Disgraced Rolf Harris In Court For Sentencing

The Fall Of One Of Britain's Best-Loved Stars

Updated: 6:09pm UK, Monday 30 June 2014

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

Despite being born in Australia, Rolf Harris' lengthy career in show business, spanning almost six decades, has ensured he is one of Britain's best-known and, until now, best-loved stars.

From his humble beginnings as a swimming champion in his native Western Australia, he moved to London in 1952 after deciding to abandon a teaching career and study art instead.

Within weeks he was singing in ex-pat clubs and two years after stepping off a liner, he signed a contract with the BBC which marked the start of a lengthy association with the broadcaster.

Artist, singer-songwriter and TV star, his legendary career earned him an MBE, OBE and CBE and Australian honours as well.

He was given a BAFTA fellowship, painted a portrait of the Queen and has met other members of the royal family countless times.

Harris also made numerous TV commercials and appeared at Glastonbury six times - opening the event in 2010 - and singing in front of a crowd of almost 100,000.

Countless generations of children and adults know him through iconic programmes from the 70s, 80s and 90s, such as The Rolf Harris Show, Rolf Harris Cartoon Time, Animal Hospital and Rolf On Art.

His wife of 56 years, Alwen, and daughter Bindi, 49, supported him in court throughout the seven-week trial, although only Bindi was called to give evidence in the case.

She described how she wanted to ''stab herself with forks'' after discovering Harris had been having a relationship with her best friend, who was the subject of seven of the charges.

In his 2001 autobiography, titled after his catchphrase "Can You Tell What It Is Yet", there is a telling passage in which he explained his feelings about his family.

He wrote: ''Alwen and Bindi have to come first. It has only been in the last five years that I have realised this. Late, but better than never.''

Telling, because it was in 1997 Harris wrote to the father of Bindi's best friend to tell him of the affair he had been having with his daughter when his own daughter found out.

He also wrote of how, as his career took off in the 60s, he found himself ogling women in backstage dressing rooms set aside for dancers he worked with.

Harris wrote: ''I tried not to watch - or be seen watching - but it wasn't easy, I spent most of my time reading the same page of a book 14 times realising I was holding it upside down.''

It's also clear he had a difficult relationship with his daughter and wife - blaming himself for not being with them as he devoted his time to his career - leaving them a painful second.

In the early 1960s as his career hit the big time, Alwen visited Australia with him and it later emerged she had contemplated suicide, Harris only finding out about it 30 years later when he found her diary.

Harris described how ''the words struck me like hammer blows'' adding that he ''felt terrible and I kicked myself for my selfishness''.

His awards and honours count for nothing and he will now swap his luxury Thames-side home in Berkshire for the cold harsh surroundings of a prison cell, as a convicted sex offender.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tory Donor Ross In Frame To Chair Ofsted

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

David Ross, the co-founder of the Carphone Warehouse high street chain, is a leading candidate to become the next chair of Ofsted, the education watchdog.

Sky News can exclusively reveal that Mr Ross, who has donated hundreds of thousands of pounds to the Conservative Party, is among a number of names being considered for the role by Michael Gove, the Education Secretary.

If Mr Ross is offered the post, it could ignite a political row with Labour at a time when Ofsted's handling of the 'Trojan Horse' schools extremism row has sparked furious divisions within the Government.

It could also spark opposition from within the Coalition - David Laws, a Liberal Democrat, is Mr Gove's deputy at the Department for Education (DfE).

Mr Gove decided in February not to renew the term of Baroness Sally Morgan, the current Ofsted chair and a Labour Peer, triggering claims - denied by Mr Gove - that the leadership of one of Britain's most important quangos was being damaged by political interference.

More recently, the education watchdog has been ordered to step up school inspections in the wake of the Trojan horse affair in Birmingham.

An investigation into some schools in the city saw five of them downgraded to inadequate and placed in special measures amid claims of takeovers by hardline Muslims.

Mr Ross is principally known for his involvement in the creation of Carphone Warehouse, which he set up during the 1980s with Sir Charles Dunstone.

In recent years, he has also become a prominent figure in the education sector, sitting on the council of Nottingham University and founding a series of academy schools through the David Ross Education Trust.

Friends of Mr Ross describe him as being "incredibly passionate" about education.

Academic results at the schools in his network improving significantly since he began working with them, according to a spokesman.

Havelock Academy in Grimsby was Mr Ross's first academy, opening in 2007. His network now stands at 25 academies, educating 8500 children at primary and secondaries, with a special school and a grammar school also part of the group.

Mr Ross's status as a donor to the Conservatives is nonetheless likely to be contentious if he does land the Ofsted role.

The precise sums given by Mr Ross are unclear but they are understood to amount to several hundred thousand pounds over the last decade.

A source close to the businessman said he had not given a "substantial" sum for some years.

Asked in February about whether Theodore Agnew, a financier who has also given substantial sums to the Tories, was a contender for the role, Mr Gove said that no candidate "should be ruled out on the grounds of political allegiance".

It is unclear whether Mr Agnew is being considered for the Ofsted chairmanship alongside Mr Ross, or who the other remaining candidates are.

The Carphone Warehouse co-founder, whose fortune is estimated at £892m by The Sunday Times Rich List, also made headlines in 2009 when he was cleared by City regulators of any impropriety over the mortgaging of some of his shares in the retailer.

DfE officials are being assisted in the selection process by GatenbySanderson, a recruitment firm.

A spokesman for Mr Ross declined to comment. The DfE also refused to comment.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Queen Names UK's Newest And Biggest Warship

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

The Queen has named the UK's new aircraft carrier, marking a major milestone in the history of the Royal Navy.

At 65,000 tons, HMS Queen Elizabeth is the biggest and most powerful warship ever built in the UK.

The naming ceremony, in Scotland, has also been attended by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prime Minister, the Defence Secretary, the leader of the SNP and heads of military.

Helicopters will initially be onboard. Pic: Aircraft Carrier Alliance

Before naming the ship the Queen said: "Lord Mountbatten told my father on becoming King that there is no better training than the Royal Navy.

"This reputation for excellence continues to this day.

"In sponsoring this aircraft carrier, I believe that (the ship) will be a source of inspiration and pride for us all."

The Queen then smashed a bottle of Islay malt whisky, rather than the traditional champagne, on the ship's hull, reflecting the role Scotland has played in its construction.

A CGI image of the ship's runway. Pic: Aircraft Carrier Alliance

It is significant, given the country is only two months from the independence referendum.

Eventually, F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter planes will fly off the carrier, although the Government is yet to announce the order of the first tranche of planes.

Confirmation of that order is expected within weeks.

The F-35 is the world's first fifth-generation fighter jet. The 'B' variant ordered by the UK Government can land vertically and take off on a short runway like its predecessor, the Harrier jump jet.

But it means that, for its first two years of service, HMS Queen Elizabeth will sail with only helicopters onboard.

There has been no shortage of controversy around the building of two aircraft carriers at a time of severe budget cuts in the military.

The current and previous Government changed their minds over which variant of F-35 to order, resulting in expensive changes to the ship's design.

A decision on the future of the second carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, has been delayed until 2016, although the Government is expected to keep it as part of the fleet rather than sell it off.

Some 10,000 people helped build the ship. Pic: Aircraft Carrier Alliance

Together, the two carriers will cost £6.2bn to build.

Lord West, the former First Sea Lord, said: "We absolutely need two. If you've only got one, you've only got one for sure for  80% of the time. If you've got two, you've got one for 100% of the time."

Parts of the carrier have been constructed in six cities across the UK, supporting 10,000 jobs and more than 600 companies in the supply chain.

One of the earlier aircraft carriers, HMS Ark Royal was retired in 2011 and the last carrier HMS Illustrious, which has sailed to Rosyth to sit alongside her successor, will be decommissioned later this year.

Later this month, the new carrier will be floated for the first time before she embarks on sea trials for a few years and finally enters service.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Saudi Arabia 'Deploys Troops To Iraq Border'

Red-Bearded Chechen Fighter Is Face Of ISIS

Updated: 10:15am UK, Thursday 03 July 2014

A red-bearded Chechen fighter with a deep hatred of Americans has emerged as the public face of al Qaeda splinter group ISIS.

Omar al Shishani - which means Omar the Chechen - has appeared on the group's recent propaganda videos and may have been promoted to overall military chief.

He is among hundreds of Chechens who are considered some of the toughest and most ruthless jihadi fighters in Syria and Iraq.

In a video released by the group over the weekend, al Shishani is shown standing in front of black masked militants declaring the elimination of the Iraq-Syria border.

Up until recently, the 28-year-old has been considered the group's military commander in Syria, leading an offensive towards the Iraq border.

But he may now have risen to become overall military chief, a post left vacant after the death of Iraqi militant Abu Abdul Rahman al Bilawi al Anbari.

Al Shishani, whose real name is Tarkhan Batirashvili, is an ethnic Chechen from the Caucasus nation of Georgia, specifically from the Pankisi Valley.

The area is a centre of Georgia's Chechen community and once a stronghold for militants.

Former comrades say he was raised by a Christian father and Muslim mother, who died of cancer. 

With a deep hatred for the Kremlin, he played a role in the 2008 Russia-Georgia War, spying on Russian tanks and relaying their positions back to Georgian artillery.

He is described by those who knew him before ISIS as a sober and respected person who did not show signs of religious extremism.

Reports suggest he rose to the rank of sergeant in the Georgian army, but was discharged after contracting tuberculosis in 2010.

He later spent 16 months in a Georgian prison after being charged for possessing illegal weapons.

It was during his time in jail that al Shishani apparently developed a deep hatred of Americans as "the enemies of Allah and the enemies of Islam".

"I promised God that if I come out of prison alive, I'll go fight jihad for the sake of God," he told a jihadist website.

As soon as he was released in 2010, al Shishani  left for Turkey and later surfaced in Syria in 2013.

There, he led the al Qaeda-inspired "Army of Emigrants and Partisans", a group including many fighters from the former Soviet Union.

A meeting was soon organised with ISIS overall chief Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, an Iraqi, in which al Shishani pledged loyalty to him, say reports.

He first showed his battlefield prowess in August 2013, when his fighters proved pivotal in taking the Syrian military's Managh air base in the north of the country.

His high profile contrasts sharply with al Baghdadi, who remains deep in hiding and has hardly ever been photographed. 

Al Shishani's father described his son as "a man with no job, no prospects - so he took the wrong path".

That path appears to have taken him to the upper echelons of the most formidable jihadist organisation in the world.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Airport Security Tightened Over 'Bomb Fears'

Security at British airports has been increased after warnings from the US that terrorists are developing bombs that can be smuggled on to planes without being detected.

US Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson said he had tasked officials to "implement enhanced security measures in the coming days at certain overseas airports with direct flights to the United States".

However, he declined to say which airports would be affected.

Flights from UK airports direct to the US will be subject to the measures

A statement issued by the US Department for Homeland Security said: "We are sharing recent and relevant information with our foreign allies and consulting the aviation industry.

"These communications are an important part of our commitment to providing our security partners with situational awareness about the current environment and protecting the travelling public."

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the additional security was not expected to cause "significant" disruption to flights.

US Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson

He told Sky News: "I would like to reassure the travelling public we have got one of the toughest security regimes in the world, along with the United States.

"It is important that we take these measures to protect the travelling public and the public have confidence when we get information we take the right measures.

"There will be extra security checks but they will be made in the course of events people already go through and I hope there will not be significant delays."

But British aviation security expert Philip Baum said heightened security will inevitably mean longer queues and increased waiting times to board flights at UK airports.

"It will mean an increase in the number of random searches, secondary searches and an increase in the number of passengers asked to remove shoes and possibly all passengers being asked to remove shoes if they're going on certain flights," he said.

"It stands to reason that if we're going to spend longer doing checks, people are going to have to spend longer waiting in line to board flights."

Jabhat al Nusra militants. The Syrian group are said to be behind the plot

US officials said the security alert followed intelligence reports that Islamist groups in Yemen and Syria had joined forces to prepare an attack on the US.

Bomb-makers from al Nusra Front, al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, and Yemen-based al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) are believed to be working together to develop the new devices.

According to ABC News, they are trying to build non-metallic bombs that could evade metal detectors.

An image of home-made improvised devices tweeted by a British jihadist

As a result security enhancements are likely to include greater scrutiny of US-bound passengers' electronics and footwear and installation of additional bomb-detection machines.

Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokesman said: "There are terror organisations around the world that seek to do the UK, its citizens, and citizens of many other countries including our Western allies, harm.

"We need to always be vigilant to situations that can develop."

Sky's US correspondent Dominic Waghorn said US officials were also closely monitoring the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) over concerns its success in Iraq might help it recruit jihadists from Europe, who would have easier access to flights bound for US cities.

The thousands of foreign fighters flocking to join ISIS, including an estimated 400 from Britain, is a serious concern, he said.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Two Plebgate Libel Cases 'To Be Dropped'

The two plebgate libel cases are close to being abandoned, Sky News can reveal.

Andrew Mitchell is suing The Sun newspaper which printed the original claims that the Tory MP used the term "plebs" during a dispute at the gates of Downing Street in 2012.

And the policeman at the centre of the row, PC Toby Rowland is seeking libel damages from the former chief whip, repeating his claim Mr Mitchell used the word after being blocked from cycling out of the street through the main gate.

But Sky's Martin Brunt has discovered there has been a confidential process of mediation between the two sides, and that they are now close to mutually ending their legal action.

The MP has always maintained he never used the word "pleb", but admits swearing during the altercation.

Mr Mitchell ended up resigning over the row.

Several police officers, and one civilian relative of a police officer, have been arrested for offences arising out of the case.

PC Keith Wallis ended up being jailed for lying about witnessing it, and at least three others have been dismissed from the police.

More follows...

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ebola Outbreak: State Of Emergency 'Needed'

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

The doctor who first identified the deadly Ebola virus has warned the outbreak in West Africa is now so bad that a "state of emergency" should be declared.

Professor Peter Piot told Sky News that the disease, which kills up to 90% of patients, now affects such a wide area that it will be "difficult" to bring under control - and it will spread further without "very, very strict vigilance."

Prof Piot, now Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, helped to bring to an end to the first known outbreak of Ebola in Zaire in 1976.

There have since been more than 20 outbreaks in Central and West Africa. But the current epidemic affecting Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone was "unprecedented" he said.

Professor Peter Piot: 'A local problem is now a regional crisis'

The virus causes a high fever, organ failure and severe bleeding. Contact with any bodily fluid can transmit the virus. There is no treatment.

Prof Piot said: "We have waited too long. In cases like Ebola it is better to be accused of overacting than underestimating the situation.

"It is far more difficult to contain an epidemic that involves quarantine of people, isolation of patients and tracing their contacts when it has reached big urban populations.

More than 400 people have been killed across three countries

"This has turned from a local problem to a regional crisis.

"Even countries that are not yet affected by Ebola may become affected. Mobility of people including patients and sometimes cadavers is high across borders and I think it's time for declaring a state of emergency."

Professor Piot said the World Health Organisation must engage with community leaders to explain to local populations the importance of isolating victims in hospital to prevent further transmission of the virus.

He said burial practices in which the infected body is washed by unprotected relatives must also cease.

"In theory Ebola is very easy to stop with gloves, soap, isolating patients, and not reusing needles and syringes," he said. "But in practice it is about people and their beliefs.

"If you think that someone dies of witchcraft or that western medicine is at the origin, that is something that must be overcome."

Professor Piot also urged medical authorities to try using anti-viral drugs to treat patients. Tests on infected monkeys have suggested the drugs work to some extent against Ebola.

Professor Piopt suggests using anti-viral drugs to treat Ebola

"This is the time to try them," he said.

18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Africa Battles To Stop Deadly Spread Of Ebola

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent, In Liberia

The worst Ebola outbreak ever is spreading and will almost certainly extend across West Africa unless there is cross-country co-operation and urgent international assistance.

The porous borders between Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone has meant the disease is not being contained and now risks spreading even further.

Health workers at the epicentre, where the borders of the three countries meet, have made an urgent appeal through Sky News for immediate international help to try to control the virus.

Philip Azumah, the Foya district health officer, said: "We need help now, or the virus will spread and kill more people."

It is difficult to determine exactly how many people have already died from the disease given the cross-border contamination and lack of accounting.

But it is already clear there are many more deaths than any previous outbreak.

Aid organisation Doctors Without Borders has already said it is the largest outbreak on record, with the highest number of deaths.

Across the three countries, more than 400 have died in this latest outbreak, with no sign of the disease being halted.

And for the first time the disease has spread to highly populated areas including cities such as Guinea's capital, Conakry.

The latest outbreak has spread to three countries

At one of the high-risk infection centres set up in Foya, in Liberia, the medics insisted we, like them, took extreme precautions.

This included wearing two layers of protective head-to-toe clothing featuring one waterproof all-in-one outfit, face and head masks, double gloves, thick plastic aprons, sturdy goggles and rubber boots.

Among the victims was a nurse who contracted Ebola after caring for a person who later died from the virus.

Nurse Elizabeth Smith was lying on a bed next to another nurse who had contracted Ebola from the same patient they had both treated.

But Ms Smith was significantly weaker than her co-worker. She did not raise her head as we entered and her bed was soaked in blood.

Neither woman had realised they were treating a patient with Ebola, so had taken none of the precautions their colleagues were now taking.

Two of them sprayed Ms Smith with disinfectant, down her legs, her feet, her hands and arms as they stood arms-length away in their head-to-toe protective clothing and visors. Gingerly, they took her arms and helped her to her feet, before escorting her down the tent corridor to the high-risk area.

Elizabeth Smith was too weak to raise her head

Here, every patient is a confirmed Ebola case and the odds are that 90% of them will die.

The frightening deadliness of Ebola, plus the ignorance around it and the lack of a cure, has thrown the medical staff in this area into a panic.

Francis Forndia, administrator for Foya-Borma Hospital, where medical staff have died after treating victims, told us his workers simply fled after nurses began dying.

"It is hard to get them to return, but we have managed to persuade some to come back by explaining to them how needed they are," he said.

Mr Azumah is co-ordinating the health battle against Ebola in this area. He tells me the first recent outbreak in Liberia was in March, when an infected woman travelled to Foya from Guinea.

She died two days after being admitted to the sole and tiny hospital in Foya. By the time of her death, she had infected eleven people in hospital alone.

Two of them were nurses who went on to die. The remaining nine somehow managed to survive.

Officials say cultural traditions have helped spread the virus

Then Liberia went a solid three weeks without an incident and believed they were clear - until the end of May.

This time, a woman from Sierra Leone, probably out of fear, gave misleading information about where she had come from.

She told investigators she was local, which was true, but did not mention she had in fact spent some time in an infected area of Sierra Leone.

This time the consequences were much more widespread. She had infected a stream of people, six of whom died.

They are still trying to trace all those she may have been in contact with.

There have since been other outbreaks in Voinjamma and the Liberian capital, Monrovia, while Guinea and Sierra Leone continue to register deaths, too.

Mr Azumah said: "In our culture, it is the habit to wash the dead body, look after it for a week in the home, kiss and touch it, even eat meals with the dead body - and we believe this has led to the virus spreading.

"Also people are keeping the illnesses and deaths secret if they suspect Ebola."

By alerting the authorities to possible Ebola, people risk being ostracised by their communities.

There is even a fear among these poverty stricken communities that the visiting health workers are spreading the virus.

But what seems significant is that, in Liberia at least, one of the poorest countries in the world, they are largely coping with this virulent disease on their own - with very little outside help evident.

18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ex-Home Secretary 'Acted On Paedophile Claims'

Former Home Secretary Leon Brittan says he asked officials to "look carefully" at a dossier he received in the 1980s alleging paedophile activity in Westminster.

But he says the issue was not raised with him subsequently.

The Tory peer issued a statement after Labour MP Simon Danczuk insisted he should "share his knowledge" about the file prepared by then-MP Geoffrey Dickens, and handed to him in the 1980s.

According to Mr Danczuk, who has investigated claims of abuse by ex-MP Cyril Smith, it contained information about the "Paedophile Information Exchange (Pie), about paedophiles operating a network within and around Westminster".

An independent review found information was dealt with properly

In a statement, Mr Brittan said: "During my time as Home Secretary (1983 to 1985), Geoff Dickens MP arranged to see me at the Home Office. I invariably agreed to see any MP who requested a meeting with me.

"As I recall, he came to my room at the Home Office with a substantial bundle of papers.

"As is normal practice, my Private Secretary would have been present at the meeting.

"I told Mr Dickens that I would ensure that the papers were looked at carefully by the Home Office and acted on as necessary.

"Following the meeting, I asked my officials to look carefully at the material contained in the papers provided and report back to me if they considered that any action needed to be taken by the Home Office.

"In addition I asked my officials to consider a referral to another Government Department, such as the Attorney General's Department, if that was appropriate.

"This was the normal procedure for handling material presented to the Home Secretary.

"I do not recall being contacted further about these matters by Home Office officials or by Mr Dickens or by anyone else."

The Home Office commissioned an independent review last year into what information it received about organised child sex abuse between 1979 and 1999.

A spokesman said: "The review concluded the Home Office acted appropriately, referring information received during this period to the relevant authorities."

It also disclosed material received from Mr Dickens in November 1983 and January 1984 had not been retained.

However, a letter was sent from Lord Brittan to Mr Dickens on March 20, 1984 explaining what had been done in relation to the files.

According to an extract in the review report, the then-home secretary wrote: "You drew my attention to a number of allegations concerning paedophilia when you called here on November 23 and in subsequent letters.

"I am now able to tell you that, in general terms, the view of the Director of Public Prosecutions is that two of the letters you forwarded could form the basis for enquiries by the police and they are now being passed to the appropriate authorities.

"In other cases there either seems to be inadequate evidence to pursue prosecution, for example the lady who wrote about PIE1 advertising but did not secure any example of the material complained of, or they have already been dealt with in some way by the courts or the police."

18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dying Reeva's Screams 'As Loud As A Plane'

It is possible Reeva Steenkamp's screams on the night she was shot and killed by Oscar Pistorius were as loud as a plane's engine, a court has heard.

State Prosecutor Gerrie Nel questioned acoustic expert Ivan Lin on the sounds heard on Valentine's Day last year when the athlete's girlfriend was killed.

When asked if he would put Ms Steenkamp's screams at 120 dB, Mr Lin said: "120 means extremely loud, you can almost hear it 100 metres away. It is a very slight possibility, but it is possible."

Sky Correspondent Emma Hurd said: "Mr Nel is trying to make the point that Reeva Steenkamp would have screamed loudly because she was 'screaming for her life'."

After quizzing Mr Lin about some of the technical details in report, Mr Nel contended that, without exception, everybody heard a woman's screams on that night.

He said: "Four state witnesses all heard screams by a woman. That must be reliable even for a scientist."

Pistorius hugs a well-wisher in court

Pistorius's defence team have previously said the screams came from him, as he was upset that he had killed Ms Steenkamp.

Next to give evidence was Peet van Zyl, Pistorius's manager.

Mr van Zyl, who has worked with the athlete since 2006, told the court Pistorius had a "heightened sense of awareness".

Reeva's mother June Steenkamp arrives at court

This led to him always parking his car in open spaces with plenty of lighting, sitting close to the door in restaurants and locking his hotel room door when he was travelling. 

Mr van Zyl recalled an incident on an airplane when Pistorius removed his prostheses because of severe blisters on his stumps.

"At some stage one of the legs fell over and when an airhostess tried to pick it up politely, Oscar Pistorius had felt someone close and (he) was startled," Mr van Zyl said.

State Prosecutor Gerrie Nel questions a witness in court

"He grabbed his leg from her."

Large parts of the trial have focused on Pistorius's relationship with Ms Steenkamp, which had started around three months before her death.

Mr van Zyl said their relationship was "loving and caring" and they were always calling each other pet names.

Pistorius planned to take her to an Andrea Bocelli concert in Italy, Mr van Zyl told the court.

Pistorius had a "heightened sense of awareness", the court heard

It was revealed that Pistorius was moved from a room he was sharing with another athlete at the 2012 Olympics because, Mr Nel said, Pistorius was constantly on the phone arguing.

Mr van Zyl said he heard there was an issue between the pair, but was not aware why they did not get on.

Before the court adjourned for the day, Mr van Zyl was asked if he though Pistorius was paranoid. He replied he was not qualified to offer an opinion.

Reeva Steenkamp and Pistorius had been dating for around three months

The trial has resumed after an adjournment for a month of psychiatric tests, which found Pistorius was not mentally ill at the time of Ms Steenkamp's death and that he is fit to stand trial.

Pistorius denies murdering Ms Steenkamp, claiming he mistook her for an intruder in his home.

The trial continues.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Israel Bombs Gaza After Teenagers Found Dead

Israeli fighter jets have bombed dozens of sites in the Gaza Strip hours after vowing to take revenge on the killers of three teenagers.

Soldiers also demolished the West Bank homes of two main suspects in the murders of the kidnapped trio.

A man was shot dead after allegedly throwing a grenade at troops attempting to arrest a militant in the Jenin refugee camp.

A fireball rises above Rafah, southern Gaza, following an Israeli airstrike

The Israeli teenagers' bodies were found under a pile of rocks in an isolated spot near Hebron, three weeks after they went missing.

Eyal Yifrach, 19, and 16-year-olds Gilad Shaar and Naftali Frenkel disappeared on June 12 while hitchhiking home from the Jewish school where they were studying.

Their bodies were found by soldiers after the biggest Israeli ground operation inside the West Bank in nearly a decade.

Soldiers walk away from the Hebron home of one of the kidnap suspsects

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed the Islamic militant group Hamas for the atrocity and said the teenagers were "kidnapped and murdered in cold blood by human animals".

"Hamas is responsible and Hamas will pay," he said.

Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, has denied any involvement in the kidnappings, although a spokesman said: "Threats don't scare Hamas and if (Mr Netanyahu) wages a war on Gaza, the gates of hell will open on him."

An adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the country was committed to peace so that "no mother or no family will be bereaved for the loss of their beloved ones, (whether) Palestinian or Israeli."

One of Amer Abu Eisheh's relatives walks through the shell of his home

However, Mark Regev, a spokesman for the Israeli government, told Sky News: "President Abbas says he's committed to peace, reconciliation and fighting terrorism, and yet he's in an alliance with terrorists who kidnap and murder children.

"When he chose to form a pact with Hamas, he was turning his back on his own commitment to fighting terrorism.

"Hamas is part of a family of terrorist movements, such as Hizbollah in Lebanon and Isis in Iraq, who are well known for their violence and their extremism.

Demonstrators march near the UN headquarters in New York

"President Abbas has to decide whether he's with them or with the path of peace and reconciliation."

About 400 suspected Hamas militants were arrested as Israeli air strikes hit 34 targets inside the Gaza Strip.

The homes of chief suspects Marwan Qawasmeh and Amer Abu Eisheh, who are still on the run, were also destroyed, witnesses told the AFP news agency.

Israeli security officials are expected to discuss possible further military action after an emergency meeting on Monday.

Overnight, thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv's central Rabin Square, close to where the teenagers were abducted, to sing, pray and light candles.

It came as Secretary of State John Kerry condemned the "despicable terrorist act" as an "outrage beyond any understanding or rationale".

"As a father, there are no words to express such a horrific loss that shakes all people of conscience," he added.

US President Barack Obama said the murders were "senseless" but warned against retribution that "could further destabilise the situation".

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rolf Harris: 12 Women Seeking Compensation

A dozen women have so far come forward seeking compensation from disgraced children's TV presenter Rolf Harris, lawyers have said.

One legal firm told Sky News it was "assessing the merits" of the claims with a view to "potential" action against the veteran entertainer.

All 12 complainants are women, some of whom live overseas, although it is not known whether any of them are among the four victims who gave evidence during Harris' trial.

The same law firm is also dealing with 176 claims for compensation against shamed TV presenter and radio DJ Jimmy Savile, 19 against the former BBC broadcaster Stuart Hall and six against PR guru Max Clifford.

Harris was supported by his daughter and wife throughout the trial

On Monday, a jury at Southwark Crown Court found Harris guilty of 12 indecent assaults.

The youngest of his victims was just seven or eight years old at the time of her ordeal.

Ahead of his sentencing later this week, it was revealed Harris once visited the high-security Broadmoor psychiatric hospital with Savile.

West London Mental Health, the NHS trust which runs the hospital where Savile allegedly groped patients and abused dead bodies, said Harris was among the celebrities Savile invited in, although it was unable to provide specific details.

A police photograph of Harris taken after his arrest

Inquiries into Savile's activities at Broadmoor and other NHS hospitals are ongoing.

Prosecution sources confirmed to Sky News that authorities are considering whether to bring further charges against Harris, after dozens of women came forward during his trial to claim they too were assaulted.

The NSPCC said it has so far received 28 calls relating to Harris, involving 13 people who made direct allegations against the performer.

Two Australian women have also exclusively told Sky News they were groped by Harris in circumstances which echo some of the evidence heard during the seven-week trial.

Prosecutor Sasha Wass labelled the 84-year-old a "sinister pervert" who used his game to get close to young women and girls.

Harris will be sentenced on Friday and has been warned by judge Mr Justice Sweeney it is "inevitable" he may be given a prison sentence.

He will be stripped of the Bafta Fellowship he received in 2012 and may also lose his CBE.

Meanwhile, plaques in his home town of Bassendean in Perth, Australia, are expected to be dug up and his artwork torn down.

More follows...

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pistorius 'Not Mentally Ill' As Trial Resumes

Oscar Pistorius was not mentally ill when he shot dead his girlfriend at his home last year and is fit to stand trial, a psychiatric report has found.

However, the results of the month-long mental assessment may play a part in any future sentencing.

Pistorius' murder trial had been adjourned while an expert panel assessed whether an anxiety disorder could have played a part in his actions when he killed Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day.

The judge ordered the evaluation after a psychiatrist giving evidence in the athlete's defence told the court he suffered from generalised anxiety disorder, and that this may have influenced his judgement.

The tests were requested by the chief prosecutor and opposed by Pistorius' lawyer.

Reading from the psychologists report, state prosecutor Gerrie Nel said: "Mr Pistorus did not suffer from a mental illness or defect that would have rendered him criminally not responsible for the offence charged."

Media were outside the court in Pretoria to catch Pistorius arriving

Pistorius denies murder, claiming he mistook Ms Steenkamp for an intruder.

He faces a life sentence if found guilty.

With the resumption of the trial, the defence team called  Dr Gerald Verseld, the orthopaedic surgeon who amputated both of Oscar Pistorius' legs when he was a baby.

The doctor told the court Pistorius might struggle on his stumps during a tense situation, and that he would have difficulty smashing the door of the toilet, where Ms Steenkamp was, with a cricket bat.

However, this was challenged by Mr Nel in cross-examination.

Later, the judge expressed her unhappiness that a piece of evidence at Pistorius' house - an electrical cord - could not be produced by the prosecution.

Mr Nel said he did not know where it could be found, and the judge ordered an investigation.

The next witness called by the defence was an acoustic expert Ivan Lin.

More follows...

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Coulson And Goodman To Face Bribery Retrial

By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

The Prime Minister's former communications director Andy Coulson is facing further court action after the Crown Prosecution Service ruled he will face a retrial on charges he conspired to bribe public officials.

The 46-year-old, who was editor of the News of the World until his resignation in 2007, will be tried alongside the Sunday tabloid's former royal editor Clive Goodman.

Last week a jury failed to reach verdicts on the two men, who the Crown alleges conspired together to pay royal protection police officers for copies of royal phone directories.

The prosecution in the eight-month-long Old Bailey trial claimed Coulson and Goodman wanted the phone directories for the purposes of phone hacking - charges both men deny.

However, the jury found Coulson guilty of conspiring with others to intercept voicemail communications (phone hacking).

His co-accused, former News of the World editor and News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks, was found not guilty of phone hacking, as was the tabloid's former managing editor Stuart Kuttner.

Rebekah Brooks was found not guilty of phone hacking

Mrs Brooks was also cleared of other charges that she attempted to bribe public officials for stories and attempted to pervert the course of justice, by hiding evidence that may have been useful to Scotland Yard detectives investigating the phone hacking allegations.

Prosecutor Andrew Edis QC said: "The CPS has taken the decision to proceed with the retrial."

Coulson was in court to hear the retrial decision, as his defence team prepare for two days of mitigation proceedings ahead of his sentencing on the phone hacking conviction on Friday.

He was joined in the dock by private detective Glenn Mulcaire and four former News of the World journalists, who have all admitted their part in phone hacking at hearings before the trial began.

Mr Edis told the court: "Between them these defendants utterly corrupted this newspaper which became at the highest level a criminal enterprise."

He went on: "This was systemic misconduct approved and participated in by the editor himself."

Coulson and the other defendants face the prospect of up to two years behind bars.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Car Hits Schoolgirls On Pavement: One Dead

A 14-year-old girl has died and two others have been injured after being hit by a car on their way to school in Witney, Oxfordshire.

The crash, which also injured a fourth male pedestrian, happened just after 8am in Curbridge Road.

The 18-year-old driver of the Citroen has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

Those hit were taken to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, where the girl was pronounced dead.

An air ambulance has been scrambled to the scene.

A Thames Valley Police spokeswoman said the road is likely to be shut in both directions for some time as inquiries continue.

Speaking at the scene, Inspector Paul Winks told the Oxford Mail: "It appears the Citroen Saxo has mounted the pavement, hit the male first and he is seriously injured.

"It has then struck either two or three of the girls.

"This is a truly horrific incident and the driver has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and will be interviewed by police.

"Special family liaison officers will be talking to the family of the schoolgirl who was killed as a result of this incident.

"I would appeal to anybody who has any information or witnessed this collision to call the police on 101."

More follows...

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

England Fan Bites Supporter's Ear Off In Brazil

Police are hunting an England fan who bit another fan's ear off after the national side's World Cup defeat against Uruguay.

The victim was left with half his left ear ripped off and bloodied in the attack, police have confirmed.

The attack happened before Uruguay and Liverpool striker Luis Suarez bit an Italian player, which led to him being banned.

But details of the fan's attack have only just emerged.

Video footage obtained by the Sunday People appeared to show the moment the attack took place on the top tier of the Arena Corinthians.

Several men can be seen in a melee before one is led away by stewards.

When asked what happened, the victim appears to tell the camera: "He bit off my ear."

Blood can be seen dripping down his neck but he continues to smile and laugh.

Luis Suarez consoles England captain Steven Gerrard after the game

Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore tweeted that he had seen the footage and claimed it would be "the biggest story in the UK, especially who did it".

Chief Superintendent Rachel Barber said: "We were made aware during the England vs Uruguay match in Sao Paulo that an incident had taken place which resulted in an England fan having a portion of his ear bitten off by another England fan.

"In the immediate aftermath, we managed to make contact with the victim and offered advice and support.

"The day after the attack, the victim chose to make a formal complaint to the local police, and they opened an investigation."

No arrests have been made yet but interviews with witnesses gave police a name for the alleged attacker, Ms Barber said.

Police went to England's final match against Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte in case the assailant travelled to the match but did not find him there.

Chief Superintendent Barber added: "Efforts are ongoing to identify the suspect and bring him to justice either in the UK or, if possible, back in Brazil where the offence occurred."

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are aware of an incident in Sao Paulo on June 19 involving a British national and we provided consular assistance."

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Radical Islamic Preacher Seeks Asylum In UK

The family of Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammad are applying for his asylum in the UK after claiming he had been tortured in Lebanon.

They say the radical preacher has suffered systematic torture while in custody at a maximum security prison.

The family say he should be allowed back into Britain on "humanitarian grounds" as his health has deteriorated and he is no longer able to walk.

Mohammad left the UK in 2005 and was barred from returning

The cleric caused outrage in the wake of the 2005 London bombings after saying he would not inform police if he knew Muslims were planning attacks.

He left the UK in 2005 and was told he would not be allowed to return.

But the cleric's son, Mohammad Bakri, told Sky News: "I'm here on the humanitarian basis. At the end of the day, many people find what he says distasteful, and he quotes things from the Islamic perspective.

"But I think unless you know the character, himself, like my father - I grew up with him - so therefore I understand the tactics that he uses to attract the media in order to pass the message of Islam.

"You may find that distasteful, but at the end of the day he has not committed any crimes in the UK."

Sky's Home Affairs Correspondent Mark White said the family's claims have not been independently verified.

"The families of Omar Bakri Mohammad say that he has been transferred to a maximum security prison ... in Lebanon," he said.

"They also say that he has been systematically tortured during his time in that maximum security prison.

Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammad's daughter and son

"We have no independent verification of this, but the family insists that he is in very poor health.

"They claim that he is actually close to death and they're seeking an urgent appeal now to the UK authorities to have him returned to the UK under asylum."

Mohammad holds Syrian and Lebanese citizenship and lived in Britain for 20 years, where he headed the now-disbanded radical Islamist group al Muhajiroun.

He was among 54 people sentenced in Lebanon in November 2010 in trials of militants who fought deadly clashes with the Lebanese army in 2007.

He was convicted of belonging to an armed group that aimed to carry out terrorist acts and plots to kill Lebanese soldiers.

The preacher speaks in London alongside Abu Hamza in 1999

A Home Office spokesperson said: "An individual must be physically present in the UK in order to make a claim for asylum.

"Omar Bakri Mohammad was permanently excluded from the UK in 2005 on the grounds that his presence is not conducive to the public good.

"As Omar Bakri Mohammad is excluded from the UK, he will be unable to make a claim for asylum."

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Iraqi Troops Strike Back In Tikrit Offensive

Thousands of Iraqi troops backed by tanks, warplanes and helicopter gunships have launched their biggest counteroffensive yet against ISIS militants in Tikrit.

There have been conflicting reports as to just how much headway the Iraqi military has made in its advance on Tikrit - the home town of Saddam Hussein which fell to the insurgents on June 11.

Following two weeks of demoralising defeats, the military has claimed to have regained control of the northern city - but the rebels have insisted they are still in charge.

As the "large military operation" started, Staff Lieutenant General Sabah Fatlawi warned the insurgents they had two choices: "flee or be killed".

Witnesses reported heavy clashes as troops moved in from the west.

Iraqi forces advance on Tikrit from the direction of Samarra in the south

Troops in helicopters landed at a strategically located university campus, with sporadic clashes reported throughout the day.

Prime minister Nouri al Maliki's security spokesman said warplanes were targeting insurgents there.

Lieutenant General Qassem Atta said security forces were also now in full control of a key road from Baghdad to Samarra, between the capital and Tikrit.

He said there was coordination with the US, which has deployed special operations forces to Iraq, over "studying important targets", without elaborating.

Sky's Senior Correspondent Michelle Clifford, who is in Baghdad, said if the recapture of Tikrit is true, "it would not only be a strategic but a symbolically significant victory".

Special operations forces hunting down ISIS militants

"The government is desperate to portray this as a victory because of the humiliating capitulation by the Iraqi forces in the early days of the insurgency," she added.

Twenty security personnel - nine soldiers and 11 police officers - were killed in clashes on Saturday in three areas southwest of Baghdad, doctors said.

Top Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani has urged Iraq's political leaders to unite and form a new government as the new parliament elected on April 30 convenes on Tuesday.

World leaders have insisted on a political settlement among Iraq's Shia Arab, Sunni Arab and Kurdish communities.

Mr al Maliki, who has publicly focused on a military response to the crisis, has acknowledged that political measures are also necessary.

Tikrit fell to the insurgents on June 11

On Saturday, Russia's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said in Damascus: "Russia will not remain passive to the attempts by some groups to spread terrorism in the region.

"The situation is very dangerous in Iraq and the foundations of the Iraqi state are under threat."

Baghdad has agreed to buy more than a dozen Sukhoi warplanes from Russia and Belarus in a deal that could be worth up to $500m (£295m).

Iraqi state TV quoted Lt Gen Atta as saying Sukhoi jets had arrived, without specifying how many.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More