Ashya's Parents Kept In Police Custody

The parents of Ashya King will remain in police custody and unable to visit their five-year-old son in hospital after their extradition hearing in Madrid was adjourned for three days.

Brett King, 51, and his wife Naghmeh, 45, from Portsmouth, told the court they did not want to be extradited back to the UK, according to Sky sources.

Ashya, who has a brain tumour, is also not able to have visits from his six siblings who are also still in Spain because he is under police guard at the Materno-Infantil hospital in Malaga.

The boy's parents were arrested on Saturday after taking Ashya out of Southampton General Hospital to seek specialist cancer treatment abroad.

The five-year-old is unable to see members of his family

Petitions on change.org calling for the release of the Kings so they can get medical treatment for Ashya have now gathered nearly 20,000 signatures.

It comes after Portsmouth City Council revealed on Monday that the little boy was made a temporary ward of court on Friday.

Julian Wooster, the council's director for children's services, said: "At the request of Southampton hospital the council obtained a temporary Wardship Order on Friday, only to direct that Ashya King be presented for medical treatment.

"The order will be reviewed by the High Court on Wednesday. We understand this is an extremely difficult time for Ashya and his family."

Ashya King, pictured with father Brett, needs treatment for a brain tumour

Ashya's grandmother Patricia King said authorities were treating Brett and his wife "like murderers".

She said: "They've treated them like murderers, putting handcuffs on them and everything. There's no human rights for our family at all, it's disgusting.

"He's there in the hospital, he doesn't know anybody, there's police guarding him, he can't speak, he doesn't understand Spanish.

The hearing took place in Madrid - 300 miles from Ashya's hospital

"My daughter-in-law and my son have begged to see him, but they've been refused."

His brother, Naveed, 20, posted a video blog claiming the family had stocked up on food and syringes that the boy needed ahead of their journey and had bought him a new wheelchair costing up to £1,600.

Patricia King earlier said her son was selling his holiday home in Spain to pay for proton beam therapy, which costs an average of £100,000 per person.

British police officers are understood to have arrived in Spain to question Ashya's parents.

The family travelled to southern Spain through Cherbourg in France

Dr Jiri Kubes, a proton therapist in the Czech Republic where the family was hoping to get treatment for Ashya, said cancer clinics could treat him "within a few days" if a request was received from his doctors.

Janice Atkinson, UKIP South East MEP, said: "This little boy needs his mother at this time. He is five years old, probably doesn't speak Spanish, and will be lying in a hospital bed in distress.

"I call on the Home Secretary to contact the Spanish authorities so that Ashya's parents are released immediately. Then she should ask the assistant chief constable of Hampshire why he 'made no apology for the police being proactive' to find Ashya."

A spokesman for David Cameron said: "I think people up and down the country will understand and be moved by the grave illness from which Ashya is suffering.

"First and foremost, the priority must be that he receives the very best and most appropriate medical care.

"Of course, I am sure that every parent wants to do the best for their child. That is probably the most human of human instincts."

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Dog Plucked From Sea Cliffs By Lifeboat Crew

A springer spaniel who vanished during a walk a week ago has been reunited with his owners after being rescued by a lifeboat crew.

The soggy doggy - called Sprig - was trapped on rocks beneath the highest sea cliffs in England.

The nine-year-old disappeared on August 22 after his owners, Mark and Susie Sanders, took him to Foreland Point in Devon.

The couple organised search parties and put up posters appealing for help.

Sprig's had organised a major search for their pet

They even drafted in local fishing boats and an animal ambulance team to check along the shoreline - but had no luck.

Sprig was finally saved after a chance sighting by Minehead's volunteer RNLI lifeboat crew during a patrol on Sunday.

The dog was spotted by a lifeboat crew monitoring a stray sheep

The team were monitoring a sheep that had strayed on to the cliff and were turning away when a movement below the animal caught their eye.

Helmsman Andrew Escott said: "We went in as close as we could and then we could see it was a dog. It was about 30 feet above the water and we couldn't work out how it had got in that position.

Sprig's owners thought he had been stolen

"He had clearly been there for some time because he was licking water off my dry suit. And he did seem rather pleased to see us."

It was only after Sprig had been taken back to Minehead lifeboat station and given food and water that it became apparent he had been the subject of a major search.

The nine-year-old has now been reunited with his owners

Mr and Mrs Sanders, from Wheddon Cross, near Minehead, were amazed when the call came.

"We were coming to the conclusion that he must have wandered off and then been stolen," Mrs Sanders said.

"I just could not believe it when we had a call to say the lifeboat crew had spotted him and rescued him. It's amazing: the best news ever. Bless them."

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Sky News Tonight: Show Takes Fresh Approach

By Adam Boulton, Sky News Presenter

Ever since Sky News went on air, British viewers haven't had to wait for the news, you've been able to watch the latest live 24 hours a day.

Twenty five years ago we had "breaking news" pretty much to ourselves.

These days you can stay in touch through all sorts of digital devices.

And, thanks to social media, the traffic is now two-way, you can tell us what you think and what you want to know about in real time.

Sky News has also grown as an operation. In 2014 we have reporters all over the world and around the UK, and a roster of expert correspondents, from politics to showbiz, and from social affairs to technology.

Until now we've concentrated on getting the news first or telling you what's going to happen next as on our late night newspaper review - but you're going to see a change.

Sky News Tonight, the new programme I am presenting with Sarah Hewson every week night between 7pm and 9pm, takes a different approach.

We'll showcase the best of Sky News' coverage and bring you bang up to date with live interviews with the key players and the latest from our team of journalists.

Viewers will be able to interact with us through social media while the show is on.

We'll be live-tweeting from @SkyNewsTonight directly from the Sky News gallery to offer a truly joined up experience between TV and digital.

We will reflect your contributions to the debates and you will be able to influence our agenda and the questions we ask.

At Sky News we've never been afraid to experiment. In the Sky News Tonight studio we're going to try out the latest touch-screen technology.

At home, viewers will be able to access extra information and video on our reports on the screens of your handheld devices.

I have worked as a reporter at all times of day, and presented programmes on Sundays, lunchtimes, in the evening but Sky News has never before pulled its resources together in this way for two hours of evening coverage.

We're really looking forward to bringing you Sky News Tonight and hope you will join us each week night at 7pm from today.

:: On Fridays, Sky News Tonight will run until 8.30pm when Jayne Secker will present Week In Review.

:: As part of the new daytime line-up on Sky News, Colin Brazier and Jayne Secker will present weekday mornings from 9am to 12pm.

:: Dermot Murnaghan (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) and Anna Jones (Thursday, Friday, Saturday) present a new programme from 12pm to 2pm.

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Sky News' Stand Up Be Counted: How It Works

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs and Education Editor

There is a group of people in this country who are invisible. They have little ability to influence politics, their voices are rarely heard in the news, and their opinions are largely ignored.

:: Click here to visit the Stand Up Be Counted site

This may sound like the predicament of a small and hard to reach minority, but it has been the reality for more than half of young people in the UK.

Many 18 to 24 year olds don't vote. At the last election, only 44% of that age group voted. That means more than half not influencing who gets into power.

It means politicians can comfortably ignore a whole demographic, confident in the knowledge that they have no influence at the ballot box.

It means disengaging from the process which governs everyone's lives.

Some of those who have already shared their views

From today, Sky News is doing something different, to create a change. We are launching Stand Up Be Counted - to help give young people a voice.

Our new site will let people in this age group upload a short clip of them talking on camera about something they are passionate about.

Young people can give their opinions on anything

This could range from prejudice in the criminal justice system, to the effect of the rise in tuition fees, and calls for cycling helmets to be made mandatory.

The Stand Up site is already a showcase for creative, absorbing and sometimes entertaining debate from 16-25 year olds in their bedroom, back garden or high street, talking about the things that matter to them.

You can share it too, on mobile devices on WhatsApp and Kik, and on all devices on Twitter, Facebook and email.

The process is simple. You can register via the upload button at the top of your screen. You'll need a profile picture and a short biography up to 50 words.

After that, you're a few clicks away from being able to upload your video or content. Short videos - ideally around 60 seconds - blogs and photos are all welcome on one condition - they have to come from the heart.

And it's safe to speak openly, and powerfully.

It is a place for robust debate

This is a place for robust debate, with zero tolerance for abuse, so that you can make your point freely, knowing that as well as starting conversations with your peers, you also have access to Sky News' audience, and crucially, those in power who have found it all too easy to ignore the views of young people.

One click on the site takes you straight to the page where you can register to vote - an act that, were every young person to do it - would drastically transform the political and decision-making landscape in this country.

This is changing Sky News, too. The voices we are hearing are informing our coverage and changing our perspective.

It's easy to think that because they don't vote, young people are disinterested.

Venting frustration on Facebook at "corruption" (one of the words young people we asked most associate with politics) is not enough.

Now is the time to speak. And, crucially, speak where the nation is listening.

:: Stand Up website: www.skynews.com/standupbecounted

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Captured IS Suicide Bomber Reveals Threat

By Stuart Ramsay, Chief Correspondent

A wing of Sulaymaniah's military hospital has been sealed off and 24-hour security has been posted at the door of a ward.

Inside lies an injured young man; a very special patient and prisoner.

He is 23-year-old Horr Jaffer, from Chechnya, and he is an Islamic State (IS) suicide bomber.

His capture has been a secret until now.

Sky News is the first to get access to this man who was caught in the southern Kurdish town of Jalula after his bomb part exploded.

He had been attempting to destroy a Kurd checkpoint by driving a bomb-laden car into their midst.

The 23-year-old militant killed four people in his bomb attack

Four people died and many others were injured, but he was captured attempting to escape.

Under questioning he admits that he joined IS in Syria after his father, mother and six family members were killed there.

He says they had moved from Chechnya to Pakistan before going to Syria.

The Kurds believe his father and brothers were to all intents and purposes professional jihadists; moving to countries where they could ply their trade. That trade is killing people.

"I want to be a martyr. I decided after they killed my family," he says in barely audible Russian.

"They didn't tell me anything about what I was doing or where I was. I just had to press the button."

The killer claims that Syria is filling with foreign fighters; a constant stream from all over the world.

"There are nations from all over the world there. There is British amongst them. They are from Asian countries, Europe and America. From everywhere," he told me.

He says that they used to talk together and mix together but didn't understand a lot of what was said.

Spending an hour with him it was striking how little he knew about what IS is doing across swathes of Syria. He denied any knowledge of the creation of a caliphate by IS for example.

He struck me as a rather stupid boy, upset by the loss of his family and totally open to indoctrination by his IS handlers.

He was just the guy prepared to die and kill others with him and it seems there are lots like him.

When asked if he regretted what had happened he broke down.

Britain is growing increasingly concerned about the threat from IS

Arching his back in pain and misery, saying he just wanted to live a normal life that he did not mean to do what he did.

It is hard not to be moved by his anguish. Hard but not impossible. He is a killer.

Like many western governments and security services, Britain is growing increasingly concerned about both IS and the numbers of young men being radicalised and coming to Syria and Iraq.

Out here the Kurds say they are right to be concerned.

"It is almost like super-terrorism and this is the frontline," Bafle Talabani, the British-born founder of the Kurds' elite Counter Terrorism Group, told me in the grounds of his father's house, which happens to be the Presidential Palace.

"It is more aggressive, more merciless more brutal. This is the front of the war on terror," he says.

"If we don't stop this here they will come for the West, for England, for Europe or the United States. They need to be stopped."

Bafle Talabani says IS represents a super-terrorism and needs to be stopped

IS, he believes, is the most dangerous single entity in the world today.

He is urging western governments to allow the Kurds to buy their own weapons or supply them.

"The special forces have good equipment. The peshmergas' weapons go back to the Iran-Iraq war. They are fighting against good weapons and a well-organised outfit with lots of money," he says.

With so many willing jihadists available IS is unlikely to miss this single bomber.

When he is treated and well, he will go to prison and rot there for the rest of his life.

He will be denied martyrdom. The Kurds want the foreign fighters to know that.

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Wedding Fireworks Dead Still Not Identified

By Frazer Maude, Sky News Reporter

It could be days before the victims of a fireworks explosion in Cumbria are formally identified due to the extent of their burns, Sky News understands.

The man and woman who died in the tragedy, at a wedding celebration on the banks of Lake Windermere, are thought to have been pyrotechnic technicians preparing for a display - but they have yet to be named.

Seventy guests had gathered on Saturday at the lakeside cottage of John Simpson and Nicole Rothwell, who had married earlier in the week.

As they posed for pictures after the blessing, the shed where the fireworks were stored caught light.

Eyewitness Anthony Middleton was visiting the adjacent Brockhole Lake District Visitor Centre with his wife and children.

He said: "We heard a series of very loud bangs that shook the ground. Then we saw the fireworks.

"We thought it was strange to have a firework display in the afternoon, and then when I saw the smoke and the fire I quickly realised something had gone badly wrong.

"I filmed it for a short while, but then thought of the safety of my family and moved away."

The flames were estimated at about 20 metres high. Pic Anthony Middleton

Neighbours told Sky News the flames from the blaze were higher than the nearby trees, which stand about 20 metres tall.

One of them, Enid Battersby, said: "It was very frightening. It was an enormous explosion.

"There was this one big sound followed by further smaller bangs and pops and a cloud of smoke then drifted over as all the police cars and fire engines arrived."

A joint inquiry into the cause of the fire has been launched by the police, the fire service, and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Forensic examinations of the scene have been completed, and a cordon around parts of the property has been removed.

Trading Standards are also involved in the investigation into the two deaths, as the sheds in which the fire started was registered as a licences fireworks store.

However, the Fire Service say there is no suggestion at this stage that the explosives were being stored incorrectly.

The cottage and other surrounding residences within the same grounds have private jetties at Lake Windermere.

The newlyweds were today unavailable for comment.

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Lorry Driver Jailed For Killing Two Cyclists

A lorry driver who killed two cyclists after he fell asleep at the wheel has been jailed for eight and a half years.

Andrew McMenigall, 47, and Toby Wallace, 36, died almost instantly after they were hit on the A30 in Newquay, Cornwall, on July 2 last year.

The pair were 40 miles into a 960-mile charity bike ride between Land's End and John O'Groats when they were struck by Robert Palmer's white Renault lorry.

At an earlier hearing at Truro Crown Court, Palmer, of Bude, pleaded guilty to two charges of causing death by dangerous driving.

He also admitted another charge of dangerous driving in relation to a second crash weeks later on the A30 near Okehampton.

Andrew McMenigall, left, and Toby Wallace with his wife Claire

At the time of the crash Palmer - a night delivery driver for Frys Logistics Ltd in Launceston - had had little sleep because he had been working on vehicle maintenance for the firm during the day.

The court heard he had also been using his iPhone to send text messages while doing deliveries for discount store Lidl.

Judge Christopher Harvey Clark QC said: "You completely ignored their presence on the road. In the words of prosecutor Mr Lee you mowed them down.

"It is clear that at the time when this tragic accident occurred you were suffering from extreme fatigue and exhaustion.

"You should not have been driving at all at that time. You failed to ensure that you took sufficient rests. People should not drive when they are feeling very sleepy or, as you were, totally exhausted."

Palmer was also banned from driving for 10 years and ordered to take an extended driving test.

Mr McMenigall lived in Edinburgh with his wife Anne and their two children, Jennifer, 15, and 12-year-old Lucy.

The two men were taking part in a charity bike ride when they were killed

Mr Wallace lived with his wife Claire in Philadelphia and had twice rowed for Cambridge in the Boat Race. Both men worked for Aberdeen Asset Management.

Palmer told police he had gone home and slept up until 6.30pm after finishing his shift the day before, but an investigation revealed this was a lie and he had only had a few hours' sleep.

Prosecutor Philip Lee said Palmer also altered his tachograph to cover up his lack of sleep.

The court heard Palmer was also involved in a second crash on September 20, where he drove into the back of another lorry.

The driver of that vehicle, Brian Rabey, was left with minor injuries after his lorry overturned.

William Sellick, defending, said Palmer was truly sorry for what he had done and had "blighted the lives of two families".

He said: "He is only too aware of the pain and suffering he has caused and that is something that will remain with him for always."

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Sky Poll: Young Not Engaged In Politics

By Faisal Islam, Political Editor

Almost half of young people in Britain are not engaged in politics, feel their voices are not heard and do not believe that politicians are addressing their needs, a Sky News poll has found.

The Survation poll was commissioned as part of the launch of Stand Up Be Counted, a brand new digital platform designed by Sky News to give young people a voice.

The survey appears to show widespread apathy and indifference towards politics among those aged 24 and below.

Click here to visit the Stand Up Be Counted site

Some of those who have shared their views on the Stand Up Be Counted site

Forty-nine percent of 16-24 year olds questioned know neither the name nor party of their local MP, the survey found.

And 47% said none of party leaders David Cameron, Nick Clegg, Ed Miliband or Nigel Farage best exemplify the qualities they want in their political leaders.

(L-R) Ed Miliband, David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage

For example, of those questioned, more than a quarter (26%) said they were not engaged with politics and had no interest in becoming more involved.

Seventeen percent said they were not engaged in politics but would like to become more so.

Just 8% said they were fully engaged with the political process.

In total 39% expressed an interest in becoming more engaged in politics while 50% said they had no interest in becoming more engaged.

The poll also showed the frustration and lack of faith many young people have in politics.

Asked if they felt their voices were heard in society, 44% said they were not listened to despite trying to express concerns or beliefs.

Forty-two percent said they did not try to make themselves heard. And just 12% felt that they were being listened to.

Forty-five percent of those questioned said they had "not very much" confidence that politicians would address the issues that matter most.

And only 31% said they trusted government to address their needs and concerns.

The three attributes named by those polled as most desirable in politicians were honesty, being in touch with ordinary people and the ability to make tough decisions.

Asked to reveal the first word that comes to mind when thinking of politics 9% said "lies" or "liars", 8% said "boring" and 7% referred to "corruption".

MPs have faced recent criticism for rowdy displays at the weekly Prime Minister's Questions sessions.

And 53% of those questioned said they would be more likely to listen to politicians if they behaved better at PMQs. Forty-three percent said it showed politicians displaying passion.

The poll also shows that mainstream media is viewed with suspicion by young people.

Eight out of 10 of those surveyed said they did not believe that traditional media (newspapers, radio and TV) portrayed them accurately.

Instead social media such as Facebook and Twitter are more trusted to accurately reflect their views and concerns according to 46%.

:: Survation polled 1,004 16-24 year olds on behalf of Sky News between August 21 and 26, 2014.

:: Stand Up website: www.skynews.com/standupbecounted

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Charles Bronson Guilty Of Attack On Governor

Charles Bronson's Art Sale For Mum's Holiday

Updated: 5:19pm UK, Tuesday 03 June 2014

Charles Bronson, one of Britain's most notorious criminals, is selling some of his artworks to pay for a holiday for his mother.

The works belonged to Ronnie Kray, who died in 1995, and are among 150 lots being sold from the infamous East End gangster's estate on behalf of his second wife, Kate.

Bronson asked Mrs Kray if she would agree to sell eight of his artworks so that the sale could pay for his mother to go away after she became upset by his recent attack on prison guards, according to JP Humbert Auctioneers.

The reported attack on 12 guards at HM Prison Woodhill in Milton Keynes reportedly took place last month after Spurs fan Bronson went on the rampage after arch-rivals Arsenal won the FA Cup. 

The prisoner was smeared with butter at the time.

"Charles Bronson recently had a 'rumble' with 12 prison guards. In a letter to Kate Kray, he states remorse at upsetting his mother and accordingly, asked if some of his artwork could be included in the sale so as to generate funds to send his mother on holiday," said auctioneer Jonathan Humbert.

"The intimate and personal nature of these never-before seen Kray items and Bronson paintings show a real human side to these larger than life personalities and, though they are bound to polarise opinions, the lots, much like the individuals, are far from dull."

Bronson, 61, whose real name is Michael Peterson, is currently serving a life term at Woodhill, having earned public notoriety with a history of violence both inside and outside jail.

Ronnie Kray and twin brother Reggie - together with older brother Charlie - ran organised crime rackets in London's East End and were both jailed for life in 1969 for the murders of fellow gangsters George Cornell and Jack "The Hat" McVitie.

The sale, to be held in on June 17 in Towcester, includes personal items from Ronnie Kray's Broadmoor cell, including his reading glasses, a miniature birdcage clock, watches, a crucifix, numerous letters and other "personal mementos".

"This is a very important and eclectic sale of British social history," said Mr Humbert.

"The Krays were hardened criminals, without a doubt but they were also, in the public perception, nice to old ladies and children and were always immaculately turned out.

"Whilst we in no way seek to glorify their crimes, they certainly had style and that is what people remember."

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Anti-Terror Plans To Seize Passports At Border

Police will be given temporary powers to seize passports at UK borders of Britons they suspect are travelling abroad to fight with terror groups.

It is one of the new measures announced by the Prime Minister to deal with the threat to the UK from Islamist militant groups fighting in Iraq and Syria.

Islamic State (IS) has taken over large areas of the two countries in recent months and a number of Britons have joined it, pledging allegiance to the insurgents.

David Cameron said IS was a direct threat to every European nation, and claimed around 500 British nationals had gone to the region to fight in the conflicts there.

It is feared some could return to the UK with battlefield experience and try to carry out terror attacks at home.

The PM's announcement comes just days after Britain's terror threat level was raised to severe - the second highest - meaning an attack was highly likely. 

He said the Government would "work up plans" for discretionary powers to exclude British nationals from the UK.

And he also told MPs it was "abhorrent" that British citizens who pledge allegiance elsewhere were able to return to the UK and pose a threat to national security.

Britain's terror threat level was recently raised to the second highest

He said airlines will have to give UK authorities information on passenger lists to help identify Islamist fighters and also comply with security screening requirements.

And if the companies do not agree, then their flights will not be able to land in Britain, the PM added.

He said for extremist suspects already in the UK, the Government will introduce stronger locational constraints on them under TPIMs (Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures).

These will include enhanced use of exclusion zones and through relocation powers.

Mr Cameron said: "Adhering to British values is not an option or a choice.

"It is a duty for all those who live in these islands so we will stand up for our values, we will in the end defeat this extremism and we will secure our way of life for generations to come."

The measures were announced after late-night Coalition talks, where there were thought to have been several disagreements.

The Lib Dems were keen to maintain civil liberties but the Government was under pressure to act after Britain's terror threat level was raised.

They were also under pressure from Labour to return to control orders under which suspects are kept under virtual house arrest.

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