PM Orders Probe Into Paedophile Dossier

By Anushka Asthana, Sky News Political Correspondent

The Prime Minister has ordered an investigation into what happened to a dossier containing explosive allegations about paedophile activity by powerful and famous figures in the 1980s.

David Cameron said he wants Mark Sedwill, the permanent secretary to the Home Office, to do "everything he can" to get to the truth.

The Government has been under pressure to act after claims that a list of names of suspected child abusers, including high-profile men in the establishment, was passed by the MP Geoffrey Dickens to the then-home secretary.

Lord Brittan admitted he received the dossier and passed it on to officials - but no action was ever taken.

"I quite understand people's concerns about these events that were referred to over 30 years ago," Mr Cameron said.

"And that is why I've asked the permanent secretary at the Home Office to do everything he can to find answers to all of these questions and make sure we can reassure people about these events."

Lord Brittan admitted he received the dossier

Mr Cameron warned that nothing must be done to "prejudice or prevent proper action by the police" but urged anyone with information of "criminal wrongdoing" to come forward.

The move comes after an investigation by the Home Office in 2013 into what happened - which was not fully published - concluded that the "credible" parts of the dossier were passed on to prosecutors while other parts were "not retained or destroyed". 

Mr Dickens' son, Barry, said he was dismayed by the lack of action over the files which his father had warned would "blow everything apart". He told Sky News that he wanted to see the Prime Minister take action.

Many of the questions focused on the Elm Guest House in Barnes, southwest London, where there have been allegations that senior members of the establishment abused children.

Allegations of sex abuse have been made against the late Cyril Smith

One figure who was said to go there was the former Lib Dem MP, Cyril Smith, about whom allegations of serial child abuse have emerged since his death in 2010.

One 16-year-old claimed he was abused by Smith at the Barnes institution. The allegations were contained in a book co-authored by Labour MP Simon Danscuk.

Barry Dickens told Sky News that an investigation by Mr Sedwill was inadequate.

"I'm not convinced the Home Office can investigate its own failings," he said.

Many are now calling for a full public inquiry into the allegations, although the Prime Minister and others have warned that it was right for the police to take the lead.

Labour MP Simon Danczuk, who has investigated claims of abuse by Smith, said: "The Prime Minister knows that there is a growing sense of public anger about allegations of historic abuse involving senior politicians and his statement today represents little more than a damage limitation exercise. It doesn't go far enough.

"The public has lost confidence in these kind of official reviews, which usually result in a whitewash. The only way to get to the bottom of this is a thorough public inquiry."

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Boxer Amir Khan Arrested Over Assaults

Former boxing world champion Amir Khan has been arrested on suspicion of two assaults in Bolton.

Khan, 27, was held after two teenagers were attacked in the early hours of Friday.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: "Just before 1.30am on Friday, police were called following reports of an assault in Bolton.

"Officers attended Russell Street and discovered two 19-year-old men had been assaulted. Their injuries are not serious.

Amir Khan tweeted about the arrest

"A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of two section 47 assaults."

The former WBA and IBF light welterweight champion has been released on bail until mid July.

An ambulance spokesman said paramedics attended the scene but those at the scene refused treatment.

Khan's spokesman said he expected the case to be dropped

A spokesman for the light welterweight fighter confirmed he had been questioned by police but was expecting the case to be dropped.

He added that some reports in the media had seen the allegations "blown out of all proportion".

"It was a minor incident and we're expecting the case to be dropped against Amir," the spokesman said.

"We're expecting to formally hear that from police on Monday morning."

Khan later tweeted about the arrest, writing: "All nonsense please don't believe what you read. I'm home with my family and nobody got beat up."

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Royals To Welcome Tour De France In Yorkshire

By Gerard Tubb, Sky News Correspondent

Crowds are gathering in Leeds for the start of the 101st Tour de France as Yorkshire hosts the opening stages of the world's greatest bike race.

Two million people are expected to line the route this weekend as they watch top cyclists in action.

Some 198 riders in 22 teams will get a royal send-off from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

Scores of towns and villages along the 190km opening stage are expected to be packed as the peloton makes its way through the Yorkshire Dales to the finish in Harrogate.

Organisers hope the Duchess will present the coveted yellow jersey to the stage winner in the town this afternoon, with British sprinter Mark Cavendish tipped as the possible recipient in his mother's home town.

Team Sky tweeted this picture of Chris Froome who was first on the team bus

On Sunday, the riders arrive in York for a stage taking in some of the most challenging climbs in Britain, ending in Sheffield.

And, on Monday, the Tour moves south to Cambridge and a stage ending on The Mall, in central London.

The bus makes its way to the start in Leeds.

Fears that the narrow roads and stone walls in the Yorkshire Dales National Park will be too dangerous for the world's fastest cyclists have been dismissed by five-times Tour de France winner Bernard Hinault.

He told Sky News the challenges that Yorkshire poses are just part of the race.

Two million people are expected to watch the opening stage of the race

"It's for the riders to adapt to the route, not for the route to adapt to the riders," he said.

Local businesses have been warned to expect up to 700 cars per hour trying to get into what are usually relatively isolated villages, with road closures for the race causing added problems.

Tens of thousands of tents and caravans will be squeezed into fields where sheep and cattle usually graze after officials relaxed the area's strict planning regulations for the weekend.

Swaledale farmer Mike Barker has created a car park for 5,000 cars, but thinks he's more likely to get a few hundred at £10 each.

He's already spent £500 on toilet hire and extra insurance but said he is confident he'll get his money back.

The Welcome to Yorkshire tourism agency predicts the event, which is watched by billions of TV viewers around the world, will bring £100m into Yorkshire's economy.

The race ends in Paris on July 27. 

All eyes will be on Britain's Chris Froome to see if he can take the title for Team Sky for the second successive year. 

It would mark a third straight British win, after Bradley Wiggins rode to victory in 2012.

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Imams Call On UK Muslims Not To Join Jihad

UK Mosque Denies Radicalising ISIS Jihadists

Updated: 9:24pm UK, Tuesday 24 June 2014

A mosque in Cardiff attended by two British members of an Islamic extremist group has denied promoting extremist ideologies as Home Secretary Theresa May says 400 UK-linked citizens are fighting in Syria.

The Al-Manar Centre confirmed that the two men who appeared alongside a third British man in a recruitment video for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) had attended the mosque. 

But it said it had never encouraged any of its members to join extremist groups fighting abroad.

In a statement, the Al-Manar Centre said: "It is worth mentioning that ACT's stance is well known, that we are opposed to going to Syria or any other country, to participate in an armed struggle and have always made this clear.

"We have on many occasions tackled the issues of extreme ideologies. Indeed, feeling the responsibilities towards our local community, especially those concerning the youth, we have engaged with parents warning against such dangers. 

"We would like to emphasise that the vast majority of the local Muslim community are law abiding British citizens.

"May we reiterate our concerns that the internet has become an alarming source for radicalisation of such vulnerable members of our British society."

In the video posted to YouTube, students Nasser Muthana and Reyaad Khan, both aged 20 and from Cardiff, and Abdul Raqib Amin, who was brought up in Aberdeen, urged Westerners to join the fighting in Iraq and Syria.

Nasser Muthana's father Ahmed told Sky News last week that he believed his son was radicalised in a mosque in the United Kingdom, but did now know which one.

Muthana's brother Aseel is also known to be fighting with ISIS.

Home Secretary Theresa May has said the latest figures suggest the number of UK-linked individuals who have gone to fight in Syria currently stands at about 400.

She told Sky News that to prevent them returning home and posing a threat to UK citizens, "we need to exercise every tool that we have."

She said that included that capability to monitor the communications of those who are suspected of taking part in extremist activity who "pose a very real threat."

Meanwhile, the Archbishop of York has called on religious leaders to make sure young people are not "brainwashed" into fighting and killing in the name of their faith.

Dr John Sentamu told Sky News they had "a duty to work together" to tackle the problem of UK youths being radicalised and recruited as jihadists.

Dr Sentamu said: "I don't want to use the word radicalising. I think it is brainwashing. We don't want our young people to be brainwashed believing really a lie, that by fighting and killing another person your religion becomes better.

"All religious leaders, whatever tradition they come from, have got a duty to work together to make sure that our young people are not being brainwashed into some kind of nonsense."

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Queen Names UK's Newest And Biggest Warship

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

The Queen will officially name the UK's new aircraft carrier later today, marking a major milestone in the history of the Royal Navy.

At 65,000 tons, HMS Queen Elizabeth is the biggest and most powerful warship ever built in the UK.

The naming ceremony, in Scotland, will be attended by the Queen, the prime minister, the defence secretary, the leader of the SNP and heads of military.

Helicopters will initially be onboard. Pic: Aircraft Carrier Alliance

The Queen will smash a bottle of Islay malt whisky, rather than the traditional champagne, on the ship's hull, reflecting the role Scotland has played in its construction.

It is significant, given the country is only two months from the independence referendum.

Eventually, F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter planes will fly off the carrier, although the Government is yet to announce the order of the first tranche of planes.

Confirmation of that order is expected within weeks.

A CGI image of the ship's runway. Pic: Aircraft Carrier Alliance

The F-35 is the world's first fifth-generation fighter jet. The 'B' variant ordered by the UK Government can land vertically and take off on a short runway like its predecessor, the Harrier jump jet.

But it means that, for its first two years of service, HMS Queen Elizabeth will sail with only helicopters onboard.

There has been no shortage of controversy around the building of two aircraft carriers at a time of severe budget cuts in the military.

The current and previous Government changed their minds over which variant of F-35 to order, resulting in expensive changes to the ship's design.

A decision on the future of the second carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, has been delayed until 2016, although the Government is expected to keep it as part of the fleet rather than sell it off.

Together, the two carriers will cost £6.2bn to build.

Lord West, the former First Sea Lord, said: "We absolutely need two. If you've only got one, you've only got one for sure for  80% of the time. If you've got two, you've got one for 100% of the time."

Parts of the carrier have been constructed in six cities across the UK, supporting 10,000 jobs and more than 600 companies in the supply chain.

Some 10,000 people helped build the ship. Pic: Aircraft Carrier Alliance

Defence analyst Howard Wheeldon said: "It's a very important day for engineering, a very important day for jobs, for skills, for achievement.

"It's a tremendous achievement to have built these ships, the largest ever for the Royal Navy and the largest ever built here in the UK.

"It represents a great future for the military and the nation as a whole."

The first sea-going captain of HMS Queen Elizabeth will be Commodore Jerry Kyd, the former Captain of HMS Ark Royal and HMS Illustrious, the UK's most recently active aircraft carriers.

Ark Royal was retired in 2011 and HMS Illustrious, which has sailed to Rosyth to sit alongside her successor, will be decommissioned later this year.

Later this month, the new carrier will be floated for the first time before she embarks on sea trials for a few years and finally enters service.

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'Too Many Foreign Players In Premier League'

By Paul Kelso, Sports Correspondent, Rio de Janeiro

England will continue to fail in major competitions as long as the Premier League is dominated by foreign players, according to the captain of Brazil's legendary 1970 World Cup-winning team.

Carlos Alberto, whose strike in the 1970 final against Italy is perhaps the most celebrated of all World Cup goals, told Sky News that English football must change if it is to revive the national team.

A huge fan of the English game and its dynamism, Alberto said he was sad but not surprised at the early demise of Roy Hodgson's side.

"The English team is the reality of English football. If they do not change the rules of the Premier League they won't go far," he said.

England go out of the World Cup after losing 2-1 to Uruguay

"There are so many foreign players playing in the Premier League they don't give a chance for the young players to be in the first team.

"Go to Arsenal, how many foreign players? Go to Liverpool... go to Manchester City, how many foreign players? They don't give a chance to the young players."

Alberto, an ambassador for Brazil 2014, said his own experience in the US as a member of the star-studded New York Cosmos side in the 1970s demonstrated how foreign imports can hold back a national team.

"In the United States I was there with so many foreign players. But when they opened the door to the American players, ever since at every World Cup the Americans are there.

Alberto Carlos: 'I love English football'

"This is what I want to see in English football because I love English football. Every Saturday I get up, I have my breakfast and I put it on. It is the most competitive league."

Alberto, known universally as "The Captain" in Rio, says he is delighted with the progress of the World Cup, claiming it has demonstrated Brazil's innate love of the game.

"We were a little scared at the start about protests but thanks to God, we knew that the Brazilian people would understand how important it was for our country to have a good World Cup. The result has been unbelievable.

"Football for us is like a religion. The Brazilian people understood how important it was. They didn't understand before, but now they do."

Brazil are through to the World Cup quarter finals

He is equally optimistic about the national team, though he believes winning the 2018 World Cup may be more realistic than this one.

"You know the Brazilian people only accept first place, but because the team are young players they will accept the result. They know that our team is not the number one, but if they are in the final then people will accept it.

"I tell you now, four years before, this team will be number one for the next World Cup in Russia. They will be four years more experienced. Can you imagine Neymar at 26 years old? Oscar in four years time. There are many other players. I think in four years they will be the best team in the world."

And that goal?

"You know even now, it is the one that people still talk about. Can you tell me who scored the second goal? Or the third? Nobody remembers, But my goal, they do. Even now. I thank God I scored it."

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Airport Security Tightened Over 'Bomb Fears'

Security at British airports has been increased after warnings from the US that terrorists are developing bombs that can be smuggled on to planes without being detected.

US Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson said he had tasked officials to "implement enhanced security measures in the coming days at certain overseas airports with direct flights to the United States".

However, he declined to say which airports would be affected.

Flights from UK airports direct to the US will be subject to the measures

A statement issued by the US Department for Homeland Security said: "We are sharing recent and relevant information with our foreign allies and consulting the aviation industry.

"These communications are an important part of our commitment to providing our security partners with situational awareness about the current environment and protecting the travelling public."

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the additional security was not expected to cause "significant" disruption to flights.

US Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson

He told Sky News: "I would like to reassure the travelling public we have got one of the toughest security regimes in the world, along with the United States.

"It is important that we take these measures to protect the travelling public and the public have confidence when we get information we take the right measures.

"There will be extra security checks but they will be made in the course of events people already go through and I hope there will not be significant delays."

But British aviation security expert Philip Baum said heightened security will inevitably mean longer queues and increased waiting times to board flights at UK airports.

"It will mean an increase in the number of random searches, secondary searches and an increase in the number of passengers asked to remove shoes and possibly all passengers being asked to remove shoes if they're going on certain flights," he said.

"It stands to reason that if we're going to spend longer doing checks, people are going to have to spend longer waiting in line to board flights."

Jabhat al Nusra militants. The Syrian group are said to be behind the plot

US officials said the security alert followed intelligence reports that Islamist groups in Yemen and Syria had joined forces to prepare an attack on the US.

Bomb-makers from al Nusra Front, al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, and Yemen-based al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) are believed to be working together to develop the new devices.

According to ABC News, they are trying to build non-metallic bombs that could evade metal detectors.

An image of home-made improvised devices tweeted by a British jihadist

As a result security enhancements are likely to include greater scrutiny of US-bound passengers' electronics and footwear and installation of additional bomb-detection machines.

Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokesman said: "There are terror organisations around the world that seek to do the UK, its citizens, and citizens of many other countries including our Western allies, harm.

"We need to always be vigilant to situations that can develop."

Sky's US correspondent Dominic Waghorn said US officials were also closely monitoring the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) over concerns its success in Iraq might help it recruit jihadists from Europe, who would have easier access to flights bound for US cities.

The thousands of foreign fighters flocking to join ISIS, including an estimated 400 from Britain, is a serious concern, he said.

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Yorkshire Gears Up For 2014 Tour De France

By Gerard Tubb, Sky News Correspondent

Yorkshire is putting the finishing touches to its preparations for the Tour de France, which sets off from Leeds on Saturday.

An opening ceremony is being held on Thursday night at the start of what will be the biggest event the region has ever hosted, with a global TV audience of 3.5bn in 188 countries.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry will watch 22 teams of nine riders tackle parts of the first day's racing, before Kate presents the coveted yellow jersey to the first stage winner at the finishing line in Harrogate.

British sprinter Mark Cavendish is hotly tipped to take the top spot on the podium in his mother's home town.

The first day's course, which goes through the spectacular scenery of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, has been decked out with yellow bikes and miles of bunting fixed to houses and lampposts.

A cyclist passes a Tour de France mural in Greetland, Yorkshire

On Sunday, the riders travel from York to Sheffield, climbing a total of 3,000ft including a gruelling four-mile-long slog up Holme Moss.

Tourism businesses are preparing for an expected two million spectators and councils have relaxed planning restrictions for camping and off road parking.

More than 300 miles of roads will be closed for part of the weekend with an expected 60 miles of barriers and 30,000 traffic cones helping to keep order.

The Tour was brought to Yorkshire by Gary Verity, chief executive of the Welcome to Yorkshire tourism agency, who snatched it from under the nose of a government-backed bid from Scotland.

"The whole of Yorkshire has embraced not just cycling, but le Tour," he told Sky News.

"As a Yorkshireman I have never known anything unite the county and inspire the county like the Tour has done. It is incredible and for me it is quite emotional."

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Cot Death Warning Over Sharing Bed With Babies

By Thomas Moore, Health And Science Correspondent

Parents have been warned not to fall asleep with their baby on a bed or a sofa until the child is at least one year old.

New draft recommendations from health watchdog National Institute For Clinical Excellence (Nice) say parents can easily suffocate their babies while they are asleep.

And the risk is higher if they have drunk alcohol, taken drugs or smoked.

Babies are also more likely to die suddenly in their sleep if they were born small or premature.

Professor Mark Baker, Nice's clinical practice director, said: "Falling asleep with a baby, whether that's in a bed or on a sofa or chair, is risky.

"We recognise that some parents may choose to share a bed with their baby because it could make breastfeeding easier, or for cultural reasons.

"Or they may be forced to co-sleep because they may not have the space or money for a cot.

"This is why it's so important for parents to understand what the risks are."

Just under 250 babies a year die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in England and Wales.

Doctors still do not understand what causes babies to die. But Nice says the risk factors are becoming clearer.

Existing advice warns parents not to "co-sleep" with their babies until they are six to eight weeks old.

Nice says new research shows the risk period extends up to one year.

SIDS charity The Lullaby Trust said it regularly has contact with families that have lost a baby older than eight weeks.

Francine Bates, chief executive, said: "If every parent followed these guidelines we believe we could go a long way in achieving our ambition of halving the rate of SIDS in this country by 2020."

But Belinda Phipps, chief executive of the National Childbirth Trust, warned exhausted parents are likely to ignore the advice.

"We know that around half of UK mothers bed-share with their baby at some point in their first few months," she said.

"Nice guidance needs to reflect this reality. We are concerned that these guidelines will lead to parents hiding the fact that they are bed-sharing, or doing so through desperation or exhaustion without safety strategies in place."

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Superbugs 'Could Send UK Back To The Dark Ages'

Britain is to lead the fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs which risk sending Britain "back to the Dark Ages", David Cameron will announce today.

Tens of thousands of people around the world are dying from infections caused by bugs that have become resistant to treatment including malaria, salmonella and tuberculosis.

An estimated 627,000 people died from malaria in 2012

The WHO has warned that unless coordinated action is taken the world is heading towards a post-antibiotic era in which common infections and minor injuries can once again kill.

"This is not some distant threat, but something happening right now," the Prime Minister will say.

"If we fail we are looking at an almost unthinkable scenario where antibiotics no longer work and we are cast back into the dark ages of medicine where treatable infections and injuries will kill once again."

Dame Sally Davies: 'We must act now on a global scale'

Professor Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer for England, said: "We must act now on a global scale to slow down antimicrobial resistance.

"In Europe, at least 25,000 people a year already die from infections which are resistant to our drugs of last resort.

"New antibiotics made by the biotech and pharmaceutical industry will be central to resolving this crisis which will impact on all areas of modern medicine.

"I am delighted to see the Prime Minister taking a global lead by commissioning this review to help new antibiotics to be developed and brought to patients effectively."

David Cameron raised the issue with US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel when they met at the G7 summit in Brussels last month.

The initial £500,000 cost of the work will be met by the Wellcome Trust. Director Jeremy Farrar said: "Drug-resistant bacteria, viruses and parasites are driving a global health crisis.

"It threatens not only our ability to treat deadly infections, but almost every aspect of modern medicine: from cancer treatment to Caesarean sections, therapies that save thousands of lives every day rely on antibiotics that could soon be lost.

"We are failing to contain the rise of resistance and failing to develop new drugs to replace those that no longer work. We are heading for a post-antibiotic age."

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