Council Tax: Town Halls Revolt Over Rises

Around 41% of local authorities in England are shunning the government's offer of extra money in return for pegging council tax rates.

Last year, around 85% took up the offer but now that number is set to fall dramatically, according to figures compiled by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (Cipfa).

With just over half of billing authorities already confirming their intentions, it found that 41% intended to forego the government money  - equivalent to a 1% rise in cash terms - and push up the tax for 2013/14.

Eric Pickles says the government has worked to freeze council tax

The average rise is expected to be 1.1% - an extra £11.74 for a typical Band D property.

There are significant regional variations, with an average 1.2% rise due across Yorkshire and Humber - adding £16.30 to a Band D property bill - while in Greater London it is just 0.1%.

Some town halls fear that unless they impose modest rises this year they will be forced into more dramatic increases in future when there is no Whitehall cash to soften the blow.

Cipfa's Ian Carruthers said: "As the pressures from this period of unprecedented austerity intensify, all councils are having to strike an increasingly difficult balance between protecting hard-pressed taxpayers and maintaining local services."

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: "Council tax more than doubled under Labour. But this Government has worked to freeze council tax for three years.

"This survey confirms that council tax will effectively be frozen again this year, with an average change across England of just a mere 0.8%. This is a tax cut in real terms."

Mr Pickles has ordered any council which seeks a rise of 2% or more to put it to a local referendum and has told those considering rises just short of that they are "cheating" taxpayers.

A Local Government Association spokesman said: "This has been a tricky decision for councils.

"Collectively local authorities are facing a 33% cut in funding from government at the same time as the cost of providing services like adult social care is climbing through the roof.

"The council tax grant from government is very small when set against those pressures and it lasts just two years with no certainty beyond that.

"Ultimately councils have to take a long-term view. Some have clearly decided that increasing council tax is one way of meeting current costs and alleviating pressure in the longer term.

"Councils are fully accountable to their electorates for these decisions."

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Pope Benedict XVI's Papacy Nears Its End

By Sally Arthy, Senior News Editor, Rome

Pope Benedict XVI's tenure as leader of the world's Catholics will draw to a close later today.

Benedict stands down as Pontiff after nearly eight years and at a time when the Church is mired in controversy.

This morning, more than 100 cardinals will say their farewells to the Pope at a gathering in the Apostolic Palace.

The Pope waves from his papamobile at the end of his last weekly audience

Just before 5pm local time, Benedict will leave his apartments for the last time, give his thanks to the senior staff who have been by his side during his papacy, and then make his way to the Vatican helipad.

From there he will fly to Castel Gandolfo - the Pope's retreat on the outskirts of Rome.

Then, at around 5:30pm, he will make his last brief appearance on a balcony in front of an expected crowd of around 7,000 before withdrawing from public life for good.

At 8pm the doors of the villa will close and the Swiss Guard will stand aside marking the end of Benedict's papacy.

From then on he will be known as Emeritus Pope and devote his days to prayer and meditation.

Once renovations are complete, Benedict will move to a monastery in the grounds of the Vatican.

Edward Pentin, from the Catholic Herald, said Benedict will live a monk's life and not interfere in the work of his successor.

The next Pope will be chosen by secret ballot during the conclave of eligible cardinals who will vote in the Sistine Chapel.

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Italy Election: Split Vote Leads To Stalemate

Results in crucial elections in Italy show no clear winner and raise the possibility of a hung parliament.

The uncertainty does not help the nation's efforts to pass the tough reforms it needs to heal its economic woes and prevent a new round of global financial turmoil.

In the lower chamber of parliament, the Democratic Party leader Pier Luigi Bersani and his leftist coalition scraped a razor-thin victory over Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right, winning by 29.55% to 29.18% with 99.9 percent of the ballots counted.

Grillo: His protest group M5S appears the real winner

But in the 305-seat Senate, preliminary results from the interior ministry showed that former prime minister Berlusconi's coalition could win 110 seats to the left's 97 seats, with neither group winning a majority, which is required in both chambers of parliament to form a government.

This leaves Italy in a state of limbo with a hung parliament that is unprecedented in its post-war history.

Bersani: Narrow victory for his leftist coalition in the lower chamber

"It is clear to everyone that this is a very delicate situation for the country," Democratic Party leader Pier Luigi Bersani said.

US stocks closed sharply lower with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 1.55% on the news. Stocks in Tokyo opened 1.83% lower.

The new Five Star Movement (M5S) led by former comedian-turned activist Beppe Grillo, who has stirred anger at politicians and budget cuts, became the country's third political force, creating dozens of new lawmakers.

Comparing single parties without coalitions, the M5S is now the biggest party in the lower house with 25.55% to the Democratic Party's 25.41%, a shock success that analysts predicted would reverberate around an austerity-weary Europe.

"This is fantastic! We will be an extraordinary force!" Mr Grillo said on his website, warning mainstream politicians they would "only last a few more months".

"We'll have 110 people in parliament and we'll be millions outside."

Berlusconi: Doing better in the Senate

European capitals fear the lack of a clear winner could bring fresh instability to the eurozone's third largest economy after Germany and France and plunge it back into the debt crisis storm.

Some Democratic Party officials suggested fresh elections may have to be held within a few months after a reform of Italy's complex electoral laws. Others said some form of agreement could be found with the anti-austerity Five Star Movement.

Political analysts suggested a possible return to the grand coalition agreement between right and left seen over the past 18 months, or even dissolving the Senate alone to hold fresh elections for only one chamber of parliament.

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Lord Rennard Sex Claims: Police Investigate

How The Rennard Story Developed

Updated: 7:17pm UK, Monday 25 February 2013

Here is how the claims about Lord Rennard grew into a full-blown crisis for Nick Clegg amid questions about exactly what the party leader knew and when.

2008: Nick Clegg says this was when he became aware of "indirect and non-specific concerns" about Lord Rennard's behaviour.

The leader says his then chief-of-staff Danny Alexander confronted the peer and told him "any such behaviour was wholly unacceptable".

Lord Rennard "categorically denied" the claims.

2009: Lord Rennard resigns as party president due to ill health.

February 19, 2013: Channel 4 tells the Lib Dems about the allegations ahead of its programme.

February 21, 2013: Channel 4 broadcasts claims by two women alleging Lord Rennard touched them inappropriately.

Alison Smith, a Lib Dem activist who is now an Oxford University lecturer, said she spoke to chief whip Paul Burstow and Jo Swinson, party spokesman for women and equality, but that no action was taken.

Lord Rennard, who resigned as party president in 2009 due to ill health, says he is "deeply shocked" by the allegations which he "strongly disputes".

The party insists Nick Clegg first knew of the allegations when it was approached by Channel 4 about the planned broadcast.

February 22, 2013: A new report on Channel 4 News says more women have come forward with similar stories about the peer.

February 23, 2013: Lib Dem president Tim Farron says he is "sure" Mr Clegg did not know about the claims.

February 24, 2013: Pressure grows on Mr Clegg after the Mail on Sunday reports a Facebook exchange from January 2009 in which one party worker wrote: "I just don't know how Nick can know and not do anything."

A Lib Dem spokesman repeats: "Nick Clegg only knew of these allegations when we were contacted by Channel 4 News."

Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr show in the morning, Business Secretary Vince Cable also denies that he or Mr Clegg knew about the allegations before the Channel 4 report.

In the evening, Mr Clegg - back from a family holiday in Spain - issues a dramatic clarification, admitting he had known about the rumours for five years.

But he says: "I would like to make one thing crystal clear. I did not know about these allegations until Channel 4 informed the party of them shortly before they were broadcast."

February 25, 2013: Mr Clegg insists he has "nothing to hide" about how the case was handled. "Until last week, no very specific allegations were put to me," he says.

Lib Dem President Tim Farron admits the party has "screwed this up". "There are individuals out there who we had a duty of care towards and we did not fulfil that duty of care," he says.

Scotland Yard announces it is investigating "whether or not criminal activity has taken place" following the allegations against Lord Rennard.

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Lord Rennard Concerns: Nick Clegg Knew

By Sophy Ridge, Political Correspondent

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has admitted that he knew of concerns over Lord Rennard's behaviour more than four years ago.

Several women have accused the party's former chief executive of inappropriately touching and propositioning female party workers, which he strenuously denies.

In a statement, Mr Clegg said he did not know about the allegations, but admitted that his office was aware of "indirect and non-specific" concerns about Lord Rennard's conduct in 2008.

He said: "I am angry and outraged at the suggestion that I would not have acted if these allegations had been put to me. Indeed, when indirect and non-specific concerns about Chris Rennard's conduct reached my office in 2008, we acted to deal with them.

Lord Rennard strenuously denies the claims

"My chief of staff at the time, Danny Alexander, put these concerns to Chris Rennard and warned him that any such behaviour was wholly unacceptable.

"Chris Rennard categorically denied that he had behaved inappropriately and he continues to do so. He subsequently resigned as chief executive on health grounds."

Lib Dem President Tim Farron, who is conducting a review into the way the party dealt with the allegations, conceded the party may have failed to deal with the claims when they were first made.

He told Sky News: "The issue that's been made very clear this last few days is that not only were a number of women potentially victims in this appalling set of circumstances. but also potentially they raised their concerns with people within the party - some of them at a reasonably high level - and they may have made those concerns known to people and that they weren't acted upon."

Mr Clegg said Danny Alexander put the concerns to Lord Rennard

"My guess is that the party has indeed let itself down in the past and not dealt with these complaints when they were put."

Earlier, aides had said the Deputy Prime Minister only learned about the specific complaints being made against Lord Rennard following a Channel 4 News report earlier in the week.

The women claim they reported Lord Rennard's alleged behaviour to senior party officials at the time, but no further action was taken.

The peer was a key party strategist and adviser to a succession of Liberal Democrat leaders before standing down due to ill health in 2009.

He said he was "deeply shocked" by the allegations, which he "strongly disputes" and regards as a "total distortion" of his character.

Lib Dem MP Vince Cable said: "It's obviously wrong if there are women there who have made complaints and felt they weren't dealt with properly, so we are now setting up a proper investigative process - we want an independent element to that - and we'll get to the bottom of it."

He was asked on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show whether he knew about the Lord Rennard allegations prior to the Channel 4 programme, and replied: "Absolutely not."

Former Lib Dem head of press Mark Littlewood said: "Nick Clegg is definitely going to have to outline and spell out in exact detail what he knew and when and what actions he took."

Journalist Michael White told Sky News: "I've never heard any of these rumours about Rennard, and I've known him slightly for years."

Labour's shadow minister for equalities and women, Kate Green, said the statement raised more questions than answers.

She said: "After days of total denials - some only hours ago from Lib Dem MPs Vince Cable and Jeremy Browne - Nick Clegg has now been forced to admit that he did know of what he calls 'indirect concerns' about Lord Rennard in his role Chief Executive of the Liberal Democrats.

"Nick Clegg's statement raises more questions than it answers about his judgement and the willingness of the Liberal Democrats as a party to properly investigate such serious allegations at the time they were made.

"At issue is not just a series of serious allegations from a number of women, but how the Liberal Democrat Party responded to those allegations.

"Only with a fully independent investigation can the public have confidence that the truth will prevail and lessons learned for the future."

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Oscars: Affleck Scoops Top Gong Despite Snub

Ben Affleck's Argo has won the Oscar for best picture, despite him being snubbed in the best director category.

The nominees for best film were introduced by first lady Michelle Obama from the White House, before she named Argo as the winner.

Director and star Affleck paid tribute to the "genius" Steven Spielberg whose film, Lincoln, lost out in the category.

Referring to his success with 1997's Good Will Hunting, he said: "I never thought I would be back here and I am because of so many of you who are here tonight."

Christoph Waltz won the first award of the night

He added: "It doesn't matter how you get knocked down in life, all that matters is that you get up."

British-Irish actor Daniel Day-Lewis became the first man to win the best actor award three times after his portrayal of President Abraham Lincoln in Spielberg's historical drama.

He spent a year preparing for the role and, in his customary method, remained in character during the production.

Accepting his Oscar from Meryl Streep, Day-Lewis said: "I really don't know how any of this happened, I do know I've received more than my fair share of good fortune in my life".

He joked Streep had been the first choice to play Lincoln and he had been committed to play Margaret Thatcher - the role that won Streep an Oscar last year, before tearfully thanking his mother.

Shirley Bassey wowed the audience in the theatre

In a night that was otherwise short on shocks Jennifer Lawrence claimed the best actress gong for Silver Linings Playbook. The 22-year-old fell as she climbed the steps to the stage to claim her prize.

Some critics had predicted the award would go to French actress Emmanuelle Riva who starred in Amour and at 86 was the oldest woman ever to be nominated. She won a Bafta award earlier this month for the role.

It was a good night for British talent with Adele winning the Oscar for best original song for her Bond theme Skyfall.

The tearful singer thanked her songwriting partner Paul Epworth for "believing in me all the time, and my man, I love you baby".

She wowed the audience of A-listers in the Dolby Theatre with her first ever live performance of the 23rd Bond film's title track.

The cast of Les Mis took to the stage

A tribute to the Bond films and music made up of classic clips of 007's adventures was introduced by one-time Bond girl Halle Berry. And 76-year-old Dame Shirley Bassey took to the stage in a gold dress to sing Goldfinger which received a standing ovation

Anne Hathaway picked up the best supporting actress statue for her role in the musical Les Miserables.

The star, who only featured as Fantine in the film for around 15 minutes, fought back tears as she said "it came true" and thanked her husband and everyone who worked on the film.

She had been widely predicted to win the award in a tough category where Sally Field, Helen Hunt, Amy Adams and Jacki Weaver were also nominated.

Christoph Waltz won the first award of the night, best supporting actor, for his role in Django Unchained.

Waltz offered thanks to his character and "to his creator and the creator of his awe-inspiring world, Quentin Tarantino".

It was the second time in three years he has won the category - his first Oscar was for his role in Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds.

Waltz beat off stiff competition from Alan Arkin, Robert De Niro, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Tommy Lee Jones.

Ang Lee picked up the trophy for best director for Life of Pi in a snub for Spielberg who many expected would collect the award for Lincoln.

Tarantino collected the prize for best original screenplay.

Brave, the Scottish story of a rebellious, red-headed princess, won the Oscar for best animated feature.

Amour, a French-language film about an elderly couple won best foreign language film which was accepted by its Austrian director Michael Haneke.

Skyfall also won the trophy for best sound editing, which was tied with Zero Dark Thirty. It is only the third time in Oscar history that winners have been tied.

The night of British success started with Jacqueline Durran winning for her costume design on Anna Karenina and the makeup and hairstyling award went to Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell for Les Miserables.

This year's ceremony was hosted by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane who started the show with a joke about Affleck failing to win a best director nomination, quipping that he was "unknown to the Academy".

William Shatner made a guest appearance as his Star Trek character Captain James Kirk, appearing on a giant screen above the stage during MacFarlane's monologue, saying he came back in time to stop the host from ruining the Oscars.

The presentation of awards was broken up by a series of musical performances including Catherine Zeta Jones singing All That Jazz from Chicago and Jennifer Hudson performing I'm Telling You from Dreamgirls.

But it was a medley of Les Miserables songs sung by the cast that had the audience covered in goosebumps.

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Cardinal Keith O'Brien Contests Accusations

Britain's most senior Roman Catholic clergyman has been reported to the Vatican over claims of inappropriate behaviour, a newspaper has claimed.

The Observer reports that three priests and a former priest have made the allegations against Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland.

A spokesman for the Scottish Catholic Church told Sky News that Cardinal O'Brien "contests these claims and is taking legal advice".

According to the Observer, the four claimants reported to nuncio Antonio Mennini, the Vatican's ambassador to Britain, that Cardinal O'Brien had committed "inappropriate acts" going back 33 years.

The claimants, all from the diocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh, are also demanding the cleric's resignation, the paper said.

Cardinal O'Brien has a vote in the forthcoming papal conclave to choose Pope Benedict XVI's successor.

The claimants are said to be worried that their report will not be properly addressed if he is allowed to travel to Rome.

"It (the church) tends to cover up and protect the system at all costs," said one of the complainants, according to quotes published by the paper.

"The church is beautiful, but it has a dark side and that has to do with accountability. If the system is to be improved, maybe it needs to be dismantled a bit."

Cardinal O'Brien, who is due to retire next month, has angered the gay community with his conservative stance on homosexuality.

He recently said that same-sex marriages would be "harmful to the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of those involved" and has long voiced opposition to gay adoption.

When Pope Benedict announced his decision to resign on February 11, Cardinal O'Brien said: "Like many people throughout the world, I was shocked and saddened to hear of the decision by Pope Benedict XVI to resign.

"I know that his decision will have been considered most carefully and that it has come after much prayer and reflection."

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Doctors From Abroad Must Take English Test

By Lisa Dowd, Sky News Correspondent

New checks will be introduced to make sure all NHS doctors can speak English well enough to treat patients, the Government has announced.

It comes five years after David Gray, 70, was killed by a German doctor on his first out-of-hours shift in the UK.

Daniel Ubani accidentally gave the pensioner ten times the recommended dose of the painkiller diamorphine.

The locum was struck off the medical register in the UK, but still practices in Germany, despite admitting death by negligence at a German court.

Mr Gray's son Stuart, 53, himself a GP, said:  "What Ubani had done was try to register with Leeds PCT, they'd made him sit an English language test to see if he was proficient. He failed that, so he decided to apply to another PCT, this being Cornwall.

"They didn't bother to test his English language skills, put him on the list, once he was on the list he can practice anywhere in the country and he then went to practice in Cambridgeshire where he killed my father."

Last year, research by Pulse magazine for GPs found that 792 EU doctors were on the so-called "performers lists" of 51 Primary Care Trusts, allowing them to work in the UK. Of those, 657 doctors, or 83%, hadn't had their English skills tested.

Daniel Ubani caused the death of 70-year-old David Gray (pictured)

From April 1 there will be one national list which every GP will have to be on before treating patients. There will also be a legal duty to ensure those on it have good English.

Health minister Dr Dan Poulter said: "It's not something that should cause huge public alarm but it's something that we do know from the case of Doctor Daniel Ubani, and other doctors, who are sometimes flown in to do short term locums in the NHS from Europe, that it is something that has actually caused deaths in this country.

"That's completely unacceptable and that's why we're introducing language checking for all overseas doctors including those within the EU."

But Dr Gray, of Blakedown, Worcestershire, has his doubts.

He said: "I'd like to know how they're going to police it. If they say it's going to be illegal for the doctor to work here if they can't communicate in English, well, it was illegal for Cornwall PCT to put Ubani on their list, and no one has been held to account for breaking the law there."

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Britain's Premium Credit Rating Downgraded

Rating agency Moody's has stripped Britain of its top-grade AAA credit rating, citing slow growth and a rising debt burden.

After the international agency announced the one notch drop to AA1, Chancellor George Osborne said it was a "stark reminder" of the country's debt problems, but said the coalition was determined to stick by its plan for economic recovery.

The downgrade is a major blow for Mr Osborne, who has been coming under increasing pressure to take action to stimulate the economy.

Moody's said Britain's recovery was proving to be significantly slower than previous rebounds from recession and it did not expect the situation to change.

"[There's] increasing clarity that, despite considerable structural economic strengths, the UK's economic growth will remain sluggish over the next few years," it said.

Moody's is the first of the major credit rating agencies to knock the UK off of its top rating.

Moody's said it did not expect Britain's slow recovery to change

The ratings agency also cut the Bank of England's AAA rating by one notch, also to AA1.

Sky Economics Editor Ed Conway said: "The fact that Britain has lost its AAA crown for the first time since credit ratings were given to the UK back in the 1970s, it's a really big blow to Britain's reputation.

"It's something of an economic blow, but in a way it's more of a political problem for George Osborne. He made a key part of the Conservative election pledge to safeguard Britain's credit rating."

On Friday evening, the Chancellor said: "We have a stark reminder of the debt problems facing our country - and the clearest possible warning to anyone who thinks we can run away from dealing with those problems.

"We are not going to run away from our problems, we are going to overcome them."

Moody's said that the British economy is constrained both by the troubled global economy and the drag from businesses and the Government slashing its debt burdens.

"Moreover, while the Government's recent Funding for Lending Scheme has the potential to support a surge in growth, Moody's believes the risks to the growth outlook remain skewed to the downside," it said.

Mr Osborne has used maintaining the top credit rating for government bonds as one of the key arguments for the Government's austerity programme.

However, Labour has insisted that withdrawing demand from the economy has put it more at risk by stunting growth.

Labour shadow chancellor Ed Balls said: "This credit rating downgrade is a humiliating blow to a Prime Minister and Chancellor who said keeping our AAA rating was the test of their economic and political credibility.

"In the Budget the government must urgently take action to kick-start our flatlining economy and realise that we need growth to get the deficit down. If David Cameron and George Osborne fail to do so and put political pride above the national economic interest we face more long-term damage and pain for businesses and families."

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Food Bills May Rise Amid Growing Meat Tests

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

Consumers are being warned that food bills may rise if high demand for meat testing continues.

Since the start of the horsemeat scandal laboratories all over the UK have been inundated with requests to test different meat products.

The latest Food Standards Agency results last week showed 29 positive results for horse DNA out of 2,501 tested beef products.

At Worcestershire Scientific Services laboratory staff have been working early mornings, late nights and weekends to keep up with demand.

Even some of the equipment has been unable to keep up with almost continual testing.

Laboratory manager Paul Hancock told Sky News that funding is tight: "The FSA do support the laboratory to a degree but things are very very difficult.

"If the consumer wants quality food they have to be prepared to pay for a degree of policing that."

Checking a meat sample for DNA from other species takes three days and costs between £75 to £100 per sample.

The number of labs capable of carrying out proper testing though has fallen over recent years due to funding cuts. In April, Somerset County Council will close its lab.

Those that remain open operate as competitive businesses rather than sharing information, equipment and practises with each other.

Mr Hancock added: "Ten or 15 years ago the labs used to work closely together that relationship has broken down because of commercial activity and that makes life a whole lot more difficult as well."

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Oscar Pistorius: Bail Decision Expected

A judge is today expected to decide on whether to grant bail to Oscar Pistorius, the athlete accused of shooting his girlfriend dead in South Africa.

Prosecutors have argued he is a cold-blooded killer and should be kept locked up, while his own lawyers say that he is far too famous to flee prosecution.

The bail hearing, which began last Friday, was resuming at 0800 GMT.

It resumes a day after police were forced to pull their lead detective off the athlete's case after it emerged he himself faces attempted murder charges for shooting at a minibus.

Defence lawyers for Pistorius say the athlete shot dead his girlfriend by a terrible mistake, and deserves bail to prepare for his case.

They say the case has been marred by a bungled police investigation.

Oscar Pistorius claims the death was a tragic mistake

The star "blade runner", whose lower legs were amputated in infancy, is said to have killed model Reeva Steenkamp, 29, in the early hours of Valentine's Day at his home.

Prosecutors have told the court it was a premeditated murder, with Pistorius firing four shots through a locked toilet door at Ms Steenkamp on the other side.

She was hit in the head, arm and hip.

Witnesses said they heard gunshots and screams from the home in a gated community surrounded by 3-metre-high stone walls and an electric fence.

Pistorius contends he was acting in self-defence.

He says he mistook Ms Steenkamp for an intruder and felt vulnerable because he was unable to attach his prosthetic limbs in time to confront the threat.

The 26-year-old said he grabbed a 9-mm pistol from under his bed and went into the bathroom.

Pistorius described how he fired into the locked toilet door in a blind panic in the mistaken belief that the intruder was lurking inside.

Bail hearings in South Africa allow for prosecutors and defence lawyers to lay out their basic arguments, based on preliminary evidence.

The arrest of Pistorius stunned millions who watched in awe last year as the Olympic and Paralympic sprinter reached the semi-final of the 400m in the London Olympics.

The impact has been greatest in sports-mad South Africa, where Pistorius was seen as a rare hero who commanded respect from both blacks and whites, transcending the racial divides that persist 19 years after the end of apartheid.

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Pollard's BBC Review Evidence To Be Released

The BBC is braced for the release of evidence gathered by the Pollard inquiry into how the corporation handled the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal.

Thousands of emails and transcripts of interviews with senior figures ranging from Newsnight host Jeremy Paxman to former Director-General George Entwhistle will be among items released.

It is expected to reveal "dysfunctional management" contributed to the Savile scandal at the BBC.

And it is likely to place further criticism on the corporation for an apparent reluctance to hold to account executives whose actions brought about the crisis.

The Pollard Review concluded that an investigation by Newsnight into allegations of sexual abuse by the former TV presenter was abandoned because of a "flawed" decision by programme editor Peter Rippon.

Initially the BBC vowed to publish everything from the review, but there are expected to be notable omissions and some of the evidence has been redacted to avoid defamation.

Sky's Niall Paterson said: "The value of the evidence is that it will give the clearest indication of the thinking behind Mr Pollard's inquiry into why Newsnight chose to abandon an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by the former BBC DJ and presenter, despite those involved believing their report to be accurate and valid.

"There remain those who accuse the BBC of a cover up of sorts because of its failure to sack any of those involved.

"There will doubtless be plenty in the evidence to lend weight to their case."

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Oscar Pistorius Set To Find Out Bail Verdict

Pistorius: Prosecution vs Defence

Updated: 2:01pm UK, Tuesday 19 February 2013

Two very different versions of what happened in the moments before Reeva Steenkamp's death have been heard at a bail hearing for Oscar Pistorius.

The athlete has been charged with the premeditated murder of his girlfriend in the early hours of Valentine's Day. He denies murder.

Below are the key arguments from the prosecution, along with Pistorius' account of events as read from his statement in court.

:: The Prosecution

Pistorius fired his gun four times into the door of a bathroom, knowing that Ms Steenkamp was inside after an argument.

She had locked herself in the room after fleeing down a seven-metre passage from the bedroom following the row at Pistorius' luxury home in Pretoria, South Africa.

Pistorius followed her with his 9mm pistol, first putting on his prosthetic legs.

He shot his gun four times through the door, killing an "unarmed and defenceless" woman. The door was then broken open from the outside.

There was "no possible explanation" to support Pistorius' claim of mistaken identity - that he believed the person inside the bathroom was a burglar.

If that were the case, prosecutor Gerrie Nel argued, why wasn't Pistorius' first thought to the whereabouts of his girlfriend?

Mr Nel argued there was a motive for the killing.

:: The Defence

Pistorius had "no intention" of killing his "beloved" Ms Steenkamp and he is "absolutely mortified" by her death.

In the early hours he heard a noise and thought an intruder had come through a bathroom window and was hiding there. He felt vulnerable and shouted for the intruder to get out and for Ms Steenkamp to call police.

It was dark and Pistorius thought Ms Steenkamp was lying on her bed, not that she was in the bathroom. He wanted to protect her.

Pistorius hobbled to the bathroom on his stumps and fired his gun, a 9mm pistol he kept under his bed because he had received death threats.

After the shooting, he returned to his bed and saw that Ms Steenkamp was not there.

He shouted for help, broke open a door with a cricket bat and found her still alive. He carried her downstairs.

He had got up to fetch a fan from the balcony when he heard the noise in the toilet earlier, which is why he did not notice Ms Steenkamp was not on the bed.

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Pistorius Cop Faces Attempted Murder Charges

The investigating officer in the Oscar Pistorius murder case is facing multiple charges of attempted murder, according to reports.

Hilton Botha reportedly opened fire on seven passengers in a mini-bus in a drunken shooting with two other officers.

They were arrested in 2011, but charges were initially dropped and have now been reinstated.

But police plan to keep him on the Pistorius murder case despite the charges, South Africa's Eyewitness News reported.

The South African Police Service has confirmed the charges against the detective.

More follows...

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Older Women To Get IVF Treatment On The NHS

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has said women aged 40 to 42 will be allowed one cycle of IVF so long as it is their first attempt.

Previously Nice only recommended treatment up to the age of 39.

Lesbian couples will also qualify for IVF, as long as they have a diagnosed infertility problem.

And people with infectious diseases, such as HIV, or a physical disability that prevents them from having intercourse will also be eligible.

Nice chief executive Sir Andrew Dillon said recent advances in fertility treatment had prompted a review of existing NHS guidelines.

He said: "It is because of these new advances that we have been able to update our guidelines on fertility, ensuring the right support, care and treatment is available  to those who will benefit the most."

Same-sex couples have welcomed the change to NHS rules.

Lesbian author Kiki Archer and her civil partner Nicki have two children through private fertility treatment.

She told Sky News the guidelines meant all couples could have children, regardless of income.

"Whenever same-sex couples have children it is carefully thought through," she said.

"This opens another door. It's another option for those families who can't afford fertility clinics."

But there are concerns that the NHS will refuse to implement the guidelines.

It currently funds around 25,000 IVF attempts a year, each costing £3,000.

And a survey in 2011 revealed a postcode lottery, with only a quarter of NHS areas funding the full number of cycles recommended by the existing guidelines.

Dr Sue Avery of the British Fertility Society said: "There is a huge variation in the provision of treatment.

"There are some areas where couples can access three cycles as recommended by Nice. But in other areas couples may get one and some there is no funding at all."

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Oscar Pistorius: Defence Steps Up Bail Case

Lawyers acting for Oscar Pistorius will set out the case to keep the athlete out of prison as his bail hearing continues.

On the first day of the hearing, the court heard the Paralympian star claim he shot his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp because he thought she was a robber.

But the chances of him being given bail lessened after Magistrate Desmond Nair ruled the case a schedule six offence - meaning premeditated murder.

It means his lawyers now have to prove "exceptional circumstances" for him to be granted bail until he goes to trial.

The gold-medallist, known as the Blade Runner, is accused of murdering Miss Steenkamp at his home in Pretoria, South Africa, last Thursday.

His lawyer, Barry Roux, read out a statement which gave his version of the events that led to Miss Steenkamp's death.

The 26-year-old denies murder and said the couple were "deeply in love".

In the statement, Pistorius said he felt vulnerable because he was not wearing his prosthetic legs. He claimed he fired his gun into the bathroom, but then realised Miss Steenkamp was not in bed.

He said: "It filled me with horror and fear."

After realising his mistake, he said he put on his legs, walked towards the bathroom and broke down the locked door with a cricket bat.

He then ran downstairs carrying his 29-year-old girlfriend, but "she died in my arms".

Miss Steenkamp's funeral was held in Port Elizabeth

Pistorius went on: "I fail to understand how I could be charged with murder, let alone premeditated murder, as I did not plan to murder my girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp."

The couple went to sleep shortly after 10pm, Pistorius said, but in the middle of the night he woke up and thought an intruder had climbed in through his bathroom window.

He said he grabbed a 9mm pistol - which he kept under his bed after receiving death threats - and made his way in the darkness towards the bathroom door.

"As I didn't have my prosthetic legs on I was vulnerable," he said. "I fired a shot at the toilet door and shouted to Reeva to call the police."

Pistorius, who won two gold medals and a silver at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, described how he was "absolutely mortified at the death of my beloved Reeva".

The bail hearing came as Miss Steenkamp's funeral was held in her home town of Port Elizabeth.

The memorial service was attended by family and friends who had travelled from around the world.

Six pallbearers carried her coffin, draped with a white cloth and covered in white flowers.

Her brother, Adam Steenkamp, said after the service: "There's a space missing inside all the people that she knew that cannot be filled again."

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Hilary Mantel: Kate Is A 'Plastic Princess'

Pregnant Kate: Baby Bump On Show

Updated: 12:16am UK, Tuesday 19 February 2013

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

Kate's baby bump will be on show for the first time in the UK later today as she visits a project for women recovering from substance dependence.

The visit to Hope House, a project run by her patronage Action on Addiction, comes just days after photographs of the Duchess of Cambridge wearing a bikini on holiday in Mustique were published in some magazines overseas.

The engagement also follows the announcement Action on Addiction will receive support from the philanthropic organisation 100 Woman in Hedge Funds.

As Kate approaches the half-way mark of her pregnancy, she will meet women recovering from drug abuse at the 23-bed residential treatment centre.

Action on Addiction was one of four patronages chosen by the Duchess in January last year.

Kate's last public appearance was in January when she unveiled her first official portrait in London.

Her baby bump was first photographed while she and Prince William took a private holiday on the private Caribbean island of Mustique.

Italian Magazine Chi and the Australian publication Woman's Day both decided to publish the photographs of the couple, on holiday with the Middleton family.

Today's engagement in Clapham will be the Duchess' first solo engagement of 2013.

St James' Palace has also announced the details of her next public engagement on March 5th.

The Duchess will conduct three public engagements in the Lincolnshire town of Grimsby.

The royal mum-to-be will visit the town's National Fishing Heritage Centre, the Havelock Academy and Humberside Fire and Rescue Service.

The fire-and-rescue service has been working in partnership with The Prince's Trust since 2011 and it will be the first time Kate has visited project run by her father-in-law's trust.

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Pistorius: 'Murder Would Be Out Of Character'

Oscar Pistorius is preparing to return to court to learn whether he will be granted bail following the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

The Paralympian is charged with the premeditated murder of the 29-year-old model in the early hours of last Thursday.

Police said she was shot four times with a pistol owned by Pistorius at his home in South Africa, where she died from her injuries.

The bail hearing comes after Pistorius' former headteacher said he was "shocked" by allegations the 26-year-old had deliberately killed Miss Steenkamp, a law graduate who he had been dating for three months.

"From my knowledge of Oscar, it would have been completely out of character, and that's why I find it so hard to accept or to understand," Bill Schroder told Sky News.

"The scary thing for all of us is that they seem to want to charge him with premeditated murder.

Oscar Pistorius broke down in tears during his last court appearance

"That's horrendous; it's the ultimate crime and carries the ultimate penalty, and I truly don't want to believe that he's capable of that."

Pistorius, who won two gold medals at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, has been held in a police cell in Pretoria since he was arrested and charged with Miss Steenkamp's murder.

His family has vowed to fight the charge in the "strongest terms" and insisted that evidence will refute "any possibility of a premeditated murder or indeed any murder at all".

Reeva Steenkamp and Oscar Pistorius had been dating since November

Miss Steenkamp's family and friends are expected to attend an hour-long memorial service later before a private cremation in her home town of Port Elizabeth.

Her mother, June Steenkamp, told the Times of South Africa: "She had so much of herself to give and now all that is gone - just like that, she is gone.

"In the blink of an eye and a single breath, the most beautiful person who ever lived is no longer here.

"All we have is this horrendous death to deal with ... to get to grips with.

"All we want are answers ... answers as to why this had to happen, why our beautiful daughter had to die like this."

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British Worker Feared Kidnapped In Nigeria

Gunmen in northern Nigeria have kidnapped a group of foreign workers including one Briton, according to local authorities there.

The group attacked a construction company camp, killing a guard and then abducting seven foreigners, police said.

"From the report we have received, the hostages are seven in all. They include four Lebanese, an Italian, a Briton and a Greek," Bauchi state police spokesman Hassan Auyo said.

This would make it the biggest kidnapping yet in a region that is under attack from Islamic extremists.

Greece, Lebanon and Italy have all said their citizens are involved. However, Britain's Foreign Office has not confirmed if a Briton is among them.

The kidnapping on Saturday night happened in Jama'are, a town in a rural portion of Bauchi state.

The gunmen attacked a local prison first, burning two police trucks, another Bauchi state police spokesman, Hassan Muhammed told the Associated Press.

Then they targeted a workers' camp for a construction company called Setraco, which is in the area building a road, Mr Muhammed said.

The gunmen shot dead a guard at the camp before kidnapping the foreign workers, he added.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office in Britain said: "We are aware of the reports and are making inquiries with local authorities."

Nigeria's predominantly Muslim north has been under attack by the radical Islamic sect known as Boko Haram in the last year and a half.

The country's weak central government has been unable to stop the group's bloody guerrilla campaign of shootings and bombings.

The sect is blamed for killing at least 729 people in 2012 alone, according to an AP count.

Foreigners have been frequently abducted by militant groups and criminal gangs for ransom in Nigeria's oil-rich southern delta and have become increasingly targeted in Nigeria's north as the violence has grown.

Sky News Special Correspondent Alex Crawford said: "Nigeria, particularly the north of Nigeria, has got a big problem. It's the scourge of the country and has been for many years now.

"Local Islamist groups called Boko Haram have been largely responsible for carrying out the kidnappings.

"This is one of the militant groups who have operating inside Mali. They are one of five extremist groups who are believed to have been running operations inside Mali and around the Sahel."

Gunmen who authorities say have links to Boko Haram also kidnapped an Italian and a British man last year in northern Kebbi State.

They were later killed during a rescue operation by Nigerian soldiers backed up by British special forces. The sect later denied taking part in that abduction.

Chinese construction workers have also been killed by gunmen around Maiduguri, the northeastern city in Nigeria where Boko Haram first began.

Setraco Nigeria, a construction and civil engineering company, is a subsidiary of Setraco International Holding group.

The Nigerian company, which was established in 1977, is currently working on expanding a major road in the north of the country.

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Horsemeat: Minister To Meet Supermarket Bosses

The Environment Secretary will meet with supermarkets and food retail bodies to press for details on how they will restore the confidence of shoppers.

Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons are among those confirmed to be attending the meeting with Owen Paterson in Westminster.

They will be joined by the Institute of Grocery Distribution and the Food and Drink Federation.

It comes as a leading charity claims the government was made aware that illegal horsemeat was in the food chain more than a year ago.

World Horse Welfare says it had a sit-down meeting with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2011, to flag up the problem of horse passports being fakes to allow the animals to be slaughtered.

Roly Owers, the charity's chief executive, told Sky News that problems had been reported ever since the passport system was set up in 2005.

"We know that in November 2011 we attended a meeting where the issue of the passport system … was discussed with Defra and local authorities," he said.

John Young, a former manager at the Meat Hygiene Service, now part of the Food Standards Agency (FSA), told the Sunday Times he helped draft a letter to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in April that year.

But he told the paper the letter to former minister Sir Jim Paice on behalf of Britain's largest horse meat exporter, High Peak Meat Exports, which warned that flesh with possible drug residue getting into food could blow up into a scandal, was ignored.

The FSA revealed on Friday that 2,501 tests were conducted on beef products, with 29 results positive for undeclared horse meat at or above 1%.

The 29 results related to seven different products, which have already been reported and withdrawn from sale - Aldi's special frozen beef lasagne and special frozen spaghetti bolognese, Co-op frozen quarter pounder burgers, Findus beef lasagne, Rangeland's catering burger products, and Tesco value frozen burgers and value spaghetti bolognese.

Pub and hotel group Whitbread became the latest company to admit horse DNA had been found in its food, saying their meat lasagnes and beefburgers had been affected and removed from menus.

Horse meat was also discovered in school dinners, with cottage pies testing positive for horse DNA sent to 47 Lancashire schools before being withdrawn.

The results of tests on further products are not expected to be available until later in the week.

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Home Secretary Pledges New Deportation Law

Home Secretary Theresa May is planning a new law to stop foreign criminals avoiding deportation, according to reports.

She told the Sunday Telegraph that the actions of some immigration judges were "not acceptable" and that they were "subverting" British democracy.

A new immigration bill will be published later this year, the newspaper claims, to give full legal weight to ministers' demands that foreign criminals should not routinely be able to dodge deportation by citing Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

Article 8 permits the right to a family life which can be a barrier to removal, but ministers and MPs say it should be balanced with the need to protect the public.

The new law is expected to state that Article 8 allows deportations to prevent "disorder or crime", meaning judges will be forced to take that into account when considering appeals by criminals.

The Sunday Telegraph also reported that new restrictions could also be included in the new law on migrants coming to Britain from countries including Romania and Bulgaria.

Last summer the Home Secretary changed immigration rules to make clear that foreign criminals should be deported if they were serious or persistent offenders.

But while the rules were backed by the House of Commons, they do not carry the full weight of law and are often ignored by judges on the Immigration Tribunal.

Ms May told the Sunday Telegraph: "The European Convention on Human Rights is clear - there is a right to a family life, but that right should be balanced with the wider public interest in controlling immigration and protecting the public.

"That's why we introduced new immigration rules last year.

"Those rules were debated in full and passed unanimously by the House of Commons. So it is not acceptable that some immigration judges are denying the democratic and legal validity of them.

"I said at the time that if the courts did not heed the changes to the rules, I would introduce primary legislation to force them to do so. That is exactly what I now intend to do.

"I am determined that Article 8 must not stop us deporting dangerous foreign criminals."

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Ms May said: "The law in this country is made by the elected representatives of the people in Parliament. And our democracy is subverted when judges decide to take on that role for themselves."

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Teenager Shot Dead In East London

A teenager has died and a man is fighting for his life after being shot in east London.

The pair were shot in Hindrey Road, Clapton, east London, at 8.20pm on Saturday, Scotland Yard said.

Paramedics took them to hospital where the younger victim, 19, died. A 32-year-old man is understood to be in a stable condition.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the teenager died at about 11.10pm.

Police said there was no clear motive for the shootings yet and no-one has been arrested.

"At this very early stage we must retain an open mind regarding the circumstances of the incident and any motive," the spokesman said.

"Detectives from Trident are leading the inquiry and an incident room will open in the morning."

A post-mortem examination is to be arranged later.

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Oscar Pistorius Breaks Down In Tears In Court

Olympic star Oscar Pistorius has broken down in tears as he appeared in court charged with murdering his girlfriend.

He stood before magistrate Desmond Nair with his head bowed as the charge was read out.

Prosecutors say they intend to prove Pistorius is guilty of premeditated murder of the top South African model Reeva Steenkamp.

Local news correspondent Barry Bateman described him as "sobbing uncontrollably" as he sat in the dock.

Pistorius' father Henke leaned forward and placed his hand on his son's back during the 40-minute hearing.

Oscar Pistorius is charged with murdering Reeva Steenkamp

Prosecutors had asked to deal with the bail hearing as a section six offence, meaning the accused has to provide exceptional circumstances to be released on bail. The defence opposes this.

The case was postponed until Tuesday, and Pistorius will remain in custody until then.

A statement on behalf of his family and management said he denies the charge in the strongest terms.

The body of 29-year-old Miss Steenkamp was discovered at the athlete's property in the Silver Woods gated community in eastern Pretoria on Thursday morning.

She had been shot four times. A 9mm pistol was found at the scene.

A police officer holds a gun taken from Pistorius' home

Local media have reported that she was shot through a bathroom door.

Pistorius, 26, spent Thursday night in custody and was subject to blood-alcohol, DNA and other tests, as forensics experts continued to work at the crime scene at his home in an upmarket gated estate.

His lawyer Kenny Oldwage said his client was "very well, obviously emotional, but fine".

Police were called to Pistorius' home at around 4am on Thursday by neighbours who heard gunshots. He is the only suspect in the case.

Pistorius made history at the London Olympics last year when he became the first double-amputee track athlete to compete at any games.

He did not win a medal but did make the semi-finals of the 400 metres and the final of the 4x400 relay, propelling the world's best-known Paralympian to the level of an international track star.

Meanwhile a celebrity reality show featuring Miss Steenkamp will still be broadcast on South African television despite her death, the producers have said.

The pre-recorded show filmed in an exotic location in Jamaica features the blonde model and several local personalities competing for prize money.

Producers of Tropika Island of Treasure said they had decided not to shelve the show, which will premiere on Saturday, two days after she was shot dead.

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Meteorite Shower Hits Russia Injuring 1,100

Some 1,100 people have been injured after a metor blazed across the western Siberian sky with a blinding flash and booming shockwave.

The Russian Academy of Sciences said it entered the Earth's atmosphere at 33,000mph (54,000kph) - 15 times the speed of a rifle bullet - and shattered into pieces around 18-32 miles (30-50km) high in the sky.

It reportedly exploded with the force of 20 atomic bombs.

The meteor lit up the sky

Nasa estimated its speed was even faster at 40,000mph, said it exploded at about 12-15 miles high and left a trail 300 miles long.

The meteor weighed an estimated 7,000 tons and was about the size of a bus, Nasa said.

Fragments of at least one meteorite were seen falling from the sky in the Chelyabinsk region at around 9am local time on Friday, around 930 miles (1,500km) east of Moscow.

The meteorite was travelling at up to 40,000mph

The fall of such a large meteor estimated as weighing dozens of tonnes and the size of a double-decker bus, was extremely rare, while the number of casualties as a consequence of its burning up around a heavily-inhabited area was unprecedented.

"There was panic. People had no idea what was happening," said Sergey Hametov, of Chelyabinsk.

Many were hurt by flying glass as windows were blown in. Witnesses described feeling a pressure wave and hearing explosions overhead as the object hurtled to Earth.

More than 1,000 people have been injured

Lessons had just started at Chelyabinsk schools when the meteor exploded, and officials said 258 children were among those injured. Amateur video showed a teacher speaking to her class as a powerful shock wave hit the room.

Schools were closed for the day and theatre shows cancelled across the region after the shock wave blew out windows amid temperatures as low as minus 18 degrees Celsius (zero degrees Fahrenheit).

There was no immediate word on deaths or anyone struck by rock fragments.

Meteors typically cause sonic booms when they enter the atmosphere because they are travelling much faster than the speed of sound.

Viktor was injured by a shock wave

The defence ministry said it had identified a six-metre crater at a lake in the region and has sent soldiers to the site of the apparent impact of one fragment.

Thousands of rescue workers were dispatched to help the injured and locate those needing help.

Many drivers in Russia have video recorders fitted in their cars in case of accidents or disputes with traffic police. Footage from these uploaded to YouTube show the fireball crashing to the ground.

The meteor explosion appears to be one of the most stunning cosmic events above Russia since the 1908 Tunguska Event, when a massive blast most scientists blame on an asteroid or a comet impact ripped through Siberia.

"I am scratching my head to think of anything in recorded history when that number of people have been indirectly injured by an object like this... it's very, very rare to have human casualties," Robert Massey, deputy executive secretary of Britain's Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), said.

The crash site of a piece of meteor (Pic: Chelyabinsk MVD)

There were reports of traffic in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk grinding to a halt and people seeking shelter in buildings as the fireballs lit up the sky.                

Schools were closed for the day across the region and mobile phone networks were temporarily cut.

The meteor hit hours before the asteroid 2012 DA14 made the closest recorded pass of an asteroid to the Earth, although scientists said the two events were not linked.

The meteor hit Chelyabinsk

Resident Anna Pinkus told Sky News she saw a bright light outside her window and then heard three explosions.

"It was a very loud sound," she said. "After that our windows began to shatter and shiver so it was very terrifying. First we thought it was a plane crash."

Planetary scientist Professor Ian Crawford of Birkbeck University said this was an unusual case as meteorite hits rarely cause any damage.

"Several times a year meteorites are observed to fall on the earth's surface but damage to people or property is very unusual," he said. "There are only several recorded cases of buildings being hit by meteorites."

Describing the course of the meteorite he said: "I think it's very likely that it would have been a larger lump of rock that broke up in the Earth's atmosphere - this is usually what happens.

"The rock comes in from space and hits the Earth's atmosphere. That decelerates it and puts a lot of stress on it. Then it's likely to fragment into lots of pieces."

The office of the local governor said that a meteorite had fallen into a lake outside the town of Chebarkul in the Chelyabinsk region and television images pointed to a six-metre (20-foot) hole in the frozen lake's ice.

However it has yet to be finally confirmed if meteorite fragments made contact with the Earth and there were no reports that any locals had been hurt directly by a falling piece of meteorite.

Chelyabinsk is Russia's industrial heartland, home to many factories and other huge facilities that include a nuclear power plant and the Mayak atomic waste storage and treatment centre.

A spokesman for Rosatom, the Russian nuclear energy state corporation, said that its operations remained unaffected.

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Oscar Pistorius Charged Over Girlfriend Murder

Paralympic and Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting dead his girlfriend at his home in South Africa.

The body of Reeva Steenkamp, a top South African model, was discovered at the athlete's property in the Silver Woods gated community in eastern Pretoria.

Pistorius reached the 400m semi-finals at the London 2012 Olympics

She had been shot four times. A 9mm pistol was found at the scene.

Initial reports in South African media suggested Miss Steenkamp was apparently shot as she woke him, trying to surprise him on Valentine's Day, and was mistaken for an intruder.

But police later said the shooting was being treated as a murder and that they were "very surprised" by those reports, which they said did not come from them.

Brigadier Denise Beukes confirmed the couple were alone in the house at the time of the shooting and there was no sign of forced entry.

"I can't confirm that it's related to the person that's arrested but I can confirm there has previously been incidents at the home of Mr Oscar Pistorius," she said, saying that there were "allegations of a domestic nature".

Miss Steenkamp was due to speak at a Johannesburg school on Thursday

"There are witnesses and they have been interviewed this morning," she said. "We are talking about neighbours and people that heard things earlier in the evening and when the shooting took place."

Pistorius was arrested on Thursday morning and taken to hospital for a medical examination.

He emerged from a police station after questioning, flanked by plain-clothed officers and wearing a hooded jacket covering most of his face.

The athlete requested an immediate appearance at Pretoria Magistrate's Court, but prosecutors said this had been delayed until Friday morning to give forensic officers more time.

Police said they would be opposing bail when he appears in court.

The shooting took place at Pistorius' home at Silver Woods country estate

The 26-year-old is alleged to have shot his 30-year-old model girlfriend in the head and upper body. She died at the scene.

Paramedics were called to his home between 4am and 5am local time on Thursday. 

The couple are believed to have started dating in November.

Her uncle, Mike Steenkamp, told reporters her family was "devastated" that her life had been cut short.

Miss Steenkamp's publicist, Sarit Tomlinson, described her as "the sweetest human being" and "a talented and bright young girl", adding that the couple had a "healthy, fabulous relationship".

Miss Steenkamp has been described as a 'talented and bright young girl'

Miss Steenkamp, a law graduate from Port Elizabeth who had posed in men's magazine FHM, was active on Twitter the day before.

She tweeted: "What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow??? #getexcited #ValentinesDay"

In response to someone else's plans, she said: "That sounds amazing! Wow that's what it's all about! It should be a day of love for everyone :) may it be blessed!"

She was due to give a talk at a school in Johannesburg just hours after her body was found, and to star in South African reality TV series Tropika Island of Treasure at the weekend, in which celebrities and ordinary people are tasked with daily challenges in remote, exotic locations.

Pistorius lives a short distance from the centre of Pretoria

Photos of the model appeared in newspapers at the weekend, when she described Pistorius as an impeccable man who always had her best interests at heart.

The Johannesburg-born athlete, known as the Blade Runner because of the carbon fibre blades he uses on the track, made history in 2012 when he became the first amputee to compete in the Olympics.

In the Paralympics, he won gold in the 400m and another in the 4x400m relay.

Both of his legs were amputated below the knee just before his first birthday because of a congenital condition.

Last year Time Magazine named him as one of the world's 100 most influential people.

A billboard advert featuring Pistorius is removed in South Africa

Pistorius, like many fellow South Africans, appeared to have serious concerns about his safety, and reportedly kept a revolver at his bedside and a machine gun by his window, as well as a cricket bat and baseball bat behind his bedroom door.

South Africa has some of the world's highest rates of violent crime with an average of nearly 50 people murdered each day. According to statistics, nearly 13 in every 100 people in the country own a gun.

Silver Woods is a high security complex with a three-metre-high wall, electric fence, a guarded entrance and regular patrols.

South Africa's M-Net cable TV channel said it was pulling an advertising campaign featuring Pistorius with immediate effect.

A Nike ad banner across the top of Pistorius' official website "I am the bullet in the chamber" has also been removed.

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Coronation Street Actor: Child Sex Charges

One of Coronation Street's longest-serving actors, Michael Le Vell, has been charged with a string of child sex offences.

Le Vell, who plays garage owner Kevin Webster in the ITV soap opera, is accused of 19 child sex offences, including child rape, and sexual activity with a child, Greater Manchester Police said.

Le Vell, 48, a father-of-two whose real name is Michael Turner, will appear in court charged with the offences on February 27.

The actor was initially arrested in connection with the offences in September 2011.

The investigation was dropped three months later when authorities said there would be no further action taken against him as there was not enough evidence against him.

However, following a review of the case by lawyers at the Crown Prosecution Service the decision has been taken that it is in the "public interest" to charge the actor.

Speaking after the investigation against him was dropped in 2011, Le Vell said he was "delighted" to have been "completely exonerated", thanked police for their "thorough" investigation and Coronation Street staff and the public for their support.

Le Vell vowed to put the allegations behind him and returned to the show after a short break and is now currently involved in some of the soap's main storylines.

Michael Le Vell was first questioned over the child sex allegations in 2011

Alison Levitt, QC, principal legal adviser to the Director of Public Prosecutions, reviewed a file of evidence in relation to allegations of sexual offences and looked again at a decision previously made not to prosecute.

Ms Levitt said: "I have very carefully reviewed the evidence in this case and I have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to charge Michael Robert Turner with a number of sexual offences.

"I have authorised Greater Manchester Police to charge Mr Turner with 19 offences, including rape of a child."

Le Vell, who split from his wife Janette Beverley last year,  is one of television's most famous faces after playing car mechanic Kevin Webster for the past 30 years in the TV show.

Originally from Manchester, he began his acting career in the Oldham Theatre Workshop after taking an interest in amateur dramatics while at school.

He first joined the soap in 1983 and quickly endeared himself to fans who have followed the trials and tribulations of Kevin, from Brian Tilsley's apprentice mechanic through to his stormy marriage to Sally, played by Sally Dynevor, and fathering two teenage girls as well as a love child from his affair with Molly Dobbs.

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Meat Scandal: Call For EU Tests On Beef

One in five people have changed the way they shop as a result of the widening meat scandal, according to a poll carried out by YouGov for Sky News.

Of those who are buying differently, 58% said they had completely abandoned processed meats.

A third of the nearly 2,000 people surveyed said they had stopped buying cheap ranges and now favour more expensive processed meat.

As for who they blamed most, nearly half - 49% - said meat processors were most at fault, while one in five said food manufacturers carried responsibility.

But supermarkets seem to be largely off the hook, with only 10% of people saying they are to blame and even fewer pointing the finger at the Food Standards Agency (FSA) or the Government.

One shopper told Sky's Tom Parmenter she now refuses to buy processed ready meals for her two children.

Sharon Cummins, from Slough, said: "It is affecting everybody because it is all just lies.

"The thought of eating something like a horse - it is there, that picture is in your head: What am I eating?

"You just don't know, it could be school dinners next."

Police and FSA officials raided the Farmbox Meats site in northwest Wales

EU nations have now been urged to begin widespread DNA testing to check processed beef products for contamination with horsemeat.

There should also be tests for the presence of the veterinary painkiller known as "bute", which causes cancer in humans and is banned from the food chain, European health commissioner Tonio Borg said.

The problem was being treated as a fraud issue rather than one of food safety, he said.

Earlier British Environment Secretary Owen Paterson, who attended a summit in Brussels on the scandal, warned those guilty of passing off horsemeat than more expensive beef would face the "full force of the law".

Two British firms have been shut down following raids by the FSA and police. They swooped on Peter Boddy slaughterhouse in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, and meat processing plant Farmbox Meats in Llandre near Aberystwyth, West Wales as part of an audit.

The companies had records seized and have been temporarily closed. The firms' owners deny any wrongdoing.

At Farmbox, Sky News saw large crates of meat - some covered by tarpaulin and others open - left in outdoor areas during Tuesday night, before they were removed.

Until now, meat linked to the scandal had been thought to have come from suppliers in continental Europe, but for the first time it appears the contamination may also come from British premises.

David Cameron described the situation as "appalling" and "completely unacceptable".

Meanwhile, Waitrose announced it has withdrawn its beef Essential British Frozen Meatballs after pork was found in two batches. The supermarket said they were made at the ABP Foods-owned Freshlink factory in Glasgow last summer.

Tesco has become the latest retailer to drop a major supplier after discovering a range of spaghetti bolognese ready meals contained more than 60% horsemeat.

Morrisons chief executive Dalton Philips has told Sky's Jeff Randall the chain could not be 100% sure about the content of all of its beef products, but he said its checks are rigorous and it has "extremely high" confidence.

While supermarkets rush to reassure shoppers, independent butchers have been reporting a significant surge in business.

The Butchers Q Guild has reported a 30% spike in sales of products such as burgers and sausages.

The meat scandal erupted last month after tests in Ireland showed products labelled as beef contained up to 100% horsemeat.

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Israel Admits 'Prisoner X' Secret Jailing

Israel has admitted for the first time that it secretly jailed a foreigner who later killed himself while in a high-security prison.

The confirmation came as Australia said it had known that one of its citizens - who came to be known as "Prisoner X" - was being held while he was still alive.

Prisoner X has widely been reported to be Ben Zygier, 34, a national of both Israel and Australia who worked for Israel's intelligence agency Mossad and was arrested in Israel in 2010 on serious but unspecified charges.

Israel's justice ministry broke its silence after an Australian Broadcasting Corporation report on the case sparked an outcry over media gagging orders.

"For security reasons the man was held under a false identity although his family was immediately informed of his arrest," a statement said.

The man was found dead in his cell in 2010 and a judicial inquiry ruled he took his own life, the ministry added in a statement, although it did not reveal his identity or the charges against him.

"Following an extensive investigation it was ruled six weeks ago that it was suicide," said the ministry. "The prisoner was held in jail under a warrant issued by a court."

But other details of the case remained under a gag order, leaving local media obliged to quote foreign reports.

Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr initially said he only became aware of the man's incarceration after his death, but he has now admitted the government knew of his detention at the time.

He told a parliamentary committee the information was gathered through intelligence channels.

"They provided the name of the citizen, in relation to serious offences under Israeli national security legislation," he said, adding that Canberra sought assurances that he was not being mistreated.

He said at no stage did the government receive any request for consular support, adding that he would determine Canberra's next step after receiving a full report from his department into the case.

"With the benefit of that full report, I'll determine what representations to the government of Israel are most useful," he said.

The story first emerged in June 2010 when Israel's Ynet news website briefly ran a report about a prisoner being held in top secret conditions whose identity and alleged crime were not even known to his jailers.

The story was quickly taken offline and a complete media blackout imposed, but it resurfaced on Tuesday through Australia's public broadcaster.

Israeli media did report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had Tuesday called an urgent meeting with top editors to ask them to withhold "publication of information pertaining to an incident that is very embarrassing to a certain government agency," Haaretz newspaper said, in a clear allusion to Mossad.

Shortly afterwards, three MPs raised questions over the issue in parliament, effectively sidestepping the censor in a move that forced a slight easing of the reporting restrictions.

While Israel has not revealed the charges, The Australian newspaper suggested he was detained for treason.

It cited Israeli Army Radio as saying: "Why was he interned? The suspicion is because of treason against Israel."

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Zygier was being investigated by Australia's overseas espionage agency ASIS, which suspected him of using his Australian passport to spy for Israel.

The Herald said he was one of at least three dual Australian-Israeli citizens who emigrated to Israel in the past decade whose cases were probed.

It said that in each case the men used the passports to travel to Iran, Syria and Lebanon -- countries that do not allow Israelis to enter.

When the newspaper confronted Zygier in early 2010, he angrily denied he worked for Mossad.

"I have never been to any of those countries that you say I have been to," he said at the time.

"I am not involved in any kind of spying."

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LA Manhunt: Dorner Shootout Ends In Cabin Fire

A gun battle between murder suspect Christopher Dorner and police has ended after fire ripped through the remote cabin where the murder suspect was thought to be hiding.

TV footage showed flames rising from the property in California's Big Bear Lake area which also had thick black smoke billowing from it.

However, police stressed that no body had been found and that the wreckage was still to hot to be searched.

A law enforcement official said a gun shot was heard before the fire broke out and that the suspect did not come out of the cabin as it was engulfed in flames.

Police had urged the fugitive to turn himself in as authorities surrounded the cabin where he was reportedly holed up with an arsenal of weapons.

Earlier Dorner exchanged gunfire with federal authorities and San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon told a news conference that a sheriff's deputy had died of wounds he suffered during the shootout. Another deputy was also injured in the exchange.

Authorities have focused their hunt for Dorner in the mountainous area since they said he launched a campaign to exact revenge against the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) for his firing.

Earlier LAPD Commander Andrew Smith urged Dorner to surrender, telling him: "Enough is enough."

It is believed the 33-year-old - who is suspected of three murders - may have held a couple hostage in a holiday home before police tracked him down.

Cmdr Smith said: "It's time for you to turn yourself in. It's time to end the bloodshed."

Another police officer told the Associated Press that Dorner robbed the cabin and tied up the holidaymakers, but one was able to get away and make a phone call.

Dorner reportedly fled in a stolen white Dodge pickup truck and a California Fish and Game ranger fired on the vehicle.

He then abandoned the truck and ran into the forest.

The noise of the gun battle was broadcast by KCAL-TV, whose reporter suddenly found himself near the shooting. Someone could be heard yelling at the reporter to get out of the area.

The manhunt has centred on the San Bernardino mountains since Dorner's pickup truck was found in the area last Thursday.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Miller said a stolen vehicle report from a residence was received at 12.20pm on Tuesday and the owners of the car described the suspect as looking similar to Dorner.

Police had been following up hundreds of new leads prompted by a $1m reward for information.

Dorner went on the run on February 6 after the murder of a former police captain's daughter and her fiance were linked by police to an angry Facebook rant he posted.

Threats against the LAPD led officials to assign officers to protect officers and their families.

Within hours of the release of photos of Dorner, described as armed and "extremely dangerous," the suspect then ambushed police in Riverside County, shooting three and killing one police officer.

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State Of The Union: 'Brave Troops Coming Home'

Barack Obama opens his State of the Union address by saying that after a decade of war America's troops are coming home.

The President vowed that the war in Afghanistan would end by late 2014 and that another 34,000 American troops would be returning over the next year.

"This drawdown will continue. And by the end of next year, our war in Afghanistan will be over," Mr Obama said in his annual address.

He said that al Qaeda was a "shadow of its former self" and no longer posed the kind of threat that needed tens of thousands of US troops to fight abroad.

However, he said that al Qaeda affiliates had appeared elsewhere in the world including Yemen and Somalia and said that in future the US would help those countries to provide their own security to fight terrorism.

Mr Obama also said he would take "firm action" against the "provocations" of North Korea, after the state carried out its third nuclear test.

Mr Obama prepares for his State of the Union address

He said: "The regime in North Korea must know that they will only achieve security and prosperity by meeting their international obligations.

"Provocations of the sort we saw last night will only isolate them further, as we stand by our allies, strengthen our own missile defence and lead the world in taking firm action in response to these threats."

Mr Obama promised to spark economic growth and create jobs.

He told Congress: "A growing economy that creates good, middle-class jobs -- that must be the North Star that guides our efforts.

"It is our generation's task, then, to reignite the true engine of America's economic growth -- a rising, thriving middle class."

The President greets workers dealing with the aftermath of superstorm Sandy

He warned against dramatic budget cuts saying that they would cost jobs and threaten the military.

He said: "That's why Democrats, Republicans, business leaders, and economists have already said that these cuts, known here in Washington as 'the sequester', are a really bad idea."

The President said that the United States and Europe would launch talks on what would be the world's largest free trade zone.

He said: "Tonight, I am announcing that we will launch talks on a comprehensive Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union -- because trade that is free and fair across the Atlantic supports millions of good-paying American jobs."

The move answered mounting calls from Europe to pursue a grand trade pact to spur growth on both sides of the Atlantic.

Michelle Obama arrives to hear her husband give his address

Mr Obama also warned Congress that if they didn't act on climate change, that he would.

He tackled climate sceptics in the rival Republican Party by noting that 12 of the world's hottest years on record took place in the past 15 years.

Mr Obama told them: "We can choose to believe that superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence.

"Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgement of science -- and act before it's too late."

Mr Obama also reinforced his commitment to tightening the country's gun laws saying that police chiefs wanted Congress to ban "weapons of war" and magazines carrying large amounts of ammunition so officers would not be outgunned.

"I know this is not the first time this country has debated how to reduce gun violence. But this time is different," Mr Obama said. "Each of these proposals deserves a vote in Congress."

Hadiya Pendleton: teenager shot dead after performing at the inauguration

The president made his plea to a chamber watched by gun violence victims and relatives, including the parents of Chicago shooting victim Hadiya Pendleton, who performed at Obama's inaugural parade just days before she was gunned down.

"Just three weeks ago, she was here, in Washington, with her classmates, performing for her country at my inauguration," Mr Obama said in paying tribute to the 15-year-old. "And a week later, she was shot and killed in a Chicago park after school, just a mile away from my house."

Mr Obama also refered to the shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in December that claimed the lives of 20 young schoolchildren and six adults.

Also in the crowd was Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head at a mass shooting two years ago in her Arizona district.

More follows...

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North Korea 'Quake' Is Suspected Nuclear Test

North Korea may have carried out a threatened nuclear test as monitoring agencies report an "unusual seismic event".

An earthquake measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale was detected just north of a site where Pyongyang conducted nuclear tests in 2009.

The South Korean Defence Ministry, which raised its military alert level after the quake, said the suspected test had an explosive yield of between six and seven kilotonnes.

Spokesman Kim Min Seok said it had "enormous destructive power".

A UN nuclear test monitoring organisation detected what it called an "unusual seismic event" in North Korea.

Tibor Toth, executive secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), said the event's location was "roughly congruent with" nuclear tests carried out by North Korea in 2006 and 2009.

"If confirmed as a nuclear test, this act would constitute a clear threat to international peace and security, and challenge efforts made to strengthen global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, in particular by ending nuclear testing," he added.

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Pope Resigns: Frontrunners Emerge For Role

The Pope: What Happens Next?

Updated: 3:13pm UK, Monday 11 February 2013

Whenever a pope dies or abdicates, their successor is drawn from the cardinals - the senior Roman Catholic bishops who normally assist the Pope in the Vatican or head up the various dioceses around the world.

He is chosen by a group of cardinals called the Cardinal Electors, who are all the cardinals under the age of 80.

Normally, between 15 and 20 days after the death of a pope, the Cardinal Electors must meet and start to decide who takes over.

The election process always takes place in secret in the Sistine Chapel, in the Vatican, in a meeting called a conclave.

In 1970 Pope Paul VI determined that the college of cardinals was to be limited to 120. He also ordered measures to prevent bugging of the proceedings.

In the period between when a pope dies or resigns and a new pope is chosen, the temporary head of the Roman Catholic Church is the Cardinal Camerlengo, the chief administrator of the church's property and wealth.

The cardinals must take an oath of secrecy when they enter the conclave. The penalty for breaking the oath is automatic excommunication.

In order to prevent a deadlock, which happened in the 13th century, the cardinals are traditionally locked up and given only bread and water as a means of inducing them to draw the proceedings to a close. They are only given a doctor and a cook to assist them.

Ballot papers are distributed and each of the Cardinal Electors writes the name of the cardinal he would like to become the Pope, and in the process pledges he is voting for "the one under God" he thinks "ought to be elected".

The ballot papers are then folded and placed on a plate, on top of a chalice, that has been placed on an altar.

The plate is used to prevent a cardinal attempting to put two or more ballot papers in without those supervising being able to see.

When a vote has been checked to make sure it is correct, it is allowed to fall into the chalice.

Before they are unfolded, the ballot papers are counted to make sure they add up to the number of Cardinal Electors. If the number is different, all the ballot papers are burnt and the process is repeated.

If the number of ballot papers is correct, each vote is read aloud and is pierced with a needle and  threaded on to a string.

Four ballots are held each day, two in the morning and two in the evening. The process is repeated until one cardinal emerges with a majority of two thirds.

Every time a vote takes place, the ballots are burned and smoke appears out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, telling the world a vote has been held.

If the vote has been unsuccessful, a black dye is put in with the ballot papers so black smoke emerges, informing the world a decision has not been made.

When a new pope is finally successfully elected, the ballot papers are burned without the dye so white smoke emerges, confirming the decision.

When Pope Benedict XVI was chosen, church bells were also rung to signal a new pope had been elected.

Before 1978, within a couple of days of the Pope's election, a Papal Coronation would have been held with a huge procession leading from the Vatican. The coronations have not taken place since Pope John Paul II was elected.

The vast majority of popes have been Italian and until the election of Pope John Paul II, who had previously been Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, the last non-Italian pope had been Pope Adrian VI from the Netherlands who was elected in 1522.

There have been previous resignations of popes but the last one was in 1415 when Pope Gregory XII resigned in order to end a schism in the Roman Catholic Church.

Before resigning, he formally convened an official church council and authorised it to elect his successor.

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$1m Reward Offered To Catch US 'Cop Killer'

Police in America have offered a $1m (£632,000) reward for information leading to the capture of ex-LAPD cop Christopher Dorner.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced the reward as Dorner - suspected of three murders - remained at large for a fourth day.

"We will not tolerate anyone undermining the security, the tranquility of our neighbourhoods and our communities," Mr Villaraigosa said at a news conference announcing the reward.

"We will not tolerate this reign of terror that has robbed us of the peace of mind that residents of southern California deserve. We will not tolerate this murderer remaining at large."

The mayor said local leaders, businesses, unions, law enforcement and community groups had pooled resources to raise the reward money.

Police have been hunting the snow-blanketed California mountains for Dorner, 33, a disgruntled former officer.

He threatened to murder police in a chilling online manifesto.

More than 100 police have searched for Dorner after his car was found in a nearby area, reportedly with weapons and a broken axle.

The search has focused on cabins above the ski resort of Big Bear, two hours east of Los Angeles, where Dorner's burnt-out pickup truck was found in nearby woods.

Dorner, a naval reservist, is suspected of killing a couple on February 3 and then ambushing two policemen early on Thursday, killing one. He is also suspected of injuring another officer in a separate incident.

In his internet manifesto threatening police and their families, Dorner pledged to "bring unconventional and asymmetrical warfare to those in LAPD uniform whether on or off duty".

The LAPD, backed by agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is protecting over 40 possible targets, some of them identified in Dorner's rambling manifesto.

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