little boy, and I really don't think they recognise what they've done," he said.

DI Hanson said his mother Magdelena Luczak and stepfather Mariusz Krezolek turned Daniel "from a beautiful bright-eyed little boy into, really, a bag of bones".

"Daniel was severely beaten. We know that on Thursday March 1, 2012, following this beating, he was left in a box room, locked in this room, on his own, starving hungry in the dark, where he died all alone, and he was found dead in the early hours of Saturday morning on March 3.

Luczak and Krezolek have been found guilty

"I'm quite clear about this, my opinion is that they only sought help for Daniel when he was dead, and of course at that point they had possession of a dead child and had to think quickly how they were going to explain it, it was at that point that the telephone call was made to 999 to say that 'I've got a boy here who is very poorly', in my opinion Daniel had already been dead for some time.

"It's unimaginable cruelty, Daniel had a terrible little life and I only hope that his parents spend a very, very long time in prison, if not the rest of their lives in prison, and they think about what they did to Daniel every day that they are in prison," he said.

DI Hanson added that it was "chilling" how, as Daniel lay dying, Luczak and Krezolek "carried on as normal, feeding themselves, looking at computers, went out shopping, almost as if Daniel didn't exist and it just shows the pure contempt that they had for Daniel and his life".

The detective, who works in the West Midlands Police child abuse unit in Coventry, said Daniel started school in September 2011 as a "bright eyed, plump little boy" and "went downhill from there".

"I don't think it (the abuse) would have been obvious very early on but as Daniel deteriorated, (it) became worse and worse and worse, it then became more obvious," he explained.

"But of course, we are dealing with perpetrators who are very convincing, and very cunning, and deeply dishonest, and painted a picture of Daniel being a very poorly little boy and having this eating disorder and disease that meant he couldn't put on weight and bruised easily.

"Obviously their cruelty was covert in many ways but they did everything they could to cover it up, conceal it and disguise it as illness which again for me completely aggravates the whole abuse."

During the trial, a sibling of Daniel's, who cannot be named for legal reasons, gave evidence. The child, who was not abused, told how they hid food for Daniel, and tried to look after him.

"I have seen this before where one child for some reason is singled out, which is particularly cruel in my opinion, but the sibling that we're talking about, don't forget, witnessed what was happening to their brother," DI Hanson said.

"It had a tremendous effect on them psychologically of course.

"It's completely unbearable to think that this went on in this small house in front of the sibling, the sibling did everything they could to try and help their brother but I'm sure it's had a profound effect on the sibling as well."

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Daniel Pelka: Pair Found Guilty Of Murder

Police 'Fell In Love' With Daniel

Updated: 4:27pm UK, Wednesday 31 July 2013

By Lisa Dowd, Sky News Correspondent

A senior detective has told Sky News how he and his team "fell in love" with murdered Daniel Pelka as they investigated how the four-year-old was "starved, beaten, poisoned and drowned".

Detective Inspector Christopher Hanson, a specialist in child protection, said it had been the most serious case of child cruelty he has ever worked on.

"The whole circumstances have had a really profound effect on the investigation team. In many respects we have fallen in love with Daniel, we've worked so hard to achieve justice for him.

"We have photographs of Daniel up and around the office and it was just very, very important to us to do everything we could to provide evidence for the jury, overwhelming evidence in my opinion, that they could quite rightly convict these people who've done this awful crime.

"He was starved, beaten, poisoned and drowned. I can't think if anything else they could have done to this lovely little boy, and I really don't think they recognise what they've done," he said.

DI Hanson said his mother Magdelena Luczak and stepfather Mariusz Krezolek turned Daniel "from a beautiful bright-eyed little boy into, really, a bag of bones".

"Daniel was severely beaten. We know that on Thursday March 1, 2012, following this beating, he was left in a box room, locked in this room, on his own, starving hungry in the dark, where he died all alone, and he was found dead in the early hours of Saturday morning on March 3.

"I'm quite clear about this, my opinion is that they only sought help for Daniel when he was dead, and of course at that point they had possession of a dead child and had to think quickly how they were going to explain it, it was at that point that the telephone call was made to 999 to say that 'I've got a boy here who is very poorly', in my opinion Daniel had already been dead for some time.

"It's unimaginable cruelty, Daniel had a terrible little life and I only hope that his parents spend a very, very long time in prison, if not the rest of their lives in prison, and they think about what they did to Daniel every day that they are in prison," he said.

DI Hanson added that it was "chilling" how, as Daniel lay dying, Luczak and Krezolek "carried on as normal, feeding themselves, looking at computers, went out shopping, almost as if Daniel didn't exist and it just shows the pure contempt that they had for Daniel and his life".

The detective, who works in the West Midlands Police child abuse unit in Coventry, said Daniel started school in September 2011 as a "bright eyed, plump little boy" and "went downhill from there".

"I don't think it (the abuse) would have been obvious very early on but as Daniel deteriorated, (it) became worse and worse and worse, it then became more obvious," he explained.

"But of course, we are dealing with perpetrators who are very convincing, and very cunning, and deeply dishonest, and painted a picture of Daniel being a very poorly little boy and having this eating disorder and disease that meant he couldn't put on weight and bruised easily.

"Obviously their cruelty was covert in many ways but they did everything they could to cover it up, conceal it and disguise it as illness which again for me completely aggravates the whole abuse."

During the trial, a sibling of Daniel's, who cannot be named for legal reasons, gave evidence. The child, who was not abused, told how they hid food for Daniel, and tried to look after him.

"I have seen this before where one child for some reason is singled out, which is particularly cruel in my opinion, but the sibling that we're talking about, don't forget, witnessed what was happening to their brother," DI Hanson said.

"It had a tremendous effect on them psychologically of course.

"It's completely unbearable to think that this went on in this small house in front of the sibling, the sibling did everything they could to try and help their brother but I'm sure it's had a profound effect on the sibling as well."

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Daniel Pelka: Review To Examine Failures

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

A serious case review will look at whether authorities missed numerous opportunities to intervene and stop the horrific abuse being meted out to Daniel Pelka by his mother and her partner.

During the trial of Magdelena Luczak and Mariusz Krezolek, Birmingham Crown Court heard that the four-year-old, who was starved for up to nine months before being beaten to death, had been assessed by doctors for a broken arm as early as January 2011, some 14 months before he died.

Krezolek claimed that Daniel had fallen from a sofa during a game of hide and seek but Dr Irena van der Ploeg was concerned that between 12 and 24 hours had lapsed after his injury, before he was brought to University Hospital Coventry.

Doctors said Daniel would have been in "significant pain" having suffered a "spiral fracture" which could have been as a result of "twisting". Daniel's two bone fragments had become "completely separated" and they suspected it was a "non-accidental injury".

A police officer who was in charge of child protection was called by a social worker at the hospital.

A sibling of Daniel's, who had been told to lie about what had happened by Luczak and Krezolek, was spoken to by authorities, but it was decided there was no evidence of wrong-doing.

In a statement read to court, DC Holly Darby from West Midlands Police said: "A strategy meeting was held at University Hospital Coventry and it was decided there was no role for child safety officers at this stage."

At school Daniel would steal food from the bin, the prosecution said

Five months later, social services closed their file on Daniel.

During the trial, Prosecutor Jonas Hankin QC alleged the fractured limb may have been a trigger for the later abuse, which escalated after Daniel began attending school in September 2011.

Up to his death in March 2012, the court heard that Daniel missed 28-and-a-half days of school. Between October and mid-December 2011,  the school nurse, a school health support worker and an educational welfare officer all made visits to Daniel's home, after Luczak described her son as being "obsessed with food" and having an "insatiable appetite".

By January 25, 2012, a teacher had "grave concerns about Daniel" and contacted his GP. The following day she spoke to Luczak and advised her that she needed to make an appointment for her son.

Neither the GP Daniel was registered with, or any other doctor at the practice ever saw Daniel, despite various letters being sent to his mother telling her he needed his injections.

And, although the school nurse referred Daniel to the community paediatrician two months prior to this, the family missed three appointments before Dr Supratrik Chakraborthy eventually saw the child on February 10th 2012, a few weeks before Daniel died.

Daniel was so thin that a teacher could see his ribs

The trial heard Luczak played a leading role in convincing school staff and medical professionals that Daniel's dramatic weight loss was due to a rare eating disorder.

She and Krezolek told Dr Chakraborthy, an expert in child protection, that they had seen worms in Daniel's stools. The doctor noted that Daniel looked "thin" but not "wasted", and he prescribed medication for worms.

By then, teachers at Daniel's school, Little Health Primary in Coventry, had observed Daniel "stealing" food from the lunch boxes of other pupils,  and taking food from bins.

The same month a teacher described telling Daniel to get undressed for PE, but said that he "sat and whimpered". When his clothes were eventually taken off, she "could see his bones", his skin looked "transparent" and she thought he was "wasting away". Teachers felt he had the "bare minimum" of food in his lunchbox but believed it to be "adequate".

At first Daniel had been told off and punished by staff for taking food, but by now they thought he "couldn't help it", it was happening every day, and they believed it to be "health- related".

On March 1, 2012, just hours before Daniel received the fatal blow that led to his death, teachers saw him eating half eaten fruit out of a bin and eating green play jelly. They described his skin as "ashen", he was "quiet" and "more withdrawn", was "cold to touch", his lips had a "blue tinge" and he had dark circles around his eyes. His clothes were "too big" for him.

Peter Wanless, chief executive of the NSPCC, said the Serious Case Review must give an indication of how Daniel's mistreatment was missed.

Daniel's mother convinced teachers and doctors he had an eating disorder

He said: "The distressing evidence given by Daniel's devoted sibling, who bravely risked their own safety in a bid to protect him, shows just how lonely and desperate the situation had become.

"But protecting Daniel from abuse should never have been the responsibility of a child. It is clear that there were adults in Daniel's life who had concerns for his welfare.

"Magdalena Luczak and Mariusz Krezolek deliberately span a web of lies to cover up their evil abuse and evaded any help they were offered. However, once again crucial questions need to be asked about how a youngster slipped through the child protection net with the most catastrophic of consequences.

"The indications that Daniel was suffering for some months should have been plain to see - he was disappearing in front of people's eyes."

Anyone who is concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC helpline immediately on 0808 800 5000, text 88858 or email help@nspcc.org.uk.

The serious case review by Coventry's Safeguarding Children Board is expected to report its findings within six weeks and will examine why social services and police did not become involved again after school staff noticed "finger pressure marks" on Daniel's neck in January 2012 and what appeared to be two black eyes in February 2012.

The review board have released this statement: "The review to date has scrutinised and challenged the actions of all the agencies and organisations that had an involvement in Daniel's life.

"It has considered whether more could or should have been done to protect Daniel. However new information has emerged during the trial. Therefore the Safeguarding Children Board will consider the work completed so far on the review in the light of all the evidence presented in court."

This latest review comes three years after the findings of a Serious Case Review in Birmingham which looked into the death of Khyra Ishaq, 7, who was starved to death by her mother and her boyfriend.

It concluded that her death was "preventable" and recommended there be "better assessments" and "effective inter-agency communication".

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London Stabbings: Murder Probe As Man Held

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was killed and two others - including her sister - suffered serious stab wounds.

The 40-year-old was detained overnight after officers were alerted to attacks at two separate south London flats on Monday evening.

A woman aged 28 and her 17-year-old sister were found with knife wounds at 7.10pm at an address in Tilson Gardens, Brixton.

Police said the teenager had suffered wounds to her head and hands as she tried to protect her sister.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, while the girl was taken to a south London hospital and is in a serious but stable condition, Scotland Yard said.

Half an hour earlier, another woman, aged 46, was found at a property in Redlands Way with a number of injuries, including stab wounds. Her condition is described as critical.

The suspect was arrested in Leigham Court Road, Streatham

Young children were present at the scenes of both attacks and officers want to establish if they saw anything significant.

Forensic examinations were taking place at the two properties, which lie less than a mile apart.

Police said all three victims were known to the man being held in custody at a south London police station.

A woman who lives in Redlands Way said she came outside when she heard a woman screaming that someone was trying to kill her.

She said: "The woman had got out on to the balcony and she was just screaming. There was this tall, black guy who came out of nowhere - it was like a film.

"He just grabbed her and stabbed her in her back - a couple of us saw it. The children were playing out in the park right in front which made it more traumatic.

"People started calling the police and I was trying to get my daughter inside so I could go down to see whether I could do anything.

"The guy escaped but we saw her coming down with bandages and the bandages were bleeding."

It is understood an eight-year-old boy was in the bathroom of the Tilson Gardens property when the attack happened.

The suspect was arrested on a bus in Leigham Court Road, Streatham, south London, shortly before 1am.

Detective Inspector Will Reynolds said there was no suggestion it was a random attack and officers are not looking for anyone else.

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Face Transplant Patient Thanks Doctors

A man has thanked doctors for saving his life after having a face transplant in Poland.

The patient, identified only as Grzegorz, spoke at a news conference just three months after losing his nose, upper jaw and cheeks in an accident with a stone-cutting machine at the brick factory where he worked.

The 27-hour operation was carried out on May 15 at the Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology in Gliwice.

"My speech isn't clear, but it's really important that it is there," Grzegorz said as he was discharged from hospital. "I know it's still a long way."

Surgeons said his recovery is proceeding surprisingly quickly, thanks to his "courage and determination".

He can see, eat, taste and speak, although his speech is hard to understand because his face muscles are still tight and require intensive physiotherapy.

The 33-year-old will also need surgery on his right eyelid, which he can't move.

During the news conference at the hospital, his eyes were hidden behind sunglasses.

Professor Adam Maciejewski, who led the operation, said Grzegorz will need to take medication for the rest of his life, but will be able to go back to work and lead a normal life.

"A period of hard work and rehabilitation is before him, but I want to thank him here today for his courage, perseverance and character," he added.

"I also thank the family who supported him."

Grzegorz's sister Barbara told reporters: "It's hard to express how happy we feel that our brother can return home."

She said her brother had a lunch of roast duck waiting for him at home.

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Vicky Pryce Is Stripped Of Queen's Honour

Chris Huhne's ex-wife has had her honour for government service cancelled by the Queen, completing her fall from grace.

High-flying economist Vicky Pryce was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2009 Birthday honours.

The honour is the equivalent of a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) but is just a different order.

Pryce received her CB in recognition of her contribution as head of the Government economic service.

But the award has now been cancelled and annulled and her name will be removed from the register of the Order of the Bath.

The Forfeiture Committee revokes honours where their holder is considered to have brought the system into disrepute.

Chris Huhne with girlfriend Carina Trimingham after his release

Its decisions have to be submitted to the Queen for approval by the Prime Minister before a notice can be put in the London Gazette.

The announcement said: "The Queen has directed that the appointment of Vicky, Mrs Pryce, to be a Member of the Civil Division of the Third Class, or Companion, of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, dated June 13 2009, shall be cancelled and annulled and that her name shall be erased from the Register of the said Order."

Pryce and Huhne were jailed for eight months in March after they were finally punished for lying about a speeding offence in 2003.

Huhne repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and battled to get the case dismissed but eventually admitted his guilt on the eve of his trial.

In court, Pryce argued she was forced to take the points by her then husband but her story was ultimately rejected.

Allegations about the points swap only emerged in the press in 2011 after the senior Lib Dem dumped his wife for another woman.

During Pryce's trial, it emerged she had deliberately leaked the story in a bid to "nail" her former husband as revenge for his betrayal.

The pair, who have three children together, were released in May after almost two months behind bars and have to wear electronic tags.

Greek-born Pryce, a regular TV pundit before her conviction, immediately announced she was publishing a book on her experiences called Prisonomics.

She also recently gave evidence to a Lords committee on the eurozone crisis.

By contrast, Huhne - who was once seen as a future Lib Dem party leader - has kept a low profile since leaving jail.

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Bradley Manning Trial: Verdict To Be Announced

Bradley Manning, the US soldier who risks life in prison for leaking a trove of US government secrets to WikiLeaks, will learn the verdict in his trial today.

The military judge hearing the court-martial for the former intelligence analyst is expected to announce her decision at 1pm (6pm BST).

Judge Colonel Denise Lind has to decide whether Manning is a traitor who committed espionage against his country or a whistleblower who hoped to shine a spotlight on what he felt was US government misconduct.

Manning was serving as an intelligence analyst in Iraq when he sent WikiLeaks a vast cache of secret diplomatic cables and classified military reports from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He faces 21 counts including espionage, computer fraud and theft charges, but the most serious is aiding the enemy, which carries a possible life sentence.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has called Manning a 'hero'

The verdict follows about two months of conflicting testimony and evidence at the trial in Fort Meade, Maryland.

The 25-year-old has admitted giving the anti-secrecy website some 700,000 documents, pleading guilty to 10 lesser charges, including espionage and computer fraud, which could carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years.

But he has denied that he knowingly helped enemies of the United States, most notably Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda.

He says he selected material that would not harm troops or national security.

In closing arguments, defence lawyer David Coombs said Manning was no traitor but a "young, naive and good-intentioned" citizen who wanted to encourage public debate about US foreign policy.

Prosecutors called him an anarchist hacker and traitor who indiscriminately leaked classified information he had sworn to protect.

They said bin Laden obtained copies of some of the documents WikiLeaks published before he was killed by US Navy Seals in 2011.

"He was not a troubled young soul, he was a determined soldier with the knowledge, ability and desire to harm the United States in its war effort," lead prosecutor Major Ashden Fein told the court.

"Your honour, he was not a whistleblower - he was a traitor."

The verdict could have significant implications for civil liberties.

Supporters of Bradley Manning in Fort Meade are calling for his release

Manning's supporters argue a conviction would be a huge blow for press freedoms in the US and would deter future whistleblowers from exposing government wrongdoing.

Most of the information he sent to WikiLeaks was published between April and November 2010.

The material included some 470,000 Iraq and Afghanistan battlefield reports, 250,000 State Department diplomatic cables and several battlefield video clips, including footage of a 2007 US Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad that killed at least nine men.

Manning was arrested in Baghdad in May 2010.

The sentencing phase of the trial could begin as early as Wednesday.

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Over 100 Children 'Saved From Prostitution Ring'

The FBI says it has rescued 105 children who were forced into prostitution while arresting 150 "pimps" and others in a series of raids in 76 American cities.

The three-day operation, dubbed Operation Cross Country VII, was the largest of its type and conducted under the FBI's "Innocence Lost" initiative. 

"Child prostitution remains a persistent threat to children across America," Ron Hosko, assistant director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division, said in statement.

"This operation serves as a reminder that these abhorrent crimes can happen anywhere and that the FBI remains committed to stopping this cycle of victimisation and holding the criminals who profit from this exploitation accountable."

The FBI said the Innocence Lost National Initiative has resulted in rescuing 2,700 children since 2003.

More follows...

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Charles: 'New Prince Will Be Called Georgie'

Prince Charles has joked his one-week-old grandson George will be called Georgie "in no time".

The third-in-line to the throne was born last Monday in a London hospital and went home a day later.

Outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary's, George Alexander Louis was photographed with his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, in front of the world's media.

Charles was given a T-shirt for Prince George

HRH Prince George of Cambridge is set to be known as King George VII when he one day becomes king.

As they attended the Whitstable Oyster Festival in Kent, Charles and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall were congratulated on the new arrival by throngs of well-wishers.

And Charles gave the newborn's name the Royal seal of approval, describing George as "very good".

But Sonia Rule, 38, whose partner works for the Whitstable RNLI Lifeboats crew said she heard Charles joke his grandson will "be known as Georgie in no time".

The Royal couple were showered with gifts for the baby including a tiny lemon T-shirt which they could pass on as a souvenir from their trip to the festival.

Shona Corcoran, 38, from Whitstable, and her three-year-old daughter Hannah gave Charles the gift.

"He said, 'Oh, that's fantastic, thank you. I'm sure he'll like to wear that'," she said.

Charles met a woman who also has a grandchild called George.

Margaret Quinney, 67, said: "He was talking about the grandchildren. He said there are lots of grandparents around."

It was after Charles met Mrs Quinney and her daughter Jo that he said: "George - a very good name."

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Italy Crash: Doctors' Life And Death Decisions

Doctors at a deadly bus crash in Italy say they had to make life and death decisions about who to free first from the wreckage.

"People were crying out amid the corpses," Maurizio Abbenante, who was among the first on the scene, told La Repubblica.

"We had to manage the situation, and decide which people had a chance of surviving, so we could free them first from the wreckage.

"We had to decide which of the passengers looked like they would definitely survive."

A firefighter walks among the wreckage of the bus and victims' possesions

At least 38 people were killed when the coach smashed into several cars, ploughed through safety barriers and plunged 100ft off a motorway flyover before splitting in two near Avellino.

The bodies of those who died were covered in white sheets or placed in wooden coffins at the roadside.

They were later taken to the gymnasium of a nearby school, where relatives and friends came to identify their loved ones.

Victims' relatives outside at a school where many of the bodies were taken

Italian president Giorgio Napolitano described the crash as "an unacceptable tragedy", while prime minister Enrico Letta said the country had been "profoundly moved".

Witnesses told Italian media the coach was travelling at "normal speed" before suddenly veering off course.

Some described hearing a noise as if the vehicle had blown a tyre, although parts of the vehicle's engine were found around 1km (0.6 miles) back down the road.

A crane was used to recover the coach from the crash site

The braking system will also be examined, as there were no signs of heavy braking.

Despite the severity of the crash, emergency services said 10 passengers had a "miraculous escape" and managed to walk away after being cut free.

"They're saying, 'we can't explain it'," journalist Tom Kington, at the scene, said.

Wooden coffins were lined up at the scene of the crash

"People just got up and walked out of the wreckage, including, miraculously, a whole family of four."

Enrico de Campora, medical director at Santobono Pausilipon hospital in Naples, said doctors were treating five children who were admitted without their parents.

Several of the youngsters are in a serious condition and two are in a coma.

A number of people in the cars received minor injuries

Highway officials said the coach had been warned about heavy traffic on the A116 motorway near Avellino, about 30 miles east of Naples.

Flashing signs near the flyover were also in place to warn vehicles to slow down.

As well as those killed and injured in the coach, about a dozen people travelling in cars on the flyover also received minor injuries, reported Italian media.

The coach crashed in a rural area about 30 miles inland from Naples

The A116 highway links western and eastern Italy and the passengers had been returning from a weekend trip visiting a religious site in nearby Benevento province, as well a thermal bath.

Most of the passengers were from the area around Naples.

"They were working class Italians," said Kington. "They club together and take trips like they were taking this weekend."

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Manchester Stabbing: Girl Fights For Life

Neighbours have spoken of their shock after a 13-year-old-girl was left fighting for her life from a stabbing attack in which her father died.

The pair - named locally as Robert Jackson, 41, and his daughter Ayesha - were knifed at Mr Jackson's home in Moston, north Manchester on Sunday night.

The suspected attacker also died with stab wounds a short time later after driving a car into the wall of a nearby pub.

Police found the seriously injured girl and the body of her father at 10.20pm in the Delta Walk house.

Neighbours in Moston heaped praise on Robert Jackson and his daughter

Neighbours said former carpet fitter Mr Jackson was separated from Ayesha's mother, named locally as Sam Collins, and that the teenager was visiting him when the attack happened.

He was described as quiet but well-liked on the estate where he had lived for more than 20 years.

A few hours after arriving at Mr Jackson's home, police were called to Watfield Walk in Harpurhey, a two-mile drive away, after reports that a man had threatened a car owner with a knife before stealing the vehicle.

The car was then seen by police near Rochdale Road, where a 34-year-old named locally as Darren Gasper drove it into the side of the Alliance Inn pub as officers approached him.

Wall damage to the Alliance Inn, which the suspected knifeman crashed into

He was taken to hospital suffering from a stab wound and injuries from the crash but died a short time later.

The two men are said to be known to each other.

One man who said he was friends with both dead men said: "Darren was more one of the boys round here. He'd been in jail. He was a tough kid, a big lad.

"I heard Ayesha was upstairs when it started and came down to protect her dad.

"They both had kids, it's sad what this leaves behind for them."

Mr Jackson's neighbour, Clare Calvert, told Sky News: "He was the nicest bloke you'd ever meet ... He'd bend over backwards to help anybody - (he) wouldn't hurt a fly."

Flowers are left at the house in Moston

She described Ayesha, Mr Jackson's only child, as "lovely".

Another elderly neighbour said he was "very quiet" and "didn't have any enemies".

A woman who lived nearby said: "He was known by everyone as Jacko, always said hello and his girl was absolutely beautiful. I only saw them together yesterday walking down the street."

Ayesha is understood to attend the Manchester Communication Academy.

Forensics officers are at the scene of the attack, where an area around the house has been sealed off. Flowers have been left nearby.

The attack happened a two-mile drive from where the stolen car was crashed

Sky's Nick Martin, who is in Moston, said: "The priority now will be to ensure that the girl pulls through - she will have critical information about the events that played out here."

Detective Superintendent Simon Barraclough, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "We are in the very early stages of our inquiries and are piecing together the circumstances that led to two men losing their lives and a 13-year-old girl fighting for her life in hospital.

"Obviously the community will be shocked as to what has happened but we can say we do not believe anyone else was involved and are not looking for anyone else in relation to this incident."

Harpurhey has been regularly cited as one of the most deprived inner-city areas in Britain. Mr Jackson's mother lives nearby and was recently widowed.

Anyone with information can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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Immigration Figures 'Little More Than A Guess'

Official figures showing how many immigrants are coming to the UK are "little better than a guess", according to a report by MPs.

The report by the Public Administration Select Committee says the number of migrants coming to the country is not properly measured, and warns the statistics are "not fit for purpose".

Analysis on how many non-UK residents are entering and leaving the country is primarily based on "random interviews" of travellers at ports and airports that were introduced to examine tourism trends, the report says.

Just 5,000 migrants a year are identified through the International Passenger Survey and many "may be reticent to give full and frank answers," it warned.

Although the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which uses the research to draw up its migration estimates, has "done its best" to produce informative statistics, the survey "is not fit for the purposes to which it is put" and ministers must find new ways to gather information, MPs said.

Conservative MP Alun Cairns, who sits on the committee, told Sky News: "When we come down to measuring the absolute numbers, it's far too blunt, the way in which they collect the data is too inaccurate and the margin for error is far too great."

In the year to June 2012, immigration was estimated at 515,000 while emigration was estimated at 352,000.

The coalition aims to reduce net migration - the difference between the two figures - from the hundreds of thousands down to the tens of thousands by 2015.

But MPs warned the Government is at risk of ending up with an "inappropriate" immigration policy if it bases its target level of net migration on uncertain statistics "which could be out by tens of thousands".

ONS migration estimates contain no information on the immigration status of migrants, while statistics produced by the Home Office do not indicate the number of visa holders with valid leave to remain in the UK or the number who overstay their leave to remain, the report said.

The Coalition is aiming to significantly reduce net migration by 2015

Statistics produced by both organisations are "blunt instruments" for measuring, managing, and understanding migration, it added.

The committee said migration figures could be considerably improved if the Home Office and ONS properly recorded and linked the data they already gather.

MPs called for the e-Borders system to be used for measuring immigration, emigration and net migration as quickly as possible.

Committee chairman Bernard Jenkin said: "Most people would be utterly astonished to learn that there is no attempt to count people as they enter or leave the UK.

"They are amazed when they are told that government merely estimates that there are 500,000 immigrants coming into the UK each year.

"This is based on random interviews of around 800,000 people stopped and interviewed at ports and airports each year.

"Only around 5,000 of those are actual migrants, many of whom may be reticent to give full and frank answers, to say the least."

The International Passenger Survey also fails to garner the type of information needed to work out the social and economic consequences of migration, such as demand for the National Health Service or schools.

A Home Office spokesman said: "We disagree with the report's conclusions. Government reforms on immigration are working and the statistics do show that net migration is at its lowest level for a decade.

"The government is determined to build a fairer system and to address the public's concern about immigration.

"We are committed to getting net migration down from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands, and we want to be judged against the very best available evidence."

Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable criticised what he called the Conservative Party's "obsession" with net migration targets.

He told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "This idea that you're pursuing a net immigration figure is very misleading because, amongst other things, the largest number of people counted as immigrants are overseas students, who are not immigrants, they're visitors, but under the United Nations classification are counted as immigrants - but they're good for the country."

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Spain Train Crash: Driver Due In Court

A judge is preparing to question the driver of a train that hurtled off the tracks killing 78 people in Spain.

Francisco Jose Garzon Amo is being held on suspicion of "negligent homicide" and is due to appear before Judge Luis Alaez, who is heading the judicial investigation into the crash.

Judge Alaez will decide whether to press formal charges at the hearing, which must happen by 6.40pm BST on Sunday.

Garzon, 52, is suspected of driving too fast on a dangerous section of the line near the city of Santiago de Compostela.

Reports suggest the train was travelling at around 190km per hour (120mph), more than twice the 80km per hour (50mph) speed limit when it entered the bend.

Garzon, who was pictured staggering from the wreckage with blood pouring from a head wound, has refused to make a statement or answer questions about the crash.

His court appearance will be closed but the judge will decide whether to remand the driver as an official suspect, free him on bail or release him without charge.

Investigating judge Luis Alaez is due to question the train driver

The hearing comes as authorities said forensic experts have identified the last three bodies of the 78 people killed when the intercity train derailed and smashed into a concrete wall.

They did not reveal the victims' names but said their families had been informed.

A resident of the town where the train crashed has claimed Garzon admitted going fast and said he "wanted to die" in the aftermath of the crash.

In a television interview broadcast on Spain's Antena 3, Evaristo Iglesias said he and another person accompanied Garzon to a stretch of flat ground where other injured people were being laid out, waiting for emergency services to arrive.

Mr Iglesias said: "He told us that he wanted to die."

He added that Garzon said he "had been going fast" and "he said he had needed to brake but couldn't".

An American passenger, Stephen Ward, said he was watching the train's speed on a screen in the carriage, which indicated it was going at 194km per hour (121mph) moments before derailing.

The train wreckage remains at the crash scene near Santiago de Compostela

Officials have so far not said how fast the train was going when it derailed and it is not clear whether the brakes failed or were never used.

The "black box" that records journey data is with the investigating judge.

All eight carriages of the train, packed with 218 passengers, careered off the track on the express route between Madrid and Ferrol on the Galician coast.

The train cut through electricity lines and leaking diesel fuel burst into flames in some carriages.

At least 130 people were taken to hospital after the crash, with dozens remaining in a critical condition.

Five US citizens and one Briton were among the injured and one American was among the dead.

Two separate investigations are being carried out into the catastrophe - one to look into possible failings by the driver and the other to examine the train's in-built speed regulation systems and see if it was a technical malfunction that meant the driver was not warned of the reduced speed limit around the bend.

The train crash is the worst Spain has experienced since a three-train accident in a tunnel in the northern Leon province in 1944.

Due to heavy censorship at the time, the exact death toll for the Torre del Bierzo disaster has never been established.

The official figure was given as 78 dead, but it is thought that as many as 250 could have been killed.

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Weather: Downpours As Summer Getaway Begins

Torrential rain, thunder and lightning is blighting the first weekend of the school holidays, as thousands set off across the UK for their summer break.

The heavy downpours have already caused flash flooding in the South East and the Midlands, with more expected today as the rain spreads north and west.

In just four hours yesterday evening Market Bosworth in Leicestershire endured 61mm of rain and many other areas saw between 20mm and 30mm, with similar amounts forecast today.

This compares with an average rainfall of around 80mm for the whole month of July.

An AA van tows a stranded car out of flood waters in the Midlands

Leicestershire County Council said the south of the county had been worst hit by the flash floods and several road closures remain in place.

The Met Office has increased its weather warning level to "amber", the second of three levels, urging residents in the Midlands and north of England to be prepared for storms likely to cause surface water flooding and disruption today.

The Environment Agency has also issued 32 flood alerts in the same areas, and two more serious flood warnings near Rochdale and Sheffield as river levels rise.

But forecasters said there is a chance of being hit by heavy downpours almost anywhere in the UK today.

A woman pushes her bike through a flooded in Loughborough

Sky News Weather Presenter Jo Wheeler said: "Yesterday's torrential rain brought flash flooding and miserable road conditions to many parts of central southern England, the Midlands and the North.

"Today, the heaviest rainfall will be over eastern Scotland as the low pressure system drifts away north and east.

"So there'll be some dramatic weather yet to come for Scotland, with some heavy bursts of rain, thunder and lightning.

"Elsewhere, after a mild start to the day, it'll be a mixture of sunshine and showers."

Eight "flood alert" warnings have been put in place across much of Scotland, particularly the east and south of the country.

Motorists make their way through flooded roads in Leicestershire

The areas affected stretch from Dumfries and Galloway in the south-west across to the Borders and north through Edinburgh, central areas, Perthshire, Angus and Aberdeenshire.

It comes after a glorious run of baking sunshine in July which has turned increasingly unsettled over the last week.

The weather is likely to remain changeable over the next few days.

Wheeler added: "Tomorrow will be unsettled everywhere.

"Heavy showers or thunderstorms will be prevalent once again, particularly in the north and west and Scotland may see some longer spells of rain.

In contrast to Britain, Rome is experiencing scorching weather

"For all, temperatures will be a little bit lower, and closer to what we expect to see at this time of year."

As temperatures in Britain cool, other parts of Europe are sweltering in a heatwave.

Italy is thought to be experiencing its hottest weekend of the summer so far, with the mercury hitting 38C (100F) in Rome yesterday.

A strong heatwave coming from Africa and nicknamed 'Charon' by local forecasters is running over Italy with temperatures set to rise up to 40C (104F) in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Austria's capital Vienna saw temperatures reach 36C (97F) and Berlin in Germany recorded a high of 35C (95F) on Saturday.

Even higher temperatures are expected over the next few days.

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Michael Cope Charged With Linzi Ashton Murder

Michael Cope has been charged with the murder of his ex-girlfriend in Manchester.

The 28-year-old is due to appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court on Monday, when he will also face accusations of assault and rape.

He is alleged to have killed 25-year-old Linzi Ashton, who was found dead at her home in Winton on June 29.

A post mortem concluded Miss Ashton died as a result of pressure to the neck and multiple injuries.

In a statement issued shortly after Miss Ashton's death, her family said: "She was the most beautiful, generous, caring person anyone could ever wish to meet. She would never harm anyone and was always there for her children and family."

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