Brazil Fire: Nightclub Owner Is Arrested

Brazilian police have arrested the co-owner of a nightclub where 233 people were killed in a fire, according to the AFP news agency.

Police also apprehended two members of a band that was performing at the club, the report said.

Witnesses said a flare or firework lit by members of the band onstage had started the fire, which broke out early on Sunday morning.

The fast-spreading blaze raged through the crowded Kiss nightclub in Santa Maria, with a cloud of toxic smoke setting off panic as party-goers gasping for air rushed to the exit.

Security guards tried to block people from leaving the club, survivors and rescuers have said.

Brazilian bars routinely make patrons pay their entire tab at the end of the night before they are allowed to leave.

"It was chaotic and it doesn't seem to have been done in bad faith because several security guards also died," police inspector Marcelo Arigony said.

A preliminary investigation also found that the club's exit was blocked by the bodies of those already dead.

Police have said an arrest warrant has been issued for another owner of the club.

Firefighters stand outside the burnt out club

The detentions were for investigative purposes, and a police official said they were "temporary", according to AFP.

Many of the 233 victims were under 20-years-old. Around 117 others were injured.

Funerals for some of the victims were being held on Monday in Santa Maria, a university city in the south of the country.

The blaze broke out while the band, called Gurizada Fandangueira, was performing in the club, which was overcrowded with some 1,500 people.

Television images showed black smoke billowing out of the nightclub as shirtless young men who had attended a university party joined firefighters using axes and sledgehammers to pound at windows and pink exterior walls to free those trapped inside.

Bodies of the dead and injured were strewn in the street and panicked screams filled the air as medics tried to help.

Hours later, the bodies of the victims were lined up in a community gym, as desperate family members identified their relatives.

Survivor Michele Pereira told the Folha de S Paulo newspaper she was near the stage when members of the band lit flares that started the fire.

"The band that was onstage began to use flares and, suddenly, they stopped the show and pointed them upward," she said.

"At that point, the ceiling caught fire. It was really weak, but in a matter of seconds it spread."

One member of the band was killed while five made it out safely.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff flew back from a summit in Santiago, Chile, and declared a national three-day mourning period for the victims.

"We are going to make it through this tragedy," Ms Rousseff said.

An event scheduled for Monday to mark 500 days to go until the 2014 World Cup in Brazil was scrapped out of respect for the victims.

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New British Citizenship Test - Take The Quiz

Changes to the Life in the UK citizenship test, which must be taken by all migrants wanting to settle permanently in Britain, have been unveiled.

The Home Office said the revised exam, which is being introduced in March, will focus less on the practicalities of daily living in Britain and more on the nation's culture and past, with topics such as sport, music and key historical facts featuring heavily.

For example, while foreigners will be expected to know British history stretching back to the Stone Age, through to the Romans, Norman Conquest and the Magna Carta, they will also be tested on last year's Olympics and "Britons' unique sense of humour and satire".

The Two Ronnies and Monty Python are even on the syllabus, according to the Guardian, while British cultural and artistic heritage, from the music of composer Henry Purcell to the worldwide influence of the Beatles and Andrew Lloyd Webber, and the nation's national parks all feature in the 45-minute test.

Foreign nationals will also be asked about the nation's artistic achievements, Britain's love of gardening and garden design and the work of influential architects including Christopher Wren and Norman Foster.

Questions on literary masterpieces by poets and authors such as Geoffrey Chaucer, Jane Austen and Wilfred Owen, as well as the lives of some of Britain's most celebrated writers, scientists and politicians, from William Shakespeare and Robert Burns to Isaac Newton and Winston Churchill also feature.

Ministers said the exam and its accompanying handbook, released today, will cover events and people "who have contributed to making Britain great".

Immigration minister Mark Harper said: "We've stripped out mundane information about water meters, how to find train timetables, and using the internet.

"The new book rightly focuses on values and principles at the heart of being British. Instead of telling people how to claim benefits it encourages participation in British life."

More than 150,000 Life in the UK tests were taken nationally last year, including 77,000 in London.

:: Take the test. Here are some of the possible questions and multiple choice answers:

1. Which landmark is a prehistoric monument which still stands in the English county of Wiltshire?

A) Stonehenge

B) Hadrian's Wall

C) Offa's Dyke

D) Fountains Abbey

2. What is the name of the admiral who died in a sea battle in 1805 and has a monument in Trafalgar Square, London?

A) Cook

B) Drake

C) Nelson

D) Raleigh

3. In 1801, a new version of the official flag of the United Kingdom was created. What is it often called?

A) The British Standard

B) The Royal Banner

C) The St George Cross

D) The Union Jack

4. Who is the Patron Saint of Scotland?

A) St Andrew

B) St David

C) St George

D) St Patrick

5. What flower is traditionally worn by people on Remembrance Day?

A) Poppy

B) Lily

C) Daffodil

D) Iris

6. Which of these sporting events was hosted in London in 2012?

A) The Commonwealth Games

B) Cricket World Cup

C) European Football Championship

D) Paralympic Games

7. At her Jubilee in 2012, how many years as Queen did Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrate?

A) 25

B) 40

C) 50

D) 60

8. The second largest party in the House of Commons is usually known by what name?

A) The Senate

B) The Opposition

C) The Lords

D) The Other Side

9. From what age can you be asked to serve on a jury?

A) 16

B) 18

C) 21

D) 25

10. What is the title given to the person who chairs the debates in the House of Commons?

A) The Speaker

B) The Chairman

C) The Leader of the House

D) The Prime Minister

Answers: you need 75% to pass

1. A 2. C 3. D 4. A 5. A 6. D 7. D 8. B 9. B 10.A

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Armed Robbery Victim Reduces Suspect To Tears

CCTV shows an armed robber being beaten up and then consoled by his would-be victim as he sobs on the floor.

The footage shows the masked suspect initially threatening the petrol station attendant, Robert B, 20, with a knife, demanding money.

Robert B, who works at the station in Oldenburg in Germany, pushes the alarm button and rushes next door to grab a baseball bat.

The victim is seen handing a paper towel to the robber

He hits the bat over the attacker's head repeatedly until he drops his knife. Then in an unusual twist, the robber is seen hugging and pleading with his victim to stop.

According to Bild.de, he said: "Please let me go. I have a wife and kids."

The bleeding, whimpering robber – who is seen crouched on the floor – is then handed a paper towel by the sympathetic worker.

Bild.de reports Robert B as saying: "Later the police told me that he was lying. He wanted to spend the money for drugs."

According to the report the robber will go to jail for at least five years.

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Baby Rescue: Nurse Revived Harbour Fall Boy

A woman who gave CPR to a six-month-old baby after he had been rescued following a fall into freezing waters says she had never done it before.

The boy, Sam Cooper Stevens, was rescued from the water by a dockmaster and then revived by Tanya Allen, a nurse who had rushed to the scene after hearing screams of help.

"I was really quite worried when I was doing the CPR on him that I didn't hurt him, that I didn't break his ribs. And was I doing it right? Because he was a baby," Ms Allen told Sky News.

Sam is recovering in hospital, where doctors say his condition is no longer life-threatening.

Six-month-old Sam is recovering

The baby, who was strapped to his buggy, was swept into the water by strong winds as his mother Kate Cooper walked along Watchet Harbour, Somerset, on Sunday morning.

The pushchair was upturned in the water.

"It just suddenly became horrific," Ms Allen recalled.

Dockmaster George Reeder dived in and pulled it to the wall, and then Ms Allen threw a rope over and, with the help of others, hauled it to dry land.

"It must have been 10-12 foot down, it was a long way down and it took three or four of us pull it up because it was very heavy by that time," Ms Allen said.

"We were hoping that he was going to be OK, but he had been under the water for a little while so it wasn't looking too good at that time."

She said Sam did not appear to be conscious as he was pulled out of the water. 

"I took the baby out of the pushchair and I started CPR on him straight away," added Ms Allen, who said she had received training many times as a psychiatric nurse but had never performed CPR before.

The first aid technique can be used where someone is not breathing properly or if their heart has stopped, and consists of chest compressions and sometimes rescue breaths.

Baby Sam was airlifted to hospital

"I've never, ever - thankfully - had to give this sort of life support in a real-life situation," she said.

Ms Allen was worried she might hurt the tiny baby. "But then I thought, 'Well if I don't do anything this is going to be disastrous'," she said.

She soon noticed the baby started breathing, though keeping him warm until the air ambulance got to the scene was also a problem.

Soon after, Sam was airlifted to hospital.

"I'm so glad I had the training and I think a lot more people should have that training so if they come across something like that your instincts kick in," she said.

The infant's father, Martyn Stevens, said Ms Allen had been "brilliant", and he thanked all the rescuers involved. He said he was at home at the time of the accident.

"I just remember the brilliance of everyone," he said, saying their response had been amazing.

Avon and Somerset Police said a gust of wind appeared to have blown the buggy into the water.

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Nicole Falkingham: Businessman's Wife Found Dead

The wife of a prominent North West businessman has been found dead in a car.

The body of Nicole Falkingham, whose husband Jonathan Falkingham is the chief executive of property developer Urban Splash, was discovered on Friday, police confirmed.

The car was parked in a residential road at Eastwood, in Otterspool, Liverpool, when police were called shortly after 10am.

The 41-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.

Merseyside Police said her death is being treated as "unexplained" and have withheld the results of a post mortem examination as they await the outcome of toxicology tests.

Mrs Falkingham was found dead in a car

Two people were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and cannabis cultivation after officers involved in the inquiry entered a house at Eastwood and found a cannabis farm.

They have since been bailed pending further inquiries.

A spokeswoman for Merseyside Police said: "When officers arrived at the address (in Otterspool), they also discovered a cannabis factory with more than 100 plants.

"A 48-year-old man and a 49-year-old woman from Aigburth have been arrested on suspicion of cultivation of cannabis and manslaughter and have been released pending further inquiries."

Urban Splash, which is based in Manchester, is a leading property developer, having created landmark residential and business properties across the UK.

It is known for transforming derelict buildings and bringing them back into use, most notably the famous Art Deco Midland Hotel in Morecambe, Lancashire, and Birmingham's Fort Dunlop.

Bradford-born Mr Falkingham, an architect, was a co-founder of the company.

In a message to staff, Urban Splash chairman Tom Bloxham said: "I am very sad to say, as some of you have heard, that Nicole Falkingham tragically died on Friday.

"Nicole was known to many of us, when she worked in our Liverpool office and was married to Jonathan.

"She was one of life's great characters and her loss so young is a tragedy.

"Our thoughts go out to Jonathan and Nicole's friends and family at this difficult time.

"It is so sad."

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Mali: Islamists Burn Timbuktu Manuscripts

A library containing rare and ancient documents has been torched by Islamic militants escaping from French forces in Timbuktu.

The Ahmed Baba Institute of Higher Islamic Studies and Research had reportedly been used as a sleeping quarters by the Islamists.

Speaking from inside the building, Sky's Alex Crawford, who is embedded with the French forces, said the empty boxes strewn around her had contained thousands of historic manuscripts.

"Some of the documents date back to the 13th century," she said. "The town dates back to the 11th century and this was all the documentation they'd built up over centuries of life in Timbuktu - all either burnt by the Jihadists or they have disappeared."

The city's mayor, Ousmane Halle, said: "They torched all the important ancient manuscripts. The ancient books of geography and science. It is the history of Timbuktu, of its people. It's truly alarming that this has happened."

During their rule, the militants systematically destroyed UNESCO World Heritage sites in Timbuktu, long a hub of Islamic learning.

Crawford said she had been to the site of tombs that date back centuries which had been razed to the ground. UNESCO says one that was destroyed was the tomb of Sidi Mahmoudou, a saint who died in 955.

A spokesman for the al Qaeda-linked militants has said the tombs of Sufi saints were destroyed because they contravened Islam, encouraging Muslims to venerate saints instead of God.

Ground forces backed by French paratroopers and helicopters took control of Timbuktu's airport and the roads leading to the town in an overnight operation - part of the French-led mission to oust radical Islamists from the northern half of Mali, which they seized more than nine months ago.

Crawford said: "In the centre of the town they are celebrating, they're going absolutely bonkers with flags, cheering and waving and saying thank you to the French."

The Timbuktu operation comes a day after the French announced they had seized the airport and a key bridge in Gao, a city east of Timbuktu, one of the other northern provincial capitals that had been under the grip of radical Islamists.

The French and Malian forces so far have met little resistance from the Islamists, who seized northern Mali in the wake of a military coup in the distant capital of Bamako, in southern Mali.

Timbuktu lies on an ancient caravan route and has entranced travellers for centuries, is some 1,000km (620 miles) northeast of Mali's capital Bamako.

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Immigration: Claims Of Anti-UK Campaign

Ministers are working on plans to put off Bulgarians and Romanians from moving to Britain when controls are lifted at the end of this year.

Downing Street confirmed it is looking at how it can curb the influx from the two countries amid predictions 250,000 people could flock here over five years.

David Cameron's official spokesman said the Prime Minister wants to prevent potential damage to the UK labour market from a fresh flood of migrants.

But he acknowledged that Britain will have to operate within European Union rules on the right to free movement.

The confirmation came amid reports the Government is considering using an advertising campaign to highlight the pitfalls of life in the UK, including the bad weather.

Other plans could include deporting anyone who failed to find work in three months of arriving or to show they could support themselves for six months.

Temporary restrictions in place since 2005 limiting the rights of 29 million Bulgarian and Romanian citizens to live and work in other EU states will expire in December.

Adverts highlighting the rain in Britain are apparently being considered

The Government is coming under pressure to publish an estimate of the scale of expected immigration from the two newest EU states.

So far there has been no formal prediction, with ministers wary of repeating what happened with Poland when estimates were far exceeded.

Mr Cameron's spokesman, in a briefing to reporters, played down the idea of an ad campaign warning of low-paid jobs and the British rain.

But he confirmed that ministers were considering ideas which might prevent a surge in immigration.

"As you would expect, the Government is considering what options there may be and the process of looking into these and considering them is under way," he said.

"The issue here is around dealing with potential damage to the UK labour market and potential scope for curbing immigration to that end.

"We are in the process of considering what we may be able to do. Clearly, there is a European legal framework within which we have to operate."

The National Institute for Economic and Social Research has been commissioned to look at the potential impacts of Bulgarian and Romanian immigration to the UK, he said.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has admitted the influx would "cause problems" with services such as housing, particularly in London.

But he insisted it was not "reasonable" to assume 300,000 people would move to the UK - the figure suggested by some Tories based on migration levels from other countries.

Chairman of the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee, Keith Vaz, said: "I have asked the Home Secretary several times to give us an estimate as to how many Romanians and Bulgarians will enter the country in 2014, but she has not done so.

"Successive governments have failed to provide accurate estimates. The spending of public money on advertisements and propaganda trying to stop Romanian and Bulgarians coming to Britain borders on the farcical.

"On the one hand, the Home Office doesn't want them in but on the other hand, the minister for Europe is saying there is freedom of movement. The Government is in danger of actually encouraging more people to come.

"These kinds of tactics have been used in the past and been found to be counter-productive. Ministers would be better off working with their Romanian and Bulgarian counterparts and the EU to address the reasons migrants want to come here in the first place."

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HS2 Rail Link: PM Vows Plans Will Go Ahead

David Cameron has insisted high-speed rail links to the north of England will go ahead despite a growing backlash at the plans.

The second phase of the Government's plans will take the route beyond Birmingham, with five new stations at Manchester, Manchester Airport, Toton in the East Midlands, Sheffield and in Leeds.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin is bringing forward a public consultation to 2013 to fast-track the project.

The £32.7bn plan is one of the coalition's priorities as it tries to kickstart the economy. Construction is due to start in 2017 with the first trains in service by 2026.

Pro-HS2 campaigners hailed the plan as "visionary", but there was immediate concern about the effect on the counties involved.

Some Conservative backbenchers attacked the proposals and the Stop HS2 group challenged claims that it will help the economies of northern cities.

Pressed on whether he could be forced into a U-turn, Mr Cameron said: "This is going to happen. I have been a strong supporter right from the start.

"We do need to rebalance the economy, it has been too dominated by the south and by certain industries and high speed rail will really help to create a better balanced economy."

Chancellor George Osborne insisted the network would be an "engine for growth" in the North and the Midlands, creating tens of thousands of jobs.

The route will cut through areas of outstanding natural beauty

He admitted communities along the route would face "very difficult" disruption to their lives but said the economic benefits were "pretty compelling".

The initial link connects London to Birmingham, after which it splits into a Y-shape with two branches, one to Manchester and another to Leeds.

The branch running via Manchester Airport will include a spur to Crewe to speed up trips to Liverpool and Scotland by better connecting to conventional services.

The second branch - which includes Sheffield being served by a station at the Meadowhall shopping centre instead of the city centre - could prove more controversial.

Officials said interconnections would be improved at any stations situated outside cities. A "parkway" station is set be included at Toton between Nottingham and Derby.

But a proposed spur to Heathrow has been put on hold pending the results of Sir Howard Davies' review of future airport capacity, which is not due to report until 2015.

Instead, passengers heading to the world's busiest airport will have to change onto the new London east-west Crossrail service for an 11-minute transfer to terminals.

The Department for Transport said the journey from Manchester to Birmingham would be reduced to 41 minutes and from Manchester to London to 1 hour 8 minutes - almost half the present times.

According to officials, Leeds will be 57 minutes away from Birmingham compared to 1 hour 58 mins today, and 1hr 22mins away from London Euston, down from 2hrs 12 minutes.

Mr McLoughlin hailed the rail project as a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform Britain's connectivity, capacity and competitiveness".

He admitted the project was "controversial", but added: "This is not about short-term popularity. It is about doing what is right for the country in the long-term."

The plans are being opposed in some rural communities

The project has been welcomed by civic and business leaders in the region, who predict that the number of jobs created could be far higher than the 100,000 cited by the DfT.

But it faces opposition, especially in picturesque Tory heartlands which will be affected, such as the Chilterns, infuriating MPs and countryside campaigners.

Michael Fabricant, Tory MP for Lichfield in Staffordshire, which will be affected by the plans, warned Mr Osborne he will face opposition in his own constituency of Tatton.

"The problem is that this route plunges through countryside which is at the moment unblemished by either major roads or by rail," he said.

"I believe the route is going to go through Tatton. He will experience for himself, as will all those other MPs, precisely how strongly people feel about their environment being blighted by HS2."

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who is also MP for Sheffield Hallam, was also forced to defend the move not to run the new line into Sheffield city centre.

"The city centre option is not a cost-free one. It would be a lot more expensive and also the train link would be slower, which slightly defeats the purpose of the whole exercise," he said.

Campaign group Stop HS2 claimed high speed rail projects elsewhere had "sucked jobs to the capital cities" and that this project would do little to regenerate the North.

Chair Penny Gaines said: "HS2 is a London-centric proposal that seems focused on extending the London commuter belt beyond Birmingham, when we need to create an engine for growth in the North, providing access to jobs for people who want to live and work in the North."

Labour backs HS2, which was begun when the party was in Government, but says there are "worrying signs" that the timetable for delivering it is slipping.

The High Court is currently considering whether the first phase of the project, which will take high-speed trains from London to Birmingham, is legally flawed and needs to be reconsidered.

The challenge was taken to the court by campaigners who accused the Government of failing to undertake a "strategic environmental assessment" or arrange an adequate consultation process.

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Pimlico Fatal Stabbing: Teenager Named

A teenager, who died after being stabbed in Pimlico, central London, has been named as Hani Abou El-Kheir.

Officers were called to Lupus Street at 6.50pm on Sunday where they found a 16-year-old who had been stabbed. Witnesses heard him screaming for his life.

The victim was taken to a south London hospital but died from his injuries at 8.45pm.

Family friend Mahmoud Abosiad said: "He was a lovely boy. He did not deserve to end up on a slab."

Mohammed Alzubaidi, 49, from nearby Peabody Close, said his friend had witnessed a gang made up of black and white teenagers carrying out the attack.

"He said they were carrying knives, some of them with wide swords. He said the victim was screaming and trying to get away."

Mr Alzubaidi's friend told him the gang had scattered and run off in different directions.

The street, close to Pimlico station, has been cordoned off by police

The teenager was a former student at Pimlico Academy, a short distance from the scene of his fatal stabbing.

In a statement, the school's principal, Jerry Collins, said pupils and staff "were deeply saddened to hear about the death of our former student Hani Abou El Kheir and extend our deepest sympathies to his family".

Mr Collins added: "Having left the Academy in 2009 Hani rejoined in December 2011 and was a pupil here until the summer of 2012. Hani was a popular boy who conducted himself in an exemplary manner and will be much missed."

The victim's mother Pauline Hickey, who lives 100 yards from the scene, did not want to comment. But an unidentified man said at the family home: "She's broken-hearted."

The scene of the attack is close to Pimlico Underground station and is bordered by many council estates.

A 58-year-old local resident, who did not want to be named, said there had been two murders in nearby Gloucester Street in recent years and a stabbing of a boy outside a row of shops in Lupus Street before Christmas.

"The violence that has started to occur around here is something else, it is frightening for all the residents. You used to be able to walk around at night but I am starting to be very wary, especially at night-time," she said.

No arrests have been made so far. Police have launched a murder investigation.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "We must retain an open mind re the circumstances of the incident and any motive at this early stage."

Anyone with any information can call police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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'Hit-And-Run' Deaths: Tandem Cyclists Named

The car involved in an alleged hit-and-run crash that killed a husband and wife on a tandem bicycle was being followed by police, it has emerged.

The couple, who died at the scene of the collision in Bristol, have been named as 34-year-old Ross Matthews Simons and 30-year-old Clare Simons.

And police investigating the accident revealed the Citroen Picasso involved had collided with the cyclists just moments after officers tried to pull it over.

A statement issued by Avon and Somerset Police said: "Shortly before 4pm yesterday (Sunday), a police officer's attention was drawn to a Citroen Picasso travelling along Lower Hanham Road at speed.

Floral tributes and pictures left at the scene in Hanham

"The officer indicated to the car to stop but it made off. The officer began to follow the car but it was lost to sight almost immediately. Very shortly afterwards the car stuck another vehicle and then collided with two cyclists on a tandem bicycle."

A 38-year-old man is being held by police after being arrested on suspicion of death by dangerous driving and the matter has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Tributes have been paid to the young couple

Police also said a 35-year-old woman had been arrested, on suspicion of dangerous driving.

Friends of Mr and Mrs Simons said the couple had been together for many years, married for around 18 months - and that they desperately wanted children.

Family friend Diane Pullin, said she got to know the couple because her son-in-law Darren worked for Mr Simons' father.

"They are a lovely family, so kind and so helpful," she said.

"They don't deserve this. They'd just had news that they were able to have fertility treatment... everything to live for.

Lower Hanham Road is west of central Bristol

"It's just terrible and it shouldn't have happened. Two young people with their lives in front of them... snapped away just like that.

"They were trying for children and they had just been told they could have fertility treatment. Everything to live for, they were such a lovely family."

And Inspector Frazer Davey urged any witnesses to come forward.

Police tape at the scene of the tragic collision

"Following investigations overnight the circumstances of this collision have become much clearer," he said.

"However I would appeal to anyone who witnessed this incident or saw this car in the area shortly before the collision to come forward and contact us.

"This is a tragic incident in which two people have needlessly lost their lives. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with their families."

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or visit www.avonandsomerset.police.uk

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