Kidnapped Nigerian Schoolgirls Tell Of Escape

Schoolgirls who escaped from the Islamist militant group Boko Haram in Nigeria have told of their harrowing ordeal as the search for those still held captive continues.

One described being shot at as she ran from the gunmen when she was sent to fetch water.

Another spoke of how she and a friend jumped from a moving lorry as it slowed down, despite the threat of being killed, and spent a night in the bush before making their way to safety.

The schoolgirls gave their accounts to the distraught mothers of those still being held hostage.

One girl was shot at as she fled while another jumped from a lorry

"They took us away in a convoy of lorries," one of them said.

"We travelled through the night before reaching the final destination in the forest.

"The following day we were sent to fetch water. That was when we seized the opportunity and bolted.

"Even when they were shooting at us, we took the chance and God helped us arrive in Chibok two days later."

The other girl added: "They threatened to shoot anyone who tried to escape. As the vehicle slowed down along the road I jumped down with my friend.

"We spent the night in the bush and trekked back to Chibok the next day."

The girls' accounts came as it was reported the kidnapped girls had been split into four groups, complicating the search to find them and making any potential rescue more difficult.

The UK has sent a group of experts to offer advice and logistical support in the hunt for the 276 missing girls, who were kidnapped from a boarding school in the northern village of Chibok almost four weeks ago.

Air and satellite surveillance is to be extended to the neighbouring countries of Cameroon, Chad and Niger amid fears the girls may be trafficked across the border to be sold as slaves by their captors.

The leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, has threatened to sell the girls "on the market".

Their kidnap triggered international condemnation and led to a high-profile campaign calling for their release.

Prime Minister David Cameron told Sky News the abduction is "a ghastly situation, an act of pure evil".

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Stretched Nurses 'Struggling To Give Safe Care'

Patients in some NHS hospitals are receiving "unsafe and unsatisfactory" care because of staff shortages, a nursing chief has told Sky News.

Elderly patients are particularly at risk of being left in discomfort and distress, according to Dr Peter Carter, the chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing.

His warning comes as the National Institute For Health and Care Excellence (NICE) prepares to issue draft guidelines to hospitals, stating nurses should ideally be responsible for no more than eight patients at once.

Failing to meet this ratio puts patients at "increased risk of harm", it said.

One estimate is that 20,000 additional nurses could be needed to meet NICE's recommendations.

"There is a lot of very good care, but there are undoubtedly many clinical situations each day where nurses are really struggling to provide the level of safe and satisfactory care they would wish to do," Dr Carter told Sky News.

Dr Peter Carter says nurses are struggling to provide "safe" care

"Nurses tell us they often come off shifts knowing they've not provided the level of care they'd wish to.

"Patients are left in discomfort - sometimes they're incontinent and nurses are unable to change them for considerable periods of time, which adds to distress.

"That's the reality. It's not that the nurses don't care - just that there are insufficient numbers of them.

"We have copious examples, particularly on wards for older people, where you have one nurse for 12, 14 and sometimes 15 people."

Dr Carter welcomed NICE's guidelines but said sometimes even "one to eight" was not nearly enough.

"Research demonstrates that once you go over the one to eight (ratio), serious problems begin," he said.

"There are plenty of settings, (such as in) neo-natal and intensive care, where you need one to one."

NHS staffing levels have been criticised following the Mid Staffordshire scandal, which uncovered evidence of increased mortality rates and serious neglect.

NICE will issue final guidelines for adult inpatient wards in acute hospitals in England in July following a consultation.

Its deputy chief executive, Professor Gillian Leng, said: "We'll be issuing draft guidelines on Monday, providing advice on how hospitals should ensure nurse numbers on wards are appropriately tailored to the needs of patients.

"The advice is for hospital managers, the board, and nurses working on wards.

"We want to make sure patients receive effective, safe care.

"We've also set out some information about what needs to be monitored in terms of outcomes for patients who have falls or pressure ulcers, and what nurses need to keep track of on a day-by-day, hour-by-hour basis to make sure patients are being cared for effectively."

The Department of Health said administrative staff and managers had been cut since 2010 but there were 5,100 more nurses working on wards.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt added: "NICE's work on staffing is a major step forward.

"For the first time in its history, the NHS will have the evidence it needs to make sure that nurses are able to spend enough time with their patients."

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Nigeria Kidnappings: Michelle Obama 'Outraged'

How To Tackle Nigeria's Growing Insurgency?

Updated: 1:09pm UK, Friday 09 May 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

American "experts" have arrived. British "advisers" are on their way - phew. It may only be a matter of time before Nigeria's missing girls are found and rescued.

Baloney.

Boko Haram is not a new problem. It's been violently opposing Nigeria's governments since 2009, leaving 4,000 dead, laying waste to villages, and not long ago killing 58 schoolboys in their classrooms.

It's had links to al Qaeda in the Islamic Mahgreb (AQIM).

It kidnapped a French family in the Cameroons, and is reported to have netted $3m (£1.78m) for their safe release.

The militant Islamist group has achieved international notoriety over the abduction of the girls, all aged between 12 and 15  - but only after releasing a video threat to sell them into slavery.

But it has been closely monitored by Western security agencies for some time.

In 2012, British special forces troops were at the sharp end of a failed rescue operation in Sokoto aimed at releasing Chris McManus, a British engineer and his Italian colleague.

They had been held by Boko Haram for over a year. It was thought they were about to be moved or sold to an al Qaeda group operating in the lawless Sahel.

The connections to al Qaeda, which intelligence sources say extends all the way to Somalia but is more tightly entwined with AQIM, have meant that Boko Haram has been of considerable interest to the West.

This has been mostly manifest in sharing intelligence with and getting information from Nigerian agencies about the threat that the movement might pose beyond Nigeria's borders.

Dealing with the growing domestic insurgency has been seen as a strictly Nigerian matter.

Very often Western commentators will see the involvement of Western troops or spooks as a panacea to turmoil in a Third World nation.

They are not.

It took the British army half a decade to get to grips with the complex tribal structures that dominate Helmand in Afghanistan, where the UK sent some 10,000 troops.

American forces never got to grips with the complex world of Somalia's clan structures after its UN/US intervention there in 1991.

And Western allies have left chaos in their wake after their invasion of Iraq.

Foreign experts can, however, help with technical intelligence surveillance, planning, and perhaps even offering troops for a final assault on a complex target.

But all other matters must remain domestic issues because only locals can fully understand the complexities of the social landscape they live in.

There may, ultimately, be a useful military option involving a strike at the leadership of Boko Haram that the West can help with.

But Nigerians know that finding a solution to a growing insurgency involves far more complex issues.

Nigeria's economically-neglected north will need a greater share of the nation's annual oil revenues of $50bn (£29.8bn) if it's going to reverse the growing north-south schism that has always threatened the coherence of the former British colony.

Locally, Boko Haram's foot soldiers will need to be lured out of the bush with offers of amnesty and employment. Surviving leaders may need to be given a role.

But, of course, this "proves" the argument that politics in Nigeria can only be advanced through the barrel of a gun - the nation has suffered at least eight military coups since independence from Britain in 1960 and is now taking nervous steps along a democratic pathway.

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CCTV Toddler Abduction Alert: Police Quiz Man

Police are talking to a man over a possible attempt to snatch a toddler in a busy shopping centre.

A suspect, wearing a dark coat and flat cap, is seen approaching the 21-month-old boy as he walks just behind his mother at the Derby site.

CCTV footage shows the man taking hold of the boy's hand and leading him away.

Seconds later, the mother turns around and sees the incident, which took place outside Boots in Intu shopping centre at around 10.30am on Thursday.

She confronts the man, and the pair talk briefly before he walks away.

Police released footage of the incident and urged parents to be vigilant.

They say an 80-year-old man has now contacted them, believing he is the man in the footage.

Detective Chief Inspector Nick Lamb said: "It appears that the man shown in the CCTV footage may have been acting with good intentions, but we will be speaking to him today to ascertain the full details.

"We received a large number of calls on the back of the appeal and I would like to thank members of the public for their response.

"It was a highly unusual incident and we will be continuing our inquiries into it today."

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Nigeria Kidnap: US Team 'On The Ground'

A US team of military and intelligence experts has arrived in Nigeria to help with the search for 276 schoolgirls abducted by Islamist militants.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said: "Our inter-agency team is hitting the ground in Nigeria now and they are going to be working in concert with President Goodluck Jonathan's government to do everything we can to return these girls to their families and their communities.

"We are also going to do everything possible to counter the menace of Boko Haram."

The group includes experts in intelligence, law enforcement and hostage negotiations, but fewer than 10 military troops are among them.

The government has faced criticism of its response

Washington is also considering a request to provide surveillance aircraft and intelligence, a senior US official told the Reuters news agency.

The US team arrived as a parent of one of the schoolgirls pleaded with countries from around the world to send more help.

Boko Haram took the girls from a boarding school in the village of Chibok in the northern state of Borno more than three weeks ago.

But speaking to Sky News' Special Correspondent Alex Crawford, Shettima Haruma, whose daughter is among those taken, said he was "angry" with the Nigerian government's response.

"We are needing the government to take American people to come and help us," he said.

Goodluck Jonathan speaks at the World Economic Forum in Abuja

"Yes, we beg them. We beg Nigerians, those in another country like America, or London … now it's three weeks, nearly one month we didn't see any improvement, didn't see any letters from our daughters.

"We are afraid and we ask the other countries to come and help us."

The leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, has threatened to sell the girls "on the market" and some of the group have already reportedly been trafficked to neighbouring Chad and Cameroon.

A further 11 girls, aged 12 to 15, have also been abducted from the northeastern village of Warabe.

The search for the missing schoolgirls is focused around the huge Sambisa Forest - the "hideout" of Boko Haram, whose name is said to figuratively mean "Western education is forbidden".

Protesters march near the Nigerian embassy in Washington

The UK, France and China have also pledged their support to the hunt.

Britain is sending a small team of advisers - possibly including some military officers - to help with planning and coordination. However, they will not take part in operations on the ground.

Mr Jonathan said the abduction would be the "beginning of the end of terror" in the country.

Addressing the World Economic Forum in the capital, Abuja, he thanked the international community for its support and said "by God's grace we will conquer the terrorists".

A social media campaign backed by a number of celebrities has sought to raise awareness of the girls' plight.

The Twitter hashtag #BringBackOurGirls has been promoted by the likes of US First Lady Michelle Obama.

Actress Angelina Jolie has blamed a "culture of impunity" for the kidnapping.

"These men thought that they can get away with this, that they could abuse them in such a way, sell them, rape them, take them as property, because so many people have gotten away with this in the past because of this culture of impunity," she told Sky News.

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Rolf Harris A 'Jekyll And Hyde' Who Groomed Girl

Rolf Harris has been described as a "Jekyll and Hyde" character who used his fame to get close to his alleged victims.

The 84-year-old is accused of assaulting four girls aged between seven or eight and 19, but denies all 12 charges.

The prosecution claim he used his status as a children's TV presenter and artist to "mesermise" victims.

Southwalk Crown Court also heard how staff at one Australia TV channel knew Harris as "Octopus" because of his wandering hands.

Harris was accompanied by his wife Alwen and daughter Bindi (left)

Sasha Wass QC opened: "The prosecution doesn't for a moment suggest there is not a good, talented and kind side to Mr Harris.

"But concealed behind this charming and amicable children's entertainer lay a man who exploited the very children who were drawn to him.

"His fame and reputation meant no one suspected or challenged his behaviour."

The prosecution described Harris as having a "side to him" which meant he was sexually attracted to young girls.

One of these girls was "groomed like a pet" by the defendant, they say.

The case has attracted intense media interest both in the UK and Australia

The abuse allegedly took place for 15 years and "by the time she was in her 20s, she effectively did what Mr Harris told her to do".

The girl was said to have turned to alcohol at the age of 15 as a result of what she claims happened - and is now a "full blown alcoholic".

The court heard how none of the alleged victims knew each other.

"You will see a pattern during this case of Mr Harris approaching girls in a purely friendly way and then, once he is in close physical contact with them, taking advantage of the situation in order to indecently assault them," said Miss Wass.

The trial continues.

More follows...

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Thousands Of Cars Stolen Using Hi-Tech Gadgets

By Thomas Cheshire, Technology Correspondent

Tens of thousands of cars are being stolen or broken into every year by thieves using electronic hacking equipment, a Sky News investigation has found.

Last year half of all car thefts and vehicle break-ins in London alone were carried out without the use of force, according to the Metropolitan Police.

Instead criminals are believed to have used hi-tech devices originally designed for locksmiths to gain access to vehicles.

Commonly, the thieves use easily obtainable equipment that can intercept the signals from key fobs to get into cars or that plug into a car's on-board computers remotely.

Modern cars contain about 50 low-powered computers which criminals have learnt to take advantage of to steal vehicles in as little as 10 seconds without causing any damage.

Sky News has established that the devices can be bought cheaply online, from websites based mainly in Bulgaria. Video tutorials posted online can teach criminals how to gain access to popular models.

One of the sophisticated car-hacking devices

The problem was first exposed several years ago in certain models. But now police are warning that all modern makes are potentially vulnerable.

And for the first time, the Met has disclosed the growing nature of the threat. About 21,000 cars were stolen in the capital last year, according to the latest figures. A further 68,000 were broken into.

"Recent analysis of crime data suggests that almost half the total number of vehicles stolen in London are taken using this method, which can affect all manufacturers," the force said in a statement to Sky News.

"High-end vehicles are becoming more and more sophisticated. In turn so are criminals.

"Some organised criminals have access to technology that avoids the need to (physically break in). Vehicles are becoming more technologically advanced and the criminals are becoming more savvy towards that technology and they will develop."

The Met said it was working with manufacturers to protect drivers from having their cars stolen or broken into.

Car crime has fallen in recent years as manufacturers create even more secure vehicles.

But in countries closer to Bulgaria, like Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands, the crime rate has started to rise after years of decrease.

Hacking has led to increases in car crime on the continent

"We have every reason to believe that other European countries will be following suit this year and next," Mike Parris, head of the secure car division at SBD security, told Sky News.

"It is getting worse," he added. "The tools are becoming much more readily available. The price of them is falling. And they're operating much more quickly - you can re-program a key in a matter of seconds.

"All vehicle manufacturers are aware of the problem. It's fair to say some are doing more than others.

"Car manufacturers are acutely aware of the need to constantly make their vehicles more secure because they know criminals will adapt and develop."

The Met advises car owners to leave their cars in well-lit areas, to consider using steering, gear shift and pedal locks, as well as tracking devices.

One website found to be selling the devices did not respond to a request to comment from Sky News. Its homepage says: "All devices are sold for official use only!!! If you use them for any illegal purposes, this is your own responsibility!!!"

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Barclays: 20,000 Job Cuts In New Strategy

Barclays has confirmed around 20,000 job cuts under a new strategy building on its aim to become the 'go-to' bank.

The details - as reported by Sky's City Editor Mark Kleinman on Wednesday evening - were revealed following a review which aimed to reduce risk in its investment operation and cut excessive costs.

The bank's update pleased investors - with its share price rising more than 3% when the FTSE 100 opened for business.

Barclays confirmed 14,000 positions would be axed across the Group during 2014 - around half of them in the UK.

Barclays share price has failed to recover from the financial crisis

A further 7,000 positions will go in the investment bank up to 2016 - but 2,000 of those had been previously announced.

In addition to the job losses, the bank's chief executive Antony Jenkins confirmed the creation of Barclays Non-Core - a unit to house "assets which do not fit the strategic objectives" of the group.

Barclays said it would look to run down or exit Risk-Weighted Assets worth £115bn from the new unit.

Mr Jenkins said: "This is a bold simplification of Barclays. We will be a focused international bank, operating only in areas where we have capability, scale and competitive advantage".

He added that Barclays would become "leaner, stronger, much better balanced and well-positioned to deliver lower volatility, higher returns, and growth".

The bank's actions place Mr Jenkins' personal stamp on the Group - signalling an end to the seemingly limitless ambition placed on the investment operation by his predecessor, Bob Diamond, who quit over the Libor rate-rigging scandal.

Barclays said it now expected 30% of Group profits to be made by the investment bank - down significantly from the average 50% it contributed under Mr Diamond.

Of the £115bn placed in Barclays Non-Core, £90bn of the toxic assets are from the investment bank.

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Girls' Kidnap Will Be 'End Of Nigeria Terror'

The abduction of more than 200 girls in Nigeria will be the "beginning of the end of terror" there, says Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Nigerian capital Abuja, he also thanked the international community for its support and said "by God's grace we will conquer the terrorists".

Mr Goodluck has been criticised for his response to the kidnapping, and for not acting sooner to recruit help.

His words come as military and intelligence experts from around the world head to Nigeria to help in the search.

Michelle Obama has joined the social media campaign to free the girls

The UK, France, China and the US are among the countries lending their support.

Britain is sending a small team of advisers - possibly including some military officers - to help with planning and coordination. However, they will not take part in operations on the ground.

The US is flying out a group including experts in intelligence, law enforcement and hostage negotiations, with fewer than 10 military troops going.

Prime Minister David Cameron told Parliament the kidnapping was "an act of pure evil".

Many people in Nigeria are angry at the government's response

"There are extreme Islamists around our world who are against education, against progress, against equality and we must fight them and take them on wherever they are," he said.

The 276 girls were abducted from a boarding school in the village of Chibok in Borno state, north Nigeria, on April 14.

Islamist group Boko Haram claimed responsibility and its leader, Abubakar Shekau, has threatened to sell the girls "on the market".

Some of the group have already reportedly been trafficked to neighbouring Chad and Cameroon.

A further 11 girls, aged 12 to 15, were taken from the northeastern village of Warabe on Sunday.

The search is focussed around the huge Sambisa Forest - the 'hideout' of Boko Haram which extends to some 60,000 square kilometres - three times the size of Wales.

Boko Haram is also thought to be behind the killing of up to 300 people reported to have been killed on Monday in the northeastern Nigerian town of Gamboru Ngala.

Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the abduction

A witness told the AFP agency that fighters in armoured trucks and motorcycles overran the town, leaving it "littered" with bodies.

A social media campaign to raise awareness of the kidnapping has ramped up in recent days, with the Twitter hashtag #BringBackOurGirls being promoted by the likes of US First Lady Michelle Obama.

Malala Yousafzai, the schoolgirl who survived being shot by the Taliban for promoting girls' education, has also spoken out over the kidnapping.

The girls were taken three weeks ago in the village of Chibok

The Nigerian government has now put up a 50m Nigerian naira (£182,000) reward for information leading to the location and rescue of the female students.

Sky News Special Correspondent Alex Crawford, in the Nigerian capital Abuja, said the situation is likely to be a key concern for politicians at the World Economic Forum, currently being held in the city.

"It's very poor advertising for Nigeria. This international outcry, the fact it's taken so long for the Nigerians to react is not going to play well.

"There's going to be a lot of whispering and diplomatic chat behind the scenes to try to galvanise them into action.

"Of course, there is a great deal of anxiety and anger right here in Nigeria against the government and what's perceived to be their sluggish response."

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Madeleine McCann: 'UK Police Searches Refused'

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 12:46pm UK, Tuesday 06 May 2014

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: February 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: February 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: February 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

:: October 17 - Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Scotland Yard team, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, and Mr and Mrs McCann meet officers in Lisbon to be briefed on the Portuguese case.

:: October 23 - Britain's most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe defends the way the Portuguese dealt with the initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, saying it would have been "very difficult" to immediately know if they were dealing with a serious crime.

:: October 24 - Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.

2014

:: January 3 - A family source says Kate and Gerry McCann have been denied permission to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book about the case by former local police chief Goncalo Amaral.

:: January 13 - British police investigate three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine disappeared, and whose phones were apparently "red hot" after she went missing. A letter is sent to Portuguese police asking for help to track them down.

:: January 29 - Scotland Yard officers, including the detective leading the case, fly to Portugal to meet police there and discuss the latest developments.

:: March 19 - Officers from Operation Grange launch a search for a man who sexually assaulted five British girls in the Algarve between 2004 and 2006.

:: April 23 - Detectives identify five new cases where a lone intruder abused young British girls in holiday apartments in the Algarve.

:: May 1 - Kate and Gerry McCann give an interview to Sky News where they are desperate to find out what happened to Madeleine, even if it is the "worst case scenario" as they back calls for a Child Rescue Alert service similar to the Amber Alert system in the US.

:: May 6 - Scotland Yard plans to dig for evidence in three locations in Praia da Luz are approved, with officers set to use ground penetrating radar.

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Miley Cyrus Rejects Drug Claims At London Gig

Miley Cyrus has rejected claims she took a drug overdose, as her UK tour got off to a provocative and controversial start.

The Wrecking Ball singer boasted about her fine physical health after a sinus infection and an allergic reaction to an antibiotic forced her to cancel shows in the US.

At an energetic press conference before the first show at The O2 in London, the 21-year-old said she was "the poster child for good health" and promised to "f*** this place up".

Cyrus set the tone for her show when she arrived on stage by descending down a long, pink slide resembling her tongue, which was protruding from a giant image of her face.

Cyrus enters the stage at The O2 arena

"Hello, mother f*****s! I'm not going down without a motherf*****g fight!" she yelled, wearing a silver one-piece with a stick-on pair of lips.

Cyrus, who went sightseeing before the concert, then launched into the tour's opening song, SMS (Bangerz), accompanied by a pantomime horse, a dwarf and a troupe of dancers.

Many in the predominantly young crowd mouthed along to her songs but some parents were left unimpressed with Cyrus' antics.

She slapped herself in an intimate area, simulated foreplay on a bed with a dancer and showered fans in the first few rows with gargled water.

Some parents were unimpressed with what they saw at the concert

Cyrus also reportedly discussed drugs during the show.

A father who went with his 15-year-old son said: "It would be different if it was a good show. But it's not even a good show."

"She's lost the plot," another said.

The set included a peculiar interlude featuring a black and white film of an almost-naked Cyrus pulling faces set to British band Alt-J's Fitzpleasure.

She then returned to a satellite stage and took a selfie.

Cyrus promised to "f*** this place up" before her performance

Cyrus then tried her hand at a number of covers, putting her own stamp on songs from the Arctic Monkeys, Bob Dylan and her godmother, Dolly Parton.

The finale featured Cyrus soaring over the stage attached to "the biggest wiener in London" - a reference to an inflatable hot dog.

The encore included Cyrus' biggest hits, UK chart-toppers We Can't Stop and Wrecking Ball, followed by Party in the USA.

For her closing number, she altered the lyrics to reflect her location and wore a Union flag one-piece.

Cyrus' next gig is in Leeds on Saturday, followed by performances in Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham.

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Hague 'Frustrated' By Speed Of Nigeria Rescue

Nigerian Kidnaps: What Can Really Be Done?

Updated: 2:46pm UK, Tuesday 06 May 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

The temptation to "do something" is almost overwhelming. Some 270 school girls abducted, many already raped, dragged into the bush and now threatened with being sold into slavery.

Of course the "do something" instinct comes to the fore.

In fact it's only really become an international cry since the leader of Boko Haram, which means Western education is sinful, delivered a 57-minute diatribe in Hausa, Arabic and English, threatening the girls with slavery this week.

Inside Nigeria, the government has been under growing pressure to "do something".

Dr Sakyimah Akilu, a presidential adviser and spokeswoman on national security, told Sky News that it was true that there was a general impression that the Nigerian government had failed to react to the mass abductions.

"The truth is that we are pursuing every lead we have had. But you have to understand that they have been taken into the Sambisa forest and perhaps into the mountains in Cameroon - there are many places to hide," she said.

This fatalism may explain why the Nigerian administration of Goodluck Jonathan appears to have been flat footed in hunting down the radical Islamist group which is now threatening the girls with a most un-Islamic torment.

William Hague said: "Using girls as the spoils of war and the spoils of terrorism is disgusting and immoral. It should show everybody across the world that they should not give any support for such a vile organisation …

"Britain is offering assistance, but of course the primary responsibility will rest with the Nigerians, and I hope they will do what is necessary to reunite these girls with their families."

The British Foreign Secretary is vague on what that "assistance" could be.

In all likelihood, it would take the form of Special Force advice on how to track the girls. Perhaps some help, too, with surveillance.

But both would be limited. More of a gesture than anything else.

Special Forces from South Africa, Britain, the United States and other Western nations have been on the trail of the similarly horrible Lord's Resistance Army in the Central African Republic for decades.

Their analysis has been that while they could probably kill the leadership of the LRA, a capture operation would be almost impossible.

A similar military analysis would emerge on Boko Haram - finding and saving the missing girls would be almost impossible - slaughtering elements of Boko Haram would not.

But killing won't solve the problem.

The sad truth is that Nigeria's missing children are likely to stay that way.

Efforts to negotiate a peace deal with Boko Haram's leader Abdulbakar Shekau over the last four years - while 4,000 Nigerians died - have come to nought.

Now he has the attention of the whole world, he won't want to give up on the limelight the missing girls have given him.

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Freddie Starr Will Not Be Prosecuted Says CPS

Comedian Freddie Starr will not be prosecuted over allegations of sexual offences, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.

The 71-year-old was arrested as part of Operation Yewtree, the police investigation which began following revelations about Jimmy Savile.

Baljit Ubhey, the Chief Crown Prosecutor of CPS London, said: "Having carefully reviewed this case, we have decided that there is insufficient evidence to prosecute Freddie Starr in relation to allegations of sexual offences made by 13 individuals.

"Each allegation was considered on its own merits and we have concluded that the available evidence does not offer a realistic prospect of conviction for any of the alleged offences.

"In relation to one further complainant, we have decided that although there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction, according to the Code for Crown Prosecutors, a prosecution would not be in the public interest.

"It must be remembered that a determination by a prosecutor that there is sufficient evidence to prosecute under the Code does not mean that the suspect is guilty of the offence. Prosecutors have to consider whether there is enough evidence to bring a case to trial but deciding whether an offence has been committed is entirely a matter for courts and juries and every suspect is innocent until proven guilty."

She added: "All of these decisions have been taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and our guidance for prosecutors on cases of sexual offences. The complainants have been informed and we will be writing to them to more fully explain our decision."

More follows ...

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Madeleine McCann: Police To Dig For Evidence

Portuguese authorities have approved Met Police plans to dig for evidence in the resort where Madeleine McCann vanished in 2007.

Forensics officers will use ground penetrating radar equipment to search at three sites in Praia da Luz.

Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt, speaking from the police investigators' base in Faro, described the move as a "breakthrough" in the investigation.

One of the sites is thought to be the apartment where Madeleine disappeared

He said: "We don't know exactly where the digging will take place and it's not an operation that's being launched on new information.

"It appears that there is information that was given to the Portuguese over the past seven years that indicated that there might be evidence to be found at certain locations.

"We think one of them may be the beach area and another may be around the apartments where Madeleine was last seen.

"It is a breakthrough and it really will launch a new phase in the investigation because this will be the first time that we will see Scotland Yard officers on the ground, not just talking to Portuguese police but working with them in the search for perhaps more tangible evidence."

Madeleine was three when she went missing

Last week, Kate McCann told Sky News she needs to know what happened to her daughter even if it was the "worst case scenario".

She said: "Madeleine's either alive or she isn't and we can't change that.

"Obviously our hope is that she's alive and being well looked after but regardless of the outcome, we need to know. We all need to know."

Madeleine disappeared from the apartment she was staying in with her parents and two siblings on May 3, 2007. She was three years old at the time she vanished.

In April, police revealed they were investigating five new cases in which young British girls were sexually abused during holiday home break-ins in the Algarve.

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Stuart Hall Admits One Indecent Assault Charge

Broadcaster Stuart Hall has admitted one count of indecent assault on a girl aged under 16.

The 84-year-old, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, denies 19 other charges at Preston Crown Court.

But he replied "guilty" when asked how he pleaded to the one allegation of indecent assault, which took place between January 26 1978 and January 1 1979.

His trial is due to begin on the charges he has pleaded innocent to.

The former It's A Knockout presenter faces 15 counts of rape and four counts of indecent assault, over offences which allegedly took place between 1976 and 1981.

The trial, which will get under way once legal discussions have concluded, is estimated to last seven days.

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Oscar Pistorius Trial: Athlete Was 'Frantic'

One of Oscar Pistorius' former neighbours has told the athlete's murder trial how he "begged" her to save his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp's life.

Carice Viljoen, who raced to the 27-year-old's home after he called her father for help, said the distressed athlete was "frantic" from the moment she stepped inside his house on Valentine's Day last year.

Pistorius covered his ears with his hands as an emotional Ms Viljoen told the court: "He was saying, 'Please, please'. He was begging me to put her in the car and take her to the hospital.

"I was kneeling at Reeva's side and there was blood everywhere."

Ms Steenkamp was shot dead on February 14, 2013. Pic: Stimulii

Earlier, Ms Viljoen's father, Johan Stander, who worked on the luxury estate in South Africa where Pistorius lived, recalled the desperate phone call from the sprinter in the early hours of the morning.

He told the court: "He said, 'Please, please, please come to my house, please. I shot Reeva. I thought she was an intruder. Please, please come quick.'"

He said he arrived at Pistorius' house around three minutes later to find the athlete "broken", "screaming" and carrying Ms Steenkamp's body down the stairs.

"Oscar was crying, really crying," he said. "He was in pain. He asked us to help him. He wanted us to put Reeva in a car and take her to hospital.

"We tried to calm him down. He was broken. He was screaming, crying, praying."

Ms Viljoen said that after getting Pistorius to lay his girlfriend on the floor, she ran upstairs, grabbed a handful of towels and used them to try to stop the bleeding.

"Oscar was holding pressure on her hip," she said. "He had his finger in her mouth, trying to help her breathe.

"He just kept asking me, 'Where's the ambulance, where's the ambulance?'

"We tried our very best to keep her alive."

Mr Stander, who used to look after Pistorius' dogs while the athlete was competing overseas, told the court his neighbour was "committed" to saving Ms Steenkamp.

Mr Stander said he found Pistorius carrying his girlfriend down the stairs

The witness, a former administrator at the Silver Woods estate in Pretoria, also said Pistorius would ask to be kept abreast of local crimes when he returned from his travels.

In one incident, he said, thieves broke through a fence and used a ladder to gain access to a house - a scenario the athlete has previously said he was concerned about.

A woman was tied up by intruders during another break-in, he added.

Pistorius' legal team are set to call ballistics, audio and psychological experts over the coming days, as the trial enters what is likely to prove a critical phase.

Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford, in Pretoria, said: "The defence has to counter several prosecution claims - not least that there was a pause between shots which, crucially, would have given Ms Steenkamp time to shout out in anguish before the fatal head shot."

Pistorius admits shooting his partner but denies a charge of premeditated murder, claiming he mistook her for an intruder.

The trial continues.

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Elena Baltacha Dies After Cancer Battle

Former British tennis number one Elena Baltacha has died of liver cancer at the age of 30, her family have announced.

She died peacefully at her home early on Sunday morning, they said.

Baltacha was diagnosed with the illness in January, just two months after retiring from tennis and only weeks after she married her coach Nino Severino.

"We are heartbroken beyond words at the loss of our beautiful, talented and determined Bally," Severino said in a statement released by her family.

"She was an amazing person and she touched so many people with her inspirational spirit, her warmth and her kindness."

Husband Nino Severino says he is heartbroken

Kiev-born Baltacha retired from professional tennis last November after struggling to overcome a series of injuries.

The daughter of former Ipswich, St Mirren and Inverness footballer Sergei, she reached a career-high world ranking of 49 in 2010, and beat the likes of Li Na and Francesca Schiavone.

Baltacha was British number one from December 2009 to June 2012 - 132 weeks - and she won 11 International Tennis Federation titles.

She played 39 times for Britain in the Fed Cup from 2003 to 2012 and was also part of Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics.

She was diagnosed at the age of 19 with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a chronic liver condition which compromises the immune system.

Her agent and friend Eleanor Preston told Sky News that Baltacha was a "fighter on and off court" and for that reason her "spirit and memory will live on".

The Lawn Tennis Association says she was a 'shining light'

"She was somebody who achieved an awful lot despite having a very serious liver condition which she struggled with since she was 19," she said.

"For that reason she should be held up as a real role model for everybody, for the way she overcame those obstacles and went on to achieve great things, and throughout it all without having the slightest ounce of pity or ego about it."

Among those from the Tennis world to pay tribute was former world number one and multiple Wimbledon champion Billy Jean King who said:  "Saddened to hear about Elena Baltacha's passing.

"My fondest memory with Bally was sharing a wonderful chat when we met the Queen at Wimbledon." 

The current women's British number one Laura Robson paid tribute to her "teammate" on Twitter.

Baltacha's friend Andy Murray is to play in a fundraiser in her memory

She said: "Impossibly sad. Forever a teammate. Sweet dreams Bally."

The Lawn Tennis Association's head of women's tennis, Iain Bates, said in a statement: "Today we have lost a shining light from the heart of British tennis - a true role model, a great competitor and a wonderful friend."

In 2010, Baltacha launched the Elena Baltacha Academy of Tennis, which helps children from all backgrounds to learn and play tennis.

The previously announced Rally For Bally - a fundraiser due to be played in June - will still go ahead, now in her memory.

Her childhood friend Andy Murray had committed to play in the event along with Martina Navratilova and Tim Henman.

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Tube Strike Called Off After Last-Ditch Talks

A three-day London Underground strike planned to start on Monday night has been suspended, the RMT union has said.

Members of the union were due to walk out from 9pm, but last-ditch talks with London Underground (LU) led to it being called off.

Acting general secretary Mick Cash said: "Pre-conditions have been removed, protection of earnings has been agreed and we now have a viable framework for a proper review of the cuts and closures programme.

"As a result of that progress, secured directly through our members campaign of industrial action and the union's drive to get the facts across to the people of London, we are able to suspend the action due to commence this evening and further talks around the fundamental issues of cuts to jobs, services and safety will now take place."

Phil Hufton, chief operating officer of London Underground, said: "I am pleased that Londoners will not have to endure further strike action this week.

"The only way to resolve this dispute is for the RMT leadership to work with us to shape the future of the Tube in a changing world. It is good that they have committed to doing so alongside the three other unions involved."

The agreement was reached after talks with the conciliation service Acas.

A spokesman said: "We are pleased that we have been able to assist the parties to reach an understanding that allows the industrial action this week to be withdrawn."

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "It is vital that we continue to reform the tube for the benefit of our passengers.

"I'm delighted that hard-working Londoners and businesses across the capital will now be free to go about their work without the threat of needless industrial action."

A 48-hour strike last week caused major disruption in London as long queues formed at Underground stations and bus stops.

Business groups warned the strikes would cost the capital's economy millions of pounds.

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Gerry Adams 'Questioned For 17 Hours A Day'

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams is being questioned for up to 17 hours a day during his interrogation by police in Northern Ireland, Sky News understands.

Mr Adams is spending a fourth day being quizzed in custody following his arrest in connection with the 1972 murder of mother-of-10 Jean McConville, who was snatched from her home in front of her children.

Sources close to Mr Adams, 65, have told Sky News Ireland Correspondent David Blevins that "most of the questions are about IRA membership".

On Friday, officers were granted another 48 hours to quiz the republican party leader at Antrim police station. They must now charge or release him by 8pm on Sunday.

Mr Adams vehemently denies allegations that he ordered the murder of Ms McConville.

Amid a growing row over his arrest, Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson has accused Sinn Fein of attempting to blackmail the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

Martin McGuinness says the arrest is politically motivated

Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness warned his republican party will review their support for policing if Mr Adams is charged.

But Mr Robinson said: "The PSNI must not be the subject of republican bullyboy tactics.

"The protest action taken by Sinn Fein is unacceptable in any democratic country operating under the rule of law.

"The publicly conveyed threat to the PSNI delivered by the highest levels of Sinn Fein that they will reassess their attitude to policing if Gerry Adams is charged is a despicable, thuggish attempt to blackmail the PSNI."

Speaking at the unveiling of a mural of Mr Adams in Belfast on Saturday, Mr McGuinness alleged some people in the PSNI are "hostile" to the peace process.

He said: "In my view this is a failed attempt at the replay of the effort in 1978 to charge Gerry Adams with membership of the IRA. That case was based on hearsay, gossip and newspaper articles.

"It failed then and it will fail now.

Michael McConville says he knows who killed his mother

"Thirty-six years later those within the PSNI who are hostile to the peace process are using the same old dirty tricks. They are deliberately and cynically exploiting the awful killing of Jean McConville and the grief and hurt inflicted on her family."

Sinn Fein's decision to sign up to support the PSNI in 2007 was viewed as a major milestone in the peace process.

Former first minister David Trimble has told the Sky News Murnaghan programme: "In itself, (Mr Adams' arrest) hasn't done anything (to the peace process) because normal processes are taking place.

"Information became available, allegations Mr Adams was involved in the killing of Jean McConville, the police obviously have to investigate that, they are obviously going to have to speak to Mr Adams at some point, and Mr Adams himself recognised that."

No one has ever been charged with the murder of 37-year-old Ms McConville. Her body was finally discovered in 2003 on a beach 50 miles from her home.

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Leeds Teacher Death: Man Charged Over Message

One man has been charged and another arrested in connection with what police describe as "malicious communications" following the murder of teacher Ann Maguire in Leeds.

Mrs Maguire, 61, was stabbed to death in front of her students at Corpus Christi Catholic College last Monday, where she had taught for more than 40 years.

West Yorkshire Police said Jake Newsome, 21, from the Harehills area in Leeds, has been released on bail after being charged for the alleged abuse.

He is due to appear before Leeds Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

A 42-year-old man, from Port Talbot, South Wales, has also been arrested and remains in custody.

Today prayers have been said at dozens of churches across West Yorkshire for the family of the dedicated Spanish teacher and mother-of-two.

Mrs Maguire was stabbed during a lesson at Corpus Christi Catholic College

The Catholic Diocese of Leeds wrote to around 90 churches and urged them to pray for Mrs Maguire, who was due to retire in September.

A spokesman for the diocese said: "We are asking everybody to remember Ann Maguire in their prayers, and to remember her family who will be under pressure and stress at this time.

"She was amazingly well known in the local community for what she had done for young people.

"Everybody is so hurt by what has happened and taking time to recover.

"This is a time to remember her. We are talking about three generations of people - children, parents and grandparents - whose lives she has touched.

"She made a major difference to a lot of people's lives through the care she gave them and her teaching.

"Part of her philosophy was to make sure that students achieved their best, and this is a chance to remember her."

A book of condolence has also been opened at the cathedral in Leeds for those who want to express their sympathies.

A 15-year-old boy is in custody charged with Mrs Maguire's murder.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared via video-link at Leeds Crown Court on Friday. There was no application for bail.

The case was adjourned until July 11 for a plea and case management hearing.

A date for the start of the murder trial was set for November 3.

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David Cameron 'Ready For Farage TV Debate'

Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps has told Sky News "all options are on the table" when it comes to deciding who should take part in TV debates before the next election, amid reports Nigel Farage could be included.

The Sunday Times has reported that Prime Minister David Cameron is ready to sign up for three debates between party leaders - including one that could include the UKIP leader.

Speaking on Sky News' Murnaghan programme, Mr Shapps did not rule out the notion of Mr Farage taking part, and said negotiations would begin towards the end of this year.

A "2-3-5" plan reportedly drawn up by aides would include a debate between Mr Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband, another with Mr Miliband and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg and a third featuring the three main party leaders along with Mr Farage and Natalie Bennett from the Green Party.

The newspaper said the format would allow for one debate during the campaign, while the others would be held beforehand.

But Mr Farage has said he did not think he would get the chance to take part.

Nigel Farage and Nick Clegg recently went head-to-head over Europe

"What David Cameron does, very often he makes these promises, vague promises, and then doesn't actually deliver afterwards," he told BBC1's Andrew Marr show.

"I don't think he has got any intention of allowing me into any of these debates."

Speaking on the same programme, Mr Miliband said it was "up to the broadcasters who they invite, whether they invite Nigel".

"My main desire is that the debates go ahead," he said.

"The Prime Minister doesn't own these debates, the British people own these debates and he can't wriggle out of them."

Last month Mr Miliband said the previous format of three debates between the three main party leaders over three weeks should be a "starting point" but that he was open to changes such as a less formal setting and greater voter participation.

David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Gordon Brown during the 2010 Sky News debate

Britain's first leaders' debates, between Mr Cameron, Gordon Brown and Mr Clegg were shown on Sky News, the BBC and ITV in 2010.

This followed negotiations between the parties and the TV companies which resulted in strict rules on the style of questioning and the division of time for leaders' answers.

Mr Cameron has since complained that the debates "took all the life out" of the campaign.

Mr Farage has repeatedly challenged the PM to agree to a TV debate with him.

Opinion polls suggested the UKIP leader beat Mr Clegg in two debates shown live on Sky News and the BBC ahead of this month's European elections.

Meanwhile, an opinion poll suggests UKIP is heading for victory in the European vote - but most voters believe the party attracts racists and bigots.

The YouGov poll for the Sun on Sunday put Mr Farage's party on 29%, ahead of Labour on 26%, the Conservatives on 23% and Liberal Democrats on 10%.

But 27% of those surveyed thought UKIP is a party with "racist views" and "many racist members", while 35% thought that, while the party is not racist, it "does seem to attract some candidates or supporters with racist, extreme or odd views".

Some 26% said UKIP is not racist and their "more controversial candidates are just saying the things ordinary people actually think".

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