Weathermen Predict World Cup 'El' For England

England are used to getting their excuses in early before World Cups - and now it seems the weathermen are doing it for them.

Climate scientists at the University of Reading say there is a 60% chance of El Nino conditions in Brazil this summer.

They warned the phenomenon would "increase the risk of uncomfortably hot and dry conditions" during the tournament - a blow to European teams used to playing in cooler conditions, who have traditionally struggled in the searing heat of South American competitions.

The areas likely to be worst affected by El Nino are southern and eastern parts of Brazil, where England play their second and third group games.

Roy Hodgson's team face Uruguay in Sao Paulo on June 19 and Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte five days later.

Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte, where England will play Costa Rica

"The venue for England's first game, Manaus, where they take on Italy, is in the tropical north of Brazil and is already likely to be very hot and humid, so conditions are unlikely to be made worse by El Nino," Dr Nick Klingaman, of the University of Reading, said.

"However, if players and coaching staff were hoping for milder and more favourable conditions for their remaining matches, it looks more likely they could be disappointed."

The average maximum temperature in Rio during the World Cup months is 25.5 degrees Celsius, with a record of 36.0.

On average, El Nino increases June and July temperatures near Rio de Janeiro by 0.9C.

Cloud cover would also be lost, increasing the likelihood of "heat-related fatigue", according to scientists.

El Nino refers to unusually warm ocean temperatures near the equator in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean and is linked to drought and heatwaves in India, southeast Asia, eastern Australia and eastern South America.

The phenomenon occurs every two to five years.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Teenage Girl Dies After Sheffield Hit And Run

A 14-year-old girl who was killed in a hit and run collision in Sheffield has been named by police as Jasmyn Chan.

Another girl, aged 12, was treated for serious injuries following the collision at about 9.20pm on Friday. She has now left hospital.

The pair, both from Sheffield, were crossing the road when they were hit by a car on Normanton Hill close to its junction with Richmond Hill Road.

Chief Inspector Stuart Walne appealed for the driver to contact police.

"Jasmyn was an active, friendly girl who was very giving. This situation is even more upsetting as the driver didn't stop at the scene," he said.

"The driver may not have intended to cause this collision nor are they likely to have been aware of the extent of the injuries they caused last night.

"However, I would urge them to think about the impact on Jasmyn's family, friends and community and please come forward."

The crash occurred on Normanton Hill, near the Richmond Hill Road junction

The girls had fallen behind three other friends when they were hit by the car as it travelled down a hill towards the A57 Mosborough Parkway.

The vehicle was described as small and dark-coloured, possibly green, and possibly a Volkswagen or a Honda.

Police say they are following a "number of leads" after getting information from the public.

"The small dark-coloured car will have damage to the front and the driver's offside," Chief Inspector Walne added. "We urgently need to find the driver of this car. 

"This is a tragic situation that has taken a young life and seriously affected another.

"If you were the driver of this car, please contact police immediately.

"There may have been reasons that you didn't stop last night but now a girl has died and we need to speak to you.

"Have you noticed a small dark car that is damaged on your street this morning? Are your friends and family acting out of character today? Were they out in their car last night?"

Witnesses to the crash or anyone with information are asked to contact police on the non-emergency 101 number.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nigeria Kidnappings: Michelle Obama 'Outraged'

First Lady Michelle Obama says she and the US president are "outraged and heartbroken" over the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls in Nigeria.

Mrs Obama, taking the rare step of delivering her husband's weekly radio address, called the abduction an "unconscionable act".

The First Lady spoke as intelligence sources told Sky News they believe the girls are now being kept in at least four separate groups, complicating the search.

The sources said they believe they know where some of the girls are.

The burnt-out school where the girls were taken from last month

"Like millions of people across the globe, my husband and I are outraged and heartbroken over the kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian girls from their school dormitory in the middle of the night," Mrs Obama said in the address.

"This unconscionable act was committed by a terrorist group determined to keep these girls from getting an education - grown men attempting to snuff out the aspirations of young girls."

She said this violence "was not an isolated incident ... it's a story we see every day as girls around the world risk their lives to pursue their ambitions".

"In these girls, Barack and I see our own daughters," Mrs Obama said, referring to Malia, 15, and Sasha, 12.

"We see their hopes, their dreams and we can only imagine the anguish their parents are feeling right now."

Michelle Obama released this photo earlier this week

Barack Obama has sent a team to help the Nigerian government locate the girls, who were kidnapped from a boarding school in Chibok in the northern Borno state on April 14.

The Boko Haram militant group is behind the kidnappings.

British and American officials are using advanced eavesdropping equipment to scan the Sambisa forest where the schoolgirls are thought to be, Sky News understands.

Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford, who is in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, said if the intelligence is true it would be "much more difficult to mount simultaneous raids" to rescue them.

"The whole thing is fraught with danger," she added.

Some reports said Nigerian security forces failed to respond to warnings about Boko Haram's planned abduction of the girls.

Amnesty International said it had verified reports from several credible sources who claimed the military was aware of the impending attack close to four hours before it took place.

The Nigerian government has rejected the findings as "unfounded".

The leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, has threatened to sell the girls "on the market", amid reports some have already been trafficked to neighbouring Chad and Cameroon.

But Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said he believes the girls are still in the country.

Parents of the kidnapped girls have taken part in protests

The kidnappings have drawn condemnation from around the world and celebrities have launched a Twitter campaign under the hashtag #bringbackourgirls.

Prime Minister David Cameron told Sky News the abduction is "a ghastly situation, an act of pure evil".

Boko Haram's name is said to figuratively mean "Western education is forbidden".

The Islamist militant group's five-year insurgency has left at least 1,500 dead this year alone.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kidnapped Nigerian Schoolgirls Tell Of Escape

Nigerian Kidnap Tactic 'Standard Procedure'

Updated: 4:26pm UK, Saturday 10 May 2014

Splitting the captured Nigerian schoolgirls into groups by their kidnappers is "standard operating procedure", a hostage negotiator has told Sky News.

Dr James Alvarez explained this was done on the basis of "not putting all your eggs in one basket".

He also said while negotiation was the safest option, it often had to be backed up by the threat of force in order to act as a back-up if talks do not work out, and also as a "prod" to the hostage-takers.

Meanwhile, Davis Lewin from the Henry Jackson Society - a think-tank on extremism - gave a chilling insight into the Boko Haram militant group behind the kidnappings.

Mr Lewin told Sky News the movement had a "gruesome history" and posed a "major security threat".

They demonstrated "a brutality that frankly doesn't compute in Western minds", he said.

It is thought the schoolgirls are being held in a forest near the border with Cameroon.

Their kidnappers have divided the girls into at least four different groups, complicating the search and hampering rescue efforts.

Dr Alvarez said: "It's standard operating procedure. You don't want to put all your eggs in one basket."

He said negotiators would be making contacts locally and trying to gather information about the aims of the group, what they wanted with the girls, and also find out from the Nigerian government what concessions they are prepared to make.

"Negotiations only work if you have got something to exchange," he said.

Mr Lewin added: "What the problem really is, is that there's a very grave lack of infrastructure in terms of intelligence in terms of capability on the part of the Nigerian government in the region of the country where these extremists are active.

"We have seen them get stronger and stronger and they have really proven to be one of the most deadly forms of this radical Islamist threat with thousands dead, and a brutality that frankly doesn't compute in Western minds.

"The leader of this terrorist movement couldn't care less about the outrage that Michelle Obama and so many others have expressed."

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nigeria Kidnap: PM's Anger Over 'Ghastly' Act

Prime Minister David Cameron has described the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls by Islamist extremists in Nigeria as "ghastly" and "an act of pure evil".

In an interview with Sky News, Mr Cameron confirmed a British team had arrived in Nigeria, more than three weeks after Boko Haram abducted the youngsters from a boarding school in the village of Chibok in the northern Borno state.

"This is a ghastly situation and an act of pure evil," Mr Cameron said.

His comments came as Amnesty International claimed Nigeria's military may have had prior warning about the attack on the school, but failed to act.

Amnesty said it had verified reports from several credible sources who said that security forces knew about the raid four hours before it took place.

It said: "An inability to muster troops - due to poor resources and a reported fear of engaging with the often better-equipped armed groups - meant that reinforcements were not deployed."

The government has faced criticism over its response

The Nigerian authorities have not yet responded to Amnesty's claims.

More than 300 girls were initially seized from the school by Boko Haram militants on April 14. An estimated 53 girls managed to escape, but 276 are still missing.

A further 11 girls, aged 12 to 15, were abducted from the northeastern village of Warabe earlier this week.

The leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, has threatened to sell the girls "on the market" and some of the group have already reportedly been trafficked to neighbouring Chad and Cameroon.

Goodluck Jonathan speaks at the World Economic Forum in Abuja

However, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has said he believes the girls are still in Nigeria. 

The UK team, which touched down in the capital Abuja on Friday, has been sent to "advise and support" the rescue operation in the coming days.

In a statement the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said Britain's aim was not only to help find the girls but to eradicate Boko Haram, whose five-year insurgency has left at least 1,500 people dead in 2014 alone.

It said: "The team will be considering not just the recent incidents but also the longer-term counter-terrorism solutions to prevent such attacks in the future and defeat Boko Haram."

Mr Cameron said the team "complements the one sent by the United States and includes experts in counter-terrorism, policing and counter-insurgency, as well as aid and education."

Protesters march near the Nigerian embassy in Washington

The US is sending military and intelligence experts, who US Secretary of State John Kerry said would do "everything they can to return these girls to their families and their communities".

Nigeria's government has faced criticism, both domestically and abroad, for being too slow to respond to the abduction.

Speaking to Sky News' Special Correspondent Alex Crawford, Shettima Haruma, whose daughter was among those taken, said he was "angry" with the Nigerian government's response.

"We beg Nigerians, those in another country like America or (Britain) ... it's three weeks, nearly one month ... (and we haven't) seen any letters from our daughters," he said.

The search for the missing schoolgirls is focused around the huge Sambisa Forest - the "hideout" of Boko Haram, whose name is said to figuratively mean "Western education is forbidden".

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cameron: UKIP Guilty Of 'Appalling Remarks'

By Anushka Asthana, Sky Political Correspondent

David Cameron has launched an aggressive attack on UKIP, questioning its "competence" and accusing its candidates and financial backers of making "truly appalling remarks".

In an exclusive interview with Sky News Political Editor Adam Boulton, the Prime Minister intensified his criticism of the Eurosceptic party.

"Look at what some of their candidates have said, and what some of their financial backers have said during this campaign," Mr Cameron said.

"Some truly appalling remarks about rape in marriage or (that) black people should go to Africa."

The PM said the individuals should be "condemned" for the comments.

He said: "It is worth making the point if you can't control your candidates and financial backers it does raise a very real issue about the competence of your party."

The comments represent a marked change in tone by the Conservative leader amid mounting pressure from UKIP, which pollsters say could top the polls at European elections in two weeks.

But the tougher rhetoric could attract criticism from within his own party, with some MPs warning it is imperative to treat UKIP, and its potential voters, with respect.

Mr Cameron has come under attack previously for comments made in 2006 in which he described Mr Farage's party as a bunch of "fruit cakes and loonies and closet racists".

Mr Cameron has previously condemned Mr Farage's party members as "loonies"

The Prime Minister did not go as far today, but he did reiterate his view that UKIP members have been guilty of unacceptable comments.

He also rejected the suggestion that his position as Prime Minister would become untenable if he were to lose the Scotland referendum this autumn.

"I don't accept that ... It is the future of Scotland on the ballot paper - tragically, I don't have a vote."

Mr Cameron sought to justify his decision to give the people of Scotland a referendum this autumn, pointing out that Labour and the Lib Dems backed the decision in 2011.

He insisted it was the "sensible" and "grown up" option given that the Scots had voted for the SNP and Alex Salmond.

He said: "We live in a democracy. There are three decisions to make - do we stay together as the United Kingdom? Do we stick to the long term economic plan that we have at the next general election? And do we stay in a reformed European Union.

"I don't believe we solve these problems by ducking them. You can't hold people in a United Kingdom or EU against their will. The British people should decide."

He said British support for the EU "has worn wafer thin" because no one consulted the public over treaties such as Maastricht, Lisbon, Nice and Amsterdam.

Asked about the televised leaders' debates, the Prime Minister insisted he was "keen" and that they had been an "important" part of the last election.

But he would not commit himself to the same plan as last time in which three party leaders stood together.

Instead, he hinted that he would like to go head-to-head with Labour leader Ed Miliband.

"We've got to find a format that people are all happy with. There is a good case for saying the potential Prime Minister's should debate," he said.

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukraine: '20 Killed' As Putin Lands In Crimea

More than 20 pro-Russian militants have reportedly been killed in eastern Ukraine as Vladimir Putin landed in Crimea for his first visit since Moscow annexed the peninsular.

Ukrainian troops used armoured vehicles and large-calibre weapons as they tried to take an occupied police HQ in the southeastern port city of Mariupol.

Sky's Katie Stallard, at the scene, said there is black smoke over the city and heavy fighting taking place.

She said there are reports between 20 and 30 people have been killed, and around 25 injured. But she said it was impossible to verify the numbers.

Heavy fighting is taking place in Mariupol

Ukraine's foreign ministry said about 20 "terrorists" were killed in the bloodshed and dozens more injured.

The police HQ - which is now in flames - was taken by pro-Russian gunmen on Thursday night.

It holds one of the largest armouries in the city, and separatists are using the weapons to defend their position.

The violence occurred as Mr Putin attended a military parade in Sevastopol to mark Soviet victory over the Nazis in World War Two.

His visit - just three days ahead of a controversial referendum in eastern Ukraine - was condemned as a "provocation" by Kiev.

Vladmir Putin oversaw celebrations in Sevastopol

The US also criticised the trip, with National Security Council spokeswoman Laura Magnuson saying it "will only serve to fuel tensions".

Mr Putin told the West to respect Russia's interests, including its right to self-determination.

Earlier, a similar Victory Day parade - marking 69 years since Nazi Germany surrendered its forces - took place in Moscow's Red Square.

Around 11,000 troops took part in the Victory Day parade in Moscow

About 11,000 servicemen took part in the annual event, which began with troops marching to the sound of brass bands as Mr Putin watched from the stands, flanked by veterans.

"This is a holiday when all-conquering patriotic force triumphs, when we all feel especially strongly what it means to be true to the Motherland and how important it is to be able to stand up for its interests," he told troops to shouts of "Hurrah!"

Some 150 military vehicles and 70 combat aircraft also took part in the show.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu (right) salutes during the event

Pro-Russians in eastern Ukraine are pressing ahead with plans to hold referendums on Sunday, despite calls from the Kremlin to postpone them.

There are fears the vote in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk could spark further violence between Ukrainian troops and separatists.

Militants have seized government buildings in about a dozen cities in the east of the country.

Mr Putin wants the vote postponed so talks can take place with the Kiev government.

However, many in the east say the referendum is the only way to prevent war against what rebels and Moscow call the "fascist" politicians in the capital.

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rolf Harris Letter: I Am Sickened By Myself

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

Rolf Harris abused one of his daughter's friends on a motorway, in a theatre and in her family home while her parents were in another room, a court has heard.

The prosecution called the 84-year-old a "Jekyll And Hyde" character who thought he was "untouchable" because of his fame.

Harris listened via a hearing loop in the glass-fronted dock as the case against him was outlined by prosecutor Sasha Wass QC at Southwark Crown Court.

Ms Wass said: ''Mr Harris touched children and women alike in quite brazen circumstances. That may have been part of the excitement for him, knowing that he could get away with it.''

She added that once he was spotted inappropriately touching one of his victims.

"He just laughed and denied it," said Ms Wass. "Even when caught red-handed, he knew he was untouchable.''

The court heard that one victim, who is the subject of seven of the 12 counts, was on a holiday when Harris began abusing her in 1978 aged just 13.

Ms Wass said the victim had been ''in awe" of the defendant and went on to be "groomed like a pet" during 15 years of abuse.

Harris walks hand-in-hand with daughter Bindi (left) and wife Alwen

Further incidents allegedly took place in a swimming pool, at a theatre and on the M4.

On one occasion Harris is accused of assaulting the victim at her home while her parents were in another room.

''He never had a meaningful conversation with her," Ms Wass added. "She was just his little toy."

The girl was said to have turned to alcohol at the age of 14 as a result of what she claims happened - and is now a "full blown alcoholic".

She eventually told her family about the alleged abuse in 1997.

The court heard how Harris then wrote to her father admitting a sexual relationship but claiming there was no "rape, physical force or brutality". He added that he was in a "state of object (sic) self-loathing".

The prosecution likened this to Bill Clinton admitting he had smoked cannabis but claiming he did not inhale.

The alleged victim eventually wrote a letter to police in 2012, 18 years after the abuse ended. The court heard how the Jimmy Savile revelations caused her to reflect on her own circumstances.

The case has attracted intense media interest both in the UK and Australia

Miss Wass described Harris as having a "side to him" which meant he was sexually attracted to young girls.

"The prosecution doesn't for a moment suggest there is not a good, talented and kind side to Mr Harris," she said.

"But concealed behind this charming and amicable children's entertainer lay a man who exploited the very children who were drawn to him.

"His fame and reputation meant no one suspected or challenged his behaviour."

None of the alleged victims - who were aged between seven or eight and 19 - knew each other.

The court heard about one 'victim' who was 11 or 12 in 1969 when the indecent assault allegedly took place in Australia.

The woman claims Harris said "Come here, I want to be the first one to give you a tongue kiss" before grabbing her and sticking his tongue in her mouth.

Another woman who came forward was eight when, she claims, Harris touched her inappropriately after she asked him for an autograph in a community centre packed with children.

Harris denies all 12 charges against him. The trial continues.

More follows...

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Premier League To Be 'Half English' By 2022

By Paul Kelso, Sports News Correspondent

At least 45% of Premier League players will be English by 2022 under a new target set for the game by FA chairman Greg Dyke.

Mr Dyke said he wants to see at least 90 English players starting for Premier League teams, up from the current average of 66.

Of these, Mr Dyke said he wanted 30 to be playing more than half of the games for top-six clubs, an increase on the current 18.

Mr Dyke said the target can be achieved by implementing a number of "radical and ambitious plans" set out in the report of the FA Commission examining the declining numbers of English players, and recommending measures to reverse the trend.

The key recommendations include:

:: Premier League B Teams entering a new Third Division of the Football League, with promotion no higher than League One.

:: Strategic loan partnerships between Premier League and Football League clubs. Each Premier League team could enter arrangements with two clubs, and loan them up to eight players each.

:: An increase in the number of homegrown players required in 25-man Premier League squads, up from eight to 13 by 2020.

:: Tighter work-permit restrictions for non-EU players so only "truly exceptional players of the highest calibre" get work permits.

Mr Dyke announced the proposals at Wembley

In addition, only two could play for each Premier League club, a move that would drastically affects clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City.

The Commission proposals are already controversial with some opposition from the professional leagues, but Mr Dyke said they were crucial to arrest the decline in English players impacting on the national team.

He said: "The decline is a problem in countries right across Europe but a significantly bigger problem in England than anywhere else, and if the trend continues we fear for the future of the English team.

"If this cannot be reversed a future England manager will have fewer and fewer top level English players to choose from."

"This is a radical and ambitious plan to give English boys the best chance of achieving their potential," said Mr Dyke.

"The tanker that is English football needs turning.

"It is in the public interest for there to be a successful England team, and it is our belief that the benefits of national team success would be felt across the whole game."

England boss Roy Hodgson welcomed the commission findings

The commission findings were welcomed by England manager Roy Hodgson.

He said: "We are much wiser now than when this process began, and now have a strong body of work that will stop us wondering how we compare to other countries.

"My undoubted focus has been on qualifying and preparing my England squad for the World Cup in Brazil. But we all have a responsibility when called to answer the question, how can we provide a better platform for the young England players of the future."

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Girls' Kidnap Will Be 'End Of Nigeria Terror'

The abduction of more than 200 girls in Nigeria will be the "beginning of the end of terror" there, says Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Nigerian capital Abuja, he also thanked the international community for its support and said "by God's grace we will conquer the terrorists".

Mr Goodluck has been criticised for his response to the kidnapping, and for not acting sooner to recruit help.

His words come as military and intelligence experts from around the world head to Nigeria to help in the search.

Michelle Obama has joined the social media campaign to free the girls

The UK, France, China and the US are among the countries lending their support.

Britain is sending a small team of advisers - possibly including some military officers - to help with planning and coordination. However, they will not take part in operations on the ground.

The US is flying out a group including experts in intelligence, law enforcement and hostage negotiations, with fewer than 10 military troops going.

Prime Minister David Cameron told Parliament the kidnapping was "an act of pure evil".

Many people in Nigeria are angry at the government's response

"There are extreme Islamists around our world who are against education, against progress, against equality and we must fight them and take them on wherever they are," he said.

The 276 girls were abducted from a boarding school in the village of Chibok in Borno state, north Nigeria, on April 14.

Islamist group Boko Haram claimed responsibility and its leader, Abubakar Shekau, has threatened to sell the girls "on the market".

Some of the group have already reportedly been trafficked to neighbouring Chad and Cameroon.

A further 11 girls, aged 12 to 15, were taken from the northeastern village of Warabe on Sunday.

The search is focussed around the huge Sambisa Forest - the 'hideout' of Boko Haram which extends to some 60,000 square kilometres - three times the size of Wales.

Boko Haram is also thought to be behind the killing of up to 300 people reported to have been killed on Monday in the northeastern Nigerian town of Gamboru Ngala.

Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the abduction

A witness told the AFP agency that fighters in armoured trucks and motorcycles overran the town, leaving it "littered" with bodies.

A social media campaign to raise awareness of the kidnapping has ramped up in recent days, with the Twitter hashtag #BringBackOurGirls being promoted by the likes of US First Lady Michelle Obama.

Malala Yousafzai, the schoolgirl who survived being shot by the Taliban for promoting girls' education, has also spoken out over the kidnapping.

The girls were taken three weeks ago in the village of Chibok

The Nigerian government has now put up a 50m Nigerian naira (£182,000) reward for information leading to the location and rescue of the female students.

Sky News Special Correspondent Alex Crawford, in the Nigerian capital Abuja, said the situation is likely to be a key concern for politicians at the World Economic Forum, currently being held in the city.

"It's very poor advertising for Nigeria. This international outcry, the fact it's taken so long for the Nigerians to react is not going to play well.

"There's going to be a lot of whispering and diplomatic chat behind the scenes to try to galvanise them into action.

"Of course, there is a great deal of anxiety and anger right here in Nigeria against the government and what's perceived to be their sluggish response."

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Stars Tweet For Kidnapped Nigerian Schoolgirls

Celebrities and public figures have been using social media to tell their millions of followers about the kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls.

Twitter has been the epicentre of the campaign, with the #BringBackOurGirls hashtag building up momentum in the last week and trending worldwide.

Michelle Obama became one of the most high-profile people to highlight the kidnappings when she tweeted a picture from the White House.

Michelle Obama tweeted from her @FLOTUS account

"Our prayers are with the missing Nigerian girls and their families," said the First Lady.

The post from her @FLOTUS account has been retweeted and favourited nearly 60,000 times during the first 12 hours.

Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl who survived being shot by the Taliban for promoting girls' education, has also posted a picture of herself holding a sign.

X Factor winner Leona Lewis also got behind the hashtag

The 16-year-old, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and now lives in Britain, told CNN the girls were like "sisters" to her.

The hashtag was started by Nigerian lawyer Ibrahim M Abdullahi on April 23, nine days after the 276 girls were taken from their school in the north of the country.

#BringBackOurGirls is trending in many countries. Pic: TrendsMap

It has also made the jump into the "real world", becoming a convenient slogan for posters and placards of campaigners on the ground - who have adopted red as their chosen colour.

Supermodel Naomi Campbell is another of the famous faces promoting the #BringBackOurGirls hashtag.

Naomi Campbell posted on her Instagram account

In an Instagram post she called on under-fire President Goodluck Jonathan to "do something!!!".

The Nigerian leader has been criticised for not doing enough to track down the girls, who are thought held captive by Islamist group Boko Haram in a sprawling forest in the northeast of the country.

Musicians Chris Brown, Puff Daddy, Leona Lewis, Mary J Blige and Alicia Keys have also jumped on board.

R&B singer Brown urged his three million followers to "lend a voice by asking authorities to #BringBackOurGirls", while UK X Factor winner Lewis posted an image of herself holding a sign.

A Facebook campaign also wants people to flood Twitter, Facebook, BBM, Instagram and Whatsapp for 200 minutes on Thursday to add more momentum to the campaign.

An online petition on the Change.org site has so far notched up more than 500,000 names and is aiming for one million.

Campaigners have taken to wearing the colour red

As social media campaign gains momentum, the Nigerian government has called on international experts in areas such as hostage negotiation and intelligence to help track down the girls.

Mr Jonathan has said the kidnap will mark the "beginning of the end" of terrorism in his country - but for hundreds of families still without their daughters that will be little consolation.

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Stuart Hall 'Raped 12-Year-Old Against Wall'

By Mike McCarthy, North Of England Correspondent

A woman broke down in the witness box as she recalled being allegedly raped by former broadcaster Stuart Hall when she was 12 years old.

Now in her forties, she told Preston Crown Court she had been cleaning out stables when Hall, who was a family friend, arrived on a motorbike and raped her against a wall.

The woman's friends in the public gallery also cried as she told the jury: "I was extremely frightened and very shocked, almost to the point of immobility. 

"I didn't say anything. I didn't do anything. I was just like a rag doll."

She wept again as she told the jury that Hall raped her a second time after a dinner party at her parents' house. 

She said: "I didn't want my father to be ashamed of me. I felt incredibly dirty, ashamed, confused and very frightened. 

"I chose to bury it because I didn't want anyone to be disappointed in me."

Another of Hall's alleged rape victims told the court she had not made allegations in an effort to get compensation.

Asked under cross-examination if she was after money, the woman told the court: "If I was purely after compensation do you really, honestly believe I would have put myself through this?"

It was revealed that last year her solicitor had approached Stuart Hall's lawyer seeking £20,000 compensation.

She told Hall's defence barrister, Crispin Allyett QC: "You are making me sound like a gold-digger but there are easier ways to make money."

The woman, now in her fifties, says she was around 14 when the presenter began raping and indecently assaulting her after plying her with alcohol.

She told the court the defendant would mix her drinks and that she would become "disgustingly drunk".

Asked why she had waited until last year to come forward, she said she had been angered by the fact that Stuart Hall had been sentenced to only 15 months imprisonment after pleading guilty in a separate sex abuse case. 

The sentence was later doubled by the Court of Appeal.

The woman said that Hall had "ruled the roost" and that she had no choice but to go along with his sexual demands.

Hall denies 15 charges of rape and five out of six indecent assault charges. 

The allegations relate to two women and are said to have happened over a five-year period from 1976 when the celebrity was in his forties.

Hall became famous for presenting the BBC television programme It's A Knockout from 1972.

The trial continues.

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Stuart Hall 'Poured Champagne On Plaything'

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

Former broadcaster and convicted paedophile Stuart Hall exploited young girls and preyed on their vulnerability, a court has heard.

He is alleged to have raped his victims at BBC studios in Manchester and on one occasion to have poured champagne on to a young girl's naked body, treating her "as his plaything".

He is said to have sought her silence using a combination of emotional blackmail and manipulation.

The ex-BBC sports commentator is appearing at Preston Crown Court accused of raping and indecently assaulting two girls - one of them when she was under the age of 13.

Hall, 84, who presented TV show It's A Knockout in the 1970s, is said to have plied the girls with drink before taking advantage of them.

Prosecuting barrister Peter Wright QC told the jury: "You will hear of how he preyed upon their vulnerability and the trust reposed in him by them and also by their parents.

"It happened because each of them was, at the time, emotionally and physically extremely vulnerable by reason of their situation and age.

"These were young, impressionable teenagers being groomed by a sexual predator into satisfying his sexual requirements."

The jury heard one girl was raped when she was 14 after being invited by Hall to the BBC studios.

Mr Wright said the broadcaster, then aged 47, gave the girl cigarettes and plied her with alcohol. 

He told jurors: "This was not a mutually consensual act of intercourse between two people on an equal footing.

"This was a grown man exerting his influence and control over an impressionable and vulnerable young girl, intoxicated by his status and also by drink."

The alleged victim is said to have kept the abuse quiet until last year when she told her husband.

The court was told she went to the police only after her husband tried to blackmail her for money with the threat of telling her family.

Hall denies 15 charges of rape and five of indecent assault but has pleaded guilty to one charge of indecent assault.

The defendant was close to both the girls and their families.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between 1976 and 1981 but were only reported to police last year.

The court has heard the veteran broadcaster is currently serving a 30-month prison sentence following a separate case last year in which he admitted indecently assaulting 13 female victims.

Mr Wright argued Hall's previous offences demonstrate a pattern of behaviour in which Hall was "opportunistic and acted in a sexually predatory manner and was prepared to take considerable risk".

One of the alleged victims, now in her fifties, said she had gone along with the sex because she was drunk and felt flattered.

But she told the court:  "I don't think I was thinking straight at all.  I don't think I was thinking of anything other than I wanted to go home to be sick."

Hall's barrister Crispin Aylett QC argued that whatever his shortcomings his client was not a rapist.

He told the court:  "To people of a certain age, Stuart Hall will be known as the presenter of It's A Knockout, a good-natured TV programme in which members of the public cheerfully made fools of themselves on camera.

"To a younger generation of sports fans, you will know him as a rather flamboyant and eccentric football commentator.

"But to everyone now, Stuart Hall is simply a convicted paedophile who at the end of each court day goes back to his prison cell."

The trial continues.

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Skull Cracker: Police Catch Michael Wheatley

The hunt for escaped prisoner Michael Wheatley has ended after police captured the convicted armed robber.

The 55-year-old, who earned his nickname for pistol-whipping victims, was being sought following his failure to return to HMP Standford Hill - an open prison on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent - after being temporarily released.

But a statement issued by Kent Police said the force had, in partnership with officers from the Metropolitan Police, arrested two men in east London on suspicion of conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

The statement said the pair, aged 55 and 53, were arrested in the Tower Hamlets area and are now in police custody.

It added the 55-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of being unlawfully at large.

The scene of the building society armed robbery

Detective Chief Inspector Ann Lisseman said: "We're no longer looking for Michael Wheatley. We'd like to thank our colleagues at the Metropolitan Police and Surrey Police, as well as the public, for their assistance with our enquiries."

The arrests come after an armed robbery on Chelsea Building Society in Sunbury-on-Thames on Wednesday morning.

Wheatley was first jailed in the 1980s for nine years for a post office raid but escaped in 1988 when he was given permission to go to hospital and did not return.

He then carried out nine armed robberies and was jailed again in 1989.

Three years later, authorities released him to go to the optician and he went on the run again, carrying out eight robberies for which he was jailed for seven years.

He was released on parole in 2001 and within weeks was staging a series of raids on banks.

Prosecutors said he returned to a life of crime after a relationship with a woman he met while in custody ran into trouble, and she spent his money and ran up debts.

During his trial at the Old Bailey it emerged that, when asked his occupation by a custody officer, he had replied: "Armed robber."

Wheatley was ordered to serve 13 life sentences in 2002, with a minimum term of eight years.

There had been a confirmed sighting of him in Twickenham on Monday.

Several homes were searched but he was not found.

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Police Dog Savages Shirtless Man On Video

An investigation has been launched after a police dog attacked a shirtless man lying on the ground in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.

The dog launched itself at the man and dragged him along the street after gripping his neck between its teeth in the early hours of Monday morning.

The 28-year-old had been arrested on suspicion of assaulting two police officers and causing criminal damage.

A police handle restrains the dog in Weston-super-Mare

Onlookers captured the incident on phones and one woman can be heard saying: "Oh my God, it's biting his head."

Louisa Rolfe, the assistant chief constable of Avon and Somerset Police, said: "I have watched the YouTube clip featuring one of our police dogs and I think it's awful.

"It's only a few seconds long and doesn't show what led up to the arrest, nor the aftermath. A full investigation is taking place to understand exactly what happened.

"The officer was transferred to other duties whilst the investigation takes place and we are referring the matter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission today. 

Witnesses film the dog throwing itself at the 28-year-old

"It's our policy to be as open and transparent as possible. It would be wrong to comment on a live IPCC investigation but I can assure the public of the rigorous standards expected of our dogs and their handlers.

"The events surrounding this particular incident will be closely scrutinised to see what we can learn from it.

"We are appealing for anyone who saw this incident to call our professional standards department via the 24-hour police enquiry centre on 101."

The video was uploaded to social media by student Kerri Claydon.

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Russian Forces 'Withdraw From Ukraine Border'

President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia has withdrawn its forces from its border with east Ukraine.

Mr Putin also called on separatists in east Ukraine to postpone a referendum on independence for the mostly Russian-speaking region.

His call comes five days before the vote on secession is due to take place.

Several towns and cities in east Ukraine have come under the control of separatists, who are seeking independence from Kiev.

There have been reports that up to 40,000 Russian troops, complete with heavy armour and fighter planes, have been massing on the Ukrainian border.

Russia issued a series of warnings to Ukraine that any action against people living within its borders would be regarded as a 'crime'.

Ukrainian forces outside the rebel held stronghold of Slavyansk

Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, have been battling to wrestle back control of the occupied towns.

The Russian leader said: "We call on the representatives of southeastern Ukraine, the supporters of the federalisation of the country, to postpone the referendum planned for May 11.

"We're always being told that our forces on the Ukrainian border are a concern. We have withdrawn them.

"Today they are not on the Ukrainian border, they are in places where they conduct their regular tasks on training grounds."

He made his comments after talks with the head of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), who said a "road map" would soon be put forward to defuse the Ukraine crisis.

The Pentagon and Nato both said they had no indication Russian military forces had withdrawn from the Ukraine border as yet. 

A flag burns outside Mariupol city hall, which is back under rebel control

Wednesday's announcement by Mr Putin was the first sign the Kremlin leader would not endorse the rebels' referendum planned for Sunday.

It was hailed as a breakthrough in what has been regarded as the worst crisis between East and West since the Cold War. 

One of the separatist leaders said they would consider the Russian leader's call.

Denis Pushilin, in Donetsk, a city of one million people which rebels have proclaimed the capital of an independent 'People's Republic', said: "We have the utmost respect for President Putin.

"If he considers that necessary, we will of course discuss it."

Foreign Secretary William Hague, who is holding talks in Kiev with the country's leaders, told Sky News the rebels' referendum was an attempt to "disrupt" national elections that are being held in Ukraine on May 25.

Nato's top military commander said earlier it may deploy troops permanently in parts of Eastern Europe due to the increased tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces withdrew from Mariupol city hall after a night of heavy fighting saw them recapture the rebel-held building.

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nigerian Girl 'Ran And Ran' To Escape Kidnap

A Nigerian girl who staged a remarkable escape when gunmen took her and more than 200 others hostage has described how she was told: "Don't worry, we're soldiers. Nothing is going to happen to you."

The 16-year-old was snatched from her boarding school in Chibok by members of the Islamic group Boko Haram. She was herded into a pick-up truck and driven away but fled when one of the vehicles in the convoy broke down.

She and her friends jumped down from the truck and darted into a nearby forest to hide when the stranded car behind them suddenly started up, illuminating the road ahead.

"We ran and ran, so fast," said the girl. "That's how I saved myself. I had no time to be scared. I was just running."

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau is wanted by Nigerian police

Some of the children clung to low-hanging branches as the kidnappers' convoy sped off into the night.

When the girls eventually made their way back to the road, they were met by a man on a bicycle who accompanied them back to the village.

The teenager described the end of her ordeal as an emotional experience.

"I'm the only girl in my family, so I hold a special place and everyone was so happy," she said. "But that didn't last long."

Remembering the siege on April 14, the girl said she knew the men were not who they claimed to be when they started shouting: "Allahu Akhbar (God is great)."

The girls were taken from the village of Chibok in northeast Nigeria

She said there were too many attackers to count, adding that she and her friends had no choice but to sit and watch as their classrooms were set alight before they were herded onto three trucks.

The kidnapping has been condemned by both the UK and the US, who have offered to help find the girls.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau appeared in a video alongside two militants brandishing AK-47s saying: "I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah.

"Allah has instructed me to sell them. They are his property and I will carry out his instructions."

The kidnappers are thought to be hiding out in a remote area on the Nigeria-Cameroon border.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Boko Haram' Kidnaps More Girls In Nigeria

Suspected Boko Haram gunmen have kidnapped eight girls from a Nigerian village overnight, police and residents have said.

The girls, aged 12 to 15, were abducted near one of the Islamist militant group's strongholds in the northeast of the country.

Lazarus Musa, a resident of Warabe, where the attack happened, said: "They were many, and all of them carried guns. They came in two vehicles painted in army colour.

"They started shooting in our village."

A police source, who could not be named, said the girls were taken away on trucks, along with stolen livestock and food.

It came after it emerged the UK was offering "practical help" to help Nigeria secure the release of more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague revealed the country's potential involvement in the case after the organisation threatened to sell the abducted girls.

"We are offering practical help," he told reporters as he arrived for a Council of Europe meeting in Vienna to discuss ways to defuse the crisis in Ukraine.

"What has happened here ... the actions of Boko Haram to use girls as the spoils of war, the spoils of terrorism, is disgusting. It is immoral.

"I called the Nigerian foreign minister when this first arose ... to offer help from Britain, to express our concerns."

He said he did not want to discuss exactly what help Britain was offering, just as US authorities have avoided going into detail.

It is thought Nigeria has so far not accepted either country's offer.

Boko Haram militants stormed an all-girl secondary school in the village of Chibok, in Borno state, on April 14 and packed the teenagers, who had been taking exams, on to trucks. They then disappeared into a remote area along the border with Cameroon.

The raid has shocked Nigerians despite a bloody five-year-old Islamist insurgency in the north of the country, and there have been claims that other countries should have done more and been quicker to offer help.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has appeared in a video, chuckling as he stands in front of an armoured personnel carrier with two masked militants wielding AK-47s on either side of him.

"I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah," he says.

"Allah has instructed me to sell them. They are his property and I will carry out his instructions."

Boko Haram, seen as the main security threat to Nigeria, Africa's leading energy producer, is growing bolder and extending its reach.

The kidnapping occurred on the day a bomb blast, also blamed on Boko Haram, killed 75 people on the edge of Abuja, the first attack on the capital in two years.

The group's name means "Western education is sinful" and Shekau makes reference in the video to the fact the girls were undergoing Western education.

The girls' abduction has been hugely embarrassing for the government and threatens to overshadow the World Economic Forum for Africa it hosts from May 7 to 9.

On Sunday, authorities arrested a leader of a protest staged last week in Abuja that had called on them to do more to find the girls, further fuelling outrage against the security forces.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Madeleine McCann: Police To Dig For Evidence

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 12:46pm UK, Tuesday 06 May 2014

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: February 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: February 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: February 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

:: October 17 - Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Scotland Yard team, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, and Mr and Mrs McCann meet officers in Lisbon to be briefed on the Portuguese case.

:: October 23 - Britain's most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe defends the way the Portuguese dealt with the initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, saying it would have been "very difficult" to immediately know if they were dealing with a serious crime.

:: October 24 - Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.

2014

:: January 3 - A family source says Kate and Gerry McCann have been denied permission to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book about the case by former local police chief Goncalo Amaral.

:: January 13 - British police investigate three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine disappeared, and whose phones were apparently "red hot" after she went missing. A letter is sent to Portuguese police asking for help to track them down.

:: January 29 - Scotland Yard officers, including the detective leading the case, fly to Portugal to meet police there and discuss the latest developments.

:: March 19 - Officers from Operation Grange launch a search for a man who sexually assaulted five British girls in the Algarve between 2004 and 2006.

:: April 23 - Detectives identify five new cases where a lone intruder abused young British girls in holiday apartments in the Algarve.

:: May 1 - Kate and Gerry McCann give an interview to Sky News where they are desperate to find out what happened to Madeleine, even if it is the "worst case scenario" as they back calls for a Child Rescue Alert service similar to the Amber Alert system in the US.

:: May 6 - Scotland Yard plans to dig for evidence in three locations in Praia da Luz are approved, with officers set to use ground penetrating radar.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pistorius Accused Of Intimidating Reeva Friend

Oscar Pistorius has been accused of trying to intimidate a friend of his dead girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp during a break in his murder trial.

A lawyer for Kim Myers told Sky News the athlete whispered "How do you sleep at night?" to her on his way out of the courtroom in Pretoria.

Ian Levitt confirmed a complaint had been made to the National Prosecuting Authority, and that they were considering whether to proceed with a case of intimidation.

"My client, Kim Myers, was approached by Oscar Pistorius in court today and in a very sinister tone was asked 'How can you sleep at night?'" said Mr Levitt.

"My client views this unwelcome approach as extremely disturbing and I have been in communication with the National Prosecuting Authorities as well as the Investigating Officer. All other parties have also been informed.

"My client, however, will remain focused on the trial and will continue to attend court in support of Reeva."

Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford was among the journalists who put the accusation to Pistorius during an adjournment in the trial.

She said: "He vigorously denied it. He said he did not said anything to any of the Myers and that he had not spoken to them in weeks.

"He went on to say he had to pass them each day in court but that each time he felt they were avoiding his eye contact."

Kim Myers is the sister of Gina Myers - Ms Steenkamp's best friend.

Pistorius' alleged intimidation was not heard by nearby reporters.

A police photographer saw him lean towards Ms Myers and later asked the family what had occurred - leading to a complaint being made.

Ms Myers declined to comment when approached by Sky News.

Pistorius, 27, denies murdering Ms Steenkamp in a premeditated attack, claiming he mistook her for an intruder.

The case will resume on Thursday after a public holiday in South Africa.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gerry Adams 'Death Threat' After Freed By Police

Gerry Adams has been warned of a "credible" death threat after being questioned over a 1972 murder, his Sinn Fein party said.

More follows...

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Children In Hospital After Mass Plane Sickness

Sixty children have been treated by paramedics after some of them began vomiting and suffering diarrhoea on a flight to London.

The friends, who are aged between 10 and 14, told crew members they were feeling poorly after taking off from Dubai.

Emergency services met the plane when it landed at Heathrow

Four ambulances, as well as a rapid response bike and a hazardous materials unit, met the Emirates Airbus A380 when it landed at Heathrow airport.

Most of the children were treated on the runway but 11 were taken to hospital in Hillingdon, west London, and later discharged.

The youngsters had been travelling back from Cape Town, where they had performed together as part of the 64-strong Only Kids Aloud children's choir.

A separate platform was used to help the children from the plane

Bet Davies, of the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, where the choir rehearses, said: "Some (of the children) were sick on take off, some on landing and some during the turbulence.

"The rules of the airline industry state that if more than three children are sick on the same flight, you need to have paramedics in to check on them.

"We were also anxious that they were checked out before travelling back to Wales as we have a duty of care towards them."

In total, 11 children were treated in hospital for vomiting and diarrhoea

She added: "The medics say it could have been somebody with a bit of a bug before they travelled or it could be a combination of what I describe as nausea, tiredness and not drinking enough."

Only Kids Aloud sang with multiple Grammy and Classical Brit Award winner Bryn Terfel during their trip to South Africa.

An Emirates spokesman said: "We're providing the affected passengers with all possible support and are working closely with the local authorities to investigate the issue."

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Amanda Knox: CCTV Casts Doubt Over Alibi

CCTV footage has emerged that could challenge Amanda Knox's alibi on the night Meredith Kercher was murdered.

A video obtained by Italian television shows a person resembling Knox walking through a car park away from the house the pair shared in Perugia.

The American, who this year was re-convicted of murder after a second trial, has always said she was with then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito on the night of the killing.

TV programme Quarto Grado claims the figure shown on the film has similar clothes to those worn by Knox in the days after the murder, and even compares the walk of the two people.

Amanda Knox says she had "no reason" to kill her housemate

It claims British student Meredith Kercher is also seen on the film two minutes before, apparently heading back to the house.

The route through the car park is said to be a shortcut between the property and the centre of Perugia.

Quarto Grado also says that Rudy Guede, the only person jailed for the murder, was recorded by the same video camera earlier in the evening.

The CCTV is stamped 20:53 on the night of the killing, November 1, 2007, but the Italian television programme says the time could be out by 10 minutes either way.

An author who wrote a book on the case, Barbie Latza Nadeau, told The Times the video was known about but neither side chose to use it in court.

Ms Kercher's throat had been slashed and she had been sexually assaulted

"It's not helpful to the prosecution or the defence. If the prosecution shows someone like Amanda Knox walking away from the crime scene it's not helpful.

"For the defence, if there is a video of her anywhere near the house it's not helpful to them because her alibi is that she was at Raffaele's house," said Ms Latza Nadeau.

Ms Kercher, from Coulsdon, Surrey, was found dead in her apartment on November 2, 2007. Her throat had been slashed and she had been sexually assaulted.

Drug dealer Rudy Guede was sentenced to 16 years for the murder

Knox and Sollecito were arrested four days later and served four years in prison before they were acquitted by an appeals court in 2011.

The high court in Italy overturned that acquittal and ordered a new trial, and in January Knox was sentenced to 28 and a half years and Sollecito 25 years.

The judge said Knox acted with Sollecito and Guede, but it was she who delivered the fatal knife blow.

Alessandro Nencini said Knox was motivated by a "desire to humiliate" Meredith Kercher after she accused the American of taking money from her room

Knox, who lives in Seattle, is appealing to Italy's highest court and last week told CNN she "never fought" with her housemate and the pair were "becoming friends".

"I did not kill my friend," she told CNN. "I did not wield a knife. I had no reason to.

"There is no trace of us. If Rudy Guede committed this crime, which he did, we know that because his DNA is there around Meredith's body - his handprints and footprints in her blood.

"None of that exists for me. If I were there, I would have traces of Meredith's broken body on me. And I would have left traces of myself around Meredith's corpse."

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nigerian Girls' Kidnapper: 'I Will Sell Them'

The Islamist kidnapper of more than 200 Nigerian girls missing since April 14 has vowed to sell them, reports say.

Abubakar Shekau claimed in a video obtained by the AFP news wire service that a buyer for the schoolgirls would be found.

Describing the students as "slaves," he said: "I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah."

At least 276 youngsters were seized from their school in the village of Chibok, in Borno state, north Nigeria, by Boko Haram militants three weeks ago. Nigerian police said 53 managed to escape shortly after the attack, but at least 223 remain in captivity.

Relatives suggest the number of girls still missing could be considerably higher.

Reports had previously circulated that some of the girls missing have already been sold as brides across Nigeria's border with Chad and Cameroon for as little as £7 ($12).

It is not clear whether the video was recorded before or after those reports.

The girls were abducted from Borno state three weeks ago

The video marked the first time Boko Haram has admitted being behind the abduction.

The group, whose name means "Western education is sinful," regularly attacks civilian targets. However, the brazenness of the school attack - during which the girls were rounded up and put on to trucks - has shocked Nigerians accustomed to atrocities in the five-year conflict with the insurgents.

President Goodluck Jonathan took to the radio and TV on Sunday night to respond to claims his government was not doing enough to recover the girls.

He said: "We promise that anywhere the girls are, we will surely get them out."

The president said he had asked US President Barack Obama, Britain, France and China, for help to counter the activities of the Islamic terror group Boko Haram.

And he dismissed claims his government was negotiating with Boko Haram.

First Lady and President of Nigeria Patience and Goodluck Jonathan

He also pleaded for the parents of the missing girls and their local communities to co-operate with the rescue efforts during what he described as a "trying" and "painful" time.

It came amid claims that Nigeria's First Lady - Goodluck Jonathan's wife Patience - had ordered the arrest of two leaders of a protest demanding more action from the government.

One of the protest leaders said Patience Jonathan abused them, expressed doubts there was any kidnapping and accused them of belonging to Boko Haram.

Saratu Angus Ndirpaya said Mrs Jonathan accused them of giving Nigeria's government and her husband "a bad name", at a meeting at the presidential villa in Abuja. 

Ms Ndirpaya said State Security Service agents then drove her and another protest leader Naomi Mutah Nyadar to a police station, before later releasing her.

AP journalists waiting outside the police station in Abuja, where Ms Nyadar was apparently being held, saw the protest leader bundled into a presidential car and driven away.

Ayo Adewuyi, spokesman for first lady Patience Jonathan, told AP there was a meeting but he was unaware of any arrests.

"The first lady did not order the arrest of anybody, and I'm sure of that," he said.

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

David Cameron 'Ready For Farage TV Debate'

Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps has told Sky News "all options are on the table" when it comes to deciding who should take part in TV debates before the next election, amid reports Nigel Farage could be included.

The Sunday Times has reported that Prime Minister David Cameron is ready to sign up for three debates between party leaders - including one that could include the UKIP leader.

Speaking on Sky News' Murnaghan programme, Mr Shapps did not rule out the notion of Mr Farage taking part, and said negotiations would begin towards the end of this year.

A "2-3-5" plan reportedly drawn up by aides would include a debate between Mr Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband, another with Mr Miliband and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg and a third featuring the three main party leaders along with Mr Farage and Natalie Bennett from the Green Party.

The newspaper said the format would allow for one debate during the campaign, while the others would be held beforehand.

But Mr Farage has said he did not think he would get the chance to take part.

Nigel Farage and Nick Clegg recently went head-to-head over Europe

"What David Cameron does, very often he makes these promises, vague promises, and then doesn't actually deliver afterwards," he told BBC1's Andrew Marr show.

"I don't think he has got any intention of allowing me into any of these debates."

Speaking on the same programme, Mr Miliband said it was "up to the broadcasters who they invite, whether they invite Nigel".

"My main desire is that the debates go ahead," he said.

"The Prime Minister doesn't own these debates, the British people own these debates and he can't wriggle out of them."

Last month Mr Miliband said the previous format of three debates between the three main party leaders over three weeks should be a "starting point" but that he was open to changes such as a less formal setting and greater voter participation.

David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Gordon Brown during the 2010 Sky News debate

Britain's first leaders' debates, between Mr Cameron, Gordon Brown and Mr Clegg were shown on Sky News, the BBC and ITV in 2010.

This followed negotiations between the parties and the TV companies which resulted in strict rules on the style of questioning and the division of time for leaders' answers.

Mr Cameron has since complained that the debates "took all the life out" of the campaign.

Mr Farage has repeatedly challenged the PM to agree to a TV debate with him.

Opinion polls suggested the UKIP leader beat Mr Clegg in two debates shown live on Sky News and the BBC ahead of this month's European elections.

Meanwhile, an opinion poll suggests UKIP is heading for victory in the European vote - but most voters believe the party attracts racists and bigots.

The YouGov poll for the Sun on Sunday put Mr Farage's party on 29%, ahead of Labour on 26%, the Conservatives on 23% and Liberal Democrats on 10%.

But 27% of those surveyed thought UKIP is a party with "racist views" and "many racist members", while 35% thought that, while the party is not racist, it "does seem to attract some candidates or supporters with racist, extreme or odd views".

Some 26% said UKIP is not racist and their "more controversial candidates are just saying the things ordinary people actually think".

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pro-Russian Rebels Storm Police HQ In Ukraine

Thousands of pro-Russian militants have reportedly stormed a police headquarters in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa.

An AFP reporter on the scene said around 3,000 people were involved in the attack.

The mob is said to have shouted "fascists, fascists" as they demanded the release of some of their number held since clashes on Friday.

Police have started to release some of those detained, according to Reuters news agency.

A mob attacks a police HQ in Odessa

Forty-two people were killed during fighting with pro-Ukraine supporters in the city two days ago, including at least 31 in a fire.

Ukraine's interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has visited Odessa and told Sky News he considers his country to be at war.

A rebel blockade burns in the city of Kramatorsk

"It seems to me that the entire world is facing a new type of war," he said.

"This is the new war, with the military, with no insignia on their uniforms, with agents that have a well-organised terrorist plot network.

"With the diplomatic pressure on Ukraine, with the tough and rude Russian propaganda, with playing on Ukrainian sentiments and not only Ukrainian.

Separatists in Luhansk have been bolstering barricades, fearing an attack

"And with the real threat to the global security and mainly to the European one."

Elsewhere, the Ukrainian government said armed forces and the National Guard had reclaimed a television tower in Kramatorsk.

Insurgents torched buses in the city on Saturday in an effort to ward off attacks.

A wrecked tanker blocks the road in Kramatorsk

Russian television claims 10 people have already died in the violence.

Armed personnel carriers were seen driving through Kramatorsk on Saturday but appeared to later return to their airfield base on the edge of the city.

Ukraine's efforts to fight the pro-Russian insurgency has so far concentrated on the nearby stronghold of Slavyansk.

Flowers at the scene of the deadly fire in Odessa

Rebels have seized government buildings in around a dozen cities as they push for autonomy from Ukraine.

Ukraine, which was plunged into crisis following the ousting of President Yanukovych in February, says it is fighting "terrorists" who are being encouraged and helped by the Russian regime.

The deadly fire in Odessa on Friday pushed tensions to a new high.

At least 31 pro-Russian activists died when a trade union building was petrol-bombed during fighting with groups loyal to Kiev.

Russia said it was "outraged" and denounced the "criminal irresponsibility" of the pro-Western authorities in Kiev.

Sky's Katie Stallard, in Odessa, said people are still bringing flowers to lay outside the building during a second day of official mourning.

"There are real fears about where this goes from here," said Stallard.

"There is already talk of pro-Russian separatists publishing names and contact details of who they say are pro-Ukrainian protesters, who they accuse of being involved in the violence."

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More