Nigel Farage Rules Out 'Opportunist' MP Bid

UKIP leader Nigel Farage has ruled out running for MP in the Newark by-election saying he wants to focus on the European elections.

Mr Farage said he did not want to look like an "opportunist" by running in for a seat in an area with which he had no links.

The UKIP leader said he wanted to focus all of his attention on the May 22 vote, even though the by-election, triggered by the resignation on Tuesday of the former Tory MP Patrick Mercer, would fall after that date.

He told Sky News: "At 7.30 last night I found out there was going to be a by-election in Newark and 12 hours later I have thought hard about it overnight and I have realised we are just three weeks away from a European election ... I don't want to do anything that distracts from that."

He said had he agreed to fight the Newark by-election "all anybody would have wanted to talk to me about for the next three weeks would be that by-election".

Mr Farage added: "We will fight the Newark by-election but it won't be me. I would have been seen to be an opportunist. I would have been seen to be somebody effectively sent up from London and I am not sure electorally it would have worked any way."

John Prescott tweeted on Nigel Farage's announcement

He denied suggestions he was frightened of the contest - a loss would have been disastrous for the party leader ahead of the 2015 elections - and said he didn't want UKIP to be seen as a "one-man party".

However, a number of Labour and Conservative MPs took to Twitter to suggest the UKIP leader had "bottled it".

Labour MP for Newport West Paul Flynn wrote: "Farage wimps out and bursts his own bubble. "

While the Conservative MP for Wyre Forest, Mark Garnier, wrote: "Nigel Farage and the Newark by-election: Man or mouse ...? Pass the cheese!!! Squeek squeek ... "

Political observers suggested Mr Farage would have been likely to lose the by-election because of overwhelming Tory support in the constituency.

Patrick Mercer resigned over a cash for questions scandal on Tuesday night

Mr Mercer, who stepped down over a cash-for-questions scandal, was returned on a 16,000 majority in 2010, while UKIP's candidate came fourth - 26,000 votes behind.

But the UKIP leader insisted his party had a very good chance of winning the by-election.

He said: "Given the circumstances that a Conservative MP has gone in effectively what is an updated cash for questions row and scandal. 

"I think there will be such a level of anger that UKIP will have a very good chance of winning that by-election despite the size of the Conservative majority."

UKIP has been accused of racism

Tory MP and Minister without Portfolio, Ken Clarke, told the Radio 4 Today Programme: "I am not really surprised. Whatever else Nigel is, he is not an idiot and I don't think he'd have the faintest chance of winning in Newark,"

Mr Clarke, whose constituency is next-door to Newark, added there was no way the people of Newark would have voted for "a card who is larking about trying to get protest votes".

However, UKIP is now riding significantly higher in the polls with some putting support at 20%.

A string of controversies - claims of racist posters, a candidate tweeting that the comedian Lenny Henry should "emigrate to a black country" -  has failed to dent the party's standing

The Conservatives have announced their candidate as Robert Jennick, a 32-year-old lawyer and business director at Christies.

Former Army colonel Mr Mercer resigned after undercover reporters recorded him being given £4,000 to lobby for business interests in Fiji, tabling Commons questions and offering a Westminster security pass.

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Ukraine On Full Combat Alert Over 'Invasion'

Ukraine's military is "on full combat alert" over a possible invasion by Russian troops massed on the border, Kiev's acting leader has said.

Interim president Oleksandr Turchynov told a ministerial meeting: "Our armed forces are on full combat alert. The threat of Russia starting a war against mainland Ukraine is real."

Russia has denied it has any plans to invade eastern Ukraine after its annexation of the Crimean peninsula in March.

Kiev, however, has accused Moscow of orchestrating an armed uprising in the industrial east by Russian-speaking separatists, who have seized government buildings in a number of towns and cities.

Ukraine's acting president Oleksander Turchinov at the cabinet meeting

Ukraine's army and police appear to be making little progress in a high-profile operation to prevent the rebels expanding their grip over towns in the east.

It came as the International Monetary Fund said Russia was already in recession, while citing the effect of the ongoing crisis on investment in the country.

IMF economist Antonio Spilimbergo was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying: "If we define recession as negative growth in two quarters in a row, then Russia from that point of view is experiencing recession."

The IMF has lowered its 2014 growth forecast for Russia to 0.2% from the 1.3% figure it issued on April 8, Mr Spilimbergo added.

Russia deployed around 40,000 troops to its shared border with Ukraine in March. Moscow initially claimed they were sent for exercises but later said they were ready to respond to Kiev's military offensive against pro-Kremlin rebels.

Russian President Vladimir Putin insists he has a "right" to send his forces into Ukraine, but has not yet done so.

Kiev and the US say Russian special forces are already active in the insurgency in eastern Ukraine.

Mr  Turchynov told the cabinet meeting: "Our number one task is to prevent terrorism spreading from the Donetsk and Lugansk regions to other Ukrainian regions".

He underlined moves announced a day earlier to set up armed civilian "territorial volunteer militia" units to help beleaguered police and troops in the east.

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Has Farage Bottled It And Missed His Chance?

So, Nigel has decided to say no to Newark. Did he bottle it?

Here was - unquestionably - a massive opportunity for UKIP. This is a party that calls itself the anti-establishment voice; by-elections are lightning rods for anti-politics sentiment.

Yes, it would have been a challenge - a daunting 26,000 vote Tory lead over UKIP in 2010 to topple.

But if anyone could have done it, it was Nigel, riding high on a wave of public anger at Westminster.

UKIP have reached a record 20 points in the polls in recent weeks - Mr Farage is Mr Popular. So much so that questions about cushy European allowances or how his British jobs for British workers chimes with his decision to hire his German wife as a secretary simply wash over him. Nothing sticks.

Mr Farage says he wants to concentrate on the European battle - through which he hopes to top the poll and cause an "earthquake" in British politics. He can't be tied to Newark during a national election, he insists.

And he thinks that being parachuted into a seat that he knows little about would be "opportunistic" and "cynical". That might be smart.

Wrong seat, wrong time, says Nigel Farage

After all, he doesn't want to risk a key part of his appeal - that he is seen as an authentic politician.

So instead UKIP will fight hard in Newark using a candidate with "local/regional credentials", according to sources. They will try to replicate by-election successes in Wythenshawe and Eastleigh, where they jumped from fifth and fourth place respectively to second, embarrassing the Tories.

But in truth, Mr Farage is the man with the biggest chance of UKIP success because of his national profile. And the European elections could be good - rather than bad timing - channelling a tumbling momentum for UKIP into the race.

That could be weaker by next May's General Election after facing the full force of a well-funded Tory campaign.

If that were to happen, Mr Farage would look back with regret. Britain's first-past-the-post system makes it tough for small parties to get a foot into the Westminster door. This was a big chance for UKIP.

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Brit Oliver Gobat Feared Murdered In St Lucia

The family of a British man missing on the Caribbean island of St Lucia are awaiting the identification of a body found in the seat of his burnt-out car.

Hotelier and property developer Oliver Gobat, 38, was reported missing last Friday.

The Foreign Office is urgently investigating reports of his death.

Double Olympic decathlon gold medallist Daley Thompson paid a personal tribute to Mr Gobat on Twitter.

The retired athlete, who has carried out fitness sessions at the family's five-star Cap Maison hotel on the island, wrote: "My love and thoughts go out to friends and family of Ollie Gobat. He was a gem and his family must have been so proud of him. RIP, my friend."

Former heptathlete and Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis also tweeted: "Just reading the shocking news about the death of Oliver Gobat. So very sad. My condolences to his family and friends. Such a lovely guy."

The victim was reportedly shot twice in the head before being doused with petrol and set alight, although police have refused to confirm this.

A post-mortem examination is due to be held later.

An FCO spokesperson said: "We are aware of reports and are looking into them urgently."

It is claimed residents in nearby properties reported hearing sounds of gunshots before seeing flames coming from the vehicle.

A short time later, Mr Gobat's burnt-out Range Rover was found with a body of a man in the passenger seat.

It is reported there were no keys in the vehicle and the doors were locked.

A St Lucia police spokesman said: "The badly burned body of a man was found in a car in the Cap Estate at the roadside but we have no identity for the victim.

"The homicide department are investigating the death.

"We can confirm that we are searching for a missing man called Oliver Gobat, but we cannot confirm the identity of the dead man because of the state of the body.

"We do not know Mr Gobat's whereabouts at the moment."

Mr Gobat's parents, who live in Esher, Surrey, are understood to have flown out to St Lucia.

Mr Gobat represented Surrey juniors at cricket and attended Leeds University.

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UK Economy Grows 0.8% In First Quarter

The UK's economic recovery continued in the first quarter of 2014, with the first estimate of GDP growth coming in at 0.8%.

The figure, while weaker than the 0.9% most economists had expected, meant that output was 3.1% higher than on the same period the previous year, marking the fastest annual growth since the last quarter of 2007.

However, the economy remains 0.6% smaller than at its peak in the first quarter of 2008, after the recession wiped 7.2% off total output.

News of the economy's latest performance, released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), showed growth across each major sector of the economy, though construction output was damaged by the impact of the winter storms.

The ONS said while widespread flooding appeared to have no overall effect on output it said bad weather in January and February did hit efforts to meet demand for new homes, with construction recording just 0.3% growth.

Mr Osborne says the figures show Britain is "coming back"

Output in the service sector - which makes up more than three quarters of UK GDP - rose by 0.9% and continued to be driven by consumer spending.

Manufacturing grew by 1.3%, its strongest quarter for nearly four years, bolstering hopes for a rebalancing in the recovery away from its reliance on consumers.

Industrial production rose 0.8% though mining and quarrying, electricity and gas production and agriculture shrank over the quarter.

The GDP figures were seized upon by the union organisation the TUC as evidence the recovery was not gaining enough momentum to sustain a raise in interest rates, which is widely expected next year.

The figures were released at the same time as statistics showing a 2.5% rise in the number of people being declared insolvent in England and Wales over the same period.

There were 24,931 individual insolvencies recorded during the three months - a period when wage increases finally caught up with inflation for the first time since the recession.

Chancellor George Osborne said: "Today's figures show that Britain is coming back - but we can't take that for granted. We have to carry on working through our long-term economic plan.

"For the first time in a decade all three main sectors of the economy - manufacturing, services and construction - have grown by at least 3% over the last year.

"The impact of the great recession is still being felt, but the foundations for a broad-based recovery are now in place.

"The biggest risk to economic security would be abandoning the plan that is laying those foundations".

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said: "Now that growth has finally returned, the question is whether ordinary working people will properly feel the benefit and we have a balanced recovery that's built to last.

"David Cameron and George Osborne want to tell people the cost-of-living crisis is over, but millions of hardworking people are still feeling no recovery at all".

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Leeds Teacher Died From Multiple Stab Wounds

A post-mortem has found a teacher killed at a Leeds school died from multiple stab wounds.

Ann Maguire, 61, who taught at Corpus Christi Catholic College for more than 40 years, had been due to retire in September.

Police say they will be interviewing the 15-year-old held in connection with her death at some point during the day.

Due to his age, officers said this would have to be handled sensitively.

The students who witnessed the incident are being interviewed by specialist officers.

The authorities have stressed the fatal stabbing is an isolated incident.

Flowers outside the school in Leeds where Mrs Maguire taught

Detective Superintendent Simon Buldon said: "This is clearly an unprecedented and tragic incident that's left the school and wider community in a state of shock."

The school's chair of governors Martin Dowling said: "This has been a shocking but isolated incident."

Chief Inspector Nic Adams said: "This is a horrific incident. It's unprecedented nationally, but very much in this local community it's something that's caused a lot of shock and distress.

"This is very much an isolated incident."

Nigel Richardson of Leeds City Council said: "The whole community has come together to continue to support one another."

The school opened as normal on Tuesday to allow staff and students to remember Mrs Maguire, and support each other.

Children began arriving early to add tributes to the more than 200 bouquets of flowers that cover the railings outside the gates.

Mrs Maguire was also remembered at a service in the neighbouring Corpus Christi Church.

Monsignor Paul Fisher said: "Today we pray for the light of hope: hope for ourselves that eventually we will come to terms with what has happened.

"We offer prayer too for the family of the man who unfortunately did what he did."

Officers were called to the school just before noon on Monday after a report a member of staff had been stabbed. A knife was recovered from the scene.

Around 30 pupils witnessed Mrs Maguire, who is believed have two grown-up daughters, being stabbed repeatedly in class.

Some reported hearing screams as other members of staff rushed to her classroom and restrained her attacker.

Her death is the first time a teacher has been stabbed to death in a British classroom.

Head teacher Philip Lawrence was murdered outside a school in Maida Vale, London, in 1995 when he went to help a pupil who was being attacked.

Cllr Judith Blake, the council's executive member for children's services, said she supported the school's decision to open.

She said: "At a time like this people need to come together.

"It's that support they will get from coming in today that will help them through such a difficult time."

A recent Sky News investigation revealed almost 1,000 pupils were caught with weapons including guns, axes and a meat cleaver in schools in the last three years.

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US Reassures Europe Of Nato's 'Ironclad' Support

America has reassured its East European allies of Nato's support as the worst post-Cold War stand-off between Russia and the West continues.

US Vice President Joe Biden phoned Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka and Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban and "underscored the ironclad commitment of the US" to the collective defence of Nato members.

They "agreed that Russia would face further costs for its destabilising actions in Ukraine and massing of troops along the Russian-Ukrainian border," the White House said.

The US has ruled out sending American or Nato forces into Ukraine, but has begun deploying 600 US troops to bolster defences in the nearby countries of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Meanwhile, Western leaders are urging Russia to help free a team of international military observers in eastern Ukraine.

Eight members of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) were travelling with five Ukrainian troops when they were detained by separatists in the flashpoint town of Slavyansk.

Colonel Axel Schneider says his team are being well-treated

Team leader Colonel Axel Schneider appeared before cameras in Slavyansk to say they are being well-treated and "haven't been touched" by their kidnappers.

They are being protected by the town's self-appointed mayor Vyacheslav Ponomaryovt and "treated as his guests," he said.

On Saturday, Moscow said it would take "all possible steps" to free the OSCE monitors as their capture was condemned by Western leaders.

However, rebels accused the observers of being "Nato spies" and vowed to continue holding them.

It comes as Britain and other G7 nations agreed new sanctions against Russia.

Speaking at a news conference in Malaysia, US President Barack Obama said it was important for the world to send Russia a message.

A barricade around the state security service building in Slavyansk

"We're going to be in a stronger position to deter Mr Putin when he sees that the world is unified and the United States and Europe is unified rather than this is just a US-Russian conflict," he said.

He said Russia had not "lifted a finger" to get pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine to comply with an international agreement to defuse the crisis.

"In fact, there's strong evidence that they've been encouraging the activities in eastern and southern Ukraine," he said.

Senior EU diplomats are to hold an emergency meeting in Brussels on Monday to discuss sanctions against Moscow.

Former US ambassador Sir Christopher Meyer told Sky's Murnaghan programe there was evidence Mr Putin did not have control over some of the separatist groups, adding: "It has the smell of chaos to it."

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Helicopter Crash: Five UK Service Members Die

Five military personnel killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan were UK service members, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.

They died when their Lynx aircraft crashed during a routine flight in Kandahar province in the south on Saturday.

Prime Minister David Cameron said today his "heart goes out to the families and friends of those killed in this terrible tragedy".

Three of the servicemen killed were from the Army Air Corps, based at RAF Odiham in Hampshire, the MoD said.

One was a Royal Air Force serviceman also based at RAF Odiham.

One was a member of the Army Reserve from 3 Military Intelligence Battalion, based in London.

Next of kin of all five servicemen have been informed.

The aircraft went down in the Takhta Pul district of Kandahar

Mr Cameron said: "Every British fatality is a source of deep sadness. This latest incident, which has cost the lives of five UK service personnel, brings home to us all once again how our armed forces continue to put their lives on the line to help the people of Afghanistan.

"I cannot pay high enough tribute to each and every one of them for the job that they do and the sacrifices that they make."

Foreign Secretary William Hague told Sky's Murnaghan programme: "This appears to have been a tragic accident although it is still being investigated.

"These personnel were doing as ever outstanding work for the people of this country for our national security, and indeed for the people of Afghanistan."

Major General Richard Felton, Commander Joint Helicopter Command, said: "It is with great sadness that we must confirm that five UK service personnel have been killed in this incident which, at this early stage, would appear to have been a tragic accident.

Lynx helicopters are deployed for a wide variety of operations

"Events like this, whilst mercifully rare, remind us of the risks our personnel face in their work in Afghanistan as we approach the conclusion of the combat mission later this year."

Kandahar provincial police spokesman Zia Durrani said the helicopter went down in the Takhta Pul district of Kandahar province, around 30 miles from the Pakistan border - and that it was not attacked by militants.

"It was doing military exercises and crashed as a result of technical fault," he said.

The helicopter involved was a Westland Lynx, an aircraft with a range of uses including transport and resupply.

Defence analyst Paul Beaver said: "It is difficult to speculate on what has happened. It could be weather related, it could be dust or it could have been trying to avoid birds, for example, or it could be some kind of mechanical failure.

"There is a whole range of possible causes."

The deaths bring the total number of UK service personnel to have been killed in Afghanistan to 453.

It is thought to be the third deadliest incident involving British forces in the war and the worst air disaster since September 2006, when 14 service personnel were killed in a Nimrod surveillance aircraft which exploded mid-air.

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Two Popes Made Saints In Historic Ceremony

Up to one million people have gathered at Vatican City for a historic day in the Roman Catholic Church as two former Popes were declared saints.

The Canonisation of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII took place in the presence of two living pontiffs, Pope Francis and his predecessor Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI.

The unprecedented double Canonisation was presided over by Francis in St Peter's Square and watched by millions around the world.

Pope John Paul II and John XXIII were declared saints

He believes the two men revitalised the Church, and has bent years of tradition by allowing them to be celebrated on the same day.

Sky's Robert Nisbet, in Vatican City, said: "There are enormous crowds here.

"They are estimating up to one million people could be crowding around Vatican City and the centre of Rome to be part of this event.

The recipient of John Paul II's second miracle is seen at the altar

"And certainly they've come from all over the world. There's a huge contingent from Poland here - John Paul II obviously still a hero figure to many."

Pope Francis and Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, who is rarely seen in public and last year became the first pontiff in six centuries to step down, hugged briefly as the two-hour mass began.

During the service, which began under light rain, relics of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII were taken to the altar, and their sainthoods requested three times.

Floribeth Mora, said to be the recipient of John Paul II's second miracle, was one of many who took part in the ceremony, which is estimated to have cost £6m.

Francis presided over the unprecedented double Canonisation

She suffered an aneurysm and was told she had just one month to live, but after seeing John Paul II's beatification ceremony in 2011, she claimed the pain disappeared.

About 850 cardinals and bishops celebrated mass and 700 priests distributed communion to the huge crowd.

"We declare and define Blessed John XXIII and John Paul II to be saints and we enrol them among the saints, decreeing that they are to be venerated as such by the whole Church," Francis said in his formal proclamation in Latin about 30 minutes into the service.

Francis is touring St Peter's Square in his Popemobile, and is expected to go deeper into the crowds than his predecessors.

Nisbet said it would be an attempt to be seen as "less staid" than previous Popes and "to be more down with the people".

Emeritus Pope Benedict arrives for the ceremony in St Peter's Square

Scholars see the double Canonisation as an attempt by Francis to unite modernists and traditionalists in the faith.

Both Popes helped shape the second half of the 20th century.

John XXIII, who reigned from 1958 to 1963, convened the famous second Vatican council - a key moment in the modernisation of the Church.

John Paul II, who reigned for 26 years, saw the fall of communism in his home country of Poland and played a leading role on the world stage.

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Paedophile Teacher 'One Of The Worst Predators'

Child Predator: Husband And 'Popular Teacher'

Updated: 11:44am UK, Thursday 24 April 2014

The serial child predator at the centre of an FBI investigation had a wife and two adult children and was a popular teacher among his students, officials have said.

William James Vahey travelled the world for four decades before his suicide in a Minnesota motel last March.

While teaching, he also served as coach on various school sports teams.

The FBI said he was a "popular and highly respected teacher".

"He had access to children because of his position of trust," said FBI special agent Patrick Fransen.

"He created a system that gave him the opportunity and the means to molest children."

The FBI says he may have carried out child molestation on an unprecedented scale, often drugging his victims.

Vahey told investigators he suffered molestation as a child and went on to prey on boys.

The New York native graduated from California State University, Long Beach, with a Bachelor of Arts in political science, according to a resume cited by the FBI.

He received a master's degree in curriculum development from Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont.

At the time of his death, he was 64, approximately 6ft (182cm) tall, and weighed about 190 pounds (86kg).

He was teaching ninth-grade world history and geography at the American Nicaraguan School in Managua.

Vahey maintained two residences, one in London, where he had taught at an elite school, and another on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, the FBI said.

In 1969, Vahey was arrested in California on six counts of child molestation.

He pled guilty to one count of child molestation and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, followed by five years' probation.

The conviction required Vahey to register with California's sex offender registry for the rest of his life.

However, Vahey eluded that requirement.

Officials said he had not renewed his registration as a sex offender since 1970. He went on to pursue his teaching career in Nicaragua, the UK, Venezuela, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Greece, Iran, Spain, and Lebanon.

His victims are believed to be multinational as many of those schools were attended by the children of American diplomats or military personnel stationed overseas.

Vahey coached boys on middle school, varsity boys' basketball, softball, flag football, and soccer, among other things.

He also served as activities director, student council adviser, cooking club adviser and forensics adviser. 

He often accompanied students on cultural studies or sports trips, the FBI said.

Vahey killed himself two days after agents in Houston sought a warrant to search a computer thumb drive belonging to him.

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