Italy Migrant Boat Sinks Killing At Least 82

At least 82 migrants have been killed and scores are missing after a boat caught fire and capsized near a Sicilian island.

About 150 people have been pulled from the water off Lampedusa, as emergency workers race to rescue more survivors.

The coastguard said it appeared that there were between 400 and 500 migrants on the boat when it sank.

They were all believed to be Eritreans coming from Libya, the UN said.

Lampedusa Mayor Giusi Nicolini said the dead included a young child and pregnant woman.

Shaken survivors have been wrapped in thermal blankets

The bodies were being laid out on the waterfront, and officials said there were many more in the water.

"It's horrific, like a cemetery, they are still bringing them out," Ms Nicolini told reporters.

The mayor added some of the survivors told her they lit a small fire on their boat around half a mile from the shore to attract the attention after their vessel suffered engine failure.

The fire then spread, causing panic on board which caused the boat to flip over, she said.

A young Tunisian man believed to be one of the crew members has been detained, Ansa reported.

Lampedusa is an Italian island lying between Tunisia and Sicily

Shaken survivors wrapped in thermal blankets arrived on the dock, as an emergency worker broke down in tears.

Pietro Bartolo, a doctor at Lampedusa hospital, said: "In terms of its magnitude it's an unprecedented tragedy. In many years of work I've never seen anything quite like this."

Officials said the bodies were being taken to an airport hangar because of the large numbers.

"Unfortunately we don't need ambulances but hearses," Dr Bartolo said.

The Italian coast guard said ships and helicopters from across the region, as well as local fishing boats, were on the scene trying to find survivors in the sea.

Pope Francis visited Lampedusa in July and called for an end to indifference to the plight of refugees.

"The word disgrace comes to mind. It's a disgrace," he said of Thursday's disaster.

Bodies were being laid out on the waterfront

The Pope landed on Lampedusa at the same time as nearly 200 immigrants from Africa were being detained.

Lampedusa, which is closer to Africa than it is to the Italian mainland, is the main port of entry into Europe for African migrants smuggled by boat from Libya or Tunisia.

Each year, thousands of people make the perilous journey across the Mediterranean in often overcrowded vessels.

There has been an increase in the incidents off Italy in recent weeks amid an upsurge in arrivals - mainly from Eritrea, Somalia, Egypt and Syria.

On Monday, 13 Eritrean migrants drowned as they tried to swim ashore when their boat ran aground off Sicily near the city of Ragusa.

In a similar incident near Catania in another part of Sicily in August, six young Egyptian men drowned trying to reach the shore.

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Keanu Williams Report: Authorities Failed

A toddler beaten to death by his mother became an "invisible child" who was let down by the authorities, a report has said.

A serious case review into the case of Keanu Williams said his death in 2011 could not be predicted but that he was clearly a "child in need".

It accused professionals involved in his care of failing to meet even basic standards of good practice and said the two-year-old should have been safeguarded by various agencies and made subject to a child protection plan.

Keanu had 37 injuries at the time of his death following months of abuse, with mother Rebecca Shuttleworth sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 18 years in June.

She and her son had moved to Birmingham from Torbay - where friends had anonymously tipped off social services that Keanu was being left in wet clothes and dirty nappies for up to six hours hours and that she was leaving him with anyone so she could go out.

This information was passed on to authorities in Birmingham, the report said, but they did not seem to be aware.

Officials previously revealed details of Keanu's injuries

The report stated: "The main finding of the review overview report was that professionals in the various agencies involved ... collectively failed to prevent Keanu's death as they missed a significant number of opportunities to intervene and take action.

"They did not meet the standards of basic good practice when they should have reported their concerns, shared and analysed information and followed established procedures.

"The serious case review panel was in agreement that Keanu's death could not have been predicted.

"However, in view of the background history of Rebecca Shuttleworth ... it could have been predicted that Keanu was likely to suffer significant harm and should have been subject of a child protection plan on at least two occasions to address issues of neglect and physical harm."

The review found excuses given to health professionals by Shuttleworth after incidents of abuse - including a radiator burn to his foot - were not credible.

The 182-page report said: "Keanu experienced a number of presentations to hospital and to the GP, which were all explained by Shuttleworth as bumps and falls due to unsteadiness.

"The last hospital presentation involved a child protection medical assessment which was not undertaken in accordance with good practice standards.

"Keanu was returned to Shuttleworth's care with a burn to his foot believed to have been caused accidentally by a hot radiator.

"Based on the medical evidence, this conclusion was mistaken and therefore Shuttleworth's description on the 'accident' was not deemed credible."

Peter Hay, strategic director for children, young people and families at Birmingham City Council, said the report was a "further blight on this city's reputation because we have failed on our fundamental obligation to keep our children safe".

"For this we are unequivocally sorry," he said.

"We accept too that given our record in failing to improve children's services, our apology may ring hollow..

"The way that the safeguarding board is holding all agencies to account is one of those changes. We do not have enough great social workers doing great social work.

"Park of what makes Keanu's death all the more tragic is that we got so near to getting it right."

The report follows other highly critical serious case reviews into child deaths, including the murder and starvation of Coventry four-year-old Daniel Pelka.

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Miliband Complains To Mail Boss Over Reporter

Miliband's Letter To Rothermere

Updated: 11:54am UK, Thursday 03 October 2013

Here is the Labour leader's full letter to Lord Rothermere, chairman of the company behind the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.

Dear Lord Rothermere,

Yesterday I spoke at a memorial event held at Guy's Hospital in London for my uncle, Professor Harry Keen, a distinguished doctor who died earlier this year. It was an event in a room on the 29th floor of Guy's Hospital which was attended only by family members, close friends and colleagues.

I was told by one of my relatives late yesterday evening that a reporter from the Mail on Sunday had found her way into the event uninvited. I also discovered that, once there, she approached members of my family seeking comments on the controversy over the Daily Mail's description of my late father as someone who "hated Britain".

My wider family, who are not in public life, feel understandably appalled and shocked that this can have happened.

The Editor of the Mail on Sunday has since confirmed to my office that a journalist from his newspaper did indeed attend the memorial uninvited with the intention of seeking information for publication this weekend.

Sending a reporter to my late uncle's memorial crosses a line of common decency. I believe it a symptom of the culture and practices of both the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday.

There are many decent people working at those newspapers and I know that many of them will be disgusted by this latest episode. But they will also recognise that what has happened to my family has happened to many others.

I believe no purpose would be served by me complaining to the Press Complaints Commission because it is widely discredited.

Instead, I am writing to you as the owners of the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday because I believe it is long overdue that you reflect on the culture of your newspapers. You should conduct your own swift investigation into who was responsible at a senior level for this latest episode and also who is responsible for the culture and practices of these newspapers which jar so badly with the values of your readers.

There are bigger issues for the people of Britain in the midst of the worst cost of living crisis for a century than intrusion into the life of my family. But the reaction of many people to the Daily Mail's attacks on my father this week demonstrates that the way your newspapers have behaved does not reflect the real character of our country.

It is now your responsibility to respond.

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Greenpeace Brit Charged With Piracy By Russia

A Briton is among two people charged with piracy by Russian investigators after a protest against Arctic oil drilling.

Kieron Bryan is a freelance videographer. pic: @kieronjbryan

Freelance videographer Kieron Bryan from the UK and a woman from Brazil, Ana Paula Alminhana, are both facing up to 15 years in prison if found guilty.

A total of 30 Greenpeace campaigners were detained as their ship circled near the Prazlomnaya oil platform in the Pechora Sea, after some activists attempted to get on to the platform two weeks ago.

Greenpeace International executive director Kumi Naidoo condemned the charges, saying: "It is an extreme and disproportionate charge.

"A charge of piracy is being laid against men and women whose only crime is to be possessed of a conscience. This is an outrage and represents nothing less than an assault on the very principle of peaceful protest."

Greenpeace condemned the charges. pic: Greenpeace

The group of activists had already been ordered to spend two months in custody in the northern city of Murmansk, pending an investigation.

The other Britons being held are cameraman Philip Ball, communications officer Alexandra Harris, logistics co-ordinator Frank Hewetson, activist Anthony Perrett and engineer Iain Rogers.

A helicopter took the group back to the Russian mainland. pic: Greenpeace

The platform, the first offshore rig in the Arctic, is owned by Russia's state-controlled energy giant Gazprom.

Oil giants ExxonMobil, Eni and Statoil, along with other Norwegian firms, plan to drill for oil in Russia's Arctic waters in the coming months.

Two activists tried to scale the platform

Greenpeace has warned an oil spill would cause significant environmental damage and warns of fossil fuel extraction contributing to climate change.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had said he did not think the protesters were pirates but defended their detention, saying that coast guards had no way of knowing who they were.

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Bus Stabbing Death: Man Admits Manslaughter

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

A psychiatric patient who stabbed a teenager to death on a bus has admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Christina Edkins, 16, was on her way to school during the morning rush hour when she was killed in the "random attack" on Birmingham's Hagley Road.

Phillip Simelane, 23, who has a history of mental illness, entered the plea at Birmingham Crown Court.

He had been released unsupervised from prison despite warning signs over the state of his mental health and questions are being asked about how authorities dealt with his case.

Christina's family arrive at Birmingham Crown Court

Superintendent Richard Baker from West Midlands Police, said: "Because of the mental health issues we now know he was suffering, this attack probably could have occurred anywhere, against anyone."

Simelane, who was homeless, boarded the number 9 bus at 5am on March 7. He had been challenged by the driver for sleeping on the back seat on the top deck.

Christina got on the bus at 7.30am on the city's Broad Street, a journey she made every day. Seven minutes later, she was dead.

Jason Edkins, Christina's father

Without warning, and for no reason, Simelane got up and thrust a kitchen knife into her chest once. He then casually walked down the aisle, down the stairs, and briefly spoke to the driver before getting off.

There was just one other passenger upstairs, a 14-year-old boy, who only realised what had happened when Christina cried out for help. Downstairs passengers rushed to her aid, but she could not be saved.

Officers scoured the city centre for Simelane and arrested him more than four hours later.

A family statement issued after the guilty plea said: "Christina was a beautiful, bright, caring girl, loved by everyone.

"The loss of a child is the worst thing that can ever happen, made even more grievous be such a senseless crime as this.

Christina was preparing to take her GCSEs when she died

"The family are all the victims and must pay the penalty as we stand by helplessly and watch the lives of the people we love shattered like precious glass, knowing we can never put the fragile pieces back together."

Christina's great uncle, Chris Melia, told Sky News: "It's such a horrific senseless crime. I don't know how you come to terms with it. I haven't."

"He quite clearly shouldn't have been out in society, there had been enough warning signs that he was a danger.

"As I understand it, in October, whilst he was in prison, the appropriate mental health experts noted he should, when he was released, be in some way supervised and helped to get back into society in an acceptable manner, but it didn't happen.

"He was released on 13th December, basically with no fixed abode, and in less than three months he killed an innocent young girl in the prime of her life."

Mr Melia paid tribute to Christina as a "popular", "attractive" and "quietly confident" girl.

"The family want to be sure that this person is put away, removed from society permanently, so that he cannot repeat this crime or any similar crime," he said.

Police say Simelane was known to have mental health problems from the age of 14, but was only diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia following his arrest for the attack on Christina.

He had previous convictions for assault, drugs offences and vehicle crime.

West Midlands Police say they were called to Simelane's home in Walsall by his family 21 times. On one occasion he held a knife to his mother's stomach.

Supt Baker said: "There doesn't appear to be any care plan since his release from prison in December 2012.

"There's currently an independent review being conducted by all agencies who had contact with Phillip Simelane during that period, not just police but probation, prison, and Birmingham and Solihull mental health team will also conduct independent reviews to understand exactly what support Simelane had in place."

He added it was likely Simelane would be given an indeterminate hospital order and it would be "highly unlikely" that he would ever be released.

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Cameron Vows Tories Will Build Better Britain

David Cameron has urged voters to hand him a majority at the next election so that the Tories can build a "land of opportunity".

The Prime Minister evoked Winston Churchill as he asked Britain to give the Conservatives the tools to "finish the job" of "clearing up the mess" left by Labour.

He said the economy was starting to turn the corner but warned that anyone who thought the struggle was over is "living in a fantasy land".

In a bid to adopt a more upbeat tone, his party conference speech talked of creating a better Britain and signalled he would slash taxes if he stays in power.

"We are Tories. We believe in low taxes. And believe me - we will keep on cutting the taxes of hard-working people," he declared.

But he also warned of further austerity as the Conservatives aim to pay off the deficit and then build up a surplus for the future.

There were no new policy announcements in the 49-minute address in Manchester, which Mr Cameron delivered much of directly to the camera.

The Prime Minister and wife Samantha walking to the conference hall

Instead, the Tory leader sought to draw clear dividing lines with Labour, accusing Ed Miliband of adopting a "crazy" anti-business agenda.

He dismissed Mr Miliband's promises to cut the cost-of-living as "all sticking plaster and quick fixes" - dubbing it "Red Ed and his Blue Peter economy".

Borrowing the slogan Mr Miliband repeated 17 times in his own speech, Mr Cameron declared: "I tell you what, Britain deserves better than that lot."

He insisted profit, wealth creation and enterprise were not "dirty, elitist words" but the driving force behind the recovery.

"It's businesses that get wages in people's pockets, food on their tables, hope for their families and success for our country," he said.

He also rejected Labour accusations that the Tories represent the privileged and said he wanted a society where everyone has "the chance to make it".

And he declared he is "fighting heart and soul for a majority Conservative government because that is what our country needs".

"I didn't come into politics just to fix what went wrong, but to build something right ... I believe that it is the great Conservative mission that as our economy starts to recover, we build a land of opportunity in our country today," he said.

"It is this party that is for the many not the few. Yes, the land of despair was Labour but the land of hope is Tory."

The Prime Minister putting the finishing touches to his speech

His speech followed a raft of policy announcements aimed at countering Labour's claim that it is the only party that will tackle the rising cost-of-living.

Tory plans include bringing forward the Help-to-Buy scheme, the prospect of a fuel duty freeze until 2015 and a tax break for some married couples.

Mr Cameron vowed a Tory government would replace the "casino economy" and "welfare society" as well as improve the education system.

He accused Labour of failing Britain's young people and disadvantaged households by having low expectations of what they can achieve.

"If you expect nothing of people, that does nothing for them. Yes, you must help people, but you help people by putting up ladders that they can climb through their own efforts," he said.

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US Shutdown: Deadline Passes Without Deal

A bitterly divided Congress has plunged the US into a partial government shutdown – the first in almost two decades – that will put some 800,000 workers on unpaid leave and close museums and national parks.

A deadline to fund government spending passed without agreement, and the shutdown went into force at 12.01am.

The Democrat-dominated Senate and Republican-controlled House of Representatives refused to back down in a clash over President Barack Obama's controversial healthcare law, known as Obamacare.

The deadlock means non-essential services, including some of America's most famous tourist attractions, will be forced to close.

Workers classified as essential government employees, such as air traffic controllers or Border Patrol agents, will continue to work.

Shortly after midnight, Mr Obama tweeted: "They actually did it. A group of Republicans in the House just forced a government shutdown over Obamacare instead of passing a real budget."

The last shutdown took place under President Bill Clinton

It is the first US shutdown in 17 years, with analysts concerned about its potential impact on Wall Street and global markets.

Mr Obama warned of the possible risks to the economy, saying a shutdown would have "very real economic impact, right away".

David Cameron said: "It is a risk to the world economy if the US can't properly sort out its spending plans."

It is "a reminder to all of us that we need to have properly planned public-expenditure systems, properly planned tax, properly planned arrangements for getting our deficit down", the British Prime Minister said.

New York's Statue of Liberty and the National Zoo in Washington, as well as Yellowstone and other national parks, are among the tourist attractions the shutdown will affect.

Republican opposition to the new healthcare law has been fierce

The Internal Revenue Service will suspend audits and taxpayer services, programmes for children will be halted and up to 800,000 government employees will be furloughed. More than a million others could be asked to work without pay.

The military's 1.4 million active duty personnel will remain on duty and Mr Obama signed a law on Monday to ensure they would receive their pay on time.

The Pentagon is looking for ways to ways to expand the number of Defense Department civilians who are exempt from furloughs, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said.

Mr Obama said he had been willing to negotiate, and placed the blame on Republicans, especially the hard-line Tea Party conservatives.

"One faction of one party, in one house of Congress, in one branch of government doesn't get to shut down the entire government just to refight the results of an election," Mr Obama said.

"Keeping the people's government open is not a concession to me."

The Republicans had sought to tie passing the government spending bill to a delay in major elements of the Obamacare reform.

They insisted the fault rested with Democrats who had refused to negotiate any changes to the healthcare law.

House Speaker John Boehner, who spoke to the president before the midnight deadline, claimed "the Senate has continued to reject our offers".

Some of America's most iconic landmarks will be affected by the shutdown

Mr Obama's healthcare law was passed by Congress and signed into law in 2010, despite opposition by the Republican Party, especially from within the Tea Party.

Some elements of the scheme - which aims to provide greater access to affordable health insurance for poorer sections of society - take effect today despite the shutdown because they operate with money that is not subject to the budget wrangling.

Market reaction was muted following stock market falls across the board on Monday in anticipation of the shutdown.

Japan's Nikkei rose slightly while in Europe the FTSE 100 share index was flat in early trading following the previous day's 0.8% drop.

Dow Jones Futures pointed to a rise on opening in New York.

The dollar dropped slightly against the pound while there was also a move towards safe havens as gold values rose by up to 0.5%.

A protester voices her dissatisfaction outside the Capitol building

London-traded Brent Crude fell by 0.4% to $107 a barrel as the shutdown was seen as potentially damaging to US economic growth prospects.

Much of the shutdown's economic impact will depend on how long it takes politicians to find a solution.

The last shutdown, under the Clinton Administration, lasted 21 days between December 1995 and January 1996.

The political dysfunction at the Capitol also raised fresh concerns about whether Congress can meet a crucial mid-October deadline to raise the government's $16.7trn debt ceiling.

This would force the country to default on its obligations, dealing a potentially painful blow to the economy and sending shockwaves around global markets.

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Boris Backs Jamie Oliver On UK Work Ethic

Boris Johnson has risked a fresh row by backing celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's claim that migrant workers work harder than Britons.

The Mayor of London, speaking at the Tory Party conference, called for action to instil a work ethic in young British workers who are unwilling to jobs they consider "menial".

He acknowledged he might get into trouble by agreeing Oliver "had a point" when he suggested eastern Europeans were more prepared to put in the long hours needed for restaurant work.

Controversial: TV chef Jamie Oliver

Mr Johnson told Tory activists: "Now I can see looks of apoplexy here... and I can see looks of sad acknowledgement as well and I can see a vague depressed look of recognition.

"I know and you know that there are millions of British kids and young people who are as dynamic and go-getting as any millionaire masterchef.

"But my question to you is what if Jamie has a point? What if he has half a point or even a quarter of a point? Do you think he does?

"He is onto something, he may have phrased it in a provocative way but he was saying something that I think resonates, right?

"If he has a point, we need to think about the possible origins of that difference in motivation that he claims to detect. We need to consider what we politicians are doing about it, don't we?

More to follow...

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GP Plan To Bring In Out-Of-Hours Surgeries

David Cameron has told Sky News he wants doctors' surgeries to be open for longer to ease the pressure on overstretched A&E departments.

The Prime Minister confirmed plans for a £50m trial to have surgeries open from 8am until 8pm, seven days a week.

He insisted the pilot scheme in areas across England, which is expected to cover up to half a million patients, would be properly funded.

Almost one in five patients in a recent NHS survey said inconvenient appointments were a concern, with more than 70% backing weekend and after office opening hours.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt will outline the plans at the Tory conference

The scheme, which was unveiled at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, will offer extra cash to groups of GPs proposing the most effective ways to improve patient access.

As well as extended surgery hours, ministers hope they will pioneer more effective use of technology, such as consultations with patients via video calls, email and by telephone.

Electronic prescriptions, online appointment booking and allowing people to visit a number of different surgeries across an area are among other measures which could be introduced.

Mr Cameron told Sky: "Sometimes people using Accident & Emergency really just need to see a GP but for hard-working people it is often too difficult because you are at work, you can't get an appointment at the time that fits.

"Let's see if we can have GPs' surgeries open 12 hours a day, seven days a week so you can always get that appointment you need.

"We are starting with pilot schemes in nine regions of England. We are spending the money to help GPs achieve this. We will be able to see how it works."

He added: "I believe that will work well and then our ambition is to roll that out across the country. That is good for hard-working people but I also think it is right for our health service.

"If you look at A&E, since 2004 when the GP contract changed we see four million more people a year going to Accident & Emergency so I think we are not getting the balance right at the moment."

The first pilot projects are due to be operating by April 2014.

Similar initiatives are already being trialled in some parts of the country, including parts of Manchester, where some surgeries will move to seven-day opening.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who will talk about the initiative in his speech to the conference, said: "We live in a 24/7 society and we need GPs to find new ways of working so they can offer appointments at times that suit hard-working people.

"Cutting-edge GP practices here in Manchester are leading the way, and we want many more patients across the country to benefit."

Professor Steve Field, Chief Inspector for General Practice, said: "This move towards seven day services is great news for patients and should be embraced by GPs.

"I want to see brilliant access to GP services for patients across the country and will be assessing this in each practice I inspect."

However, shadow health secretary Andy Burnham accused Mr Cameron and his Conservative Party of "taking the NHS backwards".

"This announcement is a major admission of failure and a U-turn of fairly epic proportions," he said.

"Patients are also finding it harder to get appointments, and turning to A&E instead, after he removed Labour's guarantee of an appointment within 48 hours."

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Helicopter Rotor Blade Kills Pennsylvania Pilot

A helicopter pilot has been killed after he walked into the aircraft's spinning rotor while giving rides at Bloomsburg Fair in Pennsylvania.

Carl Enlow, 69, died after being hit by a blade on Friday night at the US state's largest fair.   

The helicopter was refuelling when Mr Enlow went to speak to another pilot, according to fair superintendent Bill Barratt.

Mr Enlow's hat blew off his head and when he reached for it he was struck by the rotor, he said.

"That just goes to prove that anything can happen," Mr Barratt told Pennsylvania's PA Homepage.

The fair is the largest in the state Credit: PA Homepage, Pennsylvania

"It puts a little bit of sorrow on the last day."

The Birdsboro man had 50 years experience flying and was previously a pilot in the military.

The Bloomsburg Fair is reportedly giving the profits from the helicopter rides to Mr Enlow's widow.

"The fair board is going to do whatever we can to help her with whatever she needs," Mr Barratt said.

Montour County Coroner Scott Lynn said the death was under investigation. 

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