Leicester House Fire Murders: Four In Court

By David Crabtree, Midlands Correspondent

Four people, including a 16-year-old boy, have appeared in court charged with murdering a mother and her three teenage children in a house fire.

In the early hours of Friday, September 13, a blaze engulfed the Taufiq family home in the Spinney Hills area of Leicester.

The bodies of the mother Shehnila, 47, her daughter Zainab, 19, and sons Bilal, 17, and Jamil, 15, were all discovered in upstairs bedrooms.

Dr Muhammad Taufiq said he would "deeply miss" his wife and children

The children's father, Muhammad Taufiq al Sattar, was not home at the time. The neurosurgeon was working in Ireland.

In a hearing lasting less than three minutes at Leicester Magistrates' Court, the four accused confirmed their names and addresses and indicated they did understand the nature of the charges against them.

Jackson Powell, 19, Nathaniel Mullings, 19, Shaun Carter, 24 and the 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were remanded in custody.

They are due to appear before Leicester Crown Court on Tuesday, October 1, with a further preliminary hearing fixed for October 12.

Another man, Kemo Porter, 18, was charged on September 19 with four counts of murder. He will appear at Leicester Crown court at a later date.  

Mr Taufiq al Sattar has said he would "deeply miss" his "beautiful" wife, daughter and two teenage sons.

The family are originally from Pakistan, but had a home in Ireland for at least 15 years before the children moved to the UK with their mother around five years ago for an Islamic education.

​:: Two more men, aged 19 and 21, have been charged with murder in relation to the deadly fire. They will appear at Leicester Magistrates' Court on Monday. It brings the number of people charged over the incident to seven.

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Baroness Thatcher Finally Laid To Rest

Baroness Thatcher's ashes have been laid to rest in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London.

Her children, Sir Mark and Carol Thatcher, attended a short service in the chapel there before a solid oak casket containing her ashes was placed in the ground alongside those of her husband Sir Denis, who died in 2003.

A simple headstone bearing the inscription Margaret Thatcher 1925 – 2013 marks the site of the final resting place of Britain's first and only woman prime minister.

Lady Thatcher's ashes are carried ahead of her son Sir Mark and his wife

Lady Thatcher died aged 87 on April 8.

The longest-serving prime minister of the twentieth century, Lady Thatcher was given a ceremonial funeral with full military honours at St Paul's Cathedral on April 18, attended by more than 2,300 mourners including the Queen.

It was in stark contrast to Saturday's private service at All Saints Chapel in the hospital's Margaret Thatcher Infirmary, which she opened in 2009.

Carol Thatcher, her twin brother Mark and his wife Sarah

The small group of mourners included Lady Thatcher's former private secretary Lord Powell and Lord Bell, her former political adviser.

Sir Mark, his wife Sarah and Carol took it in turns to place a single red rose alongside the casket.

Carol, who wore sunglasses, comforted Cynthia Crawford, who was Lady Thatcher's personal assistant for more than 30 years.

Carol and Sir Mark leave a single red rose alongside the casket

Prayers were said while music was provided by the chapel choir who sang Po Atarau, a traditional Maori song of goodbye in recognition of Lady Thatcher's family connections with New Zealand.

Lady Thatcher built up a strong relationship with the Royal Hospital Chelsea during the last 10 years of her life and her final resting place was chosen by her.

She was elected MP for Finchley in 1959 and served as Conservative prime minister between 1979 and 1990.

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UK Somali Image 'Tarnished' By Kenya Attack

By Emma Birchley, Sky News Correspondent

Young Somalis living in the UK have voiced their frustration that the image of young people from their home country are being tarnished by the actions of the few.

Al Shabaab, which means 'The Youth', has claimed responsibility for the terror attack on the Westgate shopping mall in Kenya's capital, Nairobi.

Mohamed Ibrahim works with Somali teenagers in north London and as a young man himself is angry that any link is made with a group holding such abhorrent views.

Mohamed Ibrahim (left) says he despises everything about al Shabaab

"As a British citizen I have got nothing to do it but because there is a Somali link it's expected that we feel some sort of association or guilt, if you like, and sometimes that's quite difficult because I despise those guys."

Singer Aar Maanta has lived in London since he was a boy and is followed by fellow Somalis not just in Britain but in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.

He believes it is important for young men like him to be a positive influence and intends to push his message when he begins the first UK tour by a Somali singer next month.

"If there are more people who excel in education, in culture, in sports, if people have these kinds of role models there will be less isolation and young people can relate to us more than they can relate to people who want to put ideas in their minds and try to take advantage of them," he said.

The extremists are a tiny minority, but they are regularly on the look-out for new recruits.

Mohamed Hassan, chair of the London Somali Youth Forum, says it is vital that any signs of discontent are spotted early.

He said: "We have seen the triggers where young people fail their GCSEs and they are disenfranchised by society. We know the signs of those who are vulnerable in that context and we should be in a position where we become the channel that they can talk to and communicate their concerns."

Members of the forum are meeting with ministers in coming days to discuss ways to work to together to promote a cohesive society.

Ibrahim Isse, director of the forum, said: "Unfortunately the mainstream people only know about the bad side from the Somali community but when you look at the universities you can see thousands of young people who are graduating every single year and becoming doctors, local councillors ... even their future dreams are to become Prime Minister of this great country."

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Skin Cancer: New Drugs 'Can Cure' Disease

Skin cancer sufferers could be cured of the disease with breakthrough drugs, experts claimed, as they hailed the "beginning of a new era".

Seriously ill patients are said to have seen "spectacular effects" after receiving the medication which could eventually be used to combat other forms of the condition.

It is the first time scientists have come this close to providing a remedy for advanced melanoma, which is diagnosed when the disease has spread and can no longer be surgically removed.

Until now the prognosis for advanced melanoma has been very poor and many patients die within months of diagnosis.

Professor Peter Johnson, chief clinician at Cancer Research UK, said: "We're just at the beginning of a new era of cancer treatments using the immune system.

"These drugs that can turn the body's own defences against a tumour are starting to show real promise for melanoma and other types of cancer.

"It's only through research that we can gain the insights needed to develop new treatments for cancer patients."

Test for malignant melanoma

The new cure contains two types of drug - ipilimumab (known as ipi) and anti-PD1s which break down the defences of cancer cells and are still in clinical trials.

Doctors can effectively reboot a patient's immune system by combining the two.

One in six patients are already being saved by the ground-breaking treatment, the European Cancer Congress has been told.

A new combination of drugs could mean more than half are cured of the deadly condition.

Professor Alexander Eggermont, of the Institut Gustave Roussy in France, told The Mail on Sunday: "Advanced melanoma could become a curable disease for perhaps more than 50% of patients within five to 10 years.

"If I'd made this bizarre prediction five years ago, people would have said I was mad.

"But it now looks like we are going to have control of advanced melanoma for years, in a substantial proportion of patients."

Malignant melanoma is the fifth most common cancer and the 18th most common cause of cancer death in the UK, according to Cancer Research UK. It kills around 2,200 Britons every year.

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Cautions To Be Scrapped For Serious Crimes

Cautions for violent, sexual and drug offences will be scrapped, under reforms set to be announced by the Conservatives.

The party say the move will stop thousands of offenders who commit some of the most serious crimes escaping "with just a slap on the wrist".

New guidance will be issued immediately to ban the use of cautions for crimes including rape, manslaughter and robbery unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Almost 500 cautions were issued last for the most serious offences - those that would automatically be heard in the Crown Court if they went to trial.

A total of 5,084 cautions were issued for serious crimes, including 962 for possession of knives, 1,543 for other weapons and 54 for supplying or offering to supply class A drugs.

They were also used to deal with a raft of offences related to children, including seven for child prostitution and pornography, 183 for taking, distributing or publishing indecent photographs of children, 268 for possession of indecent photographs of a child, and 1,560 for cruelty or neglect of children.

It comes as a review is launched into the use of all out-of-court disposals, such as penalty notices, that Tories hope will show "if you break the law, you will not escape the law".

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Police Chief: 'Make Class A Drugs Legal'

Durham's chief constable has called for class A drugs such as heroin and cocaine to be legalised.

Mike Barton has claimed the war on drugs has failed and decriminalisation is the best way to strip power away from criminal gangs.

Writing in The Observer, the national intelligence leader for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) also suggested the NHS should supply class A drugs to addicts.

Mr Barton said drugs should be controlled

"Not all crime gangs raise income through selling drugs, but most of them do in my experience," Mr Barton said.

"So offering an alternative route of supply to users cuts off the gang's income stream.

"If an addict were able to access drugs via the NHS or some similar organisation, then they would not have to go out and buy illegal drugs.

"Drugs should be controlled. They should not, of course, be freely available.

"I think addiction to anything - drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc - is not a good thing, but outright prohibition hands revenue streams to villains."

Under Mr Barton's direction, Durham Constabulary launched Operation Sledgehammer, a sustained campaign  to "get in the faces" of organised crime gangs.

He has previously claimed to seek inspiration in the way notorious Prohibition-era gangster Al Capone was finally brought down not for bootlegging, but tax evasion.

Mr Barton, who has served for nearly 34 years, said he had witnessed a worsening drug addiction problem since prohibition began in 1971 with the Misuse of Drugs Act.

He argued that pushers had made billions from adulterated drugs, transforming them into local folk heroes for young people.

"Decriminalising their commodity will immediately cut off their income stream and destroy their power," he said.

"Making drugs legal would tackle the supply chain much more effectively and much more economically than we can currently manage."

Mr Barton has highlighted the way Capone (pictured) was brought down

Mr Barton said that offering drugs therapeutically through the NHS and similar organisations would avoid the spread of HIV and hepatitis C among needle users.

But he underlined that he was in favour of their use in a controlled environment, rather than a "free for all".

"I am saying that people who encourage others to take drugs by selling them are criminals, and their actions should be tackled," he said.

"But addicts, on the other hand, need to be treated, cared for and encouraged to break the cycle of addiction. They do not need to be criminalised."

ACPO's national policing lead on drug-related crime Chief Constable Andy Bliss said: "Clearly, a senior colleague like Mike Barton is entitled to his views and he has added his contribution to the national debate, but it would be ACPO's position that these are matters for parliament to decide.

"We need in particular to be very thoughtful about setting clear boundaries, especially for young people, in relation to drugs, their misuse and criminal activity surrounding them."

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Cameron Launches State-Backed Mortgages Plan

David Cameron says 95% government-backed mortgages to help people get on to the property ladder will start within days.

The scheme was due to start in January but hours before the Conservative Party Conference opened, the Prime Minister revealed that NatWest, RBS and Halifax had all agreed to provide the new deals. 

It is widely being seen as a response to Ed Miliband's Labour conference crowd-pleasing announcement that the party would freeze energy prices for two years as conference season has shaped up as a "battle over the consumer".

Mr Cameron arrives in Manchester ahead of the Conservative Party Conference

Speaking on Sunday morning, Mr Cameron said that it was ridiculous that people could afford mortgage repayments, but not the deposit to get the loan in the first place. 

The Prime Minister said that only those with well-off parents could manage to get on the housing ladder, telling BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "I'm not going to stand by while people's aspirations are trashed."

He denied that the move would create a housing bubble and said that they had taken advice from the Bank of England and empowered it to stop a bubble being created.

As the Conservative Party Conference began, 50,000 people took to the streets to protest over changes to the health service in a Save Our NHS campaign march. Police said the protest was one mile long.

The mortgage guarantees planned by the Government will allow buyers to acquire a newly built home or an existing property worth up to £600,000 with a deposit of only 5%.

The second stage of the Help to Buy scheme aims to boost mortgage availability by reducing the risk for lenders because the Government takes on the risk of default when it guarantees a proportion of a loan.

In a wide-ranging interview ahead of the conference Mr Cameron also said:

:: He was sorry he did not win the 2010 election and made it clear he was looking for a straight Conservative victory in 2014

:: The high-speed rail HS2 project would stay on its £42.6bn budget

:: That Britain could pull out of the European Convention on Human Rights, which has prevented the UK deporting foreign criminals 

:: He would never back a mansion tax, marking a clear coalition red line

:: Televised leaders debates should take place before campaigning for the 2015 election begins.

George Osborne tweeting the hashtag #forhardworkingpeople

Mr Cameron also spoke about Mr Miliband's energy bill freeze proposals saying: "I want to lower prices not just for 20 months but for 20 years."

He said that he wanted to look at "all those markets" and make sure they were "working for hard-working people".

Sky News Political Correspondent Anushka Asthana said bringing forward the mortgage plan and the announcement, on Saturday, of tax breaks for married couples was an attempt to give Conservatives something to "take to the doorsteps".

She said: "This is also about Mr Cameron looking outwards and thinking about the public and trying to come back on some of the ideas that Labour and the Liberal Democrats have put forward over the past few weeks.

"People are calling this the battle over the consumer. At the Lib Dems we have free school meals and then Ed Miliband promises to freeze energy prices. The Tories have tried to rubbish that idea but at the same time they are clearly worried."

The Chancellor, George Osborne, tweeted the news that RBS, NatWest and Halifax had all signed up to the mortgage scheme.

A YouGov poll for The Sunday Times put Labour on an 11 point lead on 42%, with the Conservatives at 31%, UKIP on 13% and the Liberal Democrats trailing on 9%.

Mr Balls says the Government focus should be on affordable homes

The 95% mortgage scheme has previously attracted widespread concern, with some claiming it may lead to more problems than it solves.

Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable warned the scheme "could inflate the market" and said he feared there was a "danger of getting into another housing bubble".

Former Bank of England governor Lord King said the scheme is "too close for comfort" to a general scheme to guarantee mortgages.

Speaking on Sunday, Labour's shadow chancellor Ed Balls said: "If David Cameron is serious about helping first-time buyers he should be bringing forward investment to build more affordable homes. Rising demand for housing must be matched with rising supply, but under this government house-building is at its lowest level since the 1920s."

The first stage of Help to Buy was launched in April and offers loans to give people the chance to buy a new-build home with a deposit of just 5%. The scheme has been credited with spurring a surge in home sales and driving up prices.

:: Watch Conservative Party conference coverage live on Sky News

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Cyber Defence Unit Set Up By UK Military

A new cyber unit is being set up by the Ministry of Defence to help protect the UK's critical computer networks from attack.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has appealed to Britain's top IT experts to join up and work as military reservists.

The MoD wants to recruit hundreds of part-time specialists across the Armed Forces to help boost Britain's efforts to block cyber assaults and even "to strike in cyber space".

The Joint Cyber Reserve Unit will work alongside regular forces "to protect critical computer networks and safeguard vital data".

Regular personnel leaving the Armed Forces, and current and former reservists with the necessary skills, are invited to apply along with civilians.

Recruitment starts next month.

The MoD said it "will recognise the unique attributes of individuals who might otherwise not be attracted to, or able to serve in the reserve forces".

Mr Hammond said: "In response to the growing cyber threat, we are developing a full-spectrum military cyber capability, including a strike capability, to enhance the UK's range of military capabilities.

"Increasingly, our defence budget is being invested in high-end capabilities such as cyber and intelligence and surveillance assets to ensure we can keep the country safe.

Online crime reportedly costs £250bn in financial losses globally

"The cyber reserves will be an essential part of ensuring we defend our national security in cyber space.

"This is an exciting opportunity for internet experts in industry to put their skills to good use for the nation, protecting our vital computer systems and capabilities."

Anyone applying would be subject to security vetting, officials pointed out, as well as citizenship and residency requirements and a commitment to take part in at least a minimum level of annual training.

Last July, a group of MPs said the threat of a cyber assault on Britain is considered so serious it is marked as a higher threat than a nuclear attack.

Despite being the preferred target of online criminals in 25 countries, the UK is still "complacent" towards cybercrime as victims are "hidden in cyberspace", according to the Home Affairs Select Committee.

The group of MPs said funding and resources for tackling online crime, which includes identity theft, industrial espionage, credit card fraud and child exploitation, has not been sufficiently allocated.

The committee heard that the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau had discovered about 25 countries predominantly targeting the UK and said it was "deeply concerned" that EU partner countries are not doing enough to prevent the attacks.

Online crime - committed by lone hackers, activist groups and nation states sponsoring industrial espionage - has been estimated by online security firm Norton to globally cost around £250bn ($388bn) in financial losses.

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Thames Duck Boat Fire: 30 Pulled From River

Around 30 people have been rescued from the River Thames after their tour boat caught on fire.

The passengers were forced to jump overboard when flames took hold on the London Duck Tours amphibious vessel on a stretch of water close to Lambeth Bridge.

Some 28 tourists and two crew members were hauled to safety by passing tour barges after the fire broke out shortly before midday on Sunday.

A woman and a child were taken to hospital with suspected smoke inhalation.

The blaze on the amphibious vessel is being investigated

Further tourists were treated for smoke inhalation at the riverside, opposite the Houses of Parliament.

All passengers have been accounted for, but London Fire Brigade group manager Neil Withers said they were "cold, wet and in shock".

"Fortunately at this stage it doesn't look like anyone's been seriously injured," he said.

The cause of the fire is not yet known

"People are clearly cold, wet and in shock but they were pulled from the water really quickly and that's testament to the work of our firefighters, other emergency rescue teams and others who rushed to the scene to help.

"The casualties, who are tourists, are being looked after by the London Ambulance Service and firefighters, who are keeping them warm and making them cups of tea."

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

"The damaged boat was pulled away from the scene by our fire boat and a full investigation into exactly what happened will now be taking place," Mr Withers said.

The Port of London Authority is also expected to investigate the blaze.

Around one-third of the beleaguered boat was damaged by the blaze, according to the fire brigade.

It is the third time this year that a Duck Tours vessel has run into difficulty.

In June, 22 people were taken to hospital after the Yellow Duckmarine amphibious tour bus sunk in Liverpool.

Another Yellow Duckmarine tour bus reportedly sank in the city dock in March. Nobody was injured in that incident.

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Philip Hammond Heckled By Retired Army Colonel

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond was heckled by a retired colonel during a speech to the Tory party conference in which he hailed the Government's defence cuts.

Colonel Ian Brazier interrupted Mr Hammond's speech in Manchester to claim the Ministry of Defence had betrayed members of the Royal Fusiliers by cutting the regiment back.

The retired officer spoke up as more than 50,000 took to the streets outside the conference hall to protest over changes to the NHS.

The marchers said they aimed to highlight the impact of Government policies on healthcare jobs and the selling off of lucrative parts of the NHS to private companies.

At one point, the protest snaked through Manchester's centre for more than a mile.

Many of those taking part booed as they went past the venue and there were reports that the noise could be heard inside.

More than 50,000 are said to be protested over the NHS outside the venue

Mr Hammond's speech aimed to justify the Government's changes to the armed forces, which he said were turning them into an "efficient and strategic organisation."

Getting up out of his seat, Colonel Brazier said: "Tell the truth about the disbandment of the Fusiliers.

"I write you letters, you don't respond. The public must know the truth - the Fusiliers are loyal soldiers, you have betrayed them.

"Sir, you need to be looking at defence. This is denial, not defence. You're a disgrace."

Mr Hammond promised to speak to Colonel Brazier, a Conservative party member, before he was ushered out of the hall by security guards.

Speaking outside the main hall to reporters, Col Brazier, chairman of the Fusiliers Association, said he was speaking on "behalf of all retired fusiliers".

Col Ian Brazier and Capt Joe Eastwood interrupt the Defence Secretary

He was accompanied by Captain Joe Eastwood, 76, from Cambridge, when he interrupted Mr Hammond.

Col Brazier, 59, added: "I am very angry about the fact the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (2RRF), is to be disbanded.

"We were not in the disbandment plan. We were substituted at the last minute, for reasons we have yet to be told. Freedom of Information requests have been denied, written requests have been denied because it is embarrassing.

Col Brazier added: "It's not just about reviews and money. I know Mr Hammond is a banker and he obviously behaves like one.

"What he has to do is look at the need. Of course there have to be cuts but make them rational, make them about manning, make them about capability, make them about recruiting."

Col Brazier said Mr Hammond should now be replaced as Defence Secretary by somebody "who knows what they are doing".

Mr Hammond said the decision was made by the Army.

"If they'd stayed in the hall a bit longer they would have heard the case that I was building in my speech for why we have to invest in the new capabilities we need to defend Britain," he told Sky News.

The Royal Fusiliers are being disbanded as part of the Government's Army 2020 strategy, which is reducing Army strength from 102,000 to 82,000.

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