Ohio Kidnapper Ariel Castro Accepts Plea Deal

The Cleveland man accused of holding three women captive in his home for about a decade has agreed to plead guilty in a deal to avoid the death penalty.

In exchange, prosecutors recommend Ariel Castro be sentenced to life without parole plus 1,000 years.

Castro was in court on Friday morning to enter the guilty plea.

When asked if he understood he would never be released from prison, Castro said: "I do understand that, your honour."

Castro kidnapped Gina DeJesus, Amanda Berry and Michelle Knight

He added: "I knew I was pretty much going to get the book thrown at me."

Castro was far more interactive than in previous court appearances when he mostly kept his head down and eyes closed.

During Friday's hearing, he answered the judge's questions in a clear, intelligible voice, saying he understood the proceedings and that he would never be released from prison.

Castro, who was born in Puerto Rico, said he could read and understand English well but had trouble with comprehension.

The women were held hostage for nearly a decade in Castro's home

"My addiction to pornography and my sexual problem has really taken a toll on my mind," Castro told judge Michael Russo.

He later said he had been a sexual abuse victim as a child, but the judge cut him off, telling Castro he would have an opportunity to speak at his sentencing hearing.

The three women Castro held hostage - Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight - said they were satisfied and relieved their former captor would remain behind bars for the rest of his life.

"Amanda, Gina, and Michelle are relieved by today's plea," the three women said in a statement released by the law firm Jones Day.

News of the long-missing women's escape electrified the city of Clevelend

"They are satisfied by this resolution to the case, and are looking forward to having these legal proceedings draw to a final close in the near future."

Castro's plea deal comes more than a month after a statement issued on behalf of the women said they were "hopeful for a just and prompt resolution" and had "great faith in the prosecutor's office and the court".

The 53-year-old had been scheduled to go on trial on August 5, charged with 977 offences.

Flanked by her sister, Amanda Berry with her daughter after their release

They included two counts of aggravated murder related to accusations that he punched and starved one woman until she miscarried.

The former school bus driver also was charged with hundreds of counts of kidnapping and rape, plus assault and other counts.

He was accused of repeatedly restraining the women, sometimes chaining them to a pole in a basement, to a bedroom heater or inside a van.

The charges alleged Castro assaulted one woman with a vacuum cord around her neck when she tried to escape.

The three women disappeared separately between 2002 and 2004, when they were 14, 16 and 20 years old.

Each said they had accepted a ride from Castro, who remained friends with the family of one of the women and even attended vigils over the years marking her disappearance.

The women escaped from Castro's house on May 6 when one of them kicked out part of a door and called to neighbours for help.

Castro was arrested within hours and has remained behind bars.

News that  the women had been found alive electrified the Cleveland area, where two of them were household names after years of searches, publicity and vigils.

Castro fathered a six-year-old daughter with Miss Berry, authorities said.

They allege that on the day the child was born, Christmas 2006, Castro raped one of the other women, who had helped deliver the baby.

Miss Berry told authorities that she, her child and the other women never saw a doctor during their captivity.

Miss Knight said her five pregnancies ended after Castro starved and repeatedly punched her.

The three women recently appeared in an online video thanking the public for their support. They otherwise have tried to stay out of sight and have appealed for privacy.

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Train Crash Driver Not Answering Questions

The driver held by police after a train derailed in northwestern Spain has refused to answer questions, authorities have confirmed.

A spokesman for the National Police said the driver "has refused to answer police authorities" and added the case will now "proceed to a judicial process as soon as possible".

Francisco Jose Garzon Amo, 52, was arrested in the hospital where he is recovering after the crash which killed 78 passengers and injured another 130.

Galicia region police chief, Jaime Iglesias, earlier said Garzon would be questioned "as a suspect for a crime linked to the cause of the accident" and said he had been arrested for "recklessness".

Francisco Jose Garzon Amo pictured after the crash

He is being guarded by police in hospital, although his condition is understood not to be serious.

Pictures and video footage have emerged of him being led away from the crash scene with his head covered in blood.

The train's black box recorder has been retrieved from the wreckage near Santiago de Compostela.

Early indications suggested the train may have been travelling at more than twice the speed limit at the time of the crash on Wednesday night.

The eight-carriage train came off the tracks on a bend, hit a wall and caught fire just outside the city - a pilgrimage destination for Roman Catholics.

The train entered the bend at 190km per hour (120mph), according to local media reports. The speed limit on the curve was 80km per hour (50mph).

Mr Garzon boasted about speeding on his Facebook page

Spanish media revealed that immediately after the derailment Garzon allegedly said to officials at the railway station 3km from the crash: "I ****** up, I want to die. So many people dead, so many people dead."

El Pais newspaper quoted him as telling rail officials: "I was going at 190! I hope no one died because it will weigh on my conscience."

He is also thought to have boasted on his Facebook page about how fast he was driving a train in March last year.

The driver posted a picture of a train speedometer at 200km per hour (124mph) on the social networking site. His Facebook page has since been blocked.

There was a second driver on the train, but it is believed Garzon was the only driver at the time.

He is understood to have taken control of the train from a second driver about 65 miles (104km) south of Santiago de Compostela.

Two investigations are being carried out into the catastrophe - one to look into possible failings by the driver and the other to examine the train's in-built speed regulation systems and see if it was a technical malfunction that meant the driver was not warned of the reduced speed limit around the bend.

A truck hauls one of the damaged carriages from the scene of the crash

Many questions remain unanswered about what went wrong, with some experts claiming that high speed alone would not explain the crash and speculation that the train's braking systems might have failed.

State train company Renfe said Garzon had been at the firm for 30 years and he had been driving trains for more than a decade.

He became an assistant driver in 2000 and a fully qualified driver in 2003.

Garzon is understood to have been on the Madrid to Ferrol service, on which the crash happened, for a year, after undergoing training specific to that line.

Medical experts are attempting to identify six of the 78 dead. DNA tests are expected to be carried out on those with catastrophic injuries.

Victims of the crash included a US citizen and a Mexican. At least one British citizen and four children were among the 130 people injured.

Some 31 of those in hospital are still critically ill.

Spanish newspaper El Pais has revealed details of a dramatic WhatsApp conversation between one of the survivors trapped in the train wreck and her husband.

At 8.45pm local time, the woman sent messages saying she had been in an accident and was "crushed".

Hospital staff hold a minute's silence

After what her husband described as "the longest five minutes of my life", she sent another message saying "I'm safe".

The 46-year-old woman escaped with minor injuries to her legs and has already been discharged from hospital. 

Video footage from a security camera showed the train, which had 247 people on board, hurtling into a concrete wall at the side of the track.

The impact was so huge one carriage flew several metres into the air and landed on the other side of a concrete barrier.

The Alvia 730 series train was travelling from Madrid to the port city of Ferrol when it crashed about 8.40pm local time - 7.40pm UK time - on Wednesday.

Gonzalo Ferre, president of the rail infrastructure company Adif, said the driver should have started slowing the train 2.5 miles before reaching a dangerous bend.

People applaud after a minute's silence in Santiago de Compostela

The crash occurred on the eve of a major Christian religious festival honouring St James, the disciple of Jesus whose remains are said to rest in a shrine.

Many of the dead or injured were believed to be Catholic pilgrims converging on the city.

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who was born in Santiago de Compostela, visited the scene of the crash on Thursday and declared three days of official mourning across the country.

King Juan Carlos also visited one of the hospitals where many passengers are being treated.

The train crash is the worst Spain has experienced since a three-train accident in a tunnel in the northern Leon province in 1944.

Due to heavy censorship at the time, the exact death toll for the Torre del Bierzo disaster has never been established. The official figure was given as 78 dead, but it is thought that as many as 250 could have been killed.

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Spain Train Crash: Driver Held In Hospital

The driver of a train which crashed in Spain, killing at least 80 people, is being held in custody in hospital.

A judge has ordered police to take a statement from the man as three days of mourning began following one of the country's worst rail disasters in decades.

CCTV footage has emerged of the train derailing and hurtling into a concrete wall as it enters a sharp bend at high speed.

Some carriages flipped over and burst into flames on the tracks just outside Santiago de Compostela, a popular pilgrimage city in the northwestern region of Galicia. Bodies and debris were left strewn across the tracks.

More than 140 people, including a Briton and several Americans, were hurt and 31 remain in a serious condition. Officials have warned the number of dead could rise further.

Rescue workers pull passengers from the wreckage

There are reports that the train - carrying 218 passengers plus crew - may have been travelling at twice the speed limit of 80km (50 miles) per hour for that stretch of track.

While the driver is being questioned as a possible suspect, investigators are also trying to establish why failsafe security devices to limit the train's speed had not kicked in.

An official inspects the train engine

The security camera footage is backed up with eyewitness accounts that suggest the eight-carriage train was going too fast as the track curved to the left under a road bridge.

According to reports, one of the two drivers at the helm of the train realised what was about to happen before the crash and made a desperate call to Spanish state-owned railway operator Renfe ahead of taking the bend, saying: "I'm going at 190kmh (120mph), I'm going to derail."

In a second call to Renfe after the accident, he explained that he was trapped in the train's loco.

Relatives of passengers wait for news

Spanish media have named one of the drivers as Francisco Jose Garzon Amo, 52, who has been treated for injuries and is reportedly the one under investigation.

State-owned Renfe has said the five-year-old train "did not have any technical problems" and had been inspected just hours earlier.

Sky's Robert Nisbet, in Santiago, said: "Whether the speed of the train was due to human error or some kind of technical problem is going to be the source of some inquiry."

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, right, visits the scene

The Alvia 730 series train was travelling from Madrid to the port city of Ferrol when it crashed about 8.40pm local time - 7.40pm UK time - on Wednesday.

Firefighters clambered over the twisted metal as they tried to get survivors out of the windows.

Neighbours who ran to the site to help emergency workers have described a "hellish" scene.

"It was like an earthquake," said Martin Rozas who helped pull the wounded from the wreckage and laid blankets over the dead.

State-owned rail operator Renfe said the train was five years old

"I started helping pull people out. I saw about five people dead."

Many of the dead were taken to a makeshift morgue set up in a sports arena in Santiago, where police and court officials were identifying the bodies.

Relatives of victims sobbed and hugged each other as they sought news about their missing loved ones.

Residents rushed to the scene to help victims

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who was born in the city, visited the site and the main hospital and said: "For a native of Santiago, like me, this is the saddest day." 

The crash occurred on the eve of a major Christian religious festival honouring St James, the disciple of Jesus whose remains are said to rest in a shrine.

Many of the dead or injured were believed to be Catholic pilgrims converging on the city. The festival was cancelled for the day.

King Juan Carlos has also visited survivors and the country's royal family has suspended all engagements, while messages of support have come from the likes of British Foreign Secretary William Hague and President Barack Obama, who said he was "shocked and saddened".

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Stuart Hall Facing Longer Prison Sentence

Stuart Hall faces will find out later if he has to spend more time in prison as judges review the length of his sentence for sex offences.

Attorney General Dominic Grieve has referred Hall's case to the Court of Appeal to consider whether his 15-month jail term is "unduly lenient" and should be increased.

Hall, 83, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, admitted 14 counts of indecent assault against girls as young as nine between 1967 and 1987.

The former It's A Knockout presenter was sentenced in June at Preston Crown Court by the Recorder of Preston, Judge Anthony Russell QC.

Hall directly exploited his role as a popular BBC presenter to target four of his victims, while he assaulted another four on the pretence of giving elocution lessons to them at his home.

Before entering his guilty plea in April, he had made a public pronouncement on the steps of a court, describing all the claims against him as "cruel, pernicious and spurious".

Hall was arrested and subsequently charged on December 5 last year with indecently assaulting three young girls.

More women came forward as a result of publicity and he was rearrested before he later admitted sexual offences relating to 13 victims.

Judge Russell told Hall: "Several of these cases reveal an abuse of the trust placed in you by the parents of these children but all of them reveal an abuse of power by you because your status gave you an influence and standing which you abused."

The judge said Hall would have received 20 months after a trial but he reduced the sentence to reflect his guilty pleas.

Hall's defence barrister Crispin Aylett QC said that 27 years had passed since the last offence and that the presenter had led an "unblemished" life over those years.

The length of the jail term was immediately criticised as "unduly lenient" by shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry.

Harriet Harman, deputy leader of the Labour party, also added to calls for the sentence to be referred.

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Spain Train Crash: Dozens Killed And Injured

The number of people dead after a train derailed in one of Spain's worst rail disasters has reportedly risen as high as 69.

Many more are said to be critically injured and Spanish media reported emergency services were attempting to rescue several people still trapped inside carriages.

Lines of bodies covered with blankets were seen at the side of the tracks.

Casualties were pulled from the carriages

The crash happened as the train carrying 218 passengers plus crew approached Santiago de Compostela, a popular pilgrimage city in the northwestern region of Galicia.

Several of the 13 carriages rolled over, with one carriage torn open and flames and smoke seen rising from the scene.

Survivors said the train flipped over 'several times'

Official casualty figures have not been released, but the head of the Galicia region, Alberto Nunez, said the death toll had reached up to 45 after he initially put the figure at 35.

Mr Nunez added that 143 people had been injured, with 20 of them seriously hurt.

He said it was too soon to say what had caused the derailment. It has been described as an accident, but it will stir memories of the 2004 Madrid train bombing, which killed nearly 200 people.

It is Spain's deadliest train accident since 1972

One passenger, Ricardo Montesco, told Cadena Ser radio station: "It was going so quickly ... It seems that on a curve the train started to twist and the wagons piled up one on top of the other.

"A lot of people were squashed on the bottom.

Officials said they believed the crash was an accident

"We tried to squeeze out of the bottom of the wagons to get out and we realised the train was burning ... I was in the second wagon and there was fire ... I saw corpses."

A witness told the station they heard an explosion before seeing the derailed train. Another witness told the Radio Galega station: "There are many people dead here, my God."

The train belonging to the state-owned Renfe company was travelling from Madrid to the port city of Ferrol.

The train was travelling from Madrid to the port city of Ferrol

It derailed on high-speed tracks at about 8.40pm local time - 7.40pm UK time - on a bend a short distance from a scheduled stop in the city.

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who is due to visit the scene later, called an emergency meeting with ministers and said: "I want to express my affection and solitarity with the victims of the terrible train accident in Santiago."

The crash happened the day before the city's main festival paying tribute to the St James, one of Jesus' 12 disciples. His shrine is the destination of the El Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, which has been followed by Christians since the Middle Ages.

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Economy On Mend As Higher Growth Is Forecast

By Poppy Trowbridge, Business and Economics Correspondent

The UK economy is expected to have picked up sharply in the second quarter of the year, when official figures are published later.

An expected rise of around 0.6% in gross domestic product (GDP) would double the previous increase of 0.3%.

The predicted rise would be the best performance, excluding special events, since the third quarter of 2011.

Kathleen Brooks, research director at Forex.com said: "Most people in the know expect growth to expand, but there's a question mark over how strong that growth will be."

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls says the growth is "long-overdue"

It was just three months ago that it was feared the UK could enter an unprecedented triple-dip recession, however the recovery is still fragile.

Unofficial surveys published since then have suggested continued improvement, while revisions to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data revealed that the double-dip recession from 2011 to 2012 never happened.

But the revisions turned out to be double-edged, confirming that the initial recession following the financial crisis was far worse than first feared.

It meant the economy was still 3.9% below its pre-crisis peak - with the gap previously thought to be 2.6%.

The US and German economies, by contrast, have recovered their per-crisis levels. France is also near that point.

Officials at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have added to the ambivalence, raising their forecast for annual growth from 0.6% to 0.9%, but later issuing a gloomy analysis of the UK's prospects.

Meanwhile, the Bank of England's first significant intervention under new governor Mark Carney saw policymakers apparently taking a less rosy view of the outlook than some in the City.

In a rare note issued after this month's meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee, the Bank said: "There have been further signs that a recovery is in train, although it remains weak by historical standards and a degree of slack is expected to persist for some time."

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said he expected the figures to show that the economy is showing "welcome and long-overdue" signs of growth.

But he warned that most ordinary families will not feel the benefit of the recovery in GDP, because of wages lagging behind inflation.

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Three Week Wait, Then Snappers Get 'The Shot'

For the past few weeks, photographers have been jealously guarding their spots in front of the Lindo Wing, waiting for the Duke and Duchess to leave with their baby in tow. Sky's Jason Farrell spent a day with the assembled snappers as they prepared to get the crucial shot.

More than 100 stepladders crack, squeak and scrape as men with super-size cameras climb into place to get "the shot".

A woman tries to push in from the back between the metal stilts with her iPhone poised for an amateur snap.

"Woah! Madam, please, this is a press area," one snapper says. If one ladder were to go they'd topple like dominoes.

A Royal press man says: "Five more minutes, maybe a bit longer."

Snappers were keen to get a shot of the baby's face

"No problem," replies a snapper. "We've been here three weeks."

The ladders have been stacking up since July 1 as photographers negotiated their position. From the two-steps at the front to the ten-step-highs at the back they have created a theatre of ladders and lenses.

Their stage is the doorstep of the Lindo Wing at St Mary's hospital. The event - a new arrival to the portfolio of Royal celebrity.

Perched on top of one ladder is Getty Images Royal Photographer Chris Jackson.

"I'm up high because its the best chance of getting the baby's face." He said: "With William he was all bundled up and no one got it."

More than 100 stepladders were in place outside the hospital

Mr Jackson spots my copy of the Metro and points out the picture of Kate on the front page is one of his, but thoughts turn to the shot he's waiting to take.

"This is such a significant moment because on those steps, for the first time, we're going to see the next generation of the Royal family and our future King."

Two places in front of him, under a cap, is veteran Royal photographer Arthur Edwards. He's been taking pictures of the Royals from the days when Prince Charles was still looking for a bride.

Back then it was well known that his job was to find out who Charles would marry. Indeed, when the Prince tied to knot with Diana he sent a telegram to Mr Edwards asking him if he was now redundant.

"I just want them to look my way and to get a picture of all three of them, especially the baby's face," he says.

The Royal couple emerged at around 7pm on Tuesday

"We want to know what he looks like. And I hope everyone shows respect and the pack doesn't start shouting. If they do, William will just leave."

He tells me that in his entire career he has never seen one story create the size of interest demonstrated by the 150-metre-long press pen holding media from across the globe.

"It's partly down to Kate. She's thrown herself into the job. Her wedding was seen by billions around the world. They're such a handsome couple."

He added: "Then we had the jubilee and the Olympics. People who maybe weren't decided about the Royals changed their mind when the Queen did what she did at the Olympic opening ceremony. You know, she played along with the joke."

Royal Photographer Mark Stuart says he's here for the occasion: "This isn't going to be a financially rewarding shot because there will be 100 photographers with the same picture.

Prince William then drove his wife and baby to Kensington Palace

"You might get £180 for a front page. But it is an historic moment and you have to be here."

When the couple finally step out, proud parents and child creeping into the light, crowds cheer and shutters burst into action like the flutter of a swarm of insects passing through the street.

The pictures reach the world almost instantly. There's no need to even download them onto a laptop these days; a 4G device on the side of the cameras can send the images automatically to a press desk and in less than a minute they can be digitally fired around the world.

Where will they end up? "On the front page of lots of magazines and newspapers hopefully," says Mr Jackson.

For Mr Edwards its always the front page of The Sun: "I got a lovely one of the couple looking into each others eyes," he says.

The weeks of waiting has been rewarded with about a minute of Royal face time - and yes even the baby's face was visible, just.

Then its back inside into a car seat and he's gone.

But his image is already being replicated millions of times around the world and those stepladders and those fluttering insects will never be far away, for the rest of his life.

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Royal Baby: First Glimpse Of Kate's Young Prince

Prince William and his wife Kate have introduced their new son to the world and the public has been given its first glimpse of the future king.

The Duchess of Cambridge cradled their one-day-old boy in her arms as she and her husband walked down the steps of the Lindo Wing at London's St Mary's Hospital.

The couple posed for pictures and then she gently passed the baby, swaddled in a white blanket, to William as photographers continued to snap away.

They walked towards the waiting throngs of world media and the Prince told them jokingly in a relaxed fashion: "He's got a good pair of lungs on him, that's for sure. He's a big boy, he's quite heavy."

Kate waves to the crowds outside the hospital

The Duke, 31, also revealed they had not yet decided what to call their son, saying: "We are still working on a name so we will have that as soon as we can."

He added: "It's the first time we have seen him really so we are having a proper chance to catch up."

The Duchess said: "It's very emotional, it's such a special time. I think any parent will know what this feeling feels like."

Her husband also told the media it was "very emotional" and "very special".

William, wearing a light blue shirt and dark trousers, added: "He's got her looks, thankfully," while Kate replied: "No, no, I'm not sure about that."

And the Prince joked: "He's got way more (hair) than me, thank God."

William cradles his infant son

His wife, who was wearing her sapphire and diamond engagement ring which once belonged to the late Diana, Princess of Wales, revealed he was a hands-on dad, saying he had already changed his first nappy.

The Lindo Wing was the same place where William and his brother Harry were born.

After speaking to reporters and waving at the large crowds, William and Kate then went back inside to put the third-in-line-to-the-throne in a baby seat.

Charles and Diana with baby William outside the Lindo Wing in 1982

Moments later, they came outside for a second time and the Duke placed the youngster in a waiting Range Rover.

A smiling Prince then got behind the wheel and 31-year-old Kate, who was sitting on the back seat, waved with her son next to her.

The family later returned home to Kensington Palace. Sky sources said a name for the baby would not be announced on Tuesday night.

William and Kate address the world's media following the birth

The Royal baby, who will have the title Prince of Cambridge, was born at 4.24pm on Monday, weighing 8lb 6oz (3.798kg).

Kensington Palace officials later revealed that William had slept in the same room as the Duchess and was at her bedside during her labour. The couple had spent the rest of Monday getting to know the child and making phone calls to family.

On Tuesday, the child's grandparents visited the family separately.

The Prince waves to the crowds

Prince Charles, arriving with the Duchess of Cornwall, said his first grandchild was "marvellous", while Kate's mother Carole Middleton, accompanied by husband Michael, earlier told the media the child was "absolutely beautiful".

The first-time parents now want some private, quiet, time at Kensington Palace but it not known how long they will spend there.

Officials said the couple had been aware of the large media interest in the birth and had seen the papers on Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, the Queen has said she was "thrilled" at the arrival of her great-grandson, according to a guest at a Buckingham Palace reception.

Large crowds turned out to see the family

Celebrations have taken place in London and across the country to honour the Royal arrival.

Guardsmen marked the changing of the guard outside Buckingham Palace by playing 'Congratulations' and gun salutes sounded across the capital to mark the special occasion.

The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery and the Honourable Artillery Company carried out the ceremonial royal salutes in honour of the new addition to the Royal Family.

This included a 41-gun salute at London's Green Park and 62 rounds fired at the Tower of London.

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Royal Baby: Reaction From Around The World

Messages of congratulations have been sent from around the world after the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to a baby boy.

US President Barack Obama says the new prince has been born "at a time of promise and opportunity" between Britain and the United States.

Mr Obama said in a written statement that he and first lady Michelle Obama wish Prince William and his wife, Kate, "all the happiness and blessings parenthood brings".

Thousands are on the streets of London celebrating

Earlier, White House press secretary Jay Carney said the first family had been waiting with "anticipation" for news on the birth.

In the Canadian capital of Ottawa, Parliament hill was illuminated with blue lights.

The country's Governor General was among the first international dignitaries to congratulate the couple on their new arrival.

He used Twitter to send a message to Clarence House, saying: "Wonderful news!"

The Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the arrival of a future sovereign of Canada is a "highly anticipated moment for Canadians given the special and warm relationship that we share with our Royal Family".

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said: "I think all Australians at the bottom of their hearts wish the Royal bub all the best, and certainly wish the new parents all the best as well.

"When a new bub comes into the world, any old day, any part of the world, it is frankly a time for rejoicing."

Media outlets around the world have been gripped by the wait for the Royal baby.

Following the birth, the story featured highly on most of the news channels and websites in Australia and the US, with many focusing on the image of a town crier announcing the news on the steps of the Lindo Wing.

More follows...

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Royal Baby: Boy Joy For Kate And William

The Duchess of Cambridge was hoping for a son and her wish has come true, after she gave birth to a baby boy at 4.24pm.

The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth of his son who weighed 8lbs 6oz. "We could not be happier," he said in a statement.

"Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well and will remain in hospital overnight," Kensington Palace said in a statement.

Crowds at Buckingham Palace screamed with excitement as the news spread

"The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news."

The Prince of Wales said that he was "enormously proud and happy to be a grandfather for the first time", adding that it was "an incredibly special moment for William and Catherine".

Royal fans outside St Mary's Hospital rejoiced on hearing the news

In a touching statement, Charles said: "Both my wife and I are overjoyed at the arrival of my first grandchild. It is an incredibly special moment for William and Catherine and we are so thrilled for them on the birth of their baby boy.

"Grandparenthood is a unique moment in anyone's life, as countless kind people have told me in recent months, so I am enormously proud and happy to be a grandfather for the first time and we are eagerly looking forward to seeing the baby in the near future."

The London Eye and the Trafalgar Square fountains light up in celebration

It is understood the Queen was informed of the birth in a phone call from William, though the Royal Family will not visit the hospital as it demands an extra level of security which could cause disruption.

Her Majesty arrived back at Buckingham Palace this afternoon after spending the weekend at Windsor Castle.

Palace spokesman Ed Perkins sent notice of the birth to Buckingham Palace

A beaming David Cameron declared the birth "an important moment in the life of our nation".

Speaking outside 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister said: "It is wonderful news from St Mary's, Paddington and I am sure that right across the country, and indeed right across the Commonwealth, people will be celebrating and wishing the royal couple well.

"It is an important moment in the life of our nation but, I suppose, above all it is a wonderful moment for a warm and loving couple who have got a brand new baby boy.

The notice that delighted the nation was placed on the Palace forecourt

"It has been a remarkable few years for our royal family - a royal wedding that captured people's hearts, that extraordinary and magnificent jubilee and now this royal birth - all from a family that has given this nation so much incredible service."

US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have congratulated the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the "joyous occasion of the birth of their first child", adding: "We wish them all the happiness and blessings parenthood brings.

"The child enters the world at a time of promise and opportunity for our two nations. Given the special relationship between us, the American people are pleased to join with the people of the United Kingdom as they celebrate the birth of the young prince.

A Town Crier outside St Mary's Hospital announced the birth to the crowd

"Given the special relationship between us, the American people are pleased to join with the people of the United Kingdom as they celebrate the birth of the young prince."

Confirmation of the Royal birth arrived by car in the form of an official statement, carried by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's press secretary.

The statement, on Buckingham Palace headed paper, was brought out for public inspection on the easel by Badar Azim, a footman with the Royal Household, and Ailsa Anderson, the Queen's press secretary.

The large waiting crowds cheer as they read the news for the first time

It was signed by the Queen's gynaecologist Marcus Setchell, who led the medical team that delivered Kate's baby.

There were three cheers of "hip hip hooray," as the crowd outside the palace gates swelled to more than 10 deep.

Many had been waiting patiently for confirmation of the birth ever since news broke of the Duchess going into labour this morning.

Royal watchers at the Palace celebrate after the 12-hour wait for the news

Grown men were seen riding on friends' shoulders, while others used step ladders to get an elevated position.

Kasey Coffee, 21, from Washington in the US, said she had spent three hours queuing ahead of the royal announcement.

"The atmosphere in the crowd was awesome. Everybody was excited, then we heard a shriek that it was a boy - everybody was cheering and jumping. It was an incredible thing to be part of history."

The crowd at St Mary's react with joy after news of the heir was confirmed

Police were sent in with the crowds, as many scrambled to get the best vantage point.

But the wait to see the easel, designed to bring an end to a 12-hour vigil at the palace gates for some, proved too much.

One woman left having tried for half an hour to get closer to the front of the crowd, without success. She said: "I'm pleased we tried to see it, but it was just too difficult. It was impossible to get any closer."

Celebrations: crowds are continuing to gather outside the Palace

Well-wishers from around the globe rejoiced as news of the birth of the royal baby spread.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "My warmest congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

"Wonderful news and a happy moment for our country and Overseas Territories."

Britain rejoices: monarchists celebrate on Victoria fountain at the Palace

Canada's prime minister Stephen Harper sent his "heartfelt congratulations" to the couple and the royal family on behalf of all Canadians.

Outgoing Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks tweeted "Mazal Tov" to the happy couple. "We wish them blessings, good health, and joy in becoming parents," he added.

First Minister Alex Salmond led Scotland's congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby son.

Dr Marcus Setchell (C), who led the medical team that delivered the heir

Mr Salmond said: "I am sure that people across Scotland will be absolutely thrilled to hear the news of the birth of a baby boy to the royal couple and will want to join me in wishing the proud parents many congratulations."

Residents of the village where the Duchess of Cambridge grew up said tonight they were overjoyed with the news that one of their own is a future king.

John Haley, owner of the Old Boot Inn near the Duchess's parents' home in Bucklebury, Berkshire, said: "It's just amazing news. When we heard the announcement it was a boy, the place just exploded."

Well-wishers gathered outside the Palace all evening

Mr Haley, who attended the royal wedding in 2011, added: "We are all having a massive party, it's a great atmosphere and it's all kicked off. It's great that Kate and her son are doing well."

The Duchess's former music teacher Daniel Nicholls, who taught her piano from 11 to 14 and who still lives near Bucklebury, said: "It's absolutely amazing news. I think they are going to be wonderful parents.

The broadcast from the BT Tower as the news is delivered to the Palace

"I believe they are going to come here to the village with the child and I know that Kate's parents Michael and Carole will be a great support. Is he too young to start learning the piano? Maybe in the future..."

Tessy Ojo, CEO of the Diana Award scheme, an initiative which recognises teenagers who make outstanding contributions to their communities, spoke of Prince William's mother.

"Today Diana, Princess of Wales, would have been a proud grandmother," she said.

"Her legacy continues through the inspirational work of these young people who carry this honour, set up in her memory, with pride."

William's favourite team Aston Villa's momento shirt

The new royal baby is third in line to the throne and a future king. A great-grandchild to the Queen - her third - the newborn will also one day be crowned sovereign.

If the baby follows after the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge as king, he will be the 43rd monarch since William the Conqueror obtained the crown of England.

The baby's uncle, Prince Harry, now moves to fourth in line to the throne, while the Duke of York shifts down to fifth and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie to sixth and seventh place.

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