Image Shows Boy Injured In Gang Attack

Police have released an image of a teenage boy's injured face after he was assaulted by a group of men in Manchester.

The assault began when three cars pulled up on Briscoe Lane, Newton Heath, last Saturday afternoon before a gang of around 12 men got out and began attacking a group of youths.

The 15-year-old boy was attacked by up to four of the men who chased him into nearby Harringay Road.

He was later taken to hospital with facial injuries and a broken arm.

Police have released this image of the boy

A teenage girl was also hit in the face and suffered a fractured cheekbone.

After the assault, which was caught on CCTV, the boy's attackers got back into their cars before before driving off towards Ten Acres Lane.

The boy's mother, who does not wish to be named, said: "I barely recognised my boy when I saw him, such were the extent of the injuries to his face.

"I cannot believe a bunch of grown men would attack an innocent teenage boy like this.

"He was not involved in any sort of trouble yet they waded in with fists and weapons and didn't give him any chance to respond or defend himself."

Police believe the incident may be linked to a dispute the previous evening in the Newton Heath area, however neither victim is understood to have been involved in this.

Detective Constable Paddy Connell, said: "While the CCTV footage we released shows a determined effort by a group of men to get at and assault a number of teenagers, what this injury picture shows is the real consequences of their actions.

"The boy is slight in build and was chased and beaten by burly men.

"Their actions were shameless and shocking and I want people to look at the injuries to the boy's face and if they know anything to come forward.

"We think this may be linked to an incident the previous evening and earlier that day in that general area and if that is the case then they have definitely got the wrong people as neither victim was there.

"If anyone knows anything about what may have prompted this or knows who is responsible, please get in touch."

:: Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 3832, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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Abu Qatada: Hearing Over Alleged 'Bail Beach'

A special hearing is to be held later over Abu Qatada's alleged breach of his bail conditions which could result in the radical preacher staying in custody.

He has been arrested for allegedly breaching bail, days ahead of a new Government attempt to have him deported.

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) is due to hold an urgent telephone hearing this afternoon to determine whether Qatada will be granted bail.

The radical cleric, who has been convicted of terror charges in Jordan, was arrested by UK Border Agency officials on Friday following raids by the Metropolitan Police Service Counter Terrorism unit.

Searches at two residential homes and a business in northwest and west London began on Thursday, while a search on a third property in northwest London is ongoing, Scotland Yard said.

The searches were carried out in connection with ongoing inquiries by the Counter Terrorism Command, a spokesman for Scotland Yard said.

However, no arrests have been made in connection with the police investigation, he added.

The Home Office said: "The UK Border Agency arrested a 52-year-old man from north London for alleged breaches of his bail conditions imposed by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC)."

He added that the breach will be considered by SIAC at the earliest opportunity.

Qatada was reportedly arrested by officials outside his family home in London.

The Sun newspaper showed pictures of him being escorted out of his house with his hands hidden under a jacket.

Qatada is due to appear at the Court of Appeal on Monday for Home Secretary Theresa May's attempt to overturn a judge's decision to allow him to stay in the UK.

Ms May will challenge the decision in front of three Court of Appeal judges led by Lord Dyson, the Master of the Rolls.

Once described by a Spanish judge as "Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe", Qatada has used human rights laws to fight deportation for more than a decade.

SIAC decided last November that Qatada could not lawfully be deported to Jordan, where he was convicted of terror charges in his absence in 1999.

SIAC judges ruled there was a danger that evidence from Qatada's former co-defendants Abu Hawsher and Al Hamasher, said to have been obtained by torture, could be used against him in a retrial in Jordan.

He was granted bail following the ruling by three SIAC judges and released from Long Lartin prison in November last year.

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Brian Lynch: Police Warn Over Escaped Killer

By Clare Fallon, Sky Reporter

Police say a convicted killer who has escaped from custody in Lancashire could be a risk to the public.

Brian Lynch, 44, disappeared while on day release for the first time since he was jailed 25 years ago.

He was convicted of murder in 1988 after beating to death 21-year-old Chi Keung Yip in Manchester.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Gilbert, who is leading the search for the escaped prisoner warned people not to approach him.

"Because he has been in prison for 25 years he won't know the area very well so he may approach the public and ask for directions," he told Sky News.

"I'd ask the public to be aware of his description and ask themselves whether they've been approached by this man."

Since Lynch disappeared in Preston city centre on Thursday afternoon there have been two potential sightings of him.

A man matching his appearance was seen at Preston bus station just after 3pm on Thursday.

The second potential sighting was on Stanley Grove in Penwortham at 5.15pm on the same day.

Police think he may have travelled to his home city of Manchester where he has family and friends.

Lynch had been moved to HMP Kirkham in Lancashire, which is an open, category D prison in December. 

He was on day release at the time of his escape as part of his rehabilitation preparing him for life outside prison.

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Egypt: Rival Football Fans Angry Over Verdicts

A hardcore element of Cairo's Al Ahly fan base have stormed and set fire to Egypt's football headquarters after a court aquitted seven out of nine police officials on trial for their alleged role in a deadly stadium riot.

A nearby police club in the Egyptian capital was also set ablaze - and the mob, known as the Ultras, was said to be heading towards the interior ministry as well, according to state television.

The fire rages at the football headquarters

The fires sent plumes of thick black smoke billowing out over the city skyline.

Hundreds of the club's supporters took to the streets in celebration after a court earlier on Saturday upheld death sentences on 21 Port Said football fans for their role in the stadium riot last year.

Some 74 people were killed and around 1,000 injured at the end of a match between Cairo's Al Ahly and Al Masry, the local side, on February 1, 2012.

Spectators were crushed when panicked fans tried to get out the stadium after a pitch invasion by Port Said supporters.

In a live televised ruling, judge Sobhi Abdel-Maguid confirmed "the death penalty by hanging".

Al Ahly fans had warned police they would retaliate if the defendants, including nine policemen, were exonerated.

Al Ahly fans take to the streets of Cairo after the verdicts are announced

The city's former security chief, Major General Essam Samak, was jailed for 15 years along with several others including Brigadier General Mohammed Saad, who during the riot had the keys to the stadium gates, which were locked.

A further five people were also sentenced to life imprisonment for the riot, while 28 others - including seven police officers - were acquitted.

The rest of the 73 defendants involved received shorter prison sentences.

In Port Said, crowds gathered by the Suez Canal to protest against the verdicts.

A military helicopter hovered overhead and army checkpoints were set up on main streets as protesters tried to disrupt shipping on the canal.

"Today's verdict is unfair - we are demanding a fair verdict. This judge is unjust," said Mohamed Al Sayed.

The stadium deaths occurred on February 1, 2012

The death sentences - originally handed down in January - have previously provoked deadly clashes in Port Said and Cairo.

The riot - the worst case of football violence in the country and the deadliest worldwide since 1996 - erupted after the home team Al Masry beat Egypt's top club Al Ahly in the league fixture.

Subsequent widespread violence and protests have sparked fresh concerns about Egypt's stability.

Political turmoil is sweeping across the country with demonstrators demanding concessions from Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, while others want him removed altogether, saying his Muslim Brotherhood is monopolising power.

His government is struggling to halt the slide in law and order, hampered by a strike by some protesting police.

At least eight people have been killed in Port Said this week, including three police officers.

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Weather: Snow Forecast After Brief Spring

Weather forecasters have issued a warning not to pack away the winter woollies because a blast from the east will bring snow back to the UK this weekend.

Despite the glimpse of spring this week, with temperatures reaching a high of 17C (63F) on Tuesday, the winter weather is set to return.

Winds from Eastern Europe will be bringing with them bitterly cold weather, especially for the North East and east.

It might be just three weeks until the clocks go forward but temperatures will plummet to around zero with the wind chill factor making it feel more like -4C (25F).

This is significantly lower than the average temperature for the time of year, which is around 9-10C (50F).

Spring weather saw temperatures hit 17C (63F) on Tuesday

Sunday will see the coldest weather with eastern blast bringing some snow flurries to the North East and east coast.

The beginning of next week will continue to be bitterly cold and it will be midweek before it warms up.

Sky News weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "Don't pack your winter woollies away just yet because it's going to be bitterly cold this week particularly in eastern areas.

"Saturday might be an umbrella day, but Sunday will be a day for several layers."

Heavy rain is expected on Friday night and Saturday, which could make difficult driving conditions particularly along the M4 corridor and in the South East for those hoping to get away for Mother's Day weekend.

Both January and February saw widespread snow across the country causing disruption across the transport network.

The Office for National Statistics reported last month that snow at the beginning of the year had a substantial impact on retail sales.

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North Korea Leader Ready For 'All-Out War'

Who Is Kim Jong-Un?

Updated: 9:50am UK, Friday 08 March 2013

Kim Jong-Un is the world's youngest head of state. But very little is known about the supreme leader of North Korea, the most secretive nation on Earth.

Believed to have been born in Pyongyang around 1983, he was named North Korea's "great successor" following the death of his father, Kim Jong-Il, in December 2011.

The younger Kim is the leader of the ruling communist Workers' Party of Korea. He also holds the rank of Wonsu - the highest rank in the Korean military.

Reports in some Japanese newspapers claim he was educated in Switzerland at an English-language international school near Bern from the age of 10 to 17 where - according to a classmate - he developed a keen interest in basketball.

In 2012 he was voted the sexiest man alive in a spoof article by satirist website The Onion. China's Communist Party newspaper later ran a glowing report of the article, unaware it was a parody.

Quoting from the spoof report, The People's Daily wrote: "With his devastatingly handsome, round face, his boyish charm and his strong, sturdy frame, this Pyongyang-bred heart-throb is every woman's dream come true."

In 2012 he made several public appearances with a mystery lady, initially believed to be Hyon Song-Wol, a North Korean singer famous for the smash hit A Girl In The Saddle Of A Steed, often mis-translated as Excellent Horse-Like Lady.

But North Korean media later identified the woman as Ri Sol-Ju and claimed she was Mr Kim's wife. Unconfirmed reports have suggested the couple were married in 2009 and that she gave birth to a child in 2010.

But less is known about her than her husband. Conflicting reports have suggested she was born between 1985 and 1989 and that some of her family are involved in North Korean politics.

Her mother reportedly works in the gynaecology unit at a local hospital and her father as a university professor.

Mr Kim's interest in basketball is understood to have led to American NBA star Dennis Rodman paying the supreme leader a surprise visit in March 2013.

"He wants Obama to do one thing: Call him," Rodman later said. "He said, 'If you can, Dennis - I don't want (to) do war. I don't want to do war.' He said that to me."

A United Nations report on human rights in North Korea has urged for an inquiry to document the accountability of Mr Kim and the North Korean government for alleged crimes against humanity.

The UN has claimed that out of the total population of 25 million in the country, "16 million people continue to suffer varying degrees of chronic food insecurity and high malnutrition".

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Bus Stab Teen Died Of Single Wound To Chest

Teenager Christina Edkins died from a single stab wound to the chest, a post-mortem has revealed.

The 16-year-old was killed on a busy double-decker bus as she travelled to school during rush hour in what police believe was a random attack.

Police released a CCTV image of a man in a black jacket with a tiger motif on the back and appealed for anyone who had seen him travelling on buses in and around Birmingham on Thursday between 6am and 1pm to contact them.

Detective Superintendent Richard Baker said that they believed that the man "continued using buses in the hours after the tragic event".

He said: "This attack appears to be totally senseless and random."

Police have released a CCTV image as part of their investigation

He also appealed for witnesses to the attack saying that there were 16 people travelling on the number 9 bus when the attack happened but that only half of them had spoken to police.

He said: "We know there are a number of passengers who were on the bus yesterday morning when Christina was attacked while she was sitting upstairs.

"Some of these passengers were sitting downstairs on the bus and they haven't yet spoken to police. They may not even have known what happened but may have vital evidence and it is crucial they contact us as soon as possible on 101."

A woman claiming to have witnessed the attack on the bus said she waited for the girl's attacker to get off the vehicle before performing CPR on the teenager.

Writing on Facebook, Stephanie Bent said: "I was on that bus i knew what he had done and he was stood next to me when he was getting off, all i could think of was i hope he gets off this stop so i can go upstairs and help the girl.

"Thankfully he got off and i was able to go upstairs and help the girl as best i could i gave CPR until medics arrived and am deeply traumatised i could not save her, i certainly wasn't going to confront a knifeman knowing he had just stabbed someone i thought me may stab me too all i cared about was getting up to the girl to help."

Christina was described as "bright and popular"

Officers are continuing to question a 22-year-old man who was arrested after a manhunt was launched following the 7.30am stabbing.

Police today provided extra patrols on public transport after attack prompted concerns among residents about knife crime and many voiced fears over travelling on the city's transport system on social network sites.

A police spokesman said: "Extra police officers will be patrolling public transport this morning in the wake of yesterday's tragedy to reassure commuters."

Christina, who was described as a "bright and popular" pupil at Leasowes High School in Halesowen, was killed shortly after she boarded the double-decker.

The bus on Hagley Road after the rush hour stabbing

The stabbing happened nearly a month after the teenager had voiced concerns on Twitter about the behaviour of a passenger on another bus trip.

On February 8 she wrote: "This man is worrying me on the bus keeps getting up and walking up and down stairs, and sitting in different place."

However, police said there was no evidence to suggest Christina knew her attacker but that they were aware of her "social media presence".

Police officers stood guard at the Edkins' semi-detached house near Birmingham city centre for much of the day on Thursday while family liaison officers sought to comfort relatives.

Forensic officers get to work at the scene of the attack

Neil Shaw, the headteacher of Leasowes High School, led tributes to his pupil and said friends and family were "deeply saddened" by her death.

He said: "Christina was a bright and popular student much loved by staff and students alike.

"We are deeply saddened to hear this tragic news and our thoughts and hearts go out to her family and everyone who knew her.

"The school is working closely with the police and a team of counsellors to provide support to our pupils and staff."

The Most Rev Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham, sent his condolences in a message from Rome.

He said: "I am shocked to hear of the terrible attack on young Christina Edkins as she was making her way to school on a bus today.

"My thoughts and prayers are with her bereft family and with all her friends at Leasowes High School, in Halesowen.

"The loss of a young life in these tragic circumstances raises many questions about our respect for life and about safeguarding children in public places."

 

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Tia Sharp: Stuart Hazell Denies Girl's Murder

The man who is accused of murdering 12-year-old Tia Sharp has pleaded not guilty in court.

Stuart Hazell, 37, appeared at the Old Bailey via videolink from Belmarsh prison.

He denied murdering Tia, the granddaughter of his partner Christine Sharp, between August 2 and 10 last year.

Hazell, of New Addington, south London, was remanded in custody to face trial at the same court on May 7.

Tia's body was found in the loft at the house, where Hazell and Christine Sharp lived, a week after the girl was reported missing.

Her disappearance sparked searches by police and members of the public.

But the body was missed when the attic was first searched.

Tia's mother, Natalie Sharp, was in court with her partner, and Tia's father, Stephen Carter, watched from the public gallery.

Hazell wore a black T-shirt and gold necklace. He leant forward as the clerk asked him to confirm his name.

The trial is expected to last for two weeks.

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Teenage Schoolgirl Stabbed To Death On Bus

Police have chased down and arrested a man suspected of stabbing to death 16-year-old Christina Edkins as she travelled to school.

Christina was on a packed double-decker bus during rush hour in Birmingham when she was killed in what police described as a "quick and sporadic" attack.

Passengers, paramedics and police officers were called just after 7.30am and tried to save the Christina's life but nothing could be done and she died at the scene.

Armed police were sent to patrol in the city as police hunted for what they described as an "extremely dangerous" suspect who they believed could have been armed.

Officers arrested a 22-year-old, who was seen acting suspiciously, after a short chase near a Morrison's supermarket in the city.

Forensic officers search the double-decker bus where the attack happened

Christina was a pupil at Leasowes High School in Halesowen.

The headteacher, Neil Shaw, said: "Christina was a bright and popular student much loved by staff and students alike. We are deeply saddened to hear this tragic news and our thoughts and hearts go out to her family and everyone who knew her.

"The school is working closely with the police and a team of counsellors to provide support to our pupils and staff."

Scenes of crime officers get to work

Police officers are working to identify CCTV systems around the Hagley Road area where the incident happened which may have caught the attack on camera.

Detective Superintendent Richard Baker from Force CID said: "This is a tragic case and the victim's family are devastated.

 "We are still anxious to hear from anyone with information or who may have witnessed the incident this morning to speak to us via the dedicated hotline 0800 096 0095.

"There will be a high police presence across the city this afternoon following this morning's tragedy particularly on buses and in schools in the area to provide reassurance to local people."

The girl was stabbed on the crowded number 9 service

National Express West Midlands said the vehicle was heading out of the city when the stabbing happened.

A spokesman said: "We can confirm that a tragic incident occurred on a number 9 service this morning.

"Our thoughts and condolences are with the friends and family of the person involved and we will offer all possible support to the police in their investigation of this matter."

Paramedics were called but nothing could be done to save the teenager

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said they had been called to the scene shortly after 7.35am.

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Boy Raped And Drowned 'By Babysitter's Ex'

By Sky News US Team, in Los Angeles

An American toddler was raped and then drowned after his babysitter's ex-boyfriend threw him into the pool of a Mexican holiday home, officials have said.

Axel Charrette, two, and his seven-year-old brother were being watched by a local woman when her ex-boyfriend entered the property and attacked Axel, authorities in Mexico said.

The brother was locked up in his family's home at the time and did not witness the attack.

Prosecutors in the Mexican state of Nayarit said Eleodoro Carlos Rodriguez Sanchez had been arrested and charged with murder in the February 28 attack, details of which have just emerged.

He is said to have been high on drugs during the assault.

Sanchez and Perez have been charged over Axel's death

The babysitter, Nancy Saralee Solorio Perez, has been charged with homicide for failing to intervene.

She is also charged with lying about the attack to medical personnel.

A family spokesman said Axel's parents, Randy and Jen Charrette, had been renting the home for about two months and had hired 19-year-old Perez to watch their children.

In a statement published online by The Watch newspaper, the Charrettes said the babysitter let her boyfriend into the house, but soon realised he was "in a violent, drug-induced state".

"Out of fear, she locked herself in a bathroom, leaving Axel outside ... The boyfriend, for reasons unknown, hurt Axel then threw him in the pool, leaving him to drown," the statement says.

"There are no words to express our grief - but we wanted you to know what happened because the truth, as horrible as it may be, is important."

The prosecutor's office said Perez reported being too terrified to alert police during the crime.

The parents returned to their home in Ridgway, Colorado, earlier this week.

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Italy: Berlusconi Given 12-Month Prison Sentence

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has been sentenced to a year in prison over the publication of leaked transcripts from a police wiretap in one of his newspapers.

Mr Berlusconi, who faces two more verdicts this month for tax fraud and having sex with an underage prostitute, can appeal the conviction and so doing suspend the sentence under Italian law.

Italian sentencing guidelines indicate that people aged over 75 and with sentences of less than two years do not have to actually go to prison.

Mr Berlusconi, a billionaire media tycoon, is 76.

He stood accused of violating secrecy laws after his Il Giornale daily published transcripts in 2005 that were widely seen as an attempt to discredit a senior member of the centre-left Democratic Party ahead of elections in 2006.

The leaks were about the attempted takeover of BNL bank by insurance giant Unipol.

Mr Berlusconi's brother Paolo, editor of Il Giornale, was sentenced to two years and three months.

Despite everything Mr Berlusconi is hoping to make a political comeback

Silvio Berlusconi also faces a verdict possibly as early as March 18 in a trial in which he is accused of having sex with a then 17-year-old prostitute when he was prime minister.

He is also accused of abusing the power of his office by putting pressure on police to release her from custody.

A verdict in his appeal trial against a tax fraud conviction from last year in which he was also sentenced to a year in prison is also expected around March 23.

Italian court dates are often changed at the last minute and Mr Berlusconi's lawyers have tried to slow down all the trials, invoking "legitimate impediment" because of his duties as an MP.

The verdict will not prevent Mr Berlusconi from taking office in a new government.

His centre-right coalition finished third in recent parliamentary elections that saw no clear winner. Talks on forming a new administration are expected to begin on March 20.

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Jihad Boy Wears 9/11 Bomb T-Shirt To School

A woman and her brother have appeared in a French court after a three-year-old child named Jihad was sent to school wearing a T-shirt with the words "I am a bomb" printed on it.

The principal and teachers at the school in Sorgues, southern France, notified authorities after Boucha Bagour sent her son to classes dressed in the shirt.

Le Parisien reported that the words "I am a bomb" were inscribed on the front, and the words "Jihad, born September 11" on the back.

The expression plays on the popular French saying "Je suis la bombe", which translates roughly as "I am the best".

Ms Bagour, 35, and her brother, Zeyad Bagour, 29, were summoned to appear before the court after the school and local mayor complained.

Mr Bagour gave the shirt to the boy as a gift. He told the court he "had no intention to provoke or shock".

Speaking to the court, Ms Bagour defended herself, saying: "For me, this is the name of my son and his date of birth."

She also apologised to the court, saying she thought the shirt might "make people laugh".

However, lawyer Claude Avril said: "Idiocy is often the best alibi to hide the real intentions.

"The most scandalous thing is that they've used and manipulated a three-year-old child to voluntarily convey the words of a terrorist," she added.

Ms Bagour and her brother are facing fines of €1,000 (£860) and €3,000 (£2,600) respectively if they are found guilty of any offences.

The case will be decided on April 10.

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Car Thief Strangles Baby Left In Vehicle

A Chinese car thief strangled a two-month-old baby after stealing a vehicle with the infant inside, according to police.

In a crime that has sparked revulsion across the country, officers said the baby was killed and then buried in the snow.

The baby's parents had left the child alone for 10 minutes with the car doors unlocked and the engine running, according to state-run media.

Reports suggested the father had run into the shop where he worked to turn up the heat because he wanted to keep the baby warm.

Zhou Xijun, 48, stole the car in the north eastern Jilin province, triggering a major hunt involving thousands of police officers and taxi drivers.

He handed himself in a day later and confessed, according to reports.

Jilin police said in a statement that Zhou had "discovered a baby in the back seat of the stolen car, stopped at the side of a road before strangling the baby to death and burying it in the snow".

No information was given about whether the body has been recovered.

The South China Morning Post reported that the child's mother had a heart attack when told of the killing and was being treated in hospital.

The case caused a storm in China, generating far more attention than the annual meeting of China's parliament which opened on Tuesday.               

Changchun citizens mourn the death of the two-month-old baby

Internet users expressed their disgust at the crime and many called for Zhou to be put to death.

"Killing him once would not be enough," one user of Sina Weibo, a website similar to Twitter, wrote.

Another added: "I would never have imagined that what people most feared would actually happen ... The killer should be severely punished."

However others entered into debates about negligent parents, calling for harsher punishments for those who fail to protect their children.

A candlelit vigil for the baby was held in Changchun on Tuesday evening. Lights were dimmed at 10.10pm and a moment of silence was observed.

The latest UN figures on the murder rate in China puts it at one per 100,000 people, among the lowest in the world.

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Pregnant Woman Murder: Ex-Boyfriend Jailed

A man who beat his pregnant ex-fiancee to death, causing the death of their unborn baby, has been jailed for at least 27 years.

Unemployed alcoholic Tony McLernon, 24, of North Grove, Harlow, in Essex, was found guilty of murder and child destruction after a trial lasting just over two weeks at Chelmsford Crown Court.

The trial heard he lured Eystna Blunnie, 20, to her death in July last year after telling friends she was trying to ruin his new relationship.

Estyna Blunnie was found dying with her unborn baby in a road

When they met in Howard Way, near her home in Harlow, he jumped on her, kicked her and left her to die in a pool of blood.

Miss Blunnie was due to give birth to a girl within days.

Ordering a minimum tariff of 27 years of a life sentence, Mr Justice Fulford said: "It is undoubtedly the case that he brutally and repeatedly attacked Eystna Blunnie during the course of their relationship.

"He told friends he wanted her significantly harmed or killed. In April he strangled her, causing the baby distress.

"This killing was not the result of an unthinking moment of anger but instead he had contemplated the attack over a long period of time.

"The killing was truly terrible. The horrific screams heard by those nearby show the suffering and pain she suffered and for some period of time she would have been aware of the fatal consequences for herself and her child.

"He has shown not the slightest shred of remorse."

McLernon showed no emotion as he was led from the dock.

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UK To Supply Military Aid To Syria Opposition

The UK is to supply armoured vehicles and body armour to opposition forces in Syria, Foreign Secretary William Hague has said.

In a statement to the Commons, William Hague said Britain would increase aid to Syrian opposition forces, including providing "new types of non-lethal equipment for the protection of civilians", after EU sanctions had been amended.

He said the UK, along with the National Coalition, was in the middle of trying to identify "the protective equipment that will be of most use to them and likely to save most lives".

"It will certainly include armoured four-wheel drive vehicles to help opposition forces move around more freely as well as personal protection equipment including body armour," he added.

Testing equipment to provide evidence of any use of chemical weapons by the regime and training for armed groups in international human rights and legal standards is also being sent.

Mr Hague said £3m had been allocated this month for the work with another £10m to follow - urging other countries to do the same.

"The Cabinet is in no doubt that this is a necessary, proportionate and lawful response to a situation of extreme humanitarian suffering, and that there is no practicable alternative," he said.

"All our assistance will be carefully calibrated and monitored as well as legal, and will be aimed at saving life, alleviating this human catastrophe and supporting moderate groups.

Mr Hague told MPs that the conflict in Syria, where President Bashar Assad is trying to defeat attempts to overthrow his regime, had reached "catastrophic" proportions.

The British Government could not stand aside as Assad used Scud missiles against civilians, Mr Hague said, adding that diplomacy was "taking far too long and the number of dead continues to rise".

The death toll is reported to have reached 70,000 since the fighting began two years ago, with more people having been killed so far this year than during the whole first year of the conflict.

Some 40,000 people were fleeing the civil war each week, many of them children, he added.

His speech came as the UN refugee agency revealed official figures showing the number of Syrian refugees leaving their homeland had topped the one million mark.

Mr Hague described it as a "sad milestone".

The Foreign Secretary warned that there was a danger Syria could become a "top destination for jihadists anywhere in the world".

There were also risks that the Syrian government could use chemical weapons against civilians, he said, telling MPs there was "credible information" that Iran was providing "considerable military support" to Mr Assad.

Sky News Foreign Affairs Correspondent Lisa Holland said Mr Hague's announcement marked "a new phase in what Britain - and the EU and America - is going to do for the opposition".

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Payday Loans: Firms Given Reform Deadline

The UK's biggest payday loans firms are facing the prospect of being put out of business unless they implement swift changes to their practices within 12 weeks.

The ultimatum was issued by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) following a wide-ranging investigation of the controversial sector as it emerged that a separate shake-up would place greater controls on advertising by such firms.

The Government will work with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the industry to make sure advertising does not tempt consumers into taking out payday loans that they cannot afford, and restrict the number of adverts firms put out per hour and the times they can advertise.

Lenders will also be required to make sure that interest rates are clearly displayed.

The OFT carried out checks on 50 major lenders and obtained information from all 240 lenders in the market.

The inquiry uncovered evidence of "widespread irresponsible lending", the OFT said.

It confirmed it was also proposing to refer the payday market to the Competition Commission after finding "deep-rooted problems" in how lenders compete with each other.

The OFT said it had found evidence that the 50 lenders, which account for 90% of the market, were failing to comply with the standards expected and were therefore in danger of losing their licences.

Some of the worst problems identified included lenders not carrying out proper affordability checks before lending or rolling loans over, failing to explain adequately how payments will be collected, acting aggressively to claw back debts and not making enough allowances for struggling borrowers.

Payday lenders are taking a greater presence on UK high streets and online

OFT chief executive Clive Maxwell said: "We have found fundamental problems with the way the payday market works and widespread breaches of the law and regulations, causing misery and hardship for many borrowers.

"Payday lenders are earning up to half their revenue not from one-off loans, but from rolled over or re-financed deals where unexpected costs can rapidly mount up."

The regulator acted after charities reported rocketing numbers of complaints about payday lenders from borrowers.

The Money Advice Trust (MAT) recently said complaints about payday loans have doubled year-on-year to a record 20,000 in 2012.

New regulator the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which will oversee the consumer credit market from next year, will prioritise tighter rules on payday lending that could come into effect from April 2014.

The FCA's rules will be binding and if they are broken it will have tough enforcement powers including imposing unlimited fines and the ability to claw consumers' money back.

The Government is also planning to do more to encourage greater communication within the industry to stop consumers taking out multiple loans from different lenders.

Sajid Javid, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, said: "The Government is introducing a fundamentally new approach to regulating consumer credit, which will ensure that irresponsible firms and bad practice will have no place in the consumer credit marketplace.

"Consumers can have greater confidence that the new FCA will intervene early and decisively in their interests - thanks to its more focused remit, objectives and powers."

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Deadly Florida Sinkhole Is Finally Revealed

The deadly sinkhole that swallowed a man at his home in Florida has been uncovered by demolition teams.

The remaining walls of the house were knocked down on Monday and debris was dragged towards the street to reveal the crater in Seffner, about 15 miles east of Tampa.

The authorities estimate that it now measures 30 feet (9m) across and between 30 and 100ft (30m) deep.

It has become the final resting place of Jeff Bush, whose body was never recovered after the sinkhole opened up under his bedroom on Thursday night.

The remaining walls of the Bush family home are torn down

Five other family members who were in the house escaped unharmed.

During a brief ceremony on Monday afternoon, the 37-year-old's family placed a teddy bear, a photo, notes and flowers into the bucket of a digger which dropped them into the makeshift grave.

Then the first load of gravel to stabilise the hole was poured on top.

Jeremy Bush, 35, who tried to save his brother thanked rescuers and salvage teams, but also suggested they could have "tried harder".

Jeremy Bush said more could have been done for his brother

"I tried my hardest to get you out, brother," he said through his tears at a news conference.

"I think I'm the only one that really tried to get you out. They said the ground was too unstable to do anything, but they got all this heavy equipment on there, pulling stuff out and everyone's cheering for everything that's coming out of the house. I've had enough of the cheering."

Rescue teams had halted all recovery efforts on Saturday when the site became too unstable.

Two neighbouring houses have been evacuated and could also be condemned.

Florida is highly prone to sinkholes because there are caverns below ground of limestone, a porous rock that easily dissolves in water.

A new smaller sinkhole opens up in Seffner. Pic: WTSP-TV

A second hole was reported about three miles away from the Bush family's home on Monday but aside from a piece of fence, there was no serious damage and nobody was hurt.

It is the loss of life that makes the Seffner case so highly unusual and tragic.

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Bieber Blames Technical Problems For O2 Delay

Justin Bieber has blamed technical issues for his late arrival on stage at last night's gig at the O2 Arena.

In a series of tweets to his 35 million followers, the teenage singer apologised to his fans.

"last night i was scheduled after 3 opening acts to go on stage at 935 not 830 but because of some technical issues i got on at 10:10..so.

"I  was 40 min late to stage. there is no excuse for that and I apologize for anyone we upset. However it was great show and Im proud of that.

Bieber claimed he was not due on stage until 9.35pm, not 8.30pm

"and tonight we will run on time and look forward to putting on an amazing show for everyone in attendance".

The 19-year-old Canadian - who claimed he was only 40 minutes late - went on to grumble about the media and added he was "trying".

"my relationship with the media is not always easy but im trying. Im all about the music and the performance and i respect my fans".

The singer said that tonight's show will be 'great'

But some fans have claimed this is not the first time the star has left them disappointed. Rachel Leslie paid £330 a ticket for her and her daughter Freya, 14, to meet Bieber after he played an earlier gig at Nottingham at the weekend.

She claimed they arrived at 2.30pm to start queuing for check-in at 3.45pm but no one was allowed through until 5.55pm.

"When we eventually got in there it was 'click', 'click' and we were ushered out again - the whole thing lasted no more than 20 seconds," Mrs Leslie told the Nottingham Evening Post.

"My daughter came out and was absolutely distraught about the whole thing. She didn't even want to stay for the show.

"I spoke to so many people afterwards and they were all very disappointed, and when we came out there were kids everywhere in floods of tears, not because they'd met him, but because it was over so quickly."

At the O2, some fans claimed Bieber had not taken to the stage until 10.30pm, but the singer insisted this had been "exaggerated".

On time? Bieber was pictured last month wearing two watches

"i never have any intent to upset or let anyone down," he tweeted. "Im not okay with things being exaggerated. once again sorry for anyone upset.

"now we have a show to do today and Im gonna focus on the positive and put on a great show tonight here in London.

"NIGHT 2 at the 02 is gonna be even better. get ready. thanks".

The Canadian star had infuriated parents and upset fans who waited almost two hours for him to appear on stage.

Many complained they had been left waiting with no explanation or apology from O2 staff.

Gemma Ferguson from Chessington told Sky News her five-year-old daughter was falling asleep by 10pm. "I can't quite believe what just happened," she said.

"He spent more time changing his clothes and showing videos of his childhood than he did singing.

"When we complained were were told 'Justin will come out when he is ready,' but he had all day to get ready".

The singer has three more gigs planned at the O2 on the 5th, 7th and 8th of March. Yesterday night was his first performance in the UK on his Believe world tour.

More follows...

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'Fast Eddie' Jailed For Stealing Security Van

A British thief nicknamed Fast Eddie who spent almost 20 years as a fugitive in the US after stealing a security van containing £1.2m has been jailed for five years.

Eddie Maher was wanted by Suffolk Police after the Securicor van he was driving disappeared from outside a Lloyds Bank in Felixstowe, Suffolk, on January 22, 1993.

The 57-year-old, originally from South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, was arrested by US authorities in February last year and held in custody awaiting trial after denying the theft following his deportation.

But he entered a last-minute guilty plea at Southwark Crown Court in London as he was due to stand trial. He was later jailed by a judge.

Maher, who used the false identities of Stephen King and his brother Michael Maher while on the run, intended to fight the allegation on the grounds that he had been forced to commit the crime after racking up "significant debts".

But Suffolk Police and the Crown Prosecution Service built up evidence proving that the former soldier and firefighter had profited to the tune of hundreds of thousands of pounds.

During his time on the run, Maher built a new life with his partner, Deborah Brett, and their son Lee, who was three-years-old at the time of the theft.

After his conviction, detectives revealed details of a series of property investments they say he funded from the proceeds of the crime in Suffolk.

Eddie Maher admitted stealing a Securicor van in 1993

This included a house in Colorado bought with $120,000 (£79,300) in cash just six months after the theft.

Later Maher built a ranch on 80 acres in Colorado before moving around various US states.

At the time of his arrest on February 9 last year, he was working as a cable engineer in Missouri.

But his attempts to escape justice unravelled as he was arrested for illegally possessing firearms.

When US authorities contacted their UK counterparts about immigration issues, it became clear he was a wanted man.

Speaking outside court, Detective Inspector David Giles, from Suffolk Police, said: "Maher said he was forced to carry out this crime and that he only got a small amount of money from it.

"He never named the people who he claimed forced him into it and never put forward a credible story.

"We have succeeded in proving that he profited substantially from the theft and was a key player in the planning and execution of it.

"Since his arrest, he has displayed no remorse for what he did - but I get the impression he has spent 20 years looking over his shoulder and hoping the law would not catch up with him."

None of the £1.2m stolen from the van, which filled 30 sacks, has ever been found.

Ms Brett, 47, Maher's sister Margaret Francis, 64, and a 54-year-old man, from Woodford Green, east London, are all on bail after being arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit theft.

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Costa Concordia Victims' Last Moments Revealed

By Nick Pisa, Sky Reporter

Details of the final moments of the 32 people who died in the Costa Concordia cruise ship tragedy have emerged in a prosecution report.

The 60-page document makes up the official request to have captain Francesco Schettino - who was in charge at the time - sent for trial.

He is accused of multiple manslaughter, causing a disaster, failing to inform authorities of what had happened and abandoning ship while dozens of passengers were still onboard.

More than 4,000 passengers and crew were onboard the doomed Costa Concordia when it struck rocks after Schettino allegedly changed course in order to carry out a sail-by salute of a Mediterranean island to impress holidaymakers.

Victims of the Costa Concordia disaster

The 70-metre gash allowed water to pour in and the ship eventually capsized and came to rest on its side at a location known as Seagull Point, just outside the harbour on the island of Giglio in January last year, hours into a seven-day cruise.

The chaotic scenes of panic and disorganisation that gripped the ship as it started to sink are evident throughout the report.

In one part, Francecso Verusio relives the moment when the youngest victim of the disaster, five-year-old Dayana Arlotti, and her father, Williams, drowned.

Mr Verusio wrote that they died ''because they were unable to find any space in a lifeboat on deck four, on the left-hand side, and they were then directed to the right-hand side by crew members on the same deck but as they were crossing the inside corridor ... they fell into a hole that had been created when the ship rolled onto its right side.

"They dropped into an area that was already flooded and they died from drowning," he added.

Relatives of the victims staged a memorial last month

Other stories include that of bartender Erika Fani Soria Molinala, who fell from a lifeboat as it pulled away from the Concordia but as she was not wearing a lifejacket she was dragged underwater from the current created as the Concordia tilted on its side.

It also emerged that holidaymaker Maria D'Introno - whose body has yet to be recovered - was told to get out of a lifeboat because it was too full and the tilt of the ship made it impossible to launch safely.

She was later seen terrified by the edge of the ship, jumping into the water without a lifejacket despite not being able to swim.

The last moments of musician Giuseppe Girolamo are described in another section of the report.

It emerged he had been directed to the right-hand side of the boat to get into a lifeboat and had actually got into one when he decided to give up his place - only to later drown.

The prosecution report also details how Schettino was distracted by the ''inopportune presence of unauthorised persons'' on the bridge of the Concordia, including several crew members and passenger hostess Domnica Cemortan - who was seen enjoying dinner with the captain minutes before the ship struck the rocks.

It also details how Schettino was distracted as he was speaking on the telephone while he was ''in close proximity to the coast in a dangerous situation and with the helm under manual control".

Francesco Schettino said he "tripped and fell" into a lifeboat

It goes on to list 157 passengers who are suffering from post-traumatic stress following the disaster.

Schettino, 52, has insisted he is innocent of all charges and that the rocks were not marked on his charts. He says he should be thanked as his actions in steering the ship back towards the port at Giglio saved hundreds of lives.

However, he was ridiculed by the world's media after it emerged he had told coastguards he "tripped and fell" into a lifeboat as the Concordia began to list to one side, while recordings later emerged of him refusing orders to get back onboard and co-ordinate the rescue efforts.

Some other crew members also face charges, as do management figures from the company Costa Cruises, which owns the ship that is still lying on its side and not expected to be removed until September at the earliest.

The initial part of the trial is expected to last a week and once again will take place in a theatre in the town of Grosseto.

Prosecutors have also requested the indictment of five other crew members, including two officers Ciro Ambrosio and Silvio Coronica and the Concordia's helmsman Jacob Rusli.

In an unusual move, Mr Verusio has posted details of the case on a Facebook site in various languages and invited those who may have a claim to contact him.

It has also emerged that Costa Cruises asked for a plea-bargaining agreement, which would see them pay a fine of one million euros. They insist Schettino is solely to blame.

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Weather: Cold Spell Set To Follow Spring Sun

Extreme UK Weather Prompts Warning

Updated: 8:59am UK, Monday 04 March 2013

The extremes of weather that Britain has experienced over the past year highlight the urgent need to plan for a changing climate, the head of the Environment Agency has warned.

Analysis by the Government agency reveals that one in every five days last year saw flooding in England and Wales, while one in four days were spent in drought.

There was flooding on 78 days of the year, and for 95 days there was official drought declared for some areas, figures from the EA show.

Rivers such as the Tyne, Ouse and Tone went from record low levels to experiencing their highest flows since records began, in the space of four months, the agency said.

Recent Met Office analysis suggests the UK could experience a 1976-style drought every 10 years.

The EA said that with the population of London and the South East set to grow by 23% by 2035, action should be taken now.

Modelling suggests some river flows could be cut by up to 80% during the summer in the next 40 years as the climate changes, putting more pressure on businesses that rely on taking water from rivers for irrigation.

The EA has called for an increase in small-scale water storage reservoirs, which can take advantage of wet times and help farmers, commercial turf growers, golf clubs, sports stadiums and racecourses cope with dry periods.

There are currently around 1,700 such water storage reservoirs in England and Wales, supplying around 30% of irrigation needs, but they will need to increase as the UK faces more extreme weather as the climate changes, the agency said.

EA chairman Lord Smith said: "The extremes of weather that we saw last year highlight the urgent need to plan for a changing climate.

"In 2012 we saw environmental damage caused by rivers with significantly reduced flows, hosepipe bans affecting millions and farmers and businesses left unable to take water from rivers.

"But we also saw the wettest year on record in England, with around 8,000 homes flooded.

"Interestingly 2007 - which also saw some of the most severe flooding in recent memory - also started the year with hosepipe bans.

"More of this extreme weather will exacerbate many of problems that we already deal with including flooding and water scarcity, so taking action today to prepare and adapt homes, businesses, agricultural practices and infrastructure is vital."

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'Bradford Batman' Hands Suspect In To Police

A suspect wanted in Bradford has been handed in to police by a man dressed as the Caped Crusader.

A police spokesman said: "The person who brought the wanted man into the station was dressed in a full Batman outfit.

"His identity, however; remains unknown."

The 27-year-old was handed in to Trafalgar House police station and arrested on suspicion of burglary, fraud and breach of a court order.

He was later charged with handling stolen goods and fraud-related offences.

He will appear before magistrates on Friday.

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Woman Jailed For Life For Grandmother Murder

A woman has been jailed for a minimum of 37 years for murdering a stranger in a knife attack in the street.

Nicola Edgington had killed her mother six years earlier, but was released to live in the community.

She was found guilty at the Old Bailey last month of murdering Sally Hodkin, 58, and attempting to murder Kerry Clark, 22.

Both women were on their way to work in Bexleyheath, southeast London, in October 2011 when Edgington attacked them with a knife.

Shortly before, Edgington walked out of a mental health unit where she was taken by police after her mental health deteriorated.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) found that a number of police blunders led to Edgington carrying out the attacks.

The 32-year-old made five 999 calls just hours before asking to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act because she believed herself to be a danger.

Sally Hodkin was on her way to work

But Metropolitan Police staff failed to carry out a police national computer (PNC) check on her which would have alerted them to her previous conviction for the manslaughter of her mother, the IPCC said.

Edgington also sought help at a local hospital from where she called 999.

But after delays in admitting her, she walked out.

The IPCC found officers only contacted the hospital following her fourth phone call and said Edgington's second 999 call from the A&E department was downgraded because she was considered to be in a place of safety.

An officer was not dispatched at this stage despite Edgington's claim she could be very dangerous, it found.

Edgington was said to have a borderline personality disorder and was found to be emotionally unstable and regularly blamed others for her situation.

She was ordered to be detained indefinitely at a secure hospital after stabbing her mother nine times in 2006.

Doctors diagnosed schizophrenia and she pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

But medics at the Bracton Centre ruled she was well enough to be treated in the community after three years.

At the Old Bailey Judge Brian Barker told Edgington, 32, her behaviour had been "consistent and calculated".

He said: "You are manipulative and exceptionally dangerous. What you did could not have been more selfish.

"I disagree that the responsibility for these acts can be laid on others.

"You made your choice and these were terrible acts for which you must take responsibility.

"You have come as near as can be to having three deaths on your hands."

Edgington took a bus to Bexleyheath, bought a knife from Asda and attacked Miss Clark, who was waiting for a bus.

When Miss Clark grabbed the blade and kicked her away, Edgington ran to a butcher's shop and grabbed a larger knife.

She attacked Mrs Hodkin, a law firm accounts clerk, with such force that she almost decapitated her.

Edgington was jailed for life with a minimum term of 37 years for murder and given a concurrent sentence of life with a minimum term of 20 years for attempted murder.

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Baby Born After New York Hit And Run Dies

A baby delivered by doctors after his parents were killed in a hit and run car crash in New York has died, a community spokesman has confirmed.

Nachman and Raizy Glauber, both 21, died in the crash in Brooklyn but their baby initially survived after doctors performed an emergency caesarean section on the mother.

Isaac Abraham, a spokesman for the family's Orthodox Jewish community, said the child died on Monday morning.

Police are searching for the driver and passenger of a BMW who fled the scene on foot.

Many of the Glaubers' fellow Orthodox Jews attended the couple's funeral, which was held hours after their deaths. Jewish law calls for the burial of the dead as soon as possible.

Raizy and Nachman Glauber pictured on their wedding day

Mr Glauber was described as "the sweetest, most charming human being, always with a smile on his face".

His cousin, Sara Glauber, added of the couple: "If one had to go, the other had to go too because they really were one soul."

The hit-and-run happened in the Williamsburg neighbourhood of Brooklyn, as the couple made their way to a local hospital in a cab.

Mrs Glauber, who was seven months pregnant, was sitting in the back of the car. Her body was thrown from the vehicle and landed under a parked lorry, according to witnesses.

Hundreds attended the couple's funerals on Sunday

Her husband was trapped in the vehicle and emergency workers had to cut the roof off to free him from the wreckage.

The Glaubers were married about a year ago and had started a life together in Williamsburg, relatives said. He was studying at a rabbinical college nearby.

At their funeral, men in black hats gathered around the coffins in the middle of the street, while women in bright headscarves stood on the pavement, in accordance with the Orthodox Jewish tradition of separating the sexes at religious services.

A man could be heard sobbing as he spoke through a loudspeaker, while Yitzchok Silberstein, Mrs Glauber's father, said: "I will never forget you, my daughter."

Brooklyn is home to the largest community of ultra-Orthodox Jews outside Israel, with more than 250,000 living in the New York borough.

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Mokhtar Belmokhtar: Gas Terror Chief 'Killed'

Belmokhtar: Profile Of Mr Marlboro

Updated: 12:54am UK, Sunday 03 March 2013

By Sam Kiley, Middle East Correspondent

He was known as Mr Marlboro because of his cigarette smuggling. The French intelligence service called him "The Uncatchable".

Born in central Algeria in 1972, Mokhtar Belmokhtar grew obsessed with Jihadi ideology in his teens. At 19 he volunteered to fight alongside the mujahedeen in Afghanistan.

He missed most of the fighting there as the Soviets withdrew as he arrived but he did encounter senior members of what was to become al Qaeda - receiving training in a Jalalabad base.

In the early 1990s he returned to Algeria to join Islamic militant groups. He served them as a quartermaster - rapidly rose to dominate operations in the south of the country during the Algerian civil war.

Described by the then head of France's Territorial Surveillance Directorate (Direction de la surveillance du territoire – DST) as Algeria's link to al Qaeda, Belmokhtar maintained strong links to the movement's core in Pakistan.

But he was a vital element in the expansion of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). A franchise of the Jihadi movement AQIM was seen as the poorly performing franchise during the last decade. 

But Belmokhtar forged links with Tuareg rebels in the south Sahara from Mali to Niger and into Mauritania.

He rapidly expanded a criminal empire to fund his political and military operations from smuggling cigarettes, diamonds, drugs and people into Europe.

He further stuffed his war chest with funds from hostage taking operations. In 2003 he was implicated in the kidnapping of 32 Europeans in the Sahara.

In 2008, he took control of negotiations for the release of two Austrian hostages. And in 2009 took control of two Canadians kidnapped in Mali and released by him for allegedly £3m and freedom for several of his associates from Malian jails.

Robert Fowler was a UN special envoy in Mali when he was kidnapped and then handed on to Belmokhtar.

He described the man who has now projected himself on to the world stage from the relative obscurity of the Saharan wastes.

"He is very cold. Very business-like. I was afraid for my life all the time. I was afraid for my life when I woke up in the morning and when I went to sleep at night. He is a very serious player," Mr Fowler told ABC News in the US.

Belmokhtar's movement got a huge boost from the collapse of the Libyan regime of Muammar Gaddafi.

The Tuareg fighters he had employed from Niger, Mali and Chad, fled his service carrying with them vast stockpiles of heavy weapons and bringing many years of combat experience.

This influx of new weapons and fighters allowed for al Qaeda-related groups to capture much of northern Mali and establish closer links between groups from Mauritania to Somalia and into the Arabian Peninsula.

Some intelligence agencies believe that Belmokhtar fell out with the AQIM leader in the north of Africa, Abdulmalek Droukel.

But al Qaeda is a franchise. Its strength lies in fragmentation. A devolved series of groups are harder to infiltrate or destroy than one large organisation.

Al Qaeda expert Aaron Zelin describes this as "controlled fragmentation".

French intelligence services had been trying to kill or capture Belmokhtar for more than a decade. They believed that he had the capacity to mobilise French citizens with their roots in North Africa for terror operations inside Europe.

After France launched its war against Islamists in Mali, many of whom are connected to Belmokhtar, his organisation which calls itself "The Masked Ones", vowed to continue attacks against western targets in Africa and beyond.

Belmokhtar's attack in Algeria meant his name was heard more widely as his movement posed a strategic threat to Europe's energy supplies.

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World Cup 2022 Could Be Moved To Winter, Fifa

A senior Fifa official has admitted for the first time that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar could be moved to winter.

The finals were awarded by the world governing body in 2010 and are due to be held in the summer months when the temperature can reach more than 40 degrees Celsius.

European football boss Michel Platini has repeatedly said the competition needs to be held in winter, when the average is a far less intense 17 degrees.

Now Fifa's general secretary Jerome Valcke has become the first senior official to say the event could be moved if strong medical advice is received to support it.

Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke said the finals could be moved

Speaking at the meeting of the International Football Association Board - which governs the laws of football - he said: "Maybe the Fifa Exco (executive committee) will say based on medical reports or whatever: 'We really have to look at playing the World Cup not in summer but in winter'."

Qatar's winning bid caused a major stir in world football with critics arguing it would be impossible to freeze football leagues for a World Cup in December or January.

However, Mr Valcke believes that the timeframe for any decision could be extended to 2015.

"I am not saying that the case is closed but what I'm saying is as long as we have not fixed the international calendar all alternatives are open," he said.

"I can tell you there is no working group within Fifa thinking and working on what it means to move the World Cup from summer to winter for the time being.

"The international calendar has been agreed for 2015 to 2018, meaning that we kept open all potential for the period 2019 to 2022. We have time."

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Retired Cop Found Shot Dead Alongside Partner

A man found shot dead alongside his female partner was a retired police inspector of 30 years' service, a detective has said.

The pair were found dead at a property in Wiltshire on Saturday morning after neighbours alerted the police having heard gunshots.

Detective Chief Inspector Ian Saunders said the man, who has not been named, retired about five or six years ago.

The detective also confirmed that the woman was the man's partner.

Mr Saunders said the bodies were discovered inside the porch.

"The investigation has so far identified that yesterday morning some neighbours overheard a number of gunshots from the address," he said.

"The investigation continues to try and establish what led to this tragic incident."

He added that formal identification would happen later on Sunday.

"We understand him to be a retired police officer - he retired some five years ago from Wiltshire Police Service," said Mr Saunders.

"The female was not the wife of the retired officer, she is his partner.

"We have recovered a weapon from the scene. My working assumption is that weapons were discharged and the victims had sustained some form of gunshot wounds."

Post-mortem examinations will be carried out on Sunday.

Officers are not looking for anybody else in connection with the shootings, which happened on Moonrakers estate in Devizes.

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Sinkhole Swallows Man: House Demolition Begins

Engineers have begun to demolish a house where a man was swallowed up by a sinkhole that opened up under his bedroom.

It comes after rescue teams called off their efforts to find Jeff Bush's body as they considered it too dangerous to continue.

They feared the "seriously unstable" house could collapse on them if they tried to search for him.

"Our data has come back, and there is absolutely no way we can do any kind of recovery without endangering lives of workers," said Hillsborough County Fire Rescue spokeswoman Jessica Damico.

Before the search was abandoned, engineers found the soil in the slowly growing sinkhole around the home was very soft and believed the entire property could eventually be swallowed up.

"At this point it's really not possible to recover the body," Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill said, adding "we're dealing with a very unusual sinkhole".

Jeff Bush is presumed dead after being swallowed by the hazard

Mr Bush, 37, who is presumed dead, vanished when the ground opened up in Seffner, east of Tampa Bay.

It dragged him down along with everything else in the bedroom.

Five other people were at the property as the floor began to fall through into the hole estimated to be six metres across and six metres deep. But no-one else was injured.

Jeremy Bush, who tried to rescue his brother, lay flowers and a stuffed lamb near the house and wept.

Crews will try pulling part of the property away from the sinkhole intact so some of the residents' keepsakes can be retrieved.

They have been testing the unstable ground surrounding the home and have evacuated two nearby houses as a precaution.

Sisters Soliris and Elbairis Gonzalez, who live on the same street, said neighbours were worried about their safety.

"I've had nightmares," Soliris Gonzalez, 31, said. "In my dreams, I keep checking for cracks in the house."

They said the family has discussed where to go if forced to evacuate, and they have taken their important documents to a storage unit.

Jeff Bush's cousin Kyle Balcom (L) and brother Dustin Bush

"The rest of it, this is material stuff, as long as our family is fine," Soliris Gonzalez said.

"You never know underneath the ground what's happening," added 30-year-old Elbairis Gonzalez.

Florida is highly prone to sinkholes because there are caverns below ground of limestone, a porous rock that easily dissolves in water.

They are so common that state law requires home insurers provide coverage against the danger.

Mr Bush said someone visited the home a couple of months ago to check for sinkholes and other things, apparently for insurance purposes.

"He said there was nothing wrong with the house. Nothing. And a couple of months later, my brother dies. In a sinkhole," he said.

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