Missing Mikaeel Kular: Residents Join Search

By Kat Storr, in Edinburgh

How far can a three year old boy get on his own? That's the question everyone I speak to on Ferry Gait Crescent is asking.

Mikaeel Kular has been missing for over 24 hours and his whole neighbourhood has come to a standstill.

Residents of the "normally quiet" area have joined police, some on horseback, and mountain rescue teams to search the local area.

One group of women told me they had been out since 9am on Thursday scouring a golf course, beach and high street. They were carrying torches donated by the local branch of Tesco.

"You're looking in the same places, convinced you missed something the first time," one said.

Local residents have joined the hunt for the three-year-old

Two teenagers from a neighbouring estate said they wanted to help "to see if there was something we could do".

One said his mother had heard of a small girl nearby who had told of a "stranger tapping on her window".

Hedgerows were being scoured, the bins emptied and homes opened up to police.

No one is letting their hopes fade for the little boy, who is one of dozens of children that live in the street.

But with heavy security doors in the blocks of flats and CCTV cameras visible on every building, suspicions are being raised about whether Mikaeel could have walked out of his home on his own.

Police have launched a major search operation in the city

No new information about his whereabouts has emerged.

The weather in Edinburgh has been freezing - the gritters are out on the streets.

In the city centre, people said they were shocked by Mikaeel's disappearance and are praying for him.

Back on Ferry Gait Crescent, residents said they planned to resume their search today in the hope they can end what one man described as "every parent's worst nightmare".

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Mikaeel Kular: Search Enters Second Day

Police forces from across the country are now involved in the hunt for missing three-year-old Mikaeel Kular - as CCTV footage fails to locate the boy.

At a press conference in Edinburgh this morning Superintendent Liz McAinsh said "hundreds and hundreds" of police officers were searching for Mikaeel.

She invited members of the public to help with the search, urging volunteers to congregate at the North Neighbourhood Centre in West Pilton Gardens at 10am.

Mikaeel went missing overnight on Wednesday

Superintendent McAinsh revealed that police had received 150 calls to a hotline dedicated to the boy's disappearance and all lines of inquiry were still open.

Superintendent McAinsh said: "We are deeply concerned we have no positive sightings of Mikaeel. There's lots of activity today, lots of police officers, helped by members of the public.

"I remain optimistic that he will be found safe, but as time goes on, we are deeply concerned for his welfare." 

A major search operation is now into its second day

The child's mother put him to bed at around 9pm on Wednesday, only to find his room empty on Thursday morning.

A police helicopter, sniffer dogs, coastguard and lifeboat teams have been searching the area surrounding the flat he shares with four siblings in Ferry Gait Crescent.

Police have released a photograph showing the jacket he was wearing

Forensic teams are examining a second address in a block of flats near his home.

Officers have also urged neighbours to check gardens, sheds, parks and lock-ups to find the missing boy.

A telephone number set up specifically for the case has received more than 150 calls, but there have been no sightings of Mikaeel.

The temperature in Edinburgh overnight dropped to around 3C.

Police Scotland has activated the Child Rescue Alert system, which is usually reserved for abduction and kidnap cases and supported by all police forces across the UK.

The search remains focused around the Drylaw, Pennywell, Muirhouse and Silverknowes areas of Edinburgh.

Police have said Mikaeel could have left his home of his own accord

Mikaeel, who has two sisters and two brothers, was discovered missing from his bed by his mother at around 7.15am on Thursday.

He usually sleeps in the same room as his twin sister but was alone on Wednesday night.

His jacket and shoes were missing and police are looking into whether he might have left of his own accord. They say there is currently no evidence of any criminal behaviour.

Mikaeel is slim, 2ft, of Asian appearance and possibly wearing a thigh-length beige hooded coat. He may also be wearing black gloves with multi-coloured fingers, dark navy blue jogging bottoms, a grey pyjama top with an embroidered turquoise dinosaur on the chest and brown Clarks shoes.

He has a faded scar on the bridge of his nose and a sore on the left hand side of his mouth.

Anyone with information can call the missing hotline number 0300 200 0200, dedicated to Mikaeel's case, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. 

:: Watch the police news conference live at 7.30am on Sky News, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Francois Hollande Faces Media Over Alleged Affair

Francois Hollande is to face the media for the first time since news of his alleged affair with a French actress became public.

The French president will hold an annual New Year's news conference with journalists in Paris to discuss the economy and plans to offer French businesses tax cuts aimed at reducing unemployment.

But he is likely to face a barrage of questions about the publication of tabloid photographs in a French gossip magazine said to show him conducting a secret liaison with 41-year-old actress Julie Gayet.

A similar press conference in 2007, by Mr Hollande's predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy following his divorce, was instead subject to intense interest in his links with singer Carla Bruni, whom he later married.

Reporting from Paris, Sky's Jason Farrell said: "This all comes at a very bad time for Francois Hollande. He's been seen as the president unable to turn around the French economy, he's due to speak about that subject, but he's more likely to be pressed about his private life."

Mr Hollande's partner Valerie Trierweiler was taken to hospital in a state of shock over the claims but France's First Lady is reportedly prepared to forgive Mr Hollande.

Le Parisien reported on Monday that the journalist and mother-of-three had no intention of immediately ending her relationship with the president.

French actress Julie Gayet

Despite the media attention, a survey of French voters revealed 80% consider the matter a private affair. The faltering French economy is considered by many to be a more important issue facing the country.

"This has been disastrous for the image of the institution of the presidency," said Jean-François Cope, head of the opposition UMP conservatives.

French journalist and political commentator Agnès Poirier told Sky News: "This is trivia, because it's gossip, it's not news, because it's not something we should pay any attention (to).

"A lot of people are interested in the story, obviously, but we know we 'shouldn't be'."

:: Watch Mr Hollande's press conference live on Sky News at 3.30pm on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Margot Martini: Parents Launch Donor Days

The father of a one-year-old girl desperately sick with an extremely rare form of leukaemia has told Sky News time is running out to find her a stem cell donor.

Margot Martini's form of leukaemia is so rare her consultant haematologist has only seen three such cases in the last decade and her parents are making a worldwide appeal to find someone with the right tissue type to save her life.

A moving online appeal has prompted thousands of responses, but the perfect match has still not been found for Margot, who is on her third round of chemotherapy since being diagnosed with the disease last year.

Margot with parents Vicki and Yasser and her two brothers

Her father Yasser told Sky News: "Margot needs to receive a stem cell donation from someone with a similar tissue type as hers. So we are on a worldwide search for a donor - and unfortunately, without much luck to date."

Margot's form of leukaemia has "dual lineage", which means she has acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and acute myeloid leukaemia.

Her best chance of beating the disease is to undergo a bone marrow transplant, for which she needs to receive a stem cell donation from someone with a similar tissue type as hers.

Donors are urged to wear pink bracelets to raise awareness of her plight

But because her leukaemia is so rare it is particularly hard to find a stem cell donor with the correct tissue type, as doctors are unable to target specific ethnic groups or communities.

Instead, Margot's parents are asking donors to come forward, by organising a national "donor drive", where volunteers register in the hope that among them doctors can find the perfect match.

Applicants have been asked to request saliva swab kits which they can use at home or to register as stem cell donors at one of a number of designated medical centres on one of three "donor days".

A week after launching the campaign, Delete Blood Cancer UK said it had received more than 12,000 requests for swab kits, a number equal to 2.5% of the existing UK stem cell database owned by the Anthony Nolan Trust.

Mr Martini said: "It is like oxygen to us that there has been this initial impact, but we are still seeking a perfect match.

"To increase our chances of finding this person we are holding two events with Delete Blood Cancer UK, one in London and one in Wolverhampton, to develop awareness and drum-up even more people to sign up to be potential donors."

:: Margot's parents will be on Sky News at 8.15am. Watch live on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Missing 12-Year-Olds: Police Search For Girls

Police are searching for two 12-year-old girls reported missing after a walk to a local bus stop, Scotland Yard has said.

Friends Wiktoria Popiel, from Wood Green, and Vitalija Sidlauskaite, from Tottenham, north London, were last seen together on Morley Avenue in Wood Green at around 5pm on Saturday.

Wiktoria was walking Vitalija to a bus stop on nearby Lordship Lane but did not return home.

The Metropolitan Police said they may have got on a bus towards Tottenham or have gone to the ice rink at Alexandra Palace.

A police spokesman said: "Their disappearance is completely out of character for both girls and they have never gone missing before.

"Their families and police are extremely concerned for their welfare and urge anyone who sees them or who has information about their whereabouts to call police on 101."

Wiktoria was wearing glasses, a brown jacket with fur around the hood, blue jeans and blue trainers. She speaks English and Polish.

Vitalija was wearing blue jeans and a black jacket. She speaks English and Russian.

:: Watch Sky News live on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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British Soldiers In Iraq Torture Probe

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

The International Criminal Court has been asked to investigate allegations of abuse and torture by British soldiers in Iraq, Sky News has learnt.

It is understood that a German human rights organisation and a British law firm have presented a dossier to the ICC containing accusations of more than 1,000 cases of torture against Iraqi civilians, and 200 cases of unlawful killings, including many in custody.

The Berlin-based European Centre for Constitutional Rights and Britain-based Public Interest Lawyers (PIL) will launch their case at an event in London on Tuesday.

Phil Shiner, a solicitor from PIL, told Sky News: "This is historic. The UK has never been investigated by the ICC. There is clear evidence this goes right to the top."

The British Government has set up a body to investigate accusations of abuse arising from the Iraq conflict.

The Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT) investigates allegations of abuse against Iraqi civilians by British troops between 2003 and 2009. It is led by a retired detective and is due to complete its investigations by the end of 2016.

Commenting on the reports, the Ministry of Defence said: "These matters are either under thorough investigation or have been dealt with through various means including through the Iraq Historic Allegations Team, independent public inquiries, the UK and European courts and in Parliament.

"As such, further action through the ICC is unnecessary when the issues and allegations are already known to the UK Government, action is in hand and the UK courts have already issued judgments.

"Should we be approached by the ICC, we will take the opportunity to explain the very extensive work underway to deal with historic allegations of abuse.

"We reject the suggestion that the UK's Armed Forces - who operate in line with domestic and international law - have systematically tortured detainees.

"But of course the UK Government regrets the small number of cases where abuses have taken place. Wherever allegations have been substantiated, we have compensated victims and their families."

:: Watch Sky News live on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Teachers 'Should Pass MoTs Or Face The Sack'

Teachers should be licensed and will face the sack if they fail to pass checks on their abilities, the Labour party has said.

Shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt said he wants teachers to be reviewed every few years to improve standards in England's state schools.

A similar proposal was floated by the previous Labour government - and dubbed "classroom MoTs" by former schools secretary Ed Balls - but was opposed by some unions and dropped before the 2010 general election.

Mr Hunt told the BBC: "Just like lawyers and doctors they should have the same professional standing which means re-licensing themselves, which means continued professional development, which means being the best possible they can be.

"If you're not a motivated teacher - passionate about your subject, passionate about being in the classroom - then you shouldn't really be in this profession."

Mr Hunt went on to tell The Times: "If we want to re-professionalise the teachers it would be crazy not to do it. If teachers are not re-licensed they will not be allowed to teach."

The Opposition has previously said it would insist on all teachers having Qualified Teacher Status, with staff already working in academies given a deadline to acquire a formal qualification.

A Conservative Party spokesman said the Government was willing to look any proposals which will "genuinely improve the quality of teaching".

He said: "We have already taken action by allowing heads to remove teachers from the classroom in a term, as opposed to a year previously, and scrapping the three-hour limit on classroom observations.

"We are improving teacher training, expanding Teach First and allowing heads to pay good teachers more. Thanks to our reforms, a record proportion of top graduates are entering the profession.

"Fixing the schools system so young people have the skills they need is a key part of our long-term economic plan."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602 and Freeview channel 82.

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