Fans Remember Newcastle MH17 Victims

By Frazer Maude, Sky News Reporter

Tributes have been paid today to the two Newcastle United fans killed when Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashed in Ukraine.

Liam Sweeney, 28, and 63-year-old John Alder were travelling to New Zealand to watch Newcastle play in a pre-season friendly tournament when their plane went down.

Before kick off in today's first home fixture of the season, against Manchester City, the two team captains laid wreaths in the centre circle before a minute's silence.

Liam's father, Barry, said he wanted to do his son proud

They were joined by Liam's father, Barry, who told Sky News before the match that it was going to be a difficult day.

"As a kid, and I'm still a kid at 52, I've always loved running on the pitch with a black and white top on in front of 52,000 people," he said.

"I'm going to be doing it in a different way, but I want to do my son proud and I will applaud everybody there on the day.

Wreaths were laid in St James' Park centre circle by the team captains

"It's not a dream come true, because it's a nightmare what's happened, but it will be nice to be acknowledged as Liam's dad."

One group of Manchester City supporters brought a banner to show their respects.

But some Toon fans think the club could do more.

Flowers to the two men have been left outside Newcastle's ground

Newcastle United says it will create a memorial garden for the men, and set up a community award in their names.

The manager, Alan Pardew, has also dedicated this season to the two loyal supporters.

Club managing director Lee Charnley said: "Our thoughts and our primary concern since the tragic events of July 17 have been focused on supporting the families of John and Liam in any way we can and paying tribute to the two.

All those on board the flight were killed when it came down in Ukraine

"It was very important for us not just to remember Liam and John at our opening game, but in the years to come, to reflect their dedication and support for the club."

The Sweeney family confirmed earlier this week that they have now repatriated Liam's body from Amsterdam.

His funeral is expected to take place this Thursday.

Flowers laid at the foot of the Sir Bobby Robson memorial

But John Alder's family are still waiting to hear from authorities in the Netherlands about when he might be brought home.

Dutch-led forensic teams are continuing work to identify the remains of the victims of the MH17 disaster, which happened exactly a month ago.

Pro-Russian rebels have been blamed for shooting it down.

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Pressures Made Richard III 'Hit The Booze'

Richard III may have struggled with the pressures of being king, polishing off a bottle of wine a day, according to researchers.

Tests on the medieval monarch's bones and teeth show his drinking habits changed dramatically when he became king in 1483.

King Richard's skeleton was found under a Leicester car park in 2012.

Experts believe he put a heavy toll on his body during the last three years of his life by feasting on exotic meats such as crane and heron, washed down with copious amounts of wine.

"Richard's diet when he was king was far richer than that of other equivalent high status individuals in the late medieval period," said Dr Angela Lamb, one of the experts who analysed his bones for a new Channel Four documentary.

This facial reconstruction was made from the king's skeleton

"We know he was banqueting a lot more, there was a lot of wine indicated at those banquets and tying all that together with the bone chemistry it looks like this feasting had quite an impact on his body in the last few years of his life."

Dr Lamb said the study of Richard's remains showed up "fascinating changes in his geographical movements, diet and social status throughout his life".

Richard will be reinterred at Leicester Cathedral

His curved spine would also not have stopped him wearing armour, and even riding a horse onto the battlefield, according to the team from the British Geological Survey and University of Leicester.

They used a body double with the same 75-degree curvature to show the monarch could still have wielded longswords, lances and axes.

The double was kitted out in a 30kg suit of armour, with programme makers staging a cavalry charge to demonstrate their point.

A computer of image of what the king's tomb will look like

Richard III, the last of the Plantagenet dynasty, was killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 after just two years on the throne.

He was the last English king to die in battle.

Distant relatives of the king wanted him re-buried in York, but earlier this month it was decided he would be laid to rest in Leicester Cathedral.

A service will take place at the cathedral on March 26 after a week of events in Leicestershire.

:: Richard III: The New Evidence is shown on Channel 4 on Sunday August 17 at 9pm.

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Blast Of Wintry Weather Hits Parts Of Britain

Parts of Britain are getting an unexpected dose of winter weather as gale force winds send temperatures plunging.

The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for northern England and Scotland, with Ireland also likely to be affected by gusts which "would not be unusual in the autumn and winter".

Winds of up to 50mph were recorded on Sunday and the conditions were expected to bring a risk of flooding for some areas.

Coastal areas have been put on alert for "large waves" and forecasters have warned transport links could be hit by disruption.

Met Office maps show severe weather warnings for Sunday and Monday

Sky News weather producer Rebecca Yussuf said: "It will be unseasonably windy for the rest of Sunday and into Monday, especially in northern parts of the UK and Ireland.

"We're likely to see gale force gusts reaching 50mph, which could bring disruption to transport and outdoor activities.

"The winds will be accompanied by heavy showers that will bring a risk of localised flooding." 

The wet and chilly conditions are expected to continue into the early part of the week, with yellow "be aware" warnings in place for Monday.

Strong winds will cause temperatures to fall to well below average for late summer.

Met office spokesman Calum Maccoll said there could even be frost in parts of Scotland as temperatures approach zero later in the week.

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Police Hunt Lorry Driver In CCTV Footage

Belgian police have said they are almost certain they have CCTV images of the lorry and driver that dropped a container carrying 35 immigrants at a UK-bound ferry.

Crews discovered the group of Afghan Sikhs - thought to be victims of human trafficking - when "banging and screaming" was heard at Tilbury Docks in Essex.

One man was found dead and others were taken to hospital suffering from severe dehydration and hypothermia.

Thirty of them have already been discharged and the other four were expected to be allowed to leave later in the day.

Police at Tilbury Docks after the discovery of the container

Interpol and other international forces are now helping Essex Police trace the lorry's route across Europe and find the suspected traffickers.

Peter De Waele, a spokesman for Belgium's federal police, told Sky News that detectives were checking "every image" of CCTV from Zeebrugge port.

"We have a lot of cameras and we are very hopeful for having information about identification of the driver.

"When you know that in this area there are a lot of cameras, you know also that we have plenty of information about the truck and the driver, and the firm who put the container in Zeebrugge."

Mr De Waele said the container was only at the busy port for about an hour and police believe the victims were probably already inside when it arrived.

Essex Police have launched a "homicide" investigation after the death of the male immigrant and detectives said charges could include murder or manslaughter.

They will speak to the survivors over the coming days.

Superintendent Trevor Roe, of Essex Police, said: "The welfare and health of the people is our priority at this stage.

Basildon Hospital says 18 of the group can be discharged. Pic: File

"Now they are well enough, our officers and colleagues from the Border Force will be speaking to them via interpreters so we can piece together what happened and how they came to be in the container.

"We have had a good deal of help from partners within the local Sikh community in the Tilbury area to ensure that these poor people, who would have been through a horrific ordeal, are supported in terms of their religious and clothing needs."

Information on the ages of the immigrants or the relationship between them has not yet been released.

The container was loaded onto a ship in Zeebrugge

The group were found at 7.35am on Saturday when the Norsteam, a commercial ship run by P&O Ferries, was being unloaded in Tilbury.

Natalie Hardy, a company spokeswoman, said the ship had travelled overnight from Belgium and was carrying 64 containers, 72 trailers and five lorries and drivers.

"When they went to unload containers there was a noise heard, a banging. One unfortunately was dead and others were taken to hospital."

James Brokenshire MP, immigration and security minister, has called the incident a "reminder of the often devastating human consequences of illegal migration" and said gangs are dealing in a "brutal trade in human lives".

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PM Warns Of Terror State On Europe's Doorstep

'Poisonous Extremism' Warning

Updated: 10:57pm UK, Saturday 16 August 2014

By David Cameron, Letter In The Sunday Telegraph

Stability. Security. The peace of mind that comes from being able to get a decent job and provide for your family, in a country that you feel has a good future ahead of it and that treats people fairly.

In a nutshell, that is what people in Britain want - and what the Government I lead is dedicated to building.

Britain - our economy, our security, our future - must come first.

After a deep and damaging recession, and our involvement in long and difficult conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is hardly surprising that so many people say to me when seeing the tragedies unfolding on their television screens: "Yes, let's help with aid, but let's not get any more involved."

I agree that we should avoid sending armies to fight or occupy.

But we need to recognise that the brighter future we long for requires a long-term plan for our security as well as for our economy.

True security will only be achieved if we use all our resources - aid, diplomacy, our military prowess - to help bring about a more stable world.

Today, when every nation is so immediately interconnected, we cannot turn a blind eye and assume that there will not be a cost for us if we do.

The creation of an extremist caliphate in the heart of Iraq and extending into Syria is not a problem miles away from home.

Nor is it a problem that should be defined by a war 10 years ago. It is our concern here and now.

Because if we do not act to stem the onslaught of this exceptionally dangerous terrorist movement, it will only grow stronger until it can target us on the streets of Britain.

We already know that it has the murderous intent. Indeed, the first Isis-inspired terrorist acts on the continent of Europe have already taken place.

Our first priority has of course been to deal with the acute humanitarian crisis in Iraq.

We should be proud of the role that our brave armed services and aid workers have played in the international effort.

British citizens have risked their lives to get 80 tons of vital supplies to the Yazidis trapped on Mount Sinjar.

It is right that we use our aid programme to respond rapidly to a situation like this: Britain has given £13 million to support the aid effort.

We also helped to plan a detailed international rescue operation and we remain ready and flexible to respond to the ongoing challenges in or around Dahuk, where more than 450,000 people have increased the population by 50 per cent.

But a humanitarian response alone is not enough. We also need a broader political, diplomatic and security response.

For that, we must understand the true nature of the threat we face.

We should be clear: this is not the "War on Terror", nor is it a war of religions. It is a struggle for decency, tolerance and moderation in our modern world.

It is a battle against a poisonous ideology that is condemned by all faiths and by all faith leaders, whether Christian, Jewish or Muslim.

Of course there is conflict between Shias and Sunnis, but that is the wrong way to see what is really happening.

What we are witnessing is actually a battle between Islam on the one hand and extremists who want to abuse Islam on the other.

These extremists, often funded by fanatics living far away from the battlefields, pervert the Islamic faith as a way of justifying their warped and barbaric ideology - and they do so not just in Iraq and Syria but right across the world, from Boko Haram and al-Shabaab to the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

So this threat cannot simply be removed by airstrikes alone. We need a tough, intelligent and patient long-term approach that can defeat the terrorist threat at source.

First, we need a firm security response, whether that is military action to go after the terrorists, international co-operation on intelligence and counter-terrorism or uncompromising action against terrorists at home.

On Friday we agreed with our European partners that we will provide equipment directly to the Kurdish forces; we are now identifying what we might supply, from body armour to specialist counter-explosive equipment.

We have also secured a United Nations Security Council resolution to disrupt the flows of finance to Isis, sanction those who are seeking to recruit for it and encourage countries to do all they can to prevent foreign fighters joining the extremist cause.

Here in Britain we have recently introduced stronger powers through our Immigration Act to deprive naturalised Britons of their citizenship if they are suspected of being involved in terrorist activities.

We have taken down 28,000 pieces of terrorist-related material from the web, including 46 Isis-related videos.

And I have also discussed the police response to this growing threat of extremism with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe.

The position is clear. If people are walking around with Isis flags or trying to recruit people to their terrorist cause, they will be arrested and their materials will be seized.

We are a tolerant people, but no tolerance should allow the room for this sort of poisonous extremism in our country.

Alongside a tough security response, there must also be an intelligent political response. We know that terrorist organisations thrive where there is political instability and weak or dysfunctional political institutions.

So we must support the building blocks of democracy - the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary, the rights of minorities, free media and association and a proper place in society for the army.

None of these things can be imposed by the West. Every country must make its own way. But we can and must play a valuable role in supporting them to do that.

Isis militants have exploited the absence of a unified and representative government in Baghdad. So we strongly welcome the opportunity of a new start with Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Haider al-Abadi.

I spoke to him earlier this week and assured him that we will support any attempts to forge a genuinely inclusive government that can unite all Iraqi communities - Sunnis, Shias and Kurds - against the common enemy of Isis, which threatens the way of life of them all.

The international community will rally around this new government. But Iraq's neighbours in the region are equally vital.

So we must work with countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the UAE, Egypt and Turkey against these extremist forces, and perhaps even with Iran, which could choose this moment to engage with the international community against this shared threat.

I want Britain to play a leading role in this diplomatic effort. So we will be appointing a Special Representative to the Kurdistan Regional Government and using the Nato summit in Wales and the United Nations General Assembly in New York to help rally support across the international community.

Finally, while being tough and intelligent, we must also be patient and resolute. We are in the middle of a generational struggle against a poisonous and extremist ideology, which I believe we will be fighting for the rest of my political lifetime.

We face in Isis a new threat that is single-minded, determined and unflinching in pursuit of its objectives.

Already it controls not just thousands of minds, but thousands of square miles of territory, sweeping aside much of the boundary between Iraq and Syria to carve out its so-called caliphate.

It makes no secret of its expansionist aims. Even today it has the ancient city of Aleppo firmly within its sights.

And it boasts of its designs on Jordan and Lebanon, and right up to the Turkish border. If it succeeds, we would be facing a terrorist state on the shores of the Mediterranean and bordering a Nato member.

This is a clear danger to Europe and to our security.

It is a daunting challenge. But it is not an invincible one, as long as we are now ready and able to summon up the political will to defend our own values and way of life with the same determination, courage and tenacity as we have faced danger before in our history.

That is how much is at stake here: we have no choice but to rise to the challenge.

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Legal Highs 'More Lethal Than Heroin' Warning

Glastonbury Backs Legal Highs Blackout Campaign

Updated: 2:50pm UK, Tuesday 06 May 2014

The Glastonbury festival website has been blacked out in support of a campaign against so-called "legal highs".

Visitors to the festival's website saw a light bulb and the message: "Don't Be In the Dark About Legal Highs."

It is part of a campaign called Don't Be In The Dark by members of the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF).

Upon clicking the light bulb, information on "legal highs" appeared, allowing users to find out more about them or go to the normal page.

More than 20 other festivals, who have already banned "legal highs" at their events, took part by blacking out their websites and not posting anything on social media accounts.

They were: T in the Park, Bestival, Lovebox, Global Gathering, Secret Garden Party, Sonisphere, We Are FSTVL, 2000trees, ArcTanGent, Kendal Calling, Festibelly, Blissfields, Truck, Brownstock, Y Not Festival, Tramlines, Belladrum Tartan Heart, Hebridean Celtic Festival, Leefest, Nozstock, Wakestock, Shambala, Glasgow Summer Sessions, Parklife and Eden Sessions.

"Legal highs" are designed to produce similar effects to illegal drugs such as cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy, but are not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

This is because many are advertised as "not for human consumption" and sold as bath salts, research chemicals or plant food.

AIF co-founder and vice chair Ben Turner said "legal highs" are a "serious concern".

He said: "The substances have managed to fly under-the-radar purely by evolving faster than the monitoring bodies can regulate.

"Banning it at our festivals is only part of the battle however, we need to make fans aware of the dangers of legal highs and help them make safer choices when having fun on site."

Maryon Stewart, founder of the Angelus Foundation, which warns of the dangers of the substances, said: "Legal highs are a huge but hidden problem because young people are acting in ignorance and no-one is measuring the harms.

"As the lead organisation raising awareness of these substances, Angelus is delighted the festivals are taking the issue seriously and helping to keep their audiences safe."

The Reading and Leeds festivals, which are not members of the AIF, banned "legal highs" last year.

A report released earlier this year showed that there has been a large rise in the number of deaths linked to them.

The number of cases in which novel psychoactive substances were identified as the cause of death rose from 10 in 2009 to 68 in 2012.

The research by St George's, University of London, also showed the prevalence of the drugs in post-mortem toxicology tests increased from 12 in 2009 to 97 in 2012 - a jump of 800%.

The government has launched a review into the substances which will consider whether legislation is necessary to protect public health.

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Cyberbullying Laws 'Failing To Keep Up'

By Sean Dilley, Sky News Reporter

A leading anti-bullying charity has said the internet is now a "lawless jungle" and is calling for new regulations to tackle cyberbullying.

Beat Bullying says it is concerned because existing laws were introduced before the introduction of Twitter, Facebook and sites including ask.fm and they have "failed to keep pace with the demands of modern technology".

Currently police must rely on old legislation, principally the Public Order Act of 1986, the Malicious Communications Act of 1988 and the Communications Act 2003.

It is also possible for prosecutors to pursue charges through anti-harassment laws where there is a clear course of harassing conduct, but the threshold for charges is high.

Carney Bonner has said current laws are not robust enough

A Beat Bullying spokeswoman said: "The approach to online safety must ultimately be about shaping attitudes and changing behaviours as much as it is about teaching techniques for staying safe."

But other children's charities directly oppose a new "cyberbullying" law.

Claire Lilly, head of Child Safety Online, told Sky News: "Creating more laws wouldn't necessarily see children better protected.

"Cyberbullying is often a behaviour that takes place between children. Rather than criminalising them it's important that parents and carers talk to their children about acceptable behaviour on and offline."

Carney Bonner, 20, who started self-harming after repeated cyberbullying five years ago, is concerned whether laws passed over a decade ago are robust enough to deal with today's technological challenges.

He is backing calls for a new law and spoke directly to abusers.

He said: "You wouldn't go up and punch someone in the face, so why do you message someone maliciously and upset them and maybe drive them to the brink of self-harming or even worst case scenario suicide?"

Whether new laws are the answer or not is hotly debated but the consensus is that parents hold the key to keeping young people safe online.

The advice is for parents to speak to their children about their mobile and online activities and educate them about both the benefits and risks.

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Hesitant Cameron Increasing Involved In Iraq

By Darren McCaffrey, Sky News Reporter

"Bombs and missiles are bad ambassadors. They win no hearts and minds; they can build no democracies. There are more tools of statecraft than military power."

David Cameron, as leader of the opposition in 2006, flash forward to today and the Prime Minister's language seems more strident, the warnings more stark.

"If we do not act to stem the onslaught of this exceptionally dangerous terrorist movement, it will only grow stronger until it can target us on the streets of Britain.

"We are in the middle of a generational struggle against a poisonous and extremist ideology."

This as the Bishop of Leeds has accused the government of not having  a "coherent or comprehensive approach to Islamist extremism as it is developing across the globe".

But is this a fair assessment?

The PM meets visits a UK aid Disaster Response Centre at Kemble Airport

It is certainly true, like President Obama, scarred by interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, the plan was to withdraw British troops from conflicts and not get involved in more.

After all, defence spending has been cut and the army is on course to be smaller than at any time since the First World War.

All this changed with Benghazi, Libya in 2011 when Britain with France lead airstrikes to stop a massacre and ultimately bring down Colonel Gaddafi.

Two years later and it was Syria; the Prime Minister thought Assad had to go and that meant helping the rebels, a deliberate interventionist strategy, which won round President Obama, only to fall apart in Parliament when it was opposed by Ed Miliband.

Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria - different conflicts with different ends but all interventions the Prime Minister has supported or called for.

An RAF Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft used over Iraq

So why not Iraq this time, given the humanitarian need and the 'poisonous' threat of the Islamic State?

Well, firstly we are involved, not with airstrikes but, increasingly, British military capability is helping to deliver aid or helping with surveillance.

Undoubtedly scarred by the Syria vote last year, and concerns about public opinion, the Prime Minister is more hesitant about joining the Americans in dropping bombs.

But with public opinion so far accepting of intervention, Britain has inch-by-inch, day-by-day been getting more militarily involved.

Given the threat by Islamic State, that is only likely to continue.

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Murder Suspect Released From Prison By Mistake

An inquiry is under way after a man awaiting trial for murder was released from jail by mistake, despite protesting to prison officers that he was supposed to be on his way to court.

Martynas Kupstysj, 25, was waiting in line at Lincoln prison when prison staff handed over his belongings and informed him he was a free man.

Despite telling them that he was due in court with other inmates he was escorted outside and told he could leave.

A confused Mr Kupstysj spent the next few hours wandering around Lincoln city centre while prison officers who realised their mistake launched a frantic search for him.

Prison staff eventually spotted the inmate waiting at a bus stop outside the prison and he was taken back into custody.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson confirmed the prisoner had been freed by mistake.

"A prisoner from Lincoln was released in error on 8 August. The police were notified immediately and he was arrested within hours. An investigation by a senior governor has been launched," she said.

"We take public protection extremely seriously and this type of incident is a very rare but regrettable occurrence."

HMP Lincoln governor Peter Wright told the Lincolnshire Echo the mix-up was "a very grave matter".

"An independent investigation has been launched by the prison service," he said.

"This should not happen. I've made dramatic changes already. It was a fundamental breach of what we are here to do."

Lithuanian Mr Kupstysj is charged, along with his brother-in-law Andrus Giedraitis, with the murder of 24-year-old Latvian Ivans Zdanovics, whose body was found following a fire at his Lincolnshire home in January.

Mr Kupstysj's wife Sandra Giedraityte, 28, is charged with perverting the course of justice.

The men will now face a retrial early next year.

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Man Rescued Trying To Sail To US In £300 Dinghy

A man has been rescued five miles off the Dorset coast while attempting to sail to America in a £300 dinghy.

The 30-year-old Bulgarian national bought the 14ft vessel from Christchurch harbour on Saturday and then set off on his 3,500-mile voyage across the Atlantic.

Passing yachtsmen raised the alarm after spotting him looking seasick in choppy water off Hengistbury Head, near Bournemouth.

The man, who was alone on the sailing dinghy, refused help when an RNLI lifeboat arrived and kept saying: "I am going west."

After refusing assistance for 45 minutes, the crew dragged him on to their boat and took him to shore.

Lifeboat crewman Pete Dadds, 41, said the dinghy was taking on water, and the man would have died if he had not been rescued.

The man was not wearing a life jacket, his boat had no lights and his only navigational aid was a street map of Southampton.

Aside from that, he had a passport containing a US visa, hot dogs, beans and a bag of biscuits.

"When we reached the gentleman he didn't want us there, he wanted to carry on his way," Mr Dadds said.

"We were not happy leaving him out there. He kept saying 'I am going west'.

"His boat was not properly rigged so he was just getting battered, he was at the mercy of the elements.

"We said 'if we leave you you will die'. He didn't have a life jacket, just a buoyancy aid and the vessel didn't have any lights."

He added: "He would have died, he was severely sea sick, he had the first signs of hypothermia and his boat was filling up with water.

"There's no chance it would have kept going for much longer."

When the RNLI crew arrived back at Mudeford, the man was taken to hospital by ambulance.

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