Peru Drugs Bust: Pair's 'Families Threatened'

Two women who say they were ordered at gunpoint to smuggle £1.5m worth of cocaine out of Peru claim their families were threatened too.

Melissa Reid, 19, from Kirkintilloch in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland, and Michaella McCollum Connolly, 20, from Dungannon in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, are being held in Lima after 11kg (24.2lbs) of cocaine was found in their luggage.

The pair, who deny drug trafficking allegations, were arrested while trying to board a flight from the Peruvian capital to Spain last week.

They were due to appear in court later, but the hearing has been put back until next week because they have still not seen an interpreter.

McCollum Connolly is a former nightclub hostess

They claim they were forced to carry the bags at gunpoint by Colombian gangsters and were unaware they contained narcotics.

Reid has insisted they were not smuggling for financial gain but to save their lives.

She told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "We were given no option. If we didn't do as we were told we would be dead. We were not smuggling for money, we were smuggling for our lives.

"We have no doubt they would have killed us both without hesitation if we didn't do as we were told.

"Ever since I was arrested I have played out what has happened in my mind over and over again, asking myself how could we have gotten out of it. But each time I think it wasn't even an option.

"We both had loaded guns put to our heads. They were more than prepared to use them. If we didn't do it we were told we would die."

An official weighs and tests the drugs hidden inside food packets

The paper's US editor Chris Buckton told Sky News: "They also said that the safety of their families was in jeopardy as well, threats were made to them.

"Melissa was actually told details of her own family, she says, given names of her parents and also their friends. They made it clear they knew where their parents lived."

The women say they were befriended by a man in London, who put them in the hands of South Americans before they were taken to safe houses in Madrid, Ibiza and Majorca.

Reid was the first to be sent to Lima, on August 1, where she was joined by photography student and former nightclub hostess McCollum Connolly a day later.

They are said to be frustrated at the way the investigation is being carried out.

"They have cried themselves to sleep several times," said Mr Buckton.

Reid is due to spend her 20th birthday on Friday in prison

Both are being held at the same jail but in separate cells, McCollum Connolly by herself and Reid in a shared cell where she will mark her 20th birthday on Friday.

"They are very resolute - determined to get themselves back to the UK ... but they are also very aware of what they could face," added Mr Buckton.

Relatives of both women have spoken of the anguish of their ordeal.

McCollum Connolly's lawyer said her family were confident she will be cleared of any wrongdoing.

The family are making arrangements to travel to Peru and are also arranging legal representation.

Reid's father William has said he believes his daughter was "groomed".

If convicted the women could face lengthy sentences in an overcrowded Peruvian prison where they will have to pay for everything including food and bedding.

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Kidnapped Hannah Anderson Talks Of Ordeal

The 16-year-old California girl kidnapped by a close family friend suspected of murdering her mother and eight-year-old brother has gone online to talk about what happened.

Hannah Anderson said the man threatened to kill her if she tried to escape and got what he deserved when he died in a shootout with authorities in the Idaho wilderness.

"He (James DiMaggio) told us he was losing his house because of money issues so we went up there one last time to support him, and to have fun riding go karts up there but he tricked us," Anderson wrote as she fielded hundreds of questions through the Ask.fm social networking site.

The teenager, from San Diego, said DiMaggio tied up her mother Christina and brother Ethan in his garage. Their bodies were found later after a fire destroyed the house.

Hannah was abducted at the beginning of August

Hannah revealed she did not know they had died until an FBI agent told her at the hospital after her rescue on Saturday.

"I wish I could go back in time and risk my life to try and save theirs. I will never forgive myself for not trying harder to save them," she wrote.

Hannah said she "basically" stayed awake for six days and DiMaggio ignored her requests for food. She could not try to escape because her kidnapper had a gun and "threatened to kill me and anyone who tried to help".

The teenager was held in the remote wilderness

The girl said she was too frightened to ask for help when four riders came across the pair in the remote wilderness on Wednesday. The riders did not report the sightings to police until the next day, after returning home and learning about the huge search spanning much of the western US and parts of Canada and Mexico.

"I had to act calm I didn't want them to get hurt. I was scared that he would kill them," she wrote.

The teenager said DiMaggio threatened to kill her if she did not help hide his blue Nissan Versa with tree branches. Authorities discovered the car on Friday, leading to her rescue the following day.

Asked if she would have preferred to see DiMaggio get a lifetime prison sentence instead of being killed by FBI agents, she said: "He deserved what he got."

The abduction sparked a nationwide appeal

Hannah acknowledged being uncomfortable around DiMaggio even before the ordeal, saying he once told her that he was drawn to her.

"He said it was more like a family crush like he had feelings as in he wanted nothing bad to happen to me," she wrote.

She said she did not tell her parents because DiMaggio was a close friend of her father's "and I didn't want to ruin anything between them."

Hannah said she expected to return to school for the next term.

DiMaggio was a family friend

"I'm just still shocked and this (whole) thing seems unreal," she wrote.

The postings started on Monday night, hours after her father, Brett Anderson, publicly requested that the family be allowed to grieve and heal in private.

Dawn MacNabb, whose son, Alan, is one of Hannah's closest friends, confirmed the postings were by the teenager. Alan spoke on the phone to Hannah on Tuesday and urged her to delete some of the postings, Mrs MacNabb said.

"He said she was going to, but I don't know if she will," she said.

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Ed Miliband Is Egged On Campaign Visit

Ed Miliband has been pelted with eggs on his first public appearance in weeks as he attempted to reboot the Labour party.

The Labour leader was campaigning in London when a volley of eggs was thrown at his back.

At least one hit the politician on the head and jacket as he visited East Street market in Walworth, south London.

The egg thrower, who gave his name as Dean Porter, said it was an "opportunistic moment" as he was led away by security.

"They should stop giving favouritism to the banks. They do nothing. The Government do nothing. The shadow government do nothing," he said.

"I don't believe him at all. If you are poor, you are considered a burden. All they care about is the banks."

Dean Porter gloated about throwing the eggs on Twitter

An aide hurriedly removed Mr Miliband's jacket and he continued his tour, chatting to shoppers and stallholders apparently unperturbed.

"This is not the first time it's happened to me, I'm sure it's not the last," he said. "I'm always looking for new ways to connect with the voters."

Mr Porter had earlier written on Twitter: "Watch the news tonight. I suspect I might be on it."

He later wrote: "I tried to egg Ed Milliband as he came down to East Street in southwark, watching the news to see if its on."

Minutes later, he sent a message to the Prime Minister saying: "@David_Cameron hi pleb, can you come to East Street Market so I can egg you like I've egged your chum @Ed_Miliband lol."

He also wrote: "I got the b*****!!! Lol."

Ed Miliband shrugged off the attack, saying: 'It's not the first time'

The incident distracted from the Labour leader's attempts to galvanise his party after a difficult summer and attack the coalition over the cost of living.

Senior figures have questioned the shadow cabinet's "deafening silence" and warned the party must "shout louder" or face electoral defeat in 2015.

The jitters have been compounded by a rise in Tory fortunes thanks to a string of data suggesting the British economy is at last turning the corner.

New figures on Wednesday showed unemployment fell by 4,000 between April and June and average earnings rose by 2.1% in the year to June.

On Tuesday, data revealed inflation fell to 2.8% in July and house prices rose by 3.1% in June and last month growth of 0.6% was given for the second quarter.

Mr Miliband dismissed the criticism from within Labour's ranks and flatly rejected shadow health secretary Andy Burnham's warning the party's message was not getting through.

He insisted he was addressing voters' concerns about the "cost of living crisis" and offering a "comprehensive alternative" to the coalition on the economy.

"What we are doing as a Labour Party is setting out how we would change the country," he said.

"Just take this area of the cost of living crisis. Have Labour got answers? Absolutely we have got answers on rail fares, on energy prices, on a fairer tax system.

"They are all the things I believe the country wants and that is what we are going to be talking about in the coming months."

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Egypt: Dozens Dead During Clashes With Police

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2:59pm UK, Wednesday 14 August 2013

Egyptian police disperse supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi

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UPS Plane Crash In Alabama Kills Two

A large UPS cargo plane has crashed on approach to an airport in Birmingham, Alabama, killing the pilot and co-pilot.

The plane crashed before dawn. Pic: WVTM-TV

The pre-dawn crash caused at least two explosions, throwing debris across the area.

The plane caught fire, sending a column of thick smoke into the sky as fire trucks and other emergency vehicles rushed to the scene.

Birmingham Fire Chief Ivor Brooks said the pilot and the co-pilot, the only two people aboard the aircraft, were killed. He said both were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

No other casualties have been reported.

It kept burning in the open field where the accident occurred. Pic: WVTM-TV

The Federal Aviation Administration said the A300 plane - en route from Louisville, Kentucky, to Birmingham - crashed on approach to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport at around 5am local time.

The plane went down in an open field that is just outside the perimeter fence of the airport.

Birmingham Mayor William Bell said: "The plane is in several sections.

"There were two to three small explosions, but we think that was related to the aviation fuel."

The plane appears to have struck a massive hardwood tree north of the runway, and the AP news agency said conditions in the area were rainy with low clouds in the early morning.

Emergency crews rushed to the scene. Pic: WVTM-TV

Local news reports say homes and a church were close to the crash site.

The news web site al.com quoted a resident of the area, Eddie Smith, as saying he had heard a loud explosion before dawn.

"It shook my house so hard I jumped up," Mr Smith said, adding he later heard another loud explosion.

The crash has not affected airport operations, a spokeswoman says.

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JP Morgan: Charges Over $6bn 'London Whale'

The United States has charged two ex-JP Morgan traders over the so-called 'London Whale' scandal that resulted in losses of $6.2bn (£4bn).

Prosecutors in Manhattan accused former London-based traders Julien Grout and Javier Martin-Artajo of wire fraud and a conspiracy to falsify books and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) records, according to court papers.

A news conference is expected to confirm later that another former employee Bruno Iksil, who was nicknamed the London Whale over the size of his trades, will not face any charges relating to the allegations.

The case, filed in federal court, claims Grout and Martin-Artajo deliberately tried to hide hundreds of millions of dollars in losses on trades in a portfolio of synthetic credit derivatives.

Lawyers for both men have previously stated that their clients did nothing wrong and JP Morgan spokesman Joe Evangelisti declined to comment on the case.

It is understood that Spanish national Martin-Artajo supervised JP Morgan's trading strategy in London while his French colleague recorded the value of any bad investments.

The charges are the result of an investigation into events surrounding the losses in the London division of JP Morgan's chief investment office.

The losses over alleged wrongdoing first became public in April 2012.

More follows...

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Driver Spends 14 Hours Upside Down In Ditch

A driver has been rescued after spending almost 14 hours trapped upside down in a ditch in his car.

The 44-year-old is believed to have been returning from work in the early hours of the morning when he plunged 20ft (6m) into the water-filled ditch alongside the A2070 in Kent.

He escaped drowning by climbing into an air pocket towards the boot of his MG Z4 but could not free himself from the wreckage.

He was eventually spotted by a passing lorry driver who saw the car's wheels and raised the alarm.

"The car was almost submerged in 4ft (1.2m) of water," said Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) watch manager Allan Brown.

"Firefighters used hydraulic cutting equipment to release the hatchback door so they could check if there was anyone inside.

Firefighters had to winch the car clear of the water-filled ditch

"In order to release him, crews winched the car partially up the bank so it was far enough out of the water to safely remove him."

The driver, named locally as Mark Beckford, of New Romney, was treated at the scene by paramedics.

He was taken by ambulance to the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford where his condition was described as stable.

Rob Sherwood, of KFRS, described the rescue as "very unusual" and praised firefighters who climbed into the ditch to reach the stranded motorist.

"I'd (also) like to praise the lorry driver for spotting the car and calling 999," he said.

"If he hadn't stopped for a look then the man would have been in there even longer and it might have been a different outcome."

:: Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact the serious collision investigation unit at Kent Police on 01622 798538.

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Diabetes: Glucose Testing Strips Recalled

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

More than 1.7 million blood glucose testing strips are being recalled in an urgent safety alert.

A manufacturing fault in two batches of the GlucoMen LX Sensor test strips could result in inaccurate readings and lead diabetics to inject too much insulin, according to the UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

A spokesman for the watchdog told Sky News that the readings could mislead patients to such an extent that they suffer hypoglycaemia - low blood sugar - which can result in a loss of consciousness.

The strips were sold in British pharmacies between October and November 2012.

Two batches of the GlucoMen LX Sensor test strips are affected

The affected containers, which are stamped with lot numbers 3212219249 and 3212214249, expire on August 31, 2014 and are no longer on sale. Other batches are unaffected by the fault.

There are no reports at present of patients being harmed by using the strips, which are manufactured in Italy by Menarini.

Bridget Turner, director of policy and care improvement at Diabetes UK, said: "We would urge people with diabetes who use testing strips to follow advice from the MHRA and check their test strips to see if they are from these batches.

"If they are, they should not use them and take them back to their pharmacist or their GP."

There are an estimated three million diabetics in the UK.

Those with type one or type two diabetes often test their glucose levels several times a day using test strips and a hand-held monitor.

The reading tells them whether they need to inject insulin to bring down high blood sugar, or eat more to increase their blood sugar levels.

:: The MHRA urged anyone with the affected strips to contact Menarini on 0800 243667 for a free replacement.

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Egypt: 'Hundreds Die' In Raids On Morsi Camps

More than 140 people have been confirmed killed after Egyptian security forces opened fire as they tried to clear two protest camps loyal to deposed president Mohamed Morsi in Cairo.

A month-long state of emergency has been declared as violence spread from the capital to other parts of the country including the Mediterranean city of Alexandria.

A curfew from 7pm to 6am has been declared in Cairo, according to reports, as well as ten other provinces including Alexandria and Suez.

The health ministry put the number of dead in Cairo at 149, with hundreds more injured. But the Muslim Brotherhood claimed hundreds had been killed.

Egypt's vice president, Mohamed ElBaradei, has reportedly announced his resignation.

Sky's Middle East Correspondent Sam Kiley, reporting from inside the Rabaa al Adawiya camp in the capital, said it was "under very heavy gunfire" and was a "massive military assault on largely unarmed civilians in very large numbers".

He said government forces were using machine guns, snipers, AK-47 and M16 rifles and were firing into the crowd.

Kiley added: "There are machine gun rounds, and snipers on the roof, that are preventing people from getting any closer to the field hospital (in the camp).

Security forces at one of the camps in Cairo

"I haven't seen any evidence yet of any weapons on the side of the pro-Morsi camp. The camp is very full of women and children."

He said it was a scene of "extreme chaos and bloodshed" and "many hundreds of troops and interior ministry police and special forces are involved".

"The dead and dying are on the steps of an improvised field hospital. The scenes here are absolutely graphic.

"I have covered many wars and this is as severe a battlefield as I have witnessed, with the exception of scenes in Rwanda. There are dozens and dozens of people who have been shot in the head, neck and upper body."

Among those reported killed in the camp was Asmaa al Beltagui the 17-year-old daughter of senior Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed al Beltagui.

Meanwhile, Egyptian authorities have released video footage taken from a helicopter which it said showed gunmen in the camp firing at security forces.

Riot police fire tear gas at members of the Muslim Brotherhood

The unrest spread beyond the capital, as pro-Morsi supporters clashed with police in the Nile Delta cities of Minya and Assiut, as police stations, government buildings and churches were attacked or set ablaze.

In Alexandria, tear gas canisters rained down on a pro-Morsi march in the Sharq neighbourhood, amid repeated bursts of automatic gunfire.

Residents, armed with clubs, came out of their homes and shops to help the police, detaining Morsi supporters and handing them over to officers at the Sharq police station.

Morsi supporters, carrying Egyptian flags and pictures of the deposed leader, then clashed with his opponents on a road carpeted with rocks.

Earlier, riot officers in Cairo backed by armoured vehicles and bulldozers also fired tear gas in the camps at the demonstrators who are demanding Mr Morsi be reinstated as the country's leader.

The interior ministry, which is in charge of police, warned its security forces would deal firmly with protesters acting "irresponsibly" and said it would guarantee safe passage to those who want to leave the two sites.

Raids on the Rabaa al Adawiya and Nahda Square camp

The larger is the Rabaa al Adawiya camp described as a 'mini town' in Nasr City, while the other is in Al Nahda Square outside the main campus of Cairo University in Giza.

The interior ministry later said security forces had "total control" over the smaller camp and police have managed to remove most of the tents in the square.

The Muslim Brotherhood that backs ousted Islamist president Mr Morsi claimed over 250 people had been killed and 5,000 hurt in the crackdown, which is almost certain to deepen political turmoil in Egypt.

It urged Egyptians to take to the streets in their thousands to denounce the "massacre".

"This is not an attempt to disperse, but a bloody attempt to crush all voices of opposition to the military coup," Brotherhood spokesman Gehad al Haddad said on Twitter.

The Rabaa al Adawiya protest camp, where several Brotherhood leaders are staying, "is calling on Egyptians to take to the streets to stop the massacre," Haddad said.

A medic tends to a child at the scene

At least three members of the security forces were confirmed to have died in the crackdown, while the health ministry said nine protesters were killed and over 80 were injured.

The raids came after international efforts failed to mediate an end to a six-week political standoff between Morsi's supporters and the army-backed government which took power after he was ousted on July 3.

Regional television networks showed images of collapsed tents and burning tyres at both sites, as well as protesters being arrested and led away by troops.

A television feed by a pro-Morsi TV station showed thousands of protesters gathered at the centre of the Nasr City site, with many covering their faces to fend off the tear gas.

It said most of the protesters at the other camp fled to the nearby Orman botanical gardens and inside the sprawling university campus.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was "deeply concerned at the escalating violence in Egypt, and regret the loss of life on all sides".

He added: "I condemn the use of force in clearing protests and call on the security forces to act with restraint."

Qatar, Turkey and Iran were among the other countries criticising the deadly crackdown.

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Sky News Cameraman Killed In Egypt

Sky News cameraman Mick Deane has been shot and killed in Egypt this morning.

Mick, 61, had worked for Sky for 15 years, based in Washington and then Jerusalem.

The married father of two was part of our team covering the violence in Cairo. The rest of the team are unhurt.

The Head of Sky News John Ryley described Mick as the very best of cameramen, a brilliant journalist and an inspiring mentor to many at Sky.

Mick Deane was described as an inspiring mentor

"Mick Deane was a really lovely, lovely guy," he said. "He was great fun to work with, he was an astonishingly good cameraman who took some brilliant pictures.

"But he also had a first class editorial brain. He had brilliant ideas.

"He was also good fun after the job was done. He was laid back, and I'm really going to miss him, like lots of people here."

Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor Tim Marshall called Mick "a friend, brave as a lion but what a heart… what a human being".

He added: "Micky was humorous in a dry way, he was wise and when you're on the road with small teams, people like that are diamonds to be with.

"Our hearts go out to his family. He died doing what he'd done so brilliantly for decades."

Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: "I am saddened to hear of the death of cameraman Mick Deane, covering Egyptian violence.

"My thoughts are with his family and the Sky News team."

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