Petraeus' Successor John Allen In Email Probe

Petraeus Affair Scandal: Timeline

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Workers To Be Able To Ask For Flexible Hours

By Gerard Tubb, Sky Correspondent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Abu Qatada Bailed After Winning Appeal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More to follow...

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Amelia Arnold Search: Police Find A Body

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alternatively call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

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Charles And Camilla Attack 'Plot': NZ Man Held

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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BBC Crisis: News Executives To Stand Aside

Names In Line For BBC Top Job

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He has succeeded on both sides of the Atlantic.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He is paid £262,600 annually.

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

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

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

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

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

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Remembrance Sunday: Tribute To Helmand Soldier

By Lucy Cotter and Richard Suchet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mark Evison was one of the army's brightest stars

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Lord Patten: BBC Needs To 'Get A Grip'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More follows...

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Remembrance Sunday: Tributes To The Fallen

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

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

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

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

Prince Charles visited Auckland War Memorial with the Duchess of Cornwall

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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CIA Director Petraeus Quits Over Affair

CIA Director David Petraeus has resigned over an extramarital affair - which officials say was uncovered by an FBI investigation.

According to his letter of resignation, General Petraeus asked President Barack Obama on Thursday to allow him to resign, and on Friday the president accepted.

The general admitted he had shown "extremely poor judgement" in having an affair.

"Such behaviour is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organisation such as ours," he wrote.

He had only been sworn in as director of the Central Intelligence Agency on September 6, last year.

Prior to that, he was a four-star general with 37 years' service in the US Army.

His last assignments in the army were as commander of Isaf, the International Security Assistance Force, and commander of US forces in Afghanistan and in Iraq.

The resignation took Washington's intelligence and political communities by surprise, coming as a sudden end to the public career of the best-known general in recent years.

Neither Gen Petraeus nor the CIA explained why he felt he had to step down over the affair, and whether his liaison presented a purely personal problem or raised security issues in his sensitive work as spy chief.

The affair came to light as the FBI was investigating whether a computer used by the general had been compromised, the New York Times and other US media reported, citing government officials.

General Petraeus with his wife Holly

In a statement released after the resignation was announced, Mr Obama hailed the "extraordinary service" of Gen Petraeus.

"David Petraeus has provided extraordinary service to the United States for decades," Mr Obama said.

"By any measure, he was one of the outstanding general officers of his generation."

The president said the CIA's Deputy Director Michael Morell would serve as acting director.

"I am completely confident that the CIA will continue to thrive and carry out its essential mission," Mr Obama said.

Gen Petraeus has been married for 37 years to Holly, who he met when he was a cadet at the US Military Academy at West Point.

Although the president made no direct mention of Gen Petraeus' reason for resigning, he offered his thoughts and prayers to the general and his wife.

He said Mrs Petraeus has "done so much to help military families through her own work. I wish them the very best at this difficult time".

The CIA has come under fire in recent weeks in the wake of the September 11 attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed US ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

Critics have questioned how much the intelligence agency knew about the likelihood and nature of the attack.

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