China: Toddler Pulled From Pram And 'Murdered'

A two-year-old girl who was thrown to the ground by a man during a row over a parking space in Beijing has died, state media say.

A witness told the Beijing Times that the man, identified only by his surname Han, wanted to park by a bus stop in Beijing.

But the toddler's mother, who was on foot, would not move out of his way as she tending to her daughter at the time.

Han got out of his car and allegedly hit the woman before taking the girl out of her pram, holding her up and throwing her "forcefully" to the ground, said the witness, a street-stall owner surnamed Zhou.

"The baby made no noises after being dropped, not even a cry of pain," the newspaper quoted Zhou as saying.

Another man came out of the car and also beat the mother before the pair drove away, it added.

The woman was waiting by a bus stop on Beijings Keji road

Police reportedly found Han, who was released from prison this year after serving a sentence for theft, in a hot spring bathhouse and detained him.

"Han was put in criminal detention on suspicion of intentional homicide on Thursday afternoon," state news agency Xinhua said, citing the Beijing Security Bureau.

Han could face the death penalty if he is convicted of murder.

The incident sparked outrage on Chinese social media as weibo users vilified the attackers and expressed grief over the toddler's fate.

"When you come back in another life, dear baby, be sure to be born in another country," one user wrote.

Another weibo user called the attackers "perverse animals" and a third called for the death penalty as punishment.

"For this kind of murderer with an evil nature, the death penalty should be carried out immediately," the post said.

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Egypt: 'Dozens Killed' As Rallies Turn Violent

At least 70 people have been killed after security forces attacked a protest by supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi in Cairo, according to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Doctors at a field hospital said another 1,000 people had been wounded in clashes on the road to Cairo's international airport.

"They are not shooting to wound, they are shooting to kill," Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad said, adding that demonstrators had been hit by gunshot in the head and chest.

He said the shooting started just before pre-dawn prayers at a round-the-clock sit-in staged by Morsi supporters at Rabaa al-Adawiya in east Cairo.

Protesters set off flares in a mass protest in support of the army in Cairo

Activists rushed blood-spattered casualties to the makeshift hospital, some carried on planks or blankets. Many had fatal head wounds.

A Reuters reporter at the scene counted 36 bodies at an improvised morgue.

Amid claims that rooftop snipers had opened fire on the vigil, Egypt's interior minister blamed the Brotherhood for the violence.

An Apache helicopter flies over Tahrir Square during the protests

Speaking at a news conference, Mohamed Ibrahim said the security forces would act "in a legal fashion" to disperse the protesters "as soon as possible".

The MENA state news agency, quoting an unnamed security official, reported that nine people had been killed in the violence and at least 200 wounded.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a statement that he was "deeply concerned" by the violence.

Protesters stand on power lines near Cairo's presidential palace

He said: "I am deeply concerned by recent events in Egypt, and condemn the use of force against protesters which has led to the loss of lives."

The violence broke out as rival rallies were held across Egypt for and against the overthrow of Mr Morsi, who is under investigation for murder.

Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians heeded a call by army chief General Abdel Fattah al Sisi to take to the streets, while the Muslim Brotherhood mounted counter-demonstrations in Cairo.

Lasers are pointed at an army helicopter near the palace

A spokeswoman for the pro-Morsi camp said eight Brotherhood supporters had died in a clash near the Cairo vigil alone, and another said rooftop snipers had opened fire.

At least 10 people have also been killed in Egypt's second city of Alexandria, where hundreds of people fought pitched battles, with birdshot fired and men on rooftops throwing stones at crowds below.

Several of those killed were stabbed, hospital officials said, and at least one was shot in the head.

The investigation into Mr Morsi over his 2011 escape from jail has signalled a clear escalation in the military's confrontation with the deposed leader and his Islamist movement.

MENA said Mr Morsi, who has been held at an undisclosed military facility since his overthrow, had been ordered detained for 15 days pending the inquiry.

Egypt's army-installed interior minister, Mohamed Ibrahim, said month-old Cairo vigils by Mr Morsi's supporters would be "brought to an end, soon and in a legal manner".

An army official said the military had given the party a Saturday deadline to end its resistance and join a military-set roadmap to fresh elections.

But the Brotherhood says it wants nothing to do with the army's transition plan and called its own crowds out for counter-demonstrations in a "day to remove the coup".

Mr Morsi has been in military detention at an undisclosed location since he was overthrown.

UN leader Ban Ki-moon has called on the military to free Mr Morsi and other Islamic Brotherhood leaders, said deputy UN spokesman Eduardo del Buey.

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Train Crash Driver Held For 'Reckless Homicide'

The driver of a speeding train that hurtled off the rails killing 78 people in Spain has been detained for "reckless homicide", according to the country's Interior Minister.

Speaking at a news conference in the northwestern city of Santiago de Compostela where the accident happened, Jorge Fernandez Diaz said: "He has been detained since 7:40pm on Thursday for the alleged crimes of reckless homicide."

The driver, named by local media as 52-year-old Francisco Jose Garzon Amo, was arrested in the hospital where he was recovering after one of Europe's worst rail disasters.

Police said he refused to answer their questions on Friday from his hospital bed and the case has been passed to the courts.

The wrecked train at the site of the crash near Santiago de Compostela

The driver will be questioned by a judge on Sunday, the interior minister added.

Under Spanish law, a suspect can be detained for a maximum of 72 hours before being heard by a judge.

"There are reasonable grounds to consider that he may have been responsible for what happened, which must be established by a judge and the investigation which has been opened," Mr Fernandez Diaz said.

Although the court hearing will be closed, it will give hints about the status of the investigation. The judge will decide whether to jail the driver as an official suspect, release him on bail, or release him without charges. If a judge finds sufficient evidence for a criminal trial, the suspect will be charged and a trial date set.

Some 78 people were killed in one of the worst crashes in Spain's history

The eight-carriage train, packed with 218 passengers, was said to have been travelling at more than twice the speed limit on a curve when it hurtled off the rails and slammed into a concrete wall, with one carriage leaping up onto a siding.

The grey-haired driver, who reportedly boasted of his love for speed online, has been under police surveillance in hospital since the accident on Wednesday evening but he was discharged today and taken to a police station.

He reportedly suffered head injuries in the accident that required stitches. Pictures showed him being led away from the scene with blood covering the right side of his head.

While Garzon's official explanation for the crash is awaited, blame has increasingly fallen on the driver, with Spain's railway agency saying it was his responsibility to brake before going into the high-risk curve where the train tumbled off the rails and smashed into a wall.

A man lights a candle in memory of the victims of the rail disaster

But it is still not clear whether the brakes failed or were never used.

The president of Adif, the Spanish rail agency, said that the driver should have started slowing the train 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) before the dangerous bend. He said signs clearly marked this point when the driver must begin to slow.

Meanwhile, doctors are continuing to try to identify the last three bodies of the 78 passengers killed in the catastrophe.

A memorial service for the victims will be held on Monday in the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela, the city just outside which the rail disaster occurred and a destination for Catholic pilgrims from around the world.  

Some 130 people were also injured in the crash.  

The Alvia 730 series train was travelling from Madrid to the port city of Ferrol when it derailed at about 8.40pm local time - 7.40pm UK time - on Wednesday.

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Hostage Deaths: Moment Police Killed Gunman

Television cameras have captured the moment a Swat team stormed an apartment and shot dead a man who killed six people.

There had been a stand-off with officers lasting eight hours after the suspect had barricaded himself with hostages inside the complex in Florida.

It ended with a shoot-out - footage showed bright red flashes and the crackle of gunfire as the specialist team went into the apartment.

Police entered the flat as they believed two hostages were still alive and were being held at gunpoint.

The stand-off began around 6.30pm local time in a five storey building in Hialeah, just north of Miami.

The bodies of three women and two men were found in the apartment complex after officers arrived.

The scene of the shooting in Florida

Another man was killed across the street when the gunman allegedly spotted him and took aim.

Two of the hostages the man took were reportedly unharmed.

Before the shoot-out, police had been able to communicate with the gunman.

Police spokesman Carl Zogby said: "Eight hours after this situation started early Saturday morning Swat units move in and shot and killed the suspect.

"At the time the suspect was holding at least two hostages at gunpoint and the decision was made that negotiation was to cease and action was to be taken immediately.

"The end result; seven people have lost their lives in this incident - six innocent victims and the one shooter. Now starts the investigation - how and why this happened."

So far, the gunman's motives remain unknown.

"We think this may have been an angry man doing random shooting perhaps," said Mr Zogby.

"We're going to try to figure out why this happened here."

Officers are still investigating the motive and identifying the gunman and victims.

The manager of the West 46th Street apartment building and his wife were reportedly among those killed by the gunman.

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Danny Nightingale Given Suspended Sentence

A former SAS sniper has been handed a suspended sentence after being convicted for a second time of illegally possessing a gun and ammunition.

Danny Nightingale, 38, from Crewe in Cheshire, was given two years military detention, suspended for 12 months.

He was originally jailed for 18 months last year but had his sentence cut and then quashed by the Court of Appeal after an outcry over his treatment.

At the latest sentencing, Judge advocate Jeff Blackett said Nightingale would be going to prison if it was not for the Appeal judges' previous decisions.

"In our opinion, the seriousness of this case does merit an immediate custodial sentence but we feel constrained by the decision of their Lordships," he said.

The senior NCO was found guilty at a retrial of having a 9mm Glock pistol and 338 rounds of ammunition in the bedroom of his shared army house in Hereford.

The 9mm Glock pistol found in Nightingale's wardrobe

The gun and bullets, said to have been brought back from Iraq, were recovered from the rented house by civilian police in September 2011.

The pistol was found in the father-of-two's wardrobe and the ammunition was under his bed in a plastic box.

Nightingale had pleaded not guilty, saying he had no knowledge of them being in his bedroom and claimed someone else had put them there.

The court heard he received a head injury during an endurance marathon in 2009 that affected his memory and caused confusion.

Mr Blackett said the soldier's account about how the gun came to be in his room "lacked credibility".

More than 300 round of ammunition were discovered under the bed

However, he said there were "exceptional circumstances" that allowed the court to suspend the sentence "because of your exceptional character".

The judge also said that "criticism of the prosecution and the army is unmerited and totally without foundation".

He told Nightingale: "We understand how difficult these proceedings have been for you and your family.

"However, you have brought much of that anguish upon yourself and your public assertions that you are scapegoat or the victim of some wider political agenda is absolute nonsense," he said.

"You are simply someone against whom there was a strong prima facie case of serious wrongdoing and, given the dangers to society caused by illegal firearms and their misuse, it was in the public interest to prosecute you.

"You have now had a fair trial before a civilian judge and an independent and impartial board.

"All of the issues you wished to raise and all the submissions you wished to make have been fully considered and verdicts properly given.

"It would have made no difference had you been tried before a civilian jury. The evidence against you was overwhelming and I have no doubt the verdicts would have been the same."

Nightingale said he was suffering memory loss after a head injury

The hearing was told that Nightingale and his family, who were all present, have spent around £120,000 trying to clear his name.

Outside court, his wife Sally said they would have to sit down and discuss their next steps and would be taking advice about a further appeal.

"We are obviously very disappointed with the sentence but pleased Danny will be coming home with us tonight," she said.

She said she had been upset by the judge's comments, insisting that the family had been nothing but "honest and open" and had never misled anyone.

"Nobody wants to go through what we've been through. I could never have imagined myself in this position. But we've done it for the right reasons and we have been true to ourselves so I have no regrets," she added.

The soldier, who served in the former Yugoslavia, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan in an 18-year career, has received a medical discharge which will start next February.

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Spain Train Crash: Footage Of Disaster Emerges

The moment a train derailed killing at least 78 people in Spain has been caught by security cameras at the side of the tracks.

The train entered a sharp bend at high speed, then came off the rails, smashing into a wall running alongside, the video showed.

Survivors have described carriages flipping over and bursting into flames after the derailment just outside Santiago de Compostela, a popular pilgrimage city in northwestern Spain.

In the video, the carriage immediately behind the locomotive appears to derail first. Then all the carriages can be seen piling up behind it as the engine hurtles toward the camera position.

More than 130 people, including a Briton and several Americans, were hurt in the crash, and 36, including four children, remain in a serious condition.

Rescue workers pull passengers from the wreckage

Officials have opened an investigation, as local media reported the train was travelling at twice the speed limit.

According to El Pais newspaper, one of the two drivers reported the train was travelling at almost 120mph (190kph) when it entered the curve.

"I'm going at 190!" he told the railway station by radio, according to the Spanish newspaper, which cited sources close to the investigation.

"We're only human! We're only human!" said the driver, who was trapped in his cabin.

"I hope there aren't any dead because it will weigh on my conscience."

The speed limit on that section of track is 50mph (80kph), El Pais said.

Relatives of the passengers await news in Santiago

The Reuters news agency reported that one of the drivers had been put under formal investigation.

The train "did not have any technical problems" and had been inspected just hours earlier, the state-owned Renfe railway company said.

The Alvia 730 series train travelling from Madrid to the port city of Ferrol was carrying 218 passengers plus crew when it crashed about 8.40pm local time - 7.40pm UK time - on Wednesday.

Rescue teams worked through the night, searching the wreckage for survivors from one of the worst train disasters in Spain for decades.

Firefighters, calling off a strike to help with the disaster, clambered over the twisted metal trying to get survivors out of the windows.

The crash was the deadliest in Spain in decades

Bodies covered in blankets lay next to the overturned carriages as smoke billowed from the wreckage.

Neighbours who ran to the site to help emergency workers have described a scene of horror.

"It was like an earthquake," said Martin Rozas who helped pull the wounded from the wreckage and laid blankets over the dead.

"I started helping pull people out. I saw about five people dead."

At dawn, some carriages were lifted from the tracks. By mid-day, the rescue workers had stopped looking for bodies.

Many of the dead were taken to a makeshift morgue set up in a sports arena in Santiago, where police and court officials were identifying the bodies.

Relatives of victims sobbed and hugged each other at a nearby information point for families seeking news about their missing loved ones.

Emergency crews at the scene hours after the crash

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who was born in the city, visited the site and the main hospital, announcing three days of mourning across Spain.

The crash occurred on the eve of a major Christian religious festival honouring St James, the disciple of Jesus whose remains are said to rest in a shrine.

Many of the dead or injured were believed to be Catholic pilgrims converging on the city. Officials have now cancelled ceremonies planned for today.

The Spanish royal family has suspended all engagements.

Alvias are high-speed but do not go as fast as Spain's fastest bullet trains called AVEs.

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Dreamliner: Airlines Told To Swap 787 Beacons

The US aviation regulator has advised airlines using Boeing's troubled 787 Dreamliner to remove the existing emergency beacons, following a fire onboard one at London's Heathrow airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published an airworthiness directive advising all carriers to inspect or replace the safety device, made by Honeywell.

The move comes after investigators examined the cause of a fire on an Ethiopian Airlines 787 in early July.

The directive goes farther than the FAA indicated last week, when it said airlines should inspect the units on 787s for pinched wires in the casing and evidence of heat or moisture.

In early January a Japanese plane caught fire in Boston

Boeing advised airlines last week to inspect or remove the device, known as an emergency locator transmitter or ELT.

A team from Britain's Air Accidents Investigations Branch (AAIB) looked at a number of components during their examination of the plane at Heathrow.

The search included the ELT, which was positioned in the upper rear part of the aircraft, near to the spot where the fire broke out on July 12.

The fire on the Ethiopian plane was one of the most recent problems to occur for Boeing's flagship next generation aircraft.

Problems have plagued instrumentation, battery circuits and some engine items.

The January problems were centred on mysterious battery pack problems

The world's Dreamliner fleet was grounded earlier this year following lithium-ion batteries overheating on the planes.

Although spending thousands of man-hours investigating the cause, Boeing still has not poinpointed the problem.

The ELT overheating is unconnected to the lithium-ion battery woes.

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Kim Jong-Un: Western Media Get Rare Glimpse

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent, in Pyongyang

The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Un, has made a rare public appearance in front of Western journalists.

Mr Kim appeared, unannounced, at an event in the capital Pyongyang to mark the opening of a new war cemetery.

A delegation of journalists from around the world, including a team from Sky News, has been granted unusual access to the reclusive country as it prepares to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War.

Kim Jong-Un opened the new war cemetery

We arrived at the war cemetery on a bus from the hotel we are instructed to stay in for the duration of our trip.

Our destination remained a mystery as we drove through early morning Pyongyang mist.

On arrival at the cemetery, immaculately built into a hillside just outside the capital city, security was tight but there was still little to suggest that the leader himself might appear.

Many people attended the ceremony

Then, shortly before 9am local time, he strolled onto the parade ground in front of the cemetery to loud applause.

The extraordinary devotion for the leader among the people we saw seemed entirely genuine.

But then people are only granted permission to live in Pyongyang if they are considered, through remarkable background checks, to be loyal.

Among the key figures there was his aunt Kim Kyong Hui

Mr Kim was surrounded by generals and other senior regime figures including his aunt, Kim Kyong Hui, who is the sister of the former leader Kim Jong-Il.

She is thought to hold significant back-room regime power but had been rumoured to be critically ill. Her appearance on Thursday was the first for many months.

We arrived in the country on a charter plane from the Chinese capital Beijing on Wednesday night.

The Sky News team was taken by bus to the event

Operating as journalists in North Korea is strictly controlled and monitored.

Each broadcaster or newspaper is assigned two so-called guides. In reality they are minders. There are two so that they can watch each other as well as us, such is the level of suspicion here.

Pyongyang is a beautiful city surrounded by green hills. Vast Soviet-like buildings dominate the landscape and everywhere are portraits of the founder of the nation, Kim Il-Song, and his son, Kim Jong-Il, both now dead.

Two minders at the ceremony

Immaculately dressed traffic police stand in street corners, but with no traffic to control. This is one of the most sanctioned countries in the world. It is also one of the poorest.

Ancient trolley-buses limp along but most people seem to walk everywhere. There is little chance of speaking at random to them, though.

An elderly woman makes her way around the cemetery

Our minders - themselves being controlled by an invisible state machine - politely tell us where we can go and who we can talk to.

And so it is extremely hard to get under the skin of this place.

:: Sky News will be broadcasting from inside North Korea for the next five days and is operating under the supervision of the North Korean government.

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Seven Saved By 'Send For Help' Sand Message

Seven people stranded on a beach were rescued after a walker on a cliff top spotted their "send for help" message which they had written in the sand.

The group had travelled around Stepper Point in Cornwall to a beach at Butter Hole in a sailing dinghy and small rigid inflatable boat for a picnic.

Conditions were perfect until the tide started coming in and the waves increased to a two-metre swell, trapping the four adults and three children on the beach.

No-one in the party had a radio, or a mobile phone reception, so they resorted to writing a distress call in the sand.

It was luckily spotted by a walker on the cliff top who raised the alarm.

A crew of volunteers at Rock RNLI launched at 3.21pm yesterday, with the coastguard team from Padstow and the Padstow RNLI all-weather lifeboat later called to help.

Volunteer Neil Davis managed to get colleague Leon Burt onshore to help transfer one of the adults and all of the children to the lifeboat, before transferring them to a nearby tripping boat, the Ocean Voyager.

They then returned to rescue the three remaining adults, who were transferred to the Padstow RNLI all-weather lifeboat.

The group was then taken back to Padstow, while the Rock RNLI team recovered their Wayfarer dingy and small rigid inflatable boat.

Mike Hewitt, the RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager at Rock, said: "This was a very difficult rescue carried out with great skill and bravery.

"There was the ever present threat of the lifeboat being swamped or capsized by the dumping seas, but using their RNLI training our crew worked together to recover all the people and then their boats.

"The group made a very sensible decision not to try launching their boats into the building seas but they were lucky that a passing walker noticed the message calling for help written in the sand and I would remind people that it's important to have a suitable means of contacting someone when going to sea.

"Don't assume you will have a mobile phone signal when you go to a beach by water so take a VHF radio.

"Be aware of local conditions too. The group left in near perfect conditions but big waves can suddenly develop around here when the tide starts to come in and this can catch you out," he added.

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River Wear: Girl Died Trying To Save Friend

One of the two teenage friends who died after getting into difficulty while swimming in the River Wear was trying to save the other, police have said.

Tonibeth Purvis, 15, jumped into the water to save Chloe Fowler, 14, who had entered the river near Fatfield, Washington, Tyne and Wear, to "keep cool" in the heat.

Tributes from friends at the scene

Superintendent Alan Veitch, of Northumbria Police, said: "Chloe went in first, Tonibeth and others went in to help her. Tonibeth got into difficulties and so have the others."

He said Chloe, from Shiney Row, near Sunderland, got into the river of her own free will.

A lot of children jumped in after "to effect a rescue", he said, adding that the survivors had been left traumatised by the tragedy and were receiving counselling.

He said the victims' families were also "completely distraught" and were being supported.

"This is an absolute tragedy and our deepest sympathies are with the families of the two girls," he added.

Chloe's family said in a statement: "Chloe was a beautiful, kind and caring girl and we as a family are devastated by what has happened.

"We would like to thank everyone involved in helping us look for the girls. We would ask that we are given some time and privacy to grieve."

An off-duty policeman and a member of the public also tried to save the girls after they were spotted in the water at around 3pm on Tuesday.

A boy who also tried to help was pulled to safety by the police officer, before around 100 emergency service personnel joined the search and rescue effort.

A family leaves a bunch of flowers by the river

Fire crews joined police specialists including a helicopter, as well as a coastguard team, in the search.

The girls' bodies were recovered by police dive teams last night and taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital.

Paul Cronin, 63, who lives nearby, saw one of the men who had attempted a rescue.

He told Sky Tyne and Wear: "There's a fella, come running up the park in his boxer shorts, screaming, 'can you swim?'

"He dived in from the other side and tried to rescue her, got into difficulties himself. I ran down to the river to the point where he came out ... heard some screaming a little further down."

Tributes were also paid to the two teenagers by friends, with Tonibeth, from Barmston, Washington, being hailed a "hero" in one card left with flowers at the scene.

Joss Richards, 13, in the same school class as Tonibeth, said she was "absolutely lovely", while Aimee Bell, 13, described Chloe as a "fantastic girl".

Rescue teams searched for the girls into the evening

The headteachers of the schools the girls attended also paid tribute.

Oxclose Community Academy head Tony Cunningham, where Chloe was a pupil, said everyone at the school was "devastated".

He added: "Chloe was a popular pupil who had many friends in school. She was determined to succeed in everything she set her mind to and she will be sadly missed by staff and pupils alike."

Tonibeth had moved to Washington School this year, where headteacher John Hallworth said: "She had settled into school life here very well and had already made a good and close group of friends.

"Her teachers and pastoral staff speak of a quiet and caring young lady who had a most promising future and who was looking forward to achieving a broad suite of qualifications.

"Tonibeth was a lovely girl and a valued member of our school community. There is a very palpable sense of loss at school this morning."

On Twitter, friends expressed their shock at the death of the two teenagers.

One user, @shannon97xxxxxx wrote: "cant get over whats happened, rip toni beth and chloe fowlerx."

Another, @laurenlsmithx, said: "Rest in peace Toni-Beth Purvis and Chloe Fowler, rest in peace angels, you will both be such a big miss."

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Royal Baby Arrives At Kate's Parents' House

Snappers Get Royal Baby Shot

Updated: 7:09am UK, Wednesday 24 July 2013

By Jason Farrell, Sky News Correspondent

For the past few weeks, photographers have been jealously guarding their spots in front of the Lindo Wing, waiting for the Duke and Duchess to leave with their baby in tow.

Sky's Jason Farrell spent a day with the assembled snappers as they prepared to get the crucial shot.

More than 100 stepladders crack, squeak and scrape as men with super-size cameras climb into place to get "the shot".

A woman tries to push in from the back between the metal stilts with her iPhone poised for an amateur snap.

"Woah! Madam, please, this is a press area," one snapper says. If one ladder were to go, they'd topple like dominoes.

A Royal press man says: "Five more minutes, maybe a bit longer."

"No problem," replies a snapper. "We've been here three weeks."

The ladders have been stacking up since July 1 as photographers negotiated their position. From the two-steps at the front to the 10-step-highs at the back they have created a theatre of ladders and lenses.

Their stage is the doorstep of the Lindo Wing at St Mary's hospital. The event - a new arrival to the portfolio of Royal celebrity.

Perched on top of one ladder is Getty Images Royal Photographer Chris Jackson.

"I'm up high because its the best chance of getting the baby's face." He said: "With William he was all bundled up and no one got it."

Mr Jackson spots my copy of the Metro and points out the picture of Kate on the front page is one of his, but thoughts turn to the shot he's waiting to take.

"This is such a significant moment because on those steps, for the first time, we're going to see the next generation of the Royal Family and our future king."

Two places in front of him, under a cap, is veteran Royal photographer Arthur Edwards. He's been taking pictures of the Royals from the days when Prince Charles was still looking for a bride.

Back then it was well known that his job was to find out who Charles would marry. Indeed, when the Prince tied to knot with Diana he sent a telegram to Mr Edwards asking him if he was now redundant.

"I just want them to look my way and to get a picture of all three of them, especially the baby's face," he says.

"We want to know what he looks like. And I hope everyone shows respect and the pack doesn't start shouting. If they do, William will just leave."

He tells me that in his entire career he has never seen one story create the size of interest demonstrated by the 150-metre-long press pen holding media from across the globe.

"It's partly down to Kate. She's thrown herself into the job. Her wedding was seen by billions around the world. They're such a handsome couple."

He added: "Then we had the jubilee and the Olympics. People who maybe weren't decided about the Royals changed their mind when the Queen did what she did at the Olympic opening ceremony. You know, she played along with the joke."

Royal Photographer Mark Stuart says he's here for the occasion: "This isn't going to be a financially rewarding shot because there will be 100 photographers with the same picture.

"You might get £180 for a front page. But it is an historic moment and you have to be here."

When the couple finally step out, proud parents and child creeping into the light, crowds cheer and shutters burst into action like the flutter of a swarm of insects passing through the street.

The pictures reach the world almost instantly. There's no need to even download them onto a laptop these days; a 4G device on the side of the cameras can send the images automatically to a press desk and in less than a minute they can be digitally fired around the world.

Where will they end up? "On the front page of lots of magazines and newspapers hopefully," says Mr Jackson.

For Mr Edwards its always the front page of The Sun: "I got a lovely one of the couple looking into each others eyes," he says.

The weeks of waiting has been rewarded with about a minute of Royal face time - and yes even the baby's face was visible, just.

Then it's back inside into a car seat and he's gone.

But his image is already being replicated millions of times around the world, and those stepladders and those fluttering insects will never be far away for the rest of his life.

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Fire Deaths: Man Guilty Of Killing Four Siblings

A man has been found guilty of starting a fire in a bedroom wardrobe which killed four brothers and sisters in their home.

Dyson Allen, 19, was convicted of four counts of manslaughter by a jury at Preston Crown Court.

He was cleared of their murders.

Four-year-old twins Holly and Ella Smith and their two-year-old brother Jordan were asleep as the blaze took hold at the house in Freckleton, Lancashire.

Their elder brother Reece, 19, was overcome by fumes as he went upstairs to try to rescue them.

All four died from the effects of smoke inhalation following the blaze on January 7, last year.

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Body-In-Suitcase Murder: Woman Found In Hendon

A woman's body has been discovered inside a suitcase dumped in woodland in north London, police have said.

Detectives have launched a murder investigation after the grisly find near a sports ground at Thornfield Avenue, Hendon, on Sunday afternoon.

The suitcase was hidden among trees and the surrounding area has been cordoned off.

The woman, who has been described as a young adult, has yet to be identified.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said a post-mortem examination would be arranged.

More follows...

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Royal Baby: Charles Knows 'Absolutely Nothing'

The Prince of Wales has told Sky News he knows "absolutely nothing" about news on the birth of the newest member of the Royal Family.

Prince Charles was questioned as he arrived at the National Railway Museum in York by steam train at the start of a two-day visit to Yorkshire.

As he stepped off the Royal Carriage through clouds of steam to cheers from the crowd, Sky News asked him: "What news of the baby, sir?"

He replied: "Absolutely nothing at the moment..."

Excitement is building at a private hospital in London after the Duchess of Cambridge was taken there with William at her side.

Kensington Palace has confirmed she is in the early stages of labour, after being admitted early this morning.

Prince Charles spoke to other well-wishers who had turned out to welcome him.

Among them was Alex Dickinson and her sons, Thomas, seven, and Freddie, five, who had travelled from nearby Church Fenton.

Ms Dickinson wished him well with the birth of his first grandchild as her children gave him a picture of a giraffe for the baby.

"He said 'Thank you very much'," she said. "Freddie said he thought the baby was coming in six hours and Charles said 'Yes, it may well be'."

Thomas said: "He didn't say anything about if it was a boy or a girl."

Earlier, Prime Minister David Cameron sent his "best wishes" to the couple, saying: "It is an exciting occasion and the whole country is excited with them, so everyone's hoping for the best."

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, wrote on Twitter: "My thoughts and prayers are with Kate and the whole family on this enormously special day."

Broadcaster Piers Morgan tweeted: "Keep Calm ... and Carry On. #Kate".

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Royal Baby: Hospital Frenzy Testing Patients

By Kat Higgins, Sky News Online, St Mary's Hospital

Keeping a busy hospital running normally when a Royal birth is happening was never going to be easy.

There are road closures, diversions and a 6ft-deep press pen running the length of the road outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London.

Calling it a crush is an understatement.

Mothers with pushchairs as well as patients on crutches and in wheelchairs have been battling against a sea of cameras, photographers' ladders and reporters from around the world.

Passers-by take photos of the media

While many passers-by are stopping to take photos to mark the historic occasion for themselves, some are not so keen to be part of the media frenzy.

One woman who was visiting her son, who has had a bone marrow transplant, told Sky News the crowds were "ridiculous".

"It's not fair, people in here are sick, it's pathetic that the police can't do more," she said.

Jake Pearson, 22, has been in the hospital for nine days and said it has been "very difficult" to get outside to make a phone call or have a cigarette.

He said: "People are not being as considerate as they should be considering there are patients in wheelchairs trying to move around."

The area has been swamped with journalists and Royal fans

Hospital staff have been trying their best to keep the onlookers moving and have opened extra entrances, but many have looked at a loss for what to do as more and more people arrive.

"We're trying as best we can," one security guard said as he diverted a woman pushing a double buggy away from the main entrance.

Mother-of-two Carly, 24, was trying to take her son to an appointment but said she was 20 minutes late after buses in Paddington were diverted.

"We had to have a police escort to the appointment in the end," she said.

Many have been counting down the days for this baby to arrive, but others will be glad the wait is almost over. 

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Royal Baby: Duchess Of Cambridge In Labour

Royal staff have been sending extra supplies to the hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge is in labour as the world awaits a new heir to the throne.

Kate, who is thought to be more than a week past her due date, was taken through a side entrance of St Mary's Hospital in London just before 6am.

The Duke of Cambridge travelled with her by car from Kensington Palace, where she went into labour naturally after spending the weekend there.

She plans to have a normal birth at the hospital's private Lindo wing and the couple's spokesman said: "Things are progressing as normal."

Crowds await the official announcement at Buckingham Palace

Sky News' Royal Correspondent Paul Harrison said it was believed a number of "bits and bobs" had been brought to the Duchess by staff via side entrances at around lunchtime.

It appears officials staged a "dummy run" in preparation for her arrival amid reports of police activity at the hospital last night.

Further officially confirmed details are likely to be thin on the ground until the Royal baby is born.

The arrival will be announced in traditional fashion, with a notice on an easel behind the iron railings of Buckingham Palace.

There is a robust police presence at the hospital

The brief bulletin, on headed Palace notepaper, confirms the sex of the baby but usually gives little else away other than that the baby has been "safely delivered" and perhaps the weight.

Well-wishers from around the globe have descended on the Palace on the off-chance of catching a glimpse.

Larissa Milare, 25, from Sao Paulo in Brazil, said she was keen to see the announcement for herself. "It would be so special," she said. "I don't want to miss this."

Royal fans have also gathered around the hospital, where there is a strong police presence.

Terry Hutt is among the royal fans outside the hospital. Pic: Kat Higgins

Among them is Terry Hutt, 78, from Cambridge, who has been sleeping at the scene for days and is wearing a Union flag suit and tie for the occasion.

The former soldier, who served with the Royal Ordnance Corps, said: "I have lost my voice with all the excitement.

"The health of the baby, and Kate, is the only important element."

Residents from Kate's home village of Bucklebury have spoken of their excitement, with bunting out and pubs that normally shut on a Monday preparing to open when the announcement is made.

The Duchess' former music teacher, Daniel Nicholls, said: "Once the baby is born, Bucklebury will take it in its stride that the future, future King or Queen of England will come from here."

Kate is being tended by a top medical team led by the Queen's former gynaecologist Marcus Setchell, who delivered the Countess of Wessex's two children.

Former midwife Clare Byam-Cook told Sky News: "They'll be monitoring her very carefully to check that the baby is doing well."

Kate's due date has never been announced, but it was widely believed to be July 13.

The world's press have been outside St Mary's, in Paddington, for days in anticipation of the birth.

Some 250 reporters and crew are packed into a relatively small stretch of the street opposite the hospital. Their patch shrunk even further earlier when "twitchy" police herded them from the road to the pavement.

Earlier, Prime Minister David Cameron sent his "best wishes" to the couple, saying: "It is an exciting occasion and the whole country is excited with them, so everyone's hoping for the best."

The 'Great Kate Wait', as it was dubbed by the press, is reaching an end

Others voicing their support included the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, who tweeted: "My thoughts and prayers are with Kate and the whole family on this enormously special day."

Celebrities including Joan Collins, Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole and ex-Spice Girl Melanie Brown are among those sharing the nation's excitement.

Prince Charles, who is on a two-day visit to Yorkshire, told Sky News at York's National Railway Museum earlier that he knew "absolutely nothing" about his first grandchild's impending arrival.

At York Minster, members of the public shouted "Congratulations" to Charles, who walked over to one woman, smiling, and said: "Do you know something I don't?"

The news that the Duchess was in labour at the Lindo wing - on what is set to be the hottest day of the year so far - was confirmed in a brief statement from Kensington Palace at 7.30am.

The '82 scene at St Mary's for William's birth, left, and a shot from today

The Duke and his younger brother Prince Harry were born in the same wing and the Prince and Princess of Wales famously posed on the building's steps in 1982 holding baby William.

Baby deliveries at the wing start at £5,000, while consultant fees and other charges can bring the cost of a two-night stay to more than £12,000. Its other current patients include the pregnant sister of adventurer Ben Fogle, Tamara.

William is known to want a daughter, while the Duchess is hoping for a son.

Betting on the name of their first-born, which will be third-in-line to the throne, has produced one favourite with a number of bookies - Alexandra. According to Oddschecker.com, George and James are the joint top contenders for a boy.

Kate is thought to be more than a week past her due date

Whatever name the couple go with, it is likely to set a trend for the next generation of infants.

Recent changes to the rules of succession mean that if it is a girl, she will not be leapfrogged to the throne by a younger brother.

The Queen will be informed of the birth in a phone call from William, according to the Queen's former press secretary Dickie Arbiter.

But he said the Royal Family will not visit because it demands an extra level of security. "The last thing they'll want is to disrupt the hospital," he said.

William is at his wife's side

The birth will be a historic first with three heirs in waiting while the sovereign is fit and well, Mr Arbiter added.

Prince William will be on paternity leave from his job as an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot for two weeks. It is not known how long Kate intends to put her Royal duties on hold so she can devote her time to the baby.

They are becoming parents more than two years after they were married at Westminster Abbey in April 2011, with the celebrations watched by millions around the world.

Doctors say the Royal Family could have its newest member by midnight - the average length of labour for a first-time mother is 12 hours.

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Ohio Bodies Find Suspect 'Fascinated' By Killer

Police investigating the grim discovery in Ohio of three bodies wrapped in plastic bags say a 35-year-old suspect may have been fascinated with serial killer Anthony Sowell.

During police interviews, convicted sex offender Michael Madison led police to believe he may have been influenced by Sowell.

"He said some things that led us to believe that in some way, shape, or form, Sowell might be an influence," said East Cleveland mayor Gary Norton.

Suspect Michael Madison is arrested by police (Pic: NBC)

Sowell is currently in prison awaiting the death penalty for murdering 11 women before hiding their remains around his Cleveland home.

Identified in press reports as the Cleveland Strangler, he has appealed for his sentence to be commuted to life in prison on the basis he did not receive a fair trial.

Anthony Sowell murdered 11 women in Cleveland

Mr Norton said police were continuing their search, possibly for more bodies, at the property where the three bodies, all female, were found 150 metres apart.

Police said the first body was found on Friday in a garage and two other bodies were found on Saturday - one in a backyard and the other in the basement of a vacant house.

All three are believed to have been killed in the last six to 10 days.

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Great Barrier Reef Hit By Four US Jet Bombs

Two American fighter jets dropped four bombs on Australia's Great Barrier Reef after a training exercise went wrong, it has emerged.

US officials said the pilots of two AV-8B Harrier jets were forced to jettison the unarmed devices on Tuesday because both aircraft were running low on fuel and could not land with the bombs on board.

The pilots intended to drop the munitions on a designated bombing range on Townshend Island but aborted the mission when controllers reported the area was not clear of hazards.

Instead, they jettisoned two bombs from each aircraft on the World Heritage-listed marine park off the coast of Queensland state.

The pilots tried to minimise the damage by releasing the devices over deep water of more than 164 feet (50 meters) and away from coral reefs, officials said.

All four bombs were inert and so did not explode. It is unclear whether any environmental damage was caused.

The bombs were dropped from two AV-88 Harrier jets

An Australian Defence Force spokesman was quoted as saying the bombs posed "minimal risk or threat to the public, the marine environment or civilian shipping transiting the reef area".

The two jets were launched from aircraft carrier USS Bonhomme Richard during a three-week joint military training exercise involving around 28,000 US and Australian personnel.

Graeme Dunstan, who is among the environmentalists and anti-war activists protesting against the joint exercise, claimed the US military could no longer be trusted to protect the environment.

"How can they protect the environment and bomb the reef at the same time? Get real," Mr Dunstan said from the Queensland coastal town of Yepoon near where the military exercise is taking place.

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest network of coral structures rich in marine life that stretches more than 1,,800 miles (3,000 kms) along the Australian northeast coast.

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Tia Sharp's Father Backs Child Abuse Image Ban

The father of murdered schoolgirl Tia Sharp has said he backs a plan for websites to be told to block certain search terms and warn people when they try to view illegal content, as part of a crackdown on child abuse images.

Steven Carter told Sky News he believes Stuart Hazell was "fuelled" by images of abuse and violence he viewed before he killed the 12-year-old.

He said Tia's death may have been prevented if there was a governing body or more policing to stop the availability of indecent images online.

Mr Carter met the Prime Minister at Downing Street last week with the parents of April Jones to discuss the issue.

David Cameron is to use a major speech to tell companies they have a "moral duty" to protect youngsters.

The Prime Minister will call on websites including Google, Bing and Yahoo! to adopt a blacklist of words and phrases drawn up by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop) within months.

He will also recommend splash screens that tell people they could lose "their job, their family, even access to their children" by viewing indecent images online.

Steven Carter has met the PM to talk about how to tackle abuse on the web

The pages could redirect people to the charity Stop It Now's website in an effort to help change people's behaviour.

"There are some searches which are so abhorrent and where there can be no doubt whatsoever about the sick and malevolent intent of the searcher that there should be no search results returned at all," Mr Cameron will say.

"I have a very clear message for Google, Bing, Yahoo! and the rest. You have a duty to act on this - and it is a moral duty.

"You are not separate from our society, you are part of our society, and you must play a responsible role in it.

"This is quite simply about obliterating this disgusting material from the net - and we will do whatever it takes."

The Prime Minister is expected to warn companies that "legislative options" could be used to force them to comply if they have not made progress on a blacklist before October.

He told the BBC's Andrew Marr show that this further step "might take a bit of an argument but it's an argument on behalf of Britain's parents and children that I am prepared to have".

He said international collaboration would be needed to make companies aware of their responsibilities.

The PM meets the families of April Jones and Tia Sharp

Mr Cameron will also urge firms to hold hackathons - events which allow software experts to collaborate on projects - to produce results.

Pressure to prevent people accessing indecent images of children has increased following two high-profile murder trials.

Mark Bridger, who killed April Jones, was found to have accessed offensive images, including some of children.

Experts argued there was a clear link between their obsessions and their actions.

Labour Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the PM isn't going far enough to tackle online child abuse.

"David Cameron said he would make sure the police had the resources. But the truth is that Theresa May has cut by 10%  the resources for the Ceop - which has identified 50,000 cases of British residents accessing child abuse online but only around 2000 were pursued last year," she said.

"And the failure of the Government to develop workable proportionate communications data plans means Ceop often can't find out who is responsible for the IP addresses used for abusive child images.

"Companies do need to do much more - as Labour called for in our Parliamentary debate in June.  But Ministers need to demonstrate that there will be Government action too - including quickly moving to ban depiction of rape in extreme porn as other countries have done."

Last month, the four main UK internet service providers agreed to donate an extra £1m to the Internet Watch Foundation to help its work with Ceop.

In 2012, the Government abandoned proposals for an "opt-in" system that would have forced users to contact their internet service provider in order to gain access to adult content.

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Gazza: Paul Gascoigne Faces Assault Charges

Ex-England footballer Paul Gascoigne has been charged with two counts of common assault, British Transport Police said.

The former midfielder was also charged with one count of being drunk and disorderly following his arrest at Stevenage railway station earlier this month.

Baljit Ubhey, Chief Crown Prosecutor for Thames and Chiltern Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Following a BTP investigation, a file was forwarded to us to consider whether any criminal charges could be brought against the 46-year-old man. 

"Having carefully reviewed all of the available evidence, Thames and Chiltern CPS authorised officers from BTP to charge the man with common assault and being drunk and disorderly. 

"The charges are in relation to an incident at Stevenage rail station on the evening of Thursday, 4 July." 

Gascoigne after England lost in the semi-final of the 1990 World Cup

Gascoigne was charged after answering bail.

He was released to reappear at North East Herts Magistrates Court on August 5.

Gascoigne played Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough, Everton, Burnley and China's Gansu Tianma. He ended his career as player-coach for Boston United in League Two.

He won 57 caps for England.

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