US Issues Travel Alert Over Al Qaeda Threat

"All appropriate steps" must be taken to protect Americans from a possible al Qaeda attack, US President Barack Obama has said.

The US has issued a worldwide travel alert, citing an al Qaeda threat that also led to a decision to close US embassies around the Muslim world.

The alert came just hours before a car bomb exploded near the Indian consulate in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad on Saturday morning.

The US embassy in Abu Dhabi will be shut on Sunday

Eight children were killed and 21 other people were wounded in the attack, according to Sky sources. The youngsters were believed to have been attending a religious lesson in a nearby mosque.

The US State Department has warned American citizens of the potential for terrorism particularly in the Middle East and North Africa.

"The president is being updated on a potential threat occurring in or emanating from the Arabian Peninsula," said a White House statement.

"Current information suggests that al Qaeda and affiliated organisations continue to plan terrorist attacks both in the region and beyond, and that they may focus efforts to conduct attacks in the period between now and the end of August," the statement said.

Four Americans were killed in the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi

The alert was posted a day after the US announced it would close diplomatic facilities on Sunday because of an unspecified threat.

State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the department acted out of an "abundance of caution" and that some missions may stay closed for longer than a day. Sunday is a business day in Muslim countries.

Representative Ed Royce, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said on Friday the embassy threat was linked to al Qaeda and focused on the Middle East and Central Asia.

"We've had a series of threats," Mr Royce told reporters. "In this instance, we can take a step to better protect our personnel and, out of an abundance of caution, we should."

Representative Dutch Ruppersberger, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Panel, described the threat as "not the regular chit chat" picked up from would-be militants on the internet or elsewhere.

The State Department issued a major warning last year informing American diplomatic facilities across the Muslim world about potential violence connected to the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

The State Department warned US citizens of the potential for terrorism

In Benghazi, Libya, four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, were killed in an attack on the US consulate. 

The deadly assault has prompted several calls for investigations from House Republicans who have accused the Obama administration of misleading Americans about the attack.

Sky News US political analyst Jon-Christopher Bua said the latest moves by the State Department are not based on the politics surrounding the Benghazi fallout.

"The latest closure announcement of the US embassies and today's alert for potential al Qaeda terrorist attacks seem to be driven by real information and not over cautious individuals with political motives," he said.

Friday's alert warned that al Qaeda or its allies may target US government or private American interests.

It cited dangers involved with public transportation systems and other prime sites for tourists, noting that previous terrorist attacks have centred on subway and rail networks as well as airplanes and boats.

Meanwhile, Britain announced it also will close its embassy in Yemen on Sunday and Monday amid "increased security concerns".

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Car Parking 'Cash Cow' Plan For Homeowners

Householders should be free to turn their driveway into a car park to boost their income and help provide cheaper parking spaces, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles says.

The Cabinet minister has promised to clamp down on a "back-door parking tax" that forces residents to seek planning permission to charge commuters to park on their property.

New government guidance will allow homeowners to rent out their drives for a single car without making a planning application.

It comes after some town halls demanded that households apply for "change of use" planning permission costing £385, with the threat of a £20,000 fine if they did not, Mr Pickles said.

Householders could earn more than £200 each month renting out their parking space, according to moneysavingexpert.com.

Mr Pickles said: "Councils should be welcoming common sense ways that help hard-working people park easier and cheaply and for families to make some spare cash.

"Councils shouldn't be interfering in an honest activity that causes no harm to others, unless there are serious concerns.

Eric Pickles wants new guidelines for renting out driveways

"Parking charges and fines are not a cash cow for town halls. This Government is standing up against the town hall parking bullies and over-zealous parking enforcement."

Several internet companies have been set up to help households rent out their spare or unused dedicated off-street parking space near town centres, train stations and sports grounds.

Mr Pickles said residents would be allowed to rent a single parking space without planning permission, provided there was no public nuisance to neighbours, or other substantive concerns.

Householders wishing to change their garden into a car park or for other commercial uses would still require planning permission, he added.

It emerged this week that some councils were racking up huge surpluses from their parking-charge activities, according to figures from the RAC Foundation.

In 2011/12, English councils had a total current account surplus of £565m from their on-street and off-street parking operations.

This is a £54m increase on the £511m surplus in 2010/11, said the foundation.

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Lorry Fireball: Father And Son In Truck Explosion

A lorry driver and his seven-year-old son had a narrow escape when their truck crashed and blew up.

The drama was caught on camera as Ryan Young swerved after another vehicle drifted into his lane on a highway in Indiana, US police said.

Mr Young, from Kentucky, then drove across the road and ploughed into a barrier - causing the fuel tanks to burst into flames.

There was then a big explosion as smoke and fire filled the air in Decatur County.

Police said he suffered minor injuries and his son, who was a passenger, had only a few scratches.

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RBS Sees Profit Of £1.37bn In First Half

RBS' McEwan: Man Behind The Name

Updated: 8:01am UK, Friday 02 August 2013

Ross McEwan was the nearly man of Australian banking before his ascent to one of the most sensitive jobs in the UK financial world.

His appointment as chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) comes two years after a surprise decision saw him passed over in the race to become head of Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA).

Mr McEwan, who was head of CBA's retail business, was widely seen as having been groomed for the role.

The New Zealander, a married father-of-two, then accepted an offer to become head of RBS's retail arm, joining the state-backed lender just 12 months ago.

The resignation in June of his boss Stephen Hester, amid claims of political interference, paved the way for Mr McEwan to take charge - especially after a leading external candidate, BlackRock's Mark McCombe, withdrew from the field.

His appointment is being seen as a politically-acceptable move to indicate a shift in emphasis towards the bank's more traditional high street branches as opposed to its investment side - associated by many with high-rolling City risk-takers.

Mr McEwan is also reportedly seen as a "carbon-copy of Antony Jenkins", the Barclays boss hired last year to clean up the group's image.

He has already launched a £700m plan to improve RBS's branches and services, and has been scathing about the state of UK high street banking.

Mr McEwan reportedly told analysts earlier this year: "Having come into this market six months ago I've been quite surprised at how bad this industry is from a retail banking perspective. I'd even go as far as to say that there's not a good retail bank, and our job is to create that."

His spell at RBS so far has not been without its challenges - notably a series of IT glitches that hit customers trying to log in to their accounts, as well as the announcement of 1,400 job cuts earlier this year as Mr McEwan said resources were being re-focused on "things that matter most" to customers.

However the turbulent period will have been eased by the £3.2m share award he was reportedly given as a "golden hello" when he joined last August.

Eyebrows may be raised in the City about the background of a chief executive who reportedly spent his early career working in human resources, and once told an interviewer that he was "more comfortable with people than with figures".

In the article for an alumni magazine at New Zealand's Massey University, where he gained a business degree in the 1970s, Mr McEwan also admitted that he had twice failed accounting exams.

His background is likely to come under further scrutiny after being named as head of a bank that is 80% owned by the taxpayer.

Mr McEwan has worked in the insurance and investment industries for more than 25 years, including as managing director of stockbroking business First NZ Capital Securities and chief executive of AXA New Zealand.

In Australia, he was executive general manager in charge of CBA's branch network before becoming head of retail banking services in 2007, and is said to be a keen water skier and cyclist.

On the announcement that he was joining RBS last year, he told an Australian newspaper: "It's certainly going to be a challenge to turn the retail business around. It's a tough economic environment and there are political aspects too."

Mr McEwan now faces an even greater challenge as he seeks to take RBS on to a successful future just a few years after it so nearly collapsed - and having to do so under the watchful eye of the ministers who can ultimately pull the plug.

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Race Row Over Police Immigration Spot Checks

The Home Office has been accused of targeting non-whites and using "heavy-handed" tactics in a new immigration crackdown to tackle people working illegally in the UK.

Spot checks on people's immigration status are being carried out at London train and tube stations by UK Border Agency staff.

Witnesses claim the checks appear to be only targeting members of ethnic minority communities.

Sky reporter James Banks said: "It is not just those who have been stopped who think these tactics are out of order, with some witnesses arguing the checks were prompted by race, not intelligence."

Phil O'Shea, who witnessed one of the operations earlier this week in north London, told the Kilburn Times: "I thought the behaviour of the immigration officers was heavy-handed and frightening.

"They appeared to be stopping and questioning every non-white person, many of whom were clearly ordinary Kensal Green residents going to work.

"When I queried what was going on I was threatened with arrest for obstruction and was told to 'crack on'."

Another onlooker told Sky News: "I think that when we are targeted like this - whatever you look like - I think it is absolutely terrible, and I think you are basing that on prejudice."

Border Agency officers detain two people in Brentwood, north London

Immigration enforcement officers have also arrested 139 suspected immigration offenders in a series of intelligence-led raids at locations including London, Durham, Manchester, Wales and Somerset - and details of the raids posted online by the Home Office.

Updates on the campaign and heavily pixelated images of some of the arrests of suspects have been tweeted by the Home Office with the hashtag #immigrationoffenders - with the tweets linked to pages on the Government website providing more detailed information on the crackdown.

Those who have no right to be in the UK face being thrown out.

The move is the latest attempt by the Government to crack down on those illegally in the country, following a controversial "go home or face arrest" advertising van campaign.

Immigration Minister Mark Harper said: "We are sending a clear message to employers who choose to use illegal labour - we will find you and you will pay a heavy penalty.

"We will not allow the growth of a shadow economy for illegal migrants."

Spot checks are a joint operation between UKBA and British Transport Police

But concerns have been raised about recent anti-immigration operations in London, and Barry Gardiner, the Labour MP for Brent North, has written to Home Secretary Theresa May demanding an investigation into the spot checks which he said violated "fundamental freedoms".

"We do not yet live in a society where the police or any other officers of the law are entitled to detain people without reasonable justification and demand their papers," Mr Gardiner wrote.

"The actions of your department would however appear to be hastening us in that direction."

Shadow immigration minister Chris Bryant said: "Intelligence-led operations to remove illegal immigrants are to be welcomed. Racial profiling is not."

Writing in The Independent, Dave Garratt, the chief executive of charity Refugee Action, warned that the operations could "incite racial tensions".

"Over the last few weeks we've seen some very visible signs of the Government's 'hostile environment' crusade. There have been vans out on the streets with threatening slogans and, reportedly, non-white people being visibly stopped and searched," he wrote.

The raids at various locations across the UK have been intelligence-led

"The Home Office is responsible for community cohesion. Yet we are increasingly seeing what appears to be hostility towards non-white immigration, which will do nothing but incite racial tensions and divisions within otherwise rich and diverse communities."

A Home Office spokesman defended the tactics: "We make no apology for enforcing our immigration laws and our officers carry out hundreds of operations like this every year around London.

"Where we find people who are in the UK illegally, we will remove them."

The department said it was looking into whether the stop checks outside London stations - a joint operation between British Transport Police and UKBA - were intelligence-led or random.

And it rejected claims that its tweets with the hashtag #immigrationoffenders may have prejudiced cases, because the suspects have not been identified.

It was unable to state how many of those arrested will face deportation, with some cases taking 72 hours to resolve and others much longer, it said.

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Coventry: Men Charged With Sex Abuse Of Girls

A group of men accused of exploiting teenage girls have been charged with offences including rape, sexual assault and trafficking.

Ten men were charged on August 1 following an investigation into allegations of abuse of five "vulnerable" girls aged between 16 and 18 in Coventry.

Gulfraz Banaris, 20 and his 25-year-old brother Ifaraz from Wood End and Izthkhab Banaris, 24, from Eld Road, Coventry, are charged with conspiracy to traffic girls across the city for the purposes of sexual exploitation.

Gulfraz and Izthkhab Banaris are also both accused of a rape.

All three appeared before Coventry magistrates on August 1 and were remanded to appear at Coventry Crown Court on November 7.

Isa Iqbal, 21, and his 20-year-old brother Ismail, both of no fixed address and cousins of the Banaris brothers, also face trafficking charges and have been remanded until November.

Ricardo Hinkson, 23, from Telfer Road in Radford, Amir Mahmood, 27, a sign writer from Blackwell Road, Foleshill and milkman Tasveer Hussain, 30, from Canal Road in Foleshill are due to appear at Coventry Magistrates Court charged with conspiracy to traffic within the UK for the purposes of sexual exploitation. 

Mechanic Saleem Hussain, 30, from Beake Avenue, Coventry, and Khezer Hussain, 25, from Bordesley Green East, Stechford, are due before magistrates to face charges of sexual assault and rape.

West Midlands Police said the five alleged victims remain safeguarded and continue to be supported by specially trained officers from the force's Public Protection Unit (PPU) along with agencies including Coventry City Council Children's Services.

Coventry PPU Chief Inspector Sue Holder, said: "Protecting young people from harm is a priority for West Midlands Police and the force takes reports of sexual and physical abuse extremely seriously."

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Daniel Pelka: MP Slams School Over Death

Teachers and social service staff "badly let down" an abused boy who was then murdered by his mum and stepfather and should consider quitting their positions, an MP has said.

Daniel Pelka, four, was subjected to a horrifying catalogue of assaults and callous abuse at the hands of Magdelena Luczak and Mariusz Krezolek, who were convicted of his murder on Wednesday.

MP for Coventry North West Geoffery Robinson said the case was "horrifyingly reminiscent" of the Baby Peter case in 2007, when Haringey child protection services failed to prevent the death of toddler Peter Connolly.

Daniel's mother Magdelena Luczak and stepfather Mariusz Krezolek

Mr Robinson has called for the immediate resignation of the city's Director of Children's Services, Colin Green - who intends to step down in September - and said those serving under him should also consider their positions.

"Where were these individuals when Daniel needed them most?" he asked. "Bureaucracy triumphed over common sense, care, and compassion. 

"Those who failed Daniel must examine their own consciences, and conclude whether it is appropriate for them to remain in their posts."

Daniel died of a head injury in March 2012 after suffering months of cruelty and violence which turned him from "a beautiful little boy to a bag of bones", according to police.

Mr Robinson and Daniel's father both criticised Children's Services

He was imprisoned in a room with the door handles removed, fed salt when he asked for a drink, deprived of food and forced to defecate in his bed.

Mr Robinson expressed anger at Daniel's school, which failed to act upon warning signs that suggested he was being abused.

"Daniel was let down," he said. "He was let down badly, by an evil stepfather, an indifferent and selfish mother, but also by the Children's Services in Coventry and by the school that he attended.

"How can the staff at his school have failed to have recognised patterns of behaviour that should have set alarm bells ringing, not only within the school but within the corridors of power within the council?

Daniel runs after his mum as she picks him up from school

"How could anyone believe it to be normal for a child to climb on the top of furniture to get to food; to scavenge around bins to access waste; and to steal food from the lunch-boxes? 

"What human being, with the slightest understanding of children, would not have been concerned enough to take action to set alarm bells ringing?"

Daniel's biological father, who moved back to Poland when the boy was one year old, echoed Mr Robinson and questioned why "nobody reacted in time" to ask why Daniel was so hungry.

"If people in school saw that he was taking a food from bins, they should do something," he said. "Go to Magda, or to Mariusz, and ask why the child is hungry.

"They should send the police or social services to check the situation at home; check what they were doing with the child.

"As far as I know they did just nothing. Of course they failed Daniel. Nobody reacted in time. I am not saying they are guilty, but I know they made a mistake."

Luczak and Krezolek will be sentenced on Friday.

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Zimbabwe Poll: Mugabe's Party Claims Victory

A senior Zanu-PF source has claimed a resounding victory for Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe's presidential and parliamentary elections.

The unnamed senior official said the outcome was already clear and told Reuters news agency: "We've taken this election. We've buried the MDC. We never had any doubt that we were going to win."

The opposition, Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), immediately claimed the elections had been "a monumental fraud" and said it would be holding an emergency meeting later.

"Zimbabweans have been taken for a ride by Zanu-PF and Mugabe, we do not accept it," a senior source told Reuters.

A woman with a child casts her vote in Domboshava, north of Harare

Releasing results early is illegal, and the police had warned they would arrest anybody making premature claims before the official five days the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission had said it could take to announce the result.

Riot police took up positions outside the Zanu-PF party's headquarters in central Harare and other key locations in the capital.

The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) - the country's leading domestic election monitoring agency - said the credibility of the vote was "seriously compromised" by irregularities on polling day.

Officials said urban voters, who mainly favour Mr Tsvangirai, had been turned away from polling stations in their thousands.

Conversely, only a small number had been prevented from voting in the countryside, where President Mugabe has most support.

A police officer keeps watch as Zimbabweans queue to cast their votes

Separate reports claimed key MDC members had lost their seats, even in the capital.

The dispute erupted as polling stations closed and counting got under way amid fears of a repeat of the violence that marred the 2008 election.

To win an outright victory, one of the candidates has to secure more than 50% of the vote.

Half the country's 12.9 million population was eligible to vote at the more than 9,000 polling stations nationwide.

Turnout was high, particularly in urban areas where the polling stations stayed open late into the evening to allow everyone in the queues to cast their votes.

Polling rivals Robert Mugabe (L) and Morgan Tsvangirai cast their votes

The presidential contest pit the incumbent President Mugabe against his main rival Mr Tsvangirai, who his supporters believed a big turnout would favour, blunting the impact of any manipulation of the vote.

Zimbabweans voted in large numbers despite concerns about the credibility of the electoral process, and the vote was relatively peaceful compared to disputed and violent polls in 2008.

However, the fiercely contested election was dogged by claims of intimidation and vote rigging, despite assurances by official poll monitors of "a peaceful, orderly and free and fair vote".

Despite claims of voters being turned away at polling stations and alleged irregularities across several districts, including changes to voters' lists and ballot papers, Mr Tsvangirai's supporters were confident he could win the election.

A ballot paper with the images of all the presidential candidates

It is the third time he has tried to unseat President Mugabe, who denies vote rigging and said he would step down if he failed to extend his 33-year grip on power for another five years.

After voting in Harare's western Highfield township, the 89-year-old, who still has significant support in the country, said he expected to be re-elected.

"We will have lots of things to do to get our economy back on its feet," he said.

Mr Tsvangirai, who has been in an uneasy power-sharing arrangement with President Mugabe for the last four years, cast his ballot in northern Harare.

"We have come to complete the change we have always fought for," he said.

"It is an emotional moment for me but I am filled with a sense of calmness."

In 2005, the contest went to a run-off, and widespread violence forced Mr Tsvangarai to withdraw.

More follows...

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Daniel Pelka's Mother Was 'A Good Girl'

Daniel's Dad: 'My Son Was Failed'

Updated: 6:53am UK, Thursday 01 August 2013

By Katie Stallard, Sky News Correspondent

The father of murdered Daniel Pelka has told Sky News his son was failed by both his school and British social services, who should have done more to protect him.

Speaking from his home in northern Poland, Eryk Pelka, Daniel's biological father, said he hoped his former partner and her boyfriend would spend the rest of their lives in prison for starving and torturing Daniel, and that they should be made to suffer as he did.

He said they alone were guilty of his murder but questioned why "nobody reacted in time" to ask why he was so hungry and raise the alarm.

Daniel's father moved back to Poland when he was around one year old.

His relationship with Daniel's mother, Magdalena Luczak, had broken down and he said she was often drunk and violent towards him, at one point threatening him with a knife, but he believed she would take care of their son.

Had he known the truth, he said he would have brought Daniel back to Poland immediately and raised him there.

The last time he saw his son, he remembers him as a happy, healthy, energetic little boy, who was learning to walk and "really chubby".

He said: "He was, how would you say in English, 'a lovely boy'.

"Sometimes he was a bit naughty, but every child is.  We did not have any problems with him.

"He was chubby when he was small.  Even I remember we were making fun about the British milk, that it is working like that. He was really chubby. He looked like a little tomato when he was crawling.

"He was doing everything, playing with everything. The flat was full of him."

He said he had tried not to read the details of what happened to Daniel, but he knows his son was starved and beaten, and that he was seen eating food from the bin at school.

"I can't imagine what Daniel felt through that time, what this child had to go through," he said.

"This child had about 50 bruises, even signs of teeth marks. Can you imagine? This was just a tiny boy."

He travelled to Coventry to give evidence against Daniel's mother at the trial. He said he tried not to look at her, but at one point he caught sight of Luczak in the dock.

"I would just like to kill her. And that's it," he said.

"Or maybe better, I would like her to stay in prison with Mariusz till the end of their lives, so they can suffer like they made Daniel suffer. To make them feel the same as they did to him."

"I want them to rot. So they never see sunlight again."

Eryk Pelka moved back to his native Poland in 2008. He has since married, and has a young daughter, Claudia, who would have been Daniel's half-sister, as well as his wife's daughter from a previous relationship.

They are not rich. They live in the small, somewhat neglected, northern city of Grudziadz, where he works as a welder.

The area has suffered with the closure of local factories, and unemployment here is around 21%, but the Pelkas' small flat is neat and decorated with flowers, and they are working hard to give their children the best possible start in life.

"If Magda had called me and said that she couldn't cope with the child, I would take Daniel here to Poland for sure," he said.

"We have two kids right now, we would have three then, and Daniel would be alive. And nothing bad would happen."

Mr Pelka was very clear that Luczak and Krezolek were to blame for Daniel's death, but he says the professionals, who saw Daniel losing weight and stealing food, could have done more to find out what was happening to him.

"If people in school saw that he was taking a food from bins, they should do something." he said.

"Go to Magda, or to Mariusz, and ask why the child is hungry."

"They should send the police or social services to check the situation at home, check what were they doing with the child.

"As far as I know they did just nothing. Of course they failed Daniel. That nobody reacted in time. I am not saying they are guilty, but I know they made a mistake."

"I am sure social services could have done more, the same with the school."

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Judges To Rule On Assisted Suicide Appeal

Leading judges are to rule on the latest round of a right-to-die legal battle started by locked-in syndrome sufferer Tony Nicklinson.

Mr Nicklinson, 58, died at home in Melksham, Wiltshire, a week after he lost a High Court bid to end his life with a doctor's help.

Mr Nicklinson after hearing he had lost a bid for help to end his life

The father-of-two, who was paralysed by a stroke in 2005, refused food and contracted pneumonia after he was "devastated" by the decision.

But his widow Jane vowed to continue the battle in the courts, which she said was "part of Tony's legacy".

Her challenge against the High Court's ruling was heard at the Court of Appeal in May alongside those brought by two severely disabled men.

She had argued that people too sick or disabled to end their "unbearable" lives without help are currently being condemned to "suffer in silence or make desperate attempts to kill themselves".

One of the other cases is that of paralysed road accident victim Paul Lamb, 57, who is immobile except for limited movement in his right hand and has been in significant pain since the tragedy in 1990.

The third case is that of another locked-in syndrome sufferer whose case was rejected at the High Court on the same day as Mr Nicklinson's.

The father of two was paralysed after suffering a stroke in 2005

The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons and is referred to as 'Martin', suffered a massive stroke in August 2008.

He is unable to speak and virtually unable to move, describing his life as "undignified, distressing and intolerable" - and wants to be allowed a "dignified suicide".

In Mr Lamb's case, he wants a doctor to help him die in a dignified way - preferably by a lethal injection - with his family around him in his own home.

Appellant Paul Lamb, who has been immobile and in pain since 1990

The former builder and father of two says he feels worn out and fed up of going through the motions of life rather than living it.

Giving their ruling last year, the three High Court judges unanimously agreed it would be wrong for the court to depart from the long-established legal position that "voluntary euthanasia is murder, however understandable the motives may be".

Appeal Court judges Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge, Master of the Rolls Lord Dyson and Lord Justice Elias will reveal whether they have overturned the High Court ruling later.

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Murdered Red Cap's Family To Sue Government

By David Bowden, Defence Correspondent

The family of one of the six Red Caps murdered by a mob in Iraq is suing the Ministry of Defence for negligence - a claim which could cost the MoD more than £250,000.

The case, the first of its kind, is being brought by the relatives of Corporal Russell Aston.

It follows a landmark judgement by the Supreme Court last month which ruled that soldiers at war in foreign lands are covered by human rights laws and owed a duty of care.

John Miller whose son Simon was killed in the ambush

The new claim on behalf of Cpl Aston's family alleges that commanders failed to take reasonable measures to keep the military policeman safe when he and five others went into a hostile town near Basra in June 2003 and were attacked by hundreds of violent locals who brutally murdered them all.

The details of the claim allege military chiefs were negligent because they failed to supply sufficient ammunition to enable the Red Caps to defend themselves when they arrived at the police station in Majar al Kabir and were confronted by the mob.

It also claims commanders failed to supply roadworthy vehicles and failed to supply effective communications to the Royal Military Police.

The five men who died alongside Cpl Aston were Lance Corporal Thomas Keys, Sergeant Simon Hamilton-Jewell, Corporal Simon Miller, Lance Corporal Ben Hyde and Corporal Paul Long.

The site of the ambush at Majar al Kab near Basra

An inquest into their deaths in 2006 recorded a verdict of unlawful killing and heard evidence the soldiers had too little ammunition, old radios and no satellite phone when they were ambushed.

John Miller, whose son Simon was killed in the attack, said he too will sue the Ministry of Defence.

"Simon's patrol should have had a satellite phone and 150 rounds of ammunition; they were denied both, they couldn't call for help, they couldn't initiate a firefight because they didn't have enough ammunition against a mob of 500 firing RPGs and AK-47s. 

"Can anyone imagine that situation and be totally useless under it? All we want is an admission of guilt from the MoD. I'm so angry and very, very hurt.

The Ministry of Defence is yet to respond to the claims

"It could be classed as a blunt sword, but all I've wanted is to get these people into court and for the MoD to accept the failings that were identified by the board of enquiry.

"Nothing else would give me greater satisfaction, and I know nothing will bring my amazing son back, but if we could get that justice and admission of guilt, my wife and I could turn the chapter and pick up the threads of the life we once had."

Despite arresting eight Iraqis in connection with the killings in 2010, no one has been convicted of the murders and repeated requests for a public inquiry have been turned down.

The new claim is seeking damages on behalf of Cpl Aston's family - he had a young daughter when he was killed.

It is understood to have been lodged on Tuesday night.

If the Aston family claim is successful it could pave the way for many more similar actions from other soldiers, or their families, who have been killed or injured in battle and feel more should have been done to keep them safe.

An MoD spokesman said: "Our thoughts remain with the families of those who lost their lives in this incident. However, it would be inappropriate to comment on any forthcoming legal proceedings."

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Walthamstow Rape: Police Hunt Three Men

Police are looking for three men after a 12-year-old girl was "brutally" raped in London.

The girl was lured to a garage area in Walthamstow, east London, where she was pinned down and raped by two of the men, who are thought to be aged between 17 and 19.

The suspects left the area after the girl managed to call a friend who came to the scene and took her away.

Scotland Yard said the girl met the three men between 12.15am and 12.30am on Saturday, July 27.

Detective Inspector Simon Ellershaw, who is leading the investigation, said: "This was a very nasty attack on a vulnerable girl just 12 years old by a group of older males who engaged her in conversation before leading her to a secluded area.

"She was pinned down and two of the males then brutally raped her."

The first of the three men was described as dark-skinned and of mixed race, with a diamond stud in his left ear and a London accent. He told the girl his name was Mo and that he was 17.

He had large brown eyes, short hair, was very skinny and wore a black puffa-style jacket with a hood, black chinos, black trainers and a grey/black T-shirt.

The second was described as black and very tall with big lips. His hair was partly shaven and he wore black trousers with a red and blue shirt.

The third, who did not rape the girl, was black and had a moustache. He wore a blue hooded top and a red and blue cap, and told her his name was Miles.

The attack happened in an area at the end of Hibbert Road, near Theydon Street.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0208 217 7408 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Ireland: Missing Boys 'Found Dead In Car Boot'

The bodies of two boys who went missing in Ireland are understood to have been found in the boot of their father's car after a crash.

Eoghan Chada, 10, and his five-year-old brother Ruairi disappeared from the family home in Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, on Sunday evening.

They were found by police attending a car accident during which their father Sanjeev was injured, although they are believed to have died beforehand.

Mr Chada, who is being treated in hospital, will be questioned by detectives.

Eoghan Chada (L) and his younger brother Ruairi

The 43-year-old's two sons were the subject of a nationwide search amid fears he had abducted them after telling his wife Kathleen he was taking them bowling.

Police issued the first ever amber alert for missing children in Ireland, triggering nationwide broadcasts, social media alerts and traffic and travel messages, after he failed to return home.

At the time of the alert, officers said they had no knowledge of any breakdown in relations in the family and insisted that the couple were not estranged.

Eoghan and Ruairi were described as extremely popular and "two little sports fanatics" who were members of their local junior hurling club.

Father Declan Foley, parish priest near their home in the tight-knit village, was with the Chada family when news of the car accident was broken to the boys' mother and other relatives.

"It was like an earthquake hit the place. It was devastating for all of us," he said.

"You can't put into words the shock and numbness and pain and grief of that news coming through."

Mr Chada's car crashed in Clooneen, Rosbeg, on the coast road to Louisburgh, in Co Mayo, around 185 miles from the family home.

Forensic examinations were carried out at the scene, while post-mortem examinations will be carried out on the boys' bodies in Mayo General Hospital, Castlebar.

Police have appealed for anyone who witnessed the crash or saw Mr Chada's dark green Ford Focus, registration number 06 CW 238, in the hours after the boys' disappearance to get in contact.

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Florida Gas Plant Explosions: Workers Found

All workers at a gas plant rocked by explosions have been accounted for after officials initially feared as many as 15 people had been killed.

At least 24 people were working the night shift at the plant in Tavares, Lake County, when a series of blasts happened just before 11pm local time.

The missing employees were found hours later as firefighters began to contain the flames. Details of any of their injuries are not yet known.

The roof was blown off the plant. Pic: Tyler Mackenzie Photography

Seven workers had initially been taken to hospital, some in a critical condition, after emergency crews were called to the Blue Rhino propane processing plant.

The explosions were strong enough to blow the roof off and were felt by residents living up to 10 miles away from the scene, although no neighbours were injured.

Firefighters' efforts were hampered when more fuel containers exploded as the flames spread. They are starting to contain the flames and the cause of the explosions is being investigated.

"I heard a loud bomb sound," resident Lisa Garner told the Orlando Sentinel.

Residents, many of them elderly, were evacuated

Local businessman Jim Mamula told Sky News: "We could see the flames and the initial explosion knocked us off our feet. We could see the heat from the flames and it was light like daytime."

"There were two short explosions larger than anything we've seen since. The secondary explosions immediately followed.

"There are at least three large holding tanks about 30,000 gallons each of propane. They're intact and only about 40ft from the flames. The heat is pretty intense."

Resident Norman Hope said: "We're a retirement area mainly and a lot of people have difficulty breathing."

Fox News reporter Tracy Jasem, in Tavares, told Sky News: "Everybody thought there would be fatalities - it was such a massive fire.

"Although there were other containers that could have exploded, it seems we've escaped that possibility."

Lake County Sheriff Department spokesman Lt John Herrell later said the evacuation zone around the scene had been reduced from a mile to half a mile.

Several of the evacuated residents were taken in by a local church.

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Patients' Hospital Ratings Are Published

The first results of a new NHS test have revealed most patients are satifised with their standard of care.

Despite months of criticism about hospitals and A&E departments, only 36 out of more than 4,000 NHS wards had an overall negative figure in June.

This is a fall of 30 from April, when the so-called Friends and Family Test was first introduced.

A&E services scored between 100 to minus 13 and scores for inpatients ranked from 100 to 43.

But there will be disappointment at the response rate, which was just 13.1% across England.

Patients are asked one simply question - whether they are likely to recommend the ward or A&E department they were treated in to friends and family.

They chose from six responses ranging from extremely likely to extremely unlikely and were asked to give reasons for their score.

More than 400,000 people completed the survey and results relate to around 4,500 NHS wards and 144 A&E services.

NHS England's national director for patients and information Tim Kelsey said the initiative was a "major step forward".

"Direct patient and citizen feedback is vital to improving the services the NHS provides. Trusts can concentrate their focus on improvement with this information," he said.

"From this first publication, we can see a significant and real variation in the quality of customer service across the NHS.

"There are home truths here and everyone will expect those Trusts who have large numbers of their patients choosing not to recommend their services to respond as quickly as possible."

More follows...

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Spain Train Crash Driver Charged And Released

The driver of a train that crashed in northern Spain, killing 79 people, has been charged with multiple cases of negligent homicide.

Francisco Jose Garzon Amo was charged on Sunday night after appearing for two hours before Judge Luis Alaez.

The 52-year-old is suspected of driving too fast on a dangerous section of the line near the city of Santiago de Compostela.

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

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

His court appearance was closed and the judge decided to release him without bail.

The injured driver is led away from the crash site

He was not sent to jail or required to post bail as none of the parties involved felt there was a risk of him attempting to flee or destroy evidence.

Garzon will be required to appear before the court once a week and surrender his passport, and is banned from driving trains for six months, a statement from the court said.

The hearing came as the number of dead from the crash rose to 79 when an injured passenger died in hospital.

Authorities said forensic experts have identified the last three bodies among those killed when the intercity train derailed and smashed into a concrete wall.

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

Investigating judge Luis Alaez questioned the train driver

A large funeral mass is planned for this afternoon, with the prime minister and members of the Spanish royal family expected to attend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

At least 130 people were taken to hospital after the crash, with 70 still in hospital and 22 remaining in a critical condition.

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

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

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

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

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

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Italy Coach Crash: 38 People Dead After Fall

At least 38 people have been killed in southern Italy after a coach plunged 100ft off a motorway flyover and split in half.

The tour bus hit several cars that were slowed by heavy traffic before smashing through a guardrail and concrete barriers.

Witnesses said that the coach, which crashed near Avellino, appeared to suddenly lose control before smashing into the cars.

Many of the dead were discovered lying outside of the vehicle, while others were found inside the mangled wreckage.

Two people later died in hospital from their injuries. A number of children were also on the coach but so far they are not believed to be among the dead.

The wreckage was recovered from site on Monday morning

An investigation into possible manslaughter charges has begun, according to Italian media.

Rescuers with electric saws had worked through the night to cut through the twisted metal of the coach, stopping occasionally to listen for any cries for help.

The bodies of the dead were laid out on the roadside, covered in white sheets as emergency crews attended to the injured.

A number of wooden coffins were also brought to the scene.

It is not known if anyone in the cars was injured

The coach had been warned of heavy traffic ahead near Avellino, outside Naples, along a stretch of the A116 motorway, highway officials said.

Flashing signs near the flyover also warned vehicles to slow down.

Officials said the driver, for reasons not yet clear, appeared to have lost control of his vehicle.

Some witnesses told local media the coach was travelling at "normal speed" before suddenly veering off course, and describe hearing a noise as if the vehicle had blown a tyre.

However, journalist Tom Kington, who is at the scene, said there were some conflicting repots.

Coffins were lined up at the scene of the crash

"Others are talking about it arriving on the flyover way too fast," said Kington.

"There were signs apparently warning vehicles to slow down, there was thick traffic on the flyover.

"Some have said the bus came in too fast, didn't have enough time to slow down, hence the smashing into the other vehicles."

It is understood the driver of the coach is among the dead, a fire service spokesman said.

Reports said as many as 49 people had been aboard the coach when it ripped through barriers and fell 100ft (30m) into a ravine near a wooded area.

Despite the carnage, some passengers managed to walk away from the crash, said members of the emergency services.

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

"They're talking also about the miraculous escape of 10 people from the wreckage of this bus," said Tom Kington at  the scene.

"They're saying 'we can't explain it'.

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

One car involved in the incident had its rear completely crumpled, while another was smashed on its side. It was not immediately known if anyone in those cars had been injured.

The A116 highway links western and eastern Italy across the south.

Early reports said the passengers had spent the day in Puglia, an area near the Adriatic on the east coast famed for religious shrines.

But later it was reported that the coach had been bringing the passengers home after an outing to a thermal spa near the town of Benevento, not far from Avellino.

Most of the passengers were from the Campania area around Naples, the Italian news agency ANSA said.

The coach came off the highway in a largely agricultural area about 30 miles inland from Naples and 150 miles south of Rome.

A local magistrate has arrived at the crash scene to begin an investigation into the cause of the crash.

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Manchester Stabbing: Girl Fights For Life

A 13-year-old-girl is fighting for her life after a stabbing attack in which a man believed to be her father died.

The man who is understood to have launched the knife attack in Moston, northeast Manchester, died of knife wounds a short time later after driving a car into the side of a nearby pub.

Police found the seriously injured girl after 10pm on Sunday at a house where the body of a 41-year-old man, who had been stabbed, was also discovered.

Police said her wounds were believed to have been inflicted with a knife.

The suspected knifeman crashed into the Alliance Inn in Harpurhey

Less than three hours later, officers were called to Watfield Walk in Harpurhey, a two-mile drive away, after reports that a man had threatened a car owner with a knife and stole a vehicle.

The vehicle was then seen by police near Rochdale Road. The 34-year-old driver drove the car into the side of the Alliance Inn pub when officers approached.

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

No one else was injured.

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

Forensics officers are at the scene of the attack in Moston, where an area around Delta Walk has been sealed off.

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

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

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

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Egypt: 'Concern' As Scores Killed In Protests

Egypt: Timeline Of Unrest

Updated: 3:52pm UK, Saturday 27 July 2013

Key developments in Egypt since the beginning of the Arab Spring.

:: 2011

January 25: Egyptians stage nationwide demonstrations against the rule of President Hosni Mubarak.

February 11: Mubarak steps down and turns power over to the military, which dissolves parliament and suspends the constitution.

November 28: Egypt holds mutiple-stage parliamentary elections and the Muslim Brotherhood wins nearly half the seats in the law-making lower house.

:: 2012

May 23: First round of voting in the presidential elections.

June 30: Mr Morsi, elected with 51.7% of the vote, is sworn and becomes Egypt's first civilian and Islamist president.

August 12: The new president scraps a constitutional document that gave sweeping powers to the military and sacks Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, who ruled after Hosni Mubarak was ousted in February, 2011.

November 22: Mr Morsi announces sweeping new powers for himself.

November 30: Islamist-dominated constituent assembly adopts a draft constitution despite a boycott by liberals and Christians.

December 8: The president annuls the decree giving himself increased powers.

December 15 and 22: 64% of voters in a two-round referendum back the new constitution. Egypt plunges into political crisis, with demonstrations by Morsi supporters and opponents sometimes turning deadly.

:: 2013

January 24: There is violence between demonstrators and police on the eve of the second anniversary of the uprising that toppled Mubarak. Nearly 60 people die in a week.

April 5: Four Christians and a Muslim are killed in sectarian violence.

May 7: President Morsi's cabinet reshuffle falls short of opposition demands.

May 16: Gunmen kidnap three policemen and four soldiers in the Sinai Peninsula. They are freed on May 22.

June 2: Egypt's highest court invalidates the Islamist-dominated senate, which assumed a legislative role when parliament was dissolved, and a panel that drafted the constitution.

June 15: Mr Morsi announces "definitive" severing of ties with Syria.

June 21: Tens of thousands of Islamists gather ahead of planned opposition protests.

June 23: Defence Minister Abdel Fattah al Sisi warns the army will intervene if violence erupts.

June 28: The US says non-essential embassy staff can leave after an American is killed during the protests.

June 29: The Tamarod (Rebellion) campaign which called rallies for June 30 says more than 22 million have signed a petition demanding Mr Morsi's resignation and a snap election.

June 30: Tens of thousands of Egyptians take to the streets nationwide determined to oust the president on the anniversary of his turbulent first year in power. At least 16 people die in protests across the country.

July 1: The opposition gives President Morsi a day to quit or face civil disobedience. Egypt's armed forces warn they will intervene if the people's demands are not met within 48 hours.

July 2: The presidency rejects the army's ultimatum, saying it will pursue its own plans for national reconciliation.

July 3: Mr Morsi is overthrown late in the day as the country's most senior army official announces the suspension of the Islamist-tinged constitution and a "road map" for a return to democratic rule to stop the bloodshed.

July 4: As Mr Morsi is held by the army, Supreme Constitutional Court Chief Justice Adly Mansour is sworn in as Egypt's interim president.

July 6: Fierce street battles between supporters of Morsi and their opponents leave at least 36 people dead.

July 8: Some 35 people are shot dead in clashes between Morsi supporters and the Egyptian army outside the Republican Guard's headquarters in Cairo.

July 9: Mr Mansour appoints economist Hazem el-Beblawi as prime minister and opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei as vice president. A military announcement backs up the appointments.

July 26: Millions pour into the streets of Egypt in rival demonstrations after a call by the country's military chief for protesters to give him a mandate to stop "potential terrorism" by supporters of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood. Five are killed in clashes. Prosecutors announce Morsi is under investigation for a host of allegations including murder and conspiracy with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

July 27: Clashes in the early morning hours between security forces and Morsi supporters kill at least 120 protesters in Cairo.

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Immigration Figures 'Little Better Than A Guess'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Coalition is aiming to significantly reduce net migration by 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Theresa May 'Shocked' By Diabetes Diagnosis

Theresa May has spoken of her shock after being diagnosed with a chronic illness, but insists it will not affect her political career.

The Home Secretary was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes two months ago and must now inject herself with insulin at least twice a day for the rest of her life, the Mail On Sunday revealed.

Commentators had seized on Mrs May's dramatic weight loss over the past 18 months as proof that she was undergoing a style makeover in preparation for a future leadership bid.

But the Conservative Cabinet minister told the newspaper that dropping two stones was partly down to the illness.

"The diabetes doesn't affect how I do the job or what I do. It's just part of life ... so it's a case of head down and getting on with it," Mrs May told the Mail On Sunday.

"It was a real shock and, yes, it took me a while to come to terms with it."

There are around 300,000 people in the UK with Type 1 diabetes

Speaking about the timing of the announcement, Sky's chief political correspondent Jon Craig said: "I suspect she wanted to get the Abu Qatada deportation out of the way and wanted nothing to distract from that."

There are around 300,000 people in the UK with Type 1 diabetes. Despite decades of research, no vaccine has been found to prevent the disease.

Pressed on whether the illness would prevent her from one day succeeding David Cameron, she told the newspaper: "There is no leadership bid.

"We have a first-class Prime Minister and long may he continue."

Doctors told Mrs May she had the condition, which means her body does not produce insulin, in November but initially they thought she had Type 2 diabetes.

"It doesn't and will not affect my ability to do my work. I'm a little more careful about what I eat and there's obviously the injections, but this is something millions of people have," she said.

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