Lampedusa: Migrants Dead In Latest Sinking

At least 27 people have reportedly died and 221 people been saved after a migrant boat capsized in the Mediterranean.

Maltese Prime Minister Muscat revealed the number of casualties, while the Italian navy said it had rescued 221 from the water off the island of Lampedusa.

An Italian navy spokesman said naval vessels and helicopters were assisting at the scene, between Malta and Sicily.

The Italian navy and Maltese armed forces rescued survivors

Coastguard spokesman Marco Di Milla said they received a satellite phone call from the boat that was in distress and were able to locate it based on the satellite coordinates.

A Maltese aircraft was sent up and reported that the boat had capsized and that "numerous" people were in the water.

Around 221 people were pulled from the water

The aircraft dropped a life raft, and a patrol boat soon arrived at the scene, according to a statement from the Maltese armed forces.

"There are at least 200 people in the sea and our helicopters are picking them up," an Italian navy spokesman previously said, adding that two ships were on the scene.

It is the second migrant vessel to sink off Lampedusa in just over a week

The incident comes just over a week after a boat carrying African asylum seekers caught fire and sank off Lampedusa, killing up to 350 people.

Residents of the remote southern Italian island have long complained that they have been left alone to deal with the thousands of migrants who come ashore each year from Africa and the Middle East.

Up to 350 people died after another boat caught fire and sank last week

Some 30,000 migrants have flocked to Italy so far this year. An estimated 17,000 to 20,000 have died while crossing the Mediterranean during the past 20 years on overcrowded fishing boats or rubber dinghies, seeking a better life in Europe.

Eritrea, Somalia and Syria are the main countries of origin and the majority of arrivals are on Lampedusa, Italy's southernmost point which is closer to north Africa than to the Italian mainland.

Italian emergency services are trying to rescue at least 200 asylum seekers from the Mediterranean after a boat capsized off the coast of Sicily.

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Brain Implant 'Could Stop Parkinson's Growth'

By Rhiannon Mills, Sky News Correspondent

A hi-tech brain implant could transform the lives of people living with Parkinson's disease.

Scientists in Bristol have developed a system of tubes and catheters that allows them to pump protein therapy deep into patients' brains.

It is hoped the technique will encourage cells damaged by the disease to grow again.

The protein, known as glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), is injected once a month through a port just behind the ear and pushed through the tubes and catheters by an external pump.

Doctors at Frenchay Hospital, Bristol, have trialled the system on six patients and are now looking for another 36 to continue the research.

Dr Kieran Breen, director of research and innovation at Parkinson's UK, said: "For years, the potential of GDNF as a treatment for Parkinson's has remained one of the great unanswered research questions.

Protein passed through the implant could encourage the regrowth of cells

"This new study will take us one step closer to finally answering this question once and for all.

"We believe GDNF could have the potential to unlock a new approach for treating Parkinson's that may be able to slow down and ultimately stop the progression of the condition all together.

"Currently there are very few treatments available for people with Parkinson's and none capable of stopping the condition from advancing."

Parkinson's, which affects more than 127,000 people in the UK, develops when a lack of a chemical called dopamine causes nerve cells within the brain to die.

This in turn causes symptoms such as stiffness, slowness of movement and tremors.

Previous research studies have suggested GDNF has the potential to encourage these cells to grow again - in effect stopping the progression of Parkinson's.

Scientists hope the technique will encourage cells regrowth

Tom Phipps, from Bristol, who was diagnosed with the condition eight years ago at the age of 50, was the first patient in the world to be fitted with the port system.

"I have a hope it will make a difference, if not by halting the progress of my condition then at least (allowing me to) lead a much more active life for a little bit longer," he said.

"If it doesn't affect me, it may affect, and positively affect, someone else at a later stage."

Professor Steven Gill, from Frenchay Hospital, told Sky News the equipment could be used to treat a variety of conditions.

"If this technology proves to be safe and reliable ... it has huge applications across neurological diseases, not only for treating neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's but also brain tumours and other conditions," he said.

The £2m project is funded by Parkinson's UK with support from The Cure Parkinson's Trust.

A foundation set up by actor Michael J Fox, who has the condition, also made a large donation.

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White Widow's Links To Kenyan Mall Attack Group

Sky News has obtained a report by Kenyan intelligence officers which places the British wife of a London 7/7 bomber at the centre of a terror cell operating from Mombasa.

The document suggests 29-year-old Samantha Lewthwaite, also known as the "white widow", is involved with plotting attacks on UN facilities, the Kenyan parliament and other high profile institutions for al Shaabab.

The organisation claimed responsibility for last month's attack on the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, which killed at least 67 people.

Sky News has also obtained handwritten pages from Ms Lewthwaite's journal.

:: Watch Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford's video report on the world's most wanted woman above.

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US Shutdown: No Decision After Budget Talks

The US President and Republican leaders remain at odds over how to end the partial government shutdown or whether to raise the nation's debt limit.

Barack Obama met 20 House Republicans, including Speaker John Boehner, at the White House for talks lasting about 90 minutes.

No specific agreement was reached, although a White House spokesman said the President "looks forward to continued progress with members on both sides".

A Republican spokesman described the meeting as "useful and productive".

The talks came after Mr Boehner proposed a six-week extension to the US debt ceiling in return for the President's promise to negotiate over budget issues including the health care plan dubbed Obamacare.

Mr Boehner wants the President to negotiative over the US budget

It would have allowed the US government to borrow money until November 22, potentially averting an unprecedented federal default that could occur as early as October 17.

Negotiations will continue over the length of the proposed increase, a senior House Republican aide told the Reuters news agency.

Speaking before the meeting, Mr Boehner said: "It's time for leadership. It's time for these negotiations and this conversation to begin.

"What we want to do is to offer the President today the ability to move a temporary increase in the debt ceiling in agreement to go to conference on the budget."

The Treasury Department has said it would be unable to pay all of its bills if the $16.7 trillion (£10.4 trillion) debt ceiling is not raised before next Thursday.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde has warned that US failure to raise its debt ceiling would cause serious harm to the global economy.

The shutdown began after Congress failed to pass a bill to temporarily fund the federal government, resulting in hundreds of thousands of federal employees stopping work.

The measure is normally routine but has become entangled in Republican demands for delays or amendments to Mr Obama's health care overhaul and reduced government spending.

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Immigration Laws: Tough Overhaul Introduced

By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

Tough new curbs on the appeal rights of illegal immigrants and foreign prisoners facing deportation are being introduced as part of an overhaul of the UK's immigration laws.

The Immigration Bill will see the grounds on which foreign nationals can lodge an appeal against deportation slashed from the current 17 to just 4.

It is in part a response to the frustration successive home secretaries faced in their repeated attempts to deport the radical cleric Abu Qatada.

He managed to use human rights legislation to outwit government lawyers over 12 years, before Home Secretary Theresa May finally managed to secure his deportation to Jordan last July.

Richard, 22, fought and won his battle to stay in the UK, using Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights - the right to a private or family life - to convince judges to overturn his deportation order.

The Zimbabwean national has lived in Clapham, south London, since he was 10 years old. 

He was sentenced to two years in prison for burglary and issued with a deportation order.

"All my friends and my extended family were in the United Kingdom so me going back to Zimbabwe would have impacted on me," he said.

He has now been granted interim leave to remain in the UK until 2016, when his case will be reviewed again.

He said: "In detention centres I saw the reaction of people given automatic deportations.  They don't know what to do and a lot of them have tried to end their own lives. 

"It impacts on their mental health. It just breaks up families and it's just not right at all."

The Immigration Bill, the centrepiece of the coalition's legislative programme this year, will also see moves to block illegal immigrants from opening bank accounts in the UK.

Banks will have to check against a database of known immigration offenders before opening accounts.

And, as previously disclosed, a new requirement will be introduced for temporary migrants, such as overseas students, to make a contribution to the National Health Service.

Illegal immigrants will be blocked from opening bank accounts in Britain

Immigration Minister Mark Harper said: "The Immigration Bill will stop migrants using public services to which they are not entitled, reduce the pull factors which encourage people to come to the UK and make it easier to remove people who should not be here.

"We will continue to welcome the brightest and best migrants who want to contribute to our economy and society and play by the rules.

"But the law must be on the side of people who respect it, not those who break it."

David Lloyd, a GP in the London borough of Harrow, said he was opposed to the Government's proposals to charge short-stay immigrants for using health services.

Dr Lloyd said it would mean health professionals having to act like Border Agency staff, checking a patient's immigration status.

"Although we can see them as an emergency under the new proposals, it does mean that there is an awful lot more paper work involved so we have got to spend an awful lot more time checking on people at a time when they are at their most vulnerable," he said.

Private landlords will be required to check the immigration status of their tenants to prevent those with no right to live in the UK from accessing private rented housing, while new powers to check driving licence applicants' immigration status will be introduced.

Temporary migrants will have to make a contribution to the NHS

The National Landlords Association chief executive Richard Lambert told Sky News: "Obviously landlords cannot replace the Border Agency and they shouldn't be asked to do their job. 

"Existing referencing will pick up immigration issues anyway but if the Government wants to put something in place beyond that, the important thing is that it is simple and straight forward to use."

Home Secretary Theresa May and Prime Minister David Cameron want to reduce net migration - the difference between those arriving and those leaving - from non-EU countries to less than 100,000 before the next election in 2015.

Most recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed a net flow of 176,000 migrants came to the UK in the year to December 2012, up from 153,000 in the year to September 2012, ending five consecutive quarters of decline.

Shadow Immigration Minister David Hanson said the legislation shows the Tories are "still failing on immigration".

"This Bill won't address some of the biggest problems," he said.

"The number of foreign criminals deported has dropped by over 13% since the election, border checks have been cut with only half as many people stopped and illegal immigration has got worse.

"Yet there seems to be nothing in the promised Bill to tackle problems at border control, which is getting increasingly shambolic, nor deal with long delays in getting electronic checks in place, or the UKBA bureaucratic failings that have prevented foreign criminals being deported.

"Nor are they tackling exploitation in the labour market which raises greatest public concern.  For example the Bill is an opportunity to tackle problems such as enforcement of the minimum wage which would respond to concerns about the impact of EU migration."

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Lynne Spalding Found Dead In Hospital Stairwell

A British patient who disappeared from her room at San Francisco's main public hospital more than two weeks ago has been found dead in a stairwell at the facility.

Lynne Spalding, 57, was admitted to San Francisco General Hospital for a urinary tract infection on September 19.

The mother-of-two was reported missing from her room there two days later.

A flyer used in the search for Ms Spalding. Pic: Find Lynne

Ms Spalding's relatives and friends spent days scouring the streets of San Francisco with flyers and set up a Facebook page to help find her.

But a member of the hospital's engineering staff found Ms Spalding's body on Tuesday - 17 days after she vanished - while conducting a routine check.

Authorities are continuing to investigate how the marketing and tourism executive, who was originally from England, got there and what caused her death.

The hospital's chief medical officer Todd May said: "What happened at our hospital is horrible.

"We are here to take care of patients, to heal them, to keep them safe. This has shaken us to our core. Our staff is devastated."

Nurses were checking on her every 15 minutes, and she disappeared in the brief time between those visits, Mr May said.

The last time she was seen - about 10.15am on September 21 - she was in a "fair condition", the hospital said.

But friends said Ms Spalding was very thin, frail and on medication that could have made her confused when she disappeared.

Police inspect an outside stairwell at the hospital

The San Francisco Sheriff's Department provides security at the hospital.

Assistant Sheriff Paul Miyamoto said it was not yet know how long Ms Spalding had been in the exterior stairwell.

The rarely used stairwell is a fire exit that has an alarm on it, is locked from the outside and exits onto hospital grounds.

"All of us are committed to learning what happened and insuring it never happens again," Mr Miyamoto said.

David Perry, who is acting as a spokesman for Ms Spalding's family, has told Sky News that relatives and friends are "horrified, dismayed and frustrated".

"For 17 days Lynne's body was there unfound in the very hospital where she'd gone for treatment," he said.

Mr Perry said officials have a lot of explaining as to why Ms Spalding "died alone, in the stairwell, at one of the finest medical institutions in this country".

"There are a number of questions for San Francisco General Hospital and the San Francisco Sheriff's Department," he told Sky News.

About 100,000 patients pass through the hospital every year

"The San Francisco Sheriff's Department oversees searches and security at the hospital, and we were assured that a search had been done.

"If they searched for her 17 days ago, it wasn't a very good search because her dead body was discovered there."

But Mr Perry praised the work carried out by the San Francisco Police Department, who were responsible for searching outside the hospital.

Ms Spalding had lived in the city for more than two decades and had two grown children, a 19-year-old son and 23-year-old daughter, who both live in the US.

Mr Perry said Ms Spalding's children are "stunned".

He added: "She had dozens of friends. She was well known and well liked. She was a consummate professional."

The Sheriff's Department is conducting an internal investigation of its security measures at the hospital.

The Foreign Office said it was providing consular assistance to Ms Spalding's family.

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MI5 Boss Warns Of Growing UK Terror Threat

By Tim Marshall, Foreign Affairs Editor

Britain will face at least one attempted major terror attack every year for the next few years, the head of MI5 has warned.

In his first speech since taking over the Security Service in April, Andrew Parker told a private audience at the Royal United Services Institute: "Since 2000, we have seen serious attempts at major acts of terrorism in this country typically once or twice a year.

"That feels to me, for the moment, unlikely to change."

Among the reasons for this are the increasing numbers of Britons going to Syria to try and become jihadists.

In his off-camera speech, Mr Parker said: "A growing proportion of our casework now has some link to Syria, mostly concerning individuals from the UK who have travelled to fight there or who aspire to do so.

"Al Nusrah and other extremist Sunni groups there aligned with al Qaeda aspire to attack Western countries."

Hundreds of Britons are thought to have joined fighting in Syria

More than any recent conflict, Syria has attracted would-be fighters from the UK.

Sky News understands that the number of individuals involved over the last three years is in the low hundreds.

The fear is some could return to the UK even more radicalised.

Mr Parker repeated a warning made by his predecessor, Jonathan Evans, saying: "It remains the case that there are several thousand Islamist extremists here who see the British people as a legitimate target."

He also mentioned the growing fears about terrorism in Northern Ireland after several incidents and the threat of more.

"Rejecting the political process in Northern Ireland, these ragged remnants of a bygone age are in a cul-de-sac of pointless violence and crime with little community support," he said.

"We will continue to work with the police to put these thugs and killers in front of the courts."

He then turned to the subject of how to combat these threats and the use of technology.

Mr Parker alluded to information leaked by Edward Snowden

When the former CIA contractor Edward Snowden leaked details about surveillance tactics, it is thought he inflicted massive damage on several spy agencies, including Britain's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).

One source said some of the things leaked by Snowden amounted to "an instruction booklet on how to evade surveillance".

This explains why Mr Parker appears to have entered the debate about the Guardian newspaper's publication of some of Snowden's material.

The Guardian was not mentioned by name, but in his speech Mr Parker said: "It causes enormous damage to make public the reach and limits of GCHQ techniques.

"Such information hands the advantage to the terrorists. It is the gift they need to evade us and strike at will."

There are also passages explaining the thinking of MI5.

He accepts there are choices to be made about how and whether communications data is retained, but concludes: "We cannot work without tools."

The language used is temperate, but behind it you sense a passionate argument by a man who understands that there are sections of public opinion which deeply mistrust the security services. 

He asks if it should be accepted "that terrorists should have means of communication that they can be confident are beyond the sight of MI5 or GCHQ acting with proper legal warrant. Does anyone actually believe that?"

It is for Parliament to decide the powers that MI5, MI6, and GCHQ should have, including access to the email of people they suspect of wrongdoing.

That is an ongoing debate which will be revisited when the heads of the three services give evidence to the Intelligence Select Committee next month.

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Rail Fare Price Increases To Be Capped In 2014

The Government is announcing new measures to curb train operators' ability to increase ticket prices in the new year.

Rail companies are able to add an additional 5% to some individual fares - as long as the average rise of regulated fares is maintained at 1% above RPI inflation - but that will now be limited to just 2%.

This means that in January 2014, no regulated fare - which includes season tickets - can go up by more than 6.2%, with the average, as already announced, being limited to 4.2%.

With the new year rise being based on the July 2013 RPI inflation rate, which was 3.2%, some season tickets could have gone up by as much as 9.2% under the old "flexible" system.

The reduction in "flex" is part of the Government's fares and ticketing review published today by Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin.

"By capping fares we are protecting passengers from large rises at a time when family incomes are already being squeezed," he said.

"We will need to wait for the rail industry to calculate individual ticket prices for next year, but this cap could save some commuters as much as £200 a year."

As well as curbing the rise in fares, the review opens the door for future innovations such as the end of paper tickets, a code of conduct for train companies to give passengers the confidence that they are getting the best deal for their journey and a flexible approach to season tickets which could benefit part-time workers.

Mr McLoughlin said: "Today is just the start of a Government-wide programme to help hardworking people and reduce the cost of living.

"The Government will be announcing a range of initiatives to help put money back in people's pockets over the next few weeks.

Campaigners protested against fare hikes in August

"Alongside this, the Government is investing over £16bn to transform our rail network, which will make sure we can respond to increasing passenger demand and drive forward economic growth that will help strengthen our economy."

Anthony Smith, chief executive of rail customer watchdog Passenger Focus, said: "Passengers will be pleased to hear that the amount train companies can raise individual regulated fares by has been limited.

"We have been calling for this to happen for years - it is a step towards a fairer system.

"This will allow passengers to plan with a bit more certainty and have confidence that actual regulated fare rises will bear more relation to the figures set by government."

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Like all these things, the devil is in the detail, but we are pleased the Government has responded to concerns raised by unions and passenger groups over ticket office opening hours and runaway fares.

"However, ministers are still failing to deal with the elephant in the room - the market failure of rail privatisation. This is wasting millions in taxpayers' money every year and is one of the main reasons why fares have become so eye-wateringly expensive."

Mary Creagh, shadow transport secretary said: "Over the last three years David Cameron has failed to stand up for working people, allowing train companies to hit passengers with inflation-busting fare rises of up to nine per cent.

"Far from addressing his failure, this is cold comfort for commuters - it has taken 18 months, delivers fare increases of up to 6% and is too little too late.

"This announcement doesn't go as far as Labour's plans which would prevent train companies from increasing fares beyond 1% above inflation."

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Help To Buy Deal Could Secure 180,000 Loans

Banks are expecting a flood of interest as the latest phase of the Government's Help to Buy scheme is launched.

The move will help homebuyers obtain mortgages worth up to 95% of property values.

And in the latest phase of the controversial scheme 15% of a property's value will be guaranteed by taxpayers, in return for a fee from the lender.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: "Help to Buy is going to make the dream of home ownership a reality for many who would otherwise have been shut out."

Chancellor George Osborne said: "Too many people are still being denied the dream of owning their own home, which is why we have brought forward the launch of this scheme, so as of today borrowers can start applying for a mortgage with a 5% deposit."

Taxpayer-backed Royal Bank of Scotland and its subsidiary NatWest immediately set out mortgage deals under the scheme and announced that 740 of its branches would extend opening hours for two weeks to cope with expected demand.

Halifax and Bank of Scotland, owned by the state-backed Lloyds Banking Group, will start offering loans under the scheme on Friday but the Lloyds brand itself is not taking part.

The Treasury also announced that Virgin Money had signed up while the start-up Aldermore Bank has also said it will join.

Both will take part from January and Aldermore is exploring whether the date can be brought forward.

A Treasury spokesman said the lenders involved so far represented more than 30% of the mortgage market and that more lenders were expected to indicate participation in the coming months.

The scheme had initially not been expected to start until the new year but has been brought forward by three months.

It will offer £12bn in mortgage guarantees over three years and some estimates suggest 180,000 loans could be taken out under the initiative.

An earlier phase of the scheme, offering 20% loans on new-build properties, has already helped more than 15,000 people buy a new home since it was launched six months ago.

Help to Buy is controversial because critics fear it could fuel further rise in a housing market where prices are already rising.

But the Treasury said that while house price inflation stands at 3.3%, it is only 0.8% when the property hotspots of London and the South East are removed.

The new scheme means homebuyers will only have to find as little as 5% on homes worth up to £600,000. Depending on the size of the deposit, the Government will then guarantee up to 15% of the property value in return for a fee from the lender.

Lenders can start offering the mortgages from today, and they will be guaranteed by the Government from January 2014.

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Malaria Vaccine 'Could Be Widespread By 2015'

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

The world's first malaria vaccine could be in widespread use within two years following "significant" results from an ongoing clinical trial.

Researchers have reported at a malaria conference in Durban, South Africa, that the jab continues to protect a substantial proportion of babies and young children 18 months after vaccination.

The mosquito-borne disease kills around 660,000 people every year, most of them children in Sub-Saharan Africa.

British pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), which makes the vaccine, said that it will apply for a licence from the European Medicines Agency next year.

If the vaccine - code-named RTS,S - is confirmed to be safe and effective, the World Health Organisation has indicated that it will support use of the vaccine as soon as 2015.

A South Sudanese man with his daughter, who is being treated for malaria

GSK has vowed to sell the vaccine at cost price plus 5%, which it said would fund further research into tropical diseases.

The new results are from a study of 15,000 babies and children in seven African countries.

They show the vaccine is far from perfect, but still offers significant protection.

Eighteen months after a three-dose vaccination programme, young children were 46% less likely to suffer clinical malaria.

For every 1,000 children vaccinated, 21 cases of severe malaria were prevented, according to the results.

The vaccine was less effective in babies. Infants who had the jabs when they were just a few weeks old were 27% less likely to suffer from malaria.

Scientists will now investigate whether a booster dose can increase protection in the longer term.

Halidou Tinto, one of the study's principle investigators, said the vaccine had "the potential to have a significant public health impact".

"Many millions of malaria cases fill the wards of our hospitals," Dr Tinto said.

"Progress is being made with bed nets and other measures, but we need more tools to battle this terrible disease."

British pharmaceutical company GSK makes the vaccine

GSK chief executive Sir Andrew Witty said: "While we have seen some decline in vaccine efficacy over time, the sheer number of children affected by malaria means that the number of cases of the disease the vaccine can help prevent is impressive.

"These data support our decision to submit a regulatory application for the vaccine candidate which, if successful, would bring us a step closer to having an additional tool to fight this deadly disease."

The development of the jab has been jointly funded by GSK and Bill and Melinda Gates through the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative.

Professor Eleanor Riley from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said if the vaccine is cheap enough it has huge potential.

"It would be great if the vaccine had 80-90% efficacy," she told Sky News.

"But it has taken us 15 years to get this far with this vaccine.

"The question is: can we wait another 15 years before we roll out a vaccine that is going to save lives?"

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Egypt: Dozens Dead After Pro-Morsi Protests

At least 50 people have been killed in Egypt in clashes between security forces and supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi.

The figure, from a health ministry official, comes as Morsi supporters protested in several cities during army celebrations to mark the anniversary of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.

Hundreds of people are also reported to have been wounded.

Journalist Bel Trew, in Cairo, told Sky News the military had been expecting the unrest and described seeing "chaotic side street clashes with lots of gunfire and tear gas".

She added: "There's quite a lot of anger here toward the Morsi supporters by local residents and those who wanted to go to the streets to celebrate their military on this day that Egyptians regard as one of the most proud moments of their history.

"What we're looking at is rival protests on the streets together."

A heavy security presence with tanks and armoured vehicles gathered in Cairo to try to deter the protesters, said Trew.

Supporters of Mr Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood movement had tried to get close to Tahrir Square, where in the past thousands have set up camp in protest against the army's coup.

Protesters in Cairo

But security forces guarded entrances to the square, frisking people arriving for the celebrations.

Mr Morsi, who became Egypt's first democratically elected president, was removed from office in July.

Since then, the military-backed government of General Abdel Fatah al Sisi has cracked down on members of the Brotherhood.

Hundreds of Mr Morsi's supporters were allegedly killed in August as protest camps were cleared, while the government said around 100 members of the security forces also died.

Away from the main squares, Cairo's streets were largely deserted on Sunday, a public holiday to commemorate the October War, known as the Yom Kippur War in Israel.

The conflict is remembered proudly by the Egyptian army because it caught Israel by surprise and led to the recovery of the Sinai Peninsula in a 1979 peace treaty.

Supporters of the Army regime waved flags as warplanes flew over Cairo in a show of force and patriotic songs boomed out from loudspeakers.

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Tories John Randall And Chloe Smith Quit Govt

Deputy Chief Whip John Randall and Cabinet Office Minister Chloe Smith have resigned from the Government, Number 10 has confirmed.

The pair quit ahead of a ministerial reshuffle by Prime Minister David Cameron which is expected today.

The departures increase the scope for Mr Cameron to bring in new faces to his top team - which is tipped to feature more female faces.

Mr Randall, the 58-year-old Conservative MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, said he had indicated at the end of last year he wished to step aside.

He had found himself at the centre of the "Plebgate" row last year, threatening to resign if Andrew Mitchell refused to quit over the affair.

In his resignation letter to the PM, he said it had been "a great privilege and honour" to serve for 13 years in the Whips' Office in opposition and Government.

"I have nothing but the deepest admiration for you as a person, leader and Prime Minister. I will never forget the kind note that you wrote to me when my mother died last year," he said.

"You can be assured that I will do whatever I can for you personally as well as for the party, the Government and of course the country."

The Prime Minister said he "could not have wished for a more loyal, discreet, patient, trustworthy and committed colleague" and that he "had rather hoped this day would never come".

Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to make changes to his top team

"You have been a rock, not just in the Whips Office since 2000 where you have served with great distinction as Assistant and then Deputy Chief Whip, but for the whole Parliamentary Party," he added.

"Your wit and humour are well known across the Party, but so too is your compassion; your dedication to the Party and to Parliament; and your steadfast reliability in good times and bad."

In her letter to the Prime Minister, Ms Smith said: "I have been privileged to serve my country and my party under your leadership.

"However, for the remainder of the Parliament I want to be able to spend more time serving my constituents.

The Norwich North MP infamously endured a toe-curling interview with Jeremy Paxman on BBC Newsnight last year, in which she struggled to explain aspects of the Government's decision to defer a fuel duty rise.

She added: "My constituents have always come first for me, and they know the high standards and hard work that I ask of myself as the Member of Parliament for Norwich North.

"As you know, I was only 27 when I was lucky enough to be elected as an MP, and of my four years in Parliament so far, I have spent three as a minister.

"I would welcome the opportunity to develop other ways of giving public service, both inside and outside Parliament, while continuing to work hard for my constituents."

Last Friday, Simon Burns quit as Transport Minister to launch a bid to be a Commons Deputy Speaker.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Labour leader Ed Miliband are also expeced to reshuffle their respective ministerial teams today.

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Tory MP Wants EU Referendum Before Election

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

The Tories have been plunged into new turmoil over Europe after rebel MP Adam Afriyie announced plans to force a Commons vote on holding an EU referendum next year.

The millionaire Tory MP, who earlier this year was accused of plotting to oust David Cameron, said he will table an amendment to the Bill before Parliament which proposes a referendum in 2017.

He claims voters do not trust the Prime Minister to deliver on his pledge to hold a referendum in 2017 and that delaying until then will build support for the UK Independence Party.

The MP's move is reported to have created panic in Number 10, with allies of Mr Cameron insisting it would not be allowed to pass "in any circumstances". A spokesman added: "The PM will not let it stand."

Adam Afriyie announced his plans in an article for the Mail on Sunday

Mr Afriyie's amendment will call for an "in-out" EU referendum on October 23, 2014, the anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein in the Second World War. It is likely to be debated when the 2017 referendum Bill returns to the Commons on November 8.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, the rebel MP said: "The fact is, the British people are not convinced there will be a referendum at all if we wait until after the next General Election. So many things can change. They don't understand why we can't have one right away - and that makes them suspicious.

"Many people think delaying the vote is just a tactic to allow all the political leaders to kick the can even further down the road."

Downing Street hit back by releasing a statement by James Wharton, the loyalist Tory MP whose private member's Bill proposing a 2017 referendum is supported by the Conservative Party leadership.

James Wharton says the move would delay or even 'kill' the Bill

"Every additional amendment makes it harder and means it will take longer for the Bill to pass," said Mr Wharton.

"This amendment would make it far more difficult to navigate the challenging procedural hurdles we need to overcome and I hope its sponsors might rethink their approach.

"The timing proposed by this amendment is flawed, coming so soon after the Scottish referendum. We need to build as broad a base of support for the Bill as we can if we are to get it through Parliament and the policy of a renegotiation, followed by an 'in-out' referendum, is the right one to do that and the right one for the country.

"I hope MPs will decline to support it as the ultimate impact might be to kill my Bill, which would only help those who don't want any referendum at all."

Mr Wharton's European Union (Referendum) Bill was passed without opposition in the Commons in July after Labour and the Liberal Democrats stayed away from the vote.

But many Tory MPs are expected to be attracted by Mr Afriyie's amendment. In May, 115 Conservative MPs backed a rebel amendment to the Queen's Speech criticising the failure to include a referendum bill in the Government's legislative programme.

In his Mail on Sunday article, Mr Afriyie said: "It's in our national interest to resolve this issue as soon as possible to create the certainty and stability our country needs for the future.

"Only by setting an early date can we kick-start EU renegotiation talks and give the British people what they so clearly want - a say on our country's future with Europe.

"The political establishment are naturally hesitant but we have nothing to fear by giving people a chance to have their say, either way, on our future relationship with Europe."

David Cameron faces a fresh backbench challenge to his EU policy

And openly challenging Mr Cameron, he added: "In reality, the British people are unsure whether the Conservative leadership would be able to stick to its promise of holding a referendum after the election, especially if in coalition once again.

"Many MPs from across all the main parties want an EU referendum in 2014. But for the Conservative Party, I believe the dangers of waiting are significant.

"Mainstream politicians continue to underestimate and dismiss the power and significance of populism - currently expressed in the form of UKIP votes.

"Because at the heart of a populist movement is a legitimate concern unacknowledged by the political establishment.

"By holding an early EU referendum, we would have recognised, embraced and addressed those concerns."

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Key Morecambe Bay Witness Reveals New Life

By Jason Farrell, Sky Correspondent

A key witness in the 2004 Morecambe Bay tragedy has told Sky News about how he has rebuilt his life on the witness protection programme.

It comes as police launch a new national protection scheme, the UK Protected Persons Service, for people who are in danger from criminals.

Li Hua had to change his identity after giving evidence against his gangmaster boss who was accused of manslaughter over the drowning of 21 Chinese cockle pickers in the rising tides of Morecambe Bay.

In a secret location, Li Hua told Sky News: "I was very nervous and very frightened about giving evidence, but I thought about how the police rescued us. Then I thought that in the background the police had been reassuring us, they had been protecting us all this time."

Li Hua also wanted justice for the men who lives had been callously wasted by his boss Lin Liang Ren.

"I thought, someone is leading us to pick cockles, that someone should let us know more about the tide times. Obviously he didn't. He's so irresponsible. He couldn't care less even about people of his own nationality. I totally detest him."  

Li Hua says it was sheer luck that he managed to swim to a sandbank and was rescued by helicopter.

Li Hua said it was sheer luck that he managed to swim to a sandbank

"I was frightened to death. All I thought was about my family in China and I had spent so much money to get here, what would happen now?

"I was desperate, and feeling hopeless. I thought that's it, I'm going to die tonight ... Then I saw the light from the helicopter."

Gangmaster Lin Liang Ren was convicted of 21 counts of manslaughter, facilitating illegal immigration and perverting the course of justice.

Having paid a Snakehead gang the equivalent of £14,000 to come to England, Li Hua feared repercussions and was put on the witness protection programme with his wife and children.

Nine years after the tragedy he now has a new life and runs his own business.

He said: "Life is a bit complicated because since we were under the protection we settled down. There were certain things we could say to friends and some things we just don't speak of. It became automatic.

Gangmaster Lin Liang Ren was convicted of manslaughter and other charges

"But most of the time what occupied my mind was to go on living, because the British government and the police give us this life. So, I think I was more concentrating on work hard, pay tax, make safe and don't make trouble."

The police are launching the UK Protected Persons Service next week which will be run by a national team of specialists, as opposed to local forces.

Police say lessons have been learned from the murder of Joan and John Stirland in August 2004, which was in retaliation for a shooting by Mrs Stirland's son.

The couple were not put on the protection scheme and information wasn't properly shared between forces when they moved home.

Detective Chief Constable Andy Cooke, heading up the new national-coordinated programme, told Sky News: "This is the first time this is going to be done through one approach. Previously, unfortunately, there's been a bit of a postcode lottery as to how you were treated and the training of those people looking after you.

"In some parts of the country there was a highly specialised approach to protecting witnesses and in other parts it wasn't so great. This gives us the ability and manpower to provide the protection to people who need it at the most difficult time of their lives."

Witness protection is a tough life and some refuse to do it.

It is estimated a quarter of prosecutions collapse due to reluctant witnesses, but for Li Hua, who thought he would die in the waters of Morecambe Bay, the family he thought of in that moment is now with him in his new life.

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