April Jones: Mark Bridger Attacked In Prison

Child killer Mark Bridger has been attacked by a fellow prisoner less than two months into his whole life sentence.

The 47-year-old, who was jailed in May for abducting and murdering schoolgirl April Jones, was slashed with a makeshift blade during the attack as he walked along a gangway at HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire.

Bridger reportedly suffered facial injuries and was taken to a local hospital where he was given stitches.

Prison officers stepped in to save him from further injury, according to The Sun newspaper.

A spokesman for Her Majesty's Prison Service confirmed a prisoner had been injured and taken to hospital during the attack, which is now being investigated by the police.

Bridger kidnapped April before sexually abusing and murdering her and disposing of her body last October.

Police believe he dismembered the five-year-old's body before dumping the body parts at various locations in the hills, rivers and forests surrounding his home.

The high-security prison's inmates include many serious sex offenders

He was given a whole life sentence by judge Mr Justice Griffith Williams after a jury found him guilty following a month-long trial.

April had been playing with friends close to her home on the Bryn-y-Gog estate in Machynlleth, Powys, when Bridger enticed her into his car.

Following his arrest, detectives found numerous indecent images on his computer and traces of April's blood around his home.

HMP Wakefield is a high-security prison which houses an average of 740 male inmates, many of whom are serious sex offenders.

The jail houses a number of child killers including Roy Whiting, Levi Bellfield and Mick Philpott.

Bridger had previously been kept away from other prisoners for his own safety, as attacks on notorious inmates are not uncommon in Britain's jails.

Soham killer Ian Huntley was attacked in Wakefield prison in 2005

Despite tight security surrounding high-profile inmates - including segregation for paedophiles and child killers - attacks with makeshift blades and other improvised weapons do take place.

Ian Huntley, the killer of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, was attacked at Wakefield when a fellow prisoner, murderer Mark Hobson, threw a bucket of boiling water over him in September 2005.

Huntley was moved to HMP Frankland in January 2008, where his throat was slashed by another inmate in March 2010.

Roy Whiting, killer of schoolgirl Sarah Payne, was stabbed by a fellow inmate in Wakefield in July 2011.

Double murderer Gary Vinter was given an indefinite sentence with a notional minimum five-year term after he admitted attacking Whiting with a sharpened toilet brush handle.

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'Troll' Jailed For 200 Facebook Death Threats

A man from South Shields who threatened through Facebook to kill 200 people in the US has been jailed for 28 months.

Reece Elliot posted the messages on an online memorial page for a girl from Tennessee who had been killed in a car crash.

Using a false profile, Elliot, 24, wrote: "My father has three guns. I'm planning on killing him first and putting him in a dumpster. Then I'm taking the motor and I'm going in fast.

"I'm gonna kill hopefully at least 200 before I kill myself. So you want to tell the deputy, I'm on my way.''

The court heard the father-of-one had also directed abusive messages at the deceased girl, who was a popular pupil at Warren County High school.

"I'm glad the fat bitch is dead. Let's drink to drink driving. No-one gives a sh*t that she's dead, get over it."

One 15-year-old girl, whose identity cannot be reported due to her age, was told: "You have been chosen tomorrow at school to receive one of my bullets."

With heightened sensitivities following the Newtown shooting in which 20 children were killed, schools in Warren County went into lockdown and 3,000 pupils missed school the next day.

Inquiries made by the FBI and Homeland Security traced the username to Reece's address in Newcastle.

Judge James Goss QC, the Recorder of Newcastle, told Reece the offences were driven by "no more than self-indulgent nastiness".

The judge took into account Elliott's early guilty plea and genuine remorse in passing a sentence of 28 months.

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Whole-Life Inmates Win Human Rights Victory

Locking up some of Britain's most notorious killers for life without any prospect of release is a breach of their human rights, European judges have ruled.

Murderer Jeremy Bamber is among those facing a review of their whole-life tariffs after winning an appeal that the sentences were "inhuman and degrading".

The judges found that for a life sentence to remain compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights there had to be both a possibility of release and a possibility of review.

It means the Government must amend the law to ensure it complies with human rights legislation, and opens the door to demands for early release from prisoners who were told they could never walk free.

The panel of 17 judges in the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights said their decision did not mean Bamber and two other men - Douglas Vinter and Peter Moore - can look forward to being freed in the near future.

They said: "In finding a violation in this case … the court did not intend to give the applicants any prospect of imminent release."

However, the decision has been slammed by many in Westminster - including Prime Minister David Cameron, who said he was "very, very disappointed".

Bamber arrives for a previous court hearing

A spokesman said: "He is a strong supporter of whole-life tariffs."

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said people would find the ruling "intensely frustrating".

"I think this will simply reinforce the desire in this country for wholesale reform of our human rights laws," he told Sky News.

"I suspect that the vast majority of the public think the court is just getting this wrong - at the very least it should be a matter for the British Parliament."

However, Eric Allison, a journalist who spent 15 years serving time in British prisons, said it was a "victory for the possibility" of rehabilitating even the worst of criminals.

"I've seen people who've done some awful things and I've seen them change their character completely in prison," he said.

The appeal was brought by Vinter, who stabbed his wife in February 2008, and means the cases of Bamber - who killed his parents, sister and two young children in August 1985 - and Moore, who killed four gay men in 1995, will also be considered.

Bamber, 51, has been behind bars for more than 25 years for shooting his wealthy adopted parents June and Neville, his sister Sheila Caffell and her twin sons Daniel and Nicholas at their farmhouse in Tolleshunt D'Arcy, Essex.

A statement from Bamber described winning the appeal as "hollow" as he is in prison "for a crime I did not commit".

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg

He added: "My whole life order has now been given a system of reviews, but there is no provision for someone who is wrongly convicted to prove that they are worthy of release, such hope is in reality, no hope at all."

In their ruling the judges said it was up to national authorities to decide when a review should take place, but existing laws point to a review happening no later than 25 years after a life sentence is handed down.

Current UK law says whole-life tariff prisoners will almost certainly never be released because their offences are deemed to be so serious.

Only the Justice Secretary can free them on compassionate grounds - if, for example, they are terminally ill.

The judges said the decision on whether to release prisoners jailed for their entire lives would depend on whether there were legitimate grounds for their continued detention.

Until 2003, whole-life tariff prisoners had a right to a review but this was removed in a change to the law.

Vinter's lawyer Simon Creighton, of Bhatt Murphy Solicitors, said the ruling could not be used as a "get out of jail free" excuse.

He said: "They have not said that anyone must be released, what they have said is that it must be reviewed.

"It's now for the Government to respond."

The ruling comes shortly after Home Secretary Theresa May voiced her frustrations with the European courts in the House of Commons in the wake of the lengthy and costly fight to boot radical cleric Abu Qatada out of the country.

She said she wanted the Human Rights Act itself to be scrapped.

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Dale Cregan Investigators Make 300 Arrests

A gangland crime investigation set up after Dale Cregan ambushed and shot two police officers has led to 300 arrests.

Operation Challenger was launched to tackle criminal gangs and feuding families across Manchester after the deaths of PCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes.

The probe targeted criminals involved in a 10-year turf war after Cregan - who had already murdered father and son David and Mark Short - lured the young officers to their deaths in September 2012.

Greater Manchester Police says it has seized more than £300,000 of drugs and £2m of property - making it "virtually impossible" for criminals to operate across Tameside and north and east Manchester.

The force believes its response to Cregan's murder spree is the UK's largest operation against organised crime in terms of the number of agencies involved.

Dale Cregan killed PCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes in an ambush

Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy said: "The investigation into the murders of Fiona, Nicola and the Short family revealed a far-reaching web of organised criminality and extreme violence which had to be tackled.

"The historic rivalry between criminal factions fighting over reputation and territory and creating alternative systems of justice was the spark that led to the tragic events we saw last year.

"Over the past few years, we have made huge strides towards tackling organised crime. Millions of pounds worth of drugs have been seized and more than 1,500 years of jail time handed out to offenders.

"However, we know there are still criminal networks causing misery to certain communities so Operation Challenger seeks to build on our successes and permanently tackle these organised crime groups."

Cregan, 30, was jailed for life in June for shooting dead Mark Short in a pub in May 2012, killing his father David in a gun and grenade attack four months later and murdering PCs Bone and Hughes in an ambush in Abbey Gardens, Mottram.

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Miliband Vows To Reform Labour's Union Ties

Ed Miliband has made one of the biggest gambles of his leadership by vowing to radically reform Labour's relationship with the unions.

In a move that could cost his party millions in funding and lost membership, Mr Miliband unveiled a series of steps to weaken union influence.

Under the plans, union members would no longer be automatically affiliated to Labour and candidates would have to obey a new code of conduct.

Spending caps for would-be candidates and any organisation backing them would apply in domestic and European parliamentary elections.

And standard constituency agreements with unions would aim to ensure no one involved in the selection process could be subjected to "undue local pressure".

A system of US-style primaries would also be used to pick Labour's next candidate for mayor of London and potentially future parliamentary candidates in certain constituencies.

In a bid to shift the pressure onto other party leaders, Mr Miliband also laid down a challenge by pledging to limit MPs' outside earnings if he wins power in 2015.

Unite boss Len McCluskey

And he called for the reopening of stalled talks on party funding, repeating his offer to cap donations from individuals, businesses and trade unions.

His speech in London was sparked by the Falkirk ballot-rigging scandal, which the party leader said was an example of the "death throes of the old politics".

Police are investigating after the Unite union was accused of trying to use its members to secure the selection of a particular candidate in the Scottish constituency.

"Every time something like Falkirk happens, it confirms people's worst suspicions," Mr Miliband said. "I want to build a better Labour Party - and build a better politics for Britain."

His reforms would see union members given the change to "opt in" to a £3 donation which currently goes straight to the party.

"I do not want any individual to be paying money to the Labour Party in affiliation fees unless they have deliberately chosen to do so," he said.

Officials acknowledge ending automatic affiliation will represent a financial "hit" for the party but Mr Miliband claimed it was also an opportunity to mobilise union members.

"It could grow our membership from 200,000 to a far higher number, genuinely rooting us in the life of more people of our country," he said.

In a surprise move, the Labour leader also attacked MPs who earn significant amounts from outside jobs and raised the wider issue of party funding.

He insisted being an MP was a "privilege and a duty" rather than a sideline and called for new rules to limit second jobs and avoid conflicts of interest.

Union affiliations of Labour Party members

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey described Mr Miliband's plans as "very brave" and suggested they could be historic if his vision is realised.

He made clear he too wanted the status quo to change and said he was "attracted" by the ideas set out because it would make trade unionists more active.

But he warned "dramatically" fewer union members would sign up to be affiliated to Labour if an opt-in was adopted.

"I think this is in a sense a dangerous road for him," he said on Sky's Boulton & Co show.

Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps claimed the "weak" plans were meaningless and pointed out that a code of conduct already exists.

"It would still be the same old Labour Party - bankrolled by the unions, policies rigged by the unions and candidates chosen by the unions," he said.

"The reality is Ed Miliband cannot change Labour because he cannot stand up to the union barons who elected him. That means he's too weak to stand up for hardworking people and too weak to run the country."

But former prime minister and Labour leader Tony Blair told Sky News he believed it was a defining moment for his successor.

"It is bold and strong. It is real leadership," he said. "He is carrying through a process of reform in the Labour Party that is long overdue and frankly probably I should have done it when I was leader.

"At the same time what he is doing is sending a very strong message to the country that in the end he will do what is right and that he will govern for all the country and not simply one section of it."

Party sources insist Mr Miliband had always intended to deliver reforms but did not deny that the timing was linked to the Falkirk scandal.

After his speech, the leader insisted: "We are going to make this change happen, let me make that clear", but admitted no timetable had yet been set out.

He has appointed former Labour general secretary and union official Lord Collins of Highbury to lead work on the introduction of the new system.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said he was prepared to work with Labour to legislate for an opt-in using the Third Party Funding Bill and called on Mr Miliband to "turn words into actions".

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G4S: Deported Man Unlawfully Killed On Plane

The Crown Prosecution Service is to reconsider its decision not to bring criminal charges after an inquest ruled a father-of-five was unlawfully killed while being deported.

Jimmy Mubenga, 46, was about to return to his native Angola on a British Airways flight in October 2010 when the three G4S security guards restrained him.

The plane was halted on the runway at Heathrow Airport for Mr Mubenga to be given urgent medical care.

He later died in hospital of cardio-respiratory collapse, where the heart stops beating and a person stops breathing.

The three G4S guards - Terence Hughes, Stuart Tribelnig and Colin Kaler - who were accompanying Mr Mubenga on the flight said he was restrained when he attacked one of the guards after boarding the plane.

After four days of deliberations, the jury at Isleworth Crown Court recorded by a majority decision of nine to one that the deportee was unlawfully killed.

Mr Mubenga's widow said she felt let down by the authorities

A CPS spokesperson said: "Following this verdict, we will consider our original decision in light of any new evidence or information from the inquest, including any conclusions reached by the jury."

No criminal charges have ever been brought against the security guards or G4S.

Returning the unlawful killing verdict, the jury foreman said: "Based on the evidence we have heard, we have found Mr Mubenga was pushed or held down by one or more of the guards.

"We find that this was unreasonable force.

"The guards would have known that they would have caused harm to Mr Mubenga, if not serious harm."

Other passengers on board the flight said they heard Mr Mubenga wailing for help after saying he could not breathe, with one of the guards apparently replying: "Yes, you can."

Mr Mubenga and his wife, Adrienne Makenda Kambana, had been living in Ilford, east London, after arriving in the UK from Angola in 1994.

He was applying to stay in the UK permanently when it was decided he should be deported after serving two years in jail for causing actual bodily harm.

G4S said the death of Mr Mubenga was a "tragic event"

Speaking outside the court, Mrs Kambana said her husband was treated "worse than an animal" and told Sky News that she felt let down by authorities.

"They let Jimmy down because they didn't look at the case properly," she said.

"Jimmy was fit and healthy on the plane and came off dead. I cannot explain it. But today we got the answer."

She added: "He was neglected on the plane, no first aid, nothing at all. He was asking for help – no one listened to him."

Mrs Kambana also called for more monitoring of how deportations are handled so that a similar thing cannot happen again.

A G4S spokeswoman said Mr Mubenga's death was a "very tragic event" and that the welfare of those in its care was its top priority.

"We believe that at all times we acted appropriately and in full compliance with the terms of our contract with UKBA (UK Border Agency)," she said.

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Brighton Taser Video: Officer 'Kicked Suspect'

Police are investigating a video which appears to show an officer kicking a man moments after he was shot with a Taser gun.

The incident took place in Brighton after officers were called to a supermarket to investigate reports that a staff member had been pushed over by a man trying to steal food.

The video shows the man standing with two electrodes attached to his bare upper body, as he begins to fall forward.

But as he topples to the ground, an officer appears to swing a forceful kick at the back of his right leg.

He then shouts "put your hands up" as the suspect lies flat on his front.

The video was passed to the Brighton Argus newspaper by a member of the public.

The paper said the man who recorded the footage claimed that a police officer tried to stop him filming and stood in his way to block his view when he carried on.

A Sussex Police spokesman said the use of Taser was needed to "carry out a safe arrest" on suspicion of theft and obstructing police. The suspect was later released on bail pending further inquiries.

The police spokesman said the force had not received a complaint about the actions of the officers and the video was only drawn to their attention on Monday.

"It has now been referred to our Professional Standards Department who will examine it thoroughly, along with the full facts surrounding the incident, including what occurred before the actions shown in the video.

"It is important that we establish a detailed account of events from all available sources, as well as this video clip, before deciding on any further action.

"All suggestions of police misconduct are taken seriously and are carefully assessed, and action is taken whenever appropriate."

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Edward Snowden 'Accepts Political Asylum Offer'

Confusion surrounds claims from a Russian politician that US intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden has accepted an offer of political asylum from Venezuela, after the statement was deleted from Twitter.

In a tweet, the head of the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee, Alexei Pushkov wrote: "Snowden has given his agreement to (Venezuelan President Nicolas) Maduro's offer of political asylum."

However the tweet was quickly removed from his account and replaced by the clarification: "I got the information from the 18pm news bulletin from (Russian state TV channel) Vesti 24. All questions to them."

Pushkov then added a further tweet, which said:  "As Vesti 24 reported sourcing Maduro, Snowden has accepted his asylum offer. If that is so, he's chosen that option as most reliable."

But the statement has led to confusion as Vesti has only been reporting that Venezuela had received an asylum request from Snowden, information that has been available since last night.

Since Snowden's arrival in Russia, Alexei Pushkov has acted as the Kremlin's unofficial spokesman on the affair.

Former National Security Agency employee Edward Snowden leaked details of a US intelligence programme used to monitor Internet activity and is on the run after espionage charges were filed against him.

He is believed to have been in a transit zone in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport since June 23 after arriving from Hong Kong and reportedly failing to board an onward flight to Cuba.

The whistleblower has appealed to around 20 countries for political asylum and Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he should choose a final destination and go there as soon as possible.

But how exactly Snowden would get to another country is unclear, as his passport has been invalidated by the US authorities and flying through American or European airspace could cause complications.

Venezuela would have to issue travel documents to enable Snowden to fly, but even then the only direct commercial flight from Moscow would stop in Cuba, passing over Europe and the US.

More follows...

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Murdoch Invited Back By Commons Committee

Rupert Murdoch has been invited to re-appear before the Commons Culture Media and Sport committee.

It comes after a tape recording emerged of him apparently telling journalists he regretted the level of co-operation given by News UK - formerly News International - to the investigation into phone hacking and illegal payments.

No date has yet been agreed, but it is not expected to be until the autumn. He last appeared before MPs in July 2011.

The news came as Scotland Yard said it will "fully assess" the contents of the tape recording of his comments in a meeting with News UK journalists.

Mr Murdoch is executive chairman of News Corp, which owns The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times, as well as the Wall Street Journal and other titles around the world.

Mr Murdoch last appeared before MPs in July 2011

Critics have insisted the tape showed Mr Murdoch's real attitude to the crises that have engulfed his empire, in contrast to the contrition he displayed when giving evidence to the committee two years ago.

Mr Murdoch was recorded describing the treatment of journalists who had been arrested as a "disgrace" and suggesting that he regretted the extent to which the company had co-operated with the investigation.

The audio, obtained by the Exaro investigative website and broadcast by Channel 4 News, was said to have been made during a meeting with journalists from The Sun at his British newspapers' headquarters in Wapping, east London, in March.

Mr Murdoch is heard complaining about the way the police behaved.

"Still, I mean, it's a disgrace. Here we are, two years later, and the cops are totally incompetent," he said.

"The idea that the cops then started coming after you, kick you out of bed, and your families, at six in the morning, is unbelievable.

"But why are the police behaving in this way? It's the biggest inquiry ever, over next to nothing.

"And now they're arresting their own, who never even took money... They're going to put all newspapers out of business."

When one of the journalists present questioned why so much material had been handed over to the police by News Corp's management and standards committee (MSC), Mr Murdoch indicated that he believed they had gone too far.

"Because - it was a mistake, I think. But, in that atmosphere, at that time, we said, 'Look, we are an open book, we will show you everything'. And the lawyers just got rich going through millions of emails," he said.

He added: "All I can say is, for the last several months, we have told, the MSC has told, and (name withheld), who's a terrific lawyer, has told the police, has said 'No, no, no - get a court order. Deal with that'."

Mr Murdoch is also chairman and chief executive of 21st Century Fox, which owns 39.1% of Sky News' parent company, BSkyB.

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Kidlington Siege: Man Arrested By Police

A man who held his two-year-old twin daughters during an armed siege has been arrested, Thames Valley Police revealed.

The 38-year-old, who was believed to be in possession of a firearm, was Tasered by armed officers before he was detained at a flat in Morton Avenue, Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

Officers had been in "regular communication" with the man, who released both girls unharmed earlier today. They added the siege was over a "domestic incident".

A woman, believed to be the man's estranged partner, is thought to have called police at around 3.40am after escaping from the property.

The first girl was released at around 9.45am, while the second girl emerged from the property just under two hours later.

A police spokesman said: "Thames Valley Police can confirm that the armed incident in Kidlington has now concluded.

Up to 50 officers, including firearms experts, have been at the scene

"The 38-year-old man inside the property in Morton Avenue was detained by officers at the scene at 3.37pm after he exited the property.

"Officers did deploy and discharge a Taser device in order to gain the man's compliance. He has now been taken into custody."

A Land Rover pulled up at the scene at around 11.30am and a team of around six armed officers with shields and helmets got out and went straight into the property.

The incident took place in Kidlington, central Oxfordshire

They emerged moments later from the property in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, with four officers "carrying the girl sideways", according to the Oxford Mail.

The fire service and a doctor joined police at the scene as the cordon was widened to include nearby Yarnton Road.

The girls have since been reunited with their mother, the paper reported.

A police spokesman said: "Thames Valley Police can confirm a second child has been released unharmed from the property in Morton Avenue, Kidlington, as part of the ongoing domestic-related incident which the force is currently dealing with."

Police said the man did not make any threats to harm the girls.

Armed police were deployed to the scene and a cordon had been placed around the property - with up to 50 officers involved with the incident.

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