Written By Unknown on Jumat, 12 Desember 2014 | 18.25
By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent
The former Home Office security minister Lord West - in an interview with Sky News - has categorically denied lobbying a US intelligence committee to edit its report on CIA torture.
Britain has been dragged deeper into the row over US torture allegations after the Government admitted it did ask for changes in a Senate report on the CIA's behaviour.
Details of 24 meetings since 2009 between UK politicians and diplomats and members of the committee were released following a Freedom of Information Act request.
Home Secretary Theresa May, Labour former minister Lord West and the UK's ambassador to Washington held meetings with the US politicians while they were working on their inquiry.
Lord West - the security minister in the last Labour Government - held talks with the Senate committee, but told Sky News that it was regarding a different matter - cyber security.
Video:Were British Agencies Complicit?
The Home Office declined to comment on Mrs May's meeting with the committee in July 2011.
In an abrupt U-turn by No 10, officials admitted changes had been asked for, 24 hours after denying Britain had asked for passages to be removed.
At Thursday's No 10 briefing, David Cameron's Deputy Spokeswoman confirmed British intelligence agencies discussed redactions with their US counterparts.
"My understanding is no redactions were sought to remove any suggestion that there was UK involvement in any alleged torture or rendition," she said.
Video:Brennan Admits 'Abhorrent' Actions
And then she admitted: "There was a conversation with the agencies and their US counterparts on the executive summary.
"Any redactions sought there were done on national security grounds in a way we would have done with any other report."
And yet on Wednesday, the day the CIA report was published, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman, when asked what redactions had been sought, repeatedly said: "None whatsoever, to my knowledge."
The admission comes after the head of the CIA John Brennan described the techniques used to extract information as "abhorrent".
Colin Ash-Smith has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years for the murder of schoolgirl Claire Tiltman in 1993.
The milkman attacked the 16-year-old from behind as she took a short cut through an alleyway to a friend's house in Greenhithe, Kent, four days after her birthday.
She was stabbed more than 40 times in the "frenzied attack".
Sentencing Ash-Smith, judge Mr Justice Sweeney said the 46-year-old, who knew his victim from the local British Legion club, had carried out the attack because of the "feeling of power" it gave him.
Colin Ash-Smith attended Claire Tiltman's funeral
"This was a premeditated murder. Your intention was to kill. You took a knife to scene for the purpose, and Claire was vulnerable by reason of her circumstances," he said.
The 46-year-old, who was described as being obsessed with knives, chose not to attend Inner London Crown Court for the sentencing.
Two years after killing Ms Tiltman, he launched a second attack on another young woman, Charlotte Barnard, in the same town, leaving her for dead.
Claire was stabbed 40 times in an alleyway in Greenhithe
She was stabbed 14 times but survived and Ash-Smith was later jailed.
A search of his white Ford Capri also uncovered one half of a school tie which police established had been used in a rape, kidnap and attempted murder in Swanscombe on 21 December 1988.
Ash-Smith kept diaries in which he described his midnight walks looking for victims ans when asked why he carried out the attacks, he said: "I wanted to feel empowered, that I had control over someone, that I wasn't a doormat."
The schoolgirl was walking to a friend's house when she was killed
Although he denied any part in Claire's death when he was arrested, detectives continued to examine the similarities with Ash-Smith's other attacks and number of clues, including a prison confession and the fact that he attended Claire's funeral, connected him to the murder.
Claire's parents died before Ash-Smith was brought to justice and police said their deaths made officers more determined to catch him.
The judge told the court Ash-Smith escaped a "life mean life" jail term, despite there being no mitigating factors, because he had to be sentenced on the basis of the law at the time of the killing.
David Cameron says it has not been possible to reach a deal with Northern Ireland politicians over the future of Stormont.
The Prime Minister and his Irish counterpart Enda Kenny had presented a financial package and proposals to solve disputes threatening to destabilise the powersharing administration in Belfast in the early hours of Friday morning.
But they said it had not been possible to reach a deal overnight - though progress had been made and talks between political parties in Belfast are set to continue today.
Mr Cameron told reporters: "I think a deal is possible because the parties have done a lot of good work on the issues that need to be settled - the issue of how to manage parades, how to handle the past, the issue of flying flags.
"The real work that still needs to be done, I think, is to make sure the budget of the Northern Ireland executive is sustainable and works, so intensive work needs to be done between the parties on that issue and we stand ready to help - but what needs to happen is agreement."
Video:'Credible' Financial Package Needed
The Prime Minister said he had put almost £1bn of investment for Northern Ireland on the table, if agreement could be reached on certain issues.
Mr Kenny said he also believed a deal was possible and the politicians "will be able to conclude the outstanding areas of disagreement on the matters that we have discussed".
Flanked by his DUP colleagues, Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson said he did not believe the Prime Minister had been "sufficiently challenged" by local politicians on his financial proposals.
He said: "We didn't do that because we had not ourselves been able to complete agreement on other aspects on the financial issues, namely the matter of welfare reform.
Video:PM 'Not Challenged' In Budget Talks
"I think the Prime Minister would have had more give in him if he had seen that that issue was going to be resolved."
Mr Robinson said he thought proposals developed by the Government were "an improvement" on those put forward by former US diplomat Richard Haass last year.
Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said the financial package on offer was "not credible" if Northern Ireland is to offset the impact of austerity measures.
Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams was not impressed with the outcome, tweeting: "2 Govts exiting after most amateurish ham fisted episode I have ever been involved in."
Written By Unknown on Kamis, 11 Desember 2014 | 18.25
Two British men who joined Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State in Syria have told how they were treated as terrorism suspects on their return to the UK.
Former soldiers Jamie Read, 24, and James Hughes, 26, say they were taken to separate interview rooms at Heathrow Airport and questioned about their trip for six hours.
Anti-terrorism officers took their laptops and equipment and went through their phones, they said.
Mr Read told The Sun: "I was raging. They kept asking why we went, who we were with and were we being paid? We weren't, of course."
The pair went to Syria and fought alongside Kurdish forces in Kobani after IS filmed the brutal killing of British and American aid workers.
Video:Syria Fighter's Family 'Proud'
They came home amid fears their families could be targeted by jihadist sympathisers.
Mr Hughes' family have previously spoken out in support of his decision to join the fight against the militants.
His sister Lara told Sky News: "Obviously, I am very worried about him going out in such a dangerous country.
"But we are all very proud of him.
Video:Stuart Ramsay With 'Rag Tag' Army
"He's just doing it to help others. That's very much in his nature."
His father David hit back at claims his son was a "traitor" and proposed legislation that could leave those who go to fight in Syria effectively stateless.
He said: "I believe James is the epitome of a true blue Brit in the support he is giving in Syria and trying to give the Kurds a fair chance.
"We should all be proud of the choices and actions of these guys and all the armchair critics in the media and vote-grabbing pundits in government would do well to reconsider the facts before branding people as traitors or criminals, especially when they have clearly proven themselves already as heroes."
Ray Teret, a former DJ and close friend of Jimmy Savile, has been jailed for 25 years for a string of historical sex offences.
The 73-year-old was found guilty last week of raping and indecently assaulting a total of 11 victims in the 1960s and 1970s.
Teret, who was a DJ on the pirate station Radio Caroline, performed in nightclubs and youth discos run by Savile where he used his status as a local celebrity to single out vulnerable young girls.
Sentencing him at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, Mr Justice Baker said: "It is clear that you exploited your celebrity status to sexually abuse young girls when they were between 13 and 15 years of age.
"Those who were raped had little or no understanding what was happening to them and felt they could do little to prevent the abuse taking place."
Video:'Some Comfort' In Teret Verdict
He said Teret's "ill-judged cynicism" that his victims would not come forward was matched by his belief that the jury would not believe their accounts.
The public gallery, which contained a number of Teret's victims, erupted into applause when the sentence was passed.
One woman shouted "Yes" and another said "Monster" as he was led to the cells.
Teret shook his head in the dock after the judge completed his remarks.
His offences came to light following the publicity surrounding Savile in 2011.
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Gallery: Teret Used His Status To Target Vulnerable Girls
Ray Teret, a friend of Jimmy Savile, used his status as a local celebrity to single out vulnerable girls in nightclubs and discos
Teret was a DJ on the pirate station Radio Caroline. He also worked at Piccadilly Radio in Manchester and performed in nightclubs and youth discos run by Savile
Ed Miliband is unveiling a new policy to balance Britain's books in an attempt to repair the damage to his credibility when he failed to mention the deficit in his party conference speech.
In a speech on tackling the deficit, he pledged that a Labour government would cut spending year-on-year in all Whitehall departments apart from health and international development until the deficit has been dealt with.
The move, coming just a week after George Osborne's Autumn Statement, is intended as a fightback after Mr Miliband's conference blunder and opinion polls showing Labour trailing the Conservatives on the economy.
A poll by ComRes last week suggested 43% of people think they would be better off under David Cameron and Mr Osborne, while only 32% believe they would do better under Mr Miliband and Ed Balls.
Mr Miliband accused the Conservatives of planning to return spending on public services to a share last seen in the 1930s, a time before there was a National Health Service and when young people left school at 14.
Video:Labour's Economic Pledge
"And they have finally been exposed by the Autumn Statement for what they really are: not modern compassionate Conservatives at all - but extreme and ideological, committed to a dramatic shrinking of the state and public services, no matter what the consequences," he said.
Unveiling Labour's alternative, Mr Miliband said Britain must deal with the deficit to create the strong economic foundation needed to build prosperity for working people, attract investment and fund public services.
"There is no path to growth and prosperity for working people which does not tackle the deficit.
"What we need is a balanced approach which deals with the deficit - but does so sensibly," he said.
Video:Miliband: 'There Was A Bit ...'
Mr Miliband added: "This is an essential test of credibility.
"There is huge uncertainty about the deficit because of economic circumstances and on the basis of recent experience.
"That makes it all the more important that parties do not spray around unfunded commitments they cannot keep.
In a letter to shadow cabinet colleagues, shadow chancellor Ed Balls said: "We will set out for our manifesto other priority areas of spending which will be protected.
Video:Labour Still For 'Working People'
"In the meantime you should be planning on the basis that your departmental budgets will be cut not only in 2015/16, but each year until we have achieved our promise to balance the books."
In response the Tories hit back, with Business Minister Matthew Hancock claiming: "Labour's policy is to run deficits forever - more borrowing that would add to the national debt every single year.
"That would mean more debt than hardworking taxpayers or our children could ever hope to repay.
"This risk to the economic recovery is exactly why Ed Miliband simply isn't up to the job."
Written By Unknown on Rabu, 10 Desember 2014 | 18.26
By Stuart Ramsay, Chief Correspondent, in Mexico
Sky News has gained access to an illegal prison where hitmen for Mexico's drug gangs have been jailed by vigilantes who snatched them off the streets.
High in Mexico's Sierra Madre mountains our guides are leading us to this much rumoured, but never before seen, prison.
In this part of Mexico, vigilante groups are fighting back against the drug cartels and their low-level gunmen who have terrorised small communities for decades.
The prison is their prize and a mark, they claim, of the success of their "revolution" against organised crime.
The inmates hang out of the barred windows of a converted municipal building, watched by shotgun-toting men dressed in matching green T-shirts and trousers.
Video:On Patrol With Mexico's Vigilantes
There is no proper court of law up here. The prisoners have been snatched off the streets by vigilante gangs and locked up. It is a clean-up operation as unique as it is illegal.
The Mexican government writ doesn't run here. The law of the gun does.
The supervisor agrees to let us inside the "cells".
Inside we are introduced to a group of men in their early 20s. Among them is Leonardo. He is 22, although he seems much younger. He has been in the prison for a year, he says.
Video:Hitman: Politicians Run Everything
His youthful looks hide a horrendous history of violence for the Knights Templar drug cartel.
Leonardo has killed 19 people in the past three years.
He says he tried to run away from the cartel but was tracked down and "grassed up" to the community police.
"They planted three bags of Mota (marijuana) on me and that was my problem... they used a girl to plant the drugs, and that girl they have since killed," he tells me, his head bobbing and eyes shifting nervously from side to side.
Video:'I Have Hurt Myself And Others'
"I don't want to talk about it in here. My integrity is in danger, my life is in danger," he adds.
Leonardo says he was under the control of the cartel and could do nothing to avoid their demands to carry out murders. He admits to the murders and being part of the gang.
"What's the point of lying to you? It is true they arrested me with evidence and all. When they caught me I had drugs, shotguns and other weapons."
While cartels would usually pay for hits, it seems Leonardo was exploited with shocking ruthlessness. He was told to kill or be killed himself. He did it for free.
Video:'The People Are Happy Now'
Miguel, a sort of self-styled vigilante social worker who is trying to rehabilitate the inmates, says this is not uncommon.
"Many start this way," he says.
"Then they become contaminated and it becomes natural for them to do it (kill).
"We have investigated him. His life is a life of poverty. It's a very miserable life, very, very poor. Their way of paying him was the life of another in exchange for his life."
Video:Where The Gangs Get Their Guns
The inmates are not all cartel gang members, but they have been identified as anti-social troublemakers and criminals.
Certainly this prison is unsuitable for proper rehabilitation - or proper punishment for that matter. Mixing murderers with drunks could hardly be described as sensible care-for-the-community policing.
But the vigilantes are unrepentant. Locking these men up in cells with mats on the floor and almost no recreational or exercise time is a fitting return for the fear they have brought to their communities.
They want this message to get out.
Video:In Numbers: Mexico's Drug War
Across Mexico people are beginning to ask questions of the government and are questioning its future.
But the conclusion one has to reach is that with the profits from drugs so high, the money distributed among the most powerful and influential and a financially poor population almost inured to such violence over so many years, that bringing about change is impossible - except perhaps by the vigilantes.
They have weapons. The cycle starts all over again.
:: Stuart Ramsay will be taking part in a Twitter Q&A at 10am on Wednesday. Tweet your questions to @ramsaysky.
Video:Behind The Scenes: Mexico Filming
:: You can watch an extended special report on the drugs cartels that are tearing Mexico apart, Narco State: Mexico's Drugs War, at 7.30pm on Friday, 5.30am and 4.30pm on Saturday, and 3.30am, 2.30pm and 8.30pm on Sunday.
:: Watch the report on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132 and Freesat channel 202.
More than 17,000 people have lost power supplies and waves of 52ft have already been recorded as a "weather bomb" begins to hit the country.
Freezing winds are expected to peak on Wednesday afternoon, but the first phase of the storm and its effects are being felt.
A visual representation of the wind forecast. Pic: NullSchool.net
Engineers are working to restore supplies after power went out in the Western Isles of Scotland just before 7am this morning.
Off the coast of Orkney, a rescue operation was launched to help a Spanish fishing vessel in difficulties.
Video:Sky Man Gets Weather Bombed
The 33ft trawler, with 16 people aboard, had one of its bridge windows smashed and some equipment damaged in the stormy conditions.
The O'Genita is being escorted to safety off Westray by the Stromness lifeboat.
And 20 vehicles had to be freed after becoming stuck in icy conditions on Cairn O' Mount, a high mountain pass, in Aberdeenshire.
Video:What Is A Weather Bomb?
The extreme conditions are being caused by rapid cyclogenisis - known colloquially as a "weather bomb" - a deep low pressure system moving slowly eastwards between Scotland and Iceland.
Forecasters have issued widespread weather warnings across Britain, with major travel disruption expected as winds of up to 80mph strike some areas and huge waves hit northern coastal regions.
Waves 52ft high - measured as "phenomenal" on the Douglas Sea Scale - have been recorded off the Outer Hebrides.
Video:Waves Pound N Ireland Coast
Several ferry and train services have been cancelled in Scotland while some bridges have been closed due to high winds.
Schools and nurseries in the Western Isles have been closed.
The Met Office has issued amber "be prepared" weather alerts for western Scotland, the Highlands, Northern Ireland, Orkney and Shetland and Strathclyde regions.
Video:Huge Waves Hit Scottish Coast
Yellow weather warnings have also been issued across England's South East, South West, North East, North West, Yorkshire and Humber, as well as in northern Wales and several other areas.
Sky News Weather Presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "Scotland, northern England, Northern Ireland and the north of the Republic are today experiencing very stormy conditions, with strong gusty winds and large waves, posing problems for both rush hours and ferry crossings.
"The heavy showers in the north could also produce some hail and thunder, as well as snow across hills and mountains.
Video:Met Office Tracks 'Weather Bomb'
"With the strong gusty winds, this could mean drifting and blizzard conditions as well."
More southerly areas of the UK are likely to be hit by a second storm due to roll in from the Atlantic on Thursday night.
:: Send us your pictures and videos by emailing news@sky.com, texting 84501 or tweeting @SkyNews.
Video:Phenomenal Waves In Weather Bomb
:: Full weather and travel updates at skynews.com, Sky News for iPad app, mobile devices and your local commercial radio station.
As a huge storm system - known as a "weather bomb" - batters the northern half of the UK, here are the key developments so far:
:: More than 17,000 people in the Western Isles have been left without power.
:: A Spanish fishing vessel is being escorted to safety after getting into difficulties off Orkney.
:: Some 20 vehicles had to be freed after becoming stuck in icy conditions on Cairn O' Mount, a high mountain pass, in Aberdeenshire.
:: Fifteen flood warnings and 12 flood alerts have been issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
Video:Phenomenal Waves In Weather Bomb
:: Giant waves measuring 52ft have been recorded off the Outer Hebrides.
:: The Met Office has warned of gusts of up to 80mph.
:: Many Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services, which operate in the west of Scotland, have been cancelled or disrupted, while the Argyll Ferries service between Gourock and Dunoon has been suspended.
:: There are also disruptions and cancellations on NorthLink Ferries services between Orkney, Shetland and the mainland, while P&O ferries said its Larne and Cairnryan sailings were operating with delays of up to at least two hours, with further disruption expected throughout the day.
:: Several train services have been cancelled as a safety precaution, Network Rail and train operator ScotRail announced.
:: On the roads, Police have warned that travel conditions in the worst-hit areas of Scotland could be "hazardous".
:: The Skye Bridge and Forth Road Bridge have been closed to high-sided vehicles while the Tay Bridge was only open to cars.
:: Western Isles Council has said all its schools and nurseries will be closed as police have advised the public not to travel unless it is absolutely necessary.
:: All depots, libraries, museums and sports facilities in the Western Isles will also be shut.
Written By Unknown on Selasa, 09 Desember 2014 | 18.25
Police in the West Midlands were ordered off the streets after a threat was made to kidnap and kill an officer in Birmingham, Sky News has learned.
Officers were called back to base by West Midlands Police between 10pm and midnight on Monday after an anonymous tip-off.
The force, which has declined to comment on the specifics of the threat, said officers and staff had been given an "additional safety reminder".
The threat level to police was increased to substantial two months ago
Officers were spoken to about travelling to and from work in partial uniform, as well as security at police stations.
The threat level to police across Britain was raised to substantial in October, meaning an attack is a strong possibility.
Video:Threat 'Must Have Been Credible'
Assistant Chief Constable Garry Forsyth said: "There is nothing at this time to suggest there is an increased risk to members of the public.
"We have taken the opportunity to remind all employees of the need to be vigilant.
"Our priority remains serving our communities and protecting them from harm.
"Officers remain on patrol and our staff continue to respond to calls for service as usual."
The force said it had still responded to 999 calls during the recall and that officers had been held on duty while they were given the security briefing, or advised as they started their shifts.
Information that led to the alert is still being assessed, said police, but sources told Sky the threat was "credible".
"We have spoken to police officers from the area who confirmed two facts," said Sky's Sean Dilley.
"The fact that officers have been called back to return to base, and also that they've been asked to watch out for each other when they are actually out on patrol."
The alert comes after four men were charged with terror offences in October, including allegations they carried out "hostile reconnaissance" of Shepherd's Bush police station in London.
They allegedly viewed and kept an image sent via Instagram of two Metropolitan Police officers and two Metropolitan Police community support officers.
