US Child Killings: Police Search Nanny's Home

Police are searching the US home of a nanny suspected of murdering two children in her care.

Yoselyn Ortega remains in a critical condition in hospital after apparently slitting her own throat, moments after stabbing Leo Krim and his sister, six-year-old Lucia.

Police are investigating whether Ortega had sought psychiatric support in the weeks leading up to the tragedy.

Leo and Lucia were found by their distraught mother, Marina, dying of knife wounds in the bathtub of their luxurious Upper West Side apartment near Central Park.

Mrs Krim had returned to the flat with her three-year-old daughter Nessie, whom she had taken for a swimming lesson.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said the investigation has yet to reveal anything amiss in the household before the slayings.

Detectives were searching Ortega's home in Washington Heights, a working-class neighbourhood north of where she worked and near Harlem.

It emerged that Ortega had worked for the Krims as a nanny for two years and there did not appear to be any problems.

A Web journal kept by the children's mother spoke lovingly about travelling to the Dominican Republic last February to stay at the home of Ortega's sister.

"We met Josie's amazing familia!!! And the Dominican Republic is a wonderful country!!" she wrote.

Pictures posted on the blog showed the two families posing together for a happy photo, with Ortega hugging Nessie, their cheeks pressed together.

Mrs Krim's husband, Kevin Krim, a CNBC digital media executive, wrote that Ortega's family had nicknamed Nessie "Rapida y Furiosa," (or Fast and Furious), for her energy.

There are tens of thousands of nannies working in New York City, but reports of serious violence by caregivers against children are exceedingly rare.

Across the street from the building where the Krims lived, several nannies with children in pushchairs stood as if stricken, watching police officers milling around the entrance.

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CCTV Clue In Hunt For Fugitive 'Sex Attacker'

Police hunting for a fugitive who is believed to have sexually attacked two schoolgirls while on the run have released CCTV pictures.

Ivan Leach, also known as Lee Cyrus, did not return from day release from North Sea Camp open prison in Boston, Lincolnshire, earlier this month.

People are being warned not to approach him under any circumstances and described him as "dangerous and predatory".

Officers fear he carried out a very serious sexual assault in Tayside, Scotland, since he absconded on October 9.

Despite a large police search and numerous reported sightings 47-year-old Cyrus remains at large.

New CCTV footage, believed to be of Cyrus in Preston city centre on October 17, has now been released in the hope that someone might come forward with information. It shows him walking down Friargate at 6.50pm in the direction of the railway station.

He has links to Preston, and has known to be in the city on a number of occasions since he absconded, but it is believed he could be anywhere in the country.

Police enquiries are also ongoing in Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Tayside.

Cyrus was jailed in 2005 for robbing a 90-year-old woman in Ribbleton, Lancashire. He was given a life sentence with a minimum tariff of five years. He also has convictions for burglary and robbery and assault.

Detective chief inspector Ian Dawson of Preston Police said Cyrus "is an extremely dangerous and predatory individual who poses a serious threat to members of the public".

He added: "He has previous convictions for burglary, sex offences against a young girl, assault and robberies in which he has targeted elderly people in their own homes.

"We believe he could be sleeping rough and travelling extensively throughout the country."

Cyrus is described as white, around five feet 11 inches tall, of stocky build with cropped hair and hazel eyes.

Anyone with any information about his possible whereabouts is being urged to contact local police either in person or on 101, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Nitrogen Cocktail Teenager Considers Suing

A teenager who had her stomach removed after drinking a cocktail containing liquid nitrogen has said it has ruined her life.

Gaby Scanlon had been celebrating her 18th birthday with friends at Oscars wine bar in Lancaster on October 4 when she drank two shots of Jagermeister mixed with a small amount of liquid nitrogen.

She immediately experienced severe stomach pain and was rushed by friends to Lancaster Royal Infirmary where doctors discovered her stomach lining had perforated.

The damage was so bad surgeons removed her stomach and connected her oesophagus directly to her small bowel.

Ms Scanlon, of Heysham, Lancashire, explained that everything was fine after the first drink but the moment she drank the second she felt "excruciating pain".

Liquide nitrogen is served in cocktails at a temperature of -196 °C

"I'd been warned by the barman the drink might make me a bit gassy, so I didn't think too much of it, but then my stomach started to expand and I felt sick," she told the Daily Mail.

Ms Scanlon spent three weeks in hospital and is now severely limited in what she can eat.

She faces a life on vitamin supplements and liquid meals. Without a stomach she has been told she will never experience hunger again - or the pleasure of satisfying it.

An investigation is being conducted by Lancashire Police, who said: "The investigation is still in its early stages and we are still interviewing witnesses to establish the full facts.

"The premises involved have fully co-operated and have suspended drinks involving liquid nitrogen."

Oscars Wine Bar said in a statement: "This unfortunate incident is part of an ongoing police investigation and as such we cannot make any comments other than to say that we are tremendously concerned for the person involved and our heartfelt best wishes go to them and their family at this distressing time."

Ms Scanlon is considering legal action against Oscars. She said: "I feel angry these theatrical cocktails seem to be aimed at younger people, especially 18-year-olds who are just legally able to drink and want to go out and try these things, but it's not worth it."

"I try to stay strong. I'm an optimistic person. It could have been very much worse and I'm very grateful to be alive, but it should never have happened in the first place."

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Victory For Man Who Took Cold Caller To Court

A businessman plagued by nuisance phone calls offering compensation for Payment Protection Insurance has secured £220 in an out-of-court settlement.

Richard Herman, 53, was so fed up with the unwanted calls arriving from India, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

He warned the company that, in future, he would invoice them £10 for every minute of his time they used.

When the calls continued he began recording them before finally invoicing the company £195 for their use of his "time, telephone and electricity".

Upon receipt of the invoice the marketing firm acting on behalf of UK-based PPI Claimline Ltd, denied making the calls. When Mr Herman revealed he had recorded evidence, they still refused to pay.

But when Mr Herman filed a claim in the small claims court for the unpaid invoice - plus £25 in costs - the company offered to settle the debt out of court and transferred £220 into his bank account.

Mr Herman filed in the small claims court when his invoice was not paid

Mr Herman said: "I kept being called, as we all do, and I thought the only way for them to stop would be for me to speak to them and say, 'For goodness sake, take me off your list!'

"Then it occurred to me to tell them that if they call again I'll charge for my time. When they continued calling I sent them an invoice for 19.5 minutes."

To encourage others to do the same Mr Herman has set up a website with examples of covering letters and invoices to send to nuisance callers.

Even though the validity of Mr Herman's original invoice was not tested in court, he believes anyone who warns cold-calling companies they will be charged if they call, have a right to invoice them.

"I did business studies at 17 and studied 'offer-and-acceptance' so I knew a verbal contract is just as valid as a written one but harder to prove.

"The recorded calls proved I did tell them I would charge for my time if they called again".

Mr Herman, who works in the telephone industry selling call-recording equipment, said his action was a last resort after asking the Information Commissioner and the Telephone Preference Service for help.

In a statment, PPI Claimline said: "We would like to stress that all our supplier relationships are subject to strict contractual provisions requiring full compliance with all relevant regulations, including those which relate to data protection and the telephone preference service.

"We would like to draw a clear line between the two calls to Mr Herman made on behalf of PPI Claimline and any other calls he received, which were nothing to do with PPI Claimline or its suppliers."

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Trains Cancelled Due To Driver Shortage

By Adele Robinson, Midlands Correspondent

A train company has cancelled more than 100 services due to a shortage of train drivers, causing anger among commuters.

London Midland cancelled 60 services and partially cancelled 40 others on Saturday, after hundreds of trains have been disrupted in recent weeks due to the problem.

The company has apologised to customers, saying the shortfall in qualified train drivers should be addressed by mid-December.

The services affected run mainly through the West Midlands to London and the north-west.

In the past three weeks 1.6 % of their services have been disrupted. The company usually provide 1,300 services a day.

A spokesperson from the train firm told Sky News: "We are being open and transparent so people can plan their journeys. Not all the disruption caused today (Saturday) is as the result of train driver shortages."

In the meantime, London Midland said they were working hard to ensure the impact on customers was kept to a minimum.

"We have a dedicated team focusing on delivering the train service on a day-by-day basis and as a result we have been able to run a near-normal timetable on all but a few days, compensating for the shortage with drivers who have volunteered for overtime."

However, some train passengers at Birmingham New Street say they are annoyed by the disruption.

One woman travelling into the city centre said: "I think it's a scandal really when lots of people are looking for work and there are enough people to do the work here. It's silly I can't understand it...I don't understand why they suddenly don't have enough."

Another family travelling from Northampton said: "We live in Northampton and we often like to come to Birmingham to see some shows but we have had to pay £10 parking at Northampton only to be told there were no trains available.

"How it's come to this I don't know. We have managed to get in this morning but getting home I don't know if we have a train or not."

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Burma: Satellite Images Show 'Destruction'

Human rights campaigners have called for action to end the violence in Burma after a week of sectarian unrest that has shaken the country.

Muslims trying to escape the clashes have taken to rickety wooden boats in an attempt to reach refugee camps but some have still not made it to land.

As nine boats remained unaccounted for, Human Rights Watch called on Burma's reformist government to protect Muslims from "vicious" attacks.

The New York-based group has released satellite images of what it claims is the "near total destruction" of a coastal community around Kyaukpyu.

It identified more than 811 destroyed buildings and houseboats across an area measuring 35 acres after alleged arson attacks on October 24.

Kyaukpyu before this week's violence (Pic: Human Rights Watch)

Kyaukpyu, which is around 75 miles (120km) south of Sittwe, is crucial to China's most strategic investment in Burma - twin pipelines that will carry oil and natural gas to western provinces.

Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said: "Burma's government urgently needs to provide security for the Rohingya in Arakan State, who are under vicious attack.

"Unless the authorities also start addressing the root causes of the violence, it is only likely to get worse."

The UN has warned that Burma's fledgling democracy could be "irreparably damaged" by a week of communal violence.

It comes five months after machete and arson attacks killed more than 80 people and displaced at least 75,000 in the same region.

Calm does now appear to have been restored after the Home Minister warned the government could declare martial law and impose emergency rule.

Kyaukpyu pictured on October 25 (Pic: Human Rights Watch)

A committee of lawmakers led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has called for security reinforcements and swift legal action against those behind the fighting in which at least 67 people were killed.

Another 95 are believed to have been injured and 2,818 houses burned down.

The chaos suggests the quasi-civilian government is struggling to contain historic ethnic and religious tensions between Rohingyas and ethnic Rakhines that were suppressed during five decades of military rule that ended last year.         

Burma's estimated 800,000 Rohingyas are officially stateless, and regarded by the government of the majority Buddhist country as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Bangladesh does not recognise them either, and the United Nations has referred to them as "virtually friendless".

It is still unclear what set off the latest arson and killing that started last Sunday.

In June, tension flared after the rape and murder of a Buddhist woman that was blamed on Muslims, but there was no obvious trigger this time.

Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific deputy director, Isabelle Arradon, said: "These latest incidents between Muslim Rohingyas and Buddhists demonstrate how urgent it is that the authorities intervene to protect everyone, and break the cycle of discrimination and violence."

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Anti-Tank Mines Stolen From Freight Train

Anti-terror police are searching for a Ministry of Defence shipment of munitions stolen from a goods train in Warrington.

Sky sources understand they are powerful anti-tank mines.

Ten packages, each containing four separate plastic cases, were taken from the train as it travelled between Cumbria and Oxfordshire.

They were reported missing to British Transport Police at around 7.30am on Thursday when the train arrived at Didcot, Oxfordshire.

Seven of the packages were later discovered near a railway line in the Folley Lane area of Warrington, Cheshire.

The remaining three, which were made up of a total of 12 plastic cases, are still missing.

The munitions were on the train when it left Longtown in Cumbria at 11.30am on Wednesday.

Police understand the munitions were taken off the train while it was temporarily stationary in Warrington, and seven of the packages were discarded nearby.

They are described as being rectangular plastic tubes, approximately 4ft (1.2 metres) in length.

The North West Counter Terrorism Unit (NWCTU) is leading a joint investigation, which includes the Metropolitan Police, British Transport Police and MoD.

Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney, from NWCTU, said: "A number of enquiries are now being made by police officers into this theft, and our main priority is to safely recover the missing items.

"At this stage there is nothing to suggest the theft is terrorist-related, but due to the potential complexity of the investigation, our enquiries are being led by counter-terrorism officers.

"We would like to appeal to any members of the public who may know the whereabouts of these items, or any persons involved in the theft of these items to contact the police immediately.

"I want to make it clear that, in their normal condition, these munitions are stable and do not pose a risk to the public.

"However, the materials could be hazardous if they were to be tampered with and we therefore ask that anyone who sees them or knows where they are to call the police as soon as possible."

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 1027 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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El Alamein: Veterans Gather In Remembrance

Veterans of the Battle of El Alamein have gathered for a special service to mark its 70th anniversary.

The evensong at Westminster Abbey in London marked seven decades since the battle in North Africa, which was widely hailed as the turning point in the Second World War.

Around 40 British and Australian veterans, many of whom are now in their 90s, were part of a 500-strong congregation to honour those who fought in the 14-day battle.

More than 4,000 Allied servicemen lost their lives and almost 9,000 were wounded in the clash, which saw General Sir Bernard Montgomery's troops defeat German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps.

Winston Churchill had described the victory as a "bright gleam that caught the helmets of the soldiers, and cheered all our hearts", Chief of the Defence Staff Sir David Richards told the congregation.

"Men from all three services played their part, not least those from my own regiment, the Royal Artillery," he said.

"I am very proud to be here today, paying tribute to them, and their example of courage and professionalism which today's armed forces constantly strive to live up to."

Defence Minister Mark Francois said: "El Alamein was the first major Allied victory of the Second World War, and it is important that we never forget all those who fought so valiantly, including more than 4,000 men who lost their lives."

Two wreaths were laid at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior during the service, one by the Chief of the Defence Staff on behalf of the Duchess of Cornwall, whose father was at El Alamein, and the second by the Chief of the General Staff Sir Peter Wall on behalf of the armed forces.

The anniversary service, led by the Dean of Westminster The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, featured music from the Band of the Royal Artillery with renditions of Leo Stanley's Alamein March and Out of Africa by John Barry.

At the time of the famous battle, which began on October 23, 1942, and ended on November 4, the Allies were fighting to keep their vital supply lines open from the Mediterranean to the East.

Under the command of General Montgomery, nearly 200,000 British, Australian, New Zealand, South African, British Indian, Free French and Greek forces managed to defeat the Axis powers.

Sir Winston Churchill said later: "Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein we never had a defeat."

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Savile Family: Our Hearts Go Out To Victims

Savile Family Statement In Full

Updated: 11:25am UK, Saturday 27 October 2012

Jimmy Savile's nephew Robert Foster speaks in detail about the family's reaction to the scandal.

"A year ago our uncle, Sir Jimmy Savile, passed away.

It was a shock when it happened as I had only seen him the week before and although seeming under the weather, I had no concerns over his wellbeing. A week later he was dead and my cousin and I were left with the task of organising his funeral.

We were proud of him. Proud of his achievements and the help he had been able to give to others.

We knew nothing of the firestorm of allegations to come. We set out to organise the funeral knowing that he was well respected by many, many thousands of people.

We knew that the funeral was going to grow because so many people wanted to be a part of the celebration of his life.

We felt so honoured that so many wanted to remember him and mark his passing.

As time passed, the grieving process enabled us to come to terms with his death. By the time summer arrived we were getting ready for the auction of his possessions so that, as he requested in his will, the money could go to his charities. It was a great success.

We became aware of the programme that was being made with allegations of a darker side to him that we knew nothing about.

I watched the programme in horror and could not believe that these allegations were about our uncle. This wasn't the man we knew and loved.

Like everyone else we asked the question, Why now? We couldn't find an answer.

The allegations kept coming and were beginning to overwhelm us. Media were chasing us asking for interviews as family members.

The allegations are very serious and we began to have doubts as to our own feeling towards our uncle.

How could the person we thought we knew and loved do such a thing?

Why would a man who raised so much money for charity, who gave so much of his own time and energy for others risk it all doing indecent criminal acts? How could anyone live their life doing the 'most good and most evil' at the same time?

We became more aware of the outrage that many members of the public were feeling.

We began to think that his headstone, which we had only unveiled a couple of weeks earlier could become a target for people wishing to show there emotions. The dignity of the cemetery, the people who are buried there and the relatives who tend the graves had to be respected. We took the decision to remove and destroy the headstone so that it couldn't become a focus for malicious people.

The decision was a difficult one to make but we knew it was the right one.

A vilification of his name, his achievements and everything he stood for followed. People are moving as quickly as possible to disassociate themselves from him.

His charities, which he was so proud of, debated the prospect of removing his name from their title.

The trustees have since decided that this wasn't enough and that the charities will have to be wound up and the monies given to other charities working in a similar field.

Records of all his efforts and the good work he had done, have been, or are in the process of being removed.

We recognise that even our own despair and sadness does not compare to that felt by the victims.

Our thoughts and our prayers are with those who have suffered from every kind of abuse over so many years and we offer our deepest sympathy in what must have been a terrible time for all of them.

We can understand their reluctance to say anything earlier and can appreciate the courage it has taken to speak out now.

Our hearts go out to them and we offer them our sympathy and understanding in their anguish.

Where will it all end? Who knows? The repercussions of this scandal are enormous. We, as his closest family, have to endure further revelations on a daily basis. 
Our feelings are in turmoil as we await the next turn of events."

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Savile: Celebs 'Frightened By Police Probe'

Major stars from the 60s and 70s are terrified of being named in connection with the Jimmy Savile child abuse scandal, according to PR guru Max Clifford.

Mr Clifford told Sky News that up to 15 celebrities in Britain and beyond had been in touch with him in recent days to express their fears.

The stars are concerned because of their hedonistic lifestyles when they were at the peak of their fame, when young girls would throw themselves at them, he said.

His comments came as the Savile family released a lengthy statement expressing their horror at the revelations.

Mr Clifford told Sky: "In the last few days, I have had an awful lot of calls and expect to get a lot more - some from very famous people who in the 60s and 70s were in the middle of this music explosion in this country.

"I'm very close friends with a lot of these people and have been for 40 to 50 years. I am in the middle of the media world so I'm the first person they turn to.

"Their lives often depend on popularity and public perception. There are a lot of things that get put out there that have nothing to do with reality but can be very damaging.

"They are all saying that they were totally unaware and they themselves have never done anything remotely like Jimmy Savile. Naturally they are concerned because names are being mentioned - 95% of it is total nonsense but it is happening."

He added: "If you're 19 or 20 and suddenly you become a pop star and a dozen girls burst into your dressing room... you don't actually sit there and ask for birth certificates."

Mr Clifford said Freddie Starr was one of those who had been in touch and had called him several times.

"Freddie said to me 'look Max, I've done nothing. There's nothing I ever did but I'm worried to death, I've got a bad heart. I'm in a real state'."

He added: "There's a lot of people that are very very worried about what is going on."

Mr Clifford's comments came after The Sun newspaper reported that Savile allegedly molested a teenage girl live on TV in 1976.

The woman, then aged 19, was allegedly attacked by Savile during an episode of Top Of The Pops.

The woman, named by the newspaper as Sylvia Edwards, approached a BBC producer immediately after the alleged incident, but was reportedly told to "get lost".

"I felt so embarrassed and ashamed because it was live on TV and all my friends and family were watching," she told the newspaper.

"The worst thing was that he was so casual when he did it. He was committing a sexual assault live on the BBC and no one gave a damn."

Scotland Yard has said their investigation into accusations of abuse by Savile, who died in 2011, now involves around 300 potential victims.

Police have described him as a sexual predator who could have been one of the most prolific paedophiles Britain has ever seen.

The scandal erupted after an ITV documentary at the start of this month broadcast allegations by a string of women who said the Jim'll Fix It star had assaulted them.

It has since emerged that seven alleged victims contacted four separate police forces - Surrey, London, Sussex and Jersey - while he was alive but no further action was taken.

A retired police officer has also told Scotland Yard that he investigated Savile in the 1980s while based in west London but did not have enough evidence to proceed.

Commander Peter Spindler said he believed the allegation was of an indecent assault, possibly in a caravan on BBC premises in west London, but officers have still not found the original file.

Another allegation, of inappropriate touching dating back to the 1970s, was made by a woman in 2003, but this was treated as "intelligence" by police because the victim did not want to take action.

Surrey Police submitted a file to the Crown Prosecution Service containing references to four potential offences, including an allegation of indecent assault on a young girl at a children's home.

The allegations related to three potential victims in Surrey and another in Sussex, and Savile was interviewed under caution in 2009, but prosecutors decided there was insufficient evidence to bring charges.

The seventh allegation emerged in 2008 when Jersey police received a claim that an indecent assault occurred at children's home Haut de la Garenne in the 1970s.

Again it was decided that there was insufficient evidence to proceed.

Mr Spindler said Savile was "undoubtedly" one of the most prolific sex offenders he had come across and that Operation Yewtree, looking into his alleged crimes, would be a "watershed moment" for child abuse investigations.

Claims have also been made that former DJ Savile, who died last year aged 84, targeted children while they were in hospital.

He had a bedroom at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, an office and living quarters at Broadmoor and widespread access to Leeds General Infirmary.

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