Archbishops Split Over Right-To-Die Debate

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey has made an extraordinary U-turn by announcing he is backing laws to legalise assisted dying.

His support for Labour peer Lord Falconer's Bill, which will be debated in the House of Lords next week, goes against the Church of England's official line that the law on assisted suicide should not change.

Lord Carey said it would not be "anti-Christian" to legalise assisted suicide and that by opposing reform the Church risked "promoting anguish and pain".

He said the case of Tony Nicklinson - the locked-in syndrome sufferer who died after being refused the legal right to die - had the "deepest influence" on his change of heart.

"Here was a dignified man making a simple appeal for mercy, begging that the law allow him to die in peace, supported by his family," he wrote in the Daily Mail.

Most Reverend Justin Welby (top) and former Archbishop Lord Carey

"His distress made me question my motives in previous debates. Had I been putting doctrine before compassion, dogma before human dignity?"

Mr Nicklinson's widow Jane said she was "amazed and thrilled" at Lord Carey's U-turn.

His comments come as a surprise because he was part of a coalition that helped stop Lord Joffe's Assisting Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill in 2006 in the House of Lords.

But while the former Archbishop has come out in favour of a change in the law, the current Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, has condemned the Bill as "mistaken and dangerous".

Tony Nicklinson died two years ago

Writing in the Times, Archbishop Welby warned the "deep personal demands" of individuals should not blind people to the pressures others could be put under should the practice become legal.

"It would be very naive to think that many of the elderly people who are abused and neglected each year, as well as many severely disabled individuals, would not be put under pressure to end their lives if assisted suicide were permitted by law," he wrote.

Archbishop Welby said a law that permitted assisted suicide would be "bound" to lead to some people feeling they ought to stop "being a burden to others".

Assisted suicide is already legal at clinics like this in Switzerland

The Bishop of Carlisle, the Rt Rev James Newcome, said the Church of England was "surprised" by the content and timing of Lord Carey's shock intervention.

"I think we were surprised by both the content and the timing of the article but recognise that, actually, quite a lot of good things have come out of it, including that it has brought some of the issues to the forefront of public discussion and highlighted just what an important issue this is," Bishop Newcome said.

"Certainly our hope ... is that the Falconer Bill will be withdrawn and that, because this is such an important issue, it can be discussed at length by a Royal Commission."

Under the 1961 Suicide Act, it remains a criminal offence carrying up to 14 years in jail to help take someone's life.

If successful, Lord Falconer's Bill would allow mentally capable adults in England and Wales to ask for help to die if they were suffering from a terminal illness and had less than six months to live.

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Croc On A Plane: Reptile 'May Have Caused Crash'

An escaped crocodile may have caused a plane crash which killed a British pilot and 18 others, an inquest has heard.

Chris Wilson died when the jet he was co-piloting plunged to the ground during a routine flight across the Congo in August 2010.

No cause for the crash has ever been established but an inquest was told a crocodile may have sparked a stampede by roaming around the aisles moments before the aircraft came down.

It is thought the plane, which was travelling from Kinshasa to Bandundu, may have nosedived as passengers and crew members ran from the reptile.

Assistant Coroner David Dooley said it was "apparently quite normal" for animals to be carried on the plane, adding: "It was used like a taxi in this regard."

"There is apparently a video of the crocodile being taken out of the plane," he told the hearing at Gloucester Coroner's Court.

"(Investigators) think it may have frightened the cabin crew member and she ran forward, with the other passengers following.

"The weight shift caused by the panic may have affected the plane, causing it to nosedive or stall."

Mr Wilson moved to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2010 after giving up his job as a cabin crew member to follow his dream of becoming a commercial pilot.

The 39-year-old worked for local company Filair but is said to have become increasingly concerned about the flying ability of co-pilot Danny Philemotte, who owned the firm.

In a statement read to the court, his brother, Martin, said:  "Every time he flew with Mr Philemotte, there was always one incident or another.

"He said he didn't want to fly with him anymore.

"He said if it wasn't for the fact they could see where they were going, they wouldn't ever get anywhere because Mr Philemotte couldn't read the instruments.

"He said he didn't know how Mr Philemotte was still alive (because) his flying was so bad."

Timothy Atkinson, an air accident investigator, said he had reviewed evidence from the Congolese authorities but was unable to draw any definitive conclusions because they were not given the plane's black box data recorder.

"There is no evidence suggesting an engine failure or a nose dive, although I cannot be sure without looking at the plane," he told the court.

"The accident appears to have the hallmarks of a stall and spin, which may have been from a variety of causes.

"Essentially, it fell out of the sky."

Mr Dooley recorded an open conclusion, saying a lack of witnesses and data from the black box "have only resulted in vague guesses as to what happened".

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Deadly Crash Driver 'Thought Cyclist Was Badger'

A drunk driver who killed a cyclist and drove off, thinking she had only hit a badger, has been jailed for seven years.

Alison Bowen, who was more than twice the drink-drive limit, hit Paul Novak with such force that her windscreen caved in.

But despite extensive damage to her car, she drove on for more than five miles, leaving Mr Novak's body lying in a road in Robertsbridge, East Sussex.

Police said 61-year-old Bowen, whose knuckles were cut by the shattered windscreen of her Fiat Punto, was so drunk "she did not even know what she had done".

She only stopped after crashing for a second time in nearby Battle.

When officers asked what had caused the damage to her car, she replied she had heard "a bonk" and thought she had run over a badger.

Mr Novak, who was cycling towards his home in St Leonards when he was knocked down last November, died at the scene.

His mother, Ann Novak, said: "My only son had his life snuffed out in seconds through no fault of his own.

"No sentence will ever be enough to take away the pain I feel that I will not get the chance to spend the rest of my life with him.

"I still cannot come to terms with the fact Paul is no longer with us.

"I've been given great support by my family, friends and the police but nothing can prepare you for the death of your child and nothing takes away the sorrow.

"Paul was more relaxed and happy than he had been for years when he was taken from us.

"I feel robbed that I won't get to enjoy this phase of his life with him."

Bowen, of Battle, pleaded guilty at Lewes Crown Court to causing death by driving without due care and attention while over the prescribed limit.

As well as a prison sentence, she was banned from driving for two years and will have to pass an extended test before she can get back behind the wheel.

Sergeant Dan Pitcher, of Sussex Police, said: "Mr Novak was the innocent victim of a woman who selfishly decided to drink and then drive home.

"After the collision, Bowen must have been able to see next to nothing out of her windscreen as the front of her car was smashed to pieces, yet she continued on the roads and could have easily caused more serious or even fatal accidents.

"This horrific case shows exactly why we cannot and will not tolerate any drink or drug driving in Sussex."

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Gaza Conflict: Hague Calls For Ceasefire

A Complex Web Of Friends And Enemies

Updated: 5:06pm UK, Friday 11 July 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

Rockets fired from Lebanon into Israel at dawn. The opening of a new front for Israel already engaged in an escalating air campaign in the Gaza Strip? No.

Neither the Israelis nor Hezbollah, which has an arsenal of 100,000 rockets and controls southern Lebanon, are that stupid.

The missile attack on Israel's north was an attempt by Sunni militants to spark a confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel that both know would be a zero sum.

Why would Sunnis, in all probability descendants of Palestinian refugees from what is now Israel, want to do that?

It's Hezbollah, a Shia movement, after all, that has been a major conduit of experts, funding and modern rockets to Hamas, a Sunni organisation, in Gaza. Hamas and Hezbollah are allies.

But only when it comes to fighting Israel.

In Syria, Hamas has condemned the Assad regime, which like Hezbollah is backed by Iran.

Sunnis of Palestinian descent are among volunteers who have joined rebel groups fighting Damascus, while Hezbollah has sent thousands of its best fighters to the frontlines to defend the regime of Bashar al Assad.

There is a logic at work here.

If Sunni groups in south Lebanon can sucker the Israelis into a war with Hezbollah they could enjoy the double whammy of reduced pressure on Gaza, and the use of Israel's devastating air power against Hezbollah, the Sunni's enemies in Syria.

No better example of an attempt to kill two birds with one stone.

It won't happen because both Hezbollah and Israel, foes who have the greatest respect for one another, saw through the plot some time back. It's not the first time it has been tried.

But it does signal just how the Middle East's tectonic plates of conflict have shifted and can overlap.

The explosion of sectarian Muslim war between Sunni and Shia in Syria, which has spread into Iraq and has destabilised Lebanon, has become the defining clash in a new age of chaos.

Rival regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran use proxies to vie for influence and control.

The Saudis have become increasingly nervous of the spread of a Shia crescent from Tehran through Baghdad to Damascus and south Lebanon.

But Tehran has also used enemy forces to bolster the positions of its allies.

According to intelligence sources Muhsin al Fadhli, once a senior al Qaeda figure based in Iraq has taken up an operational roles inside Syria - at the instigation of the Iranian government.

Why would Tehran release someone to fight a key client an ally in Damascus?

Because radical groups like the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have fought harder against fellow rebel groups than they have against the Assad regime.

Tehran has split the rebels.

But now ISIS threatens Iran's client government in Baghdad showing that an enemy's enemy may be a friend from time to time, but will remain an enemy.

This may be complicated but there is no excuse for stupidity in the Middle East. Failure to comprehend this can be fatal.

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Motor Racing On UK's Streets A Big Step Closer

Councils are to be given powers to stage motor races on public roads, it has been revealed.

Downing Street said legislation would be introduced this year to allow speed limits to be lifted and competitive events held.

Such races - including the Birmingham Superprix between 1986 and 1990 - have previously required specific permission from parliament.

David Cameron hailed the decision as he opened the new Williams F1 engineering facility in Oxfordshire.

"We're going to change the rules so that local councils are able to make decisions, so you don't have to have a private member's bill through parliament," he said.

The Birmingham Superprix in 1988

"We think (this will be) great news British motorsport. More races, more events, more money coming into our country and more success for this extraordinary industry."

The change, which follows a consultation earlier this year, brings the prospect of a Monaco-style Grand Prix on the streets of London closer.

Legislation will be added to the Deregulation Bill in the autumn, and could be in force before the general election next year.

The Prime Minister's spokesman said local authorities would have to consult with local people and ensure all necessary safety precautions were in place.

Thousands of people turned up watch the second city's street-circuit race

"We have seen in recent years a great number of successful sporting events here in the UK, of various sizes," the spokesman said.

"Alongside that I think this country has a long tradition ... of engineering excellence, particularly in motor sport."

It comes after the country hosted the first three stages of the Tour de France this month, which attracted around six million spectators and is estimated to contributed more than £100m to the economy,

Martin Hone, the organiser of the original Birmingham Superprix, had previously called on the city's leaders to show "political will" to secure the event's return.

"I still have the energy and vitality and would love to do it," he told the Birmingham Mail.

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Hamas: Israel's Main Airport Will Be Targeted

The armed wing of Hamas has threatened an imminent attack on Israel's main airport in response to Israeli airstrikes on Gaza that have now reportedly killed 100 Palestinians.

The Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades warned they planned to fire rockets at Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion international airport through the course of the day.

It urged airlines to divert their flights for the safety of their passengers.

Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 100 people, most of them civilians

"In the light of Israel's ... attacks on the residents of Gaza Strip ... The armed wing of Hamas movement has decided to respond to the Israeli aggression and we warn you against carrying out flights to Ben Gurion airport, which will be one of our targets today because it also hosts a military air base," it said.

A spokesman for Israel's Airports Authority said activity at Ben Gurion was briefly halted after an air raid siren sounded, but operations has since resumed.

The Israeli army launched an offensive, named Operation Protective Edge, on Tuesday targeting Hamas militants in the wake of persistent rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel.

A rocket from Gaza hit a petrol station in Israel early Friday

With no end to the violence in sight, US President Barack Obama has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington would be willing to help negotiate a truce.

Mr Netanyahu has said international pressure will not stop his country acting against militants and the operation will continue until Gaza rocket fire is halted.

Hamas health ministry spokesman Ashraf al Qudra was quoted by AFP as saying 100 Palestinians had been killed since then after 11 people were killed in airstrikes on Friday.

Overnight the military bombarded the city of Rafah, killing six people. Five of them, including a seven-year-old child, died in a strike on the home of an alleged Islamist militant.

According to Palestinian officials most of the victims over the past four days have been civilians, many of them children.

The Israeli military says more than 570 rockets have been fired into Israel since Tuesday alone, but there have so far been no Israeli fatalities.

Five Palestinians were killed overnight in a strike on a home in Rafah

Many rockets, including three spotted over Tel Aviv on Friday, have been intercepted by Israel's partly US-funded Iron Dome missile defence system.

However, one struck a petrol station in the Israeli city of Ashdod in the early hours of the morning, triggering a major blaze.

The Israeli fire service said several people were injured in the attack, one of them seriously.

One witness told Sky News' Alex Rossi he was filling up his car when air raid sirens went off. 

Soldiers inspect a shell thought to have been launched from Lebanon

"We heard a huge explosion and after (that) a big ball of fire and (there were) a lot of people injured," he said. "We are lucky to be alive."

For the first time at least one rocket was also reportedly launched from southern Lebanon which, according to Israeli army spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, struck Israel's northern border, prompting the military to respond with artillery fire.

It is not yet known who was responsible for the attack, although fire from Lebanon has previously been blamed on radical Palestinian factions. 

Rocket fire from Gaza aimed at Israel has increased in recent days

Southern Lebanon is also a stronghold of the Shia militant group Hezbollah which has battled Israel on numerous occasions.

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Internet Trolls Pose Like Teen Rape Victim

A 16-year-old girl who says she was drugged and raped at a party has been mocked on the internet by people posing how she appeared in pictures and video of the attack.

The online abuse started after the girl, named only as Jada, told KHOU 11 News that she only realised she had been assaulted when images of her semi-naked, unconscious body started appearing on social media. 

In the interview, the teenager said she had waived her right to anonymity because she wanted justice.

"There's no point in hiding," she said. "Everybody has already seen my face and body, but that's not what I am and who I am."

She added: "I'm just angry."

However, shortly afterwards Twitter and Vine users started posting videos and photos of people replicating the image of her after the alleged rape.

In a second interview with KHOU, Jada said: "My friends are getting harassed, I'm getting harassed. We can't go out or nothing. It's very embarrassing."

Social media users condemned the meme. Pic: Twitter

The teenager said she was at a house party with a friend and was given a drink by the 16-year-old boy hosting the event, which she believes was spiked with a drug.

She said she passed out and had no idea what had followed until she saw the images of herself online.

Houston Police are investigating the alleged attack, while the online abuse mimicking her has been condemned by social media users as "sickening" and "disgusting".

One girl tweeted: "Living in a generation that turns a serious crime such as rape into a joke just for laughs. You can laugh your way into hell."

Another wrote on Twitter: "Mocking a rape victim and making internet memes of her rape is not funny at all."

One said: "This ... thing is sickening... Rape haunts a person for ever(sic). Those who mock are uneducated, selfish, attention seeking idiots."

Jada's mother, who did not want to be named, told KHOU: "No one's daughter deserved this. No human being deserved this."

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Bull Run: Trampled Briton Left Vomiting Blood

A British man was left vomiting blood after suffing serious injuries when he was trampled during the world-famous bull run in Spain.

Tom Hadfield suffered four fractured ribs and a punctured lung after he was mown down by an animal during the encierro, or running of the bulls, in Pamplona's San Fermin festival.

Speaking from his bed in Hospital De Navarro in the city, where he has been recovering since the accident on Tuesday, Mr Hadfield said: "I've never experienced pain like this before. It's agony.

"I think a few of them trampled me. It's a miracle they didn't crush my skull or break my back."

"Afterwards I got up and carried on running for a bit. Then I started to get dizzy and found somewhere safe to keel over.

"Next thing I know I'm vomiting blood on the street and there is a big crowd around me.

Many people are injured in the controversial event each year

"Then I passed out and woke up in the ambulance. Pretty scary. I thought I was paralysed."

Mr Hadfield, who lives and works in Nottingham, but is originally from Dunmow, Essex, travelled to Spain on Monday with friends so they could take part in the bull run before heading to a music festival on the outskirts of Bilbao.

He said he was likely to be in hospital for the rest of this week before flying home and returning to work.

"I did it (the run) last year and it was without doubt the best feeling I've ever had in my life," he said.

"Hemingway said the best feeling in life was to be shot at and missed.

"I guess I just thought I was invincible but now I realise I'm not."

The encierro, or the running of the bulls, is the highlight of the San Fermin street festival in Pamplona.

Many people are injured in the runnings each year, while 15 people are believed to have died since record-keeping began in 1910.

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Striking Workers Accuse Ministers Of 'Hypocrisy'

Unions: Workers Can't Feed Their Families

Updated: 8:59am UK, Thursday 10 July 2014

Unions say they are angry at 'abysmal pay', working conditions and pensions. Here is a snapshot of each union's main complaints.

:: Unite

Members: 1.4 million from various sectors, ranging from industry and manufacturing to education and agriculture - 70,000 of them are in local government and are directly affected by Thursday's strike.

Unite national officer for local government Fiona Farmer said: "Our members have endured four years of pay cuts in real terms and they voted overwhelmingly to strike on July 10 to drive home the message to ministers that poverty pay in local government must end.

"The depth of feeling on the pay issue is reinforced by the fact that local government unions, GMB and Unison, and members of the National Union of Teachers are all taking action on tomorrow.

"Poverty pay is widespread across local councils. Household bills continue to soar, but our members' buying power is constantly being eroded. The national minimum wage will soon overtake local government pay scales; members are choosing between heating and eating."

:: NUT

Members: 300,000 qualified teachers

Christine Blower, General Secretary National Union of Teachers, said: "Despite months in talks with Government officials, the real issues of our dispute have not been addressed. Teacher morale is at a low ebb.

"Changes to pay, pensions and a workload of 60 hours are unacceptable and unsustainable. Thousands of good, experienced teachers are leaving or considering leaving their job and a teacher shortage crisis is looming.

"The fact that teachers are prepared to take strike action is an indication of the strength of feeling and anger about the Government's imposed changes. Strike action is a last resort but, due to the intransigence of the coalition Government, it is one which we cannot avoid."

:: Unison

Members: 1.3 million workers from a range of roles within all public service areas, including people employed by public service authorities, private companies and community organisations.

Dave Prentis, Unison General Secretary, said: "Unison's local government and school members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland hold their first one day strike over an abysmal 1% pay offer. Faced with soaring food, fuel and housing costs, they have had to put up with three years of frozen pay, and now yet another below inflation offer.

"They have seen the value of their pay fall by nearly 20% since the coalition came to power and many struggle to make ends meet, to feed their families and pay their bills. Our charity is seeing more and more people asking for help and we know that many have had to resort to food banks to put food on the table.

"This is a national disgrace that these workers, who keep vital services running for their communities should be paid so badly, that they can't pay all their bills. And the lowest paid are still waiting for £250 promised by the Chancellor for two years' running. They have now voted to take strike action; that is not something they do lightly. But they are saying enough is enough. Work should pay enough for people to be able to live on."

:: GMB

Members: 617,000 workers, including school meal servers, street cleaners, binmen and carers.

GMB National Secretary, Brian Strutton, said: "We have tried sensible discussions, we've sought to negotiate reasonably, we've said we are willing to accept ACAS arbitration rather than go on strike - but to everything we've tried the employers have said 'no'. So we have no choice.

"GMB members serving school meals, cleaning streets, emptying bins, looking after the elderly, helping children in classrooms and in all the other vital roles serving our communities are fed up with being ignored and undervalued.

"Their pay has gone up only 1% since 2010 and in October even the national minimum wage will overtake local authority pay scales. Their case is reasonable, the employers won't listen and don't care, no wonder they have turned to strike action as the only way of making their voices heard."

:: PCS

Members: 270,000 civil servants.

A PCS spokesman said: "We're striking because, as well as tens of thousands of job being cut from the civil service since 2010 and the ongoing threat of more of the civil service being privatised, wages have been frozen and capped to such an extent that by next year incomes for many civil servants will be 20% lower than they would have been if they'd kept pace with increases in the cost of living. That is a huge hit in salary to take.

"There are other endemic issues, such as unequal pay. For example, staff in the Passport Office - in the eye of the storm at the moment - can be paid £3,000 less than their colleagues doing similar work elsewhere in the Home Office.

"Across the civil service, women are paid 10% less than men, 14% less for part-time workers. We've tried to negotiate but the Government refuses. Faced with this, it's inevitable that people will want to take industrial action."

:: RMT

Members: 80,000, of whom 361 TfL (Transport for London) backroom staff will be on strike.

RMT's Acting general secretary Mick Cash said: "While the political class, the bankers and the idle rich have all got their snouts in the trough, of course we are right to stand up and fight for the millions of workers told to take a hit despite the fact that they had no part in creating the financial crisis.

"We would be foolish not to maximise the unity of the trade union movement in the face of an aggressive, anti-union government that is mired in its own cesspit of scandal. We will take no lectures in morality from them.

"The front line of defence against cuts and austerity is the organised working class and that is why the Tories and big business want to tighten the legal noose around our necks. They will have a fight on their hands."

:: FBU

Members: 44,000 firefighters

Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: "The government must realise that firefighters cannot accept proposals that would have such devastating consequences for their futures, their families' futures  - and the future of the fire and rescue service itself.

"We have tried every route available to us to make the government see sense over their attacks.

"Three years of negotiations have come to nothing because the government is simply unwilling to compromise or even listen to reason despite a huge amount of evidence showing their planned scheme is unworkable."

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Recovery Fears Return To World Stock Markets

Stock markets are taking a pounding due to fears over the global economic recovery and a crisis of confidence at Portugal's largest bank.

Weak economic data from Italy and mounting concern about the future of Banco Espirito Santo drove the sell-off, spreading from southern euro nations and across Europe to the United States.

Portugal's PSI was almost 4.5% down by early afternoon trading - with banking stocks worst affected as allegations surfaced that Banco Espirito Santo's parent firm covered up a €1.3bn (£1bn) hole in its accounts.

The Italian MIB and IBEX in Spain had both lost more than 2% - with the DAX in Germany and French CAC shedding 1.5%.

The rush for safe havens, and gold in particular, was also seen in London - the FTSE 100 losing just shy of 1% after bleeding value each day over the course of the week amid fears of a looming correction.

The problems in Portugal were blamed on shares and bonds of Espirito Santo Financial Group, the chief shareholder in Banco Espirito Santo, being suspended over "material difficulties" at the parent firm.

It was reported earlier by the Portuguese newspaper Diaro Economico that Espirito Santo FG was considering filing for controlled insolvency if debt renegotiations with clients failed.

Banco Espirito Santo shares dived more than 17% at one stage despite government assurances the bank was solid.

Trading in the bank's shares was later suspended - pending "an announcement".

Italy's contribution to the sell-off was economic data which showed Italian industrial output posting its steepest monthly fall since
November 2012 in May, casting doubts over the country's economic recovery.

Nerves were already frayed across world stock markets after confirmation the previous evening that the US Federal Reserve would end its quantitative easing programme in October if the US recovery continued on its current course.

The move would effectively cut off the supply of cheap credit the financial markets had grown used to since after the financial crisis - the stimulus being cited as artificially lifting world stock market values - some to record highs in recent months.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1% in early trading on Wall Street - the jitters in Europe contributing to the risk-off sentiment - with the tech-dominated Nasdaq seeing 1.4% wiped from its value.

Alistair McCaig, market analyst at IG, said of activity on the FTSE 100: "That 6,700 from a psychological point of view was giving it a bit of confidence, and with the 200 day moving average around there as well, we were looking for some support.

"When that didn't transpire and we have broad weakness across Europe, it's a risk off day on the FTSE 100."

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GoPro Dad Films Son's Birth At Hospital Doors

Footage shot by a dad-to-be shows his dramatic rush to the hospital with his wife in labour and her delivery of a baby boy outside the hospital entrance.

Kristin Dickerson of Rosenberg, Texas, went into labour at 42 weeks pregnant in the middle of the night on June 28.

Her husband, Troy Dickerson, was wearing a GoPro camera on his head throughout the entire ordeal as he sped 95mph (150kph) toward the hospital.

Mr Dickerson thought he could make it to the hospital. Pic: YouTube

"I can't make it! I can't make it," Ms Dickerson says between screams in the 10-minute video.

"We need to stop!"

The couple eventually do make it to the hospital but before Ms Dickerson can sit on a wheelchair and go inside, the baby is born.

Ms Dickerson minutes before delivering the baby. Pic: YouTube

Ms Dickerson, who works as a childbirth educator, delivered the baby kerbside, with nurses rushing to assist and her husband comforting her and trying to calm her down.

"She had gotten out of the car and she had just frozen, like stood there. And me and the valet guy were like, 'Sit down! Sit down in the wheelchair!'" Mr Dickerson told local TV KPRC.

The baby boy was named Truett.

"I'm thrilled to have the footage," Ms Dickerson later told ABC News.

Truett was born at 2.05am. Pic: YouTube

"I'm more hesitant to send it to people, because it's such an intimate moment for us, but as a birth educator, it's really cool to let people see that our bodies know what to do."

It is the third baby for the Texas couple and Mr Dickerson also filmed the births of the first two children, ABC said.

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Germany Expels Top US Spy Amid Espionage Row

The German government has asked the top US intelligence official in Berlin to leave the country.

The move comes amid reports of two cases of suspected American espionage in Germany over the past week and a longer dispute over alleged US National Security Agency (NSA) eavesdropping.

German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said on Thursday: "The representative of the US intelligence services at the United States embassy has been asked to leave Germany.

"The request occurred against the backdrop of the ongoing investigation by federal prosecutors as well as the questions that were posed months ago about the activities of US intelligence agencies in Germany.

The NSA eavesdropped on Angela Merkel's phone, it was reported last year

"The government takes the matter very seriously."

Clemens Binninger, head of a parliamentary oversight committee on intelligence, said the move was "a reaction to the long-lacking co-operation in efforts to get to the bottom of this affair".

The US government did not immediately comment directly on the decision.

But White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said German-US security co-operation was essential.

"It keeps Germans and Americans safe," she said.

Shortly before the expulsion was announced, Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters that Germany and the US had different approaches to the role of intelligence agencies.

Pedestrians pass the US embassy in Berlin

"I think that in these times, which can be very confusing, very much depends on trust between allies," she said.

Ties have been strained between the two allies since reports emerged last year that the NSA had eavesdropped on Ms Merkel's mobile phone.

But the relationship frayed further over the past week when two German officials fell under suspicion of spying for the US.

Last Friday, a 31-year-old intelligence agency employee was arrested for allegedly selling more than 200 documents to the CIA.

Then on Wednesday police searched the Berlin-area home and office of a German defence ministry official who local media report is suspected of also spying for the US. 

US Ambassador John Emerson has reportedly held a number of meetings with German officials in recent days to discuss the allegations.

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Reigning Champ Froome Out Of Tour De France

English Leg Of Tour De France Ends At Palace

Updated: 9:10pm UK, Monday 07 July 2014

The Tour de France bid a dramatic au revoir to the UK as one million people turned out to watch the race from Cambridge to Buckingham Palace.

Tens of thousands of spectators watched a high-speed crash in wet conditions outside Big Ben, while a spectator was hit by a rider outside the Olympic Park.  

The last of the three English stages ended with the same winner as Saturday's opener in Yorkshire - Giant-Shimano's German sprinter Marcel Kittel was first to the line on the Mall.

After the race, the riders headed to France on four chartered planes from London City Airport. 

After glorious weather in Yorkshire, the first rainfall of the race arrived after the riders passed the Olympic Park in East London.

And the rain made the final approach slippery and dangerous, with the high-speed crash happening on a right-hand bend by Big Ben.

In another accident, a spectator was hit by a rider as the fan attempted to take a picture near east London's Olympic Park.

The fan was clipped by Team Sky's Diego Lopez Garcia, knocking him to the ground, along with Garcia and fellow riders Andy Schleck, Simon Gerrans and two others.

The extent of the fan's injuries are unknown.

The accident came after some riders criticised British fans for stepping into the road and taking "selfies".

American rider Tejay van Garderen, of BMC Racing, said on Twitter: "A dangerous mix of vanity and stupidity. Standing [in] the middle of the road with you[r] back turned while 200 cyclists come at you, just to take a selfie. #think #TDF2014."

He added: "That being said, I love the crowds and thank you for your support. But please give us room."

Meanwhile, Kittel compared winning in London to triumphing on the Champs- Elysees in Paris last year.

"Winning on The Mall, that's what I dreamed of but, even though I had a good chance to make it come true, it's not something I could take for granted," he said.

"It's really fantastic to win here. On the finishing line, the crowd was fantastic. I love the atmosphere."

Slovak Peter Sagan was second, with Australian Mark Renshaw in third. Italian Vincenzo Nibali kept the race leader's yellow jersey.

Defending champion Chris Froome, of Team Sky, negotiated a tricky opening in fifth place after finishing 28th in London.

But fellow British rider Mark Cavendish will undergo shoulder surgery on Wednesday and will be out for around for six weeks after a crash on Saturday.

Earlier on Monday, crowds lined the streets of Cambridge to watch the start of the third stage. Riders passed King's College before the race began in nearby Trumpington.

The 197 riders then passed through picturesque villages in Essex shortly after 1pm before heading into the capital.

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Two Killed By Freight Train At Level Crossing

Two people have been killed after being hit by a freight train at a level crossing near Lincoln.

Emergency services were called to the accident at Croft Lane, Cherry Willingham, just before noon.

Both people were declared dead at the scene and police are currently not treating the incident as suspicious.

The train involved was heading for Immingham Docks in Humberside.

A British Transport Police (BTP) spokesman said: "Our officers are continuing to investigate after two people were struck by a train at a level crossing in Croft Lane, Cherry Willingham.

"The incident was reported to BTP at 11.57am on Wednesday, July 9 and was also attended by Lincolnshire Police.

"Paramedics from the East Midlands Ambulance Service attended, and a man in his 80s and a woman in her 70s, both from Cherry Willingham, were pronounced dead at the scene.

"Officers are working to establish the full circumstances of the incident, which is currently being treated as non-suspicious.

"Family of the deceased have been informed.

"The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has been informed."

Recent official safety figures revealed the number of deaths from trespass and suicide on the railways rose from 278 to 300 in 2013/14 - the highest annual figure on record.

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BlackBerry Unveils Bizarre Square Smartphone

Muscled out of the smartphone market by iPhone, Android and Samsung, BlackBerry has rolled the dice on its latest product and come up with a square phone.

The Canadian firm has unveiled more details about the unusual device called the Passport, which it first previewed in June, including a 4.5-inch square HD screen.

A post on the official BlackBerry blog said: "Many have thought that creativity around the design of smartphones was dead.

"Device companies have been emulating the same, entertainment-driven look for so long that there's been a homogenisation of the visual cues in smartphone design."

BlackBerry was once the phone model of choice for businesspeople

The screen width fits 60 characters rather than the 40 seen on a rectangular five-inch device.

Under the heading "it's hip to be square", the post said the width is ideal for reading ebooks, viewing documents and browsing the web.

Comparing it to a giant cinema screen, the post added: "The Passport is like the IMAX of productivity and you don't have to sacrifice screen real estate, vertically or horizontally."

The post said the device was aimed at professionals such as architects, writers and medical staff.

The BlackBerry Passport fits more characters across the screen

Earlier this year, BlackBerry announced a quarterly loss of $423m (£254m) after suffering a revenue drop of more than 60%.

The company said its revenue for the last quarter of 2013 was $976m (£587m), down from $2.7bn (£1.6bn) in the previous year.

It was the first time the Canadian company had reported quarterly revenue of below $1bn (£600m).

The figure was more than a tenth lower than what analysts had forecast.

Early last year, the company released BlackBerry 10, which failed to spark a turnaround in its fortunes.

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Polar Bear Attack: I Heard Growls And Screams

A teenager has told of the moment she heard a fellow student being fatally attacked by a polar bear during an adventure holiday.

Lauren Beech, from Ilford in Essex, has been telling the inquest into the death of Horatio Chapple, 17, that she saw the white fur of the bear from her tent.

"I heard growls of the bear along with other shouts and screams," she said at the inquest in Salisbury. "I was very distressed and I do not think I had any idea of the timescale."

Scott Bennell-Smith, from St Mellion in Cornwall, was lying asleep in the same tent as Horatio when it started shaking.

He said: "The material of the tent roof collapsed over all three of us and I could feel the presence of the bear over all of us. I could feel the size of it and see its paws.

The bear was shot after attacking several people

"When the material collapsed over me I couldn't see what was happening.

"From what I remember I think we were all shouting the same thing ... shouting for help."

Mr Bennell-Smith, 20, who was 16 at the time, added: "The material had all ripped, it had fallen about either side of us. I saw the bear attacking someone.

"I think it was right in the centre of the camp, biting (him) in the head.

"I just put my head down again and tried to stay still basically then I could just hear the bear moving around the camp, just heard commotion."

The expedition was to the Arctic wilderness of the Svalbard islands

He was then attacked and injured by the bear, before it was shot.

Horatio was on the adventure holiday to the remote Svalbard islands in August 2011 with the British Schools Exploring Society (BSES) when he died.

The Eton pupil from Salisbury, Wiltshire, suffered fatal injuries to his head and upper body.

Four others were hurt before the bear was shot dead at the camp site, where the group, known as Chanzin Fire, had been staying.

Also injured during the incident were trip leader Michael "Spike" Reid, from Plymouth, Devon, Andrew Ruck, from Brighton, and Patrick Flinders, from Jersey.

Horatio, from Wiltshire, was a pupil at Eton

Ms Beech told the inquest that Horatio had found a bear print in the ground just two days before the attack.

She also said she found out after the incident that the local authorities had issued a warning about increased polar bear activities in recent months before the attack.

Mr Flinders, who was in the tent with Horatio, said: "Once the tent collapsed I got into a little ball and I moved myself over to Scott and I am not sure if Horatio got himself out of the tent or not.

"I thought I would peek out to see what was happening, I could see the bear with who I thought was one of the leaders, Spike, by the head. It was coming away from one of their tents."

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Sex Abuse: Missing Files 'Probably Destroyed'

Sex Abuse Inquiries: The Unanswered Questions

Updated: 7:52pm UK, Monday 07 July 2014

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Theresa May went a long way to satisfying MPs' demands for a wide-ranging inquiry into child sex abuse allegations.

But there are still plenty of unanswered questions arising out of the affair and the so-called "Dickens dossier" presented to then-home secretary Lord Brittan in 1983.

In fact, the Home Secretary told MPs there was no such thing as a "single Dickens dossier", despite Lord Brittan confirming last week that the late Tory MP went to him with a "substantial bundle of papers".

Mrs May has set up two inquiries, the first a "review of a review", as she put it, to look into an investigation carried out by her permanent secretary, Mark Sedwill, last year.

The second is a much wider inquiry carried out by a panel of experts into allegations of abuse which the Home Secretary said could become a full public inquiry like that into the Hillsborough disaster.

According to Yvette Cooper, the Shadow Home Secretary, Mrs May had "changed her position" by bowing to the demands from MPs led by the Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk, who exposed the activities of Cyril Smith.

The Government denies charges of a U-turn, of course. But it's significant that her widely welcomed announcement followed talks with the Prime Minister on Sunday.

All the signs are that David Cameron ordered her to agree to a wide-ranging investigation. It was Number 10, after all, that announced on Sunday evening that the Home Secretary would make a Commons statement.

The unanswered questions will now be put to Mr Sedwill when he gives evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee, exactly a week after Mr Danczuk challenged Leon Brittan's handling of the Geoffrey Dickens allegations.

"The Committee will be interested to hear what has happened to the missing files, understand further details of the review Mr Sedwill has set up, including how this fits into the Home Secretary's inquiry, and why the Committee were not directly informed about the original investigation beforehand," said Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee.

Let's take those one by one:

:: The missing files

This was the issue that most exercised MPs of all parties during questions following Mrs May's Commons statement.

Mr Sedwill has admitted 114 files are missing. Until he provides satisfactory answers about what happened to them, conspiracy theorists will cry, "cover-up!"

:: The Home Office review

Presumably Mr Vaz is referring to the review which will now be carried out by Peter Wanless, the NSPCC chief, into what happened when Mr Sedwill carried out a review last year in response to parliamentary questions from Labour MP Tom Watson.

:: The Home Secretary's inquiry

This is all a bit vague so far. We don't yet know who will lead it and what form it will take.

It sounded from her statement as though the Home Secretary hasn't decided this yet and may not even have found a chairman or chairwoman yet.

:: Why was the Home Affairs Select Committee not told in advance about the original inquiry?

This sounds a bit like Mr Vaz being self-important. But he may have a good point if the Home Secretary was trying to hush up the inquiry or keep it secret from MPs.

But let's ask a fifth question, not posed by Mr Vaz, but by Labour MP Lisa Nandy and Tory MP Mark Reckless in the Commons earlier:

:: How much did Government and Opposition whips know about the sex abuse allegations? 

Whips often boast about their "little black book", containing colourful details of MPs' sexual exploits.

Will they be asked to spill the beans? Almost certainly not.

John Wakeham, Margaret Thatcher's great fixer and now in the Lords, was Tory Chief Whip from 1983-87 and Derek Foster, also now in the Lords, was Labour's Chief Whip.

Knowing the inscrutable Lord Wakeham as I do, I'd be very surprised if he were to reveal the secrets of the "little black book".

But whether or not Theresa May was ordered by the PM to bow to pressure from MPs, with her skilful and adept handling of the rapidly escalating child abuse crisis she has defused the tension for now.

But the allegations won't go away and if either inquiry uncovers some explosive discoveries, the Home Secretary - and her Tory predecessor Leon Brittan - will have more uncomfortable questions to answer.

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Mikaeel Kular 'Assaulted Over Four Days By Mum'

The mother of three-year-old Mikaeel Kular assaulted him over four days, wrapped his body in a duvet and shut it inside a suitcase, a court has heard.

Rosdeep Adekoya, 34, is accused of assaulting her son at their home in Ferry Gait Crescent, Edinburgh, before hiding his body in a wood more than 20 miles away.

It is claimed she murdered Mikaeel after punching him, causing his body to hit against a hard object and inflicting blunt force injuries on his head and body between January 12 and 15, 2014.

She is also charged with attempting to defeat the ends of justice by lying to police, having allegedly made a 999 call in which she claimed her son had gone missing after climbing onto a stool and unlocking the front door of his home.

Mikaeel's disappearance in January sparked a huge search involving police officers, firefighters, mountain rescue teams and the coastguard, as well as members of the public.

His body was eventually found hidden beneath a bush in woodland behind a house in Dunvegan Avenue, Fife.

Adekoya, who is being held at Cornton Vale prison in Stirlingshire and has not yet entered a plea, made a two-minute appearance at the High Court in Edinburgh.

The judge Lord Boyd continued the case until July 25 at the request of both the prosecution and the defence, who said the case had a "number of complexities".

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Woman 'Hid Cash In Knickers For Jihadists'

A 27-year-old British woman is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of attempting to smuggle 20,000 euro (£15,800) in her underwear to fund jihadists fighting in Syria.

Nawal Msaad was taking the money to Turkey on behalf of her close friend Amal El-Wahibi, also 27, whose Muslim-convert husband Aine Davis, left London last July to pursue the jihadist cause, the court heard.

Msaad was stopped by police as she approached the departure gate at Heathrow Airport on January 16 this year.

She told officers the three-day trip to Istanbul was a "short break" to buy gold for her mother.

Prosecutor Mark Dennis, QC, said: "She was then taken to a private room where she pulled out a roll of banknotes from inside her underwear and handed it across to the officers. The banknotes were tightly rolled and were wrapped in cling film.

Amal El-Wahibi also denies funding terrorism

"It would appear that it would have been further hidden inside her body, wrapped in a condom."

Both Msaad, of Holloway, north London, and El-Wahabi, of northwest London, are on trial accused of funding terrorism. They deny the charge.

Jurors were told the arrangements were made in the days before the planned flight in phone calls and WhatsApp messages between the pair and 30-year-old Davis, who was also born in London and has two young sons with El-Wahabi.

Mr Dennis said: "It is alleged in this case that the money that the second defendant was attempting to take out to Turkey was money that had been raised in this country and had been destined to support the jihadist cause which Davis was now pursuing with like-minded supporters.

"The allegation in this case is that each defendant, when becoming concerned in the arrangement of the smuggling of this money to Turkey at the behest of Davis, knew of, at the very least had reasonable cause to suspect, that the money was or might be used for the purposes of terrorism."

After her arrest, Msaad refused to explain the money and gave "no comment" police interviews, while El-Wahabi said an iPod, Kindle and iPad found at her address belonged to Davis, who was now living in Turkey.

She denied knowledge of any terrorist activities or their funding.

But her mobile phone showed Davis had sent her photos including a "selfie" while he had been away, as well as videos containing jihadist propaganda, including one of a "boy martyr" aged between 10 and 13 holding a Kalashnikov rifle, jurors heard.

The trial continues.

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Two Britons Admit Syria Terror Offences

Two British men who travelled to Syria to fight alongside rebels have pleaded guilty to terrorism offences.

Mohammed Nahin Ahmed and Yusuf Zubair Sarwar spent eight months in Syria last year after contacting Islamist extremists from the UK.

The childhood friends, both 22 years old, come from Handsworth, Birmingham.

Sarwar (left) and Ahmed admit preparing for terror acts

They were arrested at Heathrow Airport on their return from Syria in January.

Appearing at Woolwich Crown Court, Ahmed and Sarwar both admitted one count of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorism acts contrary to Section 5 of the Terrorism Act.

Immediately after their arrest, the men claimed they had travelled to Syria for humanitarian reasons.

Police found an image of Ahmed posing with a toy gun prior to his departure

However "thousands" of incriminating images were found on a digital camera they brought back into the UK, including pictures of them posing with guns.

Specialists said the images indicated that Ahmed and Sarwar had been in and around Aleppo, a flash point city in the fight between rebels and forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al Assad.

Close examination of their clothes and trainers also revealed traces of "military-grade explosives" including TNT and nitroglycerine.

West Midlands Police said they had travelled to Syria via a well-trodden route through neighbouring Turkey.

Ahmed was born in Bangladesh and moved to Britain as a child, while Sarwar is of Pakistani descent and was born in Britain.

Investigations into the pair began after Sarwar's family reported him missing in May last year.

He had left a handwritten letter in which he said he had joined a terrorist group called Kataib al Muhajireen (KaM) - later renamed Kateeba al Kawthar - which means "to do jihad".

Police then uncovered online conversations between the pair in which Ahmed revealed his plan to travel abroad to join the jihad.

The pair were pictured on their way to the airport

He told Sarwar: "I cannot tell anyone I'm going to jihad. Lol. I'll get arrested."

Conversations were also found between Ahmed and two Islamist extremists.

He told a Swedish national fighting with the KaM: "I come to join KaM."

The Swede replied: "Inshallah (God willing)."

Images of Islamist propaganda, including Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) flags, and incriminating literature were also found on both of their computers.

The families of both men say they put pressure on them to return to the UK once they discovered where they were.

Sarwar's family said he had told them he was travelling to Turkey on a trip organised by Birmingham City University, where he was studying computer science part-time.

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Polar Bear Killed Teen As He Struggled To Escape

A polar bear ripped through a teenager's tent, dragged him out and killed him as he struggled to free himself, an inquest has heard.

Eton schoolboy Horatio Chapple, 17, died during a British Schools Exploring Society (BSES) trip to Svalbard, Norway, in August 2011.

The inquest heard from his father, David, who revealed he had discussed the risks of a polar bear attack with Horatio before he and 12 other teenagers set off.

The family were given a risk assessment, Mr Chapple said, which reassured them there would be trip wires, bear watches and flares to protect against an attack.

The bear was eventually shot dead and airlifted from the scene

Hortatio's mother, Olivia, added: "I believed and trusted all the things they listed would happen. Otherwise I wouldn't have let Horatio go."

Sir David Steel described the incident, which took place at 7.30am and "lasted no more than a few minutes", in his report commissioned by the BSES.

He described how the bear had approached through the north-western side of the trip-wire system but none of the warning mines had exploded.

Eton schoolboy Horatio Chapple wanted to be a doctor

The report, in which names have been replaced with coded letters, said: "It would appear likely that the bear must have ripped open the tent on Horatio's side. It then dragged Horatio out causing serious, indeed, probably mortal wounds to his head.

"The screaming and shouts of 'bear' woke the rest of the camp.

"L2 emerged from the Leaders' tent at about the same time though not yet armed with a rifle. Horatio appeared to try and sit up or even attempt to stand whereupon the bear reared up and slammed into him. He fell to the ground. He was not seen to move again."

In the meantime, one of the group leaders tried to shoot the bear - but "on each occasion a bullet was ejected on to the ground leaving the rifle empty".

The bear then mauled the leader before being deterred by a stone and eventually shot dead.

A post-mortem examination on Horatio concluded that his death was caused by "extensive soft tissue and bone injuries to the face and neck including destruction of the right facial artery".

The camp where the attack happened

Sir David went on to praise the group members for their "great courage".

But he criticised the reliance on a trip-wire warning system and advised the adoption of a bear watch and an overhaul of rifle training to prevent future tragedies.

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'Horrific' Scottish Athletes' Uniforms Slated

The uniforms to be worn by Scotland's athletes at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games have been criticised as "embarrassing", "shocking" and "humiliating".

Organisers say the Jilli Blackwood-designed outfits "inject a contemporary twist" to the traditional tartan uniforms of previous Games.

This time, the men will wear a "vibrant" blue shirt and a tartan kilt with a "caramel-coloured hue" at the Glasgow event on July 23.

The women will wear a "flowing wrap-around dress, giving a nod to the blue of the saltire" and a tartan shawl.

Lee Jones (rugby) with girlfriend and competitor Charline Joiner (cycling)

They will also have a stone-coloured leather bag.

Ms Blackwood said: "My brief from Team Scotland was to come up with a parade uniform that was high on impact and made a real statement, but also had a contemporary feel.

"There will be no mistaking that this is the Scottish Team as they proudly step out at the Opening Ceremony."

But many people commenting on the team's Facebook page did not seem impressed by the designs.

(L-R) Rugby 7's Sean Lamont, Scott Wright and Lee Jones

Laura Mahady wrote: "Humiliating for anyone who has to wear these outfits."

Sharron Mag Bhradaigh said: "P45 for the "designer". That is just a shocking combination, total embarrassment."

Melissa MacLennan wrote: "What a shame for the athletes who have worked so hard to get to the Commonwealth Games for a designer to put them in this!!"

And Stacey Lauder added: "They are horrific."

Clare Louise Schoeman said: "I feel really sorry for the poor athletes having to wear it."

(R) Jon Doig, Commonwealth Games Team Chef de Commission

However, Scotland wrestler Lewis Waddell hit back, by saying: "Thanks from all the 2014 Scottish athletes for the negative comments on here! We like it, we're wearing it, end of."

Cyclist Charline Joiner, who helped model the new uniform, said: "It's refreshing and a definite surprise! I was expecting a kilt, but love the fact the girls are in dresses this time as it's more feminine and it's still got the blue of Scotland in it.

"I love the fact it's different and also love the fact it's got a little bag because the boys have always had a sporran, but we've never had anywhere to put our phones and other items."

Squash player Frania Gillen-Buchert who led the uniform athlete consultation process added: "I love the tartan and I think we'll look great …and we'll definitely be seen as we march last into Celtic Park for the Opening Ceremony as the home team."

Rugby 7s player Lee Jones described it as 'very comfortable and eye catching' whilst team-mate Scott Wight, added: "I'm now really looking forward to wearing it at the Opening Ceremony."

And Facebook user Barrah Safaris said: "Love the tartan, nice and bright and the idea of the shirts/dresses looking like ripples in a swimming pool."

Gemma Park said: "I love it. It's vibrant, fresh and bold. We will stand out. Go Team Scotland!!"

Anne Lennox Burr added: "I think it looks great."

Celtic Park is the venue for the Opening Ceremony and the Games last 11 days.

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Super Typhoon Neoguri Barrels Towards Japan

A super typhoon that is barrelling towards Japan has prompted the country's weather agency to issue its highest alert.

Neoguri is on its way towards the southern Okinawa island where violent winds and high waves are expected.

It is currently east of Taiwan, but is expected to head northwest and then turn northeast towards mainland Japan.

The typhoon warning - the first since a new system began last August - means that the storm poses a threat to life.

Another image taken by satellites of Neoguri

It is feared it could inflict massive damage as it gusts up to 160mph (270kph).

Government leaders held emergency meetings and warned local governments and residents to be prepared.

Satoshi Ebihara, the head of the Japan's weather forecast division, told reporters: "This typhoon could be the strongest typhoon in history, for the month of July."

"There is a risk of unprecedentedly strong winds and torrential rains. Please refrain from non-essential outdoor activities," he said.

The approximate route that Super Typhoon Neoguri is expected to take

There are no nuclear plants on Okinawa but there are two on nearby Kyushu and one on Shikoku island, which borders Kyushu and could also be affected.

The power plants have been shut down in line with national policy.

A large number of US military personnel are based on Okinawa.

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Inquiry To Explore Handling Of Abuse Claims

Missing Abuse Files: Cover-Up Or Incompetence?

Updated: 8:56am UK, Monday 07 July 2014

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

Keith Vaz described the letter he received from the most senior official at the Home Office - just days ago - as one of the best he had ever seen.

The chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee was particularly impressed by the level of detail provided by Mark Sedwill.

He was surprised about how frank the permanent secretary had been about a Home Office investigation into its own handling of historical child sex allegations against politicians.

The letter recounted how hundreds of files were raked through, with correspondence passed to the police.

It said a single overarching dossier, said to be compiled by the late Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens, was never found.

But the key admission was that 114 "potentially relevant" documents had got lost, gone missing or been destroyed.

Despite that the Home Office investigation, which took place last year, concluded that officials had done nothing wrong - implying that the destruction of the documents was simple protocol.

Yet campaigners and lawyers representing potential victims jumped on the revelation - warning that the missing files may have contained crucial evidence that could lead to convictions.

Acknowledging public distrust over the issue, Mr Sedwill promised to bring in an independent legal expert to review last year's investigation.

On Tuesday, the permanent secretary will appear before the select committee - his first public appearance since the letter was released.

He is likely to name a QC and set out the terms of reference for the review.

But he is also likely to face questions from MPs about the lost documents.

Suspicious MPs will want to interrogate him about how the Home Office could say the original allegations were properly dealt with when so much potential evidence was missing.

Simon Danzcuk - an MP who has been campaigning for alleged victims - says the department is guilty of either incompetence or a cover up.

He - and a growing number of MPs (now over 140) - want a full "Hillsborough"-style public inquiry.

They say an internal review can't possibly get to the bottom of this.

Instead they want a process that can see former home secretaries and officials questioned - including those who saw the original files.

Downing Street is resisting such a move - saying an internal review is the right approach.

A source said the allegations of victims should be scrutinised by the police not Government.

They have support from David Mellor who was a Home Office minister at the time the dossier was compiled.

He describes Mr Dickens as a "rent-a-quote" MP and suggests the dossier is a weaker document than has been suggested.

He thinks claims of a Westminster paedophile ring are exaggerated.

But a Conservative colleague who sat in Margaret Thatcher's cabinet - Lord Tebbit - takes a different view.

He says there was an instinct in the 1980s to protect the establishment.

With such a senior figure suggesting that a cover-up might have been possible - the questions of critics are unlikely to go away any time soon.

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MPs To Question Top Official Over Abuse Claims

The most senior civil servant in the Home Office is to give evidence to MPs after the department admitted more than 100 official files relating to allegations of historical child abuse by politicians have been lost or destroyed.

Permanent secretary Mark Sedwill said the documents - which related to a 20-year period between 1979 and 1999 - were "presumed destroyed, missing or not found".

Home Affairs Select Committee chair Keith Vaz revealed on Sky News he has asked Mr Sedwill to appear before the committee on Tuesday to answer questions.

These files are in addition to a dossier alleging historical child abuse involving powerful and famous figures at Westminster in the 1980s that is also missing.

Mr Sedwill says an independent figure will assess how the Home Office acted

Mr Sedwill has said he will appoint a senior legal figure to assess the Home Office's handling of the dossier.

Prime Minister David Cameron has called for Mr Sedwill to establish what happened to the file which was handed to the then home secretary, Leon (now Lord) Brittan, by Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens in 1983.

Lord Brittan admitted he received the dossier and passed it on to officials, but no action was ever taken.

The Prime Minister is under pressure to launch a full public inquiry

Mr Sedwill revealed in a letter to the Home Affairs committee that while the original review had identified 527 potentially relevant files which had been retained, there were a further 114 files which could not be located.

He said that the investigation had not found a single dossier from Mr Dickens, but several sets of correspondence over a number of years to a number of home secretaries containing claims of sexual offences.

However he said that the review had found no record of specific allegations by Mr Dickens of child sex abuse by senior figures.

Mr Cameron has faced criticism for an "inadequate" investigation into what happened to the dossier.

Labour MP Tom Watson has launched a petition calling on the PM to "make amends for historic failures" and establish a national inquiry.

But Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude said it was "too soon" for such a move, which could delay the Home Office probe.

Allegations of sex abuse have been made against the late Cyril Smith

"It may well be then that the answer is to have a much broader inquiry but I think it's too soon to come to that conclusion now," he told Sky's Murnaghan programme.

Speaking to the BBC's Sunday Politics programme, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg did not rule out a wider inquiry, but stressed the ongoing police investigations would have to take precedence.

Former Conservative Cabinet minister Lord Tebbit has told the BBC he believes there could have been a cover-up of the allegations.

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: "We are currently assessing information and conducting a number of investigations under Operation Fairbank.

"Any material submitted to us, historic or current, is reviewed to establish if it is relevant to these."

Calls for more to be done about allegations of child sex abuse by politicians have increased since the death of Liberal Democrat MP Cyril Smith, who was subsequently said to have been a paedophile.

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Twin Girls Flee UK To 'Join Syria Militants'

By Nick Martin, Sky News Correspondent

Twin sisters have fled their home in the UK and travelled to Syria where it is feared they may have joined ISIS fighters.

The 16-year-old girls from Manchester crept out of their bedroom in the middle of the night and boarded a flight to Istanbul in Turkey.

Police say their parents found their beds empty at 8pm last Thursday. They later found out the pair were on their way to Syria.

Counter-terrorism officers were then alerted after the girls made contact with their family from Syria where their elder brother is believed to be a jihadi fighter.

The girls have been missing for more than ten days, but a spokesman for Greater Manchester police told Sky News there was now "a contact strategy" with the twins.

"The girls flew from Manchester International to Istanbul. They then appear to have phoned home.

"We don't know exactly where they are but their family are obviously very keen to have them returned home.

"We are attempting to locate them and secure the well-being of both girls."

The family, of Somali origin, are believed to have moved to the UK 10 years ago.

It is not clear how the two college students were able to afford to pay for the flights.

A spokesman added: "It's unlikely that two 16-year-old girls would be able to afford two expensive flights.

"So we are looking at the possibility that they had a contact there.

"It's definitely a line of enquiry that their trip could have been bankrolled by a third party - that it was pre-planned."

The girls' flight to Syria comes the day after video footage emerged of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi calling on all Muslims to obey him.

In what were thought to be the first images ever taken of the self-proclaimed caliph, al Baghdadi was shown issuing a sermon in a Syrian mosque during the holy month of Ramadan.

Former government minister and Conservative MP Liam Fox said there was a limited amount that could be done to stop people travelling abroad to fight.

He told Sky News: "The British Government is taking it very seriously ... and has frozen the assets of those found to be fighting with ISIS.

"It is also the responsibility of the entire Muslim community, particularly the clerics, to make clear that this sort of behaviour is deeply un-Islamic."

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Pistorius Re-Enacts Reeva Killing In Video

Footage has emerged showing Oscar Pistorius re-enacting the night he shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

The video was produced by an American company apparently hired by the athlete's lawyers, but has not been used during his trial.

His legal team have said they are taking action against Channel Seven in Australia, which has been broadcasting a trailer of the video before showing it on its current affairs programme Sunday Night.

Clips have also been shown in South African television news reports about the footage.

In the video, Pistorius is seen running on his stumps with his right arm held out, seeming to imitate holding a gun.

In another shot he is seen carrying a woman from the bathroom.

Pistorius' attorney Brian Webber told the South African Press Association: "We are busy taking action against the Australian media house [that has the video].

"They have no right to broadcast the video. We will deal with it accordingly."

Sky's Emma Hurd in Pretoria said Pistorius' lawyers are "furious".

She said the footage is potentially significant because it appears to show the athlete running on his stumps with a "fair amount of movement".

Hurd added: "The defence witnesses have argued that his movement on his stumps is extremely limited.

"They've used this to construct a picture of a man who was extremely vulnerable on the night of the shooting when he heard a noise he thought was an intruder because he couldn't run away.

"This video appears to suggest he had more movement than those defence witnesses said. Perhaps the prosecution may choose to bring it up in court."

A statement released by Pistorius' legal team described the airing of the video as a "staggering breach of trust and an invasion of the family's privacy".

Pistorius and Ms Steenkamp had been dating for around three months

"In October 2013, the Defence Team engaged the services of The Evidence Room, A US-based company specialising in forensic animation," the statement said.

"The company was engaged to visually map the events on the night of the accident. As part of this process, certain video footage was filmed.

"The 'visual mapping' was for trial preparation only and was not intended to be used for any other purpose.

"It has now emerged that an Australian broadcaster has obtained some of this footage from The Evidence Room and has just gone to air with it.

"We wish to make it very clear that the material that has been aired was obtained illegally and in breach of the non-disclosure agreement with The Evidence Room.

"Its usage also constitutes a breach of privilege as this material was produced for trial purposes on the instructions of a commissioner, and the ownership of the copyright vests in the commissioner.

"No permission for the disclosure thereof has been given."

Pistorius, who is on trial for premeditated murder, denies deliberately killing his girlfriend, claiming he mistook her for an intruder.

He faces between 25 years and life in prison if found guilty.

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US Teen In Israel Beating Video Row Released

A 15-year-old boy who was filmed apparently being severely beaten by Israeli forces has faced the media for the first time outside court.

Tariq Abu Khadair, an American of Palestinian descent, spoke as he was released from custody and will be under house arrest for nine days.

Police claim Tariq resisted arrest, attacked officers and was carrying a slingshot for hurling stones when he was detained during clashes with security forces.

When reporters asked the teenager who attacked him, he said: "I think it was the police.

Tariq, who goes to school in Florida, said: "I was standing and watching. I was watching the group of people and they came from the side of me and then grabbed me."

The alleged attack was filmed on a mobile phone

He said he was treated well in prison but he said he felt "really bad" for a number of other accused Palestinians who remained in custody, adding: "I hope they get better."

Tariq's family claimed he was punched and kicked in an attack by two police officers.

His mother Suha Abu Khadair said her son was innocent and undercover security forces "came out from nowhere and attacked him and beat him".

The mobile phone footage of the alleged assault - said to have been recorded in East Jerusalem - was released by a human rights group that described it as state-sanctioned violence against children.

The US State Department said it was "profoundly troubled" by reports of Tariq's beating and demanded an investigation. Israel's Justice Ministry said it was looking into the incident.

His relatives say he is the cousin of Mohammed Abu Khadair, who was killed in Jerusalem earlier this week.

This image shows Tariq after he was detained

The 16-year-old Arab boy was apparently burned alive and his death sparked days of violent protests.

Palestinians believe Mohammed was killed by Israeli extremists in a revenge attack after three Israeli youths were abducted and found dead last month in the West Bank.

A number of Jewish suspects have been arrested over Mohammed's killing.

Micky Rosenfeld, national spokesperson for the Israeli police, told Sky News the video footage of the alleged attack on the American teenager was "edited" and "biased".

Mr Rosenfeld said: "It does not represent the events that took place before the actual arrest."

He claimed 15 police officers were hurt in clashes with Palestinians who had thrown pipe bombs, Molotov cocktails, fireworks and stones.

And he added six masked Palestinians had been arrested by undercover police officers.

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