Co-Op Vote On 'Slimmed-Down' Restructure

The future of the struggling Co-op group is to be decided today as radical reforms are voted on at its annual general meeting.

Former City minister Lord Myners has proposed a major shake-up of the 150-year-old business which reported losses of £2.5bn for 2013.

But Lord Myners fears that traditionalists within the organisation are "still stuck in denial" about its problems and will not support the plans.

These include sweeping away the existing 20-strong board of representatives from the co-operative movement, who currently include an engineer, a plasterer and a retired deputy head teacher.

He wants to replace this with a slimmed-down "plc and beyond" structure staffed by professionally-trained directors.

Lord Myners has said the Co-op is 'not fit for purpose'

The former Marks & Spencer chairman was appointed a director of the Co-operative Group in December but has announced he is to leave following this weekend's vote.

He has said it was apparent to him from the first time he attended a board meeting that not one of its members had the ability to address the complex issues faced by a group burdened with £1.4bn of debt.

Lord Myners believes that the Co-op will survive but faces the prospect of having to sell assets such as its £1bn funeral care business, in order to meet the demands of its lending banks, if it does not adopt reform.

Resistance to the changes saw chief executive Euan Sutherland leave the group earlier this year saying it was ungovernable.

This weekend's ballot will be decided by representatives of its independent societies and affiliated organisations - who hold 22% of the vote - and others voting on behalf of its regional membership boards making up the remaining 78%.

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Nigerian President Under Pressure At Summit

Police 'Ill-Equipped' To Fight Boko Haram

Updated: 10:18am UK, Saturday 17 May 2014

Police in Chibok have said they are not equipped to deal with another Islamist attack like the one which resulted in the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls.

Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford, who is in Chibok, said that despite an increased security presence, police felt under-equipped to serve as any sort of meaningful deterrent against further attacks.

One officer told her he felt unable to enter into a combat situation with the militants, many of whom are armed with heavy machine-guns and rocket-propelled grenades. 

It has been over a month since more than 200 girls were seized by the militants.

Residents in Chibok, in Nigeria's northern Borno state, say they are in constant fear of further attacks, with abductions and killings taking place in the region on a regular basis.

Nigerian authorities are accused of being powerless in the face of the Islamist threat and too slow to respond to the schoolgirls' abduction. 

Speaking to Sky News, Nigerian presidential aid Dr Doyin Okupe denied the security forces were under equipped saying: "It is not correct at all."

He said there had been significant improvements in the kit provided to the police and army over the last three years and added that "slowly but surely we are equipping" them.

Frustration with the government rose further on Friday when President Goodluck Jonathan was said to have cancelled a visit to the region.

It was reported that his security team had advised him against a visit to Chibok on the basis that it was too dangerous. 

However, on Saturday morning, Dr Okupe denied that Mr Jonathan had cancelled the visit and said it was a "misconception". The president would be visiting Chibok, he said.

Crawford said the families of the missing girls were "very upset and very angry" at the president's apparent last-minute decision to pull out. 

She said: "As one father of an abducted girl told me: 'If it's not safe enough for the president of Nigeria to come to Chibok, how on earth does he feel about us residents of Chibok living here?'."

And added the community was still upset that the president had not yet visited, after the April 14 kidnapping.

The president instead flew directly from the capital Abuja to Paris, where he is due to take part in a summit with the leaders of Nigeria's neighbouring states later today.

Representatives from Cameroon, Niger, Chad and Benin will all take part in the half-day meeting aimed at forging a joint strategy to overcome the militants. 

Ahead of the summit, one French diplomat said: "Boko Haram represents a risk to the stability of every state in the region, and the leaders of these countries have to be aware of that."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague and US Secretary of State John Kerry are also scheduled to attend the meeting hosted by French President Francois Hollande.

Britain, the US and France are all taking part in the search for the missing schoolgirls.

Nothing was seen of the girls until last week when Boko Haram released a video appearing to show a group of about 100 of them who the group said had converted to Islam.

Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau said the girls would not be released until detained militants of the group were freed from prison.

The Nigerian government has reportedly ruled out negotiations on a prisoner swap.

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Nigeria: Police Not Equipped To Fight Boko Haram

Police in Chibok have said they are not equipped to deal with another Islamist attack like the one which resulted in the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls.

Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford, who is in Chibok, said that despite an increased security presence, police felt under-equipped to serve as any sort of meaningful deterrent against further attacks.

One officer told her he felt unable to enter into a combat situation with the militants, many of whom are armed with heavy machine-guns and rocket-propelled grenades. 

It has been over a month since more than 200 girls were seized by the militants.

Residents in Chibok, in Nigeria's northern Borno state, say they are in constant fear of further attacks, with abductions and killings taking place in the region on a regular basis.

The girls appeared in a video released by Boko Haram last week

Nigerian authorities are accused of being powerless in the face of the Islamist threat and too slow to respond to the schoolgirls' abduction. 

Speaking to Sky News, Nigerian presidential aid Dr Doyin Okupe denied the security forces were under equipped saying: "It is not correct at all."

He said there had been significant improvements in the kit provided to the police and army over the last three years and added that "slowly but surely we are equipping" them.

Frustration with the government rose further on Friday when President Goodluck Jonathan was said to have cancelled a visit to the region.

Parents have criticised the government's handling of the abduction

It was reported that his security team had advised him against a visit to Chibok on the basis that it was too dangerous. 

However, on Saturday morning, Dr Okupe denied that Mr Jonathan had cancelled the visit and said it was a "misconception". The president would be visiting Chibok, he said.

Crawford said the families of the missing girls were "very upset and very angry" at the president's apparent last-minute decision to pull out. 

She said: "As one father of an abducted girl told me: 'If it's not safe enough for the president of Nigeria to come to Chibok, how on earth does he feel about us residents of Chibok living here?'."

The Nigerian president is seeking a regional strategy to tackle Boko Haram

And added the community was still upset that the president had not yet visited, after the April 14 kidnapping.

The president instead flew directly from the capital Abuja to Paris, where he is due to take part in a summit with the leaders of Nigeria's neighbouring states later today.

Representatives from Cameroon, Niger, Chad and Benin will all take part in the half-day meeting aimed at forging a joint strategy to overcome the militants. 

Ahead of the summit, one French diplomat said: "Boko Haram represents a risk to the stability of every state in the region, and the leaders of these countries have to be aware of that."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague and US Secretary of State John Kerry are also scheduled to attend the meeting hosted by French President Francois Hollande.

Britain, the US and France are all taking part in the search for the missing schoolgirls.

Nothing was seen of the girls until last week when Boko Haram released a video appearing to show a group of about 100 of them who the group said had converted to Islam.

Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau said the girls would not be released until detained militants of the group were freed from prison.

The Nigerian government has reportedly ruled out negotiations on a prisoner swap.

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Fifa Head: Qatar Summer World Cup A 'Mistake'

FA Boss Warning Over Qatar 2022

Updated: 3:36pm UK, Saturday 10 August 2013

Fifa "probably made a mistake" in awarding the World Cup to Qatar for the summer of 2022, according to the FA's new chairman.

Greg Dyke has said staging the tournament in the Middle East country during some of the hottest weeks of the year, when temperatures can reach 50C (122F), would be "impossible".

But Qatar said in a statement that it was the right decision to award it the Finals, and it was ready to stage the event in either summer or winter.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Dyke said he had serious concerns for the safety of football players and supporters if the event was not moved to the winter or taken away from Qatar completely.

He said: "I have a lot of sympathy with the Qataris. They bid for it and they got it. I think the Fifa executive probably made a mistake at that time - we have to live with that.

"The question now is, how do we solve this problem?"

It is the first time the FA has taken a formal position on the controversial issue. Mr Dyke believes a winter World Cup is more likely than Qatar losing the tournament completely.

His predecessor David Bernstein said in June that any plans to move the World Cup to the winter were "fundamentally flawed".

The FA's position could lead to some differences with the Premier League, whose chief executive Richard Scudamore strongly opposes any move to change the World Cup to the winter because it would disrupt domestic club competitions.

Fifa's president, Sepp Blatter, has said there is still enough time to switch the tournament to the winter months, when temperatures are significantly cooler but can still reach 30C (86F).

Mr Dyke said: "I don't know how many people have been to Qatar in June. I have. The one thing I can tell you is you can't play a football tournament in Qatar in June.

"Even if all the stadia are air-conditioned - which seems a bit strange in terms of the green policy - it would be impossible for the fans just to go out there, wander around in that sort of heat.

"The FA's position will be you can't play it in summer in Qatar.

"Fifa therefore has two choices; you either move it in time or to another location.

"I suspect that either ends up in some sort of litigation, but then someone should have worked that out in 2010 when it was awarded."

The Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee later released a statement saying: "It was the right decision to award the World Cup to the Middle East for the first time in 2022.

"Football is the most popular sport in the Middle East and the people of our region deserve the opportunity to have history made in their part of the world.

"We are committed to delivering on the promises we made in our successful bid.

"We are ready to host in summer or winter. We have always maintained that this issue requires the agreement of the international football community.

"A decision to alter the dates of the 2022 FIFA World Cup would not affect our infrastructure planning."

The final decision on the fate of Qatar's World Cup rests with Fifa, whose executive committee will discuss the matter at its next meeting, in early October.

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Nigeria Leader Cancels Visit To Girls' Village

Nigeria's president has cancelled a planned visit to the village from which nearly 300 girls were kidnapped due to security fears.

The visit was to be Goodluck Jonathan's first visit to Chibok, the village from where 276 schoolgirls were abducted by Boko Haram rebels a month ago - a number have since escaped.

"The president was planning to go but security advised otherwise on the visit," said the source of the last-minute decision to cancel.

The president is instead flying direct to Paris

Instead, Mr Jonathan is flying direct from the capital, Abuja, to Paris for a regional summit to discuss Boko Haram and wider security issues.

The cancellation of the visit to Chibok is likely to disappoint relatives of the girls who have already expressed their anger at the government's slow response to the crisis and the armed forces' failure to rescue the girls.

A Chibok community leader had said that, although residents had been angry at his government's slow response to the girls' plight, they did not hold it against the president and considered the visit "better late than never".

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau

Boko Haram's leader last week threatened in a video to sell the girls into slavery unless the government freed rebels being held - the president said he would not do so.

A total of 223 are still missing and the group's leader, Abubakar Shekau, claimed in a video released this week that some 130 had now converted to Islam.

A social media campaign has galvanised international pressure on Nigeria to mount a rescue operation with Britain, the US, France and Israel all sending teams and equipment to help.

There has been national outrage at the kidnappings

But the president's cancellation is expected to draw further criticism of the government's handling of the crisis.

The US has been critical of Nigeria's "slow" response to the kidnapping, saying resolving the crisis was not "one of the highest priorities of the US government".

Debo Adeniran from a pressure group called the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, said he was "shocked and disappointed" at the cancellation of the visit and it sent a troubling message.

Enoch Mark, whose daughter is among those missing

"If, as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, he is afraid to visit Chibok because of security fears, he is simply telling the hapless people in the northeast that he cannot protect them and they should resign to their fate," he said.

"He is also telling the soldiers fighting Boko Haram elements in the region that they are on their own," he added, calling for the president to resign.

The cancellation would hit already low morale of troops fighting the insurgency in the northeast, he added.

The army is taking part in the search for the girls

"For the abducted girls, they can now see clearly that the person they call their president is a misfit, lilly-livered and lacks any moral claim to leadership. Everybody is disappointed," he said.

 

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New Indian Prime Minister Modi Hails Victory

Opposition candidate Narendra Modi declared the "good days are coming" after sweeping to power in historic elections in India.

Though the final results have yet to be confirmed, Mr Modi took to Twitter to declare victory for his Hindu Bharitya Janata Party (BJP).

He tweeted: "India has won. Good days are coming."

Outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called Mr Modi to congratulate him - while David Cameron has also spoken to his new counterpart.

And the Prime Minister tweeted: "Congratulations @narendramodi on victory in India's elections. Keen to work together to get the most from UK-India relationship."

India's Election Commission says that for the first time in 30 years a party appears to have enough seats to form a majority government in what is the world's second most populous country.

Narendra Modi declares victory on Twitter

The BJP currently has 272 seats - meaning they won't need to form a coalition in the lower house of parliament.

The result ends 10 years of Congress Party rule and follows what the BJP describe as a "people's revolution".

"This is the beginning of change, a people's revolution and the start of a new era," senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar told AFP.

Sky's Neville Lazarus is outside the BJP headquarters in New Delhi and described the celebrations as "euphoric".

"They were expecting the number of seats to be high, but not this high," he said. "It's a vindication of Narendra Modi and his campaign.

Narendra Modi is blessed by mother, Hira Ba, on the day of his victory

"There is a mood of change in this country because the Congress Party has been reeling from the economic slowdown and corruption charges."

The stock market responded to the result by leaping 6%, sending the rupee to an 11-month high.

Mr Modi has been the top official in Gujarat state for a decade.

The 63-year-old is the son of a tea seller and has played on his humble roots during the election campaign, with references to his mother riding a rickshaw to cast her ballot.

Celebrations outside a counting centre in Siliguri

His apparent victory comes despite controversy over links to the paramilitary Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) - which some describe as neo-fascist.

As chief minister of Gujarat, Mr Modi was criticised for failing to apologise for religious riots in 2002 in which at least 1,000 people died - mostly Muslims.

He has denied any role in the violence and the Supreme Court declared he had no case to answer.

However, suspicions prompted the United States to deny him a visa in 2005, while Britain maintained a diplomatic boycott on Mr Modi until 2012.

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Family Cat Saves Boy From Vicious Dog Attack

A tabby cat has been hailed a hero by her owners after saving their four-year-old son from a vicious dog attack.

Tara's bravery was captured on a home CCTV system and quickly went viral when the footage was posted on the internet.

Some viewers questioned whether she had put the title "man's best friend" in contention after sprinting to defend Jeremy Triantafilo from a dog much larger than herself.

Jeremy Triantafilo says Tara is his hero

The little boy was riding his bicycle in front of his home in Bakersfield, California, when a neighbour's dog appeared to stalk him.

The animal ran up from behind and attacked him, leaving a deep leg wound, which needed 10 stitches.

Out of nowhere, Tara flew at the dog and sent it running off down the road.

Tara raced to the rescue when Jeremy was savaged by a neighbour's dog

She then returned to the injured boy.

Jeremy's mother Erica was watering a tree at the time and saw Tara fly past and launch herself at the dog.

"I remember her hitting the dog," she said.

Tara has now been promised a diet of salmon for life

"But seeing the video and seeing exactly what she did and chased that dog away ... seeing her turn to check on Jeremy then returning to him. She is my hero." 

Her husband Roger, who posted the video on the web, added: "The police officer and I both commented on like wow, we've never seen a cat do that before." 

He said Tara had been with the family for six years.

Jeremy's mother Erica was watering a tree when the cat raced past

"She followed us home from the park when Erica and I were dating. I said if she follows us all the way home we can keep her," he said.

"She earned her salmon for the year - for life!"

Police said the dog would be quarantined for 10 days and then put down.

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Turkey Mine Tragedy Protesters Battle Police

Police in Turkey have used water cannon against protesters amid growing fury over the mining disaster which killed at least 282 workers.

Violence flared on the streets of Istanbul as grief turned to anger in the wake of the underground explosion at the mine in Soma, some 155 miles (250km) south of the city.

The number of those killed is expected to rise as families lose hope of finding alive any of the estimated 150 miners still feared trapped, with the last survivor brought out more than 24 hours ago.

The first funerals have been held for those killed in the underground blast

Emergency workers have been fighting fire and toxic fumes in their frantic search at the scene.

Rows of graves have been dug to bury those killed in Turkey's worst ever mining disaster.

In the meantime, security was tightened at the site for a visit of the country's President Abdullah Gul, with officials anxious to avoid a repeat of the anger which greeted Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, when his car was mobbed by protesters.

A protester is kicked by an adviser to Turkey's PM during trouble in Soma

Pictures have emerged of that visit, showing Yusuf Yerkel, an adviser to the PM, kicking a demonstrator as he is held on the ground by police officers.

Miners are holding a strike in protest at the disaster in the face of mounting anger over poor industry safety standards.

The major accident has become a focal point of wider dissent against the ruling administration, which has been in power for 11 years, with violent clashes in Istanbul and the capital Ankara.

There have been fresh clashes in Turkey following the disaster

The government said 787 people were inside the coal mine at the time of the explosion, and 363 have been rescued including many who were injured.

But some families have cast doubt on the official figures.

Those still trapped are thought to be some 1.2 miles (2km) below the surface and 2.5 miles (4km) from the mine entrance.

Scores of graves have been dug close to the mine to bury the dead

As thousands of anxious relatives waited for news of Turkey's worst mining disaster, Mr Erdogan was accused of ignoring warnings over safety at the coal pit.

A convoy containing his car was attacked by crowds and he was forced to seek refuge in a supermarket, surrounded by police.

With feelings running high, protesters shouted for him to resign and said he was a "murderer" and a "thief".

And Mr Erdogan's attempt to downplay the disaster at a news conference did little to defuse tensions.

He said accidents happened in other countries and even pointed to cases in 19th century Britain.

The visit of Turkish President Abdullah Gul took place amid tight security

Mr Erdogan said: "These types of things in mines happen all the time.

"It's in its nature. It's not possible for there to be no accidents in mines. Of course we were deeply pained by the extent here."

He declared three days of national mourning and ordered flags to be lowered to half-mast.

The public backlash over the disaster could threaten Mr Erdogan's presidential ambitions ahead of the August election.

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Rolf Harris 'Abused Girl At Two Little Boys Show'

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

A woman has told a court how she threw away a Rolf Harris autograph in disgust after he allegedly indecently assaulted her when she was a young girl.

Entertainer Harris, 84, is said to have touched the seven or eight-year-old girl's back, before running his hand down her bottom and between her legs.

The woman, now 52, and who cannot be named for legal reasons, was among dozens of children who had queued excitedly to get his autograph on a Saturday morning after he performed his hit song Two Little Boys.

But she was left so shocked and scared after he touched her, she threw the piece of paper away after the incident at a community centre in Portsmouth, which she said happened in around 1969.

Speaking from behind a screen, the woman told jurors at Southwark Crown Court: "It was so quick, I thought 'what's just happened?' More or less instantly his hand was back again.

"Straight up between my legs, aggressively, forcefully, as if it didn't matter if it was going to hurt me, I knew then it wasn't an accident."

The woman went on: "I understood it was wrong. I wanted to get away. I wanted to scream out 'what are you doing?' but it wouldn't come out."

"He scared me. His eyes were fixed. He was carrying on as if nothing had happened," she said.

Prosecutor Ms Sasha Wass QC asked her what she did with the autograph and she replied: "I threw it on the floor".

She said that afterwards she felt she "wasn't the same child".

The woman said even now, years later, she still cried when she heard the song Two Little Boys.

She said she later told her husband and children that Harris was a ''dirty old man'' who had ''touched her up as a child".

Jurors heard that she eventually told police what had happened in May 2013 after seeing reports that another woman in Australia had come forward with similar claims following the Jimmy Savile scandal.

Under cross-examination from Ms Sonia Woodley QC, she denied suggestions that Harris had not been to the community centre and that she had not been indecently assaulted by him.

She insisted: ''Rolf Harris was there. I met Rolf Harris at that community centre when I was a little girl.''

Australian-born Harris, dressed in a grey suit and tie, listened via a hearing loop from the glass-fronted dock, occasionally making notes.

Relatives and friends were in the public gallery but for the second day his wife Alwen did not accompany him to court.

Harris, of Bray, Berkshire, is accused of indecently assaulting four girls and women between 1968 and 1986 and denies the 12 charges.

The case continues.

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Carney: Bank In No Rush To Raise Rates

Affordability Gap: Figures In Detail

Updated: 11:45pm UK, Tuesday 13 May 2014

The 10 most affordable and least affordable areas to buy a property in England and Wales.

They are listed by their affordability gap - the ratio between average house prices and average earnings of locals in each area.

The first figure is the average house price in that area, the next is the average local earnings, and the third is the affordability gap - calculated by dividing the first figure by the second...

Top Ten    

Kensington and Chelsea £935,000 £42,957  21.8  

Westminster £748,500   £38,355  19.5  

Camden £595,000   £37,372  15.9  

Hammersmith and Fulham £550,000 £34,778  15.8

Islington £450,100 £34,876  12.9 

Elmbridge £444,500 £36,161  12.3 

Wandsworth £450,000   £36,618  12.3 

Richmond upon Thames £475,000   £38,860  12.2 

Hackney £378,500   £31,023  12.2 

Brent £340,000  £27,950  12.2 

Bottom Ten   

Wigan £105,000   £25,589  4.1

Neath Port Talbot £93,750   £23,462  4.0

Stoke-on-Trent £88,000   £22,620  3.9

Merthyr Tydfil £86,000   £22,396  3.8   

Rhondda, Cynon, Taff £93,000   £24,872  3.7

Pendle £85,000   £22,932  3.7

Barrow-in-Furness £92,500   £27,794  3.3

Blaenau Gwent £70,000   £21,034  3.3

Copeland £115,000   £35,105  3.3

Burnley £71,500   £24,612  2.9 

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Oxygen Pumped To Trapped Turkey Miners

Rescuers have begun pumping oxygen into the mine shaft in western Turkey in a desperate bid to save hundreds of miners still trapped underground.

Despite efforts to help any survivors who may be struggling to breathe, the country's energy minister Taner Yildiz said "hopes are diminishing" among rescuers. 

At least 205 people have been confirmed dead following the explosion and fire at the coal mine in Soma, some 155 miles (250km) south of Istanbul.

The hundreds still trapped underground are thought to be some 1.2 miles (2km) below the surface and 2.5 miles (4km) from the mine entrance.

Many of the miners were coughing and covered in dust as they were rescued

It was previously reported that 787 workers were in the mine at the time of the blast, which is thought to have been caused by an electrical fault.

However it is believed to have happened during a change of shifts, leading to confusion over the exact number of workers still inside.

According to Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency just 93 people were pulled out alive, a significantly smaller number than previously reported.

The father of one of the dozens of rescued miners embraces his son

Mr Yildiz said it was likely to become the deadliest mining disaster in Turkish history, with the death toll expected to rise above the 263 workers killed in a gas explosion near the Black Sea port of Zonguldak in 1992.

Speaking earlier, the minister said a fire was burning inside the mine, hindering rescue efforts.

High levels of carbon monoxide have reportedly forced rescue teams to halt the operation on a number of occasions.

The poisonous gas is thought to have been responsible for the majority of fatalities. 

Worried relatives rush to the mine complex in the town of Soma

TV pictures showed rescued miners coughing and spluttering as they were pulled out alive, their faces coated with black dust.

Anxious relatives are waiting at the surface for news as bodies continue to be pulled from the mine. Each rescue was greeted with cheering and applauding from the crowd.

But according to journalist Dorian Jones, fear has already turned to anger among the relatives of many of those lost.

He told Sky News previous accidents have been reported at the mine and the safety record of operator Soma Komur Isletmeleri has been called into question.

The explosion happened in Turkey's western Manisa province

Mr Jones said one miner had told him he felt like a "lamb to the slaughter" every time he went to work.

In a statement, Soma Komur Isletmeleri described the explosion as a "tragic accident" which happened "despite maximum safety measures and inspections".

According to Turkey's ministry of labour, the pit was last inspected on March 17 and was found to be compliant with safety regulations.

The accident happened when a power distribution unit exploded about 1.2 miles (2km) beneath the surface, according to Nurettin Akcul, head of the Turkish Mineworkers' Union.

Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has postponed a one-day visit to Albania and has arrived at the scene.

He has announced three days of mourning.

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Charity Fund-Raiser Stephen Sutton Dies

Teenager Stephen Sutton, who raised more than £3m for charity, has died after losing his cancer battle.

Writing on his Facebook page, his mother wrote: "My heart is bursting with pride but breaking with pain for my courageous, selfless, inspirational son who passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early hours of this morning, Wednesday 14th May.

"The ongoing support and outpouring of love for Stephen will help greatly at this difficult time, in the same way as it helped Stephen throughout his journey.

"We all know he will never be forgotten, his spirit will live on, in all that he achieved and shared with so many."

David Cameron visited Stephen and said he was "an inspiration"

The sad news came after his family said the 19-year-old had become too sick to communicate as his condition deteriorated.

He was readmitted to hospital on Monday after having previously been discharged when it appeared he had made a "miraculous recovery" by coughing up a tumour.

At the time he revealed that he was suffering from breathlessness and said doctors thought there was something blocking his airway.

He wrote on Facebook: "The doctors think there may be something restricting my airway again, they're not sure exactly what yet though (tumour regrowth, infection, inflammation, are all potential reasons mentioned), but are currently discussing the possibilities and my scan results to decide what to do next."

Mr Sutton, from Burntwood in Staffordshire, was diagnosed with bowel cancer when he was 15.

Despite treatment the tumours spread, with doctors telling him the disease was terminal in 2012.

Hundreds of thousands of people have supported his fundraising efforts for the Teenage Cancer Trust since he posted a picture of himself in hospital in April with a goodbye message as he thought he was nearing death.

Among them was Prime Minister David Cameron.

The amount raised totals £3.24m to date.

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Boko Haram Video Claims To Show Missing Girls

A new video issued by Boko Haram claims to show some of the nearly 300 schoolgirls missing in Nigeria, who the group's leader says have converted to Islam.

AFP reported that Boko Haram's leader said the girls would not be released until members of the terror group being held in prison are freed.

Police say a total of 276 girls were abducted on April 14 from the northeastern town of Chibok, in Borno state, which has a sizeable Christian community. Some 223 are still missing.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau speaks on the video for 17 minutes

In the video, Abubakar Shekau speaks for 17 minutes before showing what he says are about 130 of the girls, wearing full-length hijabs and praying in an undisclosed rural location.

One of the girls then appears to talk directly to the camera.

The girls were shown wearing Hijabs and praying

None of the youngsters appears to be visibly distressed, but it appears as if they are clearly under duress. 

Holding a pad of paper in his hand, Mr Shekau tells the camera: "These girls, these girls you occupy yourselves with their affair we have indeed 'liberated' them. We have indeed 'liberated' them.

Two of them hold a flag in the background

"Do you know 'we have liberated them'? These girls have become Muslims. They are Muslims."

He continues: "It is now four years or five years that you arrested our brethren and they are still in your prison.

One of the girls comes forward and talks to the camera

"You are doing many things (to them). And now you are talking about these girls. We will never release them until after you release our brethren."

Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford who has spoken to a father of one of the kidnapped girls says he does not want the government to release Boko Haram prisoners in exchange for his daughter.

He told her: "Its not right. They'll do it again."

Doctor Reuben Abati told Sky News Nigeria will not pay a ransom

A special adviser to the country's president Doctor Reuben Abati told Alex Crawford there were lines the government would not cross in the hunt for the girls.

Speaking after it was revealed authorities had made indirect contact with Boko Haram, Dr Abati said: "The government of Nigeria has no intention to pay a ransom or to buy the girls, because the sale of human beings is a crime against humanity.

"The determination of the government is to get the girls and to ensure that the impunity that has brought this about is checked and punished."

Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau has threatened to sell the girls "at the market" and some are believed to have already been taken out of the country.

The search for the girls remains centred on the huge Sambisa forest, which is three times the size of Wales.

France said that Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan had agreed to attend a summit in Paris on Saturday to discuss what to do about Boko Haram.

Britain has been invited, as has the EU, the United States and the four countries bordering Nigeria: Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

Several of the countries in the region affected by the consequences of Boko Haram violence are French speaking.

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Oscar Pistorius 'Suffers From Anxiety Disorder'

Oscar Pistorius has an anxiety disorder and is a "distrusting and guarded" person who is "hyper-vigilant" about security, the athlete's murder trial has heard.

Forensic psychiatrist Dr Merryl Vorster offered a rare insight into the athlete's mindset, saying he often feels "isolated and alone" and normally keeps his thoughts and feelings bottled up.

She spoke at length about his childhood, saying his mother was a "very anxious person" who slept with a gun under her pillow and "abused alcohol intermittently".

The court heard Pistorius views his father as an "irresponsible and mostly absent parent" and that he and his siblings - brother Carl and sister Aimee - were "reared to view the world as threatening".

Pistorius was described as a "distrusting and guarded person"

Dr Vorster went on to talk about the 27-year-old's "fight or flight response", claiming he is more likely to stand up to threatening situations than to flee, as his capacity to do so is limited by his disability.

Pistorius had both legs amputated when he was 11 months old - an operation he would have perceived as a "traumatic assault" because he would not have known what was happening, she said.

The psychiatrist also told the court the insistence of his parents that he should take part in the activities his friends enjoyed would have added to his stress and anxiety.

As he became more famous, the Paralympian attempted to hide his disability, she said.

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

He felt anxious about attending public events and would spend "many hours preparing for them so he would not embarrass himself", she added.

Pistorius is accused of killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in a premeditated attack on Valentine's Day last year.

He denies the charge and claims he shot his partner after mistaking her for an intruder.

Dr Vorster said Pistorius used to worry about his family's safety, even when he was away training in Italy.

While in South Africa, he "worries about being followed and about the security of his home", she said.

Thomas Wolmarans faced tough questioning from Gerrie Nel on Friday

He sleeps with his bedroom door locked and wakes often during the night, believing he has heard noises in his house, she added.

The court heard the Paralympian's increased anxiety levels mean he "perceives his surroundings as being threatening when perhaps they're not".

Dr Foster is expected to be one of the last witnesses to be called by Pistorius' defence team at his murder trial in Pretoria, South Africa.

Earlier, prosecutor Gerrie Nel finished his intense questioning of ballistics expert Thomas Wolmarans, who was on the stand for three days.

On Friday, the witness recreated the moment Ms Steenkamp was shot dead by playing the part of the former model in a courtroom reconstruction.

The trial continues.

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Nigeria Girls' Father Dismisses Boko Haram Offer

The father of two of the missing Nigerian schoolgirls has told Sky News he does not want them released in exchange for Boko Haram militants.

He told Sky News' Special Correspondent Alex Crawford the Nigerian government should ignore the militant group's ransom demand.

He warned that it would encourage Boko Haram to carry out more atrocities.

In a newly-released video Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau has said the girls will not be released until Boko Haram prisoners are freed.

Police say 276 girls were abducted from a boarding school in the northeastern town of Chibok, in Borno state on April 14. Some managed to escape, but more than 200 are still missing.

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Billionaire Britain: New Nation Of Super-Rich

Top 25 Billionaires In Britain

Updated: 12:54am UK, Sunday 11 May 2014

The top 25 names on the 2014 Sunday Times Rich List, including their total fortune and the change from last year.

1. Sri and Gopi Hinduja, £11.9bn, up £1.3bn

2. Alisher Usmanov, £10.65bn, down £2.65bn

3. Lakshmi Mittal and family, £10.25bn, up £250m

4. Len Blavatnik, £10bn, down £1bn

5. Ernesto and Kirsty Bertarelli, £9.75bn, up £2.35bn

6. John Fredriksen and family, £9.25bn, up £450m

7. David and Simon Reuben, £9bn, up £719m

8. Kirsten and Jorn Rausing, £8.8bn, up £3.691bn

9. Roman Abramovich, £8.52bn, down £780m

10. The Duke of Westminster, £8.5bn, up £700m

11. Galen, Hilary and George Weston and family, £7.3bn, up £650m

12. Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken and Michel de Carvalho, £6.365bn, down £635m

13. Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber and family, £6.16bn, up £1.645bn

14. Carrie and Francois Perrodo and family, £6.14bn, new

15. German Khan, £6.08bn, new

16. Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay, £6bn, up £3.65bn

17. Hans Rausing and family, £5.9bn, up £1.18bn

18. Nicky Oppenheimer and family, £4.57bn, up £785m

19. Earl Cadogan and family, £4.2bn, up £525m

20. Joseph Lau and family, £4.03bn, down £570m

21. Sir Philip and Lady Green £3.88bn, no change

22. Denis O'Brien, £3.854bn, up £486m

23. Mike Ashley, £3.75bn, up £1.45bn

24. Sir Richard Branson and family, £3.6bn, up £86m

25. Idan Ofer, £3.43bn, new

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Gove Accused Of 'Lunacy' In Free Schools Row

Michael Gove has been accused of stripping £400m from a fund for extra school places in order to plug a financial "black hole" in his free schools programme in a move described as "nothing short of lunacy".

A senior Government source also accused the Education Secretary of being willing to see children struggle for a classroom place so the department can "lavish" money on the free school "experiment".

The attack is the latest coalition spat with the Department for Education at the heart of it.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was earlier this week accused of "lying" over how plans to provide free school meals for infant school pupils would be funded.

The senior Government source said: "Michael Gove is so ideologically obsessed with his free school experiment, he's willing to see children struggle to get suitable school places.

"Everybody knows there's real pressure on school places at the moment. It is nothing short of lunacy to slash the amount of money available for new school places to lavish on free schools.

"Michael Gove was warned by the schools minister David Laws that this was a bad idea but the zealot pressed on anyway.

"The Conservatives are putting the needs of a handful of their pet-projects ahead of the requirements of the other 24,000 schools in the country."

The source claims Mr Gove reduced the basic need allocation by £400m  - enough to provide around 30,000 new school places - to £2.35bn between 2015 and 2017 to help fund an overspend in the free schools budget of around £800m between 2013 and 2016, the source said.

A spokesman for Mr Gove said: "The suggestion we are cutting money for new places in areas of need to pay for free schools where they are not needed is totally wrong.

"These claims pretend that money spent in free schools is not creating new places in areas of need. That is simply not true.

"From 2015, funding to councils for new school places will rise by more than £200m a year. On top of this, investment in free schools will provide tens of thousands of new places in areas of need.

"Indeed the vast majority of free schools - more than seven in 10 - are in areas with a shortage of places. This investment in free schools is entirely in addition to the rising basic need funding for councils which we announced in December.

"Free schools are hugely popular with parents and are more likely to receive top ratings from Ofsted than council-run schools."

David Cameron responded to the allegations by telling Sky News: "What the government is doing is putting £5bn in this parliament into expanding the number of school places.

"Part of that is investing in free schools, most of which in the primary schools are in areas of high need, and they are providing good new school places for people inside the state sector.

"I think you should judge the government on its results in education. We are seeing real progress."

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Nigeria Kidnapping: Militants 'Have Laid Traps'

The militants who have kidnapped almost 300 schoolgirls in Nigeria are likely to have laid booby traps and landmines to stop them being found, Sky News has been told.

A former member of Nigerian military added that starving members of Boko Haram could be a way of rescuing the girls, who were taken from Chibok in the northern state of Borno on April 14.

Former air commodore Darlington Abdullahi said: "They may have made land mines, one cannot rule that out.

Boko Haram have threatened to sell the girls 'on the market'

"One thing for sure is, even as they go along abducting children, they will also go after food; grabbing food from various angles.

"That is why it's important that if the military from various countries close up on them that means the issue of starvation might come in and might even force them to find exit ways and most likely abandon the girls that are still with them within the forest."

Intelligence sources have previously told Sky News they believe they know where some of the schoolgirls are.

Parents of some of the kidnapped girls

The sources believe they have been split into at least four different groups.

Sky News also understands British and American officials are using advanced eavesdropping equipment to scan the Sambisa forest where the schoolgirls are thought to be.

The militants are believed to have blown up an important bridge near where the girls were first seized, complicating efforts to find them.

The burnt out school from where the girls were taken

Fleeing residents said the bridge between the states of Adamawa and Borno was destroyed on Friday.

The wife and two children of a retired police officer were also abducted, they said.

A team of French experts arrived in the country on Saturday, as international efforts to find the schoolgirls are ramped up.

Borno state in the north borders Cameroon

This follows on from British and American personnel arriving earlier in the week.

As international help continues to arrive, the Nigerian military has had tip-offs that Boko Haram could be planning another attack on the market in the capital Abuja.

The militant group has killed more than 1,500 people this year and has been waging an insurgency in the country for the last five years.

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