Woolwich Trial: 'Killer Nearly Beheaded Soldier'

Lee Rigby's mother and widow have left the Old Bailey in tears after hearing how the soldier was nearly decapitated outside a primary school.

Relatives fled the packed Old Bailey courtroom moments before the jury was shown video footage of the soldier being hit by a car, driven by the alleged killers.

There were gasps from the public gallery as the video showed a Vauxhall Tigra knocking the soldier down before crashing into a road sign.

The court was told that the two men then got out of the car, dragged the unconscious soldier into the street and attacked him with a meat cleaver and knives.

Lee Rigby's widow Rebecca and mother Lyn outside the Old Bailey

The defendants chose to mutilate the soldier in the middle of the road, just yards from a primary school, so people could watch, the court was told.

One witness account, read in court by prosecutor Richard Whittam QC, described how one man "knelt down" by Fusilier Rigby and took hold of his hair.

He then "repeatedly hacked at the right side of his neck", the jury was told.

Another witness described him as being "like a butcher attacking a joint of meat", Mr Whittam added. 

Drummer Rigby walks off the London Underground in his Help for Heroes top

Jurors were also shown a phone camera video clip of one of the alleged killers, Michael Adebolajo, speaking with blood on his hands.

He says: "The only reason we've killed this man today is because Muslims are dying daily by British soldiers.

"This British soldier is one - he is an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."

Speaking into the camera, he went on: "I apologise that women had to witness this today but in our lands our women have to see the same.

The soldier was dragged into the middle of the road before being attacked

"You people will never be safe. Remove your governments - they don't care about you.

"Do you think David Cameron is going to get caught in the street? When we start busting our guns, do you think your politicians are going to die? No, it's going to be the average guy, like you and your children.

"So get rid of them. Tell them to bring our troops back so you can all live in peace. Leave our lands and you will live in peace."

More video footage allegedly showed Adebolajo in an Argos store buying five knives on the day before the attack.

Michael Adebowale (l) and Michael Adebolajo deny murdering Drummer Rigby

On the opening day of the trial, the Old Bailey was told how Mr Rigby was hit by the car from behind as he walked back to Woolwich Barracks on May 22.

Mr Whittam told jurors that Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Adebowale, 22, drove a car "straight at" him at around 30mph to 40mph.

"Both men then dragged his body into the middle of the road," he said.

"They wanted members of the public to see the consequence of what can only be described as their barbarous acts.

A tribute to Lee Rigby, 25, who died in Woolwich, southeast London

"They had committed, you may think, a cowardly and callous murder by deliberately attacking an unarmed man in plain clothes from behind, using a vehicle as a weapon, and then they murdered him and mutilated his body with that meat cleaver and knives."

Adebolajo clutched a copy of the Koran in the dock as the jury was told how he tried to decapitate the soldier while Adebowale stabbed and cut him.

"They both attacked the motionless body of Lee Rigby," Mr Whittam said.

"He was repeatedly stabbed and it appears it was Michael Adebolajo, the first defendant, who made a serious and almost successful attempt to decapitate Lee Rigby with multiple blows to his neck made with the meat cleaver."

Member of Lee Rigby's family arrive at the Old Bailey

The court heard that the two men, who deny murder, were also armed with a gun.

Mr Whittam told the jury of eight women and four men that the firearm was part of the plan the pair had made.

It was used partly to frighten off members of the public before the emergency services arrived, the court heard.

Mr Whittam said that as a police vehicle swung into Artillery Place, both men moved towards it and Adebolajo raised the meat cleaver above his head.

The jury was shown CCTV and mobile phone footage of three armed police officers arriving at the scene in a marked BMW.

The officers - two men and one woman - are seen running from their car before one shoots Adebowale and another uses a Taser on Adebolajo.

Adebolajo and Adebowale both deny murdering Fusilier Rigby, attempting to murder a police officer and conspiracy to murder a police officer on or before May 22.

The trial continues.

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Police Helicopter Crashes Into Glasgow Pub Roof

A police helicopter has crashed into a pub roof on the banks of the River Clyde in Glasgow.

The aircraft came down on The Clutha in Stockwell Street at 10.25pm which was packed with drinkers at the time.

Police Scotland said a crew of two police officers and a civilian pilot were on board the helicopter, but added the force was "not in a position to confirm any details regarding injuries".

One image of the crash on social media sites showed the dark blue helicopter on the roof with yellow "Police" insignia on part of the wreckage.

Two police officers and one civilian pilot were on board the helicopter

Glasgow Royal Infirmary said nine people were being treated at the hospital, but gave no further details on their condition.

Emergency services confirmed search and rescue dogs were assisting police and firefighters, amid reports that people may be trapped in the venue, where a local band were playing on Friday evening.

First Minister Alex Salmond said that given the scale of the Glasgow helicopter crash, "we must all prepare ourselves for the likelihood of fatalities".

Grace MacLean, who was in the pub at the time, told Sky News: "We heard a whoosh and some smoke ... the roof was gradually coming down.

"You couldn't breathe for inhaling a mouthful of dust. You couldn't see anything. You were clawing at the walls to see where the exit is.

"People were helping each other out. People had some head injuries. Lots of people were covered in dust."

Labour's international development spokesman Jim Murphy, who was among those helping the wounded out of the pub, tweeted: "Terrible here in Glasgow Helicopter crashed into roof of pub".

He told Sky News: "I just saw dozens and dozens of people coming out of the pub. It is a horrible, horrible scene.

Those inside the pub gather outside after the crash Pic: Paul Agnew

"The helicopter is currently embedded in the roof of the pub and the emergency services are doing their very, very best to get the people who are still inside the pub, and probably those who were in the helicopter, to safety."

Mr Murphy said people formed a human chain to help pass unconscious people out of the pub so that "inch by inch, we could get the people out".

He said: "I think the building's only about 18ft, 20ft, tall so part of the helicopter is sticking out, but most of the helicopter is in the building."

Connor Gillies, from Radio Clyde News, described the "scenes of chaos" and "continuous stream of sirens" in the area.

"There is panic here, cordons for miles around the area," he told Sky News.

Mr Gillies described seeing "blood on the shirt" of Mr Murphy, who he said was "clearly very shaken, very upset by the whole thing".

Wesley Shearer, who posted pictures on Twitter of the scene, said there had been "talk of fatalities", but this has not been confirmed.

"This is unbelievable," he tweeted shortly after the crash. "Just spent 20 minutes pulling people out of the bar."

Jan Hollands, who also tweeted pictures from the scene, said she heard the crash and described it as "scary".

The Clutha is situated in Stockwell Street in Glasgow

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said there were 15 fire engines at the scene along with specialist services.

Gordon Smart, editor of the Sun's Scottish edition, witnessed the aircraft plunge into the pub.

He told Sky News: "It was a terrifying sight. I was on the roof of a car park, six floors up, getting into my car, about to drive home for the evening. I looked up and saw a helicopter which I think was a police helicopter falling out of the sky.

"It was like a stone dropping from the sky. It landed a few 100 yards from me. Strangely there was no explosion.

"It was just a strange, surreal moment. It looked like it was dropping from a great height, at a great speed.

"There was no fireball and I did not hear an explosion. The engine seemed to be spluttering."

Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: "My thoughts are with everyone affected by the helicopter crash in Glasgow - and the emergency services working tonight."

The Police Roll of Honour Trust tweeted "Our thoughts are with the crew of @policescotland SP99 helicopter that has crashed in Glasgow - hoping everyone is alright."

Glasgow Central Mosque, located close to the pub on the opposite side of the Clyde, tweeted: "Have told emergency crew that we r on standby & can make available mosque & volunteers to assist in any way to aid injured & emergency crew."

More follows...

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Mairead Philpott's Appeal Hearing Televised

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

The father of Mairead Philpott has told Sky News she should not be appealing against her sentence for killing her six children.

The court hearing is due to be televised later.

It will be the most high-profile case to be broadcast since cameras were allowed into the Court of Appeal last month.

Philpott, 33, and family friend Paul Mosley, 46, got 17 years for the manslaughter of the children in a house fire in Derby in May 2012.

Back (l-r) Duwayne and John, Front (l-r) Jack, Jessie, Jade and Jayden

Philpott's husband, Mick, 56, was jailed for life. He has not appealed, and a plan for Mosley to appeal has been abandoned.

Jade Philpott, 10, and her brothers, Duwayne, 13, John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six, and Jayden, five, all died in their bedrooms after a fire swept through the family home on Victory Road in the Allenton area of the city.

Mairead's father, Jimmy Duffy, said she "shouldn't be appealing at all".

He added: "They should be getting on with what they've got."

A letter written in prison from Mairead to her father

Mr Duffy said he was in support of court proceedings being televised.

"Basically they're going to be seen for what they are, in fact they should have televised the whole case if I had my way," he said.

Mr Duffy said his daughter had written to him from prison. In the letter, Philpott said she is "coping as best as I can it's hard but I'm doing ok for now", and signs off, "Hope to hear from you soon, love Mairead xxxxxx".

But Mr Duffy has little sympathy for her.

Mairead is appealing her sentence for killing her children

"I love her, she's my daughter, don't get me wrong, she's my flesh and blood, but I can't forgive her for even having a part in it," he said.

Mosley's sister Angela doesn't think he should have tried to appeal in the first place.

She told Sky News: "If you knew your friend was going to set fire to their house, my first port of call would be to the police station.

"You would do everything in your power to stop the fire but they didn't they carried on, they're guilty."

A wedding photo of Mick and Mairead Philpott

It will be the first time a Court of Appeal hearing has been filmed outside London.

The Lord Chief Justice Sir John Thomas, Mr Justice Flaux and Mr Justice Macduff will hear from legal representatives for Philpott.

They will then go through the sentencing guidelines, and give their judgment.

The house of Victory Road being demolished

It's unlikely that Philpott will be in court, even via video link, and cameras will only focus on the judges and lawyers.

There is also a 70-second delay which will enable any protests to be screened out and ensure that judges have sufficient time to signal to the video-journalist, Matt Nicholls, if they believe any material needs to be removed from the broadcast.

Last month The Lord Chief Justice said: "The bringing of cameras into the Court of Appeal and the recording of its proceedings will enable those to be understood much better by the public as a whole. We hope it will increase confidence in the administration of justice."

Philpott and Mosley were sentenced in April by Mrs Justice Thirlwall who described Mick Philpott as "a disturbingly dangerous man" and said his wife put him "above" her children "and as a result they have died".

She said Mosley must have appreciated the "appalling risk" but was "prepared to go along with the plan".

:: The appeal, scheduled for 10.30am, can be watched on Sky News.

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Energy Bills: Govt Wants Price Freeze Until 2015

The Energy Secretary has written to the big six energy providers asking them to freeze their prices until after the 2015 general election, according to Sky sources.

The call, barring any big increase in wholesale fuel costs, is to try to avoid another round of price rises that could be blamed on Government green levies, industry sources have said.

Annual bills could be cut by around £50 by the move, it is claimed.

Ed Davey has promised to help firms by introducing changes to the green levies that Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne have pledged to "roll back".

Energy Secretary Ed Davey is believed to be seeking a deal with firms

He first wrote to the firms last week and followed-up his appeals with fresh letters this week.

It is understood the companies have so far given no commitment to his proposal.

Ministers are proposing to change the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) - one of the green levies branded "green crap" by a Tory source last week.

The Government wants to be able to announce a pledge or deal in the Autumn Statement on December 5.

The Department of Energy & Climate Change described the claims as speculation, stating there would be no comment on the issue ahead of next week's statement.

Bills are burned during a protest this month against prices and budget cuts

The move comes ahead of a speech by Ed Miliband later in which he will pledge to end the energy "rip-off".

The Labour leader is to call for a tough new regulator with powers to order firms to pass on wholesale savings to customers, and intervene in the market to ensure they get good value in the future.

An independent Energy Security Board would be created modelled on the Office for Budget Responsibility, to help draw up and implement a timetable for building energy capacity and ensure the lights stay on.

He will also promise action to boost competition among suppliers, simplify bills for customers and "secure energy which is affordable and available".

Labour leader Ed Miliband is to pledge to end the energy "rip-off"

The shake-up - described by Mr Miliband as the biggest since privatisation in the 1980s - would be implemented during the 20-month price freeze he has pledged if Labour wins the general election.

Launching the party's energy green paper at Manchester Town Hall, Mr Miliband will refer to the famous "Tell Sid" campaign advertising British Gas privatisation under Margaret Thatcher.

"In the past three years it has become clear to everyone but this government that the energy market is broken," he is expected to say.

"Prices are rising year on year without justification. And Britain is not getting the investment in energy we need to secure supplies for the future...

"We have a new message for Sid: We will freeze your bills for 20 months. We will reset the market with real competition and proper regulation so that prices are affordable. We will secure the investment we need.

"We will stop you being ripped off and, together, we will power Britain into the next century."

Other commitments include preventing power generation companies doing exclusive deals with their retail arms and ensuring all environmental and policy levies on bills are delivering "value for money".

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Nigella Lawson Called 'Habitual Criminal'

TV cook Nigella Lawson has been described in court as a "habitual criminal", a day after her ex-husband Charles Saatchi accused her of taking drugs.

The latest claim was made as lawyers argued over whether the trial should go ahead of two of their former employees charged with fraud.

Francesca Grillo, 35, and Elisabetta Grillo, 41, are accused of using a company credit card to buy goods and services for themselves worth some £300,000 while working as their personal assistants.

The Grillo sisters deny the charges and claim Ms Lawson was aware of this expenditure all along.

Elisabetta and Francesca Grillo

But the defendants' lawyers argued the case should not go ahead due to the "manipulation of the court process" by Ms Lawson and Mr Saatchi, who had a high-profile divorce earlier this year.

Isleworth Crown Court earlier heard Mr Saatchi allege Ms Lawson was so high on drugs she was unaware what she had permitted the Italian sisters to spend money on.

Anthony Metzer QC, for Elisabetta Grillo, argued the case should be dropped as the women would not be able to receive a fair trial as Ms Lawson and Mr Saatchi were at "loggerheads" and the alleged drug use damaged the celebrity cook's "credibility as an honest witness".

He said if the trial did go ahead "it's a convenient forum for Mr Saatchi and Ms Lawson to rehearse disputed issues between them ... in the criminal courts where, of course, the possibility of libel is not possible".

Mr Saatchi alleged Ms Lawson had a cocaine habit

Referring to allegations of drug use by Ms Lawson, Mr Metzer said: "If Mr Saatchi is telling the truth, then Ms Lawson is a habitual criminal."

He added: "The defendants' case is that Nigella Lawson lied to her ex-husband about her drug use and about the expenditure that was incurred by the defendants, both expressly and implicitly, because she was fearful of Mr Saatchi's reaction if he knew about the extent of the expenditure and drug use.

"There was a culture of secrecy within Nigella Lawson's marriage."

Prosecutor Jane Carpenter, who argued against dropping the case, said: "The suggestion that these defendants are sacrificial lambs in order to discredit Ms Lawson I do not accept at all."

After hearing submissions, Judge Robin Johnson ruled the trial should go ahead.

Ms Lawson reached out to her fans by posting a recipe for "Holiday Hotcake" on Twitter, which she described as "the perfect recipe to show thanks for all your support & to those who hashtag #teamNigella".

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Football Match Fixing Claims: Six Arrested

Six people have been arrested on suspicion of fixing British football matches, including at least three current footballers.

Police are investigating an Asian betting syndicate, with the National Crime Agency arresting the six men in the last two days.

One of the people arrested is understood to be a former Premier League footballer who now works as an agent.

The investigation follows an undercover investigation by the Daily Telegraph newspaper, which recorded one alleged fixer offering to rig two games.

"These games, we understand, are outside the Premier League and outside the Football League, so right down in the lower leagues," says Sky News Sports Correspondent Paul Kelso.

In the undercover filming, the alleged fixer says: "So I talk to them. Double confirm. I also tell them, I tell….this (is) what I want…Because simple I commit myself and they commit.

"So you tell me how many goals…Give me at least five. Ok I do need five. Either 3-2, 4-0, 4-1, I will say I do it for that, for me four is enough."

In another part of the secret filming the alleged fixer claims that the footballers are not difficult to persuade.

"What the players want … they want the money," the man says.

"So for 90 minutes I pay them £7,000 ... definitely they take."

The cost of fixing games in England is "very high", the man in the video adds, saying that the usual rate to bribe the players is £70,000.

The Daily Telegraph says the alleged fixer backed up his claims by correctly forecasting the outcome of three matches by the same team.

"I know what they're going to do ... I know because they all tell me every time," the man reportedly said.

The six people arrested are being held under the Bribery and Fraud Acts at a Midlands police station.

The National Crime Agency said the focus of its investigation is "a suspected international illegal betting syndicate".

Gambling on the matches is thought to take place on Asian-based betting services and so far investigators to do not believe British betting markets are involved.

The Football Association told Sky News: "The FA has been made aware of a number of arrests in relation to a National Crime Agency investigation.

"We have worked closely with the authorities in relation to the investigation.

"The FA will make no further comment due to it being an on-going investigation."

Sky News Sports Correspondent Paul Kelso said fixers were likely to target the lower leagues because the players do not get paid large sums.

"Such is the scale of the betting markets, particularly in Asia - where they are unregulated and often illegal - there are huge profits to be made, even from these small games," said Kelso.

"Rumours around the targeting of lower league games have been rife for a long time," he adds.

"In February this year the FA wrote to all the clubs in the Conference - the fifth tier and below of English football - reminding them of the betting rules because there were suggestions from within the gambling industry that huge amounts of money relatively, hundreds of thousands of pounds, were being gambled on games played in front of a few hundred people."

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Lostprophets' Ian Watkins Admits Rape Attempts

Former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins has admitted a string of sex offences, including two charges of attempting to rape a baby.

The singer had faced 24 sex-offence charges but pleaded guilty to 11 of them at the last minute, nine of which were unchanged and two of attempted rape of an infant, which were downgraded from actual rape.

The charges included sexually touching a one-year-old and encouraging a mother to abuse her own child during a webcam chat. Watkins also admitted possessing and making child abuse images as well as being behind the plot to rape the child.

Watkins told his co-accused he wanted a "summer of filthy child porn"

Watkins, 36, from Pontypridd, south Wales, insisted he had no memory of what would have been key video evidence at the trial showing him abusing his victim, the court heard.

Prosecuting QC Chris Clee said camcorder footage shot in a London hotel room showed Watkins perform a sex act on the child. Computer analysts found the footage had been uploaded to an online storage facility.

Mr Clee said that following this meeting, Watkins and his co-accused - a woman who cannot be named for legal reasons - exchanged emails about how they would not go "easy" on the child next time.

The singer appeared to shake as sentence was discussed in court

The court also heard details of a plot to turn babies in subservient sex slaves using hard drugs.

Watkins and the woman swapped messages where they discussed plans to blow crystal-meth smoke into the child's face at a secret meet up in a Cardiff hotel.

On March 23, Watkins sent the woman a message saying he wanted a "summer of filthy child porn" and how he wanted to take things "to the next level" and spoke of a desire to "cross the line".

The disgraced rocker was originally charged with actual rape but insisted sex with the child did not take place. Mr Clee told the judge that both attempted rape admissions were accepted and acknowledged there was an argument regarding what the video evidence seized from Watkins's laptop actually showed.

The Lostprophets split up several months after Watkins' arrest

"From the footage, there is an argument as to whether the full offence is made out," he told judge Mr Justice Royce.

"If it is made out, it is minimal. There is so little difference between the full attempt and the attempt as to make no difference. We are prepared to accept the pleas as tendered."

Mr Clee also told the judge that the prosecution had in mind the effect on the jury of watching the explicit video footage.

Catrin Evans, head of the complex casework unit at the Crown Prosecution Service Wales, said: "The three defendants in this case have admitted very serious sexual offences committed against extremely young children, demonstrating sexual exploitation at its worst."

Watkins will be sentenced on December 18

Detective Chief Inspector Peter Doyle described the case as "the most shocking and harrowing child abuse evidence I have ever seen".

"There is no doubt in my mind that Ian Watkins exploited his celebrity status in order to abuse young children," he said.

He added: "Two very young children have been removed from this abuse and given a future that would otherwise have been denied them.

"The investigation has been extremely complex and challenging with key information and evidence being identified from witnesses worldwide.

"A significant amount of electronic data has been retrieved from computers and web-based storage which has provided crucial evidence to support the case.

"Today's outcome does not mark the end of our investigations and we will work tirelessly to identify any other victims or witnesses and seek the justice they deserve."

As talk of sentence was discussed in court, a pale faced and grey-haired Watkins began shaking in the dock. He will be sentenced on December 18.

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Haitian Refugees Cling To Capsized Freighter

The US Coast Guard is trying to rescue nearly 100 Haitian refugees whose overloaded vessel capsized off the Bahamas.

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force says at least 20 migrants may have been killed after the 40ft freighter grounded and capsized about 15 nautical miles southwest of Staniel Cay.

The vessel ran aground on Monday night. Pic: US Coast Guard

Interviews with migrants suggested the death toll could reach as many as 30 people.

Video and images released by the Coast Guard shows the migrants clinging to the hull of the boat.

Officials say at least 10 refugees have died. Pic: US Coast Guard

The Royal Bahamian Defence Force, which first reported the incident, is aiding in the rescue effort.

Helicopters hoisted 13 people from the water after deploying a mass rescue raft, the Coast Guard said.

Rescue teams have dropped rafts and supplies. Pic: US Coast Guard

Food, supplies and an additional eight life rafts were dropped to provide immediate relief for the refugees.

Staniel Cay is in the Exumas, a Bahamian island chain east of Nassau.

Haitian migrants have long passed through the archipelago east of Florida on overloaded vessels seeking to settle in the Bahamas or reach the US.

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Sandy Hook Gunman Obsessed With Columbine

The gunman who carried out last year's Connecticut school shooting was obsessed with mass killings, investigators have said.

Twenty children and six adults were killed by Adam Lanza on December 14 but his motive may never be known conclusively.

State Attorney Stephen Sedensky III said there was no clear indication why the 20-year-old gunman chose Sandy Hook Elementary as his target other than the fact that it was close to his home.

Twenty children and six adults were killed in the shooting at Sandy Hook

The summary of the investigation said Lanza had an obsession with mass murders, in particular the April 1999 shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado.

Lanza had significant mental health issues that affected his ability to live a normal life and interact with others but did not affect his mental state for the crimes.

He "was undoubtedly afflicted with mental health problems", Mr Sedensky wrote.

Adam Lanza committed suicide after killing 26 people at the school

"Yet despite a fascination with mass shootings and firearms, he displayed no aggressive or threatening tendencies.

"Some recalled that the shooter had been bullied but others, including many teachers, saw nothing of the sort."

The mother of slain teacher Victoria Soto said in a statement that nothing could make sense of the shooting.

Donna Soto said: "Yes, we have read the report, (but) no, we cannot make sense of why it happened.

The shooting rampage sent shockwaves around the world

"We don't know if anyone ever will. We don't know if we will ever be whole again, we don't know if we will go a day without pain, we don't know if anything will ever make sense again."

Lanza killed his mother inside their Newtown home before driving to Sandy Hook Elementary and carrying out the killings.

He then committed suicide as police arrived.

A timeline released with the report indicated that nearly six minutes passed between the arrival of the first Newtown police officer and the time officers entered the school.

Demolition of the elementary school began in October

The report said law enforcement officers were operating under the belief there may have been more than one shooter.

Mr Sedensky released his report amid an ongoing court battle over the release of the 911 tapes associated with the shooting.

The withholding of the recordings, which are routinely released in other cases, has been the subject of a legal battle between The Associated Press and Mr Sedensky before the state's Freedom of Information Commission.

A Connecticut judge said on Monday he will listen to the tapes before ruling on whether they can be publicly released.

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Couple Arrested Over Slave Claim 'Named'

The couple suspected of holding three women in London for more than 30 years have been named as Aravindan and Chanda Balakrishnan.

A senior council source confirmed the pair were arrested last week by police amid allegations they held the women for decades and inflicted "physical and mental abuse".

The couple, aged 73 and 67, are believed to have been well-known to the police in the 1970s after setting up a communist squat, the Mao Zedong Memorial Centre, in Acre Lane, Brixton in 1976.

Balakrishnan, who was known as Comrade Bala, was a former member of the national executive committee of the Communist party of England (Marxist-Leninist) but documents show he was suspended from the party in 1974 for pursuing "conspiratorial and splittist activities".

Documents also show how in 1978 police raided the Mao Zedong Memorial Centre arresting 14 members of the organisation, including Aravindan Balakrishnan and wife Chanda, referred to as Comrade Chanda.

A source at Lambeth Council said the couple were believed to have been in the property for around 10 years after moving there from a council property, and concerns had previously been raised with police about the education of the youngest woman.

Scotland Yard would not comment on the claims, but previously said two of the victims met the male suspect through a "shared political ideology", living with him at an address that was effectively called a "collective".

The alleged victims - a 30-year-old Briton, a 57-year-old Irishwoman and a 69-year-old Malaysian - are now in the care of a specialist non-governmental organisation.

Speaking earlier, Metropolitan Police commander Steve Rodhouse said: "We believe that two of the victims met the male suspect in London through a shared political ideology, and that they lived together at an address that you could effectively call a 'collective'.

"The people involved, the nature of that collective and how it operated is all subject to our investigation and we are slowly and painstakingly piecing together more information. I will not give any further information about it.

"Somehow that collective came to an end and the women ended up continuing to live with the suspects.

"How this resulted in the women living in this way for over 30 years is what we are seeking to establish, but we believe emotional and physical abuse has been a feature of all the victims' lives."

The case came to light after the Irishwoman rang the Freedom Charity last month to say she had been held against her will.

Scotland Yard said that part of the agreement on October 25 when the women were removed from the address was that police would not take any action at that stage.

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Ministers To Unveil £900m Student Loan Sale

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

Nearly £1bn of student loans will be offloaded by the Government to a private debt collection agency on Monday in a move likely to stoke renewed controversy over coalition sell-offs.

Sky News can reveal that ministers will announce to the London Stock Exchange that the Government has agreed a deal to privatise a £900m portfolio of loans made to students who were enrolled at universities during the 1990s.

The disposal, to a debt recovery specialist, will be for a fraction of the debts' face value, and encompasses mortgage-style loans that are the last of their kind still in public ownership.

The sale, which does not include Income Contingent Repayment loans like the ones currently offered, comes as student groups step up their protest over the disposal of the loan portfolios.

The Coalition is drawing up plans to sell the entire outstanding student loan-book, which has a face value of roughly £40bn.

Investment bankers from Barclays and Rothschild were appointed by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) last month to oversee the sale, which more than 15,000 people have signed an online petition to oppose.

Danny Alexander, the chief secretary to the Treasury, said during the summer that the Government hoped to raise £10bn from the sale of corporate and financial assets such as the student loan book by 2020.

Speaking in March, when the mortgage-style student loan auction was initiated, David Willetts, the universities and science minister, said: "Selling the remaining mortgage-style student loans will allow us to reduce public debt and maximise the value of one of the Government's assets.

"The private sector's expertise makes it well-placed to collect this debt and the sale will also help the Student Loans Company (SLC) to concentrate on providing loans to current students."

The low recovery rate on the 1990s loans means the sale price is likely to be only in the tens of millions of pounds, reflecting the distressed nature of the debts, people close to the situation said on Sunday.

The deal will come at a sensitive time, just weeks after Royal Mail was floated with a valuation of £3.3bn.

On Wednesday, Royal Mail will present its maiden results as a listed company, while Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, will make a further appearance before the BIS Select Committee amid allegations that the postal operator was sold too cheaply.

The Government insisted that bidders for the £900m loan portfolio, which was given the codename Project Ariel, would be assessed against a strict set of criteria, although it did not say publicly what these would be.

It added that the terms and conditions for borrowers whose loans were included in the sale would not change.

The mortgage-style loans were available between 1990 and 1998, with two tranches sold in 1998 and 1999. Repayments on them can be deferred for a year at a time if borrowers' income is below 85% of the national average earnings.

"The remaining loans owned by the Government are mostly in deferment or in arrears, so total annual repayments are low," BIS said in March, adding that it was likely to receive significantly less than £900m from a buyer.

A BIS spokeswoman declined to comment while the Student Loans Company referred questions to the Government.

PricewaterhouseCoopers, which has been handling the auction, also declined to comment.

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Iran Nuclear Deal Reached At Talks In Geneva

An agreement has been reached between Iran and six world powers to curb Tehran's nuclear programme in exchange for limited sanctions relief.

The deal, announced by European Union policy chief Catherine Ashton, is a first step towards resolving a decade-old stand-off between Tehran and the West.

The agreement between the Islamic state and the US, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia was nailed down after more than four days of negotiations in Geneva.

US President Barack Obama said it was an important first step towards a comprehensive solution to Iran's nuclear programme.

William Hague hailed the agreement as 'very important and encouraging'

He said Iran could not use its next-generation centrifuges under the deal and the limitations under the agreement "cut off Iran's most likely paths to a bomb".

He added that if Iran did not meet its commitments during a six-month period, the US would turn off sanctions relief and "ratchet up the pressure".

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised the nuclear deal as an "historic mistake" and reserved his country's right to defend itself.

"Today the world became a much more dangerous place because the most dangerous regime in the world made a significant step in obtaining the most dangerous weapons in the world," he said.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iran's Mohammed Javad Zarif

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the agreement recognises Tehran's "rights" to maintain a nuclear programme, and it would "never" seek atomic weapons.

The country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said: "This can be the basis for further intelligent actions. Without a doubt the grace of God and the prayers of the Iranian nation were a factor in this success."

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron said the deal leaves Tehran further from getting a nuclear weapon and "demonstrates how persistent diplomacy and tough sanctions can together help us to advance our national interest".

Foreign Secretary William Hague said the agreement was "very important and encouraging", adding that it meant "the nuclear programme won't move forward for six months".

However, he acknowledged that "legitimate concerns" remained.

The Iranian foreign minister got a hero's welcome back in Tehran

He and US Secretary of State John Kerry discussed the deal, as well as the latest developments in Syria, during talks in London on Sunday.

Speaking in London, Mr Kerry said: "This could not have happened if our friends had not come together to create sanctions and force sanctions and to press this agreement.

"Now the really hard part begins; the effort to get the comprehensive agreement in terms of verification, transparency and accountability.

"We are determined to work together. We will start today to continue the efforts out of Geneva. President Obama could not be more grateful for David Cameron's support."

High purity uranium stockpiles will be destroyed or diluted

Mr Kerry offered assurances to Israel over the nuclear agreement, saying it would make the Jewish state safer over the next six months because the world would have "insights" into Iran's nuclear programme.

President Obama also telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the deal, said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.

He said the US was looking forward to consulting with Israel over ongoing negotiations with Iran.

Speaking on Iran's Press TV, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the deal was an opportunity for the West to restore trust with the Iranian nation.

He said Tehran would expand co-operation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog.

European Union policy chief Baroness Catherine Ashton and Javad Zarif

The easing of sanctions could boost Iran's economy by up to $7bn (£4.3bn).

In return, it has committed to stop uranium enrichment above a purity of 5% - enough for medical use and nuclear power, Iran's stated goal, but not enough for a weapon.

Any uranium it has above 20%, which is close to the level needed for weapons, will be destroyed or diluted. 

Equipment capable of enriching weapons-grade uranium will also be switched off and the deal calls for intrusive UN nuclear inspections.

The agreement has sparked fears in Israel, said Sky's Middle East Correspondent Sam Kiley.

"Israel's economy minister Naftali Bennett has said this deal could result in the use of suitcase nuclear devices five years down the line. It could be traced to this historic moment," he said.

"What they're really saying is that the international community, the world's diplomats, have been suckered by Iran in the same way that the international community was successfully suckered, let's face it, by the North Koreans who agreed to a similar deal to downscale their nuclear programme, and after a few months went by actually demonstrated that they had developed a nuclear weapon in secret.

"That is precisely what worries the Israelis."

Diplomacy was stepped up after the landslide election of Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate, as Iranian president in June, replacing nationalist Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

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London 'Slavery': Neighbours' Shock At Claims

People living near to a house where three women were allegedly held as slaves for more than three decades have spoken of their shock at the claims.

The women - a 69-year-old from Malaysia, a 57-year-old from Ireland and a 30-year-old Briton - were taken from the property in Brixton, south London, last month after calling a support charity asking for help.

Police said the women, two of whom who lived in a "collective" with a 67-year-old man they met through a "shared political ideology", had suffered "emotional and physical abuse".

The man and a woman, also 67, who came to the UK in the 1960s and are of Indian and Tanzanian origin, were arrested and released on bail.

Commander Steve Rodhouse, of the Metropolitan Police, said: "Somehow that collective came to an end and the women ended up continuing to live with the suspects.

"How this resulted in the women living in this way for over 30 years is what are seeking to establish, but we believe emotional and physical abuse has been a feature of all the victims' lives."

As police carried out door-to-door inquiries to establish more details about the alleged victims, neighbours described the area around the block in Peckford Place, where the women had been living, as a "quiet" area.

One woman, who gave her name only as Valerie, said: "Seeing all this going on is quite surprising to me. It's shocking really."

Abdul Rogers said many people did not speak to each other, adding: "I don't even know my next door neighbour. If I met them on the street now I would not be able to tell it was my next door neighbour, which is not good for community cohesion."

Investigators believe the youngest of the alleged victims may have spent her entire life as a domestic slave.

Cmdr Rodhouse said police had found her birth certificate but no further documentation.

"We believe she has lived with the suspects and the other victims all her life, but of course at this early stage we are still seeking out evidence," she said.

The woman who called Freedom Charity asking for help said she had been held against her will for more than 30 years.

Aneeta Prem, who founded the organisation, said it had seen an "extraordinary" rise in calls to its helpline since the rescue of the three women came to light.

"These women have had traumatic and distributing experiences," she said.

"What needs to happen now is that the three victims, who have begun a long process of recovery, are able to go through their rehabilitation undisturbed, without being identified."

Scotland Yard revealed that as part of an agreement made when the women were removed from the address on October 25, police were to take no further action.

Officers said they were taking "every step" to protect the "emotionally fragile and highly vulnerable" victims.

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Iran: Nuclear Deal Reached In Geneva

An agreement over Iran's controversial nuclear programme has been reached between Tehran and six world powers meeting in Geneva.

"We have reached agreement between E3+3 and Iran," the European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said.

France's foreign minister Laurent Fabius said the agreement would see the curtailment of Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. 

The agreement comes on the fifth day of talks in Geneva.

Foreign ministers from the six powers, including US Secretary of State John Kerry, had jetted into Geneva for the second time in two weeks on Saturday after negotiators made good progress.

However, hopes the agreement would be reached quickly faded as the talks dragged on throughout the day.

The announcement of the agreement finally came in the early hours of Sunday morning.

In particular, negotiations appeared to snag on Iran's insistence to have its "right" to enrich uranium formally recognised by the six powers, something Western countries strictly opposed.

More follows...

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