April Jones: Frantic Mum 'Searched In Bins'

CCTV footage has been released showing Mark Bridger's car and what is thought to be April Jones inside the vehicle on the evening she vanished.

The Land Rover is seen in the top right hand corner of the video passing a garage in Machynlleth, mid-Wales, around 7.20pm on October 1 last year.

Bridger, 47, has denied abducting and murdering the five-year-old, who went missing from her estate in the town some time after 7pm, a court heard.

But he admits running her over and says he does not remember what he did with her body.

According to the prosecution, Bridger told police when he was arrested that he had parked on the estate at 7.10pm and shortly afterwards he ran over April, found her unconscious, put her into the car and then drove off.

April Jones in a leisure centre a couple of hours before she vanished

Sky News crime correspondent Martin Brunt said: "The image released to the jury is about 10 minutes after that - so by Mark Bridger's own admission when that image was taken of his car driving out of Machynlleth, April was in his car.

"And according to what he told police, she was either dead by then or dying."

It comes as the jury in Bridger's murder trial heard of the frantic moments when April's parents learned their daughter was missing.

The police statements of Coral and Paul Jones were read to the court by prosecutor Elwen Evans QC, who outlined the family's day on October 1.

After April was collected from school, she was taken by her mother for a swimming lesson before they returned home for a tea of spaghetti on toast.

April watched a Disney film and then asked to go out and play on her bike with a friend, her mother said.

April, five, went missing on October 1 last year

Mrs Jones, 43, said: "Paul and I said no, she wanted to take her bike to her friend's next door. She kept on and on and had a little tantrum and I eventually gave in so she went next door to play.

"I told her I didn't want her out for long. I think it was about 7pm and that was the last time I saw her."

Twenty minutes later, Mrs Jones sent April's older brother out to collect his sister as "it was getting dark and a little colder".

"Within a very short time he came running home and he was in a hysterical state. When I calmed him down he said that April's friend had seen her getting into a car with a man and that she had gone.

"I immediately went over and asked April's friend what she had seen. I was told that April had got into a car with a man and he had driven off."

Mark Bridger denies abducting and murdering April Jones

Mrs Jones called the police straight away. She said: "I went out and searched around the estate, everywhere I could think of. I even looked in the bins."

In his statement, Mr Jones, 41, said: "We rang the police and Coral went out to search. I felt so helpless. I went to speak to April's friend who said something about a van.

"When she said that, I went around the corner to look. I then went back home and I just paced. I think that I just paced up and down, waiting for any news, for about 24 hours."

The jury was also shown other CCTV images of the five-year-old before she went missing.

And video said to show her alleged killer's movements in the hours before and after her disappearance was also played in court.

A CCTV camera picked up April, in a white top, and a friend, in a blue top, in the foyer of a leisure centre in Machynlleth, where the five-year-old had gone swimming.

Another sequence shows April and her sister leaving a cafe at the complex and then going towards the changing rooms. They are later seen leaving the changing rooms.

The two are then pictured departing the centre with April's mother Coral and the youngster's friend at 5:40pm, about a couple of hours before she vanished.

The jury was also shown a series of CCTV clips allegedly tracking Bridger's movements in his Land Rover on the day April went missing, and the following morning, walking from the Dyfi bridge direction to Machynlleth.

He is also apparently shown getting on to a bus, then walking his dog near his home around mid-morning.

The trial at Mold Crown Court in North Wales has been adjourned for the day and is due to resume next week.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria: Obama Rules Out Sending In US Troops

US officials say Israel has launched an airstrike into Syria, apparently targeting a suspected weapons site.

They said the strike is believed to have hit a warehouse, but it does not appear that a chemical weapons site was targeted.

CNN said that the strike took place overnight on Thursday into Friday, just as Israel was flying many warplanes over Lebanon.

But the US does not believe Israeli warplanes entered Syrian airspace to conduct the strikes, the TV news station added.

Israel has targeted weapons in the past that it believes are being delivered to the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah.

Earlier this month, Israel implicitly admitted carrying out a January airstrike on a weapons convoy in Syria thought to be en route to Hezbollah.

Israeli Embassy spokesman Aaron Sagui said he could not comment on the report, but said Israel is determined to prevent the transfer of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime to terrorists.

There have been reports of a 'large-scale massacre' in Baida

The reports came hours after Barack Obama refused to rule out options in dealing with the crisis in Syria but said he did not foresee sending in US ground troops.

Speaking during a visit to Costa Rica, the President said: "As a general rule, I don't rule things out as commander-in-chief because circumstances change and you want to make sure that I always have the full power of the United States at our disposal to meet American national security interests.

"Having said that, I do not foresee a scenario in which boots on the ground in Syria, American boots on the ground in Syria, would not only be good for America but also would be good for Syria."

Mr Obama said there was evidence that chemical weapons had been used in Syria, but that "we don't know when, where or how they were used".

But if "strong evidence" is found of such weapons being used by the regime of President Bashar al Assad, then "that is a game changer for us" because "there is a possibility that it lands in the hands of organisations like Hezbollah", Mr Obama said.

Mr Obama said if use of chemical weapons in Syria is confirmed, the US will present that evidence to the international community, because it concerns the entire world.

But he called for caution to avoid unintended consequences, saying: It's important for us to do it right."

Meanwhile, warnings of a new "large-scale massacre" in Syria have emerged following reports President Assad's troops bombarded Sunni areas near the city of Bania.

The opposition National Coalition accused the regime of "war crimes and genocide", citing witness reports of civilians being stabbed to death.

"The Coalition calls on the Arab League and the United Nations to act rapidly to save the civilians of Baida, Banias and other villages across Syria," it said in a statement.

"Several sources in the village say at least 50 people were killed in summary executions and shelling in Baida village,"Rami Abdel Rahman, of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP news agency.

Syria's official Sana news agency said troops killed "terrorists" and seized arms in an operation targeting rebels.

Regular forces were supported by pro-regime "shabiha" militiamen, said the Observatory, which relies on a network of sources on the ground for its information.

The Banias region is predominantly Alawite, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam and the sect of President Assad, while the insurgents battling to topple his regime are mainly Sunni Muslims.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Labour Wins South Shields By-Election

Labour's Emma Lewell-Buck has won the South Shields parliamentary by-election, with UKIP's Richard Elvin coming second.

The result was disastrous for the Liberal Democrats, who were pushed down to seventh place and lost their deposit, and also bad for the Conservatives who picked up just 11.5% of the vote.

Ms Lewell-Buck won 12,493 votes, beating Mr Elvin by 6,505 votes in the contest triggered by former foreign secretary David Miliband's decision to quit British politics.

In her victory speech, Ms Lewell-Buck, a social worker, attacked the Government over its austerity programme.

"This by-election was a choice between a one nation Labour party that will work with communities to turn this country around, and David Cameron's Tory-led Government which has taken this country in the wrong direction," she said.

"I will help get people back to work, champion our wonderful town and never give the Tory Government one moment's peace."

She went on to tell Sky News that she was eager to "deliver on all my pledges - to increase jobs, investment and growth, and fight the Tories on bedroom tax".

UKIP's Richard Elvin got 24.21% of the vote

Runner-up Mr Elvin said it had been an "absolutely fantastic" result for UKIP.

He told Sky News: "We had a terrific team here and they worked fantastically hard, and to go from nowhere to take 24% has been just absolutely stunning.

"We will keep on fighting every election which is offered to us and it is only a matter of time until we'll achieve our first success in Westminster."

Tory candidate Karen Allen was disappointed by her poor showing, telling Sky News: "We are really listening to what the electorate want and we are going to be responding to that. There's a message here from South Shields. I have heard it very clearly and I am sure the Conservatives are listening very attentively."

Conservative Karen Allen received just 11.55% of the vote

Crestfallen Lib Dem candidate Hugh Annand, who got just 352 votes, told Sky News: "The fact that we did not do particularly well in a constituency like this where we have never done particularly well is not a disaster for the party nationally by any means.

"It is a gentle reminder not to just my own party leader but politicians in London generally that they should come to pay more attention to the North East, and if that's the lesson we can learn from this then I think everyone will benefit."

The coalition parties are braced for further losses at the hands of UKIP in contests across 35 councils in England and Wales.

Voters have gone to the polls in 34 council contests across England, plus the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, with an eligible electorate of around 40% of the UK total.

Thousands of local authority seats have been up for grabs

A UKIP source said "we are expecting a cracking night" and the party would "triple or quadruple our vote from 2009" when the council seats were last contested.

But Tory International Development Secretary Justine Greening said UKIP did not have any "substance" and insisted the Government was listening to people's concerns.

The full results of by-election:
Emma Lewell-Buck (Lab) 12,493 (50.51%, -1.51%)
Richard Elvin (UKIP) 5,988 (24.21%)
Karen Allen (Con) 2,857 (11.55%, -10.04%)
Ahmed Khan (Ind) 1,331 (5.38%)
Phil Brown (Ind Soc) 750 (3.03%)
Lady Dorothy MacBeth Brookes (BNP) 711 (2.87%, -3.65%)
Hugh Annand (Lib Dem) 352 (1.42%, -12.79%)
Howling Laud Hope (Loony) 197 (0.80%)
Thomas Darwood (Ind) 57 (0.23%)

Turnout was 39.28%.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

County Council Elections: First Results In

Close attention will be paid to the performance of the insurgent fourth party in English politics - the UK Independence Party.

But the results will also be scrutinised carefully by the mainstream parties; Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

The Conservatives have held onto Dorset and Essex councils, winning 27 seats in Dorset but dropping a seat from their last win, and winning 42 seats in Essex, despite dropping 18.

But the Tories have lost control Gloucestershire after losing 11 seats. The Council is now under no overall control. 

More follows...

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Local Elections: Key Test Of Political Mood

By Adam Boulton, Political Editor

Local elections will be held today in England and Wales, with the contests set to provide a mid-term snapshot of the political mood.

The votes fall almost exactly two years before the next general election, due on May 7, 2015, and come three years into the coalition's term in power.

Close attention will be paid to the performance of the latest insurgent fourth party in English politics - the UK Independence Party (UKIP).

But the results will also be scrutinised carefully by the mainstream parties; Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

Almost all of the councils with elections - 34 out of 35 - are in England, and the Conservatives currently control 29 of those.

A similar picture emerges from the parliamentary map of the areas concerned, with the Tories accounting for 202 of the 253 local MPs.

The other council being elected is Anglesey.

The vote is happening a year later than the rest of Wales because the Welsh Government sent in appointed commissioners to run local affairs after a series of scandals involving the old council.

The last time the English council seats were contested was 2009, when the political scene was very different.

At the time, Gordon Brown's Labour government was unpopular and both David Cameron and Nick Clegg were riding high.

The Conservatives therefore have to defend strong performances and the party is braced for significant losses.

Ahead of today's votes, the Tories hold 1452 of the total 2392 council seats in contention, the Liberal Democrats 481 and Labour just 245.

Local issues will dominate in many of the council battles but the parties have also campaigned strongly at national level, where the main issue has been the economy.

Only six of the 35 councils, and the South Shields by-election, will see votes counted overnight, meaning most of the results will not come in until Friday afternoon.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Afghanistan: MoD Names Troops Killed In Blast

Three British soldiers killed after an explosion hit their armoured vehicle in Afghanistan have been named by the Ministry of Defence.

Corporal William Thomas Savage, Fusilier Samuel Flint and Private Robert Murray Hetherington died in the Helmand province blast.

Corporal Savage and Fusilier Flint were from The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment Of Scotland (2 SCOTS).

Private Hetherington served in the 51st Highland, 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment Of Scotland (7 SCOTS).

All three died of injuries sustained on April 30, the MoD said. Another six soldiers were wounded when their Mastiff vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device.

The soldiers were riding in a heavily armoured Mastiff vehicle

They were part of a patrol travelling along Route 611 between forward operating base Ouellette and patrol base Lashkar Gah Durai, in Nahr-e-Saraj district, when the blast happened.

They were evacuated by air to the military hospital at Camp Bastion where it was confirmed that they had been killed in action.

Irvine-born Corporal Savage, 30, joined the Army shortly after the Iraq war commenced, and deployed once to Iraq and was on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan.

A keen sportsman, he was married to wife, Lyndsey, who is expecting their first child.

His wife said in a statement: "I am completely devastated by this news but extremely proud of 'Sav' and everything that he has achieved.

A piper &officer saluted 2 Scots when they deployed (MoD/Crown Copyright)

"I have lost the love of my life and the father of our son. I know his life will live on through so many amazing memories that we shared together. He will be deeply missed amongst family, friends and the regiment."

Fusilier Flint, 21, joined the Army in November 2011 and was considered to be extremely fit and motivated.

The Blackpool-born soldier was an avid supporter of Manchester City and was a motorsport enthusiast.

He was also based in forward operating base Ouellette in the northern Nahr-e-Saraj district of Helmand province.

The Flint-Broughton family released a statement and said: "The whole family is completely devastated. Everyone should know that Sam loved his job and made his whole family and everyone that knew him very proud.

"Sam was always the life and soul of the party, a real ladies' man, witty funny, the real cheeky chappy. He was a loving son, the protective brother, courageous nephew, the caring uncle, the loyal grandson that anyone would wish to have.

The explosion was in Helmand province near Kandahar

"We want to thank everyone for the kind tributes and strong support."

Private Hetherington, 25, was born in the US before being educated in Scotland.

He represented Scotland in lacrosse and the music-lover joined the Territorial Army in 2006 before being mobilised to join The Royal Highland Fusiliers last November.

Private Hetherington, who held a BSc in Environmental Geography, was a reservist who hoped to attend the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst following his debut Afghan deployment in 2013. He was expected to excel.

Lance Corporal Russ MacLean said: "Bobby was my best friend. He was the life and soul of the party and one of the kindest and friendliest people I have ever met.

"He was always at the end of the phone or across the table at a pub if you had problems you needed to talk about."

Lance Corporal Russ MacLean added: "My heart truly goes out to his family who will be as distraught as I am.

"He had a loving and caring family, along with his girlfriend Maeve, and my thoughts are completely with them. Love you mate."

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

April Jones: 'Blood Found At Bridger's Home'

Blood and bone fragments were found at the home of the man accused of murdering April Jones, a court has heard.

Prosecutors in the trial of Mark Bridger said he admits he "probably killed" the five-year-old but cannot remember how.

Bridger claims he ran over April before putting her body in his car. But he says he cannot remember what happened next because of "a combination of drink, adrenalin and raw panic".

The 47-year-old is on trial at Mold Crown Court accused of abducting and murdering the five-year-old and then playing a "cruel game" in an attempt to cover his tracks.

The prosecution claims his actions were sexually motivated, and that he had "a clear interest" in child pornography, murder and rape cases.

On the day April was abducted, he had viewed a pornographic cartoon image of a girl being restrained and raped, the court heard.

Images of April, her two half-sisters aged 13 and 16 at the time, and other local girls were also found on his laptop.

Mark Bridger arrives at Mold Crown Court

April vanished while playing on her bike near her home in Machynlleth, in Powys, Mid Wales, on October 1 last year. Her body and clothes have never been found.

Bridger, of Ceinws, denies abducting and murdering April, and unlawfully disposing of and concealing her body with intent to pervert the course of justice.

The disappearance of April, who had cerebral palsy, sparked a massive outpouring of support for her family, with hundreds of people joining the search.

Outlining the case for the prosecution, Elwen Evans QC said April's blood was found in the living room and hallway of Bridger's home, as well as a boning knife and fragments of burnt bone which experts said could have come from a child's skull.

The jury was shown a photo of the cottage where Bridger lived - and where the blood, matching April's DNA was discovered.

"This is the house where the blood, the bone fragments were found. That cottage is three miles from Machynlleth, called Mount Pleasant, and situated very close above the river there," the prosecutor said.

When police searched Bridger's house, he had carried out "an extensive clean up", but failed to get rid of all the evidence, Miss Evans said.

Jurors were also shown maps and photos of where April lived ahead of a site visit later in the week.

Bridger denies abduction, murder and perverting the course of justice

Miss Evans told the jury that April was seen by a friend getting into Bridger's Land Rover after talking to him and that she was smiling at the time. He claims he intended to take her for medical help after running her over, but instead just drove her around.

She said: "It's the defendant's case that he admits that he drove her away. He admits that April is dead. He accepts that he killed her or probably killed her. He accepts that he must have got rid of her body."

But Miss Evans said Bridger has not told police where the body is, claiming he cannot remember.

"He has played, we say, a cruel game in pretending not to know what he has done to her," she added.

Bridger, wearing a light-blue, short-sleeved shirt and striped tie, sat staring ahead as he listened to the evidence. He wore headphones to help him hear the proceedings.

He wiped tears from his eyes and took deep breaths as the court was played a harrowing 999 call made by April's mother Coral Jones, pleading with the police for help.

Mrs Jones could be heard saying: "Please ... please my daughter has been kidnapped ... my daughter."

The call was then taken over by a neighbour, Valerie Jones, who said: "Apparently what happened ... she has gone off in a car with somebody. Somebody has picked her up in a car or something. I have not seen anything, I have just been told."

She then told the police operator that April was taken in a "big grey car that a man was driving", and that April's mother, father and a neighbour were out looking for her.

The operator then asked to speak to Coral again and there were a series of long pauses in which people could be heard crying and hyperventilating in a state of distress.

April's parents Coral and Paul hold hands as they arrive at court

The jury was also shown some images found on Bridger's laptop and warned that some of the material was "very unpleasant".

A file marked 'Z0' contained a photo of murdered Soham schoolgirl Holly Wells, one of Caroline Dickinson, the British schoolgirl murdered in France, and two further child murder victims from the US and Turkey.

Cartoon pornographic images were also shown depicting bound and gagged youngsters being sexually abused.

The court also heard that Bridger's claim to have had a career in the Armed Forces was "a lie, a fantasy".

"Military records have of course been checked. His account of any career in the army, in the forces, was a lie and a fantasy. He just never served in the Army," Miss Evans added.

Bridger worked in an abattoir between 2009 and 2012 but more recently, at the time of April's disappearance, he was working at a local guest house.

During her opening speech to the jury, Miss Evans also said: "April's body is lost to us. We have had to look elsewhere for evidence of what this defendant did to her."

She said analysis of Bridger's computer use showed "context and motive" for his behaviour towards April.

"In addition to child pornography and photos of young girls, the defendant also had an interest in child murder and rape cases; for example, images of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman from the Soham case."

Miss Evans added: "Why will you need to consider this sort of material?

"You will have to decide whether pretty five-year-old April was abducted and murdered or run over by accident and killed, as the defendant says.

"We say his interest in pornography, young girls, rape and murder cases is all too relevant and you may see it as the key to understanding what he did and why he did what he did."

The trial continues.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hotel Pool Deaths: Couple 'On Birthday Break'

A couple found dead in a hotel swimming pool had been on a surprise birthday break, the woman's family said.

The two were named by police as Komba Kpakiwa, 31, from Erith in Kent, and Josephine Newahun Foday, 22, from south London.

They were found in their swimwear by a member of staff at Down Hall Country House Hotel in Hatfield Heath, Essex, on Saturday.

Tests later confirmed they had drowned.

Ms Newahun Foday's birthday was the previous day and she was at the hotel to celebrate.

Her grandmother, Theresa Farma, said Mr Kpakiwa, a shop manager, had planned the getaway to surprise his student girlfriend.

Speaking from her home in Plumstead, south east London, Miss Farma described the victim as quiet girl who wanted to be a nurse to help people.

"She was a lovely girl, happy and smiley," said the 61-year-old.

Miss Farma, who lived with her granddaughter, said Ms Newahun Foday moved to England from Sierra Leone in 2001 and was a second-year student in Canterbury.

An aerial view of the hotel, which dates to the 14th Century

Miss Farma recently met Mr Kpakiwa at the house, and described him as "very nice".

"The birthday trip was a surprise," she said.

An inquest into the deaths, led by Eleanor McGann, deputy coroner for Essex, was opened and adjourned at New Bridge House in Chelmsford this afternoon.

The brief hearing was told the pair were found floating face down at about 7.30pm. Efforts to save them failed.

Witnesses, including hotel guests, had seen them alive in swimming gear 15 minutes earlier.

An Essex Police spokesman said the deaths were not being treated as suspicious.

A provisional post-mortem examination found their deaths were consistent with drowning.

Chris Falcus, manager of Down Hall Hotel, sent his condolences to the victims' families.

"Both myself and the team at the hotel are deeply upset by what has happened," he said.

"The results of the post-mortem examination have concluded that the deaths of the two people were consistent with drowning, which puts an end to inappropriate speculation about our facilities."

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Tortured' UK Trio Face Dubai Drugs Verdict

The mother of a man on trial for drugs offences in Dubai has described the alleged electric shocks and beatings he suffered at the hands of police, after he was arrested with two other Britons.

Grant Cameron, 25, was detained along with Suneet Jeerh, 25, and Karl Williams, 26, while they were out in the nightlife area of the principality last July.

The three, who claim they were tortured while in custody, will find out on Monday the verdict in their trial for possession and intent to supply synthetic cannabis, known as spice.

The men, from London, say they were forced to sign documents in Arabic - a language none of them understands - after having guns put to their heads.

Mr Cameron's mother, Tracy, told Sky News: "When he was initially arrested, the three boys were separated, handcuffed, put into cars and driven into the desert.

"It did appear that the CID officers were using different tactics to try and disorientate the boys.

"They were beaten while handcuffed while in separate cars. Beaten around the head, guns were held to their head and they received various Taser injuries as well.

"After being in the desert for some time, they were the taken back to their hotel room where they were separated once again and I can only say that the treatment got a lot more severe."

Dubai has become a major destination for tourism

Mr Jeerh's sister, Davena, told Sky a cattle prod had been used to give him electric shocks.

"They kicked, punched him," she added. "They used a gun - the back of the gun - to hit him on the head, where they cut all of his head open on the back."

All three have denied charges of "consumption and possession with intent to distribute", and appeared at their first trial hearing in February after spending seven months in custody.

The conclusion of the trial is set to overshadow a visit to the UK on Tuesday by the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

Prime Minister David Cameron has indicated he will use the visit to raise his concerns about the case.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has called for a full, independent and impartial inquiry into the allegations of torture.

It said it has raised the allegations with "very senior officials" in the UAE and will continue to do so.

The UAE has said it has investigated the allegations of torture and found them "baseless".

The trio's case is being backed by the overseas justice charity Reprieve, which is calling for a full review of their treatment.

In a draft witness statement provided to Reprieve lawyer Marc Calcutt, Mr Williams described having a towel put on his face by police and having electric shocks on his testicles.

The torture took place in the desert, it was claimed, where the men were initially taken after their arrest, and subsequently in a hotel room.

The statements they signed were not full confessions, but have been used in the trial as evidence.

In a letter to Reprieve, David Cameron wrote: "The UK Government takes all allegations of mistreatment very seriously.

"We continue to press for evidence for a full, impartial and independent investigation into the allegations. The absence of an independent medical examination remains a concern."

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bangladesh Factory Collapse: Fire Breaks Out

A fire has broken out at the scene of a building collapse in Bangladesh, forcing rescuers to halt their search for survivors.

The blaze started because of sparks generated as rescuers tried to cut through a steel rod to reach a trapped woman, officials said. The AFP news agency reported the woman died.

The country's fire chief Ahmed Ali told AFP she was the last known survivor in the building and that rescuers had tried to reach her for more than 10 hours on Sunday.

At least three people were injured in the blaze.

The fire started within hours of the owner of the eight-storey factory complex, which toppled killing at least 377 people, being arrested along the country's border with India.

Mohammed Sohel Rana was brought back to the capital Dhaka by helicopter and now faces charges over the disaster.

An announcement was also made by loudspeaker at the site of the building, where people cheered and clapped.

Food is passed down to trapped workers through a hole

Mr Rana's wife had already been detained - but he had not been seen since the building toppled to the ground on Wednesday.

He reportedly had the approval to construct five floors but added three more illegally.

Hundreds of relatives of missing workers have been gathering at the site in the hope of finding their loved ones.

A further nine survivors were found on Sunday - in addition to the 29 rescued alive on Saturday.

However, hopes of finding more people trapped under the mound of broken concrete and metal are fading, with hundreds still missing.

"The chances of finding people alive are dimming, so we have to step up our rescue operation to save any valuable life we can," said Major General Chowdhury Hassan Sohrawardi, co-ordinator of the operation.

Rescuers at the scene of the disaster

It is the deadliest tragedy to hit Bangladesh's clothing industry, which is worth $20bn (£13bn) a year.

On Saturday, police arrested three factory bosses as well as two engineers involved in approving the design of the Rana Plaza building in the Dhaka suburb of Savar.

It housed five clothing factories, employing a total of 3,122 staff.

It is not known how many workers were inside the structure when it collapsed. Some 2,500 survivors have been accounted for.

The three factory bosses arrested included Bazlus Samad, managing director of New Wave Apparels, Mahmudur Rahman Tapash, the company chairman, and Aminul Islam, chairman of Phantom Apparels.

Wednesday's tragedy has sparked protests about the poor working conditions of workers who toil for as little as £25 a month to produce clothing for top international brands.

High street giant Primark - and Spain's Mango - have confirmed their products were made in the block.

Protesters held a demonstration outside Primark's flagship store in central London on Saturday to demand compensation for the workers who were killed.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

M62 Crash: Hen Party Minibus Victim Named

An 18-year-old woman who was killed when a minibus collided with a lorry on the M62 will never be forgotten, her family has said.

Bethany Jones, from Pontefract, West Yorkshire, died at the scene of the crash at about 11.30am on Friday.

On Saturday her family released a statement which said: "Beth was a fun and bubbly girl who was caring and considerate to everyone she met. She was the apple of her grandad's eye and she will never be forgotten and sadly missed by everyone."

Her uncle, Anthony Jones, posted a message on Facebook in the wake of his niece's death.

"Thanking everyone on Facebook for there thoughts sympathy and condolences for the tragic of my niece Bethany Jones rip beth uncle tomy and family and all that new you god bless angle xxx xxx xxx".

The minibus collied with a Farmfoods lorry on the westbound carriage

Twenty-one people remain in hospital after the collision, which happened as the minibus travelled to Liverpool for a hen party.

Among the injured is the bride-to-be, who has been named locally as Stefanie Firth.

Seven of those hurt in the collision are suffering serious injuries.

Also among those injured is Ashleigh Warner, who posted a photograph on Facebook with Ms Firth.

Before the accident, Ms Firth's friends had posted excited comments about the upcoming hen-do.

Ms Jones, from Pontefract, died at the scene of the crash

On Friday morning, Ms Warner wrote on Facebook: "Jumping on the Liverpool status bandwagon ......... Cos I'm sooooooo excited had my tshirt on since 8 this morning:))) hope Stefanie Firth has the best time xxxx".

The group had set off from South Elmsall, near Pontefract, when their vehicle collided with a Farmfoods lorry at junction 32 of the westbound carriage of the M62.

The driver of the lorry, a local man, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving but has since been released on bail.

In total 21 women were injured in the crash, which left the minibus on its side across a carriageway and luggage strewn across the motorway.

Firefighters called the crash "the worst they had seen in a number of years", Dave Walton, assistant chief fire officer at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said.

The collision occurred on Junction 32 of the M62

One patient, a woman in her 40s, suffered suspected serious chest injuries and was anaesthetised before being transported, while another was airlifted to hospital also with chest injuries.

Doncaster firefighter John Nichol was passing the scene of the accident as a passenger in his father's car.

Mr Nichol said: "I got out to see if I could help, and realised there was only me there.

"First I saw a lady at the back of the minibus and realised her leg was severely broken. Then I put my head through the roof and just saw a mass of bodies.

"I think there were 11 or 12 in there, with various injuries, and around five people were out of the vehicle, hobbling around.

"I tried to calm people down and, although a bystander had called 999, I called them back to say this was a major incident and that several resources and air ambulances would be needed."

Dr David Macklin, from Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said that crews were faced with "a very difficult scene with multiple seriously  injured people", but he praised their "excellent and professional response".

Chartered accountant Pritpal Singh, 28, from Leeds, was travelling westbound on the M62 back to his office when the accident happened.

He said by 2.30pm everyone going in the same direction as the crash had got out of their cars and started walking around on the road.

"I was about a third of a mile back from where the accident was, I got out and walked up to the scene," he said.

"I could see a minibus which was on its side. It had quite a severe amount of damage on the right hand side.

"The lorry which had collided with it was on the main motorway."

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

UKIP Slams Tory Election 'Smear Campaign'

UKIP has accused the Tories of running a "morally reprehensible" smear campaign by trawling through would-be councillors' Twitter and Facebook posts.

The row comes as one of the party's council candidates faces criticism for allegedly posting a series of anti-gay comments on Facebook.

Gloucestershire County Council hopeful John Sullivan is accused of writing that regular physical exercise in schools can prevent homosexuality and congratulating Russia for banning gay pride.

At least two Sunday newspapers plan to run negative UKIP stories.

John Sullivan

The Observer claims leaked emails reveal that one of the party's MEPs is concerned about excessive "political correctness" among new recruits.

Meanwhile the Sunday Mirror reports that UKIP leader Nigel Farage is under "ferocious pressure" to kick out the racists in his party.

But a party spokesman hit back, saying: "UKIP has been subject to a co-ordinated smear campaign.

"We have evidence that Conservative Campaign Head Quarters has been scrutinising each and every one of our 1,732 candidates, monitoring every social media output over the last few years.

"Were we inclined to return the favour, we would find even more examples to use against them.

"We deem that using our candidates as cannon fodder to undermine a political campaign, anti politick, morally reprehensible and downright dirty.

"We are an open minded party who believes that ordinary hard working men and women who want to serve their communities should not be subject to a political lynch mob."

The party said it was looking into the allegations against Mr Sullivan and would be making contact with him.

It added that it did not condone "homophobic, xenophobic, extreme nor unpalatable views" and would deal with each individual case on merit.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More