Merkel's Phone 'Bugged For Decade By US'

The United States may have bugged Angela Merkel's phone for more than 10 years, it has been claimed.

Der Spiegel magazine said the German chancellor's mobile telephone had been listed by the NSA's Special Collection Service (SCS) since 2002 and was still on the list weeks before Barack Obama visited Berlin in June.

Germany's outrage over reports of bugging of Ms Merkel's phone by the NSA prompted it to summon the US ambassador for the first time in living memory.

In an SCS document cited by Der Spiegel, the agency said it had a "not legally registered spying branch" in the US embassy in Berlin, the exposure of which would lead to "grave damage for the relations of the United States to another government".

Mr Obama met with Ms Merkel in Berlin earlier this year

From there, NSA and CIA staff were tapping communication in the Berlin's government district with high-tech surveillance.

Quoting a secret document from 2010, Der Spiegel said such branches existed in about 80 locations around the world, including Paris, Madrid, Rome, Prague, Geneva and Frankfurt.

The magazine said it was not clear whether the SCS had recorded conversations or just connection data.

Mr Obama apologised to Merkel when she called him on Wednesday to seek clarification on the issue, Der Spiegel wrote, citing a source in Ms Merkel's office.

Ms Merkel's spokesman and the White House declined comment.

The rift over US surveillance activities first emerged earlier this year after reports that Washington had bugged European Union offices and had tapped half a billion phone calls, emails and text messages in Germany in a typical month.

But it appeared close to resolution after Ms Merkel's government said in August - just weeks before a parliamentary election - the United States had given sufficient assurances they were upholding German law.

Mr Obama ordered a review of US surveillance programmes after former NSA contractor Edward Snowden leaked documents that raised alarm in the United States and abroad.

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Britain Braced For Severe 80mph Storm

England and Wales will be hit by a "significant storm" on Sunday night with winds of up to 80mph in some areas, the Met Office has warned.

Forecasters say the storm is expected to bring "exceptionally strong winds" to parts of the UK when it strikes late on Sunday night.

Meteorologists say it will strike the south west of England and could leave a trail of destruction as it gusts north-east across the country, causing structural damage, and bringing down trees and power lines.

Frank Saunders, Chief Forecaster at the Met Office, said: "We are confident that a severe storm will affect Britain on Sunday night and Monday.

"We are now looking at refining the details about which areas will see the strongest winds and the heaviest rain."

Roads may also be hit by flash flooding, bringing rush hour traffic on Monday morning to a halt, and homes could be flooded.

The Environment Agency says 20-40mm of rain could fall within six to nine hours.

An amber warning is in place across the southern half of England and Wales

Severe weather alerts are in place for England and Wales, with an amber warning, meaning "be prepared", for the southern half of England and Wales.

There is a lesser yellow warning, meaning "be aware", for the rest of Wales and England up to the border with Scotland.

Sky News weather presenter Jo Wheeler said: "The storm is coming through at the worst possible time; from around midnight to midday on Monday - which takes in the rush hour when people are trying to get to work.

"Winds gusting at 80mph are quite capable of bringing down trees and power lines and causing structural damage.

"Trees are still full in leaf at this time of year and the ground is quite damp so there is more chance they can be ripped from the ground, and branches ripped from trees."

She said Atlantic storms of this type usually develop further west across the ocean, losing strength by the time they reach the UK and Ireland.

But the storm will develop on Saturday and intensify on Sunday fairly close to the coast before it strikes with full force.

It has been compared to the Great Storm of 1987

A strong jet stream and warm air close to the UK are contributing to its development and strength.

Some have compared its potential to the Great Storm of 1987 and record-breaking gales in south Wales in 1989.

Veteran weatherman Michael Fish famously failed to predict its severity before it flattened trees, knocked out power and left 22 people dead in England and France.

This time he warned people to "batten down the hatches" and keep checking the forecasts as the powerful storm approaches.

Darron Burness, head of the AA's flood rescue team, said: "The timing couldn't really be worse, potentially causing significant travel disruption on Monday morning, which is one of the busiest times on the roads."

The Metropolitan Police has urged people to avoid calling 999 during the storm unless there is a real emergency.

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Savile's Chauffeur Charged With Sex Offences

Jimmy Savile's former chauffeur, who once shared a flat with the disgraced broadcaster, has been charged with a string of historic sex offences.

Ray Teret, 72, has been charged with 32 offences relating to 15 alleged victims who claimed they were sexually abused between 1962 and 1996.

Most of the alleged offences are said to have taken place in the Greater Manchester area.

Teret, from Altrincham, is charged with 15 counts of rape of a female under 16, one count of rape, one count of attempted rape of a female under 16, six counts of indecent assault of a female under 16, three counts of indecent assault of a female under 14, one count of gross indecency with a child under 13 and two counts of conspiracy to rape a girl under 16.

Ray Teret is also a former DJ

The former DJ is also charged with one count of possession of extreme pornography, one count of possession of prohibited images and one count of possession of an indecent image of a child.

Teret, who was initially arrested and bailed last November with another man on suspicion of historic rape allegations, is due to appear before magistrates in Manchester on Saturday.

Police previously said the accusations against him were not linked to the national inquiry into Savile.

DCI Graham Brock, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "This has been a complex investigation that was originally launched in October 2012 when an initial complaint was made to Greater Manchester Police.

"Since that time, we have carried out extensive and wide-ranging inquiries and interviewed a number of people as part of that investigation.

TV presenter Jimmy Savile

"It is now very important that we make no further comment and allow the correct legal process to take its course unimpeded and without prejudice.

"We will continue to support all those women who have come forward and offer them whatever welfare they need through the use of specially-trained officers."

Two other men have also been charged following the investigation into Teret.

William Harper, 65, from Stretford, is charged with charged with conspiracy to rape a girl under 16 and attempt rape of a girl under 16.

Alan Ledger, 62, from Altrincham, is accused of indecently assaulting a girl under 16 and aiding and abetting the rape of a girl under 16.

Both men will appear at Manchester City Magistrates' Court on October 30.

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Weather: Storm Alerts As UK Set For 'Hurricane'

Forecasters are increasingly confident a storm packing hurricane-speed gusts of more than 80mph will hit Britain.

A Met office image shows a forecast for the storm on Monday

Severe weather alerts are in place for England and Wales, with an amber warning, meaning "be prepared", in place for southern counties.

The storm, which is moving across the Atlantic Ocean, would need to buffet the UK with sustained winds for it to be scientifically classed as a hurricane.

Forecasts show how the storm might develop and move towards the UK

Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said the storm could cause structural damage, trees and power cables to come down and transport problems on Monday morning.

"We have been tracking the probable course of the storm and we are tracking it further north than we had thought earlier," she said.

The Met Office website shows amber and yellow alerts for Monday

"We have also revised the speed for gusts of wind up to 70 to 80mph inland, with the possibility of speeds in excess of 80mph in exposed coastal areas."

Atlantic storms of this type usually develop further west across the ocean, losing strength by the time they reach the UK and Ireland.

This one is unusual in that it is expected to appear much closer to land, potentially moving across the country while it is in its most powerful phase.

Some have compared its potential to the Great Storm of 1987 and record-breaking gales in south Wales in 1989.

Sky weather presenter Jo Wheeler said: "Late October is notorious for strong storms, with a wind gust of 124mph recorded in the Vale of Glamorgan in 1989.

"Should this storm achieve its potential, it is likely to bring down trees and cause damage to roads and buildings, possibly causing major transport disruption and power cuts."

The storm's trajectory is unclear but there are fears it may wreak havoc in England and Wales if it hits land.

If it does, it is likely to batter Wales and the South West before sweeping east and touching most of the country.

However, there is a chance it could miss land completely, sweeping instead through the English Channel.

The storm is expected to strike two weeks later than the Great Storm of 1987, which left a trail of destruction on October 15 and 16.

There are already fears the storm may compare to the Great Storm of 1987

Forecasters famously failed to predict its severity before it flattened trees, knocked out power and left 22 people dead in England and France.

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US Spies 'Tapped Calls Of 35 World Leaders'

The US spy agency monitored the telephone calls of 35 world leaders, according to the latest leaked documents from the whistleblower, Edward Snowden.

A confidential memo shows the National Security Agency obtained the numbers from one senior official in another government department, who passed on contacts for some 200 people.

According to the report in The Guardian newspaper, the agency encouraged senior officials in departments such as the White House, the State Department and the Pentagon to share "Rolodexes" filled with numbers for foreign politicians.

The disclosure follows allegations that the US tapped the mobile telephone of German chancellor Angela Merkel.

The German leader warned the US on Thursday that eavesdropping on allies was unacceptable, saying: "Spying on friends, that's just not done."

The German Chancellor made her comments as she was heading into a European Union summit in Brussels where the growing spy scandal had been catapulted to the top of the agenda.

Angela Merkel with Francois Hollande at Thursday's EU summit

Ms Merkel had already told Barack Obama during a heated telephone conversation that if suggestions the US had bugged her phone were true, it would be unacceptable and a "serious breach of trust".

Despite initial assurances that the US was not and would not listen to Ms Merkel's phone, the White House on Thursday refused to be drawn over allegations, leaving widespread speculation over whether the US had tapped her phone in the past.

Press secretary Jay Carney said the White House is "not going to get into specific allegations that have been made in public reports".

Speaking at the EU summit, Ms Merkel, who is so attached to her mobile phone that she bought 10,000 specially encrypted handsets for her and her staff, said: "We need trust among allies and partners. Such trust now has to be built anew. This is what we have to think about.

Angela Merkel made her feelings clear to Barack Obama in a phone call

"The United States of America and Europe face common challenges. We are allies but such an alliance can only be built on trust. That's why I repeat again: spying among friends, that cannot be."

The latest Guardian revelations will heighten the tensions between the US and key European allies, whose leaders, speaking at the 28-nation summit meeting, echoed Ms Merkel's words.

French President Francois Hollande said: "What is at stake is preserving our relations with the United States. They should not be changed because of what has happened. But trust has to be restored and reinforced."

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt called it "completely unacceptable" for a country to eavesdrop on an allied leader.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that if reports that Ms Merkel's cellphone was tapped were true, "it is exceptionally serious".

Italian Premier Enrico Letta said: "It is not in the least bit conceivable that activity of this type could be acceptable."

The latest NSA memo is dated October 2006, and was issued to staff in the agency's Signals Intelligence Directorate (SID).

The latest disclosures come from documents leaked by Edward Snowden

It describes how US officials who mixed with world leaders and politicians could help agency surveillance.

It notes: "In one recent case a US official provided NSA with 200 phone numbers to 35 world leaders.

"Despite the fact that the majority is probably available via open source, the IPCs (intelligence production centres) have noted 43 previously unknown phone numbers. These numbers plus several others have been tasked."

The document also describes how the numbers provided the NSA leads to further telephone numbers which were also "tasked", but admits that the surveillance had produced "little reportable intelligence".

Earlier, The Daily Telegraph reported that the US had denied ever spying on Prime Minister David Cameron.

Caitlin Hayden, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said: "We do not monitor PM Cameron's communications."

Asked if the US had ever spied on Mr Cameron in the past, she replied: "No."

The Prime Minister's official spokesman refused to comment, saying: "I'm not going to comment on matters of security or intelligence."

Britain and the US - along with Canada, Australia and New Zealand - are members of the so-called "Five Eyes" group, who share signals intelligence and are supposed not to spy on each other.

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Police 'Find First 3D Gun-Printing Factory'

By Nick Martin, North of England Correspondent

Police have discovered a 3D printer which they believe criminals were using to try to make a gun, Sky News can reveal.

In what is believed to be the first case of its kind, officers in Manchester on Thursday seized a printer and other components potentially used in the manufacture of firearms during a raid.

As part of an operation to target organised crime gangs in the city, police found a trigger and a magazine they believe is capable of holding bullets, both of which are thought to have been made using the printer.

Officers believe the raid – in the Bagley area of the city – could have uncovered what could be Britain's first 3D gun factory.

Earlier this year concerns were raised that the printers, which construct everyday solid items using very thin layers of plastic, could be used to make a gun, which contained no metal parts and could therefore evade detection by security scanners at airports and other potential criminal targets.

The plastic magazine police believe is capable of holding bullets

In a statement to Sky News, Detective Inspector Chris Mossop, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "If what we have seized is proven to be viable components capable of constructing a genuine firearm, then it demonstrates that organised crime groups are acquiring technology that can be bought on the high street to produce the next generation of weapons.

"In theory, the technology essentially allows offenders to produce their own guns in the privacy of their own home, which they can then supply to the criminal gangs who are causing such misery in our communities.

"Because they are also plastic and can avoid X-ray detection, it makes them easy to conceal and smuggle."

The chief constable of Greater Manchester, Sir Peter Fahy, told Sky News that 3D guns were "a new phenomenon".

He said: "We will really need to look at this new development. Certainly we feel that we are having success - and the important thing is not to be defeatist about this. It is not to think that we'll never win, that these people are cleverer than us.

"They are not, they are just more violent than us."

In May a US defence company successfully fired the first ever gun made with 3D printer technology and announced plans to distribute the blueprints online.

The 3D printer in what could be a factory for a "new generation of weapons"

At the time it was warned that criminals may try to use the devices to do something similar.

The firm, Defense Distributed, spent a year trying to assemble a working model. It succeeded using separate printed plastic components and a metal firing pin.

The cost of 3D printers has fallen dramatically in recent months. They can now be bought for less than £1,000.

In a statement Greater Manchester Police said: "Component parts for what could be the UK's first ever 3D gun have been seized by Greater Manchester Police.

"During the searches, officers found a 3D printer and what is suspected might be a plastic clip and a 3D trigger which could be fitted together to make a viable 3D gun.

"It they are found to be viable components for a 3D gun, it would be the first ever seizure of this kind in the UK. The parts are now being forensically examined by firearms specialists to establish if they could construct a genuine device.

"A man has been arrested on suspicion of making gunpowder and remains in custody for questioning."

Sir Peter: "These people are not cleverer that us, just more violent."

The raid came as part of what police describe as the largest operation to tackle organised criminal gangs in Manchester's history.

In the past week more than 50 suspected members of criminal gangs have been arrested for a variety of offences including drugs, firearms and money laundering.

As well as the 3D printer, seizures included £330,000 worth of drugs, £25,000 in cash along with weapons such as high-powered air rifles, a BB gun, a Taser, a baton and seven high powered cars.

Up to 50 tonnes of counterfeit goods worth at least £2m - including fake trainers, watches and clothing - were also recovered.

Detective Chief Superintendent Rebekah Sutcliffe, who heads Challenger for Greater Manchester Police, said: "Organised crime groups have a corrosive and insidious effect on our communities. These sorts of people mistakenly believe they 'own their turf' and use violence and intimidation to make people's lives a misery.

"However, this week we have brought the fight to these gangs and through Challenger we are now declaring war on these criminal networks who for too long have been bullying communities and enjoying a lavish lifestyle."

There are currently more than 160 known organised criminal gangs in Greater Manchester, costing the local economy between £850m and £1.7bn each year.

However, it is thought there may be up to 500 of these networks in operation.

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Madeleine McCann: Portugal Cops May Open Case

The Portuguese police are to request that the Madeleine McCann investigation be reopened, according to local media.

Police in Oporto have been reviewing the case and have identified a number of issues they wish to clarify, an unnamed police source was quoted as saying. 

The move to re-examine the case in Portugal comes after a fresh appeal for information was aired across Europe.

The original Portuguese police investigation, which was heavily criticised in the British media, ended in 2008.  

Police received more than 2,400 phone calls from the public following the broadcast of a reconstruction of events leading up to the three-year-old's disappearance in 2007.

E-fits of man police want to speak to about Madeleine's disappearance

A spokesman for the McCanns reportedly said the change of heart may be partly due to publicity surrounding the case after the appeal and the recent discovery of an allegedly abducted blonde girl, known as Maria, who was found living with a Roma family in Greece.

"Kate and Gerry don't want to get their hopes up too much. But if the Portuguese do resume their investigation it would be a significant development and an important step forward," the Daily Mirror reported the spokesman as saying.

British police say their review of the case suggests it was a premeditated abduction, with their focus turning towards a man seen carrying a child at about the same time Madeleine was found to be missing from the family's holiday apartment.

Detectives have released two e-fit images of a man they want to speak to in connection with the case based on the accounts of two witnesses.

Both described seeing him in Praia da Luz on the evening of May 3.

Four other e-fits based on witness accounts of men seen in the area, some of whom may have been working as "charity collectors" who may or may not be genuine were also released.

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Marikana Massacre: 'Damning' Evidence Emerges

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent

The Marikana Miners Support group has called for South African police to be prosecuted after apparently unearthing new evidence which disputes the authorities' version of what happened on the day more than 30 striking miners were shot dead by police.

The evidence was uncovered by a film-maker - who is also a member of the campaign group - while he was doing research for a documentary on the incident at the Lonmin mine in August 2012.

It appears to throw more doubt on the police claim that they acted in self-defence when they opened fire on striking miners.

As well as the 34 miners killed, nearly 80 others were left wounded.

The footage has been submitted to the Commission of Inquiry which is continuing into just what went wrong at Marikana.

Film-maker Rehad Desai called it "damning" evidence which showed - in his opinion - that the police had not only engineered the situation which led to the miners being shot, but had then lied repeatedly to the South African public and the inquiry to cover up their actions.

New video shows a miners' leader (circled) who was shot dead minutes later

The footage is shot from what Mr Desai called a "fourth" angle that was mostly unseen and unexamined.

It depicts a large group of the miners being led away from the hillock, or koppie as it is known in South Africa, where they had been demonstrating.

They are filmed walking slowly, apparently passively and quietly away as they are shepherded by their leaders towards the informal settlement where many of them lived.

The pictures, which are in sequential order of being filmed and apparently have a time code embedded on them which indicates the time of day when recorded, then show increased activity among the police.

They are seen moving armoured police vehicles to block the miners' path and forming a barrier between them and the informal settlement.

The footage shows police with guns drawn, apparently before trouble started

The miners are corralled down a relatively narrow path alongside police vehicles and in the direction of a waiting line of armed police.

As they pass a row of police trucks, one policeman can be seen to the left of the picture shooting birdshot into the crowd of passing miners.

Other police then follow suit. The miners who are already cowering with some crouching over, then start to panic.

One can be seen turning towards the police who are side-on to the crowd and firing his handgun directly at the police.

There is some smoke seen which is thought to be tear gas and causes the miners to start running away - from the gas and the shooting coming at them from the side.

Film-maker Rehad Desai says the new evidence is 'damning

Instead they run directly towards the line-up of police and within seconds, you can hear a cacophony of noise as the police open fire with live ammunition.

The latest allegations follow a statement by the Commission a few weeks ago that it had managed to obtain documents which the police had previously said did not exist.

The Commission also managed to get access to police computer hard drives.

At the time, it issued a statement saying: "We have obtained documents which in our opinion demonstrate that the (police) version of the events at Marikana ... is in material respects not the truth."

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Maria: Interpol To Help Greece With DNA Check

Greek authorities have asked Interpol to help them identify a blonde girl who was found in a Roma settlement by sharing her DNA profile with member countries.

The police agency has said it will make its international DNA database available to any one of its 190 member countries which have been given the profile of someone claiming to be a blood relative of the child, believed to be about five or six years old.

Member countries are also being urged to check Maria's DNA profile against their own DNA files as Greek authorities investigate whether the girl may have been abducted.

Interpol's Yellow Notice appeal to help identify Maria

Countries who do not have a national DNA database are being encouraged to add their own DNA records to Interpol's records.

The parents of Lisa Irwin, who went missing in Kansas in October 2011 have contacted Greek authorities in the hope that the girl known as Maria could be their daughter.

An official request has been made through the FBI and Interpol to the Greek authorities for Lisa's DNA profile to be compared with Maria's DNA, although Lisa would be only three years old in November - two years younger than police believe Maria to be.

Interpol has also circulated an official Yellow Notice. The briefings are used to help locate missing persons, particularly children or others unable to identify themselves.

At the request of Greek authorities, Blue Notices have also been issued for Christos Salis and Eleftheria Dimopoulou, the Roma couple who were looking after Maria and who have now been charged with her abduction.

Eleftheria Dimopoulou and Christos Salis have been charged with abduction

Blue Notices are issued to collect additional information about a person's identity, location or activities.

Meanwhile, a blonde girl thought to be seven years old and living with a Roma family in the Irish Republic has been taken into care after a tip-off from a member of the public.

The girl, who also has blue eyes, was discovered after officers were called to a house in the Dublin suburb of Tallaght on Monday afternoon.

Concerns were raised after the member of the public saw the blonde girl being looked after by the Roma family. The couple looking after the girl were unable to prove her identity.

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Syria: Capsized Refugee Rescue Caught On Film

By Stuart Ramsay, Chief Correspondent

Illegal immigrants are dying in the Mediterranean in record numbers because criminal gangs know that rich northern European countries like the UK are too scared to address the issue of international migration because of domestic politics.

As European leaders meet this week to discuss demands for help from frontline countries like Malta, Sky News has obtained exclusive pictures of the moment hundreds of Syrians, fleeing their war-torn country, are left swimming for their lives over a hundred miles from shore, waiting for help.

Hundreds of refugees were tipped into the sea when their boat sank

Mediterranean countries say the whole European Union has to do more and must ignore local politics to help genuine refugees.

There is nothing more scary that being in heavy waters in a rubber dinghy when you are fleeing a war-torn country and you are already completely exhausted.

For refugees and illegal migrants that is normal. Life is basically terrible.

Malta, Spain and Italy are trying to deal with this daily problem.

Survivors scrambled onto life rafts throw to them by the Maltese navy

The system isn't perfect and to be frank they are not being as vigilant as they could be because they can't really cope with what is going on.

This is a huge international problem that has been going on for years - but nobody so far has done anything significant to stop it.

Sky News obtained a remarkable series of videos from the Maltese government that show for the first time an entire rescue.

The migrants' boat has been shot at by Libyan gunmen who are traffickers and haven't been paid off.

Young children were among those pulled from the water

Within hours the boat either capsizes or sinks, but the Syrian migrants are dumped into the sea.

By chance a Maltese spotter plane sees them and a rescue mission, lasting more than 20 hours, begins.

This man doesn't know whether his two children survived or drowned

The spotter plane drops a life raft that gives the survivors a point to aim for. They swim in their dozens to try to find something to hold onto.

It will take over an hour of treading water before the rescue boats arrive. Many people die in this time gap.

Patrol boats and launch vessels pick the survivors from the sea. This is a joint venture between the Maltese and the Italian navy.

Men, women and children are transferred from the rubber boats to the safety of the patrol vessels.

Among them, a little girl and her father clutching one another survived. Her twin sister has died; her mother, his pregnant wife, perished trying to save the girl.

They know nothing of this as they stand on the rescue ship deck being dried. As with all these disasters many families are split forever in the rescue.

On shore the Syrian migrants wait in a detention centre for news of family members who have simply disappeared. A man cries in anguish and writes on a shoe box "Where are my two children?".

A translator says he doesn't know if they are dead or not.

He just needs to know. One way or the other.

A doctor represents the people in an emotional appeal for more information. But I speak to him quietly alone. I ask why a paediatrician is here, risking this dreadful trip.

"We have no choice, Stuart, you know that. It is too dangerous in Syria so I decided to take my family to somewhere safe.

"But this has been terrible. Worse than I ever imagined," he told me.

I asked if he would do it again.

"Yes," he said. "There is no choice."

These aren't work-shy foreigners looking for benefits. These are refugees.

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