Gary Barlow 'Should Not Give Back OBE' Says PM

The Prime Minister has said Gary Barlow should not have to give back his OBE after the Take That star invested in a tax avoidance scheme.

David Cameron, who last year publicly attacked the comedian Jimmy Carr for his involvement with a tax avoidance scheme, has said he does not think the singer should be forced to give back his OBE because of his work for charity.

The Prime Minister, who appeared with Conservative supporter Barlow during the 2010 General Election campaign, told Sky News: "I have said on the issue of Gary Barlow's OBE - where I think he was given that award for his services to music, his immense charity services with, for instance, Children in Need, the fact that he organised that fantastic concert for the Queen's Jubilee - he deserved his OBE, and I think he should keep it."

When asked why he had condemned Carr for being "morally wrong" but not Barlow, he said: "I have been very clear that I think that all of these aggressive tax avoidance schemes are wrong and people shouldn't take part in them.

Gary Barlow with David Cameron in April 2010

"But it is not just what I have said, this Government has acted very vigorously to pass new laws, new regulations and to fight these court cases to make sure we deal with these aggressive avoidance schemes and make sure people pay their taxes properly."

Barlow and two other members of the band have refused to comment after it was disclosed they will have to pay tens of millions of pounds in tax after a court ruled a partnership they invested in was a tax avoidance scheme.

It triggered calls for the singer to hand back his honour, with Labour MP Margaret Hodge, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, telling The Times he "might want to show a bit of contrition by giving back his OBE".

Conservative Charlie Elphicke echoed Ms Hodge's comments, telling the newspaper: "People who have seriously abused the tax system should be stripped of their honours."

Along with Howard Donald, Mark Owen and their manager Jonathan Wild, Barlow invested £66m in two partnerships that were styled as music industry investment schemes.

A total of 51 such partnerships set up by Icebreaker Management were to secure tax relief for members, Judge Colin Bishopp ruled.

Howard Donald, Mark Owen and Gary Barlow

HM Revenue and Customs is now expected to demand repayment.

Two years ago when it was alleged Barlow, Donald, Owen and Wild invested at least £26m in an Icebreaker Management scheme, lawyers for the band insisted they believed the investments were legitimate and that all four named paid "significant tax".

In a statement released after the ruling, Icebreaker Management said: "Icebreaker Management is extremely disappointed with this decision since it puts a valuable source of funding for the UK's independent music industry in jeopardy.

"Icebreaker will review the full decision and consider all the LLPs' options including appeal."

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Stuart Hall Shuns Witness Box In Abuse Trial

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

Veteran broadcaster Stuart Hall has declined to give evidence at his rape trial.

The 84-year-old is accused of repeatedly raping two teenage girls in the 1970s.

The jury at Preston Crown Court were told that they could draw their own conclusions about why Hall has chosen not to enter the witness box.

They have previously been told that Hall does not dispute that he had sex with the two alleged victims but maintains it was consensual.

The two women, now in their 40s and 50s, told the court last week about the alleged abuse.

One women detailed how Hall first raped her when she was 12. She said the abuse continued until she was 15.

Both women say Hall would give them alcohol before forcing them to have sex.

In both cases the women claim he would sometimes take them to his dressing room at the BBC in Manchester to carry out the abuse.

The jury has heard how both girls came from families who knew and trusted Hall. Prosecuting barrister Peter Wright QC earlier told the jury how Hall "abused their trust by raping and indecently assaulting their children".

Hall was sentenced to 30 months in jail last year

Hall is currently serving a 30-month jail term after last year admitting 14 indecent assault charges relating to 13 girls and young women.

The details of those offences were read to the jury who were told that Hall admitted the assaults only after publicly denouncing his accusers, calling them "liars".

The court also heard the initial 15-month sentence handed down to the former It's A Knockout presenter was later doubled by the Court of Appeal. Following his conviction Hall was stripped of his OBE.

The court earlier heard that when Hall was arrested on suspicion of the new offences of rape in October 2013 he initially made no comment.

He then provided a statement to police which stated that he had taken legal advice to not answer any police questions.

It read: "I am surprised by the nature of their allegations and I deny them.

"I am concerned that they have been made only after I pleaded guilty to a number of offences and then was sentenced to a term of imprisonment."

The statement concluded: "It is of serious concern that these two complainants have waited nearly 12 months after I was arrested to make their allegation and in the light of extensive media coverage I do not think it possible to have a fair trial."

Hall denies 15 counts of rape and 5 indecent assaults.

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Parents' Shock As 'Nurse Tapes Up Baby's Mouth'

A father has reportedly said he feels "raped" after a nurse allegedly sealed up his newborn son's lips with tape.

Ryan Noval said his partner Jasmine Badocdoc made the discovery when she visited the child at a nursery room in a private hospital.

He said the nurse told her she had to tape up the boy's mouth because he was constantly crying and making too much noise.

Mr Noval claimed his partner asked the nurse to remove the tape to which she allegedly replied: ''You can go ahead and take it yourself ma'am."

Ms Badocdoc was apparently afraid she might hurt the baby and the nurse eventually volunteered to remove the tape herself.

Speaking of his shock about the incident in Cebu City in the Philippines, Mr Novak reportedly said in an interview: "I feel raped as a parent."

He has put pictures of his week-old baby with his lips sealed up on Facebook.

In the post, he said: "Meet my son Yohannes Noval!! He cannot speak about his horrific experience from the attending nurse's hands.....so we have to speak out for him.

"If you think your newborn babies are safe, think again. Your babies could be silent victims and you will never really know about it!!!"

The couple's son was born on May 3 but had to stay in hospital for a few days due to an infection he had at birth.

Mr Noval and his wife have filed a complaint against the nurse over the incident.

An investigation is being carried out by the hospital and the couple are still waiting for the results.

Dr Raida Varona, the hospital's medical director, said they are investigating which of the nurses on duty allegedly taped the baby's mouth, stressing such an act is not part of their procedures.

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Kidnap Video Opens Door To Boko Haram Talks

How To Tackle Nigeria's Growing Insurgency?

Updated: 1:09pm UK, Friday 09 May 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

American "experts" have arrived. British "advisers" are on their way - phew. It may only be a matter of time before Nigeria's missing girls are found and rescued.

Baloney.

Boko Haram is not a new problem. It's been violently opposing Nigeria's governments since 2009, leaving 4,000 dead, laying waste to villages, and not long ago killing 58 schoolboys in their classrooms.

It's had links to al Qaeda in the Islamic Mahgreb (AQIM).

It kidnapped a French family in the Cameroons, and is reported to have netted $3m (£1.78m) for their safe release.

The militant Islamist group has achieved international notoriety over the abduction of the girls, all aged between 12 and 15  - but only after releasing a video threat to sell them into slavery.

But it has been closely monitored by Western security agencies for some time.

In 2012, British special forces troops were at the sharp end of a failed rescue operation in Sokoto aimed at releasing Chris McManus, a British engineer and his Italian colleague.

They had been held by Boko Haram for over a year. It was thought they were about to be moved or sold to an al Qaeda group operating in the lawless Sahel.

The connections to al Qaeda, which intelligence sources say extends all the way to Somalia but is more tightly entwined with AQIM, have meant that Boko Haram has been of considerable interest to the West.

This has been mostly manifest in sharing intelligence with and getting information from Nigerian agencies about the threat that the movement might pose beyond Nigeria's borders.

Dealing with the growing domestic insurgency has been seen as a strictly Nigerian matter.

Very often Western commentators will see the involvement of Western troops or spooks as a panacea to turmoil in a Third World nation.

They are not.

It took the British army half a decade to get to grips with the complex tribal structures that dominate Helmand in Afghanistan, where the UK sent some 10,000 troops.

American forces never got to grips with the complex world of Somalia's clan structures after its UN/US intervention there in 1991.

And Western allies have left chaos in their wake after their invasion of Iraq.

Foreign experts can, however, help with technical intelligence surveillance, planning, and perhaps even offering troops for a final assault on a complex target.

But all other matters must remain domestic issues because only locals can fully understand the complexities of the social landscape they live in.

There may, ultimately, be a useful military option involving a strike at the leadership of Boko Haram that the West can help with.

But Nigerians know that finding a solution to a growing insurgency involves far more complex issues.

Nigeria's economically-neglected north will need a greater share of the nation's annual oil revenues of $50bn (£29.8bn) if it's going to reverse the growing north-south schism that has always threatened the coherence of the former British colony.

Locally, Boko Haram's foot soldiers will need to be lured out of the bush with offers of amnesty and employment. Surviving leaders may need to be given a role.

But, of course, this "proves" the argument that politics in Nigeria can only be advanced through the barrel of a gun - the nation has suffered at least eight military coups since independence from Britain in 1960 and is now taking nervous steps along a democratic pathway.

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Michael Sam Kiss Goes Viral As NFL Player Fined

Miami Dolphins safety Don Jones has been fined for tweeting "horrible" as the first openly gay NFL player celebrated being drafted by kissing his partner.

Michael Sam, who came out in February, was captured on camera receiving the call telling him he had been selected as the 249th pick out of 256.

The 24-year-old broke into tears and began shaking, then he kissed his partner, in a photo widely shared on social media. 

Shortly after the St Louis Rams took Sam, Jones tweeted the remarks "OMG" and "Horrible". It was not clear if he referring directly to the kiss.

The tweets were taken down a short time later and Jones apologised for his comments.

Don Jones of the Miami Dolphins tweeted: 'Horrible'

The Dolphins said he had been fined an undisclosed amount and will undergo educational training.

"We were disappointed to read Don's tweets," coach Joe Philbin said in a statement.

"They were inappropriate and unacceptable, and we regret the negative impact these comments had on such an important weekend for the NFL.

Derrick Ward stood by his comments

"We met with Don today about respect, discrimination and judgment. These comments are not consistent with the values and standards of our programme."

The Dolphins were engulfed in a locker-room bullying scandal last year that embarrassed the NFL.

A former NFL player, Derrick Ward, also tweeted his "disgust" at the public display of affection.

"National tv is disgusting. Gay or not," he tweeted.

Michael Sam broke into tears as he got the news he had been drafted

He said he was not a homophobe, tweeting: "Even if he kissed a girl I woulda said the same thing."

However, Barack Obama sent his congratulations to Sam, calling the player's selection "an important step forward".

The US president said that from the playing field to the corporate boardroom, gay and lesbian Americans, "prove every day that you should be judged by what you do and not who you are".

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Boko Haram Video Claims To Show Missing Girls

A new video issued by Boko Haram claims to show some of the nearly 300 schoolgirls missing in Nigeria, who the Islamist group's leader says have converted to Islam.

Abubakar Shekau reportedly said the girls would not be released until his fighters being held in prison are freed.

More than 300 youngsters were abducted from a school on April 14 from the northeastern town of Chibok, in Borno state. Fifty-three managed to escape but 276 are still missing.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau speaks on the video for 17 minutes

In the video, the militant chief speaks for 17 minutes before showing what he says are about 130 of the girls, wearing full-length hijabs, reciting the first chapter of the Koran and praying in an undisclosed rural location.

One of the girls talks directly to the camera.

The girls were shown wearing Hijabs and praying

None of the youngsters appears to be visibly distressed, but it appears as if they are under duress.

Holding a pad of paper in his hand, Shekau tells the camera: "These girls, these girls you occupy yourselves with their affair we have indeed 'liberated' them. We have indeed 'liberated' them.

Two of them hold a flag in the background

"Do you know 'we have liberated them'? These girls have become Muslims. They are Muslims."

He continues: "It is now four years or five years that you arrested our brethren and they are still in your prison.

One of the girls comes forward and talks to the camera

"You are doing many things (to them). And now you are talking about these girls. We will never release them until after you release our brethren."

Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "The video from Boko Haram will only add to the agony of the families involved. It is a reminder of the heartlessness and cruelty of these people."

He said British and US teams were working with the Nigerian authorities and security forces which are trying to find and rescue the captives.

Doctor Reuben Abati told Sky News Nigeria will not pay a ransom

Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford who has spoken to a father of one of the kidnapped girls says he does not want the government to release Boko Haram prisoners in exchange for his daughter.

He told her: "It's not right. They'll do it again."

A special adviser to the country's president Doctor Reuben Abati told Alex Crawford there were lines the government would not cross in the hunt for the girls.

Speaking after it was revealed authorities had made indirect contact with Boko Haram, Dr Abati said: "The government of Nigeria has no intention to pay a ransom or to buy the girls, because the sale of human beings is a crime against humanity.

"The determination of the government is to get the girls and to ensure that the impunity that has brought this about is checked and punished."

Shekau has threatened to sell the girls "at the market" and some are believed to have already been taken out of the country.

The search for the girls remains centred on the huge Sambisa forest, which is three times the size of Wales.

France said that Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan had agreed to attend a summit in Paris on Saturday to discuss what to do about Boko Haram.

Britain has been invited, as has the EU, the United States and the four countries bordering Nigeria: Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

Several of the countries in the region affected by the consequences of Boko Haram violence are French speaking.

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Rolf Harris 'Assaulted Teen On Family Holiday'

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

Rolf Harris indecently assaulted a 13-year-old girl "in eyeshot" of his wife and daughter, his alleged victim has told a court.

The 49-year-old woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was the first witness to give evidence at the entertainer's sex trial and is a childhood friend of his daughter Bindi.

Jurors heard how Harris, 84, began abusing her in 1978 while on an overseas family break - and the indecent assaults carried on back in Britain, at his home and hers.

Speaking from behind a screen, she told how he first targeted her as she came out of a hotel shower, groping her as he wrapped her in a towel.

The woman said he gave her ''one of his big hugs and tickles'' which she said she found ''creepy and cringey", before putting his hand through the towel to assault her.

Rolf Harris denies all 12 counts of sexual offences against four girls

She added she was ''shocked and horrified'' at what happened but didn't tell anyone "'because it was Bindi's father".

Harris is then said to have assaulted her again as she emerged from the sea, again groping her under a towel he had wrapped her in, while his daughter and wife Alwen were close by.

At one stage during the five-week holiday, she said she woke to the sound of a "clicking camera" as Harris stood over her taking pictures.

Southwark Crown Court heard how the woman lived close to the Harris family home in the 1960s and she had grown up with Bindi.

In a faltering voice she added how the assaults continued throughout the holiday, but she did not say anything because of who Harris was.

Harris listened from the dock dressed in a dark suit and tie, occasionally glancing over at the jury and prosecutor.

The TV presenter and artist is accused of 12 counts of sexual offences against four young girls, alleged to have taken place between 1968 and 1986. He denies all the charges.

The witness also described to the court how she had performed a sex act on Harris as they were driving towards London from his home in 1987.

She said: "He didn't say anything apart from a few moans and groans. It lasted about three minutes. Nothing was said before or afterwards."

The witness told the court that during this time she "had no relationship" with him and that she "felt dead".

Another time he was caught with his hands down the front of her trousers by the nine-year-old brother of a friend but he simply denied it and laughed it off.

She said "it all came to an end" when she was aged about 29 and moved to another part of the country from her home in London.

The woman also described how she had eventually told Bindi what Harris had been doing to her, while she was visiting her friend who had just had a baby.

She said: "Bindi was in a bit of a state. She thought Rolf Harris was having an affair with the housekeeper. I was a bit damning of Rolf.

"She asked me: 'Why have you got a downer on my dad ?' I didn't say anything. She asked: 'Has he touched you?' So I looked at her and said yes. She was furious with him."

The trial continues.

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Oscar Pistorius 'Suffers From Anxiety Disorder'

Oscar Pistorius has an anxiety disorder and is a "distrusting and guarded" person who is "hyper-vigilant" about security, the athlete's murder trial has heard.

Forensic psychiatrist Dr Merryl Vorster offered a rare insight into the athlete's mindset, saying he often feels "isolated and alone" and normally keeps his thoughts and feelings bottled up.

But her evidence inadvertently opened up the possibility of Pistorius being admitted to a psychiatric hospital for tests.

State prosecutor Gerrie Nel argued the defendant's mental health should be examined more fully - a move that could delay the trial for up to a month.

Pistorius was described as a "distrusting and guarded person"

If Pistorius were found to be suffering from a mental illness, he could be held not criminally responsible for his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp's death and found not guilty by reason of "mental illness or intellectual disability".

Dr Vorster spoke at length about Pistorius' childhood, saying his mother was a "very anxious person" who slept with a gun under her pillow and "abused alcohol intermittently".

He views his father as an "irresponsible and mostly absent parent", the court heard, and he and his siblings - brother Carl and sister Aimee - were "reared to view the world as threatening".

The psychiatrist went on to talk about the 27-year-old's "fight or flight response", claiming he is more likely to stand up to threatening situations than to flee, as his capacity to do so is limited by his disability.

Ms Steenkamp was shot dead on February 14, 2013. Pic: Stimulii

Pistorius had both legs amputated when he was 11 months old - an operation he would have perceived as a "traumatic assault" because he would not have known what was happening, she said.

Dr Vorster also told the court the insistence of his parents that he should take part in activities his friends enjoyed would have added to his stress and anxiety.

As he became more famous, she said, the Paralympian attempted to hide his disability.

He felt anxious about attending public events and would spend "many hours preparing for them so he would not embarrass himself", she added.

Pistorius is accused of killing Ms Steenkamp in a premeditated attack at his home in Pretoria, South Africa, on Valentine's Day last year.

Thomas Wolmarans faced tough questioning from Gerrie Nel on Friday

He denies the charge and claims he shot his partner after mistaking her for an intruder.

Dr Vorster said Pistorius worries about his family's safety, especially his sister's, even when he is away training in Italy.

While in South Africa, he "worries about being followed and about the security of his home", she said.

He sleeps with his bedroom door locked and wakes often during the night, believing he has heard noises in his house, she added.

The court heard the Paralympian's increased anxiety levels mean he "perceives his surroundings as being threatening when perhaps they're not".

Dr Foster is expected to be one of the last witnesses to be called by Pistorius' defence team.

The trial was adjourned before Mr Nel could make a formal application for a psychiatric referral.

The trial continues.

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England Squad: Hodgson Backs Youth For Brazil

Roy Hodgson put his faith in England's young generation of stars as he named his 23-man squad for the World Cup in Brazil.

Teenagers Raheem Sterling and Luke Shaw are among those going to the tournament, while more experienced stars including Ashley Cole and Michael Carrick have missed out.

Announcing details of the squad in Luton, Hodgson said he had given the selection a lot of thought and hoped the squad "won't let the country down" in Brazil.

Frank Lampard, who will turn 36 during the tournament, will be the elder statesman of the squad and the manager said the Chelsea man's "leadership qualities" meant he "fully deserved" his place.

Hodgson said he would have picked a different squad at the end of the qualifying campaign last October but it had been "impossible to ignore" the performances of youngsters Sterling at Liverpool, Shaw at Southampton and Ross Barkley at Everton.

He confirmed another teenager, Everton's John Stones, will be brought into the squad if Manchester United defender Phil Jones fails to recover from a shoulder injury.

He defended his decision to back youth over experience, saying: "You get experience by getting the opportunity.

"It's wrong to focus totally on the fact there are those who are inexperienced because everyone is inexperienced until they get the chance to do the job.

"I think they've played so well and been so effective in their club teams that they've really imposed their ability on my thinking."

Ashley Cole was the most high-profile omission and Hodgson paid tribute to the Chelsea defender, who announced his international retirement after learning he was not on the plane.

He said: "I have been unbelievably impressed by the maturity and graciousness that Ashley Cole has shown."

Hodgson insisted that his side would be contenders at the tournament, where the favourites will include hosts Brazil, Spain and Germany.

He said: "Of course I believe the squad can win the World Cup, otherwise what's the point in taking it?

"If we are going to win it we will have to play very well, prepare very well and this talented group of players have to show their talent."

Seven players are on standby, in case of injuries to the chosen 23.

They are goalkeeper John Ruddy, defenders John Stones and Jon Flanagan, midfielders Michael Carrick and Tom Cleverley and strikers Andy Carroll and Jermaine Defoe.

The bold-looking selection was welcomed by many pundits.

Match of the Day host Gary Lineker wrote on Twitter: "Congratulations to the 23 players who have made Roy Hodgson's England squad. It's young, energetic and exciting. Do your country proud!"

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown questioned the inclusion of recently injured Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jack Wilshere, as well as the decision to leave Ashley Cole at home.

He said: "Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been out injured for a good deal of time. That's probably a gamble, Jack Wilshere as well.

"I was a little bit surprised Roy Hodgson didn't go with Ashley Cole for what is a major tournament."

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Three Kayakers Found Dead From Same Family

Three kayakers found dead in a Northumberland river following a major search and rescue operation were all from the same family, police have revealed.

The RAF, Coastguard and the police Marine Unit joined other emergency services in the hunt for the trio on the River Tyne near Riding Mill after they failed to return home last night.

Two were brothers, aged 41 and 40, and the third was their cousin, aged 36, all from South Shields, South Tyneside.

The alarm was raised at 11pm on Sunday night when the three failed to return home.

The area of the Tyne around Riding Mill, about 15 miles (23km) west of Newcastle upon Tyne, was being searched

Riding Mill pumping station on the River Tyne

Police said the first body was recovered from the river by an RAF helicopter just after 5am and a second body just over an hour later in the Corbridge area.

Two vehicles driven by the missing men were located by searchers overnight.

One was found at Tyne Green, near to Hexham Rowing Club just after 1am and the other, a few hours later, at Wylam railway station car park.

Two kayaks have also been recovered from the group, who were from the South Shields area of South Tyneside.

A kayak was seen near the weir at Riding Mill, Northumberland

Another green kayak has been seen close to a weir at Riding Mill.

Chief Superintendent Gordon Milward said the conditions on the Tyne yesterday were "challenging" after heavy rain over the weekend.

"The weather was unpredictable, in terms of some very heavy showers and the river was higher than usual and fast-flowing," he said.

"They would be challenging conditions for anybody who decided to go into the water."

He added: "There is a considerable length of the river we need to search. We need to do so speedily, properly and thoroughly and make sure no nook and cranny is missed.

"It's about that balance between speed and thoroughness."

Police said if anyone saw anything they believe would help with their search, they should get in touch.

Formal identification of the two bodes is yet to take place and searches are continuing.

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