Cameron: Meriam Death Sentence Is 'Barbaric'

David Cameron says the death sentence handed down to Meriam Ibrahim is "barbaric" and has called on Sudanese authorities to intervene.

The Prime Minister joined international condemnation of the 27-year-old mother's plight, saying he is "absolutely appalled" by the case.

"The way she is being treated is barbaric and has no place in today's world," he told The Times.

"I urge the government of Sudan to overturn the sentence and immediately provide appropriate support and medical care for her and her children.

"The UK will continue to press the government of Sudan to act."

Ms Ibrahim was found guilty by a Sudanese court of apostasy in renouncing Islam and adultery for marrying a Christian, Daniel Wani.

Husband Daniel Wani with his newborn baby in prison

She was sentenced to 100 lashes and death by hanging earlier this month.

Her death sentence has been suspended for two years so she can nurse her daughter Maya, who was born in prison on Wednesday.

Ms Ibrahim was forced to give birth to the child while shackled to a prison floor after guards at Omdurman Women's Prison refused to release her.

Both the UK and US governments have summoned the Sudan's charge d'affaires to discuss the case.

The US State Department has described Ms Ibrahim's incarceration as "horrific" and continues to press Sudanese officials to intervene.

US embassy officials have been attending Ms Ibrahim's public hearings and are monitoring the appeals process in Khartoum.

Mr Cameron's comments follow condemnation from former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and British politicians including Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg.

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Retailers' Credit Union To Defy Payday Lenders

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

Some of Britain's biggest high street names, including New Look and Next, are forming a credit union that will offer staff an alternative to the sky-high interest rates charged by payday lenders.

Sky News has learnt that RetailCure, which has also received backing from entrepreneurs such as Rymans owner Theo Paphitis, is drawing up plans to launch later this year.

The new venture has received start-up funding of £1m and will eventually be accessible to the 4.8 million people who work directly in retail or in related sectors of the economy, half of whom earn less than £8 an hour.

It will be chaired by John Lovering, a veteran retailer who has led buyouts of companies including Debenhams, Homebase and Somerfield.

Speaking to Sky News, he said: "The industry feels that we have to find a way of providing a source of cheap, reliable credit for our people.

"The three million in retail and the nearly five million in the wider industry do have a need for low-cost, value-for-money, short-term borrowing facilities, and that's what we as an industry are trying to provide."

Booker and Matalan have also agreed to support RetailCure, while John Lewis Partnership and Wm Morrison have been approached and are expected to provide financial assistance.

The launch of RetailCure comes amid a still-intense political debate about the business model employed by payday lenders, which charge interest rates that work out at more than 5,000% on an annual basis.

The high street chains' credit union will charge interest on a sliding scale from roughly 7% to nearly 28% depending upon the borrower's credit history.

Mr Lovering expects the average loan request to be lower than £5,000, and believes that RetailCure could ultimately become Britain's biggest credit union.

"We think we can build a loan-book of £50m and attract 50,000 members relatively quickly," he said.

Assuming it receives regulatory approval, savers who deposit funds with RetailCure will be protected by the same Government guarantee as that which covers high street banks.

Earlier this week, the Church of England unveiled a pilot scheme through which a new credit union network will be piloted in three of its dioceses.

That project is being led by Sir Hector Sants, the former boss of the City watchdog, which since April has had oversight of consumer credit providers such as payday lenders.

Last year, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Justin Welby, said he had told the then boss of Wonga that he wanted to "compete (the company) out of existence".

The remarks sparked acute embarrassment for the Archbishop, however, when it emerged that the Church of England's pension fund was among the investors in one of Wonga's financial backers.

In its annual report this week, the Church Commissioners said they had yet to dispose of the holding because doing so would crystallise a significant loss for its pension fund.

Some industry stakeholders were sceptical about the prospects for RetailCure.

Russell Hamblin-Boone, chief executive of the Consumer Finance Association, which represents short-term lenders, said greater choice was welcome but warned that it faced significant uncertainties.

"What this body will have to do is make sure it complies with very stringent regulations that are applied to financial services.

"I would ask questions around what is going to be the collection policy, what happens if somebody leaves the retailers business still owing a debt, how are you going to collect that?"

RetailCure hopes to launch formally in November.

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Body Found In Search For Missing Dorset Nurse

Police investigating the disappearance of nurse Rui Li, who went missing from the hospital where she works, have found a body in a car.

Detectives believe the body is that of the 44-year-old, who was last seen leaving Poole Hospital in Dorset at around 6pm on May 23.

Two men, aged 60 and 26, are being questioned on suspicion of murdering Ms Li, from Boscombe in Bournemouth.

More follows...

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Insurers Expose £1.3bn In Fraudulent Claims

A record £1.3bn worth of fraudulent insurance claims were uncovered last year as the industry continues to crack down on cheats.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) said some £3.5m worth of dishonest claims are uncovered every day.

The figures show an 18% increase in the value of fraudulent claims detected in 2012.

In 2013, some 118,599 fraudulent or exaggerated claims were detected, the equivalent of more than 2,000 each week.

Motor insurance claims were the most expensive and common dishonest claims to be uncovered.

The average value of fraud detected across all kinds of insurance products was £10,813.

Aidan Kerr, the ABI's assistant director, said: "The message is clear: never has it been harder to get away with committing insurance fraud.

"Never have the penalties - ranging from a custodial sentence and a criminal record, to difficulties in obtaining financial products in the future - been so severe."

The ABI says the figures also reveal a "significant" rise in the number of people reporting suspected fraudsters.

Calls from members of the public reporting frauds to the Insurance Fraud Bureau's "cheatline" rose by one third (32%) in 2013 compared with the previous year.

Malcolm Tarling, a spokesman for the ABI, said the industry has also seen an increase in the number of "staged accidents".

This dangerous practice sees fraudsters cause deliberate accidents, often with innocent motorists, in order to cause injuries and claim insurance.

"Staged accidents, which are extremely serious, involve criminal gangs deliberately staging an accident, normally involving an innocent motorist," Mr Tarling said.

"These are increasingly becoming more commonplace and the industry is actively working very hard to crack down on them."

One insurer, AA Insurance, said it identifies more than 100 fraud attempts each week.

Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance, said: "These figures are encouraging because they reflect the growing success of the insurance industry in the war against fraud, rather than more fraud taking place.

"This should send a strong signal to anyone thinking of trying it on."

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Rise In Emotional Abuse Cases Among Children

By Joe Tidy, Sky News Reporter

The number of emotional neglect and abuse cases referred to authorities has risen by nearly 50% over the past 12 months, according to a leading charity.

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) says its helpline dealt with more than 8,000 people suffering emotional neglect and abuse this year.

The charity says some 5,354 of these cases were so serious they were referred to police or children's services, compared to 3,629 cases in the previous year.

Peter Wanless, the CEO of the NSPCC, says the statistics show emotional cruelty is not being recognised in the same way as physical abuse.

"It's very easy for us to see physical abuse if a bone gets broken, but the emotional abuse of a child has just that sort of effect on their mind," he said.

NSPCC helplines receive 60,000 calls each year

NSPCC helplines receive 60,000 calls each year from people who fear children are being mistreated.

They deal with sexual abuse allegations, physical abuse and claims of emotional cruelty.

One solution to the growing issue of emotional cruelty is a change to the law.

Sky News has learned a so-called "Cinderella Law" could see parents who deny their children affection face prosecution.

Robert Buckland MP is hopeful the change will be introduced soon.

He said plans for the new law may be announced in the Queen's Speech.

"I'm very optimistic that in this year's Queen's Speech we will hear this measure being announced," he said.

"It might come in the form of a separate bill; it might come in the form of an amendment to an existing bill going through parliament.

CEO Peter Wanless: Emotional abuse can be as damaging as physical abuse

"But I firmly believe and hope and expect to see this welcome reform being announced this week."

However, some are concerned that this law could unfairly prosecute parents.

Parenting author Frank Furedi said: "Throughout history, the best antidote to cruelty was the cultural and educational development of society.

"We need fewer laws and more opportunities for children, and indeed for their parents, to realise their potential."

One man who knows how this abuse can affect children is Morris Robinson, who was emotionally abused by his father.

He says his childhood was devoid of love, affection and support.

"It's hard to describe when you're left to your own devices, but then you get cruel treatment, verbal cruel treatment," he said.

"You wouldn't get any praise for anything and I don't remember him ever going to school to do anything.

"He would swear abuse at me and when you're a child it's always threatening.

"You would ask him to maybe fix your bike and he'd say: 'I've f*****g told you it won't fix'."

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Charlize Theron: Press Intrusion 'Like Rape'

By Richard Suchet, Arts And Entertainment Correspondent

Charlize Theron says press coverage of her private life is so intrusive that it is comparable to rape.

The South African-born actress told Sky News that "every aspect" of her life has become "fodder" for a brand of journalism that exists "in a dark room".

She said: "I don't (Google myself) - that's my saving grace.

"When you start living in that world, and doing that, you start feeling raped."

Theron and actor Sean Penn at the film's premiere in California

Asked whether she meant to express the sentiment as strongly as that, she replied: "Well, when it comes to your son and your private life. Maybe it's just me.

"Some people might relish in all that stuff but there are certain things in my life that I think of as very sacred and I am very protective over them.

"I don't always win that war but as long as I don't have to see that stuff or read that stuff or hear that stuff then I can live with my head in a clear space, which is probably a lot healthier than living in that dark room."

She is not the first person to draw parallels between media intrusion and rape.

In 2010 the actress Kristen Stewart was forced to issue an apology after claiming that seeing photographs of herself was like "looking at someone being raped".

Kate McCann, the mother of missing child Madeleine McCann, told the Leveson Inquiry into press ethics that she felt "mentally raped" when a tabloid newspaper published her private diary, in which she expressed her thoughts and feelings about the disappearance of her daughter.

Theron, who won an Oscar for her role in 2003 movie Monster, is in London to promote her new film A Million Ways To Die In The West, in which she stars opposite Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane.

On the morning of our interview, she was pictured in the British press with her young son and partner Sean Penn.

The photographs showed them leaving Claridge's hotel in a taxi the night before.

She said: "I can't be concerned about what some idiot is going to write online about my short skirt, I can only take responsibility for myself.

"There is a part of my job that is incredibly lovely - to fly first class to London, to be able to do that with my son and my family and I am definitely not jaded by any of that.

"My job has made my life incredibly blessed and good and I am very grateful for that, but it does not mean that every aspect of my life all of a sudden becomes fodder for an article.

"I try to protect against that as much as I can."

Theron with Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane

Showbiz journalist Sophie Heawood said: "Charlize Theron has actually done some rape campaigning so I'm sure she's very aware of what she said.

"I imagine she's talking about a very different kind of violation obviously and it might be hard for us to sympathise because it seems like a very gilded celebrity life.

"But when it's constant every single day, every time you leave the house, every time anybody mentions you in public, any time your child gets in a car. That does feel very violating."

A Million Ways To Die In The West opens in UK cinemas today.

The raunchy comedy Western also stars Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried and Sarah Silverman.

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Online Abuse: Police Deal With Thousands Of Kids

By Tom Cheshire, Technology Correspondent

Almost 2,000 children have been investigated by police in the last three years for breaking laws used to crack down on social media abuse, offensive Twitter messages and online bullying, Sky News has learned.

New figures show children as young as nine are among more than 1,200 who have then been charged with a criminal offence or given a caution, warning or fine.

The Sky News investigation also found almost 20,000 adults were the subject of police probes for these offences, the equivalent of around 20 cases a day.

And the number of cases is on the rise - up more than 5% since 2011.

The figures, obtained through Freedom of Information requests, lay bare for the first time how policing the internet has become a daily task for Britain's forces.

And as 18 of the UK's police forces failed to provide figures, the true number of investigations is likely to be much greater.

They include a series of high-profile prosecutions in recent years of people accused of posting abuse on Twitter.

Ellie, a teenage victim of online harassment who reported her case to police, told Sky News she thought the figures were "shocking".

She said she suffered death threats and comments about her family on social media.

"They stalked me and knew a lot about me," she said.

Many of the cases relate to messages posted on Twitter

"I drove at the time and where I used to live there's a little bridge. And within hours of driving over it, there was a comment saying you should have crashed your car over the bridge you drove over.

"With bullying that happens at school, people can get away from it at home. For me, this literally followed me everywhere I went."

Sky News asked police forces how many investigations they had launched in the last three years under Section 127 of the 2003 Communications Act, which covers abuse on Twitter or other social media sites, in text messages or through nuisance phone calls.

New guidance issued last year raised the threshold for prosecution, but experts say the rise in the number of cases despite the stricter definition is the result of easy internet access via smartphones.

According to responses from 34 police forces, 6,919 people were investigated in 2011/12 under Section 127, including 744 children.

In 2012/13, 6,974 cases were probed including 578 under-18s. After the first nine months of 2013/14, those figures had already hit 7,318 and 610 respectively.

Over the three years, 1,932 children were investigated and 1,203 were either charged with a criminal offence, fined, cautioned or warned verbally. Of the 19,279 adults investigated over that period, 11,292 were subject to police action.

Hertfordshire Police investigated and charged the most people in 2013 - 1,042, up from 291 in 2011. The Metropolitan Police had the highest three-year figure, 2,099.

Four 10-year-olds and one nine-year-old in Tayside were given warnings by police.

Luke Roberts, a social network expert at Beat Bullying, told Sky News: "There are more devices than ever. So whether it's smartphones, internet-connected TVs, more apps - they allow more young people to be harassed than ever before.

"In terms of social networking, we'd like to see more transparency, in terms of giving clear reporting mechanisms to children."

Parenting expert Erika Brodnock told Sky News: "This will continue to be an issue until we equip children with the skills to navigate the digital world and to be resilient to bullying.

"Online activity should be treated exactly the same as offline – parents shouldn't allow their children to play unsupervised on the internet."

While the number of children being investigated for online abuse is rising, the proportion of children using social networks is falling.

According to Ofcom research, 35% of 5-15 year olds have an active social networking profile – down from 42% in 2011 and 43% in 2012.

Meanwhile two thirds of adults have a social networking profile – a figure unchanged since 2012, according to Ofcom.

:: Have you been the victim of an online troll? Contact us at news@sky.com

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Missing Plane: 'Search Boat May Have Made Pings'

MH370 Data Leaves Many Unanswered Questions

Updated: 4:55pm UK, Tuesday 27 May 2014

By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent

It is 47 pages which are supposed to satisfy the families of the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft about the fate of their loved ones.

But soon after its publication both the families and aviation analysts scouring the details said the information added little that was new.

And what's more it lacked the finer detail enabling other experts to give their own independent assessment of the data.

The lion's share of the information released relates to data from MH370 while it was still on the ground in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. 

It goes on to give information about the electronic pings or 'handshakes' received from the aircraft after its ACARS communication system was switched off shortly after it took off for Beijing.

Aviation analysts say one of the so-called pings - at 11.41pm on the night the aircraft disappeared - is omitted from the data.

We don't know why.

They also say that additional data giving the exact position of satellites and their distance from the aircraft have not been released. 

It is this kind of detail which makes further interpretation by others difficult.

And that's something which has been leapt on by the families who have called for all information known to authorities to be released. 

This data was known within a few weeks of the aircraft's disappearance on March 8, but it has taken until now for it to be released.

A team of international experts used the satellite data along with other information such as radar data and engine performance calculations to reach their conclusion. 

But it's not clear why it's taken until now for the basic data to be released.

Inmarsat, the British satellite company which provided the ping data to the Malaysians, said they were unable to release information without the authority of the Malaysian government. 

The Malaysian government concluded within a couple of weeks of the flight going missing that it had ended in the southern Indian Ocean.

Steve Wang, a relative of one of the missing Chinese passengers, said: "What we want is the full version of the information including all the data and how it is calculated. 

"Data on its own means nothing. The data leads to a conclusion not an ending."

Sarah Bajc, whose partner Philip Wood was on the missing plane, said she was "annoyed" that Inmarsat and the Malaysian authorities hadn't released everything they used to reach their conclusions.

She said: "I see no reason for them to have massaged this before giving it to us."

Communications expert Mischa Dohler says there are still many unanswered questions - and there is still information to be released.

He said: "I don't think this specific data will help in the search for the aircraft. It is important we find the plane but we may never know what happened."

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Clegg Says Cable Not Behind Leadership Plot

Lord Oakeshott's Statement

Updated: 12:43pm UK, Wednesday 28 May 2014

In his resignation statement, Lord Oakeshott said Nick Clegg has led the Liberal Democrats to a position where the party has "no roots, no principles and no values". Here is the statement in full:

I am today taking leave of absence from the House of Lords and resigning as a member of the Liberal Democrats.

I am sure the Party is heading for disaster if it keeps Nick Clegg; and I must not get in the way of the many brave Liberal Democrats fighting for change.

I leave, with a heavy heart, the party I helped to found with such high hopes with Roy Jenkins, Bill Rodgers, Shirley Williams and David Owen at Limehouse in 1981.

We then, like most Liberal Democrats now, wanted a radical progressive party, not a "split the difference" Centre Party, with, in Shirley's memorable words, no roots, no principles and no values.

But that is where Nick Clegg has led us.

I am sorry I have so upset and embarrassed my old friend Vince Cable and that we were not able to talk before he issued yesterday's statement from China. This is the background:

Several months ago a close colleague, concerned about voting intentions in Twickenham, asked me if I would arrange and pay for a poll to show us Vince's current position and how best to get him re-elected.

I was happy to help, and Vince amended and approved the questionnaire, but at his request I excluded a question on voting intentions with a change of leader.

Although Vince had excellent ratings, both as a Minister and a local MP, he was slightly behind the Conservatives in this poll, as the full details on the ICM website show.

That poll worried me so much that I commissioned four more in different types of constituency all over the country and added back the change of leadership question.

The results were in the Guardian yesterday and on the ICM website. Several weeks ago, I told Vince the results of those four polls too.

The combined message of these five professional and reputable ICM constituency polls, Nick Clegg's dire approval ratings year after year in all national polls, and Thursday's appalling council and European election results is crystal clear: we must change the leader to give Liberal Democrat MPs their best chance to win in 2015.

On Thursday I also commissioned one more ICM poll, in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey; the results should also be on the ICM website tonight.

A few stout-hearted M.P.s and peers and hundreds, maybe soon thousands, of candidates, councillors and Lib Dem members all over Britain are now fighting constituency by constituency for a leadership election.

I have tried to give them the evidence they need to make the change.

I pray that they win, and that the right man, or preferably, woman is now elected to save the Party.

When Charles Kennedy rang to make me a peer, from a panel elected by the party, fourteen years ago he said he wanted me to shake up the Lords.

I've tried - my bills to ban non-dom peers are now law - but my efforts to expose and end cash for peerages in all parties, including our own, and help get the Lords elected have failed.

I am very sorry to leave my many old, close comrades-in-arms on the Liberal Democrat benches all over Britain, and good friends and fellow campaigners across the House.

But the unreformed Lords is now a bloated balloon and at 67 it's time to concentrate on running my business and my charity.

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NHS Urged To Send Obese To Slimming Clubs

By Rhiannon Mills, Sky News Correspondent

Obese and overweight people should be sent to slimming clubs on the NHS, according to official new guidance.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) advice says sending people on "lifestyle weight management programmes" will save the health service money.

The 61-page document, sent out to doctors and local authorities, says 12-week programmes costing £100 or less can be cost-effective.

It said approved schemes must be proven to be effective at 12 to 18 months, which it said Slimming World, Rosemary Conley and Weight Watchers had shown they were.

While acknowledging there is "no magic bullet" to the "complex" problem, the guidance says the 64% of the population classed as obese or overweight can enjoy significant health benefits by losing as little as 3% of their weight.

Carol Weir, guidance developer for Nice and head of nutrition and dietetics at Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust, said Nice recognised the difficulties people faced losing weight and the "significant" effort required to prevent a regain of the weight once lost.

"Obviously, if you need to lose weight, the more weight you lose the better, and the health benefits derive from that, but even a 3% loss, kept up long term, is beneficial and that is why we are recommending sensible changes that can be sustained life long," she said.

"It is not something where you can just wake up one morning and say 'I am going to lose 10lbs' - it takes resolve, it takes encouragement, and one of the things about involvement in these programmes is the mutual support from others who try to do the same thing seems to be hugely helpful from a motivational point of view."

Professor Mike Kelly, director of the Public Health Centre at Nice, said obesity was costing the British economy and the NHS £5.1bn a year and that only smoking was a bigger health issue for the country.

"Many of the gains we've made by having a population who smoke in much lower numbers than 40-50 years ago - many of those benefits, particularly with respect to heart disease, are being lost by the additional risks that come as a consequence of overweight and obesity," he said.

Obesity increases the risk of serious conditions including diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. Statistics show more than a quarter of adults in England are now classified as obese, while 42% of men and 32% of women are overweight.

Under the guidance issued by Nice, GPs have been told to raise the issue of weight loss in a "respectful and non-judgemental" way and identify people who are eligible for referral for lifestyle weight management services by measuring their Body Mass Index (BMI).

Public Health England and other agencies should be a national source of information on effective lifestyle weight management programmes suitable for commissioning, it said.

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Alzheimer's Patient Arrested As 21 Die In Fire

A patient suffering from Alzheimer's has been arrested after 21 people died in a fire at a hospital in South Korea.

Seven people were injured in the blaze, which broke out at the hospice in Jangseong county about 190 miles (300km) south of Seoul.

Most of the patients who died at Hyosarang Hospital were in their seventies and eighties.

Seven people were injured in the blaze

A police official said an 81-year-old man had been taken into custody after CCTV footage appeared to show him setting the fire in a storage room on the upper floor of the two-storey building.

Although the blaze was brought under control within 30 minutes, many on the upper floor were unable to escape.

One nurse was on duty at the time and was among the dead.

The fire was brought under control within half an hour

Lee Hyung-Seok, chief administrator of the Jangseong hospice, said: "I'm sorry. I apologise for this terrible thing."

It was South Korea's second deadly blaze in two days. Seven people were killed and 41 injured in a fire at a bus terminal near Seoul on Monday.

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'Scots £2k Better Off Under Independence'

Scotland will be £5bn a year better off in 15 years' time if it becomes independent, First Minister Alex Salmond has claimed.

Mr Salmond made the claim as he presented his financial case for independence - as the UK Treasury presented its own, competing economic assessment.

The First Minister also claimed that Scotland's finances in 2016-17 will be similar to, or stronger than, both the UK and the G7 industrialised countries as a whole.

He said: "Scotland is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, more prosperous per head than the UK, France and Japan, but we need the powers of independence to ensure that that wealth properly benefits everyone in our society.

"That wealth means we will start life as an independent nation with strong finances and huge economic potential.

"The latest figures show that by using the powers that only independence will bring we can deliver an independence bonus with increased revenues for Scotland."

However, the Treasury has put the start-up cost of an independent Scotland at £2.7bn.

The Scottish Government strongly criticised the figure. File image

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said under independence Scottish people would have to work an extra two weeks before they stopped paying tax and started earning for themselves. Tax Freedom Day for the UK this year is today.

Mr Alexander was making a speech in Edinburgh to launch the Treasury's economic assessment.

However, he was dealt a blow when the academic behind the research claimed the Treasury had "badly misrepresented".

Patrick Dunleavy, a professor of politics at the London School of Economics (LSE), says that when Treasury officials used his research to calculate the start-up costs of independence, they overstated the figure by 12 times.

Officials had briefed that, partly based on the research of Professor Dunleavy, they estimated the start-up costs for an independent Scottish Government at £2.7bn.

It was a calculation of how much it would cost to set up 180 government departments, in line with recent equivalent costs in Whitehall.

The Scottish Government strongly criticised the figure, saying it would not need anything like 180 departments and that much of the departmental infrastructure was already in place in Scotland.

The Professor himself echoed the view.

He wrote on Twitter: "UK Treasury press release on Scotland costs of government badly misrepresents LSE research.

"Appears to take minimum Whitehall reorganisation cost of £15m and multiply by 180 agencies to get £2.7bn. Overstates maybe 12 times?"

Later, he tweeted: "Could they be this crude? Phone call from Treasury guy later confirms: Yes, they had been."

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond has demanded the Treasury withdraw the figures and apologise.

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EU Must Reform For Jobs And Growth - Cameron

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent

David Cameron has called fellow European leaders and urged them to "seize the opportunity" for reform on jobs and growth following the European elections.

In a series of phone calls the Prime Minister urged them to "heed the views expressed at the ballot box" over recent days.

His intervention came ahead of today's Informal European Council dinner in Brussels, where leaders are expected to discuss the results of the European poll.

Many European leaders, including Mr Cameron and Denmark's Helle Thorning-Schmidt, saw their support fall away to anti-immigration parties such as UKIP.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also lost votes to Alternative For Germany, a party opposed to the euro.

Mr Cameron told leaders, including Ms Merkel and Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, that the results of the poll underlined the need for reform, in particular on job creation and economic growth.

Germany's Angela Merkel lost votes to a party opposed to the euro

"The PM has been making the point in these conversations that leaders should seize the opportunity of Tuesday's dinner to heed the views expressed at the ballot box," said Downing Street.

"The turnout and results in the EP elections have underlined the need for reform to ensure that the EU is doing more to deliver what voters care about: jobs, growth and a better future."

A senior diplomat said the informal dinner will look at the EU Council's priorities over the next five years, and discuss the likely impact of the confusing mosaic of political interests elected to the chamber.

The diplomat said no names for a potential president of the Commission would be discussed, and that the process of picking a successor to Jose Manuel Barroso could take weeks, not days.

The leaders might use the dinner to slim down the Council's "to do" list, in order to concentrate on encouraging growth and employment, so restoring faith in the institutions of the European Union.

Mr Hollande has called for a "re-focus" of Europe

Parties which campaign against the European Union, or its current structure and priorities, doubled their representation in the parliament with a humiliation for the French President Francois Hollande.

Mr Hollande's Socialist Party secured nearly half as much support as the right-wing Front National.

He has signalled his intention to press ahead with reforms in France, while also pushing for the EU to prioritise growth and jobs.

"I am a European, it is my duty to reform France and re-focus Europe," he said in a message broadcast on French television.

The EU Council is also expected to discuss developments in Ukraine, where presidential elections were held at the weekend.

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Nick Clegg 'Could Lose Seat At Next Election'

European Elections: The Winner And Losers

Updated: 4:01am UK, Monday 26 May 2014

By Michael Thrasher, Sky's Election Analyst

UKIP stormed to first place in the European elections, becoming the party of choice for nearly a third of voters.

This is the first time since 1906 that a party other than the big two - Conservative and Labour - has topped the poll in a nationwide vote.

The first result, once again delivered by the North East region, gave a taste of things to come. 

Last time the region's three Euro seats were spread among the three established parties.

This time both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats lost their seats leaving Labour leading with two MEPs but UKIP picking its first seat of the night.

Across the region UKIP even finished ahead of Labour in four local authorities that are used to tally the European votes.

As more regions declared their results it became clear that UKIP was on course to finish on top in the popular vote.

It out-polled the Conservatives in the South East and South West, in the Eastern region where it has gained a real foothold at local council elections and also the East Midlands. 

In the West Midlands, in parliamentary terms a real battleground between the Conservatives and Labour it was UKIP that once again eclipsed the traditional parties.

Further evidence that UKIP has been instrumental in stalling Labour's progress came in the Yorkshire and Humber region. Here, UKIP finished first with 31% of the vote, a two-point lead over Labour in what is generally regarded as one of the party's strongest areas.

Compared with the last time voters selected MEPs in 2009 UKIP registered double-digit increases in vote share across every region to declare overnight. 

The biggest losers were the Liberal Democrats who endured an appalling time, following so closely upon extremely disappointing local election results.

The pro-European party lost all but one of its MEPs from the first nine of Great Britain's 11 regional constituencies to declare and were relegated to fifth place behind the Greens.

The pressure that had grown on Nick Clegg as the party watched its councillors defeated may grow yet further as his critics point to his decision to debate with Nigel Farage as a catalyst for the party's collapse.  

Although Labour gained seats it will again be subjected to the accusation that it is punching below its weight. Opinion polling suggested that it was vying with UKIP for first place but the results show a clear gap between the two parties.

Indeed, while Labour is likely to overtake the Conservatives in the national vote once the counting is completed in Scotland the gap between the two main parties will not be great.

The national projection of the local election voting placed Labour just one percentage point ahead of the Conservatives and the closeness of the Euro voting will add to the pressure on the Labour leadership.

Of course, the pattern of voting will be different at next year's general election. Many voters that backed UKIP this time will return to one or other of the major parties.

But Mr Farage has undoubtedly produced chaos and confusion among the established parties and no one can be sure at this point about the impact his party will have in less than a year's time.

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Ukraine: '30 Insurgents Killed In Donetsk'

A rebel at Donetsk's hospital in eastern Ukraine says the bodies of 30 insurgents have arrived there after heavy fighting.

The rebel fighter said the bodies arrived on a truck which was parked outside the hospital and waiting to be checked for explosives by security guards.

There were fierce battles between Ukraine government forces and pro-Russian separatists on Monday.

A Ukrainian helicopter Mi-24 gunship fires at rebels at Donetsk airport

Rebels have seized government offices and been fighting government troops in the east of the country for more than a month. 

Plumes of black smoke could be seen rising from Donetsk's Sergei Prokofiev International Airport after Ukraine fighter jets and helicopter gunships unleashed air strikes on rebels who took control of an airport terminal.

Many flights have been delayed or cancelled and routes to the airport have been blocked by police.

Members of the public were urged to stay indoors following reports the fighting had spread to residential areas of the city.

Sky News Foreign Affairs Editor Sam Kiley said the military action was a significant increase in the level of violence being applied by the Ukraine government from Kiev.

Pro-Russian insurgents took control of the city's airport terminal

He said: "The latest reports are between 30 and 35 dead. The issue for the Russians is whether to get further involved.

"Clearly Kiev has decided to exercise its prerogative in trying to stamp out this insurgency which has been growing rapidly in the last two weeks.

"The issue will be whether the Kremlim will order Russian troops across the border. All the signs are the Russians will not do that. They're stepping back to try and talk to the Kiev government."

The government assault, considered the most forceful action so far taken by Kiev against pro-Russian rebels, came just hours after Ukrainian billionaire Petro Poroshenko claimed victory in the country's presidential elections.

Firefighters extinguish a fire at the Druzhba sports arena in Donetsk

His government said the military fired warning shots over the airport after an ultimatum for the insurgents to leave expired.

It then deployed Mi-8 helicopters filled with troops, along with SU-25 fighter jets and MiG-29s to strike the terminal and the runway as rebel fighters shot back from the ground. 

Mr Poroshenko, who described the separatists as 'Somali pirates,' has promised to negotiate a peaceful end to the pro-Russian insurgency in the east.

"The anti-terrorist operation cannot and should not last two or three months," he said. "It should and will last hours."

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Far-Right National Front Win In France

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent

Voters have dramatically altered the make-up of the European Parliament by doubling the number of MEPs from the populist, eurosceptic Right and the anti-austerity Left.

Marine Le Pen's far-Right National Front scored its first victory in European Parliament elections in France.

Without waiting for the final result, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls went on television to call the result "an earthquake" for France and Europe.

The National Front (FN) won around 25% of the vote in France, according to exit polls, easily beating the centre-Right UMP on 20%.

Exit polls say far-right and hard-left parties have gained ground in many countries, including in Greece where the extreme-right Golden Dawn are thought to have won nearly 10% of the vote.

By the half way stage, the centre-right parties were expected to be the biggest group, with 212 out of 751 seats.

The Socialists were expected to gain 185 seats, the Liberals third with 71, the Greens fourth with 55 and the far-left next with 45.

Eurosceptic parties were expected to win about 143 seats.

Marine Le Pen celebrates winning France's Euro election

The winners in Greece, the anti-austerity movement Syriza, are thought to have topped the polls with more than 27% of the vote.

In Germany, the EU's biggest member state with the largest number of seats, the pro-European centre ground held firm, according to the polls.

Ms Le Pen, whose party beat President Francois Hollande's ruling Socialists into third place, told supporters: "The people have spoken loud and clear ... they no longer want to be led by those outside our borders, by EU commissioners and technocrats who are unelected.

"They want to be protected from globalisation and take back the reins of their destiny."

Eurosceptic Conservative MPs in the UK were quick to point out they had predicted the rise of the Right.

Harwich and Essex MP Bernard Jenkin wrote on Twitter: "Some of us who opposed Maastricht 20 years ago predicted it would lead to the rise of the Right in the EU: and here we are."

Douglas Carswell, the Clacton MP, said: "So maybe those of us who sometimes banged on about Europe were on to something?"

Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "I think we should be concerned about some of these developments across the rest of Europe and that is why it is so important that the next European Commission, the European Council, the next European Parliament do get the message that there is rising discontent and tensions of many kinds in Europe."

In Denmark the Right wing Danish People's Party topped the polls, although its leaders have ruled out an alliance with the National Front.

Spain's two main political parties, the ruling conservative Popular Party in power since 2011 and the Socialist Party, lost major ground to smaller parties, mainly on the Left. The Catalan independence party also performed well.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's centre-left Democratic Party (PD) came in ahead of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) in his country's exit polls.

In Belgium, the controversial Flemish separatists secured four of  21 EU parliamentary seats available in the country, more than any other party. 

Turnout in Eastern Europe was predicted to be low, with estimates of around 20% expected. 

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Farage Uses Victory To Call For Referendum

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

When he arrived at the Southampton Guildhall for the South East region count, Nigel Farage was mobbed like a rock star by TV crews from all over Europe.

By the time their leader delivered his victory speech, UKIP had already made major gains all over the country from the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

A jubilant Mr Farage told Sky News he wanted an in/out referendum on Britain's EU membership "next week", though at least he admitted that wasn't going to happen.

With most of the results in, UKIP's share nationally is about 27.5%, with Labour just ahead of the Conservatives on 25% to the Tories' 24%.

Mr Farage has rocked political establishments across Europe

In another humiliation for Nick Clegg after the drubbing in the local elections, the Lib Dems were pushed into fifth place by the Greens, on just 7% to the Greens' 8%.

At one point during the night it looked as if the Lib Dems might be wiped out altogether, until a Green Party official at the Southampton count graciously told me their rivals for fourth place had kept one of their MEPs in the South East.

Catherine Bearder turned out to be the Lib Dems' sole survivor in the European Parliament. When I interviewed her immediately after the South East declaration she seemed shell-shocked.

A petition calling for Mr Clegg to quit has garnered hundreds of signatures

She put the Lib Dems' disastrous performance down to people not understanding how the EU works. I suggested to her that they do - and they don't like it.

Shortly before the South East result was declared, I interviewed Daniel Hannan, the leading Tory MEP in the region. He called for a pact between the Conservatives and Europe.

What does David Cameron do now? He's planning yet another Immigration Bill in the Queen's Speech next week. But will that make any difference? It looks just like a gesture.

Mr Cameron is safe as Tory leader until after the general election

More concessions to Eurosceptic Tory MPs? An earlier referendum than the one the Prime Minister is proposing in 2017?

The PM is expected to shuffle his Cabinet and the lower Government ranks after the Newark by-election. Will that do any good? Almost certainly not.

The Conservatives will be relieved, once again, that Labour didn't do better in the European elections.

The grumbles that Mr Miliband is another loser like Neil Kinnock and is on course to lose in 2015 will grow louder inside the shadow Cabinet and on the Labour back benches.

There are rumours of a plot to challenge Mr Miliband's leadership

These results do point to Labour falling short next year, as it did in 1987 and 1992 under Mr Kinnock.

The leader facing the most immediate leadership crisis is Mr Clegg, though. It seems very few voters - and a dwindling band of his MPs and activists "agree with Nick" these days.

Mr Cameron is almost certainly safe as Tory leader until after next year's general election.

But suddenly, MPs in all three parties are bickering and indulging in leadership speculation once again.

Rock star? UKIP may not be a new entry in the charts any more. But it has shot to Number One this weekend.

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European Elections: UKIP Tops British Polls

By Joey Jones, Deputy Political Editor

UKIP has topped the European polls in the UK, with the Labour Party vying with the Conservatives for second place and the Lib Dems all but wiped out.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage has hailed his party's first win in a national election, winning 24 MEP seats, as an "earthquake" in British politics.

Coming a year ahead of the General Election, it is the first time a party other than the Conservatives or Labour has topped a nationwide poll in 108 years.

The Lib Dems lost all but one of its 11 MEPs, with the party coming in fifth place - after the Greens - in every region so far.

Farage's party broke a record that had stood since 1906

With only Northern Ireland's results yet to come in of the 12 UK regions, UKIP has 29.1% of the vote, Labour 25.4%, the Conservatives 24.6%, the Greens 7.9% and the Lib Dems 6.9%. There was a turnout of 36%.

UKIP is among a host of Eurosceptic parties across the continent looking set to make major gains as voters express their anger at the financial crisis that crippled many countries in the 28-member bloc.

Mr Farage, whose party also won a seat in Scotland for the first time, told Sky News: "It looks like we're going to top the poll and think that it is the earthquake that I've been looking for.

"We hit the Labour Party in the north of England in a way that nobody thought possible. I think for too long the argument has been UKIP picks up the Conservative vote and people have ignored the fact that, actually, with Labour voters, Lib Dem voters and non-voters, Conservatives are a minority of our vote."

In his acceptance speech after topping the poll in the South East, Mr Farage pledged: "You have not heard the last of us."

Nick Griffin lost his seat on the European Parliament

He said the victory for his party's "people's army" was "just about the most extraordinary result that has been seen in British politics for 100 years".

David Cameron said there would be no deal to be done with UKIP but in an interview with Radio 4's Today Programme saying that Mr Farage wanted to "destroy" the Conservative Party, not do a deal with it.

He said he the UKIP leader's "normal bloke down the pub" was wrong and that he was a "consummate politician".

The Tory leader said he understood people were frustrated over immigration and welfare reform but added: "We have 350 days to demonstrate the plan is working."

BNP leader Nick Griffin, meanwhile, failed in his bid to be re-elected as an MEP in the North West.

He told Sky News: "We're out tonight but we'll be back. We set the agenda, we're the ones who broke the taboo about immigration - we've allowed UKIP to do what they've done but when people see they don't deliver their votes will crumble."

A senior Lib Dem source said it was "not looking good", adding that it was "touch and go in one or two regions".

And Lib Dem party president Tim Farron told Sky News: "If you decide to be the only party that's going to tackle the kind of anti-European theme that's been in British politics for perhaps 25 years now ... then you are potentially going to take a hit."

The Conservative Defence Secretary, Philip Hammond, insisted the vote was skewed by a significant number of "lender voters" who would abandon UKIP and return to the Conservative fold for the 2015 general election.

Mr Hammond told Sky News: "UKIP is a protest party. Most of the people who are voting for UKIP - not all of them, but most of them - are disillusioned voters of other parties who have moved to UKIP to send us a message, and we've got a year to show them that we've got that message.

"We've got to reiterate our continuing story about how our economic plan is delivering for Britain, recognising that not everybody is feeling the benefit of that yet.

"We've got to make sure they do and we've also got to express the specific concerns that people are articulating about immigration and about Europe."

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Did Police Miss Chance To Stop Elliot Rodger?

Police have admitted Elliot Rodger was "severely mentally disturbed" and his family had told officers they were concerned - but were opportunities missed to stop his killing spree?

Santa Barbara sheriff Bill Brown told reporters they had encountered Rodger three times - the most significant on April 30 when a family member asked police to check on him.

"(Police) found him to be polite and courteous. He downplayed the concerns for his welfare and the deputies cleared the call," said Sheriff Brown.

"They determined he did not meet the criteria for an involuntary mental health hold. He appeared timid and shy."

In his rambling online 'manifesto', Rodger describes his relief that his plans for murder had not been discovered.

Rodger said he planned to lure people to his apartment (above)

"For a few horrible seconds I thought it was all over," writes the 22-year-old, who says his plans for a "Day of Retribution" began last summer when he claims he was attacked at a party.

Rodger - who killed six people in his knife and gun attacks - describes taking down his YouTube videos to head off suspicions over his mental health.

Police told reporters the killer said he was having social problems and would not be returning to school for the next year.

The killer was 'courteous' when police spoke to him, said Sheriff Brown

"The deputies discussed options available to him in terms of support offered", said Sheriff Brown, who added such call-outs were a routine part of the job.

The Rodgers' family lawyer, Alan Shifman, said Elliot had been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome - a form of autism - at a young age.

"He was probably a victim, from my understanding, of bullying throughout his life," said Mr Shifman. "I am sure that played a role in the terrible consequences of last night.

"He had multiple therapists - a social worker who as recently as last week was concerned."

Rodger says he took down some videos after police called at his apartment

The killer's online post - which runs to more than 140 pages - reveals the extent of his mental illness. Police have described it as a "combination of an autobiography and diary".

He repeatedly describes his hatred of women and his frustration at being ignored and remaining a virgin while girls around him choose "obnoxious" men, or men he considers racially inferior.

"Women are sexually attracted to the wrong type of man," he writes.

"Obnoxious, tough jock-type men. They should be going for intelligent gentlemen such as myself ... This is a major flaw in the foundation of humanity."

The killer's rampage took in multiple crime scenes

The final section of his post is entitled: 'Part 6: Santa Barbara: Endgame Age 19-22'.

He sets out his plans to "silently kill as many people as I can by luring them into my apartment through some sort of trickery".

Rodger also talks of beheading and torturing his victims, as well as killing all the members of the Alpha Phi sorority.

"I will punish all females for the crime of depriving me of sex," he writes.

Police revealed he tried unsuccessfully to enter the sorority and that the women inside heard "loud, aggressive knocking" for several minutes but did not open the door.

With his plan seemingly frustrated, Rodger shot three young female students, killing two - Katherine Cooper, 22, and Veronica Weiss, 19.

He then went on a shooting spree through Santa Barbara, killing one more victim, Christopher Michael-Martinez. Seven people also remain in hospital, two with serious injuries.

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Drive-By Shootings: Witnesses Relate Horror

Witnesses have described how gunman Elliot Rodger sprayed bullets from a black BMW in a drive-by rampage in California that left seven people dead.

Stunned survivors said Rodger fired indiscriminately at groups of young people socialising on Friday night in the bustling student enclave of Isla Vista.

Tyler Haden, a journalist with the Santa Barbara Independent newspaper, told Sky News people were "visibly distraught" after the attack.

UC Santa Barbara students near one of the crime scenes

"We saw a lot of different emergency responders milling about," he said. "There was a lot of confusion because there were so many different crime scenes."

Robert Johnson said a black BMW had slowed down near IV Deli Mart, a popular gathering spot, where people were eating outside. "Someone in the car" opened fire, he said.

Onlookers console each other after the tragedy

"I heard somewhere between 12 to 20 shots into a group of people who were eating in front of it," he told NBC Los Angeles.

Alexander Mattera, 23, added: "We heard so many gunshots, it was unbelievable. I thought they were firecrackers. There had to have been at least like two guns. There were a lot of shots."

Twenty-year-old student Ian Papa said he saw the gunman driving wildly through the street, at one point knocking down two cyclists.

The gunman was Elliot Rodger, son of a Hollywood director

"He hit two bikes," Mr Papa told the New York Times. "One he barely grazed. The other was ploughed down. The biker went through the windshield."

Another witness, Daniel Slovinsky, told the Los Angeles Times: "I heard some pops, but I just assumed they were fireworks. 

"Contrary to what you might expect, there wasn't a whole lot of chaos immediately. I didn't hear any screaming. A few people were running."

Police say they were alerted around 9.30pm on Friday

Xavier Mozejewski told KEYT-TV that it was like an "old Western shoot-out".

Jimmy Chang, a reporter for the UCSB newspaper, said a female student had told him the gunman opened fire on her as she was walking down the street.

"He actually drove across the street to meet her," Chang told NBC Los Angeles.

"The guy stuck his head out and says, 'Hey, what are you doing?' She ignored him. The guy pulled out a gun and shot at her. The bullet missed her head. She said she thought it was a BB gun, and she just kept walking faster."

A bicycle lies next the wreckage of the car

Sienna Schwartz told CNN that she started to flee when the shots began flying.

"He shot and I felt like air passing my face," she said.

The killer had two gun battles with police before crashing into a parked car. He was found slumped in the BMW with a gunshot wound to the head, though it is unclear if it was self-inflicted.

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Elliot Rodgers Shooting Spree: CCTV Emerges

CCTV footage has been released showing shoppers scattering as mass killer Elliot Rodgers fired bullets into a deli.

The Hollywood director's "repeatedly stabbed" three men to death in his apartment before killing three more during a shooting spree, police say.

British-born Elliot Rodger, son of an assistant director on The Hunger Games film, had three semi-automatic handguns and 400 rounds of ammunition with him when he died.

Rodger said he was angry at women for rejecting him

The 22-year-old also left seven others in hospital as he sped around Isla Vista, a student enclave next to the University of California, Santa Barbara.

County Sheriff Bill Brown told reporters Rodger had tried to get into a college sorority house during the Friday night attack, and that women inside had heard "loud, aggressive knocking" for several minutes.

Police showed images of the handguns used by the 22-year-old

Unable to gain access, police said he then shot three young women outside the building, killing a 19-year-old and a 22-year-old student.

The sixth victim, 20-year-old student Christopher Michael-Martinez, was shot dead outside a delicatessen.

In an emotional statement, his father called on the "insanity" to stop and blamed "irresponsible politicians" for not doing more on gun control.

Rodger's family said the 22-year-old had been receiving psychiatric care.

Police believe Rodger shot himself in the head after he crashed his BMW

He had also been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and had "multiple therapists", said Alan Shifman, the family's lawyer.

A day before the attack, the killer posted a video on YouTube, promising to slaughter "spoilt, stuck-up, blonde" women who he said had rebuffed him.

Rodger made a chilling tirade against women and the rest of humanity, threatening a "day of retribution".

Police are investigating 10 locations and multiple crime scenes

"For the last eight years of my life, ever since I hit puberty, I've been forced to endure an existence of loneliness, rejection and unfulfilled desires all because girls have never been attracted to me," he said.

"You throw yourselves at all these obnoxious men," he continued, "instead of me - the supreme gentleman - I will punish all of you for it." He chuckles sinisterly.

He also published a rambling 141-page manifesto on the internet, called My Twisted World, where he detailed his childhood.

A van enters the apartment complex where three men were stabbed to death

Police said Rodger's attacks had taken place at 10 locations as he fled from officers and fired at pedestrians from his black BMW.

He also crashed into two cyclists - one of whom caved in the windshield.

Police exchanged fire with Rodger and believe they hit him in the hip as they opened fire on his car. The rampage ended when he crashed his vehicle after ploughing into the second cyclist.

Rodger shot at pedestrians and mowed down two pedestrians

Sheriff Brown said they found him with a gun wound to the head, which they believe was self-inflicted.

Rodger's guns were all legally purchased and registered to him.

Seven people remain in hospital at Santa Barbara's Cottage Hospital with gun wounds and injuries caused by the suspect's car, said Dr Stephen Kaminski. Two of them are in a serious condition.

Peter Rodger was assistant director of The Hunger Games

Rodger's family called police last month worried about his welfare but officers said they found him "polite and courteous" and no action was deemed necessary.

In a blog post, he wrote he was born in the UK and moved to the US when he was five. His father, Peter, was educated in Maidstone, Kent.

Rodger was pictured two years ago on the red carpet with his father at a premiere for The Hunger Games, a dystopian futuristic drama in which teenagers fight each other to the death.

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