Twitter Hacked: Up To 250,000 Passwords Taken

Around 250,000 Twitter users may have had their accounts compromised by computer hackers.

The social networking site said usernames, email addresses and encrypted passwords may have been taken during an "extremely sophisticated" attack on its systems.

It said one attack was shut down moments after it was detected, adding that the passwords of users who may have been affected had been reset.

In a blog, Bob Lord, director of information security at Twitter, said there had been "a recent uptick in large-scale security attacks aimed at US technology and media companies", with the New York Times among those targeted.

He said: "Our investigation has indicated the attackers may have had access to limited user information - usernames, email addresses, session tokens and encrypted/salted versions of passwords - for approximately 250,000 users.

"As a precautionary security measure, we have reset passwords and revoked session tokens for these accounts.

"This attack was not the work of amateurs and we do not believe it was an isolated incident.

"The attackers were extremely sophisticated and we believe other companies and organisations have also been recently similarly attacked."

One expert said the hackers may have gained access through an employee's home or work computer by exploiting vulnerabilities in Java, a widely-used computing language.

Ashkan Soltani, an independent privacy and security researcher, said such a move would give attackers "a toehold" in Twitter's internal network, potentially allowing them to track user information as it travelled across the company's systems or break into specific areas, such as the authentication servers that process users' passwords.

Although the hackers are unlikely to have gained any confidential information, Mr Soltani said the stolen credentials could be used to access other services for which a person has signed up using the same username and password.

Mr Lord said that although "only a very small percentage" of users were potentially affected, everyone who uses the site should ensure their password is secure.

He said passwords should be at least 10 characters long, contain upper and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols, and be different to passwords used for other online accounts.

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Marriage Tax Breaks: Cameron Faces Revolt

Tax breaks for married couples will not be part of next month's Budget, a senior Government source has said.

The news is likely to upset many Conservative backbenchers who have suggested the change should be included in Chancellor George Osborne's next Budget in return for their supporting plans to introduce gay marriage.

The Conservative general election manifesto pledged to introduce a marriage tax break, and the commitment was included in the coalition agreement.

It is expected that one member of a married couple or civil partnership would be allowed to transfer £750 of their tax-free personal allowance to their partner, reducing their tax bill. This would be worth around £150 a year to basic-rate taxpayers.

But the senior Government source flatly rejected the idea of a "quid pro quo" deal, and ruled out a marriage tax break featuring in the Budget.

"It won't be in the Budget but it will be in this Parliament," the source said. "This Budget obviously, with all that has happened in recent weeks and months, will be very much focused on growth in the economy".

Mr Cameron views the introduction of same-sex marriage - which is expected to split his MPs when it is put to a Commons vote next week - as the "Conservative Party delivering the promise it made".

"This is a difficult issue for some in the Conservative Party and he understands the strong feelings that people have, and of course it's a free vote," the source said.

"He is proud of the fact that it's a coalition Government with strong Conservative participation that is bringing forward a modern and progressive change.

"It is good to encourage people to come together and stay together."

David Cameron is said to have 'full confidence' in George Osborne

The source also said Mr Osborne had the "full confidence" of the Prime Minister - insisting he will still be Chancellor at the 2015 general election.

It came as some MPs are said to be circulating a letter demanding that Mr Osborne is replaced as the economy continues to falter.

"He is an extremely successful Chancellor. He is battling very difficult economic circumstances," the source said.

"George Osborne will be Chancellor at the next general election."

The issue of gay marriage is causing Conservative party members to quit in significant numbers, according to The Times.

Backbenchers insist the issue has sparked "serious unrest" among the party's rank and file and are claiming some constituencies have lost as many as 100 card-carrying Tories each.

Conservative headquarters, however, does not hold up-to-date membership records, the newspaper said.

Tory MP David Burrowes told The Times: "There's serious unrest in the grassroots. You cannot avoid the fact that the troops are unhappy. People are drifting away."

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RBS Told To Pay Libor Fine From Bonus Pot

Chancellor George Osborne wants any fine paid by the Royal Bank of Scotland over the Libor scandal to come out of its bankers' bonuses.

RBS, which is majority-owned by the taxpayer, is expected to agree a fine of £400-500m next week with US and British authorities.

It is accused of attempting to rig benchmark interest rates.

Sky's City Editor Mark Kleinman said: "A Treasury source has told Sky News that the money that the US regulators will fine RBS will have to come out of the bank's bonus pot.

Sky's Mark Kleinman said the demand is politically important

"It's very important politically, I think, for the Chancellor to be able to say that the taxpayer is not bearing the financial cost of misconduct by bankers who work for a company that is majority-owned by the taxpayer.

"The Treasury is obviously playing hardball on this, and we'll find out exactly how much RBS is going to be paying in fines in the coming days."

The Treasury expects the fines to be paid not just from the bonus pot for 2012 - likely to be around £250m - but money from future years' bonus pots as well.

RBS - which is 81% owned by taxpayers - is also looking to claw back up to £100m from pay deals previously awarded to executives in its investment bank.

The bank's remuneration committee, which is chaired by Penny Hughes, a non-executive director, is assessing plans for a "flat tax" on the pay packets of hundreds of directors and managing directors in its markets business.

The idea would involve about 15% of prior-year pay awards to the relevant individuals being clawed back, netting a total of as much as £100m.

"George Osborne is sending out a clear signal: You're paying for this, not us," said Sky's Glen Oglaza.

"What the Treasury are saying is there won't be bonuses paid this year, but actually your bonuses are going to be clawed back not just this year but probably next year and the year after as well."

Barclays was fined £300m last year for its role in the scandal.

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Blackpool Burning Body: Teen Stabbed To Death

A 16-year-old girl whose body was found burning in an alley was stabbed to death, a post-mortem examination has found.

It showed that Sasha Marsden's body was set on fire after she had died from stab wounds to the head and face.

Police cordoned off the area in South Shore, Blackpool, after her body was discovered at 9pm on Thursday.

A 22-year-old man was arrested nearby, and police have been granted a further 36 hours to question him.

A woman aged 20 was also held, but later released without charge.

Sasha was on a childcare course at college and lived with her parents

A police spokesman said: "Following the death of Sasha Marsden, a Home Office post-mortem examination has been carried out and has found that Sasha died as a result of receiving significant stab wounds to the head and face.

"It also showed that attempts were made to set the body on fire and this was after Sasha had died.

"The results have been shared with the family, and specially trained officers are continuing to support them."

On Friday, specialist crime scene investigators carried out forensic searches of the alley behind Kirby Road and at the Grafton House bed-and-breakfast hotel on the same road, which is a few streets off the Promenade.

Sasha was in the first year of a childcare course at Blackpool and The Fylde College and lived with her parents in Staining, near Blackpool.

In a tribute to her, Mandy Pritchard, head of the college's school for society, health and childhood, said she was "a friendly, considerate individual who cared about her fellow students".

Numerous tributes were paid to the youngster on a Facebook page set up in her memory.

More follows...

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Seabird 'Pollution' Substance May Be Palm Oil

A mysterious sticky substance covering more than 100 birds which washed up on the coast of southern England could be palm oil dumped in the sea.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) was called in on Thursday after the troubled guillemots, a member of the auk family, were discovered on Lyme Bay near Weymouth, Dorset.

The seabirds were taken to West Hatch Animal Centre in Taunton, Somerset, but early attempts to clean them have been hampered by not knowing what the thick, white, substance is, said the RSPB's Grahame Madge.

Many were found on the shores of Chesil Cove in Dorset, but others appeared up to 200 miles away in Cornwall.

An investigation is continuing and Mr Madge said: "We could be dealing with quite a large incident as all these birds could be proved to come from the same pollution incident."

Sky's Ashish Joshi, reporting from Chesil Cove, said more of the birds have been washing up on the shore this morning.

He said of the RSPB: "They think it might be palm oil which has been dumped in a container load out there somewhere."

Joshi added: "If the birds get to this shoreline, they're exhausted, they're unable to fly, they can't get back into the water so their chances of survival are near to minimal.

"So it's important that members of the local community, including the RSPB, are coming to this shoreline and finding these birds."

The rescue operation is being run by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). A spokesman said they were pleased with the public's willingness to help the stricken birds, but warned of the dangers involved.

The spokesman said: "We would urge people to be cautious going down to the coastline affected.

"The instinctive reaction is to go down and look, or to help out. But we don't know what this substance is, so our message is for people - especially those taking dogs down to the coastline - to please be careful."

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Royal Hoax Call DJs Will Not Face Charges

The Australian DJs who made a prank call to the hospital treating the Duchess of Cambridge will not be prosecuted.

No charges will be brought against Mel Greig and Michael Christian over the hoax, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

Details of the Duchess' rare form of morning sickness were revealed on air on December 4, 2012, when the pair made the prank call to King Edward VII's Hospital in central London, posing as the Queen and Prince Charles.

Nurse Jacintha Saldanha transferred them to a colleague, who then described Kate Middleton's condition in detail.

Ms Saldanha, a mother of two, was found hanged three days later in her living quarters at the hospital, sparking a backlash against the 2Day FM DJs.

Malcolm McHaffie, from the CPS, said there was no evidence to support a manslaughter charge and any potential prosecution would not be in the public interest.

Mother-of-two Jacintha Saldanha and her husband Ben Barboza

Scotland Yard provided the CPS with a file of evidence on December 19 and asked advice on whether a prosecution should be brought.

Mr McHaffie said the CPS had taken into account, among other matters, that it is not possible to extradite people from Australia on the potential offences in question.

He also said it considered that "however misguided, the telephone call was intended as a harmless prank".

"The consequences in this case were very sad. We send our sincere condolences to Jacintha Saldanha's family," he added.

John Lofthouse, chief executive at King Edward VII's Hospital, said it would not be commenting on the matter.

He added: "The consequences of that hoax call are well-known, and tragic. We will continue to support the family of our much-loved nurse Jacintha Saldanha during what continues to be a very sad time."

Earlier this week, Southern Cross Austereo, the parent company of the radio station 2Day FM, announced the DJs would be keeping their jobs and returning to the air soon "in roles that make full use of their talents".

The DJs apologised and expressed their regrets in emotional television interviews after Ms Saldanha's death, saying they never expected their call would be put through.

Hot 30 - the show they hosted, was taken off air and later cancelled.

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Turkey: Deadly Bombing At American Embassy

A suicide bomber has carried out an attack at an entrance to the US embassy in the Turkish capital Ankara, killing himself and a guard.

The bomber's device went off as he was going through an X-ray machine at a security gatehouse, Sky sources said.

Francis Ricciardione, the US ambassador to Turkey, said a guard was killed in the blast and a Turkish citizen was wounded.

The explosion, which the British Consulate-General in Istanbul said was a suspected terrorist attack, happened at the side entrance to the embassy.

UK businesses in the country have been urged to be vigilant following the bombing.

The British mission said in a statement: "There has been a suspected terrorist attack on the US embassy in Ankara.

Damage can be seen at a side entrance of the embassy

"Due to the nature of this incident we advise you to be extra vigilant and to take appropriate security measures to safeguard your staff and assets."

TV footage showed a door blown out and masonry from the wall around it scattered, although there did not appear to be any more significant structural damage.

An Associated Press journalist reported seeing a body in the street in front of the entrance.

And a Reuters witness reported seeing one wounded person being lifted into an ambulance.

Police cordoned off the area following the explosion, which sent smoke and debris flying into the street.

Another journalist Ilnur Cevik told Sky News: "There was a huge bang which really shook everywhere."

Medics treat a woman who was injured in the blast

He was in his car about 400 metres away from the US embassy when the blast happened.

There was no claim of responsibility for the attack, but Kurdish rebels and Islamic militants are active in Turkey.

Kurdish rebels, who are fighting for autonomy in the Kurdish-dominated southeast, have dramatically stepped up attacks in Turkey over the last year.

Also, homegrown Islamic militants tied to al Qaeda have carried out suicide bombings in Istanbul, killing 58, in 2003.

The targets were the British consulate, a British bank and two synagogues.

In 2008, an assault blamed on al Qaeda-affiliated militants outside the US Consulate in Istanbul left three attackers and three policemen dead.

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Aamir Siddiqi: Hitmen Guilty Of Teen's Murder

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

Two hitmen who managed to kill the wrong person have been found guilty of murder.

Ben Hope, 39, and Jason Richards, 38, were convicted of the murder of talented student Aamir Siddiqi.

Aamir, 17, was savagely stabbed to death by the pair after opening the door of his family home in Roath, Cardiff.

Prosecutors said drug users Hope and Richards had been paid £1,000 each to kill a local businessman who was involved in a property dispute.

Aamir Siddiqi (pictured) died on his doorstep in Roathe

They planned to carry out the "hit" at lunchtime on Sunday, April 11, 2010 and went to the house they believed belonged to the businessman.

Their intended target lived on Shirley Road in an affluent part of the city, instead they went to Ninian Road - the adjacent street. 

As he was expecting his Koran teacher to call Aamir opened the door of his parents' home. Within seconds the masked men started attacking him with a knife.

They said nothing during the attack and the court heard how they made strange "howling noises".

Aamir's parents rushed to the front door and desperately tried to pull the men off their son.

Both parents were injured in the attack but they could not save their son, who had suffered fatal injuries.

Shortly after the killing both defendants went shopping with their blood money.

Richards bought a new pair of trainers and a laptop computer.

A man who is still wanted in connection with the investigation is still waiting to be extradited from India.

Outside the court, Aamir's sister Miriam read a statement from her family.

"Aamir was a beautiful person with a bright future. If he was still with us he would be looking forward to turning 21 this year and completing his law degree," said Ms Siddiqi.

"We are pleased today that justice has finally been done and we can finally start to deal with the reality of losing Aamir," she said.

Miriam Siddiqi (centre) said her family is pleased justice has been done

South Wales Police scoured an enormous amount of CCTV in their murder investigation.

If officers had viewed every frame they collected it would have taken eight years to watch.

Detective Superintendent Paul Hurley, of the South Wales Police Specialist Crime Investigations Team, said: "Aamir Siddiqi was a kind and talented young man who had a bright future ahead of him.

"He continues to be sorely missed by his family and all those fortunate to have known him.

"Despite being left totally devastated at losing their beloved son and brother in such tragic circumstances, Aamir's loving family have shown tireless strength and remarkable dignity throughout this ordeal.

"The investigation team was overwhelmed not only by their support but also that of the community who came forward with information and played an invaluable role during such as complex inquiry.

"South Wales Police would like to thank Aamir's family for their support, all the prosecution witnesses, and the community for ensuring the successful outcome here today at Swansea Crown Court."

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Whale Vomit Found on Dog Walk Worth £100,000

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

A man whose dog found a lump of rare and valuable whale sick on a beach is expecting to be able to sell it for more than £100,000.

Ken Wilman, 50, was out walking on Morecambe beach when his dog Madge started sniffing a lump of rock.

He told Sky News: "At first I thought it was a football but as I got closer I realised it was a big stone.

"She wouldn't leave it alone. I picked it up and it smelt horrible so I knocked it with my walking stick and a small lump came off.

"I put both pieces back on the beach but something in the back of my mind told me it might be something unusual.

"I came back home and searched online. I had an inkling it was whale vomit and when I saw pictures I realised it was.

"When I read how valuable it was I got Madge straight back in the car and drove back to the beach to bring it home."

Whale vomit is also known as ambergris and is used to make perfume. It is formed in the digestive system of sperm whales and has a very strong and unpleasant aroma.

The find could leave Ken more than £100,000 better off

Whales excrete it through the mouth when it is too large to pass through the digestive system. Perfume makers use it as it has a smell similar to musk.

Mr Wilman said: "A company in France has offered 5,000 euros (£4,300) per 300g which would make my piece worth 50,000 euros (£43,000) but I'm told companies in Switzerland offer four times that amount."

Mr Wilman, who is a single parent and has been unemployed since a motorbike accident in 2007, said when he does sell it he will spend the money taking his 15-year-old son on a trip to Machu Picchu, in Peru.

He added: "Madge will also be getting a treat for her find by being fed her favourite sausages every day from now on!"

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Mark Duggan: Man Guilty Of Supplying Gun

A man has been found guilty of supplying a gun to Mark Duggan, whose fatal shooting by police soon after sparked London riots.

Kevin Hutchinson-Foster, 30, was convicted at the Old Bailey of passing the firearm to Mr Duggan after a retrial.

The court heard Mr Duggan collected the BBM Bruni Model 92 handgun just 15 minutes before he was shot dead on August 4, 2011.

The 29-year-old's death in Tottenham, north London, led to riots that swept across London and other English towns and cities.

Hutchinson-Foster had denied a charge of "selling or transferring a prohibited firearm" to Mr Duggan between July 28 and August 5, 2011.

A jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court failed to reach a verdict after a trial last year. But at the retrial, a jury of seven women and five men convicted him by majority verdict.

Sky's crime correspondent Martin Brunt said Mr Duggan was under surveillance by police who "believed he was intent on exacting revenge on another man for the earlier murder of his cousin".

During both trials armed officers, who gave evidence anonymously, described how they opened fire on Mr Duggan because they saw him get out of a taxi holding a loaded gun.

The gun supplied to Mark Duggan by Kevin Hutchinson-Foster

The officer who shot Mr Duggan twice - once in the chest and once in the arm - said he fired because he thought he was going to shoot him and his colleagues.

Mr Duggan, who was under police surveillance that day and the day before, had gone in the minicab to Leyton, east London, where he collected the gun in a shoebox from Hutchinson-Foster, before continuing to Tottenham.

The taxi was pulled over by armed police in four unmarked cars in a "hard stop", and as Mr Duggan got out clutching the firearm, he was shot.

The gun was found five metres from Mr Duggan's body, on a grass verge behind railings.

The shoebox, found in the minicab, had both Mr Duggan's and the defendant's fingerprints on it, while mobile phone evidence showed they were in contact with each other in the run up to the shooting.

But Hutchinson-Foster, a cannabis user with convictions for possession of cocaine and heroin with intent to supply, claimed Mr Duggan had wanted his help to sell some cannabis.

The defendant had admitted using the same gun to beat barber Peter Osadebay at a barber's shop in Dalston, east London, just six days before Mr Duggan's death.

Hutchinson-Foster claimed this was why his DNA was found on the gun when it was retrieved from Ferry Lane on August 4, along with traces of Mr Osadebay's blood.

Duggan was killed in a police shooting in August 2011

The defendant said he collected the firearm from someone else so he could beat Mr Osadebay on July 29, but had returned it on the same day.

Chief Superintendent Dean Haydon said: "There is an ongoing IPCC investigation into the death of Mark Duggan and the circumstances of his death will be a matter for the coroner at a later date.

"The Kevin Hutchison Foster trial has primarily been about the supply of an illegal firearm and I welcome the verdict of the jury in this case today."

The Duggan family, who did not attend Hutchinson-Foster's trial or retrial, have said the question of whether Mr Duggan was holding a gun is something that should only be addressed at his inquest, expected to begin in September.

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David Cameron Makes Surprise Trip To Libya

David Cameron has made a surprise visit to Libya where he promised to help bolster the police and the army.

The Prime Minister said Britain was ready to provide training and advice amid growing concern about the security situation in the region.

On a walkabout in the capital's famous Martyrs' Square, Mr Cameron was greeted by locals.

The premier last visited the country in September 2011, touring Tripoli and Benghazi shortly after Colonel Gaddafi lost his grip on power.

Sky's deputy political editor Joey Jones, speaking from Tripoli, said you could see there was "genuine affection" in Libya for the PM.

"People are crowding in on David Cameron, shaking his hand and saying hello. They are obviously very pleased to see him," he said.

The Prime Minister spent 10 to 15 minutes walking around the Square where security was tight, with black-clad security services trying to hold back locals and a helicopter flying overhead.

Jones said: "He feels he has forged a friendship with the Libyan people in what was their hour of need.

"Now he wants to demonstrate that he can take that friendship forward given that there are still immense challenges that face the country."

Mr Cameron was guided around the square, a key location in the revolution, by youth workers Abdurahman - who fought against Gaddafi - and Mervat.

Mervat and the organisation she set up, 3 Generation, tries to find information on those who went missing during the dictator's reign and the revolt.

Earlier, the Prime Minister toured a police training centre on the outskirts of Tripoli.

He told police recruits it was "very good to be back". "I will never forget the scenes I saw in Tripoli and Benghazi," he said.

"The British people want to stand with you and help you deliver the greater security that Libya needs.

"So we have offered training and support from our police and our military. We look forward to working together in the years ahead."

Mr Cameron is due to hold talks with counterpart Ali Zeidan and President Megarief while in the country.

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David Beckham 'To Sign For Paris St Germain'

David Beckham's Career Timeline

Updated: 12:20pm UK, Thursday 31 January 2013

David Beckham was born in Leytonstone in east London on May 2, 1975. Sixteen years later he joined Manchester United as a trainee.

1992: Makes debut against Brighton in the League Cup on September 23. Wins FA Youth Cup.

1993: Signs professional contract at Old Trafford.

1996: Helps United to Premier League and FA Cup double.

Scores goal of the season on opening day at Wimbledon, lobbing Neil Sullivan from the halfway line.
Makes his England debut in the 3-0 win in Moldova.

1997: Collects another championship winners' medal, voted PFA Young Player of the Year.

1998: Scores first England goal, a free-kick against Colombia in Lens on June26. Sent off in second-round penalty shoot-out defeat against Argentina.

1999: Helps United win the Premier League, FA Cup and European Cup after comingfrom behind to beat Bayern Munich with two late goals.Runner-up in World Player of the Year awards, behind Rivaldo.

2000: May - Collects fourth championship winner's medal as United win title by a record 18 points.

November - Named England captain for the November friendly with Italy in Turin by stand-in boss Peter Taylor.

2001: May - Collects another Premier League title with United.

October - Curls in a 25-yard last-minute free-kick against Greece at Old Trafford to earn England a 2-2 draw and send them into World Cup finals.

2002: May 11 - Signs new three-year contract reported to be worth between £90,000 and £100,000 a week.

2003: February - Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson accidentally kicks a boot into Beckham's face in frustration at United's FA Cup defeat to Arsenal.

June 14 - Awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to football.

June 17 - United announce they have accepted a £25m bid from Real Madrid for Beckham, who agrees personal terms.

2004: June 24 - Misses a penalty as England lose to Portugal in a shoot-out in the Euro 2004 quarter-finals in Lisbon.

2005: November: Captains England for 50th time in friendly against Argentina in Geneva.

July 2 - Stands down as England captain.

August 11 - Dropped from squad for friendly against Greece, Steve McClaren's first match as manager.

2007: January 11 - Beckham announces he will leave Real Madrid and join Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy on a five-year contract in August.

January 13 - Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello says Beckham will never play for the club again.

May 26 - McClaren hands Beckham a shock England recall for matches against Brazil and Estonia.

June - Wins the La Liga title with Madrid, having won back his place in the team.

August 16 - Beckham scores his first goal for Galaxy on his full debut in the SuperLiga semi-final meeting with DC United with a trademark free-kick.

2008: March 26 - Wins 100th cap in the friendly against France.

October 30 - Milan announce Beckham will join them on loan on January 7, 2009.

2009: January 11 - Makes shock first start for Milan in 2-2 Serie A draw at Roma.

March 9 - AC Milan announce that under a unique "timeshare" agreement, Beckham will stay with them in Italy until the end of the season, return to the Galaxy from July to October and then rejoin the Serie A club for the rest of the 2009-10 campaign.

March 28 - Comes on as a half-time substitute against Slovakia at Wembley towin his 109th cap and break Bobby Moore's record for an outfield player.

July 20, 27 - Twice confronts fans who gave him a hostile reception in his first home games after returning to the Galaxy.

2010: March 14 - Tears his Achilles tendon in AC Milan's 1-0 win over Chievo - an injury that rules him out of the World Cup.

August 11 - England career appears to be at an end when Capello tells ITV: "Probably he is a little bit old."

2011: November 20  - Wins the MLS Cup as the Galaxy beat Houston Dynamo 1-0 in the final.

December 31 - Five-year deal at the Galaxy expires.

2012: January 19 - Re-signs with the Galaxy.

June 28 - Announces he has not been included in Team GB's squad for the Olympic Games.

November 20 - Confirms he is to leave the Galaxy after MLS Cup on December 1.

December 1 - LA Galaxy wins 3-1 over Houston Dynamo in Beckham's final game in Major League Soccer. It is the team's second successive MLS Cup.

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Fuel Prices: Cost At Pump 'Is Fair'

The road fuel sector is "working well" according to a report into the UK's £47bn market by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

The regulator said high prices at the pumps were a result of increasing crude oil prices and taxes - not a lack of competition.

In the 10 years between 2003 and 2012, petrol prices increased from 76p per litre (ppl) to 136ppl, and diesel rose from 78ppl to 142ppl.

But the OFT stressed that over this period, taxes and duties rose by 24ppl and crude oil went up 33ppl.

It said had not identified any evidence of anti-competitive behaviour at a national level - where competition was strong - but admitted there could be some issues at a local level.

The regulator also found "very limited evidence" that oil and gas companies do not pass on lower crude oil prices to retailers and motorists as quickly as they could.

In 2012 supermarkets sold almost 40% of the UK's road fuel

It comes amid concerns that pump prices rise quickly when the wholesale price of crude oil goes up but fall more slowly when it drops.

The chief executive of the OFT, Clive Maxwell, said: "We recognise that there has been widespread mistrust in how this market is operating.

"However, our analysis suggests that competition is working well, and rises in pump prices over the past decade or so have largely been down to increases in tax and the cost of crude oil."

The report did find that fuel is often significantly more expensive at motorway service stations - in August, prices were on average 7.5ppl more for petrol and diesel was 8.3ppl higher.

As a result, the regulator called for the Department for Transport to consider introducing new road signs displaying prices to drivers before they pull into a service station.

The OFT said the growing influence of supermarkets had been a key feature of the sector over the past decade.

The 'big four' - Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons - have increased their share of road fuel sold in the UK from 29% in 2004 to 39% in 2012.

The report recognised that many independent dealers had found it difficult to compete, with the total number of forecourts falling from 10,867 in 2004 to 8,677 in 2012.

But the OFT also said that - pre-tax - the UK has some of the cheapest road fuel prices in Europe.

As a result of its findings, the regulator will not launch a full investigation into the road fuel market - despite calls for one from campaigners.

Quentin Wilson, from campaign group FairFuelUK, said UK consumers would be disappointed by the OFT's findings.

"Every motorist and business in Britain instinctively knows that 'something's not right'," he said.

"The Americans and the Germans are holding inquiries – why aren't we?

"The OFT appears to have failed to address the key issues of why diesel is more expensive than unleaded in the UK when this is not the case in Europe, why falls in the oil price take so long to be reflected at the pump and why there are such variations in price."

But oil analyst Malcolm Graham-Wood from VSA Capital welcomed the report.

"This totally concurs with our own view that there is no collaboration and that retail petrol prices in the UK fairly reflect the price of crude oil ... for better or worse," he said.

"Groups like FairFuelUK seem to think that just because petrol prices vary from different areas that this is due to collaboration and price fixing which is patently not the case."

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Malala: Shot Teen To Get Replacement Skull

By David Crabtree, Midlands Correspondent

British doctors have revealed the remarkable medical procedures which will transform the life of a Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot in the head by the Taliban.

There was international outrage after the Taliban shot Malala Yousufzai, 15, at point blank range in the north western Swat district, because she was campaigning for girls' education.

Following the attack last October she was flown for specialist treatment at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The bullet hit her left brow and instead of penetrating her skull it travelled underneath the skin, the whole length of her head and into her shoulder.

The shock wave shattered the thinnest bone of the skull and the soft tissue at the base of her jaw and neck were damaged. Her left eardrum was destroyed.

Within the next 10 days she will undergo two operations which will replace a missing area of skull and implant a complex electronic hearing device.

A 3D image has been released which shows the extensive damage caused to Malala's skull.

Malala leaves hospital in early January

Surgeons at Birmingham say a 0.66mm titanium metal plate will be screwed into place, having been moulded from a 3D model created through the CT image of Malala's skull.

In a separate procedure a cochlear implant will be fitted, the type of device that provides a sense of sound to someone who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing.

A small area will be drilled in the skull behind the titanium plate to allow the electronics to be implanted.

Malala was released as an outpatient in early January to continue her recuperation at the family's temporary home in the Midlands with her father Ziauddin, mother Toorpekai and younger brothers Khushal and Atul.

Shortly after Malala arrived in Birmingham her father released a statement saying: "I am awfully thankful for all the peace-loving well-wishers who strongly condemn the assassination attempt on Malala, who pray for her health and support the grand cause of peace, education, freedom of thought and freedom of expression."

The Pakistan government has since given Malala's father a job in the UK. He has been appointed the education attaché at the Pakistan Consulate.

Since the attack, a campaign has gathered pace for Malala to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize after she became a symbol of the struggle for women's rights in Pakistan.

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Israel Strikes Convoy On Syria-Lebanon Border

Israel has struck a weapons convoy on border of Syria and Lebanon, according to security sources.

Israeli jets carried out the strike overnight on the convoy which was said to be coming from Syria, and was in the area of the Lebanon-Syria border.

An unnamed secuity source told the AFP news wire: "The Israeli air force blew up a convoy which had just crossed the border from Syria into Lebanon."

The source did not give a precise location for the attack or saying what the convoy was carrying.

Lebanon has said that Israeli jets have sharply increased activity in Lebanese airspace.

An Israeli military spokeswoman declined to comment on the report.

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Tragic London Marathon Runner Used Stimulant

By Jason Farrell, Sky News Correspondent

A young woman who died in the London Marathon was using a stimulant which has since been banned, an inquest has heard.

After Claire Squires, 30, collapsed and died in the run last April, a public outpouring of support led to more than £1m being donated to her chosen charity.

The inquest heard that on the day of the race, Miss Squires had put Jack3d in her water bottle.

The popular stimulant used to contain an amphetamine-like substance DMAA, and experts say this contributed to her death.

DMAA was banned from shelves and internet sales in the UK in August last year over fears it could be lethal when used during rigorous activity.

Jack3d since removed the ingredient from their product.

The Southwark Coroner's Court heard how several US soldiers had died after taking DMAA during training, and it was subsequently banned by the US Army.

It was legal in the UK at the time Claire was using it.

Mr Van Herrewage arrives at the inquest

Her boyfriend, Simon Van Herrewage, said she had not used it much before, but that she used it for a boost during the London Marathon.

"She put one scoop in her water bottle and said she would only use it if she hit a wall," he said.

"She was trying to beat her previous time and do it in under four hours."

In a statement, cardiologist William McKenna said: "The presence of a substance found it the blood was an important factor in the outcome." 

Dr Nicola Drake, who treated Miss Squires at St Thomas' Hospital, told the court that the drug makes "heart levels increase".

"It makes the heart work harder than it normally would," she said.

Dr John Van der Walt, who conducted the post mortem, concluded that "acute cardiac failure due to extreme physical exertion complicated by the presence of DMAA was the cause of death."

Miss Squires' boyfriend also told the hearing that she had been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat by an acupuncturist.

But her GP told the inquest that she never went to see him with concerns over her heartbeat.

Miss Squires collapsed and died a mile from the finish line of the London marathon last April.

The 30-year-old hairdresser from NorthKilworth, Leicestershire, was running to raise funds for the Samaritans in honour of her brother Grant, who died of a drug overdose in 2001, aged 25.

Before the race she had raised £500 but following news of her death, thousands of well-wishers have left donations of more than £1m.

She was treated by medical teams positioned along the route before she was rushed to hospital by ambulance where she was later pronounced dead.

She had previously undertaken a string of gruelling physical challenges for charity, including a marathon in Belfast and the Great North Run.

Asked how long she trained for the London Marathon, her boyfriend said "she never stopped training".

"She ran five times a week and she knew how to build up for a marathon."

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William Hill Shop Sign Fall Kills Man

A man has died after being hit by a large metal sign that fell from a William Hill shop.

The man, believed to be in his 20s, was treated at the scene in Camden, north London, on Monday afternoon before being taken to hospital, where medical staff were unable to save him.

He has not yet been named.

"Every effort was made to resuscitate him at the scene and on the way to University College Hospital," a London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said.

The 30ft sign, which had covered the length of the betting shop, was seen on the pavement. Police erected a forensic tent to cover the scene and taped off the surrounding area.

Police sealed off the area around the shop

Ioana Nita, 21, was working at a nearby restaurant when she heard a "very loud noise".

"Me and a colleague went outside and saw the guy lying on the floor," she said.

"Five guys picked up the sign and it was put on the side. His hands were covered in blood and he wasn't moving.

"Lots of people were in a circle around him, then the ambulance arrived and they were trying to get him back to life, pressing on his heart."

She added: "I just want to go home and cry. I don't know how that can happen. The sign is huge. Everyone said he was just walking past the shop."

Ken Osbourne, 28, who works at the nearby Woody Grill restaurant, said: "I saw the guy lying down in the road, covered in blood.

"Hundreds of people walk past here every day. It could've been me or any one of them."

Health and safety investigators entered a flat above the shop to take photographs of the sign. Flowers have been left at the scene.

A William Hill spokeswoman said: "There is an urgent investigation under way and we are still establishing facts and liaising with authorities.

"As such, we don't have a comment to make at this time."

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Paul Scholes' Car Stolen While Defrosting

Thieves stole a top-of-the-range 4x4 owned by Manchester United star Paul Scholes as he defrosted the windscreen, police have confirmed.

The footballer left the engine running to melt ice on his grey Chevrolet Captiva Estate while it was parked on his driveway and nipped back inside his home in Oldham, Greater Manchester.

When he returned, the car had been stolen.

The theft happened on Monday morning shortly before 8am, Greater Manchester Police said.

"Police are investigating after a car was stolen while the owner was defrosting the vehicle," a spokesman said.

"The grey Chevrolet Estate was stolen from the drive of a house in the Greenfield area of Oldham between 7.45am and 8am on Monday 28 January 2013.

"Inquiries to locate the car are ongoing."

Police have warned drivers not to leave their cars running and unattended while defrosting, as it only takes a thief a few seconds to steal the vehicle.

Scholes, 38, has played his entire professional career at Manchester United, making more than 700 appearances for the club.

He has also made 66 appearances for England.

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Mali Conflict: British Troops To Train Forces

Up to 200 British military personnel could be deployed to West Africa to help train a regional intervention force for Mali, the Government has said, in a further deepening of the UK's involvement in the conflict to drive out Islamist militants.

Downing Street said the troops would be in addition to up to 40 personnel that Britain is offering to contribute to a European Union training mission to build up the Malian army.

In addition, the UK has offered to supply a roll-on, roll-off ferry to help transport heavy equipment to the French intervention force currently spearheading the fight against militants.

It will also allow allies such as the United States to fly air-to-air refuelling missions from British airbases in support of the French operation.

However an offer to establish a joint Anglo-French logistics headquarters in Mali to organise supplies to the French force has not been taken up by Paris.

With around 90 UK personnel already committed in the region with the RAF Sentinel surveillance aircraft and two C-17 transport aircraft already operating in support of the French mission, it could take the numbers involved to more than 300.

A spokesman for David Cameron said the Prime Minister remained adamant that British troops would not be involved in combat operations against the militants.

Answering an urgent question from Labour in the Commons, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond confirmed the deployment numbers and said the 200 British troops would assist Anglophone West Africa countries.

He said the role of UK soldiers "is clearly not a combat role and will not extend to a force protection role".

When pressed by the opposition party about exit strategies, Mr Hammond said he shared plans outlined by France that it should be a "short intervention to stabilise the situation on the ground". 

The Defence Secretary added that Britain was "very clear" about the risks involved and the Government had "defined very clearly the support we are willing and able to provide to the French and Malian authorities".

The mission to train a West African force known as Afisma - which has been under consideration since late last year - was being discussed at a donor conference for Mali being organised by the African Union in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

British personnel will be involved in training troops from countries, such as Nigeria, which is expected to be one of the largest contributors to Afisma which is slated to take over from the French once their mission is over.

Speaking from the historic city of Timbuktu, which was taken by the French forces on Monday, Sky News special correspondent Alex Crawford said British soldiers would help "bolster" the Malian forces, which she described as "very depleted".

Local troops had been unable to fight off militants entering Timbuktu last year and simply put down their weapons and fled - leaving the already armed radical jihadists with further weaponry.

Crawford added: "Malians themselves as an army have a reputation for being ill-disciplined, badly motivated and are accused in some towns of carrying out human rights abuses, so there's clearly a lot of training to be done there."

Looting and violence broke out in Timbuktu on Tuesday. Homes and businesses of suspected jihadist supporters were broken into as local residents vented their anger at the regime which had controlled the city until French troops moved in.

Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy told Sky News that Labour supported the Government's decision to send troops to Mali for training purposes.

But Mr Murphy cautioned that the public were "wary" about military commitments after the UK's involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq.

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Syrian Group: 65 People Shot Dead With Hands Bound

A Syrian opposition group says 65 people, apparently shot in the head, have been found dead, with their hands bound, in Aleppo.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll could rise as high as 80, calling the killings a "new massacre".

Photos posted online by activists showed the muddied bodies of several men lying by a small river near the western outskirts of the city in northern Syria.

Close-up shots of some of the corpses showed they had what appeared to be gunshot wounds to the head.

Most have their hands tied behind their backs.

It was not clear who carried out the killings.

The fighting, which began almost two years ago, has claimed more than 60,000 lives. Human rights groups have accused both government forces and the rebels of carrying out summary executions.

Aleppo, the country's most populous city, has seen fierce fighting since the summer. The rival forces are stuck in a stalemate, with the city divided roughly in half between the two.

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'Hit-And-Run' Deaths: Tandem Cyclists Named

The car involved in an alleged hit-and-run crash that killed a husband and wife on a tandem bicycle was being followed by police, it has emerged.

The couple, who died at the scene of the collision in Bristol, have been named as 34-year-old Ross Matthews Simons and 30-year-old Clare Simons.

And police investigating the accident revealed the Citroen Picasso involved had collided with the cyclists just moments after officers tried to pull it over.

Lower Hanham Road is west of central Bristol

A statement issued by Avon and Somerset Police said: "Shortly before 4pm yesterday (Sunday), a police officer's attention was drawn to a Citroen Picasso travelling along Lower Hanham Road at speed.

"The officer indicated to the car to stop but it made off. The officer began to follow the car but it was lost to sight almost immediately. Very shortly afterwards the car stuck another vehicle and then collided with two cyclists on a tandem bicycle."

A 38-year-old man is being held by police after being arrested on suspicion of death by dangerous driving and the matter has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Police also said a 35-year-old woman had been arrested, on suspicion of dangerous driving.

Friends of Mr and Mrs Simons said the couple had been together for many years, married for around 18 months - and that they desperately wanted children.

Family friend Diane Pullin, said she got to know the couple because her son-in-law Darren worked for Mr Simons' father.

Police tape at the scene of the tragic collision

"They are a lovely family, so kind and so helpful," she said.

"They don't deserve this. They'd just had news that they were able to have fertility treatment... everything to live for.

"It's just terrible and it shouldn't have happened. Two young people with their lives in front of them... snapped away just like

that.

"They were trying for children and they had just been told they could have fertility treatment. Everything to live for, they were such a lovely family."

And Inspector Frazer Davey urged any witnesses to come forward.

"Following investigations overnight the circumstances of this collision have become much clearer," he said.

"However I would appeal to anyone who witnessed this incident or saw this car in the area shortly before the collision to come forward and contact us.

"This is a tragic incident in which two people have needlessly lost their lives. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with their families."

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or visit www.avonandsomerset.police.uk

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HS2 Rail Link: PM Vows Plans Will Go Ahead

David Cameron has insisted high-speed rail links to the north of England will go ahead despite a growing backlash at the plans.

The second phase of the Government's plans will take the route beyond Birmingham, with five new stations at Manchester, Manchester Airport, Toton in the East Midlands, Sheffield and in Leeds.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin is bringing forward public consultation on the plans to 2013 in a bid to fast-track the project.

The £32.7bn plan is one of the coalition's priorities as it tries to kickstart the economy. Construction is due to start in 2017 with the first trains in service by 2026.

Pro-HS2 campaigners hailed the plan as "visionary" but there was immediate concern about the effect on the counties involved.

Some Conservative backbenchers attacked the proposals and the Stop HS2 group challenged claims that it will help the economies of northern cities.

The route will cut through areas of outstanding natural beauty

Pressed on whether he could be forced into a U-turn, Mr Cameron said: "This is going to happen. I have been a strong supporter right from the start.

"We do need to rebalance the economy, it has been too dominated by the south and by certain industries and high speed rail will really help to create a better balanced economy."

Chancellor George Osborne insisted the network would be an "engine for growth" in the north and the Midlands, creating tens of thousands of jobs.

He admitted communities along the route would face "very difficult" disruption to their lives but said the economic benefits were "pretty compelling".

The original link connects London to Birmingham, after which it splits into a Y-shape with two branches, one up to Manchester and another to Leeds.

The branch running via Manchester Airport will include a spur to Crewe to speed up trips to Liverpool and Scotland by better connecting to conventional services.

The second branch - which includes Sheffield being served by a station at the Meadowhall shopping centre instead of the city centre - could prove more controversial.

The plans are being opposed in some rural communities

Officials said interconnections would be improved at any stations sited outside cities.

A "parkway" station is set be included at Toton between Nottingham and Derby.

But a proposed spur to Heathrow has been put on hold pending the results of Sir Howard Davies' review of future airport capacity - which is not due to give a final report until the summer of 2015.

Instead, passengers heading to the world's busiest airport will have to change onto the new London east-west Crossrail service for an 11-minute transfer to terminals.

The Department for Transport said the journey from Manchester to Birmingham would be reduced to 41 minutes and from Manchester to London to 1 hour 8 minutes - almost half the present times.

Leeds will be 57 minutes away from Birmingham compared to 1 hour 58 mins today, and 1hr 22mins away from London Euston, down from 2hrs 12 minutes - official projections say.

Mr McLoughlin hailed the rail project as a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform Britain's connectivity, capacity and competitiveness".

He admitted: "I know that this project is controversial" but added: "This is not about short-term popularity. It is about doing what is right for the country in the long-term."

The project has been welcomed by civic and business leaders in the region, who predict that the number of jobs created could be far higher than the 100,000 cited by the DfT.

But it has also proved controversial, especially in picturesque Tory heartlands which will be affected, such as the Chilterns, infuriating MPs and countryside campaigners.

Conservatives in Chancellor George Osborne's Tatton constituency have already indicated that they will object to plans to route the line through parts of the Cheshire countryside.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who is also MP for Sheffield Hallam, was forced to defend the move not to run the new line into Sheffield city centre.

"The city centre option is not a cost-free one. It would be a lot more expensive and also the train link would be slower, which slightly defeats the purpose of the whole exercise," he said.

Campaign group Stop HS2 claimed high speed rail projects elsewhere had "sucked jobs to the capital cities" and that this project would do little to regenerate the north.

Chair Penny Gaines said: "HS2 is a London-centric proposal that seems focused on extending the London commuter belt beyond Birmingham, when we need to create an engine for growth in the North, providing access to jobs for people who want to live and work in the North."

Labour backs HS2 - which was begun under its administration - but says there are "worrying signs" that the timetable for delivering it is slipping.

The High Court is currently considering whether the first phase of the project, which will take high-speed trains from London to Birmingham, is legally flawed and needs to be reconsidered.

The challenge was taken to the court by campaigners who accused the Government of failing to undertake a "strategic environmental assessment" or arrange an adequate consultation process.

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Brazil Fire: Nightclub Owner Is Arrested

The owner of a Brazilian nightclub where 233 people died in a fire has been arrested, according to the AFP news agency.

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Baby Rescue: Nurse Revived Harbour Fall Boy

A woman who gave CPR to a six-month-old baby after he had been rescued following a fall into freezing waters says she had never done it before.

The boy, Sam Cooper Stevens, was rescued from the water by a dockmaster and then revived by Tanya Allen, a nurse who had rushed to the scene after hearing screams of help.

"I was really quite worried when I was doing the CPR on him that I didn't hurt him, that I didn't break his ribs. And was I doing it right? Because he was a baby," Ms Allen told Sky News.

Sam is recovering in hospital, where doctors say his condition is no longer life-threatening.

Six-month-old Sam is recovering

The baby, who was strapped to his buggy, was swept into the water by strong winds as his mother Kate Cooper walked along Watchet Harbour, Somerset, on Sunday morning.

The pushchair was upturned in the water.

"It just suddenly became horrific," Ms Allen recalled.

Dockmaster George Reeder dived in and pulled it to the wall, and then Ms Allen threw a rope over and, with the help of others, hauled it to dry land.

"It must have been 10-12 foot down, it was a long way down and it took three or four of us pull it up because it was very heavy by that time," Ms Allen said.

"We were hoping that he was going to be OK, but he had been under the water for a little while so it wasn't looking too good at that time."

She said Sam did not appear to be conscious as he was pulled out of the water. 

"I took the baby out of the pushchair and I started CPR on him straight away," added Ms Allen, who said she had received training many times as a psychiatric nurse but had never performed CPR before.

The first aid technique can be used where someone is not breathing properly or if their heart has stopped, and consists of chest compressions and sometimes rescue breaths.

Baby Sam was airlifted to hospital

"I've never, ever - thankfully - had to give this sort of life support in a real-life situation," she said.

Ms Allen was worried she might hurt the tiny baby. "But then I thought, 'Well if I don't do anything this is going to be disastrous'," she said.

She soon noticed the baby started breathing, though keeping him warm until the air ambulance got to the scene was also a problem.

Soon after, Sam was airlifted to hospital.

"I'm so glad I had the training and I think a lot more people should have that training so if they come across something like that your instincts kick in," she said.

The infant's father, Martyn Stevens, said Ms Allen had been "brilliant", and he thanked all the rescuers involved. He said he was at home at the time of the accident.

"I just remember the brilliance of everyone," he said, saying their response had been amazing.

Avon and Somerset Police said a gust of wind appeared to have blown the buggy into the water.

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Payday Loan Sites' Dirty Tricks To Boost Traffic

By Jason Farrell, Sky Correspondent

A Sky News investigation has found that some payday loan brokers have benefitted from hacking into websites to divert the history and status of a legitimate business to their domain.

This increases their ranking on Google, and the tactic has given unregulated brokers access to online traffic worth millions of pounds.

The findings come as the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) prepares its report into dirty tricks in the market, due to be published in February.

Every month, tens of thousands of potential customers use Google to search for payday loans.

The search engine has a complex algorithm based on a website's history and credibility which tries to ensure that users are directed to the most appropriate websites.

However, Google's natural listings system can be tricked. Sky News found three payday websites that were stealing the credibility of other websites to boost their ranking. The target victim sites included a music business, a graduate website and even a church website.

In November last year, Sky News discovered established music licencing website Ricordi was one of several domains that began ranking highly for selling payday loans on the front pages of Google. Clicking on the link diverted the user to a payday broker's site.

Dr Joseph Somerhalder says brokers have been 'stealing identities'

Web analyst Dr Joseph Somerhalder from search optimisation company Chillicow explained what was happening.

He told Sky News: "They hack into the website. They optimise the website for something that it is not about such as payday loans. Then they wait for the right moment, and then they forward all the history and all the credibility from the old website, the legitimate business, into the illegitimate business."

He added: "It's a bit like stealing your identity online. They take the website's identity and history and they point it somewhere else."

Ricordi is owned by Universal Music Group. A spokesperson for the company said: "We recently discovered the unauthorised access to our Ricordi UK website. UMG takes the protection of its sites very seriously and has implemented measures to prevent a recurrence of this type of event."

But other companies may not be aware of the hacking. Using web analysis software, we found that over 10,000 websites have been compromised by this technique on one server alone.

Sky News spoke to the owners of UK graduate website Gradfunding which was also in the process of being hijacked.

Dr Luke Blaxill, director of the website, said he was also trying to deal with the problem.

"To get rid of this we are going to have to rewrite every bit of code on the website and transfer it to a new server."

The payday loan intrusion meant his company was starting to fall down the listings for its own business operations and it could lose years of building up an online reputation.

Dr Blaxill said: "It has taken years for us to get to the position that we are in this particular market and for that effectively to be almost rewritten overnight by a scammer, is a real problem."

Gradfunding was among the target victim websites

Raihan Islam from JAR Applications, which fixed the problem for Gradfunding, told Sky News: "What they did was inject a malicious code into the web server, and the files trick Google by the method of cloaking.

"They then bomb the site with payday loan links to increase its ranking for payday loans and redirect the traffic to their scam website. That's when the hacker starts making money."

During the investigation we found church website Canada had been hacked for this purpose. We also discovered 21,000 payday loan links had been pointed at a Bonsai society website.

There are concerns these tactics leave UK loan customers exposed to unscrupulous, unregulated brokers.

Over the last two months Sky News conducted test searches on Google for payday loans which produced websites high in the natural listings that were in breach of OFT regulations.

Several had no consumer credit licence, a requirement for any loan broker and lead generator.

Some websites claimed to be 100% secure, but actually had no data protection when customers entered their bank details. This exposes customers to fraud and identity theft.

We also found many websites broke legal requirements on transparency to customers, such as failing to prominently display a representative APR or an address where the company can be contacted.

Sky News found three payday websites involved in dirty tricks

Some legitimate lenders in the industry have told us they are aware of the problem. Many of them advertise on Google's pay per-click service as an alternative to the natural listings.

One lender who did not want to be identified suggested the price of Google's sponsored links have gone up because demand has increased with legitimate companies struggling to get on the natural listings.

"Google could solve this problem by tightening up their algorithm" he suggested. "But they have no incentive to do so. We're all having to use the sponsored listings to get any traffic to our websites."

He added: "But customers don't realise that some companies on the natural listings don't have a consumer credit licence, which means they don't have to tell the customer how much they're going to pay back, which feeds into some of the problems we're seeing at the moment of customers not able to pay back their loans."

Google says its key motivation is to try to direct customers to the best websites.

A spokesman told Sky News: "As part of our on-going effort to reduce webspam and return high-quality websites to our users, we are constantly improving our search algorithm to better detect and decrease rankings for sites that we believe are violating Google's quality guidelines and engaging in webspam tactics to manipulate search engine rankings."

For legal reasons we are not naming the websites linked to hacking but we have passed our evidence to the OFT, which told us: "The OFT is clear regarding the standards it expects from those businesses that it regulates and has publicised an extensive suite of guidance documents. We take very seriously any evidence tending to show that businesses are not meeting the standards set out in our guidance.

"The guidance for credit brokers and intermediaries states that creditors should satisfy themselves that persons they deal with are appropriately licenced. Accepting leads from unlicensed sources would raise concerns about a lender's fitness to hold a consumer credit licence."

At one point during our investigation we found the highest ranking website on Google was a four-day-old domain registered to a field in California.

Just a few days in this position can earn the web owner tens of thousands of pounds. Yet this site was in breach of several regulations and displayed nothing on the website to suggest it was licenced to sell loans in the UK.

Last November, the OFT opened formal investigations into the tactics used by an number of payday lenders. But if the regulator wants to properly police the market, it seems it is going to have to work with Google.

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Flood Fears As Snow Melts And Rain Moves In

Heavy rains combined with milder temperatures which are thawing the snow that has blanketed much of Britain have sparked fears of flooding across the country.

Large parts of the UK are on alert for flooding, and the Met Office is warning people to be prepared for potential travel disruption.

The Environment Agency (EA) has issued 79 warnings across England and Wales, meaning flooding is expected, urging people in the Midlands, South West, Wales and Anglian region to take immediate action against predicted flooding.

Another 325 alerts, meaning flooding is possible, are also in place - increasing every few minutes - after the agency warned of an increased risk of surface water and river flooding.

Flooded roads in Lincolnshire this morning (Pic: Kevin Leach)

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has issued seven flood warnings and 11 alerts.

The AA said crews had been called to at least 17 motorists stuck in water since midnight.

A woman was forced to abandon her car after it became stranded in flood water on the A34 at Meaford in Staffordshire.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service pumped water from the road - 4ft deep in some places - into a nearby culvert on the advice of the Environment Agency, and warned motorists from driving through flood water after being called out to rescue several people.

The A34 at Meaford (Pic: Staffordshire Police)

There were reports of flooding in south Wales too overnight after downpours replaced almost two weeks of snow.

Norfolk Police also reported flooding caused by melting snow and ice, which has closed a number of roads in the area.

Forecasters are predicting a very wet spell through the latter part of Monday and into Tuesday too.

Sky News weather presenter Isobel Lang said: "After very mild, wet and windy weather on Saturday night, snow has melted rapidly. The combination of heavy rain and the thaw has brought flooding in places.

A house collapses in Barnsley, apparently under the weight of fresh snow

"Flooding will continue to be a concern during Monday and Tuesday as further active frontal systems are set to sweep east bringing gales and heavy rain.

"Western and southwestern parts are most at risk with around one to two inches of rainfall, perhaps more on higher ground.

""The outlook is for it to remain generally mild, windy and unsettled."

Rising temperatures of up to 12C (53F) have sparked a rapid thaw of the snow and ice, after heavy snow storms on Friday night left hundreds of people stranded on motorways in the north of England.

The M6 was blocked in both directions between junctions 25 and 27 in Lancashire when a sudden burst of more than a foot of snow brought drivers to a standstill from around 8.30pm.

An EA spokesman said: "Emergency teams from the Environment Agency will be out in force throughout the weekend, shoring up defences, monitoring river levels and clearing blockages from watercourses."

Around 18 buildings were flooded in various locations across Wales on Friday night, including two houses in Solva, Pembrokeshire, and two in Dolgellau, North Wales.

:: Send us your flood photos and videos

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Murray Beaten In Australian Open Final

Novak Djokovic has beaten Britain's Andy Murray in four sets to take the Australian Open title in Melbourne.

Murray's bid to claim back-to-back grand slam titles ended in disappointment but Djokovic's victory makes him the first man to win the tournament three times in a row.

The first two serve-dominated sets were decided on tie-breaks before Djokovic claimed the first break of the match late in the third.

It proved a pivotal moment with US Open champion Murray, who was struggling with blisters on his right foot and a hamstring problem, unable to mount a fightback as Djokovic cruised through the fourth to complete a 6-7 7-6 6-3 6-2 success.

A clearly emotional Murray was gracious in defeat, saying on court: "Firstly obviously, I'd like to congratulate Novak. His record here is incredible.

"I'd also like to thank my team. They've done a great job with me and they help me all the time.

Djokovic is Australian Open champion for the third successive year

"I'd also like to thank the whole crowd, there's such a great atmosphere to play in and you're all very fair, so thank you very much."

He added: "I'll see you guys next year. Thank you."

Djokovic had the better chances in the first set with five break points over two games, only for Murray to serve his way out of danger.

The world number one's frustration at failing to convert his chances, coupled with irritation with his footwear, boiled over in the tie-break as his game fell apart, allowing Murray to take the lead in the match.

The Scot was the aggressor in the second set as he looked to double his advantage.

He had three chances to leap into a 2-0 lead but Djokovic held on to take it to another tie-break, which was tight until Murray threw in just his third double fault of the tournament at 2-2.

The 25-year-old put his first serve into the net and was shaping up to deliver the second when he noticed a feather dropping on to the court out of the corner of his eye.

Murray had to call for a medical break to get treatment for blisters

Having removed it, he appeared to lose his focus and put the second serve long.

It was all Djokovic needed to level the match and the momentum appeared to swing further in his favour when Murray had to call a medical time-out for blisters at the change of ends, with television pictures showing the extent of the damage to his right foot.

The momentum was with the top seed and he needed no second invitation as he set up three break points for a 5-3 lead.

Two poor forehands saw the first two come and go but Murray could not escape a third as Djokovic claimed the first break of the match before serving it out.

Murray was clearly upset at umpire John Blom for not doing more to quieten the crowd and in particular one heckler who had forced him to halt his service action twice at important points of the third set.

Yet he started the fourth on the front foot, setting up his first break point chance since the second game of the second set only for Djokovic to close the door with a booming serve out wide.

By now, Murray was also clutching his left hamstring and it was no surprise that Djokovic broke again for 2-1, winning a long rally at 30-40 after a tired-looking Murray jammed a backhand into the net.

The match was slipping away from Murray and he dropped his serve once more on a double fault, allowing Djokovic to establish a 4-1 lead.

The effort was certainly there as the world number three continued to chase down every ball despite being in obvious discomfort but there was no let-up from Djokovic as he completed his 21st consecutive win in Melbourne and gained revenge for his defeat to Murray in the US Open final last September.

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Brazil Nightclub Fire: More Than 240 Dead

Police say 245 people have died in a fire which swept through a crowded nightclub in southern Brazil.

Around 200 others were injured after the blaze broke out at the Kiss club in the city of Santa Maria while a band was performing.

Fire chief Guido de Melo said there was panic after the fire started and many revellers were trampled.

He said the main cause of death was asphyxiation.

Men try to break through a wall to help the victims

A security guard reportedly said the venue was at its maximum capacity of between 1,000 and 2,000, and partygoers were pushing and shoving to escape.

The blaze is reported to have begun at 2am (local time) and officials said the cause was not yet known.

It is believed that the building's soundproofing apparently caught fire and smoke from this then asphyxiated victims.

The fire took place in Santa Maria

The blaze spread quickly and produced a thick black smoke.

It is thought the venue only had one emergency exit and firefighters made a hole in the wall to help people escape.

The band reportedly used pyrotechnics as part of its show.

Members of the Red Cross pictured at the site

Civil Police and regional government spokesman Marcelo Arigoni told Radio Gaucha a truck carrying 70 bodies had arrived at the Municipal Sports Centre, which was being used as an improvised morgue.

Santa Maria is a major university city with a population of around a quarter of a million.

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