Benefits Cheat Tracked Down By Sky Jailed

A benefits cheat tracked down in Spain by Sky News after he fled the UK has been jailed for three years.

Norman Brennan jumped bail in 2008 after admitting a £120,000 benefit fraud and made off to the Costa del Sol before sentencing.

The 70-year-old was brought to justice after he was found living in Malaga in October this year.

He was confronted by Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt who asked him if he thought he should be in the UK.

"No," was Brennan's response.

Weeks later he was detained on a European arrest warrant and extradited to Britain.

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith labelled the case "outrageous" and had vowed to bring the pensioner back to face justice.

Brennan, formerly of Netherton in Merseyside, made the false benefit claims between March 2001 and February 2008.

His first bogus application was for Jobseeker's Allowance and council tax benefit when he failed to declare ownership of a property he inherited from his mother in December 2000.

The judge said Brennan's claims were dishonest "through and through"

A year later he failed to notify the authorities he had begun working as a self-employed joiner - a job he continued until his arrest.

Also in 2002, Brennan claimed Jobseeker's Allowance in the name of his brother, Lesley, who had been living in Germany for three decades.

He forged his signature on benefit forms and even pretended to be him when he handed in identity documents to social security staff, including a bogus ID card with his photo on it.

Brennan admitted seven counts of council tax, housing benefit and Jobseeker's Allowance fraud at the hearing in 2008.

He was jailed for two-and-a-half years for those offences and given an additional six months for skipping bail.

The judge at Liverpool Crown Court told him: "The claims in my judgement were dishonest through and through.

"They were blatant. Week by week, month after month, year by year, you were in effect stealing from the public purse.

"You have shown complete and utter disdain and contempt - not only for the welfare state but also the criminal justice system.

"The message must go out that people who treat the system in this manner have to lose their liberty and for a significant period of time."

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Bodies In Ditches: Woman Admits Three Murders

A woman has admitted murdering three men whose stabbed bodies were found in remote ditches in Cambridgeshire.

Joanna Dennehy pleaded guilty to killing Kevin Lee, Lukasz Slaboszewski and John Chapman between March and April this year.

The 30-year-old, from Peterborough, also pleaded guilty to preventing the lawful and decent burial of all three victims, as well as the attempted murders of two other men, Robin Bereza and John Rogers.

The bodies were found close to Peterborough, Cambridgeshire

She was arrested after a police hunt, during which officers distributed her picture and described the distinctive star tattoo she has under her right eye.

Appearing at the Old Bailey, Dennehy told the judge, Mr Justice Sweeney: "I've pleaded guilty and that's that."

Her barrister, Nigel Lickley QC, said: "The course of the arraignment is not one we had anticipated."

Mr Slaboszewski (L) and Mr Chapman were found with stab wounds on April 3

The bodies of Mr Slaboszewski, 31, who was stabbed in the heart, and Mr Chapman, 56, who died from neck and chest wounds, were found at Thorney Dyke, near Peterborough, on April 3.

Four days earlier, Mr Lee, 48, was discovered in a ditch in Newborough, around 10 miles away. He had been stabbed in the chest.

He was last seen on Good Friday and reported missing later that day when his Ford Mondeo was found burned out near a farm in Yaxley.

Mr Lee's body was discovered in a village north of Peterborough

In a statement released after his death, his family described him as a "wonderful husband, father, loving brother and son".

They said he had a "naturally infectious personality (that) touched everyone who knew him", adding: "He will be hugely missed by all his friends and family."

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Rapper Watsky Sorry For 'Stupid' Gig Rig Jump

A rapper who jumped from a lighting rig and injured two people has apologised for his "stupid and wildly irresponsible" stunt.

George Watsky climbed a rope ladder before leaping into the crowd at Alexandra Palace in north London during a performance at the Vans Warped Tour.

The 30ft fall broke a girl's arm and left another fan in hospital, although Watsky himself escaped with only "nicks, bruises and the shame of endangering the crowd".

In a lengthy apology posted to his Facebook page, the musician said: "The jump was not awesome, it was not badass and it was not ballsy.

The American rapper climbed a rope ladder to reach the lighting rig

"It turned what should have been a great day for the people who got hurt into a nightmare.

"It was stupid and wildly irresponsible, plain and simple."

Video of Watsky's jump has already been viewed more than 180,000 times on YouTube.

The stunt was described as "pretty idiotic", "dumb" and "definitely stupid" by some users, although many of his 200,000 fans on Facebook expressed their support for the star following his apology.

Watsky prepares to jump into the crowd during a gig at Alexandra Palace

Conceding that it was "extremely lucky" no one was more seriously injured, Watsky wrote: "Putting your own body on the line is one thing, but putting other people in harm's way is inexcusable."

He said he would not be cancelling any of his forthcoming tour dates but insisted he "will not be jumping off anything".

"I am deeply sorry and I promise to learn from this mistake," he added.

Watsky said he spent six hours waiting at the hospital while the injured man was seen by doctors and planned to return to the ward to apologise to him.

The musician falls into the crowd, injuring two fans

The artist, who is originally from San Francisco but now lives in Los Angeles, describes himself as a "versatile lyricist who switches between silly and serious, technically complex and simply heartfelt".

His self-titled hip hop track Watsky reached number seven on a specialist iTunes chart in 2010.

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James Arthur Quits Twitter After 'Homophobia'

X Factor winner James Arthur has given up Twitter after he was accused of using a homophobic slur in a rap song.

The performer was criticised in tweets by comedians Matt Lucas and Frankie Boyle over his use of the term "f****** queer" in a "diss" track directed at MC Mickey Worthless.

Matt Lucas appeared to accept Arthur's apology

Having apologised for any offence caused - and denying the lyrics in question were homophobic - Arthur tweeted that his management team would be taking control of his account on the social networking site.

"#LOVE to my fans but I'm coming off twitter for good. HQ will be doing all my tweets from now on. PEACE!" he wrote.

Arthur sparked the row when he posted the song online in response to a diss rap and a succession of online criticism from Worthless.

Lucas used his own Twitter account to hit out at the artist, while Boyle appeared to target him by tweeting: "I'm enjoying a spirited morning of blocking homophobes."

After removing the offending track he had posted online, Arthur wrote: "I just have to say I'm extremely disappointed in myself for being so naive with the diss track I made for an unknown rapper recently.

"Some of the things said in this rap can be mistaken for homophobic slurs and I assure you homophobia is something I do not believe in.

"I would just like to make it completely clear that it was not meant in anyway as a reference to homosexuality.

"I realise where the term has come from in meaning ... but used in the context of the rap battles I have grown up with it has come to mean something completely different...

"That said, I understand why it could cause offence and that definitely wasn't my intention. Deeply deeply sorry to any gay or lesbian people out there."

Lucas appeared to accept the apology, later tweeting to Arthur: "Thanks, James. I look forward to your new stuff. Respect to you for responding and taking it down. Let's move on."

Arthur, 25, won The X Factor in 2012. His debut single, Impossible, went to number one in the UK singles charts and has sold more than two million copies across the world.

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Sudden Cold Snap Sweeping Britain

A sudden cold snap is sweeping Britain today, with northern Scotland the first area of the country hit by the freezing temperatures.

North-westerly winds whipping off the Arctic are expected to bring at least two weeks of wintry conditions, making November up to 3C (37.4F) colder than last year.

Temperatures are expected to fall below zero across the country and peak at just 4C (39.2F) or 5C (41F).

People in the higher regions of Scotland are also expected to see the season's first blanketing of snow - with further wintry showers set to move south as the week progresses.

Sky News weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said the entire UK would see the mercury plummet by Tuesday.

"North-westerly winds will bring a much colder air-mass this week and temperatures will be just below the average for the time of year," she said.

"Overnight frost and ice is also expected under clear skies, where temperatures will plummet below freezing for most."

She added that some parts were likely to see their first glimpse of snow for the winter.

"Some snow is likely as well, mainly over Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England and north Wales," she said.

"It is unlikely to settle at lower levels, but hills and mountains may have some accumulations. Other coastal areas may also see some wintry showers and they could blow further inland as well."

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Fan Falls From Buffalo Stadium During Game

A man has fallen from the third tier of Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium and landed on another man during the Bills' game against the New York Jets.

The fan who fell suffered a shoulder injury, while the man he landed on sustained a head injury, officials said.

The accident occurred during the second quarter of Buffalo's 37-14 win on Sunday.

Both men were treated immediately and taken to hospital for observation.

Their injuries are not considered life-threatening.

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Russia Crash Plane Was 'Vertical' On Impact

Russia's transport minister says a plane that crashed at Kazan airport, killing everybody on board including a British woman, was "vertical" when it hit the runway and exploded.

Forty-four passengers and six crew members were killed when the Boeing 737-500 airliner crashed on Sunday evening.

The Tatarstan Airlines flight from Moscow was trying to abort its landing in order to make a second approach when it struck the runway and exploded.

Transport minister Maxim Sokolov said the plane appeared to fall out of the sky.

The site of the crash

"The plane simply fell. It went vertically into the ground. After the plane hit the ground there was an explosion," he was quoted as saying by the state RIA Novosti news agency in Kazan.

Mr Sokolov cited security footage that shows the plane at its point of impact.

British woman Donna Bull, an A-levels programme manager at Bellerbys College in Cambridge, was killed in the crash, along with her Moscow-based colleague, Yana Baranova. The pair were heading to Kazan for a 10-day marketing trip.

Donna Bull was on a marketing trip

The UK Foreign Office confirmed the death and said it was providing consular assistance.

Ms Bull was described by her employer as a "very popular and well-respected member of staff".

Also among the dead was the son of the leader of the Tatarstan region, Irek Minnikhanov, and the head of Russia's FSB security service in Tatarstan, Alexander Antonov.

The plane took off from Moscow's Domodedovo airport at 6.25pm local time and crashed just over an hour later.

According to eyewitnesses, the Boeing lost altitude quickly and its fuel tank exploded on impact.

There were high winds and cloudy skies over the airport in central Russia at the time of the crash.

Boeing officials at the Dubai Airshow declined to comment on the crash.

The flight was operated by the regional Tatarstan airline, according to a spokeswoman from Russia's Emergencies Ministry.

A man reacts at Kazan airport to news of the crash

Kazan, which is 500 miles east of Moscow, is the capital of the oil-rich region of Tatarstan.

A new runway was built at the airport ahead of the World Student Games, held in the city earlier this year.

A spokesman for state aviation oversight agency Rosaviatsia said authorities would search for the flight recorders.

Russia and the former Soviet republics combined had one of the world's worst air traffic safety records in 2011, with a total accident rate almost three times the world average, according to the International Air Transport Association.

Flowers and a teddy bear are left near a fence of Kazan airport

IATA said last year that global airline safety had improved, but accident rates had risen in Russia and the ex-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States.

In April 2012, at least 31 people were killed when a Russian passenger plane crashed shortly after take-off in Siberia.

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Toronto Mayor Rob Ford Set To Lose More Powers

Toronto's city council is set to strip Rob Ford of his remaining powers as the embattled mayor refuses to step down despite a string of scandals.

The council voted last week to strip Mr Ford of many of his powers.

A new motion, which is expected to be passed, would effectively make his post as mayor of Canada's largest city virtually nominal.

Mr Ford, 44, has admitted smoking crack and buying illegal drugs for the past two years. Outbursts caught on camera and claims he verbally abused his aides and entertained a prostitute have added to the controversy.

But he has remained defiant, and even landed his own TV show starting later today.

On Sunday night, he showed up at a Toronto Argonauts game even though the commissioner of the Canadian Football League had suggested that he not attend.

In interviews with US media, he defended himself.

Here, with his wife, he apologises for one of his more vulgar outbursts

"I've admitted to drinking too much. OK. So I'm dealing with it, I'm training every day, I'm in the gym two hours every day," Mr Ford told Fox News.

"I'm seeking professional help, I'm not an alcoholic, I'm not a drug addict. Have I had my outbursts in the past? Absolutely. But you know what, I'm only human. I've made mistakes. I've apologised."

Speaking to CNN, he said: "If someone would have said, came up to me and said, 'Have you ever smoked crack? Have you ever smoked weed? I would have said, 'Yeah, I have.'

"But when you come and accuse me of being a crack addict and say, 'Do you smoke crack?' No I don't. Have I? Yeah, OK. Have I drank, have I acted like an idiot when I drank? Yeah, I did."

The latest council motion is the strongest possible measure it can adopt against Mr Ford since it does not have the power to remove a mayor unless there is a criminal conviction.

Mr Ford has vowed to take the council to court and insists he will seek re-election next year.

"It's a coup d'etat - that's all this is," he said as he arrived at City Hall on Monday.

On Friday, the council voted to suspend his authority to appoint and dismiss the deputy mayor and the executive committee. The council also voted to give the deputy mayor authority to handle any civic emergency.

Mr Ford's brother and adviser, councilman Doug Ford, called him "the mayor of the people" and said the rights of those who voted for him were being trampled.

The mayor and his brother are doing a current events television show called Ford Nation for the Sun News Network that is set to debut later.

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Tornadoes Hit US Midwest Killing Seven

At least seven people have died as powerful tornadoes carved a path of destruction across the US Midwest.

Entire neighbourhoods were flattened within seconds as the twisters, triggered by a "very dangerous" and fast-moving weather system, touched down in as many as 10 states.

Forecasters said the extreme weather - which destroyed homes, uprooted trees and flipped cars upside down - could affect more than 50 million people.

The devastation left behind by a tornado in Washington, Illinois

According to the National Weather Service, more than 60 tornadoes struck, unleashing 80mph winds and hail stones up to two inches in diameter.

Illinois was struck the hardest. At least six were killed and dozens more injured, but with communications difficult and many roads impassable, it remained unclear how many people might be hurt.

At one hospital in Peoria, Illinois, doctors were treating at least 24 casualties, some of whom had head injuries and broken bones.

The storm moved toward the east coast, causing major damage in Illinois

Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin were buffered by the storm, which weakened as it tracked east towards Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and New Jersey.

Washington, a town of 16,000 in Illinois, appeared to have the most severe damage. 

"I ran into the basement, jumped onto my wife and daughter and looked up and just saw white above us," said Ryan Bowers, a Washington resident whose house was destroyed.

"It was amazing."

Anthony Khoury, who saw a twister rip through Washington, told Sky News: "Most of my neighbourhood is completely destroyed, everything has been demolished.

"Families have lost their homes, people don't have anywhere to sleep and the electricity has gone."

Entire communities were flattened in seconds

Jeff Leeman, who was in his backyard with his son when a tornado struck Pekin, Illnois, added: "In a matter of seconds ... it was right on top of us.

"We hustled in the house and before we knew it, it was gone. It was that fast."

Two people, an 80-year-old man and his 78-year-old sister, were killed in Washington County; three were killed in Massac County, near the Kentucky border; and the sixth victim was reported in Tazewell County.

Ryan Allan Rickman of Leslie, Michigan, died when his vehicle was crushed by a fallen tree.

A car crushed by a fallen tree in Pekin, Illinois

The tornadoes brought down phone lines, caused thousands of power failures and left debris strewn across roads.

The severe weather also caused the cancellation of many flights, while the Baltimore Ravens' game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field was temporarily suspended in the first quarter due to lightning in the area.

Meteorologist Matt Friedlein said such powerful storms rarely occur so late in the year because the climate is usually too cold.

However, temperatures had been forecast to climb to as high as 26C (78F), he said, which is warm enough to produce severe weather when coupled with strong winter winds.

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Paris Shootings: Manhunt After Newspaper Attack

A manhunt is under way in Paris after two separate shootings, including one at a newspaper that left a man fighting for his life.

A photographer's assistant was seriously injured at the offices of the Liberation newspaper before another shooting about two hours later outside the headquarters of Societe Generale bank.

In a third incident, a man was taken hostage close to the bank and forced to drive to the Champs-Elysees before being released.

There are also unconfirmed reports that the lone suspect may be carrying grenades.

The hostage was released on the Champs-Elysees

Police said descriptions of the car-jacker matched that of the gunman. Shotgun cartridges found after both attacks also match up.

Officers are guarding media offices across Paris and are investigating a link with an incident on Friday when a man with a shotgun threatened journalists at a French news channel.

Police said that CCTV images of the shooter suggested he was the same man who had stormed into the headquarters of BFMTV on Friday.

The victim at the Liberation newspaper was shot in the chest and arm, according to police union spokesman Christophe Crepin.

Police stand guard outside the Liberation newspaper office

The shooter reportedly entered the lobby of the building wearing a bulletproof vest just before 10.15am, fired several shots with a pump-action shotgun and then fled.

Liberation said the 27-year-old victim is in a critical condition at the city's Pitie-Salpetriere hospital.

No one was injured at the bank shooting, according to a Societe Generale spokesperson.

Police confirmed three shots were fired outside the building, located in La Defense district, which is about six miles (10km) from the newspaper's office.

The second shooting was outside the Societe Generale headquarters

Sky News' Robert Nisbet said shortly after the bank shooting, a man called police and said he had been taken hostage in the nearby town of Puteaux.

"He was told he should drive to the Champs-Elysees - right in the centre of Paris," said Nisbet.

The shootings come three days after a man stormed into the Paris headquarters of news channel BFMTV brandishing a shotgun and warned a senior editor: "Next time, I will not miss you."

Police are investigating a link with that incident and comparing CCTV footage.

France's Interior Minister Manuel Valls speaks to media after the attack

Freelance journalist Peter Allen, who is on the Champs-Elysees, said there is an "eerie silence on the streets" and that people in the area have been told to stay inside.

"The hunt is on for this man," said Allen. "He has been described as between 40 and 45 years old, stout, shaven headed, wearing a cap and jeans.

"Rather disturbing reports say he is actually brandishing hand grenades as well as a shotgun.

"No one has seen him for a while and there are reports that he disappeared down into the Metro system - specifically line one - a hugely popular line full of tourists at all times of the day."

French President Francois Hollande said in a statement he had ordered authorities to "mobilise all means to clarify the circumstances of these acts and arrest the perpetrator or perpetrators".

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