Christmas Shoppers To Spend £12bn In Four Days

By Emma Birchley, Sky News Reporter

Shoppers are expected to spend £12bn in just four days as they make the most of slashed prices and promotions, according to retail forecasters.

The deals are being offered as a fierce battle for sales rages both on the high street and online.

Alan Dadswell relies on Christmas to keep his shop Toys 'N' Tuck in Southend-on-Sea going and he says discounts are crucial.

He said: "To get people to spend the money they have got to feel they are getting a bargain and we have got to give them a bargain. We have to hunt with our suppliers to do good deals to get people in to the store."

A sluggish autumn has put added pressure on retailers.

But with 74% of shops offering deals, 13 million people are expected to shop on the high street on the last Saturday before Christmas.

It will help that many people finished work for Christmas on Friday.

Offering discounts at Toys 'N' Tuck in Southend-on-Sea is crucial

But Diane Wehrle, from the shop footfall monitors Springboard, says shoppers are getting increasingly canny.

She said: "Tactics definitely come into it. Shoppers are becoming much more savvy than they used to be. They understand that retailers are slashing prices. They understand they are doing one-off specials and they wait for them.

"So they perhaps go window shopping before the Christmas trading period starts, look out for what they want to buy and then buy them when they are on offer."

Lizzy Clarke, armed with bags of gifts in Southend, has made the most of the offers.

"They've got some great deals ... 75% off in some stores and I've just bought some jumpers that cost me £30 last week and this week have cost me £7," she said.

But Rob Antoniazz, who is unconvinced, said: "The decent items in good shops are never up for sale because the demand is there to buy them."

Tesco's distribution centre in Erith, Kent, has gone into overdrive

Half of the money being spent in the four days to the end of Monday will be on food, with £900m going towards online groceries.

Tesco has sold twice as many turkeys over the internet than last year. At its distribution centre in Erith, Kent, staff are working around the clock preparing orders.

Simon Belsham, the managing director of Online Grocery for the chain, said: "This is a really busy time of year for us. It really reflects that customers are looking for more and more convenient ways to shop for their Christmas presents and Christmas food."

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Lockerbie Anniversary: Cameron Praises Victims

Relatives of those killed in the Lockerbie bombing are due to attend memorial services in the UK and US to mark the 25th anniversary of the atrocity.

Pan Am flight 103 was on its way from London to New York when it exploded above Lockerbie, in southern Scotland, on the evening of December 21 1988, killing 270 people - everyone on board and 11 on the ground.

British Prime Minister David Cameron described it as "one of the worst aviation disasters in history and the deadliest act of terrorism" ever committed in the UK.

Eleven people were killed on the ground in Lockerbie

He said: "Though 25 years have passed, memories of the 243 passengers, 16 crew and 11 Lockerbie residents who lost their lives on that terrible night have not dimmed.

"Over the last quarter of a century much attention has been focused on the perpetrators of the atrocity. Today our thoughts turn to its victims and to those whose lives have been touched and changed by what happened at Lockerbie that night.

"To families, friends, neighbours, loved ones, and all those caught up in the painful process of recovery, let us say to them: our admiration for you is unconditional. For the fortitude and resilience you have shown. For your determination never to give up. You have shown that terrorist acts cannot crush the human spirit. That is why terrorism will never prevail.

"And even in the darkest moments of grief, it is possible to glimpse the flickering flame of hope."

Memorial events attended by politicians, officials, families and members of the community are to take place in Lockerbie, London and at Arlington National Cemetery in the US, where most of the victims were from.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond and Lord Wallace, Advocate General for Scotland, will attend a service at 2pm at Dryfesdale Cemetery in the Dumfries and Galloway town, followed by a 30-minute wreath-laying ceremony.

Later, simultaneous remembrance services in Lockerbie and the States will get under way from 6.30pm (UK time) during which relatives will read the names of the victims and hold a minute's silence at 7.03pm (UK time) to mark a quarter of a century since the tragedy.

Westminster Abbey will also hold a service for the victims, from 21 countries, which will begin at 6.45pm and will include readings and a moment of silence.

Mr Salmond said: "As the community of Lockerbie marks the milestone, memorial events will be held in Westminster Abbey, Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia and at Syracuse University which lost 35 students in the bombing.

"But, inevitably, a focus of the day will be on the memorial in Lockerbie and it is there that I will pay my respects and condolences on behalf of the people of Scotland."

Abdelbaset al Megrahi was the only person to be convicted of the bombing

Dr Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora died in the disaster, told Sky News: "Anniversaries aren't in a sense that big a deal for the families of victims because we have to live with the lovely memories of those that we lost all that time ago, every day of every year. Bereavement in itself is sometimes a life sentence."

Graham Herbert, former rector at Lockerbie Academy which lost three students in the atrocity, said the market town "has always tried to move forward".

He told Sky News: "I know today there will be a lot of closed doors. A lot of people will not go out of their houses. The memories are just too bitter, there are still open wounds there.

"There are quite a lot of American families in the town today. Each year it just comes back to them, they are not allowed to heal. They want to commemorate, they want to be here where their loved ones fell, but it's hard, it's tough."

Libyan Abdelbaset al Megrahi was found guilty of the bombing in January 2001 and given a life sentence.

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008, leading to a decision to free him under compassionate release rules.

Scotland's Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill took that decision on August 20 the following year, sparking a row among politicians on both sides of the Atlantic.

Megrahi died in Tripoli, Libya in May last year. His family is considering lodging a fresh appeal to clear his name.

British relatives of victims who believe he was wrongfully convicted of the bombing are also planning another appeal against the conviction when they meet with lawyers in the new year.

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Nasa Astronauts Start ISS Repair Spacewalk

Nasa astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins have begun the first of three spacewalks to replace a broken cooling pump at the International Space Station.

The spacewalk is set to last six and a half hours, Nasa said.

As the ISS orbits Earth at a speed of five miles per second, veteran spacewalker Mr Mastracchio is leading the way, followed by Mr Hopkins, who is making his first venture outside the global research lab.

From the inside, Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata will operate the station's 50ft (15m) robotic arm, hoisting Mr Mastracchio and hefty equipment from one section of the lab to another.

"There are quite a bit of arm manoeuvres throughout all of these EVAs so I'm sure Koichi will be getting a workout," said lead spacewalk officer Allison Bolinger, using the Nasa acronym for spacewalk: extravehicular activity (EVA).

Mike Hopkins prepares for his first spacewalk earlier. Pic: Nasa

While flight engineer Mr Mastracchio, 53, soars around with his boots attached to a foot-plate on the robotic arm, Mr Hopkins, 44, will be the designated free-floating astronaut of the day.

The men's first task is to disconnect the ammonia pump, which is about the size of a refrigerator.

On the second spacewalk, set for Monday, the astronauts are to remove the pump so it can be replaced with a spare that was already stowed at the ISS.

A third spacewalk is planned for Christmas Day, when the failed pump will be shuttled away and final installations made on its replacement.

However, there is a chance the astronauts will be able to complete all their work in two spacewalks, Nasa has said.

If not, the Christmas Day outing would be the first since 1974, when a pair of Nasa astronauts "stepped outside the Skylab space station to retrieve film from a telescope and photograph Comet Kohoutek", the US space agency said.

Thanksgiving in space for Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins. Pic: Nasa

The urgent spacewalks were called for this week due to a faulty valve that caused a partial shutdown in the system that regulates equipment temperature at the space station.

Engineers tried to fix the problem from the ground, but eventually decided they needed to replace the ammonia pump.

The six-man crew was never in danger, but Nasa wanted to fix the problem sooner rather than later, agency officials said.

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South Sudan: US Military Aircraft Hit By Rebels

Two US military aircraft have been fired at during an evacuation mission in South Sudan, wounding two service personnel.

One is said to be in a critical condition, and it is thought at least one of the planes was damaged.

South Sudan has blamed the attack on renegade troops.

Officials said the aircraft were heading to Bor, the capital of the state of Jonglei and the scene of some of the country's worst violence in the past week.

After being fired at the planes turned around and headed to Kampala in Uganda. From there the wounded service personnel were flown to Nairobi, Kenya for medical treatment.

Fighting broke out in the South Sudanese capital Juba between army factions last Sunday and has since spread to other regions, claiming at least 500 lives.

Men displaced by the fighting in South Sudan

Kenya said on Saturday it will be sending troops to South Sudan to evacuate some 1,600 citizens. Many are trapped in Bor, which has been taken by rebels.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has "ordered the KDF (Kenya Defence Force) to commence immediate evacuation of the 1,600 Kenyans stranded in South Sudan", a spokesman said in a statement.

"Despite the relative calm in Juba, a number of other South Sudan towns have come under fire," he added, saying that Kenyans "are mainly in the town of Bor".

Others, in the towns of Rumbek, Ayod, and Panyabol "will also be airlifted to safety."

People being evacuated to Uganda in a RAF C17 plane

"The president has also ordered the immediate delivery of food, water and medicine to South Sudan (to help) tackle the emergency," the spokesman added.

"The delivery of these emergency supplies started this morning. Kenyan military aircraft are delivering consignments to South Sudan."

Kenya, which hosted the peace talks that ended the 1983-2005 civil war in Sudan, and which paved the way for South Sudan's independence two years ago, is also supporting efforts to end the latest crisis.

On Friday Uganda deployed troops to South Sudan to boost security and help its people escape safely.

A number of other nations including Britain have sent in emergency flights to evacuate their citizens.

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Nigella Lawson Aides Not Guilty Of Fraud

Nigella Case 'Lifted Lid On Lavish Lifestyle'

Updated: 1:30pm UK, Friday 20 December 2013

By Ian Woods, Sky News Correspondent

When they called in the police to arrest the sisters who used to clean their home, Charles Saatchi and Nigella Lawson could never have imagined that so much of their dirty laundry would be aired in public.

To members of the public with only a passing interest in the case, it must have appeared that it was the now divorced couple who were on trial rather than their former employees.

The Grillo sisters may have been in the dock, but their trial lifted the lid on their employers' lifestyle and the disintegration of their marriage.

The court heard details of lavish spending by both the accused and the family they worked for. It was never clear exactly how much Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo were accused of spending. Estimates of around £300,000 to £700,000 were mentioned, but such was the lack of oversight of spending of household spending that nobody could be sure what was spent on behalf of family members and how much the sisters had spent on themselves.

The Grillos never disputed spending the money, though they argued that some items attributed to them were actually for members of the household. They insisted everything was authorised and known about by either Ms Lawson or Mr Saatchi.

That included numerous personal holidays to New York, Prague, Venice, Berlin and Paris. The sisters maintained they were given permission to buy themselves gifts as a reward for their hard work.

Eighteen months ago, when the levels of expenditure first came to light, Ms Lawson appeared to have all the ingredients for domestic bliss. She was the TV cook known to millions of viewers; her husband was the man who made millions of pounds from advertising and art collecting.

But a year later they were famous for something quite different - an incident in a Mayfair restaurant captured by a photographer which led to Mr Saatchi accepting a police caution, and led to Ms Lawson seeking a divorce. There were two photographs in particular which were discussed during the trial. One pictured Mr Saatchi with his hands around his wife's throat, the other showed him pinching her nose.

That incident led to Ms Lawson and her assistants dubbed Team Cupcake to move out of Mr Saatchi's home in Chelsea. It also led the Grillo sisters to bring new information to the police. They said Ms Lawson was a regular drug user, information the defence would use to try to undermine her credibility as a witness.

Ms Lawson found herself in the role of the accused. When Mr Saatchi heard about the allegations, he sent her an angry email entitled Higella.

"I can only laugh at your sorry depravity," it said. "Of course now the Grillos will get off on the basis that you … were so off your head on drugs that you allowed the sisters to spend whatever they liked and yes I believe every word the Grillos have said, who after all only stole money.

"I'm sure it was all great fun and now everything is perfect - bravo, you have become a celebrity hostess on a global TV game show. And you got the pass you desired, free to heartily enjoy all the drugs you want, forever. Classy."

During his evidence to the jury, Mr Saatchi said he was "bereft" that a private email had been made public. It entered the public domain because Ms Lawson considered it threatening and forwarded it to her lawyers. They in turn informed the Crown Prosecution Service, and it became part of the evidence in the trial. The Judge Robin Johnson took the unusual step of permitting it to be aired in the media even before a jury in the trial had been sworn in.

In court, he backtracked a little. He had believed the drug allegations but he had no proof. "Over this whole period she was writing books very successfully. I have never, never seen any evidence of Nigella taking drugs," he said.

When Ms Lawson came to court to give evidence she admitted having used cocaine and cannabis but denied she was addicted.

"If I was taking drugs to the extent you say I wouldn't be able to stand up here today," she said. "Regular cocaine users do not look like this. They are scrawny and unhealthy. If you think I would sabotage my health and leave my children orphans, you are wrong."

She said she first used cocaine while married to her terminally ill husband John Diamond in 2001, and once while depressed in 2010. She admitted more regular use of cannabis, including the fact that she smoked joints in front of her teenage children.

But she hit back at her ex-husband, accusing him of intimate terrorism. And she said she did not have a drug problem, telling the court: "I have a life problem."

"I was having a very very difficult time," she said. "I felt subjected to intimate terrorism by Mr Saatchi. I felt totally shamed isolated and in fear. A friend offered it to me and I took it. It completely spooked me."

She was furious that as a witness in the case she had no right to introduce evidence about her own reputation which had taken such a hammering.

Everyone, it seemed, had a opinion on the central characters, including the Prime Minister. His pro-Nigella comments in an interview held up proceedings and drew criticism from the judge.

We can now report that Judge Robin Johnson was asked to throw out the case because the defence argued the comments meant their clients could not get a fair trial. The judge allowed it to continue but rebuked public figures for commenting on trials which were still in progress.

There was other drama behind the scenes which could not be reported while the trial was in progress. Elisabetta Grillo, or Lisa as she was usually called, collapsed while the jury were deliberating over their verdict.

Her barrister Anthony Metzer told reporters she was not breathing. She has a history of claustrophobia and panic attacks. Paramedics were called and neither she not her sister were able to be in court when the jury were being sent home for the night.

And there were frequent terse spats between Mr Metzer and the judge, as the barrister attempted to delve deeper into the drugs issue, particularly as it related to Ms Lawson's children. Their relationship appeared to be so strained that the judge warned the jury not to take it into account when reaching their verdicts.

If Mr Saatchi had his way this would never have come to trial. He initially thought the sisters had simply been naughty. He did not want to fire them, but he did want them to pay a penance by working on a reduced salary. It was Ms Lawson who was unforgiving and insisted on calling the police.

But having heard evidence of years of household spending which went largely unchecked, the jury acquitted the sisters of fraud. It is Ms Lawson and Mr Saatchi who have paid a high price, and not just for designer clothes and luxuries. Their reputations have been scrutinised and criticised in the court of public opinion.

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Apollo Theatre Collapse: Investigation Starts

Nearly 80 people were injured, nine seriously, when part of a theatre ceiling collapsed during a packed West End show in London.

Eyewitnesses described "chaos and panic" as 10 sq m of plaster and masonry crashed on to people seated in the stalls 40 minutes into a performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

An investigation into the roof collapse is being carried out this morning

They said there was a loud creaking before the cave-in, which left the Apollo Theatre engulfed in thick dust and debris. One witness reported hearing an actor yell "watch out" to the audience.

Structural engineers and a district surveyor from Westminster City Council are carrying out a structural assessment of the building. They are due to give an update on their investigation this afternoon.

Stretchers carried out some of the more seriously injured

Some onlookers said water dripped through the ceiling before the collapse, raising speculation that heavy rain may be one line of inquiry. There were storms and lightning strikes in the capital at the time of the incident. 

Nimax Theatres, which owns the Apollo, described the collapse as a "shocking and upsetting incident", and said its thoughts were "with the audience and staff".

Many of those injured were described as "walking wounded"

Police commandeered three London buses to take the injured to hospital, many of whom were described as "walking wounded". A makeshift triage centre was set up at the nearby Gielgud Theatre.

London Ambulance Service said it treated 79 patients, of whom 56 were taken to four hospitals. Of those, 47 had suffered minor injuries and nine more serious injuries.

Chief Superintendent Paul Rickett, of the Metropolitan Police, said there was "no suggestion at this stage that (the collapse) was as a result of a criminal act".

There were around 720 people watching the show when disaster struck at 8.15pm on Thursday night.

Martin Bostock, who was in the lower stalls with his family, received a head injury after he was hit by falling debris.

Some people were initially trapped by debris but all have now been freed

He told Sky News: "It was just terrifying and awful. I think the front part of the balcony fell down. At first we thought it was part of the show. Then I got hit on the head.

"It was complete chaos in the theatre. We got out with cuts and bruises. I think most people did."

School worker Hannah George, 29, said: "I heard someone scream and you heard a shriek - then a chunk of the ceiling collapsed.

"It actually missed the balcony and must have hit people down below in the stalls - you couldn't see anything down there.

The Apollo's ceiling collapsed on to theatre-goers Pic: Ian Grundy

"Very quickly ushers held the doors open. It wasn't every man for himself, it was very ordered. There were people in front going, 'You OK?' and trying to get people out.

"There were people coming out who were more seriously injured. There were loads of people coming out shaking, and a fellow next to me had quite a badly bleeding arm and a ripped shirt."

The collapse took place as a reference was made to waves crashing on Brighton rocks, leading some in the audience to believe the noise was part of the show.

Mark Haddon, author of the book which the play is based on, tweeted: "I hope that those who were seriously injured are ok. I'm sorry, too, that so many people went through such a terrifying experience. I'm hugely relieved that no-one has died."

Emergency services arrived within minutes, according to one witness

Mark Tait, an actor in the production, tweeted: "Thoughts are with all the audience. Horrific and unbelievable."

The Society of London Theatre - which represents producers and theatre owners - said in a statement: "The exact cause of the incident is still being investigated and the theatre owners, Nimax, are working closely with the relevant authorities to establish exactly what happened.

"Our theatres entertain over 32,000 people in central London every night and all theatres take the safety of their audience, performers and staff very seriously.

"Every theatre undergoes rigorous safety checks and inspections by independent experts, and incidents like last night are extremely rare."

The theatre - a Grade II-listed building - was completed in 1901 and seats 775 people over four levels.

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Nigella Case Lifted Lid On Lavish Lifestyle

By Ian Woods, Sky News Correspondent

When they called in the police to arrest the sisters who used to clean their home, Charles Saatchi and Nigella Lawson could never have imagined that so much of their dirty laundry would be aired in public.

To members of the public with only a passing interest in the case, it must have appeared that it was the now divorced couple who were on trial rather than their former employees.

The Grillo sisters may have been in the dock, but their trial lifted the lid on their employers' lifestyle and the disintegration of their marriage.

The court heard details of lavish spending by both the accused and the family they worked for. It was never clear exactly how much Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo were accused of spending. Estimates of around £300,000 to £700,000 were mentioned, but such was the lack of oversight of spending of household spending that nobody could be sure what was spent on behalf of family members and how much the sisters had spent on themselves.

A jury found the Grillo sisters not guilty of fraud

The Grillos never disputed spending the money, though they argued that some items attributed to them were actually for members of the household. They insisted everything was authorised and known about by either Ms Lawson or Mr Saatchi.

That included numerous personal holidays to New York, Prague, Venice, Berlin and Paris. The sisters maintained they were given permission to buy themselves gifts as a reward for their hard work.

Eighteen months ago, when the levels of expenditure first came to light, Ms Lawson appeared to have all the ingredients for domestic bliss. She was the TV cook known to millions of viewers; her husband was the man who made millions of pounds from advertising and art collecting.

This incident led to Mr Saatchi accepting a police caution. Pic: Jean-Paul

But a year later they were famous for something quite different - an incident in a Mayfair restaurant captured by a photographer which led to Mr Saatchi accepting a police caution, and led to Ms Lawson seeking a divorce. There were two photographs in particular which were discussed during the trial. One pictured Mr Saatchi with his hands around his wife's throat, the other showed him pinching her nose.

That incident led to Ms Lawson and her assistants dubbed Team Cupcake to move out of Mr Saatchi's home in Chelsea. It also led the Grillo sisters to bring new information to the police. They said Ms Lawson was a regular drug user, information the defence would use to try to undermine her credibility as a witness.

Ms Lawson found herself in the role of the accused. When Mr Saatchi heard about the allegations, he sent her an angry email entitled Higella.

An email Charles Saatchi sent to Nigella Lawson was read in court

"I can only laugh at your sorry depravity," it said. "Of course now the Grillos will get off on the basis that you … were so off your head on drugs that you allowed the sisters to spend whatever they liked and yes I believe every word the Grillos have said, who after all only stole money.

"I'm sure it was all great fun and now everything is perfect - bravo, you have become a celebrity hostess on a global TV game show. And you got the pass you desired, free to heartily enjoy all the drugs you want, forever. Classy."

During his evidence to the jury, Mr Saatchi said he was "bereft" that a private email had been made public. It entered the public domain because Ms Lawson considered it threatening and forwarded it to her lawyers. They in turn informed the Crown Prosecution Service, and it became part of the evidence in the trial. The Judge Robin Johnson took the unusual step of permitting it to be aired in the media even before a jury in the trial had been sworn in.

In court, he backtracked a little. He had believed the drug allegations but he had no proof. "Over this whole period she was writing books very successfully. I have never, never seen any evidence of Nigella taking drugs," he said.

When Ms Lawson came to court to give evidence she admitted having used cocaine and cannabis but denied she was addicted.

"If I was taking drugs to the extent you say I wouldn't be able to stand up here today," she said. "Regular cocaine users do not look like this. They are scrawny and unhealthy. If you think I would sabotage my health and leave my children orphans, you are wrong."

She said she first used cocaine while married to her terminally ill husband John Diamond in 2001, and once while depressed in 2010. She admitted more regular use of cannabis, including the fact that she smoked joints in front of her teenage children.

But she hit back at her ex-husband, accusing him of intimate terrorism. And she said she did not have a drug problem, telling the court: "I have a life problem."

"I was having a very very difficult time," she said. "I felt subjected to intimate terrorism by Mr Saatchi. I felt totally shamed isolated and in fear. A friend offered it to me and I took it. It completely spooked me."

She was furious that as a witness in the case she had no right to introduce evidence about her own reputation which had taken such a hammering.

Everyone, it seemed, had a opinion on the central characters, including the Prime Minister. His pro-Nigella comments in an interview held up proceedings and drew criticism from the judge.

Ms Lawson insisted she was not addicted to drugs

We can now report that Judge Robin Johnson was asked to throw out the case because the defence argued the comments meant their clients could not get a fair trial. The judge allowed it to continue but rebuked public figures for commenting on trials which were still in progress.

There was other drama behind the scenes which could not be reported while the trial was in progress. Elisabetta Grillo, or Lisa as she was usually called, collapsed while the jury were deliberating over their verdict.

Her barrister Anthony Metzer told reporters she was not breathing. She has a history of claustrophobia and panic attacks. Paramedics were called and neither she not her sister were able to be in court when the jury were being sent home for the night.

And there were frequent terse spats between Mr Metzer and the judge, as the barrister attempted to delve deeper into the drugs issue, particularly as it related to Ms Lawson's children. Their relationship appeared to be so strained that the judge warned the jury not to take it into account when reaching their verdicts.

If Mr Saatchi had his way this would never have come to trial. He initially thought the sisters had simply been naughty. He did not want to fire them, but he did want them to pay a penance by working on a reduced salary. It was Ms Lawson who was unforgiving and insisted on calling the police.

But having heard evidence of years of household spending which went largely unchecked, the jury acquitted the sisters of fraud. It is Ms Lawson and Mr Saatchi who have paid a high price, and not just for designer clothes and luxuries. Their reputations have been scrutinised and criticised in the court of public opinion.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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South London Bus Crash: 30 People Injured

Police say 19 people have been injured in a bus crash in south London, with two in critical condition, after the bus struck a tree.

The incident occurred around 10.50am on Kennington Road, near the Imperial War Museum, while the number 59 bus was en route to King's Cross.

Police say initial witness reports suggesting the bus swerved to avoid a car are false.

Among the injured were two police officers

The fire service says two people are still trapped inside the bus with emergency workers attempting to free them.

Police say 15 passengers are "walking wounded", two people are in serious condition and two more - including a 19-year-old girl - are critical.

Two of the injured were police officers who have been taken to hospital - one with a suspected broken arm. 

Kennington Road has been closed and several bus routes redirected

Aerial footage from the scene shows the front of the bus, operated by Arriva, collapsed around the trunk of a tree.

Fire and ambulance crews are currently at the scene of the crash.

Transport for London said there will be a thorough investigation into the incident.

The TfL have promised a "thorough" investigation into the crash

Mike Weston, TfL's director for buses, said: "Our first concern is, of course, for the driver, passengers and others involved in this incident."

"There will be a thorough investigation into this incident as a matter of urgency."

Kennington Road is currently closed in both directions with routes 3, 59, 159 and 360 currently on diversion.

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Police Believe Body Found In Grave Is Jayden's

Police believe a body found in a grave in Didcot, Oxfordshire, is that of missing 17-year-old Jayden Parkinson.

Thames Valley Police said her family are heartbroken and devastated by the development.

Jayden was last seen leaving the town's railway station on December 3.

On Wednesday, the man leading the investigation, Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Murray, said police had received "significant and highly relevant information" which led their search efforts to a specific grave in the churchyard.

At a news conference on Thursday morning he said: "We had prepared Jayden's family for the worst but I'm afraid nothing can prepare you for the loss of your child.

"They remain heartbroken, they remain devastated, and our thoughts are with them at this time.

Ben Blakeley arrives at court

"It's been a long and difficult night but, as you probably know, we discovered a body in a particular grave in All Saints' Cemetery in Didcot and I believe that body to be Jayden Parkinson, our missing teenager.

"Formal identification has not yet taken place. Jayden's body was removed from the cemetery late last night.

"Our only work in that cemetery now consists of returning that cemetery to its previous state.

"A post-mortem will take place today to try to determine how Jayden died and our management of various crime scenes in and around Didcot will be dependent on the outcome of that post-mortem."

Jayden's former boyfriend, 22-year-old Ben Blakeley, of Reading, has appeared at Oxford Crown Court charged with her murder and perverting the course of justice.

More than 100 uniformed officers and detectives have been working on the case, backed up by specialists from the National Crime Agency, since she disappeared.

Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Murray has led the investigation

The teenager, who had recently moved to Oxford, was last seen leaving Didcot railway station at 4.27pm on December 3.

Police said there was "no indication" she was still alive, revealing Jayden had not used her mobile phone or accessed her bank account in the days since she had been reported missing.

Officers had previously issued an appeal for information about a man seen struggling with a suitcase just outside Upton, south of Didcot,  at about 2am on Monday December 9.

A search of farmland on the outskirts of the village took place following the sighting.

Officers said a man was seen with the same suitcase in the Lydalls Road area of Didcot - where All Saints is located - at about 3.30am the same day.

Detectives have since recovered several suitcases, one of which "may well be significant", according to Mr Murray.

In a post on Facebook on Sunday, Jayden's mother Samantha Shrewsbury wrote: "My baby, my princess, my heart is so heavy baby girl."

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Lee Rigby Murder Trial: Guilty Verdicts

By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

An Old Bailey jury has convicted two young London men of the brutal murder of fusilier Lee Rigby.

It took the jury of eight women and four men about 90 minutes to return guilty verdicts on Michael Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Adebowale, 22.

The pair were found not guilty of attempting to murder police officers at the scene of the killing on May 22.  

Adebolajo glared at journalists and the jury as he was led to the prison cells and kissed his copy of the Koran. Adebowale did not react to the verdicts.

Lee Rigby and his killers

Members of Lee Rigby's family sobbed on the court steps as a statement was read by Detective Inspector Pete Sparks on their behalf.

The statement read: "No one should have to go through what we have been through as a family.

"We are satisfied that justice has been done, but unfortunately no amount of justice will bring Lee back.

"These people have taken him away from us forever but his memory lives on in all of us and we will never forget him.

The defendants pictured after the killing - one carrying a machete

"We are very proud of Lee, who served his country, and we will now focus on building a future for his son Jack, making him as proud of Lee as we all are. Lee will be sorely missed by his siblings, nieces, nephew and all of those who loved him.

"We now ask that we are left alone to grieve through our loss."

The murder of the off-duty soldier both horrified and united the nation, as politicians, faith leaders and members of the community in south east London came together to condemn the killing.

The 25-year-old drummer with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers was singled out by his attackers because he was a soldier.

One of the weapons used in the murder

Adebolajo, the only defendant who gave evidence, admitted killing the young serviceman, but claimed his actions were justified as part of a war against the British military and British government for wars waged by the UK in Muslim countries.  

During the trial, he was asked directly for his defence to the charge of murder.

Adebolajo told the jury: "I am a soldier. I am a soldier of Allah and I understand that some people might not recognise this because we do not wear fatigues and we don't go to the Brecon Beacons to train. But we are still soldiers."

He told the court he considered al Qaeda to be "mujahideen".

He said: "I love them, they're my brothers. I have never met them. I consider them my brothers in Islam."

Adebolajo runs towards police officers after attacking Mr Rigby

Both Adebolajo and Adebowale had been known to the police and security services because of their extremist beliefs, but they had not been considered a significant or immediate threat.

Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee is examining whether any opportunities to prevent Mr Rigby's murder might have been missed by the authorities.

Scotland Yard's head of Specialist Operations, Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick, told Sky News the Met was fully co-operating with the inquiry.

"If we had known, if we had information that told us that these people were likely to commit this attack, or if somebody had said this was about to happen, of course we would have done everything we could to try to prevent it from happening.

The car driven at Lee Rigby by his murderers

"The profile of these two young men is not unique, sadly. And we will do our level best to try to find out about such people and to try to find out what they may intend. But we can't reduce the risks to zero," she said.

Lee Rigby's mother, widow and other family members sat through each day of the three week long trial, listening to often very harrowing evidence and viewing graphic video of the events outside Woolwich barracks.

At times, the evidence was just too much for the family to bear and they left court in tears on several occasions.

It was also a very difficult trial for the jury to sit through.

On occasions, some were visibly distressed as they watched CCTV footage taken at the time of the attack and listened to testimony from some of the eyewitnesses.

Police released this image of a gun carried by the attackers

Witness Cheralee Armstrong said in a statement that there was "pure evil" in one of the knifemen's eyes, and that she thought she would die.

At first she thought they were trying to help the soldier after a road accident, but then saw that they were stabbing and hacking at him.

"It was like they were mutilating the person's body. It seemed like they were trying to remove his organs from his torso," she said.

When she shouted at the attackers to stop, she described one of them looking at her.

"The man in the hat (Adebolajo) stared at me, his expression was blank. Pure evil, and his eyes were bulging," she said.

Lee Rigby on the day of the murder

He then pointed a gun towards her and James Henegan, who was driving her in his Citroen C3.

Mr Henegan wept in court as he described the moment he left his car and saw one of the men withdraw the gun from what looked like a "carrier bag".

"I thought he was going to shoot …fire a gun at us," he said.

The jury was told how Mr Rigby's killers refused to leave the scene after the murder, as they waited for police to arrive.

Those police officers were to have been their next victims, the prosecution claimed.

Dramatic CCTV and other video of the moments an armed response vehicle arrived outside the barracks were played to the jury.

A letter written by one of the defendants to family

There were gasps from the court as the footage showed the two men running towards the police vehicle and then being shot.

One of the officers - identified only as D49 - said she "instantly" thought she would die when Adebolajo ran towards her car.

She claimed he had a meat cleaver or machete and was "shouting something", adding that his eyes "were so wide" she could "see the whites of them".

Adebolajo claimed both men had wanted the police to kill them, to make them martyrs.

They did not get that wish, as both have since made a full recovery.

Nor did the jury believe their justification for killing Lee Rigby.

They ruled that death of the young fusilier was murder, pure and simple.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Woolwich Killers 'Abused Soldiers At Olympics'

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

Woolwich killer Michael Adebowale openly abused soldiers in the street as they worked at London's Olympic Games, police say.

Both he and Adebolajo were regular street preachers around southeast London and also took part in bigger demonstrations with other Muslims.

Adebowale's small group of preachers regularly set up in the centre of Greenwich on a pavement close to the Cutty Sark.

Local police officers told Sky News that during the Olympics they received complaints that Adebowale's group were targeting soldiers and sailors staying on HMS Ocean.

The vessel was berthed just metres from Adebowale's family home at Macey House on Thames Street, Greenwich.

The police officer said: "The group used to turn up every couple of months with a table and they would give out leaflets.

"But during the Olympics they began shouting abuse at the soldiers and sailors who were guarding the park."

Many of the equestrian events at the games were staged at nearby Greenwich Park.

Adebowale, left, and Adebolajo murdered Fusilier Rigby in May

A 25-year-old sweet shop worker who lives on the same Eastney Street estate where Adebowale stayed with his girlfriend said: "I saw him trying to get everyone to take his leaflets.

"He was shouting about rape, saying 'Stop causing rape' to everyone.

"I was shaking my head saying: 'What are you saying?'

"I know that one day he got arrested by the police for shouting abuse at people."

Retail assistant Aneesh Edakkavil told Sky News in May that the police came to his souvenir shop to look at the CCTV after the incident.

The former Indian Army soldier said: "One of them was arrested outside the shop."

He added: "The police came to see me after the Olympics to gather the evidence.

"Unfortunately, the CCTV camera did not cover the area where they were shouting out so they couldn't find anything."

Sky News also revealed in May how Adebowale was reported to the police for grooming a 12-year-old schoolboy into Islamic extremism.

A local trader, who did not wish to be named, told how he watched Adebowale brainwash the child with speeches against Britain.

The shopkeeper was later told by police that Adebowale was being monitored by security services.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Woolwich Killers 'Were No Immediate Threat'

Lee Rigby Murder Trial: Guilty Verdicts

Updated: 1:41pm UK, Thursday 19 December 2013

By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

An Old Bailey jury has convicted two young London men of the brutal murder of fusilier Lee Rigby.

It took the jury of eight women and four men about 90 minutes to return guilty verdicts on Michael Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Adebowale, 22.

The pair were found not guilty of attempting to murder police officers at the scene of the killing on May 22.  

Adebolajo glared at journalists and the jury as he was led to the prison cells and kissed his copy of the Koran. Adebowale did not react to the verdicts.

Members of Lee Rigby's family sobbed on the court steps as a statement was read by Detective Inspector Pete Sparks on their behalf.

The statement read: "No one should have to go through what we have been through as a family.

"We are satisfied that justice has been done, but unfortunately no amount of justice will bring Lee back.

"These people have taken him away from us forever but his memory lives on in all of us and we will never forget him.

"We are very proud of Lee, who served his country, and we will now focus on building a future for his son Jack, making him as proud of Lee as we all are. Lee will be sorely missed by his siblings, nieces, nephew and all of those who loved him.

"We now ask that we are left alone to grieve through our loss."

The murder of the off-duty soldier both horrified and united the nation, as politicians, faith leaders and members of the community in south east London came together to condemn the killing.

The 25-year-old drummer with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers was singled out by his attackers because he was a soldier.

Adebolajo, the only defendant who gave evidence, admitted killing the young serviceman, but claimed his actions were justified as part of a war against the British military and British government for wars waged by the UK in Muslim countries.  

During the trial, he was asked directly for his defence to the charge of murder.

Adebolajo told the jury: "I am a soldier. I am a soldier of Allah and I understand that some people might not recognise this because we do not wear fatigues and we don't go to the Brecon Beacons to train. But we are still soldiers."

He told the court he considered al Qaeda to be "mujahideen".

He said: "I love them, they're my brothers. I have never met them. I consider them my brothers in Islam."

Both Adebolajo and Adebowale had been known to the police and security services because of their extremist beliefs, but they had not been considered a significant or immediate threat.

Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee is examining whether any opportunities to prevent Mr Rigby's murder might have been missed by the authorities.

Scotland Yard's head of Specialist Operations, Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick, told Sky News the Met was fully co-operating with the inquiry.

"If we had known, if we had information that told us that these people were likely to commit this attack, or if somebody had said this was about to happen, of course we would have done everything we could to try to prevent it from happening.

"The profile of these two young men is not unique, sadly. And we will do our level best to try to find out about such people and to try to find out what they may intend. But we can't reduce the risks to zero," she said.

Lee Rigby's mother, widow and other family members sat through each day of the three week long trial, listening to often very harrowing evidence and viewing graphic video of the events outside Woolwich barracks.

At times, the evidence was just too much for the family to bear and they left court in tears on several occasions.

It was also a very difficult trial for the jury to sit through.

On occasions, some were visibly distressed as they watched CCTV footage taken at the time of the attack and listened to testimony from some of the eyewitnesses.

Witness Cheralee Armstrong said in a statement that there was "pure evil" in one of the knifemen's eyes, and that she thought she would die.

At first she thought they were trying to help the soldier after a road accident, but then saw that they were stabbing and hacking at him.

"It was like they were mutilating the person's body. It seemed like they were trying to remove his organs from his torso," she said.

When she shouted at the attackers to stop, she described one of them looking at her.

"The man in the hat (Adebolajo) stared at me, his expression was blank. Pure evil, and his eyes were bulging," she said.

He then pointed a gun towards her and James Henegan, who was driving her in his Citroen C3.

Mr Henegan wept in court as he described the moment he left his car and saw one of the men withdraw the gun from what looked like a "carrier bag".

"I thought he was going to shoot …fire a gun at us," he said.

The jury was told how Mr Rigby's killers refused to leave the scene after the murder, as they waited for police to arrive.

Those police officers were to have been their next victims, the prosecution claimed.

Dramatic CCTV and other video of the moments an armed response vehicle arrived outside the barracks were played to the jury.

There were gasps from the court as the footage showed the two men running towards the police vehicle and then being shot.

One of the officers - identified only as D49 - said she "instantly" thought she would die when Adebolajo ran towards her car.

She claimed he had a meat cleaver or machete and was "shouting something", adding that his eyes "were so wide" she could "see the whites of them".

Adebolajo claimed both men had wanted the police to kill them, to make them martyrs.

They did not get that wish, as both have since made a full recovery.

Nor did the jury believe their justification for killing Lee Rigby.

They ruled that death of the young fusilier was murder, pure and simple.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Woman Killed As High Winds Hit UK And Ireland

Further strong winds are expected to batter the UK today after two people died in gale force conditions.

The Met Office has an amber warning - its second-highest level - for Northern Ireland and parts of western Scotland, where gusts of up to 90mph are expected.

Wind warnings are in place across much of the Republic of Ireland, with Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo, as well as Munster, Leinster, Cavan and Monaghan, all braced for winds of up to 70mph.

As much as 20cm of snow could fall in Scotland, while icy roads may create treacherous driving conditions in Wales and across much of eastern England.

The League Cup game at Stoke was halted by a hail storm

It comes after storms caused by an Atlantic depression left two people dead and thousands of people without power.

A 23-year-old woman was killed in Ireland when a tree fell onto her car near Mullingar, County Westmeath.

Paramedics cut her free from the wreckage of the vehicle but she died from her injuries.

In Warwickshire, a man suffered head and chest injuries when a tree hit his car on the A45 between Stretton-on-Dunsmore and Rugby.

Flood warnings have been issued across the UK

A 19-year-old passenger in the car also suffered facial injuries.

Meanwhile, coastguards and an RAF helicopter were forced to call off a search after a man fell overboard from a cargo ship on the River Trent in Lincolnshire.

The 45-year-old, who was not thought to have been wearing a life jacket, became entangled in ropes, according to a coastguard spokesman.

The winds knocked out power to around 7,000 homes and businesses in Northern Ireland, with another 3,500 affected in northwest England and 900 in south Wales, although most people have now been reconnected.

The gales also caused widespread damage to overhead power and train lines.

The Environment Agency issued 29 flood warnings and 114 flood alerts, mostly in the west of the UK.

In Ireland, the strong winds ripped off part of the roof of Kent railway station in Cork, leaving one passenger with minor injuries.

The roof of Kent railway station in Cork collapsed in the high winds

The roof of a hotel was blown off in Moota, Cumbria, forcing police to close the A595.

Sheffield Wednesday's Championship game against Wigan had to be abandoned in the second half because of a waterlogged pitch and Manchester United's game against Stoke was temporarily halted by a hail storm.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Police Believe Body Found In Grave Is Jayden's

Police believe a body found in a grave in Didcot, Oxfordshire, is that of missing 17-year-old Jayden Parkinson.

Thames Valley Police said her family are heartbroken and devastated by the development.

Jayden was last seen leaving the town's railway station on December 3.

On Wednesday, the man leading the investigation, Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Murray, said police had received "significant and highly relevant information" which led their search efforts to a specific grave in the churchyard.

At a news conference on Thursday morning he said: "We had prepared Jayden's family for the worst but I'm afraid nothing can prepare you for the loss of your child.

"They remain heartbroken, they remain devastated, and our thoughts are with them at this time.

Ben Blakeley arrives at court

"It's been a long and difficult night but, as you probably know, we discovered a body in a particular grave in All Saints' Cemetery in Didcot and I believe that body to be Jayden Parkinson, our missing teenager.

"Formal identification has not yet taken place. Jayden's body was removed from the cemetery late last night.

"Our only work in that cemetery now consists of returning that cemetery to its previous state.

"A post-mortem will take place today to try to determine how Jayden died and our management of various crime scenes in and around Didcot will be dependent on the outcome of that post-mortem."

Jayden's former boyfriend, 22-year-old Ben Blakeley, of Reading, has appeared at Oxford Crown Court charged with her murder and perverting the course of justice.

More than 100 uniformed officers and detectives have been working on the case, backed up by specialists from the National Crime Agency, since she disappeared.

Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Murray has led the investigation

The teenager, who had recently moved to Oxford, was last seen leaving Didcot railway station at 4.27pm on December 3.

Police said there was "no indication" she was still alive, revealing Jayden had not used her mobile phone or accessed her bank account in the days since she had been reported missing.

Officers had previously issued an appeal for information about a man seen struggling with a suitcase just outside Upton, south of Didcot,  at about 2am on Monday December 9.

A search of farmland on the outskirts of the village took place following the sighting.

Officers said a man was seen with the same suitcase in the Lydalls Road area of Didcot - where All Saints is located - at about 3.30am the same day.

Detectives have since recovered several suitcases, one of which "may well be significant", according to Mr Murray.

In a post on Facebook on Sunday, Jayden's mother Samantha Shrewsbury wrote: "My baby, my princess, my heart is so heavy baby girl."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Tulisa Denies Class A Drug Offences In Court

Former X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos has denied being concerned with the supply of Class A drugs.

The N-Dubz star, 25, of Friern Barnet, north London, is accused of setting up an £860 deal to supply 13.9 grams of cocaine to an undercover reporter.

She appeared alongside rapper Mike GLC, also known as Michael Coombs, 35, of Velocity Way, Enfield, north London, at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

He denied a charge of supplying the drug.

Contostavlos, who wore black trousers, a black top and black jacket, was forced to disclose her address to the court after her solicitor applied for it to be withheld to prevent "unwanted visitors".

But Chief Magistrate Howard Riddle ruled "the address must be given" after considering the application with representations from prosecutor Emma Scheer and the Press Association.

The singer then told the court: "Just to let you know, after it being read out, in the next month or so I might have to move to a new address."

Contostavlos is accused of being "concerned with the supply of 13.9 grams of cocaine" to the Sun on Sunday's undercover reporter Mazher Mahmood, sometimes known as the fake sheikh, between May 20 and May 24.

Coombs, who wore a blue jumper and black jeans, is accused of supplying the drug on May 23.

The pair will next appear at Southwark Crown Court in central London on January 14.

Contostavlos, who was represented by Ross Dixon, allegedly set up the deal after telling Mahmood she could help provide him with "white sweets", which the court heard was a code for cocaine.

She is accused of playing a "significant role" putting the fake sheikh in touch with Coombs before the pair met at the upmarket Dorchester Hotel in central London.

The Sun on Sunday recorded the meeting in which Coombs is said to have handed over half an ounce of cocaine for £860.

Contostavlos, who had blonde ringlets and looked tanned for the hearing, was initially arrested in connection with the incident with Coombs on June 4.

She was officially dropped as a judge on X Factor days before her arrest, with Sharon Osbourne returning to the show in her place.

The pair were given unconditional bail by Mr Riddle.

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Lee Rigby Murder Trial Jury Considers Verdicts

The jury in the trial of two men accused of murdering soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich has retired to consider its verdicts at the Old Bailey.

Judge Mr Justice Sweeney finished his summing up this morning, outlining evidence relating to footage taken in the aftermath of the alleged attack on May 22.

The panel of eight women and four men were then sent out to begin their deliberations.

Lee Rigby died on May 22

Michael Adebolajo, 29, and Michael Adebowale, 22, are accused of murdering Fusilier Rigby by running him down in a car and then hacking him to death near Woolwich Barracks in south-east London.

They both deny murder and claim that they are "soldiers of Allah", although the judge has made clear that this is no legal defence.

The pair are also accused of the attempted murder of a police officer.

Adebolajo claimed that he ran at marksmen clutching a meat cleaver in a bid to get himself shot.

Adebowale did not give evidence, but his barrister Abbas Lakha QC said in his closing speech that he had brandished an unloaded gun at the officers with the same aim.

Yesterday Mr Justice Sweeney told the jury that they must not allow emotion to influence their decision.

He said: "To state the obvious - neither media or internet reporting, or speculation or emotion, can have any part to play in your deliberations.

"Guarding against speculation or emotion entering into your deliberations is particularly important in cases of this type. What's required of you is a cool, calm, careful and dispassionate consideration of the evidence."

18.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tulisa Denies Class A Drug Offences In Court

Former X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos has denied being concerned with the supply of Class A drugs.

The N-Dubz star, 25, of Friern Barnet, north London, is accused of setting up an £860 deal to supply 13.9 grams of cocaine to an undercover reporter.

She appeared alongside rapper Mike GLC, also known as Michael Coombs, 35, of Velocity Way, Enfield, north London, at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

He denied a charge of supplying the drug.

Contostavlos, who wore black trousers, a black top and black jacket, was forced to disclose her address to the court after her solicitor applied for it to be withheld to prevent "unwanted visitors".

But Chief Magistrate Howard Riddle ruled "the address must be given" after considering the application with representations from prosecutor Emma Scheer and the Press Association.

The singer then told the court: "Just to let you know, after it being read out, in the next month or so I might have to move to a new address."

Contostavlos is accused of being "concerned with the supply of 13.9 grams of cocaine" to the Sun on Sunday's undercover reporter Mazher Mahmood, sometimes known as the fake sheikh, between May 20 and May 24.

Coombs, who wore a blue jumper and black jeans, is accused of supplying the drug on May 23.

The pair will next appear at Southwark Crown Court in central London on January 14.

Contostavlos, who was represented by Ross Dixon, allegedly set up the deal after telling Mahmood she could help provide him with "white sweets", which the court heard was a code for cocaine.

She is accused of playing a "significant role" putting the fake sheikh in touch with Coombs before the pair met at the upmarket Dorchester Hotel in central London.

The Sun on Sunday recorded the meeting in which Coombs is said to have handed over half an ounce of cocaine for £860.

Contostavlos, who had blonde ringlets and looked tanned for the hearing, was initially arrested in connection with the incident with Coombs on June 4.

She was officially dropped as a judge on X Factor days before her arrest, with Sharon Osbourne returning to the show in her place.

The pair were given unconditional bail by Mr Riddle.

18.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Woman Killed As High Winds Hit UK And Ireland

Further strong winds are expected to batter the UK today after two people died in gale force conditions.

The Met Office has an amber warning - its second-highest level - for Northern Ireland and parts of western Scotland, where gusts of up to 90mph are expected.

Wind warnings are in place across much of the Republic of Ireland, with Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo, as well as Munster, Leinster, Cavan and Monaghan, all braced for winds of up to 70mph.

As much as 20cm of snow could fall in Scotland, while icy roads may create treacherous driving conditions in Wales and across much of eastern England.

The League Cup game at Stoke was halted by a hail storm

It comes after storms caused by an Atlantic depression left two people dead and thousands of people without power.

A 23-year-old woman was killed in Ireland when a tree fell onto her car near Mullingar, County Westmeath.

Paramedics cut her free from the wreckage of the vehicle but she died from her injuries.

In Warwickshire, a man suffered head and chest injuries when a tree hit his car on the A45 between Stretton-on-Dunsmore and Rugby.

Flood warnings have been issued across the UK

A 19-year-old passenger in the car also suffered facial injuries.

Meanwhile, coastguards and an RAF helicopter were forced to call off a search after a man fell overboard from a cargo ship on the River Trent in Lincolnshire.

The 45-year-old, who was not thought to have been wearing a life jacket, became entangled in ropes, according to a coastguard spokesman.

The winds knocked out power to around 7,000 homes and businesses in Northern Ireland, with another 3,500 affected in northwest England and 900 in south Wales, although most people have now been reconnected.

The gales also caused widespread damage to overhead power and train lines.

The Environment Agency issued 29 flood warnings and 114 flood alerts, mostly in the west of the UK.

In Ireland, the strong winds ripped off part of the roof of Kent railway station in Cork, leaving one passenger with minor injuries.

The roof of Kent railway station in Cork collapsed in the high winds

The roof of a hotel was blown off in Moota, Cumbria, forcing police to close the A595.

Sheffield Wednesday's Championship game against Wigan had to be abandoned in the second half because of a waterlogged pitch and Manchester United's game against Stoke was temporarily halted by a hail storm.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Police Believe Body Found In Grave Is Jayden's

Police believe a body found in a grave in Didcot, Oxfordshire, is that of missing 17-year-old Jayden Parkinson.

Thames Valley Police said her family are heartbroken and devastated by the development.

Jayden was last seen leaving the town's railway station on December 3.

On Wednesday, the man leading the investigation, Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Murray, said police had received "significant and highly relevant information" which led their search efforts to a specific grave in the churchyard.

At a news conference on Thursday morning he said: "We had prepared Jayden's family for the worst but I'm afraid nothing can prepare you for the loss of your child.

"They remain heartbroken, they remain devastated, and our thoughts are with them at this time.

Ben Blakeley arrives at court

"It's been a long and difficult night but, as you probably know, we discovered a body in a particular grave in All Saints' Cemetery in Didcot and I believe that body to be Jayden Parkinson, our missing teenager.

"Formal identification has not yet taken place. Jayden's body was removed from the cemetery late last night.

"Our only work in that cemetery now consists of returning that cemetery to its previous state.

"A post-mortem will take place today to try to determine how Jayden died and our management of various crime scenes in and around Didcot will be dependent on the outcome of that post-mortem."

Jayden's former boyfriend, 22-year-old Ben Blakeley, of Reading, has appeared at Oxford Crown Court charged with her murder and perverting the course of justice.

More than 100 uniformed officers and detectives have been working on the case, backed up by specialists from the National Crime Agency, since she disappeared.

Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Murray has led the investigation

The teenager, who had recently moved to Oxford, was last seen leaving Didcot railway station at 4.27pm on December 3.

Police said there was "no indication" she was still alive, revealing Jayden had not used her mobile phone or accessed her bank account in the days since she had been reported missing.

Officers had previously issued an appeal for information about a man seen struggling with a suitcase just outside Upton, south of Didcot,  at about 2am on Monday December 9.

A search of farmland on the outskirts of the village took place following the sighting.

Officers said a man was seen with the same suitcase in the Lydalls Road area of Didcot - where All Saints is located - at about 3.30am the same day.

Detectives have since recovered several suitcases, one of which "may well be significant", according to Mr Murray.

In a post on Facebook on Sunday, Jayden's mother Samantha Shrewsbury wrote: "My baby, my princess, my heart is so heavy baby girl."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

18.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lee Rigby Murder Trial Jury Considers Verdicts

The jury in the trial of two men accused of murdering soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich has retired to consider its verdicts at the Old Bailey.

Judge Mr Justice Sweeney finished his summing up this morning, outlining evidence relating to footage taken in the aftermath of the alleged attack on May 22.

The panel of eight women and four men were then sent out to begin their deliberations.

Lee Rigby died on May 22

Michael Adebolajo, 29, and Michael Adebowale, 22, are accused of murdering Fusilier Rigby by running him down in a car and then hacking him to death near Woolwich Barracks in south-east London.

They both deny murder and claim that they are "soldiers of Allah", although the judge has made clear that this is no legal defence.

The pair are also accused of the attempted murder of a police officer.

Adebolajo claimed that he ran at marksmen clutching a meat cleaver in a bid to get himself shot.

Adebowale did not give evidence, but his barrister Abbas Lakha QC said in his closing speech that he had brandished an unloaded gun at the officers with the same aim.

Yesterday Mr Justice Sweeney told the jury that they must not allow emotion to influence their decision.

He said: "To state the obvious - neither media or internet reporting, or speculation or emotion, can have any part to play in your deliberations.

"Guarding against speculation or emotion entering into your deliberations is particularly important in cases of this type. What's required of you is a cool, calm, careful and dispassionate consideration of the evidence."

18.40 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria: Sky News Gains Access To UK Jihadists

By Stuart Ramsay, Chief Correspondent

Sky News has gained the first access to a previously unknown brigade of exclusively British jihadists fighting in Syria.

Until now, the existence of this UK brigade has been kept a secret, but it reveals that British security services have hugely underestimated the scale of UK nationals involved in the bloodshed.

In a series of wide-ranging and frank interviews, the jihadists, who have asked Sky News to protect their identities for fear of a backlash against their families in the UK, reveal that hundreds of young men from Britain have joined the fight against Bashar al Assad's government and that "at least" four die each month.

They also claim that the UK remains the largest single source of private fundraising for jihadi fighters, outdoing countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.

In the interviews, carried out by US journalist and Muslim convert, Bilal Abdul Kareem, exclusively for Sky News, the Islamic fighters insist they have no intention of attacking UK targets or waging jihad on British soil.

One of the men, identified as Mustafa, is asked directly if he is part of al Qaeda and why he insists on hiding his identity.

"I'm not part of al Qaeda, and I've never been a part of al Qaeda - ever,"  he says.

UK jihadists say they are no threat to Britain

"I'm not a terrorist in any way. If people could see how much goodness we have in our hearts, how much mercy we have for people and how much you know we are driven by compassion to help other people they wouldn't think that we were terrorists.

"But this is a line that they have been fed and there are people that benefit from pushing that narrative about us, so I protect my identity."

This denial follows warnings from the heads of the UK's security services that young men travelling to Syria risk being radicalised before returning home to carry out terror attacks in Britain.

Fighting on a mountain top in the northeast of the country, these men look like hardcore jihadists, but when they speak they are pure Brits.

They say they will not attack UK targets

They joke and laugh between themselves, sometimes comparing the now ubiquitous "selfies".

But they hardly speak any Arabic and are dependent on one of their number to give orders on the battlefield.

Like British soldiers, they discuss kit and the best things to buy for jihad. In one exchange a young man, advised to buy new binoculars, naively asks if eBay will deliver.

"No man," one of the more seasoned fighters laughs in reply, shaking his head, "eBay won't deliver here man."

It is pure comedy. The men insist they have a moral obligation to help in Syria because of the outside world's refusal to intervene in the near three-year-old civil war, and deny they are terrorists.

"When you see atrocities carried out like what you see from the images that you see from Syria, then really as a human being, you know morally there should be an obligation just being part of the human race to defend such people," one of the brigade's leaders told Sky News.

"But if morals can't, if that's not enough to motivate you, our religion demands for us that people that cannot defend themselves, that somebody needs to get up and respond to their call. Ethically, it's the only right thing to do," he said during a pause in the fighting.

The Britons say they were angered by the lack of international intervention

The armed opposition to President Assad in the north of the country is now being waged almost exclusively by a myriad of jihadist groups supported by a significant number of foreign fighters from the USA, Canada, Northern Europe, North Africa and the former Soviet republics of Chechnya and Dagestan.

The British contingent say their numbers are increasing daily and social networking sites are helping to organise the influx into Syria.

They know that returning to their families in the UK will be extremely difficult from now on, but in reality they probably won't get the chance - the fighting footsoldier's life expectancy in Syria is very short once serious combat begins.

This committed group buck many stereotypes used to describe the Islamist fighters in Syria.

Whether anyone agrees or disagrees with them is not in itself relevant, not yet at least, as this is the first time we have ever heard them speak.

:: A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "Syria is the number one destination for jihadists anywhere in the world. There are thousands of foreign fighters in Syria, including large numbers of Europeans, gaining combat experience and forging connections with extremists.

"Some people who travel from the UK to Syria for jihadist fighting will pose a security threat when they return. We are concerned that Al-Qaeda affiliates such as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the Al Nusrah Front (ANF) are now able to operate in the large areas of ungoverned space that have been created by the conflict.

"We are aware of at least 200 UK-linked individuals of concern who have travelled to Syria, but the true number is likely to be higher."

The FCO said it is taking the following action:

:: Intelligence agencies and police are working to identify and disrupt potential threats.
:: The police have the power to examine and detain individuals at the UK border to investigate any concerns of terrorism involvement.
:: UK nationals of concern seeking to travel from the UK can have their passports removed or withdrawn. And foreign nationals resident in the UK can have their leave to remain revoked if they are deemed non-conducive to the public good.
:: Working with our international partners we have secured the designation of the al-Nusrah Front under the UN al Qaeda sanctions regime.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The report has rightly highlighted the importance of finding a political transition in Syria to bring this brutal regime to an end and the continuing vigilance we must have."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602 and Freeview channel 82.

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Ronnie Biggs: Great Train Robber Dies Aged 84

Biggs: An International Fugitive

Updated: 11:10am UK, Wednesday 18 December 2013

Here is a timeline of Ronnie Biggs' life.

Ronald Arthur Biggs was born in Lambeth, south London, on August 8, 1929.

:: January 1945: The 15-year-old Biggs made his first court appearance - for stealing pencils from Littlewoods.

:: 1950: Biggs cut a faintly absurd figure in the robbery of a bookie in Lambeth Road. His contribution was to ask the bookie's wife for her handbag.

"When she did not have one, Biggs picked up a vase as though to hit her," reads the court report of the case.

:: August 1963: With nine convictions to his name, he was given the chance to play a bit part in a robbery on an altogether grander scale and, by accepting it, set himself on the path to a lifetime of infamy.

About a month after the attack, Biggs and other members of the gang were tracked down by police after an operation led by Scotland Yard detective Jack Slipper.

:: January 1964 - Biggs stood trial for the robbery and was jailed for 30 years.

:: 1965 - after serving just 15 months, he escaped from London's Wandsworth Prison by scaling a wall and jumping on to a mattress in an open-top van.

:: The same year, Biggs took his wife Charmian and sons to Spain and spent two months convalescing after having plastic surgery in France to change his appearance.

:: 1969 - Biggs was tracked by Scotland Yard to Melbourne, Australia and fled to Brazil.

:: 1970 - The mail train driver Jack Mills, who never made a full recovery after being coshed during the robbery, died.

:: 1971 - Biggs' son Nicky died in a car crash aged 10.

:: 1974 - Biggs made a deal with the Daily Express amid rumours he would surrender if assured an early parole date, but the paper contacted detective Jack Slipper who arrested him in Rio de Janeiro.

The convicted robber successfully argued against extradition because he had a Brazilian dependent, a young son, Michael, by his girlfriend Raimunda de Castro.

:: April 1977 - Biggs went aboard the British frigate Danae for a few drinks. The ship was in Rio for a courtesy visit, but surprisingly he was not arrested.

:: 1978 - He recorded No One Is Innocent, for the Sex Pistols and also raised money by selling T-shirts of himself and entertaining Japanese tourists.

:: March 1981 - Biggs was kidnapped in Rio by a gang of adventurers and smuggled to Barbados by boat. Their aim was to bring him back to Britain.

The Barbados High Court decided the rules governing extradition to Britain had not been properly put before the island's parliament, and Biggs was allowed to return to Rio.

:: 1988 - Pop star Phil Collins starred in Buster, a film based on the train robbery.

:: January 1994 - Biggs published his autobiography, Odd Man Out.

:: 1997 - The Brazilian Supreme Court rejected a new request by the British Government to extradite him.

:: March 1998 - The fugitive collapsed at his home in Rio and suffered a stroke which temporarily left him unable to speak.

:: August 8, 1999 - Biggs celebrated his 70th birthday in the company of 140 friends including fellow Great Train Robber Bruce Reynolds, 36 years to the day after their infamous crime.

:: September 1999 - Biggs appeared in a worldwide TV advert for hair grafts. In the same month he suffered his second stroke, followed by a third stroke 12 days later.

:: May 3, 2001 - After 35 years on the run, Biggs sent an e-mail to Scotland Yard saying he wanted to come home.

:: May 7, 2001 - Biggs arrives on a private plane at RAF Northolt, and is immediately arrested. He is later sent back to prison.

Within weeks Biggs was in hospital receiving treatment for a suspected stroke. He spent much of his time in the prison hospital at Belmarsh after suffering a series of heart attacks, strokes and epileptic seizures.

:: January 30, 2002 - The Criminal Cases Review Commission rejects an application to send Biggs' case to the Court of Appeal. He had argued his sentence was inappropriate and unnecessary.

:: March 28, 2002 - Biggs's lawyers lodge papers at the High Court arguing his is an "exceptional case" and should be sent back to the Court of Appeal.

:: July 10, 2002 - Biggs marries Brazilian former Samba dancer Raimunda Rothen, the mother of his son Michael, in a private ceremony at Belmarsh jail attended by 11 guests.

:: January 13, 2003 - Michael claims his father was punched and "karate kicked" by a prison officer in Belmarsh.

:: October 2, 2003 - Biggs' attempt to appeal against his sentence is thrown out by a High Court judge who calls it "hopeless" and "misconceived".

His son Michael complains that his father was not given legal aid to fight the case and announces plans to go to the European Court of Human Rights.

:: January 6, 2004 - Biggs is taken to the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Woolwich, south London, suffering from pneumonia.

:: January 8, 2004 - After returning to Belmarsh the day before, Biggs is taken back to hospital after becoming dehydrated and vomiting. His barrister Nigel Sangster QC says he is making an immediate petition to the European Court of Human Rights about Biggs's continued imprisonment.

:: August 9, 2004 - Biggs' lawyers launch a High Court legal bid to win his release on compassionate grounds. Solicitors ask for a judicial review of Biggs' detention at high security Belmarsh.

:: August 30, 2004 - Biggs is taken to hospital again, this time it is understood it is because he was passing blood.

It is the fifth time the ailing robber has been moved to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital from the hospital wing at Belmarsh after suffering a series of strokes, minor heart attacks and contracting scabies.

:: June 15, 2005 - Solicitors say they have written to Home Secretary Charles Clarke to ask for Biggs to be released on compassionate grounds.

:: July 12, 2005 - Sources say prison bosses have decided that Biggs is not ill enough to qualify for early release.

:: August 10, 2005 - The Home Office confirms Biggs has become infected with MRSA while in hospital undergoing routine treatment.

:: September 21, 2005 - Prison service sources deny claims Biggs has gone on hunger strike.

:: October 26, 2005 - Home Secretary Charles Clarke rejects a plea for Biggs to be released from prison on compassionate grounds - because his illness is not deemed terminal.

:: December 2, 2005 - Biggs' solicitors say they have asked Mr Clarke for a pardon, using "prerogative powers".

:: July 4, 2007 - Prison sources say the Great Train Robber has been moved from Belmarsh to a unit for elderly life-sentenced inmates, even though he is not serving a life sentence, at the lower security Norwich jail.

:: October 4, 2007 - Biggs apologises for "glamorising" his crime and promises that if he is freed from jail he will live outside the UK.

:: February 13, 2009 - Biggs is moved to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in Norwich after falling ill in Norwich Prison.

:: July 1, 2009 - Biggs is refused parole by Justice Secretary Jack Straw, who said the Great Train Robber was "wholly unrepentant".

:: August 8, 2009 - Biggs was granted release from his prison sentence on compassionate grounds. Mr Straw said the decision was based on medical evidence that Biggs' condition had deteriorated and he was not expected to recover. The next day he was officially released from the the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital.

:: August 17, 2009 - Biggs moved into his final home, the Carlton Court Care Home in Barnet, north London, where he received 24-hour care.

:: March 20, 2013 - Biggs was last seen in public at the funeral of of fellow great train robber Bruce Reynolds. He had a defiant message for the waiting press as he flipped the 'V' sign.

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Syria: Family Of Dead UK Doctor Want Answers

By Joe Tidy, Sky News Reporter

The family of a British doctor who died while in custody in Syria are meeting Foreign Office representatives to demand answers on how he died.

Dr Abbas Khan, 32, had been imprisoned for more than a year after travelling to Aleppo to treat injured civilians.

He was about to be released when the Syrian regime announced he was dead. It claims he killed himself.

He leaves behind a wife and two children who were preparing to have him home for Christmas.

Speaking to Sky News, Dr Shahnawaz Khan insisted his brother was not suicidal because he knew he was coming home.

Dr Khan's brother says the family now wants his body back home

He says the family is desperately trying to get  Dr Khan's body repatriated so that a post-mortem examination can be carried out.

Dr Khan explained why his family was critical of the Foreign Office for what he saw as its failure to take action.

He said: "We as a family, having found a situation where he was in detention, managed to lobby high-up members in the Syrian government ... we then managed to come home and lobby members of our own Government - without any support whatsoever from the Foreign Office - to give us assistance in travelling to Damascus, meet with President Assad and bring my brother home.

"The Foreign Office put up a 'closed shop' placard, placated us throughout and, to an extent, their lack of action - or inaction - over the past 13 months has contributed to the outcome that we're unfortunately faced with.

Dr Khan went to Syria to help the injured

"The least the Foreign Office can do now is help us get his body back to England as quickly as possible, with as little pain as possible."

Foreign Office minister Hugh Robertson said: "There is no excuse whatsoever for the treatment that he has suffered by the Syrian authorities who have in effect murdered a British national who was in their country to help people injured during their civil war."

A spokesman for David Cameron said: "Of course the Prime Minister sends his sincerest condolences to Dr Khan's family at what is a very difficult time for them.

"We have raised this case with the Syrian regime.

"The central point in this is that the responsibility for the death lies with the Syrian regime.

"This is further evidence of the brutality of the Syrian regime." 

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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