Suarez Defence Over Chiellini Bite Revealed

Luis Suarez has said he did not deliberately bite Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup, claiming he "lost balance" and fell.

The Uruguay striker, who has been banned for nine international matches and from all football for four months over the attack, made the claims to Fifa's disciplinary panel.

"In no way it happened how you have described, as a bite or intent to bite," he wrote in Spanish, in a letter dated June 25.

"After the impact ... I lost my balance, making my body unstable and falling on top of my opponent.

"At that moment I hit my face against the player, leaving a small bruise on my cheek and a strong pain in my teeth."

Suarez made the submission to the panel, which met the day after Uruguay beat Italy 1-0 in a decisive group-stage match on Tuesday.

Suarez received a hero's welcome on his return to Uruguay

The claims attracted ridicule on social media, with many questioning the 27-year-old's version of events.

Daily Telegraph correspondent Henry Winter posted on his Twitter page: "Suarez's excuse is about as reliable and palatable as Baldrick's cappuccino."

Another Twitter user, @unitedrant, wrote: "There's crass stupidity, there's boundless ignorance, and then there's people who believe Luis Suarez' excuses."

One user, @PhantomGoal, posted: "Suarez's defence is laughably bad. If you're actually offended or upset about it, cheer up. It's downright hilarious."

The seven-man Fifa panel which met on Wednesday evening to rule on the matter dismissed Suarez's argument.

The bite was "deliberate, intentional and without provocation," their ruling stated.

The ruling confirmed that referee Marco Rodriguez of Mexico acknowledged in his match report that he missed Suarez's bite, as did his two assistants and the fourth official.

"I haven't seen the incident because the ball was in another sector of the pitch," Rodriguez said.

Despite his apparent anger immediately after being bitten, Chiellini has issued a statement saying Suarez's punishment is "excessive".

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'Euro Leaders Are Cowards' Over Juncker Vote

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has labelled Europe's leaders "cowards" for electing arch-federalist Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the European Commission.

Prime Minister David Cameron's only ally was Hungary as he attempted to block Mr Juncker, who he claims is not the right man to force through EU reform.

The Tories have promised a referendum on EU membership should they win the next election - and Mr Hunt believes "cowardice" from Europe's leaders can only make a vote to quit more likely.

"As a result of cowardice yesterday from other European leaders who weren't prepared to say in public what they said in private, they're going to have to work a lot harder to persuade the British people that Europe has a reform agenda," he said.

Mr Hunt claimed the British people would be "proud" of the Prime Minister - and that his position would ultimately help the UK renegotiate its relationship with Europe.

Former Luxembourg premier Mr Juncker was backed by Germany's Angela Merkel

"You're getting European leaders queuing up to say how much they want Britain to stay in the EU, how they'll make compromises," he said.

"We want to be a country in control of our own destiny, we want to stop abuses of the welfare system and NHS.

"We're not going to take part in some grubby face-saving deal where we pretend we've got a deal - a feature of the last government. We want substantive reform in Europe."

Sky's Senior Political Correspondent Jason Farrell said Mr Hunt was not alone with his contentions.

"It might not seem like the most diplomatic language but he's not the only one saying it," he said. "Der Spiegel magazine in Germany has said Angela Merkel voted for a Commission president she didn't want - others have said European leaders have gone for the compromise."

The Prime Minister said his fellow EU leaders had made a "serious mistake" but vowed to keep fighting for reform in Europe.

The PM argued Mr Juncker was not the "right person" for the post

"This is going to be a long, tough fight and frankly sometimes you have to be prepared to lose a battle in order to win a war," he added. "It has only stiffened my resolve to fight for reform in the EU, because it is crying out for it."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was an advocate of Mr Juncker, but amid the vote she urged EU colleagues to "compromise" with Britain.

"I think we can find compromises here and make a step towards Great Britain," she said.

Labour leader Ed Miliband said: "The last 48 hours doesn't show Europe is unreformable, it shows David Cameron is not the man to reform it because he has become toxic.

"Because people doubt his motivations, because people doubt the way he operates, it's made people say 'We're not going to ally with Britain'."

UKIP leader Nigel Farage said: "I think what's clear is that any cards that Mr Cameron may have had to play have been spent, and have been lost over a futile battle that he was bound to lose from the beginning.

"(Any) renegotiation now doesn't look very likely. He has been humiliated today but worse than that, he actually looks very isolated."

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US Armed Drones Take To The Skies Over Iraq

US And Iranian Drones Flying Over Iraq

Updated: 5:16am UK, Saturday 28 June 2014

By Dominic Waghorn, US Correspondent, Washington

US officials have confirmed that armed drones are now flying in the skies above Baghdad. Previously, US drones operating there were thought to be unarmed.

All unmanned aerial missions will remain tasked with surveillance but the armed drones could be called on to protect the hundreds of US troops who've been sent to act as military advisers.

President Obama has for now ruled out offensive military action in Iraq, but this will give him the ability to respond quickly with force should US assets become threatened.

It also means that US and Iranian drones are almost certainly for the first time flying in the same theatre of war, on the same side. 

US press reports claim Iran is also operating drones from an airfield in Baghdad. 

American and Iranian objectives in Iran overlap. 

Both countries are determined to reverse the fortunes of ISIS - for different reasons. 

Iran is concerned about the threat to its ally, the Shiite-dominated government of Iraq, fellow Shia Iraqis, and Shia holy places. 

The US is concerned by the success of an Islamist movement so extreme it's been condemned by al Qaeda.

American officials have been at pains to rule out coordinating military activity in Iraq with Iran. 

But they have said they are willing to explore a dialogue to explore mutual interests in the country.

Iranian commanders are reported to be operating in Baghdad. Qassem al Suleimani, commander of the elite Iranian Quds Brigade, is said to be among them.  

He is thought to have helped organise Iranian support for Iraqi militia attacks on both US and British troops over the last decade, not least with the use of roadside bombs.

He is now thought to be advising the Iraqi military on defending Baghdad and taking on ISIS after its blitzkrieg advance through the west of the country. 

At the same time and in the same city, as many as 300 US military advisers are working with other elements of the Iraqi forces with the same purpose.

The US government has said it is concerned the Iranians' involvement could increase the risk of sectarian conflict in Iraq. 

Iran is interested in protecting Shia Iraqis in what is spiralling towards civil war.

For its part, Iran has voiced concerns America is trying to stage-manage events in Iraq with only its interests in mind and orchestrate the removal of the Shia prime minister Nouri al Maliki.

But both countries are prepared to overcome such friction in the interest of defeating a common enemy and maintaining influence in Iraq. 

The Iranians are reportedly making a bigger investment to that end, operating a round-the-clock air bridge into Baghdad funnelling tons of materiel into Iraq.

America may look on with alarm at the burgeoning Iranian presence in Iraq and what Teheran may expect in return. 

But for now the rise of ISIS remains a bigger worry and Washington has little choice but to work alongside its enemies to vanquish a bigger foe.

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Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammad's UK Asylum Bid

The family of Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammad is applying for his asylum in the UK due to claims he has been tortured in Lebanon.

The radical cleric left the UK in August 2005 and was told he would not be allowed back. 

More follows...

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Armed Cops Hunt Missing Elvis Impersonator

Police are warning people not to approach an Elvis impersonator wanted in connection with a firearms alert that closed a Cornish school.

Armed officers were called after a domestic-related incident at Derrel Weaver's home in Widegates at 9.30pm on Thursday.

The nearby Trenode Church of England Primary School was closed as a precaution and police are urgently trying to trace the 60-year-old man amid fears he may have a gun.

Police tweeted a version of this photo of Derrel Weaver

Officers say it is unclear whether he is armed but it is a possibility as he is a licensed firearms owner.

Devon and Cornwall Police tweeted a photo of Mr Weaver of Higher Widlake Farm.

The caption read: "Have you seen this man, Derrel Weaver, 60, #widegates Looe, if you see him please ring 999 and do not approach."

Another tweet added: "Police are doing everything possible to maintain public safety, but we ask local people to be patient during this time."

Authorities have asked air traffic to stay clear of the area so the search is not hampered.

Authorities have asked air traffic to stay clear of the area

Superintendent Jim Pearce said: "We would ask the public to be vigilant at what is obviously a disturbing time for local communities.

"There is currently significant enquiries ongoing to locate Mr Weaver and this includes the chance he may be in possession of a firearm.

"There is currently no suggestion that Mr Weaver is any risk to members of the public, but we need to locate him as soon as possible."

Firearms officers are on patrol in the area.

Mr Weaver's Google+ page says he owns a tree surgery business and is also a "rock n roll singer".

Local resident Ann Chudleigha said Mr Weaver was a well-known member of the community.

Police are maintaining a "high presence" at the scene near Looe

"He's a friend of mine - he's been my neighbour for a long time," she said.

"He would shoot rabbits - he had a licence. You'd hear him shooting sometimes. He was also teaching some of the locals to paint - he paints lovely pictures."

The decision to close the school was made by its headteacher in consultation with police.

A police spokesman said: "This unusual decision has been taken as a precautionary measure for safety reasons and because of the ongoing police activity in that area.

"We do understand that this will cause some significant inconvenience for some parents and local residents and this decision was not taken lightly, but public safety is the most important concern of the school and police."

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ISIS Massacre: Tikrit Satellite Images Emerge

Timeline: How The Iraq Crisis Unfolded

Updated: 9:29am UK, Tuesday 24 June 2014

A look back at the main events in the Iraq crisis, which has seen Sunni insurgents from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror group move to within 50 miles of the capital Baghdad.

December 2011: US troops complete their withdrawal after the 2003 invasion which led to the removal of Saddam Hussein.

August 2013: More than 70 people are killed in attacks at the end of Ramadan. ISIS claim responsibility.

January 2-4, 2014: ISIS declares itself in control of the western city of Fallujah and parts of Ramadi following clashes sparked by the clearing of a Sunni-Arab protest camp.

February: al Qaeda formally disowns ISIS, which was at one time an affiliate, because of its extreme methods.

April: Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki wins the most seats in a general election.

June 10: ISIS seizes all of Nineveh province in the north, including the capital Mosul - Iraq's second city. Mr Maliki asks parliament to declare a state of emergency.

June 11: The militants launch a wave of attacks further south, taking Tikrit and freeing hundreds of prisoners in Baiji. An assault on Samarra, 70 miles (110km) north of Baghdad, is repelled by security forces.

June 12: Iraq's air force strikes fighters' positions near Mosul and Tikrit.

US President Barack Obama says he is looking at "all the options" to help the government, which fails to secure authorisation for a state of emergency.

The army abandons its bases in Kirkuk, leaving Kurdish Peshmerga troops to take control.

June 13: A top Shia cleric issues a call to arms, telling the population to take up arms and defend their country.

Mr Maliki claims government forces have started to clear cities of "terrorists" and implements an emergency plan to protect Baghdad.

President Obama rules out sending back troops to fight ISIS.

The rebels move into the towns of Saadiyah and Jalawla in eastern province of Diyala.

June 14: Iran offers to work with the US to tackle the crisis, as Britain pledges an initial £3m in emergency aid to help refugees fleeing the violence.

The Iraqi army's fightback continues, with forces retaking the towns of Ishaqi, al-Mutasim and Duluiyah in Salaheddin province.

Troops also regain much of Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's home town.

US aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush is ordered to the Persian Gulf.

June 15: Photos emerge appearing to show an ISIS massacre of 1,700 captured government soldiers. Baghdad says number is exaggerated.

Reports say militants have overrun Tal Afar, the largest town in Nineveh province.

A bombing in central Baghdad leaves 15 people dead and dozens injured.

Former PM Tony Blair tells Sky News that critics who believe the violence is the result of the 2003 invasion are "profoundly mistaken".

June 16: Video footage purporting to show an ISIS fighter questioning and killing unarmed Iraqi soldiers draws condemnation.

ISIS takes control of Tal Afar and the al Adhim area of Diyala province.

US Secretary of State John Kerry says Washington is "open to discussions with Iran".

June 17: Britain announces it is reopening its Iranian embassy, with William Hague saying the "circumstances are right" as the West looks to improve relations to help tackle the crisis in Iraq.

Iraq's Shia leaders accuse Saudi Arabia of promoting "genocide" by backing Sunni militants.

June 18: Iraq's foreign minister asks the US to carry out airstrikes to help reverse the sweeping gains of Islamist militants in the country.

David Cameron warns that if Britain does not intervene in the Middle East crisis then terrorists will "hit the UK at home".

Insurgents are seen parading through the city of Baiji with captured vehicles after reports they have taken over three-quarters of Iraq's biggest oil refinery.

ISIS charts its brutality and tactics in annual reports called al-Naba - The Report, it emerges.

June 19: Iraqi authorities say government forces have retaken the Baiji oil refinery after fierce fighting.

Barck Obama says US troops will not return to combat in Iraq, but he would be prepared to take "targeted action".

The president also announces additional equipment and up to 300 additional military advisers could be provided to help fight the ISIS insurgency.

June 20: Iraq's senior Shia religious authority Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani calls for a new government for the country as it struggles to stop Sunni militants.

Barack Obama piles further pressure on Iraq's PM Nouri al Maliki, saying he needs to take urgent steps to heal the sectarian rift in the country, but stopping short of demanding he quit.

A video of British jihadists urging Western Muslims to join ISIS in Iraq and Syria emerges on social media.

June 21: The family of Naseer Muthana, 20, who appears in the ISIS recruitment video and younger brother Aseel, 17, who followed him to fight in the region say they are "devastated". 

The men's father Ahmed Muthana tells Sky News he believes his son Nasser was radicalised in a mosque in the United Kingdom.

In Iraq, dozens of Iraqi troops are killed as ISIS militants seize the crucial Qaim crossing into Syria.

A Shia preacher loyal to anti-US cleric Moqtada al Sadr warns that the 300 US military advisers en route to Iraq will be attacked.

June 22: Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei comes out in opposition of US intervention in neighbouring Iraq.

President Barack Obama warns ISIS could grow in power, destabilise the region and pose a threat to the US.

The mother of one of two Britons filmed in a militants' video calling for Western Muslims to fight in Syria and Iraq, Reyaad Khan, pleads for him to come home in an emotional Sky News interview.

A former head of counter-terrorism at MI6 tells Sky's Murnaghan programme up to 300 Islamist fighters from Iraq and Syria may have returned to the UK and it would be "impossible" to keep track of all of them.

June 23: Barack Obama warns ISIS could pose a threat to the US, hours after the Islamist militants make dramatic gains by capturing four towns in western Iraq.

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in Baghdad for talks with Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki.

June 24: John Kerry arrives in Irbil for talks with Kurdistan's regional government President Massoud Barzani.

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Chiellini Says Suarez Bite Ban Is 'Excessive'

Luis Suarez: A Huge Talent But Trouble

Updated: 6:06am UK, Friday 27 June 2014

By Paul Kelso, Sports Correspondent, in Rio de Janeiro

To his countrymen, Luis Suarez is an unambiguous character.

He is the boy from an impoverished quarter of Salto who became a hero; a natural who plays with the ferocious pride and raw spirit that embodies the national self-image.

You do not have to be Uruguayan to admire his luminous talent. Watching him score the goals that eliminated England in Sao Paulo last week it was impossible not to admire the certainty of his play, the single-minded ability not just to try but to deliver.

But it is equally hard to ignore his recidivist, violent streak, and nor should we try.

Uruguay has rushed to his defence this week, but none of the conspiracies or indulgences offered by his countrymen can sweeten Suarez's offences.

Three times on a professional football field he has bitten an opponent. It is conduct we train out of pets and children, assuming that adult humans do not need to be reminded.

Who knows where it comes from. An army of experts have had their say in the last few days, offering explanations ranging from the Freudian to the footballing.

For everyone, save Suarez, the answer is largely irrelevant. What matters for his club and country is what happens next.

For Liverpool it is a pressing question. The club and its fans love Suarez but they have good reason to feel let down.

They backed him ham-fistedly through the Patrice Evra racism storm, and then with far more assurance and self-awareness following his assault on Branislav Ivanovic.

Last season they seemed to get a return on that pastoral care. Suarez was focused and fabulous, his goals fully deserving a clean sweep of player of the year awards from his fellow pros and the journalists his teammates now accuse of conspiring, and supporters groups.

Anfield fully expected to return to the barricades for Suarez this summer, but they anticipated the attack would come from Real Madrid and Barcelona, once more hunting his signature.

Instead, they will welcome back a player who will not be available until November and will attract only negative vibes in the meantime. Restoring trust on both sides will be a major challenge for manager Brendan Rogers.

There is perhaps only one group for whom Suarez's inexplicable conduct is good news.

It is not often that Fifa has been able to scale the moral high-ground in recent times but the swift, decisive judgment against Suarez offered them a chance they were not going to miss.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter resisted repeated invitations from Sky News to offer a word on Suarez's ban but the message of his silence was clear. The World Cup show has been a wow. Presented with a pantomime villain Fifa banished him to the wings.

For once, few will argue it was the right move.

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PM Fails To Block Juncker From Top EU Job

David Cameron has lost his battle to prevent arch-federalist Jean-Claude Juncker from getting the EU's top job.

As expected, European leaders have backed Luxembourg's former leader to be European Commission President, in what critics argue is an "complete humiliation" for the British Prime Minister.

Mr Cameron has been campaigning against the appointment of Mr Juncker, arguing he would block reform of the EU.

The PM argued Mr Juncker was not the "right person" for the post

He forced a vote on the nomination, breaking with tradition that the Commission chief is approved by consensus of the EU's national heads of government.

In the end only Hungary joined Britain in voting against Mr Juncker's appointment, which was approved by a margin of 26-2.

His nomination, which must be confirmed by a vote in the European Parliament, was announced by European Council president Herman van Rompuy on Twitter.

He wrote: "Decision made. The European Council proposes Jean-Claude Juncker as the next President of the European Commission."

The former Luxembourg premier had the backing of Germany's Anglea Merkel

Responding to the vote, Mr Cameron tweeted: "I've told EU leaders they could live to regret the new process for choosing the Commission President. I'll always stand up for UK interests."

Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander said: "The outcome of today's summit represents an abject failure of leadership for David Cameron.

"Defeat for David Cameron was not inevitable. Yet is was predictable. Because for the past four years he's been burning bridges with our European allies when he should have been building alliances."

Speaking earlier, Mr Cameron argued there were times when "you stick to your principles and you stick to your convictions".

The European elections "showed there is huge disquiet about the way the European Union works", he argued.

The PM said: "He's not the right person to take this organisation forward.

"I am very clear about the right thing to do. I know the odds are stacked against me, but that doesn't mean you change your mind, it means you stand up for what you believe and vote accordingly."

Mr Cameron has warned fellow leaders of "consequences" if they press ahead with the nomination of Mr Juncker, with British officials making clear he fears his appointment will fuel Euroscepticism in the UK and make it more likely that Britons will vote to quit the EU in the referendum he is planning for 2017.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage said: "I think what's clear is that any cards that Mr Cameron may have had to play have been spent, and have been lost over a futile battle that he was bound to lose from the beginning.

"The renegotiation now doesn't look very likely.

"He has been been humiliated today but worse than that he actually looks very isolated."

Eurosceptic Conservative backbencher John Redwood did not view Mr Cameron's isolation in Brussels as a problem.

Writing on his blog, the former Cabinet minister said: "The battle over Mr Juncker was but the first skirmish in a long negotiation of a new relationship for the UK with the rest of the EU.

"If the rest of the EU continue to be so unsympathetic to UK requirements, more UK voters will draw their own conclusions about the desirability of our continued membership."

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Suarez Bite Suspension: Uruguay FA To Appeal

Life And Times Of Luis Suarez: Factfile

Updated: 4:26pm UK, Thursday 26 June 2014

From humble origins the controversial Uruguayan has risen steadily up the football ladder to become one of the best players in the world.

1987: Born January 24 in Salto, Uruguay.

2005: Makes professional debut with Montevideo club Nacional, scoring 12 goals in 29 games in his one and only season in South America.

2006: Signs for Dutch side FC Groningen and fires 10 goals in 29 appearances for the club.

2007: February 8 - Makes debut for Uruguay against Colombia and is sent off in the 85th minute.

August - Joins Ajax in a deal reportedly worth 7.5m euros (£6m).

2010: May - Enjoys his most prolific season in Holland, with 35 goals in 33 Eredivisie matches.

June - Scores three goals to help Uruguay reach the World Cup quarter-finals but is then sent off for a goal-line handball against Ghana in the last eight. Ghana miss the resulting penalty before Uruguay go on to triumph in a shoot-out.

November - Banned for seven matches after being found guilty of biting PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal.

2011: January 28 - Liverpool agree a deal worth up to £22.8m with Ajax for Suarez.

February 2 - Scores on his Liverpool debut in a 2-0 victory over Stoke at Anfield.

July - Scores four goals and is named player of the tournament as Uruguay win Copa America.

October 15 - Manchester United defender Patrice Evra claims Suarez racially abused him during the 1-1 draw between Liverpool and United.

November 17 - Suarez is charged by the Football Association with racially abusing Evra following a month-long investigation.

December 7 - Charged with improper conduct following a gesture to fans as he left the pitch following the 1-0 defeat at Fulham.

December 20 - The FA bans Suarez for eight matches and fines him £40,000 for the Evra incident. Liverpool issue a strongly-worded statement in defence of the player.

December 28 - Suarez banned for one match and fined £20,000 after admitting improper conduct charge relating to his gesture towards Fulham fans.

2012: February 11 - On his return to the first XI, refuses to shake Evra's hand before going on to score in Liverpool's 2-1 loss to Manchester United. Afterwards, Sir Alex Ferguson says he is "a disgrace to Liverpool Football Club", adding: "I would get rid of him if I were them."

February 12 - Apologises for his refusing to shake Evra's hand.

August 7 - Signs new long-term contract with Liverpool.

2013: April 21 - Bites Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic on the arm before going on to score equaliser in 2-2 draw at Anfield. Apologises for his "inexcusable behaviour" soon after the match.

April 22 - Fined by club and charged by the FA with violent conduct for Ivanovic incident. Pledges to donate money to Hillsborough Family Support Group. Managing director Ian Ayre issues statement saying the club want Suarez to see out his contract, which runs until summer 2016.

April 24 - Handed 10-game ban by an independent regulatory commission for biting Ivanovic, confirmed by the FA.

May 31 - Signals his intentions to leave Liverpool.

August 6 - Repeats his desire to leave after a bid from Arsenal of £40,000,001 is turned down. Made to train away from the first team.

August 14 - Returns to first-team training and apologies for trying to leave.

September 25 - Makes his return from suspension.

December 20 - After scoring 17 goals since his return, signs a new long-term contract with the Reds.

2014: April 20 - Scores the second goal in a 3-2 win over Norwich to become the first Liverpool player to score 30 league goals in a season since Ian Rush in

1987. April 27 - Wins the Professional Footballers' Association's Player of the Year award.

June 24 - Finds himself at the centre of further controversy, and the subject of Fifa disciplinary proceedings, when footage shows him appearing to bite Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini while playing for Uruguay in a World Cup Group D match.

June 26 - Fifa announces Suarez has been suspended for nine international matches and banned from all football activity for four months. He is also fined 100,000 Swiss francs (just under £66,000) for the incident.

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Car Ploughs Into Pedestrian In 'Murder Attempt'

Video of the moment a pedestrian was hit by a car in what police believe was a murder attempt has been released.

It shows the victim bounce into the car's windscreen after being hit, before being carried along on the bonnet for several yards.

When the car stops, the 24-year-old is flung off into the road before struggling to his feet and limping away.

The car, believed to be a Seat Leon, is then driven off and has not been traced.

Bedfordshire Police have released the footage in an attempt to catch the culprit.

It happened in Radnor Road in Luton at 11pm on June 12 and is being treated as attempted murder by detectives.

Police say they are "potentially linking" it to another crime, also being investigated as an attempted murder, which happened in the town two weeks beforehand when another man was shot in the back with a pellet gun.

Detective Chief Inspector Jason Gordon of Bedfordshire's major crime unit, said: "The victims in both these incidents are lucky to be alive.

"They both narrowly escaped very serious injury and it is clear the offenders on both occasions meant to cause serious harm.

"There will be people living in the community who know who is responsible and now they are being treated as attempt murder will I hope make people realise this is serious and come forward."

In the shooting, an 18-year-old man was walking with friends when two masked assailants struck at about 1.30am on May 25.

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Savile 'Abused Dead Bodies At NHS Hospital'

Savile's Vile NHS Abuse Laid Bare

Updated: 1:39pm UK, Thursday 26 June 2014

The reports have revealed a litany of shocking individual cases of abuse and inappropriate behaviour by Jimmy Savile at NHS hospitals.

They demonstrate the scale of abuse and access Savile enjoyed at facilities around the country as recently as 2010.

In many cases patients said they were threatened or put in isolation for telling staff about their ordeal.

:: Leeds General Infirmary

1. Abusive encounters took place in wards, corridors, offices and other hospital locations, in a nearby café, in Savile's mother's house and in his campervan.

2. Nineteen of the suspected victims were aged 16 or under and three victims were raped.

3. A witness claimed Savile boasted about sexually abusing dead bodies and having jewellery made from glass eyes taken from corpses in the hospital mortuary.

4. One victim told the inquiry she feared she was pregnant after Savile abused her.

5. Three encounters involved other people who assisted Savile. 

6. Eight demonstrated his premeditation and willingness to 'groom' his victims and, in some cases, their families prior to committing abuse. 

7. Savile intimidated and humiliated 10 of his victims following their initial assault.  

:: Broadmoor psychiatric hospital

1. A male patient aged 18 was coerced into giving Savile oral sex when he went to collect payment from him for washing cars. The incident took place in March 1972 but was not reported.

2. In 1971 or 1972 a female patient was watching a pre-recorded Top of the Pops episode at the hospital when Savile put his hands between her legs and groped her genitals. She did not dare report the assault.

3. Very young boy visitor. Savile exposed himself to him when they were alone in a minibus in the 70s. The victim did not tell anyone.

4. A female patient was assaulted four or five times on different days in 1987. Savile would find her in the lounge after she had showered, and put his hands between her legs, up her nightgown and grope her. She reported the first incident to a member of staff, but was told to "stop making things up or she'd be in serious trouble".

5) A female patient was assaulted repeatedly in early 90s. Savile would sit and talk to patients (unaccompanied by staff) then while still talking move his hand up her legs and grope her genitals. Informed a member of staff but was told she must have imagined it. This patient says Savile did the same to other young, vulnerable female patients. She claims male staff also abused her and others. She believes these events led to two patient suicides.

:: St Catherine's Hospital, Birkenhead, 1964

Victim was 14-year-old inpatient. Savile pulled back covers of her bed, jumped into bed with her and touched the top of her thigh and her bottom. Victim says incident caused amusement among those present.

:: Saxondale Mental Health Hospital, 1971/2

Savile lifted the skirt of woman at a disco he had organised.

Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield, 2010

Savile - now in his 80s - made "lewd" and "inappropriate" comments about a young female patient - saying he would like to see her "in a bikini". 

:: High Royds Psychiatric Hospital, West Yorkshire, 1988

Two alleged incidents as Savile put his hand up the skirts of patients and groped their breasts during a fun run.

:: Exeter Hospital, 1970

Female patient claimed Savile raped her in caravan in April 1970 after visit to hospital.

:: Prestwich Psychiatric Hospital, 1960

Savile allegedly took a girl of about seven or eight years old to an empty room and, with another man, sexually abused her. On another occasion, the victim said Savile took her to a ward containing naked male patients and excrement and threatened that if she told anyone about the abuse she would be brought back and locked in the ward. An investigation by Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust found that the incidents were likely to have occurred.

:: Ashworth psychiatric hospital

1. Two female patients alleged that Jimmy Savile abused them on a ward whilst he was visiting. One said in 1984, he made her sit on his knee, then put his hand on her thigh and moved it upwards, sexually abusing her. She says she screamed - and was then put into isolation when she told staff what had happened.  

2. A male ex-patient claimed that he witnessed Savile stroke a patient's breast at a hospital social event.

3. Former member of staff said Savile regularly visited and speculated that incidents of abuse could possibly have taken place. The alleged incidents took place between 1971 and 1985.

:: Booth Hall Children's Hospital

1. A girl aged seven or eight said her father not only abused her but allowed Savile to do so. She claimed Savile put his hands under the bed clothes and sexually assaulted her.

2. A nine-year-old boy said Savile did same to him.

The report found it was not possible to produce conclusive evidence that the incidents took place.

:: Dryburn Hospital

The hospital radio station manager from 1995 to 2000 knew about allegations that boys were "procured" for Jimmy Savile by a third party.  The investigation found no evidence that the hospital itself was involved in the procurement.

Investigators have passed information to police about a third party and a specific location in the North East used for the procurement of boys for Savile. 

:: Barnet Hospital

A nurse told a member of public that at another hospital Jimmy Savile had sex with dead bodies. Investigation found nothing relating to Barnet.

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Acquitted Rebekah Brooks Faces Media

Rebekah Brooks is set to make her first public comments since being cleared of all charges in the phone-hacking trial.

The former editor of the News Of The World and her racehorse trainer husband Charlie were both found not guilty at the Old Bailey in London on Tuesday.

Another ex-editor of the now-defunct newspaper, Andy Coulson, was convicted of conspiring to hack phones after the eight month-long trial.

Coulson, who used to be PM David Cameron's spin doctor, now faces up to two years in prison when he is sentenced next week.

Former News International (NI) chief executive Mrs Brooks was due to face the media outside a central London building which was believed to be her solicitor's offices.

Mrs Brooks, 46, was cleared of hacking and misconduct in a public office for allegedly signing off payments to a Sun journalist's "number one military contact" between 2004 and 2012.

She was also found not guilty of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and perverting the course of justice.

Mr Brooks, 52, of Churchill, Oxfordshire, was cleared of perverting the course of justice around the time of police searches in July 2011.

Retired managing editor of the paper Stuart Kuttner, 74, was also cleared of being part of the hacking conspiracy dating back to 2000 and spanning six years.

Mrs Brooks' former personal assistant Cheryl Carter, 50, and NI head of security Mark Hanna, 51, were both cleared of perverting the course of justice.

More follows...

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90-Year-Old Dragged Off Street And Raped

Police in Rochdale have launched an investigation after a 90-year-old woman was attacked in the street and raped.

The woman was attacked as she walked to a butchers in Spotland Road around 6.45am on Tuesday.

A hand was placed over her mouth from behind and she was dragged backwards before she lost consciousness.

When she came round she walked to the shop and they called the police.

Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk said there was "a real sense of shock and horror" in the community over the attack, and urged anyone with information to "search their conscience" and help police "catch this sick individual".

"Local people are struggling to comprehend how anyone can do this. Our heart goes out to this poor woman. She must have gone through hell," he said.

"Anyone with even a glimmer of suspicion should contact the police immediately."

Police want to speak to witnesses who potentially saw the offender

Superintendent Alistair Mallen said: "I am sure the entire community will share our revulsion at this.

"The victim has been through an horrific ordeal and we are all hoping she can make a full recovery.

"She is now being supported by experienced officers and we are doing everything possible to reassure her that we will catch the man responsible.

"This kind of attack is thankfully so rare that it will naturally cause a huge amount of concern in the community.

"I now want people, including the criminal fraternity, to imagine if that had been your mum or grandma. I want to harness these feelings and use them to help the police do their job - catch this man and put him before the courts.

"It may not have struck you as significant at the time, but please, if you saw anything or anyone that you think could be relevant then please call the police."

Police want to hear from people who saw the victim - and potentially her attacker - on Tuesday morning.

The victim is white and was wearing a white summer dress with a flower print and a cardigan.

The attacker is described as a white male but no other details were available.

:: Anyone with information is asked to call police in Rochdale on 0161 856 8470/8420 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. 

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The Seven Sins Of Bad Boy Striker Luis Suarez

The Liverpool striker is no stranger to controversy - with one incident leading him to be dubbed "the cannibal of Ajax".

Here are just a few of his misdemeanours:

Suarez described the handball as 'save of the tournament'

FEBRUARY 2007: He is sent off late on in his debut for Uruguay against Colombia after picking up a second yellow card for dissent.

Suarez dubbed the 'cannibal of Ajax'

JULY 2010: Suarez stopped a certain goal by Ghana in the World Cup quarter-final. He was sent off but Asamoah Gyan's penalty was saved and the Ghana lost the penalty shootout. After the match the striker said: "I made the save of the tournament."

NOVEMBER 2010:  He was dubbed the "cannibal of Ajax" after he bit PSV Einhoven's Otman Bakkal's shoulder in a Dutch league game. He was banned for seven matches.

Suarez refused to shake Evra's hand

OCTOBER 2011:  Alleged to have racially abused Manchester United's Patrice Evra during a Premier League match. He was later found guilty, banned for eight matches and fined £40,000.

FEBRUARY 2012: The Liverpool striker stirred up tensions after refusing to shake Evra's hand before their Premier League game at Old Trafford.

Liverpool striker munches on Ivanovic's arm

OCTOBER 2012: Celebrates a goal against Everton by diving in front of then manager David Moyes, who had earlier claimed that "divers" such as Suarez were putting fans off the game.

APRIL 2013: Suarez bit Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic's arm in a Premier League clash. He was banned for 10 games.

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Hacking Trial Jury Discharged On Final Charges

Jurors who failed to reach verdicts on four final charges in the phone-hacking trial have been discharged by a judge who criticised the Prime Minister for comments that could have caused the case to collapse.

Andy Coulson, the former Number 10 spin doctor, and the ex-News Of The World (NOTW) royal editor Clive Goodman had been accused of conspiring to commit misconduct in public office by paying police officers for two royal phone directories.

But after sitting through eight months of evidence at the Old Bailey, the jury could not reach even a majority verdict and were discharged.

Ex-newspaper editor Andy Coulson has been convicted of phone hacking

It means stinging criticism of David Cameron can now be reported for the first time.

The judge, Mr Justice Saunders, said he was "very concerned" about comments the Prime Minister made while the jury was still deliberating.

"What has happened is unsatisfactory so far as justice and the rule of law are concerned," he said.

The News Of The World was shut down in the wake of the scandal

The move to discharge the jury comes after Coulson was found guilty of plotting to hack phones between 2000 and 2006 while working at the NOTW.

The scandal, which cost the 46-year-old his job as the Prime Minister's communications director and led to the closure of his former newspaper, involved a list of high-profile targets, including Kate Middleton and Prince William, actor Daniel Craig and murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

The incriminating email in which Coulson said "do his phone"

His former colleague Rebekah Brooks and her husband Charlie Brooks were cleared of the charges they faced.

Shortly after those verdicts were delivered, Mr Cameron led the way in what the judge called "open season" by apologising for hiring Coulson in 2007.

Sky's Home Affairs Correspondent Mark White, at the Old Bailey, said: "Those comments were very prejudicial, suggesting Coulson had been dishonest.

An emotional Rebekah Brooks was cleared of all charges

"There was a move by the legal counsel for Coulson and Goodman to have those remaining counts thrown out ... because they felt the jury wouldn't be able to reach fair conclusions.

"However, in essence, that argument is a moot point for the moment because the jury hasn't been able to reach verdicts."

At a heated Prime Minister's Questions, Labour leader Ed Miliband accused Mr Cameron of "wilful negligence" by "bringing a criminal into Downing Street".

David Cameron and Ed Miliband clashed at Prime Minister's Questions

His opposite number replied with regular references to the Leveson Inquiry into press ethics, saying the report "made no criticism of my conduct".

The judge praised jurors for their "enormous patience and tolerance" and said they shown "exceptional" dedication.

A decision on whether to hold a retrial will be made next week, with sentencing possible on Friday.

Coulson faces up to two years in prison.

Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick, of the Metropolitan Police, which launched Operation Weeting to investigate phone hacking at the NOTW, said: "Throughout the investigation, we've done our best to follow the evidence without fear or favour.

"We were conscious of the sensitivities and legal complexities of investigating a national newspaper containing confidential journalistic material.

"This investigation has never been about an attack on press freedom but to establish whether any criminal offences had been committed."

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Fifa: Suarez 'Must Face Severe Sanction'

Luis Suarez "must face a severe sanction" if he is found to have bitten an Italian player during a World Cup match, a senior Fifa official has told Sky News.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior official from international football's governing body said the Liverpool star "must face a severe sanction. If we allow this where will it stop?"

Fifa has opened disciplinary proceedings against Luis Suarez after he was accused of biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini.

The striker and the Uruguayan FA have until 9pm UK time to "provide their position and any documentary evidence they deem relevant".

Uruguay trained in Natal on Wednesday morning, but Suarez and his teammates who played against Italy were given a day off to rest.

Suarez has already commented on the incident, declaring: "These things happen on the pitch."

The Uruguay striker has previous after biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic

The striker clashed with Chiellini in the 79th minute of his country's Group D match, a game they won 1-0 to advance to the last 16.

Television replays show Suarez moving his head towards Chiellini and apparently sinking his teeth into his shoulder, with Chiellini responding by swinging his arm.

Defending the alleged attack, Suarez said: "We were both just inside the area, he struck me in the chest with his shoulder and he hit me in the eye as well.

"These are things that happen on the pitch and you shouldn't attach so much importance to them.

"I'm very happy to have qualified. We are taking each game as it comes, we know that we're in a difficult situation, we're at our limits now."

Speaking to Rai TV after the game, Chiellini said: "It was ridiculous not to send Suarez off.

Suarez was sent off for a notorious handball in South Africa in 2010

"It is clear, clear-cut and then there was the obvious dive afterwards because he knew very well that he did something that he shouldn't have done."

Article 77 of Fifa's disciplinary code allows it to hit players with retrospective bans of up to two years if it decides there is a case to answer.

Daily Mirror football writer Darren Lewis told Sky News' Sunrise programme he believes Suarez faces a lengthy international ban, but is likely to escape punishment that would prevent him from playing for Liverpool.

Both Adidas and betting firm 888poker - two of Suarez's key sponsors - have announced they are reviewing their relationship with the player following the alleged bite.

Suarez served a 10-match ban last year for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.

Before his move to Liverpool in 2011, Suarez was suspended for seven matches by the Netherlands football federation after biting PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal when he played for Ajax.

He also received a eight-match ban in 2011 after the Football Association found he had racially abused Patrice Evra seven times during a game against Manchester United. He has never apologised to Evra.

Professor Cary Cooper from Lancaster University told Sky News that if the forward is found guilty in this latest incident, he should get professional help.

He said: "For anyone in a job who's behaved in an anti-social way, they should be helped - you go to a clinical psychologist, a counselling psychologist and they would try to unwrap why you do that, and then channel that in a more positive way."

He said any ban should also include an order or encouragement for Suarez to get help for his behaviour.

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Hacking: What Now For Rebekah Brooks?

By David Bowden, Senior Correspondent

Rebekah Brooks married an EastEnder and later a country gent and counted prime ministers among her friends.

Even Royals found themselves at ease in the presence of the flame-haired empathiser.

But it was her relationship with Rupert Murdoch that saw her rise to being the most powerful woman in British media and a paid-up member of the Chipping Norton set, a clique of the rich and famous with boltholes nestled in the Cotswolds countryside.

Mrs Brooks leaves court with her husband after being cleared

The extent of Mrs Brooks' power and influence was perfectly illustrated by her wedding reception at Sarsden House, a grand country estate, also in the Cotswolds.

On the guest list were the Camerons, Gordon and Sarah Brown, Rupert Murdoch, JCB tycoon Sir Anthony Bamford and his wife along with 200 movers and shakers.

One former News of the World (NOTW) exec described it as "only one level down from a Royal wedding".

Not bad for a grammar school girl from Warrington whose first foray into national journalism as a 20-year-old was a trip to Luxembourg to cover a story about beer for Eddy Shah's short-lived Post newspaper.

Mr Murdoch and Mrs Brooks in 2011

When the tabloid folded after a matter of weeks, Mrs Brooks washed up at NOTW as a secretary.

At 31 she was the boss, but it wasn't just her ambition and drive that got her there, it was her mentor Rupert Murdoch that prepared the ground, according to former News of the World's executive editor Neil Wallis.

Mr Wallis says the then-Rebekah Wade, her soon to be deputy Andy Coulson, and another young editor, Piers Morgan, were seen as the future.

He said: "They came through at a time where there was a deliberate decision to change the direction and the mood of how those papers operated... and it was a conscious decision by Rupert Murdoch that he wanted change."

Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson became an item professionally and personally at the NOTW - Coulson another apparently snared by what many say is Mrs Brooks' engaging personality and ability to empathise with people from all walks of life.

Mrs Brooks counted the Camerons as friends

It certainly worked on more than one prime minister and their spouse. As well as the Camerons, Gordon and Sarah Brown became close to Mrs Brooks, as did Cherie and Tony Blair, according to his former spin doctor Lance Price

Coulson spent even more time at Downing Street. Mr Wallis, who says he is proud to call Coulson a friend, believes he gave Old Etonian David Cameron the common touch he needed to run the country.

He said: "If you talk to people in politics even now, they will say that to this day Cameron misses Andy Coulson's understanding of real people who are outside Cameron's world."

In the end it was phone hacking that brought both Coulson and Brooks down and ultimately closed the newspaper they both edited and which was owned and run by the man who used to treat Rebekah as a fifth daughter, part of the family.

With her acquittal at the Old Bailey, will he now bring her back into the family business? 

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Sudan's Meriam Ibrahim Arrested At Airport

A Sudanese woman freed from death row yesterday has reportedly been arrested with her husband as they tried to leave the country with their children.

A court ordered the release of Meriam Ibrahim on Monday after she was imprisoned for converting from Islam to Christianity.

The government said the 27-year-old was released after "unprecedented" international pressure.

A security source said Ms Ibrahim and her husband, Daniel Wani, were detained as they tried to board a plane at Khartoum airport.

"The National Security took her and Daniel," said the source.

He could not give more details except to say they were taken to a facility used by the powerful National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS).

Ms Ibrahim has refused to renounce her faith

"She has the right to leave the country," the source said.

The status of their two young children, one a newborn baby, was not immediately known.

Ms Ibrahim was convicted last month of apostasy and adultery and claimed she had always been a Christian, having been raised by her Ethiopian mother while her Muslim father had left when she was young.

She married Mr Wani in 2011 and has refused to renounce her faith.

Ms Ibrahim was forced to give birth to her second child, a daughter called Maya, in prison. Her son, Martin, also lived in prison with her.

Prime Minister David Cameron joined condemnation of the mother's plight, saying he was "absolutely appalled" by the case.

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Hacking: Brooks Cleared But Coulson Guilty

Rebekah Brooks has been cleared of all charges in the phone-hacking trial, while ex-Number 10 spin doctor Andy Coulson has been found guilty of plotting to hack phones.

Jurors at the Old Bailey found former News of the World editor Coulson guilty of conspiring to hack phones with others between 2000 and 2006.

The 46-year-old, who was forced to quit as Prime Minister David Cameron's communications director over the scandal, now faces the possibility of a prison sentence.

Coulson arriving at the Old Bailey, earlier

Mr Cameron on Tuesday apologised for recruiting Coulson, saying: "It was the wrong decision and I am very clear about that."

He stood by his July 2011 pledge to the House of Commons when he said: "If I have been lied to, that would be the moment for profound apology. In that event, I can tell you I will not fall short."

An emotional Mrs Brooks, former chief executive of News International, who was found not guilty of all the charges she faced, was led out of the courtroom upon learning the verdicts.

Mr Cameron has apologised for employing Coulson at Number 10 Downing Street

Brooks, 46, was cleared of hacking, misconduct in a public office for allegedly signing off payments to a Sun journalist's military contact between 2004 and 2012, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and perverting the course of justice.

Her 52-year-old husband, racehorse trainer Charlie Brooks and News International's former head of security Mark Hanna, 51, were cleared of perverting the course of justice around the time of police searches in July 2011.

Mr and Mrs Brooks left the building holding hands and made no comment to the reporters assembled outside the central London court.

The trial has been ongoing at the Old Bailey in London for nine months

Ex-News of the World managing editor Stuart Kuttner was also cleared of being part of a conspiracy to hack phones dating back to 2000 and spanning six years.

And jurors cleared Cheryl Carter, 50, Mrs Brooks' friend and former personal assistant, of conspiring to pervert the course of justice by removing seven boxes from the NI archive just days before she was arrested in 2011.

However, not all the verdicts have been returned by the jury of eight women and three men, which has been deliberating since June 11.

They are still considering further charges against Coulson and ex-News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman of conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office by paying police officers for two royal directories.

The trial heard victims of phone hacking included royals, celebrities, politicians and ordinary members of the public including Kate Middleton and Prince William, Bond star Daniel Craig and murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

A spokesman for News UK, formerly known as News International, said: "We said long ago, and repeat today, that wrongdoing occurred, and we apologised for it. We have been paying compensation to those affected and have cooperated with investigations.

"We made changes in the way we do business to help ensure wrongdoing like this does not occur again. And we are strong supporters of the Independent Press Standards Organisation that is expected to begin work this autumn, serving as a watchdog on the industry in the public interest.

"Out of respect for the fact that further legal proceedings will occur, we will have no further comment at this time."

The campaign group Hacked Off said in a statement the trial "shone a light on the appalling, systemic newsroom culture of bullying, lies, intimidation and intrusion that has devastated the lives of many people".

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Cameron Apology: 'I Was Wrong To Hire Coulson'

Hacking: Brooks Cleared But Coulson Guilty

Updated: 4:15pm UK, Tuesday 24 June 2014

Rebekah Brooks has been cleared of all charges in the phone-hacking trial, while ex-Number 10 spin doctor Andy Coulson has been found guilty of plotting to hack phones.

Jurors at the Old Bailey found former News of the World editor Coulson guilty of conspiring to hack phones with others between 2000 and 2006.

The 46-year-old, who was forced to quit as Prime Minister David Cameron's communications director over the scandal, now faces the possibility of a prison sentence.

Mr Cameron on Tuesday apologised for recruiting Coulson, saying: "It was the wrong decision and I am very clear about that."

He stood by his July 2011 pledge to the House of Commons when he said: "If I have been lied to, that would be the moment for profound apology. In that event, I can tell you I will not fall short."

An emotional Mrs Brooks, former chief executive of News International, who was found not guilty of all the charges she faced, was led out of the courtroom upon learning the verdicts.

Brooks, 46, was cleared of hacking, misconduct in a public office for allegedly signing off payments to a Sun journalist's military contact between 2004 and 2012, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and perverting the course of justice.

Her 52-year-old husband, racehorse trainer Charlie Brooks and News International's former head of security Mark Hanna, 51, were cleared of perverting the course of justice around the time of police searches in July 2011.

Mr and Mrs Brooks left the building holding hands and made no comment to the reporters assembled outside the central London court.

Ex-News of the World managing editor Stuart Kuttner was also cleared of being part of a conspiracy to hack phones dating back to 2000 and spanning six years.

And jurors cleared Cheryl Carter, 50, Mrs Brooks' friend and former personal assistant, of conspiring to pervert the course of justice by removing seven boxes from the NI archive just days before she was arrested in 2011.

However, not all the verdicts have been returned by the jury of eight women and three men, which has been deliberating since June 11.

They are still considering further charges against Coulson and ex-News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman of conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office by paying police officers for two royal directories.

The trial heard victims of phone hacking included royals, celebrities, politicians and ordinary members of the public including Kate Middleton and Prince William, Bond star Daniel Craig and murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

A spokesman for News UK, formerly known as News International, said: "We said long ago, and repeat today, that wrongdoing occurred, and we apologised for it. We have been paying compensation to those affected and have cooperated with investigations.

"We made changes in the way we do business to help ensure wrongdoing like this does not occur again. And we are strong supporters of the Independent Press Standards Organisation that is expected to begin work this autumn, serving as a watchdog on the industry in the public interest.

"Out of respect for the fact that further legal proceedings will occur, we will have no further comment at this time."

The campaign group Hacked Off said in a statement the trial "shone a light on the appalling, systemic newsroom culture of bullying, lies, intimidation and intrusion that has devastated the lives of many people".

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Colchester Police Hunt Suspect In Brown Jacket

Detectives hunting the killer of student Nahid Almanea have revealed new details about a man they want to question.

Police said a suspect who was seen near the scene of the 31-year-old Saudi's murder was wearing a distinctive brown jacket.

The man, who is described as aged between his late teens and 30, and of average build with thick dark hair, was seen on the Salary Brook Trail, where Ms Almanea was stabbed.

Police search a pond near the scene of the murder

They also repeated their appeal to help identify a man wearing a bright red hooded top seen running nearby. 

This morning officers drained a local pond as part of their investigation but said they have yet to find the weapon used in the killing.

Det Chief Superintendent Steve Warron, who is leading the investigation, said an "intensive fingertip search" was being carried out and two other bodies of water would also be examined.

An image of the jacket police say a suspect was wearing

He also urged local residents to check their gardens and bins for any items they did not recognise such as bloodstained clothing or footwear, that may have been discarded by the killer.

Sky's Joe Tidy, reporting from Colchester, said police had described the latest development as significant rather than major, and that enquiries were running in parallel with the probe into the murder of Jim Attfield, found stabbed to death in the city in March.

"Police say there are obvious similarities with the murder of Jim Attfield that are too significant to ignore so they are looking to work alongside each other in both cases," he said.

Mr Attfield's mother, Julie Finch, told Sky News she was concerned that the killer or killers of her son, had not yet been found.

"You turn on the news and every story is a murder or someone is in court for murder," she said.

The last known picture of Ms Almanea before her murder

"Until you're in a situation where you've lost someone you don't notice it.

"But now I'm terrified for my girls. I won't go out on my own and it proves with this latest murder that it doesn't matter what time you go out or where you are. Everyone has to be so much more vigilant."

Ms Almanea was stabbed 16 times while walking along a path on Tuesday morning.

The student from Saudi Arabia had been taking an English language course at the University of Essex as part of her studies for a life sciences PhD.

Jim Attfield was found stabbed to death in March

Police released a CCTV picture of the 31-year-old taken moments before her death and a map of her likely route from the home she shared with her brother to the spot on the Salary Brook trail where her body was found.

:: Anyone with information is asked to contact the Major Investigation Team on 01245 282103, Essex Police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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Colchester Stabbing Victim's Mum 'Terrified'

The mother of a vulnerable man who was stabbed more than 100 times in Colchester has told Sky News she has "total faith" in the police investigation.

Jim Attfield's murder in a park in March is being investigated alongside last Tuesday's killing of Saudi student Nahid Almanea elsewhere in the town.

"I know they are not leaving any stone unturned," Mr Attfield's mother Julie Finch told Sky News as police announced they had made a "significant development" in the investigations.

"Every bit of information they get, any bit of evidence, anything they find is thoroughly, thoroughly looked at."

Mr Attfield was found in Castle Park just miles from the other killing

Police have said it is not yet clear if the two killings were carried out by the same people, but acknowledge the attacks, in which the victims were stabbed multiple times, bear "obvious similarities".

In the statement on Saturday, Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Worron of Essex Police said: "A criminal profiler from the National Crime Agency has carried out a thorough assessment of all the evidence in connection with both murders.

"A decision has been taken that they remain separate but parallel investigations at this time.

Police have been searching the site MS Almanea's murder for several days

"However the circumstances of both crimes mean that we must consider the possibility that the same killer or killers are responsible."

Ms Finch said she was "terrified" for her daughters following the murders.

"They don't go out on their own, I won't go out on my own. And it just goes to prove with this latest murder, it doesn't matter what time of day it is, where you are," she said.

Mr Attfield was seen on CCTV at a pub hours before his killing

"Everybody just has to be so much more vigilant, not just for their own safety, they have to be aware of the safety of people around them because obviously for these murderers to be caught will depend of information coming from the public."

Mr Attfield, a father-of-five, suffered from a brain injury after being hit by a car four years earlier.

His body was found with wounds on his arms, hands, back, neck and head in Colchester's Castle Park in the early hours of March 29. 

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Jihadist's Mother Pleads For Him To Return Home

Faith Lost In Iraq PM Amid Political Limbo

Updated: 5:46pm UK, Friday 20 June 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor, in Baghdad

The US President, Shia politicians, Sunni chieftans and none other than the Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani has joined the clamour for Iraq's Prime Minister to move fast and form a government.

The nation has languished since elections on April 30 in a political limbo that arguably undermined faith in the central government, even among the Shia-dominated armed forces.

That might, partly, explain their rapid collapse in the face of far fewer forces from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) plus their allies.

But now that Iraq's supreme court has ratified the results of the elections what possible reason could Nouri al Maliki have for delay?

One explanation may simply be political.

His stewardship over previous years has entrenched sectarian divisions and seen an explosion in corruption.

His party bloc won 92 of the 328 seats in Iraq's parliament and he'll need 165 to form a coalition administration.

He, therefore, has to get involved in some serious horse trading with other Shia parties to build his coalition.

But they are now losing faith in him. Particularly in his apparent refusal to reach out to Sunni parties and offer them stakes in the central government - such as a security portfolio and a ministry which would give them access to patronage systems such as an education or public works - so that they feel both secure and that they have an investment in the future political structures.

A more conspiratorial thesis, fuelled by the conspiratorial utterances of lame duck ministers left over from the previous administration, is that Iraq's latest travails are the fault of external forces.

Jordan, Saudi Arabia (both Sunni countries), the US and others are being blamed for manipulating the Middle East and somehow creating ISIS.

There is evidence of Saudi individual, and possible state funding, for extremist militant groups in Syria, which may include ISIS.

And Jordan has played a significant role in trying to boost the fortunes of the non-extremist Free Syrian Army.

But Mr al Maliki may have calculated that he can either weather the latest storm - or let ISIS form an impoverished caliphate in the desert north of his country which would leave the Shia with Baghdad and the south.

It's the south, after all, that holds the lion's share of the world's second largest oil reserves.

It can ship its oil out through the Gulf, via Kuwait, or via Iran.

A Shia state or semi-state would not only be self-sufficient - it would be spared the burden of sharing Iraq's spoils with other sectarian groups like the Sunni and the Kurds (who already have their own autonomy and oil industry).

Such a move, or allowing events to drift to this reality, would place the south of Iraq firmly inside Iran's imperial embrace.

That is not something that Saudi Arabia would be able to tolerate in the long term as it vies with Iran for influence in the Middle East.

Nor is it anything that a rump Sunni 'caliphate' would be able to live with - the extremists within it would forever plot how to steal it back by force.

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Iraqi Troops 'Withdraw' In Face Of ISIS Offensive

Islamist militants have captured four towns in western Iraq, according to Sky sources.

Haditha, Anah, Rawa, Rotba - along with a number of villages- were taken as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) swept east from the Syrian border, where it captured a border crossing on Saturday, in its latest offensive.

The group was also reported to have seized two more border crossings - the Turaibil crossing with Jordan and the al-Walid crossing with Syria. 

Speaking from Baghdad, Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor Sam Kiley said: "This offensive coming from the west is very significant as it appears the Iraqi army has folded-up without a fight.

Potential recruits are given a medical check in Baghdad

"These are major strategic prizes, not necessarily big towns but all of them on the main route to Syria and on the Euphrates river.

"The big prize appears to be Haditha. There are conflicting reports whether it has fallen, but its collapse looks imminent.

"It contains a very important power-generating plant for Baghdad. If you combine that with the shut down of supply from the main oil refinery and power stations in Baiji, you can see the ISIS have a tactic of putting the squeeze on power supplies to Baghdad.

"That will further weaken the extremely fragile position of Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki who is getting criticism from all sides and seems incapable of mustering any spirit in his army or making any political concessions that could shore up support among his critics."

Some two million volunteers have enlisted to fight against the ISIS

Dozens of Iraqi tanks, armoured vehicles and special forces troops were being sent to Haditha in an attempt to regain control and protect a dam across the Euphrates, according to Sky sources.

Lieutenant General Qassem Atta of the Iraqi army said the government's forces had made a "tactical" withdrawal from three of the towns in Anbar province.

"The military units' withdrawal was for the purpose of redeployment," he said.

ISIS had already taken control of the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi in predominantly Sunni Anbar province before it seized Iraq's second city Mosul, and Baiji, home to the country's largest oil refinery, in an aggressive offensive in the north.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in the region for talks aimed at healing some of the differences between Iraq's leaders and ending the crisis.

In Cairo, he said: "This is a critical moment when we must urge Iraq's leaders to rise above sectarian considerations ... and speak to all people."

Cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith has said the UK could provide logistical support if the US were to begin its own bombing raids.

"The Government has said it's not going to be doing any airstrikes or putting soldiers into Iraq but I think there are lots of other things we can do to help support them," he said.

He suggested Britain could "make sure they get the right spare parts and support in maintaining those kind of aircraft and equipment and also support the Americans where they need it in terms of supply, et cetera."

Meanwhile, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani warned that any country funding or arming the ISIS could become the group's next target.

Although Rouhani did not specifically name particular countries, officials in Iran have suggested Saudi Arabia and Qatar could be channelling funding to the group.

Young Iraqis have been flocking to recruitment centres at the weekend to join the counter-offensive against the ISIS. According to official records, some two million young men have volunteered in the past seven days.

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