Deadly Virgin Crash May Hit Space Tourism

The crash of a Virgin Galactic craft is going to make people think twice about going on tourist trips to the edge of space, a former astronaut has told Sky News.

Hundreds of people have already reserved seats and paid a deposit on the $250,000 (£156,000) ticket price for a minutes-long suborbital flight on SpaceShipTwo, which can carry six passengers.

During its 35th test flight, it exploded over California's Mojave Desert shortly after it being released from its mother ship WhiteKnightTwo which took it to an altitude of 50,000ft.

The death of a pilot marks a major blow for the project and its billionaire founder, Sir Richard Branson, who immediately headed to the scene by plane.

Retired Astronaut Jose Hernandez told Sky News: "It is a risky business and we need to make sure it's safe for humans to travel into space."

The planes. Pic: Virgin Galactic/Scaled Composites/Jason DiVenere

He said of the crash: "It's certainly going to make people think twice before getting onto a ship and trying a zero g flight into space.

"But I think this is natural progression of what happens when you're going from having zero experience to trying to send humans into space.

Video: One Dead In Virgin Galactic Crash

"It is a steep learning curve. Sometimes it is an expensive learning curve."

Another pilot was badly injured in what has been described as a "catastrophic failure".

The company said in a tweet that the craft had suffered a serious "anomaly", without going into details.

The plan was for SpaceShipTwo to fire its rocket engine and carry out a 30-second "burn" test.

It was the first flight testing its engine for nine months and experts were also assessing a new type of fuel mixture which is plastic-based rather than a rubber-based compound.

It was hoped the new formulation would boost the engine's performance.

During test flights, the craft had not yet reached the edge of outer space, about 62 miles above Earth.

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1. Gallery: Images Showing Wreckage Of SpaceshipTwo In The Mojave Desert

   Part of the wreckage from the Virgin Galactic SpaceshipTwo lies in California's Mojave Desert after it crashed

2. Photographer Ken Brown said the craft was released from the plane that carries it to high altitude, ignited its rocket motor and then exploded

3. Two pilots were on board. California authorities said one died and the other was badly hurt

4. A witness said the space tourism craft exploded during a test flight over the desert

5. SpaceShipTwo and its mother ship WhiteKnightTwo are pictured before the test flight. Pic: Virgin Galactic/Scaled Composites/Jason DiVenere

6. The aim of such flights was to assess SpaceShipTwo in preparation for suborbital trips to the edge of space about 62 miles above the Earth

7. Hundreds of people have already reserved seats and paid a deposit on the $250,000 (£156,000) ticket price for the flights. Pic: Virgin Galactic

8. After several delays, Sir Richard Branson's company had hoped to start taking passengers to the edge of space in 2015

9. But space expert Marco Caceres said: "You are not going to see any commercial space tourism flight next year or probably several years after that."

But the company had said the first trip there could have taken place in the next few months, depending on how testing went.

The launch date of the project has been put back repeatedly from the original 2007 date, but Sir Richard has claimed that he and his son would be on the inaugural flight by next spring.

He has previously described the project as the "beginning of a whole new era of space travel" and even suggested his business could "start doing trips to Mars".

Space journalist Sarah Cruddas told Sky News that things had "been looking really good for Virgin Galactic".

She said there had been "problems" with the engine in the past.

SpaceShipTwo is the commercial version of SpaceShipOne, the first private spacecraft to reach the edge of space in 2004, and which is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

One Dead As Virgin Galactic Spaceship Crashes

By Sky News US Team

One pilot has been killed and another is seriously injured after a Virgin Galactic spacecraft crashed on a powered test flight over California's Mojave Desert.

The tragedy occurred after SpaceShipTwo fired up its rocket following a high-altitude drop from Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo mothership.

The co-pilot suffered moderate to major injuries when he ejected from the rocket plane and parachuted to the ground.

Virgin Galactic, part of British billionaire Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group, was aiming to begin tourist flights to the edge of space next year.

Company chief executive George Whitesides told a news conference: "Space is hard and today was a tough day."

SpaceShipTwo on an earlier flight

Stuart Witt, chief executive of the space port, said the cause of the crash was not clear.

Sir Richard said his thoughts were with all those at Virgin Galactic and partner business Scaled Composites.

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1. Gallery: Images Showing Wreckage Of SpaceshipTwo In The Mojave Desert

   Part of the wreckage from the Virgin Galactic SpaceshipTwo lies in California's Mojave Desert after it crashed

2. Photographer Ken Brown said the craft was released from the plane that carries it to high altitude, ignited its rocket motor and then exploded

3. Two pilots were on board. California authorities said one died and the other was badly hurt

4. A witness said the space tourism craft exploded during a test flight over the desert

5. SpaceShipTwo and its mother ship WhiteKnightTwo are pictured before the test flight. Pic: Virgin Galactic/Scaled Composites/Jason DiVenere

6. The aim of such flights was to assess SpaceShipTwo in preparation for suborbital trips to the edge of space about 62 miles above the Earth

7. Hundreds of people have already reserved seats and paid a deposit on the $250,000 (£156,000) ticket price for the flights. Pic: Virgin Galactic

8. After several delays, Sir Richard Branson's company had hoped to start taking passengers to the edge of space in 2015

9. But space expert Marco Caceres said: "You are not going to see any commercial space tourism flight next year or probably several years after that."

"Thanks for all your messages of support," he tweeted. "I'm flying to Mojave immediately to be with the team."

He is expected to arrive on Saturday morning.

The company said earlier in a statement to Sky News that SpaceShipTwo had "suffered a serious anomaly resulting in the loss of the vehicle". 

WhiteKnightTwo landed safely.

Virgin Galactic said it would work with the authorities to determine the cause of the accident. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.

Video: Space Crash 'An Incredible Tragedy'

It is the second disaster involving a US spacecraft this week.

On Tuesday, another private company's unmanned rocket exploded six seconds after launch on a resupply mission to the International Space Station.

Virgin Galactic's 60ft (18 metre) long SpaceShipTwo was testing a redesigned rocket motor as it made its first powered flight since January.

The rocket plane, which was attached to the underside of WhiteKnightTwo, took off at 9:19am local time (4:19pm GMT) on Friday from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California.

It is not the first accident involving SpaceShipTwo.

Video: Deadly Crash May Hit Space Tourism

During testing for the development of its rocket motor in July 2007, an explosion at the Mojave spaceport killed three workers and critically injured three others.

It is the commercial version of SpaceShipOne, the first private spacecraft to reach the edge of space in 2004, now on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC.

Virgin Galactic aims to become the world's first commercial "spaceline", sending customers willing to pay up to $250,000 (£156,000) for a short journey into zero gravity and a glimpse of the planet from the edge of space.

The company previously said it has accepted more than $80m (£50m) in deposits from hundreds of people who hope to be among the first space tourists.

British physicist Stephen Hawking, comedian Russell Brand, actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Ashton Kutcher, and singer Justin Bieber are said to have signed up. 

Video: Rocket To Space Station Explodes

After launching from New Mexico, it is envisaged that each spaceship will take six passengers on a journey of between two and three hours just over 62 miles (100km) from Earth.

Sir Richard has said he hopes eventually to build a hotel in space.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Miliband: Labour Faces 'Tough Fight' In Scotland

Ed Miliband is under increasing pressure as two polls revealed Labour could lose dozens of seats at the next election and the Scottish Labour deputy leader said he is quitting.

Anas Sarwar announced his resignation as a poll by Ipsos Mori found Labour would be left with only four of its current 40 seats if a general election was held tomorrow.

The poll, for STV, found that 52% of the electorate would vote for the Scottish National Party (SNP).

And a YouGov poll of Scottish voters put SNP support on 43% at the election - up from 20% in 2010 - and giving the party a 16-point lead over Labour.

Glasgow Central MP Mr Sarwar is currently interim leader of the party following the dramatic resignation of Johann Lamont, who directed a stinging attack at her Labour colleagues in Westminster when she resigned.

Outgoing Scottish Labour deputy leader Anas Sarwar

Mr Sarwar announced on Thursday night: "I have come to a decision I believe is in the best interest of the Scottish Labour Party.

"It's my intention to hand over the leadership to a new team on December 13. This will allow the Scottish Labour Party, its members and affiliates the opportunity to not only elect a new leader but a new leadership team focused on winning in 2016."

Video: Oct 25: Miliband Under Fire

Mr Sarwar's resignation comes after fellow MP Jim Murphy announced he was entering the leadership race against MSPs Neil Findlay and Sarah Boyack.

Speaking at a Scottish Labour gala dinner in Glasgow on Thursday night, Ed Miliband said the general election battle "is no tougher than the fights we have faced in the past".

"We meet here after a tough week for our party in Scotland and after an extraordinary year when Scotland has gone through a profound debate about its future," he said.

"We are just over six months from the general election. I look forward to working shoulder to shoulder with whoever the party in Scotland elects as leader to win that election.

"We face a tough fight but no tougher than the fights we have faced in the past."

The Ipsos Mori poll found Labour on 23%, the Conservatives on 10%, the Liberal Democrats on 6%, the Greens on 6% and others on 3%.

The findings mean the SNP could win 54 seats at Westminster, with Labour taking four and the Liberal Democrats only one, according to the Electoral Calculus website.

The YouGov poll puts the SNP on 43% at the next general election, Labour on 27%, Conservatives on 15%, Lib Dems on 4% and others on 11%.

Labour currently has 40 Scottish seats at Westminster compared with the SNP's six. The Lib Dems have 11 MPs in Scotland.

The poll claimed Mr Murphy is among those who would lose their seats.

SNP deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon said the poll result showed that "more and more people are choosing to put their trust in the SNP as disillusion with the entire Westminster establishment grows".

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Popular Teaching Methods May Harm Education

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

Schoolchildren in some schools are being taught using methods that have no evidence to back them up, according to a report by academics.

It claims teaching in same-ability groups, lavishing children with praise and letting them learn in the way they want to can do more harm than good.

Quality teaching and teachers who fully understand their subject were found to have the most evidence to support a positive effect on children's learning.

Professor Rob Coe from Durham University led a team that analysed more than 200 pieces of research to compile the What Makes Great Teaching report.

"It is surprisingly difficult for anyone watching a teacher to judge how effectively students are learning," he said.

"We all think we can do it, but the research evidence shows that we can't."

The report says some unusual methods work well, including challenging students to identify the reason why an activity is taking place and spacing out studies in a given topic, with gaps in between to allow them to forget.

The report was commissioned by the Sutton Trust, which aims to improve social mobility and tackle disadvantage in education.

Dr Lee Elliot Major, the trust's director of policy and development, said good quality teachers transform the achievement of pupils from poorer backgrounds.

"This research review debunks many of the teaching myths, but also reveals the core lessons for schools to help them develop great teachers," he said.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

RAF Jets Threaten To Shoot Down Cargo Plane

RAF jets threatened to shoot down a Latvian cargo plane that lost communication with air traffic controllers as it headed towards London.

Residents across Kent and East Sussex reported hearing a loud sonic boom as two Typhoon jets were scrambled from RAF Coningsby to intercept the Antonov An-26 airliner.

They escorted the Russian-built plane to Stansted airport, where it landed at around 5.20pm.

Police have searched the RAF-Avia plane, which was carrying car parts from Reims, France, to Birmingham.

Two RAF Typhoons were scrambled

Residents as far afield as Sevenoaks, Dartford, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells took to social media to report a loud noise, which was felt at around 4.45pm.

Some said the bang shook their house.

Video: Listen To The Sonic Boom

The alarm was raised after the plane, travelling over the Channel towards Kent, failed to communicate with air traffic control as it entered British airspace.

UK authorities threatened to destroy the plane if it continued its journey, according to a recording obtained by Sky News.

"Do not cross into UK airspace or you'll be shot down," a voice is heard saying on the audio recording.

Iain Dodsworth, a resident in Crowborough, East Sussex, captured the sound of the sonic boom on a home security camera.

Video: The RAF Response In Detail

He told Sky News: "We thought the house was caving in or there had been an accident on the road. It was very loud, we thought 'there's no way that's thunder'."

One Twitter user, Jimmy Fletch, wrote: "Big explosion just happened around my area. Heard all over Kent apparently! My whole house shook and it set off alarms down the street too."

An RAF spokesman said: "Typhoon aircraft were launched this afternoon from RAF Coningsby to intercept a civilian aircraft south of London which was causing concern to air traffic control authorities.

"The aircraft was safely escorted to London Stansted. To fulfil their quick reaction role the Typhoons were cleared to travel at supersonic speed, any noise disturbance as a result of this is regretted."

Video: Jets Intercept Latvian Plane

The incident came as NATO reported an "unusual level of air activity" in European airspace.

It said it has tracked four groups of Russian military aircraft "conducting significant military manoeuvres" over the past two days.

The aircraft included strategic bombers, fighters and tanker aircraft over the Baltic Sea, North Sea, Atlantic Ocean and the Black Sea.

An Essex Police spokesman said the Latvian plane was searched and then given the all-clear to continue its journey to Birmingham.

Video: RAF Jets Escort Latvian Cargo Plane

"All three people who were on board have been spoken to by police," he said.

"It was established that everything was in order and the reason for the short loss of communication was due to a change in airspace jurisdiction."

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Child Grooming 'Normal' In Parts Of Manchester

By Nick Martin, North of England Correspondent

Child sexual exploitation is a "real and ongoing problem" that has become "normal" in some parts of Greater Manchester, according to a new report.

It suggests that youngsters are exposed to an increasing amount of explicit music and pornography which it is claimed is fuelling the problem. 

The independent report by Ann Coffey, Labour MP for Stockport, was commissioned by Tony Lloyd, the Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner, in response to a number of high-profile child exploitation cases.

Home Secretary Theresa May described its findings as "shocking".

In 2012, nine Asian men were jailed for grooming girls with alcohol, drugs and gifts before forcing them to have sex with multiple men.

Video: Dec 2013: MP Criticises Police

The case led to claims the authorities had ignored the problem for reasons of "political correctness".

Ms Coffey said: "My observations will make painful reading for those who hoped that Rochdale was an isolated case. This is a real and ongoing problem.

"I have been concerned about the number of people who have told me that in some neighbourhoods child sexual exploitation had become the new social norm.

"This social norm has perhaps been fuelled by the increased sexualisation of children and young people and an explosion of explicit music videos and the normalisation of quasi-pornographic images.

"Sexting, selfies, Instagram and the like have given rise to new social norms and changed expectations of sexual entitlement, and with it a confused understanding of what constitutes consent."

Some schoolgirls told her they were regularly approached by older men in the street and urged to get into cars on their way home from school.

The problem will not be tackled unless there is a "sea change" in public attitudes away from a culture of blaming children and young people for bringing about their own sexual exploitation, the report claimed.

Nicola Pomfrey first became the victim of exploitation from the age of 14. She said the man she was with controlled every aspect of her life. 

She told Sky News: "It felt like we were friends at first, he kept buying me food and cigarettes. Then it turned into a relationship.

"But as time went on I felt like I was trapped, there was no-one I could turn to and I became isolated from friends and family.

Video: Sep 2012: Handling Of Abuse Slammed

"I was vulnerable, I needed the attention and I got it from the wrong place.

"At the time I didn't feel like telling the police, or a social worker or a teacher would do any good. I suppose I didn't think they would believe that I was a victim."

Home Secretary Theresa May said a public consultation would be held on whether teachers, doctors and other officials should have a duty to report any suspicions - or face the law.

"This is yet another disturbing report which highlights unacceptable failings by authorities at a local level to ensure the protection of children," said Mrs May.

"The report's findings about the scale of child sexual exploitation and attitudes towards it are particularly alarming."

Hayley Harewood, chief executive of Oldham-based charity Keep Our Girls Safe, which helps around 200 young girls at risk of sexual exploitation, agreed with the report's findings.

"It is true that in some areas child sexual exploitation is normal. It is often the first experience many girls have in terms of a relationship," she said.

"On most occasions the girls don't realise what's happening to them until it is too late and they are trapped."

The 148-page report, titled Real Voices - Child Sexual Exploitation In Greater Manchester, recommends a radical new approach to tackling the problem led by young people, which recognises that the police, justice system and children's services alone cannot succeed in protecting children.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Grieving Father Urges New Approach To Jihadis

The father of two British jihadis killed in Syria has criticised the UK Government over its response to the conflict, saying he fears his third son will not come home alive.

Abubaker Deghayes' son Jaffar, 17, has become the youngest Briton to be killed, just months after his brother Abdullah, 18, died while fighting for an Islamist group in Latakia province.

His death has re-ignited concerns about the number of Britons travelling to the Middle East to take up arms.

Mr Deghayes said Jaffar was shot in the head by President Bashar al Assad's forces near Hellebore on the border with Turkey.

The teenager, who is believed to have died at the weekend, left his home in Saltdean, near Brighton, East Sussex, earlier this year to fight for forces trying to overthrow the Syrian leader.

Video: Dad's Grief After Son Dies In Syria

Abdullah left the UK in January to reportedly fight with Jabhat al Nusra, an al Qaeda-linked group.

On Monday, their elder brother, Amer, 20, who also travelled to Syria, told his father about Jaffar's death.

Mr Deghayes told reporters outside his home: "The grief for my sons Jaffar and Abdullah cannot be described. My words fail to describe it.

"I cried my eyes yesterday and I really hope and pray to God that Amer is safe and returns home safe to his homeland, Brighton, where he lived all his life.

"My message is still the same - all young Muslims ... who think to go to Syria out of kindness, out of trying to make a difference, do not go. The Syrians do not need foot fighters.

Video: April 2014: Father's Syria Warning

"They need weapons, they need governments to help them, they need quality weapons to fight the aircrafts of Assad. You can help from here. Do not make this mistake."

In a direct message to Prime Minister David Cameron, he said: "You have stopped me from trying to go there to bring my sons back by keeping my passports for five or six months.

"If I wanted to join the fight in Syria, I could have done that. I have been to that country five or six times and stayed there carrying out aid work.

"The strategy you are using with our sons does not work. You are criminalising them just out of the fear they might become a threat to this country.

"Do not push them to be radicalised, used by groups like Isis who are out for revenge and thirst for blood.

Video: Security Minister On Travel Risks

"You should have a strategy where we teach youngsters here in this country to work in relief work and to know and to experience how to help in a civilised manner."

The brothers are the nephew of Omar Deghayes, who was held at Guantanamo Bay between 2002 and 2007 after being arrested in Pakistan.

Counter-terrorism investigators are worried about British jihadis travelling to Syria and becoming radicalised.

It emerged this month that a fourth man from Portsmouth, Hampshire, died fighting in Kobani.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rocket Explosion: 'Hazardous Materials' Warning

People have been warned to keep away from any hazardous debris they might find after an unmanned rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station exploded seconds after lift-off.

NASA footage showed the Antares rocket, built and launched by Orbital Sciences Corp, bolting off its coastal launch pad at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and exploding in a huge fireball seconds later.

Enveloped in flames, the rocket collapsed to the ground, as a cloud of dark grey smoke rose from the wreckage.

NASA said none of the supplies on board were urgently needed by the ISS

No one was injured and the damage so far appears to be limited to the facilities, according to the company.

Investigators quickly secured the perimeter of the area and blocked any outside interviews of witnesses or staff, citing classified equipment that had been aboard.

Video: Beware 'Hazardous' Rocket Debris

The cause is not yet known, and NASA mission control in Houston, Texas, called it a "catastrophic anomaly".

Engineers said the countdown had gone according to plan and there were no issues apparent with the machinery.

Speaking at a news conference, Orbital Sciences executive vice president Frank Culbertson warned of the dangers of debris around the site.

He said: "I do want to caution the public…This is an accident site and it is a rocket. It had a lot of hazardous equipment, hazardous materials on board, that people should not be looking for or wanting to collect souvenirs over."

Anyone who finds anything should not touch it, keep others away from it and contact the local authorities, Mr Culbertson added.

Video: 'Launch Failures Do Happen'

The rocket was carrying a Cygnus spacecraft packed with nearly 5,000lb (2,200kg) of food, supplies and materials for space experiments.

One of the items on board was a nitrogen tank to manage the ISS' air supply, said Tariq Malik, managing editor of Space.com, who also added that some scientists had been waiting years to get their experiments on board.

Also among its payload were some Maryland crab cakes for the space station crew.

The launch was postponed on Monday after a boat ventured into a restricted zone within 10 minutes of take-off.

NASA is paying Virginia-based Orbital Sciences and California-based SpaceX to keep the space station stocked after the space agency retired its own space shuttles.

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1. Gallery: Antares Rocket Explodes In Huge Fireball

   These images capture the moment a rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station exploded seconds after lift-off from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia

2. The rocket was unmanned and no one is thought to have been injured

3. The cause of the explosion is unknown but authorities have warned people not to touch any of the debris as it could be "hazardous"

4. NASA confirmed that the crew of the ISS is not in danger because of the failed mission

5. The Cygnus spacecraft was carrying nearly 5,000lb (2,200kg) of food, supplies and materials for space experiments

6. A picture of the craft docking with the International Space Station on a previous mission. Continue through for more pictures

12. A map showing where the launch could be viewed from on the US east coast

Orbital has a $1.9bn (£1.1bn) contract with NASA for a total of eight supply missions.

The mission, known as CRS-3, was to be Orbital's fourth trip to the ISS.

After the launch, Cygnus was meant to remain in orbit until 2 November, then fly itself to the station so astronauts could use a robotic crane to snare the capsule and attach it to a berthing port.

The station, a $100bn (£61.9bn) research laboratory owned and operated by 15 countries, flies 260 miles (418km) above Earth.

NASA spokesman Rob Navias said there was nothing on the rocket that was urgently needed by the six people living on the station.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man Collides With PM: Other Security Scares

David Cameron is just one of a long line of politicians to be involved in a security scare.

Mr Cameron braced himself when a member of the public collided with him after an event in Leeds.

The PM later made light of the incident, saying: "John Prescott was in the room as I gave the speech so as I left the room, I thought the moment of maximum danger had probably passed. But clearly that wasn't the case."

In 2001, Labour former deputy prime minister Lord Prescott ended up punching a protester who egged him.

Here Sky News takes a look some high-profile security scares:

Video: Prescott Punches Protester (2001)

Video: Bush Shoe Attack, 2008

Video: Blanks Fired At Charles (1994)

Video: MP Ruth Kelly Egged (2006)

Video: Blair Attacked With Flour (2004)

Video: Nigel Farage In Egg Attack (2014)

Video: Tory Paint Attack (1995)

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Police Review After Cameron Security Scare

Scotland Yard has launched a security review after a member of the public appeared to collide with the Prime Minister in Leeds.

Former close protection officers and MPs have also called for a full inquiry into David Cameron's security arrangements after the runner was able to get close to him and members of his protection team as they left the city's Civic Hall.

Video footage shows the man, identified as Dean Farley, heading towards the group at speed while the Prime Minister visibly braces himself.

Farley then appears to bump into Mr Cameron before security personnel step in and wrestle the dreadlocked 28-year-old out of the way.

The PM appears to be alone for several moments before the team got him into a waiting car.

Video: Man Held After PM Security Alert

Mr Farley, who is understood to have been on the way to a local gym, was briefly arrested. He has since been released without charge.

He later posted on his Facebook page: "So im all over the news as 'the protester that attacked david cameron in leeds' yeah if you call brushing into someone while running then assaulted by half a dozen coppers in suits attacking..."

Speaking from her home in north Leeds, Mr Farley's mother said she had spoken to him and he was "very upset by the whole situation".

West Yorkshire Police, which is taking part in the review by Met Police, said there was "nothing sinister" about the incident and it was "just a man in the wrong place at the wrong time".

Video: PM Collision Jogger Talks To Sky

A Downing Street spokesman said the PM "has gratitude and confidence in the protection teams who look after his security on a daily basis" and will "cooperate in full" with the Met review.

After returning to London, Mr Cameron laughed off the collision as he appeared before MPs in the House of Commons.

He said former deputy prime minister John Prescott, who once punched a protester who threw eggs at him, had been with him in the Civic Hall.

The Prime Minister said: "John Prescott was in the room as I gave the speech. So as I left the room I thought the moment of maximum danger had probably passed. But clearly that wasn't the case."

Video: PM Laughs Off Security Incident

But in the wake of last week's attack at the Canadian parliament and with the UK terror threat level raised to severe, there are heightened concerns about the security of British dignitaries.

Conservative MP Mark Pritchard told Sky News that a police inquiry must ensure "lessons are learned" from Monday's incident.

"The Met Police have some of the best close protection officers in the world. However, this was a clear breach of security and could have been far more sinister in outcome," he said.

Former diplomatic protection officer Steve Park also hit out at the PM's security team, saying they took "their eye off the ball".

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1. Gallery: Man Runs Into David Cameron

   These images show the moment a man runs into David Cameron as he emerged from a news conference in Leeds

2. The Prime Minister is seen bracing himself as the man runs towards him

3. Mr Cameron's security team stepped in to wrestle the 28-year-old out of the way

4. The Prime Minister was then driven away in a waiting car

5. The runner was tackled to the ground and arrested

6. Police say the man had been running to the gym

8. Police say there was 'nothing sinister' about the incident

They "should have been looking metres ahead expecting an attack like this, especially nowadays," he said.

"Had the attacker coming towards them had a knife or a pistol I think it could have been really grave for the Prime Minister."

Sky's Home Affairs Correspondent Mark White said: "Maybe it does raise questions about the kind of security bubble you put around VIPs when they are put in the public like this.

"But you can see from the video that it did happen very quickly, and the security personnel that were with the Prime Minister did react to pull this person away."

Video: PM Security Scare: Call For Inquiry

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Britain's War In Afghanistan Comes To An End

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

Britain's war in Afghanistan is officially over.

In a symbolic ceremony at Camp Bastion, the Union Flag was lowered for the last time, marking the formal handover of power to Afghan Forces.

That simple act brought the 13-year war to an end for British forces - the longest conflict in modern times.

At a peak, 9,500 British military personnel were based in Afghanistan as part of Operation Herrick.

Camp Bastion was the epicentre of operations. A further 136 smaller bases were dotted around Helmand Province in the south of the country.

Towns such as Musa Qala, Sangin and Nad Ali, were scenes of bloody fighting. They became infamous in Britain for the toll fighting took on British forces.

Video: Key Moments In The Conflict

In total, 453 British lives were lost fighting the Taliban. Thousands more were injured, many permanently.

The deadliest year was 2009, when 108 British troops were killed.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon told Sky News: "Afghanistan is now a safer, most prosperous and democratic place than when we started.

Video: Fallon: Afghanistan Now Safer Place

"We've not eliminated the insurgency but what we have done, through the British troops' sacrifice, is given Afghanistan the best possible chance of a safer future by training a 300,000-strong Afghan army and security force."

Camp Bastion grew out of nothing to become a monstrous fortress in Helmand to accommodate ever-growing numbers of troops and the increasing demands of a vicious fight against the Taliban insurgency.

Early on the British Government sought to wipe out the illegal opium poppy trade, but that failed and the mission moved on.

Video: Afghan War: Fallen British Solders

An 11,500 ft runway was built allowing the largest transport planes to fly in at any time of the day or night. Bastion became the third busiest British airport after Heathrow and Gatwick.

The first rotations of troops deployed with sub-standard equipment, when the initial emphasis was on reconstruction.

Very quickly they found themselves in close-quarter fights. New technology had to hurried through to protect against the Taliban's maturing tactics, principally roadside IEDs.

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1. Gallery: A Timeline In Pictures

   October 7, 2001: US President George W Bush announces the US and Britain have started bombing Afghanistan

2. March 26, 2006: The first regular British troops of the Helmand Task Force unload their kit after arriving by helicopter to an American-run base in Lashkar Gah in Helmand

3. April 25, 2006: Defence Secretary John Reid announces Britain's GR7 Harriers would stay on in Afghanistan until at least 2007

4. January 2, 2008: Prince Harry sits with a group of Gurkha soldiers after firing a machine gun from the observation post on JTAC Hill, close to forward operating base Delhi, in Helmand Province

5. February 21, 2008: Prince Harry riding an abandoned motorcycle past his Spartan armoured vehicle, in the desert in Helmand

6. The Ministry of Defence announced in February 2008 that the then 23-year-old Prince, an officer in the Household Cavalry regiment, had spent the past 10 weeks secretly serving in Helmand

7. February 20, 2008: Prince Harry sitting below the turret of his Spartan armoured vehicle as he communicates with other units by radio

8. July 13, 2009: US Marine Sergeant Anthony Zabala runs to safety as an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explodes in Garmsir district of Helmand

9. 2009 saw the most IED attacks of the war so far, with 7,228 IED attacks killing 280 coalition soldiers

10. November 10, 2009: Friends and family react as hearses carrying the coffins of six dead soldiers pass mourners lining the High Street in Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire

11. November 14, 2010: Prince William salutes the memorial to the British soldiers killed in Afghanistan, during a remembrance day ceremony at Camp Bastion

12. Capt Judith Gallagher with the Dragon Runner developed by Qinetiq which can remotely disarm IEDs and can be carried by a soldier in a back pack

13. July 20, 2010: Soldiers from Scots Guards during an operation at an Afghan National Police base on Punjab hill, Helmand

14. January 28, 2011: Mr Miliband arrives at Camp Bastion in Helmand for his first visit to Afghanistan

15. January 29, 2011: Labour leader Ed Miliband, shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy and shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander watch a landmine detection exercise at Camp Bastion

16. April 9, 2011: British troops, most of whom are new in theatre starting their tour, travel in a chinook helicopter to Lashkar Gah in Helmand

17. April 10, 2011: A Chinook makes a delivery at Patrol Base Attal in Helmand

18. July 20, 2011: Afghan elders wait for beginning of a handing over ceremony of control of security in the town of Lashkar Gah to the Afghan police and army

19. July 27, 2011: Cpl Ryan Wordsworth of X-Ray Company, 45 Commando Royal Marines, brushes his teeth at Patrol Base Kalang in Afghanistan

20. November 14, 2011: A soldier from the Alpha (Grenadier) company, the 3rd Battalion Royal regiment for Scotland meets a young child on a patrol in Nad e-Ali

21. March 22, 2012: Sergeant Jon Van Zyl of the Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment stands in front of two Mastiff vehicles and beneath Venus and Jupiter in the clear Helmand desert sky

22. December 18, 2012: The Princess Royal talks to Lieutenant Colonel Ben Wrench, Major Angus Watson and Sergeant Gardner in Camp Tombstone during her visit to Camp Bastion

23. January 21, 2013: Prince Harry does a pre-flight check of his Apache helicopter after starting his 12 hour VHR (very high ready-ness) shift

24. Harry scrambles to his Apache

25. April 2, 2013: Petty Officers inspect a Chinook airframe for small arms fire damage as part of the ongoing battlefield maintenance and repair on Camp Bastion

26. October 5, 2013: Soldiers approach a Chinook aircraft in the Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand

27. October 11, 2013: An Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier from 3 Brigade 209 Kandak looks through his rifle scope as he is trained on marksmanship skills at ANA Camp Shorabak, Helmand

28. December 23, 2013: Private Zina Saunders, a dog handler, gives Hazel Christmas presents which were sent by the handler's friends and family in the UK

29. December 23, 2013: Soldiers based at Patrol Base Lash Durai, Afghanistan get into the festive spirit

30. October 3, 2014: David Cameron addresses British troops at Camp Bastion in Helmand for the final time before troops wind down their mission in Afghanistan

A shortage of helicopters to move troops, equipment and supplies, was finally addressed after considerable public and media pressure on the government and senior military chiefs.

The hospital in Bastion became a world leader in trauma medicine, attracting and training the brightest surgeons and nurses from the military and NHS.

If a casualty made it to the hospital within an hour of being wounded on the battlefield they had an incredible 98% chance of survival.

1/3

1. Gallery: The Afghan War In Numbers

   The Afghan War lasted a total of 13 years

2. 453 British soldiers died during the conflict

3. It is estimated that 7,973 Afghan civilians have lost their lives since 2009

Although combat operations are now over, British involvement in Afghanistan will continue for a number of years.

A few hundred will be based at the Qargha Officer Training Academy outside Kabul.

It has been nicknamed "Sandhurst in the Sand" and is Britain's contribution to Operation Resolute Support, the name for the training and advisory mission to Afghan forces.

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1. Gallery: Life In Camp Bastion

   Soldiers from 2nd Royal Tank Regiment relax in transit accommodation as they prepare to leave Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, Afghanistan after a gruelling six month tour

2. British troops cross themselves during prayer as they stand at ease on the parade square at Camp 501, Camp Bastion

3. The coffin containing the body of British Army soldier L/cpl Paul "Sandy" Sandford is carried by his fellow soldiers during his repatriation ceremony

4. Troops from various regiments including Sandford's, the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment held a repatriation ceremony for the British soldier killed in action on 6 June, 2007

5. British soldiers play a game of Scrabble as they watch the live broadcast of the Royal wedding

6. Soldiers wait to talk to then Chancellor Gordon Brown, with a cross in the foreground - part of a monument in the memory of fallen comrades

7. Merlin Pilot Wing Commander Nigel Colman Officer Commanding 78 Squadron sits at the back of a Merlin at Camp Bastion

8. Troops observe the minute's silence at Camp Bastion during a special Armistice Day Parade on the 93rd anniversary of the end of the First World War

9. Lieutenant Chris Millen, serving with 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, relaxes in his bedspace in transit accommodation as he prepares leave Camp Bastion

10. Capt Robbie Robertson (left) and Capt Olly Denning spar at Camp Bastion

11. Troops from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards with a Scimitar tank

12. Trooper Ben Rakestrow (right), 21, from Egypt squadron, 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, sits on his rather colourful bedspread with friends in transit accommodation at Camp Bastion

13. Royal Military Police (RMP) as they clear their vehicle and its shelter of snow following a rare snow shower

14. British soldier Jamie Anderson lifts weights as he passes time at Camp Bastion

15. A British soldier controls the ball during a football match as comrades (background), and an Afghan National Army soldier, right, look on during a football training session at Camp Bastion

Special Forces operations will also continue in the country for the foreseeable future. 

When asked if British troops could return in a combat role, Lord Dannatt, the former Chief of The General Staff, told Sky News: "You can't rule anything in, you can't rule anything out. If my judgment of the Prime Minister's feeling on this is correct, I wouldn't see a situation in which British combat troops would go back in."

And questioned about the change seen in the once warring nation, the former Head of the Army, Gen Sir Mike Jackson, told the Murnaghan programme: "Is Afghanistan perfect? No, of course it isn't. Has it got a long way to go? I suspect it has. But I do think it is a better place." 

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Three Surfers Die In Cornwall Sea Tragedy

Three surfers have died after getting into difficulty in the sea off Cornwall.

Officers were called by the Coastguard after reports that four children and three adults were caught in a rip current off Mawgan Porth beach, Newquay.

Two surfers recovered from the sea were given CPR at the scene

A man in his 50s and a man and woman in their 40s were found unconscious in the sea.

The victims, who have not been named, were taken to Treliske for treatment but were pronounced dead in hospital.

A spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: "The four children were all located safe and well on shore but the three adults were recovered from the water.

"Two of those recovered from the water were given CPR at the scene. The three casualties were transferred to hospital by the rescue helicopter from RNAS Culdrose and both the Devon and Cornwall air ambulances."

The surfers were caught in a rip tide while surfing off Mawgan Porth beach

A spokeswoman for the South Western Ambulance Service said they took a call at 1.31pm about reports the surfers were caught in a rip current.

She said air ambulances, a search and rescue helicopter, police and rapid response vehicles were all deployed to the scene.

Air ambulances and a search and rescue helicopter were deployed

Superintendent Jim Pearce, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said: "This is a tragic incident and our condolences go out to the families of those involved.

"Along with the other emergency services we are now working to ascertain the full circumstances of this incident and our priority is to contact the families of those involved and offer all the support we can."

Gareth Horner, lifeboat operations manager, said: "Mawgan Porth is a dangerous beach. We don't know the exact circumstances or the ability of the people that were rescued today.

"My understanding is that they were in two groups and that one of the casualties actually entered the sea to assist other people who were in trouble."

Police said the woman and the man in his 40s were from Cornwall, while the third victim was from outside the force's area.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fourth Man From Portsmouth Dies In Syria

A 19-year-old has become the fourth man from the same British city to be killed after reportedly joining Islamic State (IS) fighters in Syria.

Mehdi Hassan, from Portsmouth, Hampshire, travelled to the conflict-hit country with a group of four other men from the city in October last year.

A photo of his body emerged on Twitter on Friday.

Abdul Jalil, chairman of the Portsmouth Jami Mosque, told Sky News his family have confirmed his death.

Mehdi Hassan travelled to Syria with four other Portsmouth men

Sky's Ashish Joshi, in Portsmouth, said it is understood Hassan died in fighting in the Syrian town of Kobani, where Kurdish forces are battling IS militants.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are aware of reports of the death of a British national in Syria.

"The UK has advised for some time against all travel to Syria, where all UK consular services are suspended.

Muhammad Humidur Rahman also reportedly died while fighting with IS

"As we do not have any representation in Syria, it is extremely difficult to get any confirmation of deaths or injuries."

Hassan is reported to have attended an independent Catholic school and had a place reserved at Surrey University.

On Tuesday it emerged that Manunur Roshid, 24, from Portsmouth, died after reportedly joining up with IS.

Ifthekar Jaman, 23, and Muhammad Humidur Rahman, 25, were also killed, it is believed.

Rahman is believed to have worked in a Primark store in Portsmouth.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Merkel Set To Sink Cameron's EU Migrants Plan

Plans by David Cameron to get more control over how many EU migrants can enter the UK look set to be blocked by the leader of the German government Angela Merkel.

The German Chancellor said she is against changing one of the fundamental principles on which the European Union is built - freedom of movement.

British Prime Minister Mr Cameron has staked his political future on being able to renegotiate changes that will allow the UK greater control over its borders.

But Mrs Merkel has now signalled she will not support the move, which could make Mr Cameron's aim much more difficult to achieve.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, the German Chancellor said: "Germany will not tamper with the fundamental principles of free movement in the EU."

Video: PM Stands Firm On EU Surcharge

The British Prime Minister has previously indicated he will make reforms to the principle of freedom of movement for workers within the union a "red line".

He has promised that if he wins the next general election he will force through a number of changes to the way the EU works and then hold a referendum on Britain's membership.

He is thought to be preparing a manifesto pledge to bring in quotas for low-skilled migrants from the EU.

At present, it is a condition of the EU that member states must allow workers from other EU country to live or work there.

Before the last general election Mr Cameron promised to bring net annual immigration down to the "tens of thousands".

He has failed to get anywhere near the target, with many of those arriving annually coming from EU states to find work.

Mr Cameron has had a difficult few days, with European issues high on the agenda as he tries to fight off a UKIP challenge in the Rochester and Strood by-election.

Video: Britain Will Not Pay £1.7bn 'Bill'

On Friday he attended a Brussels summit only to be told he had to pay an extra £1.7bn into EU coffers.

Mr Cameron said he would not pay the bill by the 1 December deadline and warned that the row risked pushing the UK closer to the leaving.

The European Commission dismissed any objections, saying the figure was calculated by independent statisticians using a standard formula agreed by all member states.

That process depended on the relative economic performance of each state.

Mr Cameron's difficult few days, and those suffered by Labour leader Ed Miliband, appear to be reflected in the latest opinion polls.

A YouGov poll for the Sunday Times finds the Conservatives and Labour neck-and-neck on 33%, UKIP on 16% and the Lib Dems on 7%.

An Opinium survey for the Observer also puts the Tories and Labour on 33%, with UKIP on 18% and the Liberal Democrats on 6%.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More