Brit Oliver Gobat Feared Murdered In St Lucia

The family of a British man missing on the Caribbean island of St Lucia are awaiting the identification of a body found in the seat of his burnt-out car.

Hotelier and property developer Oliver Gobat, 38, was reported missing last Friday.

The Foreign Office is urgently investigating reports of his death.

Double Olympic decathlon gold medallist Daley Thompson paid a personal tribute to Mr Gobat on Twitter.

The retired athlete, who has carried out fitness sessions at the family's five-star Cap Maison hotel on the island, wrote: "My love and thoughts go out to friends and family of Ollie Gobat. He was a gem and his family must have been so proud of him. RIP, my friend."

Former heptathlete and Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis also tweeted: "Just reading the shocking news about the death of Oliver Gobat. So very sad. My condolences to his family and friends. Such a lovely guy."

The victim was reportedly shot twice in the head before being doused with petrol and set alight, although police have refused to confirm this.

A post-mortem examination is due to be held later.

An FCO spokesperson said: "We are aware of reports and are looking into them urgently."

It is claimed residents in nearby properties reported hearing sounds of gunshots before seeing flames coming from the vehicle.

A short time later, Mr Gobat's burnt-out Range Rover was found with a body of a man in the passenger seat.

It is reported there were no keys in the vehicle and the doors were locked.

A St Lucia police spokesman said: "The badly burned body of a man was found in a car in the Cap Estate at the roadside but we have no identity for the victim.

"The homicide department are investigating the death.

"We can confirm that we are searching for a missing man called Oliver Gobat, but we cannot confirm the identity of the dead man because of the state of the body.

"We do not know Mr Gobat's whereabouts at the moment."

Mr Gobat's parents, who live in Esher, Surrey, are understood to have flown out to St Lucia.

Mr Gobat represented Surrey juniors at cricket and attended Leeds University.

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School Stabbing Prompts Teacher Tribute Tweets

The fatal stabbing of Ann Maguire at a school in Leeds has led to a public outpouring of tributes among social media users remembering their teachers past and present.

As staff and students at Corpus Christi Catholic College struggled to come to terms with the death of the 61-year-old, the hashtag #thankyouteacher set up by the @PeopleofLeeds Twitter account prompted a flood of posts.

Many were motivated to tweet their support and respect for the teaching profession in the wake of the tragedy.

Chloe Potter posted: "Such a moving, important and positive hashtag to come out of yesterday's tragedy. #thankyouteacher."

In another tweet, Emma Langley wrote: "So saddened by Mrs Maguire stabbing. Not inevitable I'd end up spending so much time in books, let alone as a career, so #thankyouteacher."

Another user tweeted: "To all my teachers, I wouldn't be here without you all. Inspired me to become one. #thankyouteacher."

The hashtag #thankyouteacher has attracted a flood of posts

Labour MP Diane Abbott also tweeted her respect for teachers, describing them as "pillars of communities across the UK".

Another user wrote: "Teachers everywhere, what you do is plant a seed that blossoms when we are adults. We thank you."

As the school in Leeds opened on Tuesday, children began arriving early to add tributes to the 200-plus bouquets of flowers covering the railings outside the gates.

Many of the students described Mrs Maguire, who had taught at the school for more than 40 years, as an inspirational teacher who went out of her way to help pupils.

One of the notes left with the flowers at the school in Leeds read: "You inspired countless generations.

"You taught four generations of our family and you were simply a totally fantastic teacher, always caring and always there to make us smile (even if you were speaking Spanish)."

Tributes have been left at the school gates as well as on social media

Former pupil Kerrianne Ayward, 17, said: "She was just lovely. She was helpful and caring and you could have a laugh with her.

"She was always there for you, even if she didn't know you very well. No one had a bad word for her - I mean no one."

Pupil Georgina Kilroy, 16, said: "I don't know anyone who didn't like her. She was spot on. You couldn't ask for a better teacher."

As she was laying flowers, former pupil Aine Arnold added: "It's more like losing a family member than losing a teacher. She was just lovely. She was wonderful. I am devastated."

Peter Masefield, 18, described Mrs Maguire as the "school's figurehead", while Georgina Kilroy, 16, added: "I don't know anyone who didn't like her. She was spot on. You couldn't ask for a better teacher."

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School Teacher Stabbing: Tributes At Memorial

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

The Tuesday morning mass held at Corpus Christi church, next to the Catholic school where teacher Ann Maguire was stabbed to death on Monday, was packed.

As a testament to her popularity among generations in the local community, the usually sparse congregation was swelled by hundreds of pupils past and present who came to pay their respects.

There were few tears at the service.

Instead, many of the teenagers said they were there to celebrate a teacher who had helped them personally in both their school work and their lives.

One of the many handwritten tributes to school teacher Ann Maguire

Parish priest Monsignor Paul Fisher offered prayers for Mrs Maguire and her family, telling the congregation: "Today we pray for the light of hope - hope for ourselves that we will eventually come to terms with what has happened."

He alluded only briefly to the horror of what happened just a few hundred yards away in the school's languages block.

"We offer prayers too for the family of the man who unfortunately did what he did," he said.

Prayers were also said for the family of the boy who stabbed the teacher

Pupils walking back from the service passed the hundreds of flowers lining the pavement underneath the school railings.

One message, written by a boy preparing for exams, appeared to sum up the attitude of many in the school community.

It read: "To Mrs Maguire. Thank you for everything you have done for me. I will put all my effort into my exams for you. Rest in peace."

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Leeds Teacher Died From Multiple Stab Wounds

A post-mortem examination has found a teacher killed at a Leeds school died from multiple stab wounds.

Ann Maguire, 61, who taught at Corpus Christi Catholic College for more than 40 years, had been due to retire in September.

Police say they will be interviewing the 15-year-old held in connection with her death at some point during the day.

Due to his age, officers said this would have to be handled sensitively.

The students who witnessed the incident are being interviewed by specialist officers.

The authorities have also stressed the fatal stabbing is an isolated incident.

The school community has been stunned by the murder of the popular teacher

Detective Superintendent Simon Buldon said: "This is clearly an unprecedented and tragic incident that's left the school and wider community in a state of shock."

The school's chair of governors Martin Dowling said: "This has been a shocking but isolated incident.

"Ann was a wonderful, dedicated teacher and will be remembered fondly by all of us."

School head Steve Mort said: "Ann Maguire was a wonderful, caring individual. She was an outstanding teacher and an outstanding leader.

"She'd been a cornerstone of the school community for 40 years, she'd touched the hearts of three generations of pupils."

Mr Mort also did not think detectors were necessary, adding that the school was a "safe environment".

Police retained a presence at the school following the fatal stabbing

He added: "And I think ultimately Ann Maguire herself, if she was asked that question, would strongly oppose any suggestion that we should have metal detectors in this school."

The school opened as normal on Tuesday to allow staff and students to remember Mrs Maguire, and support each other.

Children began arriving early to add tributes to the more than 200 bouquets of flowers that cover the railings outside the gates.

Mrs Maguire was also remembered at a service in the neighbouring Corpus Christi Church.

Monsignor Paul Fisher said: "Today we pray for the light of hope: hope for ourselves that eventually we will come to terms with what has happened.

"We offer prayer too for the family of the man who unfortunately did what he did."

Head teacher Steve Moat and students lay flowers in church

Officers were called to the school just before noon on Monday after a report a member of staff had been stabbed. A knife was recovered from the scene.

Around 30 pupils witnessed Mrs Maguire, who is believed have two grown-up daughters, being stabbed repeatedly in class.

Some reported hearing screams as other members of staff rushed to her classroom and restrained her attacker.

Her death is the first time a teacher has been stabbed to death in a British classroom.

Head teacher Philip Lawrence was murdered outside a school in Maida Vale, London, in 1995 when he went to help a pupil who was being attacked.

A recent Sky News investigation revealed almost 1,000 pupils were caught with weapons including guns, axes and a meat cleaver in schools in the last three years.

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Max Clifford Found Guilty Of Sex Charges

PR guru Max Clifford has been found guilty of a string of sex attacks on teenage girls.

The 71-year-old became the first person to be convicted under the high profile Operation Yewtree sex crime investigation at Southwark Crown Court.

He was found guilty of eight indecent assaults, cleared of two and the jury was unable to reach a verdict on one other.

The guilty verdicts relate to four women, aged between 15 and 19 at the time of the offences, between 1978 and 1984.

Clifford has described the charges as a 'nightmare'

The verdicts were taken in a hushed but packed courtroom, given by the forewoman of the jury on its eighth day of deliberations.

Clifford sat still in the dock impassively as the jury forewoman returned the verdicts.

He could be seen breathing deeply as he listened through a hearing loop.

He walked out of the courtroom with friends and supporters in complete silence, one of them patting him on the shoulder as he walked.

The trial heard from Clifford's daughter Louise who said he was 'her rock'

Clifford was released on bail until his sentencing on Friday, but Judge Anthony Leonard QC warned him this is no reflection on the sentence that will be passed.

He said: "You must realise that the fact I have given you bail is no indication of what the final sentence will be."

Clifford repeatedly denied the claims, calling his arrest and prosecution "a nightmare" and protesting his innocence.

Jurors in the trial - - six men and four women - had started an eighth day of deliberation this morning.

They were sent out on April 15 at the end of a six-week trial in which Clifford was accused of manipulating seven girls and women into performing sex acts between 1966 and 1984.

He was arrested by detectives from Operation Yewtree in December 2012, and charged in April the following year.

The investigation, Scotland Yard's inquiry into historic allegations of sexual offences, was prompted after claims were made against the late DJ Jimmy Savile.

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Sheffield Fire: Three Children Among Five Dead

Five people, including three young children, have died in a house fire in Sheffield despite heroic efforts to save the youngsters.

The children - a nine-week-old girl and two boys aged seven and nine - died alongside their aunt, Shabina Begum, 20, and grandmother, Anum Parvaiz, 54. 

The older boy was named as Adhyan Nazim and his younger brother Amaan Nazim. The baby has not yet been named.

Firefighters said the blaze was severe

Residents in the street were woken shortly after midnight by the sound of wailing and screaming.

Witnesses said that neighbours banged on doors of the home and smashed a window to raise the alarm. 

A neighbour told how they saw the grandmother run distraught from the blazing home, before going back inside to try and rescue the others. 

It is understood the children's father, taxi driver Nazim Parvaiz, was out working when the fire broke out but their mother, Razia Nazim, survived the blaze.

Police are investigating the cause of the blaze

They are said to be devastated and are being comforted by relatives.

Scenes of crime officers have erected a tent outside the three-storey terraced home in Wake Road, Sharrow, and are searching for clues.

Ishfaq Hussain Kayan, the cousin of one of the women who died, said: "Words cannot describe how sad this is. It's a tragedy beyond description.

"They (the children) were full of life, quite bubbly, very energetic. They were looking forward to attending school."

Wake Road is about one mile from the centre of Sheffield

He said the children's mother "is in a state of shock".

"She's beyond consoling, really. I just hope and pray that they recover from this tragedy."

Mr Hussain Kayani said he believed Ms Nazim, the mother, was in the house when the fire broke out .

"She managed to escape. The grandmother of the children, she made attempts to rescue the children but obviously it wasn't to be," Mr Hussain Kayani  said.

"She came out then went back in, tried her level best. Frantic attempts were made to rescue the children."

Police have sealed off the road

He told Sky News: "The father had taken the boys for haircuts for school and the 20-year-old was getting ready to start university.

"Just in a matter of minutes the whole family has been destroyed. They were such a lovely family, such a prosperous family, such a joyous family, well-respected."

The five victims died after the blaze broke out shortly after midnight.

Phil Shillito, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue area manager, said 25 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze.

Ishfaq Hussain Kayan says the family were 'joyous and prosperous'

"They were faced with a very challenging fire, lots of flames coming out of the property, and they were aware family members were in the premise and they went in wearing breathing apparatus enabling them to breathe in the hot and smoky environment.

"Unfortunately they did find five casualties in the property."

Sky's North of England Correspondent Mike McCarthy said Wake Road had been sealed off while investigations continued.

"A 999 call was made at 12.15am and an operation involved an aerial ladder to reach an upper floor," McCarthy said.

"There's a white scenes of crime tent outside the house and there's a window open there. I can still smell the smoke from the fire." 

Four fire engines were called to the scene, as well as police and ambulance services.

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More Tornado Warnings After Deadly US Strikes

At least 17 people have been killed and many more injured in the United States after a powerful storm system saw tornadoes rip through Arkansas and Oklahoma.

A dozen or more twisters tore through central and southern parts of the country, decimating buildings, overturning trucks and bringing down trees and power lines.

National Guard troops have been mobilised in the worst hit areas and rescue workers have been searching debris for victims, as forecasters warned more twisters were on their way.

A tornado in Arkansas killed 16 people on its 30-mile destructive path

Tornadoes also hit in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Louisiana, causing damage and injuries.

President Barack Obama, who is currently in the Philippines, sent his condolences to those affected and pledged any assistance necessary.

"Your country will be there to help you recover and rebuild, as long as it takes," he said.

The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management said a large tornado which formed outside Little Rock killed 16 people as it carved a 30-mile path of destruction through the state.

It was the largest of several tornadoes created by a powerful storm system.

Another twister which hit the town of Quapaw, Oklahoma, left one person dead and at least six people injured.

A tornado obliterated homes in Mayflower, Arkansas

It then continued into Kansas, destroying up to 70 homes and injuring 25 people in the city of Baxter Springs. 

In Mayflower, Arkansas, one person was killed and 45 homes were destroyed as a tornado swept through.

City alderman Will Elder said: "It's extremely hazardous here right now. The power lines are down, roads are blocked and they (emergency services) will have to proceed with caution."

James Firestone, mayor of the Arkansas town of Vilonia said: "It's chaos right now."

He said the downtown area "seems like it's completely levelled", adding: "There are a few buildings partially standing, gas lines are spewing and fire lines are down. We've had some casualties."

Firefighters from nearby cities, as well as National Guard troops, were heading to the town to help, with the county sheriff's office reporting a "mass casualty situation".

The deadly twisters have devastated neighbourhoods

Representative Tim Griffin said: "Tonight, I walked around what was only hours earlier a thriving neighbourhood that is now gone.

"An entire neighbourhood of 50 or so homes has been destroyed.

"Many homes are completely gone except the foundation and there is more devastation like this in other parts of Arkansas."

Writing on Twitter, Arkansas governor Mike Beebe added: "It's been a truly awful night for many families, neighbourhoods and communities, but Arkansans always step up to help each other recover."

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Teacher Stabbed To Death At Leeds School

School Pupils Caught With Weapons

Updated: 12:07am UK, Wednesday 23 April 2014

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs and Education Editor

Almost 1,000 pupils were caught with weapons including guns, axes and a meat cleaver in schools in the last three years, a Sky News investigation has found.

New figures show 981 children have had weapons confiscated on school premises since 2011.

They include at least 80 primary school children, the youngest of whom was an eight-year-old caught with a knife.

Some 36 pupils were found with an assortment of guns, including two hand guns, seven air-powered weapons and 27 BB guns.

Of those found with weapons, 329 caught with items including an axe, a cut-throat razor and a stun gun were charged with a criminal offence.

One 18-year-old, who is taking part in a young offender's programme in London, said: "I carried a weapon ... but only because of the environment I was in.

"My generation is a bit wild ... so it's a normal thing to carry a weapon because you know everyone else is. It's making it fair, basically."

Campaigners warned the scale of the problem is likely to be much worse, as 21 of the UK's 52 police forces did not supply figures requested under the Freedom of Information Act.

Data from West Midlands Police, which alone recovered weapons from 538 people during the same period, was not included because it also accounts for colleges and universities.

The figures raise questions about whether schools and the Government have failed to tackle the problem.

Jayne Walmsley, whose son Luke was murdered at a Lincolnshire school in 2003 aged 14, said: "Something is happening to the society we live in.

"We need to think and educate these kids. It's got to stop. We've got to do something about it."

Patrick Regan, CEO of charity XLP, which was founded in response to a school stabbing, added: "There's a culture of fear that needs to be broken down."

The Government said it had given teachers powers to take action if they suspect a pupil has brought a weapon into school.

"Teachers can now search pupils without consent, confiscate prohibited items and use force to remove disruptive pupils from the classroom when necessary," a spokesman for the Department for Education said.

"We've also given heads the final say on expulsions by removing the right of appeal panels to put pupils back in the classroom."

However, Chris Douglas, a youth worker with St Giles Trust, which engages with young people caught up in crime, warned the use of weapons is a growing problem.

"We're not hearing about stabbings because they're becoming more common," he said.

Last year, a study by UCL and charity Kids Company found half the young people working with the organisation had seen someone shot or stabbed in their community in the past year.

In 2009, the then-Government announced new measures to curb the problem of weapons in schools after a spate of attacks against children.

There were plans to introduce airport-style metal detectors as part of a violent crime action plan.

But campaigners are concerned the issue has disappeared from public discourse, leaving children vulnerable.

"Sometimes it's a bit like banging your head on a brick wall," Mrs Walmsley said.

"Schools won't admit to the problem because all they want is more pupils for more money."

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US Reassures Europe Of Nato's 'Ironclad' Support

America has reassured its East European allies of Nato's support as the worst post-Cold War stand-off between Russia and the West continues.

US Vice President Joe Biden phoned Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka and Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban and "underscored the ironclad commitment of the US" to the collective defence of Nato members.

They "agreed that Russia would face further costs for its destabilising actions in Ukraine and massing of troops along the Russian-Ukrainian border," the White House said.

The US has ruled out sending American or Nato forces into Ukraine, but has begun deploying 600 US troops to bolster defences in the nearby countries of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Meanwhile, Western leaders are urging Russia to help free a team of international military observers in eastern Ukraine.

Eight members of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) were travelling with five Ukrainian troops when they were detained by separatists in the flashpoint town of Slavyansk.

Colonel Axel Schneider says his team are being well-treated

Team leader Colonel Axel Schneider appeared before cameras in Slavyansk to say they are being well-treated and "haven't been touched" by their kidnappers.

They are being protected by the town's self-appointed mayor Vyacheslav Ponomaryovt and "treated as his guests," he said.

"We have no indication when we will be sent home to our countries," he said.

"We wish from the bottom of our hearts to go back to our nations as soon and as quickly as possible."

On Saturday, Moscow said it would take "all possible steps" to free the OSCE monitors as their capture was condemned by Western leaders.

However, rebels accused the observers of being "Nato spies" and vowed to continue holding them.

A barricade around the state security service building in Slavyansk

It comes as Britain and other G7 nations agreed new sanctions against Russia.

Speaking at a news conference in Malaysia, US President Barack Obama said it was important for the world to send Russia a message.

"We're going to be in a stronger position to deter Mr Putin when he sees that the world is unified and the United States and Europe is unified rather than this is just a US-Russian conflict," he said.

He said Russia had not "lifted a finger" to get pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine to comply with an international agreement to defuse the crisis.

"In fact, there's strong evidence that they've been encouraging the activities in eastern and southern Ukraine," he said.

Senior EU diplomats are to hold an emergency meeting in Brussels on Monday to discuss sanctions against Moscow.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the EU and US would be bringing forward further travel bans and asset freezes against Moscow over coming days as punishment for its "bullying" behaviour.

Speaking on Sky's Murnaghan programme, he said damage to the UK economy from imposing trade sanctions on Russia would be a "price worth paying".

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Two Popes Made Saints In Historic Ceremony

Up to one million people have gathered at Vatican City for a historic day in the Roman Catholic Church as two former Popes were declared saints.

The Canonisation of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII took place in the presence of two living pontiffs, Pope Francis and his predecessor Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI.

The unprecedented double Canonisation was presided over by Pope Francis in St Peter's Square and watched by millions around the world.

Pope John Paul II and John XXIII were declared saints

He believes the two men revitalised the Church, and has bent years of tradition allowing them to be celebrated on the same day.

Sky's Robert Nisbet, in Vatican City, said: "There are enormous crowds here.

"They are estimating up to one million people could be crowding around Vatican City and the centre of Rome to be part of this event.

The recipient of John Paul II's second miracle is seen at the altar

"And certainly they've come from all over the world. There's a huge contingent from Poland here - John Paul II obviously still a hero figure to many."

Pope Francis and Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, who is rarely seen in public and last year became the first pontiff in six centuries to step down, hugged briefly as the two-hour mass began.

During the service, which began under light rain, relics of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII were taken to the altar, and their sainthoods requested three times.

Pope Francis meets Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe

Floribeth Mora, said to be the recipient of John Paul II's second miracle, was one of many who took part in the ceremony, which is estimated to have cost £6m.

She suffered an aneurysm and was told she had just one month to live, but after seeing John Paul II's beatification ceremony in 2011, she claimed the pain disappeared.

About 850 cardinals and bishops celebrated mass and 700 priests distributed communion to the huge crowd.

Emeritus Pope Benedict arrives for the ceremony in St Peter's Square

"We declare and define Blessed John XXIII and John Paul II to be saints and we enrol them among the saints, decreeing that they are to be venerated as such by the whole Church," Pope Francis said in his formal proclamation in Latin about 30 minutes into the service.

Pope Francis later toured St Peter's Square in his Popemobile -  deeper into the crowds than his predecessors.

Nisbet said it was an attempt to be seen as "less staid" than previous Popes and "to be more down with the people".

Pope Francis greets the faithful as he rides in his Popemobile

Scholars see the double Canonisation as an attempt by Pope Francis to unite modernists and traditionalists in the faith.

Both popes helped shape the second half of the 20th century.

John XXIII, who reigned from 1958 to 1963, convened the famous second Vatican council - a key moment in the modernisation of the Church.

John Paul II, who reigned for 26 years, saw the fall of communism in his home country of Poland and played a leading role on the world stage.

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