Public 'Duped Into Funding Terror Bomb Plot'

Members of the public were duped into donating thousands of pounds to fund a massive terror attack planned for Britain, a court heard.

Three men on trial for terror-related offences posed as collectors from the Muslim Aid charity and raked in donations through street collections and door-to-door pleas in Birmingham and Leicester last year, a jury at Woolwich Crown Court was told.

Irfan Naseer, 31, Irfan Khalid and Ashik Ali, both 27, allegedly only gave a fraction of the Ramadan collection to the charity, keeping most of it to finance their bomb plot.

Notes found by police suggested they collected £12,100 but the court was told they also lost £9,149.39 by using it to trade in foreign currency over four weeks.

The court previously heard that the men, two of whom are alleged to have received terror training in Pakistan, planned to detonate up to eight rucksack bombs in a suicide attack that would have been bigger than the July 7 bombings in London.

The jury heard that Ali registered two accounts on eBay's online charity website "half in jest" in September 2006 with the user names "terrorshop" and "shopterror", using the email address be--terror@yahoo.co.uk.

One of the accounts was closed down by eBay in October 2006 while the second is active but has never been used, the prosecution said.

Brian Altman QC, prosecuting, said: "However, both reveal his mindset even then, even if the usernames he chose were registered half in jest."

He said the men wore MA t-shirts and tabards to "beguile the public into believing this was legitimate charity collecting, when it wasn't".

"That money was stolen and ... was not intended by the defendants to be used for any other legitimate purpose other than terrorism," he said.

Mr Altman said the collections took place soon after Naseer and Khalid returned from terror training in the Taliban and al Qaeda stronghold of Waziristan in Pakistan at the end of July last year.

The charity had a licence for a single day's collecting, and it received £1,584 from the group at the end of August, the court heard, a fairly typical amount for a day's collection.

In reality, the prosecution claimed, they illegally collected cash over a sustained period, posing as Muslim Aid volunteers without its knowledge.

All the men are accused of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts, which they deny.

Naseer is accused of five counts of the offence, Khalid four and Ali three, all between Christmas Day 2010 and September 19 last year.

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Michael Gove Says Sorry To His Teacher

They say it is never too late to say sorry - and Michael Gove has tested that theory by apologising to his teacher for being a "clever dick" 30 years ago.

The Education Secretary wrote an open letter to Danny Montgomery, who taught him languages when he was a pupil at Robert Gordon's College in Aberdeen.

Mr Gove, now at the very top of the Tory party, said sorry for lurking at the back of the room, asking "clever-dick questions" and indulging in "pathetic showing off".

The letter, published in the Radio Times, says: "It may be too late to say I'm sorry. Thirty years too late. But since apologies from politicians are considered as rare as away wins for Queen's Park Rangers, I hope you will accept mine.

"Because when I look back at the 15-year-old I was, lurking at the back of your French class at Robert Gordon's College in Aberdeen, I cringe.

"You were trying, patiently, doggedly, good-humouredly, to broaden our horizons. You were, without any pretension or pomposity, attempting to coax a group of hormonal lads to look beyond familiar horizons and venture further.

"You weren't just dinning irregular verbs into our heads, you were opening up a different way of seeing. And all we could do was compete to think of clever-dick questions to embarrass you and indulge in pathetic showing-off at your expense."

Mr Gove, 45, wrote that Mr Montgomery had been passionate about French and German but had to deal with a "cocksure crew of precociously assertive boys".

Realising their teacher was only a few years older and a "rookie in the classroom", they decided he was "ripe for ragging", the minister said.

"As I've grown up - and become a father myself - my gratitude only grows. To you, and to everyone else in your profession," he added.

The message to the teacher appeared to be an attempt to show that the minister appreciates the work of all teachers and offset criticism of his education policies.

Mr Montgomery said the letter had "intrigued" him and recalled that even as a child, Mr Gove had stood out from peers and been marked for a career in politics

"I remember the words of one of my colleagues at the time: 'That boy is a future leader of the Conservative Party'," he said.

"This raised a few eyebrows in the staff room but also more than a few nods of agreement from one or two of my more experienced colleagues.

"He was already known for his sharp wit, strongly held beliefs backed by apparently limitless general knowledge and keen debating skills, which resulted in the downfall of many opponents."

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Charles And Camilla's Tour Details Revealed

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will be treated to a barbecue in the outback, an afternoon on Bondi beach and a tour of a special effects workshop used in the making of The Hobbit movie when they visit Australia and New Zealand.

Details of their packed tour, which also takes in Papua New Guinea as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, have been announced.

Camilla will be making her first trip to the three countries, in a private or public capacity, while Charles, a seasoned traveller, has visited the southern hemisphere nations many times.

Among the highlights will be a visit by Prince Charles behind the scenes of the new blockbuster movie from Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson.

The Prince of Wales will see the studio where Gollum was brought to life

He will visit a leading workshop in New Zealand that created special effects for the much anticipated fantasy film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

The heir to the throne will meet the filmmaker on the day of his 64th birthday, November 14, and be shown make-up props worn by actors including The Office star Martin Freeman, who plays the lead character Bilbo Baggins.

A royal aide said that in the workshop, based in Wellington, Charles would "come face-to-face with rather extraordinary, rather terrifyingly in some cases, life-like prosthetics including the feet and hands of the Baggins family".

The themes of the visit include service to the community, encouragement of economic growth and innovation, promotion of youth enterprise, celebration of sport in the community and support for the Armed Forces.

A traditionally colourful welcome is expected in Papua New Guinea

Speaking about the first leg of the tour to Papua New Guinea, which begins on November 3, the aide added: "The visit is centred on the capital Port Moresby but also includes a visit to a nearby fishing village called Boera where a traditional and probably rather dramatic welcome is planned by the local inhabitants."

In Australia, the royal couple have set themselves the task of visiting four major cities - Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney and the capital Canberra - as well as the outback town of Longreach in Queensland and the island state of Tasmania in just six days from November 5-10.

The royal couple have willingly accepted an invitation from race organisers to play an important part in Australia's most famous racing event, the Melbourne Cup, at which Camilla will present the top prize.

The Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse is another highlight of the trip

"We were asked if they would like to do it, and of course they are both great racing fans ... and very touched that they've asked the Duchess to present the Melbourne Cup," Clive Alderton, private secretary to Charles and Camilla, said.

It is a starring role for Camilla, 65, who will overcome a dislike of air travel to make the long trek south.

Other events will see them highlight healthy eating in schools, meet Australian cricketers playing with disadvantaged youngsters and promote the wool trade.

The final leg to New Zealand, from November 10-16, will see the royal couple meet popular children's author Lynley Dodd, writer of the Hairy Maclary stories about the adventures of a hairy dog.

Charles and Camilla will meet survivors of the Christchurch earthquake

The final day takes the royal travellers to Christchurch to see how residents have rebuilt their lives after last year's devastating earthquake.

Details of the tour come as a new survey commissioned by the Australian Republican Movement shows 48% of Australians want a republic.

However, perhaps riding on the popularity of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, only 45% of under-30s questioned want a republic - fewer than any other age group apart from those 70 or over.

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April Jones: Clock Tower Lit Three Weeks On

The clock tower in missing April Jones' home town has been lit up pink, exactly three weeks since the youngster disappeared.

The 24m-tall landmark in Machynlleth, mid-Wales, was illuminated last night at 7pm, the time five-year-old April went missing on October 1.

She was last seen playing near her home on the Bryn-y-Gog estate.

Machynlleth's clock tower was lit for 12 hours - the colour pink chosen because it is April's favourite.

In the countryside around the town, the search for the schoolgirl continues.

Dyfed Powys Police say 150 specialists are scouring mountainous terrain and checking caves, potholes and mines, often in challenging conditions, in the hope of finding the youngster.

The hunt could last until Christmas or beyond.

April's disappearance has shocked the people of Machynlleth, many of whom joined the search for the youngster in the days after she was reported missing.

Pink ribbons have become a common sight around Machynlleth

Earlier this month, more than 700 people joined a procession through the town to St Peter's Church, where an emotional service was held.

Many of those in the congregation wore pink ribbons, which have also been tied to gates and lampposts in the area.

Chinese lanterns have also been released in the weeks since her disappearance.

Mark Bridger, 46, from Machynlleth, has been charged with April's murder and abduction.

He was remanded in custody until January 11 after appearing via video link at Caernarfon Crown Court on October 10.

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Badger Cull Pilot Delayed Until Next Summer

Badger Cull: Cases For And Against

Updated: 3:35pm UK, Tuesday 23 October 2012

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

The badger cull has been delayed by a simple counting exercise that went badly wrong.

Just days before the cull was due to start in Gloucestershire and Somerset, fresh research showed there were twice as many badgers living in the areas than previously thought.

That left farmers with an impossible task. They had to cull 70% of badgers within six weeks, or risk badgers spreading bovine tuberculosis to other areas.

But badgers tend to stay underground over winter, further reducing the time they had to complete the cull.

So it will now be the spring, at the earliest, before a cull will start.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) says it is still committed to a cull.

Last year 34,000 cattle had to be slaughtered after developing TB. Compensation for farmers and other costs totalled £150m.

Ministers - and most farmers - say measures to control cattle-to-cattle transmission cannot stop the spread of the disease on their own. Controlling TB in the badger population needs to be done at the same time.

Independent research shows that by trapping, and then shooting, badgers in a defined area the number of cattle herds affected by TB could be reduced by 16% over nine years.

Defra now wants to pilot the cull in two areas before rolling it out nationwide. But to save money it will allow licensed farmers to shoot badgers out in the open, without trapping them in cages first.

However scientists have warned that shooting free-running badgers could undermine the benefits of a cull.

It could lead to more animals fleeing - and if they are carrying TB there is a risk more cattle outside the culling zone will be infected.

So it could make the tuberculosis problem worse, not better.

The economics of the cull have also been questioned. One scientist calculated that a cull over a 50sq km area would cost £1.5m - much of it allocated to policing protesters.

But the cull would only save £972,000 in compensation to farmers for infected cattle.

So while Defra has insisted the cull is a "science-led" policy, the majority of scientists believe it has been a political decision.

In Wales, the government studied the same scientific evidence before deciding to vaccinate badgers, rather than kill them.

In England, Defra says vaccination is expensive and may not control the disease because the vaccine is ineffective if the animal is already infected.

But the growing public opposition to the cull, led by Queen guitarist Brian May, left the Government position looking precarious.

More than 150,000 people signed a petition against the policy, forcing a debate in the House of Commons later this week. And the Badger Trust is mounting a legal challenge.

This could all lead to the Government abandoning the cull next year. That would be an embarrassing U-turn for the Government, which had to back down over plans to sell-off off woodlands following a similar public uprising.

Taking on one of Britain's best loved wild mammals was never going to be easy.

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Jimmy Savile: BBC Boss Questioned By MPs

BBC boss George Entwistle has defended the broadcaster's handling of the Sir Jimmy Savile scandal but admitted it has affected trust in the corporation.

The director-general, who was questioned by the Culture, Media and Select Committee for two hours, told MPs he believed a Newsnight investigation into the star should have gone ahead.

And he revealed the corporation is now investigating up to 10 "serious allegations" involving past and present employees over the "Savile period".

Mr Entwistle called the Jim'll Fix It star a "skilful and successful sexual predator who covered his tracks" and said it was impossible to view the claims with "anything other than horror".

He conceded that the alleged abuse would have been impossible had there not been a "broader cultural problem" at the BBC but stressed there was not yet enough evidence to say it was "endemic".

Mr Entwistle said: "There's no question that what Jimmy Savile did and the way the BBC behaved ... the culture and practices of the BBC seems to allow Jimmy Savile to do what he did, will raise questions of trust for us and reputation for us.

"It is a gravely serious matter and one cannot look back at it with anything but horror that his activities went on as long as they did undetected. Of course, that is a matter of grave regret to me."

He added: "I would accept that there have been times when we have taken longer to do things than in a perfect world I would have liked.

"But I think if you looked at what we have achieved since the scale of the crisis became clear, I think you see we have done much of what we should have done and done it in the right order and with proper respect paid to the right authorities."

George Entwistle after his committee appearance

Mr Entwistle's appearance before MPs came hours after the BBC broadcast a Panorama programme looking at why a Newsnight investigation in December 2011 into the allegations was dropped.

He argued that the programme was an illustration of the corporation's health rather than a "symptom of chaos" because it showed it could interrogate its own corporate handling of events.

But he admitted that after watching Panorama himself, he had come to the view that Newsnight's work should have been allowed to continue.

The director-general told MPs there had been a "breakdown in communication" between reporters working on the investigation and their editor Peter Rippon.

The allegations about the presenter and DJ only emerged when ITV broadcast a documentary at the start of this month, which sparked accusations of a BBC cover-up.

It also generated major concerns about why persistent rumours about Savile were never properly looked into when he was alive and about the wider culture at the BBC.

Police have called Savile a sexual predator

Mr Rippon wrote a blog explaining the decision not to proceed with the show, indicating it was down to what they had discovered about the police handling of the Savile investigation.

This was then relied on by management setting out the BBC's position but the corporation was later forced to admit the account was "inaccurate or incomplete".

The editor, who has now stepped aside to focus on the internal inquiry, was strongly criticised by Mr Entwistle for spreading confusion.

"There's no doubt that it is a matter of regret and embarrassment that the version of events recorded in Peter Rippon's blog on October 2 did not turn out to be as accurate as they should have been," he said.

"What I relied upon is something that in my BBC career I've always been able to rely upon, which is the editor of a programme having a full grip and understanding of an investigation they were in charge of.

"In this case that doesn't appear to have been the case, and that is disappointing."

The director-general denied there had been any "managerial pressure" to drop the story and said head of news Helen Boaden had only briefly spoken to the Newsnight team.

She had reminded Mr Rippon that the same journalistic standards had to apply even though Savile was dead but Mr Entwistle insisted this was an appropriate point to make.

Newsnight editor Peter Rippon (Jason Alden/Rex Features)

"The decision was made by Peter Rippon on his own account. What was going on in his mind at the time is something we have got to rely on the Pollard Review to interrogate as best it can," he said.

Mr Entwistle was warned by Ms Boaden at an awards lunch on December 2 that the Newsnight investigation could affect plans to broadcast a tribute to Savile over Christmas.

He insisted it would have been straightforward to reorganise the schedule if necessary but admits giving it little thought at the time because it was clear the story was not ready.

"If someone had said to me 'We are happy with this, this is ready to broadcast', then at that stage I would have expected to engage fully with the consequences," he said.

Pressed on his reaction, he said: "I don't remember reflecting on it. This was a busy lunch. It wasn't that I didn't want to know. What was in my mind was this determination not to show an undue interest."

He added: "I don't believe I did fail, but I believe the system as a whole seems not to have got this right."

Asked whether he now regretted going ahead with Savile tribute programmes, he said: "In the light of what's happening, of course I do."

His appearance piles pressure on Mr Rippon, who will have to explain himself to the BBC's own inquiry which is being led by former head of Sky News Nick Pollard.

MPs have said they will wait for the outcome of the inquiry before deciding whether to summon Mr Rippon.

A separate internal audit of the BBC's child protection policies has also been launched and will report in December.

David Jordan, the BBC's head of editorial policy, insisted the set-up had been "transformed since the 1960s and 1970s" to ensure the safety of children on site.

The corporation is also bringing in Dinah Rose QC to look at how it handles sexual harrassment cases.

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Ben Needham Search: Children's Toys Found

By Mike McCarthy, Sky News Correspondent, in Kos

Police have discovered parts of toys that Ben Needham may have been playing with on the Greek island of Kos before he went missing.

The samples were found by archaeologists supporting a team of investigators at the spot where the toddler went missing aged 21 months.

Inspector Colin Hope, who is part of the specialist search team, said: "We have found small parts of what look like tiny cars. We have found some wheels, we have found a bonnet.

"But we have also found plastic bits of toys like little heads from dolls and that kind of thing ... a whole range of toys really, including the sort of items we are looking for."

Mr Hope said Ben was known to have had a couple of toy cars.

It is not yet known whether the items, which have been shown to the Needham family, belonged to the toddler.

Excavators have now dug two metres below ground and archaeologists say they have reached the level the ground was at when Ben disappeared in July 1991.

Dr Nicholas Marquez-Grant, an archaeologist from Oxford University, said: "What I am trying to look at in general crime scene work is graves, for example.

"What I am doing here (on Kos) is to establish what the natural layer of soil is. We know from maps and databases what we are looking for - particular layers of a certain colour."

Police are raking and sifting soil dug up by a JCB on a hillside location overlooking the Aegean Sea. The area is not far from Kos town and is surrounded by olive and lemon groves.

A beer can with a sell-by-date of 1992 and a number of animal bones are among the items discovered so far.

Forensic anthropologists are on site to examine the finds.

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Battle Of Britain Hero William Walker Dies

William Walker: An Obituary

Updated: 3:32pm UK, Tuesday 23 October 2012

By Chloe Culpan, Sky News Online

Flight Lieutenant William Walker, who was the oldest surviving pilot from the Battle of Britain and a published poet, has died peacefully, surrounded by family, aged 99.

Born on August 24, 1913, William said one of his earliest memories was lying in his pram and looking up to see a German Zeppelin airship caught in search lights.

He lived the first few years of his life during World War One and went on to fight for his country during the Battle of Britain, a turning point of World War Two.

William developed a love for flying early on and so when, a few years later, the opportunity arose to join the RAF, he was excited to get involved.

In the 1930s he spotted a sign at Croydon Airport offering flights for five shillings and persuaded a friend to go and try it. He said seeing the ground below blew him away and from then on he was "totally hooked".

William joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve at Oxford in September 1938 and was called up when WWII broke out in 1939. He said he was "obsessed" with qualifying for the RAF and getting his wings.

Not even a serious crash during a night flight deterred him. After the incident he returned to his base, where his superior said they thought he was dead and asked if he would like to go on leave. Without a second thought he said "no", and he praised the day he did for the rest of his life.

During the battle in 1940, he was shot down by a Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter while trying to intercept the enemy near Dover. He received a bullet to his leg and the plane was so badly damaged he had to bail out at 20,000ft. He survived because he was wearing his 'Mae West' life jacket and was eventually brought ashore to Ramsgate, having been rescued by a fishing boat.

Crowds cheered as he was brought in and despite suffering from hypothermia at the time, he remembers a woman congratulating him and handing him a packet of Players cigarettes.

The ambulance to an RAF hospital took a while and got lost many times because all the road signs had been altered to confuse the Germans. When he finally arrived and was operated on, the doctor told him the bullet - which he kept - flew out of his leg and hit the ceiling.

After the war he went back to his job in the brewery trade. He started at the bottom of Ind Coope Breweries as an apprentice and steadily worked his way up through the ranks to management, eventually becoming chairman of the company.

He said that having done every job in the business, he fully understood how the company and its people could operate at their best. When he retired, shareholders were receiving a healthy dividend.

In retirement, William kept himself busy seeing his grandchildren, doing crosswords and writing poetry. He also spent a large amount of time in America, visiting air shows and raising awareness of the Battle of Britain.

In 2011, the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust published a book of his poetry. To date, sales have generated more than £7,500. William has given the copyright to the charity, which is raising money for the Wing Appeal to build a learning centre in Kent. It is hoped the building will educate people about the Battle.

One of his best known poems, Our Wall, can be seen on a permanent plinth near the Battle of Britain Memorial wall at Capel-le-Ferne.

In September, William was presented with his portrait, commissioned by Prince Charles' Prince's Trust artists. He said the drawing "showed him warts and all" and "made him look old" - although he was in his 100th year.

William was remarkably fit and lived independently right up until he suffered a stroke on October 18. He died three days later.

He married Claudine Walker, one of the Mawby Triplets - who starred in several Hollywood films in the 1920s and 30s - in August 1941. They separated later in life and she died in September 2012. They had seven children, two having pre-deceased them.

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Storytime for SamCam At Charity Launch

As a busy mother, Samantha Cameron has already had plenty of practice reading to her own children.

But the Prime Minister's wife clearly enjoyed a wider audience when she dropped into the Westfield centre in west London.

Mrs Cameron treated a group of schoolchildren to a reading of The Snail and the Whale, which is one of her own children's favourites.

The event marked the launch of Save the Children's Christmas partnership with Westfield.

The book is a favourite of the Camerons' children

Schoolchildren at the reading were from Larmenier and Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and are competing in an annual choir competition to raise funds for the charity.

The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson - who also wrote The Gruffalo - and illustrated by Axel Scheffler is about a tiny snail who hitches a lift on a whale's tail.

They go on a journey taking in icebergs and volcanos before the whale is beached and the snail has to save the day.

Mrs Cameron also decorated Christmas baubles

Mrs Cameron said: "It was a pleasure to share one of my children's favourite books this morning to launch Save the Children's new Christmas partnership with Westfield.

"It is heartbreaking that eight million children under five die each year and I'm proud to support Save the Children's life-saving work and the No Child is Born to Die campaign."

Justin Forsyth, Chief Executive of Save the Children, said: "Save the Children is working tirelessly to stop children dying from preventable illnesses like diarrhoea or pneumonia and this partnership will bring us a step closer to ensuring that every child has a chance to fulfil their potential."

After the reading, the PM's wife decorated baubles with the children which will be sold in aid of Save the Children in the run-up to Christmas.

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Duggan Inquest: Family's Hope For 'The Truth'

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

Mark Duggan's family have spoken of their relief that an inquest into his death will go ahead in January.

They believe the eight-week public hearing will allow the truth to come out about the controversial shooting.

Armed police shot the 29-year-old dead in Tottenham in 2011, sparking rioting and looting in north London that quickly spread.

At a hearing in Barnet, coroner Andrew Walker decided the inquest into Mr Duggan's death will go ahead on January 28 as planned.

Among the family members attending, his aunt Carole Duggan said: "We are relieved with that because we have been in limbo for so long.

"In January the public will get what we get - the truth."

Shaun Hall and Carole Duggan in Barnet

Mr Duggan's mother Pamela, who was also in court, has previously challenged the accounts of what happened that day.

In August this year she told Sky News she believed her son was "assassinated".

Outside the coroner's court, Mr Duggan's brother Shaun Hall said: "This is the first time we have left here with a bit of hope that finally we can get the truth come out, everyone will hear the truth.

"The coroner was not prepared to lie down, he does want to see this in front of a jury as we do. All we are looking for is the truth."

In court, the family's barrister Michael Mansfield said they felt a "deep sense of injustice" over widely publicised accounts of Mr Duggan's death which emerged as part of a separate criminal trial.

He argued there should have been a reporting ban on the recent trial of Kevin Hutchinson-Foster, 30, who was accused of supplying Mr Duggan with a gun 15 minutes before he died.

A jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court failed to reach a verdict in the case earlier this month.

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