Polar Bear Attack: I Heard Growls And Screams

A teenager has told of the moment she heard a fellow student being fatally attacked by a polar bear during an adventure holiday.

Lauren Beech, from Ilford in Essex, has been telling the inquest into the death of Horatio Chapple, 17, that she saw the white fur of the bear from her tent.

"I heard growls of the bear along with other shouts and screams," she said at the inquest in Salisbury. "I was very distressed and I do not think I had any idea of the timescale."

Scott Bennell-Smith, from St Mellion in Cornwall, was lying asleep in the same tent as Horatio when it started shaking.

He said: "The material of the tent roof collapsed over all three of us and I could feel the presence of the bear over all of us. I could feel the size of it and see its paws.

The bear was shot after attacking several people

"When the material collapsed over me I couldn't see what was happening.

"From what I remember I think we were all shouting the same thing ... shouting for help."

Mr Bennell-Smith, 20, who was 16 at the time, added: "The material had all ripped, it had fallen about either side of us. I saw the bear attacking someone.

"I think it was right in the centre of the camp, biting (him) in the head.

"I just put my head down again and tried to stay still basically then I could just hear the bear moving around the camp, just heard commotion."

The expedition was to the Arctic wilderness of the Svalbard islands

He was then attacked and injured by the bear, before it was shot.

Horatio was on the adventure holiday to the remote Svalbard islands in August 2011 with the British Schools Exploring Society (BSES) when he died.

The Eton pupil from Salisbury, Wiltshire, suffered fatal injuries to his head and upper body.

Four others were hurt before the bear was shot dead at the camp site, where the group, known as Chanzin Fire, had been staying.

Also injured during the incident were trip leader Michael "Spike" Reid, from Plymouth, Devon, Andrew Ruck, from Brighton, and Patrick Flinders, from Jersey.

Horatio, from Wiltshire, was a pupil at Eton

Ms Beech told the inquest that Horatio had found a bear print in the ground just two days before the attack.

She also said she found out after the incident that the local authorities had issued a warning about increased polar bear activities in recent months before the attack.

Mr Flinders, who was in the tent with Horatio, said: "Once the tent collapsed I got into a little ball and I moved myself over to Scott and I am not sure if Horatio got himself out of the tent or not.

"I thought I would peek out to see what was happening, I could see the bear with who I thought was one of the leaders, Spike, by the head. It was coming away from one of their tents."

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Assassins Creed Gamer Killed Screaming Newborn

A father has been jailed for eight years for killing his five-week-old daughter who screamed while he played a computer game.

Mark Sandland suddenly lost his temper at his flat in East Sussex, where he picked up Aimee-Rose and violently shook her.

The 28-year-old later told officials he had suffered an epileptic fit and had regained consciousness to find the baby trapped underneath him.

Lewes Crown Court heard Sandland, of St Leonards-on-Sea, had logged onto a website offering tips on how to play Assassin's Creed 3 on November 5, 2012.

The prosecutor, Sally Howes QC, said there would have been little point in him reading the site's step-by-step instructions unless he was playing the game at the time.

The court was told Sandler dialled 999 less than 20 minutes after accessing the website, telling the operator he had suffered a fit.

But the judge, Mr Justice Sweeney, said: "It's obvious that ... you appreciated what you had done and ... lied and sought to cover up what had actually happened."

Dr Hannah Cock, a consultant neurologist, found it was "highly unlikely" that a seizure contributed to Aimee-Rose's injuries.

Miss Howes added: "Even if he had fallen on to Aimee-Rose, her pattern of injuries is not consistent with a fall and crushing alone.

"Dr Cock would have expected more disturbance to adjacent furniture than reported."

The court also heard about a text message sent by Aimee-Rose's mother to Sandland on the day of the attack, in which she asked how her daughter had been while she attended the first class of her university course.

She received a reply which read: "She hasn't shut up since about half an hour after you left."

Sandland, who will serve half his sentence before being released from jail on licence, was charged with murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of lack of intent.

The judge said the attack was a "momentary" event that was not pre-meditated.

However, he said there were a number of aggravating factors, including that Aimee-Rose was a vulnerable child and that Sandland was in a position of trust, had lied to authorities and had shown no real remorse.

Lewis Power QC, for the defence, said Sandland would forever "carry the heavy burden" of knowing he had killed his daughter.

"There can be no greater tragedy in life than the death of a child - a young child, a life extinguished, compounded by the fact it was at the hands of a loving parent," he added.

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Airline Gadget Rules: What You Need To Know

Passengers have been warned they may not be able to take their electronic devices onto any plane to or from the UK unless the device can be switched on.

:: The Department for Transport (DfT) says the rules apply to any flights into or out of the UK, although not every flight will be affected.

:: The rules apply to all portable electronic devices, including cameras, tablets, ebook readers, laptops, MP3 players and phones.

:: The DfT says that in the event a passenger arrives at an airport gate with a device that does not switch on, it will be at the discretion of the airline what happens next.

All phones must have some charge before they will be allowed on flights

:: British Airways and Virgin are the only airlines which have told Sky News they have a contingency plan if passengers try to bring an uncharged device on board.

:: A BA spokesman told Sky News its contingencies are as follows:

- If a non-charged device is found, the device can be charged at the gate. The airline has, or will have, a range of chargers available.

- If the passenger does not have an appropriate charger, the airline will courier (at its expense) the device to a destination of the passenger's choice.

- Or, if a passenger needs the device with them on the flight, the airline will transfer the passenger onto a later flight (again at its expense) to give the passenger time to find or buy a charger.

:: Virgin Atlantic, however, said it will charge a passenger a courier fee in the event a device has to be sent on. If a passenger wants to change flight to enable a charger to be located, the change will be allowed free of charge.

:: Other airlines contacted by Sky News have yet to issue a response.

:: Sky News reporter Harriet Hadfield said: "The advice is to travel to the airport with some charge in your device if you want to take the device on the plane with you. Otherwise, check with your airline to see what contingency plans they are offering."

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Bomb Fears: 'Charge All Gadgets' For UK Flights

Airlines To Scrutinise Smartphones Amid Threat

Updated: 8:12am UK, Friday 04 July 2014

Airlines with direct flights to the US have been told to tighten their screening of mobile phones amid fears terrorists could use them in bomb attacks.

US officials singled out Apple iPhones and Samsung Galaxy handsets for extra security checks.

They will apply to US-bound direct flights from Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the officials said.

The new precautions come in response to requests from US authorities, who fear attacks on planes flying to America.

US security officials said they fear bomb makers from the Yemen-based al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) have worked out how to turn the phones into explosive devices which can avoid detection.

They also are concerned that hard-to-detect bombs could be built into shoes.

A US official said that other electronic devices carried by passengers also are likely to receive more intense scrutiny.

Airlines or airport operators that fail to strengthen security could face bans on flights entering the US.

On Thursday, the US Homeland Security Department announced on plans to step up general security checks, but offered few details on how airlines and airports will implement them.

An official familiar with the issues said the US believes that while it is possible there may be some additional delays at security checkpoints, at most major airports passengers will not be seriously inconvenienced.

The official said most passengers taking long-distance flights arrive well in advance of scheduled departures, leaving time for extra screening.

But he said the US could not rule out disruptions in countries where airport infrastructure and security procedures are less sophisticated.

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

He told Sky News: "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 (more) 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.

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Trojan School Plot 'Planned And Orchestrated'

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs and Education Editor

Pupils were "vulnerable to extremism" in Birmingham schools which were targeted by hardline Muslim governors in a "planned and orchestrated" plot, the chief inspector of schools has said.

Speaking to MPs on the education select committee, Sir Michael Wilshaw said there was no evidence of actual extremism.

However, his inspectors had found schools implicated in the so-called "Trojan Horse" plot used deliberate intimidation against those who did not conform to their ideology, leaving pupils at risk.

"We didn't see extremism," Sir Michael said.

"What we did see was the promotion of a culture which, if continued, would have made those children vulnerable to extremism.

"I spoke to eight or nine headteachers. They believed it was planned and orchestrated.

Five Birmingham schools are in special measures following an investigation

"They believed people got together and decided which schools to target.

"They believed there was a strategy to infiltrate governing bodies."

Sir Michael was called to give evidence to the committee one month after Ofsted published its reports into 21 schools where there was concern children were not being adequately safeguarded and that their education was not in line with "British values".

He told MPs inspectors found children were "emotionally disconnected and culturally isolated from society which would have made them vulnerable to extremism".

The reports saw five schools placed into special measures - the most serious finding - three of which had previously been rated outstanding by the inspectorate.

Asked to explain the dramatic change in ratings over a relatively short period, Sir Michael denied Ofsted deserved criticism for earlier failing to spot evidence pupils were vulnerable to extremism.

"There was a rapid decline in the effectiveness of leadership and management," he said.

"We are in schools for a day and a half. It is easy to miss those issues if heads are frightened or teachers are frightened and fear they will lose their jobs or be picked on."

In what is likely to be interpreted as a criticism of Government policy, which allows academies to set their own curriculum, Sir Michael also suggested teaching students the national curriculum was a reliable way to ensure all schools promoted "British values".

"The curriculum is a key vehicle for ensuring youngsters are exposed to the culture in this country and British values," he said.

"That's why I worry that with the freedoms that now operate, sensible heads will operate like I did (teaching the national curriculum) while some won't ... we need to spend more time looking at curriculum issues."

The Government is conducting its own inquiry into extremism, headed by former counter-terrorism chief Peter Clarke, who is expected to report back this summer.

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Syria Fighter Admits Training British Teens

By Jason Farrell, Sky News Correspondent

A jihadi fighter in Syria has told Sky News he has been training British teenagers as young as 16 to fight in the war.

Yilmaz, a Dutch national who has been in the region for two years, said: "It's extremely easy to get here … People go on holiday, they end up in Syria."

Speaking via Skype, from the Idlib province of the war-torn country, the fighter insisted the majority of Britons did not pose a threat to their home country.

But he added: "There is always the chance of a loose cannon doing something stupid, doing something crazy."

Asked how young his trainees from Britain were he replied: "16, 17 ... Most are in their 20s."

Security services in the UK estimate 400 to 500 British jihadists are involved in the conflict in Syria or Iraq, and there are concerns some may wish to return and commit terrorist acts when they return.

Three Muslims from Cardiff have appeared in an ISIS video from Syria and last week a social media account in the name of one of them posted pictures of homemade bombs.

Three UK Muslims in Syria made a video calling for others to join them

Nasser Muthana, 20, appeared to warn that Britain should be afraid to allow him to return.

But Yilmaz, who was in the Dutch army and also worked in an old people's home in Holland, told Sky News: "We see this jihad in Syria as something holy.

"When I speak to the British fighters and the foreign fighters here, I just can't see them risking everything, coming home and committing crimes.

"It's funny, the British Government itself is funding and training, be it in Jordan or Syria, the Free Syrian Army. So the British Government is helping and I'm helping in my own way."

A video image purportedly showing Muslims forced to pray to President Assad

Yilmaz says he supports the goal of ISIS to overthrow the Syrian regime - but believes Iraq is a distraction.

On Sunday, it emerged that two 16-year-old twin sisters from Manchester had fled to Syria where it is feared they may have joined the ISIS fight.

Giving an insight into women's roles among his fighters, Yilmaz said: "Some brothers brought their wives or their sisters - but it's a supporting role, housework, washing, fixing clothes … there's no need for female fighters."

A British-born Londoner in the UK who converted to Islam six years ago told Sky News he believes it is his duty to go to Syria.

Londoner Suliman would like to go to Syria after being inspired by videos

Suliman, who says he has not gone for family reasons, said: "It is the best death. If you are to die out there on the battlefield, it is the best death - if I did die - I'd have done something good for people, and that would surely be written down as a good deed."

Both Suliman and Yilmaz say they were influenced in their views about Syria by YouTube videos and by social media.

Haras Rariq, of the anti-extremist organisation the Quilliam Foundation, said: "The overwhelming majority of Muslims will reject going out to fight ISIS and rightly so, they shouldn't go. It's not Islamic, it's not what the Prophet talked about.

"But the problem is a small number will go and they're the people that we need to worry about."

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George Clooney Slams 'Criminal' Wedding Story

George Clooney has taken the unusual step of responding to an article written about him.

The story, published on MailOnline and now taken down, suggested the Hollywood star's future mother-in-law was unhappy with her daughter's choice of man.

In its article, the website quoted unnamed sources as saying Lebanese-born journalist and broadcaster Baria Alamuddin, the mother of Clooney's lawyer fiancee Amal, was annoyed because her daughter was not marrying into what it said was the family's Druze religion.

Clooney usually resists reacting to stories about him

It quoted Ms Alamuddin as saying her daughter could "do better" and that she risked "being cast out of the community".

That, the actor says, is simply not the case.

In an exclusive statement to USA Today, Clooney, 53, said the story was "not true".

"Amal's mother is not Druze," he said. "She has not been to Beirut since Amal and I have been dating, and she is in no way against the marriage, but none of that is the issue.

"If they fabricate stories of Amal being pregnant, or the marriage is on the set of Downton Abbey, or that I'm running for office, or any number of idiotic stories that they sit at their computers and invent, I don't care," he said.

What he cared about, he said, was that religion was being brought into the mix.

"The irresponsibility, in this day and age, to exploit religious differences where none exist, is at the very least negligent and more appropriately dangerous," the actor added.

"We have family members all over the world, and the idea that someone would inflame any part of that world for the sole reason of selling papers should be criminal."

MailOnline responded by saying its story was "not a fabrication" and had been supplied in good faith by a trusted freelance journalist.

Baria Alamuddin speaking at a seminar on international law in Bahrain

It said: "We only became aware of Mr Clooney's concerns this morning and have launched a full investigation.

"However, we accept Mr Clooney's assurance that the story is inaccurate and we apologise to him, Miss Amal Alamuddin and her mother, Baria, for any distress caused.

"We have removed the article from our website and will be contacting Mr Clooney's representatives to discuss giving him the opportunity to set the record straight."

The couple have not revealed details of their wedding plans, although rumours say they will be married in Italy, where Clooney has a house and spends much of his time.

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Reigning Champ Froome Out Of Tour De France

English Leg Of Tour De France Ends At Palace

Updated: 9:10pm UK, Monday 07 July 2014

The Tour de France bid a dramatic au revoir to the UK as one million people turned out to watch the race from Cambridge to Buckingham Palace.

Tens of thousands of spectators watched a high-speed crash in wet conditions outside Big Ben, while a spectator was hit by a rider outside the Olympic Park.  

The last of the three English stages ended with the same winner as Saturday's opener in Yorkshire - Giant-Shimano's German sprinter Marcel Kittel was first to the line on the Mall.

After the race, the riders headed to France on four chartered planes from London City Airport. 

After glorious weather in Yorkshire, the first rainfall of the race arrived after the riders passed the Olympic Park in East London.

And the rain made the final approach slippery and dangerous, with the high-speed crash happening on a right-hand bend by Big Ben.

In another accident, a spectator was hit by a rider as the fan attempted to take a picture near east London's Olympic Park.

The fan was clipped by Team Sky's Diego Lopez Garcia, knocking him to the ground, along with Garcia and fellow riders Andy Schleck, Simon Gerrans and two others.

The extent of the fan's injuries are unknown.

The accident came after some riders criticised British fans for stepping into the road and taking "selfies".

American rider Tejay van Garderen, of BMC Racing, said on Twitter: "A dangerous mix of vanity and stupidity. Standing [in] the middle of the road with you[r] back turned while 200 cyclists come at you, just to take a selfie. #think #TDF2014."

He added: "That being said, I love the crowds and thank you for your support. But please give us room."

Meanwhile, Kittel compared winning in London to triumphing on the Champs- Elysees in Paris last year.

"Winning on The Mall, that's what I dreamed of but, even though I had a good chance to make it come true, it's not something I could take for granted," he said.

"It's really fantastic to win here. On the finishing line, the crowd was fantastic. I love the atmosphere."

Slovak Peter Sagan was second, with Australian Mark Renshaw in third. Italian Vincenzo Nibali kept the race leader's yellow jersey.

Defending champion Chris Froome, of Team Sky, negotiated a tricky opening in fifth place after finishing 28th in London.

But fellow British rider Mark Cavendish will undergo shoulder surgery on Wednesday and will be out for around for six weeks after a crash on Saturday.

Earlier on Monday, crowds lined the streets of Cambridge to watch the start of the third stage. Riders passed King's College before the race began in nearby Trumpington.

The 197 riders then passed through picturesque villages in Essex shortly after 1pm before heading into the capital.

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Two Killed By Freight Train At Level Crossing

Two people have been killed after being hit by a freight train at a level crossing near Lincoln.

Emergency services were called to the accident at Croft Lane, Cherry Willingham, just before noon.

Both people were declared dead at the scene and police are currently not treating the incident as suspicious.

The train involved was heading for Immingham Docks in Humberside.

A British Transport Police (BTP) spokesman said: "Our officers are continuing to investigate after two people were struck by a train at a level crossing in Croft Lane, Cherry Willingham.

"The incident was reported to BTP at 11.57am on Wednesday, July 9 and was also attended by Lincolnshire Police.

"Paramedics from the East Midlands Ambulance Service attended, and a man in his 80s and a woman in her 70s, both from Cherry Willingham, were pronounced dead at the scene.

"Officers are working to establish the full circumstances of the incident, which is currently being treated as non-suspicious.

"Family of the deceased have been informed.

"The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has been informed."

Recent official safety figures revealed the number of deaths from trespass and suicide on the railways rose from 278 to 300 in 2013/14 - the highest annual figure on record.

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UK Twin Sisters On Run To Syria 'Pose Threat'

By Mike McCarthy, North Of England Correspondent

Twin sisters who are believed to have fled from the UK to Syria pose "a threat to themselves" and potentially their community, according to counter terrorism officers.

Salma and Zahra Halane, both 16, are thought to have left their homes in Chorlton in the middle of the night a couple of weeks ago.

Their parents are said to have reported the girls missing after finding their bedrooms empty the following morning.

The teenagers flew from Manchester airport to Turkey on June 26 before crossing the border into Syria.

It is thought they may have joined their brother, who is believed to be fighting with the extremist militant group ISIS (the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant).

The family home in Chorlton

The head of North West England's Counter Terrorism Unit, Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Mole, said: "They are clearly posing a threat to themselves and potentially the community, and their family and friends are concerned for their well-being."

Mr Mole said the "developing" investigation into the girls' disappearance had two main strands - to safeguard them "wherever possible" and to assess any further lines of enquiry. 

He said the counter terrorism unit did not know for sure why the girls were in Syria, nor exactly who they were with.

The girls are students at the Connell Sixth Form College in east Manchester.

They have been described as star pupils, achieving 28 GCSEs between them.

Neighbours told Sky News of their shock at news of their fleeing.

One, Jason Rock, said: "It is very, very surprising - shocking. It is shocking because they just seemed like a quiet family, a big family."

The girls' brother is thought to be fighting with ISIS

Another neighbour, Joyce Blackledge, added: "I didn't see very much of them. They were just quiet. They didn't seem to get into any trouble. They just kept themselves to themselves."

Detectives are believed to be investigating how the girls raised money for their airfares.

They are believed to have contacted their parents to say they are safe and well but have reportedly said they have no intention of returning to the UK.

Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadan Foundation, who has been in contact with the family, said: "It's the most harrowing experience for any mother and father to go through that their children are in a war zone country.

"The family had no indication they were involved in terrorism, no indication they were going to Syria.

"They were highly academic, they were highly bright teenagers who got 28 GCSEs between them.

"Obviously somewhere down the line, through the internet, they have been groomed, radicalised and brainwashed.

"The family just want them to come home."

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