Gunmen Rob Britons On Caribbean Cruise

Some 55 passengers - including ten Britons - from a cruise ship have been robbed by "three" masked gunmen on a tour bus on the Caribbean island of St Lucia.

The gunmen held up the bus at the Botanical Gardens in Soufriere during a tour excursion on Friday, but no one was hurt.

Jewellery and money was believed to have been stolen.

Two crew members from Celebrity Cruises' Eclipse vessel were also on the bus along with guests.

One passenger broke down in tears after the ordeal while others were "shaken", according to local broadcaster DBS TV.

One Eclipse passenger, Arizona Cruz Chic, posted on internet forum Cruise Critic: "One of the ships tour was robbed at gunpoint by three masked gunmen.

"We're not on the tour but friends were.. They said one woman fell and broke her leg, no one else was injured, all their money and jewellery were taken."

Tourism Minister Lorne Theophilus said it was "unfortunate and a horrible scenario".

Matthew Beaubrun, Chairman of the St Lucia Tourist Board told DBS: "This is a rare incident …This is such an important industry for us that we need to respond.

"We have taken it very seriously at the highest level and I know the minister's been in touch with the prime minister, so we are not taking this thing lightly."

A statement from Celebrity Cruises said: "No one was injured in the robbery and the guests returned to the ship unharmed.

"We are thankful that none of our guests were injured in this unfortunate event, and will continue to provide them any support they may need.

"A vacation is supposed to be filled with fun, rejuvenation and relaxation. An act of crime should not be part of any vacation, and we regret our guests had to experience those events."

The Eclipse is currently on a 14-night Caribbean cruise that departed Fort Lauderdale in Florida on April 6 and ends there on April 20.

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Barton Faces French FA Over 'Ladyboy' Tweet

Joey Barton is due to appear before the French Football Association's ethical committee over comments he made on Twitter about a fellow player.

The English midfielder, who plays for Olympique de Marseille, described Thiago Silva as an "overweight ladyboy" in one of a number of disparaging posts about the Brazilian player earlier this month.

Silva's club, Paris Saint-Germain, said the comments were "unacceptable", while Marseille apologised for the "inappropriate" posts and said Barton had been ordered to stop his personal attacks on the Brazilian international.

However, the former Manchester City player was summoned to face the FFA committee and could face a ban over his comments.

Barton has more than 2.1 million followers on Twitter - among the most of any English footballer.

The 30-year-old, who has played once for his country, is at Marseille on a season-long loan from Premier League side QPR.

Last year, he surprised journalists by hosting a post-match news conference with a French accent he later christened 'Bartonese'.

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North Korea Brands US An 'Enemy' Of The State

North Korea has attacked the United States and rebuffed fresh calls from its only ally China to give up its nuclear programme.

As the sun set on Pyongyaang after a day of peaceful, nationwide colourful festivities celebrating the 101st anniversary of the birth of its founding father Kim Il Sung, the threat of a missile launch remained as its ambassador to China continued its aggressive rhetoric.

Ji Jae-ryong looks at photo albums on display at an exhibition in Beijing

Ji Jae-ryong used the opening of an exhibition marking the event on Monday in Beijing to brand the US an "enemy" of the state and to boast of North Korea's might as a "nuclear state and military power".

"Currently, enemy powers such as the United States are exerting unprecedented military and political suppression on our country," he said.

"But we have unswervingly demonstrated the power of a nuclear state and a military power, and firmly maintained peace and stability on the peninsula, and even in Northeast Asia and the whole world.

"And that is because we embrace comrade Kim Jong-Un as the top leader of our party and military," he said, referring to the North's unpredictable young new leader.

"As long as we follow the lead of comrade Kim Jong-Un, we are bound to obtain the great success of socialism," he added.

North Koreans bow to statues of their former leaders

There has been fears North Korea might use the national holiday to demonstrate its military capability.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in the capital Pyongyang to celebrate the unveiling of new statues of Kim Il Sung and the son who succeeded him, Kim Jong Il.

But there were concerns North Korea may launch a medium-range ballistic missile as the Communist state has made a habit of linking high-profile military tests with key dates in its calendar.

The centenary of Kim's birth last year was preceded by a long-range rocket test that ended in failure.

Earlier, Kim's grandson and current dynastic leader Kim Jong-Un visited the Pyongyang mausoleum to pay "high tribute in humblest reverence" where his grandfather's body lies embalmed, the official Korean Central News Agency said. 

He also visited the embalmed body of his father, who died in December 2011.

Athletes from 16 nations were cheered into Kim Il Sung Stadium

And despite North Korea's warnings that the threat of war on the Korean Peninsula is so high it cannot guarantee the safety of foreign residents, it hosted athletes from around the world for its biggest international marathon yet ahead of the celebrations.

After racing through Pyongyang, athletes from 16 nations including hundreds of North Korean runners were cheered into Kim Il Sung Stadium by tens of thousands of spectators.

North Korea's official media said the 26th Mangyongdae Prize Marathon was larger than previous years and that enthusiasm was "high among local marathoners and their coaches as never before".

After the race, competitors then filled a performance hall for a gala concert featuring ethnic Korean performers brought in from China, Russia and Japan as part of the birthday events.

"The feeling is like, I came last year already, the situation is the same," said Taiwan runner Chang Chia-che, who finished 15th.

South Koreans burn effigies of the North's past and present leaders

Tourists too were invited to join in the birthday celebrations. Hannah Barraclough, who is a tour guide with the Koryo Group travel agency, told Sky News there was no sense of a nation on a war-footing.

"When we come here we are treated very well - they take the role of host very seriously," she said.

The Korean peninsula has been in a state of heightened military tension since the North carried out its third nuclear test in February.

Incensed by fresh UN sanctions and joint South Korea-US military exercises, Pyongyang has spent weeks issuing blistering threats of missile strikes and nuclear war.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, in Japan on the last leg of an Asian tour dominated by the crisis, said the US was prepared to talk to North Korea if it took "meaningful steps" towards peace.

"The United States remains open to authentic and credible negotiations on denuclearisation, but the burden is on Pyongyang," he said. "North Korea must take meaningful steps to show it will honour commitments it has already made."

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Teens Sentenced For Murdering Homeless Man

Three teenagers who beat a homeless man to death following a dare have been sentenced.

Connor Doran, 17, his brother Brandon Doran, 14, and their friend Simon Evans, also 14, attacked Kevin Bennett as he slept rough outside a supermarket in Liverpool.

Connor Doran was sentenced to a minimum 12 years, Evans was ordered to serve at least eight years and Brandon Doran received six years for acting as look-out during the attack.

Victim Kevin Bennett, here with his son, now in his 20s

The three boys, who all denied murder, were found guilty on February 26 following a four-week trial.

The two brothers showed no emotion as their sentences were being read out, while Evans fought back tears.

Passing sentence, Judge Clement Goldstone QC, the Recorder of Liverpool, said: "I think it is a desperately sad reflection on this society that each of you was party to serious violence purely for the sake of it."

He called the 17-year-old the "pack leader".

During the trial at Liverpool Crown Court, the jury was told that he had goaded Evans by saying: "I bet you haven't got it in you to do him in."

The court heard Evans later told his friend: "I started kicking him, I booted him and now he's dead."

Linda Doran provided false alibis for her sons

During the attack on August 17, Mr Bennett suffered a fractured eye socket, a collapsed lung and a broken ribcage which detached from his chest.

He died in hospital six days later.

A post-mortem examination found that the 53-year-old had died from blood poisoning after an infection set in, causing his organs to fail.

Prosecutor Alan Conrad QC said the three boys had been responsible for a "group attack".

"Mr Bennett had done nothing to deserve such violence," he said.

The Doran brothers' mother, 42-year-old Linda Doran, was sentenced to 30 months in jail after being convicted of perverting the course of justice by providing false alibis for her sons.

The judge called the woman, who is unemployed, a "pathetic and tragic character" who bears the responsibility for a "total lack of parental guidance".

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Newcastle 'Appalled' By Derby Day Violence

Newcastle United say they will impose "immediate lifetime bans" on anyone involved in the clashes after their defeat to Sunderland.

Some 29 supporters were arrested as violence erupted in the city centre following the Tyne-Wear derby.

Video footage showed crowds throwing glass bottles at police and a burning bin lying on its side in the road. Pictures also showed a man apparently trying to punch a police horse.

A spokesman for Newcastle United said: "We were embarrassed and appalled by the behaviour of a minority of so-called fans who were involved in disturbances and disorder in Newcastle city centre after the match.

Fans clash with police after Newcastle's 3-0 defeat to Sunderland

"We have been working with Northumbria Police, and will continue to do so, in order to identify all of the individuals concerned.

"The club will take the strongest possible action against those involved in the disturbances and will impose immediate lifetime bans on all those found guilty.

"These deplorable individuals have no place at Newcastle United and bring shame on the club and the vast majority of its proper, law-abiding, fans."

Chief Superintendent Steve Neill, of Northumbria Police, asked fans who filmed fighting on their mobile phones to hand over any footage to the police or Crimestoppers.

The horse, called Bud, was not injured. Pic: WYPHorses/Twitter

"Disruptive behaviour of any kind is not tolerated," he said.

Meanwhile, West Yorkshire Police tweeted a picture of the horse caught up in the violence, saying he is "resting and relaxed" in his stables and was not injured.

His suspected attacker, who was wrestled to the ground by officers, has been bailed pending further inquiries.

The disorder in Newcastle came a day after clashes during an FA Cup semi-final match between Millwall and Wigan at Wembley Stadium.

Police arrested 14 people over the violence, which left younger fans in tears and was seen by millions of people watching on television.

The violence at Wembley Stadium marred Wigan's FA Cup win

The FA's general secretary Alex Horne said of the Wembley disorder on Saturday: "We will look to ensure those involved are identified and we would call for criminal charges and a football banning order to be brought against them.

"The FA deplore the scenes which have taken place, which are unacceptable. Everything will be done to take action against those involved."

In a separate development, police investigating clashes between Shrewsbury Town and Walsall fans have charged 28 people with offences including violent disorder and assault.

The charges relate to a fight in Shrewsbury in October last year, during which a police officer suffered a broken leg.

A spokesman for West Mercia Police said those charged would appear in court over several days, starting on April 29.

"We always seek to prevent football violence occurring and any serious disorder will be met with strong measures," Superintendent James Tozer said.

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Beached Whale: Rescuers In Race Against Time

Volunteers are working with coastguards and a marine vet to save what is understood to be a pilot whale which has become stranded on Castle Beach, Falmouth.

They have formed a human chain and are transferring buckets of water from the sea to keep it wet until it can be refloated during the next high tide, which is due just after 9pm.

A picture taken by marine photographer Clare Greenwood shows the whale draped in wet sheets approximately 20m (66ft) from the shore and surrounded by volunteers.

The whale was discovered on Castle Beach this morning (Falmouth Packet)

Cornwall Wildlife Trust has tweeted: "Sad to hear a Pilot Whale has beached in Falmouth, Matt Slater, Marine Office, has just headed down to offer a hand of help."

Ms Greenwood, who has been helping with the rescue effort, said: "It's not looking good.

"It was discovered at 11am this morning and High tide won't be until this evening so we're expecting someone to arrive to put it down."

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Big Ben To Be Silent For Thatcher Funeral

The bells of Big Ben and the Great Clock at Westminster are to be silenced for Baroness Thatcher's funeral on Wednesday.

John Bercow, the speaker of the House of Commons whose wife has courted controversy by announcing she will not attend the funeral, made the announcement to MPs today.

It came after a full military rehearsal for Baroness Thatcher's funeral procession took in the early hours of this morning.

Timed to last 19 minutes, Wednesday's ceremonial service will involve more than 700 serving Armed Forces personnel and see Lady Thatcher's coffin carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage from St Clement Danes, the church of the Royal Air Force, down the Strand.

Led by the Band of the Royal Marines, the solemn procession will then slowly travel along Fleet Street towards St Paul's where around 2,000 mourners are expected to attend the service.

Major Andrew Chatburn, the man in charge of choreographing the parade, said the rehearsal "went very well" and claimed it was "vitally important" to stage a trial.

He said the atmosphere of the thousands of people expected to line the streets could obviously not be replicated, but added those involved, including the horses, were used to big occasions with large crowds.

"We'll have a debriefing and we'll take the points from that. We'll address whatever we have to address. If it's additional rehearsals in barracks we'll conduct those rehearsals and we'll get it right on the day," he added.

The band played the funeral marches of Chopin, Beethoven and Mendelssohn as it made its way along the deserted streets.

The coffin carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage

The military and police wore their working dress and high visibility clothes respectively, but will be in ceremonial uniform on the day.

The pensioners from Royal Hospital Chelsea did not take part in the trial due to the early start, but they will line the west steps of St Paul's for the real event.

Amid fears protests could mar the funeral, there was also a large police presence on the streets during the practice run.

The Met has urged groups to let them know what they are planning, and in some cases they have reportedly come to an agreement to allow protesters to turn their backs on the coffin.

Sky's events commentator Alastair Bruce, who watched the rehearsal, said Lady Thatcher "would have wanted to see democracy in action" and that organisers were hoping the protests would not offend mourners or affect the procession.

"The ceremonial has been worked on very hard by the armed forces, and they are doing their very best to represent the United Kingdom. They will want to deliver that duty without interruption," he said.

Some 700 serving members of the Armed Forces took part in the trial run

Lady Thatcher said she did not want a state funeral, but she has been given the next highest honour: a ceremonial funeral with full military honours tailored to her.

With all the the pageantry of a state funeral, it is set to be the largest in Britain since the Queen Mother's.

Downing Street has refused to give details about the cost until after the ceremony but it is expected to run into several million pounds.

A poll by ComRes found that only 25% of people think the event should be funded form the public purse and that 60% are against the idea.

But the Government has defended the plans for a lavish ceremonial service.

Tory Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude, one of the organisers, told Sky News the ceremony had to be a "fitting event for a very great lady" and argued that the involvement of the armed forces was "not over the top in any way".

George Galloway will attempt to block PMQs delay so MPs can attend funeral

Respect MP George Galloway, who will later attempt to scupper plans to cancel Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions so that MPs can attend Lady Thatcher's funeral, is also against the public funding the event.

He told Sky News: "She totally divided the country, and from my political perspective, destroyed much that was good about the country. You have to have a national consensus about this kind of thing.

"The whole nation does not recognise Mrs Thatcher - and roughly half the country is against this.

"I do not want the public forced to pay for something that is a private and party political affair."

He added: "I hated Mrs Thatcher almost all of my life. It would be utter hypocrisy for me to pretend to respect her now she has gone. And millions feel that way."

Mr Galloway has said he will try to block a Government motion dropping Commons questions and delaying the start of business to 2.30pm, after the funeral has taken place.

Ministers had hoped the motion, tabled by the Leader of the House Andrew Lansley, would go through "on the nod" at the end of Commons business.

On Sunday night police charged a series of demonstrators at London's Trafalgar Square who were protesting against Baroness Thatcher's legacy and who marked her death with a party.

Scotland Yard said nine suspects had been charged with various offences including assaulting police, affray and drunk and disorderly, and would appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on various dates in the next few weeks.

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Stafford Hospital: Administrators Called In

The trust that runs scandal-hit Stafford Hospital is being put into administration, health regulator Monitor has announced.

Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust will be run by two specially appointed administrators after it was decided that the trust was "neither clinically nor financially sustainable in its current form".

Dr Hugo Mascie-Taylor and Alan Bloom, of Ernst and Young, will take over the running of the trust on Tuesday.

The trust was at the centre of a public inquiry into the "disaster" at Stafford Hospital where hundreds of patients may have died needlessly after they were "routinely neglected".

It will become the first NHS foundation trust to face administration.

Monitor said the special administrators would be given 45 working days to design a way of providing services to patients in the area "that is sustainable in the long term".

Their plan will be subject to a public consultation and services at the hospitals in Stafford and Cannock will continue to run as normal until a final decision is reached.

NHS boss Sir David Nicholson faced widespread criticism over the scandal

Monitor chief executive David Bennett, who announced the regulator's decision at a news conference at Stafford Hospital, said: "It is important that people in Mid Staffordshire know that they can still access services as usual at Stafford and Cannock hospitals while the trust special administration process is ongoing.

"We have taken this decision to make sure that patients in the Mid Staffordshire area have the services they need in the future.

"It is now the role of the trust special administrators to work with the local community to decide the best way of delivering these services."

The Francis Report highlighted the "appalling and unnecessary suffering of hundreds of people" between 2005 and 2009.

Three weeks after the public inquiry report was published, Monitor said it was consulting about the prospective appointment of trust special administrators.

An independent review into the trust, conducted on behalf of the regulator, concluded that the organisation was neither clinically nor financially sustainable in its current form.

Finances at the trust, which is deemed to be one of the smallest in the country, have a bleak outlook. Last year the Department of Health was forced to give the trust a £20m boost to maintain services for patients.

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Beckhams Have Got Posher, Study Finds

The footballer David Beckham and his wife, the former Posh Spice, have become posher, according to a study.

Since the Beckhams moved to America his Cockney accent has moved towards standard English, while Victoria Beckham has apparently lost her "Essex roots".

In practice that means he is now far less prone to dropping his Hs or using Cockney vowel sounds and Mrs Beckham pronounces the L at the end of words such as "all".

The research was carried out by linguistics students at the University of Manchester, who studied interviews of videos on YouTube since 2007.

Beckham's Olympic role 'made him drop his Cockney vowels'

From the videos studied of Beckham, who is currently playing for French team Paris St Germain, he dropped his Hs 80% of the time before his move to play football for LA Galaxy.

After the relocation the figure slumped to 20%, according to the research.

Charles Boorman, one of the students who carried out the study, said: "It's clear that Becks, once a broader Cockney, nowadays speaks with more of a standard English accent.

"In fact, he's even hypercorrecting himself because he puts Hs into words when it's not really required.

"In America, they use the 'H' sound more, which explains how he acquired it.

"But my guess is that his dropping of those Cockney sounding vowels was linked to his ambassadorial role for the Olympics and his subsequent high social status."

Mrs Beckham pronounced Ls only 25% of the time aged 23 in 1997. This figure nearly doubled to 46% at the age of 38 in 2012.

Victoria Beckham swapped her Essex girl for fashion designer chic

Student Naomi Proszynska said: "Our analysis shows that Posh's speech is definitely getting posher because of changes to her L vocalisation.

"In 1997, her speech resembled what we associate with the classic Essex girl. But by 2012, her speech no longer so strongly represented her Essex roots. We think this may be connected with the fact that she's forged a different career as a widely respected fashion designer."

The final year students are studying how changing circumstances affect the way we pronounce words, under the guidance of linguistics lecturer Dr Laurel MacKenzie.

Dr MacKenzie said: "The general assumption is that once we pass puberty our way of speaking is fixed. But recent research has revealed the extent to which we can be chameleons in the way we speak, even into adulthood.

"Factors such as social mobility and geographical location can have an impact on the way adults pronounce words because our peer groups and communities are influential on our language too."

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Lowestoft: Mother And Children Found Dead

The bodies of three young children have been found shortly after a woman, believed to be their mother, died in a suspected fall.

The children, aged three, two and 11 months, were discovered at a property in London Road South, Lowestoft, Suffolk.

Suffolk Police said they were led to the address after being called out to the death of the woman who died from head injuries at a car park in the town.

Police said it is believed the youngsters were the woman's children and they do not believe there is any threat to the wider community.

A force statement said: "An area of Lowestoft was closed off this morning, Monday April 15, after a woman was found with severe head injuries.

"Police attended the incident in Gordon Road just after 8am. It is believed she fell from a car park.

"Ambulance and air ambulance attended, however the woman, who is believed to be in her twenties, was pronounced deceased on scene.

"Inquiries into the incident led police to an address in London Road South, Lowestoft, where the bodies of three children were discovered.

"Police are treating their deaths as suspicious and they will be taken to the James Paget Hospital at Gorleston for post-mortem examinations by a Home Office pathologist.

"These will take place this evening and into tomorrow."

Detective Superintendent John Brocklebank said: "We are in the early stages of a large investigation into what has happened. It is too early to be able to come up with a definitive explanation and we will be keeping an open mind.

"However from our initial inquiries we do not believe there is any threat to the wider community.

"Our priorities now are to establish the circumstances behind the woman's death and how it may be related to the deaths of the three children."

More follows...

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