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Hidden Stories Revealed Through WW1 Footage

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 08 November 2014 | 18.55

By Frazer Maude, North Of England Correspondent

For years, George Lumb's memories of his grandfather as a soldier were based on a handful of black and white photographs from almost 100 years ago.

But one night whilst surfing the web at his home near Rotherham, he came across some video footage from 1915 on the Yorkshire Film Archive's website.

It showed 1,000 troops of the 5th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment parading through York before being sent to the front.

And there, on the front row of squad of marching soldiers, he saw his grandfather, George.

"It's amazement more than anything," he said. "We're talking almost 100 years ago and there he is as a young man, with thousands of other young men who went through that war.

Video: Royals Plant Symbolic Poppies

"I am proud of him. And that's me being deep because I'm not that sort of person - I might think it but I don't say it a lot."

There are touching moments in the film like a young girl running across the parade ground, or a woman holding a soldiers hand as he marches over York's Lendal Bridge. 

The regiment were to see some of World War One's most gruelling campaigns. They were also the first regiment to face the horrendous phosgene gas attacks.

Video: WW1 Soldiers Reinterred In France

But despite an arduous campaign, George Lumb and his two brothers, John William and Alburt, all returned home safely to Yorkshire.

The footage forms part of the archive's Filmed And Not Forgotten project to allow public access to their collection.

Martin Watson from the YFA said: "What I think is startling for us is that this is not a happy occasion, but it is an upbeat occasion.

Video: WW1 Centenary: Lights Out In London

"The soldiers are smiling, it's their chance to fight for King and country, they're pleased to go, to make a difference. There isn't that desperately sad feeling that we see later in the war."

For us, almost 100 years on from this film being made, it's a chance to see, close up, the faces of the men we do so much to remember.

The film can be seen here, and the YFA would like to hear from anyone who finds a connection with any of the films in the archive's remarkable collection.

Video: Europe Honours WWI War Dead

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Call For Probe Into 'Cannibal' Killer's Release

The decision not to monitor a man who then murdered a woman in a reported act of cannibalism after he was released from prison must be investigated, a Welsh politician has said.

Cerys Marie Yemm, 22, died after an attack at a homeless hostel in the village of Argoed, South Wales.

Sources have said she was found with substantial facial injuries.

Police fired a 50,000-volt Taser at Matthew Williams to try to stop the attack in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The 34-year-old was arrested but later became "unresponsive" and died in custody.

It is believed Williams had recently been released from jail after serving time for violent behaviour and the Ministry of Justice has confirmed he was not subject to probation conditions.

It is not clear if he had served his full term.

Video: 'I Feel Sickened And Shocked'

Welsh Assembly member William Graham said it was vital to look into the terms of the killer's release.

"It is now clear that Mr Williams posed a risk to the public and I am extremely concerned that monitoring appears to have been deemed unnecessary," he told the BBC.

"If true, a wider inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his release is urgently required.

"Questions must be answered by authorities and a full explanation provided on the decisions taken in this extremely tragic case."

The Ministry of Justice said a serious further offence review is carried out in all cases where a new offence is committed within 30 days of a prisoner being released.

Gwent Police have said they are not looking for any other suspects in the murder investigation.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has also started its own probe into the suspect's death.

The post-mortem examination on Miss Yemm has started but Chief Inspector Paul Staniforth said it would "take some time".

He refused to be drawn on gruesome speculation over the attack, telling reporters it was "unhelpful and very upsetting for the family of the deceased".

It is believed Miss Yemm, who worked at Next, had met her attacker through mutual friends.

Video: 'Two Dead On Our Doorstep'

"I feel stunned, shocked and sick to my stomach," said a friend, who did not want to be named.

"It's horrific. She was a lovely person. She didn't deserve to die like that."

People in Argoed, 20 miles north of Cardiff, have told Sky News they are "sickened" by the apparent savagery of the attack.

The Sirhowy Arms Hotel - where Miss Yemm was discovered - is used by Caerphilly Council to house homeless people while they wait for permanent accommodation.

Local resident Susan Gibbs told Sky: "We have had a lot of problems up there. Every other week, well every other day sometimes, there are police up there."


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War Widows To Keep Pensions After Remarrying

War widows will be able to keep their pensions if they remarry under changes to Armed Forces pension schemes to be introduced next year.

Prime Minister David Cameron announced the changes following a long-running campaign for equal pension rights for partners of those serving in the Armed Forces.

Currently, war widows receiving pensions from schemes in place between 1973 and 2005 lose their entitlements if they co-habit or remarry.

But the new pension arrangements will ensure a spouse or civil partner of all members of the Armed Forces will retain their pension for life if they remarry after 1 April next year.

The scheme is expected to affect some 3,000 widows and cost an estimated £120m over 40 years.

Video: Anna Souby MP On War Widows Pension

Mr Cameron said it is "absolutely wrong" that under the current system some Armed Forces widows lose their pension if they choose to remarry.

"This means that people, who have made huge sacrifices for our country, have had to make an agonising choice between their financial security or loneliness," he said.

"That's why I was determined to put this right and to respond to the concerns of many who have campaigned for a long time on this issue.

"And I am delighted to announce that we will change the rules to ensure that when our Armed Forces widows find happiness with someone else they can keep their pension for life.

"This reflects our clear commitment to uphold the Armed Forces covenant which we enshrined in law."

Veterans minister Anna Soubry told Sky News that the reason it had taken so long was because all governments are reluctant to make changes retrospectively, but the Coalition had decided to evoke the military covenant.

Campaigners welcomed the change.

Irene Willis, chairman of the War Widows' Association, said: "After campaigning for this amendment, which will benefit a small number of war widows whose partners died in service to their country, we are delighted that the Government has decided to provide pensions for life."

Chris Simpkins, director general of the Royal British Legion, said: "The Armed Forces Covenant recognises that no one should suffer a disadvantage due to Service, and that the bereaved are entitled to special consideration.

"That is why today's announcement, that all widows and widowers will retain their pension for life, is so important."


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Tower Poppy Display Sections To Stay On View

Key elements of the Tower of London poppy display are to stay on show until the end of the month, before travelling around the country.

Huge demand from the public to keep the installation for the First World War fallen at the London landmark triggered a campaign to extend its lifespan and the Prime Minister has now stepped in.  

The Weeping Window and Wave sections of the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red artwork will remain on view until the end of November.

They will then be sent on a tour of sites across the UK until 2018 before finally going on permanent display at the Imperial War Museum.

David Cameron said the installation, created by ceramic artist Paul Cummins and stage designer Tom Piper to mark the centenary of the start of the First World War, had become a "much loved and respected monument" in a short space of time.

Video: PM Visits London Poppy Field

"I think the exhibition of the poppies has really caught the public imagination, people have found that incredibly moving," he said.

"What we've managed to do is find a way of saving part of the exhibition for the nation and making sure it will be seen by many more people.

"Then it will be permanently saved by the Imperial War Museum - I think the right place for it to be - and something that marks the fact that everybody has found it so moving, so poignant, and such a brilliant idea.

Video: Tower Poppy Tribute From The Air

"By displaying parts of the installation around the country and then permanently in the Imperial War Museum, we have ensured that this poignant memorial will be saved for the nation."

The tour around the country will be funded using £500,000 of penalty fines paid by banks over the Libor-fixing scandal, as well as donations from the Backstage Trust and the Clore Duffield Foundation.

General the Lord Dannatt, Constable of the Tower of London, said: "We are delighted that key elements of Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red - the poppies installation at the Tower of London - which has so captured the heart of the nation, are to be preserved for many more thousands of people to see and appreciate over the coming four years."

Video: Should We Wear Poppies?

Large crowds have been rushing to see the display in its entirety, with floodlights being used to ensure as many people as possible get to see it before it is dismantled on November 12 - the day after Armistice Day.

A team of 8,000 volunteers has been lined up to start removing and cleaning ceramic poppies, before dispatching them to buyers who have paid £25 each to raise money for armed forces charities.

Video: Poppy Appeal Launched In London

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  1. Gallery: Queen Visits Poppy Installation

    The art installation will eventually consist of over 800,000 ceramic poppies, and serves to symbolise British and Colonial military fatalities in WWI

A total of 888,246 poppies will be planted in the moat by volunteers with the last poppy being planted on 11 November - Armistice Day

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Village In Shock Over 'Cannibal' Death Claim

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 07 November 2014 | 18.54

A woman murdered in a South Wales village was found with substantial facial injuries, sources have said, after unconfirmed reports described it as a cannibalistic attack.

The 22-year-old died from her injuries at a bed and breakfast in Argoed, in the Valleys, in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Police fired a 50,000 volt Taser at her attacker to stop him and 34-year-old man Matthew Williams was restrained and arrested.

He later died in custody.

Gwent Police said they were not looking for any other suspects in the murder investigation.

The victim has not yet been named and officers have refused to comment on her injuries or reports they were in a relationship.

The attack happened at around 1.30am at the Sirhowy Arms Hotel, used by Caerphilly Council to house homeless people while they wait for permanent accommodation.

Neighbour Susan Gibbs told Sky News: "We have had a lot of problems up there.

"Every other week, well every other day sometimes, there are police up there." 

Leon Gardiner, deputy mayor of the village, 20 miles north of Cardiff, said: "This has hit the community for six."

He told Sky News: "This is the sort of thing you don't ever expect... We've just got to live with it and hope that the hurt goes away - but it will take a long time."

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has started its own probe into the suspect's death.

A Gwent Police statement confirmed "a Taser was discharged and a 34-year-old local man was arrested".

It added: "Whilst under arrest, the man became unresponsive. Officers and paramedics administered first aid but he was also pronounced dead at the scene."


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Prince Charles Pokes Fun At Hapless TV Host

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

Prince Charles has filmed a rib-tickling sketch mocking an excruciating interview he did on Australian TV 40 years ago.

In the clip, His Royal Highness pokes fun at the car-crash exchange, which was recorded in 1977. He also has a dig at his hapless Australian interviewer, Molly Meldrum.

In the affectionate video, Prince Charles jokes: "There is an old showbusiness saying 'never work with animals or children'. But no one prepared me for Molly Meldrum."

His Royal Highness adds: "Was it really 40 years ago? It only seems like yesterday. I wish it were tomorrow – I'd cancel it!"

Molly Meldrum is an Australian musician and celebrity who was a presenter of the much-loved ABC music show Countdown, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

Prince Charles agreed to film a segment as part of a documentary about the programme.

Toe-curling archive footage from the time shows a sweating and nervous Meldrum falling over his words and struggling to compose himself in front of a young Prince Charles.

"Do you not have one of these teleprompters?" a bemused Prince Charles suggests as the interview falls apart.

"No," comes the awkward reply from the show's host, who breaks into expletives as he repeatedly fluffs his lines.

In his recorded tribute, the heir to the throne says: "I certainly learned some interesting new Australian words from Mr Meldrum. And if he could have read my mind, he would have learned some interesting new English words from me!"

At one point a hand vigorously taps the prince on the shoulder, recreating a producer's intervention from the time.

His Royal Highness signs off his tribute saying: "Congratulations to Countdown. It's an evening I will never forget!"

The clip was apparently written by the Prince himself as a tribute to Meldrum and Countdown.

"We're absolutely thrilled His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales, has taken time out from his royal duties to help celebrate Countdown's birthday with us," said ABC's director of television, Richard Finlayson.

"The sketch highlights HRH's keen sense of humour and the obvious affection he has for Molly and Countdown."

The clip will be shown in Australia later this month as part of the ABC documentary about Countdown.


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Max Clifford Loses Sex Abuse Sentence Appeal

By Tom Parmenter, Sky Correspondent, at the Court of Appeal

Max Clifford has failed in his Court of Appeal challenge to his eight-year prison sentence for sex offences.

At a hearing last month, the disgraced PR consultant's lawyers argued that the jail term was unfair and excessive.

Clifford, 71, was jailed in May after a seven-week trial in which he was shown to be a manipulative sex offender who had abused a string of young women during his career.

Many of them had been teenagers looking for work in show business.

In court he dismissed the women as "fantasists and liars" who were making the allegations in pursuit of compensation.

Video: Judge Slams PR Man's Sky Antics

However, he was found guilty of eight sex attacks on four victims between 1977 and 1984. The judge said he also believed other "supporting witnesses" who had made serious allegations.

At the Court of Appeal hearing, Clifford appeared to have lost weight as he watched proceedings via videolink from HMP Littlehey in Cambridgeshire.

His barrister, Richard Horwell QC, told the three judges that Clifford's last offence was 29 years ago and since "he has led an industrious life, and devoted a considerable part of his time to charitable works for which he has raised substantial funds".

In his sentencing remarks earlier this year, Mr Justice Leonard QC said he took into account Clifford's bizarre behaviour outside court and how his offences would have attracted far greater penalties if they had been committed more recently.

One of the victims told Sky News: "I think his sentence is deserved, not only for his crimes but for his continued contempt towards women in general."

Video: Alleged Clifford Victim Speaks Out

The appeal ruling has been considered over the past fortnight by a panel of three judges.

Announcing the decision, Lord Justice Treacy said: "It seems to us that, after consideration of the individual offences and the application of modern sentencing attitudes reflected in the guidelines ... an overall sentence of eight years was justified and correct."

He added: "Sexual offending will by its very nature cause harm at the time the offence is committed, but it is well recognised that for many victims significant harm persists for a considerable period afterwards.

"This is a case where it is clear that the effect of what was done to the victims was not something from which they recovered quickly."


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'Fake Rape' Case Investigated After Suicide

The Director of Public Prosecutions is investigating the case of a woman who killed herself after being prosecuted for making an allegedly false rape claim.

Eleanor de Freitas, 23, killed herself in April - three days before she was due to stand trial at Southwark Crown Court accused of making up an allegation of rape against a man.

The CPS decided to prosecute her after the man reportedly spent £200,000 on a private prosecution.

The A-grade student, who had bipolar disorder, left her family a note blaming her fear of giving evidence as a motive for her suicide.

Lawyers for her family have called on the coroner to postpone an inquest into her death, which was due to start today, so that an inquiry can be carried out into whether the CPS decision to prosecute Miss de Freitas contributed to her death.

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Alison Saunders, said she was "very saddened" by the death in a case she described as "one of the most difficult I have seen".

She added: "I have asked the team which dealt with this case for a full explanation which addresses all of the de Freitas family's concerns.

"I appreciate the family's unease which is why I am looking at this personally in order to satisfy myself of the detail surrounding all the stages of the case.

"Prosecuting cases of perverting the course of justice in connection with an alleged false rape allegation is rare, extremely difficult and always complex and sensitive."

She offered to meet Miss de Freitas' family "to discuss the case and the law surrounding it".

Miss de Freitas' father, David, told the Guardian that his daughter had been prosecuted "despite the fact the police did not believe there to be a case against her".

He added: "There are very serious implications for the reporting of rape cases if victims fear that they may themselves end up the subject of a prosecution if their evidence is in any way inconsistent.

"It is of the utmost importance that the CPS consider very carefully whether such cases are in the public interest."

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police confirmed the alleged rapist was arrested by police soon after the complaint was made in January 2013 but, due to lack of evidence, he was released and the case was closed.


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Petrol Price Guarantees Demanded By Treasury

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 06 November 2014 | 18.54

A failure by petrol firms and supermarkets to pass on the full benefit of falling oil prices to customers filling up at the pumps would be an "outrage", a Cabinet Minister has warned.

Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander has demanded guarantees from fuel companies and distributors that they were doing all they could to pass on the price cuts to hard-pressed motorists.

At a speech in Aberdeen, Mr Alexander said consumers felt petrol prices rise "like a rocket" when oil costs went up, but fall "like a feather" when they came down.

And he said people would "rightly be angry" if they felt prices were not coming down as much as they should.

Video: Chancellor On Petrol Prices

Brent crude slumped as low as $82 (£51) a barrel earlier this week, its lowest level in just over four years due to concerns about over-supply.

The Liberal Democrat frontbencher will say: "Especially in the current economic circumstances people would rightly be angry if they feel that pump prices don't fall as much as they should on the back of falling oil prices."

However, investigations into the failure to pass on the fall in the price of oil has been inconclusive.

Mr Alexander has written to the industry's major players "seeking their assurance that they are doing all they can to pass on the benefit of falling oil prices as quickly as possible".

He said: "When the price of oil falls, the public have a right to expect pump prices to fall like a stone, not a feather."

His comments came as Asda announced it would be cutting the price of petrol and diesel by 1p to 119.7pm and 123.7p a litre. 

Video: 'We Still Pay Too Much For Fuel'

Asda said it was the first time its petrol had gone under 120p a litre in four years.

It triggered a supermarket price war and Sainsbury's and Tescos quickly followed suit with 1p cuts of their own.

Motoring organisations were quick to say there was more then Government could do that just put pressure on oil firms.

RAC Foundation director Professor Stephen Glaister said: "It is encouraging that Mr Alexander shares the concerns of the nation's drivers but in a way he is passing the buck.

"The biggest driver of pump prices remains the Government. Well over 60% of the price is tax."

AA president Edmund King said: "They themselves could do more.

Video: Cuts: A Loss Leader Or Real Deal?

"First, policies to help strengthen the pound by just 10 cents against the dollar would double the potential for a 2p-a-litre fall in the price of petrol to 4p.

"Secondly, the Government's failure to introduce fuel price transparency, showing the relationship between oil, wholesale and pump prices, has helped no one."

Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Chris Leslie said: "Of course it's right that drivers should benefit from falling oil prices with lower prices at the pumps.

"But since 2011 people have paid 3p more on every litre of petrol because the Lib Dems broke their promise and backed the Tories in raising VAT."


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Bakery Faces Legal Action Over Gay Rights Cake

A Christian bakery owner says he faces legal action unless he pays out compensation for refusing to make a pro-gay marriage cake.

Ashers Baking Company, in Northern Ireland, turned down an order for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the words "Support Gay Marriage".

The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland took on the case on behalf of the customer, who is a gay rights activist.

Daniel McArthur, general manager of the bakers, said he has received a letter from the commission claiming he has breached anti-discrimination laws.

He said the company has been told if it does not offer compensation within seven days it will face legal action.

Mr McArthur said: "We feel that the Equality Commission are pursuing us because of our beliefs that marriage is between a man and a woman.

"It feels like a David and Goliath battle because on one hand we have the Equality Commission who are a public body, they're funded by taxpayers' money, they have massive resources at their disposal whereas we are a small family business and we have limited resources at our disposal.

"We're continuing to hold to the stand that we took originally because we believe it's biblical, we believe it's what God would want us to do, and we also think that if we do cave in to the Equality Commission at this point it'll put pressure on other citizens who are defending their view of traditional marriage."

Simon Calvert, spokesman for the Christian Institute, said: "It is simply baffling for a body supposedly working for equality to be threatening a Christian family with legal action, all because of a cake.

"The Equality Commission has taken four months to dream up new grounds on which to pursue the McArthur family, claiming that they've breached political discrimination laws.

"If supporting same-sex marriage is a protected political opinion, so is supporting traditional marriage. Yet the commission clearly favours one view over another and is prepared to litigate to prove it."

Ashers was founded in Newtownabbey, north of Belfast, in 1992. It has six shops in Northern Ireland and employs around 60 people.

The company was named after a verse from the Bible, which refers to "Bread from Asher".

A spokesman for the Equality Commission said: "The commission has now received a response from the company's solicitors stating that their view remains unchanged that their clients have not acted unlawfully, confirming they have no further proposals to make on their clients behalf and that they will accept service of a civil bill in regard to this matter.

"This case raises issues of public importance regarding the extent to which suppliers of goods and services can refuse service on grounds of sexual orientation, religious belief or political opinion.

"The commission will be issuing a civil bill in this case and a decision as to whether or not discrimination has occurred will be a matter for the court."

The Northern Ireland Assembly has rejected several attempts to change the law on gay marriage.


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Teen In Court Over Newcastle College Bomb Plot

A teenager has appeared in court over an alleged bomb plot at a college in Newcastle.

Liam Lyburd was at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court charged with possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, possessing ammunition with intent to endanger life, and five counts of possessing an explosive substance, namely a pipe bomb, with intent to endanger life.

The 18-year-old wore a grey, crew-neck sweater and spoke only to confirm his address and date of birth.

No pleas were entered and Lyburd, from Hamilton Place in the city's west end, was remanded in custody to appear before Newcastle Crown Court on November 20.

The estate where he lives, near Newcastle United's St James' Park football stadium, was cordoned off and 50 homes were evacuated while police carried out searches on Monday night.

Police later said serious harm was intended to be caused at Newcastle College.

The college's former pupils include TV presenters Ant and Dec, comedian Ross Noble and Perrie Edwards from Little Mix.


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Credit Threat To Child Maintenance Dodgers

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 05 November 2014 | 18.54

Parents who refuse to pay child maintenance face being turned down for credit cards and mortgages.

Under government plans, details of those who default on contributions towards their child's upbringing will be shared with credit reference agencies, threatening their credit score.

Having a weak credit rating can mean people are refused forms of financial credit such as personal loans, mortgages, credit cards, hire purchase finance arrangements and mobile phone contracts.

Even if someone is not turned down for credit, a blotted history could mean that they are given a smaller credit limit or charged a worse rate of interest.

Information about non-payment of child maintenance could be shared with credit reference agencies at the point where a liability order is made against a parent.

These are granted after an application is made to a court for legal recognition of a debt.

Just under 1.5 million child maintenance cases are being overseen by the Child Maintenance Service and the Child Support Agency and in the majority of cases, parents who no longer live in the family home do contribute towards their child's upbringing.

Between April 2013 and March 2014, 12,410 liability orders were granted.

The new powers, which are subject to parliamentary approval, will also mean that parents with a good payment record can ask that this information is shared if they feel that it could boost their ability to get credit.

Child Maintenance Minister Steve Webb said: "For too long, a minority of absent parents have got away with failing to pay maintenance, leaving families without that financial support.

"This Government is determined to take action to tackle this kind of irresponsible behaviour and support families.

"I would hope that we see this power used very little, because the deterrent effect of a possible negative mark on a person's credit rating will convince those who have previously failed to pay towards their children's upbringing to do the right thing."


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Security Threat Fear Over Mobile Blackspot Plan

New laws which would force mobile firms to improve coverage in signal blackspots could threaten national security, the Home Secretary has claimed.

Theresa May has raised concerns over the plans to force companies to allow users to switch between networks if a signal is not available in a "national roaming" policy.

It would work in a similar way to the way roaming between networks does abroad.

However, Mrs May has voiced fears the move could have a "detrimental impact" on the work of police and intelligence agencies in accessing information "crucial to keeping us safe".

The Home Secretary has expressed her reservations in a letter to David Cameron, which was leaked to The Times.

It puts her on a collision course with the Culture Secretary Sajid Javid, who is unveiling his plans later.

Video: Operator Backlash At Roaming Plans

Mr Javid made clear his intention to tackle the problem of poor mobile phone coverage, which affected a fifth of the country, when he took up his ministerial position in April.

Attempts to get agreement from the big mobile phone providers EE, O2, Three and Vodafone failed so Mr Javid is looking to legislation to force network sharing.

Mr Javid said: "I'm determined to ensure the UK has world-class mobile phone coverage as investment in infrastructure will help drive this government's long-term economic plan.

"It can't be right that in a fifth of the UK, people cannot use their phones to make a call. The Government isn't prepared to let that situation continue."

Other options being considered are:

:: Networks compelled to share equipment such as phone masts

:: Firms such as Tesco and Virgin allowed to sell packages offering access to all networks

:: Mobile phone firms forced to cover a certain percentage of the UK.

Mr Javid told Radio 4's Today programme: "The Home Secretary like every other member of the Government fully supports the strategy that we are setting out today."

Disclosure of Mrs May's intervention comes two days after the resignation of Lib Dem Home Office minister Norman Baker, who resigned after a series of run-ins.

Mr Baker said the Home Secretary was a "formidable woman" but accused her of putting obstacles in his way and regarding the Coalition as a Conservative government.

Shadow culture secretary Harriet Harman said: "Rather than briefing against each other as part of the ongoing Tory leadership squabble to replace David Cameron, Cabinet ministers should be making clear what the impact will be on 4G services for consumers and the emergency services, as well as any possible implications for national security and the fight against serious crime."


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Twin Babies Die After 999 Crew Kept Out Of Flats

A woman is in a coma and her premature twin baby girls have died after paramedics were prevented from getting into a block of flats in Birmingham.

Jocelyn Bennett, 27, was 32 weeks pregnant and dialled 999 after suffering severe stomach pains.

A paramedic arrived at Pleck House flats in Druids Heath along with two ambulance crews, but Ms Bennett was in such agony she was unable to buzz them into the building.

The crews tried the buzzers of all the other residents in the block, but they reportedly mistook them for police officers and refused to open the door.

It was only after police arrived, some 31 minutes after the first 999 call, that paramedics were able to get into the flat and begin treatment.

The two babies, Melody and Rose, had their life support machines switched off on Tuesday after a decision by their family.

Ms Bennett remains in a coma in hospital and is unaware of what has happened, her family told the Birmingham Mail. Her partner Kevin Clarke, 31, was not at home at the time.

She had suffered a placental abruption, resulting in the premature delivery of Melody. Rose was delivered by emergency caesarean in hospital.

Both babies suffered multiple organ failure and had been on life support since the incident last Wednesday. Ms Bennett suffered a cardiac arrest and severe blood loss.

Her father, Joe Bennett, told the Birmingham Mail: "They looked so perfect and when the ventilators were taken off their tiny bodies, I expected them to start moving.

"The vicar performed a lovely service and then the girls were held by Kevin for the last time.

"We left him with the twins so he could spend time with them on his own."

Mr Bennett said his daughter may have suffered brain damage after her heart stopped.

He also said that a previous police raid on the block meant residents there refused to answer their buzzers.

He told The Times: "If any residents see flashing blue lights they don't answer their calls because they fear it'll be another raid.

"No one answered their buzzers when the paramedics tried them."

Birmingham City Council (BCC), which owns the flats, said it had a system which allowed for emergency services access, and said an "urgent investigation" is now underway.

A spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: "Crews had difficulty getting into the building.

"They tried to contact all of the other flats within the block, all with no answer."

A spokesman for BCC said: "Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time.

"We have systems to provide emergency access to our blocks for the emergency services and an urgent investigation was commissioned as soon as we were made aware of the matter.

"The ongoing investigation will involve all other agencies concerned."


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Gaddafi Good For Britain, Says UKIP's Reckless

Muammar Gaddafi was good for immigration control - and helped contain the number of north Africans heading for Britain, UKIP's Mark Reckless has said.

Mr Reckless said helping to remove the dictator from power had been one of David Cameron's biggest mistakes.

The former MP, who defected from the Conservative party in September and hopes to give Mr Cameron a bloody nose at the Rochester by-election this month, said thousands of migrants were coming over from Libya by boat to Italy.

He said they were being "waved through Italy"  and then headed for Calais to cross the Channel for Britain.

Mr Reckless was speaking at a public meeting in Rochester, where UKIP is hoping to win its second seat in the House of Commons. The issue of immigration is becoming a key battleground for the General Election.

Video: Oct 12, 2013: Lampedusa Tragedy

He said: "Whatever people say about Gaddafi, one thing is he didn't allow those boats to come across.

"He had an agreement with Italy that stopped it. Since he's gone we've no idea what's going on in Libya, it's too dangerous for anyone to go there."

He said that since Gaddafi's regime had fallen the "bad guys" were being replaced by "even worse guys".

He added: "We bombed them, that's what we did. That's how this government helped Libya. It got rid of somebody, albeit an Arab nationalist dictator, who actually gave a level of stability to the area."

His comments come as a report by University College London found immigrants from outside the EU have cost the UK £118bn in the 17 years to 2011.

Last year 40,000 migrants, most from the war-torn countries of Syria, Eritrea and Somalia, crossed from the shores of North Africa to Europe, many in dangerous wooden boats.

In October last year 359 people were killed when a boat making the crossing sank off the Italian island of Lampedusa.

Italy has asked for extra funding to help it deal with the influx and warned earlier this year that as many as 600,000 people were preparing to make the journey from North Africa.

The numbers crossing have increased significantly since the Middle East crisis unfolded and it is estimated around 20% of those coming from North Africa end up in Britain.

The Government was criticised last week for its decision to stop rescuing migrants who were pitched into the sea saying it would help to deter those thinking of making the decision.


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GCHQ Chief Says Social Media Aids Terrorists

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 04 November 2014 | 18.55

The new head of GCHQ has accused social media websites of helping terror groups and called for closer ties with intelligence agencies.

Robert Hannigan, who began his new role at the UK's eavesdropping agency on Monday, said US technology companies must work more closely with intelligence agencies to prevent terrorists from misusing their services to avoid surveillance.

In an article in the Financial Times, he said: "However much they [tech companies] may dislike it, they have become the command and control networks of choice for terrorists and criminals, who find their services as transformational as the rest of us."

He added that GCHQ, MI5 and SIS "cannot tackle these challenges at scale without greater support ... including [from] the largest US tech companies which dominate the web".

Islamic State militants have been using the likes of Twitter and YouTube to post material online, including videos of the murders of British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning and US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff in Syria.

Video: How Is Islamic State Funded?

Mr Hannigan said that smartphone and other mobile technologies increased the opportunities for terrorist activity to be concealed in the wake of the exposing of secret cables and documents collected by US and UK authorities by whistleblower Edward Snowden.

He called for better arrangements to allow security and intelligence agencies to police online traffic.

Jamie Bartlett, author of the book The Dark Net: Inside The Digital Underworld, said it was a difficult issue for internet service providers.

He told Sky News: "It is incredibly difficult for them [intelligence agencies] and the police and indeed on the big internet service providers to actually get a handle on just how much propaganda, how much material is being produced and shared by Islamic State and other terrorist groups on these platforms.

"What we've seen with Islamic State and indeed every other terrorist group is quite a sophisticated way of avoiding censorship.

"Islamic State has been really very good at creating hundreds of different accounts on Twitter and Facebook and every time they're closed down, they simply start again."

Emma Carr, director of Big Brother Watch, denied internet companies were failing to assist in investigations.

She said: "The Government and agencies have consistently failed to provide evidence that internet companies are being actively obstructive.

"These companies have consistently proved through their own transparency reports that they help the intelligence agencies when it is appropriate for them to do so, which is in the vast majority of cases."


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Henning Murder 'Turned Tide' On IS Recruitment

By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

The beheading by Islamic State of British aid worker Alan Henning may have led to thousands of lives being saved because it has deterred young Muslims from joining the jihad, a member of the government's top anti-radicalisation programme has claimed.

So brutal and callous was the murder of the Salford taxi driver that it has "turned the tide" of British people looking to join the fight in Syria and Iraq, Sky News has been told.  

In an exclusive interview, Sulaimaan Samuel, who works as a National Safeguarding Mentor for Channel, a Home Office scheme to tackle people judged to be at risk of radicalisation, told Sky News that IS propaganda tactics had "backfired".

It is the first time anyone who works as part of the project has given a detailed insight into IS tactics and the threat the group poses online.

Mr Samuel said the "grotesque" beheading of US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff in August and September led the Muslim community to start to seriously question IS.

British aid worker David Haines was also beheaded later that month. But it was the murder of Mr Henning in October that was the "turning point", Mr Samuel said.

Video: IS Propaganda 'Backfiring'

"I would personally say to Alan Henning's family: do not think his death has been some type of waste because it hasn't, because his death at the hands of IS is the very thing that has caused the Muslim community to realise that what IS stands for is wrong and can never be condoned.

"In Alan's death he has managed to save thousands of lives now and in the future of people who might potentially have been drawn into going out. He will be saving lives in the future.

"What IS has done has backfired."

Security Minister James Brokenshire said he believed the relative effectiveness of the terror group's own brutal propaganda machine had opened people's eyes to the true nature of IS.

1/6

  1. Gallery: Profile: Alan Henning

    Alan Henning, 47, was born in Salford, Greater Manchester. Friends gave him the nickname "gadget" due to his love of technology

  2. He was married for 23 years and he had a teenage son and daughter

  3. He worked as a self-employed taxi driver

  4. Mr Henning saw the plight of Syrian people and volunteered with a Muslim charity. He had been to the region at least three times

  5. He drove life-saving medical equipment from the UK to Syria in old ambulances. He left in December 2013 to make the 4,000-mile trip

  6. He was kidnapped by IS in Syria by masked men. He may have been held in Ad Dana near Aleppo, then Raqqa

He said: "I think some of the shocking videos that we have seen, of brutalising murder, has underlined simply what IS is about and why it has prompted British Muslims to go online, post their own videos to underline their absolute abhorrence to this appalling violence and brutality."              

A senior Government security source has also highlighted a "discernible change in attitude" from mainstream Muslim society.

The source said: "What IS has done is demonstrate very clearly to everyone that this is no longer an unambiguous struggle to topple Assad, involving freedom fighters and people whose motive is simply to help Syrian people, and that terrorist groups have made the environment much more complicated and in turn have made it less clear cut for people as to whether they should travel or not."

Mr Samuel - who counsels those thought to be at risk of radicalisation - said the majority of his work is now dealing with young people being attracted to travelling to Syria and Iraq via the internet.

Video: Social Media Aiding Terrorists

He said: "The days where the baddie, the super villain was in a cave, in a dark lair somewhere sat in a corner, stroking a cat - those days are finished.

"With the advent of technology, the internet, people can promote any idea they have. You don't need to be Michael Moore or a Spike Lee to reach a wide audience.

"Initially it may be a curiosity to see something shocking, but very quickly you can find yourself with a string of related videos which might lead you down a path which half an hour ago wasn't your destination."

Since Channel was set up in 2006, concerns have been raised about a total of 3,934 people - including 1,450 children.

Video: Sept 15: Special Report UK Jihadis

Of these, 777 people have been formally assessed as being vulnerable to radicalisation and referred to the project for formal help.


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Holiday Pay Should Include Overtime

Overtime should be taken into account when holiday pay is calculated, the Employment Appeal Tribunal has ruled.

The Employment Appeal Tribunal ruled on two cases against Hertel UK and BEAR Scotland, which related to the UK's interpretation of the Working Time Directive.

Workers for these companies claimed their holiday pay was less than it should have been because their employers did not factor in voluntary overtime completed in the period prior to time off.

Brian Gordon, managing director BEAR Scotland, one of the companies involved in the case, said they were "disappointed" by the decision.

He added: "We believe that this interpretation of the Working Time Directive is significant for all UK employers, public and private, and we will reflect on our position before considering how to respond."

Unions have welcomed the ruling, with Unite executive director Howard Beckett saying: "Up until now some workers who are required to do overtime have been penalised for taking the time off they are entitled to.

"This ruling not only secures justice for our members who were short changed, but means employers have got to get their house in order."

Business groups, however, have described the ruling as a "blow" to business, with Confederation of British Industry director-general John Cridland warning of "punitive costs potentially running into billions of pounds".

He added: "Not all will survive - which could mean significant job losses.

"These cases are creating major uncertainty for businesses and impacting on investment and resourcing decisions.

"We need the UK Government to step up its defence of the current UK law, and use its powers to limit any retrospective liability that firms may face."

Tim Thomas, head of employment policy for manufacturers' organisation EEF, said firms will have little option but to factor the additional costs in to future pay negotiations and to reduce overtime, while one in four could cut jobs.

Some businesses had already prepared for the worst, with John Lewis setting aside £40 million to reimburse workers. 

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: "Government will review the judgement in detail as a matter of urgency."

He said a taskforce has been set up to discuss how to limit the impact of the decision for businesses, adding: "Employers and workers can also contact the Acas helpline for free and confidential advice."


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Muslims Push Back Against Extreme IS Brutality

The sophisticated way Islamic State has used social media strategies to promote its brutal campaign of terror has been seen as one of the defining hallmarks of the new threat facing the West.

Twitter, YouTube and a host of lesser known apps have been used to spread the group's propaganda - dominated by the ruthless beheadings of US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and of British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning.

Yet the group's mastery of modern technology as a means to communicate with potential followers is now threatening to undermine it.

The first videos posted by the terror group earlier this year showed them as freedom fighters riding tanks and pick-up trucks through the desert.

But later posts depicted the group in a much darker light, murdering hundreds of locals in Syria and Iraq as fighters advanced through large tracts of land, taking over towns and villages, killing anyone who refused to convert to Islam, or who opposed their ideology.

Video: Henning Murder 'Backfired' On IS

As shocking as those events undoubtedly were, for many in the West the true horror of the terror group only hit home after it began beheading its Western hostages and posting those videos online.

Each death attracted global condemnation, but it was the plight of Salford taxi driver Alan Henning that captured most attention.

All sections of society, all colours, all religions united to appeal for Mr Henning's release.

Video: Social Media Aiding Terrorists

Nowhere were those voices louder, than in Britain's Muslim communities, an uncompromising assertion that Alan Henning was a force for good and that Islamic State should show him mercy.

Sulaimaan Samuel, a safeguarding mentor for the Government's anti-extremism programme, says Islamic State's decision to murder the charity worker was a turning point, a realisation that the this terror group had no redeeming qualities.

It will in turn he says, deter many young people, who may have considered heading off to Syria, to think twice - the taxi driver's death he says, may have saved thousands of lives.

Video: How Is Islamic State Funded?

No one doubts Islamic State's tech-savvy young jihadists and their new media expertise have helped attract hundreds to their cause.

But their eagerness to broadcast their extreme brutality has also had an unintended consequence for IS - triggering a significant push back from the wider Muslim community.


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Hong Kong Murders: British Banker In Court

Written By Unknown on Senin, 03 November 2014 | 18.54

A British investment banker charged with the murder of two women in Hong Kong has been remanded in custody.

Banker Rurik Jutting, 29, was arrested after the women's bodies were discovered at an apartment in Hong Kong's Wan Chai district.

During his appearance he wore black trousers and a black T-shirt. He was remanded in custody and will return to court on 10 November.

Mr Jutting had recently quit his job with Bank of America Merrill Lynch and reportedly left an out of office email message urging correspondents to contact someone "who is not an insane psychopath".

The message, which has not been verified by the bank, read: "I am out of the office. Indefinitely. For urgent enquiries, or indeed any enquiries, please contact someone who is not an insane psychopath.

"For escalation, please contact God, though suspect the devil will have custody (Last line only really worked if I had followed through)."

Video: Victims' Friend Talks To Sky News

Last Monday he posted a Facebook photo of his balcony in the high-rise J Residence, which has a gym, clubhouse and rooftop pool, and said he was starting a "new journey".

He wrote: "Stepping down from the ledge. Burden lifted; new journey begins. Scared and anxious but also excited. The first step is always the hardest."

Officers arrived at the 31st floor flat early on Saturday after receiving a call from the suspect.

They discovered the body of a woman, aged between 25 and 30, lying naked in the living room with knife wounds to her neck and backside.

Police also found a small amount of cocaine and a 12-inch knife in the flat.

Assistant Commander Wan Siu-hung told reporters: "We believe the death was caused by a sharp object which cut the throat of the deceased.

"This led to copious bleeding. When the police found her, she was lying in the living room. The room was messy."

Eight hours later, at about noon on Saturday, police widened the forensic examination of the apartment and made the second discovery.

The body of the second woman, named in a court document as Sumarti Ningsih, was found in a brown suitcase on the apartment's balcony with the feet hanging out.

1/4

  1. Gallery: Suitcase Murder: Briton Appears In Hong Kong Court

    Rurik Jutting recently left his banking job. Pic: Facebook

  2. Police have been searching the flat where the women's bodies were found

  3. One of the bodies was found hiden in a suitcase on the balcony

  4. Assistant Commander Wan Siu-hung said both victims had injuries to the neck

A police source quoted by the South China Morning Post said: "She was nearly decapitated and her hands and legs had been bound with ropes.

"She was naked and wrapped in a towel before being stuffed into the suitcase. Her passport was found at the scene."

She too had wounds to the neck. Police say she died on 27 October.

Police sources have told local media they believe the women were Indonesian and worked in the sex industry.

Mr Jutting studied history and law at Cambridge University and was a member of the prestigious rowing club and the history society, which is called Clio.

He had worked for Merrill Lynch from 2010 until only a couple of days ago, spending three years at their offices in London before moving to Hong Kong in July last year. Prior to that he worked at Barclays in London.

The neighbourhood of Wan Chai is effectively Hong Kong's red light district. A large number of women from southeast Asia spend time in the district's many bars and clubs.

A Foreign Office spokesman confirmed a British national had been arrested in Hong Kong, although did not specify the nature of the crime.

"We are in touch with the local police and stand ready to provide consular assistance," she said.


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Paedophiles Grooming Women To Bear Children

By Hannah Tallett, Sky News Presenter

Paedophiles are grooming women to bear their children, giving them easy access to victims, according to a child abuse charity.

MOSAC - a charity which supports the non-abusing parents and carers of abused children - says a third of all calls to its helpline are from women who believe they have been groomed into conceiving a child.

Director Nigel Newton Sawyerr said: "Paedophiles who are very devious will go to any lengths to access children. Who's more vulnerable than their own children?"

Sky News spoke to "Susan", a mother-of-two who believes her youngest was bred for the purpose.

Her ex-partner was convicted and sentenced to five years in jail for abuses against her eldest daughter, from a previous relationship.

The offences included nine counts of sexual assault.

Video: Oct 30: Exploitation A 'New Norm'

Since that abuse was disclosed, Susan's youngest daughter has admitted that she is also a victim of the same man, her own father.

"When my youngest daughter turned round and said to me that he had abused her from the moment she could remember ... when she was in nappies ... that's when I was convinced that he had had her to abuse her," Susan said.

Susan believes she was deliberately targeted.

"He was very persuasive about me coming off the pill. So, I was groomed in many ways I think to produce a child for him," she said.

Sixteen years and £30,000 later, Susan is preparing for yet another court battle to keep her former partner away from her children.

"It's shocking. I would never have believed in a million years how set in stone his rights are, despite the conviction."

In the majority of cases a family court judge will reject the requests of a parent to gain access to their child, where that parent has already been convicted of sexual offences against that child.

But campaigners say that does not stop a paedophile parent's right to make repeated requests for access - a heavy financial and emotional burden to bear for the victim and the non-abusive parent.

Barrister Sophia Cannon says the law under the Children's Act will always take into consideration the wellbeing of a child in each case.

But she adds that it is "skewed towards the idea that all mothers and fathers who want to be involved in a child's life, can be involved."

"What it doesn't look at are the parents to whom responsibility has certainly fallen short," she said.

MOSAC is now lobbying the Government for change and campaigners recently met Justice Minister Simon Hughes MP.

He is sympathetic to their cause, insisting the Government is committed to eradicating the "abhorrent crime" of child sexual exploitation.

"We are absolutely clear that no child should be put at risk of abuse and the courts will always make the wellbeing of children their key consideration in reaching decisions on contact with parents.

"Robust protective orders already exist to remove or restrict parental responsibility in order to protect children.

"But we continue to keep this issue under close scrutiny to see if further measures are needed."


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Ann Maguire's Killer Planned More Murders

A teenager who murdered Leeds school teacher Ann Maguire in front of her pupils had a "deep seated and irrational hatred" for her.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named, killed the Spanish teacher at Corpus Christi College in April and also planned to murder two other teachers, including one who was pregnant.

He had previously "accepted responsibility for unlawful killing"  but this morning issued a formal guilty plea to the murder charge at Leeds Crown Court.

:: Follow Sky News correspondents from Leeds Crown Court 

Two months before the murder, the boy sent a message on Facebook which said of Mrs Maguire: "The one absolute f****** bitch that deserves more than death, more than pain and more than anything that we can understand."

He even showed some other pupils the 21cm knife he planned to attack Mrs Maguire with on the day of the murder but "many did not take him seriously", the court heard.

Prosecutor Paul Greaney QC said the teenager stabbed Mrs Maguire seven times from behind in the neck and back as she leaned over a desk to look at another pupil's work. 

When she tried to run away, he chased her.

Another teacher saw Mrs Maguire running down a corridor, saying: "He's stabbed me in the neck", with the boy pursuing her. The female teacher pushed her colleague into a workroom and then blocked the door to prevent the boy getting in.

The teacher said that it was obvious Mrs Maguire was terribly wounded and knew the extent of her injuries but later, as she lay injured, she spoke about her children and the fact that she was loved. A paramedic who tried to save her said later that the stab wounds were the worst he had ever seen.

Meanwhile, the boy went back to the classroom and sat down "as if nothing had happened", Mr Greaney said

He said: "He sat down... as if nothing had happened and said that he had stabbed Mrs Maguire. He added that it was a pity she was not dead.

"He said to the entire class 'good times' and spoke of an adrenalin rush."

The teenager then sat with school staff waiting for the police, chatting to them "as if nothing had happened", later telling a psychiatrist "I know the victim's family will be upset, but I don't care, in my eyes everything I've done is fine and dandy".

Prosecutors said that the boy's parents are "decent and responsible" and at a loss to understand what has happened but Mr Greaney said the boy was currently "highly dangerous and has psychopathic elements to his personality".

He added: "That his anger and hatred in fact became focused upon a person as decent and loved as Ann Maguire only makes this more tragic."

Mrs Maguire's husband Don said the "callous cruelty" of the murder "defied comprehension", adding: "Now all dreams have gone forever - the centre of our lives is missing." Her daughter Kerry said the murder "has stripped me of my key support in life: my mummy".

More follows...


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Merkel Warns Cameron On EU Immigration: Reports

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is reported to have made clear she will withdraw her support for Britain's continued EU membership if David Cameron insists on pushing through curbs on immigration.

News weekly Der Spiegel quoted government sources as saying Ms Merkel fears the UK is approaching "the point of no return" and is becoming worried for the first time that a British exit is a real possibility.

Ms Merkel told the Prime Minister on the sidelines of an EU summit last month that his efforts to limit immigration undermined core principles of bloc, the magazine reports.

"Should Cameron persist (in this plan), Chancellor Angela Merkel would abandon her efforts to keep Britain in the EU," the sources were quoted as telling the magazine.

"With that a point of no return would be reached," they said, adding: "That would be it then."

Video: Johnson Reacts To Merkel Comments

There was no suggestion in the Der Spiegel report that Germany would itself push Britain towards the exit.

Ms Merkel has said she strongly backs continued British membership, but not at any price.

No member state has ever left the 28-nation bloc, although there is a legal mechanism for a country to do so if it chooses. Other member states cannot force a country out.

The Prime Minister wants to renegotiate the terms of Britain's membership ahead of the Conservatives' promised referendum by the end of 2017.

Video: Closer Look At Immigration Figures

He is under pressure to tighten the UK's immigration controls to counter the growing popularity of UKIP.

Mr Cameron will be aware of the need to calm Tory jitters ahead of this month's crunch by-election in Rochester and Strood, where the party is desperate to prevent a second seat falling to UKIP.

The Sunday Times reported he was drawing up plans to ban migrants who do not have a jobs and deport those who are unable to support themselves after three months in the country.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The Prime Minister will do what is right for Britain, as he has repeatedly made clear."

Video: EU Demand: What Are PM's Options?

However, a German government spokesman said the general principle of freedom of movement in the EU is not negotiable, but added there is a strong interest in the two countries discussing how tackle abuse of that freedom.

Mr Cameron is unlikely to have welcomed comments at the weekend by arch pro-European former cabinet minister Ken Clarke, who dismissed UKIP as an "extreme right-wing protest party" and said free movement of labour is "absolutely essential" to the functioning of the single market.

He said: "If you're going to have a sensible single market, if we want to compete with the Americans and the Chinese and so on and modern world, we need the free movement of labour."


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Call For More Parents To Adopt Siblings

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 02 November 2014 | 18.54

By Gemma Morris, Sky News Reporter

A shortage of people willing to adopt more than one child means some brothers and sisters are being split up.

Each year in the UK some 6,000 children need adopting and nearly half of them have siblings, according to research by the British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF).

But matching a pair or group of siblings to a new family is not always easy.

John Simmonds, director of policy, research and development for BAAF, told Sky News part of the reason could be that many prospective adopters get used to the idea of raising just one child.

"The expectation is: 'That's what I can manage, that's what I have in mind when I'm thinking about having children of my own'," he said.

He added that apart from cases where placing siblings together is not appropriate, keeping brothers and sisters with each other is important, particularly as many of the children will have had a difficult start to life.

"Someone doesn't want to add to the trauma of separating children from their birth parents to also separate siblings from each other."

Brothers and sisters are also among the children who wait longest to be matched with a family.

During next week's National Adoption Week the BAAF is hoping to encourage more people to consider adopting siblings.

Karen Goodman, a social worker with 30 years' experience in children's services, told Sky News there is a need for as many potential adopters as possible.

"Social workers and the adoption panels will always try to find prospective adopters who can take sibling groups, but it's a challenge and it's a tall order.

"Also boys are harder to place than girls and the older the children are, the harder they are to place."

Civil partners Scott and Tristan Casson-Rennie adopted two young brothers, Frasier and Brandon, seven years ago.

Scott said: "When they came to live with us and we had some tricky times people would say, 'Well wouldn't it have been better if you just had one of them?'... No."

The boys - who have four siblings elsewhere - are now 15 and 16, and told Sky News they were lucky to have been able to stay with each other.

"I was on my own so I didn't have any other siblings around but when Brandon come along I felt happy again. I felt like I can move on with another person beside me."

Brandon said: "I think it would have been really, really hard to live by myself."

Despite some challenges, their parents hope others will consider the positives of adopting siblings.

Tristan said: "We have two amazing boys that have gone on to do some wonderful things in their teenage years and they will go on now to be amazing adults.

"I firmly believe that is a part of keeping them together, so that they can bounce off each other."


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Father-Of-Three Shot Dead Tackling Robbers

A father of three young children has been shot and killed as he tackled two robbers who attacked him as he closed up his shop for the night.

Pragaret Singh, 35, was hit in the chest and abdomen as he tried to grapple with one of the men outside his store in Openshaw, Greater Manchester.

The shopkeeper, from Swinton, was just leaving Manchester Food Traders off Wood Street when he encountered the pair and confronted them, detectives said.

Mr Singh, known to family and friends as Charlie, died later in hospital.

His brother Toggy told the Manchester Evening News he was a hard-working family man with a wife, Sukhwinder, and children aged two, five and seven.

He said: "He was robbed of his life. He was happy, jolly and full of life - he never said anything bad about anyone. He was the kind of person who'd go out of his way to help anyone in need."

Detective Superintendent Jon Chadwick said: "Although this investigation remains in its infancy, at this stage we believe Charlie's death was the result of simply trying to protect his business from armed robbers, during which he was shot at least twice."

It is thought that the robbers may have made off with a "large amount of money".

Police arrived at the scene at 6.20pm on Friday and found Mr Singh nearby.

Officers have launched a murder investigation into his death and are appealing to anyone with information to come forward.

One of the assailants was described as black, in his 20s or 30s, with spiky knotted hair, clean shaven, of a tall, slim build and wearing a jacket with the sleeves rolled up.

Police are also appealing to anyone with information about a small silver car, possibly a Vauxhall, which may have been used by the offenders and drove off towards Ashton Old Road after the shooting.

Det Supt Chadwick added: "At this stage of our inquiry we believe this is the tragic death of an innocent businessman and father-of-three who was simply trying to protect his livelihood from criminals.

"As a result, Charlie's entire family have suffered an unimaginable loss.

"Their lives have been shattered and specially-trained officers will be providing as much support as the family need over the coming days and weeks."

:: Anyone with information should call police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.


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Fireworks Warehouse Blaze: Tributes To Victims

Tributes have been made to the two men who were killed after a series of explosions at a fireworks warehouse.

The bodies of Simon Hillier, who worked at the industrial unit, and Stewart Staples, one of his customers, were discovered by police.

Mr Hillier's relatives said: "Whilst we are still waiting for a formal identification to be made, as a family, we are resigned to the fact that we will not see Simon again.

"We are all very proud of his sporting achievements and everything else he did in life. He was a fantastic son, brother and a terrific dad, we all miss him dearly."

Mr Staples' family – his wife, three children and a young grandson – added: "We are totally shocked and devastated about Stewart's death.

Video: Five Hurt In Fireworks Factory Fire

"We need to come to terms with the tragic loss of someone who was a devoted and much loved family man."

Staffordshire Police said it could take weeks to formally identify the victims, but evidence has placed Mr Hillier, 41, and Mr Staples, 57, at the scene.

Superintendent Ian Coxhead said: "Our sympathies remain with the families involved and we're doing everything we can to help them at this distressing time.

"We anticipate this will be a lengthy and complex investigation. Our work to establish the cause of the fire is going to take considerable time."

A man in his 40s remains in a critical condition at Birmingham Hospital after the explosion, and is suffering from serious burns. Another victim has been discharged and is recuperating at home.

Police said the warehouse was completely destroyed, and described the building as a "dangerous scene".

The unit, based on an industrial estate, had been used to store a "significant volume of fireworks" for four years, and Staffordshire County Council has confirmed that "no safety issues" had been reported with SP Plastics, which owned the unit.

It took hours for dozens of firefighters to bring the blaze under control. One witness described the "deafening and constant noise" as fireworks detonated in the heat.

Police have released a 53-year-old man who had been arrested in connection with the explosion, and he is now being treated as a witness.


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RAF Fighter Jets Intercept Russian Bombers

Typhoon fighter jets were scrambled to intercept Russian military 'Bear' bombers for the second time in a week, it has emerged.

The Typhoons were sent up from RAF Lossiemouth on Friday to escort the Soviet-era Tupolev Tu-95 aircraft, just two days after UK jets intercepted another two Russian bombers over the North Sea.

It comes amid what NATO described as an "unusual" increase in activity from Russian military jets over European airspace ranging from the Black Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.

An RAF spokeswoman said the Russian aircraft had been picked up by the RAF Control and Reporting Centre at Boulmer in Northumberland, which scrambled the Typhoons.

She said: "Following a similar incident on Wednesday 29 October, the RAF Typhoon pilots visually identified the Russian aircraft and escorted them through the UK flight information region."

Video: PM On 'Nerve-Wracking' Plane Drama

Air Vice-Marshal Gary Waterfall, who is in charge of UK air defence, said: "The Royal Air Force was formed to secure the skies over the UK, and it remains our main task.

"This week's news has shown yet again that the RAF's quick reaction alert is an essential element of our nation's security."

The increased Russian activity in the air comes against a backdrop of months of heightened tensions between Moscow and the West following Russia's annexation of Crimea and military incursion into Ukraine.

Analysts say it appears to be a "show of force" by President Vladimir Putin.

Video: Listen To The Sonic Boom

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has said the alliance "remains vigilant and ready to respond" to any Russian threat.

On Wednesday, two Typhoons from RAF Coningsby were sent to escort a suspicious plane to Stansted Airport in Essex.

A sonic boom was heard as the jets made their way to the location of the plane, which turned out to be a civilian Latvian cargo aircraft heading for Birmingham with car parts.

The Prime Minister was overheard on Thursday referring to the incident as "nerve-wracking", saying the RAF were "busy over the skies".


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