Kenya Blasts As Britons Warned To Leave

Two bombs have exploded in a busy market in the Kenyan capital as hundreds of British tourists prepare to return to the UK amid warnings of a "high threat" of terrorism.

At least 13 people were killed and more than 70 others wounded in the blasts on a minibus and in Nairobi's Gikomba Market.

Kenya's National Disaster Operation Centre said the explosions, condemned by Foreign Secretary William Hague as "appalling acts of violence", were caused by homemade bombs and that one person had been arrested.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has warned Britons of a "high threat" of terrorism.

The scene of one of two explosions in Nairobi

Similar advice has been issued by the governments of France, Australia and the US, prompting travel company Thomson to begin evacuating its 400 customers from the country.

Holidaymakers are being advised to leave unless there is "an essential reason to remain".

A Sky News source said the threat was not specific to British people and no precise plot had been uncovered.

"The advice to consider leaving is due to a general worsening of the security situation over time," the source said.

Thomson is said to be flying all of its 400 customers back to the UK

Another source claimed there was "an increased threat to Western nationals since Westgate" - a reference to the attack on the Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi last September by the Somali militant group al Shabaab in which at least 67 people died.

The FCO website has a map of Kenya marking the areas of concern. These include anywhere within 60km of the Kenya-Somali border, the Eastleigh area of Nairobi and Mombasa Island.

The advisory does not cover tourist areas of Diani or Moi international airport which serves the city of Mombasa.

The areas of concern, according to the FCO website

Explaining the threat, the advice reads: "There is a high threat from terrorism, including kidnapping. The main threat comes from extremists linked to al Shabaab, a militant group that has carried out attacks in Kenya in response to Kenya's military intervention in Somalia.

"There has been a spate of small-scale grenade, bomb and armed attacks in Nairobi (especially the area of Eastleigh), Mombasa, and North Eastern Province."

The US cited hotels, nightclubs and shopping centres in Mombasa as possible targets.

The Foreign Office has warned against all but essential travel

One flight carrying returning holidaymakers arrived in Gatwick airport on Friday morning and another was due in late on Friday. They had been scheduled to fly on May 20 and 27.

Kenyan authorities have pledged to beef up security but insisted visitors were safe.

Karanja Kibicho, principal secretary at Kenya's foreign affairs department, said the advisories were "obviously unfriendly acts".

An attack on a market area in Mombasa on May 4 killed seven people

Interior ministry spokesman Mwenda Njoka added: "The threats are perpetual, we are at war. But we have not received any specific threat on the hotels."

The latest bombings follow explosions in Nairobi and Mombasa on May 3 and 4, which Kenya blames on al Shabaab. Seven people were killed.

Thomson and First Choice have announced they are suspending all flights to Mombasa for six months. 

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Couple 'Took Overdose To Delay Extradition'

By Joe Tidy, Sky News Reporter

A couple who are facing extradition to the US on fraud charges took a drugs overdose to delay or stop the process, a judge has ruled.

Grandparents Paul and Sandra Dunham, from Northampton, were remanded in custody after appearing at Westminster Magistrates Court accused of breaching bail.

The court heard the couple, both 58, spent Wednesday evening saying goodbye to relatives and were due to report to a police station the following morning to begin the extradition process.

They were hopeful of a last-minute reprieve from Home Secretary Theresa May but when news came that, despite months of appeals, they would indeed be flying to the US, Mrs Dunham took between 12 and 14 sleeping pills.

Her husband found her ill and took 47 paracetamol tablets.

Senior District Judge Howard Riddle said the couple had taken enough drugs to cause themselves real harm, despite Mrs Dunham telling a nurse at Northampton General Hospital it had been a "cry for help".

He ruled there was a "substantial" risk the Dunhams would harm themselves again if released on bail pending extradition.

"There is simply no other conclusion I can reach on the face of it than at the very least it was to delay or prevent the (extradition) process from taking place," the judge added.

Mr Dunham was indicted on 13 counts of fraud and money laundering by a grand jury in the US state of Maryland in December 2011.

His wife is accused of eight counts of fraud and of aiding and abetting her husband.

The allegations date back to between 1999 and 2009 when Mr Dunham worked in the US as the head of manufacturing firm Pace.

The court was told psychiatric tests on the couple after they were admitted to hospital found no acute mental illness.

Mrs May has ordered attempts to extradite the Dunhams be put on hold for at least two weeks.

The judge said: "In 14 days or thereabouts, a decision will be taken that extradition is imminent and, at that stage, despite the protestations that they won't, there is a real risk they will take steps to harm themselves."

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Rolf Harris 'Barked Before Groping Teenager'

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

Rolf Harris crouched on all fours and barked like a dog before groping a teenage waitress, a court has heard.

A woman who says she was molested by the entertainer when she was 13 or 14 years old told a jury she was working as a waitress at It's A Celebrity Knockout when she was asked to investigate a "barking dog noise".

The woman, who is 52 and cannot be named, said she went outside at the event - held in Cambridge in 1975 - and saw Harris on all fours barking at a dog.

She said she was "slightly awestruck" to see Harris and he came up to her and put "his left hand on my left shoulder".

The witness said: "I couldn't believe what was going on, this famous person was putting his arm around me.

"I was nervous then he moved and went up and down my back, over my bottom. It happened quite a few times. It was uncomfortable.

"I was too young to understand. It was like groping. Very firm. He squeezed it a few times."

The woman added: "I was completely frozen. I knew it was wrong. I didn't move. I was extremely embarrassed. He was not the slightest embarrassed."

She added she went to the police after the Savile revelations and after Harris' name emerged because "it happened to me and it would help back up someone else."

Rolf Harris' wife Alwen was not in court to hear the latest witnesses

Earlier, a woman told the court how she threw away a Rolf Harris autograph in disgust after he allegedly indecently assaulted her when she was a young girl.

Harris, 84, is said to have touched the seven or eight-year-old girl's back, before running his "big, hairy" hand down her bottom and between her legs.

The woman, now 52, was among dozens of children who had queued to get his autograph after he performed his hit song Two Little Boys.

But she was left so shocked and scared after he touched her the she threw the piece of paper away after the incident at a community centre in Portsmouth, which she said happened in around 1969.

Speaking from behind a screen, the woman told jurors at Southwark Crown Court: "It was so quick, I thought 'what's just happened?' More or less instantly his hand was back again.

"Straight up between my legs, aggressively, forcefully, as if it didn't matter if it was going to hurt me, I knew then it wasn't an accident."

The woman went on: "I understood it was wrong. I wanted to get away. I wanted to scream out 'what are you doing?' but it wouldn't come out."

"He scared me. His eyes were fixed. He was carrying on as if nothing had happened," she said.

The woman said even now, years later, she still cried when she heard the song Two Little Boys.

She said she later told her husband and children that Harris was a ''dirty old man'' who had ''touched her up as a child".

Under cross-examination from Ms Sonia Woodley QC, she denied suggestions that Harris had not been to the community centre and that she had not been indecently assaulted by him.

Harris, of Bray, Berkshire, is accused of indecently assaulting four girls and women between 1968 and 1986 and denies the 12 charges.

The trial continues.

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Fury Over Mine Safety As Turkey Buries Dead

Thousands of protesters have clashed with riot police in several Turkish cities as relatives began to bury those killed in the country's deadliest industrial disaster.

Demonstrators are angry at the government's failure to address safety concerns within Turkey's mining industry, which employs more than 113,000 people.

Police fired water cannon at protesters in the capital Ankara and in Istanbul, a day after grieving residents heckled Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as he toured Soma.

The first funerals have been held for those killed in the underground blast

Many people are furious at what they see as the government's close ties to mining tycoons, and its failure to ensure safety standards within the industry.

Emergency workers have been battling toxic fumes in their frantic search at the scene of the disaster in Soma, some 300 miles (480km) southwest of Istanbul.

Some 283 miners have so far been confirmed dead, however the death toll is expected to rise as families lose hope of finding any of the estimated 150 miners still feared trapped.

A protester is kicked by an adviser to Turkey's PM during trouble in Soma

The last survivor was brought out more than 24 hours ago.

Rows of graves have been dug to bury those killed in what has become Turkey's worst mining disaster.

Security was tightened at the site for a visit of the country's President Abdullah Gul, with officials anxious to avoid a repeat of the anger which greeted Mr Erdogan on Wednesday, when his car was mobbed by protesters.

There have been fresh clashes in Turkey following the disaster

Pictures have emerged of that visit which show Yusuf Yerkel, an adviser to the prime minister, kicking a demonstrator as he is held on the ground by police officers.

Mr Yerkel released a statement on the incident which read: "I am sad I was not able to maintain my composure despite all the provocations, the insults and attacks to which I was exposed."

Miners have been staging a strike in protest at the tragedy.

Scores of graves have been dug close to the mine to bury the dead

The accident has become a focal point of wider dissent against the ruling administration, which has been in power for 11 years, with violent clashes in Istanbul and Ankara.

The government said 787 people were inside the coal mine at the time of the explosion, and 363 have been rescued, including many who were injured.

But some families have cast doubt on the official figures.

The visit of Turkish President Abdullah Gul took place amid tight security

Those still trapped are thought to be some 1.2 miles (2km) below the surface and 2.5 miles (4km) from the mine entrance.

As thousands of anxious relatives waited for news, Mr Erdogan was accused of ignoring warnings over safety at the coal pit.

A convoy containing his car was attacked by crowds and he was forced to seek refuge in a supermarket, surrounded by police.

With tensions running high, protesters shouted for him to resign and said he was a "murderer" and a "thief".

Protesters have accused Mr Erdogan of ignoring safety concerns

And Mr Erdogan's attempt to downplay the disaster at a news conference did little to quell the anger.

While he declared three days of national mourning and ordered flags to be lowered to half-mast, the Turkish leader said such accidents were not uncommon and happened in other countries, even highlighting cases in 19th century Britain.

Mr Erdogan said: "These types of things in mines happen all the time.

"It's in its nature. It's not possible for there to be no accidents in mines. Of course we were deeply pained by the extent here."

The public backlash over the disaster could threaten Mr Erdogan's presidential ambitions ahead of the August election.

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'Too Many Hospital Patients Are Dying In Pain'

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs and Education Editor

Too many patients in English hospitals are dying in pain and not being consulted about the end of their lives, says a new report.

The Royal College of Physicians found fewer than half of all patients received pain relief in the last 24 hours of their life, despite the view of some medical professionals that around 80% of patients are likely to need painkillers.

In the vast majority of cases doctors and nurses knew when a patient was in the last days of their life but did not discuss this with the patient themselves.

"50% of people who die in England do so in hospitals, but we found that this is still not core business for hospitals," said Dr Kevin Stewart, clinical director at the Royal College of Physicians.

"Many patients have a satisfactory experience, but there are still far too many for whom this is a very negative experience, and we don't want that to happen."

One hospice director said consulting patients about the end of their life was a key part of their care.

"We consult very closely with patients and families trying to anticipate with them what's going to happen," said Dr Ros Taylor, director at the Hospice of St Francis.

"Most people want to know where they're going to die. They really want to know what support is available.

"Most people cope very well with that conversation if it's held at that time with the right people.

"I think it's a really serious issue in hospitals because about a quarter of a million people die in hospitals at the moment.

"We hope that those numbers will decrease so that more people can die at home, but at the moment those numbers are enormous, so the quality of care has to improve."

The report surveyed 6,580 people who died in 149 hospitals in England in May 2013, and 858 bereaved relatives.

The NHS said it was considering the findings.

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Turkey Mine Disaster: Clashes After 274 Killed

Protesters are facing off with riot police in western Turkey after 274 miners died and more than 100 others were trapped by an underground explosion.

Men in their teens and 20s have gathered in the town of Soma, some 155 miles (250km) south of Istanbul, as rescuers work to free the trapped miners.

Police wearing gas masks and armed with water canons are urging the protesters to disperse.

Many in the crowd expressed anger at Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government.

Rocks have been thrown at police, who chased down some of the protesters. Other protesters shouted that Mr Erdogan was a "murderer" and a "thief".

Riot police clash with protesters in Ankara in the wake of the disaster

Violent clashes have also occurred in the capital Ankara, and on the streets of Istanbul, with police firing tear gas at the protesters.

Hundreds of frantic relatives have crowded around the surface of the mine in Soma, anxiously waiting for news.

Relatives wailed as victims were pulled one by one from the mine on stretchers.

Blankets were pulled away from the faces of the dead to give the jostling crowd a chance to identify their loved ones.

Miners have been searching for their co-workers for over 24 hours

Several people had to be restrained as they desperately tried to climb into ambulances with the bodies.

There are reports that one of the victims was just 15 years old.

Mr Erdogan, who has visited the scene, said the latest figures suggest 120 miners are still trapped.

Those still underground are thought to be some 1.2 miles (2km) below the surface and 2.5 miles (4km) from the mine entrance.

Despite efforts to help any survivors who may be struggling to breathe, the country's energy minister Taner Yildiz said "hopes are diminishing" among rescuers.

The father of one of the dozens of rescued miners embraces his son

The last miner to be rescued alive emerged from the mine in the early hours of the morning.

A fire was said to have been burning inside the mine long into the day and high levels of carbon monoxide have forced rescue teams to halt the operation on a number of occasions.

The poisonous gas is considered responsible for the majority of fatalities. Rescuers are pumping oxygen into the mine.

TV pictures earlier showed survivors coughing and spluttering as they were pulled out alive, their faces coated with black dust.

The disaster struck around 3pm local time on Tuesday during a change of shifts, meaning more than the usual number of workers were underground.

Protesters in Ankara and Istanbul blame the government for the disaster

Turkey's energy minister previously said 787 workers were in the mine at the time of the blast, although there is now a degree of uncertainty about that figure.

According to Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency just 93 people were pulled out alive, a significantly smaller number than previously reported.

Authorities say the disaster was caused by an electrical fault which triggered an explosion and a fire.

For many who have lost loved ones fear has now turned into anger as reports suggest poor safety standards could have contributed to the disaster.

Prime Minister Erdogan has announced three days of mourning

According to Turkey's main opposition party Mr Erdogan's government voted down a proposal to launch an inquiry into a number of previous accidents at mines around Soma just two weeks ago.

Foreign Secretary William Hague is due to meet his Turkish counterpart in London tomorrow, and says he will discuss whether to send British aid to Turkey.

"I was deeply saddened to hear the news of the mining disaster in Soma, Turkey," he said.

Soma, in Turkey's western Manisa province, is known for its mining industry

"My thoughts and sympathies are with all those who are missing, their families, and also the rescue workers working tirelessly to search for survivors of this tragedy."

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the US is also ready to offer assistance to Turkey.

"On behalf of the American people, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and our best wishes for the safe exit of the remaining miners," he said.

"Turkey is a close and long-standing friend and ally of the United States. We are ready to assist the Turkish government if necessary. And we will continue to stand together in this time of tragedy."

Turkey's mines have one of the worst safety records in the developed world.

The country's worst mining disaster was in 1992, when a gas explosion killed 263 workers near the Black Sea port of Zonguldak.

Turkey has declared three days of national mourning.

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Property Boom Leaves Many Unable To Buy

By Ed Conway, Economics Editor

The proportion of English and Welsh homes selling for over £1m has more than doubled during the Great Recession, in the latest evidence of the property market boom.

In London a record 7% of all home sales listed by the Land Registry in the year to March were for £1m or more - a sharp increase from the 3% level when Britain slid into recession in 2008.

Overall, the number of homes sold for £1m or more over the past year has surpassed 10,000 for the first time - with just over 11,000 £1m sales in the year to March.

This compares to around 9,000 at the peak of the pre-crisis boom.

Sky News analysis has also uncovered the affordability gap between different local authorities has reached unprecedented levels, driven up by a combination of high house prices and falling real wages.

Darker areas show the higher house price to earnings ratios in England

The numbers come as the Bank of England prepares to deliver its quarterly Inflation Report, at which it is expected to signal growing consternation about the property boom.

With the economy recovering faster than many had expected and house prices pushing ever higher, the Bank is widely expected to lift interest rates within a year - and may add further checks on housing market lending as early as next month.

Across the country as a whole, some 1.4% of homes sold in the past year went for £1m or over, another record, and more than double the 0.7% at the beginning of 2008.

Analysts said even these Land Registry figures may understate the extent of the £1m-plus property market, since they exclude many properties bought through corporate vehicles.

The vast majority of these sales - 7,692 of the 11,341 properties sold for £1m or over in England and Wales over the past year - were in London.

However, because wages have not kept pace with rising house prices, the capacity of families to afford bricks and mortar has diminished.

Although one closely-watched measure of housing affordability - house prices vs earnings - remains below its pre-crisis peak, it has risen to unprecedented levels in London.

In Kensington & Chelsea, average property prices hit 22 times the average earnings of local residents last year - a doubling in the past decade.

They are also at 20 times earnings in Westminster, and 12 times earnings in inner London as a whole.

By contrast, prices in Burnley remain 2.9 times the average earnings in the local area, down sharply from the 4 times earnings peak reached in 2007.

The statistics, which are derived from Land Registry and Office for National Statistics data, illustrate the scale of differences in house price performance throughout the country.

Although London boroughs dominate the top of the unaffordability rankings, there are exceptions.

For some tenants, the prospect of buying a property is ever less likely

Elmbridge in Surrey is Britain's sixth most unaffordable district, with prices 12.3 times local earnings.

Sitting at ninth and tenth in the rankings are Hackney and Brent, where although absolute prices are lower than many other parts of the capital, local earnings are also comparatively lower.

The upshot is that for many of those renting in such areas, the prospect of buying a property is becoming ever less likely.

The most affordable homes are primarily in Wales and in northern parts of England.

The figures underline the suspicion among economists that although ever less affordable house prices pose a serious social threat, they are not yet widespread enough to prompt a broad-based economic crisis in the UK.

The Bank has warned that, left unchecked, this could yet be a risk.

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Turkey Mine Blast: 201 Dead And Toll May Rise

At least 201 miners have been killed after an undergound explosion and fire in western Turkey.

Turkey's energy minister said 787 workers were in the mine at the time of the explosion.

Hundreds are still trapped in shafts and tunnels up to 2.5 miles (4km) from the nearest exit following the blast at a mine in Soma, in what appeared to be the country's worst mining accident in years.

Many of the miners were coughing and covered in dust as they were rescued

Fresh air is being pumped deep into the pit to help stranded workers who may be struggling to breathe, amid fears they could succumb to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Television pictures showed rescued miners coughing and spluttering as they were pulled out alive, their faces, helmets and head torches coated with black dust.

Tearful relatives waited anxiously at the entrance to the mine, in the western province of Manisa, cheering and applauding each successful rescue.

Dozens of miners have been rescued or made their own way out

One official told the Reuters news agency: "Unfortunately, we could see a grimmer picture. It looks like it will be a very tough night."

The accident happened when a power distribution unit exploded about 1.2 miles (2km) beneath the surface, according to Nurettin Akcul, head of the Turkish Mineworkers' Union said.

It is thought the explosion happened during a change of shifts, leading to confusion over the exact number of workers still inside.

Worried relatives rush to the mine complex in the town of Soma

In a statement, the mine's owners, Soma Komur, described the explosion as a "tragic accident" which happened "despite maximum safety measures and inspections".

According to Turkey's ministry of labour, the pit was last inspected on March 17 and was found to be compliant with safety regulations.

Mining accidents are not unheard of in Turkey, where workers sometimes endure poor safety conditions.

The explosion happened in Turkey's western Manisa province

The country's worst mining disaster was in 1992, when a gas explosion killed 270 workers near the Black Sea port of Zonguldak.

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Boko Haram Video Claims To Show Missing Girls

A new video issued by Boko Haram claims to show some of the nearly 300 schoolgirls missing in Nigeria, who the Islamist group's leader says have converted to Islam.

Abubakar Shekau reportedly said the girls would not be released until his fighters being held in prison are freed.

More than 300 youngsters were abducted from a school on April 14 from the northeastern town of Chibok, in Borno state. Fifty-three managed to escape but 276 are still missing.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau speaks on the video for 17 minutes

In the video, the militant chief speaks for 17 minutes before showing what he says are about 130 of the girls, wearing full-length hijabs, reciting the first chapter of the Koran and praying in an undisclosed rural location.

One of the girls talks directly to the camera.

The girls were shown wearing Hijabs and praying

None of the youngsters appears to be visibly distressed, but it appears as if they are under duress.

Holding a pad of paper in his hand, Shekau tells the camera: "These girls, these girls you occupy yourselves with their affair we have indeed 'liberated' them. We have indeed 'liberated' them.

Two of them hold a flag in the background

"Do you know 'we have liberated them'? These girls have become Muslims. They are Muslims."

He continues: "It is now four years or five years that you arrested our brethren and they are still in your prison.

One of the girls comes forward and talks to the camera

"You are doing many things (to them). And now you are talking about these girls. We will never release them until after you release our brethren."

Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "The video from Boko Haram will only add to the agony of the families involved. It is a reminder of the heartlessness and cruelty of these people."

He said British and US teams were working with the Nigerian authorities and security forces which are trying to find and rescue the captives.

Doctor Reuben Abati told Sky News Nigeria will not pay a ransom

Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford who has spoken to a father of one of the kidnapped girls says he does not want the government to release Boko Haram prisoners in exchange for his daughter.

He told her: "It's not right. They'll do it again."

A special adviser to the country's president Doctor Reuben Abati told Alex Crawford there were lines the government would not cross in the hunt for the girls.

Speaking after it was revealed authorities had made indirect contact with Boko Haram, Dr Abati said: "The government of Nigeria has no intention to pay a ransom or to buy the girls, because the sale of human beings is a crime against humanity.

"The determination of the government is to get the girls and to ensure that the impunity that has brought this about is checked and punished."

Shekau has threatened to sell the girls "at the market" and some are believed to have already been taken out of the country.

The search for the girls remains centred on the huge Sambisa forest, which is three times the size of Wales.

France said that Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan had agreed to attend a summit in Paris on Saturday to discuss what to do about Boko Haram.

Britain has been invited, as has the EU, the United States and the four countries bordering Nigeria: Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

Several of the countries in the region affected by the consequences of Boko Haram violence are French speaking.

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Beyonce's Sister 'Attacks Jay Z In Lift CCTV'

CCTV footage has emerged that appears to show Beyonce's sister physically attacking Jay Z in a lift.

In the video, posted on TMZ.com, a man resembling the hip hop star fends off a series of blows from a woman purported to be his sister-in-law, Solange Knowles.

The scuffle allegedly happened as she attended an after party with the iconic couple at New York's Standard Hotel, following a gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The woman thought to be Solange aims a kick

The hotel said the leak of the video violated the confidentiality it provides customers - and that it would "discipline and prosecute the individuals involved to our fullest capacity".

According to TMZ, the trio entered the lift before Solange began shouting at the 99 Problems rapper - then unleashing a barrage of kicks and punches.

Beyonce appears to come between the pair

The woman in the video can be seen connecting with a number of blows, despite being restrained by a man thought to be a bodyguard.

As the attack takes place, the man who appears to be Jay Z is seen attempting to protect himself but does not hit back.

The couple at the event before Solange is said to have attacked the rapper

Having been pulled away from him, the woman thought to be Solange apparently continues shouting at the rapper and aims at least one more strike at him before they all exit the lift.

Solange Knowles at the event earlier in the night

Throughout most of the incident Beyonce stands next to her husband and appears to barely get involved, but comes between the pair shortly before they walk out.

All three departed the hotel together, before Beyonce and her sister were reportedly driven away in one vehicle, while Jay Z left in another.

Solange, 27, has achieved moderate success as a singer and model, and was joined on stage by her better-known sister while performing at the Coachella music festival in April.

Sky News has attempted to contact Solange's representative for comment.

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Manchester City Win Premier League Title

Manchester City have won the Premier League title with a 2-0 win against West Ham United.

Goals either side of half-time from Samir Nasri and Vincent Kompany saw City capture the title with an easy victory.

Manuel Pellegrini's side led second-place Liverpool by only two points heading into the match.

But their sizeable goal difference meant a draw against West Ham at Etihad Stadium would be enough to take their second title in three seasons.

Man City captain Vincent Kompany celebrates his goal against West Ham

For Liverpool, only victory over Newcastle United and a shock West Ham win could have seen them finish the season on top.

Liverpool trailed after an early own goal from Martin Skrtel, however two goals in the second half - from Daniel Agger and Daniel Sturridge - secured second place in the league.

Man City received a boost for their final match with the return of Argentine striker Sergio Aguero from a groin injury.

Aguero's return was the only change from the City side which beat Aston Villa 4-0 mid-week.

A Manchester City fan holds a banner in the stands

But it was Nasri who broke through West Ham's defences six minutes before the interval, taking aim from 20 yards with a powerful shot which went in off the post.

The goal was followed by another four minutes into the second half when Kompany struck home from six yards after Edin Dzeko won the ball from a corner.

Aguero had two chances to extend City's lead, but his header sailed wide at the near post and he later failed to score before an open goal from a Zabaleta cross.

Sami Nasri (R) celebrates his goal before ecstatic fans at Etihad Stadium

In other key matches, Norwich City's relegation was confirmed after a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal.

Cardiff City also bowed out of the Premier League after a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Chelsea.

Tottenham secured a place in the Europa League with a 3-0 win over Aston Villa.

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Ukraine Crisis: Guardsmen Open Fire On Crowd

Ukraine Referendum Will Add Fuel To The Fire

Updated: 4:39pm UK, Sunday 11 May 2014

By Katie Stallard, Sky News Moscow Correspondent

The polling stations are ready and we're told three million ballot papers have been printed, enough for every eligible voter in the region of Donetsk.

But what is still far from clear is what they are being asked to vote for.

The question seems to be deliberately vague: do you support the act of state sovereignty of the Donetsk People's Republic?  Yes or No?

That could be taken to mean greater autonomy, or some form of autonomous region, but still within Ukraine - or they could find they have voted for the creation of an independent state that could then seek to join the Russian Federation, a la Crimea.

Then there is the question of legality.

The referendum has no basis in law as there is no provision for local referenda on the statute in Ukraine.

There also seems to be no independent oversight and the poll will be policed by the separatists themselves - hardly the ideal conditions for a free and fair vote.

The organisers do not have access to up-to-date voting lists - those are held by the Ukrainian state security service - so they are relying on data from the 2012 parliamentary elections.

The ballot papers, at least those that we have seen so far, appear to have been printed on an ordinary printer, with no watermarks or other features to guard against, say, photocopying.

But that  is unlikely to be at the top of the list of complaints, when the votes are also going to be collected and counted by "People's Republic" volunteers.

None of which is to deny that there may well be a genuine number of voters going to the ballot box on Sunday to vote "yes", at the very least to express their dissatisfaction with the government in Kiev.

The latest poll shows that while a strong majority (70%) in the east still want to live in a united Ukraine, around two-thirds (67%) disapprove of the current national government.

But I strongly suspect we will be in roughly the same position after this referendum as we are now - the Ukrainian authorities and politicians in the West will say that this was an illegal poll, carried out under the threat of intimidation, and with no means of independent verification.

The People's Republic will say, assuming the vote goes their way, that the people have spoken, that they have a democratic mandate, that this is a genuine popular uprising of ordinary citizens demanding their rights.

What is clear is that this referendum is unlikely to resolve what seems to be a deteriorating security situation in the east of this country - it is difficult to see it will do anything other than add more fuel to the fire.

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Nigeria Kidnappings: Michelle Obama 'Outraged'

First Lady Michelle Obama says she and the US president are "outraged and heartbroken" over the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls in Nigeria.

Mrs Obama, taking the rare step of delivering her husband's weekly radio address, called the abduction an "unconscionable act".

The First Lady spoke as intelligence sources told Sky News they believe the girls are now being kept in at least four separate groups, complicating the search.

The sources said they believe they know where some of the girls are.

The burnt-out school where the girls were taken from last month

"Like millions of people across the globe, my husband and I are outraged and heartbroken over the kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian girls from their school dormitory in the middle of the night," Mrs Obama said in the address.

"This unconscionable act was committed by a terrorist group determined to keep these girls from getting an education - grown men attempting to snuff out the aspirations of young girls."

She said this violence "was not an isolated incident ... it's a story we see every day as girls around the world risk their lives to pursue their ambitions".

"In these girls, Barack and I see our own daughters," Mrs Obama said, referring to Malia, 15, and Sasha, 12.

"We see their hopes, their dreams and we can only imagine the anguish their parents are feeling right now."

Michelle Obama released this photo earlier this week

Barack Obama has sent a team to help the Nigerian government locate the girls, who were kidnapped from a boarding school in Chibok in the northern Borno state on April 14.

The Boko Haram militant group is behind the kidnappings.

British and American officials are using advanced eavesdropping equipment to scan the Sambisa forest where the schoolgirls are thought to be, Sky News understands.

Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford, who is in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, said if the intelligence is true it would be "much more difficult to mount simultaneous raids" to rescue them.

"The whole thing is fraught with danger," she added.

Some reports said Nigerian security forces failed to respond to warnings about Boko Haram's planned abduction of the girls.

Amnesty International said it had verified reports from several credible sources who claimed the military was aware of the impending attack close to four hours before it took place.

The Nigerian government has rejected the findings as "unfounded".

The leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, has threatened to sell the girls "on the market", amid reports some have already been trafficked to neighbouring Chad and Cameroon.

But Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said he believes the girls are still in the country.

Parents of the kidnapped girls have taken part in protests

The kidnappings have drawn condemnation from around the world and celebrities have launched a Twitter campaign under the hashtag #bringbackourgirls.

Prime Minister David Cameron told Sky News the abduction is "a ghastly situation, an act of pure evil".

Boko Haram's name is said to figuratively mean "Western education is forbidden".

The Islamist militant group's five-year insurgency has left at least 1,500 dead this year alone.

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Ukrainian Self-Rule 'Would Destroy Country'

Hague's Whirlwind Diplomatic Tour Of Europe

Updated: 10:57am UK, Saturday 10 May 2014

By Tim Marshall, Diplomatic Editor

When you travel with the Foreign Office, you travel at speed.

Foreign Secretary William Hague lives his working life in blocks of time allocated according to timetables, worked out by staff, who liaise with their counterparts around the world.

For his trip around Eastern Europe they had arranged 21 meetings in four countries over four days.

To achieve that they had chartered a 13-seat charter jet. It's expensive, but the RAF planes sometimes used by government officials were unavailable or didn't have the range required.

The view was that if they travelled on scheduled flights they couldn't make all the meetings.

On board were the Foreign Secretary, several advisors, his private secretary, security men, and a two-person Sky News team including cameraman Pete Milnes.

We were inside what is called "The Bubble".

On Monday the first call was to Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, where we were met by various government officials and whisked into town in an eight-vehicle convoy, with lights flashing and sirens blaring.

The trip was about signalling to the countries he visited, but also to Russia. The message was that the UK will support Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia.

Britain sent a similar but stronger message to the Baltic States and Russia when it flew four fighter jets to Lithuania last month, but they are Nato members. On this tour he only had political and economic weapons at his disposal.

For the Moldova leg he had penned an article for a leading newspaper and acknowledged to Sky News that is was written for two audiences.

"You have to get through to the publics of the countries you visit, but you also know that the Russians are reading it ... Moscow needs to understand that there is a long-term price for violating the sovereignty of other nations," he said.

After a series of meetings, Mr Hague was back in his vehicle and preparing to return to the airport.

At this point it is essential all 13 of us, and the 30-odd pieces of kit and luggage, are all ready to move because the only people the convoy will wait for is the Foreign Secretary and his security detail.

After each meeting there is a flurry of activity with people throwing bags into cars, which occasionally might even be moving.

We get back to the plane and head for Vienna.

On board the protocol is that on the rare occasions a reporter is travelling with the Foreign Secretary he or she sits at the back, thus allowing the diplomats to spend the flight time working and talking privately.

Their area is for the duration of the flight their private office. Occasionally the Foreign Secretary will come back for a chat.

This is usually a mixture of everyday pleasantries, light humour over an incident which may have occurred at the previous location, and genuine insights into aims and strategies of HMG.

At dusk we land in Vienna and are two-thirds of the way through a 15-hour day.

In the Austrian capital the following morning Mr Hague attends the Council of Europe meeting on the Ukraine crisis.

The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is present, but there is no meeting of minds.

Back at the airport the Foreign Secretary meets the acting Ukrainian Foreign Minister who is hitching a lift to Ukraine.

Mr Hague jokes: "We've thrown someone off to make room." He then takes the rare opportunity to spend the 90-minute flight to Kiev for a proper and private conversation with his opposite number.

When we arrive there is moment of light comedy.

The Minister, Andrii Deshchytsia, gets off first, followed immediately by Mr Hague, before the Ukrainian turns around, and as protocol demands, shakes hands with Mr Hague and welcomes him to his country.

The Bubble moves into Kiev where the Ukrainian Acting Prime Minister is in his own bubble which is running five minutes late.

For the first time in two days things slow down. We wait in a huge meeting room with the UK diplomats chatting to each other in a relaxed manner before the Prime Minister arrives and its back to business.

The following day the convoy passes the Ukrainian revolution The Maidan where most of the fighting during the winter took place. It's a reminder of just how serious the trip is.

Back on the plane I ask the Foreign Secretary what his favourite part of the job is and he replies: "It's knowing that we are not dealing with trivial stuff here. This matters, and it matters what we do."

On to Georgia, a country where a lot of people have long names, which for a native English speaker can present difficulties.

I ask Mr Hague if he ever forgets anyone's name.

"No, but then I've usually got people's names written down and I have a team of people to help me.

"If you are unsure, then the first thing you do when you land is ask the ambassador to take you through names and pronunciations."

Tbilisi is an attractive city with excellent wine and food, but Mr Hague can't concentrate on the architecture due to work, and says he's learned over the years not to enjoy the food too much.

Most meetings involve at least coffee and biscuits, and more usually a meal at which the host will pile up every local delicacy as a way of showing off their country's food.

Towards the end of day four we end up back in London after a five-hour flight. During the flight, the Foreign Secretary was slightly more relaxed for the first time.

He was still working but his mind was now clear of the 21 meetings. As we approached RAF Northolt the focus was returning.

On the tarmac, under grey skies, he greeted an air force officer with the words: "What have you done with the weather while we were away."

The sunshine of the previous weekend had given way to a chilly breeze, but in Ukraine the temperature was rising.

I worked out that most of us had, by Thursday afternoon, worked for about 55 hours so far this week.

I was now out of The Bubble and so drove home. The Foreign Secretary got into another car, in another convoy, and headed for the Foreign Office.

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