Winter Blast Brings More Travel Misery

Murphy Named Scottish Labour Party Leader

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 13 Desember 2014 | 20.14

Jim Murphy MP is the new leader of the Scottish Labour Party, comfortably beating Holyrood health spokesman Neil Finlay and former Scottish Executive minister Sarah Boyack.

The East Renfrewshire MP and former Secretary Of State for Scotland had been favourite to win the race triggered by by the resignation of previous leader Johann Lamont.

After the announcement, Mr Murphy, who received 55.77% of the vote, said: "Today is the fulfilment of a dream for me."

Speaking to Labour party members at the Glasgow Emirates Arena, he joked that he had always dreamed of being appointed captain of a team in the east end of Glasgow.

He said becoming leader was a "remarkable honour".

"Scotland is changing and so too must Scottish Labour. I'm ambitious for our party because I'm ambitious for our country."

Mr Murphy told Sky News' Anna Jones: "This is fresh start for the Scottish Labour Party. We are going to do things differently. It's a new beginning. We are going to identify new policies and a new approach.

"I want us to use our passion and ingenuity to change our country. I know we can do it if we work together.

He said he would be the one making the decisions for Scottish Labour, not Westminster.

"I am big enough and ugly enough not to be pushed around by anyone. I'll make the decisions, we'll call the shots here in Scotland.

"The Scottish Labour Party is back in business."

Polls indicate that Labour could be routed in Scotland at May's General Election, as support for the SNP rises, but Mr Murphy said he was determined to change that.

He said most Scots want David Cameron out of Downing Street and warned that only Labour was big enough to do that.

Congratulating Mr Murphy and new deputy leader Kezia Dugdale, Labour leader Ed Miliband said: "I look forward to working with both Jim and Kezia to secure a Labour government in Westminster next year and Holyrood the year after."

Offering her congratulations, Scottish National Party leader and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "I know that the challenges of leadership are never easy, so I offer my best wishes for the job they have ahead.

"While we will undoubtedly cross swords often in the months ahead, my door is always open to those who wish to find common ground and work together in the best interests of people in Scotland - something I hope we will have the opportunity to do."

Ms Lamont stepped down in October, criticising the party's UK leadership for treating Scottish Labour like "a branch office of London".

The Scottish Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, which had backed Mr Finlay, said: "The election of Jim Murphy to the position of leader of the Scottish Labour Party is a devastating blow to those members, and particularly the affiliated trade unionists ... hoping to turn Labour to the left."

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Man Clinging To Lorry Dies On M25

A man thought to have travelled to the UK clinging to the bottom of a lorry has died after falling beneath the vehicle's wheels on the M25.

The man, from Sudan, is believed to have climbed underneath the lorry in the French port of Calais.

Police are seeking witnesses to the incident, described as a 'fatal fail-to-stop traffic collision', that took place at 7pm on Friday between junctions 24 and 25 of the M25 in Hertfordshire.

Scotland Yard said two men from Sudan are believed to have got underneath a foreign HGV in Calais at around 11am and wedged themselves into place.

The vehicle they were concealed beneath entered the Eurotunnel and arrived in England about 40 minutes later and began travelling towards London.

At approximately 7pm, police said, the two men, still clinging to the underside of the HGV, decided to leave the lorry after becoming extremely cold.

While the HGV was stationary in lane one of the motorway, one of the men worked himself free and clambered down the nearby grass verge.

Police said the second man attempted to do the same, but the lorry began to move off and he is believed to have fallen beneath its rear wheels suffering fatal injuries.

Another driver stopped his vehicle and pulled the injured man to the edge of the carriageway. He then drove off.

A second member of the public stopped his vehicle and offered assistance.

London's Air Ambulance attended and the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Traffic on the M25 and surrounding routes suffered major delays while the road was closed to deal with the incident.

Officers are appealing to anyone who saw what happened to come forward.

Anyone with information should contact the Roads and Transport Policing Command witness line on 0208 991 9555 or dial 101 and ask for Alperton Traffic Garage.

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Hundreds Of British Troops To Be Sent To Iraq

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

Hundreds of British soldiers are to be sent to Iraq to help the fight against Islamic State, Sky News understands.

They will make up a training mission to assist the Iraqi Army and Kurdish Peshmerga.

The soldiers - expected to number a few hundred - will go to the region "within weeks" senior military sources have said.

The National Security Council is expected to rubber-stamp the mission when it meets on Tuesday.

Although small groups of British troops have conducted similar missions over the past few months, this will be much greater in size and on a more permanent basis.

A team of military advisors recently went to the country to scope out options.

It's believed the mission will be largely split between the capital Baghdad and Irbil in the Kurdish controlled north.

It hasn't been confirmed which regiments the troops will be drawn from.

The UK government has repeatedly insisted that any such training mission would not constitute 'boots-on-the-ground' although British Special Forces are operating in the region.

In October a dozen soldiers from The Yorkshire Regiment were dispatched to Irbil to train the Kurds to use heavy machine guns.

An advisory team has also been embedded in the Iraqi military HQ, working alongside the Americans.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman wouldn't confirm the specifics of the latest mission but did say: "The Defence Secretary announced the intention to provide further training to the Iraqi military in early November.

"No decisions on troop numbers, units or locations have been made, so this is purely speculation at this stage."

The British contribution will fit into a wider mission involving a number of nations.

Earlier this week, the most senior US Commander Lt Gen James Terry revealed that the coalition training mission would involve around 1,500 soldiers.

US special operations troops have already set up a training base at the Ain al-Asad air base in Anbar Province.

Germany recently pledged around 100 soldiers to help train the Peshmerga in northern Iraq. That mission, if approved, will begin early next year.

NATO has also said it would explore options if the Iraqi government came forward with an official request.

The Alliance said that any training mission wouldn't necessarily be based in Iraq. Neighbouring Jordan has been used for similar projects.

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Two Women Die After Car Crashes Into Wall

Two young women have died after the car they were in crashed into a wall.

The women were passengers in the vehicle, which crashed in Lyndhurst in the New Forest area around midnight.

They were both aged 19, Hampshire Police said.

A 21-year-old man who was driving the car and another female passenger, 19, are being treated in hospital but their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

A spokesman for Hampshire Police said: "A member of the public contacted Hampshire Constabulary at midnight this morning, when a car collided with a wall on Gosport Lane.

"Two of the passengers were pronounced dead at the scene."

The road was closed overnight and re-opened this morning.

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Air Traffic Chaos Was 'Unprecedented Failure'

The computer meltdown that hit UK airports yesterday was sparked by an unprecedented systems failure, it has been disclosed.

Air traffic control company Nats has offered its first detailed explanation of the problem at its national centre in Swanwick, Hampshire.

More than 300 flights were cancelled or delayed after the computer failure.

A statement from Nats said: "Swanwick controller workstations provide a number of tools and services to the controller to enable them to safely control a high volume of air traffic.

"In normal operations the number of workstations in use versus in standby fluctuates with the demands of the traffic being controlled.

"In this instance a transition between the two states caused a failure in the system which has not been seen before.

"The failure meant that the controllers were unable to access all of the data regarding individual flight plans which significantly increases their workload.

"Our priority is to maintain a safe operation for the flying public; consequently when the failure occurred we immediately took steps to reduce the traffic into and out of the UK network.

"The controllers had a full radar picture and full communications with all aircraft at all times during the incident and at no time was safety compromised in any way."

It is understood that the failure happened as an unspecified number of workstations were being changed from standby to live to deal with a rise in the volume of air traffic.

This process takes place on a daily basis and the fault that prompted the glitch is under investigation.

Officials restricted air space in response to the issue, leaving flights at some airports grounded yesterday.

Nats declared that its systems were back to full operational capacity last night but a knock-on effect has been seen at airports.

By Saturday morning, timetables were returning to normal, although Heathrow said 38 flights had been cancelled before 9.30am and Gatwick Airport was cancelling a handful of flights.

Friday's problems came just over a year after hundreds of flights were affected when problems arose with a telephone system at Nats in early December 2013.

There were reports passengers on some flights were unable to collect their luggage and were told that it would be sent on to them by courier.

Other airports where travellers suffered delays on Friday included Manchester, Birmingham, Stansted and Luton, but airports as far north as Aberdeen and Edinburgh were affected.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the disruption was unacceptable.

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Express Owner Desmond Hands Â£300k To UKIP

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 12 Desember 2014 | 20.14

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

The Daily Express owner Richard Desmond has agreed to donate £300,000 to UKIP, bolstering the party's war chest less than five months before the general election.

Sky News has learnt that Mr Desmond pledged the money to help Nigel Farage, the UKIP leader, ahead of a poll which some political commentators believe could result in the party holding the balance of power at Westminster.

Mr Desmond and Mr Farage are understood to have discussed the businessman's donation at a meeting earlier this month.

It was unclear on Friday whether Mr Desmond has actually handed over the money yet or merely committed to doing so.

The news of Mr Desmond's impending financial support for the party strongly increases the prospect of the Express newspaper titles endorsing UKIP ahead of next May's poll.

Mr Desmond has expressed public support for Mr Farage's immigration policies and the extent of Brussels' influence over Britain's domestic affairs.

A recent Daily Express leader column reflected the stance of its proprietor: "Nigel Farage's message is hugely popular across Britain. Huge numbers of people are sick of the EU, sick of mass immigration and sick of a political elite that refuses to listen to the electorate," it said.

The media tycoon is also understood to have pledged additional financial backing for UKIP during his discussions with Mr Farage, although it is unclear how large future sums might involve.

"He is sitting on a billion pounds of cash," one ally of Mr Desmond's said.

There has been speculation that Mr Desmond could be recommended for a peerage by Mr Farage, although some have suggested that the Jewish newspaper owner becoming closer to the party could be complicated by UKIP's affiliation with controversial right-wing parties elsewhere in Europe.

In October, Mr Desmond appointed Lord Stevens, the UKIP peer and former chairman of Express Newspapers, as his company's deputy chairman.

Mr Desmond has amassed one of Britain's largest fortunes from a long career in the media industry.

His ownership of Channel 5, the terrestrial television group, illustrated his talent for transforming the performance of struggling media properties.

Having acquired it for just over £100m in 2010, he sold the business earlier this year to Viacom, the US media group, for a headline-grabbing price of £450m.

Through his Northern & Shell holding company, Mr Desmond also owns the Daily Star and its Sunday sister title, and a portfolio of adult-TV channels.

His backing for UKIP is likely to be interpreted as a blow to David Cameron, who has been courting Mr Desmond's support and recently attended a fundraising event for a Jewish charity for which the Express-owner has raised huge sums of money.

It is relatively unusual for national newspaper proprietors to make such substantial political donations, although Mr Desmond himself gave who gave £100,000 to Labour during Tony Blair's leadership.

UKIP has attracted a number of other prominent financial backers, including Paul Sykes, a businessman, who pledged a further £1.5m to the party.

However, the Financial Times reported on Friday that "war" had broken out at the top of UKIP over the candidacy of the former Conservative MP Neil Hamilton.

Stuart Wheeler, the party's second-largest donor, is reported to have threatened to curb his financial contributions if Mr Hamilton does not get a seat.

The donor is also said to have claimed UKIP is running out of money.

Although changes in the media landscape have made the endorsement of national newspapers less significant than in the past, the main party leaders still view their support at general elections as being of importance.

Mr Desmond declined to comment. UKIP did not respond to requests for comment.

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Killer Of Schoolgirl Claire Tiltman Gets Life

The man who murdered schoolgirl Claire Tiltman in 1993 has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years.

Milkman Colin Ash-Smith 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.

"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.

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 and 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."

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 means 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.

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Winter Blast Brings More Travel Misery

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Severe weather is continuing to batter the UK, bringing gale-force gusts, heavy rain and more travel disruption.

The Met Office has issued yellow "be aware" warnings for large parts of the country, with snow and ice in parts of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and northern England.

Winds peaked at 90mph (145kph) overnight at Needles Battery on the west coast of the Isle of Wight.

Sky News weather forecaster Isobel Lang said: "Even during the morning rush hour winds of 40 to 50mph were reported across southeast England along with some very intense rainfall."

The bad weather caused disruption to rail services in Wales and Scotland during the morning commute.

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Gallery: Weather Bomb Explodes On UK Coast

Large waves roll in near the pier in Blackpool as stormy weather causes disruption across parts of the UK, with power cuts, ferry and train cancellations and difficult driving conditions

Waves crash onto the promenade

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The Met Office issued an amber warning for the west coast of Scotland, the Highlands and Islands, Orkney, Shetland and Northern Ireland as a so-called weather bomb batters the country

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Waves flood a children's play park in Portstewart, Northern Ireland

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The harbour wall at Portstewart, Northern Ireland

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And drivers in Scotland, North Wales and the North of England were also advised to allow extra time for their journeys because of ice on the roads.

In Wales, flooding between Machynlleth and Caersws caused disruption between Pwllheli/Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury. Passengers in these areas were warned to expect delays of almost an hour-and-a-half.

In Scotland, the poor conditions meant trains could not run between Mallaig and Fort William.

Some ferry crossings at the Port of Dover were delayed due to the weather conditions, officials said.

Winds in the English Channel were gusting to force 10 amid "very rough" sea conditions.

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Gallery: Snow And Ice Across Parts Of UK (Dec 8)

The Met Office issued warnings for snow, ice and wind across Britain. Here Abigail Wright, aged eight, makes a snow angel as she and her family enjoy the overnight snow at the summit of the Kirkstone Pass in Windermere, Lake District

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But most parts of the country are set to get a break from the stormy weather later in the day.

Lang said the weather system that has brought the heavy winds and rain will sweep away, meaning conditions dry up and calm down. But it will also turn colder.

"For the rest of today much of England and Wales will see skies brightening from the north with sunny spells and a scattering of wintry showers," she said.

"It will feel cold with a northwesterly breeze.

"Saturday will start crisp and frosty and should be a mostly fine, sunny day. After another frosty night, Sunday will cloud over from the west with rain heading in. Temperatures will pick up a little."

Weather warnings were also in place in Ireland, with wintry showers forecast in the western and northern counties and snow expected on both lower and higher ground.

The latest stormy weather comes after a so-called "weather bomb" hit the north of the country over the last two days.

Waves of 52ft were recorded and thousands of homes were left without power.

Wind speeds of 144mph were recorded on St Kilda, an uninhabited archipelago 41 miles west of Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides.

Gale-force gusts of more than 80mph also struck some northern coastal areas.

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Written By Unknown on Kamis, 11 Desember 2014 | 20.14

Two girls, aged 13 and 14, have been charged with the murder of a woman in Hartlepool.

Angela Wrightson, 39, was found dead at her home in Stephen Street on Tuesday morning

She died from blood loss after suffering substantial injuries, a post-mortem examination established.

Cleveland Police said the two teenagers would appear before magistrates in Hartlepool today.

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Ray Teret Jailed For 25 Years For Sex Attacks

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."

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

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Jihadi's Father Regrets Co-Operating With Police

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By Adele Robinson, Midlands Correspondent

The father of a British jihadi jailed for nearly 13 years after travelling to Syria says parents with children who do the same will be "too scared to tell police".

Mohammed Nahin Ahmed's father spoke to Sky News exclusively on the condition that neither his name nor face were shown.

His son was sentenced alongside his friend Yusuf Sarwar at Woolwich Crown Court last week for terrorism offences.

Childhood friends Sarwar and Ahmed, both 22, were given 12 years eight months in prison each, plus another five years on licence.

Ahmed's father says his family co-operated with the police and helped persuade the pair to return home to Handsworth in Birmingham.

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Gallery: Terror Pair Left Trail On Computer

Two British men who travelled to Syria to fight alongside rebels have pleaded guilty to terrorism offences. All photos from West Midlands Police.

Mohammed Nahin Ahmed and Yusuf Zubair Sarwar spent eight months in Syria last year after contacting Islamist extremists from the UK. This email was sent to Ahmed by a Danish extremist.

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Nahin and Sarwar leaving the Heathrow Premier Inn for the airport terminal.

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"We told the police, we went to them for help but we didn't get any. We surrendered them for justice but the police didn't help at all.

"If anyone's children go to Syria now, no one will tell the police because they will be too scared to tell them this.

"My son lives in jail so what did I gain from going to the police? People go to the police for justice and help. No, I wouldn't go again."

Ahmed and Sarwar admitted engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorism acts in July.

They became the first Britons to be convicted in the UK of Syria-related terrorism offences.

Upon sentencing the judge said it made no difference that their offences were abroad and described them as "fundamentalists committed to violent extremism".

Ahmed's father, however, says his son made a mistake and returned to the UK because he feared for his life.

"No, he is normal. His life was normal. He prayed just the way we do. I think maybe it was the internet that brought those kinds of thoughts to him, the internet brainwashes people these days.

"But going to war without telling us was wrong. Going to war is wrong."

Both families have said they will appeal against what they see as excessive and unfair sentences.

Ahmed's father said a similar case a week before saw two brothers from East London jailed for less than half of his son's sentence.

Mohommod Nawaz and Hamza Nawaz were given four-and-a-half years and three-and-a-half years respectively.

They had admitted conspiracy to attend a terrorism training camp in Syria.

Ahmed's father said he had communicated with his son in prison recently, who had expected a five or six-year jail term.

"I have spoken to him over the phone. He is feeling very bad. He knew that he will be sentenced, but he didn't think it would be this long. If he had known he wouldn't have come back from Syria."

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Written By Unknown on Rabu, 10 Desember 2014 | 20.14

A theatre has admitted a "horrifying" error meant porn DVDs were sent to parents and children - instead of a recording of school performances.

The Edinburgh Playhouse said "highly inappropriate" sexual content appeared on some of the DVDs after a third-party firm botched the duplication process.

The X-rated mistake was discovered within 48 hours of the films being sent out.

Around 100 of the DVDs have now been hastily recalled.

A spokesman said: "The Edinburgh Playhouse apologises unequivocally for any distress caused to the families affected by this totally unacceptable and unseemly mistake."

Edithouse, the company who produced the DVDs, said it took "full responsibility" for mistakes which led to "highly inappropriate and inaccurate material being sent out".

It added: "We would like to apologise sincerely to the Edinburgh Playhouse for the inconvenience and most importantly to the children and parents affected by this terrible error.

"We are sorry for any distress caused."

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Britain Braced As 'Weather Bomb' Closes In

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.

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 British-registered fishing vessel which issued a Mayday call after getting into difficulties.

The 33ft trawler, with 16 Spanish crew, had one of its bridge windows smashed and some equipment damaged in the stormy conditions.

The O'Genita is being escorted to Westray in Orkney 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.

The extreme conditions are being caused by rapid cyclogenesis - 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.

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.

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.

"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.

:: Full weather and travel updates at skynews.com, Sky News for iPad app, mobile devices and your local commercial radio station.

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What Is The Weather Bomb Battering The UK?

It's not unusual to have big Atlantic storms batter Scotland at this time of year.

But this is a weather bomb, a rapidly intensifying depression - with the pressure plunging in the eye of the storm by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours.

And it's leading to exceptionally high seas, with wave heights in excess of 50 feet or 16 metres.

That's more than twice the height of an average house.

The biggest waves will be in the deeper water.

But the islands and western and northern coasts of Scotland will bear the brunt through Wednesday.

The atrocious weather is being fuelled by a strong transatlantic jet stream.

The high altitude winds are racing along at 230mph.

They spawned this storm and have steered it headlong into the Scottish coast.

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Madeleine McCann Cops Question Robert Murat

A British man who was questioned over the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in 2007 has been interviewed by police in Faro.

Robert Murat was first questioned shortly after the toddler was reported missing by her parents in May 2007.

British police returned to the Algarve in Portugal this week as four women and seven men who it is thought may have information relating to the case are expected to interviewed over disappearance.

Portuguese police will do the questioning but will be observed by their British counterparts.

Britain opened an investigation in July last year, nearly five years after local police closed their investigation.

British officers searched three areas of land in the resort of Praia da Luz in June, close to where Madeleine disappeared, but found no new evidence.

The three-year-old went missing from her holiday apartment on 3 May 2007 while her parents were having dinner at a nearby tapas restaurant with friends.

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Gallery: Madeleine Police's Praia Da Luz Search

British police search another site in Portugal outside the resort of Praia da Luz, in the Algarve, where Madeleine McCann disappeared in May 2007.

Scotland Yard detectives bring in sniffer dogs to search the new area.

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'Weather Bomb': What Is Happening And Where?

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).

:: The Met Office has issued an amber ''be prepared'' warning for the west coast of Scotland, the Highlands and Islands, Orkney, Shetland and Northern Ireland.

:: Giant waves measuring 52ft have been recorded off the Outer Hebrides.

:: Gusts of more than 80mph have been recorded.

:: 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.

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Gallery: Weather Bomb Explodes On UK Coast

Waves crash against the harbour wall at Portstewart in Northern Ireland

Waves pound the harbour wall at Port of Ness, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides. Pic: Angus Maclean

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Threat Made To Kidnap And Kill Police Officer

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 09 Desember 2014 | 20.14

Police in the West Midlands have had a special security briefing after a threat was made to kidnap and kill an officer in Birmingham, Sky News has learned.

The force said officers and staff had been given an "additional safety reminder" after it received "anonymous information".

Officers were spoken to about avoiding travelling to work in partial uniform, as well as security at police stations.

West Midlands Police has not confirmed the nature of the threat but said the information "continues to be assessed".

The overall threat level to police across Britain was raised to substantial in October, meaning an attack is a strong possibility.

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."

Police were held on duty past their shifts for the late-night security briefing, or spoken to before they started work.

Mr Forsyth confirmed to Sky News that the threat was "credible".

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.

Metropolitan Police chief Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said he was assessing the situation in the capital following the West Midlands threat.

"I believe it to be an anonymous call that's been made," he said.

"One of my colleagues has talked to the Chief Constable of West Midlands this morning to find out exactly what the state of that threat is.

"And once we've assessed it, we'll decide whether or not to give any further advice."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ebola Survivor: Band Aid Single 'Cringeworthy'

The British nurse who survived Ebola has criticised the Band Aid charity single for its "cultural ignorance" which he believes is "cringeworthy".

William Pooley was flown back to London after catching the disease in Sierra Leone but following his cure has returned to Africa once more.

He urged people who want to help fight Ebola to donate money to charities working with patients directly.

Mr Pooley criticised the lyrics in the reworked version of Do They Know It's Christmas? featuring One Direction, Bono and Ed Sheeran and put together by Bob Geldof.

"On the way into work I heard the first half of it. It's definitely being talked about here among my colleagues," he told Radio Times magazine.

"It's Africa, not another planet. That sort of cultural ignorance is a bit cringeworthy. There's a lyric about 'death in every tear'. It's just a bit much."

Asked if he had a message for British people who want to help fight the epidemic, he said: "I would say that it's a good idea to read as much as you can about what's going on in West Africa, and if you feel so inclined then donate some money to one of the charities, like King's, that are working out here, directly caring for Ebola patients."

His comments come after pop star Emeli Sande, who featured in Band Aid 30, said the song needed rewriting.

She apologised "if the lyrics of the song have caused offence" and said that new lyrics she and African artist Angelique Kidjo recorded did not make the final version.

Lily Allen said she turned down a request to sing on the record, saying: "I prefer to do my charitable bit by donating actual money".

The new recording - which became the fastest selling single of the year - marks the 30th anniversary of the song, which was originally put together to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia.

Last month Geldof used some colourful language to dismiss criticism of the song in an interview with Sky News.

When told the song had been labelled as "trite" and "patronising" he said it was "b******s".

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Top UKIP Official Denies Harassment Claim

By Sophy Ridge, Political Correspondent

UKIP's general secretary has denied allegations he sexually harassed a high-profile candidate.

Roger Bird has been suspended after claims he sexually propositioned a newly-recruited member on the same day he interviewed her as a prospective candidate.

Natasha Bolter - one of UKIP's most high-profile ethnic minority candidates - has now quit the party.

She pulled out of Tuesday's hustings in the target seat of South Basildon, where she was widely expected to be selected as the party's candidate.

A teacher who switched allegiance from Labour, Ms Bolter was applauded and cheered when she addressed UKIP's conference in Doncaster in September.

At the time she said: "We are an equal party, we have women at centre stage."

A spokesman for the party said: "Unfortunately, UKIP has had to suspend Mr Bird pending a full investigation into allegations made against him.

"The party has acted swiftly and decisively and will not tolerate impropriety of any kind amongst its staff."

Sky News understands that concerns about the selection process were first raised on 5 November, and an internal inquiry was launched the following day.

An initial report was produced on 11 November after an interview with Natasha Bolter.

It is understood that other people within the party contacted UKIP's chairman to express their unhappiness about the allegations during this period.

At an internal management meeting on 14 November, it was decided the claims were serious enough to bring in an independent HR consultant who was commissioned to look into the matter.

After interviews were conducted with Natasha Bolter, Roger Bird and other parties a draft report was seen by UKIP officials - including Nigel Farage - on Sunday, 7 December.

As a result, Roger Bird was suspended from the party.

A UKIP spokesman: "We don't think we could have acted any faster. We hope to complete the inquiry into Roger Bird as soon as possible."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

M25 Section Closed After Fatal Crash

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Part of the M25 has been closed in both directions after a serious crash in which one person died.

Three people were also taken to hospital following the accident at 1.50am, Essex Police said.

The crash, near Waltham Abbey, involved several vehicles, including lorries.

It is understood a number of vehicles crossed the central reservation barrier and ended up on the other side of the road. Several people were trapped in their cars.

The Highways Agency said the motorway is now closed between junctions 23 and 27 clockwise and anticlockwise between junctions 27 and 25. Some parts are expected to remain shut until 3pm.

It has led to long delays on the M25 and heavy traffic in the surrounding area. Chaotic scenes were reported during the morning rush hour.

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Gallery: M25 Gridlock After Fatal Crash

A serious crash in which one person died led to part of the M25 being closed. Pic: ‏@EEAST_HART

Three people were also taken to hospital. Pic: ‏@EEAST_HART

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Aerial pictures of rescue vehicles clearing the crash scene

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Debris from the crash was scattered across both carriageways

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Transport for London said traffic was particularly heavy on the A13, A127, A12, M11, A10 and the A406 North Circular Road as a result of the crash and the diversions put in place.

Matt Abbott, a chief reporter for various local newspapers in Essex, tweeted: "Some of the worst traffic I've seen as M25 closure has huge impact on roads in W Essex. Ongar gridlocked. I'm now at standstill in Brook St."

"Nearly 3 hours on the m25 and not completed one junction!!! #essex stretch is a nightmare," tweeted Mark Nash from Brentwood.

People heading to some of London's airports were also affected.

Adrian Wood from Berkshire tweeted: "First ever flight missed!! Crash on M25".

Bus operator Arriva reported delays to all its Watford routes, in Hertfordshire, because of the accident.

Inspector Dick Thomas, from Essex Police, said: "At this time we have one confirmed fatality and a number of people who are trapped in their vehicles.

"There is debris across both sides of the M25 and the motorway will be closed for the foreseeable future while we deal with this collision and begin our investigations to establish what has happened.

"If it is at all possible motorists are advised to avoid the area and find alternative routes.

"Nothing will be moving around this portion of the M25 for some considerable time, and the morning rush hour is likely to be affected."

The East of England Ambulance Service, who first attended the accident, confirmed that one person had died at the scene.

A spokeswoman said: "Unfortunately despite the best efforts of the crew, one patient sadly died at the scene.

"Three other patients with non-life threatening injuries were taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital for further care."

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