Boris Johnson rules out bid to be next UK PM

Johnson and Gove led the Leave campaign that saw the UK leave the EU and forced PM David Cameron's resignation [EPA]

Former London mayor Boris Johnson has ruled himself out of the race to replace outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron, who resigned last Friday after the UK voted to leave the European Union.

Speaking in London on Thursday, Johnson, who campaigned to leave the EU and was seen as the hot favourite to replace Cameron, said he would support the next Conservative leadership but not stand himself.

Fellow 'Leave' campaigner Michael Gove was widely expected to back Johnson's campaign to become the next leader of the UK but in a surprise move today announced his own intention to run for the leadership of the ruling Conservative party.

"I wanted to help build a team behind Boris Johnson so that a politician who argued for leaving the European Union could lead us to a better future," he said in a statement shortly before the deadline for submitting nominations passed.

"But I have come, reluctantly, to the conclusion that Boris cannot provide the leadership or build the team for the task ahead." 

Nominations closed at noon on Thursday and the new British prime minister is expected to be announced by September 2 after a ballot of party members.

Current Home Secretary Theresa May has also put herself forward to be the next prime minister.

In her statement, May, who campaigned to stay in the EU, said she was best placed to negotiate Britain's exit from the bloc.

"Brexit means Brexit. The campaign was fought, the vote was held, turnout was high, and the public gave their verdict.

"There must be no attempts to remain inside the EU, no attempts to rejoin it through the back door, and no second referendum."

"The country voted to leave the European Union, and it is the duty of the Government and of Parliament to make sure we do just that," she wrote.

Boris Johnson rules out bid to be next UK PM

Johnson and Gove led the Leave campaign that saw the UK leave the EU and forced PM David Cameron's resignation [EPA]

Former London mayor Boris Johnson has ruled himself out of the race to replace outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron, who resigned last Friday after the UK voted to leave the European Union.

Speaking in London on Thursday, Johnson, who campaigned to leave the EU and was seen as the hot favourite to replace Cameron, said he would support the next Conservative leadership but not stand himself.

Fellow 'Leave' campaigner Michael Gove was widely expected to back Johnson's campaign to become the next leader of the UK but in a surprise move today announced his own intention to run for the leadership of the ruling Conservative party.

"I wanted to help build a team behind Boris Johnson so that a politician who argued for leaving the European Union could lead us to a better future," he said in a statement shortly before the deadline for submitting nominations passed.

"But I have come, reluctantly, to the conclusion that Boris cannot provide the leadership or build the team for the task ahead." 

Nominations closed at noon on Thursday and the new British prime minister is expected to be announced by September 2 after a ballot of party members.

Current Home Secretary Theresa May has also put herself forward to be the next prime minister.

In her statement, May, who campaigned to stay in the EU, said she was best placed to negotiate Britain's exit from the bloc.

"Brexit means Brexit. The campaign was fought, the vote was held, turnout was high, and the public gave their verdict.

"There must be no attempts to remain inside the EU, no attempts to rejoin it through the back door, and no second referendum."

"The country voted to leave the European Union, and it is the duty of the Government and of Parliament to make sure we do just that," she wrote.

EgyptAir Black Box Confirms Smoke On Plane

Data downloaded from a repaired black box of the EgyptAir jet which crashed in the Mediterranean confirms there was smoke in the aircraft.

The Egyptian investigation committee looking into the downing of MS804, which killed 66 people, said soot had also been found on a piece of wreckage from the plane.

"Recorded data is showing a consistency with ACARS messages of lavatory smoke and avionics smoke," an investigation committee said in a statement.

"Parts of the front section of the aircraft showed signs of high temperature damage and soot."

The Airbus 320 was travelling from Paris to Cairo on 19 May when it crashed. There was no distress call from the aircraft and no group has ever claimed that it brought it down.

The memory cards from the flight data recorders was returned to Egypt earlier this week after being cleaned and repaired by technicians at France's air accident investigation agency, the BEA.

The chip from the cockpit voice recorder are still being fixed.

Debris recovered from the Mediterranean is being stored at Cairo airport and investigators were planning to try to reassemble part of the aircraft's frame in the search for more clues.

Monday, French authorities opened a manslaughter inquiry into the crash and said there was no evidence so far to link it to terrorism.

Liam Fox To Run For Tory Party Leadership

Former defence secretary Liam Fox is to announce he will stand for the leadership of the Conservative Party.

Dr Fox joins Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb in throwing his hat into the the ring to replace David Cameron at 10 Downing Street.

Former London mayor Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Theresa May are also expected to enter the race.

Dr Fox lost out to Mr Cameron in the election for the Tory Party's top job in 2005. 

Sky's senior political correspondent said: "He is a strong right-winger in the party, he's got good grassroots support, particularly in the South West - so he does carry votes with him.

might be if he doesn't get down to the last two he can put his patronage, his supporters, behind Stephen Crabb or Theresa May. So it is a win-win for him.

"He gets to go on the ballot and if he doesn't make it to the final two he still gets a seat at the Cabinet table, no doubt."

Mr Crabb entered the contest with Business Secretary Sajid Javid as his running mate.

The MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire, who backed staying in the European Union during the referendum campaign, said on Wednesday as he launched his bid for the leadership, that the Leave vote had left society "divided".

"I really worry about how we're going to stitch this all back together," he said.

"When you're the governing party, disunity has wider implications."

However, he added there could be no "stepping back" from the referendum result and ruled out a second ballot.

Some senior Conservatives have already confirmed they will be backing Brexit campaign frontman Mr Johnson.

But an email sent from the wife of Justice Secretary Michael Gove, who campaigned to alongside him to lead the EU, has emerged which expresses concerns about the level of support he enjoys among party members and the media.

A survey for the ConservativeHome website has put Ms May narrowly ahead of Mr Johnson among party members.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Education Secretary Nicky Morgan are also considering campaigns.

Leadership hopefuls have until noon on Thursday to register their interest in running.

Facebook Users Fall For Seven-Year-Old Hoax

Don't be fooled - Facebook is not about to start charging fees.

Hundreds of users have apparently been taken in by a seven-year-old hoax, which even has its own section on Facebook's help centre because it is so notorious.

People have been posting messages on their walls saying: "ATTENTION: Tomorrow morning when you connect to Facebook you'll be invited to payment info ... it's official ... it was even on the news.

"Facebook will begin to charge fees. If you copy this on your wall your icon will be blue and Facebook will be free to you.

"Copy and paste to your wall."

But there is no need, because no charges are coming.

Urban myth-busting website Snopes has a lengthy entry on its website detailing the variations of the hoax seen over the years.

And a page on Facebook's website entitled "You're In Control" says: "You may have seen a post telling you to copy and paste a notice to retain control over things you share on Facebook. Don't believe it.

"Our terms say clearly: You own all of the content and information you post on Facebook, and you can control how it's shared through your privacy and application settings.

"That's how it works, and this hasn't changed.

"You can visit Privacy Basics to find out more about who sees what you share on Facebook and other topics.

"You can also read the Data Policy to find out what information we collect and how it is used and shared.

"We want you to be informed and in control of your experience on Facebook."

Rita Ora Burglary: Man Guilty Of £200k Raid

A 26-year-old man has been found guilty of burgling pop star Rita Ora's home in a raid worth more than £200,000.

Charaf Elmoudden went to the singer's four-bedroom house in northwest London on 28 November last year and made off with a stash of expensive shoes, phones, computers and a designer bag, Harrow Crown Court heard.

The former X Factor judge called the police and said she would "f*** up" the burglar after he woke her sister Elena up rifling through her bedroom.

Ora and her sister were asleep upstairs at the semi-detached home they share with their parents when two men broke in to the three-storey house.

Elmoudden and an accomplice allegedly made off with designer goods and electronics which included iPhones, Apple Mac computers, a Fifty Shades Of Grey handbag worth £2,682 and a Louis Vuitton bag, the court heard.

Charaf Elmoudden

He was picked out in a line-up by Elena three months after the burglary, jurors were told.

Elena told the jury she confronted an intruder and he "looked dead in my eyes".

Ora gave evidence from behind a screen during the trial and the court was also played a frantic 999 call from the star.

In it, she sobbed "I don't have a knife" and threatened to kill the thieves.

She was heard screaming "Don't you f****** come up these stairs. I will f*** you up - you f****** hear me?" after locking herself in her room with her sister.

Elmoudden has a number of previous convictions including for trying to sell pictures of the body of a dead Harry Potter actor.

He had denied being involved in the burglary but police discovered £3,500 in cash "hidden" in an envelope in a sofa bed at his home on Sydney Road, Muswell Hill, north London, at the time of his arrest in January.

He was found guilty with a majority verdict of 10 to two of burglary.

Ora was not present at court for the verdict.

Turkey Giant Bernard Matthews Hunts New Owner

Bernard Matthews, Europe's largest turkey producer, has begun hunting a new owner amid a turbulent period which has seen delays to supplier payments.

Sky News has learnt that Rutland Partners, which has owned the company since 2013, has appointed advisers at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to sound out prospective buyers.

Bernard Matthews - best-known for its 'Bootiful' advertising catchphrase - is named after its founder, who in 1950 set up the business by buying 20 eggs and a second-hand incubator.

He sold the dozen turkeys which hatched to a local farmer for the equivalent of £9 in today's money.

The company has grown beyond all recognition since then, and now operates across 50 farms and breeds, raises and processes more than seven million turkeys in the UK annually.

Its financial fortunes have fluctuated, however, and the company has been dogged by persistent speculation about its future as well as criticism from the likes of Jamie Oliver, about the nutritional content of its Turkey Twizzler products.

Last year's accounts show that in the year to 28 June 2015 sales fell to £276.8m from £306.8m during the previous 12 months.

It made an operating loss last year of close to £1m, and its directors said that investors including Rutland had injected an additional £10m of funding in August 2015.

"With the investment by Rutland and the renewal of the secured lending facility through to August 2018 the directors are of the opinion that the group has sufficient funds to meet its liabilities as they fall due and have prepared the financial statements on a going concern basis," the accounts said.

"The directors have received information from the parent company, Bernard Matthews Holdings Limited, of its intention to financially support the company such that the company can meet its obligations as the fall due for a period of at least 12 months."

A report in The Sunday Telegraph last month said the company had made dozens of staff redundant and was exploring the sale of some of its land-holdings in an attempt to raise cash.

Rutland declined to comment on Wednesday.