Peaches Geldof's House Raided Twice By Burglars

Peaches Geldof: From Wild Child To Doting Mum

Updated: 12:33pm UK, Tuesday 08 April 2014

Peaches Honeyblossom Geldof was just 11 when she lost her 41-year-old mother Paula Yates in an accidental heroin overdose in 2000.

As the second daughter of Bob Geldof and Yates, much of her life was lived in the public eye as the family coped with the tragedy and she started to make a name for herself as a model and journalist.

She left home aged 16 and began a career which included writing for UK newspapers, Elle magazine and presenting TV shows including OMG!

Ms Geldof received constant attention from the paparazzi, and tabloids often compared her to other troubled young celebrities Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty.

She admitted to experimenting with drugs and was often labelled as a "wild child".

In August 2008 Ms Geldof married rock musician Max Drummey in Las Vegas but the pair separated in 2009.

But it was meeting second husband Tom Cohen and the birth of their first son, Astala Dylan Willow, which triggered her transformation from a partying socialite to doting mother.

The couple married in 2012 at St Mary Magdalene and St Lawrence Church in Kent, where Ms Geldof's parents got married and her mother's funeral was held.

She said she felt Yates was "watching over" her that day.

She told Hello magazine: "I feel her presence all the time but especially today.

"Mum loved family celebrations and she would adore Tom and the fact that we've married here.

"I know that she is watching over me and feeling so happy for us."

The couple's second son, Phaedra Bloom Forever, was born last year and will turn one on April 24.

Ms Geldof spent a lot of time discussing parenting techniques and was an avid believer in attachment parenting, appearing on This Morning in a head-to-head debate with Apprentice star Katie Hopkins.

Midge Ure, Scottish musician and co-organiser of Band Aid with Bob Geldof, told Sky News Ms Geldof had become an "earth mother" figure, like her own mother Paula Yates.

"They embraced this whole motherhood thing so incredibly well, after what had maybe been ropey beginnings. They had completely found their niche in life."

Mother & Baby magazine announced in February that Ms Geldof was to be their new columnist.

A spokesman said it was after she had completed what they called, a "mama metamorphosis" from party girl to working mother. The magazine was to feature her attempts to juggle parenting, work and family.

A tribute posted online by the magazine reads: "We are extremely saddened at the tragic news that Peaches Geldof has died. Our hearts and sympathies are with her family and two little boys."

Ms Geldof's Twitter and Instagram accounts were full of photos of her sons, dogs and husband.

Her last tweet, posted on Sunday at 10.17am, was a photograph of her and her late mother with the message "Me and my mum."

But her tweets also got her into some trouble.

Last year she apologised for breaking a court order and tweeting the names of the two women whose babies were abused by rock star Ian Watkins.

She tried to explain her actions by saying she had assumed the names were already "public knowledge".

The women's names were tweeted to her 160,000 followers after she reportedly read them on a US-based website. She later said: "I deleted my tweets, however, and apologise for any offence caused."

Ms Geldof's last public appearance was at a fashion show in London on April 3.

A statement from Ms Geldof's father and sisters - Fifi Trixibelle and Pixie and half-sister Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily - said they were "beyond pain" following her death on Monday.

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Pfizer Chief To Face MPs Over AstraZeneca Jobs

Pfizer's chief executive is to be questioned by MPs later about the US drugs company's commitments to UK jobs as part of its £63bn takeover plan for AstraZeneca.

Ian Read has questioned the British drugmaker's ability to stand alone for much longer and said the planned merger would create a "UK-based scientific powerhouse".

He said Pfizer's pledges to complete AstraZeneca's new research centre in Cambridge and put a fifth of its research staff in Britain if the deal goes ahead were legally binding.

In a written statement ahead of his appearance before the Commons Business, Innovation and Skills Committee, Pfizer took a swipe at AstraZeneca's go-it-alone strategy by arguing it lacked the financial muscle to make the most of its experimental medicines.

"Looming patent expiries and near-term revenue losses jeopardise its ability to deliver on its very promising pipeline," it said.

If the deal goes ahead, it would be the largest foreign takeover of a British firm.

Critics claim the Viagra maker's pledges are worthless, and are calling on the Government to stop any deal.

AstraZeneca has rejected the offer as "inadequate".

The offer has revived bitter memories of when American food giant Kraft abandoned jobs pledges after buying Cadbury in 2010.

The GMB and Unite unions are calling on Business Secretary Vince Cable to block the proposed takeover.

"Assurances given by Pfizer ... are worthless. If this takeover is allowed it will be a serious blow to the UK's science economy," said GMB national officer Allan Black.

MPs will also question Mr Cable and AstraZeneca's CEO Pascal Soriot.

A second parliamentary committee on Wednesday will question both CEOs again, along with Science Minister David Willetts.

Meanwhile, Sky's City Editor Mark Kleinman has learnt Neil Woodford, the City's most prominent fund manager, will meet Mr Read this week for talks about the proposed takeover.

Mr Woodford may prove to be a key figure in Pfizer's battle to win control of AstraZeneca despite managing only a small stake in the British-based drugmaker.

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Stephen Sutton Goes Back Into Hospital

Cancer sufferer Stephen Sutton, who has raised over £3m for a cancer charity, has been readmitted to hospital.

The terminally ill 19-year-old was discharged from Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital on May 2 after he made what he described as "a miraculous recovery", coughing up a tumour.

But commenting on his Facebook page on Sunday, he told supporters he was again posting from his hospital bed after developing breathing difficulties.

He wrote: "Unfortunately today I've ended up back in hospital. I had some breathing difficulties starting last night and after going to A&E have been admitted back to a ward for monitoring.

"I've still got the cough, then quite quickly developed a wheeze in my breathing and breathlessness upon any physical exertion.

"There's no immediate panic and I'm currently quite stable - I have been put on nebulisers and other meds which are currently helping my symptoms hugely."

Mr Sutton recently met Prime Minister David Cameron

He added: "The doctors think there may be something restricting my airway again, they're not sure exactly what yet though (tumour regrowth, infection, inflammation, are all potential reasons mentioned), but are currently discussing the possibilities and my scan results to decide what to do next.

"Fingers crossed the issue will be resolved and that I'll be out of hospital soon - I'll keep you all updated with how I'm getting on."

Mr Sutton, from Burntwood in Staffordshire, was diagnosed with bowel cancer when he was 15.

Despite treatment the tumours spread, with doctors telling him the disease was terminal in 2012.

His fundraising efforts for the Teenage Cancer Trust since posting a picture of himself in hospital in April with a goodbye message when he thought he was nearing death total £3.22m to date.

Over the weekend, a petition at change.org calling for Mr Sutton to be knighted both for his charity work and efforts to raise awareness about cancer had attracted 31,300 signatures.

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Gary Barlow 'Should Not Give Back OBE' Says PM

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

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

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

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

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

The Prime Minister, who appeared with Conservative supporter Barlow during the 2010 General Election campaign, said: "Gary Barlow has done a huge amount for charity, raising a huge amount for Children in Need."

Howard Donald, Mark Owen and Gary Barlow

Mr Cameron told Good Morning Britain Barlow was appointed is OBE for his charity work and the tax avoidance issue should not affect that.

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

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

HM Revenue and Customs is now expected to demand repayment.

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

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

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

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League Boss' Apology Over 'Inappropriate' Emails

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore has apologised after a Sunday newspaper published emails which it claims show him making crude and sexist remarks about women.

Mr Scudamore said he accepted the contents of the messages, which were passed to the Sunday Mirror by a former PA, were "inappropriate".

The PA told the paper she was sent the messages automatically in order to arrange Mr Scudamore's diary.

In one of the emails, Mr Scudamore is claimed to have written: "You will learn over time that female irrationality increases exponentially depending on how many members join your family.

"That should keep you within the Chinese government's one child per family enforcement rules. Very clever those Chinese."

In a statement, Mr Scudamore, who has been head of the Premier League since 1999, said: "These were private emails exchanged between colleagues and friends of many years.

"They were received from and sent to my private and confidential email address, which a temporary employee who was with the organisation for only a matter of weeks should not have accessed and was under no instruction to do so.

"Nonetheless I accept the contents are inappropriate and apologise for any offence caused, particularly to the former employee.

"It was an error of judgement that I will not make again."

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Gove Accused Of 'Lunacy' In Free Schools Row

Michael Gove has been accused of stripping £400m from a fund for extra school places in order to plug a financial "black hole" in his free schools programme in a move described as "nothing short of lunacy".

A senior Government source also accused the Education Secretary of being willing to see children struggle for a classroom place so the department can "lavish" money on the free school "experiment".

The attack is the latest coalition spat with the Department for Education at the heart of it.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was earlier this week accused of "lying" over how plans to provide free school meals for infant school pupils would be funded.

The senior Government source said: "Michael Gove is so ideologically obsessed with his free school experiment, he's willing to see children struggle to get suitable school places.

"Everybody knows there's real pressure on school places at the moment and the Secretary of State for Education knows better than most. It is nothing short of lunacy to slash the amount of money available for new school places to lavish on free schools.

"Michael Gove was warned by the schools minister David Laws that this was a bad idea but the zealot pressed on anyway.

"The Conservatives are putting the needs of a handful of their pet-projects ahead of the requirements of the other 24,000 schools in the country."

The source claims Mr Gove reduced the basic need allocation by £400m  - enough to provide around 30,000 new school places - to £2.35bn between 2015 and 2017 to help fund an overspend in the free schools budget of around £800m between 2013 and 2016, the source said.

A spokesman for Mr Gove said: "The suggestion we are cutting money for new places in areas of need to pay for free schools where they are not needed is totally wrong.

"These claims pretend that money spent in free schools is not creating new places in areas of need. That is simply not true.

"From 2015, funding to councils for new school places will rise by more than £200m a year. On top of this, investment in free schools will provide tens of thousands of new places in areas of need.

"Indeed the vast majority of free schools - more than seven in 10 - are in areas with a shortage of places. This investment in free schools is entirely in addition to the rising basic need funding for councils which we announced in December.

"Free schools are hugely popular with parents and are more likely to receive top ratings from Ofsted than council-run schools. So it is absolutely right that, where they are needed, new places are created in free schools."

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UK Soldier 'Posed With Dead Taliban Fighter'

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

The RAF has launched a probe after photographs surfaced appearing to show a serviceman posing with a dead Taliban fighter.

The pictures were apparently taken in the wake of an attack by 15 insurgents on Camp Bastion, the main British base in Afghanistan, in September 2012.

The insurgents breached the perimeter of the base, triggering a battle involving a British RAF regiment and US marines.

Two of the marines and 14 Taliban fighters were killed in the firefight, and UK troops were also injured.

The two photographs appear to show at least one member of the RAF giving a thumbs-up sign as he kneels next to the body of a dead insurgent.

The photos were taken after an attack on Camp Bastion in 2012

It is unclear if it is the same serviceman in both of the photographs.

Sky News has learned that the individual or individuals belong to 51 Squadron.

An RAF source said he was making "no excuses" for the behaviour but said it was important to consider the context.

"This was a long, extensive firefight against a well-drilled, well-armed enemy who was trying to kill them," the source said.

He spoke of the "heat of conflict", the "relief of victory" and the "unusual adrenaline fuelled situation" in which "foolish" things happened.

Camp Bastion is the main British base in Afghanistan

The investigation will focus on whether the airman broke the rules by "mistreating" the enemy.

They may also be reprimanded for simply having and using photographic equipment.

Another photograph shows a burned-out plane in a hangar - six US Harriet jets were destroyed in the attack.

The images first appeared on the website Live Leak.

An RAF spokesman said: "Inappropriate actions will not be tolerated in the armed forces.

"The RAF is treating this incident extremely seriously and has launched a military police investigation.

"As this incident is subject to an ongoing investigation it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."

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'Killer' Asian Hornet Could Threaten Honey Bees

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky News Reporter

A new "killer" hornet may soon threaten Britain's honey bees, it has been warned.

The Asian hornet has already been spotted in France and could be transported to the UK in food pallets or may even be able to fly across the Channel.

They are smaller than British hornets, with queens growing up to three centimetres long.

Their bodies are dark brown or black with a fine yellow band and their stings are up to a quarter of an inch long.

They hunt in packs and have a taste for honey bees, often targeting adults outside the hive or eating the offspring inside.

The honey bee population has declined rapidly in the last 60 years

Some experts claim they can kill up to 40 bees a day so if introduced into Britain, they could have a severe impact on the native honeybee population, which has been rapidly declining since the 1950s.

Tim Lovett from the British Beekeepers Association explained: "When bees are out foraging you'll find that the hornets will lurk around the front of the hive and try to bring down foragers as they come back to the hive.

"Having got them down on the ground they paralyse them and they will then cart them off to their own nests where they'll use them for feed for their own larvae."

Six people in France have died from anaphylactic shock after being stung by the hornets.

But Gavin Broad from the Natural History Museum says there is no need for people to worry.

An Asian hornet (left) next to a British hornet (right)

He said: "In terms of their sting it's no worse than any other hornet so if you're going to suffer from anaphylactic shock it's just as likely from as Asian hornet as from a native hornet."

The public is being urged not to kill any hornets that they find and posters are now being handed out to help people identify and report any sightings.

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson said: "There have been no confirmed sightings of Asian hornets in the UK - they are smaller than our own native hornets and are no more dangerous.

"We are aware of the potential impacts they could have on honey bees and have plans in place to eradicate them if they are identified.

"In Great Britain we would not expect Asian hornets to establish outside southern parts of England and Wales due to colder weather."

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Police To Wear Body Cameras To Boost Trust

Some 500 police officers in London will begin wearing cameras on their uniforms from today as a part of a trial aimed at increasing trust and speeding up justice for victims.

Firearms officers will also take part after criticism of the Metropolitan Police following the death of Mark Duggan.

The 29-year-old was shot dead by an armed officer in Tottenham in 2011. His death sparked mass riots which spread across the country.

A jury at his inquest in January this year ruled Mr Duggan was lawfully killed by a police marksman despite being unarmed. The verdict outraged his family and supporters who are fighting the ruling.

Armed officers will first only use the cameras in training, with a view to wearing them regularly if the pilot is successful.

Met commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said the move would boost transparency.

Mark Duggan was unarmed when he wsa shot in August 2011

He said: "Body-worn video will not only help us fight crime and support victims but help the Met to be more accountable.

"Our experience of using cameras already shows that people are more likely to plead guilty when they know we have captured the incident. That speeds up justice, puts offenders behind bars more quickly and protects potential victims.

"Video captures events in a way that can't be represented on paper in the same detail and it has been shown the mere presence of this type of video can often defuse potentially violent situations without the need for force to be used.

"I believe it will also show our officers at their best, dealing with difficult and dangerous situations every day but it will also provide clearer evidence when it's been alleged that we got things wrong. That has to be in both our own and the public's interest."

Officers wearing the devices will not have them permanently switched on and will have to follow specific guidelines on when they can be used.

The 10 boroughs in the capital taking part in the trial include Camden, Barnet, Bexley, Bromley, Brent, Croydon, Ealing, Havering, Hillingdon and Lewisham.

Footage will be stored on file for a month unless it it needed as evidence in a case.

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Barclays: 20,000 Job Cuts In New Strategy

Barclays has confirmed around 20,000 job cuts under a new strategy building on its aim to become the 'go-to' bank.

The details - as reported by Sky's City Editor Mark Kleinman on Wednesday evening - were revealed following a review which aimed to reduce risk in its investment operation and cut excessive costs.

The bank's update pleased investors - with its share price rising more than 3% when the FTSE 100 opened for business.

Barclays confirmed 14,000 positions would be axed across the Group during 2014 - around half of them in the UK.

Barclays share price has failed to recover from the financial crisis

A further 7,000 positions will go in the investment bank up to 2016 - but 2,000 of those had been previously announced.

In addition to the job losses, the bank's chief executive Antony Jenkins confirmed the creation of Barclays Non-Core - a unit to house "assets which do not fit the strategic objectives" of the group.

Barclays said it would look to run down or exit Risk-Weighted Assets worth £115bn from the new unit.

Mr Jenkins said: "This is a bold simplification of Barclays. We will be a focused international bank, operating only in areas where we have capability, scale and competitive advantage".

He added that Barclays would become "leaner, stronger, much better balanced and well positioned to deliver lower volatility, higher returns, and growth".

More follows...

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