Legal Highs: Ban At Reading Leeds Festival

By Frazer Maude, North of England Correspondent

The parents of a man who died after taking a "legal high" drug have welcomed a decision by the organisers of a music festival to ban the products from their sites.

Christopher Scott, 23, from Swindon, died at the Great Western Hospital in July after taking the chemical marketed as AMT (alpha-Methyltryptamine).

His father Michael says the family are "so pleased" that promoters of the Leeds and Reading Festivals have banned the sale or use of legal highs at the events this weekend.

"Everybody knows illegal drugs - there's a big risk behind them - but as soon as you start saying 'oh it's a legal high' you get the misconception that it's okay," said Michael.

"They think it's not dangerous, it's legal, so it must be fine. And then they get the impression they can take as many as they want."

A photo of Christopher Scott at home of his family

Christopher was a father of three and only after his death did his family find out that his partner was pregnant with his fourth child.

The Government finds it hard to legislate against the drugs, as whenever one is banned the manufacturers only have to make slight changes to the chemical formula in order for the new compound to be legal again.

Former legal highs Mexxy and Black Mamba are now classified as Class B drugs, and are therefore illegal.

Sky News bought a number of the legal highs from a shop in the North of England, including AMT which Mr Scott took.

They are also freely available on the internet.

The websites, sales staff and the packaging of the chemicals all warn that these items are not for human consumption, but are for research purposes.

The drug has been banned at Leeds and Reading Festivals

Melvin Benn, organiser of the Leeds and Reading Festivals, said: "We were happy to fall in line with the Home Office request and not allow these legal highs to be sold on site.

"No one really knows what effects these things have, and of course people are still going to take them. But they won't be buying them from retailers at any of my festivals."

Mr Scott and his family used to make annual visits to the Reading Festival.

Although delighted that the festival has banned the drugs, Mr Scott's father believes more needs to be done.

"The Government needs to really seriously rethink what it's doing with this concept of legal highs. Just the word 'legal' is making everyone think it's ok to do it, that it's fine. It's not," he said.

"I'm never going get my son back. I only had one son and I'm never going to get him back."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria: US Moves Warship As Strike Calls Grow

US defence officials said an additional warship has been moved into the Mediterranean Sea as calls for military action against the Syrian regime grow following an alleged chemical attack.

The US Sixth Fleet has decided to keep the USS Mahan in the region instead of letting it return to its home port in Norfolk, Virginia.

Three other destroyers are currently deployed in the Mediterranean - the USS Gravely, USS Barry and USS Ramage.

Survivors of the alleged gas attack rest inside a Damascus mosque

All four warships are equipped with several dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles which would allow the Pentagon to act rapidly if a military strike was ordered against Syria.

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel suggested commanders have prepared a range of "options" for President Barack Obama if he chose to launch a strike against Bashar al Assad's regime.

He said: "The president has asked the Defence Department for options. Like always, the Defence Department is prepared and has been prepared to provide all options for all contingencies to the president of the US."

Dead animals lie in the street in the suburb of Zamalka

Mr Hagel said he expected US intelligence to "swiftly" assess whether the Syrian government did use chemical weapons in two Damascus suburbs.

Mr Obama last year threatened to punish Assad's regime if it resorted to using chemical weapons during the conflict, saying the use of weapons of mass destruction constituted a "red line" being crossed.

Russia on Friday joined calls for a swift probe into the alleged chemical weapon attack.

Syrian refugees in the Quru Gusik camp in Iraq

Britain and France have pressed for a team of UN inspectors already in Syria to be granted immediate access to the sites of the gas attack that activists say killed more than 130 people.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Friday there was little chance the attack had been carried out by rebels.

He said: "The only possible explanation of what we have been able to see is that it was a chemical attack and clearly many, many hundreds of people have been killed, some of the estimates are well over 1,000.

"I know some people in the world would like to say this is some kind of conspiracy brought about by the opposition in Syria - I think the chances of that are vanishingly small."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has sent his disarmament chief to Damascus to press Assad's regime to agree to an investigation.

Immediate access would allow inspectors to collect blood and soil samples to detect what chemicals - if any - were used.

The Assad regime has denied it has used chemical weapons, calling the allegations "absolutely baseless".

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Four Dead In Helicopter Crash Are Named

Police have named the four people who died after a helicopter carrying oil workers ditched into the North Sea.

The four confirmed dead are: Duncan Munro, 46, from Bishop Auckland; Sarah Darnley, 45, from Elgin; Gary McCrossan , 59, from Inverness; and George Allison, 57, from Winchester.

The Super Puma L2 aircraft went down at 6.20pm on Friday around two miles west of Sumburgh airport as it was returning to Shetland from the Borgsten Dolphin platform.

The helicopter was carrying 16 workers and two crew.

One of the rescued workers is moved on a stretcher

"The bodies of three people have been recovered and work is underway to recover the body of the fourth person," said a Police Scotland statement.

All the families have been informed.

A search operation involving coastguard, police, RAF and local lifeboats was able to rescue 14 people from the sea, including the two crew.

"Five were discharged (from hospital) and nine detained overnight either for observation or suffering from exposure," said a police statement.

Some of those rescued were able to walk unaided after the rescue

The helicopter is reported to be in several pieces but the wreckage has now been secured by the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution).

Helicopter operator CHC, which operates in 30 countries, said on its website that it was suspending all Super Puma L2 flights worldwide.

An RNLI spokesman said two of the dead were recovered by a lifeboat crew from Lerwick, Shetland.

"The lifeboat crew transported the bodies to Sumburgh and we are liaising with other authorities as things develop, " he said.

"Obviously this is the news that everyone, included our lifeboat volunteers, dreaded - our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of those concerned.

A coastguard boat searches the North Sea

"We can also confirm that one of our lifeboats has also been involved in reclaiming wreckage from the scene as part of the operation."

Amanda Smith, the mother of one of the workers Sam Smith, said her son had telephoned her from hospital after suffering cuts in the crash.

She told Sky News: "He said it seemed to lose power and there was no time to brace, they just dropped into the sea.

"He was by the window so he was able to escape that way as it rolled over.

"He said he had come off better than a lot of people. It didn't seem real, I would say two hours later it's just beginning to sink in."

Several helicopters have been involved in the search operation

Helicopter operator CHC said it was flying for oil company Total and that the aircraft lost communication as it approached the airport on the southern tip of Shetland's main island.

A spokesman said: "The aircraft was on approach to Sumburgh Airport at approximately 6.20pm when contact was lost with air traffic control.

"We can confirm there were 16 passengers on board, and two crew."

Investigators from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch are travelling to the scene.

A police spokesman said all those rescued had been taken to Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick.

Jim Nicholson, RNLI rescue co-ordinator, said that the weather was not "particularly good" at the time of the incident.

He said: "There was a fresh wind, not overly strong, visibility is not particularly good and it was misty in the area but I doubt if that would have had any impact on causing whatever happened to the helicopter.

Last year, two Super Puma helicopters ditched in the North Sea only six months apart.

All passengers and crew were rescued in both incidents, which were found to be caused by gearbox problems.

However, the latest incident is the fourth in four years involving Super Puma aircraft.

In April 2009, 16 people died when a helicopter returning from BP's Miller platform crashed 11 miles from Peterhead after a "catastrophic failure" in part of its main gearbox.

The Unite union's Scottish Secretary, Pat Rafferty, has called for an urgent investigation.

"It's unacceptable and it can't go on," he said.

"A full investigation must now take place and the industry's helicopter operators must use every means at their disposal to demonstrate that its fleet is fit for purpose."

:: CHC has set up a helpline for concerned relatives on 01224 296 866.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bank Holiday Discounts: Warning From Watchdog

The consumer watchdog has urged shoppers to quiz carpet and furniture retailers before they buy this long weekend - after it found some used artificially high prices to exaggerate sales and price cuts.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is investigating six chains after discovering many retailers in the sector were misleading customers into thinking they were getting a bargain by artificially inflating the original price.

It found "systematic" examples of artificially inflated reference pricing within the industry, through the use of "was" prices formerly charged by the retailer, "after sale" prices that the trader intended to charge in the future, or recommended retail prices (RRPs) set by the manufacturer.

During monitoring of the six companies, the overall average of sales of items at the reference price was just 5%.

OFT director Gaucho Rasmussen said: "This bank holiday sale season we would recommend that consumers ask sales staff when and for how long the reference price was used and also how many sales they achieved at this price."

The OFT said there were a significant number of products sold by some retailers where no sales at all took place at the artificially inflated price.

In all cases, no explanation of how and when these higher prices were established were provided.

The consumer watchdog has written to the six retailers asking them to stop using the pricing practices that mislead consumers, giving them until autumn to respond.

The OFT did not name the companies in the hope of reaching a quick resolution, however Carpetright has since confirmed it has been contacted as part of the investigation.

It said: "Carpetright strives to operate fully within all laws and regulations at all times. Carpetright is co-operating fully with the OFT and will respond to the letter in due course."

"There is no suggestion in the letter of Carpetright having behaved in a manner which breaches competition law."

Approached by Sky News, retailer DFS declined to comment.

Furniture Village said: 'We are aware of ... the ongoing investigations being undertaken, and it would be inappropriate for us to comment until such time as its findings are published.

"Furniture Village is fully supportive of any initiative which ensures that, industry-wide, future pricing policies and practices are fair and accurate."

Mr Rasmussen said: "OFT research has found that reference pricing can mislead consumers into thinking the item they have bought is of higher value and quality.

"(With) pressure them to buy there and then so they don't 'miss out' on the deal and also impair their judgment, as buying an item immediately means they do not get the chance to search the market for the real best deals.

"This will help them to determine whether they are getting a good deal."

Richard Lloyd, executive director of Which?, the consumer campaigning charity, added: "The OFT's warning sends a clear message to carpet and furniture stores that special offers really have to be special.

"It's unacceptable that shoppers are misled into thinking they're getting a good deal when that might not be the case."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria: Ban Ki-Moon Warns Of 'Consequences'

Time Ticking To Prove Gas Attack

Updated: 12:24pm UK, Thursday 22 August 2013

By Alex Rossi, Sky Correspondent

The video evidence is compelling.

The pictures are horrific.

Hours of footage has now emerged on YouTube of children and adults suffering from what appear to be the after-effects of a chemical attack.

Many of the images are too distressing to show.

They would also be phenomenally difficult to stage.

Directing children to appear to be choking to death in such detail would take the budget and expertise of a Hollywood director - most experts say that this is clearly not the case.

There is now a weight of agreement that the pictures show - incontrovertibly - the aftermath of a deadly chemical assault.

The numbers of dead also suggest that that analysis is the correct one - the death toll just keeps on rising.

On Wednesday there were many questions as to why medical staff and first aiders had not been affected by secondary contamination?

Twenty four hours on and that question has been answered - they are; it just took time.

Many of the people who treated the victims are suffering the deadly consequences of exposure to a lethal nerve agent.

Experts say the timescale is similar to what was seen in the Tokyo subway attack in 1995 when sarin gas was used.

The former head of the British Army's chemical weapons unit, Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, said while video can never be 100% conclusive the evidence it presents is overwhelming.

"It very much looks like a chemical agent has been used, perhaps a nerve agent - the fact that staff have now died as well is revealing. It is disturbingly similar to what was seen in Halabja in Saddam Hussein's Iraq."

But nonetheless without investigation on the ground there are too many questions as to what really happened and who is responsible.

The Russians for instance claim what we are witnessing is an attempt to discredit the Assad regime.

YouTube after all has been used extensively by both sides to spread propaganda throughout the conflict.

The opposition, for example, knows that the widespread use of chemical weapons would be a 'Red Line' issue for the White House and the international community and could trigger Western intervention.

President Assad certainly has the capability to carry out such an assault - it is believed the regime has one of the biggest stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons in the world -  but the only way to know for certain is to get a an expert UN inspection team out on the ground.  

That though is easier said than done.

Although the attacks have taken place just 20 minutes outside central Damascus the area is unsafe.

The UN is unlikely to allow the inspectors, who are already in place, to go there without a guaranteed cessation in the violence.

President Assad is also unlikely to give them permission to travel to the district of eastern Ghouta.

And there lies the problem - if a nerve agent like sarin has been used it would be a race against the clock as the evidence at the crime scene will evaporate in the coming days and weeks.

Without the on the ground analysis then, there cannot be a 100% certainty of what really happened, or who carried out the attack. 

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dave Lee Travis In Court On Assault Charges

Veteran DJ Dave Lee Travis has arrived at Westminster Magistrates Court charged with 12 counts of sexual offences.

The 68-year-old, whose real name is David Patrick Griffin, is accused of committing the offences between 1977 and 2007 against alleged victims aged between 15 and 29.

Travis, from Mentmore in Bedfordshire, has denied any wrongdoing since he was first arrested on suspicion of sexual offences in November last year.

When prosecutors announced the charges, his lawyer Martin Bale released a statement to say: "Mr Travis is naturally disappointed that charges have been preferred and we will be taking stock of the position in the coming weeks once we have full details of the prosecution case.

"Mr Travis denies the allegations and looks forward to having the opportunity to clear his name."

He was charged as part of Operation Yewtree, the police investigation prompted by the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal, but the accusations against Travis have no connection to the disgraced television presenter.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria: Call For 'Force' If Chemicals Proven

France is seeking a reaction with "force" if a massacre in Syria involving chemical weapons is confirmed, its foreign minister has said.

"If it is proven, France's position is that there must be a reaction, a reaction that could take the form of a reaction with force," Laurent Fabius told BFM-TV.

"There are possibilities for responding," he said without elaborating.

He added that if the UN Security Council could not make a decision, one would have to be taken "in other ways".

The attacks are alleged to have taken place in Ein Tarma and Zamalka

The Syrian government has been urged to allow UN inspectors to visit the site where it is claimed more than 1,300 people died in a chemical weapons attack.

The National Coalition claims toxic gas was used by President Bashar al Assad's forces during a bombardment of rebel-held areas outside Damascus.

Turkey's deputy prime minister has said only the government is in possession of the type of chemical weapons the opposition claim were used in the attack.

Its foreign minister said "all red lines" have been crossed.

Government officials said the claims were "totally false" and the international news organisations reporting them were "implicated in the shedding of Syrian blood and support terrorism".

But Iran, the country's chief regional ally, has rejected claims that the regime was responsible, saying if such an attack was proven it would be down to the rebels, IRNA news agency said.

The incident comes just days after a 20-strong team of UN weapons inspectors arrived in the capital to investigate whether chemical weapons have been used in the conflict.

And following an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, said: "We very much hope that we will be able to conduct the investigation.

"Dr Sellstrom and his team are in place in Damascus.  We hope that they will be given access to the area by the government  - it's a requirement of consent in situations like this.

"And that also the security situation will allow them to enter the area.

"The Secretary-General has already expressed his preparedness to conduct the investigation.

"We are in contact with the Syrian government - we hope that all other parties will co-operate so that we conduct the investigation and we hope that everybody realises the importance of ceasing hostilities."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague urged international supporters of the Syrian regime to "wake up to ... its murderous and barbaric nature" ahead of the UN meeting.

However Russia, which has supported the regime and vetoed past attempts to secure a tough UN resolution, suggested the attack could be a "premeditated provocation" by opposition forces.

Officials from Russia and China are reported to have blocked a stronger press statement supported by Britain, France, the US and others.

Earlier, Mr Hague said that if verified, the attack "would mark a shocking escalation in the use of chemical weapons in Syria".

He added: "Those who order the use of chemical weapons, and those who use them, should be in no doubt that we will work in every way we can to hold them to account."

Unverified footage of casualties, including children, in makeshift hospitals suffering convulsions and breathing difficulties was circulated on YouTube.

Syria is thought to have some of the world's largest stocks of chemical weapons, including mustard gas and the nerve agent sarin, but the government in Damascus refuses to confirm this is the case.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

GCSE Results: Record Fall In Top Grades

The proportion of GCSEs awarded at least a C grade has suffered its biggest fall in the exam's 25-year history.

For the second year in a row. the number of pupils given an A*-C grade has dropped - down 1.3% on last year to 68.1%.

The number of A* grades awarded was also lower, falling 0.5% on last year from 7.3 to 6.8%, according to official figures.

The figures show that the overall A*-G pass rate also fell slightly this year, to 98.8% compared to 99% last year.

In contrast to last week's A-level results, girls are still outperforming boys at GCSE and achieved better results at A*-C across every subject.

The national picture emerged as hundreds of thousands of teenagers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland received their results.

The fall in top grades comes amid major upheaval in the exam system.

It is thought a huge rise in entries among 15-year-olds, changes in science and an increase in those doing international GCSEs led to the dip.

The number of 15-year-olds taking the exam has rocketed by 91,000 in just a year.

In maths, thousands of pupils also sat the exam more than once. Almost 90,000 were entered for at least three and two sat it eight times.

Major overhaul: Michael Gove

More children took exams in languages and humanities subjects with the overall number of GCSEs taken up 4.2% on last year.

But there was a fall in the number scoring at least a C in key subjects, including English, maths and science.

In English, 63.6% achieved a C or higher, down from 64.1% in 2012, as 61,000 more entries were recorded in the subject - more than two-fifths were from pupils aged 15.

The Joint Council of Qualifications (JCQ) said there had been "significant early and repeated entries" in maths, with more than half a million before the summer exams.

Results for 16-year-olds were "virtually unchanged" but those for 15-year-olds showed a decline. Overall, 57.6% of entries scored A*-C - down from 58.4%.

Moves by Ofqual to toughen up qualifications prompted a 7.6% fall in the number of entries achieving a top grade in science.

This is the first summer results have been given for the revamped GCSEs, which were changed after a 2009 report by the regulator found they were too easy.

There was a "dramatic" rise in entry levels for modern languages, with French up 15.5%, German up 9.4% and Spanish up 25.8%.

This could be due to the introduction of the English Baccalaureate, which is awarded to pupils with at least a C in English, maths, science, history or geography and a foreign language.

JCQ director Michael Turner said: "This year's upturn in languages will be welcomed across the education sector and beyond. Not since 2008 have there been this many entries in languages.

"However, it remains to be seen if this is the start of a trend and if more students decide to continue to study a language at A-level."

Experts raised concerns about the number of 15-year-olds taking the exams.

Andrew Hall of the exam board AQA asked: "Why oh why do we now got a significant increase in 15-year-olds taking GCSE?" and said it "needs to be looked at".

Mark Dawe, from another exam board OCR added: "Early entry does not benefit the students. The results are far lower for 15-year-olds.

"These qualifications are designed for 16-year-olds. Students should be left to learn for those two years and that is what we would encourage."

Mr Hall said pupils taking repeat and multiple entries was "really damaging education in this country".

Some schools have already reported record grades.

King's College School in Wimbledon, a private boys' school, said 96% of its entries had scored an A* or A, with 35 pupils each gaining 12 or more A* grades in their GCSEs and IGCSEs.

At Wellington College in Berkshire, half of results were at A*, with 82% of entries gaining an A* or A grade.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Prison Guard Siege: Three Inmates Charged

Three prisoners will be charged with allegedly taking a guard hostage after an investigation by counter-terror police.

Feroz Khan, Fuad Awale and David Watson, who were all inmates at HMP Full Sutton in North Yorkshire, are accused of false imprisonment on May 26 when they are said to have held a prison officer against his will.

Khan and Awale are also accused of threatening to kill the officer, and Khan will be charged with grievous bodily harm on the guard, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm on a second officer.

Rakesh Sarin, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Following an investigation by the police's north east counter terrorism unit, the Crown Prosecution Service has authorised charges against three men currently detained in prison.

"It is alleged that on May 26 2013 Feroz Khan, Fuad Awale and David Watson, all of whom were at that time prisoners at HMP Full Sutton, unlawfully imprisoned a prison officer and detained him against his will. They will be jointly charged with one count of false imprisonment, contrary to common law.

"A number of demands were made during the incident which resulted in the case being handled by counter-terrorism officers and specialist prosecutors."

All three men are due to appear by videolink at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

Mr Sarin said: "Feroz Khan will also be charged with making a threat to kill the prison officer, and one charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm on him. He will further be charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm on a second prison officer.

"Fuad Awale will also be charged with making a threat to kill the first prison officer.

"All these offences are alleged to have taken place during the same incident on May 26 this year."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Peru Drugs: British Women Formally Charged

Why Peru Became The Cocaine Hotspot

Updated: 10:35pm UK, Wednesday 14 August 2013

By Pete Norman, Sky News Online

Peru has overtaken Colombia as the world's leading cocaine producer, according to experts.

Home to the ancient Inca civilisation, Peru is rugged, remote and the ultimate source of the mighty Amazon river.

It is also home to a long-running guerrilla campaign by the leftist Shining Path group.

While urban and coastal inhabitants have benefited greatly from market-focused economic development since the early 1980s, when military rule ended, the rural poor have gained little.

Its hilly, isolated and fertile regions are home to the guerrillas, who rely on cocaine production, hostage-taking and corruption for funds.

According to the CIA, Peru was the world's largest coca leaf producer until 1996, when neighbouring Colombia took the lead.

It says that in 2009 Peru had 100,000 acres under coca leaf production compared to Colombia's 286,000 acres - with the potential to produce 225 metric tons of pure cocaine.

US-supported efforts to reduce or eradicate coca leaf in Colombia have now tipped the scales of production towards Peru.

Aerial spraying of herbicide in Colombia has affected coca crops covering 250,000 acres while manual eradication has been done on another 150,000 acres.

Last week the UN said Colombia reduced its area under coca cultivation by 25% in 2012 - the biggest annual reduction since the international body began monitoring it in 2001.

Around 30 Britons are now in Peruvian prisons on drug-related convictions, according to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The UN Office of Drugs and Crime is expected to release its official 2012 Peru coca crop estimate in September.

Its World Drug Report 2011 said that although the area under coca leaf production was around 75% of the 1990 area, the current yield might be up to a third greater.

While Colombia still supplies virtually all of North America's cocaine, the CIA said much of the drug exported from Peru through land, air and sea routes is destined for Europe and other markets.

North America and Europe cocaine consumption has stabilised in recent years while growth has increased in Oceania and Asia Pacific regions.

It said: "Finished cocaine is shipped out from Pacific ports to the international drug market, (while) increasing amounts of base and finished cocaine, however, are being moved to Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia for … trans-shipment to Europe and Africa."

Smaller quantities are carried through air routes by so-called drug mules, while larger loads travel by sea to west Africa prior to distribution throughout Europe.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Missing Teen Adela Found - Three Men Arrested

A 14-year-old girl who sparked a police search when she went missing from home has been found.

Adela Copakova was located in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

Three men have been arrested in connection with her disappearance and are being held in custody.

The teenager had been missing from her home in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, for three days.

The last time she had been seen was at 8pm on Sunday outside a house in the Bradway area of the city.

Police originally said they were searching around the Sheffield area, but later said the teenager had connections to the West Yorkshire area.

A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police said on Wednesday: "Missing 14-year-old Adela was found in Bradford this morning. Three men are in custody re her going missing. Thank you for your assistance."

She is the second teenager from the Sheffield area to go missing recently who was subsequently found in Bradford.

That girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found in Bradford city centre.

At least four men and one woman were arrested as part of that inquiry. All have since been released on police bail.

Police earlier said there were no links between the two.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria: Hundreds Killed In 'Gas Attack'

Syria Aid Workers 'Overwhelmed'

Updated: 8:07am UK, Wednesday 21 August 2013

Thousands of Syrian refugees have been streaming over the border into Iraqi Kurdistan, the UN refugee agency has said.

Up to 10,000 people - mainly women, children and the elderly - crossed on Saturday, days after 7,000 fled a deteriorating security situation in north eastern parts of Syria.

The latest refugees have been taking advantage of a new pontoon bridge over the River Tigris - with Save the Children claiming the aid effort has been "overwhelmed" by the sheer numbers.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says the movement is one of the single biggest waves of refugees it has faced since the uprising against President Bashar al Assad started in March 2011.

The agency's Iraq representative Claire Bourgeois said: "UNHCR is witnessing a major exodus from Syria over the past few days unlike anything we have witnessed entering Iraq previously."

Abdulkarim Brendar, who trekked to the border with his five children, told AFP: "There was war and looting and problems. We did not find a morsel (of food), so with our children we came here."

Save the Children said around 7,000 refugees have been taken to an emergency camp, but thousands are still waiting to be registered at the border in temperatures of up to 40C.

The charity has launched an emergency response to deal with the stranded families and expects to distribute more than 40 litres of water in the coming days.

Save the Children's emergency team leader Alan Paul said: "This is an unprecedented influx of refugees, and the main concern is that so many of them are stuck out in the open at the border or in emergency reception areas with limited, if any, access to basic services.

"The refugee response in Iraq is already thinly stretched, and close to half of the refugees are children who have experienced things no child should. We urgently need to cover their basic needs- food, water and shelter."

The flood of refugees came as UN chemical weapons inspectors arrived in Damascus to start a mission that has been delayed several times.

Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad vowed that Syria will "fully cooperate" with the team led by Swedish expert Ake Sellstrom, who were flanked by a 20-strong security team as they arrived at their five star hotel.

The UN team's mission will be limited to investigating the alleged use of chemical weapons in three areas, in particular the March 19 attack in the Aleppo suburb of Khan al Assal, which Mr Assad blames on rebels.

Mr Assad's government and the rebels each say the other side has used chemical weapons during the 28 month conflict.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Prince George Photos: First Official Pictures

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

The Duchess of Cambridge's father, Michael Middleton, has taken the first official photographs of William, Kate and their son Prince George.

The Royal couple with Prince George and the pet dogs

The two pictures from the new Cambridge family album were taken by the young prince's grandfather in the back garden of the Middleton family home in Bucklebury, Kensington Palace confirmed.

Taken in "early August", the first photograph is a simple parents and child shot.

The couple, back-lit by the sun, are standing in the gardens of the Berkshire home with Kate cradling her two-week-old son.

In the second, William and Kate can be seen sitting on a rug, also in the garden.

Kate continues to hold Prince George, but they are this time joined by their cocker spaniel, Lupo, and the Middletons' retriever, Tilly.

Sky News understands the two photos were selected from a larger collection taken while the Duke of Cambridge was on paternity leave.

For their official engagement and wedding photographs, the Royal couple opted for well-known celebrity photographers Mario Testino and Hugo Bernand.

Michael Middleton took the photographs

Asking Mr Middleton to take the photos is yet another example of the Duke and Duchess choosing to do things their way throughout their marriage.

The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George are thought to have joined Prince William in Anglesey in recent days.

The couple will next be seen together in public on September 12 for an awards dinner hosted by conservation charity Tusk Trust.

In his first interview since he became a father, William said his young son reminded him of himself or Prince Harry.

The Duke told CNN: "He's a little bit of a rascal, I'll put it that way.

"He either reminds me of my brother or me when I was younger, I'm not sure, but he's doing very well at the moment."

:: Do you have a favourite family photo? Are you proud of a particular snap, even though it wasn't taken by a professional photographer? Is there an image you love despite the fact it is a bit blurred and the lighting is dodgy?

Send it to us through our Your Photos page and we will publish a selection in a picture gallery.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

96-Stone Man: Saudi King Orders Airlift

A Saudi man weighing 96st (610kg) has been airlifted to hospital after being unable to leave his bedroom for two-and-a-half years.

Khalid Mohsin Shaeri, 20, was flown from the southern city of Jazan to a hospital in Riyadh on King Abdullah's orders.

The "rescue" plan had to wait for six months until a specially-made bed was delivered from the US.

Saudi Arabia's health ministry worked with civil defence and the Saudi Red Cross to organise his evacuation after part of his home was demolished so he could be brought down from the second floor.

A forklift truck was used to carry Mr Shaeri to an ambulance and on to a waiting aircraft.

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia

Minister of Health Dr Abdullah al Rabeeah called the king's efforts a "humanitarian gesture".

Mr Shaeri, who weighs the same as two baby elephants or eight average-sized men, was reported to have a brother and sister who are also overweight, but able to walk.

Local media said the Saudi health ministry had dealt with other morbidly obese patients this year, including two siblings who weighed 47st (298kg) and 55st (349kg).

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Peru Drugs: Pair Set To Face Smuggling Charge

By Nick Martin, Sky Correspondent, in Peru

Two women accused of smuggling £1.5m worth of cocaine out of Peru are expected to be charged later.

Michaella McCollum, from Dungannon, County Tyrone, and Melissa Reid, from Lenzie near Glasgow, have spent the past two weeks in police custody.

The pair, both 20, were arrested earlier this month while trying to board a flight from Lima to Madrid.

Police said cocaine was found inside packets of food in their luggage

Police said they found around 11kg of cocaine hidden inside food packages in their luggage.

Anti-drug officers say they have concluded their investigation into the case, which will now go before the public prosecutor's office.

The pair with their luggage after being arrested

The contents of that report will form the basis of any charges against the pair, which they are expected to hear in a courtroom later.

Ms McCollum and Ms Reid both deny the allegations and say they were forced to carry the drugs by a gang of Colombian drug traffickers who said they would hurt the women's families if they did not go through with the plan.

Police will present their case to the District Attorney of Lima at a hearing today.

It comes just a day after CCTV footage emerged which senior police officers claim show Ms McCollum in the Peruvian capital on August 5 walking around freely despite the women saying they were held at gunpoint on that day.

The police say the CCTV will form the basis of their case when it goes before the district prosecutor.

However McConnolly's lawyer denied his client was captured on the footage and sought to dispel newspaper reports he said were erroneous.

If convicted the women may be sent to Santa Monica jail to serve their term

Peter Madden said: "She was not out shopping in Lima and spending a lot of money, that didn't happen."

"Michaella Connolly did not owe any money to any drugs dealer, she was not and is not involved in the drugs trade, she has no criminal record, she has never been in trouble with the police in her life."

William Reid, the father of her co-accused, also responded following the emergence of photographs that allegedly show them posing on a balcony and on a beach with glasses of beer days before they were arrested at Lima airport.

William Reid said his daughter and McCollum denied the smuggling allegation

Mr Reid, who is in Lima, said: "I believe the trip to the beach was part of a set-up that they asked them to smile to build up a portrayal of them as happy holidaymakers.

"I can only go by what I have been firmly told by the girls. The two girls' stories are very tight, very consistent, with a lot of detail and they seem to be telling the truth, as far as I can gauge."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Egypt: Militants Kill 24 Policemen In Ambush

Suspected militants attacked two police minibuses with rocket-propelled grenades, killing 24 officers, Egyptian officials say.

The ambush, condemned by Egypt's interior ministry as the work of "armed terrorist groups", took place as the two vehicles were driving through a village near the border town of Rafah in the volatile Sinai Peninsula.

Two officials, who spoke only on condition of anonymity, said that three officers had also been injured in the attack.

Sinai has been witnessing near daily attacks by suspected militants since the Islamist president Mohammed Morsi was ousted on July 3.

It is estimated nearly 50 security officials have been killed in the region since then, and the army claims to have killed nearly 70 "terrorists" in the same time.

The van was attacked with rocket-propelled granades

In response to the attack Egypt closed the Rafah crossing, a border official has confirmed.

The latest attack follows the brutal suppression of Mr Morsi's supporters in Cairo in scenes of bloodshed over the last five days, which have left at least 750 people dead.

The military, which assumed control of the country from Mr Morsi, has been rounding up the former president's Muslim Brotherhood supporters and there have been more than 1,000 arrests.

The Brotherhood has vowed to continue its demonstrations in the wake of the violence.

Monday's Sinai attack comes as Foreign Secretary William Hague said that the continued unrest across the Middle East represented one of the most significant events of the 21st century so far.

European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso

He said that events in Egypt, and surrounding countries, could echo for decades and that the international community should expect significant "set backs".

Speaking on BBC's Radio 4 Today programme, Mr Hague said:  "What is happening now in the Middle East is the most important event so far of the 21st century, even compared to the financial crisis we have been through and its impact on world affairs.

"I think it will take years, maybe decades, to play out, and through that we have to keep our nerve in clearly supporting democracy, democratic institutions, promoting dialogue and there will be many setbacks in doing that and we should not be surprised when they take place."

Demonstrators inside the al Fath mosque in Cairo

European Union ambassadors are discussing the crisis in Egypt amid international alarm at the growing death toll from unrest across the country.

European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso and the president of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy on Sunday issued a rare joint statement warning that the EU would "urgently" review its relations with Egypt over the coming days.

Prime Minister David Cameron and French president Francois Hollande called for today's meeting of ambassadors in Brussels to be followed by an emergency session of EU foreign ministers.

A police officer in hospital being treated after violent crashes

Britain has condemned the "disproportionate use of force" by the Egyptian authorities and called on all sides to end the violence and to enter dialogue.

The family of four Irish siblings caught up in Egypt's violence have said their relatives are being held by Egyptian authorities.

Omaima Halawa, 20, her two sisters Fatima, 22, Somaia, 27, and their younger brother Ibrihim, 17, were among hundreds of people cleared out of the al Fath mosque when security forces stormed the building on Saturday.

They were forced to seek sanctuary in the mosque on Friday after violent clashes between supporters of Mr Morsi and the security forces killed more than 80 people.

Speaking from the family home in Dublin, their sister Nasaybi Halawa said that her 17-year-old brother could have been "beaten to hell" in the mosque.

Nasaybi Halawa is worried her siblings have been separated

She said she had been speaking to someone in Egypt who had been inside the mosque who said that men were being beaten.

Miss Halawa said: "The person I'm speaking to told me they were beating men to hell. She doesn't know how my brother looks but she told me 'I can guarantee for you, all the men were beaten there. They didn't exclude anyone from hitting them'."

However, Sky sources understand that the four have been visited in Tora Prison by a Turkish diplomat who reported they were "all well".

Irish diplomats have said they are due to be brought to the prosecutor's office at 2pm on Monday and they were "confident" they would be released.

Security forces arrive at the Cairo mosque

Hundreds of Morsi supporters also fled to the building in the Ramses area of Cairo, shoving furniture against the doors to stop police from breaking their way in.

Speaking from the family home in Firhouse, south Dublin, another sister Nasaybi Halawa said her four siblings were being held at one of Cairo's jails.

She spoke out as it emerged that dozens Muslim Brotherhood supporters had been killed in an incident at an Egyptian prison.

The interior ministry said 36 detainees died after suffocating on tear gas during an attempted prison break.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Oscar Pistorius Formally Charged With Murder

Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius has now left court after a judge told him he will go on trial in March over the killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius returned to Pretoria Magistrates' Court this morning for the short hearing, in which a judge set his trial date for March 3 next year.

The judge asked him if he was well, to which he replied: "Under the circumstances, your honour."

He was formally charged, and told that his bail conditions remained the same.

Court documents show that more than 100 witnesses will be called to give evidence at the trial, including one of Pistorius' ex-girlfriends.

Sky's Alex Crawford said that Pistorius was "very emotional", and appeared to be praying with his brother and sister before the proceedings started.

The three siblings held hands in a small circle, and at one point Pistorius wiped his face with a tissue.

Ms Steenkamp was shot dead at Pistorius' home in February

The 26-year-old double amputee is accused of killing Ms Steenkamp, who would have turned 30 today, in a shooting incident at Pistorius' home in February.

Pistorius denies he committed murder and says he shot Ms Steenkamp by mistake, thinking she was an intruder.

The case was sent to the High Court in Pretoria.

A judge will preside over the trial and ultimately pronounce the world-famous athlete innocent or guilty. South Africa does not have trial by jury.

The mandatory sentence for someone convicted of premeditated murder in South Africa is life with a minimum of 25 years in prison.

Meanwhile, Ms Steenkamp's uncle has said he has already forgiven Pistorius for killing her.

Mike Steenkamp said the family have coped with her death by concentrating on her life rather than how she died.

In an interview on ITV's Daybreak, Mr Steenkamp said: "I think from the beginning and onset that we decided that we could never be sidetracked from Reeva's life, and I think that's helped us tremendously."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gibraltar: HMS Westminster Arrives At Rock

HMS Westminster has arrived in Gibraltar a day after Spanish fishermen were involved in a stand-off with UK military and police boats.

The Royal Navy warship sailed in as tensions between Spain and the British territory were described as their worst for 40 years.

The type 23 frigate, which left Portsmouth naval base six days ago, is due to spend three days on the Rock, before joining several other vessels taking part in a pre-planned international training exercise called Cougar 13 in the Mediterranean and Gulf.

Its visit was described by the Ministry of Defence as "long-planned".

But Sky's David Bowden, in Gibraltar, said given the growing diplomatic spat, the warship's presence will be seen as a "strong symbol" of Britain's desire to defend its territory.

Spanish fishing boats were intercepted as they entered UK waters

Yesterday, a flotilla of more than 30 fishing boats was "corralled" by Royal Navy vessels after protesting near the spot where Gibraltar's government placed 70 concrete blocks in disputed waters next to the Rock.

Gibraltar says it has created the concrete artificial reef there to protect local fish stocks from trawling, but Madrid says it restricts their right to fish.

The Spanish government has accused Gibraltar of laying the blocks "without the necessary authorisation" in "waters that are not theirs".

It responded by introducing additional checks at the fenced border, and suggesting a 50 euro (£43.30) fee could be imposed on every vehicle entering or leaving Gibraltar.

Yesterday's protest prompted calls for renewed efforts from the European Union to solve the dispute.

Gibraltar border checks have led to long queues that take hours to clear

Julie Girling, a Conservative MEP for Gibraltar, called the flotilla a "provocative attempt to stir things up yet again" by a government in Madrid facing allegations of corruption.

Afterwards, Fabian Picardo, Gibraltar's chief minister, thanked the British authorities for their help.

Mr Picardo, who has reportedly received death threats and been targeted by Spanish internet trolls, wrote on Twitter: "Big thank you also to Royal Navy, Gib Defence Police, HM Customs and Port Authority for their deployment too.

"Cool, professional and calm!"

He said "hell will freeze over" before Gibraltar removes the concrete reef and accused Spain of behaving like North Korea.

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy says he will take all legal measures to defend his country's interests.

HMS Illustrious is also due to take part in the Cougar 13 wargames

On Friday, Prime Minister David Cameron raised the dispute with European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso.

He said the checks - which have seen huge delays at the border in recent weeks - were "politically motivated and disproportionate" and therefore contrary to the EU right of free movement.

The row has set relations between Spain and the territory back 40 years, according to Edward Macquisten, chief executive of the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce.

He said it was also having an impact on Gibraltar's high season tourist trade, which usually sees hordes of British visitors from Spanish resorts.

Spain ceded sovereignty of Gibraltar to Britain in 1713, but has persistently sought to regain the tiny enclave.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Diana's Death: Police Handed New Information

New information that alleges Princess Diana was murdered has been passed to Scotland Yard through military sources, it has emerged.

The information, thought to include the allegation that the Princess of Wales, Dodi al Fayed and their driver were killed by a member of the British military, will be assessed by officers from the Specialist Crime and Operations Command.

According to Sky sources it was given to the police by the former parents-in-law of a former soldier.

The deaths of Princess Diana and Mr al Fayed in Paris in 1997 were investigated and examined during a 90-day inquest led by Lord Justice Scott Baker at the Royal Court of Justice in 2007.

On April 7, 2008, the jury concluded their verdict as "unlawful killing, grossly negligent driving of the following vehicles and of the Mercedes".

Princess Diana and Dodi al Fayed leaving the Ritz Hotel on August 31, 1997

The Metropolitan Police said its assessment was not a re-investigation and does not come under Operation Paget, the inquiry led by Lord Stevens into conspiracy theories surrounding Princess Diana and Mr al Fayed's deaths.

A royal spokeswoman said there will be no comment on the matter from Prince William or Prince Harry, or from Clarence House.

After the inquest, the Metropolitan Police said it had spent £8m on services arising from it and the Operation Paget investigation from 2004 to 2006.

Former Met Police commissioner Lord Stevens published his report in December 2006, rejecting claims that Princess Diana and Mr al Fayed had been murdered.

The wreckage of the Mercedes the pair were travelling in when it crashed

Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said: "We understand this information includes an allegation that Princess Diana and Dodi al Fayed and the driver of their car were killed by a member of the British military.

"The information we're told was passed to Scotland Yard quite recently. It also includes, we understand, references to something known as Diana's diary.

"These are very early days, the information has just come in, and Scotland Yard is adamant in saying that this is not a reopening of its investigation from 2004 when it spent three years looking into the circumstances of the Princess' death.

"But it is taking the information seriously and it is considering and it is possible that a new investigation may open."

Princess Diana, Mr al Fayed and their driver Henri Paul died after the Mercedes crashed in a Paris tunnel on August 31, 1997.

Diana was 36 at the time of her death and Mr al Fayed, the son of former Harrods owner Mohamed al Fayed, 42.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

HS2 Rail Project Cost To 'Double To £80bn'

The cost of the new High Speed 2 rail network will be £80bn, double the current estimate, according to a new report.

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) says the plan "defies economic logic" and is calling for the project to be cancelled.

The Department for Transport's official estimate currently stands at £43bn  - a rise from its original figure of £33bn.

The think tank argues that the £80bn price tag could deliver £320bn of value if spent on road and other rail and transport projects.

Work on the first leg between London and Birmingham is due to begin in 2017.

The report's author Dr Richard Welling told the Sunday Telegraph: "It's time the Government abandoned its plans to proceed with HS2.

"The evidence is now overwhelming that this will be unbelievably costly to the taxpayer while delivering incredibly poor value for money."

Map of the HS2 route

A spokesman for the DfT said: "HS2 is absolutely vital for this country, providing a huge economic boost which will generate a return on investment that will continue paying back for generations to come.

"Without it the key rail routes connecting London, the Midlands and the North will be overwhelmed. HS2 will provide the capacity needed in a way that will generate hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions of pounds worth of economic benefits.

"The Government is committed to managing the cost within the budget we have set for the project and to securing maximum value for money for the taxpayer, while also ensuring that preparations are properly made for the most significant infrastructure investment the UK has seen in modern times."

The IEA's 58-page report on the cost will be published on Monday.

Meanwhile campaigners are claiming that more than half a million people across Middle England will have their lives affected by the construction of the project.

The Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) is warning that life in towns and villages up to 25 miles from the rail route will be disrupted by the movement of construction vehicles while the line is being built.

The organisation is publishing its analysis of the impact of the project, in the form of a series of maps, based on information it has obtained from HS2.

According to advance details released to The Mail on Sunday, towns along a 40-mile wide corridor - such as Thame in Oxfordshire, Princes Risborough and Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire, and Leamington Spa in Warwickshire - will be affected by the millions of extra lorry journeys.

When it is built, some of the country's most tranquil areas will be blighted by train noise of up to 95 decibels near the track - the equivalent of a Tube train - from up to 16 trains an hour travelling at 225mph, the paper said.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Egypt: EU To Review Relations Amid Violence

The European Union has said it will "urgently" review its relations with Egypt in the coming days as the violence shows no sign of ending.

In a statement, the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy and the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso called on all sides to show restraint and prevent further escalation of the violence.

"To this effect, together with its member states, the EU will urgently review in the coming days its relations with Egypt and adopt measures aimed at pursuing these goals," the statement said.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague told his Egyptian counterpart that the "disproportionate use of force" by security forces over recent days must stop.

Mr Hague made the comments in a phone call with Nabil Fahmy after security forces stormed the al Fath mosque in Cairo while Muslim Brotherhood supporters have been blamed for attacks on Coptic Christian churches.

Brotherhood supporters had barricaded themselves inside

At one point, troops exchanged gunfire with men shooting from a minaret of the mosque on Ramses Square, where hundreds of supporters of Mohamed Morsi had fled overnight after violent clashes killed 173 people.

The interior ministry said 385 people inside the mosque had been arrested.

A statement by the Anti-Coup Alliance said several marches would take place in the capital this afternoon, continuing the daily campaign of protests in defiance of an intensifying crackdown.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "The foreign secretary and the Egyptian foreign minister spoke about the tragic violence and loss of life over recent days.

"The foreign secretary emphasised UK condemnation of all acts of violence, whether disproportionate use of force by the security forces or violent actions by some demonstrators.

State TV ran an English 'Egypt fights terrorism' caption as the PM spoke

"They also discussed the recent attacks on places of worship and the foreign secretary stressed that attacks on mosques and churches were unacceptable and that places of worship must be protected."

Mr Hague also underlined the need for urgent steps by all sides "to end the violence and enable a return to dialogue", the spokeswoman said.

Meanwhile, the interim army-backed government announced it had begun deliberations on whether to ban the Muslim Brotherhood, a long-outlawed organisation that swept to power in Egypt's first democratic elections a year ago.

Egyptian presidential adviser Mostafa Hegazy said: "When you talk about a difference or a divide that's happening in Egyptian society, I think it's either wrongful thinking or wishful thinking.

"Egyptians today are more united than ever before. We are not only united towards a common dream, but we're united against a common enemy."

Last night, Islamist marchers clashed with civilians in the port city of Alexandria during the funeral of politician Khalid Mohsen, who was shot on Friday.

A few hours later Alexandria's streets were deserted, as night fell and a dusk to dawn curfew began.

The curfew was imposed when Egypt's military rulers declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, and is set to remain in place for at least a month.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More