Twilight Shooting Plot Foiled In Missouri

A man has been accused of plotting a shooting inside a cinema during a screening of the new Twilight film after his mother contacted police.

Blaec Lammers, 23, has been charged with first-degree assault, making a terrorist threat and armed criminal action.

His mother alerted police after fearing her son had purchased weapons similar to those used in a cinema shooting earlier this year in Aurora, Colorado, during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises.

Bolivar Police Chief Steve Hamilton said: "Thankfully we had a responsible family member or we might have had a different outcome."

He said Lammers had been under a doctor's care for mental illness, while court documents said the suspect was "off of his medication".

Lammers' mother contacted authorities on Thursday, saying she worried that with this weekend's opening of the final film in the vampire series, her son "may have intentions of shooting people at the movie," police said.

She said she thought the weapons - two assault rifles and hundreds of bullets - resembled those used by the gunman who opened fire inside the Aurora cinema in July.

James Holmes, 24, is accused of killing 12 people in that attack.

Lammers told authorities he bought tickets for a screening of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 in Bolivar on Sunday and planned to shoot people inside the cinema.

He also planned to "just start shooting people at random" at a Walmart store less than a mile away, police said.

Lammers also stated he wanted to stab a Walmart employee to death and followed an employee around in a store before officers intervened in 2009, according to police.

He said he had purchased weapons and if he ran out of bullets, he would "just break the glass where the ammunition is being stored and get some more and keep shooting until police arrived".

Police said Lammers bought one firearm on Monday and another on Tuesday. He then went to the town of Aldrich to practise shooting because he "had never shot a gun before and wanted to make sure he knew how they shot and how they functioned".

Mr Hamilton said it appeared the suspect obtained the firearms legally but that police were continuing to investigate "to determine how in fact he was able to obtain a permit".

Ashley Miller, who lives in a nearby town, said she has known Lammers for about a year and described him as "one of the sweetest guys I had ever met" but "very emotional," noting he would periodically stop talking to her.

Lammers is expected to appear in court on Wednesday.

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Eight People Reported Dead In Gaza Airstrikes

Israel has carried out 180 airstrikes on Gaza City, reportedly killing eight people and targeting the Hamas government headquarters.

Medics have told news agency AFP that the eight people died in central and southern Gaza and 30 were injured in the latest strikes.

An aerial attack on Rafah on southern Gaza killed four people on Saturday, Palestinian medics said, while other strikes elsewhere in the city killed another four people.

The latest deaths raised the overall death toll in Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip to 38, as both sides continued to hurl missiles at each other. 

Three Israelis have been killed in the recent violence. Four soldiers were also hurt in rocket fire along the southern flank of Israel's border with Gaza, the army said on Saturday.

A destroyed mosque in Gaza City

Israel stepped up its air assault in retaliation to an unprecedented rocket strike aimed at Jerusalem.

Israel's military also called up 75,000 reservists, raising speculation of a ground invasion.

Despite the violence, Tunisia's foreign minister arrived in the coastal enclave early Saturday in a show of Arab solidarity, heading to a hospital to visit the wounded.

The headquarters of the Hamas government, a police compound, a mosque and a vast network of smuggling tunnels were all bombed in overnight airstrikes.

"The cabinet headquarters was targeted with four strikes and the government stresses that it remains committed to its positions and its stand alongside the people," the Hamas government said in a statement.

Israeli aircraft also kept pounding their original targets, the militants' weapons storage facilities and underground rocket launching sites.

Rocket fire by militants into Israel resumed after dawn following a relative lull overnight, but the number was still lower than on the previous three days since the start of the offensive, an Israeli military spokesman said.

Israeli airstrikes on a police station in Gaza City

Since the start of its operation, Israel's army says militants have fired more than 580 rockets over the border, 367 of which hit southern Israel, and 222 of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system.

Israeli leaders have threatened to widen Operation Pillar of Defence if the rocket fire from the Gaza Strip does not halt.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said options included the possible assassination of Hamas' prime minister Ismail Haniyeh and other top leaders.

"Every time that Hamas fires there will be a more and more severe response," he told Israel's Channel 2 TV.

US President Barack Obama has reiterated his country's support for Israel's right to defend itself against rocket attacks from militants in the Gaza Strip.

In a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr Obama also expressed his regret over the loss of Israeli and Palestinian civilian lives, the White House said.

Israeli soldiers near the border with the Gaza Strip

During the call, Mr Netanyahu expressed his "deep appreciation to the President and the American people for the United States' investment in the Iron Dome rocket and mortar defence system, which has effectively defeated hundreds of incoming rockets from Gaza and saved countless Israeli lives".

The two leaders also discussed options for de-escalating the situation.

Mr Obama also spoke to Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and praised his country's efforts to ease tensions in the region.

On Friday morning, Gaza's Hamas prime minister and a slew of other government officials lined up in front of the cabinet building to welcome Egypt's Prime Minister Hisham Kandil, on a brief trip.

A ceasefire had been declared during Mr Kandil's visit - officially to show solidarity with the Palestinian people - but lasted just three hours.

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Dozens Killed In Egypt School Bus Crash

Up to 47 people have been killed after a train collided with a bus in a city south of the Egyptian capital Cairo.

A senior security official in Assiut, near the crash site, said 44 of the dead were children, aged between four and eight years.

Two women and a man, who was probably the bus driver, also died, he added.

The state news agency said another 13 people were injured. A medical source said as many as 28 were injured, 27 of them children.

"They told us the barriers were open when the bus crossed the tracks and the train collided with it," doctor Mohamed Samir said, citing witness accounts.

Distraught locals search through the wreckage at the crash site

He said the bodies of many of those killed were severely mutilated, indicating the force of the crash, which took place in the city of Manfalut, near Assiut, some 190 miles south of the capital.

President Mohamed Mursi ordered his ministers to offer support to the families of those killed.

Transport Minister Mohamed Rashad has offered his resignation, which President Mursi was considering, state media reported.

The governor of Assiut, Yahya Keshk, has ordered an inquiry.

Egypt's roads and railways have a poor safety record.

Egyptians have complained that successive governments have failed to enforce basic safety standards, leading to a string of deadly accidents.

Earlier this month, at least three Egyptians were killed and more than 30 injured in a train crash in Fayoum, another city south of Cairo.

In July, 15 people were injured in Giza, close to the capital, when a train derailed.

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Tonga Yacht: Cocaine And Body Found On Board

Police in the South Pacific are investigating how a yacht carrying a decomposed body and £78m worth of cocaine washed up on a deserted tropical island.

Australian detectives said international law agencies had been monitoring the 13m (42ft) vessel, called JeReVe, from when it left South America until they lost contact with it last month.

Two divers discovered the boat off Tonga's Vava'u island group and found a man's body when they went on board.

"Also located on board that vessel were 204, 1kg (2.2lb) blocks of cocaine destined for the Australian market," acting national manager for serious and organised crime David Sharpe told a news conference.

The yacht, which Tongan authorities were unable to search initially because of difficult tidal conditions and its remote location, was eventually found to be carrying the drugs in its hull.

Police and customs officials launched an investigation in August after being alerted that a vessel was en route from Ecuador to Australia.

They formed a special group with US authorities to examine vulnerabilities in the South Pacific being exploited by international organised crime syndicates.

"Vessels transiting through the Pacific into Australia have been identified as a high-risk area of drug smuggling," Mr Sharpe said.

In late 2010, Australian police said they had arrested four men in Sydney over a plot to smuggle almost 700kg (1,540lb) of cocaine into the country via Tonga.

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Gaza: Fresh Attacks As Egypt PM Visits

Israel and Hamas militants have been exchanging fire this morning despite a temporary ceasefire in place for a visit by Egypt's Prime Minister to Gaza.

Several sites in southern Israel have been hit by rockets fired from inside the Gaza Strip and the Israeli air force has responded by attacking a Hamas commander's house.

Medics said the attack killed two people, one of them a child, raising the Palestinian death toll since Wednesday to 21. Three Israelis were killed by a rocket on Thursday.

During his three-hour visit, the Egypt PM Hisham Kandil condemned Israeli action against Gaza as "unacceptable aggression", saying his country will intensify efforts to secure a truce in the conflict.

"This tragedy cannot pass in silence and the world should take responsibility in stopping this aggression," he said at a press conference in Gaza City's Shifa hospital after seeing some victims from an air strike.

Hisham Kandil (L) and senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh during the visit

"Egypt will not hesitate to intensify its efforts and make sacrifices to stop this aggression and achieve a lasting truce."

His visit comes as 16,000 Israeli army reservists have been called up and heavy artillery has been seen on the Gaza border, increasing the possibility of a ground attack.

Israel has given the green light to the call-up of up to 30,000 army reservists.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier said all offensive actions would be called off during Mr Kandil's visit - as long as Palestinian groups refrain from firing rockets across the border.

But the ceasefire quickly dissolved in violence as what Palestinian security sources said was an Israeli air strike hit northern Gaza.

Israel also accused Hamas of violating the agreement but it denied carrying out any strikes.

Ofir Gendelman, spokesman for Mr Netanyahu, said: "Hamas does not respect the Egyptian PM's visit to Gaza and violates the temporary cease fire that Israel agreed to during the visit."

Sky's Middle East Producer Tom Rayner said: "We've seen at least 4 rockets launched from Northern Gaza in the last 10 minutes - ceasefire may be over before it has even really begun."

Overnight the Palestinian territory suffered a heavy bombardment, with Israeli warplanes hitting targets in and around Gaza City.

"There have been 130 strikes overnight until now," Hamas interior ministry spokesman Islam Shahwan said.

He said the strikes destroyed a building belonging to the interior ministry, while there were also reports that training positions used by various Palestinian militant groups had also been hit.

About 16,000 Israeli reserve troops have been drafted in

The Israeli army said 11 Palestinian rockets had been fired from Gaza at Israel overnight.

Meanwhile, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Israel had the right to protect its people against Gaza rocket attacks but urged it to stick to a "proportionate" response.

Deploring the loss of civilian lives on both sides, Ms Ashton said in a statement that "the rocket attacks by Hamas and other factions in Gaza which began this current crisis are totally unacceptable for any government and must stop."

"Israel has the right to protect its population from these kinds of attacks. I urge Israel to ensure that its response is proportionate," she added.

Baroness Ashton said she had spoken to leaders in the region to stress the need to prevent more escalation and loss of life.

She also voiced hopes that the Egyptian Prime Minister "will be able to calm the situation".

And Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague urged both Israel and the Palestinians to make efforts to halt the violence.

But Mr Hague made it clear that he believes Hamas bears the greatest responsibility for the current crisis, as well as the ability to bring it most swiftly to an end.

Mr Hague told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that there had been "a large increase" in rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza over recent weeks.

An Iron Dome launcher fires an interceptor rocket near Sderot in the south

And he added: "What Israel has done is obviously the Israeli response to that. The thing that would bring this most quickly to an end would be for Hamas to stop launching rockets at Israel.

"But of course, there are also responsibilities on Israel. I spoke to the Israeli foreign minister yesterday afternoon to urge the Israelis to do their utmost to reduce tension, to take every opportunity to de-escalate the situation and observe international humanitarian law, to avoid civilian casualties.

"Both sides have a responsibility to try to bring this to an end."

Mr Hague said he also spoke to the Egyptian foreign minister last night to urge him to use his country's influence to try to negotiate a "meaningful" ceasefire.

Asked whether Britain would condemn a ground offensive, Mr Hague said: "We will see what the situation is. This depends on the actions of two sides, not just one side."

Prime Minister David Cameron spoke by telephone on Thursday night with Mr Netanyahu to discuss the situation following Israel's assassination of Ahmed Jabari, the Hamas military chief, in a drone strike on his car on Wednesday.

Palestinian firefighters at the Interior Ministry in Gaza City

Downing Street said that the PM made clear that Hamas bears principal responsibility for the crisis, but called on Israel to do everything it could to avoid civilian casualties.

And Tunisian foreign minister Rafik Abdessalem will visit Gaza on Saturday, the presidency said, in a statement denouncing Israeli "aggression" on the Palestinian enclave.

The conflict has been intensifying over recent weeks, but flared up dramatically in the wake of the Israeli strikes against senior Hamas figures.

Hundreds of rockets have been fired into Israel, with three people killed in the town of Kiryat Malachi - about 15 miles north of Gaza.

Palestinian militants also fired rockets at Israel's commercial and cultural capital Tel Aviv for the first time in about 20 years. Israel has responded with airstrikes.

Mr Netanyahu has warned that his country is prepared to extend its operation against Hamas, sparking fears of a repeat of the ground incursion four years ago in which hundreds died.

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Demoted Christian Wins Facebook Post Ruling

A Christian man demoted for posting his opposition to gay marriage on Facebook has won his breach of contract action against his employers.

Adrian Smith lost his managerial position, had his salary cut by 40%, and was given a final written warning by Trafford Housing Trust (THT) after posting that gay weddings in churches were "an equality too far".

The comments were not visible to the general public, and were posted outside work time, but the trust claimed he broke its code of conduct by expressing religious or political views which might upset co-workers.

Mr Smith brought breach of contract proceedings, saying the trust acted unlawfully in demoting him.

Mr Justice Briggs ruled in his favour at London's High Court saying the trust did not have a right to demote Mr Smith as his Facebook postings did not amount to misconduct, and the demotion imposed by way of purported disciplinary sanction constituted a breach of contract.

Justice Briggs concluded: "Mr Smith was taken to task for doing nothing wrong, suspended and subjected to a disciplinary procedure which wrongly found him guilty of gross misconduct, and then demoted to a non-managerial post with an eventual 40% reduction in salary. The breach of contract which the Trust thereby committed was serious and repudiatory."

Mr Smith said in a statement: "I'm pleased to have won my case for breach of contract today. The judge exonerated me and made clear that my comments about marriage were in no way 'misconduct'.

"Britain is a free country where people have freedom of speech, and I am pleased that the judge's ruling underlines that important principle.

"But this sad case should never have got this far. Long ago, Trafford Housing Trust should have held their hands up and admitted they made a terrible mistake.

"Had they done this then my life would not have been turned upside down and my family and I would not have had to endure a living nightmare."

The Christian Institute, the group that paid for Mr Smith's legal case, welcomed the ruling.

Spokesman Mike Judge said: "This is a good day for free speech. But would Adrian have won his case if marriage had already been redefined? I don't think so. The Government should stop playing politics with marriage, because it's ordinary people like Adrian who'll get it in the neck."

Matthew Gardiner, chief executive at Trafford Housing Trust said: "We fully accept the court's decision and I have made a full and sincere apology to Adrian.

"At the time we believed we were taking the appropriate action following discussions with our employment solicitors and taking into account his previous disciplinary record.

"This case has highlighted the challenges that businesses face with the increased use of social media and we have reviewed our documentation and procedures to avoid a similar situation arising in the future. Adrian remains employed by the Trust and I am pleased this matter has now concluded."

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Savile Cops Arrest Man For Sex Offences

A man in his 60s and from Bedfordshire is being held by police investigating the Jimmy Savile child abuse scandal.

He was arrested at 7.45am on suspicion of sexual offences and is being questioned.

A police spokesman said the allegations made against him do not directly involve Savile and are classed under the strand of their investigation termed "others".

The Metropolitan Police Service is leading a national investigation into abuse allegations made against the disgraced television presenter.

So far, around 450 potential victims have come forward and 200 allegations of sexual assault have been made.

Officers are looking at three strands within their inquiry - claims against Savile, those against Savile and others, and those against others.

Most of the "others" allegations have been made against people associated with the entertainment industry.

So far Gary Glitter, comedian Freddie Starr and a 73-year-old man have been arrested and bailed in connection with the investigation.

Children's charity the NSPCC said it had received 236 calls about Savile, an average of five per day, since the first sexual abuse allegations emerged.

The number of contacts made about other claims of sexual abuse has trebled in the last month, rising to 550.

Director of the NSPCC's helpline Peter Watt said: "Sometimes people wait months or years before reporting abuse but we would urge them to act quickly so they can get help as soon as possible.

"While the whole Savile episode has been distressing it has also led to more victims of abuse seeking support, which is positive."

More follows...

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Railway Guard Jailed Over Teen's Death

Railway guard Christopher McGee has been jailed for five years over the death of teenager Georgia Varley.

The 45-year-old was convicted of the manslaughter of the drunk teenager after he signalled for a train to move as she was leaning against the carriage.

He was found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence by a unanimous jury at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday following a two-week trial.

College student Georgia, who was 16-years-old, had been on a night out in Liverpool with friends when she fell between the train and the platform at the city's James Street station in October last year.

She was three times the legal drink-driving limit and had 0.083mg of the drug mephedrone, or Mcat, in her system at the time of her death, the court heard.

The prosecution said McGee, of Edenhurst Avenue, Wallasey, Wirral, was negligent because he gave the signal to the driver to start the train when Georgia was in contact with the train and was in an "intoxicated state".

McGee, who denied manslaughter, told the jury he thought Georgia was moving away from the train when he gave the signal to depart. He also said he did not know how drunk she was.

Completing his sentencing remarks, Mr Justice Holroyde told McGee: "In my judgment, the CCTV footage is unequivocal, Georgia Varley was not moving away and she was not showing any sign of moving away.

"She only moved when the movement of the train deprived her of support and caused her to lose balance and fall to her death.

More follows...

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ITV Paedophile 'Stunt': Disciplinary Action

ITV's This Morning and BBC's Newsnight are being investigated for their handling of child sex abuse allegations.

Media watchdog Ofcom is examining the Newsnight programme that led to Tory peer Lord McAlpine being wrongly implicated in a paedophile ring.

And it is also looking at This Morning after presenter Phillip Schofield confronted David Cameron with a list of alleged paedophiles live on air.

Ofcom is looking at whether the broadcasters complied with "generally accepted standards" and applied them to "prevent unfair treatment to an individual, and unwarranted infringements of privacy".

The announcement came after ITV said it had taken disciplinary action over the moment Schofield ambushed the Prime Minister last week.

The broadcaster refused to comment further but reports suggested the host himself and three producers had been reprimanded.

The BBC's Newsnight show on November 2 sparked a furore

It also followed Lord McAlpine's first interview about the affair, in which he said he felt angry to his soul over his treatment by the BBC.

Its Newsnight programme, broadcast on November 2, plunged the corporation further into crisis just as it was already reeling after the Jimmy Savile scandal.

The show reported allegations from a child abuse victim that he was abused by a senior Conservative figure from the Thatcher era.

Although Lord McAlpine was not named, it sparked fevered speculation that led to the peer being identified online.

Days later, Schofield produced a string of alleged paedophiles he had found on the internet during an interview with Mr Cameron.

The presenter said he had found them by trawling the web for a few minutes and suggested to the Prime Minister that he should speak to those being widely named.

Mr Cameron refused to even look at the list, which the presenter inadvertently showed on camera as he passed it over.

Visibly angry, he expressed concern about exactly that sort of speculation and warned against a "witch hunt".

Downing Street later condemned the confrontation as a "silly stunt" and it sparked around 100 complaints to Ofcom.

The following day Lord McAlpine protested his innocence in a lengthy statement and later, his alleged victim confirmed he had got the wrong man.

ITV said on Thursday that it had investigated the circumstances surrounding the "mistake", for which Schofield and This Morning have apologised.

"The investigation has now concluded and the appropriate disciplinary action has been taken," a statement said.

"We sincerely apologise because the way in which the issue was raised was clearly wrong and should have been handled differently.

"We have taken steps the make sure our editorial processes are always properly followed, which was not the case in this instance, and to ensure such an error will not be made again."

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Anti-Austerity Strikes: Protests Grip Europe

A wave of anti-austerity anger is set to sweep across Europe with general strikes planned in Spain and Portugal and walkouts in Greece and Italy - grounding flights, closing schools and shutting down transport.

Tens of thousands of workers are expected to take part in the dozens of co-ordinated protests in a so-called European Day of Action and Solidarity against spending cuts and tax hikes.

In Spain - the fourth-biggest eurozone economy - activists and unions will be staging an evening rally outside the parliament in the Madrid.

Protests got underway early in Madrid and Barcelona, with protesters attempting to blockade buses and cause disruption at food markets.

A protest by public workers in Lisbon last month

Airlines operating in the country including Iberia, Iberia Express, Air Nostrum, Vueling, Air Europa and easyJet cut more than 600 flights including some 250 international routes.

Hospitals in Spain will fully staff emergency and surgery rooms but non-essential care will be scaled back.

Spain, where one in four workers is unemployed, is now teetering on the brink of calling for a European bailout, with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy trying to put off a rescue that could require even more EU-mandated budget cuts.

Protests are also being called in 40 towns and cities across bailed-out Portugal, including Lisbon and Porto.

Portuguese airline TAP said it was grounding more than 160 flights, most of them international.

Greece, struggling to satisfy international lenders that it has cut spending sufficiently to qualify for bailout funds and to avoid default, has called a three-hour walkout and a rally in Athens.

Italian unions, too, are seeking a four-hour work stoppage.

A rally in front of the parliament in Athens, earlier this month

The European Trade Union Confederation said it was the first time that it had appealed for a day of action that includes simultaneous strike action in four countries.

"By sowing austerity, we are reaping recession, rising poverty and social anxiety," its general secretary Bernadette Segol said in an online statement.

"In some countries, people's exasperation is reaching a peak. We need urgent solutions to get the economy back on track, not stifle it with austerity. Europe's leaders are wrong not to listen to the anger of the people who are taking to the streets."

Union-led rallies are also being called across France and in Poland, while high-speed Thalys rail services between Belgium and Germany have been cancelled for the day.

Just 20% of Spain's long-distance trains and a third of its commuter trains are expected to run, while Lisbon's Metro will be shut completely with only 10% of rail services in action.

Tensions have been rising in Spain since last Friday when a woman jumped from her apartment to her death as bailiffs tried to evict her from her home in the country's second apparent suicide linked to evictions.

On Monday, the country's largest banks agreed to halt repossessions for the most vulnerable for two years.

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Brazil Plane Crash Captured On CCTV

A security camera has captured the moment a plane crashed on landing close to a major road in Sao Paolo.

The corporate jet overshot its designated runway at Congonhas Airport, slid down an embankment, bounced on a retaining wall and crashed in a cloud of smoke.

Media reports in Brazil claimed the pilot of the Cessna 525B Citation aircraft suffered serious injuries, but two passengers were largely unhurt.

The plane apparently failed to brake after touching down - and then smashed to the ground with its twin engines still operating.

All three people on board were able to escape the wreckage as fire crews doused the aircraft.

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April Jones: Police Stop Searching River

Police looking for the missing five-year-old April Jones have switched the focus of their search to a forest, the police officer in charge of the operation has said.

Superintendent Ian John, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said they had stopped combing the river, which had previously been at the centre of the search, and were instead looking at the land around it.

He added they still had 150 officers working on finding April at any one time in a continued effort to find her, more than six weeks after she went missing.

April Jones was last seen on October 1, getting into a vehicle after playing near her home on the Bryn y Gog estate, in the town of Machynlleth, Powys.

Her disappearance sparked the biggest search operation ever undertaken by the Dyfed-Powys Police force, covering 23 square miles.

Seventeen specialist teams continue to work on the case and are investigating all lines of inquiry.

Officers and coastguards had concentrated their efforts on the River Dyfi but are now focusing on the 6,000 hectares of surrounding forest land.

Search teams scouring the River Dyfi

Supt John said: "We've still got a number of search areas to investigate but at the moment teams are primarily working the in Dyfi Forest.

"We are not searching the river actively now. The coastguard have stopped doing that, they have adequately searched the water as much as they can.

"Instead, it's primarily the woodland areas, the old slate quarries and the fields which are the main focus of the operation now."

Hundreds of members of the public joined in the search for April and they continue to raise money to help fund the search.

Sgt John said: "I can't truly express how hard going the work is, the guys have been out there in the pouring rain day after day and still they continue.

"We are not searching weekends anymore because they officers all need to rest but we are still working at an intensive level."

Mark Bridger, 46, a former abattoir worker, has been charged with April's murder and is due to appear in court on January 11.

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Petraeus' Successor John Allen In Email Probe

Petraeus Affair Scandal: Timeline

Updated: 9:33am UK, Tuesday 13 November 2012

The end of General David Petraeus' career has raised several questions about when the affair began and who knew about it. Here is a timeline of events according to officials involved in the investigation.

:: Spring 2006 Paula Broadwell meets Gen Petraeus at Harvard University, where she is a graduate student. Petraeus is a lieutenant general working on a manual about counterinsurgency and is invited to give a speech about his experiences in Iraq.

:: January 2007 Gen Petraeus is confirmed as the commanding general of US troops in Iraq.

:: 2008 Ms Broadwell begins to study his leadership, and he invites her on a run with him and his team along Washington's Potomac River.

:: October 2008 Petraeus is named commander of US Central Command, based at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, where Jill Kelley and her husband attend social events alongside the area's military elite.

:: June 2010 Gen Petraeus is confirmed as the new commander of the war in Afghanistan and Ms Broadwell expands her research to become an authorised biography, making multiple trips to the country and getting unprecedented access to Gen Petraeus and his staff.

:: September 2011 He is sworn in as CIA director with his wife, Holly, by his side. Mr Broadwell keeps in contact and is invited to his office for events, including a meeting with Angelina Jolie. In November of that year, the pair begin an extramarital affair, according to retired Army Colonel Steve Boylan.

:: January 2012 Ms Broadwell's biography is released and she tells her local paper, the Bismark Tribune, that he is an inspirational figure.

:: May 2012 Ms Kelley, a socialite, starts to receive harassing emails and an FBI probe begins. They later determine the email trail leads to Ms Broadwell. Emails between Gen Petraeus and Ms Broadwell suggest an affair.

:: July 2012 The affair ends, according to Col Boylan, a friend of Gen Petraeus. The FBI has concluded there was no security breach, but continues to look at whether Gen Petraeus had any involvement in emails sent to Ms Kelley.

:: October 2012 By the end of the month, Ms Broadwell and Gen Petraeus have acknowledged the affair following questioning by the FBI. He is urged to resign by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

:: November 8 Gen Petraeus asks Barack Obama if he can resign, on the day the president returns from election celebrations in Chicago. Mr Obama accepts the resignation a day later.

:: November 9 Ms Broadwell's husband emails guests to cancel her 40th birthday party, scheduled for that weekend.

:: November 10 Ms Broadwell's biography of Gen Petraeus jumps to 111th place on Amazon, up from 76,792nd the day before as her identity becomes known.

:: November 12 Members of Congress demand to know more details about the sequence of events and FBI agents begin searching the North Carolina home of Ms Broadwell.

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Workers To Be Able To Ask For Flexible Hours

By Gerard Tubb, Sky Correspondent

New mothers will be able to share leave with their partners and all workers will have the right to flexible hours under radical reforms.

Changes to be announced by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will mean mothers could return to work two weeks after childbirth and hand over their leave to the father.

Every employee in the country will also be given the right to ask for flexible hours to encourage different work patterns for parents and help more women back into work.

Mr Clegg believes that enabling relatives and friends of working parents to alter their working patterns will boost the economy.

The Government estimates around a million women are effectively locked out of employment because of problems balancing work and childcare.

The plans to allow anyone to ask for flexible hours are an extension of the rights introduced in 2009 for parents of children aged 16 and under.

They also mean that grandparents will be able to apply so that they can look after their grandchildren.

Under the changes, a mother could decide to stop her maternity leave at any point and hand over the rest of the year to her partner instead.

Parents will be able to "chop up" time between them or take time off together, as long as no more than 12 months is taken in total and no more than nine at guaranteed pay.

Fathers-to-be will also be given a legal right to take unpaid leave to attend two antenatal appointments.

Mr Clegg will claim that the plans could transform opportunities for young people who want to start a family.

"You won't get to 30 and suddenly have to choose - motherhood or work - because we're making the changes that give you a route back," he will say.

The Lib Dem leader rethought the reforms after being warned that extending paternity leave from the current two weeks would be too difficult for businesses.

Flexible leave will be reviewed by 2018 and extending paternity leave will be re-examined then, Mr Clegg is expected to say.

"These are major reforms and, at a time of continuing economic difficulty, it's sensible to do them in a number of steps, rather than one giant leap," he will say.

"More and more men are taking on childcare duties, or want to, and flexible leave builds on that."

A study last year of eligible parents showed 28% of women and 17% of men had asked to change their work patterns in the previous two years, with 80 to 90% of requests accepted.

At Odyssey Systems on Teesside, a telecommunications company with 30 employees, management says it has helped parents to change working hours, but extending the scheme to everyone will be a burden.

Sales director Christine Gilbert said: "We're still here because we think about customers first. To say that everybody in the whole company has to have flexible working is just going to be a massive managerial nightmare."

Adam Marshall, director of policy at the British Chambers of Commerce believes the new proposals could cause "unnecessary friction" in the workplace and "unrealistic expectations about the level of flexibility most businesses will be able to accommodate".

But the TUC welcomed the proposals, with General Secretary Brendan Barber describing them as common sense.

He said: "These reforms will make life easier for millions of working parents. Businesses will also benefit from a more engaged workforce and a larger pool of people to recruit from."

The entitlement to ask for flexible hours will be introduced in 2014 at the earliest and employers will have to provide good reason for refusing a request.

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Abu Qatada Bailed After Winning Appeal

Terror suspect Abu Qatada has been released on bail after winning his latest appeal to avoid extradition to Jordan.

The radical cleric left Long Lartin prison in Worcestershire and is on his way back to live with his family.

He was granted bail on Monday after judges ruled returning him to his home country to face trial would breach his human rights.

Home Secretary Theresa May had obtained assurances from Jordan that evidence obtained through torture would not be used at his trial.

But in a serious blow, the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) said this could still not be guaranteed and refused to back the Government.

The decision is the latest twist in an 11-year legal battle, that is thought to have cost the British taxpayer millions of pounds.

Qatada, once described as Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe, will have to obey a 16-hour curfew and can only go out between 8am and 4pm.

He will also have to wear an electronic tag, cannot use the internet and will be barred from contacting certain people - who cannot be named for legal reasons.

More to follow...

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Amelia Arnold Search: Police Find A Body

Police looking for Amelia Arnold have found a body they believe to be that of the missing 19 year old.

The discovery comes after searches took place in a wooded area of Hatfield in Hertfordshire.

Ms Arnold, from Hadrian's Walk, Stevenage, was last seen on Wednesday.

Detective Chief Inspector Tim Redfearn, who is leading the investigation, said: "Amelia's family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers at this difficult time.

"They have requested that their privacy be respected whilst they come to terms with what's happened over the past few days."

A man has been charged in connection with Ms Arnold's disappearance.

The 41-year-old from Bletchley is accused of perverting the court of justice and is due to appear in court.

Meanwhile, a 22 year old man from Stevenage remains in custody after being arrested on suspicion of murder.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police by calling the non-emergency number 101.

Alternatively call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

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Charles And Camilla Attack 'Plot': NZ Man Held

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

Police in New Zealand have arrested a man on suspicion of planning to attack the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, according to reports.

The man, in his 70s, had been spotted on CCTV carrying an unidentified item, said New Zealand state broadcaster TVNZ.

He is believed to have been an anti-royal protester.

"A 74-year-old was arrested for preparing to commit an assault before the arrival of the royal couple," the officer told Fairfax Media.

But Fairfax added that the unnamed man got "nowhere near" the royal couple.

He is expected to appear at Auckland District Court on Tuesday.

A royal source told Sky News: "This was an isolated case as thousands turned out to greet Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.

"The royal couple couldn't have been welcomed more warmly as they conducted their walkabout during a successful day in Auckland."

Security on royal tours is the principle responsibility of the host country's police force.

But security at each event or engagement is considered in close consultation with the Metropolitan Police travelling with the royal party.

Charles and Camilla are coming to the end of their tour of Australia and New Zealand marking the Queen's diamond jubilee.

Their visit to Auckland's waterfront passed without incident and they will remain in New Zealand until the end of the week.

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BBC Crisis: News Executives To Stand Aside

Names In Line For BBC Top Job

Updated: 11:18am UK, Monday 12 November 2012

A number of high-profile candidates could be in line to become the BBC's next director general - unless they think the corporation's top job has become too much of a poisoned chalice.

:: Acting director general Tim Davie is used to difficult situations.

In his current role of director of BBC Audio & Music, with overall responsibility for BBC Radios 1, 2, 3, 4, and the BBC digital radio stations, he had to address prank calls made by Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross on Radio 2.

In October he was appointed as the new chief executive of BBC Worldwide and was due to take over in December.

Soon after beginning his post Mr Davie had to deal with the decision to shut 6 Music - a call which was later reversed, bringing more scrutiny.

Mr Davie, who is married with three young sons, read English at Cambridge University, and later joined Procter and Gamble's marketing department, becoming a brand manager in 1991.

:: Michael Jackson, the former chief executive of Channel 4, has a varied and strong pedigree.

His reputation at Channel 4 blossomed with his commissioning of such hits as Da Ali G Show, Queer As Folk and So Graham Norton.

He also launched the two successful channels, FilmFour and E4.

He has succeeded on both sides of the Atlantic.

When he left Channel 4 in 2001 to work in the US one network producer told the media staff were "devastated".

Mr Jackson was previously controller of both BBC1 and BBC2 at various times in the 1990s. His move to the States, where he became president and chief executive officer of the USA Entertainment Group, surprised the industry.

The 54-year-old was the first British TV boss to get a top job in the American industry since Michael Grade, his predecessor at Channel 4.

:: Caroline Thomson, 58, is the BBC's former chief operating officer.

She narrowly missed out to George Entwistle earlier this year and left the corporation at the end of September when her post was axed.

A former BBC journalism trainee who went on to produce BBC Panorama, she became head of corporate affairs at Channel 4 before returning to the BBC as deputy director of the BBC World Service, becoming director of policy and legal and then chief operating officer in 2006.

Having previously deputised for the director general, she could yet become the first woman to land the top job.

Recently she told The Daily Telegraph that the BBC "still has a long way to go on the equality agenda for women and ageism".

:: Helen Boaden, who has stepped aside as BBC director of news until Nick Pollard's report into possible failings of management over the axed Newsnight Jimmy Savile investigation.

:: Ed Richards has been chief executive of Ofcom, the regulator for the communications industry, since 2006.

A former policy adviser to Tony Blair, Mr Richards made the final four for the director-general role before Mr Entwistle was appointed.

Mr Richards, who has also worked in consulting at London Economics Ltd and for former prime minister Gordon Brown, is a governor of The London School of Economics & Political Science, and a trustee of The Teaching Awards Trust.

:: Danny Cohen, controller of BBC1, finds his name in the frame for a big promotion.

He is responsible for the overall direction of the channel and determines its editorial policy, priority, style and presentation based on analyses of target audience needs.

From 2007 to 2010, Cohen was Controller of BBC3 and his commissions included Being Human, Blood Sweat And Takeaways, Our War, Junior Doctors, Him And Her and Russell Howard's Good News. Before that he was head of E4 and Channel 4 Factual Entertainment.

He is paid £262,600 annually.

:: Peter Fincham, 56, ITV's director of television is thought to be another frontrunner.

He joined the commercial broadcaster in 2008 and the channel has seen a creative renaissance with the commissioning of popular programmes such as Downton Abbey and the Fred West drama Appropriate Adult which won a clutch of awards - with The Only Way Is Essex being one of the shows of its age.

Mr Fincham might be reluctant to return to the BBC where he was appointed controller of BBC1 in 2005.

He was forced out two years later in a row over a misleadingly-edited trailer for a documentary about the Queen.

"I worked hard to become a BBC insider," Mr Fincham said later. "When Queengate kicked off I quite quickly realised I wasn't."

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Remembrance Sunday: Tribute To Helmand Soldier

By Lucy Cotter and Richard Suchet

For the families of those killed in war, Remembrance Sunday can be a day of profound grief.

While the nation - and the Commonwealth - expresses its gratitude to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, the bereaved are reminded of their own suffering and loss.

Some 53 British servicemen and women have been killed in Afghanistan in the past 12 months and 437 have died there since operations began in 2001.

Margaret Evison's son Mark died in Helmand Province in 2009.

A lieutenant in the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, he was considered one of the finest officers of his generation.

Ms Evison's book describes the aftermath of her son's death

He died aged just 26 after being shot in the shoulder while leading a patrol in Helmand.

Margaret's book Death Of A Soldier describes the aftermath - from the time she was told her son had been injured, up until after his inquest.

It is an incredibly moving account which articulates the loss of a child, and is deeply thought-provoking.

But it also asks important questions about the circumstances surrounding Lt Evison's death, about the Army and the war in Afghanistan.

Ms Evison said: "It's a journey through despair, but also a tale of surprises, sometimes magical ... to pay my respects to a young man who commanded such love and respect in his short life."

Mark Evison was one of the army's brightest stars

Lt Evison was clearly a remarkable man, who achieved a great deal and inspired those who knew him.

Nicknamed 007, he was idolised by his men and was destined for a very bright future in the Army he loved so much.

Brigadier Tim Radford, heading the 19th Brigade in Afghanistan at the time, wrote: "He was charming, utterly focused, thoughtful and he left an indelible stamp.

"I know his soldiers adored him and he was held in such high esteem by them. Mark was described by his solders as having 'a face that was sculpted by angels'. In 25 years in the army, I have never heard soldiers speak with such affection about one of their officers."

The book brings Lt Evison to life through his mother's words, but also uses his own.

He wrote a diary in Afghanistan until a few days before he died which is included, along with extracts from the many letters written to the family from people who knew Lt Evison.

As well as being a very personal story about loss, the book illustrates the heroics of the people involved in trying to save Lt Evison, but also questions whether his death could have been avoided.

Ms Evison battled with the Ministry of Defence and found evidence that there was a lack of resources, poor radio equipment, and a delay in the helicopter sent to rescue Lt Evison which had an impact on his care.

She not only questions the Army's deficiencies, but the legitimacy of the campaign in Afghanistan.

However, the book ends on a very positive note, describing The Mark Evison Foundation, which was set up shortly after his death to inspire young people and help them develop their potential.

"We wanted the foundation to reflect Mark's unusual capacity to be a life-enhancer," she wrote. "That became its strap line 'Bring out the best in you'."

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Lord Patten: BBC Needs To 'Get A Grip'

The BBC needs to "get a grip" to restore trust in the broadcaster after the Newsnight child abuse slur and Jimmy Savile scandal, Lord Patten has said.

The 68-year-old BBC Trust chairman, who is tasked with restoring public confidence in the corporation, told Sky News there were "big issues" that needed to be tackled involving the corporation, including tough managerial decisions.

He admitted the broadcaster had "taken a big hit" and needed  to win back the confidence and trust of licence fee payers by ensuring its "journalism was of the highest quality".

"We have got to make changes and we will make changes," Lord Patten told Sky News.

"What we now need to do is get a grip on what's happening in the BBC, including the journalism which is at the heart of what we do and what we are about.

"We have to make sure that a very large and complex organisation has a leader who has the right sort of support."

His comments follow the resignation of BBC director-general George Entwistle, plunging the BBC into its deepest-ever crisis.

Lord Patten, who appeared alongside Mr Entwistle when he delivered his statement outside New Broadcasting House on Saturday night, insisted Mr Entwistle fell on his sword and was not sacked.

"It was his decision to leave. To be honest, I didn't try to argue him out of it because I think he'd made the right decision," he said.

"George was a very fine broadcaster. It was a tragedy that he was laid low by a lot of the things which he wanted to deal with."

Mr Entwistle quit after 54 days in the job after a Newsnight report wrongly implicated former Conservative Party treasurer Lord McAlpine in an investigation into child abuse allegations at the Bryn Estyn care home in North Wales.

He said stepping down was the "honourable" thing to do as he had to take responsibility as editor-in-chief of the BBC, for what Lord Patten described as "unacceptable shoddy journalism".

It was the second scandal to hit Newsnight in recent weeks, following the storm over the dropping of its investigation into Jimmy Savile.

Mr Entwistle's fate was sealed after he was grilled by John Humphrys on BBC' Radio 4's Today programme during which he admitted he did not know about the Newsnight investigation until the day after it was broadcast, and had not seen newspaper reports casting doubts on the probe.

Lord Patten said Mr Humphrys' "interrogative" questioning was an example of the BBC trying to "expose the truth - even when it's horrible about itself".

More follows...

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Remembrance Sunday: Tributes To The Fallen

Two minutes' silence have been held to remember those who have fallen in battle.

Marked by the first stroke of Big Ben at 11am and the firing of a gun from Horse Guards Parade by The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery the silence was followed by The Last Post, sounded by the Buglers of the Royal Marines.

The Queen laid the first wreath at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, followed by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex, the Princess Royal, Prince Michael of Kent and Field Marshal Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank.

Thousands of veterans have also marched through Whitehall to pay their respects at the Cenotaph.

Prince Charles visited Auckland War Memorial with the Duchess of Cornwall

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, currently on a Jubilee tour in New Zealand, have already paid their respects, laying a wreath of poppies at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

There are a number of services taking place, including at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh and Enniskillen in County Fermanagh.

For the first time, the two most senior members of the Irish government will attend Remembrance events in Northern Ireland.

Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg and Prime Minister David Cameron also laid wreaths

Irish premier Enda Kenny is in Enniskillen, 25 years after the 'Poppy Day bombing' which killed 11 people and injured more than 60.

Deputy leader Eamon Gilmore laid a wreath with Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers in Belfast.

On Saturday night, Rod Stewart performed for the Queen at the Royal British Legion's Festival of Remembrance in honour of Britain's war dead.

The show included the traditional two minute silence as poppy petals fell from the roof of the Royal Albert Hall, each representing a life lost in war.

Two minutes of silence begin every year on November 11 to commemorate the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany for a ceasefire on the Western Front, which took effect at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918.

The England cricket team fall silent during their tour match in India

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