A Slovakian swimwear model who shot her British millionaire ex-boyfriend in his Spanish home has been jailed for more than 15 years.
Mayka Kukucova said in court that she had "never meant to hurt" Andrew Bush during a struggle and cried when photos of his body were shown. However she was convicted of murder two years after the killing.
Prosecutors had hoped the 26-year-old would face 25 years in prison, but she was sentenced to 15 and a half years instead - 15 years for the murder and six months for breaking into Mr Bush's Marbella home.
Mr Bush, 48, a former jewellery dealer from Bristol, who was married to BBC TV presenter Sam Mason, met Kukucova when she worked in his shop.
They were together for two and a half years but split six months before the murder and Mr Bush, nicknamed "the King of Bling", was in a new relationship with a 20-year-old Russian university student.
The court heard how Kukucova had waited for Mr Bush at his Costa del Sol home and shot him twice in the head before fleeing in his Hummer to her native Slovakia. She handed herself in to authorities there and was extradited to Spain.
Kukucova claimed she had been acting in self defence but she was convicted on Saturday.
Mr Bush's 21-year-old daughter Ellie Mason-Bush welcomed the decision, saying she had finally "got justice" for him.
Her mother, Ms Mason wrote on Twitter: "20 years for the murderous cow. I hope she rots. At no stage has she apologised to my girl. Blaming Andy, low life scum."
Before the verdict she posted a picture of herself with her ex-husband and their daughter just after she was born, which said: "How can any 1 ruin this?"
Mr Bush's girlfriend, Maria Korotaeva, posted a report of Kukucova's conviction on her Instagram page with the caption "Thank God".
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
More Than 45 Million Are In Slavery Worldwide
More than 45 million people around the world are trapped in modern slavery, an annual study by an Australian pressure group has found.
The Global Slavery Index for 2016, published by Perth-based Walk Free Foundation, discovered that up to 4% of the population in some countries are in bondage of some kind.
Modern slavery includes people who are forced to work as prostitutes or domestic servants, or who are enslaved in debt bondage and compelled to work in factories or on farms.
Asia is the worst offender, the study found, with up to 4.37% of people in North Korea and 3.97% of the population in Uzbekistan enslaved.
The highest number of slaves in any one country is in India, which has 18.35 million, followed by China with 3.39 million and Pakistan with 2.13 million.
The Walk Free Foundation's founders say more countries should follow the lead set by the UK, which last year brought in the 2015 Modern Slavery Act.
Walk Free chairman Andrew Forrest said: "One of the reasons why we chose to launch the Global Slavery Index 2016 in London was because of the leadership which Britain has made on the modern slavery issue.
"The Modern Slavery Act 2015 led the world and we are seeing this having a real impact in how companies and countries behave.
"We feel very strongly that if this leadership is adopted by the nine other major economies of the world then the world would be a much safer place."
A total of 45.8 million men, women and children are modern slaves, according to the study - 10 million more than the last survey in 2014.
Mr Forrest said the rise was down to better access to data, although he added that he believes the number of slaves is rising.
The Home Office says it estimates there are 13,000 modern slaves in Britain.
Out of those, the largest group is from Albania, then Nigeria and Vietnam.
But many are British nationals, the Home Office adds - most often teenage girls who have been groomed and then forced into sex work.
While the report singled Britain out for praise, it said that rates of conviction in the UK are low and immigration rules leave migrants vulnerable to exploitation.
Hollywood actor Russell Crowe will help launch the report in central London on Tuesday morning.
The Global Slavery Index for 2016, published by Perth-based Walk Free Foundation, discovered that up to 4% of the population in some countries are in bondage of some kind.
Modern slavery includes people who are forced to work as prostitutes or domestic servants, or who are enslaved in debt bondage and compelled to work in factories or on farms.
Asia is the worst offender, the study found, with up to 4.37% of people in North Korea and 3.97% of the population in Uzbekistan enslaved.
The highest number of slaves in any one country is in India, which has 18.35 million, followed by China with 3.39 million and Pakistan with 2.13 million.
The Walk Free Foundation's founders say more countries should follow the lead set by the UK, which last year brought in the 2015 Modern Slavery Act.
Walk Free chairman Andrew Forrest said: "One of the reasons why we chose to launch the Global Slavery Index 2016 in London was because of the leadership which Britain has made on the modern slavery issue.
"The Modern Slavery Act 2015 led the world and we are seeing this having a real impact in how companies and countries behave.
"We feel very strongly that if this leadership is adopted by the nine other major economies of the world then the world would be a much safer place."
A total of 45.8 million men, women and children are modern slaves, according to the study - 10 million more than the last survey in 2014.
Mr Forrest said the rise was down to better access to data, although he added that he believes the number of slaves is rising.
The Home Office says it estimates there are 13,000 modern slaves in Britain.
Out of those, the largest group is from Albania, then Nigeria and Vietnam.
But many are British nationals, the Home Office adds - most often teenage girls who have been groomed and then forced into sex work.
While the report singled Britain out for praise, it said that rates of conviction in the UK are low and immigration rules leave migrants vulnerable to exploitation.
Hollywood actor Russell Crowe will help launch the report in central London on Tuesday morning.
Snowden Performed 'Public Service' With Leaks
Edward Snowden performed a "public service" by triggering a national debate about secret domestic surveillance programmes, a former US Attorney General said.
In a podcast released on Monday, Eric Holder said the former National Security Agency contractor should still return to the US to face trial.
Snowden leaked classified details in 2013 of the US government's surveillance of its citizens before fleeing the country.
He now lives in Russia and faces charges that could mean up to 30 years in prison if he returns to the US.
In an interview with CNN, Mr Holder said that Snowden had become concerned that domestic spying programmes were not providing a "substantial" return of useful intelligence.
He said: "We can certainly argue about the way in which Snowden did what he did, but I think that he actually performed a public service by raising the debate we engaged in and by the changes that we made.
"Now, I would say doing what he did in the way he did it was inappropriate and illegal."
Mr Holder, who was Attorney General between 2009 and 2015, said the leaks harmed US interests and put intelligence assets at risk.
He added: "He's broken the law. In my view, he needs to get lawyers, come on back and decide what he wants to do - go to trial try to cut a deal.
"But in deciding what an appropriate sentence should be, a judge could take into account the usefulness of having that national debate."
Snowden has repeatedly said he would be willing to return to the US if the federal government provides a fair trial.
But he says that under federal espionage laws he would not be allowed to present a whistleblower defence, where he would argue in court that he acted in the public interest.
In a podcast released on Monday, Eric Holder said the former National Security Agency contractor should still return to the US to face trial.
Snowden leaked classified details in 2013 of the US government's surveillance of its citizens before fleeing the country.
He now lives in Russia and faces charges that could mean up to 30 years in prison if he returns to the US.
In an interview with CNN, Mr Holder said that Snowden had become concerned that domestic spying programmes were not providing a "substantial" return of useful intelligence.
He said: "We can certainly argue about the way in which Snowden did what he did, but I think that he actually performed a public service by raising the debate we engaged in and by the changes that we made.
"Now, I would say doing what he did in the way he did it was inappropriate and illegal."
Mr Holder, who was Attorney General between 2009 and 2015, said the leaks harmed US interests and put intelligence assets at risk.
He added: "He's broken the law. In my view, he needs to get lawyers, come on back and decide what he wants to do - go to trial try to cut a deal.
"But in deciding what an appropriate sentence should be, a judge could take into account the usefulness of having that national debate."
Snowden has repeatedly said he would be willing to return to the US if the federal government provides a fair trial.
But he says that under federal espionage laws he would not be allowed to present a whistleblower defence, where he would argue in court that he acted in the public interest.
UK 'Exposed' To Terrorists Arriving By Boat
The rescue of 18 migrants from a boat in the Channel shows how exposed Britain is to traffickers using small ports to bypass border staff, it has been claimed.
Campaigners say that with just three dedicated patrol boats operating in UK waters it is just a matter of time before terrorists enter Britain by sea.
People living on the south coast of England say the inflatable craft intercepted at Dymchurch, Kent, is just one of many suspected to have brought migrants to UK shores.
Two British men have been charged with immigration offences after the boat with 18 Albanians on board was rescued.
Now there are calls for more to be done to stop traffickers using the Channel to smuggle people into Britain.
Dorset's Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill told Sky News: "The French have 40 cutters patrolling their seas and we have three.
"It's an absolute scandal. We've lost our aerial surveillance. We don't know who's coming into this country.
"We're really exposed and before we have a major terrorist attack, let's wake up and start reinvesting in our port security."
Chris Parry, a former Rear Admiral who was chair of the UK's Marine Management Organisation, added: "We have to have a systematic approach.
"I'm not sure the Border Agency has a strategy for this. This problem has been knocking on the door for some time and now the door is open."
He said the UK has adequate "surveillance assets" but until the armed forces and the various agencies involved work together, the problem is going to get worse.
He added: "If we think that migrants are slipping across the Channel, there are quite a lot of others ... and possibly terrorists that are going to do the same."
The Government is introducing tough new powers for the UK Border Force which it says will help tackle the problem.
From today, immigration officers will be able to stop, board, divert and detain vessels and arrest anyone they suspect has broken immigration laws.
New patrol vessels will also be deployed to try to stop people from smuggling weapons, drugs and migrants into the UK.
And more resources will be available over the summer with new maritime coordination hubs in Cornwall, the Thames Estuary and the Humber.
But some say the new powers will not be enough and the sea route can only be shut off with more resources.
Lucy Moreton, general secretary of the Immigration Services Union, said: "Anecdotally members have been reporting for 18 months that these types of landings are increasing.
"Unless there are the resources to maintain 100% vigilance 100% of the time ... then there are going to be vulnerabilities.
"Like all the civil services, resources (at Border Force) are inevitably scarce. They want to do more ... The powers are much welcome but there are a finite number of staff to enforce them."
When the new powers were announced last week, Immigration Minister James Brokenshire said: "Our investments and improvements over the past six years have left us with one of the most secure borders in the world. But we know we must go further and continue to adapt and react to the challenges we face.
"That's why we will be establishing a series of operational hubs, procuring additional boats and introducing new powers to make the UK's coastline even more secure from criminals looking to smuggle guns and drugs or facilitate illegal entry into the country."
Former Boss Of Insurance Giant Kills Himself
The former chief executive of Swiss insurance giant Zurich has taken his own life, just three years after the company's then chief financial officer also killed himself.
Martin Senn ran Zurich for six years until last December when he quit, saying his time at the firm had been "very intense".
Local police in the east of Switzerland were alerted after being called to a holiday apartment in the ski resort town of Klosters.
Police spokesman for the Graubuenden region Roman Rueegg declined to comment on the suspected cause of death.
But Zurich Insurance said in a brief statement on Monday that "his family informed us that Martin took his life last Friday".
It added that the company expressed "great shock and sadness" but would not be making any further comment "out of respect to Martin and to his family".
Mr Senn left Zurich after "mutual agreement" with the board.
At the time, he said: "There have been some setbacks in recent months, but I am convinced that we have put in place the right measures for Zurich to reach its targets."
A few months earlier, Zurich had shelved plans for a takeover of British rival RSA.
Carriermanagement.com said Mr Senn was paid 6.1m Swiss francs (£4.2m) by Zurich in 2015, down from 7.2 million Swiss francs (£5m) in 2014.
Three years ago, Zurich's then chief financial officer, Pierre Wauthier, killed himself.
Two independent inquiries undertaken by Swiss regulators found no indication that he had been subject to undue pressure by those in charge at the company.
:: Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org.
Monday, May 30, 2016
Buhari’s first year: Five ways Nigeria has changed
President Muhammadu Buhari came to power promising Nigerians "change". Novelist and writer Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani gives five examples of what has changed in Nigeria since 29 May 2015 when he was sworn in.
1. Are we safer?
Those of us who travel regularly in Nigeria's north-east had become used to what should be a 15-minute journey turning into an hour-long ordeal.
You had to stop dozens of times at roadblocks and disembark, while heavily armed soldiers inspected your vehicle for traces of the Islamist militant group, Boko Haram.
Today, the number of checkpoints has fallen significantly - even on the road to Chibok - thanks to enhanced confidence in the security of the entire region.
The army has regained swathes of territory that the Islamist militants had occupied as part of their so-called caliphate.
Boko Haram has been considerably weakened, resigned to attacking soft targets using suicide bombers.
Thousands of women and girls kidnapped by the group have also been rescued, including one of the 219 schoolgirls from Chibok abducted in April 2014.
But while there is progress in the north-east, trouble in the Niger Delta, the country's oil-producing region, is resurfacing.
Recent attacks on oil facilities have caused a drop in production and helped push up the global price of crude oil.
2. Where's my money?
In the months preceding last year's elections, the popular chant on the streets was "Sai Buhari, Sai Buhari", which means "Only Buhari" in Hausa - the most widely-spoken language in the north where the president originates.
"Sai Buhari" became an almost magical greeting, capable of earning you a discount from the sweaty chap pushing a wheelbarrow of tiger nuts or sugar cane.
It could even elicit a smile followed by permission to move along, from the miscellaneous airport officials who usually ensure that your passage through Nigerian customs and immigration is fraught with agonising delays.
A year later, the chant has changed to "Buhariya", which roughly translates to "Buhari's way" or "Buhari's time".
The slogan is now used to explain every unpleasant evidence of Nigeria's troubled economy and a time of austerity.
Q: "A basket of tomatoes has gone up from 3,000 naira ($15) to 18,000 naira?"
A: It's "Buhariya!"
Q: "How come the naira is plummeting against the dollar on the black market?"
A: It's "Buhariya!"
3. Where's our money?
This time last year, friendship with Sambo Dasuki, the former national security adviser, could have altered your economic circumstances forever.
He would have been besieged with invitation cards to be the chief guest at various events.
When he entered a room, almost everyone would stand in respect.
Today, he sits in an Abuja jail, awaiting trial for the alleged mismanagement of billions of dollars meant for the war against Boko Haram - charges he denies.
Several other big men, previous untouchables, such as former service chiefs, top politicians and government officials, are also sitting in jail awaiting corruption trials, or out on bail.
And, if you're looking for a second-hand luxury car to buy, now may be the time.
A number of people formerly linked to the government are desperate for cash and selling off their fleets.
It would seem as though the leaking taps that gushed dollars to be spent carelessly have stopped flowing since President Buhari came to power.
4. Where are the women?
Ensuring women's participation at all levels in political, economic and public life is one of the targets of the UN's sustainable development goals (SDGs).
But only six out of Mr Buhari's cabinet of 37 are women, a meagre 16% and way down on the previous administration's 31%.
Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani:
The president's wife, Aisha, is also the most silent first lady Nigeria has had in decades, barely seen or heard - except maybe when she is visiting unkempt children in a refugee camp or donating food items to victims of Boko Haram. She appears as the stereotypical good African wife.
Her invisibility is suspicious when you consider that President Buhari, during his election campaign, said he would abolish the office of the first lady - but then retracted the suggestion when challenged by feminist voters.
5. What are we wearing?
In Abuja the government in power influences the style of dress throughout the administration.
Staff of the government, friends of the government and aspiring friends of the government all aim to dress like the person at the top.
Northerners ruled Nigeria for most of the country's first three decades after independence from the UK in 1960.
Over time, their traditional outfits, babarigas (flowing gowns) and kaftans, became firmly entrenched - even when a non-northerner was elected in 1999.
Olusegun Obasanjo is an ethnic Yoruba from the south but throughout his eight-year presidential tenure, he mostly wore babarigas.
Cartoons depicting a typical Nigerian "big man" will usually feature him dressed in the flowing robes, his potbelly distorting the layers of cloth.
All this changed in 2011, with the election of Goodluck Jonathan.
He was Nigeria's first president from one of the country's smaller ethnic groups, and also the first from the oil-producing Niger Delta, in the south.
Mr Jonathan preferred the long shirt and trouser outfit that is traditional among his Ijaw community.
Suddenly, the babariga was nowhere to be seen.
Government offices and hotel lobbies began to feature an inordinate number of men dressed in the presidential style of the time.
Some even went as far as the fedora hats and walking sticks that go with the outfit.
Eventually, the style gained its own special nickname - "resource control" - in reference to the fact that most people who wore it seemed to be the ones controlling Nigeria's oil resources.
Indeed, it seemed to be the preferred outfit of many of Nigeria's newest millionaires.
Not any more. Within a year of Mr Buhari, "resource control" outfits have almost completely vanished from view. The babariga is back.
Beyond these five areas, there are many more profound changes that Nigerians are expecting from our government, but those will take time.
The structure of corruption and mismanagement which previous governments left behind must first be dismantled before a new foundation of progress can be laid.
And President Buhari is no modern-day Hercules.
Cleaning Nigeria's equivalent of the fantastically filthy Augean stables of Greek myth is certainly not a one-year job.
We Could Scrap VAT On Energy Bills - Vote Leave
The UK could scrap VAT on household energy bills if it left the EU, Vote Leave claims.
With less than a month left to persuade voters, Boris Johnson and Michael Gove have highlighted a potential sweetener that could save taxpayers £2bn.
Member states are not allowed to go below 5% VAT on gas and electricity bills - and that is the current rate in the UK.
But Mr Johnson and Mr Gove write in The Sun: "The poorest households spend three times more of their income on household energy bills than the richest households spend. As long as we are in the EU, we are not allowed to cut this tax.
"When we Vote Leave, we will be able to scrap this unfair and damaging tax. It isn't right that unelected bureaucrats in Brussels impose taxes on the poorest and elected British politicians can do nothing. We'll also take back control of the VAT on fuel charged to motorists."
The potential change is also backed by Vote Leave chairwoman Gisela Stuart of Labour.
Meanwhile, Business Secretary Sajid Javid will visit Birmingham today quoting new figures that show 1.2 million small and medium-sized businesses either export to Europe or supply firms that do.
The Remain camp has been boosted by the endorsement of seven TV Dragons - as well as Professor Stephen Hawking.
The physicist told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "The exchange of people enables skills to transfer more quickly, and brings new people with different ideas, derived from their different backgrounds.
"Without this exchange, we would become more culturally isolated and insular, and ultimately more remote from where progress is being made.
"The other reason is financial. The European Research Council has given large grants to UK institutions, either to foster research, or to promote exchanges.
"These grants are in addition to those given by the traditional UK research councils, which seem to be becoming progressively starved of resources, by a government intent on short-term cuts, without attention to the longer term consequences."
A group of seven past and present members of the Dragons' Den panel of leading entrepreneurs said they were "in" because Brexit posed a "serious risk" to the UK economy.
:: EU In or Out: David Cameron Live, Sky News 8pm Thursday, Michael Gove Live 8pm Friday.
With less than a month left to persuade voters, Boris Johnson and Michael Gove have highlighted a potential sweetener that could save taxpayers £2bn.
Member states are not allowed to go below 5% VAT on gas and electricity bills - and that is the current rate in the UK.
But Mr Johnson and Mr Gove write in The Sun: "The poorest households spend three times more of their income on household energy bills than the richest households spend. As long as we are in the EU, we are not allowed to cut this tax.
"When we Vote Leave, we will be able to scrap this unfair and damaging tax. It isn't right that unelected bureaucrats in Brussels impose taxes on the poorest and elected British politicians can do nothing. We'll also take back control of the VAT on fuel charged to motorists."
The potential change is also backed by Vote Leave chairwoman Gisela Stuart of Labour.
Meanwhile, Business Secretary Sajid Javid will visit Birmingham today quoting new figures that show 1.2 million small and medium-sized businesses either export to Europe or supply firms that do.
The Remain camp has been boosted by the endorsement of seven TV Dragons - as well as Professor Stephen Hawking.
The physicist told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "The exchange of people enables skills to transfer more quickly, and brings new people with different ideas, derived from their different backgrounds.
"Without this exchange, we would become more culturally isolated and insular, and ultimately more remote from where progress is being made.
"The other reason is financial. The European Research Council has given large grants to UK institutions, either to foster research, or to promote exchanges.
"These grants are in addition to those given by the traditional UK research councils, which seem to be becoming progressively starved of resources, by a government intent on short-term cuts, without attention to the longer term consequences."
A group of seven past and present members of the Dragons' Den panel of leading entrepreneurs said they were "in" because Brexit posed a "serious risk" to the UK economy.
:: EU In or Out: David Cameron Live, Sky News 8pm Thursday, Michael Gove Live 8pm Friday.
Ammunition Depot Fire Kills 17 In India
A blaze at a large military ammunition depot in India has killed at least 17 people and left more than a dozen injured, authorities have said.
Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes as emergency teams battle the fire in Wardha, central India.
The Press Trust of India news agency said two officers were among 17 soldiers killed at the depot, which is one of the country's largest.
The fire reportedly followed an explosion in the early hours of the morning.
Smita Patil, superintendent of Wardha district police, told AFP from the scene: "Seventeen people have died. Nineteen are injured but are out of danger.
"An operation is in progress and the fire has been brought under control."
Ramesh Barde, a fire officer at the Nagpur fire department told the news agency firefighters using ten fire engines battled through the night to contain the blaze.
"The fire broke out at 1:30 am and nearby fire engines reached the venue by 2:30 am," he said.
"The fire was brought under control by 6:15 am. The situation is under control and a report is being prepared," he added.
Student Dies After 'Face Set On Fire By Ex'
A university student was burned alive by her boyfriend after she dumped him, Italian authorities said.
Sara Di Pietrantonio, 22, died in Rome on Sunday after being attacked by Vincenzo Paduano, 27, prosecutor Maria Monteleone told reporters.
First he set fire to her car, then chased her about 100 metres as she tried to flee, setting her ablaze when he caught up with her, authorities said.
Investigators said her attacker used a cigarette lighter to set Ms Di Pietrantonio's face on fire after dousing her with alcohol.
"I can say that in 25 years in this work I have never seen something so atrocious," said Luigi Silipo, the lead police official in the investigation.
Paduano was being held on suspicion of premeditated murder, Ms Monteleone said.
The suspect first denied killing the woman, but after eight hours of interrogation, confessed to killing her, Mr Silipo told reporters.
"He couldn't accept the fact he was left by her when she ended the relationship," Mr Silipo said.
Investigators said Paduano, a security guard who had dated the victim, for two years, had initially followed her car.
He then forced Ms Di Pietrantonio to pull over on a street in the outskirts of Rome, before he killed her.
A surveillance camera in the area captured some of the events, including cars that apparently passed by while the woman screamed for help.
Ms Monteleone added that if passers-by had helped, the woman's life might have been saved.
Prince Philip To Miss Event On Doctor's Advice
Prince Philip will not attend a commemoration marking the Battle of Jutland on medical advice.
A statement from Buckingham Palace said: "Following doctor's advice, the Duke of Edinburgh has reluctantly decided not to attend the commemorations marking the Battle of Jutland tomorrow in Kirkwall and Hoy."
A spokeswoman added: "The Princess Royal, who was already attending the events, will represent the Royal Family."
Sky News understands that he is staying privately in Scotland with the Queen.
The Prince has appeared to be in robust health recently, accompanying the Queen in Windsor during her 90th birthday celebrations last month.
A statement from Buckingham Palace said: "Following doctor's advice, the Duke of Edinburgh has reluctantly decided not to attend the commemorations marking the Battle of Jutland tomorrow in Kirkwall and Hoy."
A spokeswoman added: "The Princess Royal, who was already attending the events, will represent the Royal Family."
Sky News understands that he is staying privately in Scotland with the Queen.
The Prince has appeared to be in robust health recently, accompanying the Queen in Windsor during her 90th birthday celebrations last month.
Man Arrested Over T-Shirt Mocking Hillsborough
A 50-year-old man has been arrested after a pub-goer was seen wearing a T-shirt mocking the Hillsborough tragedy.
Police said the suspect, who is from Worcester, was arrested under public order laws on suspicion of causing alarm or distress by displaying abusive or insulting writing.
West Mercia Police launched an inquiry after a man was seen wearing the T-shirt describing the disaster, in which 96 Liverpool fans died before an FA Cup semi-final in 1989, as "God's way of helping" a pest control firm.
Pictures were posted on social media of the man, who was asked to leave the Brewers Arms, in the St John's area of Worcester, by the landlord.
Superintendent Kevin Purcell said: "I understand the alarm and distress the offensive language shown on this T-shirt will have caused to both the people in and around the pub and further afield.
"I would like to thank the landlord of the pub for his support and all the members of the public who were in the pub at the time and came forward to report it.
"Police acted very quickly to arrest the individual and he remains in police custody at this time."
Police said the suspect, who is from Worcester, was arrested under public order laws on suspicion of causing alarm or distress by displaying abusive or insulting writing.
West Mercia Police launched an inquiry after a man was seen wearing the T-shirt describing the disaster, in which 96 Liverpool fans died before an FA Cup semi-final in 1989, as "God's way of helping" a pest control firm.
Pictures were posted on social media of the man, who was asked to leave the Brewers Arms, in the St John's area of Worcester, by the landlord.
Superintendent Kevin Purcell said: "I understand the alarm and distress the offensive language shown on this T-shirt will have caused to both the people in and around the pub and further afield.
"I would like to thank the landlord of the pub for his support and all the members of the public who were in the pub at the time and came forward to report it.
"Police acted very quickly to arrest the individual and he remains in police custody at this time."
Crocodile Snatches Woman During Night Swim
A woman who went night swimming off a beach in northeast Australia is missing after she was attacked by a crocodile.
The 46-year-old Australian was with her friend in shallow water at Thornton Beach, Queensland, on Sunday night when she was pulled under.
Her friend attempted to rescue the woman from the reptile's jaws but was unable to do so.
Searchers scoured the areas in a rescue helicopter fitted with thermal imaging equipment but failed to find any trace of the victim.
Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman Neil Noble said: "The report that we have from the surviving woman is that they felt a nudge and her partner started to scream and then was dragged into the water."
Local police Senior Constable Russell Parker told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: "Her 47-year-old friend tried to grab her and drag her to safety but she just wasn't able to do that."
The area where the woman went missing is about 57 miles (90km) north of Cairns and well off the main highway.
Reports varied as to the depth of the water with police saying it was waist deep and paramedics saying she was up to her knees.
The survivor was taken to a nearby hospital in Mossman suffering from shock and a minor injury to her arm.
Reports say the victim was from Lithgow in New South Wales, while her friend was living in Cairns.
Mr Parker said the pair may not have known of the dangers at the beach, which is next to a creek where crocodile-spotting tours happen.
There were reportedly plenty of warning signs about crocodiles throughout the vicinity.
Warren Enstch, the MP for the area, said the women had to accept some of the blame.
"You can't legislate against human stupidity," he said.
"If you go in swimming at 10 o'clock at night, you're going to get consumed."
The attack took place near where a five-year-old boy was taken in 2009.
In 1985 a giant crocodile known as Big Jim took local postal worker Beryl Wruck while she was having a late-night swim about an hour's drive from Thornton Beach.
Crocodile numbers have surged in northern Australia since the animals became a protected species in 1971.
Search For Boy Left In Forest 'As Punishment'
A seven-year-old boy is missing in a forest after his parents made him get out of the car as punishment, police in Japan have said.
More than 150 police and rescue workers have been searching for Yamato Tanooka in a wooded area on Mt Komagatake in Nanae, Hokkaido, the northern-most of Japan's four main islands, since he went missing on Saturday.
Yamato's parents initially told police that their son had disappeared while they were picking wild vegetables in the area, which is said to be populated by brown bears.
However, they later admitted they had made him get out of the car to punish him for throwing rocks while playing at a river earlier in the day.
"The parents left the boy in the mountains as a punishment," a police spokesman said.
"They said they went back to the site immediately but the boy was no longer there."
Yamato's father told a journalist from Asahi TV that he had been too afraid to tell the truth when he contacted police to launch the search.
As yet, it is unclear if the parents will face charges.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Depp Film Flops As Daughter Defends 'Loving Dad'
Johnny Depp's Alice Through The Looking Glass has flopped on its debut weekend, following domestic violence claims by the actor's wife.
The big-budget movie, directed by James Bobin, has taken just $28.1m in North American cinemas, after critics panned it as "uninspired", "hollow" and "lacklustre".
With a production cost of around $170m, the Alice in Wonderland sequel - in which Depp plays the Mad Hatter - had been expected to open with takings of around $60m.
X-Men: Apocalypse opened top of the Memorial Day weekend with an estimated $65m.
The latest X-Men instalment from 20th Century Fox is on track for takings of about $80m by Monday.
Alice's disappointing debut came as 52-year-old Depp's estranged wife was granted a restraining order against him.
Amber Heard, 30, appeared in court on Friday with a bruise on her cheek, saying Depp had thrown her mobile phone at her during a fight.
Meanwhile, Depp's teenage daughter has written of her support for her father following the domestic violence claims.
Model Lily-Rose Depp, 17, did not directly address the allegations, instead posting a childhood picture on Instagram.
She wrote: "My dad is the sweetest most loving person I know, he's been nothing but a wonderful father to my little brother and I, and everyone who knows him would say the same."
Depp has two children with singer Vanessa Paradis: Lily-Rose and her younger brother Jack.
Con Artist Steals £20,000 From 91-Year-Old Man
A 91-year-old man had £20,000 stolen after a fraudster tricked him into letting him into his house by pretending to be from a water company.
The elderly victim had been been distracted by the man, who claimed the mains supply was contaminated, while an accomplice entered the house and snatched the cash.
An e-fit of the suspected conman who targeted the pensioner at his Hampshire home last month, has been released by police.
He is described as white, aged in his 30s, with dark hair, about 5ft 10ins tall and of slim build.
He spoke with what could have been an Irish accent.
A Hampshire Police spokesman said: "The 91-year-old victim answered his door to a man who claimed to be from a water company and said the water supply was contaminated.
"The victim let the man into the address and accompanied him to the bathroom to test the water.
"While the victim was distracted, another man entered the property and stole up to £20,000 in cash."
Seven Feared Dead After Texas, Kansas Floods
At least three people are missing in Texas and Kansas after flash flooding that has already killed four others.
Hundreds of families - and thousands of prison inmates - were evacuated because of rising rivers.
In Kansas, the search for a missing 11-year-old boy, Devon Cooley, resumed on Sunday morning two days after he fell into a swollen creek as he was crossing a footbridge.
Wichita Fire Department battalion chief Scott Brown said: "We are more in body recovery mode than rescue.”
In Travis County, Texas, near Austin, officials resumed aerial searches on Sunday for two people whose vehicle was swept off a flooded road.
Just south of Houston, Texas authorities announced the evacuation of about 2,600 inmates from two prisons because of flooding alerts along the Brazos River.
Sandbags have been delivered to the Terrell and Stringfellow Units in Rosharon, where the inmates were transferred on Sunday to other prisons.
Inmates in a low-level security camp at a third facility in coastal Brazoria County are being moved to the main prison building, said officials.
Some 750 families were evacuated in Harris County because of rising water in rivers and creeks around the Houston area.
Francisco Sanchez, a spokesman for the Office of Emergency Management in Harris County, said the area was "not out of the woods yet".
Some people were rescued from the roof of a house by helicopter and aerial footage showed residents wading through waist-deep water or climbing out of windows into rescue boats.
Four people have already died from flooding in rural Washington County, Texas, where more than 16.5in of rain fell in some places Thursday and Friday.
One was 21-year-old National Guardsman Darren Mitchell, who posted a Facebook picture of his flooded car with the caption: "All I wanted to do was go home", moments before he was swept away.
Lela Holland, 64, drowned in her Brenham city mobile home.
Jimmy Wayne Schaeffer, 49, and Pyarali Rajebhi Umatiya, 59, were both killed in their vehicles in separate flooding incidents.
The Memorial Day holiday is forecast to be a washout in the northeast as Tropical Depression Bonnie prowls up the coast.
New York City, Washington DC, Baltimore and Philadelphia will be drenched on Monday, says AccuWeather.
Nineteen Rescued From Inflatable Boat In Channel
Nineteen people rescued in the English Channel after their inflatable boat took on water are being questioned by immigration officials.
A coastguard helicopter took part in the operation, along with lifeboats from Dungeness and Littlestone.
Coastguard rescue teams from Dungeness and Folkestone were also involved.
A call for help was made off the coast of Dymchurch in Kent at 11.40pm on Saturday. The inflatable boat, with 19 on board, was found at 2am.
Calais coastguard organisation SNSM assisted in the operation, according to its president Bernard Barron.
He said: "We were called for help... with a boat carrying about 20 people between Calais and Dover.
"The castaways, who were migrants, called their families, who then alerted the authorities and rescue missions were triggered on both sides of the Channel."
Mr Barron added: "This confirms our fears: the smugglers are willing to take extreme measures, but the Channel is a real highway, presenting a great danger for this type of crossing."
Those on board on the boat were later being looked after by the Border Force.
Kent Police said: "The matter has been passed to Home Office immigration enforcement."
Fire Kills 17 At Home For The Elderly In Ukraine
At least 17 people have been killed in a fire at a temporary home for elderly people in a village in Ukraine.
The blaze broke out at the residential property in Litochky, 23 miles northeast of the capital Kiev.
Ukraine's emergency services ministry said the fire had started in the early hours of Sunday morning in a privately-owned two-storey building that was temporarily housing 35 people.
"Emergency services units saved 18 people, five of whom have been hospitalised with burns of varying degrees of severity," it said.
Around 150 firefighters were called to the fire, according to an emergency services Facebook post, but it was brought under control by Sunday morning.
Photos of the aftermath of the fire showed the building completely gutted, with workers sifting through twisted metal in the smouldering interior.
Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine's president, has been informed and Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has set up a special commission to investigate.
In a statement the government said Mr Groysman had sent his condolences to the families of those who died in the "terrible tragedy".
The blaze broke out at the residential property in Litochky, 23 miles northeast of the capital Kiev.
Ukraine's emergency services ministry said the fire had started in the early hours of Sunday morning in a privately-owned two-storey building that was temporarily housing 35 people.
"Emergency services units saved 18 people, five of whom have been hospitalised with burns of varying degrees of severity," it said.
Around 150 firefighters were called to the fire, according to an emergency services Facebook post, but it was brought under control by Sunday morning.
Photos of the aftermath of the fire showed the building completely gutted, with workers sifting through twisted metal in the smouldering interior.
Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine's president, has been informed and Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has set up a special commission to investigate.
In a statement the government said Mr Groysman had sent his condolences to the families of those who died in the "terrible tragedy".
UN: More than 700 refugees feared drowned off Italy
The UN refugee agency has said over 700 refugees may have drowned in three Mediterranean Sea shipwrecks south of Italy in the last few days.
Carlotta Sami, a spokeswoman for UNHCR, told the Associated Press news agency by phone on Sunday that an estimated 100 people were missing from a smugglers' boat that capsized on Wednesday.
She said about 550 others were missing from a boat that sank on Thursday morning.
Refugees said that boat, which was carrying about 670 people, did not have an engine and was being towed by another smuggling boat before it capsized.
About 25 people survived the incident, 79 others were rescued by patrol boats and 15 dead bodies were recovered.
Sami said 45 more bodies were recovered from a shipwreck on Friday and many more were reported missing.
In a separate development, 19 refugees were rescued from a boat in the English Channel, the AFP news agency reported, citing coastguard officials.
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