Belfast Violence: Police And MP Injured

Sectarian tension in Belfast has spilled over into violence, leaving 23 police officers and an MP injured.

Democratic Unionist Party MP Nigel Dodds, who had been near the police lines talking to officers, was taken to hospital after being struck on the head by a brick during the fighting, a party spokesman said. His condition is said to be stable.

Officers were pelted with masonry, bottles and other missiles during clashes with loyalists in Woodvale Road.

The Police Federation for Northern Ireland said 23 officers had been injured in the north Belfast disturbances as they dealt with "serious public disorder".

Water cannon were deployed and around 20 non-lethal rounds known as Attenuated Energy Projectiles fired.

Officers were hit by an array of missiles including sticks and fireworks

Water cannon were also used by police in east Belfast in response to missiles hurled by crowds of people.

Trouble erupted as the Orange Order protested against the decision to ban a contentious July 12 parade from a north Belfast flashpoint.

Loyalist bandsmen played sectarian tunes at police lines while bricks and bottles were thrown.

At one point a rioter broke down a section of wall and threw it at police shields. Others used sticks and pieces of drainpipe to batter police vehicles, while some danced on top of the force's Land Rovers and tried to rip off protective plating.

Police were enforcing a Parades Commission ban. The ruling stops Orange Order lodges from walking on a stretch of road in north Belfast that separates loyalist and nationalist communities.

Water cannon is used on loyalist protesters

The Parades Commission - the adjudicating body set up after the Good Friday Agreement peace deal - had banned marchers from a 300-metre stretch of the Crumlin Road past the nationalist Ardoyne area.

Three lodges from the Ligoniel area had been able to walk the contested route out, but were prevented from making the return journey.

Trouble also broke out on the Newtownards Road in east Belfast. Bricks and bottles were thrown in both areas.

One man was arrested for disorderly behaviour and another for provocative behaviour.

Serious rioting has erupted after previous Orange Order evening marches in Ardoyne. Last year shots were fired at police, who also came under sustained attack from petrol bombs thrown by republican protesters.

MP Nigel Dodds was taken to hospital after his head injury

Before he was injured, Mr Dodds said: "This sort of situation here creating a bottleneck at this junction, the Parades Commission decision to block it here, this is the inevitable outcome.

"The police were well aware that was the danger the Parades Commission had put them in. I would appeal for everybody to stay calm, not to get involved in violence.

"The Grand Lodge have made it clear they do not want violence and the people who want to engage in violence should desist immediately."

Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly blamed the violence on the Orange Order and unionist politicians.

"Speech after speech at the various (Orange) demonstrations were clearly designed to stir up sectarian tension and have alongside the Orange Order's failure to abide by Parades Commission determinations led directly to the violence in Belfast tonight.

"No amount of hand wringing or denial in the coming days from the Orange Order and unionist politicians can alter that reality.

Twenty-three officers were hurt during the 'serious disorder'

"People had a right to expect better, instead what we got was a very deliberate strategy with the inevitable results being seen on the streets this evening."

The Orange Order has appealed for calm and asked that all parades be peaceful.

In a statement, it said: "The Parades Commission must go, but violence is not the way to achieve it. All protests must be peaceful.

"In support of the Grand Orange Lodge's appeal for calm, the Ligoniel Lodges (north Belfast) have decided to suspend their protest over the determination for the Crumlin Road."

DUP leader and Stormont First Minister Peter Robinson called for calm.

"Violence and attacks on the PSNI and the wider community are wrong, can never be justified and must stop," he said.

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Paris Train Crash: Six Killed In 'Catastrophe'

At least six people are dead and dozens more are injured after a packed train carrying hundreds of passengers derailed and crashed into a station outside Paris.

The seven-carriage service was about 20 minutes into a three-hour journey to Limoges when it crashed 12 miles south of the capital at about 5.15pm local time on Friday.

Part of the metal roof over the platform was crushed as carriages slid towards Bretigny-sur-Orge station in France's most deadly rail crash for years.

An investigation into the cause is under way after the train, with 385 passengers on board, came off the tracks.

The French interior minister has called it a 'catastrophe'

The head of the SNCF rail authority, Guillaume Pepy, said the third and fourth carriages initially came off the track, then knocked the others off.

He called it a "catastophe", adding: "Some cars simply derailed, others are leaning, others fell over."

The crash happened as France prepares to celebrate its most important national holiday, Bastille Day, on Sunday.

Seven carriages piled up

Many people have been heading out of Paris and other big cities to see their familes or go on holiday.

Footage from the scene showed crushed metal on the platform and debris from the crash clogging up the stairs.

Interior minister Manuel Valls said at least six people have been killed. He added that nine people are gravely injured, and warned the number of dead could rise.

Rescuers pull survivors from the wreckage. Pic: @aishakurdish

Briton Graham Hope, a passenger in the third carriage, told Sky News: "The carriage I was in was bouncing for several seconds before we came to a halt.

"Everyone was very calm. A couple of people were quite concerned, but we worked together to get out of the carriage.

"When I got out we could see the rest of the train was further up the line ... I would be very surprised if people got out of the front carriage unscathed."

The train derailed at Bretigny-sur-Orge

A witness in a nearby train, 19-year-old Bazgua El Mehdi told Le Parisien newspaper: "I heard a loud noise. A cloud of sand covered everything. Then the dust dissipated.

"I thought it was a freight train, but then we saw the first casualties ... Many passengers on the (train) were crying."

A police source said: "The train arrived at the station at high speed. It split in two for an unknown reason. Part of the train continued to roll while the other was left on its side on the platform."

But a passenger speaking on France's BFM television said the train was going at a normal speed and was not meant to stop at Bretigny-sur-Orge.

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UK Motor Industry Gets £1bn Hi-Tech Boost

Britain's motor industry is to receive more than £1bn in new funding over the next decade to improve its global competitiveness.

The joint UK motor industry and Government automotive strategy has agreed to the deal to help secure the growth and development of the vehicle and component manufacturing sector.

This new funding supports multi-billion pound investments announced in the last few years by global automotive companies to boost production levels and develop new technologies and models.

Developed under Automotive Council guidance, both industry and the Government will fund the investments.

The range of projects include the creation of an Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), thousands of new motor industry apprenticeships and the development of an Automotive Investment Organisation.

 The APC is expected to research, develop and commercialise technologies for the vehicles of the future.

The development of the strategy also sees the provision of finance for tooling investments in the supply chain, and a renewed commitment to encourage the UK as a lead market in the production and sale of low emission vehicles.

The financial commitment is backed by 27 companies in the motor industry sector, including supply chain companies, and it is expected to secure at least 30,000 jobs currently linked to producing engines and create many more in the supply chain.

It was also announced that the Automotive Council, co-chaired by Mr Cable and Professor Richard Parry-Jones, is aiming to recruit more than 7,600 apprentices and 1,700 graduates over the next five years.

In addition, the newly-created Automotive Investment Organisation will aim to double the number of jobs created or secured in the automotive supply chain over the next three years to 15,000.

In a further announcement, the Technology Strategy Board launched a £10m competition that could see successful projects fast-tracked for commercialisation through the APC.

Businesses are being invited to bid for support on innovative, collaborative low-carbon vehicle projects.

Announcing the total initiative with Prof Parry-Jones at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex on Friday morning, Mr Cable said: "The UK automotive sector has been incredibly successful in recent times, with billions of pounds of investment and new jobs.

"With the next generation of vehicles set to be powered by radically different technologies we need to maintain this momentum and act now. Our industrial strategy will ensure we keep on working together to make our automotive industry a world leader."

Prof Parry-Jones said: "Businesses prefer consistency, stability and a clear path to the future in order to make investment plans.

"'Driving Success', the automotive industrial strategy, sets out how industry will work together with government over the next 20 or 30 years.

"This is critical to sustaining and growing a thriving UK automotive sector in a highly competitive global industry."

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Lee Rigby: Family Thank Public For Support

The family of murdered soldier Lee Rigby has said he has become "a hero" and that the intentions of his killers have "backfired".

Fusilier Rigby's mother, stepfather and widow said good wishes had flooded in from around the globe and across all religions in the last seven weeks.

The 25-year-old's funeral is being held in Bury, Greater Manchester, after hundreds of people lined the streets to pay their respects to him on Thursday.

A short ceremony at the parish church was attended by Fusilier Rigby's family and friends and colleagues in the 2nd Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

His two-year-old son Jack wore a Manchester United shirt emblazoned with his father's nickname 'Riggers'.

Ian and Lyn Rigby have been overwhelmed by the support they have received

His family gave an emotional news conference shortly after his death and have now spoken in public for the first time since, as they reflect on the thousands of goodwill messages they have received.

His wife, Rebecca, 30, said: "There are so many kind and generous people out there. It's just horrible that it takes something such as this to make you see how many good people there are."

Fusilier Rigby, from Middleton, Greater Manchester, was killed as he returned to Woolwich barracks from the Tower of London on May 22.

Michael Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Adebowale, 22, have been charged with murder and are due to stand trial at the Old Bailey on November 18.

Fighting back tears throughout her interview, Rebecca Rigby said: "We have had an awful lot of support from across the world. It has been overwhelming.

Lee Rigby's coffin is carried into the church in Bury

"We have had masses of cards, letters and donations from everywhere. It's unbelievable really the things that have been coming in."

His stepfather Ian Rigby, 54, said: "Everywhere we have been, people have been supporting us. They have been incredible with us. Total strangers.

"They have been absolutely incredible, coming up - not in your face but shaking hands and saying God Bless, that sort of thing. And they have really meant what they said to us.

"And it's the same in the community. The support in Middleton - it's a small place - but the support we have had off everybody has been incredible."

Mr Rigby added: "It's just the continued support. Lee has become a hero. Whatever the intention was it's backfired because it's made Lee into the hero and the martyr.

Rebecca Rigby with their son Jack on Thursday

"The country is united whatever elements may wish to stop it. It's not working because it's working the other way."

Clutching a Fusilier teddy bear, Lyn Rigby said her "fun-loving" son had "fulfilled his dreams" by serving in the Army.

"He was so loving, he really was," she said. "He would do anything for anybody. He had a heart of gold. He wouldn't hurt anybody."

Her husband said: "He was a devoted soldier. He loved what he was doing. He believed in what he was doing but he was still a family man.

"His (four) sisters and his son, he was devoted. Whatever happened they came first.

"His job meant the world to him, being in the Army. But his family still came first."

Asked about how Fusilier Rigby would like to be remembered at his service, Rebecca Rigby said: "Lee always wanted his service to be a time that people would remember him and shed the tears. But then he always said a remembrance of his life.

"He wanted people to enjoy that and sit and talk about happy days and happy memories they have got of Lee and the things he used to do and say because he was always so full of life.

"He just wanted to put a smile on everyone's face."

Mr Rigby said: "I think today should be a celebration of Lee's life, what he has meant to us.

"Lee was a fun-loving lad and that is how he should be remembered."

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MPs' Pay: Watchdog To Propose Rise To £75,000

MPs' Pay: For And Against Hike

Updated: 8:49am UK, Thursday 11 July 2013

By Nicola Boden, Sky News Online

Handing politicians a pay rise when they are imposing austerity on millions of ordinary Britons is bound to be a hard sell - but some of the arguments in favour are hard to ignore.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) is later due to suggest an inflation-busting rise and then put its plans out for consultation.

The prospect of an increase comes as taxpayers, already mostly on far lower salaries, are facing a cost of living squeeze and public sector pay increases are limited to 1%.

Giving politicians up to another £10,000 in their pay packets will undoubtedly play exceptionally badly and make them even less popular than they are at the moment.

Workers who spoke to Sky News this month made clear they would consider the move "disgusting", and MPs themselves are well aware of the consequences.

Nick Clegg has declared the public will find it "impossible to understand" and David Cameron said making politics more expensive is "unthinkable".

But the Commons' expenses watchdog insists that there is never a good time to address the issue, and that there are some very good reasons for doing so now.

Here, Sky News examines both sides of the debate:

FOR

Better value for the taxpayer - The rise will come in tandem with curbs to MPs' gold-plated pensions and personal expenses, making the set-up more transparent and the overall cost of funding Parliament lower.

Quality of MPs - Supporters of a rise argue you will only attract top quality people into parliament if you offer bigger salaries - ie. you get what you pay for.

MPs may earn far higher than the national average but their salaries are significantly lower than that given to council bosses or other professionals in high-profile roles.

A change could encourage a shift from career politicians to candidates with more experience of public life, who can bring that knowledge into parliament.

Mix of MPs - There are fears a failure to address the issue could lead to a Commons full of multi-millionaires and aristocrats because only they could afford to enter politics.

Two homes - MPs from outside London have to run two households, ramping up the costs of taking on a parliamentary role (although critics would note expenses are available for this).

Retention - The discrepancy between ministerial and MPs' pay is so large that it is considered to encourage former Cabinet ministers to quit once they leave Government.

Former Home Secretary David Blunkett has suggested the system currently almost says "you have done your time, get out" which strips the Commons of valuable experience.

Avoiding scandal  - Ipsa boss Sir Ian Kennedy has suggested not allowing a rise could lead to a repeat of the expenses scandal because MPs would find other ways to boost their salaries.

Greater Focus - If salaries were higher, politicians would potentially be less inclined to forge links with businesses and therefore avoid damaging conflicts of interest.

AGAINST

Timing - With the coalition pushing through austerity measures and making clear drastic cuts will last into the next parliament, the idea of a pay rise is toxic to the public.

As the cost of living crisis continues, taxpayers' salaries have risen just 0.6% on average this year and public sector pay rises are limited to 1% as part of a raft of savings.

Giving MPs an inflation-busting rise would be in stark contrast to the hardship faced by millions, and conflict with the idea "we are all in this together".

Furthermore, if the next government - as predicted by experts - has to impose tax rises to raise money, a pay rise in 2015 will be even less palatable.

Perception - Ever since the expenses scandal, politicians have been battling to restore public trust. A pay rise will reinforce the view held by critics that they are just out to line their pockets.

A large salary would also make it harder for MPs to argue that they are in touch with the concerns of ordinary workers.

Second Jobs - Many MPs already supplement their salary by taking on lucrative external opportunities or continuing in their previous profession.

Recent figures suggested almost half (295 of 650 MPs) declared some form of extra income and 20 made more from other work than their salary of £65,738.

Labour leader Ed Miliband has suggested there should be a limit on external earnings but while this situation continues, it is harder to argue for an increase.

Greed - The counter-argument to raising salaries to attract higher quality candidates is that more money could encourage people to enter parliament for the wrong reasons.

People want their MPs to consider it a vocation rather than a lucrative career so that they truly have their constituents' interests at heart.

The Hours - MPs have to work fluctuating hours during the week and shuttle between London and their constituency but they also enjoy long holidays most could only dream of.

They are about to go on holiday for six weeks, breaking up for the summer on July 18 and not returning until September 2.

Over the year, MPs also leave Westminster for half-terms, have two weeks off for Easter and then at Christmas and another three weeks in party conference season.

Public accounts committee chair Margaret Hodge called for longer parliamentary hours earlier this year, warning too much time was spent in recess.

"Members of the public would be forgiven for thinking that it is MPs who are lazy and that it is Parliament that is failing to provide good value for money," she said.

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How A Big Pay Rise For MPs Can Be Justified

By Nicola Boden, Sky News Online

Handing politicians a pay rise when they are imposing austerity on millions of ordinary Britons is bound to be a hard sell - but some of the arguments in favour are hard to ignore.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) is later due to suggest an inflation-busting rise and then put its plans out for consultation.

The prospect of an increase comes as taxpayers, already mostly on far lower salaries, are facing a cost of living squeeze and public sector pay increases are limited to 1%.

Giving politicians up to another £10,000 in their pay packets will undoubtedly play exceptionally badly and make them even less popular than they are at the moment.

Workers who spoke to Sky News this month made clear they would consider the move "disgusting", and MPs themselves are well aware of the consequences.

Nick Clegg has declared the public will find it "impossible to understand" and David Cameron said making politics more expensive is "unthinkable".

But the Commons' expenses watchdog insists that there is never a good time to address the issue, and that there are some very good reasons for doing so now.

Here, Sky News examines both sides of the debate:

FOR

Better value for the taxpayer - The rise will come in tandem with curbs to MPs' gold-plated pensions and personal expenses, making the set-up more transparent and the overall cost of funding Parliament lower.

Quality of MPs - Supporters of a rise argue you will only attract top quality people into parliament if you offer bigger salaries - ie. you get what you pay for.

Ipsa chairman Sir Ian Kennedy

MPs may earn far higher than the national average but their salaries are significantly lower than that given to council bosses or other professionals in high-profile roles.

A change could encourage a shift from career politicians to candidates with more experience of public life, who can bring that knowledge into parliament.

Mix of MPs - There are fears a failure to address the issue could lead to a Commons full of multi-millionaires and aristocrats because only they could afford to enter politics.

Two homes - MPs from outside London have to run two households, ramping up the costs of taking on a parliamentary role (although critics would note expenses are available for this).

Retention - The discrepancy between ministerial and MPs' pay is so large that it is considered to encourage former Cabinet ministers to quit once they leave Government.

Former Home Secretary David Blunkett has suggested the system currently almost says "you have done your time, get out" which strips the Commons of valuable experience.

Avoiding scandal  - Ipsa boss Sir Ian Kennedy has suggested not allowing a rise could lead to a repeat of the expenses scandal because MPs would find other ways to boost their salaries.

Greater Focus - If salaries were higher, politicians would potentially be less inclined to forge links with businesses and therefore avoid damaging conflicts of interest.

AGAINST

Timing - With the coalition pushing through austerity measures and making clear drastic cuts will last into the next parliament, the idea of a pay rise is toxic to the public.

As the cost of living crisis continues, taxpayers' salaries have risen just 0.6% on average this year and public sector pay rises are limited to 1% as part of a raft of savings.

Giving MPs an inflation-busting rise would be in stark contrast to the hardship faced by millions, and conflict with the idea "we are all in this together".

Nick Clegg: "Impossible to understand"

Furthermore, if the next government - as predicted by experts - has to impose tax rises to raise money, a pay rise in 2015 will be even less palatable.

Perception - Ever since the expenses scandal, politicians have been battling to restore public trust. A pay rise will reinforce the view held by critics that they are just out to line their pockets.

A large salary would also make it harder for MPs to argue that they are in touch with the concerns of ordinary workers.

Second Jobs - Many MPs already supplement their salary by taking on lucrative external opportunities or continuing in their previous profession.

Recent figures suggested almost half (295 of 650 MPs) declared some form of extra income and 20 made more from other work than their salary of £65,738.

Labour leader Ed Miliband has suggested there should be a limit on external earnings but while this situation continues, it is harder to argue for an increase.

Greed - The counter-argument to raising salaries to attract higher quality candidates is that more money could encourage people to enter parliament for the wrong reasons.

People want their MPs to consider it a vocation rather than a lucrative career so that they truly have their constituents' interests at heart.

The Hours - MPs have to work fluctuating hours during the week and shuttle between London and their constituency but they also enjoy long holidays most could only dream of.

They are about to go on holiday for six weeks, breaking up for the summer on July 18 and not returning until September 2.

Over the year, MPs also leave Westminster for half-terms, have two weeks off for Easter and then at Christmas and another three weeks in party conference season.

Public accounts committee chair Margaret Hodge called for longer parliamentary hours earlier this year, warning too much time was spent in recess.

"Members of the public would be forgiven for thinking that it is MPs who are lazy and that it is Parliament that is failing to provide good value for money," she said.

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San Francisco Plane Crash: Crew Were Ejected

Survivors Tell Of Plane Horror

Updated: 12:53pm UK, Monday 08 July 2013

Survivors have spoken of the terrifying moment a pilot tried to abort a landing seconds before it crashed onto the runway in San Francisco.

Two Chinese teenagers died after the Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 struck the runway shortly after the jet reportedly hit a sea wall.

Benjamin Levy said: "The nose of the plane, as you know, goes up a little bit. And then full throttle starts hitting hard and then we felt that we were going up again, so that's why I said maybe the guy is about to pull one of those almost mislandings and go back up.

"But it didn't happen, we just crashed back. So as I say - if we flipped, none of us would be here to talk about it."

Xu Da, a product manager from China, was sitting with his wife and teenage son near the back of the plane.

He stood up and saw a gaping hole through the back of the plane where its galley was torn away along with the tail.

Xu and his family escaped through the opening. Once on the tarmac, they watched the plane catch fire, and firefighters hose it down.

In the chaotic moments after the landing, Wen Zhang grabbed her four-year-old son, who hit the seat in front of him and broke his leg.

Spotting a hole at the back of the jumbo jet where the bathroom had been, she carried her boy to safety.

"I had no time to be scared," she said.

Eugene Rah said: "The seat I was sitting in, it has one more strap coming across my chest here in addition to the one that goes around the waist because It was a sleeper seat. If I did not have that, I would have hit the ceiling: that's how hard the impact was."

Fred Hayes filmed the crash from around a mile away "I was watching it come in and I did notice that nose being up in the air. My initial reaction was that it was trying to abort the landing and go back up," he told CNN.

"There was big boom and then it pitched forward and bounced off its nose."

One of the flight attendants described the chaos as she and her colleagues began their evacuation of more than 300 people.

Sky's Asia correspondent Mark Stone said Lee Yoon Hae told South Korean media that she first went to the cockpit to see if the pilots were alive. She then made three announcements telling the 291 passengers to remain calm and prepare to evacuate.

There were four pilots on the plane: two in the cockpit and two more reserve pilots in the main cabin. One of the reserve pilots opened the front door with an axe and ordered the evacuation.

Stone said Mrs Lee, 40, explained how one of her colleagues had a leg trapped. She helped to release her leg and at the same time tried to calm the passengers, some of whom were panicking.

Mrs Lee said that many of the passengers were confused and disorientated.

She shouted to the Chinese passengers to evacuate immediately. Many of them tried to take their hand baggage with them, but she said she was forced to order them not to.

Mrs Lee said several fires broke out within the cabin and she was not aware that the tail of the plane had broken off because the ceiling between her and the rear of the aircraft had collapsed.

She helped one badly injured female passenger to the emergency slide and then returned back into the aircraft to help others and was one of the last to leave the aircraft.

Mrs Lee, who has already been given 14 awards for her work at Asiana Airlines, broke her coccyx in the accident, but was unaware of her injuries until she arrived at the hospital.

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Royal Mail Privatisation Plans To Be Unveiled

By Poppy Trowbridge, Business and Economics Correspondent

The Business Secretary will announce plans for one of the biggest UK privatisations in decades when he makes a statement on the future of the Royal Mail later.

Vince Cable will tell the House of Commons how the Government plans to sell off the 375-year-old postal operator.

It wants to sell stock in the company to market investors, which could see the company valued at around £2.5bn.

Moya Greene, chief executive of Royal Mail, has held talks with scores of potential investors in recent months in an attempt to persuade them to back the plans.

She faces opposition from unions and many employees, who fear privatisation will lead to a shake-up of services and cuts.

Many Royal Mail staff will be offered free shares in the company

Steve Butts, a Royal Mail staff member for the past 32 years, told Sky News: "I think privatisation will only bring a race to the bottom for employees.

"Any private investor would always want to make money and the way they are going to do that is to drive down our terms and conditions."

Mr Cable's announcement comes after Sky News revealed many of Royal Mail's 150,000 staff will receive free shares worth as much as £300m as part of the privatisation.

The share sale would raise hundreds of millions of pounds that experts say could help modernise the mail system in Britain.

Robert Hammond, director of post and market analysis at Consumer Futures, told Sky News: "I would hope that a privatised Royal Mail would be looking to expand on their products and services, and to make those services ready for 21st century consumers."

Mr Cable is expected to deliver his statement after Prime Minister's Questions.

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April Jones: Mark Bridger Attacked In Prison

Child killer Mark Bridger has been attacked by a fellow prisoner less than two months into his whole life sentence.

The 47-year-old, who was jailed in May for abducting and murdering schoolgirl April Jones, was slashed with a makeshift blade during the attack as he walked along a gangway at HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire.

Bridger reportedly suffered facial injuries and was taken to a local hospital where he was given stitches.

Prison officers stepped in to save him from further injury, according to The Sun newspaper.

The high-security prison's inmates include many serious sex offenders

A spokesman for Her Majesty's Prison Service confirmed a prisoner had been injured and taken to hospital during the attack, which is now being investigated by the police.

Bridger kidnapped April before sexually abusing and murdering her and disposing of her body last October.

Police believe he dismembered the five-year-old's body before dumping the body parts at various locations in the hills, rivers and forests surrounding his home.

He was given a whole life sentence by judge Mr Justice Griffith Williams after a jury found him guilty following a month-long trial.

April had been playing with friends close to her home on the Bryn-y-Gog estate in Machynlleth, Powys, when Bridger enticed her into his car.

Following his arrest, detectives found numerous indecent images on his computer and traces of April's blood around his home.

HMP Wakefield is a high-security prison which houses an average of 740 male inmates, many of whom are serious sex offenders.

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San Francisco Crash: Trainer Was New To Job

The trainer charged with guiding the pilot of an Asiana Airlines plane that crashed in San Francisco was on his first day in the job, the airline has confirmed.

Asiana said Lee Jung-Min was in a new role as trainer to Lee Kang-Kuk, 46, who was at the controls when the jet clipped a sea wall short of the runway and skidded out of control.

Lee Jung-Min had previously built up more than 3,000 hours of flight time on the Boeing 777, a spokeswoman told the AFP news agency.

The airline had earlier revealed that Lee Kang-Kuk had just 43 hours of experience on the aircraft, although he had accumulated more than 9,000 hours of flying on other planes.

Fire officials have also admitted that one of the two teenage girls killed in the crash may have been struck by an emergency vehicle attending the scene.

The planes tail section was torn away in the crash. Pic. NTSB/Twitter

Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White and Assistant Deputy Chief Dale Carnes both raised the possibility at a news conference with first responders.

"There was a possibility one of two fatalities might have been contacted by one of our apparatus at one point during the incident," Mr Carnes said.

San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault said his office was conducting a post-mortem to determine whether the victim survived the Boeing 777 crash, but was run over and killed by a responding vehicle.

He said his staff had been notified of the possibility by senior San Francisco Fire Department officials at the crash site on Saturday.

National Transportation Safety Board chief Deborah Hersman said investigators have reviewed airport surveillance video, but had not been able to reach any conclusions.

Wang Linija (left) and Ye Mengyuan died in the crash

She said the possibility that the girl had been run over was a "very serious issue".

"I can tell you that the two fatalities were located in seats towards the rear of the aircraft," Ms Hersman said.

"This is an area of the aircraft that was structurally significantly damaged. It's an area where we're seeing a lot of the critical of serious injuries." 

Ms Hersman said the lower portion of the plane's tail cone was found embedded in rocks forming part of the sea wall.

A "significant piece" of the tail of the aircraft was in the water and other plane parts were visible at low tide, she said.

Remarkably, 305 of 307 passengers and crew survived the crash, and more than a third did not even require a trip to hospital.

Only a small number were critically injured.

Investigators said Asiana Airlines Flight 214 had been travelling "significantly below" the target speed during its approach and the crew tried to abort the landing just before it smashed onto the runway.

What they do not yet know is whether the pilot's inexperience with the Boeing 777 and landing at San Francisco airport played a role.

Officials said the probe would also focus on whether the airport or plane's equipment could have malfunctioned.

Firefighters said they encountered smoke, leaking jet fuel and passengers coming down on chutes when they arrived at the crash site.

Lt Christine Emmons said she and her partner ran up a chute into the plane and found four passengers trapped in the back.

The conditions in the plane were changing rapidly, with the fire coming down on rescuers and the smoke thickening as the trapped passengers were pulled out to safety, she said.

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Andy Murray: 'Wimbledon Win Is The Pinnacle'

Tennis champion Andy Murray has danced the night away after waltzing to an historic first Wimbledon title.

The Scotsman - the first British men's champion at SW19 since Fred Perry in 1936 - partied at the traditional end-of-tournament event in central London.

He was joined by his girlfriend Kim Sears, his mother and father, Judy and William, as well as several of the VIPs who watched him defeat Serbia's Novak Djokovic in straight sets on Centre Court.

Earlier, the 26-year-old, celebrating his second Grand Slam victory, said his success would "take a little while to sink in" and admitted: "I don't really know what to say just now."

Andy Murray and Kim Sears arrive for the post-tournament party in Park Lane

"Winning Wimbledon, I think, is the pinnacle of tennis," he added.

Marion Bartoli, the winner of the women's final, also attended the party at a hotel in Park Lane.

The 28-year-old French number one appeared to joke about comments made by BBC commentator John Inverdale, who suggested she was "never going to be a looker".

Speaking to Sky's Stephen Douglas, she said: "How do I look?"

Murray squandered three championship points in a hard fought final game before beating Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 - a win Prime Minister David Cameron said had made Britain "proud".

"I worked so hard in that last game," he said in a post-match press conference. "It's the hardest few points I've had to play in my life ... I still can't believe it."

Murray leapt onto the roof of the commentary box on Centre Court to celebrate with his family, friends and coaching staff.

There was a hug for his girlfriend and a long embrace for coach Ivan Lendl, a former world number one who twice missed out on the Wimbledon title.

Murray almost forgot his mother, who was sitting just behind the players' box, before returning to hug her too.

Andy Murray celebrates with spectators on Centre Court

In a Twitter message retweeted more than 87,000 times, Murray said: "Can't believe what's just happened!"

Later, he added: "Thanks for all the support!"

The champion's grandparents, Roy and Shirley Erskine, who celebrated at a sports club in Dunblane, said the atmosphere in Murray's hometown was "tremendous".

"We were telling him what wonderful support there was up here, " Shirley Erskine told Sky News.

Grandfather Roy said he did not think Andy would not let his historic success and all the extra attention go to his head.

Murray hugs his mother Judy moments after winning his second Grand Slam

"I don't think Andy will change in any way," he said.

"I think he will still be very committed to his tennis - he doesn't know anything else. It's been his way of life for the last 11 years."

Murray now has less than two months to prepare for the US Open - the title he won in 2012 in a thrilling five-set encounter with Djokovic that lasted nearly five hours.

It is not yet known whether he is planning to return to Dunblane, where he took an open-top bus tour in front of 20,000 people last summer to celebrate his Olympic and US Open titles.

Fans packed themselves into the town's community centre as well as Murray's former tennis club to see their favourite son lift the Wimbledon trophy in only his second Centre Court final.

Meanwhile, marketing experts have predicted Murray could become the third highest-earning British sportsman of all time.

He is expected to land a raft of new sponsorship deals and could be in line to earn up to £15m a year.

His manager, Simon Fuller, said only a World Cup win for England's footballers could match the enormity of his Wimbledon triumph.

"I think it's very much a moment now where Britain can really see Andy Murray 'the man' and not just 'the great sportsman'," he said.

"I think that by winning Olympic gold, the US Open and Wimbledon, he's proved himself to be a true champion. Anything's possible. I think everyone's in heaven."

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San Francisco Plane Crash: Pilot Was Training

The pilot who was flying a Boeing 777 when it crashed in San Francisco had just 43 hours' experience flying the plane, aviation officials have said.

Two teenagers were killed and around 180 people were injured, many of them seriously, when Asiana Airlines flight 214 slammed into the runway.

Air crash investigators said the crew tried to abort the landing less than two seconds before impact.

Although the captain had spent nearly 10,000 hours at the controls of other planes, he had never landed at San Francisco before.

The plane spun as it hit the ground. Pic: CNN/Fred Hayes

He was sitting alongside another pilot who had flown 3,200 hours in 777s and around 12,000 hours in total.

Meanwhile, officials are looking at whether one of the two teenagers killed in the crash was run over by a rescue vehicle.

It is not clear whether she died during the crash or whether she was knocked down as emergency crews rushed to the scene.

As air crash investigators continue to look for the cause of the crash, they published a series of pictures, including one taken inside the wreckage of the plane, showing oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling of the cabin and seats bent at various angles.

The mangled interior of the Boeing 777. Pic: NTSB/Twitter

They have recovered both black boxes from the 777, which should reveal exactly why the aircraft came down.

Deborah Hersman, head of the National Transportation Safety Board, said the plane was travelling well below its target speed of 157mph.

She said a piece of safety equipment that warns pilots of an impending stall went off moments before the crash.

The plane's landing gear was separated from the fuselage. Pic: NTSB/Twitter

Cockpit voice recordings revealed the crew's desperate attempts to climb back into the sky but did not suggest any mechanical problems.

No warnings were issued to air traffic controllers until seven seconds before impact.

Although the cause of the crash is yet to be confirmed, one theory is that the plane clipped a sea wall at the end of the runway as it came in to land.

Investigators study the aircraft's tail fin. Pic: NTSB/Twitter

Amateur video obtained by CNN shows the plane landing on the runway and then appearing to spin counter-clockwise before crashing down again with black smoke billowing from its tail.

Meanwhile, further tales from those on the flight from Shanghai, which travelled to San Francisco via a stop-off in Seoul, have emerged.

Fei Xiong, who was taking her eight-year-old son on a trip to Disneyland, said: "My son told me, 'The plane will fall down, it's too close to the sea.' I told him, 'Baby, it's OK, we'll be fine.'"

Xu Da, who was sitting near the back of the plane with his wife and teenage son, described seeing sparks - possibly from exposed electrical wires - and a gaping hole through which he could see the runway.

Wen Zhang climbed from the wreckage with her four-year-old son, who hit the seat in front of him and broke his leg in the crash.

"I had no time to be scared," she said.

The two pilots - part of a crew of 16 - had more than 10,000 flying hours between them.

There were 291 passengers on board, many of whom were Chinese.

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Boeing Plane Crash Lands In San Francisco

Two people have been killed and more than 150 others injured after a plane crash landed at San Francisco International Airport, according to the city fire department.

The Asiana Airlines flight, from Seoul, South Korea, was believed to be carrying 291 passengers and 16 crew members.

The San Francisco Fire Department, said 181 people have been taken to various hospitals - 49 of whom are in a serious condition.

Terrorism had been ruled out as a cause of the accident, the FBI confirmed.

The debris of the aircraft's tail is seen on the runway after the crash

Eyewitnesses reported seeing the plane's tail section break off during the crash. South Korea's transportation ministry said the tail of the plane hit the runway before it crashed.

A fire started when the plane landed and passengers were forced to use emergency inflatable slides to escape the aircraft, witnesses added.

Parts of the plane's tail and the landing gear were strewn across the runway. TV footage showed the top of the fuselage had been burned away and one engine appeared to have broken off.

David Eun, believed to be a passenger on the aircraft, posted on Twitter: "I just crash landed at SFO. Tail ripped off. Most everyone seems fine. I'm ok. Surreal."

He added: "Fire and rescue people all over the place. They're evacuating the injured."

A plume of smoke rose from the plane after the crash landing

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown said the Boeing 777 was supposed to land on runway 28 left at San Francisco International Airport.

She said the sequence of events was still unclear, but it appeared the plane landed and then crashed.

Sky News Correspondent Tom Parmenter said: "There were large plumes of smoke coming from this plane.

"The tail seems to be the initial problem on landing, and then the fire seems to have started once the plane was on the runway.

"People have been pictured walking away from the wreckage."

Flights have been diverted to other airports, including Los Angeles.

The wreckage is visible next to one of the runways at the airport

Debbie Hersman, chairman of the Transport Safety Board, said: "Teams are going to be focused on operations, human performance, survival factors, the airport, airport operations and they are going to be focussing on the aircraft - the systems, the structures and the power plants.

"It's still too early for us to tell (what happened).

A statement from San Francisco General Hospital said 10 patients from the crash - eight adults and two children - were in a critical condition.

Asiana is a South Korean airline, second in size to the national carrier Korean Air. 

It has recently tried to expand its presence in the United States, and joined the oneWorld alliance, anchored by American Airlines and British Airways.

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Abu Qatada Leaves UK And Arrives In Jordan

Radical preacher Abu Qatada has arrived in Jordan after being flown out of Britain in the early hours.

Home Secretary Theresa May told Sky News that she was "very pleased" to have finally succeeded in deporting Qatada.

"He is now where people wanted him to be - which is not in the UK, but back in Jordan," she said.

Qatada left RAF Northolt in west London on a military plane bound for Jordan to stand trial on terror charges.

It is understood Jordanian authorities allowed his family to greet him on his arrival.

Qatada became a household name for all the wrong reasons

It marks the end of an eight-year legal battle to remove the radical cleric, who the Government has described as a "truly dangerous individual" and a "key player" in al Qaeda-related terrorism.

Sky News correspondent Mark White said: "He has been a thorn in the side of five Home Secretaries who have tried to get rid of him.

"As far as the British Government and senior politicians are concerned, there will be quiet celebration that he has finally left the country."

Qatada used his human rights to make a series of costly challenges to moves to deport him to his native country.

Theresa May believes his departure will be widely welcomed

The case became a national embarrassment, which critics of European human rights legislation claim has rendered UK politicians powerless to remove someone who they believed to be a clear threat to national security.

Ms May said: "Abu Qatada was deported today to his home country of Jordan to face terrorism charges.

"His departure marks the conclusion of efforts to remove him since 2001 and I believe this will be welcomed by the British public."

Prime Minister David Cameron said: "I am absolutely delighted. This is something this Government said it would get done and we have got it done.

"It is an issue, like for the rest of the country, has made my blood boil. That this man, who has no right to be in our country, who is a threat to our country, and that it took so long and was so difficult to deport him.

The military plane with Qatada on board

"But we've done it, he's back in Jordan, that's excellent news."

After spending a total of £1.7m on legal fees from the many court proceedings, the Home Office saw Qatada board a flight from RAF Northolt, in west London, in the early hours of this morning.

Mrs May added: "I am glad that this government's determination to see him on a plane has been vindicated and that we have at last achieved what previous governments, Parliament and the British public have long called for.

"This dangerous man has now been removed from our shores to face the courts in his own country.

"I am also clear that we need to make sense of our human rights laws and remove the many layers of appeals available to foreign nationals we want to deport. We are taking steps - including through the new Immigration Bill - to put this right."

Qatada was taken from Belmarsh to RAF Northolt under police escort

It was a treaty signed between the UK and Jordan that finally secured Qatada's departure, giving him the assurances he needed to leave his taxpayer-funded home behind.

The agreement, announced by Mrs May earlier this year, aimed to allay fears that evidence extracted through torture will be used against the father of five at a retrial.

In a shock decision, Qatada pledged in May to leave Britain - with his family in tow - if and when the treaty was fully ratified, a process that to the relief of many, concluded earlier this week.

After landing at an isolated airstrip near the Jordanian capital Amman, Qatada will be transferred to the maximum security Muwaqqar prison, which houses dozens of convicted terrorists.

It is understood that Qatada will be held in solitary confinement at the jail, until the Jordanian authorities can put him on trial.

Qatada originally fled the Middle East and arrived in the UK in 1993. He was granted asylum the following year.

His increasingly radical sermons caught the attention of the security services in Britain and in numerous other countries.

A Spanish judge described him as the "spiritual head of the mujaheddin in Britain".

A number of people arrested on terrorism offences, including British born "shoe-bomber" Richard Reid, admitted seeking religious advice from him.

His sermons were found in the Hamburg flat used by a number of the 9/11 hijackers.

In 2001, on the eve of tough new British anti-terror laws allowing for the detention without trial of foreign terror suspects, Qatada went on the run, before later being arrested and held in Belmarsh prison.

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