Missing British Boy Ashya Could Be In Spain

Hampshire Constabulary has confirmed there is positive information to suggest the family of Ashya King may now be in Spain.

The police force said it now has information which suggests the family has strong links to the Marbella area and that they may be travelling there.

The family's car was spotted on Friday, according to police, which has shifted the focus of the search to Spain.

Officers are now working with Spanish authorities in a continued effort to locate the missing five-year-old, who has a brain tumour.

Five-year-old Ashya needs treatment for a brain tumour

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Shead said: "The need to find Ashya is now desperate. It is really important that we find him and ensure he receives medical attention at the earliest opportunity.

"We still don't know whether the King family has any spare batteries for the machine which administers food, the knowledge, or any way of recharging the battery. Without properly administered food Ashya's situation is very serious.

"We have information to suggest that the family may well be on the way to Spain and our search is concentrating on the Marbella area.

"I do have to stress although that's what we're focusing our attention at this point in time, they could equally be anywhere and we would urge anybody on the continent to stay vigilant, keep your eyes open, and if they see the vehicle they're travelling, if you see the family or indeed if you see Ashya please contact police."

Ashya was taken from the hospital by his parents Brett and Naghemeh

Mr Shead added officers would be contacting hospitals across Europe, looking for someone matching the little boy's description or symptoms to see if he has been admitted.

Ashya's family took him from Southampton General Hospital, where he was receiving treatment, at around 2pm on Thursday and travelled on a ferry to Cherbourg, France, two hours later.

The little boy is in a wheelchair and is being fed through a tube. He has undergone "extensive surgery" - with his last operation seven days ago.

Police were told by the hospital that the little boy was missing at 8.35pm that day - more than six hours after he was taken by his parents - Jehovah's Witnesses Brett King, 51, and Naghemeh King, 45.

The family, from Southsea, is travelling in a grey Hyundai I800 Style CRDI registration KP60 HWK.

Interpol has issued a yellow alert in 190 countries

Interpol has sent out a missing persons alert to its 190 member countries as concerns for the boy's welfare have grown.

Ashya is likely to be in a wheelchair or buggy, cannot communicate verbally and is immobile, a police spokesman said.

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust said Ashya was allowed to leave the ward under his parents' supervision and hospital staff raised the alarm when his absence "became a cause of concern".

Legal experts have said that it is "unlikely" that the Kings had committed an offence by taking Ashya out of hospital.

A post on Hampshire Constabulary's Facebook page said: "This is my mother's friend, she has run away in desperation because they cannot accept that there is nothing that can be done for their son and want to look for help abroad.

"Please don't judge, they are a very sweet loving family and I can only believe they are doing this because they want to help their son."

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Raised Terror Threat Prompts Government Talks

Caution No Excuse For Chaotic Response To IS

Updated: 6:52pm UK, Friday 29 August 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

This is a Corporal Jones moment: "Don't Panic!"

But it is one that, so far, has revealed that the British approach to the rapid emergence of Islamic State from almost nil to "a deeper and greater threat than we have ever seen before" has been as chaotic as the Dad's Army character.

David Cameron has now elevated IS above al Qaeda in terms of the danger it poses to the safety of British citizens.

And the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre has raised the immediate threat level for the UK from substantial to severe – which means it's likely.

The Prime Minister will announce new measures to restrict the ability of would-be terrorists to leave the UK to get training and to return to commit atrocities.

For now, though, he has continued to rule out the use of force to battle IS in its home territory.

Instead the UK will continue to offer logistical and intelligence support to the US which has been conducting very limited air strikes against the 'Caliphate'.

If, as the PM suggested, this is to be a conflict that could last years or decades, then there is clearly no rush.

But caution can no longer be an excuse for chaos in the response.

The world isn't the way that anyone would wish it. Not now and not for the foreseeable future.

The next generation of Britons will be facing a Malthusian struggle over resources with a hungry China, a Russia brimming with ambitious consumers, Africa's exploding population, India's intellectual empire, and global warming.

The mess that is the Middle East may have its roots in the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I and sectarian rivalry – but it will be further fuelled by the competition that is going to drive conflicts for years to come.

These may involve a long-term campaign against political Islamist terror.

But that won't be the only problem the UK and her allies will face.

For proof one only has to look at eastern Ukraine.

Nato's leaders are going to meet in Wales next week to thrash out priorities and strategy for the next few years.

Cameron's recent short speech and his appearance on Monday in the Commons, is a clear sign that he's steeling himself to grasp a handful of nettles.

He's bracing the British for a long haul conflict with the IS. He's fortifying the debate over what it is to be British by insisting that adopting "British values" are not an option or a choice but "a duty".

He will soon have to help drag more money for Nato out of its members.

And he'll be ordering his security services to come up with tactics and long-term strategies to deal with the uncomfortable realities of the modern world that politicians have been refusing to confront.

These are that it's going to get more dangerous, more expensive, harder work and just tougher all around. Few politicians will want to sell that less than 12 months from an election.

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Lib Dems Promise Six Weeks' Paternity Leave

The Liberal Democrats will promise fathers an extra four weeks' paternity leave under new manifesto plans due to be announced.

The policy would extend the total parental leave to 58 weeks by extending fathers' current entitlement of two weeks to six.

Under the plans, the law would be amended to provide parental rights to cover six weeks reserved for working fathers and six weeks for working mothers.

The remaining time would be available to share between partners.

For same-sex couples, each partner would be entitled to six weeks' reserved leave, with the rest available to share.

The policy goes further than the Coalition's introduction of shared parental leave from next April.

Business and Equalities Minister Jo Swinson said shared paternal leave plays an essential part in building a stronger economy and a fairer society.

"It allows couples to choose how to split time off work to look after their new baby," she said.

"Extending paternity leave is an important next step to encouraging new dads to spend more time with their child in those vital early weeks and months after birth.

"When parents share caring responsibilities, more equality in the workplace will follow.

"It is a nonsense to think it is only the mother's job to look after children. Parenting is a shared responsibility."

A Lib Dem spokeswoman said the policy would also encourage fathers to spend more time with their children.

"It's very important to us. We have done lots in government so far to make sure fathers get more rights," she said.

"This is just the extra step in encouraging them to spend more time with their children."

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James Argent: Towie Star Found 'Safe And Well'

The Only Way Is Essex star James Argent has been found "safe and well", his father has told Sky News, after his family reported him missing and a police hunt was launched.

Argent's father said his son had been in touch to explain his "phone was broken and he's now on his way to Blackpool".

His agent Neil Dobias also confirmed the news: "I'm not sure of any of the details but he's called home and spoken to his mum. I just know that he's safe and well."

Police had earlier said they were concerned for Argent's welfare after he was reported missing by his family.

Argent with Towie's Tom Pearce at the National Television Awards in January

Known as "Arg" on the hit reality show, he was last seen at around 3am on Friday at his home in Woodford Green, Essex.

He was meant to be flying out of Gatwick on Friday morning, but he did not make his flight and did not contact his family, friends or agent, who he was supposed to be meeting.

They said it was was "unusual" and very out of character, so increasingly the concern grew for his well-being.

His agent told Sky News earlier: "James was meant to meet me at the airport yesterday morning for a work trip to Majorca but he never turned up and now we are all very concerned."

Argent completing the London Marathon in 2012

The 26-year-old, who joined the Towie cast along with his best friend Mark Wright when the series first aired in 2010, is known to frequent the Brentwood area and nightclubs in Redbridge.

Argent, who has more than 1.4 million followers on Twitter, mentioned missing his ex-girlfriend and Towie co-star Lydia Bright in his most recent tweet on Thursday.

He wrote: "I really miss my old pal @LydiaRoseBright will you hurry up and get back from Italy ASAP! #Needy x."

Their will they/won't they relationship was the focus of the Essex-based show's last series.

Argent with Lydia Bright

The response on Twitter to concerns about Argent's whereabouts was huge this morning.

Former Towie star Sam Faiers tweeted: "We're all worried come home @RealJamesArgent."

Fans also expressed their concerns on social media, with one tweeting: "I hope @RealJamesArgent is found unharmed and well!! Xx."

Another wrote: "Omg can't believe it, hope @RealJamesArgent is okay."

Later, Towie star Gemma Collins tweeted: "Arg is ok."

Argent collected Towie's Bafta Audience Award in 2011 and completed the London Marathon in just over six hours in aid of Cancer Research in 2012.

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Hospital Food Shake-Up Announced By NHS Chiefs

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky News Reporter

The days of lumpy mash and watery gravy should become a thing of the past for hospital patients and staff as new mandatory food standards are introduced.

The rules will be legally binding and are aimed at putting an end to unhealthy and inedible meals on the NHS.

Under the changes, all patients will be checked for malnutrition, given an individual food plan and get help eating and drinking.

Canteen food must also be healthy, meet guidelines on salt, sugar and fat and be sustainably sourced.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said most people enjoyed the meals they currently received.

But he added: "Patients say the quality of food at their hospital is one of the most important things in their stay, on top of which we know that if you give people healthy, nutritious food it means they recover more quickly, they stay in hospital for a shorter amount of time and it costs the NHS less, so there are lots of reasons why this is very important."

The plans come from a report by the Hospital Food Standards Panel, which also recommended hospitals develop food and drink policies that encourage healthy eating, high-quality food production, sustainability and excellent nutritional care.

The changes will be included in NHS contracts

Hospitals will also be scored on the standard of their food, with results to be posted online.

It is a move being welcomed by 22-year-old Craig Benwell, who said the meals he received during a recent stay in hospital were often inedible or served in tiny portions.

The hospital says thin, plain food was appropriate for his condition because he was being treated for Crohn's Disease.

But Mr Benwell told Sky News: "I can understand why I was on the special diet because I can only eat certain foods.

"But the amount of food that was coming out and the look of it just wasn't very appetising at all.

"The main problem was portion size ... I had to really gain weight and the portions they were giving me just really weren't enough."

The new changes will be included in NHS contracts but will not be written into law, leading to criticism from campaigners that they could be easily ignored.

Alex Jackson, coordinator of the Campaign for Better Hospital Food, added: "We're also alarmed that the Government's food standards are weak and only reflect basic catering and care standards, which are already commonly implemented in the NHS, including that 'tap water is available' to patients.

"Good things in themselves, but nowhere near ambitious enough to have a transformative effect on patient meals."

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Two Tory MPs 'Seriously Considering' Defecting

Five Big Wins For UKIP As Carswell Defects

Updated: 2:50pm UK, Thursday 28 August 2014

By Faisal Islam, Political Editor

For days, Nigel Farage has been impishly promising a "big announcement" about "a new donor".

Impressive spin, maximising the bombshell announcement of a defection to UKIP (and I'd not be surprised if Douglas Carswell had handed over a tenner to make the claim true, technically).

The first win for UKIP, is obviously getting a Conservative MP to defect.

Second, in Carswell UKIP have gained a respected, independent, radical mind, an ex-Spectator parliamentarian of the year.

He is not a time-serving, bitter backbencher overlooked for promotion in the Coalition Government.

He is a man of interesting views - from direct democracy, to the system of money and debt, to immigration, and of course Europe.

He has a strong following within the Conservative grassroots.

Third, he will resign as an MP, triggering a by-election, at the worst possible time for the Conservatives.

Some political analysts felt the European and local elections in May were just a form of the typical mid-term protest vote, that UKIP was running out of steam.

This changes that completely.

Fourth, was the manner of Carswell's resignation. Calm praise of the prime minister, who he voted for as Conservative party leader.

But then he assailed Mr Cameron's entire strategy to heal the Conservative party's open wounds on Europe.

The policy of renegotiation of EU membership followed by a 2017 referendum was "not sincere", the leadership wanting to secure "just enough" to pretend change was happening.

The Conservative leadership was not "serious about real change". There will a few other Conservative MPs pondering that one.

Fifth, he also singled out the key moments that pushed him to the exit door.

There was Mr Cameron's recent talk to the 1922 committee when Carswell claims he said he would not consider the UK going for a trade-only "associate" status with the EU.

He also criticised the effective dropping of "open primaries", and the treatment of one MP chosen by them, Dr Sarah Wollaston.

And he expressed his regret over the failure to get tough MP recall powers.

More than anything, this could blow open the Conservatives decades-long internal fight over Europe.

At a time when David Cameron and George Osborne were finalising their conference offer to the electorate, a plan to turn the as yet voteless recovery into a vote-heavy one, this is the last thing the PM needed.

On the day the PM flies to Glasgow to try to help keep the Union together, he faces the old nightmare, of keeping his own party together.

Ed Miliband and Alex Salmond will be sharing in Nigel Farage's delight today.

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Gold Diggers Flock To Beach For Treasure Hunt

An artist has caused a gold rush on a beach after apparently burying thousands of pounds worth of the precious metal there as part of an arts festival.

Michael Sailstorfer says he has hidden 30 bars of 24-carat gold, worth £10,000, under the sand of Outer Harbour beach in Folkestone, Kent.

People are being encouraged to search the beach after low tide - and can keep any gold that they find.

People have travelled from as far as London to take part, the curators say

The bars are around the size of a dog tag, and worth up to £500 each.

Rachel Kinchin, communications director at arts producers Situations UK, which is curating the project, said around 500 people had turned up so far, and described the response as "amazing".

She said: "There's so many stories of what people would do with it (a piece of gold).

There have been four reports of people finding gold so far

"One guy who's redundant said he would start up his own business. Others want to keep it as a piece of art."

Ms Kinchin said they had received reports of four treasure hunters striking it lucky, although no one has officially come forward to them.

One of those who went down on Thursday, the first day of searching, was Vicky Webb, who told Kent Online: "I heard about this on the radio and I thought we should go down and join in.

Each piece is around the size of a dog tag

"Some people are getting a bit frustrated at not finding anything but it's a lot of fun."

Ms Kinchin said there is no time frame for when the hunt will end, and added it was possible some of the gold might never be found.

The project by Berlin-based Mr Sailstorfer is called Folkestone Digs and is part of the town's triennial, which runs from August 30 to November 2.

People are being encouraged to sift through sand so as not to miss any gold

A common theme of his work is said to be the "disruption of the everyday".

Situations UK said the project "is a continuation of his aim to make art that comes less from the head and more from the stomach".

Some are using metal detectors to help them, others are relying on spades

Ms Kinchin said part of the work was about a "shared experience and sense of community".

Folkestone's triennial, which happens every three years, has previously included works by artists including Tracey Emin, Jeremy Deller and Martin Creed.

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Annual House Price Growth Hits 11% Says Report

The slowdown in house price growth of recent months could have been short-lived, with home costs accelerating in August.

The Nationwide study calculated growth of 0.8% - the sixteenth successive monthly price rise - leaving the annual pace of house price growth up to 11% from 10.6% in July.

The report said that while the figures highlighted a growing gulf between housing costs and wage rises - most recently measured at -0.2% - affordability was not stretched by historic standards.

Its figures were released as separate Land Registry statistics - covering the year to July - measured growth of 7.2% nationally.

London house prices were found to have grown by 19.3% annually - the biggest year-on-year increase in the capital in more than a decade.

Robert Gardner, Nationwide's chief economist, said: "The outlook for the housing market remains highly uncertain.

"The number of mortgage approvals fell by almost 20% between January and May, suggesting that activity was cooling.

"However, there was a modest rebound in June and it is unclear how much of the slowdown was due to the introduction of Mortgage Market Review rather than an underlying loss of momentum.

"Surveyors report that new buyer enquiries have moderated somewhat in recent months, and the prospect of interest rate increases together with subdued wage growth may temper demand in the quarters ahead.

"However, the brightening economic outlook is likely to provide ongoing support for housing demand.

"Consumer sentiment remains buoyant thanks to declining inflation and sustained increases in employment."

He also pointed to the continuing weak supply of homes on the market as a factor likely to support price growth.

But separate research released by property analyst Hometrack has found the gap between house sellers' asking prices and the amounts that buyers are willing to pay is widening.

Hometrack said this pointed to the pace of house price increases slowing in the coming months.

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Met Chief Wants New Powers To Stop UK Jihadists

The country's most senior police officer wants jihadists who fight abroad to be stripped of their British passports and placed under revived control orders if they return to the UK.

Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe spoke after Boris Johnson called for anyone travelling to Syria or Iraq "without good reason" to be arrested - and for returning fighters to lose their UK citizenship.

Deputy Prime Minister has argued that no new laws are required - and insisted he would listen to "police, the authorities and security services" rather than Mr Johnson.

But Sir Bernard, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, has also called for new powers.

He said: "It seems to me it's a privilege to have a passport and be a citizen of this country, and if you're going to start fighting in another country on behalf of another state, or against another state, it seems to me that you've made a choice about where you what to be."

Sir Bernard wants a return to "something like" control orders, which were used to restrict the movement and behaviour of terror suspects who could not face charges in court or be deported.

Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe wants fresh powers to stop suspected terrorists

"Certainly for us, anything that either stops them from going or preferably stops them from coming back is a good idea," he said.

"They were stopped because the threat was reduced and quite properly they were seen as too intrusive.

"But I think these things have got to be considered when the drum beat changes, and it's clear that the drum beat has changed."

An estimated 500 or 600 Britons are thought to have travelled to Syria to fight jihad there.

Last week a video emerged of an ISIS fighter with an English accent, dubbed 'Jihadi John', apparently beheading US journalist James Foley.

Scotland Yard has confirmed "significant progress" is being made to find the killer.

Sir Bernard said the force is working with American counterparts to firmly establish whether he is British.

James Foley was beheaded by a suspected British jihadi

"We are making progress in that investigation, of course we are working with our partners in America because this was an American citizen who was murdered by a British citizen, it appears.

"First of all we have to tie down who we think did it, where it happened, and then we can start talking about jurisdiction.

"Obviously there is a voiceover, which everybody's heard, which sounds like a Brit. It sounds like somebody from London, that's all the experts tell us. So we're investigating whether that's true.

"Our investigation is making progress but it's not straightforward, it's not got a name plate stuck on it. We are going to have to do quite a lot of work with various people to try to get to the bottom of it."

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Tax Fugitives Brought To Justice By HMRC

Five of the UK's top tax fugitives have been brought back to the UK to face justice following a global HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) initiative, the organisation has said.

HMRC said it is "excellent news for all honest taxpayers" and released images of a further five people it wants to track down.

These are: Ahmed Salim Khezri, Norbert Dombo, Mohammed Kasim Farook (aka Mohammed Kasim), Paul Edwards and Murugasan Natarajan (aka Murucasan Natarajan and Raj Natarajan).

The five fugitives HMRC wants to apprehend

Those who have been apprehended in the last year are:

:: John Sabin, who fled to Spain after being convicted for his role in smuggling more than 150 million illicit cigarettes into the UK

:: Malcolm McGowan, who also fled to Spain before he could be sentenced for smuggling more than 28 million cigarettes

:: Magdalena Ferkova, returned from the Czech Republic after being found guilty of tax credit and child benefit fraud

:: Michael Voudouri, who fled to northern Cyprus prior to sentencing after being found guilty of an £11.6m money laundering scam

:: Michael Fearon, who fled to the Republic of Ireland while on trial for his part in smuggling more than 8 million cigarettes

Malcolm McGowan, one of those who has been caught in the last year

Jennie Granger, HMRC's Director General of Enforcement and Compliance, said: "This is down to the determination of our people with the help and support of the general public.

"We would like to thank the public for that help, and ask them to look at the 2014 list and help us to bring back the rest.

"These fugitives were involved in frauds that have collectively cost the UK more than  £844 million but the success of our campaign means those on the run should know that HMRC will relentlessly pursue them."

HMRC said it had also received "important information" on the location of five other people on its "most wanted" list.

It is two years since HMRC first published images of its top tax fraud absconders, and since then the pictures have been viewed three million times, leading to the capture of some of the fugitives.

There is also a map showing where HMRC believes the remaining people on the list to be.

HMRC says that, where legally possible, it will seek extraditions with the help of the Crown Prosecution Service and other partners in the UK and abroad to ensure they are brought back to the UK. 

:: Anyone with information should contact the Tax Evasion Hotline on 0800 788 887 or email via the HMRC website. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Abuse Scandal 'Happening All Over Country'

The child exploitation scandal in which 1,400 youngsters were abused over 16 years is not "peculiar" to Rotherham, according to a leading children's charity.

A damning report on abuse in the South Yorkshire town detailed examples of 11-year-olds being gang raped and children forced to watch violent sex abuse.

Barnardo's was called to the town by police last year to tackle the problem - but the charity says it is also working with other councils to "learn lessons from the past".

Chief executive Javed Khan told Sky News: "Barnardo's is working very closely with that council and many other councils across the country.

"We're trying to help those professionals learn lessons from the past.

Some 1,400 children were abused in Rotherham over 16 years

"This is happening all over the country - it isn't just peculiar to Rotherham.

"It's important that they learn the lessons from the past, work with agencies like ours that have experience.

"We work with more than 2,000 children who've been sexually exploited every year. We know how to spot the signs and put it right."

The report on abuse in Rotherham, between 1997 and 2013, said authorities in the town "could and should" have done more to stop the abuse.

But officials did not listen to children trying to report it, the report said.

Council leader Roger Stone resigned after the report was published

Council leader Roger Stone resigned after the report was published - and there have been calls for South Yorkshire's Police Commissioner to follow.

Shaun Wright was elected in 2012 - but his previous role as a councillor put him in charge of children's services between 2005 and 2010.

However, Mr Khan insists it is important the victims are not forgotten amid the "recriminations".

"I'm sure Shaun Wright is doing some deep thinking about what he did and what he could have done differently - many other people will be doing as well," he said.

"Apart from the recriminations, the important thing is that we learn the lessons about how to protect children.

"Whatever actions need to be taken, let's focus on the victims and make sure this never, ever happens again to children who need our support.

"I'm not sitting on the fence. Children were failed. But the report says children's services in Rotherham are fit for purpose now - that's what interests me.

"What we're trying to do is work with the schools, work with the police, work with the social services, so they're more aware and more able to spot the signs of children who need our support."

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Rotherham Abuse: Police Chief Refuses To Quit

South Yorkshire's Police Commissioner has refused to resign over the Rotherham child sex abuse scandal.

Shaun Wright is facing calls to stand down, including by his own Labour Party, in the wake of a damning report which revealed more than 1,400 children were victims of abuse there between 1997 and 2013.

It detailed examples of 11-year-olds being gang raped and children being forced to watch violent sex abuse while being threatened that they would be next.

Mr Wright was a Labour councillor for Rotherham until he was elected Police Commissioner in 2012, and was in charge of children's services from 2005 to 2010.

Rotherham Council leader Roger Stone stood down in the wake of the report

But Mr Wright told Sky News he was "completely astonished" at the abuse, and said he had been unaware of the scale of the problem.

He said: "I take my share of the responsibility. There was systemic failure. I only wish that I knew more at the time.

"If I knew then what I know now then clearly more could have been done.

"I do have regrets I wasn't more aware of the issue at the time."

He claimed information was not "escalated up" to the political level or senior managers.

Mr Wright said: "I am completely astonished by the scale of the issue that's been identified."

But Colin Ross, the leader of the Lib Dem group on Sheffield City Council, said it is "difficult to see how local people can have confidence in him to continue as our Police and Crime Commissioner".

A Labour spokesperson said: "The report into child abuse in Rotherham was devastating in its findings. Vulnerable children were repeatedly abused and then let down.

Alexis Jay's highly critical report detailed "appalling" abuse

"In the light of this report, it is appropriate that South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Shaun Wright should step down."

The leader of Rotherham Council, Roger Stone, stepped down with immediate effect following the publication of the report.

The council has apologised for its failings but confirmed no staff will face disciplinary action.

South Yorkshire Police also issued an apology but it too revealed that no officers have been disciplined.

Chief Superintendent Jason Harwin, police district commander for Rotherham, said no officers had faced disciplinary action but added: "A number of individuals that were in the service then are no longer in the service.

"Clearly we have failed on this occasion. We know that but we need to understand understand what we need to do next."

"If people have done things they shouldn't have done they should be held to account."

A lawyer who represents some of the victims has told Sky News they intend to take legal action against the authorities.

Solicitor David Greenwood said he was "appalled" by what he called a "systematic failure".

He added that some of the girls involved have displayed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and will need "a lot of input to get their lives back on track".

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Stop And Search Code Of Conduct Lauched

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

Police forces across the country will today sign up to a crackdown on the misuse of stop and search powers that have caused tension between officers and the black community.

A new voluntary code will mean the outcome of each stop will be recorded to measure how many lead to an arrest.

There will also be tougher rules around the controversial "section 60" stops where there are no grounds for suspicion.

Under the plans these powers will require higher authorisation - from a chief police officer - and will be limited to 15-hour periods, down from 24.

They will also have to believe that violence "will" occur without the measure, while before it was only if more junior officers thought it might occur.

Police used 'section 60' at the Notting Hill Carnival

Some 24 police forces across England and Wales will start implementing the code, which has been brought in by Home Secretary Theresa May, immediately. By November all 43 forces will have signed up.

"Nobody wins when stop and search is misused," said Mrs May. "It can be an enormous waste of police time and damage the relationship between the public and police.

"I am delighted that all 43 police forces have signed up to the Best Use of Stop and Search scheme. It will increase transparency, give us a better understanding of how stop and search is actually being used and help local communities hold the police to account for their use of the powers.

"I hope it will also go a long way to building public confidence and forging an important link between communities and the police."

Mrs May believes the way the powers have been used is unfair to young, black men in particular. They are six times more likely to be stopped overall, but this rises to 29 times in some areas.

All 43 forces will abide by the code by the end of the year

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has called the figure "stubbornly" high.

The Met police, one of the first to sign up to the code, admitted they used Section 60 powers this weekend at the Notting Hill Carnival.

They also brought in Section 60AA powers - through which people can be asked to remove disguises. The force said it was in "response to incidents of violence and intelligence received".

The country-wide reforms are being led by black police inspector Nick Glynn, of Leicestershire force, who said he has been stopped and searched about 30 times when off duty.

Chief Executive of the College of Policing, Chief Constable Alex Marshall, added: "Stop and search powers are necessary to help us tackle crime and keep people safe but it is clear they are being misused too often. This can leave resentment in our communities and hinder our ability to prevent crime."

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UK Ebola Case: Family Praise 'Excellent Care'

The family of a British nurse airlifted from Africa to London to be treated for ebola has thanked the medical team looking after him.

Volunteer nurse William Pooley is in the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead after contracting the virus in Sierra Leone.

He is the first confirmed British ebola case. There is no cure and outbreaks have a fatality rate as high as 90%.

A statement from his family said: "We would like to express our thanks to all involved in bringing our son back to the UK.

Mr Pooley is brought to the Royal Free with a police escort

"We have been astounded by the speed and way which the various international and UK government agencies have worked together to get Will home.

"Will is receiving excellent care at the Royal Free Hospital and we could not ask for him to be in a better place.

"We ... ask everyone to remember those in other parts of the world suffering with ebola who do not have access to the same healthcare facilities as Will."

Mr Pooley, 29, was flown back to the UK on Sunday night for emergency treatment.

The victim is being treated at the Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead, London

Days before he contracted the disease, he spoke about the joy of seeing ebola victims make a full recovery.

He told The Guardian: "It's great seeing them walk away after some of them have been in a terrible state. Seeing them on the wards and then seeing them recover and walk out the door is great."

Mr Pooley is being treated in Hampstead because it has the only isolation ward in the country.

His bed will be surrounded by a tent with its own controlled ventilation system and the only people allowed inside are specially-trained medical staff.

Liberia has been receiving shipments of USAid as it struggles to cope

A Liberian doctor who was one of three Africans to receive the experimental Ebola drug ZMapp is among the latest to have died, the country's information minister said on Monday.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday that protective equipment had been sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where two cases of ebola have been confirmed.

Japan said it had developed an anti-influenza drug which may be able to treat the virus.

It is not known if favipiravir, which trades under the name Avigan, can treat the disease, but it was designed to treat new and re-emerging influenza viruses, which have similarities to ebola.

Residents have been quarantined in several parts of Liberia

Mr Pooley was working at a hospice in Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, but moved to a government hospital in Kenema when he found out workers at the hospital had died.

In an interview with a blogger for freetownfashpack.com published earlier this month, he is reported to have said: "It's the easiest situation in the world to make a difference."

His friend Dr Oliver Johnson, who has been working in Freetown, said Mr Pooley was an "extraordinary guy" who knew the risks involved but was prepared to take them in order to help.

The Department of Health said he was not "seriously unwell", and health chiefs have insisted that the risk to the public from ebola is "very low".

There have so far been 2,615 confirmed cases and 1,427 deaths in the outbreak in Africa.

Ebola is contracted through contact with an infected person's bodily fluids and there is currently no cure or vaccine.

Symptoms of the virus appear as a sudden onset of fever, headache, sore throat, intense weakness and muscle pain.

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Masked Gunmen Raid Boutique Hotel In Soho

Police are searching for two masked gunmen who raided a hotel in London's West End in the early hours.

They tied up a member of staff at the Dean Street Townhouse in Soho before making off with cash and mobile phones.

Police were called to the four-storey boutique hotel at 3.05am after the two men burst in and demanded money.

The hotel is a converted Georgian townhouse

No shots were fired and no one was injured, although staff were threatened and one man was treated for shock.

The two robbers were said to have eastern European accents and were wearing white hoodies.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information is asked to call the Metropolitan Police on 101.

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Clegg: No Law Needed To Stop UK Jihadists

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has rejected calls for tougher measures to combat the threat of British jihadists returning from Iraq and Syria.

Boris Johnson became the latest voice to demand that suspected Islamic State (IS) militants returning to the UK are stripped of their citizenship.

His comments come as it is believed that a British fighter dubbed 'Jihadi John' was responsible for the beheading of US journalist James Foley.

The London Mayor also wants a new law that would see anyone travelling to Syria or Iraq "without good reason" arrested.

Nick Clegg was talking during trade talks in India

However, Mr Clegg said laws were already in place to keep the streets of Britain safe.

He said: "I sometimes wish it was as simple as Boris Johnson implies: all we need to do is pass a law and everything will be well.

"They (IS militants) shouldn't be able to come back and do harm on the streets of British towns, villages and cities, and that is now our number one priority

"It's what the police, the authorities and security services are working flat out on; I have huge confidence in the outstanding work they do.

A video of James Foley's beheading was released a week ago

"With the greatest respect to Boris Johnson, I will listen to what they tell me they need rather than what he says.

"We actually have a number of measures already on the statute book which allow us to keep a very close eye on those people who aren't in prison, aren't sentenced, but nonetheless are perceived to be a threat to the United Kingdom."

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has warned that IS fighters will "seek to strike us on British soil" if they are not stopped.

Mr Johnson said doing nothing would mean a "tide of terror will eventually lap at our own front door".

But former attorney general Dominic Grieve said a suggestion that those travelling to Iraq and Syria should be presumed guilty was "draconian".

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Mikaeel Kular's Mother Jailed For His Killing

Mother Admits Beating Mikaeel Kular To Death

Updated: 2:10pm UK, Friday 25 July 2014

Mikaeel Kular's mother has pleaded guilty to killing her three-year-old son, who she subjected to repeated assaults.

Rosdeep Adekoya had been accused of murder but admitted a reduced charge of culpable homicide at the High Court in Edinburgh.

She confessed to wrapping Mikaeel's body in a duvet cover, putting it in a suitcase and driving to Dunvegan Avenue in Kirkcaldy, where she hid the case under a bush in woodland behind a house.

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

His body was eventually found 25 miles away in woodland in Kirkcaldy, Fife.

Adekoya had called 999 to report her son missing to police, telling officers he got out of bed and climbed on a stool to unlock the front door of his home.

But in court she admitted to beating her son to death, repeatedly punching him and causing his body to hit against a hard object or inflicting blunt injuries on his head and body between January 12 and 15.

She also pleaded guilty to attempting to defeat the ends of justice by pretending to police he had gone missing.

Advocate depute Alex Prentice told the court: "The basis for the plea tendered being accepted is that the Crown accepts that the accused had no intention to kill Mikaeel and that the assault perpetrated upon him, although severe, fell short of the wicked recklessness required for murder."

Explaining the charge of culpable homicide, Sky's James Matthews, at the High Court in Edinburgh, said: "Basically she beat up her son causing his death but she didn't mean to kill him, and that's been accepted by the prosecution authorities."

He said after killing Mikaeel, Adekoya had done the school-run taking her four other children to school before continuing on to dump his body behind a property where her sister was staying.

"Her concocted story unravelled under questioning by police, and it was when they spotted inconsistencies in her story that she broke down and told them where Mikaeel's body was," Matthews added.

Adekoya's internet history showed searches including "I find it hard to love my son", "I love all of my children except one", "Why am I so aggressive with my son" and "Get rid of bruises".

The court heard Mikaeel died on the night of Tuesday, January 14, from injuries inflicted the previous Sunday.

His mother "lost her temper" when he was repeatedly sick following a trip to a Nando's restaurant at the city's Fountain Park.

Mikaeel had more than 40 separate injuries to his body, including bruises to his back, chin and cheek, trauma to the brain, haemorrhage in the spinal cord and injuries to his arms.

Mr Prentice said: "If medical assistance had been called for, death might not have resulted."

Sentence was deferred until August 25 at the High Court in Edinburgh.

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First Briton With Ebola Virus Begins Treatment

A Briton who contracted the deadly ebola virus in Sierra Leone is being treated at a specialist hospital after being evacuated to the UK.

Volunteer nurse William Pooley tested positive after treating patients suffering from the disease at Kenema Government Hospital (KGH) in the south-east of the country.

It is the first confirmed case of a Briton contracting ebola during the outbreak. There is no cure and outbreaks have a fatality rate as high as 90%.

Mr Pooley, understood to be 29 and from Eyke in Suffolk, was transported to the UK on a specially-equipped C-17 Royal Air Force jet, which landed at RAF Northolt in west London on Sunday evening.

He was then taken to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, north London, which has the UK's only high level isolation unit.

His bed will be surrounded by a tent with its own controlled ventilation system and the only people allowed inside are specially-trained medical staff.

Dr Robert Garry, from Tulane University in New Orleans, has worked at KGH for around a decade on a virus research project.

He said he was told by a university colleague that the test results for William were received on Saturday.

"They worked as hard as they could, as fast as humanly possible to make these arrangements," he said.

The nurse is taken off the plane and into a waiting ambulance

"Of course they were wanting to make sure that he got the best care possible.

"It was kind of a remarkable turnaround, barely over 24 hours (later) he was heading towards that plane."

Mr Pooley was working at a hospice in the capital, Freetown, but moved to Kenema when he found out other workers at the hospital had died from ebola.

In an interview with a blogger for freetownfashpack.com published earlier this month, he is reported to have said: "It's the easiest situation in the world to make a difference.

"I'm not particularly experienced or skilled, but I can do the job and I am actually helping."

William was treating ebola patients in Sierra Leone

He also described his first impressions of the country - including confrontations with armed guards and sampling the hospitality of wealthy locals made rich from the controversial diamond mining industry - in a local village newsletter.

Dr Garry praised William's decision to help. He said: "It's a very honourable thing. He saw the need.

"He read about our nurses who were unfortunately dying there and took it on himself to come over and volunteer and learned how to be as safe as he could.

"But when you work hard like that, when you put in so many hours, you're going to make a mistake and unfortunately that seems to have happened in this case.

The C17 plane lands at RAF Northolt on Sunday evening

"I just hope the best for him, that he can get the best treatment he can get."

The Department of Health said he was not "seriously unwell", while health chiefs have insisted that the risk to the public from ebola is "very low".

There have so far been 2,615 confirmed cases and 1,427 deaths in the outbreak in Africa.

Ebola is contracted through contact with an infected person's bodily fluids and there is currently no cure or vaccine.

Symptoms of the virus appear as a sudden onset of fever, headache, sore throat, intense weakness and muscle pain.

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Rain Threatens Bank Holiday Travel Disruption

Tips For Driving In Severe Weather

Updated: 1:35pm UK, Friday 14 February 2014

The Highways Agency has issued the following guidance on how to prepare for driving in severe weather conditions.

Driving In General Bad Conditions

:: Always adjust your dri­ving accord­ing to the con­di­tions and plan your jour­ney by check­ing the lat­est weather forecast.

:: Make sure that you can see clearly and that you can be seen.

:: Use at least dipped head­lights in poor vis­i­bil­ity - and don't just rely on day­time run­ning lights if you have them.

Driving In Rain And Floods

:: When the road is wet it can take twice as long to stop. Slow down and main­tain a safe dis­tance from the vehi­cle in front.

:: If your vehi­cle loses grip, or "aqua­planes", on sur­face water take your foot off the accel­er­a­tor to slow down.

:: Do not brake or steer sud­denly because you have less con­trol of the steer­ing and brakes.Try to avoid dri­ving through sur­face water as you might flood your engine.

:: If you have to drive through floods, drive slowly, use a low gear and try to keep the engine revving at a high rate.

:: Move for­ward con­tin­u­ously to avoid stalling the engine.

:: When dri­ving an auto­matic vehi­cle, engage and hold in a low gear.

:: Test your brakes after dri­ving through water; they may be ineffective.

Driving In Windy Weather

:: Take extra care on the roads and plan your jour­ney by check­ing the lat­est weather conditions.

:: Although high-sided vehi­cles are par­tic­u­larly affected by windy weather, strong winds can also blow other vehi­cles off course.

:: This can hap­pen on open stretches of road exposed to strong cross­winds, or when pass­ing bridges, high-sided vehi­cles or gaps in trees.

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Quarry Drowning Linked To Ice Bucket Challenge

The death of a teenager at a disused quarry in Fife is being linked to the "ice bucket challenge", Sky News understands.

Cameron Lancaster, 18, disappeared under water at Prestonhill Quarry  in Inverkeithing, Fife, on Sunday.

Emergency services were called and searched the water. His body was found at about 9pm.

Sky News understands that his death is linked to the "ice bucket challenge" in which people film themselves having ice water tipped over them for charity.

A series of celebrities and public figures have taken part in the stunt over the past month.

The family of the teenager, from Burntisland, Fife, paid tribute to his "thoughtful generosity of spirit".

In a statement they said: "Cameron died in a tragic accident. His death is such a great loss.

"During his short life, he touched so many people with his friendliness, kindness and thoughtful generosity of spirit.

"He will be hugely missed by his family and friends.

"The family are finding it hard to come to terms with this sudden loss and would ask for privacy at this sad time."

A police spokesman said: "Inquiries are under way to establish the fullcircumstances of what happened and Police Scotland's thoughts are with the family at this very difficult time."

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Bank Holiday Weather Alert Over Rain And Wind

A weather alert has been issued as heavy rain and wind threaten travel problems for millions of Britons returning home from a weekend break.

The Met Office has issued a sweeping yellow weather alert for Bank Holiday Monday, predicting significant surface water on roads and gusts of up to 40mph (64kph). 

Meanwhile, overnight temperatures will plummet to freezing point in some areas, with the first frost of the summer arriving in the north this morning.

Tomorrow's weather warning relates to parts of Wales, as well as London, the South East, East and South West of England, although most of the UK will see some rain.

Winds of up to 40mph are expected in some areas

Temperatures will struggle to get above 17C (62.6F) - well below average for August.

Scotland, where it is not a bank holiday, will enjoy the best of the weather tomorrow.

The Met Office said: "Heavy rain is expected to affect many southern areas of Britain at times during Bank Holiday Monday, with strong winds a possible additional factor close to southern coasts.

"The public should be aware that there may be some impacts to holiday traffic and other outdoor activities.

The first frost of the summer is expected to arrive in the north on Sunday

"A complex area of low pressure looks like bringing an unpleasant day's weather to much of the south on Monday.

"Rainfall amounts look like exceeding 20mm quite widely, while a few places might see around 40mm, so there will be a lot of surface water and spray on roads.

"The spray will probably be made worse by strong winds across some southern areas; gusts to around 40mph may occur at some coastal locations although this will depend on the exact track of the low pressure."

More than five million people in the UK are planning an overnight holiday trip this weekend, VisitEngland said.

Around one million people are expected to be drawn to Notting Hill Carnival, one of Europe's biggest street carnival events, today and tomorrow.

Despite a cold start, Sunday's weather will be largely fine across the UK with spells of sunshine and highs of 18C (64.4F).

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Independent Scotland 'Would Have To Join Euro'

Alex Salmond's "only realistic plan B" for the currency of an independent Scotland is the euro, according to shadow chancellor Ed Balls.

Mr Balls reiterated his warning that the Scottish National Party's preference for keeping the pound in a formal currency union with the rest of the UK is "off the table".

The Labour MP, who was against UK entry to the euro when he worked for Gordon Brown, has previously ruled out a currency union if his party wins the next election.

The current Conservative chancellor, George Osborne, and Scottish Liberal Democrat Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander have also dismissed the prospect.

Keeping the pound without a currency union would accelerate "the movement of financial services out of Scotland", Mr Balls told the Observer newspaper.

Meanwhile, new currency would be "very expensive, very risky" and people would "pay a big price in terms of higher interest rates for mortgages", Mr Balls claimed.

Ed Balls ruled out a formal currency union in the newspaper interview

He said: "I fear that an independent Scotland would end up finding that joining the euro would be the least worst of all the bad options.

"It's not what I would choose for Scotland. And I am not surprised at all that Alex Salmond doesn't want to admit it now, but joining the euro would likely be his only realistic plan B."

Mr Balls added: "Given the size of the UK relative to Scotland, given that Scotland would be leaving the UK, the size of the Scottish financial sector and given the risk, therefore, to UK taxpayers, a sterling currency area would be off the table."

Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling will stage another debate on Monday

He urged Mr Salmond "to tell people what plan B is" at his next debate with Better Together leader Alistair Darling, which will be shown on Sky News on Monday.

A spokesman for Mr Salmond told The Observer: "An independent Scotland will keep the pound because it's our currency too, and pensions and public services will be more sustainable after a yes vote because Scotland's economy is stronger than the UK's."

A Better Together spokesman said: "Alex Salmond wants us to vote for independence on the basis of his blind faith and guesswork alone.

"We should say no thanks to taking on so much risk."

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House Lifted 1.5m To Avoid More Flood Misery

By Joe Tidy, Sky News Reporter

A family from Berkshire who were devastated by floods in February have jacked their entire house up by 1.5 metres to avoid future floods.

The Ivry family home in Wraysbury on the River Thames was devastated by water during the winter floods and they've spent six months in temporary housing.

During that time Yaron Ivry has taken extreme measures to prevent a repeat of the ordeal, spending £70,000 to lift the entire structure off the ground.

 "It was a lot of stress but it's all over and it's worth it - the project is now a success," Mr Ivry said.

"We are safe from the worst floods in 100 years so we're very happy."

It took three months to prepare the house, installing a steel girder framework near the base of the house before cutting through the brick and woodwork.

A specialist company, more commonly used to lift large bridges, was employed to carry out the rare lift which they say was very challenging.

A total of 28 jacks have been used to lift the house

Sean Davies, of Hydra-Capsule, said: "We're used to doing structures that are much larger and heavier, but this lift is very technical.

"We installed 28 jacks to lift the house when just one would have been able to lift the building.

"We over-designed it deliberately because of the delicate house that's obviously so precious to the owners."

Wraysbury was one of the worst hit areas in the floods

The family is just one of hundreds still rebuilding after the floods of last winter which were caused by the heaviest rainfall in almost 250 years.

Around 1,000 homes were badly damaged in Somerset and along the Thames Valley.

Craig Woodhouse, from the Environment Agency, says these sorts of private flood prevention projects are key to reducing risk.

He said: "We're very keen that people take ownership of their own flood risk and the first way is to assess whether or not they are at risk on the Environment Agency website.

The Ivry family's home before it was raised off the ground

"Then you can start thinking about how you can protect your property if a community level scheme is not in the offing."

The Ivry family hope to move in next month and are planning a house warming for the New Year when they predict things will be back to normal.

:: Watch a Sky News special report on flood proofing Britain at 10.30am, 2.30pm, 4.30pm, and 8.30pm.

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British Ebola Patient 'May Be Flown To UK'

Nigeria Confirms First 'Secondary' Ebola Cases

Updated: 8:47am UK, Sunday 24 August 2014

Ebola fears in Nigeria have heightened after two more people tested positive, despite having no contact with the man who brought the virus into the country.

The infected people are the spouses of a man and woman who had contact with Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-American who died in July after flying into Abuja and infecting 11 others.

It comes as blood tests confirmed an Irish engineer who died on Thursday did not have ebola.

Dessie Quinn, 43, had been working in Sierra Leone, one of the countries struggling with the current outbreak.

Nigerian officials now have more than 200 potential ebola cases under "surveillance" after the discovery of the secondary infections.

"They were quarantined two days ago," said Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu.

"But the other ones that were quarantined along with them have been released.

"Those on treatment (in isolation) currently are four - two primary contacts, two secondary contacts. Presently altogether we have 213 on surveillance."

Patrick Sawyer, 40, died from ebola after becoming sick during a flight to Nigeria from the Liberian capital, Monrovia.

Two doctors, two nurses, and a man who picked him up from Abuja airport also died.

The World Health Organisation said earlier this week it was hopeful over the situation in Nigeria because all the cases there had come from a single chain of transmission.

The country now has 14 confirmed cases, including five deaths.

Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone have suffered the worst from the outbreak, accounting for most of the 1,350 fatalities.

Liberian capital Monrovia, in particular, has seen chaotic scenes in recent days as ebola cases increase.

The local crematorium is struggling to burn the infected bodies and is having to send some back to the hospital, according to the Red Cross.

Troops have also fired tear gas to enforce a quarantine zone and prevent looting in the city's huge West Point slum.

A teenage boy, Shakie Kamara, has died after being shot by security forces earlier this week, Information Minister Lewis Brown said on Friday.

Senegal has become the latest country to lock down its border with an ebola-affected neighbour, closing its land border with Guinea.

Decisions to bar widespread use of an experimental ebola drug have caused controversy.

Two Americans, Kent Brantly, 33, and Nancy Writebol, 60, recovered after taking ZMapp, but there are no plans to send it to the heart of the outbreak.

Specialists believe the pair, who were treated in Atlanta, now pose "no public health threat" and will probably be immune to the disease.

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