War Widows To Keep Pensions After Remarrying

War widows will be able to keep their pensions if they remarry under changes to Armed Forces pension schemes to be introduced next year.

Prime Minister David Cameron has announced the changes following a long-running campaign for equal pension rights for partners of those serving in the Armed Forces.

Currently, war widows receiving pensions from schemes in place between 1973 and 2005 lose their entitlements if they co-habit or remarry.

But the new pension arrangements will ensure a spouse or civil partner of all members of the Armed Forces will retain their pension for life if they remarry after April 1 next year.

The scheme is expected to affect some 3,000 widows and cost an estimated £120m over 40 years.

Mr Cameron said it is "absolutely wrong" that under the current system some Armed Forces widows lose their pension if they choose to remarry.

"This means that people, who have made huge sacrifices for our country, have had to make an agonising choice between their financial security or loneliness," he said.

"That's why I was determined to put this right and to respond to the concerns of many who have campaigned for a long time on this issue.

"And I am delighted to announce that we will change the rules to ensure that when our Armed Forces widows find happiness with someone else they can keep their pension for life.

"This reflects our clear commitment to uphold the Armed Forces covenant which we enshrined in law."

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Call For Probe Into 'Cannibal' Killer's Releas

The decision not to monitor a man who then murdered a woman in a reported act of cannibalism after he was released from prison must be investigated, a Welsh politician has said.

Cerys Marie Yemm, 22, died after an attack at a homeless hostel in the village of Argoed, South Wales.

Sources have said she was found with substantial facial injuries.

Police fired a 50,000-volt Taser at Matthew Williams to try to stop the attack in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The 34-year-old was arrested but later became "unresponsive" and died in custody

Matthew Willliams is understood to have served time for violent offences

It is believed Williams had recently been released from jail after serving time for violent behaviour.

Welsh Assembly member William Graham said it was vital to look into the terms of the killer's release.

"It is now clear that Mr Williams posed a risk to the public and I am extremely concerned that monitoring appears to have been deemed unnecessary," he told the BBC.

"If true, a wider inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his release is urgently required.

The attack happened at a homeless hotel in the village

"Questions must be answered by authorities and a full explanation provided on the decisions taken in this extremely tragic case."

Gwent Police have said they are not looking for any other suspects in the murder investigation.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has also started its own probe into the suspect's death.

The post-mortem examination on Miss Yemm has started but Chief Inspector Paul Staniforth said it would "take some time".

He refused to be drawn on gruesome speculation over the attack, telling reporters it was "unhelpful and very upsetting for the family of the deceased".

It is believed Miss Yemm, who worked at Next, had met her attacker through mutual friends.

"I feel stunned, shocked and sick to my stomach," said a friend, who did not want to be named.

"It's horrific. She was a lovely person. She didn't deserve to die like that."

People in Argoed, 20 miles north of Cardiff, have told Sky News they are "sickened" by the apparent savagery of the attack.

The Sirhowy Arms Hotel - where Miss Yemm was discovered - is used by Caerphilly Council to house homeless people while they wait for permanent accommodation.

Local resident Susan Gibbs told Sky: "We have had a lot of problems up there. Every other week, well every other day sometimes, there are police up there."

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Hidden Stories Revealed Through WW1 Footage

By Frazer Maude, North Of England Correspondent

For years, George Lumb's memories of his grandfather as a soldier were based on a handful of black and white photographs from almost 100 years ago.

But one night whilst surfing the web at his home near Rotherham, he came across some video footage from 1915 on the Yorkshire Film Archive's website.

It showed 1,000 troops of the 5th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment parading through York before being sent to the front.

The 5th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment

And there, on the front row of squad of marching soldiers, he saw his grandfather, George.

"It's amazement more than anything," he said. "We're talking almost 100 years ago and there he is as a young man, with thousands of other young men who went through that war.

Video: Royals Plant Symbolic Poppies

"I am proud of him. And that's me being deep because I'm not that sort of person - I might think it but I don't say it a lot."

There are touching moments in the film like a young girl running across the parade ground, or a woman holding a soldiers hand as he marches over York's Lendal Bridge. 

The regiment were to see some of World War One's most gruelling campaigns. They were also the first regiment to face the horrendous phosgene gas attacks.

Video: WW1 Soldiers Reinterred In France

But despite an arduous campaign, George Lumb and his two brothers, John William and Alburt, all returned home safely to Yorkshire.

The footage forms part of the archive's Filmed And Not Forgotten project to allow public access to their collection.

Martin Watson from the YFA said: "What I think is startling for us is that this is not a happy occasion, but it is an upbeat occasion.

Video: WW1 Centenary: Lights Out In London

"The soldiers are smiling, it's their chance to fight for King and country, they're pleased to go, to make a difference. There isn't that desperately sad feeling that we see later in the war."

For us, almost 100 years on from this film being made, it's a chance to see, close up, the faces of the men we do so much to remember.

The film can be seen here, and the YFA would like to hear from anyone who finds a connection with any of the films in the archive's remarkable collection.

Video: Europe Honours WWI War Dead

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NHS Trusts' Cash Crisis 'Unsustainable'

The Government was forced to plough over half a billion pounds in emergency cash into struggling NHS trusts in England last year, according to a "deeply alarming report".

The National Audit Office (NAO) report said the gross deficit of health trusts rose by 150% from £297m in 2012/13 to £743m in 2013/14.

It found a quarter of NHS and foundation trusts were in deficit by the end of the financial year, with the number in the red rising from 25 to 63 over 12 months.

Some £511m was spent bailing out 31 trusts in England in 2013/14 - nearly double the £263m spent in the previous year - including 16 trusts that had not previously needed a cash injection.

Amyas Morse, head of the NAO, said: "An increasing number of healthcare providers and commissioners are in financial difficulty. The growth trend for numbers of NHS trusts and foundation trusts in deficit is not sustainable."

Video: Expert Panel On Future Of The NHS

Margaret Hodge, chairwoman of the Public Accounts Committee, added: "This is a deeply alarming report. I do not believe it is an exaggeration to say that the future sustainability of our National Health Service is at risk.

"Things are getting worse rather than better and we all know that when trusts are under this kind of financial stress it is the quality and safety of patient care that can suffer.

"The department, NHS England, Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority between them must explain to my committee how they are going to get a grip on this wholly unsustainable situation and get our NHS back on track."

The Department of Health (DoH) allocated £95.2bn to NHS England in 2013-14 to pay for NHS services, the NAO said.

NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said: "Week in, week out NHS staff go the extra mile to ensure their patients get excellent care.

Video: Where Should NHS Money Come From?

"But an ageing population, a growing population and the possibilities of new treatments all mean that pressures are real and we need to get going on the new path set out in the NHS five-year forward view."

The DoH said the NHS budget had increased by £12.7bn since 2010 and the majority of health providers are still in financial balance or better.

A spokesman said: "Financial discipline must be as important as safe care and good performance. Many NHS organisations are already achieving this and all understand the need for greater efficiency.

"Our reforms put power in the hands of local doctors and nurses to make decisions and control their own budgets to make sure patients receive the best services."

Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said "serious questions" need to be asked about how the "financial crisis".

Video: 'Keep Your Mitts Off My NHS'

She said: "There is clearly an urgent need for addressing these financial issues and there is a need for targeted programmes which will improve the funding situation and enable better care for patients.

"We cannot use lack of funding as an excuse for poor patient care and every effort must be made to ensure that the NHS provides safe high quality care and maintains dignity for its patients at all times."

Andy Burnham, Labour's shadow health secretary, said: "This report delivers a devastating verdict on the NHS re-organisation David Cameron said would not happen. It has brought the NHS to the brink of bankruptcy by wasting £3bn."

He demanded that the Prime Minister lays out an urgent plan to show how he will turn the NHS around and insisted that a Labour government would rescue the health service by funding more staff as part of a promise to spend £2.5bn.

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Fifty Years Of Drink-Drive Adverts Hit Home

Fifty years of drink-drive messages have dramatically changed the public's attitude, with nearly all drivers saying they would be ashamed to be caught over the limit, according to a survey.

But the Government's THINK! campaign found young people were seven times more likely to think it acceptable than 55 to 64-year-olds.

Seven percent of 18 to 24-year-olds said drink-driving was still okay, compared with just 1% of their elder peers.

Deaths from drink-driving have fallen dramatically since adverts began

Overall, the poll of 2,000 people found 91% agreed boozing and driving was socially unacceptable, while 92% said they would be ashamed to fail a breath test.

The first drink-drive campaign, in 1964, used the setting of an office Christmas party to warn people about getting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol.

Video: Drink-Driving Advert From 1982

Half a century later a new campaign, contrasting the 1980 song Celebration with a dramatic crash scene and its aftermath, is hoping to remind people to never take the risk.

Drink-driving road deaths have fallen from 1,640 in 1967 to 230 in 2012.

But it took a while for it to become a social faux pas.

In 1979, more than half of male drivers admitted drinking and driving on a weekly basis, rising to two thirds for young male drivers.

More than 88% of people now say they would look down on someone who boozes and gets behind the wheel.

Video: Drink-Driving Advert From 1978

Some 45% of people surveyed said they would rather tell their partner they watch pornography regularly than confess to being caught drink-driving.

However, the decline in women drink-driving appears to be slower than in male drivers, according to separate AA research.

It said the number of men failing a breathalyser after an accident had dropped by 17.6% between 2010 and 2013 (2,992 compared with 2,466).

For women the drop was only 5.9% (853 to 803).

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "The change in attitudes to drink-driving over the last 50 years is a huge success story.

Video: Drink-Driving Advert From 1964

"It is hard to imagine now how shocking and ground-breaking the first drink-drive campaigns were when they launched. Clearly THINK! has had a significant impact.

"Most of us understand drink-driving wrecks lives, but there is further to go. In 2012, 230 people were killed in drink-driving accidents - 230 too many.

"This makes the THINK! campaign as relevant as ever."

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Village In Shock Over 'Cannibal' Death Claim

A woman murdered in a South Wales village was found with substantial facial injuries, sources have said, after unconfirmed reports described it as a cannibalistic attack.

The 22-year-old died from her injuries at a bed and breakfast in Argoed, in the Valleys, in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Police fired a 50,000 volt Taser at her attacker to stop him and 34-year-old man Matthew Williams was restrained and arrested.

He later died in custody.

Gwent Police said they were not looking for any other suspects in the murder investigation.

Matthew Williams was Tasered by police and later died

The victim has not yet been named and officers have refused to comment on her injuries or reports they were in a relationship.

The attack happened at around 1.30am at the Sirhowy Arms Hotel, used by Caerphilly Council to house homeless people while they wait for permanent accommodation.

"This has hit the community for six," said Leon Gardiner, deputy mayor of the village, 20 miles north of Cardiff.

He told Sky News: "This is the sort of thing you don't ever expect... We've just got to live with it and hope that the hurt goes away - but it will take a long time."

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has started its own probe into the suspect's death.

A Gwent Police statement confirmed "a Taser was discharged and a 34-year-old local man was arrested".

It added: "Whilst under arrest, the man became unresponsive. Officers and paramedics administered first aid but he was also pronounced dead at the scene."

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Petrol Price Guarantees Demanded By Treasury

A failure by petrol firms and supermarkets to pass on the full benefit of falling oil prices to customers filling up at the pumps would be an "outrage", a Cabinet Minister will warn.

Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander is to demand guarantees from fuel companies and distributors that they are doing all they can to pass on the price cuts to hard-pressed motorists.

Danny Alexander is seeking assurances on petrol prices

Mr Alexander will use a speech in Aberdeen to say consumers feel petrol prices rise "like a rocket" when oil costs go up, but fall "like a feather" when they come down.

And people would "rightly be angry" if they felt prices were not coming down as much as they should.

Video: 'We Still Pay Too Much For Fuel'

Brent crude slumped as low as $82 (£51) a barrel earlier this week, its lowest level in just over four years due to concerns about over-supply.

The Liberal Democrat frontbencher will say: "Especially in the current economic circumstances people would rightly be angry if they feel that pump prices don't fall as much as they should on the back of falling oil prices.

"I believe it's called the rocket and feather effect.

"The public have a suspicion that when the price of oil rises, pump prices go up like a rocket.

"But when the price of oil falls, pump prices drift down like a feather."

However, investigations into the failure to pass on the fall in the price of oil has been inconclusive.

Mr Alexander is to write to the industry's major players "seeking their assurance that they are doing all they can to pass on the benefit of falling oil prices as quickly as possible".

He will say: "When the price of oil falls, the public have a right to expect pump prices to fall like a stone, not a feather."

Video: Cuts: A Loss Leader Or Real Deal?

However, motoring organisations were quick to say there was more then Government could do that just put pressure on oil firms.

RAC Foundation director Professor Stephen Glaister said: "It is encouraging that Mr Alexander shares the concerns of the nation's drivers but in a way he is passing the buck.

"The biggest driver of pump prices remains the Government. Well over 60% of the price is tax."

AA president Edmund King said: "They themselves could do more.

"First, policies to help strengthen the pound by just 10 cents against the dollar would double the potential for a 2p-a-litre fall in the price of petrol to 4p.

"Secondly, the Government's failure to introduce fuel price transparency, showing the relationship between oil, wholesale and pump prices, has helped no one."

Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Chris Leslie said: "Of course it's right that drivers should benefit from falling oil prices with lower prices at the pumps.

"But since 2011 people have paid 3p more on every litre of petrol because the Lib Dems broke their promise and backed the Tories in raising VAT."

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Video Shows Ashya King Progress After Treatment

The family of cancer patient Ashya King have released a video showing how he is recovering after specialist treatment.

Ashya can be seen smiling at his siblings and appears animated during the therapy session in Spain.

The five-year-old reaches for objects while sitting on a bed and mimics playing a piano in the video posted to YouTube by his brother Naveed.

Ashya's parents Brett and Naghmeh King sparked an international search in August after they took him out of a hospital in Southampton against doctors' advice following an operation to remove his brain tumour.

Ashya mimics playing the piano during a session with medics in Spain

Mr and Mrs King were arrested in Spain after travelling there with Ashya and his six brothers and sisters - hoping to sell their apartment to fund proton beam therapy treatment.

They were reunited with Ashya - who had been admitted to a Malaga hospital - after four days and flew by air ambulance to Prague for the treatment, which is not widely available in the UK.

Last month Mr and Mrs King spoke exclusively to Sky News as Ashya finished his six-week treatment in the Czech capital - and said they still feared UK authorities might try to take their son away from them.

Mr King said:  "At the moment we don't feel 100% safe, I suppose you would call it, contemplating being in England until perhaps they do this investigation into how everything was conducted for us.

"Once that has been established then we can think about going back to England.

Video: How Proton Beam Therapy Works

"But for the time being we have been in contact with a doctor in Spain so we are continuing with treatment in Spain instead of England."

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Police Claim To Have Foiled College Attack

Police in Newcastle believe they have foiled a plot "to cause serious harm" at a college in the city.

A statement from the Northumbria force said their investigation had prevented the attack from taking place.

An 18-year-old man has been charged with possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, possessing ammunition with intent to endanger life, and five counts of possessing an explosive substance, namely a pipe bomb, with intent to endanger life.

Liam Lyburd was arrested at an address in Hamilton Place, in the Arthurs Hill area of Newcastle, on Monday, 3 November.

He is due to appear before North Tyneside Magistrates Court today.

Newcastle College Principal Carole Kitching said: "I would like to reassure staff, students and their families that their safety has been paramount to us and the college remains a safe place to study.

"Officers will be on patrol around the campus to offer reassurance and anyone who is concerned can speak to an officer or contact the college's welfare team.

"People should attend the college as usual. We have an extensive network of CCTV cameras monitoring key areas inside buildings and across the campus and our security staff are on duty 24 hours a day."

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Drinking In Pregnancy Could Be Made Illegal

By Hind Hassan, Sky News Reporter

Drinking while pregnant could become a criminal offence after a court case to be heard today, women's charities have said.

A local authority in the North West of England is seeking criminal injuries compensation for a six-year-old girl in care who has ''growth retardation'' caused by her mother's alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Both the local authority and the young girl cannot be named.

If the Court of Appeal agrees that the mother committed a crime, the ruling could lead to the criminalisation of taking necessary medication or refusing a caesarean section, campaigners have warned.

The lawyer acting on behalf of the council, Neil Sugarman, told Sky News that the court case was not aiming to criminalise pregnant women who drink.

But he said: "The mum was drinking excessively and was warned not to - so we believe it's a crime as set down by the definition of the scheme."

The compensation would be paid by the taxpayer, not the child's mother.

The case will be heard at the Court of Appeal on Wednesday with a ruling expected at a later date.

Campaigner Susan Fleisher adopted her daughter Addie - now 27 - when she was three-years-old.

It was years later that she was diagnosed with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), caused by her birth-mother drinking alcohol while pregnant.

Ms Fleisher said: "When she was 11, I was at a conference for adoptive parents and they started talking about FAS and my daughter had all the traits; the facial features, the learning difficulties.

"It's a long list, and I thought 'could this be what my daughter has?' It was caused by alcohol."

Following her daughter's diagnosis, Ms Fleischer set up the charity National Organisation for Foetal Alcohol Syndrome UK, which provides support to the families of and those with FAS.

Despite her daughter's condition, Ms Fleischer doesn't back the idea of criminalising drinking while pregnant.

She said: "No mother intentionally harms her child.

"Women do it either out of ignorance, either they haven't been told, their husbands encourage them to drink or they have a problem with alcohol."

Clare Murphy from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service said the case risks setting a dangerous precedent.

"If a woman finds herself in this situation we really need them to confide in health professionals, not criminalising pregnant women when what they need is help and resources," she said.

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Credit Threat To Child Maintenance Dodgers

Parents who refuse to pay child maintenance face being turned down for credit cards and mortgages.

Under government plans, details of those who default on contributions towards their child's upbringing will be shared with credit reference agencies, threatening their credit score.

Having a weak credit rating can mean people are refused forms of financial credit such as personal loans, mortgages, credit cards, hire purchase finance arrangements and mobile phone contracts.

Even if someone is not turned down for credit, a blotted history could mean that they are given a smaller credit limit or charged a worse rate of interest.

Information about non-payment of child maintenance could be shared with credit reference agencies at the point where a liability order is made against a parent.

These are granted after an application is made to a court for legal recognition of a debt.

Just under 1.5 million child maintenance cases are being overseen by the Child Maintenance Service and the Child Support Agency and in the majority of cases, parents who no longer live in the family home do contribute towards their child's upbringing.

Between April 2013 and March 2014, 12,410 liability orders were granted.

The new powers, which are subject to parliamentary approval, will also mean that parents with a good payment record can ask that this information is shared if they feel that it could boost their ability to get credit.

Child Maintenance Minister Steve Webb said: "For too long, a minority of absent parents have got away with failing to pay maintenance, leaving families without that financial support.

"This Government is determined to take action to tackle this kind of irresponsible behaviour and support families.

"I would hope that we see this power used very little, because the deterrent effect of a possible negative mark on a person's credit rating will convince those who have previously failed to pay towards their children's upbringing to do the right thing."

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M&S Profits Up But Warm Autumn Hits Clothing

M&S has reported a 2.3% rise in half year profits but said its troubled clothing division was ht by an unseasonably warm September.

Its latest results marked a 13th consecutive quarterly fall in underlying sales of general merchandise, which includes its clothing offering, while web sales fell more than 6% in the six-month period.

M&S said its margins improved in the first half, helping it drive underlying profits higher for the first time in four years to £268m and it signalled that shoppers should not expect discounting ahead of Christmas by raising its non-food margin projections.

The food business, which has been growing steadily against a backdrop of struggles elsewhere, continued to impress in the 26 weeks to 27 September with sales up 3.6%.

M&S Simply Food stores are helping drive profitability

M&S said the success of its Simply Food stores meant it was planning to open 200 new outlets over the next three years.

The company insisted that it had turned around womenswear - with sales rising 1.3% over five months and improved customer feedback.

It did not provide a six-month figure. 

Chief executive Marc Bolland told Sky News he was pleased by the performance, saying "style is back" and "wraps are in."

Mr Bolland, who took over in 2010, said the group was improving "step by step" but a new clothing team he set up in 2012 has so far failed to deliver a sustained increase in sales.

M&S estimated a 1.3% hit to clothing from "unseasonal conditions" in September - with the mild weather, also charted by rivals Next,  not helpful for shifting high-margin winter coats, knitwear and boots.

Mr Bolland has spent over £2.3bn to address decades of under-investment, overseeing the revamp of products, stores, a new website and marketing.

He said the disappointing internet sales figure was a consequence of the new website, which has cost M&S £150m.

Mr Bolland blamed a "massive change, moving to a new platform."

Shares in M&S, which were down almost a fifth over the past year ahead of today's results, rose 6.5% when trading began on the FTSE 100. 

More follows...

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Muslims Push Back Against Extreme IS Brutality

The sophisticated way Islamic State has used social media strategies to promote its brutal campaign of terror has been seen as one of the defining hallmarks of the new threat facing the West.

Twitter, YouTube and a host of lesser known apps have been used to spread the group's propaganda - dominated by the ruthless beheadings of US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and of British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning.

Yet the group's mastery of modern technology as a means to communicate with potential followers is now threatening to undermine it.

Mr Henning was captured by IS in Syria

The first videos posted by the terror group earlier this year showed them as freedom fighters riding tanks and pick-up trucks through the desert.

But later posts depicted the group in a much darker light, murdering hundreds of locals in Syria and Iraq as fighters advanced through large tracts of land, taking over towns and villages, killing anyone who refused to convert to Islam, or who opposed their ideology.

Video: Henning Murder 'Backfired' On IS

As shocking as those events undoubtedly were, for many in the West the true horror of the terror group only hit home after it began beheading its Western hostages and posting those videos online.

Each death attracted global condemnation, but it was the plight of Salford taxi driver Alan Henning that captured most attention.

All sections of society, all colours, all religions united to appeal for Mr Henning's release.

Video: Social Media Aiding Terrorists

Nowhere were those voices louder, than in Britain's Muslim communities, an uncompromising assertion that Alan Henning was a force for good and that Islamic State should show him mercy.

Sulaimaan Samuel, a safeguarding mentor for the Government's anti-extremism programme, says Islamic State's decision to murder the charity worker was a turning point, a realisation that the this terror group had no redeeming qualities.

It will in turn he says, deter many young people, who may have considered heading off to Syria, to think twice - the taxi driver's death he says, may have saved thousands of lives.

Video: How Is Islamic State Funded?

No one doubts Islamic State's tech-savvy young jihadists and their new media expertise have helped attract hundreds to their cause.

But their eagerness to broadcast their extreme brutality has also had an unintended consequence for IS - triggering a significant push back from the wider Muslim community.

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GCHQ Chief Says Social Media Aids Terrorists

The new head of GCHQ has accused social media websites of helping terror groups and called for closer ties with intelligence agencies.

Robert Hannigan, who began his new role at the UK's eavesdropping agency on Monday, said US technology companies must work more closely with intelligence agencies to prevent terrorists from misusing their services to avoid surveillance.

In an article in the Financial Times, he said: "However much they [tech companies] may dislike it, they have become the command and control networks of choice for terrorists and criminals, who find their services as transformational as the rest of us."

Robert Hannigan wants closer ties between tech firms and security agencies

He added that GCHQ, MI5 and SIS "cannot tackle these challenges at scale without greater support ... including [from] the largest US tech companies which dominate the web".

Islamic State militants have been using the likes of Twitter and YouTube to post material online, including videos of the murders of British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning and US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff in Syria.

Video: How Is Islamic State Funded?

Mr Hannigan said that smartphone and other mobile technologies increased the opportunities for terrorist activity to be concealed in the wake of the exposing of secret cables and documents collected by US and UK authorities by whistleblower Edward Snowden.

He called for better arrangements to allow security and intelligence agencies to police online traffic.

Jamie Bartlett, author of the book The Dark Net: Inside The Digital Underworld, said it was a difficult issue for internet service providers.

He told Sky News: "It is incredibly difficult for them [intelligence agencies] and the police and indeed on the big internet service providers to actually get a handle on just how much propaganda, how much material is being produced and shared by Islamic State and other terrorist groups on these platforms.

"What we've seen with Islamic State and indeed every other terrorist group is quite a sophisticated way of avoiding censorship.

"Islamic State has been really very good at creating hundreds of different accounts on Twitter and Facebook and every time they're closed down, they simply start again."

Emma Carr, director of Big Brother Watch, denied internet companies were failing to assist in investigations.

She said: "The Government and agencies have consistently failed to provide evidence that internet companies are being actively obstructive.

"These companies have consistently proved through their own transparency reports that they help the intelligence agencies when it is appropriate for them to do so, which is in the vast majority of cases."

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Henning Murder 'Turned Tide' On IS Recruitment

By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

The beheading by Islamic State of British aid worker Alan Henning may have led to thousands of lives being saved because it has deterred young Muslims from joining the jihad, a member of the government's top anti-radicalisation programme has claimed.

So brutal and callous was the murder of the Salford taxi driver that it has "turned the tide" of British people looking to join the fight in Syria and Iraq, Sky News has been told.  

In an exclusive interview, Sulaimaan Samuel, who works as a National Safeguarding Mentor for Channel, a Home Office scheme to tackle people judged to be at risk of radicalisation, told Sky News that IS propaganda tactics had "backfired".

It is the first time anyone who works as part of the project has given a detailed insight into IS tactics and the threat the group poses online.

Mr Henning was murdered by IS in October

Mr Samuel said the "grotesque" beheading of US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff in August and September led the Muslim community to start to seriously question IS.

British aid worker David Haines was also beheaded later that month. But it was the murder of Mr Henning in October that was the "turning point", Mr Samuel said.

Video: IS Propaganda 'Backfiring'

"I would personally say to Alan Henning's family: do not think his death has been some type of waste because it hasn't, because his death at the hands of IS is the very thing that has caused the Muslim community to realise that what IS stands for is wrong and can never be condoned.

"In Alan's death he has managed to save thousands of lives now and in the future of people who might potentially have been drawn into going out. He will be saving lives in the future.

"What IS has done has backfired."

Security Minister James Brokenshire said he believed the relative effectiveness of the terror group's own brutal propaganda machine had opened people's eyes to the true nature of IS.

1/6

1. Gallery: Profile: Alan Henning

   Alan Henning, 47, was born in Salford, Greater Manchester. Friends gave him the nickname "gadget" due to his love of technology

2. He was married for 23 years and he had a teenage son and daughter

3. He worked as a self-employed taxi driver

4. Mr Henning saw the plight of Syrian people and volunteered with a Muslim charity. He had been to the region at least three times

5. He drove life-saving medical equipment from the UK to Syria in old ambulances. He left in December 2013 to make the 4,000-mile trip

6. He was kidnapped by IS in Syria by masked men. He may have been held in Ad Dana near Aleppo, then Raqqa

He said: "I think some of the shocking videos that we have seen, of brutalising murder, has underlined simply what IS is about and why it has prompted British Muslims to go online, post their own videos to underline their absolute abhorrence to this appalling violence and brutality."              

A senior Government security source has also highlighted a "discernible change in attitude" from mainstream Muslim society.

The source said: "What IS has done is demonstrate very clearly to everyone that this is no longer an unambiguous struggle to topple Assad, involving freedom fighters and people whose motive is simply to help Syrian people, and that terrorist groups have made the environment much more complicated and in turn have made it less clear cut for people as to whether they should travel or not."

Mr Samuel - who counsels those thought to be at risk of radicalisation - said the majority of his work is now dealing with young people being attracted to travelling to Syria and Iraq via the internet.

Video: Social Media Aiding Terrorists

He said: "The days where the baddie, the super villain was in a cave, in a dark lair somewhere sat in a corner, stroking a cat - those days are finished.

"With the advent of technology, the internet, people can promote any idea they have. You don't need to be Michael Moore or a Spike Lee to reach a wide audience.

"Initially it may be a curiosity to see something shocking, but very quickly you can find yourself with a string of related videos which might lead you down a path which half an hour ago wasn't your destination."

Since Channel was set up in 2006, concerns have been raised about a total of 3,934 people - including 1,450 children.

Video: Sept 15: Special Report UK Jihadis

Of these, 777 people have been formally assessed as being vulnerable to radicalisation and referred to the project for formal help.

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Search Called Off For Two Missing Fishermen

Rescuers have called off the search for two fishermen who went missing after their trawler got into difficulty in the North Sea.

Three of the Ocean Way crew were rescued from the water and airlifted to hospital, but one later died.

The search for the remaining two men was called off on Sunday night, and the coastguard said unless further information was received it is unlikely to resume early today.

It said the Marine Accident Investigation Branch has been informed.

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1. Gallery: Trawler Goes Astray Off North-East Coast Of England

   A search was launched on Sunday afternoon for the missing skipper and crew of a fishing trawler off England's north-east coast. Pic: Steve Elwood

2. An RAF rescue helicopter was dispatched to help HM Coastguard Humber. Pic: Steve Elwood

3. The Ocean Way vessel began transmitting an emergency beacon earlier on Sunday. Pic: www.shipphotos.co.uk

4. The vessel was last heard from about 100 miles east of the Farne Islands

A rescue mission was launched for the skipper and crew of the vessel after it began transmitting an emergency beacon about 100 miles east of the Farne Islands.

Helicopters from the UK and Norway were involved in the hunt for the British skipper and his four Filipino crew.

Scotland's Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead said: "I am very sorry to hear about the loss of the Fraserburgh registered fishing vessel the Ocean Way that has tragically resulted in fatalities.

"This is a terrible tragedy and my thoughts are with the loved ones and friends of the crew.

"This tragedy will be felt by all fishing communities and is a horrible reminder of the dangers our fishermen face day in, day out to bring fish to our tables, with many paying the ultimate sacrifice.

"I would like to pay tribute to all the personnel involved in the rescue operation."

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Paedophiles Grooming Women To Bear Children

By Hannah Tallett, Sky News Presenter

Paedophiles are grooming women to bear their children, giving them easy access to victims, according to a child abuse charity.

MOSAC - a charity which supports the non-abusing parents and carers of abused children - says a third of all calls to its helpline are from women who believe they have been groomed into conceiving a child.

Director Nigel Newton Sawyerr said: "Paedophiles who are very devious will go to any lengths to access children. Who's more vulnerable than their own children?"

Sky News spoke to "Susan", a mother-of-two who believes her youngest was bred for the purpose.

Her ex-partner was convicted and sentenced to five years in jail for abuses against her eldest daughter, from a previous relationship.

The offences included nine counts of sexual assault.

Video: Oct 30: Exploitation A 'New Norm'

Since that abuse was disclosed, Susan's youngest daughter has admitted that she is also a victim of the same man, her own father.

"When my youngest daughter turned round and said to me that he had abused her from the moment she could remember ... when she was in nappies ... that's when I was convinced that he had had her to abuse her," Susan said.

Susan believes she was deliberately targeted.

"He was very persuasive about me coming off the pill. So, I was groomed in many ways I think to produce a child for him," she said.

Sixteen years and £30,000 later, Susan is preparing for yet another court battle to keep her former partner away from her children.

"It's shocking. I would never have believed in a million years how set in stone his rights are, despite the conviction."

In the majority of cases a family court judge will reject the requests of a parent to gain access to their child, where that parent has already been convicted of sexual offences against that child.

But campaigners say that does not stop a paedophile parent's right to make repeated requests for access - a heavy financial and emotional burden to bear for the victim and the non-abusive parent.

Barrister Sophia Cannon says the law under the Children's Act will always take into consideration the wellbeing of a child in each case.

But she adds that it is "skewed towards the idea that all mothers and fathers who want to be involved in a child's life, can be involved."

"What it doesn't look at are the parents to whom responsibility has certainly fallen short," she said.

MOSAC is now lobbying the Government for change and campaigners recently met Justice Minister Simon Hughes MP.

He is sympathetic to their cause, insisting the Government is committed to eradicating the "abhorrent crime" of child sexual exploitation.

"We are absolutely clear that no child should be put at risk of abuse and the courts will always make the wellbeing of children their key consideration in reaching decisions on contact with parents.

"Robust protective orders already exist to remove or restrict parental responsibility in order to protect children.

"But we continue to keep this issue under close scrutiny to see if further measures are needed."

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Hong Kong Murders: British Banker In Court

A British investment banker charged with the murder of two women in Hong Kong has been remanded in custody.

Banker Rurik Jutting, 29, was arrested after the women's bodies were discovered at an apartment in Hong Kong's Wan Chai district.

During his appearance he wore black trousers and a black T-shirt. He was remanded in custody and will return to court on 10 November.

A policeman at the scene of the double murder in Hong Kong

Police placed him on a holding charge ahead of today's court appearance.

Mr Jutting had recently quit his job with Bank of America Merrill Lynch and reportedly left an out of office email message urging correspondents  to contact someone "who is not an insane psychopath".

Video: Victims' Friend Talks To Sky News

The message, which has not been verified by the bank, read: "I am out of the office. Indefinitely. For urgent enquiries, or indeed any enquiries, please contact someone who is not an insane psychopath.

"For escalation, please contact God, though suspect the devil will have custody (Last line only really worked if I had followed through)."

Last Monday he posted a Facebook photo of his balcony in the high-rise J Residence, which has a gym, clubhouse and rooftop pool, and said he was starting a "new journey".

He wrote: "Stepping down from the ledge. Burden lifted; new journey begins. Scared and anxious but also excited. The first step is always the hardest."

Officers arrived at the 31st floor flat early on Saturday after receiving a call from the suspect.

They discovered the body of a woman, aged between 25 and 30, lying naked in the living room with knife wounds to her neck and backside.

Police also found a small amount of cocaine and a 12-inch knife in the flat.

Assistant Commander Wan Siu-hung told reporters: "We believe the death was caused by a sharp object which cut the throat of the deceased.

"This led to copious bleeding. When the police found her, she was lying in the living room. The room was messy."

Eight hours later, at about noon on Saturday, police widened the forensic examination of the apartment and made the second discovery.

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1. Gallery: Suitcase Murder: Briton Appears In Hong Kong Court

   Rurik Jutting recently left his banking job. Pic: Facebook

2. Police have been searching the flat where the women's bodies were found

3. One of the bodies was found hiden in a suitcase on the balcony

4. Assistant Commander Wan Siu-hung said both victims had injuries to the neck

The body of the second woman, named in a court document as Sumarti Ningsih, was found wrapped in a blanket inside a brown suitcase on a balcony at the apartment.

She too had wounds to the neck. Police say the victim died on 27 October.

Police sources have told local media they believe the women worked in the sex industry.

A police spokesman added: "From what we can see it was intentionally hidden because it was put in a travel suitcase."

Both of the women are believed to be from Indonesia. One has been named locally as 25-year-old Sumarti Ningsih.

Mr Jutting studied history and law at Cambridge University and was a member of the prestigious rowing club and the history society, which is called Clio.

He had worked for Merrill Lynch from 2010 until only a couple of days ago, spending three years at their offices in London before moving to Hong Kong in July last year. Prior to that he worked at Barclays in London.

The neighbourhood of Wan Chai is effectively Hong Kong's red light district. A large number of women from southeast Asia spend time in the district's many bars and clubs.

A Foreign Office spokesman confirmed a British national had been arrested in Hong Kong, although did not specify the nature of the crime.

"We are in touch with the local police and stand ready to provide consular assistance," she said.

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Father-Of-Three Shot Dead Tackling Robbers

A father of three young children has been shot and killed as he tackled two robbers who attacked him as he closed up his shop for the night.

Pragaret Singh, 35, was hit in the chest and abdomen as he tried to grapple with one of the men outside his store in Openshaw, Greater Manchester.

The shopkeeper, from Swinton, was just leaving Manchester Food Traders off Wood Street when he encountered the pair and confronted them, detectives said.

Mr Singh, known to family and friends as Charlie, died later in hospital.

His brother Toggy told the Manchester Evening News he was a hard-working family man with a wife, Sukhwinder, and children aged two, five and seven.

He said: "He was robbed of his life. He was happy, jolly and full of life - he never said anything bad about anyone. He was the kind of person who'd go out of his way to help anyone in need."

Detective Superintendent Jon Chadwick said: "Although this investigation remains in its infancy, at this stage we believe Charlie's death was the result of simply trying to protect his business from armed robbers, during which he was shot at least twice."

It is thought that the robbers may have made off with a "large amount of money".

Police arrived at the scene at 6.20pm on Friday and found Mr Singh nearby.

Officers have launched a murder investigation into his death and are appealing to anyone with information to come forward.

One of the assailants was described as black, in his 20s or 30s, with spiky knotted hair, clean shaven, of a tall, slim build and wearing a jacket with the sleeves rolled up.

Police are also appealing to anyone with information about a small silver car, possibly a Vauxhall, which may have been used by the offenders and drove off towards Ashton Old Road after the shooting.

Det Supt Chadwick added: "At this stage of our inquiry we believe this is the tragic death of an innocent businessman and father-of-three who was simply trying to protect his livelihood from criminals.

"As a result, Charlie's entire family have suffered an unimaginable loss.

"Their lives have been shattered and specially-trained officers will be providing as much support as the family need over the coming days and weeks."

:: Anyone with information should call police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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RAF Fighter Jets Intercept Russian Bombers

Typhoon fighter jets were scrambled to intercept Russian military 'Bear' bombers for the second time in a week, it has emerged.

The Typhoons were sent up from RAF Lossiemouth on Friday to escort the Soviet-era Tupolev Tu-95 aircraft, just two days after UK jets intercepted another two Russian bombers over the North Sea.

It comes amid what NATO described as an "unusual" increase in activity from Russian military jets over European airspace ranging from the Black Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.

An RAF spokeswoman said the Russian aircraft had been picked up by the RAF Control and Reporting Centre at Boulmer in Northumberland, which scrambled the Typhoons.

She said: "Following a similar incident on Wednesday 29 October, the RAF Typhoon pilots visually identified the Russian aircraft and escorted them through the UK flight information region."

Video: PM On 'Nerve-Wracking' Plane Drama

Air Vice-Marshal Gary Waterfall, who is in charge of UK air defence, said: "The Royal Air Force was formed to secure the skies over the UK, and it remains our main task.

"This week's news has shown yet again that the RAF's quick reaction alert is an essential element of our nation's security."

The increased Russian activity in the air comes against a backdrop of months of heightened tensions between Moscow and the West following Russia's annexation of Crimea and military incursion into Ukraine.

Analysts say it appears to be a "show of force" by President Vladimir Putin.

Video: Listen To The Sonic Boom

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has said the alliance "remains vigilant and ready to respond" to any Russian threat.

On Wednesday, two Typhoons from RAF Coningsby were sent to escort a suspicious plane to Stansted Airport in Essex.

A sonic boom was heard as the jets made their way to the location of the plane, which turned out to be a civilian Latvian cargo aircraft heading for Birmingham with car parts.

The Prime Minister was overheard on Thursday referring to the incident as "nerve-wracking", saying the RAF were "busy over the skies".

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Call For More Parents To Adopt Siblings

By Gemma Morris, Sky News Reporter

A shortage of people willing to adopt more than one child means some brothers and sisters are being split up.

Each year in the UK some 6,000 children need adopting and nearly half of them have siblings, according to research by the British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF).

But matching a pair or group of siblings to a new family is not always easy.

John Simmonds, director of policy, research and development for BAAF, told Sky News part of the reason could be that many prospective adopters get used to the idea of raising just one child.

"The expectation is: 'That's what I can manage, that's what I have in mind when I'm thinking about having children of my own'," he said.

Mr Simmonds says many parents are unwilling to take on siblings

He added that apart from cases where placing siblings together is not appropriate, keeping brothers and sisters with each other is important, particularly as many of the children will have had a difficult start to life.

"Someone doesn't want to add to the trauma of separating children from their birth parents to also separate siblings from each other."

Brothers and sisters are also among the children who wait longest to be matched with a family.

During next week's National Adoption Week the BAAF is hoping to encourage more people to consider adopting siblings.

Karen Goodman, a social worker with 30 years' experience in children's services, told Sky News there is a need for as many potential adopters as possible.

"Social workers and the adoption panels will always try to find prospective adopters who can take sibling groups, but it's a challenge and it's a tall order.

Siblings Frasier and Brandon say living alone would have been 'really hard'

"Also boys are harder to place than girls and the older the children are, the harder they are to place."

Civil partners Scott and Tristan Casson-Rennie adopted two young brothers, Frasier and Brandon, seven years ago.

Scott said: "When they came to live with us and we had some tricky times people would say, 'Well wouldn't it have been better if you just had one of them?'... No."

The boys - who have four siblings elsewhere - are now 15 and 16, and told Sky News they were lucky to have been able to stay with each other.

"I was on my own so I didn't have any other siblings around but when Brandon come along I felt happy again. I felt like I can move on with another person beside me."

Brandon said: "I think it would have been really, really hard to live by myself."

Despite some challenges, their parents hope others will consider the positives of adopting siblings.

Tristan said: "We have two amazing boys that have gone on to do some wonderful things in their teenage years and they will go on now to be amazing adults.

"I firmly believe that is a part of keeping them together, so that they can bounce off each other."

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