Madeleine Police Identify New Search Area

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

The renewed search for clues into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann is to move to a new area outside of Praia Da Luz, Sky News has learned.

Portuguese police have told Sky News a new dig will begin on land somewhere between Praia Da Luz and the town of Lagos on Wednesday.

The development comes as search teams appear to have discounted parts of the site in Praia Da Luz where digging has been taking place all week.

Several areas of scrubland have been filled in

Officers used shovels and wheelie bins to fill in some of the holes they dug on scrubland as the search entered its sixth day on Saturday.

Some of the small yellow flags that were placed on areas of interest within the site earlier this week were removed.

Sniffer dogs from South Wales Police are again on site with their handlers working in different sections of the scrubland.

The search, not far from the holiday complex where the McCanns were staying in 2007, will continue throughout the weekend.

The search resumed in Praia da Luz on Saturday

Meanwhile, the family of missing Ben Needham have told Sky News their "thoughts and prayers" are with the McCanns as the investigation steps up in Portugal.

Some of the experts involved in the renewed search were also deployed to the island of Kos in Greece in 2012 when South Yorkshire Police led a review into Ben's disappearance.

Ben vanished in 1991 when he was 21 months old, after his mother and grandparents moved there from Sheffield.

Speaking to Sky News, the Needham family said: "Our thoughts are with the McCanns in this search for Madeleine.

Ben Needham (left) and Madeleine McCann (right)

"We ourselves know that this sort of investigation will be a very difficult time for the family.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with them."

Officers have been allowed to continue their work through the weekend in Praia da Luz after the Portuguese authorities granted them extra time.

The resort of Praia da Luz in Portugal

Forensic archaeologists, anthropologists, dog search teams and various specialist police officers from several UK forces have been working on the site.

The Metropolitan Police has not revealed why it has chosen to search the area of scrubland or any details of what it has found so far.

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Tribute To Gareth Huntley Killed In Malaysia

A body found on Malaysia's Tioman Island is that of missing British backpacker Gareth Huntley, police have confirmed.

The 34-year-old, from Hackney, east London, disappeared on May 27 after going on a jungle trek.

His body was found less than 100m from the sea turtle conservation camp where he worked as a volunteer.

Mr Huntley's family said "no words can describe the void he will leave".

Mr Huntley with his mother Janet Southwell

And they thanked "everyone who came together in the last week to do everything in their power to help find Gareth".

Search personnel reportedly discovered the body in a pond close to a kayak storage unit at around 12pm local time on Wednesday.

Zakaria Ahmad, head of crime investigation in the eastern state of Pahang, said DNA tests confirmed the body was that of the Briton.

His girlfriend Kit Natariga also helped with the search

The cause of death has not yet been established.

Mr Huntley disappeared after trying to find a waterfall nearly four miles away from the camp in the jungles of the paradise island.

The backpacker had been volunteering in a turtle sanctuary on the island

He told friends at the turtle project he would be back by 2pm but failed to return.

His mother, Janet Southwell, and girlfriend, Kit Natariga, had travelled to the island off Malaysia's east coast to help with the search effort.

The family statement added: "There are no words that can capture the devastation we feel right now.

"No words that can capture the kindness, warmth and spirit that Gareth exuded; no words that can describe the void he will leave in all of the lives he touched.

"Gareth lived every minute of his life as fully as he could; never without a smile and always with others in his heart. You will never leave our hearts Gareth."

Search teams were backed by paramilitary commandos, multiple helicopters, speedboats and sniffer dogs in the latter days of the hunt following initial criticism of the Malaysian authorities' response.

Prime Minister David Cameron reportedly spoke to Malaysia's prime minister Najib Razak after receiving an open letter from Mrs Southwell in which she urged him to seek more resources for the search.

Mr Huntley, who was originally from West Yorkshire, was on a sabbatical from his job in the City.

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Ukraine: Poroshenko Promises To Bring Peace

Petro Poroshenko promised the Ukrainian people he would "bring them peace" after being sworn in as the country's fifth president.

Mr Poroshenko told parliament Ukrainians would "never feel the blessing of peace and security until we resolve our relations with Russia".

He pledged an amnesty to any insurgents in the east who had "no blood on their hands" but said he would not open dialogue with "gangsters and killers".

Ukrainian officials say some 200 people have died during troubles in eastern parts of the country.

Mr Poroshenko arrives for his inauguration

And the 48-year-old tycoon - dubbed the "chocolate king" for his popular brand of sweets - stated he would not accept Russia's seizure of Crimea nor attempts to divert his pro-European course.

"Crimea will remain a part of Ukraine," said Mr Poroshenko.

"Ukraine now returns to its natural European condition that so many generations have longed for."

The inauguration was attended by US Vice President Joe Biden and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy.                 

The latter sent this message to Russia: "All neighbours ... need to respect (Ukraine's) sovereign choices, including stronger ties with the European Union and its territorial integrity."

Moscow was represented by its acting ambassador to Kiev, Mikhail Zurabov, who said the pledges "sound reassuring".

Mr Poroshenko met world leaders including Barack Obama in France this week

The Kremlin's only official response to Mr Poroshenko's comments was to call for him to act by "the principles of a democratic society" and release two Russian journalists detained in the east of the country.

Meanwhile, Russian president Vladimir Putin reportedly ordered his Federal Security Service to strengthen protection of the country's border with Ukraine to prevent people crossing illegally.

This came after talks with world leaders in France, where US President Barack Obama urged the Kremlin to cease support for separatists in eastern Ukraine - including stopping arms and materials crossing the border.

Insurgents in both Luhansk and Donetsk responded to Mr Poroshenko's pledge of an amnesty with scepticism.

"I don't believe it," said Valery Bolotov, the insurgent leader in the Luhansk region.                 

Insurgent leader Valery Bolotov

Mr Poroshenko is the first permanent successor to Russia-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled the country in February after months of street protests against him.

The new incumbent met Mr Putin at D-Day commemoration ceremonies in France on Friday and expressed his satisfaction that dialogue had begun.

Mr Putin added: "I can only welcome Mr Poroshenko's position that the bloodshed in eastern Ukraine must be stopped immediately."

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Women And Children Killed In DRC Massacre

At least 37 people, including 18 women and eight children, have been killed in an attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The massacre in the eastern province of South Kivu happened early on Saturday morning.

The victims, said to be ethnic Bafuliru, and including several pregnant women, had been shot, stabbed, or burned alive inside their homes, according to a witness.

Some bodies were seen inside a village church.

South Kivu governor Marcellin Cishambo confirmed the attack, but gave a lower estimate of 27 for the number killed.

He blamed the violence on a dispute over cattle.

"The problem is that everyone in this area carries a weapon," he said.

The Bafuliru people have been in conflict with the Barundi ethnic group for years over property and custom issues.

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Ukraine: Leaders Talk Ceasefire At D-Day Event

Ukraine's President-elect Petro Poroshenko has met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for informal talks on the sidelines of the D-Day commemorations in France.

French President Francois Hollande told a war veteran at the ceremony that world leaders had wanted to use the 70th anniversary commemorations to bring the two men together to discuss the Ukraine crisis.

An official in Mr Hollande's office said the two leaders discussed how Russia could recognise the Ukrainian elections and a possible ceasefire.

Their brief interaction, which some reports said was as short as one minute while others said lasted 15 minutes, took place after world leaders gathered for a group photograph.

The two men spoke for up to 15 minutes, according to some observers

Mr Hollande, responding to a question about Mr Putin during a conversation with the war veteran, described the meeting as "friendly".

He said: "Yes we talked to him and with President Poroshenko, we made Ukraine and Russia talk."

After the photo, Petro Poroshenko, Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel remained outside as they talked.

No plans have been announced for a formal meeting between the two men despite a week of intense diplomacy aimed at resolving the crisis in Ukraine.

The talk is the first meeting between the two leaders since Mr Poroshenko was elected.

Mr Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a statement that he and Mr Poroshenko had called for a "soonest end to bloodshed in southeastern Ukraine and combat action by both parties, the Ukrainian armed forces and supporters of the federalisation of Ukraine".

US President Barack Obama also spoke to Mr Putin at the commemoration ceremonies, marking their first face-to-face conversation since the crisis began in Ukraine.

The White House said the conversation was informal and lasted around 15 minutes as the leaders ate lunch inside a chateau.

Mr Putin has held meetings with Prime Minister David Cameron, Mrs Merkel and French president Francois Hollande this week to discuss sanctions imposed on Russia after it annexed the Crimean peninsula.

It comes after 15 pro-Russian rebels were killed at a border crossing on Thursday.

Anton Herashchenko, an aide to the Ukrainian interior minister, said guards clashed with armed men who approached the border in trucks from the Russian side of the border close to the village of Marynivka.

Five Ukrainian soldiers were also injured during the clashes. Parts of the border in eastern Ukraine were closed after the incident.

Officials have claimed more than 200 people have died in fighting between Ukraine government troops and pro-Russian rebels in recent weeks.

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Parents Arrested Over Obese 11-Year-Old Son

The parents of an 11-year-old boy who weighs 15 stone have been arrested on suspicion of neglect for allowing their son to become obese.

The man and woman, who have not been named, were interviewed under caution on the grounds of child cruelty.

The child's mother has claimed the family had been trying to get the boy to lose weight by encouraging him to play more active games on his Wii games console.

She also said her family was predisposed to being overweight.

The woman, from King's Lynn in Norfolk, told The Sun newspaper: "The idea they could take away my son scares me so much.

"His weight isn't that much of a big deal.

"I'm chubby and the whole of my husband's side of the family is big. It's genetics - you can be genetically fat."

Police have defended their decision to arrest the parents, saying officers from the child abuse investigation unit worked closely with health and social services to deal with "sensitive issues such as obesity and neglect of a child".

A spokesman said: "While it is inappropriate to comment on this case specifically, it is important to stress that intervention at this level is very rare and will only occur where other attempts to protect the child have been unsuccessful."

It is understood the arrest was made after doctors at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn raised their concerns with officers after treating the boy, who is already known to social services.

The 5ft 1in boy has a body mass index of 41.9, which means he is classified as very overweight or obese.

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D-Day Veteran's Great Escape From Care Home

An 89-year-old veteran has turned up in Normandy for the D-Day commemorations after ignoring a travel ban imposed by his care home.

Police were called to the man's nursing home in Hove, Sussex, on Thursday night when staff realised he had gone out at 10.30am and had not been seen since.

The man has been named on social media as Bernard Jordan, a former mayor of Hove.

But the pensioner - who left wearing his war medals covered by a grey jacket - had secretly boarded a coach to France.

Police initially searched the Hove area, speaking to bus and taxi companies and checking local hospitals in case something had happened to him.

Then, at 10.30pm - 12 hours after he was last seen - a younger veteran called to say he had met the pensioner on a coach on the way to France.

He said the pair were sitting in a hotel in Ouistreham, Normandy, where world leaders have been mingling with veterans to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

Mr Jordan is said to be safe and well.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "We have spoken to the veteran who called the home today and are satisfied that the pensioner is fine and that his friends are going to ensure he gets back to Hove safely over the next couple of days, after the D-Day celebrations finish."

Chief Superintendent tweeted: "Love this - 89-year-old veteran reported missing to us by care home who said he can't go to Normandy for D-day remembrance. We've found him there!"

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D-Day: Sacrifice Of Troops 'Must Be Honoured'

French President Francois Hollande has said nations owed it to the sacrifice of those who took part in the D-Day landings to build "a fairer world".

Paying tribute to the courage of troops 70 years ago, he said their spirit will always be felt on the Normandy beaches, where they came ashore.

And Mr Hollande said the appreciation of France to the liberating forces "will never die".

Normandy veteran Ken Scott, 98, remembers his fallen comrades War veterans arrive for the service at Bayeux Cathedral

He was speaking at the main ceremony at Sword Beach in Ouistreham, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of history's biggest amphibious invasion.

Veterans, politcians and members of the Royal Family including the Queen had gathered in Normandy to mark the events of June 6, 1944.

The D-Day operation, involving 150,000 Allied troops, changed the course of the Second World War.

Soldiers landing on Juno Beach in Bernieres-sur-Mer on June 6, 1944

Mr Hollande said: "We have to be faithful to their sacrifice to build in their name, and the name of future generations, a fairer world and a more human world."

He also said freedom is a fight, and continued to be threatened around the world.

"There are always men and women who have to get up and defend freedom," he said.

The Queen joined world leaders to mark the 70th anniversary Mr Obama applauds US veterans during the ceremony in Colleville-sur-Mer

The same courage shown by the troops on D-Day must now be shown in defeating the "ills" of the modern world, including terrorism, and crimes against humanity.

Earlier, David Cameron had also called for leaders to set aside their differences on the "incredibly moving" anniversary of the landings.

The events of D-Day "show the importance of standing up together ... for freedom and security", he said.

Vintage US military vehicles are driven along Gold Beach

Described by wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill as "undoubtedly the most complicated and difficult (operation) that has ever taken place", D-Day proved to be a pivotal moment of the Second World War.

It marked the start of an 80-day campaign to liberate Normandy, that involved three million troops and cost some 250,000 lives.

Services marking their sacrifice were held at beaches and war cemeteries across the region.

Cemeteries along the French coast are a focal point for the commemorations A British veteran walks past a line of gravestones for fallen soldiers

In Colleville-sur-Mer, Barack Obama joined Mr Hollande for a service at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, where more than 9,000 soldiers are buried.

"These men waged war so that we might know peace, they sacrificed so that we may be free, they fought in hope of a day that we would no longer need to fight and we are grateful to them," the US President said.

In nearby Bayeux, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery, where 4,144 soldiers, 338 of them unidentified, are buried.

Further along the coast in Arromanches, the Normandy Veterans' Association had organised a day of events.

This anniversary will be the group's last as it plans to disband later this year.

Commemorations began at midnight when Mr Cameron attended a memorial at Pegasus Bridge, the first strategic landmark to be captured.

At the exact time the first gliders landed, a champagne toast was raised at Cafe Gondree, the restaurant next to the bridge, which became the first house to be liberated in France.

American veterans gathered at dawn on Omaha Beach, where a statue of two soldiers was unveiled.

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Queen's Speech: 16 Things You Need To Know

Amid cries of a "zombie Government", the coalition has laid out what it claims are "bold measures" in the Queen's Speech.

Sky News looks at the some of the key points from the annual address:

Pensioners can buy a Lamborghini with their savings if they choose

1) Pensioners can buy Lamborghinis - pensioners will no longer be forced to buy an annuity but will be able to spend their retirement savings as they wish. They will get free financial advice. Pensions minister Steve Webb came under fire for saying they should be free to buy Lamborghinis if they wanted to.

2) Change the EU - Britain will fight for reform in Europe and a "stronger role for member states".

3) Benefits cap - a limit on the amounts the Government can pay out in benefits is another of the key measures.

The Government's Help to Buy housing scheme will continue

4) Housing bubble? What housing bubble? - despite warnings Help to Buy could be potentially damaging to the housing market, there is a commitment for ministers to continue to promote the scheme.

5) Sack your MP - voters will be given the power to effectively sack their MPs if they are found to have broken the rules.

6) More academies and free schools - Education Secretary Michael Gove's drive for more state-funded schools that operate independently of the local authority will continue.

England will follow the rest of the UK's lead in charging for plastic bags

7) 5p plastic bags - charges on supermarket carrier bags will be introduced from October 2015.

8) Free school meals - every infant will get free school meals under Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg's long-championed scheme.

9) Modern slavery - people traffickers will be given tougher sentences under moves championed by Home Secretary Theresa May.

A tax-free childcare scheme will be worth up to £2,000 per child

10) Childcare changes - working parents will get up to £2,000 of tax-free childcare vouchers. An extension of free nursery hours for more disadvantaged two-year-olds has also been outlined.

11) "Cinderella law" - parents could be jailed for up to 10 years for subjecting their children to emotional cruelty, including withholding affection.

12) Acts of heroism - do-gooders who step in to help others in trouble will be offered protection from prosecution.

Fracking projects have sparked protests in some parts of the country

13) Frack away - shale gas firms will be able to drill under private property without permission.

14) Forces complaints - a new ombudsman will be created to oversee complaints in the Armed Forces.

15) Workers' rights - measures to combat unfairness of zero hours contracts, higher penalties for those who fail to pay the minimum wage and moves to tackle employment tribunal delays are all included.

16) Golden goodbyes in the public sector - excessive redundancy payouts of public sector workers who then take up other posts within the public sector will be limited.

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Madeleine McCann: Police Tents Erected

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 10:22am UK, Monday 02 June 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.

:: May 8 - British Officers reportedly use a military helicopter to photograph potential excavation sites and hold a four-hour meeting with Portuguese colleagues to agree a timetable for new searches.

:: May 22 - Met Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley says the investigation will enter a "substantial phase of operational activity" in Portugal in the coming weeks. 

:: June 2 - Portuguese police seal off an area of scrubland to the west of Praia da Luz as they prepare to examine the potential excavation site.

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Taliban Releases Video Of Hostage Handover

The Taliban have released a video showing American hostage Sgt Bowe Bergdahl being handed over to US forces in Afghanistan.

Sgt Bergdahl, clean shaven and dressed in white Afghan clothing with a shaved head, is seen waiting in a white pickup truck close to the Afghan border with Pakistan as Taliban militants outside lean in to talk to him.

He is blinking frequently in the bright light as he looks at and listens to his captors. He appears to struggle to speak English.

The 17 minutes of footage shows armed gunmen dotting the hills around the valley, as US Black Hawk helicopters overhead draw closer to the meeting point.

The Taliban reporter speaking over the clip explains: "We told them there are 18 armed fighters and the Americans said that's all right."

The Taliban's message to the Americans and Sgt Bergdahl

As one of the helicopters lands, throwing up a cloud of dust, Sgt Bergdahl is led to his rescuers by two men, one leading him by the hand, and another waving a white cloth tied to a wooden stick.

Most of the Taliban have their faces covered with scarves, while Sgt Bergdahl wears his over his shoulders.

After a brief exchange of handshakes between insurgents and US forces, Bergdahl moves unsteadily towards the helicopter.

Before boarding the helicopter the freed man is patted down to check he is not carrying any weapons.

The aircraft takes off and the message in English flashes up: "Don' come back to afghanistan (sic)."

Heaviliy armed Taliban fighters dotted the hillside around the exchange

The Taliban video, entitled Ceremony Of The American Soldier Exchange, is laced with religious music and chants of "Allahu Akbar", or "God is greatest".

At one point the voiceover says: "I congratulate all the mujahiedeen for this victory."

Sky's Diplomatic Editor Tim Marshall said: "The meaning of the pictures is that we see visual evidence that the Taliban are negotiating with the Americans on almost an equal basis.

"It is a propaganda coup for the Taliban."

US defence officials have said dozens of US special forces troops backed up by helicopters were sent for the handover.

Five years after he was captured by Afghan militants, Sgt Bergdahl was freed at the weekend in exchange for five militants held at Guantanamo Bay.

Sgt Bergdahl awaits the handover in a Taliban vehicle

There is a suggestion Sgt Bergdahl could face disciplinary action over claims from members of his unit that he was captured in 2009 after abandoning his post.

However, US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Wednesday that critics should not rush to judgement.

"It's not in the interests of anyone and certainly, I think, a bit unfair to Sergeant Bergdahl's family and to him to presume anything," he told reporters at a Nato defence ministers meeting in Brussels.

"We don't do that in the United States. We rely on facts."

Sgt Bergdahl's release has lead to sharp criticism of the Obama administration, with some US politicians fearing it poses a threat to Americans abroad.

He was the only US soldier held by the Taliban after being captured in Afghanistan.

The 28-year-old is now in a military hospital in Germany, undergoing physical and mental assessments.

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Queen's Speech: Government's Agenda Set Out

A house building drive, pensions reform and a commitment to reform the EU have all been put on the agenda for the coalition in its last year.

The speech put the economic recovery at its centre, opening with a pledge to continue bringing down the deficit and cutting taxes "to increase people's financial security".

With the threat that the Bank of England will increase the base rate before the General Election, there is also a pledge to keep mortgage and interest rates low and to continue to promote the Help to Buy scheme.

David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband listen to the speech

David Cameron had suggested he could amend the scheme after Bank of England Governor Mark Carney warned in an interview with Sky News that rising house prices were the biggest threat to economic recovery in the UK.

In an attempt to tackle the housing shortage, the Government announced plans to give developers powers to push through applications without council approval and allowing the Government to sell off unused land for development.

A new garden city will also be built in the Thames estuary at Ebbsfleet in Kent to tackle the housing shortage.

The Black Rod knocks on the door of the House of Commons before the speech

The Prime Minister and his Deputy Nick Clegg claimed the measures laid out in the Queen's Speech were "unashamedly pro-work, pro-business and pro-aspiration".

Just 11 new bills were introduced by the Queen at the State Opening of Parliament, which will bolster Labour's claims the coalition is now a "zombie government" which has run out of steam. Last year there were 19 new bills.

Mr Cameron hit back at claims there was "not enough" in the speech.

The Queen leaves the House of Lords after delivering her speech

He told the House of Commons: "We're creating new laws on producing shale gas... new laws to help build high speed rail... new laws to reform planning to build more homes... we're outlawing modern slavery; confiscating assets from criminals; protecting people who volunteer; cutting red tape and curbing the abuse of zero-hour contracts.

"This is a packed programme of a busy and radical government."

The new carriage carrying Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh

Labour leader Ed Miliband said: "We would have a Queen's Speech with legislation which would make work pay, reform our banks, freeze energy bills and build homes again in Britain. A Queen's Speech which signals a new direction for Britain, not one which offers more of the same."

Pension reforms set out in George Osborne's Budget, which would mean pensioners will no longer be forced to buy annuities with their savings, were also included along with a Recall Bill which could see voters given the power to sack MPs guilty of serious misconduct.

Other measures include:

The moment a page boy collapsed during the speech

:: 5p charge for plastic bags

:: powers to allow fracking firms to dig under private property without asking

:: parents to face jail for emotional cruelty to children in new Cinderella Law

:: pledge to fight to keep Scotland in the union

:: limit to excessive redundancy payouts for public sector workers

:: tougher sentences for people traffickers

:: free school meals for infants

:: fines for employers who do not pay the minimum wage

:: £2,000 childcare vouchers for working parents

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US Pledges $1bn To Boost Military In Europe

Barack Obama has promised $1bn (£597m) to bolster its military influence in Europe amid worries of more land grabs by the Kremlin.

The US president said extra military equipment would be sent to the region in the wake of the crisis in Ukraine, and that more American troops would take part in military exercises.

"We need to make sure that the collective defence ... is robust, it is ready, it is properly equipped," Mr Obama told a news conference in Warsaw's Belweder Palace.

"Today, I'm announcing a new initiative to bolster the support of our Nato allies here in Europe.

"Under this effort, and with the support of Congress, the US will preposition more equipment in Europe."

Pro-Russian troops have forcibly taken charge in areas of Ukraine

There are worries that states on Russia's western borders could be at threat after the country took control of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula.

Mr Obama's plan also proposes more regular naval deployments in the Black Sea and Baltic Sea, right on Russia's doorstep.

No announcement was made on permanent US troop deployments in Europe but the White House said it would review the matter.

It said: "These efforts will not come at the expense of other defence priorities, such as our commitment to the Asia Pacific rebalance."

The extra $1bn will also help boost the defence capability of Western-friendly states bordering Russia, such as Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. For example, through extra training for their troops.

There are fears Vladimir Putin's military could move into other countries

The European Reassurance Initiative - as the plan is called - must first be signed off by the US Congress.

Mr Obama was speaking at a joint news conference with Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski at he beginning of a four-day visit to Europe.

He also urged other Nato members to do more to help the alliance's defence role, although he admitted the US had to play the biggest role.

Nato states have a target of spending 2% of GDP on defence, but many lag behind.

"Everyone has the capacity to do their fair share, to do a proportional amount to make sure we have the resources, the planning, the integration, the training in order to be effective," said Mr Obama.

The US leader's remarks come ahead of a potential meeting with Russia President Vladimir Putin at D-Day commemorations in France.

The pair have no meeting scheduled but White House officials have not ruled one out. The men have not met since the Ukraine crisis began.

"Mr Putin has a choice to make," Mr Obama said, speaking about the Russian leader reining in pro-Kremlin troops in Ukraine.

"That's what I will tell him if I see him publicly. That's what I have told him privately."

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Bowe Bergdahl: Obama Defends Taliban Exchange

Soldier's Motives Are The 'Unknown Unknown'

Updated: 3:20pm UK, Tuesday 03 June 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

There are many "known unknowns" when it comes to what happened to Bowe Bergdahl on June 20, 2009, and for the subsequent five years.

Donald Rumsfeld, the former US defence secretary and one of the main authors of the disastrous US war with Iraq created the opaque idiom when speaking about the fruitless search for Iraq's weapons of mass destruction in 2002.

But his perorations on "known unknowns" and "unknown unknowns" could have been better suited to the enigma of Sergeant Bergdahl.

Rumsfeld's allies in the Republican party will be, and are, inevitably trying to make political capital out Barack Obama's release of five high-level Taliban commanders from Guantanamo Bay in return for Sgt Bergdahl.

That much we know.

The known unknown in their case is whether they will return to the Islamist group to further attacks on Western targets.

We know they were senior figures, some allegedly responsible for the killing of Shi'a during the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

We can also assume that after 13 years of detention without trial they will have a cynical view of the US efforts to spread democracy worldwide.

We know that they are not going to be master bomb makers - if only because they have been locked up so long any skills they once had are now obsolete.

Qatar, which brokered the deal, the Obama administration and elements inside the Kabul government will be hoping, however, that their release and the talks about Bergdahl may be an overture in a longer talks-process that could bring some elements of the Taliban into Afghanistan's political mainstream.

The known unknowns about the real sergeant are whether he did indeed walk, or crawl, out of his observation post on the front line of Paktika Province in search of adventure or out of frustration at US policy in Afghanistan.

Was he really seen by local children asking for water and someone who spoke English?

Did he talk wistfully of walking to China, or India, before he allegedly took off?

Did he provide intelligence on US tactics once he was in the hands of the Haqqani network which held him in Pakistan for half a decade where he learned Dari and Pashto?

A young man who grew up in rural Idaho, home-schooled by an unconventional father, he might have occupied a less blindly pro-establishment landscape than some of his comrades.

But that doesn't make him a traitor or a deserter as many of his former colleagues, some of them egged on by the Republicans, have alleged.

Is it true that six soldiers lost their lives in the hunt for Bergdahl?

Some reports say the search for him was called off after eight days - all six died after the hunt was reported to have been wound down.

His alleged responsibility for the deaths is a known unknown, for now.

It's tempting to say that only Bowe Bergdahl will know why he left his post.

But in the confused mind of his tortured soul on the front line of a war, the unknown-unknown deeper motives for his actions may always remain that way.

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Naked Body On Beach Mystery: New CCTV Video

Police investigating the death of man found naked and with headphones and a sock in his mouth have released CCTV video of him on the night before his body was discovered.

Officers are hoping the new footage will jog the memories of people who were in Newquay and Perranporth, Cornwall, at the same time and who may remember seeing Alan Jeal.

The 64-year-old's body was found on Perranporth beach on Tuesday February 25, 2014 by a member of the public while out walking his dog around 2pm.

He was naked apart from wearing socks and one walking shoe.

Mr Jeal, who had a set of headphones and a rolled-up sock in his mouth, had multiple injuries to his chest, head and hand.

The white Apple iPhone or iPod style headphones, with volume control, were looped around the back of the sock and were trailing out of his mouth.

Mr Jeal pictured in Marcus Hill, Newquay

There were some signs of possible drowning but it has not been confirmed as the cause of death.

Police originally thought Mr Jeal had caught the bus from Truro to Perranporth on the evening of February 24, but the latest CCTV shows him in Newquay before taking a bus to Perranporth.

He had caught a bus from the Lemon Quay, Truro, to Newquay at around 6.50pm. Previously released CCTV footage shows him waiting with three other people at a bus stop but these people have not been traced.

In the latest video, he is seen getting off a bus at Newquay bus station at 8.16pm on the Monday and walking around the town centre, before returning to the bus station at 9pm.

He then caught the 9.15pm bus to Perranporth.

Mr Jeal is also captured on CCTV in Perranporth between 10.25pm and 10.27pm.

The light blue rain coat he was seen wearing in Truro on the Monday has not been found. The navy Regatta jacket found on the beach is thought to be different to the one he was seen wearing in the CCTV images.

Mr Jeal had bought a weighted training vest and ankle weights

Some of his other belongings are still missing, including a Barclays Bank current account card, a Barclaycard credit card, a Nokia 1110i mobile phone, a third generation iPod shuffle and the rest of the clothing he was wearing.

Mr Jeal, who lived alone in Wadebridge, had recently bought a 10kg weighted training vest and 2kg ankle weights but they have not been located.

Detectives are trying to establish whether they were bought for him to wear or whether he bought them for another reason such as a gift for someone else.

Anyone with any information that could assist with the investigation is asked to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111, quoting reference 381 of 1 March 2014.

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Madeleine McCann: Digging Begins In Scrubland

Officers searching an area of scrubland in Praia da Luz, where Madeleine McCann disappeared in 2007, have begun digging.

Sky Correspondent Tom Parmenter described the clearing and digging operation as "meticulous" and said officers were scouring through soil near yellow flag markers.

He said: "We have seen British police officers focusing on this particular scrap of land.

"They are moving stones and soil from the top of a piece of corrugated iron which has quite a hole around it."

British police officers sifting through soil in the search area

He added that teams had been mapping the area over the last 24 hours and Portuguese workmen had been clearing some of the undergrowth with strimmers ahead of the search operation.

The area of land has been cordoned off and sections of it divided up with blue and white police tape.

Three police tents have been set up on the site, but they are thought to be where the teams are storing equipment and taking drinks breaks rather than covering significant parts of the scrubland.

It comes after British police brought in sniffer dogs on Tuesday to help search the area which is located a five-minute walk from the holiday apartment where the then three-year-old disappeared.

The victim detection dogs, Tito and Muzzy, took part in the 2012 search for murdered schoolgirl April Jones.

At least 30 officers arrived early on Tuesday morning for the second day of the search. Sky sources understand a team of specialist forensic archaeologists are also working on the site.

More follows...

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School 'Failed To Protect Pupils From Extremism'

A Birmingham school facing claims of an Islamist takeover plot has been found to have failed to protect children from extremism, Sky News has learned.

An Ofsted investigation said the school - which Sky News is not naming - is inadequate.

Its management has been strongly criticised by inspectors.

The report into this specific school follows allegations of a so-called "Trojan Horse" takeover by Muslim hardliners at more than 20 schools in the Midlands city.

It said the school's "work to keep students safe is inadequate".

The report went on: "Key safeguarding procedures are not followed. Too little is done to keep students safe from the risks associated with extremist views.

"Some staff, including senior leaders, are concerned about a special perceived unfairness and lack of transparency in the recruitment process and the breadth and balance of the curriculum.

Key safeguarding measures were not followed, the report says

"Some female members of staff complained ... that at times they are spoken to in a manner which they find intimidating."

It found the school's "policies have been given scant consideration" and its "equalities policy is not fit for purpose".

Sky's Lisa Dowd said: "Other things mentioned in this report is that sex and relationship education is not adequate at the school.

"Students have a scant understanding of other religions, the focus is primarily on Islam.

"And, the school has been slow to engage in the prevent policy - a strategy funded by the Government to prevent extremism and radicalisation."

The person who leaked the report to Sky News said they felt it was "completely unfair" and that Ofsted had picked up on historical incidents which had already been dealt with and that the education watchdog was "going to get them by hook, or by crook".

They feared they could all be branded Islamists and hardliners and the damning report could spark an exodus of teaching staff.

They insisted standards had been raised at the school in the last few months which was not reflected in the report, which said pupils behaved well and described them as being courteous, respectful and eager to learn.

Dowd added: "Because this school has been rated inadequate it is likely to go into special measures.

"That could see the leadership of the school and the governing body being dissolved and replaced.

"And we understand that this won't be the only school that is rated inadequate when Ofsted publishes its findings into the 21 schools later on this week."

Labour MP Khalid Mahmood told Sky News: "There has been grooming, by a particular community, a school of thought within Islam, and would possibly lead to extremism ... not saying that children at school at the moment are extremist, but certainly they have been groomed in a particular way for that to be made easier at a later stage.

"That's what my concerns have been in Birmingham."

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Boy, 6, Dies After Children Stabbed In Lift

A six-year-old boy has died and a seven-year-old girl is fighting for her life after the playmates were stabbed multiple times in a lift in Brooklyn.

Police are searching for a man in his 20s who fled the scene of the attack in Boulevard Houses, Schenck Avenue, East New York.

A police source said Prince Joshua Avitto and Mikayla Capers were in a lift in the building when the attacker, described as heavyset, pulled out a knife and stabbed the children several times in the torso.

He then ditched the weapon and fled the scene.

The boy's body was found inside the lift, while the girl managed to stumble outside and was found collapsed on the floor.

They were rushed to Brookdale University Hospital, where Prince Joshua, known to family and friends as PJ, was pronounced dead a short time later.

Police are searching for the attacker who fled the scene

News outlet NBC reported that the boy's mother was heard shouting: "They done killed my baby.

"His birthday was in 16 days. Lord, they done killed my baby!"

Seven-year-old Mikayla has been transferred to New York-Presbyterian Hospital where she has undergone surgery. She remains in a critical condition.

New York Daily News quoted her mother, Sherina Capers, 21, as saying: "This don't make no sense. This is kids. You don't do this to kids."

According to Inez Rodriguez, the president the Boulevard Houses Tenant Association, the playmates were on their way to buy a snack when they were attacked.

"They were just coming outside to get some ice cream and ices," she said.

"This is the worst thing that I've ever seen in this neighbourhood."

The attack came two days after an 18-year-old girl was stabbed to death nearby.

She was stabbed 32 times in the chest while on the way to a friend's house on Friday evening.

Police have not ruled out a connection between the two attacks.

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Qatar: Fifa Investigator To Meet Organisers

Organisers of the Qatar 2022 World Cup are to meet Fifa's chief ethics investigator amid calls for the Gulf State to be stripped of the tournament if corruption allegations are proven.

US lawyer Michael Garcia's talks with officials from the Qatar bid in Oman come after the Sunday Times published fresh claims about payments being made to African federations to win support for the successful 2022 campaign.

The newspaper says it has seen millions of documents which show Qatar's victory was helped by a covert campaign by Mohamed Bin Hammam, a former Qatari vice-president of Fifa.

The claims came ahead of the findings of an inquiry into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding processes conducted by Mr Garcia.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter, right, with Mr Bin Hammam in 2010

He said his Fifa ethics committee was expected to complete its investigation by June 9 this year and would report on its findings six weeks later - which would be after the World Cup in Brazil.

The newspaper alleged Mr Bin Hammam used secret funds to make "dozens" of payments totalling more than $5m (£2.98m) to win support for Qatar's bid.

It was also claimed he paid $1.6m (£950,000) into bank accounts controlled by Jack Warner, the former vice-president of Fifa.

Qatar's bid committee has denied any wrongdoing and said it would "take any steps necessary" to defend the process.

Qatar and Russia's bid committees celebrate their World Cup successes

Fifa has not commented on the newspaper's allegations.

Prime Minister David Cameron says Mr Garcia's inquiry should be allowed to run its course.

"There is an inquiry under way quite rightly into what happened in terms of the World Cup bid for 2022. I think we should let (it)  take place rather than prejudge it," he said.

In a statement the Qatar 2022 bid committee insisted Mr Bin Hammam had played no role in its bid and that it was "cooperating fully with Mr Garcia's ongoing investigation".

Artist's impression of one of Qatar's proposed stadia

It said it was confident the inquiry would show it had won the World Cup fairly "because it was the best bid and because it is time for the Middle East to host its first Fifa World Cup".

Meanwhile, the Football Federation Australia (FFA) has revealed it has also been investigating claims of corruption in the Qatari bid.

FFA chief executive David Gallop told SEN radio in Melbourne the association has been "heavily involved" in interviews and the production of documents.

FA boss Greg Dyke says the bribery allegations are alarming

"We need to get more information about what's been revealed in the last 48 hours," he said.

"But don't be under any illusion that we haven't been heavily involved in all of this for some time now.

"We've been involved in interviews, production of documents and also following carefully what's been happening away from Australia - so we've got people that have been involved for some time now."

Australia was one of five countries that competed to host the 2022 World Cup along with Qatar, South Korea, the United States and Japan.

Football Association chairman Greg Dyke is among those who have called for the bidding process to be rerun if the bribery claims are shown to be true.

He told Sky Sports News: "If there is a proper investigation and that investigation says that there was corruption involved, which I know the Qataris are denying, then obviously there will have to be a revote."

He added that "a lot of people" have wondered why Qatar was awarded the tournament, given concerns about the heat in the country, its lack of football tradition and the decision to build eight new stadia in the country.

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Madeleine McCann: UK Cops In Praia Da Luz

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 10:22am UK, Monday 02 June 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.

:: May 8 - British Officers reportedly use a military helicopter to photograph potential excavation sites and hold a four-hour meeting with Portuguese colleagues to agree a timetable for new searches.

:: May 22 - Met Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley says the investigation will enter a "substantial phase of operational activity" in Portugal in the coming weeks. 

:: June 2 - Portuguese police seal off an area of scrubland to the west of Praia da Luz as they prepare to examine the potential excavation site.

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Britain 'Could Quit EU' If Juncker Gets Top Job

David Cameron has reportedly said Britain could quit the EU if Jean-Claude Juncker is elected as president of the European Commission.

The Prime Minister has previously said he sees the former Luxembourg leader as a symbol of Europe's past and argued other leaders are more capable of delivering change.

He is now so worried Mr Juncker's appointment would destabilise the UK Government he would bring forward an in-out referendum, according to German publication Der Spiegel.

"A figure from the 1980s cannot resolve the problems of the next five years," he is reported to have said.

The magazine claimed Mr Cameron made the threat during a meeting with the German Chancellor at a summit of EU leaders in Brussels.

Angela Merkel has given her backing to Mr Juncker, who told Germany's Bild am Sonntag newspaper he has support from "a broad majority" of conservative and centre-left leaders and is confident of being elected.

Ms Merkel and Mr Juncker's parties both belong to the European People's Party bloc, which dominates the European Parliament and has chosen him as its preferred candidate for the presidential post.

A Downing Street spokesman refused to comment on what Mr Cameron may have said in what it called "a private conversation".

The Prime Minister's alleged warning came as Iain Duncan Smith said Mr Cameron must deliver "substantial and significant return of powers" from the EU to win the backing of Tories.

The Work and Pensions Secretary told The Sunday Telegraph: "He knows very well he can't come back with nothing."

Asked whether Mr Cameron would follow through with his pledge to deliver a referendum if the Tories are re-elected at the next election, Mr Duncan Smith replied: "I've looked him in the eye and I've asked him (that) simple question.

"He said, 'Yeah, I won't be in a Government if they won't have a referendum.'"

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Road Safety Concerns After Car Rally Deaths

Questions are being asked about the safety of a car rally in Scotland after two cars came off the road, killing three people and injuring six others.

Jim Clark Rally organisers only abandoned the event following the second crash, which took place at Little Swinton, near Coldstream, around 4pm on Saturday.

Two men, aged 73 and 71, and a 63-year-old woman - all from the Greater Glasgow area - died when the car left the road, leaving another man in a critical condition in hospital.

Sky sources understand two of the three people killed were from the same family, while the third was a photographer.

They were pronounced dead at the scene, and their bodies were expected to be removed from the site later today.

Colin Gracey, who said he saw the fatal crash, said he had safety concerns about the event.

The 46-year-old teacher has watched the race for the last 17 years at the same spot - on a hill above where the accident took place.

Police attend the crash scene in the Scottish Borders

He told Sky News that in previous years, the tape was 30m from the road to keep spectators away from the speeding cars - but this time the tape was close to the road.

He also said there had previously been a steward's car at the end of the road, and whistles would go off if spectators encroached on to the road. But he claimed there was such car there and no whistles this time.

He described the accident as "horrendous", "dreadful" and "awful" and equated the rally car to a bowling ball at 100mph.

Mr Gracey said the rally car "came through at great speed and lost it on the bridge and veered right into the gap, into the field, hitting quite a few people, who stood where they shouldn't really have stood unfortunately".

"In previous rallies, the area beyond the bridge is very well marked off, taped off at least 30 metres into the field. For some reason this time the tape was just on the other side of the hedge, which made us have concerns."

The rally car was going over a hump at speed before it lost control, Sky sources understand.

Alex Salmond: "This is desperately sad and difficult news"

The crash came two hours after another car left the road near Crosshall Farm, striking five people.

Three men were initially taken to Borders General Hospital, however one was later transferred to an intensive care unit in Edinburgh.

The remaining two spectators were treated for minor injuries.

Police say the two drivers involved in the crashes were unhurt.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond expressed his condolences following the two accidents, calling them "desperately sad".

The Jim Clark Rally takes place over three days on closed roads in the Duns and Kelso areas.

The rally course is described on the event's website as having "a reputation for being fast with big jumps, ditches and hedges".

The event is named after Scottish Formula One driver Jim Clark, who was raised in the area. Clark died in a motor racing accident in Hockenheim, Germany, in 1968.

The organisers of the race expressed their "heartfelt condolences and sympathy" to the families and their friends affected by the tragic events.

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Jungle Search For Missing Briton Stepped Up

The girlfriend of a British man missing in the Malaysian jungle has spoken of her torment, as the hunt for him is stepped up.

Kit Natariga's partner Gareth Huntley disappeared on Tuesday on a trek to a remote waterfall on Tioman Island, off the peninsula's east coast.

Search teams have been promised every available resource to help find the 34-year-old accountant, with a helicopter crew, paramilitary commandos and emergency services drafted in.

Mr Huntley's girlfriend, Kit Natariga, has appealed for extra help

Sniffer dogs and patrol boats will also be used to help trace him, and there is speculation that specialist military personnel from Britain, based in nearby Brunei, could join the search.

Sky's Darren McCaffrey, outside the Foreign Office, said: "So far, that hasn't been offered or indeed requested by the Malaysian authorities."

Mr Huntley with Ms Natariga

Speaking to Sky News shortly after landing on Tioman, Ms Natariga said: "It's really tough, especially coming onto the island.

"It's beautiful, a paradise place, and I know Gareth's out there in the jungle somewhere. Every time I look out of the window, I hope I'll see him.

"It's very difficult ... he's in danger and time is running out."

The stepped-up search comes after Mr Huntley's family criticised the response of authorities in both Britain and Malaysia.

His mother, Janet Southwell, wrote an open letter to David Cameron, urging the Prime Minister to intervene.

His brother, Mark Huntley, said "real action" was needed and called for "boots on the ground".

"This was a man working out there as a wildlife volunteer," he said. "He deserves our assistance."

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, who is also in Malaysia, raised the issue with his counterpart Hishammuddin Hussein and was told "all available search assets" will be used.

Gareth Huntley and his mum, Janet Southwell, who has flown to Malaysia

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "He was assured the Malaysian authorities would do all they could to locate him."

Mr Huntley's family have since said they are "hugely grateful" to Mr Cameron and Mr Hammond for their intervention.

The missing Briton, who lives in Hackney, east London, had been working for the Juara Turtle Project, a Malaysian conservation charity.

The Briton's disappearance is described as out of character

He told friends he would return from the jungle on Tuesday afternoon but has not been seen since setting off earlier in the day.

Ms Southwell described her son's disappearance as "totally out of character".

"He just would not do it," she said. "He knows there are too many people who care (about him) and love him."

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