Jayden's Ex-Boyfriend 'Abused Other Lovers'

A man accused of murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend had a history of violence towards other former partners, a court has heard.

Ben Blakeley, 22, is alleged to have killed 17-year-old Jayden Parkinson after discovering she was pregnant with his child.

The prosecution at Oxford Crown Court claimed that Blakeley pushed another former girlfriend down the stairs in 2007.

Kirsty Penford, 16, was seven months pregnant with his child at the time. He also threatened to stab her in the stomach to kill the baby.

Miss Parkinson was last seen alive on December 3

Richard Latham QC, prosecuting, said the day after the birth he marched into the ward and started to wheel the cot away, before police were called.

The court heard that he also threatened to kill another partner, Katie Gale, and had repeatedly tried to strangle her.

Mr Latham told the jury: "In total he did this on seven or eight occasions and did this with enough force to leave marks on her neck."

Miss Parkinson's body was discovered in December last year in the grave of Blakeley's uncle in All Saints' Church graveyard, Didcot, Oxfordshire.

Miss Parkinson was pregnant when she was murdered

Blakeley, from Reading, Berkshire, denies murdering Miss Parkinson, but has admitted killing her and disposing of her body.

Mr Latham told the court his behaviour towards other women could clarify whether Blakeley had intended to kill Miss Parkinson.

He said: "The relationships with other women will answer the question of whether he used minimal violence towards her that happened to kill her or she died as a result of an attack upon her in which at very least he intended to cause her really serious harm.

"He is a man, the prosecution say, who seriously injures women."

The court had previously heard that Blakeley was an obsessive and controlling character and regularly beat Miss Parkinson.

She was last seen alive on December 3, 2013, when she was caught on CCTV leaving the One Foot Forward hostel in Oxford where she had been staying.

Half an hour later she was caught by another CCTV camera, this time at Didcot railway station with Blakeley.

Just after midnight the hostel reported Miss Parkinson missing to police after she failed to return.

Despite admitting he killed Miss Parkinson, the prosecution refused to accept his plea and he is standing trial for her murder alongside a 17-year-old boy who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

The youth has pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice, but he denies preventing a lawful burial between December 2 and December 10 last year.

The trial continues.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Queen Visits Game Of Thrones Set In Belfast

Safe in the knowledge that there is no dispute over her place as monarch, the Queen has paid a visit to the Game Of Thrones set in Belfast.

Her Majesty was joined by the Duke of Edinburgh for the visit to the Paint Hall Studios in the city's regenerated Titanic Quarter, where much of the popular Sky Atlantic series is filmed.

The Royals met members of the cast including Maisie Williams, who plays Arya Stark, Kit Harington, who stars at Jon Snow, and Lena Headey, who plays Queen Cersei Lannister.

Local Ballymena-born actor Conleth Hill, who plays the manipulative Lord Varys, was also on hand to show the dramatic influence the hit show has had on telly addicts and the Northern Ireland economy.

Cast members were on hand to greet Her Majesty

The Iron Throne was on display for the Queen, but she did not take the opportunity to test it out for comfort.

Instead she was given her own miniature throne to take back to the palace with her.

The Queen was also shown handmade costumes and props and armoury, while David Benioff and Dan Weiss, executive producers and writers of Game of Thrones, led a tour through the sets for the Red Keep and the Throne Room.

Kit Harington plays Jon Snow in the series

It is not known if the Queen and Duke are fans of the show, which is famous for its violence and nudity.

Northern Ireland is fast developing an international reputation as a leading filming destination, with the powersharing administration at Stormont offering attractive incentives to producers to film in the region.

The adaptation of George RR Martin's story is estimated to be the biggest TV production in Europe and its first four seasons have been credited with bringing a direct economic benefit of £82m to Northern Ireland, creating the equivalent of more than 900 full-time and 5,700 part-time jobs.

Series 4 of Game Of Thrones finished last week.

Earlier, Stormont's first and deputy first minister accompanied the Queen on a tour of a notorious Belfast prison, where both politicians were held during the Troubles.

Once a forbidding facility synonymous with the dark years of the conflict, the transformation of the old Crumlin Road Gaol into a popular visitor attraction is symbolic of Northern Ireland's journey toward peace.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Net Plan Gets Boost

Officials say they have funds to build a suicide-prevention net at San Francisco Bay's Golden Gate Bridge where two jump to their deaths each month.

The bridge's board of directors will vote on Friday on the plan, which has been debated since the 1950s.

One of the obstacles - the price tag - fell away on Monday as officials announced they had $76m (£45m) for the project.

Most of the new money comes from federal transport programmes, while the rest will be paid out of the bridge's own reserves and state mental health funding.

The bridge district's plan calls for a net made of stainless steel cable extending 20ft below and 20ft from the side of the span. 

Anyone who jumps from the span might be injured but would probably survive the fall, say officials.

"For whatever reason, suicidal people don't want to hurt themselves," Dennis Mulligan, the bridge district's general manager, told KTVU-TV.

"At other locations where nets have been up no individual has jumped into the net."

More than 1,400 people have leapt to their deaths from the 4,200-ft suspension bridge since it opened in 1937. 

Every year, scores of people contemplating suicide are coaxed not to jump from the span.

On average, there are two suicides a month at the structure.

The Bridge Rail Foundation, which tracks fatalities on the span, said 46 people committed suicide there last year. 

Backers of the suicide net were boosted in 2012 when President Barack Obama signed a transportation bill allowing federal funds to flow to the project.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man May Have Followed Victim Before Murder

Police investigating the murder of a Saudi student in Essex are trying to trace a man who may have followed her four days before she was killed.

Witnesses said the man walked behind two women, including one who could have been victim Nahid Almanea, at around 8.45am on Friday, June 13.

He was seen following the pair as they came out of a house in Stanley Wooster Way, Colchester, according to officers.

Detectives have appealed to him to come forward.

He is described as white, in his 30s, around 5ft 10in tall, and with short, dark hair.

He was dressed casually and was wearing dark jeans. He also had a local Colchester accent.

Anyone who can help is asked to contact the incident room on 01245 282103.

Police look for clues in the hunt for Ms Almanea's killer

It is a week since Ms Almanea was stabbed 16 times and left to die as she walked along a quiet footpath in the town.

She was attacked on the Salary Brook Trail at around 10.40am on Tuesday, June 17.

More than 100 police officers from Essex, Kent and the Metropolitan Police are involved in the investigation into Ms Almanea's killing, as well as profilers from the National Crime Agency.

Officers are yet to find the murder weapon and are keeping an "open mind" about possible links between Ms Almanea's death and that of James Attfield in Colchester two months ago.

Mr Attfield, 33, was stabbed 102 times on his arms, hands, back, neck and head in what police described as a "senseless and frenzied" attack.

Police have said they do not have evidence that the killings are linked or that a serial killer is involved.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sudan's Meriam Ibrahim Arrested At Airport

A Sudanese woman freed from death row yesterday has reportedly been arrested with her husband as they tried to leave the country with their children.

A court ordered the release of Meriam Ibrahim on Monday after she was imprisoned for converting from Islam to Christianity.

The government said the 27-year-old was released after "unprecedented" international pressure.

A security source said Ms Ibrahim and her husband, Daniel Wani, were detained as they tried to board a plane at Khartoum airport.

"The National Security took her and Daniel," said the source.

He could not give more details except to say they were taken to a facility used by the powerful National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS).

Ms Ibrahim has refused to renounce her faith

"She has the right to leave the country," the source said.

The status of their two young children, one a newborn baby, was not immediately known.

Ms Ibrahim was convicted last month of apostasy and adultery and claimed she had always been a Christian, having been raised by her Ethiopian mother while her Muslim father had left when she was young.

She married Mr Wani in 2011 and has refused to renounce her faith.

Ms Ibrahim was forced to give birth to her second child, a daughter called Maya, in prison. Her son, Martin, also lived in prison with her.

Prime Minister David Cameron joined condemnation of the mother's plight, saying he was "absolutely appalled" by the case.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hacking: What Now For Rebekah Brooks?

By David Bowden, Senior Correspondent

Rebekah Brooks married an EastEnder and later a country gent and counted prime ministers among her friends.

Even Royals found themselves at ease in the presence of the flame-haired empathiser.

But it was her relationship with Rupert Murdoch that saw her rise to being the most powerful woman in British media and a paid-up member of the Chipping Norton set, a clique of the rich and famous with boltholes nestled in the Cotswolds countryside.

Mrs Brooks leaves court with her husband after being cleared

The extent of Mrs Brooks' power and influence was perfectly illustrated by her wedding reception at Sarsden House, a grand country estate, also in the Cotswolds.

On the guest list were the Camerons, Gordon and Sarah Brown, Rupert Murdoch, JCB tycoon Sir Anthony Bamford and his wife along with 200 movers and shakers.

One former News of the World (NOTW) exec described it as "only one level down from a Royal wedding".

Not bad for a grammar school girl from Warrington whose first foray into national journalism as a 20-year-old was a trip to Luxembourg to cover a story about beer for Eddy Shah's short-lived Post newspaper.

Mr Murdoch and Mrs Brooks in 2011

When the tabloid folded after a matter of weeks, Mrs Brooks washed up at NOTW as a secretary.

At 31 she was the boss, but it wasn't just her ambition and drive that got her there, it was her mentor Rupert Murdoch that prepared the ground, according to former News of the World's executive editor Neil Wallis.

Mr Wallis says the then-Rebekah Wade, her soon to be deputy Andy Coulson, and another young editor, Piers Morgan, were seen as the future.

He said: "They came through at a time where there was a deliberate decision to change the direction and the mood of how those papers operated... and it was a conscious decision by Rupert Murdoch that he wanted change."

Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson became an item professionally and personally at the NOTW - Coulson another apparently snared by what many say is Mrs Brooks' engaging personality and ability to empathise with people from all walks of life.

Mrs Brooks counted the Camerons as friends

It certainly worked on more than one prime minister and their spouse. As well as the Camerons, Gordon and Sarah Brown became close to Mrs Brooks, as did Cherie and Tony Blair, according to his former spin doctor Lance Price

Coulson spent even more time at Downing Street. Mr Wallis, who says he is proud to call Coulson a friend, believes he gave Old Etonian David Cameron the common touch he needed to run the country.

He said: "If you talk to people in politics even now, they will say that to this day Cameron misses Andy Coulson's understanding of real people who are outside Cameron's world."

In the end it was phone hacking that brought both Coulson and Brooks down and ultimately closed the newspaper they both edited and which was owned and run by the man who used to treat Rebekah as a fifth daughter, part of the family.

With her acquittal at the Old Bailey, will he now bring her back into the family business? 

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hacking: Brooks Cleared But Coulson Guilty

Rebekah Brooks has been cleared of all charges in the phone-hacking trial, while ex-Number 10 spin doctor Andy Coulson has been found guilty of plotting to hack phones.

Jurors at the Old Bailey found former News of the World editor Coulson guilty of conspiring to hack phones with others between 2000 and 2006.

The 46-year-old, who was forced to quit as Prime Minister David Cameron's communications director over the scandal, now faces the possibility of a prison sentence.

Coulson arriving at the Old Bailey, earlier

Mr Cameron on Tuesday apologised for recruiting Coulson, saying: "It was the wrong decision and I am very clear about that."

He stood by his July 2011 pledge to the House of Commons when he said: "If I have been lied to, that would be the moment for profound apology. In that event, I can tell you I will not fall short."

An emotional Mrs Brooks, former chief executive of News International, who was found not guilty of all the charges she faced, was led out of the courtroom upon learning the verdicts.

Mr Cameron has apologised for employing Coulson at Number 10 Downing Street

Brooks, 46, was cleared of hacking, misconduct in a public office for allegedly signing off payments to a Sun journalist's military contact between 2004 and 2012, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and perverting the course of justice.

Her 52-year-old husband, racehorse trainer Charlie Brooks and News International's former head of security Mark Hanna, 51, were cleared of perverting the course of justice around the time of police searches in July 2011.

Mr and Mrs Brooks left the building holding hands and made no comment to the reporters assembled outside the central London court.

The trial has been ongoing at the Old Bailey in London for nine months

Ex-News of the World managing editor Stuart Kuttner was also cleared of being part of a conspiracy to hack phones dating back to 2000 and spanning six years.

And jurors cleared Cheryl Carter, 50, Mrs Brooks' friend and former personal assistant, of conspiring to pervert the course of justice by removing seven boxes from the NI archive just days before she was arrested in 2011.

However, not all the verdicts have been returned by the jury of eight women and three men, which has been deliberating since June 11.

They are still considering further charges against Coulson and ex-News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman of conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office by paying police officers for two royal directories.

The trial heard victims of phone hacking included royals, celebrities, politicians and ordinary members of the public including Kate Middleton and Prince William, Bond star Daniel Craig and murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

A spokesman for News UK, formerly known as News International, said: "We said long ago, and repeat today, that wrongdoing occurred, and we apologised for it. We have been paying compensation to those affected and have cooperated with investigations.

"We made changes in the way we do business to help ensure wrongdoing like this does not occur again. And we are strong supporters of the Independent Press Standards Organisation that is expected to begin work this autumn, serving as a watchdog on the industry in the public interest.

"Out of respect for the fact that further legal proceedings will occur, we will have no further comment at this time."

The campaign group Hacked Off said in a statement the trial "shone a light on the appalling, systemic newsroom culture of bullying, lies, intimidation and intrusion that has devastated the lives of many people".

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kerry: Kurdish Forces Critical In Defeating ISIS

Timeline: How The Iraq Crisis Unfolded

Updated: 9:29am UK, Tuesday 24 June 2014

A look back at the main events in the Iraq crisis, which has seen Sunni insurgents from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror group move to within 50 miles of the capital Baghdad.

December 2011: US troops complete their withdrawal after the 2003 invasion which led to the removal of Saddam Hussein.

August 2013: More than 70 people are killed in attacks at the end of Ramadan. ISIS claim responsibility.

January 2-4, 2014: ISIS declares itself in control of the western city of Fallujah and parts of Ramadi following clashes sparked by the clearing of a Sunni-Arab protest camp.

February: al Qaeda formally disowns ISIS, which was at one time an affiliate, because of its extreme methods.

April: Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki wins the most seats in a general election.

June 10: ISIS seizes all of Nineveh province in the north, including the capital Mosul - Iraq's second city. Mr Maliki asks parliament to declare a state of emergency.

June 11: The militants launch a wave of attacks further south, taking Tikrit and freeing hundreds of prisoners in Baiji. An assault on Samarra, 70 miles (110km) north of Baghdad, is repelled by security forces.

June 12: Iraq's air force strikes fighters' positions near Mosul and Tikrit.

US President Barack Obama says he is looking at "all the options" to help the government, which fails to secure authorisation for a state of emergency.

The army abandons its bases in Kirkuk, leaving Kurdish Peshmerga troops to take control.

June 13: A top Shia cleric issues a call to arms, telling the population to take up arms and defend their country.

Mr Maliki claims government forces have started to clear cities of "terrorists" and implements an emergency plan to protect Baghdad.

President Obama rules out sending back troops to fight ISIS.

The rebels move into the towns of Saadiyah and Jalawla in eastern province of Diyala.

June 14: Iran offers to work with the US to tackle the crisis, as Britain pledges an initial £3m in emergency aid to help refugees fleeing the violence.

The Iraqi army's fightback continues, with forces retaking the towns of Ishaqi, al-Mutasim and Duluiyah in Salaheddin province.

Troops also regain much of Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's home town.

US aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush is ordered to the Persian Gulf.

June 15: Photos emerge appearing to show an ISIS massacre of 1,700 captured government soldiers. Baghdad says number is exaggerated.

Reports say militants have overrun Tal Afar, the largest town in Nineveh province.

A bombing in central Baghdad leaves 15 people dead and dozens injured.

Former PM Tony Blair tells Sky News that critics who believe the violence is the result of the 2003 invasion are "profoundly mistaken".

June 16: Video footage purporting to show an ISIS fighter questioning and killing unarmed Iraqi soldiers draws condemnation.

ISIS takes control of Tal Afar and the al Adhim area of Diyala province.

US Secretary of State John Kerry says Washington is "open to discussions with Iran".

June 17: Britain announces it is reopening its Iranian embassy, with William Hague saying the "circumstances are right" as the West looks to improve relations to help tackle the crisis in Iraq.

Iraq's Shia leaders accuse Saudi Arabia of promoting "genocide" by backing Sunni militants.

June 18: Iraq's foreign minister asks the US to carry out airstrikes to help reverse the sweeping gains of Islamist militants in the country.

David Cameron warns that if Britain does not intervene in the Middle East crisis then terrorists will "hit the UK at home".

Insurgents are seen parading through the city of Baiji with captured vehicles after reports they have taken over three-quarters of Iraq's biggest oil refinery.

ISIS charts its brutality and tactics in annual reports called al-Naba - The Report, it emerges.

June 19: Iraqi authorities say government forces have retaken the Baiji oil refinery after fierce fighting.

Barck Obama says US troops will not return to combat in Iraq, but he would be prepared to take "targeted action".

The president also announces additional equipment and up to 300 additional military advisers could be provided to help fight the ISIS insurgency.

June 20: Iraq's senior Shia religious authority Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani calls for a new government for the country as it struggles to stop Sunni militants.

Barack Obama piles further pressure on Iraq's PM Nouri al Maliki, saying he needs to take urgent steps to heal the sectarian rift in the country, but stopping short of demanding he quit.

A video of British jihadists urging Western Muslims to join ISIS in Iraq and Syria emerges on social media.

June 21: The family of Naseer Muthana, 20, who appears in the ISIS recruitment video and younger brother Aseel, 17, who followed him to fight in the region say they are "devastated". 

The men's father Ahmed Muthana tells Sky News he believes his son Nasser was radicalised in a mosque in the United Kingdom.

In Iraq, dozens of Iraqi troops are killed as ISIS militants seize the crucial Qaim crossing into Syria.

A Shia preacher loyal to anti-US cleric Moqtada al Sadr warns that the 300 US military advisers en route to Iraq will be attacked.

June 22: Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei comes out in opposition of US intervention in neighbouring Iraq.

President Barack Obama warns ISIS could grow in power, destabilise the region and pose a threat to the US.

The mother of one of two Britons filmed in a militants' video calling for Western Muslims to fight in Syria and Iraq, Reyaad Khan, pleads for him to come home in an emotional Sky News interview.

A former head of counter-terrorism at MI6 tells Sky's Murnaghan programme up to 300 Islamist fighters from Iraq and Syria may have returned to the UK and it would be "impossible" to keep track of all of them.

June 23: Barack Obama warns ISIS could pose a threat to the US, hours after the Islamist militants make dramatic gains by capturing four towns in western Iraq.

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in Baghdad for talks with Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki.

June 24: John Kerry arrives in Irbil for talks with Kurdistan's regional government President Massoud Barzani.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nine 'Dead' As Ukrainian Helicopter Shot Down

Nine people are feared dead after rebels shot down a Ukrainian army helicopter near the town of Slaviansk, a government forces spokesman said.

Dmytro Tymchuk, a military analyst, said the helicopter had been brought down by a missile fired from a shoulder-held launcher.

He confirmed nine people had been killed, according to preliminary information.

Vladimir Putin says a seven-day cease-fire is not enough

The incident took place just hours after pro-Russian separatists announced a ceasefire until June 27.

That matched a week-long truce by government forces which has been ordered by President Petro Poroshenko.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said today that the weeklong cease-fire should be extended and accompanied by talks between the government and the rebels.

During a trip to Vienna, Mr Putin said that the seven-day cease-fire was not enough.

Earlier, in a surprising turnabout, Mr Putin asked politicians to revoke a resolution allowing him to invade Ukraine.

Kiev immediately hailed the move as Mr Putin's "first practical step" towards helping defuse the crisis. 

The surprise reversal from the Kremlin comes amid the threat of tougher Western sanctions against Moscow.

It could help spur fragile peace initiatives to end fighting in eastern Ukraine.

The town of Slaviansk has been controlled by separatists since April and on May 30 rebels there brought down a military helicopter killing 14 servicemen.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cameron Apology: 'I Was Wrong To Hire Coulson'

Hacking: Brooks Cleared But Coulson Guilty

Updated: 4:15pm UK, Tuesday 24 June 2014

Rebekah Brooks has been cleared of all charges in the phone-hacking trial, while ex-Number 10 spin doctor Andy Coulson has been found guilty of plotting to hack phones.

Jurors at the Old Bailey found former News of the World editor Coulson guilty of conspiring to hack phones with others between 2000 and 2006.

The 46-year-old, who was forced to quit as Prime Minister David Cameron's communications director over the scandal, now faces the possibility of a prison sentence.

Mr Cameron on Tuesday apologised for recruiting Coulson, saying: "It was the wrong decision and I am very clear about that."

He stood by his July 2011 pledge to the House of Commons when he said: "If I have been lied to, that would be the moment for profound apology. In that event, I can tell you I will not fall short."

An emotional Mrs Brooks, former chief executive of News International, who was found not guilty of all the charges she faced, was led out of the courtroom upon learning the verdicts.

Brooks, 46, was cleared of hacking, misconduct in a public office for allegedly signing off payments to a Sun journalist's military contact between 2004 and 2012, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and perverting the course of justice.

Her 52-year-old husband, racehorse trainer Charlie Brooks and News International's former head of security Mark Hanna, 51, were cleared of perverting the course of justice around the time of police searches in July 2011.

Mr and Mrs Brooks left the building holding hands and made no comment to the reporters assembled outside the central London court.

Ex-News of the World managing editor Stuart Kuttner was also cleared of being part of a conspiracy to hack phones dating back to 2000 and spanning six years.

And jurors cleared Cheryl Carter, 50, Mrs Brooks' friend and former personal assistant, of conspiring to pervert the course of justice by removing seven boxes from the NI archive just days before she was arrested in 2011.

However, not all the verdicts have been returned by the jury of eight women and three men, which has been deliberating since June 11.

They are still considering further charges against Coulson and ex-News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman of conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office by paying police officers for two royal directories.

The trial heard victims of phone hacking included royals, celebrities, politicians and ordinary members of the public including Kate Middleton and Prince William, Bond star Daniel Craig and murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

A spokesman for News UK, formerly known as News International, said: "We said long ago, and repeat today, that wrongdoing occurred, and we apologised for it. We have been paying compensation to those affected and have cooperated with investigations.

"We made changes in the way we do business to help ensure wrongdoing like this does not occur again. And we are strong supporters of the Independent Press Standards Organisation that is expected to begin work this autumn, serving as a watchdog on the industry in the public interest.

"Out of respect for the fact that further legal proceedings will occur, we will have no further comment at this time."

The campaign group Hacked Off said in a statement the trial "shone a light on the appalling, systemic newsroom culture of bullying, lies, intimidation and intrusion that has devastated the lives of many people".

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More