Badgers Should Be Gassed, Princess Anne Says

The Princess Royal has been criticised by animal rights campaigners after she described the gassing of badgers as a "much nicer way" to control them than shooting them.

Gassing has been banned since 1982 and is considered inhumane by animal rights activists. 

But Princess Anne said she believed most people "will tell you that gas is a much nicer way of doing it, if that's not a silly expression".

"Because of the way it works. And how it works is that you go to sleep, basically."

Speaking about the recent badger cull pilot programmes designed to reduce TB in cattle, Princess Anne said controlling the spread of the disease was just one reason for killing the animals. 

"From a conservation issue alone, you'd have to say there are too many badgers. A bigger growth in the badger population is not good for the balance of conservation anyway," she told the BBC's Countryfile programme.

A third of one cattle herd at Princess Anne's Gatcombe estate in Gloucestershire - where one of the pilot culls took place - has been wiped out by bovine TB over the past two years.

Princess Anne farms at her Gatcombe estate in Gloucestershire

An independent experts' report has found the "controlled shooting" of badgers could deliver the level of culling needed to bring about a meaningful reduction of TB in cattle.

Humane Society International UK executive director Mark Jones said a reintroduction of gassing would result in a "slow and painful" death for many badgers and possibly other animals.

"Gassing experiments carried out at Porton Down in the early 1980s were abandoned because of the appalling levels of suffering to which the badgers were exposed," he said.

"Lethal concentrations of gases in complex badger setts are difficult to achieve, making sub-lethal exposure and associated suffering highly likely."

His remarks were echoed by Green Party animals spokeswoman Caroline Allen.

The badger cull pilots sparked widespread protests

Ms Allen, a working vet, said: "It is very sad that a high-profile figure such as Princess Anne has chosen to weigh in to the badger debate showing even less awareness and even more ignorance on the issue than we have come to expect from Secretary of State Owen Paterson.

"Defra has clearly stated that gassing with cyanide should never again be considered and there are no alternate gases available without similar unacceptable effects."

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said last year that gassing badgers was being considered but would only be used if proven to be safe, humane and effective.

The Government recently announced the pilot culls would continue this year but will not be extended to other areas.

Princess Anne also spoke of her support for genetically-modified crops in the interview.

"I think the claims are probably slightly greater than most of the deliverables actually are. They do add to our ability to perhaps be more efficient users of the land," she said.

And she admitted she "seldom" discusses the subject with her brother Charles, who once suggested the method risked creating "the biggest disaster environmentally of all time".

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Mafia Boss 'The Professor' Arrested Again In UK

An alleged Italian mafia boss has been arrested on a fresh international warrant a week after he was told he was free to remain in the UK.

Domenico Rancadore had been told by a judge he could return to his home in Uxbridge, west London, after prosecutors withdrew their appeal against a ruling that blocked his extradition to Italy.

But he was arrested in Uxbridge on Friday night on a European Arrest Warrant by officers from Scotland Yard's extradition unit.

The 65-year-old was taken into police custody and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London later this morning.

Scotland Yard said in a statement: "(The warrant) alleges that he has an outstanding sentence of seven years' imprisonment to serve for participation in Mafia association between December 17, 1987 and April 13, 1995 in Palermo, Italy."

The warrant was issued in Italy and certified by the UK's National Crime Agency.

The house in Uxbridge where Rancadore was arrested

Rancadore - known as "The Professor" - was arrested in Britain last August after 20 years on the run.

He had won his legal fight against extradition on March 17 on the basis that returning to Italy's overcrowded prisons would breach his human rights.

At a hearing last week, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed they had lodged an appeal, but said it was not served within the statutory time limit and was therefore being withdrawn.

Rancadore fled to England in 1994 with his wife and two children, and lived under the false name of Marc Skinner.

Italian authorities claim he was a leading figure in the Cosa Nostra, a Sicilian mafia group controlling Trabia near Palermo.

He is one of Italy's most wanted criminals and was sentenced to seven years in prison in his absence.

Italian police claim he was involved in extortion, racketeering and drug trafficking.

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Cheers! More Booze-Free Bars For Britain

By Gemma Morris, Sky News Reporter

A growing number of alcohol-free bars cropping up across the UK could signal a shift in attitudes towards drinking.

Catherine Salway set up a dry bar in London last year after spotting a trend in young people wanting to be healthier and cutting back their drinking.

She said: "If you're 30 now, you've grown up in an environment where everyone is getting lashed all the time ... and really, as young people want to do, they are questioning the status quo which is to say why is socialising constantly linked with being drunk all the time?"

Catherine Salway spotted the trend for dry bars

Ms Salway funded her Redemption bar independently, but a number of other dry bars in the country have been backed by alcohol charities.

These have included venues in Nottingham and Liverpool.

Sophie Fordham, a university student who has blogged for Alcohol Concern, reckons younger people are becoming more open to the idea of alcohol-free bars.

"Say you go out three nights a week, if you replace that with one night at a chilled out, nice place, where you don't have to think about spending money on alcohol, you don't have to think about how you're getting home ... It's just a nice alternative," she said.

Instead of cocktails it's mocktails

Figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest UK alcohol habits are changing among young people.

The number of people, aged 25-44, who said they had had a drink in the previous week dropped from 74% to 63% for men and from 62% to 50% for women, between 2005 and 2012.

Other research appears to show a reduction in teenagers drinking alcohol too.

Former Coronation Street star Kevin Kennedy, better known to soap fans as Curly Watts, is a recovering alcoholic who hasn't had a drink for 17 years.

Kevin Kennedy, who has been sober 17 years, is hoping to join the trend

The actor is hoping to open his own dry bar in Brighton.

"I think in the UK we have got a kind of reputation of being just drunks, especially abroad and I think people are getting fed up of that. I think as a collective we are growing up," he said.

But when customers at a typical London pub were asked if booze-free nights can be as fun as alcohol-fuelled ones, the reaction was not overwhelmingly positive.

One drinker said: "I don't think it would be very fun because that's the whole point of a bar isn't it, that it serves alcohol?"

Another added: "Fun sometimes comes when you lose your inhibitions and alcohol helps you lose your inhibitions."

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Arif Biomy: Police Appeal For Missing Teen

Police are appealing for help to find 13-year-old Arif Biomy, who went missing from his home in Camden, north London, on Tuesday.

The teenager was last seen dressed in a grey hooded top, black trousers and black shoes.

Officers say they are growing concerned for his safety and welfare.

Police say Arif suffers from learning difficulties.

He is described as an Asian male with short dark hair and brown eyes.

The teenager is of a slim build and has a scar on the right side of his face, near his eye.

:: Anyone with information should contact police on 999.

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UK Smog Set To Ease As Cleaner Winds Move In

Air pollution levels will drop towards the weekend as cleaner winds move in from the Atlantic, Defra has said.

Ambulance services in the UK have reported a spike in the number of emergency calls from people suffering with asthma, lung problems and heart conditions as a result of smog.

The poor air quality has been triggered, in part, by dust from the Sahara Desert whipped up by a large storm in north Africa.

During the day on Thursday, air pollution reached "very high" - the highest on a scale of 1-10 - in London and the South East.

Yellow areas show "moderate" air pollution. Pic: Defra

But these levels will drop to moderate or low as the southwesterly winds move in.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: "England and Wales will have moderate or low levels of pollution as the cleaner southwesterly winds extend their influence north and east.

"Low levels are expected across Scotland and Northern Ireland."

Sky weather producer Joanna Robinson said: "Air pollution has been a big concern across England and Wales over the last few days, with some locations in the South East reporting very high levels.

"To really improve the air quality we need a change in air mass and the arrival of lower pressure, which will help disperse the pollutants into the higher atmosphere.

"Thankfully, we'll see that change on Friday. Southwesterly winds will develop, bringing in cleaner air from the Atlantic, but it may take some time for eastern England to see the effects.

"Overall there'll be improvements in the air quality going into the weekend, with just low levels of pollution forecast by Sunday."

The Shard in London is obscured by smog

London Ambulance Service said it had received 14% more 999 calls from people suffering with breathing difficulties. West Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed it had also seen a rise in emergency calls.

A poll of asthmatics by the charity Asthma UK also found about a third had suffered an attack as a result of the smog, while 84% had used their blue reliever inhaler more often than usual.

The pollution reached record levels in Harrow, northwest London and Rochester, Kent.

Health warnings were issued for people exercising strenuously outdoors

Public Health England has advised adults and children with lung problems, as well as adults with heart conditions, to consider reducing strenuous physical exercise, especially outdoors.

Some of the dust has appeared as red speckles on car windscreens and other outdoor surfaces after being deposited by rain.

However, many of the health fears surround particulates - the tiny chemical particles emitted by diesel-powered cars and industry that can be inhaled deep into the lungs.

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Dawlish: Damaged Railway Reopens After Repair

David Cameron has paid tribute to workmen after they completed a £35m repair project on the badly damaged rail line at Dawlish.

The Prime Minister was in Dawlish to deliver on his pledge made in February that he would do "everything I could" to get the line back in action.

He said: "This is a great day for the hard-working people of Dawlish, and for businesses and commuters across the South West whose lives have been turned upside down by the devastating loss of their train line."

Storms caused a 100m breach in the sea wall at Dawlish

Mr Cameron added: "Back in February when I visited the town to see the damage for myself, I promised to do everything I could to get to this vital artery back up and running as quickly as possible.

Half of Dawlish train station has been rebuilt after the storms

"I am delighted to say that promise has been delivered today. A promise which says that the South West is well and truly open for business."

The rail line became a symbol of politicians' failure to adequately respond to the chaos caused by widespread flooding during a months of storms.

The coast-hugging line bore the brunt of the severe weather

A 300-strong team has spent weeks repairing the line, which was badly damaged on February 4 when the sea wall was breached during storms.

The line which links Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance was forced to close after part of the wall collapsed.

A team of 300 workers spent weeks fixing the line

Shipping containers were put into place in Dawlish to act as a temporary sea wall, but they suffered damage after further storms in February and engineers also discovered a cliff face just south of the village in Teignmouth had sheared away above the track.

As part of the repair work, half of Dawlish station has also been rebuilt, new cabling has been installed and the sea wall breach has been fortified with more than 6,000 tonnes of concrete.

National Rail chief executive Mark Carne said: "Our army of engineers has done an amazing job of putting back together a railway that was ravaged by the elements.

"They have overcome every obstacle thrown at them, winning many battles along the way to restore this critical piece of the network, ahead of schedule, and in time for the Easter holidays."

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Teenage Student Yashika Bageerathi Deported

A teenager at the centre of a deportation battle has left the UK on a plane to Mauritius.

The removal of student Yashika Bageerathi has gone ahead after a last-minute attempt to secure an emergency injunction failed.

The 19-year-old is being flown back by Air Mauritius, which has issued a statement saying it "regrets this situation".

Her headteacher Lynne Dawes told Sky News the teenager had been put on the plane at Heathrow surrounded by four security guards.

She said: "I just can't believe they are sending her home.

"I thought some compassion would be shown."

Her tearful mother had pleaded with the authorities to allow her to stay to complete her A-levels.

"Do not force her like that to be alone," she told Sky News.

A petition against her deportation attracted around 175,000 signatures

And supporters have vowed they will fight for her to be able to return.

Earlier, a judge at London's Law Courts had rejected an application to halt her removal, in order to give her legal team more time to take her case to the Court of Appeal.

Such stay orders are granted only if a judge decides the case raises issues which are arguable and merit a further hearing.

A spokesman for the teenager's school, Oasis Academy Hadley, in Enfield, north London, said they were extremely disappointed at the judge's decision.

He said: "We thought there was a solid legal case for her to stay while she finished her A-levels.

"It's worrying the legal system doesn't reflect the heart of the people of this country."

There had been calls for Air Mauritius not to take her on the plane.

In a statement, the airline said it had not been in a position previously to take Miss Bageerathi as not all conditions had been met.

But it subsequently received a "directive" from the UK authorities on April 1.

The statement said: "All conditions having been satisfied, the company had no other choice than to abide by the directive.

"The company has taken all steps to ensure that the flight of Miss Bhageerathi takes place in the best  possible conditions.

"Air Mauritius regrets this situation, but as all airline companies cannot but abide by decisions taken by relevant authorities."

Miss Bageerathi's MP David Burrowes said he was "deeply disappointed" by the deportation order.

The A-level student has been held at Yarl's Wood immigration detention centre in Bedfordshire since March 19.

A campaign against her deportation has attracted around 175,000 signatures to an online petition.

She has already had two late reprieves from deportation after airlines apparently refused to fly her home.

Immigration Minister James Brokenshire told MPs he would intervene only in "exceptional" cases, and this did not fall into that category.

He said her case had been through the proper legal process and resulted in a Home Office decision that she does not need protection from violence or persecution.

Miss Bageerathi came to the UK with her mother, sister and brother in 2011 to escape a relative who was physically abusive and claimed asylum last summer.

She was due to take her A-level exams next month.

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Hillsborough Inquests To Hear 'Pen Portraits'

Hillsborough Inquests Running Order

Updated: 12:13am UK, Thursday 03 April 2014

The evidence will be presented to the Hillsborough inquests in the following order.

1 - Background evidence. Otherwise known as 'pen portraits'. This will either be a family member reading a statement or a family statement read on their behalf. These 'pen portraits' will present each victim's character, plans and prospects.

2 - Overview. The jury will be presented with uncontroversial background facts. They will hear about the stadium - how it was in 1989 and what it is like now. A virtual reconstruction of the stadium will be presented to the jury so they will know what the stadium was like in 1989. There will also be evidence from a structural engineering expert.

3 - Jury visit to Hillsborough stadium. This will be a one-day visit where the jury will be shown relevant routes and the coroner will point out important features.

4 - Stadium safety. This evidence will focus on the Hillsborough stadium, its history, the way it was modified including looking at the roles of Sheffield Wednesday, the FA and South Yorkshire County Council among others. Evidence will also be given from a structural engineering expert.

5 - Preparation and planning. This will include evidence from police, emergency services and Sheffield Wednesday into the planning and preparation that was made for the FA Cup semi-final on 15 April 1989.

6 - Evidence relating to the day of the disaster. This will include evidence from supporters, local residents, police officers, stewards, ambulance staff among others. The evidence will be presented in chronological order.

7 - Expert evidence on policing and pre-hospital emergency care. Expert witnesses will be called to speak about practices and standards which applied in 1989 to policing and emergency response.

8 - Experiences of 96 people who died. The jury will hear evidence about the movements of each person through the crowd, their place in the fatal crush and the care given to them afterwards. This section of evidence will involve looking at video evidence.

9 - Pathological evidence. The jury will hear from a team of pathologists. There will be at least five pathologists. The experts will give evidence about the medical cause of death of each of the 96 people.

After all the evidence has been presented there will then be a break of one week. The coroner will then summarise all of the evidence that has been presented.

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Smog Creeps Over UK As Pollution Hits Level 10

Air pollution has reached the highest possible level in some parts of the country, with "very high" readings reported in London and Kent.

High levels of smog are also forecast for East Anglia, the Midlands, Lincolnshire, the Wirral and the north coast of Wales and a health warning remains in force for millions of vulnerable people.

The elderly, people with asthma and those with lung and heart conditions are being told to take precautions, with forecasters warning the smog will not clear until Friday.

Sky News Correspondent Lisa Dowd, at the Acute Medical Unit in Solihull, near Birmingham, said the clinic had seen a "slight increase" in the number of people coming in with respiratory problems possibly linked to the poor air quality.

Forecast for April 2, 3, 4. Dark red, purple are highest levels. Pic: Defra

Karen, who was among the patients admitted, said: "The breathing problems I suffer with have been getting worse.

"It's been getting to harder to get about. Normally I'd be able to walk to the shops but yesterday I had to catch a taxi instead."

Parts of England are experiencing the highest level of air pollution ever recorded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), in part due to dust from the Sahara.

Level 10 readings were reported at monitoring sites in Harrow, northwest London, and Rochester, Kent.

A view of London's Canary Wharf on Wednesday

The plummeting air quality - caused by a cocktail of dust from the Sahara desert, domestic pollution and European emissions, coupled with low southeasterly winds - has led a number of charities and health bodies to warn of possible health risks.

Sotiris Vardoulakis, of Public Health England, said: "On occasions where levels are high, adults and children with lung problems, as well as adults with heart problems, should reduce strenuous physical exertion, particularly outdoors, and particularly if they experience symptoms.

"Anyone experiencing discomfort such as sore eyes, coughing or sore throat should consider reducing activity."

The UK's 3.6 million asthmatics are being advised to use their blue reliever inhalers more often.

Some commuters have taken to wearing face masks

Kay Boycott, chief executive of Asthma UK, said: "The two-thirds of people with asthma who find that air pollution makes their asthma worse will be at an increased risk of an attack following the alarming Defra warning of high pollution levels around the country."

Saharan dust gets blown over to Britain several times a year, with the latest episode caused by a large wind storm in North Africa.

Cars in some areas of the country have been covered with speckles of the dust.

The World Health Organisation estimates seven million premature deaths annually are linked to air pollution.

The UK is not the only place to be hit by increased smog levels.

Last month, Paris imposed a day-long driving ban after pollution particles in the air exceeded safe levels for five straight days.

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Edinburgh School Checks After Wall Tragedy

Urgent checks are being carried out at schools in Edinburgh after a wall collapsed in a changing room killing a 12-year-old girl.

Keane Wallis-Bennett died after the "free-standing modesty wall" fell on her at Liberton High School shortly before 10am on Tuesday.

All similar walls are to be inspected by building surveyors this morning, Edinburgh City Council said.

Police and health and safety officials have launched an investigation into the death.  

Parents were informed of the death by text message

Liberton High School will not reopen this week and a full council survey will be conducted before students return from the Easter holidays in three weeks.

Keane's death comes just weeks after Edinburgh City Council was fined £8,000 after a girl at the school was seriously injured when she fell nearly five metres down a broken-down lift shaft.

The 15-year-old schoolgirl suffered three fractured vertebrae and a sprained wrist as a result of the accident in December 2011.

There have been reports that students at Liberton High raised concerns about the safety of the wall, but the council said a survey of all schools in its area between 2012 and 2013 had not identified any problems.

Parents gather at the entrance to the school after the tragedy

A spokesman said: "As a precaution, specialist council building services staff will be surveying all similar walls in schools where we know that they exist.

The survey work will begin early on April 2.

"As a further precaution, a full survey will be carried out on Liberton High School in the coming days before the main school building re-opens to pupils."

Flowers were left at the school gates and tributes were paid to Keane on social media in the hours following her death.

One bunch of flowers included a card which read: "Rest in peace Keane. God has gained another angel."

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Air Pollution Levels Soar In England And Wales

Air quality is expected to plummet to its lowest possible level in parts of the UK today, as the country continues to feel the effects of desert sandstorms.

The elderly, people with lung problems and adults with heart conditions have been told to avoid strenuous physical activity, as plumes of dust blown in from the Sahara and deposited by rain send air pollution soaring.

London and the South East, including parts of East Anglia, Kent and Essex, are expected to be worst hit.

However, high pollution levels are expected to spread across much of England and Wales during the course of the day.

The bright red colour shows the dust heading towards the UK

A spokesman for the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the effects will be felt anywhere south of a line stretching from Merseyside to The Wash.

It will be the second day in a row the country has been hit by heightened smog levels.

On Tuesday, Defra recorded "high" to "very high" air pollution levels across East Anglia, parts of southeast England and around the Humber.

The agency spokesman told Sky News: "The high level of air pollution this week is due to a combination of local emissions, light winds, pollution from the continent and dust blown over from the Sahara."

Speckles of 'Sahara dust' on a car windscreen in London

Many in the country have woken up over the last few days to see a thin level of red sand coating cars and streets.

However, unlike the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud of 2010, which caused airports across Europe to shut down amid fears dust could cause engine damage, air traffic controllers said they were "not aware" of any likely disruption to flights.

A spokesman for the Met Office said: "A large amount of sand and dust was swept up by storm winds in the desert, around 2,000 miles away in northwest Africa.

"The airborne particles were blown north to the UK, where they combined with our warm air and were deposited during showers."

Forecaster Paul Hutcheon added: "We usually see this happen several times a year when big dust storms in the Sahara coincide with southerly winds to bring that dust here.

"More dust rain is possible during showers expected later this week."

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), air pollution is the world's most serious environmental health risk.

It found pollution, ranging from cooking fires to car fumes, was linked to seven million deaths in 2012 - roughly one in eight.

Rising smog levels are linked to dust blown from the Sahara

The biggest pollution-related killers were heart disease, stroke, pulmonary disease and lung cancer, the WHO said.

England is not the only place to be hit by increased smog levels recently.

Last month, Paris imposed a day-long driving ban after pollution particles in the air exceeded safe levels for five straight days.

Air quality is expected to return to higher levels by the weekend.

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Nationwide - Home Prices Up 10% In Last Year

Average house prices have risen by nearly 10% in the last year, according to a property survey.

Nationwide said year-on-year prices were up 9.5% in March, the biggest annual jump since mid-2010.

The March figure was up on the 9.4% recorded in February and the 8.8% rise in January, the building society said.

The average house price in Britain reached £180,264 in March, it added.

The figure was still around 3% lower than the unadjusted inflation peak recorded by the lender in 2007.

Nationwide chief economist Robert Gardner said: "There is little doubt that the recovery in the housing market is now firmly established, with activity levels picking up and house prices recording their 15th successive monthly increase in March.

"(But) there are some tentative signs of moderation."

On Monday, the Bank of England (BoE) released mortgage lending data that showed approvals slowed in February, possibly reflective of the unstable weather across Britain.

Mr Gardner said a combination of greater credit availability, green shoots of growth and low mortgage rates were all boosting property demand.

However, he warned of the continued lag in housing stock supply.

"The number of new homes being built in England is still around 40% below pre-crisis levels, and this was already insufficient to keep up with the increase in the number of households being formed," he said.

Last month, Chancellor George Osborne said the Government would extend its Help to Buy scheme, which involved the provision of equity loans to buyers of newly built homes until the end of the decade.

BoE governor Mark Carney has played down suggestions that the housing market is overheating.

But the bank refocused its Funding for Lending scheme away from mortgage lending and dedicated it exclusively to business lending at the start of this year.

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Sniper Kills Six Taliban With One Bullet

A British sniper killed a suicide bomber and five Taliban insurgents with a single bullet after hitting the trigger switch of the bomber's device from 930 yards (850 metres).

The shot from the 20-year-old marksman, a lance corporal in the Coldstream Guards, caused the bomb to explode.

The blast killed the bomber and five men around him, the Ministry of Defence said.

The unnamed shooter prevented another attack as a second suicide vest packed with explosives was found nearby.

Lieutenant Colonel Richard Slack, the commanding officer of 9/12 Royal Lancers, told The Daily Telegraph: "The guy was wearing a vest. He was identified by the sniper moving down a tree line and coming up over a ditch.

"He had a shawl on. It rose up and the sniper saw he had a machine gun.

A British sniper carrying his L115A3 long range rifle with suppressor

"They were in contact and he was moving to a firing position. The sniper engaged him and the guy exploded.

"There was a pause on the radio and the sniper said 'I think I've just shot a suicide bomber'. The rest of them were killed in the blast."

The incident, which happened in December in Kakaran, southern Afghanistan, has just been disclosed. It is reported the soldier was using the L115A3 long-range rifle.

The Ministry of Defence describes it as a "state-of-the-art weapon used to locate and eliminate enemy activity".

The same sniper also killed another Taliban fighter from 1,465 yards (1,340m) with his first shot after arriving on the tour of duty, according to the Telegraph.

British troops are preparing to pull out of Afghanistan by the end of the year as local forces take full control of the security situation.

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UK Prisons 'Are Revolving Door For Offenders'

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

More than one in three offenders sentenced in the year up to September 2013 had 10 or more previous convictions, Sky News can reveal.

Figures released by the Ministry of Justice lay bare the scale of career criminality across England and Wales.

Of the 177,597 people with prior convictions running into double figures, 14,646 had more than 50.

Sky News was given exclusive access to Wormwood Scrubs in London, where one prisoner explained he had 20 convictions and 10 prison sentences behind him at the age of 34.

Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary, said prisoners released into society had a huge "temptation" to turn to alcohol or drugs and slip back into the lifestyle that landed them in jail in the first place.

Sky's Anushka Asthana talks to a prisoner inside Wormwood Scrubs

He said one of the problems was that people who carried out short jail sentences of under 12 months were released with no support whatsoever.

Today's figures show that over a six-year period - up to 2011 - huge numbers of crimes were committed by people who had been let out of prison just months earlier.

There were 84,564 thefts including burglary, 11,751 violent crimes and 901 sexual offences committed within a year of a short sentence ending.

The MoJ is hoping to reduce such crimes by a change this June that will see the vast majority of offenders, including those on short sentences, face supervision for a year after release.

The prisoner - who asked not to be named - said he repeatedly slipped back into a cycle of committing commercial burglaries.

One of the biggest problems was a lack of housing when he left prison, leaving him surrounded by the "wrong people" who encouraged the criminal behaviour.

He said his family were devastated as they were hard-working and had brought him up the right way.

"It breaks (my mum's) heart, and that breaks my heart," he said.

Prisoners 'are at a crossroads when they walk out of jail'

Locked up alongside him in the prison's C-wing were the same faces again and again, he added, calling it a "revolving door".

He said he hoped a mentoring scheme at the prison, which will see him met at the gates by a volunteer, will help place him on a better path.

David Redhouse, the deputy governor at Wormwood Scrubs, said the important thing was to try to get prisoners through the first few months as that was when re-offending rates were highest.

He said the men in C-wing were at a crossroads when they walked out - and needed support to encourage them not to return to criminality.

Mr Redhouse described how the prison used vocational training - with painting courses, job sessions, welfare support and IT classes. There was also a programme through which prisoners come face-to-face with victims.

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Royal Mail Sell-Off 'Cost Taxpayer Millions'

Taxpayers lost out on more than £1bn due to the Government's low valuation of Royal Mail shares during its privatisation, the National Audit Office has found.

The public spending watchdog concluded ministers showed "deep caution" when pricing the shares last year.

As a result, on the first day of trading alone, Royal Mail's new shareholders benefited to the tune of £750m - money which could have gone to the public purse.

Royal Mail shares, which were sold at 330p each, are now trading more than two-thirds higher than the price at which they were sold by the Government. Today they were trading at 565p.

The Royal Mail share price since flotation last year

The NAO report concluded the Business department should not have relied so heavily on their City advisers, while the Public Accounts Committee chairwoman Margaret Hodge accused Vince Cable's department of being "clueless".

The Government sold £2bn of shares in October, amounting to 60% of the company, and favoured priority investors such as Standard Life, Fidelity and BlackRock hoping they would be long-term investors.

In the event, the 12 priority investors sold all or some of their holdings, making a significant profit, within the first few weeks of trading.

Vince Cable has defended the sale

Amyas Morse, head of the NAO, said: "The department was very keen to achieve its objective of selling Royal Mail and was successful in getting the company listed on the FTSE 100. Its approach, however, was marked by deep caution, the price of which was borne by the taxpayer.

"The Government retained 30% of the company. It could have retained even more and allowed the taxpayer to participate further in the rapidly increasing share price and thus limit the cost to the taxpayer."

The report does, however, say the Business Secretary was right to reject bankers' gold-plated valuations of Royal Mail of more than £9bn.

Defending the sell-off, Mr Cable said: "Achieving the highest price possible at any cost and whatever the risk was never the aim of the sale.

How the sale broke down

"The report concludes there was a real risk of a failed sale attached to pushing the price too high, and a failed sale would have been the worst outcome for taxpayers and jeopardised the operation of Royal Mail going forward.

"The report also comprehensively demolishes the argument that the Government should have relied on the price valuations of some banks who were pitching for the contract to sell Royal Mail.

"The NAO confirms we have protected taxpayers from the risk of needing to offer ongoing support to the company as well as safeguarding the vital six-day-a-week service that customers and businesses around the country rely on."

Critics of the sale have seized on the axing of 1,300 jobs and a hike in stamp prices in recent days as evidence of the folly of privatisation.

Royal Mail employees received 10% of the business

Unite national officer Brian Scott said: "This report is startling proof that the Government sold off the country's family silver on the cheap.

"The privatisation of Royal Mail was wrong in every way. The loser is the UK taxpayer and the tragedy is that money that should be flowing into the Treasury for schools and hospitals is going into the pockets of private investors."

Some 10% of Royal Mail was handed free to employees during the privatisation.

Taxpayers were left with a 30% stake that is now worth around £1.6bn.

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Death Rate Down After Warm Winter Weather

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

The mild winter dramatically reduced the number of deaths, particularly among the elderly, research by Sky News has shown.

Between the start of December and mid-March, 10,881 fewer people died in England and Wales, a drop of 6.7% compared to last winter and 5.2% down on the five-year average.

It is the lowest winter mortality for at least eight years, largely because of the unusually warm winter and low rates of flu.

Hospitals also benefited from the benign weather. They had feared a surge of patients over recent months but have coped far better than last year.

Dr Simon Eccles, a consultant in emergency medicine at St Thomas' Hospital, London, said: "In some ways we got away with it this year.

"Had we had a particularly cold snap, had we had a large outbreak of flu or winter vomiting virus, most hospitals would have really struggled to cope.

"Clearly people had planned and there was some additional money, though broadly similar to sums we had in previous years.

"But we were, in many ways, saved by having a mild winter."

Sky's analysis of death registrations published by the Office of National Statistics shows the drop in deaths this winter was particularly marked in the elderly, with 7.2% fewer 75-84-year-olds and 9.9% fewer over-85s dying compared to last year.

With the recent rain came unseasonal warmth

Older people have weakened immune systems, making them vulnerable to chest infections and flu.

Their bodies are less able to respond to cold temperatures, putting extra strain on their hearts.

The Department of Health gave the NHS an extra £250m to recruit more accident and emergency staff and add additional capacity for the anticipated surge in patients needing treatment.

But thinktank 2020 Health said the Government could not claim the credit.

Its chief executive Julia Manning said: "Ministers are probably breathing a massive sigh of relief because the amount of extra money they gave was quite small.

"The weather really worked in the NHS' favour. We had very little snow and almost no ice, particularly in southern England.

"People didn't have the falls and fractures they would have done normally, so the demand in A and E just wasn't what was predicted."

This winter has been the fifth warmest on record.

Met Office data shows mean temperatures between December and February were 1.6C higher the long-term average in England. Wales was 1.5C warmer than average.

The Department of Health is already looking back on hospitals' performance over recent months so it can plan for next winter.

It declined to comment on why A and E units coped better than expected this year.

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Man Killed Walking On M61 Motorway

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9:29am UK, Sunday 30 March 2014

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Student Deportation to Mauritius Halted

Student Yashika Bageerathi who faced deportation to Mauritius without her family will not be removed today as planned.

The 19-year-old had been told she would be flown back at 5pm on Mother's Day.

Before the latest reprieve, Miss Bageerathi, who is being held at Yarl's Wood immigration detention centre in Bedfordshire, told Sky News she wanted to be with her mum.

There has been a growing campaign against her deportation led by her school, and backed by MP David Burrowes, who represents Enfield Southgate.

More than 40 people gathered outside Parliament on Saturday afternoon to protest over her removal, and on online petition has received almost 155,000 signatures.

Lawyers were due to make a last-ditch legal bid to prevent the deportation on Sunday.

Miss Bageerathi came to the UK in 2011 with her mother and two younger siblings to escape alleged physical abuse by a relative, and claimed asylum in the summer of 2013.

She had been attending the Oasis Academy Hadley school, where she was described as a first-class student, until she was detained at Yarl's Wood on March 19.

Sky's Clare Fallon said Miss Bageerathi was informed she would not be on the Sunday flight from Heathrow, late on Saturday night, but was not told the reason why.

Home Secretary Theresa May has said it would not be appropriate to "interfere" with the case.

More follows...

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