Ukraine: Observers Freed Amid New Offensive

Military observers kept prisoner in Ukraine for more than a week have been released, the leader of pro-Russian insurgents in Slavyansk has confirmed.

The seven observers and their five assistants, from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, were seized in the eastern city on April 25.

Vyacheslav Ponomarev, the self-appointed 'people's mayor' of Slavyansk, said they had now all been set free.

Russian authorities are likely to have intervened to broker their release, said Sky News' Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay.

Two of the observers pictured while they were being held in Slavyansk

The separatists had previously accused the observers of being "Nato spies" and said they were to be used as human shield.

A prisoner-swap was thought likely, although they were released today without any conditions.

The release comes as Ukrainian forces launched a dawn military operation against separatists in the east of the country as bloody clashes show no sign of letting up.

A pro-Russian activist fires a gun during clashes with rivals

Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said Ukrainian forces had seized control of a television tower in Kramatorsk, near the rebel stronghold of Slavyansk where there was heavy fighting on Friday.

"We are not stopping," Mr Avakov wrote on his Facebook page, but gave no information on casualties.

The violence came hours after 31 people died after a building in Odessa was set on fire during clashes between protesters.

Police said some people inside the trade union building were overcome by smoke and others were killed jumping from windows as they tried to escape.

Pro-Russian and pro-Kiev activists fought running battles as the southern port city saw some of its worst violence since President Victor Yanukovych was ousted in February.

A protester throws a petrol bomb at the trade union building in Odessa

The fire started as the Kiev government began a major offensive against pro-Russian activists who have seized government buildings in the east of the country.

Russia said it was "outraged" by the day's events in Odessa and denounced the "criminal irresponsibility" of the pro-Western authorities in Kiev.

Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement that it called on Ukraine and its "Western backers to end the anarchy and take responsibility for the Ukranian people".

It added that Moscow viewed the "tragic events" as a sign of Kiev's "criminal irresponsibility".

At an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council, the UK accused Moscow of "breathtaking" hypocrisy over the latest clashes.

People wait for rescue on an upper-storey ledge during the fire

The UK's ambassador to the UN Sir Mark Lyall Grant said Russia had "funded, equipped and directed" some of those involved in the insurgency.

"Many" pro-Russian separatists were said to have been killed as the Ukrainian army took control of checkpoints around Slavyansk.

Two Ukrainian soldiers - from the airborne brigade - were also killed as two military helicopters were shot down, acting president Oleksandr Turchynov said.

Russia said Kiev's offensive against the insurgents had "destroyed" the two-week-old Geneva agreement on cooling Ukraine's crisis.

The Ukrainian Security Service said one of the helicopters was shot down with a surface-to-air missile, adding that the sophisticated weapon undermined Russia's claims that Slavyansk was simply under the control of armed locals.

Sky News Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay, in Donetsk, said the Ukraine government is in a "very difficult position".

"If they want to take control of these towns they are going to have to put a lot of soldiers on the ground and bring in police from other parts of the country. If that happens it will absolutely be violent – it will only escalate further.

"If that happens, Russia has made it clear that would be a reason for them to intervene to protect ethnic Russians.

"If Kiev doesn't do that, they are going to see the eastern parts of the country drift away."

Russia has tens of thousands of troops massed near Ukraine's border, and Kiev claims its neighbouring country is preparing to invade and that it is stoking the unrest in the east.

Moscow denies the allegations, but has warned Russia would respond to attacks on Russian citizens or interests in the east, where insurgents have seized government buildings in around a dozen cities in towns.

Unlike eastern Ukraine, Odessa had remained largely untroubled since Mr Yanukovych was toppled.

But clashes erupted late on Friday between pro-Russians and government supporters in the key port on the Black Sea coast, 330 miles from the turmoil in the east.

Police said the deadly fire broke out in a trade union building Friday, but did not give details on how it started. Earlier, police said at least three people had died in a clash between the two sides.

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Cancer Fundraiser Stephen Sutton Leaves Hospital

A terminally-ill teenager who has raised more than £3.1m for charity has been discharged from hospital after a dramatic improvement in his condition.

Stephen Sutton, 19, posted on his Facebook page that he had been allowed to leave hospital after a "remarkable recovery".

He wrote: "I then also have some more great news... I've been discharged from hospital!

"After being at a point where it seemed like I'd never make it out it feels so awesome to be able to put that.

Stephen Sutton has raised more than £3.1m for the Teenage Cancer Trust

"The recovery I've undergone recently is quite remarkable. It has been difficult, there is an emotional trauma attached to nearly dying (a few times) that will take a while to get used to, but ultimately I now feel even more fortunate to just be here and the experience serves as a potent reminder to go out there and live life as freely and as positively as possible."

Earlier this week, the teenager recounted how his breathing "dramatically improved" after he "coughed up a tumour" while in hospital.

He will now recover at home before potentially starting a trial drug treatment.

The teenager's Facebook page has more than 500,000 "likes"

He wrote: "Physically my body has been through a lot recently so naturally I will need some time to recover.

"I have an appointment with the professor in about two weeks time and he's mentioned that if I'm healthy enough there is a trial drug treatment I am eligible for that I could potentially try.

"It would be a 5th different chemotherapy regime for me, with previous others having limited effect, so we will need to seriously discuss the efficacy of me trying it but to even be talking about a few weeks time and having options is a great feeling."

Mr Sutton has now raised more than £3.1m for the Teenage Cancer Trust and has more than 540,000 likes on his Facebook page, where he published a bucket list of things he wanted to achieve before he dies.

He was diagnosed with incurable colorectal cancer at the age of 15 and has released a 10-minute YouTube video called When Life Gives You Cancer, featuring interviews with his mum, his school teachers and his best friend.

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Over 2,000 Confirmed Dead In Afghan Landslide

More than 2,000 people have been confirmed dead in a landslide in Afghanistan after part of a hill above a village collapsed.

A village in Badakshan province, which borders Tajikistan in the country's northeast, has been buried in more than 300ft of mud (100 metres).

"More than 2,100 people from 300 families are all dead," Naweed Forotan, a spokesman for the Badakshan provincial governor, told the Reuters news agency.

Hundreds of mud brick homes were destroyed when two landslides, triggered by torrential rain, hit Hobo Barik, in Argo district.

At least 100 people have been injured.

The side of the mountain collapsed as villagers were trying to recover belongings and livestock follow a smaller landslip a few hours earlier.

Hundreds of mud brick homes were destroyed in the village

Villagers and dozens of police officers equipped with only basic digging tools began searching for survivors from first light on Saturday.

But it quickly became apparent there was no hope of finding anyone.

The United Nations says the focus is now on the more than 4,000 people who have been displaced by the disaster.

A memorial service is planned for later today, and the site is expected to be designated as a mass grave, according to UN spokesman Ari Gaitanis.

He added the survivors need water, medical support, counselling, food and emergency shelter.

Hundreds camped out overnight in near freezing temperatures, although some were provided with tents. Food and water have also been distributed.

Four thousand people have been displaced

There are also fears another section of the mountainside could collapse, threatening the homeless and hundreds of rescue workers.

The Afghan military flew rescue teams to the search area today, because the remote mountain region is served by only narrow, poor roads that have been damaged by more than a week of heavy rain.

NATO-led coalition troops are ready to assist, but have not yet been asked for help by the Afghan government.

US President Barack Obama has also offered to send help.

Seasonal rains and spring snow melt have brought destruction to large parts of northern Afghanistan, killing more than 100 people.

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Max Clifford A Devil, Says Octuplets Mum

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

A mother who was represented by Max Clifford after she found out she was having octuplets has called the convicted PR guru "a devil".

Mandy Allwood said Clifford "preys on people's vulnerability" and used her as a "money-making machine".

She hit the headlines in 1996 after taking fertility drugs, but went on to miscarry all eight babies - and almost died herself.

Despite this, she claims that Clifford, 71, showed her no sympathy.

Mandy Allwood, when pregnant with the eight babies

Ms Allwood, from Warwickshire, told Sky News: "He preys on people's vulnerability.

"Obviously you can imagine going through that trauma, it was my children, he had no consideration for my wellbeing.

"He knew I was vulnerable, but he was just interested in lining his own pockets and there was no emotion, no feeling - he was just out for what he wanted."

Clifford, convicted of a string of sex attacks, had arranged a £75,000 deal with a tabloid newspaper for exclusive rights to her story in June 1996.

Max Clifford arranged a £75,000 deal with a tabloid paper

But in September she went into labour over an agonising three days, only to watch each child die in her arms.

At the time, in a series of interviews on her behalf, Clifford explained: "She needs help, and she came to me for help and guidance and that is exactly what she gets from me."

In 2001, Ms Allwood successfully sued him after she claimed he'd made "considerably more" out of the tragedy than she had.

"He is a devil, a manipulative selfish predator," the 49-year-old said.

"He's a clever guy who knows how to prey on your vulnerability. You can imagine, I was very vulnerable, he didn't even once say 'how are you Mandy?' - there was nothing.

Ms Allwood says Clifford showed no sympathy when she lost the babies

"I was a money-making machine for him - he was so up his own backside he thought he was invincible.

"Justice has been done for all his victims, and I was a victim, let's make that clear.

"I have no sympathy for the guy, I am so pleased that the verdict came back guilty, for the victims.

"Hopefully now they have got justice and they can start repairing their own lives."

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British Fighters Filmed In Syria 'War Crime'

By Tom Rayner, Middle East Reporter

Video has emerged implicating British fighters in Syria in an apparent war crime.

Footage uncovered by researchers at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) shows jihadist rebels killing a prisoner, said to be a loyalist of President Bashar al Assad.

The incident is thought to have happened in the last two weeks near Raqqa in northern Syria.

The footage was posted on the Instagram account of a man believed to be from London.

The caption accompanying the video describes the prisoner as one of "Bashar [al Assad's] dogs" and says the killing was retribution for the deaths of four fellow rebels and the rape of a woman.

The ICSR monitors the social media accounts of hundreds of foreign fighters inside Syria.

Researchers say one of the executioners is a Briton seen in other videos

They believe the man that posted the video is part of a group of British fighters, known as Rayat al Tawheed, an affiliate of the Sunni jihadi movement ISIS, which controls large swathes of northern Syria.

Shiraz Maher, a senior ICSR researcher based at King's College London, said the killing of prisoners is a war crime in international law.

"It's incredibly serious," he said.

"We believe the main characters involved with Rayat al Tawheed come from London.

"We have deduced this based on our discussions with foreign fighters, our extensive record-keeping of foreign fighter activity in Syria, and our maintenance of social network maps which allows us to plot activity and associations in a visual form."

In one video a British fighter says a bullet is "the pen of the mujahid"

Although no audible English is spoken in the video itself, analysts from the ICSR believe they have identified one of the gunmen as being a British citizen.

A man is seen in the video firing shots into the body of the prisoner in the seconds after the initial bullet was fired by the main shooter.

Analysis of the gunman's physical build, wristwatch and balaclava led the ICSR to conclude he is the same man seen speaking English with a London accent in other videos posted by the group.

"We don't know if the prisoner was alive or dead when he fired, but he did partake in the execution, he did fire shots at the individual from his weapon, and we believe he is a British citizen," said ICSR researcher Joseph Carter.

On two separate videos posted on YouTube, the man identified as the gunman by the ICSR is heard berating the British Muslim community for failing to provide sufficient financial support for the jihad or the families the fighters have left behind.

The group lobbies for donations to buy more weapons and ammunition

"You know who you are, from the capital, the Midlands, up north, wherever you may be… it's a disgrace, that brothers know where these wives are, where these families are, and yet you are buying your nephew or your child a PlayStation 4 or taking them out to Nando's," he said.

The Government's counter-terrorism programme last week launched a campaign urging the families of young men planning to travel to Syria to intervene.

It is estimated that up to 400 Britons have travelled to fight or train in Syria in the last two years. 

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "This demonstrates why we have consistently called for the situation in Syria to be referred to the International Criminal Court.

"Horrific atrocities have been committed by both the Assad regime and by extremists. The international community must ensure that all those responsible are held to account.

"Our priority is to dissuade people from travelling, but any extremists should know we are prepared to take action to protect national security, and intelligence agencies and police are working to identify potential threats."

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Max Clifford: PR Guru Arrives For Sentencing

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

Shamed publicist Max Clifford has arrived at court where he will be sentenced this afternoon for eight sex offences.

The PR guru initially stayed silent as he spent nearly five minutes posing for photographers, at times standing on the street with his hands in his pockets.

But when asked by Sky's Tom Parmenter whether he had anything to say to his victims, he replied defiantly: "I stand by everything I've said in the past - everything."

The 71-year-old was then asked if that included his description of the women as "liars" and "fantasists".

Clifford climbs out of his car to face a bank of press photographers

At that point, he walked off, willingly posing for more pictures as he strode towards the court entrance.

Earlier, Clifford, who is due to be sentenced at 2pm, admitted today was "not the best day of my life", adding: "I just have to face up to it."

The publicist is expected not only to say goodbye to his freedom but also to his high-profile PR business, which is set to close.

Max Clifford Associates, founded more than 20 years ago, was the go-to place for people wanting to promote their kiss-and-tell stories - as well as for celebrity clients including Simon Cowell, who has now unsurprisingly severed all links.

Clifford said he continues to 'stand by' everything he said in court

Although in recent years business had been falling away, latest financial records show Clifford's firm was still pulling in more than £1m a year.

During his eight-week trial, he told reporters his firm lost earnings of that amount.

Workers were in tears as Clifford was found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault against four women aged between 15 and 19 during an eight-year period from 1977.

The dozen all-female staff he employs were regulars in the public gallery at Southwark Crown Court but they are now all expected to lose their jobs when he is sentenced by judge Anthony Leonard.

Clifford's car parked outside the offices of his PR firm in April

The company moved from plush offices near Bond Street in central London to premises in Weybridge, Surrey, last year.

The office block is not far from Clifford's home, with his Bentley, featuring its personalised number plate, regularly seen on the High Street.

Lawyers are expected to announce the firm will shut as a result of Clifford's convictions and a staff member said: "We've been told not to say anything. There will be a statement, at some point after sentencing, that's all I can say."

Employee Ann Duffy, who broke down in tears as the verdicts were returned, told Sky News: "This is the biggest injustice and I'm very distraught."

Clifford's daughter Louise and several employees supported him at court

Other staff members were also clearly upset and said it had been "the most awful week".

The company's website was inaccessible within hours of the guilty verdicts being returned and at the same time a "horrified" Cowell cut links with Clifford as did Dragons' Den Star Theo Paphitis.

A source close to the PR firm said: "The girls are having long talks with lawyers and advisers. They know at the end of the day they are all going to lose their jobs. Max Clifford Associates will close and they will be out of work.

"No-one wants anything to do with the company and clients are distancing themselves. The girls are all upset - they backed Max all the way and now they have uncertain futures."

One of Clifford's employees told Sky News she had been left "distraught"

The source added: "As a friend and a former client of Max ... the Max that I know has always been a kind, generous and helpful person who has been a fantastic father.

"I hope he can spend his time in prison working out where things have gone wrong for him and come out and be the best person he can."

It has also emerged that earlier this year ago Clifford took out an unexplained £3.5m mortgage on his Surrey mansion with the suggestion being he wanted to put his money out of reach of victims looking for compensation.

During the trial he accused the woman who came forward detailing how he preyed on them of "jumping on a bandwagon" and trying to "cash in" on him by selling their stories.

Clifford in the 1990s with Antonia de Sancha, one of his best-known clients

There is also speculation that his wife of four years, Jo, is looking to divorce him - she was noticeably absent during his trial and was not even called as a character witness.

Last month she was seen near her Cotswolds home without her wedding ring and when approached by Sky News said she did not want to comment on the trial.

Legal experts say Clifford faces at least two years in jail as the judge will have to use guidelines in force when the offences were committed in the 1970s and 1980s.

He has already warned Clifford that being bailed was no indication of how he would be sentenced.

If the offences had been committed in the last decade he could have been given a life sentence, as two of the guilty verdicts on the 15-year-old girl victim involved serious sex crimes.

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The 'Disappeared': Who Were They?

Northern Ireland's 'Disappeared' In Full

Updated: 9:28am UK, Thursday 01 May 2014

A list of Northern Ireland's "Disappeared", the 16 people abducted and killed by Republican paramilitaries during the Troubles.

Joseph Lynskey: A former Cistercian monk from west Belfast who went missing in the summer of 1972. His remains have not been found.

Seamus Wright: The married asphalt layer from Belfast disappeared in October 1972, and despite extensive searches in the Coghalstown area the remains of the 25-year-old have not been located.

Kevin McKee: Mr Mckee was also from Belfast and disappeared in the same month as Mr Wright. Searches for his remains in the Coghalstown area have also proved unsuccessful.

Jean McConville: The widower and mother-of-10 from Belfast was abducted and killed in December 1972 when she was 37. Her remains were found over the border in County Louth in August 2003.

Peter Wilson: The 21-year-old disappeared from his west Belfast home in August 1973. He was added to the list in 2009 and his remains were found in County Antrim in November 2010.

Eamon Molloy: He was taken from his home in Ardoyne area of Belfast in July 1975. The IRA named him as one of the "Disappeared" in a statement in 1999. His remains were discovered in a coffin left in a cemetery near Dundalk, County Louth.

Columba McVeigh: The painter was 17-years-old when he was murdered in October 1975. Despite extensive searches his remains have not been found.

Robert Nairac: An officer with the Grenadier Guards who was on a tour of duty in Northern Ireland, Captain Nairac was killed in County Antrim in May 1977. The 29-year-old's remains have not been found.

Brendan Megraw: The 23-year-old's wife was expecting their first child when he was abducted from his home and murdered in April 1978. Again, the location of his remains is unknown.

John McClory and Brian McKinney: The pair were abducted and killed in May 1978. A 30-day search of bogland in Inniskeen, County Monaghan unearthed a double grave with both of their remains in 1999.

Gerard (Gerry) Evans: A 24-year-old painter who vanished in March 1979 on his way home. His remains were discovered in County Louth in October 2010, but no one has admitted responsibility for his death.

Danny McIlhone: Mr McIlhone, from west Belfast, went missing in July 1981. His remains were uncovered in bogland in County Wicklow in 2008 after previous searches in 1999 and 2000 proved unsuccessful.

Charlie Armstrong: The married father-of-five was abducted and killed in August 1981 while on his way to collect a neighbour to go to mass. The 54-year-old's remains were found in County Monaghan in July 2010. No group has admitted responsibility.

Eugene Simons: Mr Simons went missing on New Year's Day 1981. Three years later his body was found in a bog in Dundalk, County Louth.

Seamus Ruddy: The 33-year-old English teacher, who was working in Paris, disappeared in May 1985. The Irish National Liberation Army admitted responsibility in December 1995 and four years later, it was suggested his body was buried in Rouen. Despite searches there, nothing has been found.

Source: Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains

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Gerry Adams Facing More Questions Over Murder

Northern Ireland's 'Disappeared' In Full

Updated: 9:28am UK, Thursday 01 May 2014

A list of Northern Ireland's "Disappeared", the 16 people abducted and killed by Republican paramilitaries during the Troubles.

Joseph Lynskey: A former Cistercian monk from west Belfast who went missing in the summer of 1972. His remains have not been found.

Seamus Wright: The married asphalt layer from Belfast disappeared in October 1972, and despite extensive searches in the Coghalstown area the remains of the 25-year-old have not been located.

Kevin McKee: Mr Mckee was also from Belfast and disappeared in the same month as Mr Wright. Searches for his remains in the Coghalstown area have also proved unsuccessful.

Jean McConville: The widower and mother-of-10 from Belfast was abducted and killed in December 1972 when she was 37. Her remains were found over the border in County Louth in August 2003.

Peter Wilson: The 21-year-old disappeared from his west Belfast home in August 1973. He was added to the list in 2009 and his remains were found in County Antrim in November 2010.

Eamon Molloy: He was taken from his home in Ardoyne area of Belfast in July 1975. The IRA named him as one of the "Disappeared" in a statement in 1999. His remains were discovered in a coffin left in a cemetery near Dundalk, County Louth.

Columba McVeigh: The painter was 17-years-old when he was murdered in October 1975. Despite extensive searches his remains have not been found.

Robert Nairac: An officer with the Grenadier Guards who was on a tour of duty in Northern Ireland, Captain Nairac was killed in County Antrim in May 1977. The 29-year-old's remains have not been found.

Brendan Megraw: The 23-year-old's wife was expecting their first child when he was abducted from his home and murdered in April 1978. Again, the location of his remains is unknown.

John McClory and Brian McKinney: The pair were abducted and killed in May 1978. A 30-day search of bogland in Inniskeen, County Monaghan unearthed a double grave with both of their remains in 1999.

Gerard (Gerry) Evans: A 24-year-old painter who vanished in March 1979 on his way home. His remains were discovered in County Louth in October 2010, but no one has admitted responsibility for his death.

Danny McIlhone: Mr McIlhone, from west Belfast, went missing in July 1981. His remains were uncovered in bogland in County Wicklow in 2008 after previous searches in 1999 and 2000 proved unsuccessful.

Charlie Armstrong: The married father-of-five was abducted and killed in August 1981 while on his way to collect a neighbour to go to mass. The 54-year-old's remains were found in County Monaghan in July 2010. No group has admitted responsibility.

Eugene Simons: Mr Simons went missing on New Year's Day 1981. Three years later his body was found in a bog in Dundalk, County Louth.

Seamus Ruddy: The 33-year-old English teacher, who was working in Paris, disappeared in May 1985. The Irish National Liberation Army admitted responsibility in December 1995 and four years later, it was suggested his body was buried in Rouen. Despite searches there, nothing has been found.

Source: Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains

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Stabbed Teacher's Family Face Suspect In Court

The family of stabbed teacher Ann Maguire have arrived at a court in Leeds, where a pupil accused of her murder is due to appear.

Relatives of the 61-year-old, who was attacked in front of her students, are attending the 15-year-old's appearance at Leeds Youth Court.

Earlier, her family described her as a "shining light who brightened the world for so many".

In a moving tribute, they described her as "a loving wife, the best mother, a treasured sister (and) a true friend", adding: "This horrific happening has robbed us of all of this and so much more.

"We are devastated. Her selfless, genuine, caring nature will remain with us eternally."

More follows...

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Teacher Stabbing: More Time To Question Suspect

Police have been granted more time to question a 15-year-old boy as police continue to investigate why a popular teacher, just months from retirement, was fatally stabbed in front of her class.

Ann Maguire died from multiple stab wounds in the incident at Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds, where she had taught for more than 40 years.

Police were due to interview the boy held in connection with the death yesterday, a task officers said would be handled sensitively due to his age.

Corpus Christi headteacher Steve Mort and two pupils walk to lay flowers

Detective Superintendent Simon Beldon, of West Yorkshire Police Protective Services, said: "Given his young age, this is a process which needs to be handled sensitively and can take some time to complete.

"We will obviously give consideration to our powers to extend the period of his detention if that is required."

Meanwhile, it was reported in The Sun that Mrs Maguire was stabbed to death after going to work on her day off to help pupils prepare for next month's GCSE Spanish exams.

Students and staff paid tribute to the much-loved Spanish teacher on an emotional first day back at school.

A mass was held to remember Mrs Maguire

It was also being widely reported that Mrs Maguire had brought up her sister's two young sons after their mother died of cancer.

The Times said the teacher, who had two adult daughters, looked after her nephews following the death of sister Eileen Poole in 1986.

Police have also confirmed that the school had a dedicated 'safer schools' officer, but that she was helping at another school on the day Mrs Maguire was killed.

The 61-year-old, who taught generations of children during her time at the school, was due to retire in September.

Children began arriving early to add tributes to more than 200 bouquets of flowers that cover the railings outside the school gates.

Mrs Maguire was also remembered at a service in the neighbouring Corpus Christi Church.

Students who witnessed the incident are being interviewed by specialist officers.

Some reported hearing screams as other members of staff rushed to her classroom and restrained her attacker.

Her death is the first time a teacher has been stabbed to death in a British classroom.

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Killer 'Writhed In Pain' In Botched Execution

A death row prisoner started moving and mumbling 13 minutes after being given a supposedly lethal injection.

Oklahoma inmate Clayton Lockett had been given a controversial new cocktail of death penalty drugs and appeared unconscious before he tried to lift his head.

Doctors called a halt to the procedure but the 38-year-old, who shot a teenager and buried her alive in a shallow grave, was pronounced dead around 25 minutes later after apparently suffering a heart attack.

Witness Ziva Branstetter said Lockett was thrashing about and appeared to be in pain.

"His body was sort of bucking," she told broadcaster MSNBC.

"He was clenching his jaw. Several times he mumbled phrases that were largely unintelligible."

The execution of Warner, who raped and killed a baby girl, has been delayed

Richard Dieter, of the Death Penalty Information Center, which monitors capital punishment, warned Lockett's death could have major implications.

The botched execution had been put on hold for several weeks due to legal arguments over the use of the deadly cocktail.

Lawyers claim the combination of chemicals causes undue suffering and violates laws against cruel punishment.

"This could be a real turning point in the whole debate as people get disgusted by this sort of thing," Mr Dieter said.

"This might lead to a halt in executions until states can prove they can do it without problems. Someone has been killed by incompetence."

Another inmate, Charles Warner, who was due to be given a lethal injection shortly after Lockett, has been given a 14-day stay of execution while a full review is carried out.

His attorney, Madeline Cohen, said: "After weeks of Oklahoma refusing to disclose basic information about the drugs for lethal injection procedures, Mr Lockett was tortured to death."

The cocktail of drugs consists of midazolam to cause unconsciousness, vecuronium bromide to stop breathing and potassium chloride to stop the heart.

It was introduced after sales bans were slapped on previous pills by pharmaceutical companies keen to stop their medicines being used on death row.

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Nigel Farage Rules Out Running As MP

UKIP leader Nigel Farage has ruled out running for MP in the Newark by-election saying he wants to focus on the European elections.

Mr Farage said he did not want to look like an "opportunist" by running in for a seat in an area with which he had no links.

The UKIP leader said he wanted to focus all of his attention on the May 22 vote, even though the by-election, triggered by the resignation on Tuesday of the former Tory MP Patrick Mercer, would fall after that date.

He told Sky News: "At 7.30 last night I found out there was going to be a by-election in Newark and 12 hours later I have thought hard about it overnight and I have realised we are just three weeks away from a European election ... I don't want to do anything that distracts from that."

He said had he agreed to fight the Newark by-election "all anybody would have wanted to talk to me about for the next three weeks would be that by elections".

Mr Farage added: "We will fight the Newark by-election but it won't be me. I would have been seen to be an opportunist. I would have been seen to be somebody effectively sent up from London and I am not sure electorally it would have worked any way."

He denied suggestions he was frightened of the contest - a loss would have been disastrous for the party leader ahead of the 2015 elections - and said he didn't want UKIP to be seen as a "one-man party".

However, a number of Labour and Conservative MPs took to Twitter to suggest the UKIP leader had "bottled it".

Labour MP for Newport West Paul Flynn wrote: "Farage wimps out and bursts his own bubble. "

While the Conservative MP for Wyre Forest, Mark Garnier, wrote: "Nigel Farage and the Newark by-election: Man or mouse ...? Pass the cheese!!! Squeek squeek ... "

Political observers suggested Mr Farage would have been likely to lose the by-election because of overwhelming Tory support in the constituency.

Mr Mercer, who stepped down over a cash-for-questions scandal, was returned on a 16,000 majority in 2010, while UKIP's candidate came fourth - 26,000 votes behind.

The UKIP leader said his party had a very good change of winning the by-election. He said: "Given the circumstances that a Conservative MP has gone in effectively what is an updated cash for questions row and scandal. 

"I think there will be such a level of anger that UKIP will have a very good chance of winning that by-election despite the size of the Conservative majority."

Tory MP and Minister without Portfolio, Ken Clarke, told the Radio 4 Today Programme: "I am not really surprised. Whatever else Nigel is, he is not an idiot and I don't think he'd have the faintest chance of winning in Newark,"

Mr Clarke, whose constituency is next-door to Newark, added there was no way the people of Newark would have voted for "a card who is larking about trying to get protest votes".

However, UKIP is now riding significantly higher in the polls with some putting support at 20%.

The Conservatives have announced their candidate as Robert Jennick, a 32-year-old lawyer and business director at Christies.

Former Army colonel Mr Mercer resigned after undercover reporters recorded him being given £4,000 to lobby for business interests in Fiji, tabling Commons questions and offering a Westminster security pass.

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Brit Oliver Gobat Feared Murdered In St Lucia

The family of a British man missing on the Caribbean island of St Lucia are awaiting the identification of a body found in the seat of his burnt-out car.

Hotelier and property developer Oliver Gobat, 38, was reported missing last Friday.

The Foreign Office is urgently investigating reports of his death.

Double Olympic decathlon gold medallist Daley Thompson paid a personal tribute to Mr Gobat on Twitter.

The retired athlete, who has carried out fitness sessions at the family's five-star Cap Maison hotel on the island, wrote: "My love and thoughts go out to friends and family of Ollie Gobat. He was a gem and his family must have been so proud of him. RIP, my friend."

Former heptathlete and Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis also tweeted: "Just reading the shocking news about the death of Oliver Gobat. So very sad. My condolences to his family and friends. Such a lovely guy."

The victim was reportedly shot twice in the head before being doused with petrol and set alight, although police have refused to confirm this.

A post-mortem examination is due to be held later.

An FCO spokesperson said: "We are aware of reports and are looking into them urgently."

It is claimed residents in nearby properties reported hearing sounds of gunshots before seeing flames coming from the vehicle.

A short time later, Mr Gobat's burnt-out Range Rover was found with a body of a man in the passenger seat.

It is reported there were no keys in the vehicle and the doors were locked.

A St Lucia police spokesman said: "The badly burned body of a man was found in a car in the Cap Estate at the roadside but we have no identity for the victim.

"The homicide department are investigating the death.

"We can confirm that we are searching for a missing man called Oliver Gobat, but we cannot confirm the identity of the dead man because of the state of the body.

"We do not know Mr Gobat's whereabouts at the moment."

Mr Gobat's parents, who live in Esher, Surrey, are understood to have flown out to St Lucia.

Mr Gobat represented Surrey juniors at cricket and attended Leeds University.

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Teacher Stabbing: Pupil Remains In Custody

School Pupils Caught With Weapons

Updated: 12:07am UK, Wednesday 23 April 2014

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs and Education Editor

Almost 1,000 pupils were caught with weapons including guns, axes and a meat cleaver in schools in the last three years, a Sky News investigation has found.

New figures show 981 children have had weapons confiscated on school premises since 2011.

They include at least 80 primary school children, the youngest of whom was an eight-year-old caught with a knife.

Some 36 pupils were found with an assortment of guns, including two hand guns, seven air-powered weapons and 27 BB guns.

Of those found with weapons, 329 caught with items including an axe, a cut-throat razor and a stun gun were charged with a criminal offence.

One 18-year-old, who is taking part in a young offender's programme in London, said: "I carried a weapon ... but only because of the environment I was in.

"My generation is a bit wild ... so it's a normal thing to carry a weapon because you know everyone else is. It's making it fair, basically."

Campaigners warned the scale of the problem is likely to be much worse, as 21 of the UK's 52 police forces did not supply figures requested under the Freedom of Information Act.

Data from West Midlands Police, which alone recovered weapons from 538 people during the same period, was not included because it also accounts for colleges and universities.

The figures raise questions about whether schools and the Government have failed to tackle the problem.

Jayne Walmsley, whose son Luke was murdered at a Lincolnshire school in 2003 aged 14, said: "Something is happening to the society we live in.

"We need to think and educate these kids. It's got to stop. We've got to do something about it."

Patrick Regan, CEO of charity XLP, which was founded in response to a school stabbing, added: "There's a culture of fear that needs to be broken down."

The Government said it had given teachers powers to take action if they suspect a pupil has brought a weapon into school.

"Teachers can now search pupils without consent, confiscate prohibited items and use force to remove disruptive pupils from the classroom when necessary," a spokesman for the Department for Education said.

"We've also given heads the final say on expulsions by removing the right of appeal panels to put pupils back in the classroom."

However, Chris Douglas, a youth worker with St Giles Trust, which engages with young people caught up in crime, warned the use of weapons is a growing problem.

"We're not hearing about stabbings because they're becoming more common," he said.

Last year, a study by UCL and charity Kids Company found half the young people working with the organisation had seen someone shot or stabbed in their community in the past year.

In 2009, the then-Government announced new measures to curb the problem of weapons in schools after a spate of attacks against children.

There were plans to introduce airport-style metal detectors as part of a violent crime action plan.

But campaigners are concerned the issue has disappeared from public discourse, leaving children vulnerable.

"Sometimes it's a bit like banging your head on a brick wall," Mrs Walmsley said.

"Schools won't admit to the problem because all they want is more pupils for more money."

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UK Economy Grows 0.8% In First Quarter

The UK's economic recovery continued in the first quarter of 2014, with the first estimate of GDP growth coming in at 0.8%.

The figure - while weaker than the 0.9% most economists had expected - meant that output was 3.1% higher on the same period the previous year marking the fastest annual growth since the last quarter of 2007.

However, the economy remains 0.6% smaller than at its peak in the first quarter of 2008 after the recession wiped 7.2% off total output.

News of the economy's latest performance, released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), showed growth across each major sector of the economy though construction output was damaged by the impact of the winter storms.

The ONS said while widespread flooding appeared to have no overall effect on output it said bad weather in January and February did hit efforts to meet demand for new homes with construction recording just 0.3% growth.

Output in the service sector - which makes up more than three quarters of UK GDP - rose by 0.9% and continued to be driven by consumer spending.

Manufacturing grew by 1.3%, its strongest quarter for nearly four years, bolstering hopes for a re-balancing in the recovery away from its reliance on consumers.

Industrial production rose 0.8% though mining and quarrying, together with electricity and gas production, and agriculture, shrank over the quarter.

The GDP figures were seized upon by the union organisation the TUC as evidence the recovery was not gaining enough momentum to sustain a raise in interest rates - widely expected next year.

The Chancellor George Osborne said: "Today's figures show that Britain is coming back - but we can't take that for granted. We have to carry on working through our long-term economic plan.

"For the first time in a decade all three main sectors of the economy - manufacturing, services and construction - have grown by at least 3% over the last year.

"The impact of the great recession is still being felt, but the foundations for a broad-based recovery are now in place.

"The biggest risk to economic security would be abandoning the plan that is laying those foundations".

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Egypt: 683 Given Death Sentence In Mass Trial

A judge in Egypt has sentenced the supreme guide of the Muslim Brotherhood and 682 supporters to death in a mass trial.

The ruling follows the murder of policemen and several acts of violence linked to deadly riots that erupted across the country last summer.

Hundreds of people were killed when security forces disbanded sit-ins by Brotherhood supporters loyal to ousted President Mohamed Morsi.

His supporters have faced a violent crackdown since he was forced from power in July.

Speaking outside the court in the southern city of Minya, defence lawyer Ahmed Hefni said Monday's death sentences must first be approved by Egypt's mufti, the highest religious authority.

Supporters of the ousted President Mohamed Morsi have been targeted

However, his opinion is not legally binding and can be ignored by the court.

The judge in the case also handed down a final capital punishment ruling for 37 of 529 Brotherhood supporters sentenced to death last month.

The remaining defendants were given life in prison.

The more than 1,200 defendants are accused of attacking both police and public property after security forces broke up two Cairo protest camps set up by supporters of Mr Morsi last August.

They are also accused of committing acts of violence that led to the deaths of two police officers in Minya.

The former president is on trial in Minya in three separate cases, including one for inciting the killing of protesters outside a presidential palace during his time in office.

Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands arrested since the Muslim Brotherhood was banned.

The government has declared the Muslim Brotherhood to be a "terrorist" organisation, a claim the group denies.

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Sheffield Fire: Three Children Among Five Dead

Five people, including three young children, have died in a house fire in Sheffield despite heroic efforts to save the youngsters.

The children - believed to be a nine-week-old baby girl and two boys aged seven and nine - died alongside their aunt, 20, and grandmother, 54, relatives said. 

One neighbour told how they saw the grandmother run screaming from the blazing home, before going back inside to try and save the young victims. 

Wake Road is about one mile from the centre of Sheffield

The children's mother and father are said to be "devastated". 

Scenes of crime officers have erected a tent outside the three-storey terraced home in Wake Road, Sharrow, and are searching for clues.

Ishfaq Hussain Kayan, the cousin of one of the women who died, said: "It's just a huge tragedy. Words cannot describe how sad this is. It's a tragedy beyond description.

Police are investigating the cause of the blaze

"The whole community is in huge shock. As soon as the news broke just after midnight we came round.

"I've been with the family. It's so sad. A couple of hours ago the whole family was leading their normal life.

He told Sky News: "The father had taken the boys for haircuts for school and the 20-year-old was getting ready to start university.

"Just in a matter of minutes the whole family has been destroyed. They were such a lovely family, such a prosperous family, such a joyous family, well-respected.

Police have sealed off the road

"I can't tell you the pain the children's parents are going through- they are devastated."

The five victims died after the blaze broke out shortly after midnight.

A South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue spokesman said the cause of the blaze was being investigated.

Sky's North of England Correspondent Mike McCarthy said Wake Road had been sealed off while investigations continued.

"A 999 call was made at 12.15am and an operation involved an aerial ladder to reach an upper floor," McCarthy said.

Ishfaq Hussain Kayan says the family were 'joyous and prosperous'

"There's a white scenes of crime tent outside the house and there's a window open there. I can still smell the smoke from the fire." 

Four fire engines were called to the scene, as well as police and ambulance services.

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US Tornado Swarm Inflicts Mass Casualties

At least 12 people have been killed and many more injured in the United States after a powerful storm system saw tornadoes rip through Arkansas and Oklahoma.

A dozen or more twisters tore through central and southern parts of the country, decimating buildings, overturning trucks, and bringing down trees and power lines.

National Guard troops have been mobilised in the worst-hit areas, and rescue workers have been combing through debris searching for victims, as forecasters warned more twisters were on their way.

Tornadoes have also hit in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri, causing damage

President Barack Obama has sent his condolences to those affected and pledged any assistance necessary.

The deadly twisters have had a devastating impact on communities

Mr Obama, who is currently in the Philippines, said: "Your country will be there to help you recover and rebuild, as long as it takes."

Arkansas Emergency Management official Brandon Morris told Sky News 11 people were killed by the large tornado which struck through the state.

The tornado formed outside Little Rock and travelled for 30 miles, carving a destructive path.

Television footage from the scene showed badly-damaged buildings and cars.

In Mayflower, one person was killed and 45 homes were destroyed.

City alderman Will Elder said: "It's extremely hazardous here right now. The power lines are down, roads are blocked and they (emergency services) will have to proceed with caution."

An earlier tornado in the town of Quapaw, in Oklahoma, also left one person dead and at least six people injured.

Joe Dan Morgan, of Ottawa County Emergency Management, said there was heavy damage in the town.

"It looks like about half of (the) town got extensive damage as well as the fire department," he said.

Emergency crews were combing through debris in those towns hit hardest by the tornadoes, as forecasters warned more twisters were on their way.

James Firestone, mayor of  the Arkansas town of Velonia said: "It's chaos right now."

He said the downtown area "seems like it's completely levelled."

He added: "There's a few buildings partially standing, gas lines spewing. Fire lines down. We've had some casualties."

Firefighters from nearby cities as well as National Guard troops were heading to the town to help, and the county sheriff's office said a "mass casualty situation" had been reported.

US Representative Tim Griffin said: "Tonight, I walked around what was only hours earlier a thriving neighbourhood that is now gone.

"An entire neighbourhood of 50 or so homes has been destroyed - many homes are completely gone except the foundation.

"And there is more devastation like this in other parts of Arkansas."

Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe wrote on Twitter: "It's been a truly awful night for many families, neighbourhoods and communities, but Arkansas always step up to help each other recover."

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US Reassures Europe Of Nato's 'Ironclad' Support

America has reassured its East European allies of Nato's support as the worst post-Cold War stand-off between Russia and the West continues.

US Vice President Joe Biden phoned Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka and Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban and "underscored the ironclad commitment of the US" to the collective defence of Nato members.

They "agreed that Russia would face further costs for its destabilising actions in Ukraine and massing of troops along the Russian-Ukrainian border," the White House said.

The US has ruled out sending American or Nato forces into Ukraine, but has begun deploying 600 US troops to bolster defences in the nearby countries of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry is urging Russia to help free a team of international military observers in eastern Ukraine.

Eight members of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) were travelling with five Ukrainian troops when they were detained by separatists in the flashpoint town of Slavyansk.

A barricade around the state security service building in Slavyansk

Pro-Russian gunmen plan to use them as a "human shield" and are "co-ordinating activities with Russia" - according to the Ukraine Security Service.

Moscow said it would take "all possible steps" to free the military monitors as their capture was condemned by Western leaders.

However, rebels accused the observers of being "Nato spies" and vowed to continue holding them.

A team of negotiators is on its way to the town to meet its self-appointed mayor, Vyacheslav Ponomaryovt, to try and secure the release of the monitors.

It comes as Britain and other G7 nations agreed new sanctions against Russia.

Speaking at a news conference in Malaysia, US President Barack Obama said it was important for the world to send Russia a message.

"We're going to be in a stronger position to deter Mr Putin when he sees that the world is unified and the United States and Europe is unified rather than this is just a US-Russian conflict," he said.

He said Russia had not "lifted a finger" to get pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine to comply with an international agreement to defuse the crisis.

"In fact, there's strong evidence that they've been encouraging the activities in eastern and southern Ukraine," he said.

Senior EU diplomats are to hold an emergency meeting in Brussels on Monday to discuss sanctions against Moscow.

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Helicopter Crash: Five UK Service Members Die

Five military personnel killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan were UK service members, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.

They died when their Lynx aircraft crashed during a routine flight in Kandahar province in the south on Saturday.

Prime Minister David Cameron said today his "heart goes out to the families and friends of those killed in this terrible tragedy".

Three of the servicemen killed were from the Army Air Corps, based at RAF Odiham in Hampshire, the MoD said.

One was a Royal Air Force serviceman also based at RAF Odiham.

One was a member of the Army Reserve from 3 Military Intelligence Battalion, based in London.

Next of kin of all five servicemen have been informed.

The aircraft went down in the Takhta Pul district of Kandahar

Mr Cameron said: "Every British fatality is a source of deep sadness. This latest incident, which has cost the lives of five UK service personnel, brings home to us all once again how our armed forces continue to put their lives on the line to help the people of Afghanistan.

"I cannot pay high enough tribute to each and every one of them for the job that they do and the sacrifices that they make."

Major General Richard Felton, Commander Joint Helicopter Command, said: "It is with great sadness that we must confirm that five UK service personnel have been killed in this incident which, at this early stage, would appear to have been a tragic accident.

"Events like this, whilst mercifully rare, remind us of the risks our personnel face in their work in Afghanistan as we approach the conclusion of the combat mission later this year."

Kandahar provincial police spokesman Zia Durrani said the helicopter went down in the Takhta Pul district of Kandahar province, around 30 miles from the Pakistan border - and that it was not attacked by militants.

Lynx helicopters are deployed for a wide variety of operations

"It was doing military exercises and crashed as a result of technical fault," he said.

The helicopter involved was a Westland Lynx, an aircraft with a range of uses including transport and resupply.

Defence analyst Paul Beaver said: "It is difficult to speculate on what has happened. It could be weather related, it could be dust or it could have been trying to avoid birds, for example, or it could be some kind of mechanical failure.

"There is a whole range of possible causes."

The deaths bring the total number of UK service personnel to have been killed in Afghanistan to 453.

It is thought to be the third deadliest incident involving British forces in the war and the worst air disaster since September 2006, when 14 service personnel were killed in a Nimrod surveillance aircraft which exploded mid-air.

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Two Popes Made Saints In Historic Ceremony

Up to one million people have gathered at Vatican City for an historic day in the Roman Catholic Church as two former Popes were declared saints.

The Canonisation of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII took place in the presence of two living pontiffs, Pope Francis and his predecessor Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI.

The unprecedented double Canonisation was presided over by Francis in St Peter's Square and watched by millions around the world.

Pope John Paul II and John XXIII were declared saints

He believes the two men revitalised the Church while giving it purpose and direction, and has bent years of tradition by allowing them to be celebrated on the same day.

Sky's Robert Nisbet, in Vatican City, said: "There are enormous crowds here.

"They are estimating up to one million people could be crowding around Vatican City and the centre of Rome to be part of this event.

The recipient of John Paul II's second miracle is seen at the altar

"And certainly they've come from all over the world. There's a huge contingent from Poland here - John Paul II obviously still a hero figure to many."

Pope Francis and Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI hugged briefly as the two-hour mass began.

During the service, relics of Pope John Paul II and John XXIII were taken to the altar, and their sainthoods requested three times.

Floribeth Mora, said to be the recipient of John Paul II's second miracle, was one of many who took part in the ceremony, which is estimated to have cost £6m.

Francis presided over the unprecedented double Canonisation

She suffered an aneurysm and was told she had just one month to live, but after seeing John Paul II's beatification ceremony in 2011, she claimed the pain disappeared.

Afterwards, Francis will tour St Peter's Square in his Popemobile, and is expected to go deeper into the crowds than his predecessors.

Nisbet said it would be an attempt to be seen as "less staid" than previous Popes and "to be more down with the people".

Vatican scholars see the double Canonisation as an attempt by Francis to heal the Church, while also showing his gratitude to the two popular leaders, both from humble origins, who influenced his teachings.

It is also seen by theologians as an attempt to unite modernists and traditionalists in the faith.

Emeritus Pope Benedict arrives for the ceremony in St Peter's Square

Both Popes helped shape the second half of the 20th century.

John XXIII convened the famous second Vatican council in the 1960s - a key moment in the modernisation of the Church.

John Paul II saw the fall of communism in his home country of Poland and across the Soviet bloc.

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