Bank Holiday Weather: Temperatures To Soar

Britain looks set for a balmy Bank Holiday weekend, with temperatures expected to reach up to 21C on Monday.

After the coldest start to spring for more than 50 years, forecasters say a prolonged period of dry, "rather warm" weather will arrive just in time for the three-day break.

Many areas are expected to remain dry throughout the weekend, with light showers across central England, Wales and Scotland on Saturday clearing by the evening.

Sunny spells are forecast across the country on Sunday but Monday looks better still, with temperatures set to climb well above the 14.7C average maximum temperature for May.

Sky News weather forecaster Nazaneen Ghaffar said there is "some uncertainty" in the forecast but added: "It looks like Monday will be warm and mainly dry across southern areas, thanks to a south-westerly air flow pushing in warmer air.

"However, there will be the risk of rain across northern and western parts of the UK and Ireland."

Some parts of the UK could be 6C warmer than the May average

London and the South East will enjoy the warmest weather on Monday, although temperatures could reach 17C in Wales and 18C in western areas.

Scotland and Northern Ireland will be a little cooler, with highs of around 15C.

The Met Office said the weather is set fair until mid-May, when "slightly more unsettled, showery conditions" are forecast.

"Temperatures should recover from near normal towards rather warm, and it will feel pleasantly warm in any sunshine inland," a spokesman said.

"Towards the end of next week, temperatures should rise further and become warm across many inland areas under strong spring sunshine."

The warm spell follows the coldest March in the UK since 1962.

Mean temperatures plummeted to 2.5C - 3C lower than the long-term average and were the joint fourth coolest since records began.

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Boy, 5, Kills Sister, 2, With Children's Rifle

A five-year-old has accidentally shot dead his two-year-old sister as he played with his own rifle.

The tragedy happened on Tuesday afternoon at a home in southern Kentucky.

Cumberland County coroner Gary White told the Lexington Herald-Leader it was "just one of those crazy accidents."

The boy had picked up the .22-calibre Crickett gun, which he was given as a birthday present last year, when it went off.

Police said the family did not realise it was loaded. The children's mother was at home at the time but had just stepped away.

"She was actually cleaning her house, and she had went out on the porch," the coroner told WKYT-TV.

"She said no more than three minutes had went by and she actually heard the rifle go off. She ran back in and found the little girl."

The child was pronounced dead at Cumberland County Hospital. Doctors worked on reviving her for about an hour without success.

The coroner said the shooting would be ruled as accidental.

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Thomas Cook Jet Makes Emergency Landing

A plane carrying hundreds of British tourists was forced to make an emergency landing in Bermuda after reports of a fire on board.

The captain of Thomas Cook Airlines Flight 149 carrying 338 passengers declared the emergency with the A330 aircraft thousands of feet above the Atlantic Ocean.

He reported a possible fire in the cabin, prompting the decision to divert the flight to Manchester from Cancun, in Mexico, to the British territory.

A spokeswoman for Thomas Cook told Sky News: "The emergency was declared as a precaution after smoke was noticed in the cabin.

"The plane landed safely and all the passengers are fine and being looked after. Tests will now be carried out on the plane and we hope to have everyone back in Manchester later today.

Thomas Cook said the plane landed as a precaution (pic: Bernews.com)

"As always, our passengers' safety is the priority in these situations, but we apologise to everyone on board for the inconvenience this has caused them."

Lt Jay Donawa, a spokesman for the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service, said the passengers and crew were safely evacuated following the unscheduled arrival.

"No injuries were reported and there was no fire on board when the aircraft landed," he said.

He added that the emergency had been declared at around 8.20pm and that the plane had landed around 40 minutes later, with emergency workers waiting.

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Madeleine McCann's Parents 'Closer' To Truth

Madeleine McCann's parents say a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

In an interview with Sky News, Kate and Gerry McCann asked the public to remain vigilant about possible sightings and talked about adapting to life without Madeleine.

Madeleine was nearly four when she vanished from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal on May 3, 2007 as her parents dined at a nearby tapas restaurant with friends.

Friday will mark the six-year anniversary of her disappearance.

"With the review the Met have been doing over the last two years I think we are closer to finding out what happened," Gerry McCann said.

"But for Kate and I until we find Madeleine or the person responsible then we're still miles away."

He also said of the review: "We certainly feel they're making excellent progress".

The couple, who will mark the anniversary with a service in their village, said although they struggle with various occasions, including Madeleine's birthday, they are coping with her absence.

"It's a horrible, confusing, uncomfortable situation to be in. As time's gone on we've obviously got stronger and you do adapt to living in that situation," said Kate.

She said their home is full of photos and other memories of Madeleine.

"She should be here and we should celebrate with her but we still celebrate her and her being part of our lives."

Gerry McCann said that seen from a distance his family is like any other. The couple, from Rothley, Leicestershire, also have twins.

"Twins do everything that other eight-year-olds do, and they've been a tremendous source of pleasure and joy for us," he said.

"They're so adaptable and it's a matter of fact to them that they've grown up with their older sister missing."

The couple thanked the public for their "tremendous support", and urged people travelling abroad to keep vigilant about possible sightings of  Madeleine.

"Someone knows - not just the people involved in the crime. Other people will know as well, or will be strongly suspicious," said Kate.

Her husband added: "The key message is - if someone thinks they've seen Madeleine, contact police straight away."

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Coronation Street's Bill Roache Arrested

Coronation Street actor Bill Roache has been arrested over historical allegations of sexual assault.

The actor, who has played Ken Barlow in the TV soap since its launch in 1960, was held at his home in Wilmslow, Cheshire, this morning.

Mr Roache, 81, faces two allegations of raping the same 15-year-old girl in Haslingden, Lancashire, between April and July 1967.

Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said: "According to neighbours, plain clothes police arrived at his home in Wilmslow at around 8am. His home is being searched and police are questioning him about historical allegations."

An ITV spokeswoman said the broadcaster was not in a position to comment, but it is understood Mr Roache will not appear in the long-running soap while investigations continue.

Coronation Street bosses are also deciding whether to re-edit scenes featuring Mr Roache, which are due to be aired later this week.

An officer walks down the driveway of Mr Roache's home following his arrest

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: "An 81-year-old man from Wilmslow in Cheshire has this morning, Wednesday, May 1, 2013, been arrested by Lancashire Constabulary on suspicion of rape.

"The man will be interviewed at a police station in Lancashire during the course of the day.

"We take all allegations of sexual abuse extremely seriously and would encourage people with any information about sexual abuse, or anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse, to come forward and report their concerns confident in the knowledge they will be investigated appropriately and with sensitivity."

After his Coronation Street co-star Michael Le Vell was charged with 19 child sex offences, Mr Roache called for anonymity for those accused of such crimes because of the stigma they face even if innocent.

Bill Roache, with Anne Reid, who played his first wife in the TV soap

Speaking to Sky News in March, he said: "If there is to be anonymity for the accusers at this stage, then there should most certainly be anonymity for those accused, until such time as there is strong evidence to show that there was some truth to the allegations at least."

Le Vell, who will not appear as mechanic Kevin Webster while he awaits his trial, has stated publicly that he is innocent and will fight the allegations.

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Stolen US Lottery Ticket: Man Found Guilty

One of two brothers accused of swindling a man out of a winning $5m (£3.21m) lottery scratchcard has been found guilty by a judge in upstate New York.

Andy Ashkar, 35, was convicted of possessing stolen property. He faces one to three years in prison when he is sentenced on May 29.

His older brother, Nayel Ashkar, 36, was cleared of conspiracy charges.

It is not yet clear if the original winner will receive any kind of compensation or the rest of his jackpot.

Police and lottery officials had originally accused both men of convincing maintenance worker Robert Miles that the ticket he bought in 2006 was worth only $5k (£3,210).

Authorities said the brothers paid Mr Miles $4k, taking a $1k handling fee, then waited until the ticket was about to expire before trying to claim the jackpot in 2012.

"Why did they wait when there were so many other factors out there?" prosecutor Beth Van Doren asked in court.

The ticket was bought at the Green Ale Market in Syracuse

"Why? It just didn't make sense, other than they were waiting for time to pass so witnesses would no longer be around, documents would be lost, or the statute of limitations would pass."

The $20 winning ticket was sold at their parents' store in Syracuse.

Andy Ashkar said he bought it when he went there for lunch on October 27, 2006.

He claimed he scratched the ticket, then handed it to his father.

"He scanned it. He said, 'Shut up!' He didn't want anyone to know," he said.

Andy Ashkar said he planned to go to the lottery office that day, then changed his mind, called his brother and went to his parents' home.

"I was hesitant. I wanted to do it the right way," he said. "I didn't want it to have a negative impact on my family."

The Ashkars' father, Nayef, is also charged with conspiracy and faces a separate trial in September.

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Boston Bombing: Three New Suspects In Custody

Three additional suspects have been taken into custody by police investigating the Boston Marathon bombings.

Boston Police Department announced on Twitter that three more suspects are in custody and said that there is no threat to public safety.

Police spokeswoman Cheryl Fiandaca confirmed the tweet but referred all other questions to the FBI.

The three people arrested are connected to bombing accused Dzhokhar Tsarnaev through the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, where he was a student and allegedly helped him after the attacks, according to the Boston Globe.

Law enforcement sources told Reuters that two suspects were Dzhokhar's college classmates and the third person arrested is a US citizen, while investigators are trying to establish whether they disposed of a bag for the bombers.

Police have been investigating if suspects the Tsarnaev brothers had help

Three people were killed and more than 260 injured on April 15 when two bombs exploded near the finish line.

Suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev died after a gunfight with police several days later. His brother Dzhokhar was captured and lies in a hospital prison.

The surviving brother, 19, faces federal charges of using a weapon of mass destruction and malicious destruction of property resulting in death over the double bombing.

Authorities say the brothers also killed an MIT police officer as they tried to escape, although no charges have been filed yet over his death.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev's relatives will claim his body now that his wife has agreed to release it, an uncle said. The 26-year-old's body has been at the medical examiner's office in Massachusetts since he died.

Amato DeLuca, the Rhode Island attorney for Tamerlan's widow, Katherine Russell, said his client had just learned that the medical examiner was ready to release the body and that she wants it released to his side of the family.

Police said Tamerlan ran out of ammunition before Dzhokhar dragged his body under a vehicle while fleeing the scene.

His cause of death has been determined but will not be made public until his remains are claimed.

More follows...

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PFA Row Comedian Hits Back With Facebook Pics

A comedian criticised over his performance at the Professional Footballers' Association awards ceremony has responded by posting photos from the event alongside humourous captions mocking the outrage.

The PFA has reportedly demanded Reginald D Hunter repay his fee after he repeatedly used the word 'n*****' during his routine at London's Grosvenor Hotel.

The black American stand-up is well known for his racial content, but the PFA insists it had an agreement with him that "swearing or any racist references were to be avoided".

PFA chairman Clarke Carlisle also said he was "embarrassed" the organisation had booked Hunter, who explained at the start of his set that he uses the word 'n*****' to refer to people of all races.

But after initially opting not to comment on the furore, the comedian posted 37 photos in an album entitled 'The PFA Awards - the horrible aftermath' on his Facebook page.

One showed him surrounded by four other smiling attendees at the event, with the caption: "Reginald D Hunter being chased by an angry anti-racist mob to his taxi."

In another, he is pictured with a female member of the audience at the ceremony, alongside a caption saying: "Reginald D Hunter saluting misogyny with no regard to this woman's feelings."

Black footballer Jason Roberts can be seen beaming next to Hunter in one picture. The caption reads: "Reginald D Hunter and this disgusted PFA attendee prepare to entertain the PFA after party with a reenactment of the fight scene from Django Unchained."

PFA deputy chief executive Bobby Barnes previously said the association was looking to recoup the money it had paid to Hunter for his set.

"We are obviously very upset, because he was briefed," he said.

"We are very aware that we have a very diverse audience there. I can't think of a redeeming feature where you could say that was positive because I actually think the whole performance from start to finish was dreadful,"

Racial abuse cases involving Liverpool's Suarez and former England captain John Terry have been a major source of controversy in English football over the last two years.

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April Jones' DNA 'Found At Bridger's Home'

April Jones' DNA was found on a washing machine belonging to the man accused of her murder, a court has heard.

An intensive forensic search of Mark Bridger's home found a stain matching the five-year-old's profile on the glass door, jurors were told.

Prosecutors said her DNA was also found in the "front crotch area" of his tracksuit bottoms, as well as on a shower curtain.

Meanwhile, Mold Crown Court heard how bone fragments thought to be from a human skull were found in Bridger's house.

Blood stains were also found under the carpet and in the grouting of tiles, jurors were told.

Earlier, they heard how Bridger told police he had "tried to revive" April after running her over with his car.

However, prosecutors said there was no evidence of a collision involving his car and say there were no blood stains or signs of a clean-up inside the vehicle.

Bridger, 47, of Ceinws, denies abducting and murdering April, and unlawfully disposing of and concealing her body - which has never been found - with intent to pervert the course of justice.

The trial continues.

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April Jones: Bridger 'Tried To Revive Her'

The man accused of murdering schoolgirl April Jones told police he "tried to revive her" after knocking her down with his car.

Jurors at Mold Crown Court heard a transcript of the answers Mark Bridger gave to detectives shortly after his arrest on October 2 last year.

He said: "I didn't abduct her. I did my best to revive her. I panicked. The more I drove through the night, the more I got p****d."

However, prosecutors claim there was no evidence of a collision involving Bridger's car and say there were no blood stains or signs of a clean-up inside the vehicle.

"I just wish I know what I've done with her, where I've put her," Bridger told police.

"I can't believe I didn't call the police or an ambulance. There was no life in her - no pulse, no breathing, no response in her eyes.

Mark Bridger denies murdering and abducting April Jones

"She was just on the back seat. I tried to revive her. I did my best to revive her. I don't remember having her in the car when I went back."

Earlier, prosecutors said Bridger invited another girl to his house for a sleepover on the day April disappeared from the small Welsh town of Machnylleth.

He allegedly approached the girl - who was playing with a friend close to his daughter's primary school - shortly after attending a parents' evening on October 1.

The court also heard he was spotted on a hillside clutching a black bin bag the following day, as search teams scoured the area for missing April.

Bridger's movements were outlined on the second day of his trial at Mold Crown Court.

CCTV footage of the 47-year-old visiting council offices and a bank in Machnylleth on October 1 was played to the court.

Jurors were told Bridger spent part of the afternoon looking at dozens of images of a local teenager on Facebook.

They were also shown a text message he sent to his employer that day, which read: "Do you mind if I take today off to get my head around things? Sorry to let you down."

Helicopter footage from October 2 showed smoke rising from the chimney of Bridger's house.

He was filmed walking his dog and, the prosecution claims, had changed his appearance.

When he was arrested later that day, he is said to have told police: "I know what it's all about."

Officers who searched his home noticed the heat and the smell of detergent, the court heard.

Bridger, of Ceinws, denies abducting and murdering April, and unlawfully disposing of and concealing her body - which has never been found - with intent to pervert the course of justice.

The trial continues.

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