Woman Found Beheaded In Back Garden Named

A 25-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after an 82-year-old woman was beheaded in broad daylight in a suburban back garden.

Palmira Silva, a widow believed to be of Italian descent, was found at an address in Edmonton, north London just after 1pm after police received reports of a man with a knife in Nightingale Road.

Other potential victims escaped in what appears to be a random attack, Sky sources say.

Police and ambulance crews are at the scene. Pic: redbutdred

Police say they do not believe there is a terrorist motive but have not confirmed if Ms Silva, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was beheaded.

Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said: "They haven't confirmed that the woman has been beheaded, refusing at this stage to discuss the injuries she's suffered.

"But we are on very good sources reporting the fact that the woman was found decapitated and police are certainly not telling us that we're wrong in doing that."

Police officers at the scene of the stabbing

Witnesses reported seeing a man running around the area as police arrived and he was seen attacking a car.

The first report police received said a man was attacking an animal, a cat or a dog.

One local resident, who did not want to be named, described seeing a man brandishing a machete and shouting about cats.

Sky sources say it was a random attack

The Metropolitan Police said the suspect was cornered in a house by officers after moving through a number of back gardens.

Metropolitan Police Commander Simon Letchford said: "Officers who attended the scene have evacuated a number of those people from those premises to make them safe.

"During that period they distracted the man from carrying out any further attacks."

Witnesses reported seeing a man running around the area

An attempted attack on two people at another address in Nightingale Road is also being investigated. Police say they believe they were able to get out of the house without being injured.

One witness has told Sky News a man was "fighting" with police.

The suspect was detained by firearms officers and taser stun guns were fired.

It is not known what weapon was used

One officer was injured during the arrest and is believed to have suffered a broken wrist.

The man was injured in the arrest and is being treated in hospital, where he is under guard.

Police will then determine whether he can be interviewed.

A police officer was injured as the man was arrested

A weapon has been recovered but police have not revealed what it was.

Detective Chief Inspector John Sandlin, who is leading the investigation, described it as a "a highly visible attack in broad daylight".

He said: "I can understand why this may cause people concern, however we are confident that we are not looking for anyone else at this stage."

Police described the incident as a "highly visible attack"

Residents are still waiting to be allowed back into their homes and the road remains cordoned off as forensic officers continue their work.

Ms Silva's next of kin have been informed.

A neighbour who knew her said she was "such a sweet lady" who went to work every day in a nearby cafe.

14.44 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man Shot Dead By Police In Knife Incident

Police have shot dead a man who was threatening a woman with a knife at a house in London, Scotland Yard said.

The incident happened at a property in Islington and it is understood the man and the woman knew each other.

A statement from the Metropolitan Police said the woman was unharmed and is being treated for shock.

The man was treated at the scene in Shepperton Road but died on the way to hospital.

Police had sent a negotiator to the scene at 11.19pm on Thursday following reports the man had broken into a house.

Rosa Whiteread, 28, a primary school teacher who lives in the street, said: "I was asleep and I heard shouting - it woke me up. It must have been around 12.30 at night.

"I looked out of the window and I saw lots of police, there must have been around a dozen of them. I asked them what was going on, but they said they couldn't tell me.

"I'm not sure if the police were armed, but I saw a police dog. It's shocking."

14.43 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nato Summit: Ukraine Crisis To Top The Agenda

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

World leaders will begin arriving in the UK today ahead of the start of a two-day Nato summit in Wales tomorrow.

Some 61 heads of state are expected to gather at The Celtic Manor Resort outside Newport, with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine set to top the agenda of discussions.

Leaders will be joined by officials from the European Union, the UN, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

A further 5,000 delegates are expected to gather to discuss the future of the Nato alliance.

Speaking at Downing Street ahead of the summit, David Cameron has condemned the ongoing violence in Ukraine, describing it as "disgraceful".

He told an audience of international delegates in London on Tuesday night: "What's happening in the Ukraine right now is disgraceful and completely unacceptable.

Mr Cameron has described the violence in Ukraine as "disgraceful"

"Members of Nato want and deserve real reassurance that our Article V commitments are rock solid."

He said he wanted the upcoming conference to demonstrate a "very clear, unified and strong message" about the importance of Nato globally.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has also warned that Nato must show it still has the political will to fight back in the event of a Russian attack on any member states.

Western nations have repeatedly accused Russia of intervening militarily in the conflict in Ukraine. The claims have been denied by Moscow.

Mr Hammond said: "For Nato to maintain its credibility in the future, we have to demonstrate that we maintain the political will to act to defend ourselves and our interests.

"We have to be clear that we have not lost the appetite to intervene when our interests or our obligations require us to do so.

Mr Obama will travel to Wales after a visit to the Baltic states today

"If we lack, or are perceived to lack, the political will to respond - and to do so quickly - the credibility of that commitment to collective defence will be undermined, and the very fabric of this, most successful of alliances, will unravel.

"So we have to be clear with Russia, in particular, that while we support a political resolution to the situation in eastern Ukraine, there is a red line around Nato member states themselves that cannot be crossed."

Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says the alliance is set to create a high-readiness force in Eastern Europe as a bulwark against potential Russian aggression.

Mr Rasmussen said the unit would be a spearhead that could be deployed at very short notice to help Nato members defend themselves against any threat.

The murder of another US journalist by Islamic State militants will also feature in bilateral discussions between Western allies at the summit.

US President Barack Obama will head to Wales after a visit to the Baltic States.

14.44 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ashya King's Parents To Be Reunited With Son

The parents of Ashya King will be reunited with their son later today following their release from a Spanish jail last night.

The five-year-old boy's father says they are "relieved" to be free and are looking forward to seeing their son again.

"We are completely relieved. Thank you so much for your support," Brett King said.

"We are going as soon as possible to see my son. We have been dying to see his face for so long."

Their release follows a decision by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to drop the case against them.

The Kings' oldest son Danny, who is in the coastal town of Malaga where Ashya is being treated, said he was "shocked" when he learned they were free.

Ashya King's father Brett is driven away after being freed from custody

"We have been waiting so long for this moment," he told Sky News.

"I just want to thank everyone who spoke out in favour of my parents, especially Nick Clegg and David Cameron."

Another brother, Naveed, said on Facebook: "BREAKING NEWS: My parents are now free! SPREAD THE WORD! WOW THIS IS AMAZING! SO OVERJOYED! WOW!"

Danny said Ashya was comfortable at the Materno-Infantil hospital, but he was the only English child there and the only one without a family member constantly by his side.

An international arrest warrant was issued after Mr and Mrs King took Ashya from Southampton General Hospital, where he was being treated for a brain tumour.

They were detained on Saturday near Malaga and taken to Madrid, where they were kept in separate jails, pending an extradition hearing.

Ashya with his mother Naghemeh

Their release came after the CPS announced it was seeking to withdraw the arrest warrant and would be taking no further action against them.

In a statement the CPS said: "We are now in the process of communicating this decision to the Spanish Authorities so that they can be reunited with their son as soon as possible."

The move was welcomed by Prime Minister David Cameron, who said: "It's important this little boy gets treatment and the love of his family."

Earlier Mr Cameron and his deputy Nick Clegg joined the mounting calls for Ashya to be reunited with his parents.

An online petition started by Ethan Dallas, 16, a friend of Ashya's brother Naveed, had attracted nearly 200,000 signatures at 5pm on Tuesday.

Mr and Mrs King, from Portsmouth, took Ashya out of the country so he could receive alternative proton beam therapy in the Czech capital Prague.

They were apparently planning to sell their apartment near Malaga to pay for the treatment.

14.44 | 0 komentar | Read More

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

14.44 | 0 komentar | Read More

Head Of Sky News On Stand Up Be Counted

Today Sky News is launching an ambitious new campaign, Stand Up Be Counted.

:: Click here to visit the site

The project sees us launch a dynamic digital platform where young people aged between 16 and 25 can talk about the issues that affect them.

Anything from personal reflections on their lives, to their frustrations around the stereotypes the media turns them into, to their optimism about the future.

According to a Sky News poll, almost half of the young people in Britain are not engaged in politics, feel their voices are not heard and don't believe that politicians are addressing their needs.

That makes for depressing reading.

We, the media, are partly to blame, often portraying young people as stereotypes, the victims or the agitators.

Indeed only 18% of young people say that traditional media is the best platform to reflect their views and concerns. I am determined to change this.

Some of the results from the poll

This is why we are launching Stand Up Be Counted.

Not only is it a place where young people can share their thoughts but it also means that we can help amplify their voices and make them a genuine part of our Sky News content.

We would like thousands of young people across the country, from every constituency, to share their thoughts with us, as they already do on their social networks.

Within just a few seconds video, blogs and comments can be uploaded and shared with fellow Stand Ups on our platform and across social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Google+, WhatsApp and Kik.

I am 52, it's been a while since I was considered young, but when I talk to younger people now I am always bowled over about how creative, how deep thinking, and how motivated they are.

They just feel, quite rightly, disengaged from the Westminster bubble which decide the direction in what our country heads.

Some of the young people who have shared their views on the site

Likewise news organisations like Sky need to up their game, and help explain how policy decisions directly affect the lives of young people, and how they can influence those decisions via voting. We just need to avoid doing it in a preachy, patronising way.

There is a danger that young people could be sidelined, becoming so disengaged that they lose their voice - not necessarily amongst their peers - but with the establishment who contribute to shaping their future.

Long gone are the days of young people being seen and not heard, we need to do all we can to ensure their voices are received loud and clear, ensure they stand up and are counted.

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

14.44 | 0 komentar | Read More