Protest As 9/11 Remains Return To Ground Zero

Remains of unidentified 9/11 victims have returned to the World Trade Center site in a solemn procession, despite the protests of some of the victims' families.

The remains were moved from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Manhattan's East Side at the procession on a foggy morning, accompanied by a police motorcade.

A dozen firefighters stood in the cool breeze saluting the vehicles as they arrived at the site.

The remains - thousands of pouches containing fragments of bone - will be kept in an underground repository in the same building as the National September 11 Memorial Museum.

Families want a say over the resting place of their loved ones

Critics say the remains should be stored in an above-ground monument separate from the museum.

A group of victims' relatives staged a protest during the transfer, some wearing black bands over their mouths.

The death toll from the attacks stands at 2,753

One held a sign saying: "A Museum Is Not A Cemetery".

"I don't know how much of him is down here; if it's one little inch, I want it treated respectfully," said Rosemary Cain, referring to the son she lost in the attack.

"I want it above ground. I don't want it to be part of a museum. I don't want it to be part of a freak show."

Firefighters saluting the vehicles as they arrived at the site

The repository will be available for family visits but will be overseen by the medical examiner.

Officials hope that improvements in technology will eventually lead to the identification of the 7,930 fragmentary remains.

Other relatives, who also were at the ceremony, have supported the decision, saying the repository is an appropriate resting place.

The museum opens this month

The death toll stemming from the attacks at the World Trade Center stands at 2,753. Of those, 1,115, or 41 percent, have not been identified.

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Kidnapped Nigerian Schoolgirls Tell Of Escape

Nigerian Kidnap Tactic 'Standard Procedure'

Updated: 4:26pm UK, Saturday 10 May 2014

Splitting the captured Nigerian schoolgirls into groups by their kidnappers is "standard operating procedure", a hostage negotiator has told Sky News.

Dr James Alvarez explained this was done on the basis of "not putting all your eggs in one basket".

He also said while negotiation was the safest option, it often had to be backed up by the threat of force in order to act as a back-up if talks do not work out, and also as a "prod" to the hostage-takers.

Meanwhile, Davis Lewin from the Henry Jackson Society - a think-tank on extremism - gave a chilling insight into the Boko Haram militant group behind the kidnappings.

Mr Lewin told Sky News the movement had a "gruesome history" and posed a "major security threat".

They demonstrated "a brutality that frankly doesn't compute in Western minds", he said.

It is thought the schoolgirls are being held in a forest near the border with Cameroon.

Their kidnappers have divided the girls into at least four different groups, complicating the search and hampering rescue efforts.

Dr Alvarez said: "It's standard operating procedure. You don't want to put all your eggs in one basket."

He said negotiators would be making contacts locally and trying to gather information about the aims of the group, what they wanted with the girls, and also find out from the Nigerian government what concessions they are prepared to make.

"Negotiations only work if you have got something to exchange," he said.

Mr Lewin added: "What the problem really is, is that there's a very grave lack of infrastructure in terms of intelligence in terms of capability on the part of the Nigerian government in the region of the country where these extremists are active.

"We have seen them get stronger and stronger and they have really proven to be one of the most deadly forms of this radical Islamist threat with thousands dead, and a brutality that frankly doesn't compute in Western minds.

"The leader of this terrorist movement couldn't care less about the outrage that Michelle Obama and so many others have expressed."

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Woman Dies In 1,000ft Fall On Mount McKinley

A doctor has plunged 1,000ft to her death on North America's tallest mountain after becoming separated from her climbing partner in bad weather.

Sylvia Montag had been climbing Alaska's Mount McKinley when she fell while descending the treacherous Denali Pass - a steep, hard-packed, icy stretch of mountain which has claimed several lives.

The 39-year-old, of Tacoma, Washington state, who was climbing with Mike Fuchs, had been posting audio and written accounts of their early season attempt to climb the 20,322ft (6,195-metre) peak.

Although an experienced high-altitude climber, Ms Montag had not attempted an ascent of Mount McKinley before, according to National Park Service spokesman Maureen Gualtieri.

The pair began their climb on Muldrow Glacier on April 15.

On Saturday, the climbers reached Denali Pass at 18,000ft, where they encountered winds of at least 50mph that forced them to camp for two nights.

More than 100 people have been killed climbing Mount McKinley since 1932

When the storm subsided slightly on Monday, they attempted to descend to a more established campsite around 1,000ft below.

Ms Gualtieri said: "Spending a few nights at high altitude like they did would definitely weaken someone.

"They were quite fatigued when they were coming down and that may have contributed to the fall."

It was on reaching the lower camp that Mr Fuchs realised Ms Montag was not behind him.

Using a satellite phone, the 34-year-old, who lives in Berlin, called for help, hoping she had returned to their previous campsite.

Her body was spotted by a helicopter crew when the strong winds weakened.

Mr Fuchs was taken off the mountain by rescuers a short time later, while Ms Montag's body will be recovered by park service workers.

The pair did not have radio contact with each other and were not roped together - a measure the park service suggests climbers take but that carries risks of its own, as one person falling can take the others with them.

Since 1980, 12 climbers have fallen to their deaths on the steep Denali Pass, 11 of them while descending.

Ms Gualtieri said: "It can be icy in spots but (it is) generally hard-packed snow and not very forgiving.

"It tends to be an area where once one loses one's footing, it's difficult to self-arrest and stop that fall, so you keep falling,"

In total, 122 climbers have died on Mount McKinley since 1932.

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UK Soldier 'Posed With Dead Taliban Fighter'

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

The RAF has launched a probe after photographs surfaced appearing to show a serviceman posing with a dead Taliban fighter.

The pictures were apparently taken in the wake of an attack by 15 insurgents on Camp Bastion, the main British base in Afghanistan, in September 2012.

The insurgents breached the perimeter of the base, triggering a battle involving a British RAF regiment and US marines.

Two of the marines and 14 Taliban fighters were killed in the firefight, and UK troops were also injured.

The two photographs appear to show at least one member of the RAF giving a thumbs-up sign as he kneels next to the body of a dead insurgent.

The photos were taken after an attack on Camp Bastion in 2012

It is unclear if it is the same serviceman in both of the photographs.

Sky News has learned that the individual or individuals belong to 51 Squadron.

An RAF source said he was making "no excuses" for the behaviour but said it was important to consider the context.

"This was a long, extensive firefight against a well-drilled, well-armed enemy who was trying to kill them," the source said.

He said it was an "unusual adrenaline fuelled situation" in which "foolish" things could happen.

Camp Bastion is the main British base in Afghanistan

The investigation will focus on whether the airman broke the rules by "mistreating" the enemy.

They may also be reprimanded for simply having and using photographic equipment.

Another photograph shows a burned-out plane in a hangar - six US Harrier jets were destroyed in the attack.

The images first appeared on the website Live Leak.

An RAF spokesman said: "The RAF is treating this incident extremely seriously and has launched a military police investigation.

"As this incident is subject to an ongoing investigation it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."

Joanne Mariner, Director of Law and Policy at Amnesty International, said: "These pictures ... are appalling.

"They violate international humanitarian law standards, including common article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit the disrespectful and degrading treatment of the bodies of dead combatants.

"There must be a thorough and impartial investigation into this incident; it is encouraging to learn that the UK military has instigated one."

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Olympic Chiefs On 'Rio Games To London' Claim

Olympic bosses have been forced to deny claims London has been approached about hosting the 2016 Games instead of Rio because of major delays in preparations.

The Evening Standard newspaper said officials in the capital, which hosted the event in 2012, had been "secretly asked" whether they would be able to take over from Rio in the event building work was not finished in time.

It comes after John Coates, vice-president of the International Olympic Committee, described Brazil's preparations as "the worst I have experienced" and said Rio is further behind than Athens was before the 2004 Olympics.

Brazil will be the first South American country to host the Olympics

However, at a meeting of the Australian Olympic Committee in Sydney, Mr Coates said claims London could step in were "nonsense".

"There's absolutely no plan B," he said. "There's just absolutely no alternative of going back to another city. We'll work through this and we'll get to Brazil."

With two years to go before South America's first ever Olympic Games, Rio has come under increasing scrutiny over severe delays.

There is concern venues will not be ready in time for the 2016 Games

Last week, Mr Coates highlighted delays in construction and a lack of infrastructure, as well as the quality of the water in Guanabara Bay where many of the water events are due to be held, and said the "situation is critical on the ground".

Brazil has also come under fierce criticism from football's world governing body, FIFA, over long delays and worker deaths during construction of stadiums for the World Cup, which starts in June.

The Evening Standard report suggested London could share events with Glasgow, which is hosting the Commonwealth Games in July.

London's Olympic stadium is being converted for use by West Ham

However, moving the Games to Britain would involve huge logistical and financial challenges.

Many of the venues from the 2012 Olympics have been dismantled or converted for public use.

The Olympic Stadium is currently being revamped into a smaller venue that will be the new home of West Ham football club from the 2016-17 season.

The athletes' village, which housed more than 10,000 competitors in 2012, has been converted into private housing.

The London Games were widely lauded as a triumph for their organisation, including the opening ceremony, and athletic success, with Britain netting its biggest Olympic medal haul.

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Weathermen Predict World Cup 'El' For England

England are used to getting their excuses in early before World Cups - and now it seems the weathermen are doing it for them.

Climate scientists at the University of Reading say there is a 60% chance of El Nino conditions in Brazil this summer.

They warned the phenomenon would "increase the risk of uncomfortably hot and dry conditions" during the tournament - a blow to European teams used to playing in cooler conditions, who have traditionally struggled in the searing heat of South American competitions.

The areas likely to be worst affected by El Nino are southern and eastern parts of Brazil, where England play their second and third group games.

Roy Hodgson's team face Uruguay in Sao Paulo on June 19 and Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte five days later.

Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte, where England will play Costa Rica

"The venue for England's first game, Manaus, where they take on Italy, is in the tropical north of Brazil and is already likely to be very hot and humid, so conditions are unlikely to be made worse by El Nino," Dr Nick Klingaman, of the University of Reading, said.

"However, if players and coaching staff were hoping for milder and more favourable conditions for their remaining matches, it looks more likely they could be disappointed."

The average maximum temperature in Rio during the World Cup months is 25.5 degrees Celsius, with a record of 36.0.

On average, El Nino increases June and July temperatures near Rio de Janeiro by 0.9C.

Cloud cover would also be lost, increasing the likelihood of "heat-related fatigue", according to scientists.

El Nino refers to unusually warm ocean temperatures near the equator in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean and is linked to drought and heatwaves in India, southeast Asia, eastern Australia and eastern South America.

The phenomenon occurs every two to five years.

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Man Arrested After Two Found Dead In Walsall

A 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a couple were found dead in a West Midlands home.

West Midlands Police say they were called to the address in Hollemeadow Avenue, Walsall, by an ambulance crew at 3.50am. 

A 32-year-old man and 29-year-old woman, believed to be husband and wife, were found dead at the scene.

Police say their injuries were consistent with stab wounds, although a post-mortem examination is yet to be conducted.

Speaking from Walsall, Sky's David Crabtree said the couple has been named locally as David Stringer and his wife Hayley.

Three young girls, aged 11, eight and seven were also found unharmed at the house and are now being looked after by close friends.

West Midlands Police recovered a weapon from the house and have now launched a murder investigation.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said : "A 19-year-old man who was at the house when officers arrived has been arrested on suspicion of murder to enable detectives to formally question him over the circumstances surrounding the deaths."

Police say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the murders.

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Hit And Run Death: Classmates 'Devastated'

School friends of a teenager killed in a hit and run have spoken of their devastation at losing a classmate who "made people smile".

Police are appealing for the driver who did not stop after hitting 14-year-old Jasmyn Chan in Sheffield on Friday night to come forward.

Another girl, aged 12, has now left hospital after being treated for serious injuries following the collision at about 9.20pm.

The pair, both from Sheffield, were crossing the road when they were hit by a car on Normanton Hill close to its junction with Richmond Hill Road.

A message left at the scene on Saturday

Friends gathered there on Saturday to leave flowers after hearing about the tragedy on Facebook.

One, Hannah Bellamy, told Sky News: "We're shock and sad that she's gone. She was always smiling - a funny person to be around who spoke to anyone.

"She always made me smile when I was down. I'm going to miss her loads - she's going to be missed by everyone."

Friend Hannah Bellamy, one of those who laid flowers at the scene

The girls had fallen behind three other friends when they were hit by the car as it travelled down a hill towards the A57 Mosborough Parkway.

Family friend Sarah Parker added: "She's just a lovely little girl. She was gorgeous. I can't get my head around it. It's devastating to hear."

The vehicle was described as small and dark-coloured, possibly green, and possibly a Volkswagen or a Honda.

School friends gathered at the scene

Police say they are following a "number of leads" after getting information from the public.

Chief Inspector Stuart Walne appealed for the driver to contact police.

"The driver may not have intended to cause this collision nor are they likely to have been aware of the extent of the injuries they caused last night," he said.

The crash occurred on Normanton Hill, near the Richmond Hill Road junction

"However, I would urge them to think about the impact on Jasmyn's family, friends and community and please come forward.

"The small dark-coloured car will have damage to the front and the driver's offside.

"If you were the driver of this car, please contact police immediately. This is a tragic situation that has taken a young life and seriously affected another.

Flowers left at the scene in Sheffield

"There may have been reasons that you didn't stop last night but now a girl has died and we need to speak to you."

Witnesses to the crash or anyone with information are asked to contact police on the non-emergency 101 number.

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Nigeria Kidnappings: Michelle Obama 'Outraged'

First Lady Michelle Obama says she and the US president are "outraged and heartbroken" over the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls in Nigeria.

Mrs Obama, taking the rare step of delivering her husband's weekly radio address, called the abduction an "unconscionable act".

The First Lady spoke as intelligence sources told Sky News they believe the girls are now being kept in at least four separate groups, complicating the search.

The sources said they believe they know where some of the girls are.

The burnt-out school where the girls were taken from last month

"Like millions of people across the globe, my husband and I are outraged and heartbroken over the kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian girls from their school dormitory in the middle of the night," Mrs Obama said in the address.

"This unconscionable act was committed by a terrorist group determined to keep these girls from getting an education - grown men attempting to snuff out the aspirations of young girls."

She said this violence "was not an isolated incident ... it's a story we see every day as girls around the world risk their lives to pursue their ambitions".

"In these girls, Barack and I see our own daughters," Mrs Obama said, referring to Malia, 15, and Sasha, 12.

"We see their hopes, their dreams and we can only imagine the anguish their parents are feeling right now."

Michelle Obama released this photo earlier this week

Barack Obama has sent a team to help the Nigerian government locate the girls, who were kidnapped from a boarding school in Chibok in the northern Borno state on April 14.

The Boko Haram militant group is behind the kidnappings.

British and American officials are using advanced eavesdropping equipment to scan the Sambisa forest where the schoolgirls are thought to be, Sky News understands.

Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford, who is in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, said if the intelligence is true it would be "much more difficult to mount simultaneous raids" to rescue them.

"The whole thing is fraught with danger," she added.

Some reports said Nigerian security forces failed to respond to warnings about Boko Haram's planned abduction of the girls.

Amnesty International said it had verified reports from several credible sources who claimed the military was aware of the impending attack close to four hours before it took place.

The Nigerian government has rejected the findings as "unfounded".

The leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, has threatened to sell the girls "on the market", amid reports some have already been trafficked to neighbouring Chad and Cameroon.

But Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said he believes the girls are still in the country.

Parents of the kidnapped girls have taken part in protests

The kidnappings have drawn condemnation from around the world and celebrities have launched a Twitter campaign under the hashtag #bringbackourgirls.

Prime Minister David Cameron told Sky News the abduction is "a ghastly situation, an act of pure evil".

Boko Haram's name is said to figuratively mean "Western education is forbidden".

The Islamist militant group's five-year insurgency has left at least 1,500 dead this year alone.

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Ukrainian Self-Rule 'Would Destroy Country'

Hague's Whirlwind Diplomatic Tour Of Europe

Updated: 10:57am UK, Saturday 10 May 2014

By Tim Marshall, Diplomatic Editor

When you travel with the Foreign Office, you travel at speed.

Foreign Secretary William Hague lives his working life in blocks of time allocated according to timetables, worked out by staff, who liaise with their counterparts around the world.

For his trip around Eastern Europe they had arranged 21 meetings in four countries over four days.

To achieve that they had chartered a 13-seat charter jet. It's expensive, but the RAF planes sometimes used by government officials were unavailable or didn't have the range required.

The view was that if they travelled on scheduled flights they couldn't make all the meetings.

On board were the Foreign Secretary, several advisors, his private secretary, security men, and a two-person Sky News team including cameraman Pete Milnes.

We were inside what is called "The Bubble".

On Monday the first call was to Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, where we were met by various government officials and whisked into town in an eight-vehicle convoy, with lights flashing and sirens blaring.

The trip was about signalling to the countries he visited, but also to Russia. The message was that the UK will support Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia.

Britain sent a similar but stronger message to the Baltic States and Russia when it flew four fighter jets to Lithuania last month, but they are Nato members. On this tour he only had political and economic weapons at his disposal.

For the Moldova leg he had penned an article for a leading newspaper and acknowledged to Sky News that is was written for two audiences.

"You have to get through to the publics of the countries you visit, but you also know that the Russians are reading it ... Moscow needs to understand that there is a long-term price for violating the sovereignty of other nations," he said.

After a series of meetings, Mr Hague was back in his vehicle and preparing to return to the airport.

At this point it is essential all 13 of us, and the 30-odd pieces of kit and luggage, are all ready to move because the only people the convoy will wait for is the Foreign Secretary and his security detail.

After each meeting there is a flurry of activity with people throwing bags into cars, which occasionally might even be moving.

We get back to the plane and head for Vienna.

On board the protocol is that on the rare occasions a reporter is travelling with the Foreign Secretary he or she sits at the back, thus allowing the diplomats to spend the flight time working and talking privately.

Their area is for the duration of the flight their private office. Occasionally the Foreign Secretary will come back for a chat.

This is usually a mixture of everyday pleasantries, light humour over an incident which may have occurred at the previous location, and genuine insights into aims and strategies of HMG.

At dusk we land in Vienna and are two-thirds of the way through a 15-hour day.

In the Austrian capital the following morning Mr Hague attends the Council of Europe meeting on the Ukraine crisis.

The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is present, but there is no meeting of minds.

Back at the airport the Foreign Secretary meets the acting Ukrainian Foreign Minister who is hitching a lift to Ukraine.

Mr Hague jokes: "We've thrown someone off to make room." He then takes the rare opportunity to spend the 90-minute flight to Kiev for a proper and private conversation with his opposite number.

When we arrive there is moment of light comedy.

The Minister, Andrii Deshchytsia, gets off first, followed immediately by Mr Hague, before the Ukrainian turns around, and as protocol demands, shakes hands with Mr Hague and welcomes him to his country.

The Bubble moves into Kiev where the Ukrainian Acting Prime Minister is in his own bubble which is running five minutes late.

For the first time in two days things slow down. We wait in a huge meeting room with the UK diplomats chatting to each other in a relaxed manner before the Prime Minister arrives and its back to business.

The following day the convoy passes the Ukrainian revolution The Maidan where most of the fighting during the winter took place. It's a reminder of just how serious the trip is.

Back on the plane I ask the Foreign Secretary what his favourite part of the job is and he replies: "It's knowing that we are not dealing with trivial stuff here. This matters, and it matters what we do."

On to Georgia, a country where a lot of people have long names, which for a native English speaker can present difficulties.

I ask Mr Hague if he ever forgets anyone's name.

"No, but then I've usually got people's names written down and I have a team of people to help me.

"If you are unsure, then the first thing you do when you land is ask the ambassador to take you through names and pronunciations."

Tbilisi is an attractive city with excellent wine and food, but Mr Hague can't concentrate on the architecture due to work, and says he's learned over the years not to enjoy the food too much.

Most meetings involve at least coffee and biscuits, and more usually a meal at which the host will pile up every local delicacy as a way of showing off their country's food.

Towards the end of day four we end up back in London after a five-hour flight. During the flight, the Foreign Secretary was slightly more relaxed for the first time.

He was still working but his mind was now clear of the 21 meetings. As we approached RAF Northolt the focus was returning.

On the tarmac, under grey skies, he greeted an air force officer with the words: "What have you done with the weather while we were away."

The sunshine of the previous weekend had given way to a chilly breeze, but in Ukraine the temperature was rising.

I worked out that most of us had, by Thursday afternoon, worked for about 55 hours so far this week.

I was now out of The Bubble and so drove home. The Foreign Secretary got into another car, in another convoy, and headed for the Foreign Office.

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