Stefano Brizzi, who was imprisoned for murdering a police officer and dissolving his body in acid, has been found dead in jail.
A Prison Service spokesperson confirmed Brizzi, 50, died on Sunday at HMP Belmarsh, southeast London.
They added: "As with all deaths in custody there will be an independent investigation by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman."
Brizzi was jailed for life in December and told he would serve a minimum of 24 years in jail for murdering PC Gordon Semple at his home in London.
The pair met on gay dating app Grindr.
Police believed he had attempted to cook and eat Mr Semple's body after strangling him during a bondage session.
Investigators believe a leg had been placed in a roasting tin in the oven and found traces of Mr Semple's DNA on grease in the cooker, in a blender and on a set of chopsticks.
Detectives also found pieces of his flesh floating in chemicals in the bath and an odontologist found that a bite mark on a discarded rib found in the kitchen bin matched Brizzi's lower teeth.
During his trial at the Old Bailey, the court heard Brizzi was a fan of the Breaking Bad series and had been inspired by an episode of the show to dissolve PC Semple's body in acid.
He was arrested after police called to his flat to investigate a foul stench discovered the gruesome scene.
Monday, February 6, 2017
Queen becomes first monarch to celebrate Sapphire Jubilee
Queen Elizabeth II becomes Britain's first ever monarch to mark her Sapphire Jubilee today.
It's 65 years since she became Queen following the death of her father King George VI.
As Britain's longest reigning sovereign, this is a milestone in her reign that the United Kingdom has never seen before with any other monarch.
To mark the occasion Buckingham Palace have re-released a photograph of the Queen wearing distinctive sapphire jewellery.
The picture was taken by the photographer David Bailey in 2014 for the GREAT campaign, a publicity campaign to promote Britain around the world.
In the photograph The Queen is wearing a suite of sapphire jewellery given to her by King George VI as a wedding present in 1947.
It was on the 6 February, 1952 that her father died while at Sandringham. Princess Elizabeth, who was 25, was in Kenya on a royal tour with her husband Prince Philip at the time.
To mark the day gun salutes will be fired in Green Park and at The Tower of London.
But there are no grand national celebrations planned for the Sapphire Jubilee.
As in previous years, Accession day will be a low key affair for the Queen, who is spending it privately on the Sandringham estate.
On Sunday her majesty was given flowers by well-wishers in Norfolk after she attended a church service at St Peter and St Paul in West Newton.
It's 65 years since she became Queen following the death of her father King George VI.
As Britain's longest reigning sovereign, this is a milestone in her reign that the United Kingdom has never seen before with any other monarch.
To mark the occasion Buckingham Palace have re-released a photograph of the Queen wearing distinctive sapphire jewellery.
The picture was taken by the photographer David Bailey in 2014 for the GREAT campaign, a publicity campaign to promote Britain around the world.
In the photograph The Queen is wearing a suite of sapphire jewellery given to her by King George VI as a wedding present in 1947.
It was on the 6 February, 1952 that her father died while at Sandringham. Princess Elizabeth, who was 25, was in Kenya on a royal tour with her husband Prince Philip at the time.
To mark the day gun salutes will be fired in Green Park and at The Tower of London.
But there are no grand national celebrations planned for the Sapphire Jubilee.
As in previous years, Accession day will be a low key affair for the Queen, who is spending it privately on the Sandringham estate.
On Sunday her majesty was given flowers by well-wishers in Norfolk after she attended a church service at St Peter and St Paul in West Newton.
Sunday, February 5, 2017
Israel's Netanyahu says Theresa May's govt offers 'opportunities'
Israel's Prime Minister has said ahead of a visit to London he hopes the UK will line up against Iran alongside his country and the US.
Benjamin Netanyahu said there are "opportunities" that stem from "a new government in Britain" as he prepared to fly to the UK to meet Theresa May and Boris Johnson.
He said he aims to speak to both the British government and the US, in a visit "next week", about "tightening relations" with Israel.
His visit has prompted Labour's leader Jeremy Corbyn to tell Mrs May to make sure Mr Netanyahu knows "the British government will stand unequivocally behind the rights of the Palestinian people."
The Israeli PM has sparked controversy in the last few weeks by backing the building of 3,000 new settlement homes in a policy some have claimed breaks international law.
Mr Netanyahu said: "We are in a period of diplomatic opportunities and challenges.
"The opportunities stem from the fact that there is a new administration in Washington, and a new government in Britain.
"I intend to speak with both of them about tightening relations, between each side and Israel and trilaterally.
"This is what I will do next week in Washington and in London tomorrow.
"The challenges stem from the fact the Iranians also understand what I have just said.
"They are trying to test the boundaries with extraordinary aggression, gall and defiance.
"I think that the most important thing at the moment is that countries like the US, which will take the lead, Israel and the UK line up together against Iran's aggression and set clear limits to it.
"This will be the first issue, among many, that I will discuss with UK Prime Minister Theresa May and, of course, with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson."
Iran has said it will launch missiles as part of a military exercise despite US sanctions over a test firing last weekend.
Jeremy Corbyn said: "When Theresa May meets the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tomorrow, she has let it be known she will tell him that building settlements on occupied Palestinian land 'undermines trust'.
"The Israeli government's decision to build 3,000 new settlement homes in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem is illegal under international law and a threat to peace and international security.
"It undermines still further the prospect of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
"Theresa May must make clear to the Israeli Prime Minister that the British government will stand unequivocally behind the rights of the Palestinian people, along with the many who support them in Israel, as well as human rights and justice across the region."
Benjamin Netanyahu said there are "opportunities" that stem from "a new government in Britain" as he prepared to fly to the UK to meet Theresa May and Boris Johnson.
He said he aims to speak to both the British government and the US, in a visit "next week", about "tightening relations" with Israel.
His visit has prompted Labour's leader Jeremy Corbyn to tell Mrs May to make sure Mr Netanyahu knows "the British government will stand unequivocally behind the rights of the Palestinian people."
The Israeli PM has sparked controversy in the last few weeks by backing the building of 3,000 new settlement homes in a policy some have claimed breaks international law.
Mr Netanyahu said: "We are in a period of diplomatic opportunities and challenges.
"The opportunities stem from the fact that there is a new administration in Washington, and a new government in Britain.
"I intend to speak with both of them about tightening relations, between each side and Israel and trilaterally.
"This is what I will do next week in Washington and in London tomorrow.
"The challenges stem from the fact the Iranians also understand what I have just said.
"They are trying to test the boundaries with extraordinary aggression, gall and defiance.
"I think that the most important thing at the moment is that countries like the US, which will take the lead, Israel and the UK line up together against Iran's aggression and set clear limits to it.
"This will be the first issue, among many, that I will discuss with UK Prime Minister Theresa May and, of course, with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson."
Iran has said it will launch missiles as part of a military exercise despite US sanctions over a test firing last weekend.
Jeremy Corbyn said: "When Theresa May meets the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tomorrow, she has let it be known she will tell him that building settlements on occupied Palestinian land 'undermines trust'.
"The Israeli government's decision to build 3,000 new settlement homes in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem is illegal under international law and a threat to peace and international security.
"It undermines still further the prospect of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
"Theresa May must make clear to the Israeli Prime Minister that the British government will stand unequivocally behind the rights of the Palestinian people, along with the many who support them in Israel, as well as human rights and justice across the region."
Judges reject Donald Trump's appeal to reinstate his travel ban
Judges have rejected Donald Trump's appeal to have his travel ban immediately reinstated.
Federal Judge James Robart halted the ban on Friday after questioning the constitutionality of the President's controversial executive order, which blocks citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US and all refugees.
The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on Sunday denied a formal request by the US Department of Justice to lift the ruling.
Instead, it gave the Trump administration until Monday afternoon to file more arguments - and challengers of the ban to respond to the emergency appeal.
Acting solicitor general Noel Francisco had argued on Saturday night that the President's authority is "largely immune from judicial control" when it comes to deciding who can enter or stay in the US.
The federal government warned thwarting enforcement of the executive order is harming the public and that aliens have "no constitutional rights" to enter the United States.
President Trump, who argues the restrictions are aimed at stopping terrorist attacks in the US, has pledged to overturn the "ridiculous" ruling and even launched a personal attack on Mr Robart, describing him as a "so-called judge" in a series of ill-tempered tweets.
He has also accused Mr Robart of opening "up our country to potential terrorists and others that do not have our best interests at heart".
Mr Robart was appointed by George W Bush, and it is unusual for a president to attack a member of the judiciary as the US Constitution designates it as a check to the power of the executive branch and Congress.
The President's decree, signed on 27 January, barred entry for 120 days of any refugees awaiting resettlement.
Citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen were also banned from the US for 90 days under the strict controls.
The "extreme vetting" order has sparked anti-Trump protests across the US and abroad, triggered nationwide court challenges and has caused widespread confusion for many foreigners, particularly dual nationals, travelling to the US.
The travel ban has been heavily criticised by human rights campaigners who say the ban is against Muslims - but officials deny this.
This is not Mr Trump's first public showdown with a member of the legal profession over his order.
Last week he fired the Obama-appointed acting US attorney general Sally Yates after she told justice department lawyers not to enforce his immigration ban
Federal Judge James Robart halted the ban on Friday after questioning the constitutionality of the President's controversial executive order, which blocks citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US and all refugees.
The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on Sunday denied a formal request by the US Department of Justice to lift the ruling.
Instead, it gave the Trump administration until Monday afternoon to file more arguments - and challengers of the ban to respond to the emergency appeal.
Acting solicitor general Noel Francisco had argued on Saturday night that the President's authority is "largely immune from judicial control" when it comes to deciding who can enter or stay in the US.
The federal government warned thwarting enforcement of the executive order is harming the public and that aliens have "no constitutional rights" to enter the United States.
President Trump, who argues the restrictions are aimed at stopping terrorist attacks in the US, has pledged to overturn the "ridiculous" ruling and even launched a personal attack on Mr Robart, describing him as a "so-called judge" in a series of ill-tempered tweets.
He has also accused Mr Robart of opening "up our country to potential terrorists and others that do not have our best interests at heart".
Mr Robart was appointed by George W Bush, and it is unusual for a president to attack a member of the judiciary as the US Constitution designates it as a check to the power of the executive branch and Congress.
The President's decree, signed on 27 January, barred entry for 120 days of any refugees awaiting resettlement.
Citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen were also banned from the US for 90 days under the strict controls.
The "extreme vetting" order has sparked anti-Trump protests across the US and abroad, triggered nationwide court challenges and has caused widespread confusion for many foreigners, particularly dual nationals, travelling to the US.
The travel ban has been heavily criticised by human rights campaigners who say the ban is against Muslims - but officials deny this.
This is not Mr Trump's first public showdown with a member of the legal profession over his order.
Last week he fired the Obama-appointed acting US attorney general Sally Yates after she told justice department lawyers not to enforce his immigration ban
Apple to start making iPhones in India, says state government
Apple is to start making iPhones in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, the state's government has said.
Ministers said Apple would start an initial manufacturing operation in the state, whose capital is the tech hub Bangalore, in April.
The tech giant has a 2% share of India's mobile phone market, well behind South Korean rival Samsung.
Apple has yet to officially confirm the plan, saying only that it is keen to "invest significantly" in India.
But Priyank Kharge, minister of information technology and biotechnology in Karnataka, told the AFP news agency: "We have an understanding with Apple and we expect them to start manufacturing in Karnataka by the end of April."
Reports said the plant is being set up by Taiwanese manufacturing company Wistron Corp.
Despite the low percentage of sales, Apple has almost half of the market for premium phones, which start at around $450 an item, and its sales are growing fast.
Apple has held a series of meetings with government representatives at both state and national level and is understood to be pressing for concessions before going ahead with such a move.
Apple's biggest manufacturing partner is Taiwanese giant Foxconn, which runs the biggest iPhone factory in the world in China.
Apple is currently unable to set up its own branded stores in India, which has a raft of rules to curb the activities of foreign companies.
Rising sales
For it to be able to sell direct to customers in India, Apple would have to source 30% of the components of its products locally.
Earlier this week, Apple reported its first rise in sales in nine months after strong Christmas sales of the iPhone 7.
The firm had suffered three quarters in a row of falling revenues as mounting competition, particularly from Chinese rivals, hit sales of the iPhone.
Analysis: Shilpa Kannan, India business reporter, Delhi
Indian media has been speculating about Apple for a while. The iPhone is much coveted as a status symbol in the country, but it's very expensive for most people.
They range from $194 for a 16GB version to the top end iPhone 7Plus which costs about $1,164.
The bulk of rival smartphones on the market in India cost about $100-$120. But the hope is that manufacturing locally will bring iPhone prices down.
I spoke to Karnataka's information technology minister, Priyank Kharge, who said there was a fierce competition among Indian states to woo Apple to set up a manufacturing facility.
Although Apple is officially saying only that it will invest heavily in India, he confirmed that the tech giant has declared an intention to first start assembling the phones there and then move on to manufacturing.
And by getting Apple to set up in Karnataka, he hopes says it should help promote to region's ambition to become a location for high-end manufacturing.
Ministers said Apple would start an initial manufacturing operation in the state, whose capital is the tech hub Bangalore, in April.
The tech giant has a 2% share of India's mobile phone market, well behind South Korean rival Samsung.
Apple has yet to officially confirm the plan, saying only that it is keen to "invest significantly" in India.
But Priyank Kharge, minister of information technology and biotechnology in Karnataka, told the AFP news agency: "We have an understanding with Apple and we expect them to start manufacturing in Karnataka by the end of April."
Reports said the plant is being set up by Taiwanese manufacturing company Wistron Corp.
Despite the low percentage of sales, Apple has almost half of the market for premium phones, which start at around $450 an item, and its sales are growing fast.
Apple has held a series of meetings with government representatives at both state and national level and is understood to be pressing for concessions before going ahead with such a move.
Apple's biggest manufacturing partner is Taiwanese giant Foxconn, which runs the biggest iPhone factory in the world in China.
Apple is currently unable to set up its own branded stores in India, which has a raft of rules to curb the activities of foreign companies.
Rising sales
For it to be able to sell direct to customers in India, Apple would have to source 30% of the components of its products locally.
Earlier this week, Apple reported its first rise in sales in nine months after strong Christmas sales of the iPhone 7.
The firm had suffered three quarters in a row of falling revenues as mounting competition, particularly from Chinese rivals, hit sales of the iPhone.
Analysis: Shilpa Kannan, India business reporter, Delhi
Indian media has been speculating about Apple for a while. The iPhone is much coveted as a status symbol in the country, but it's very expensive for most people.
They range from $194 for a 16GB version to the top end iPhone 7Plus which costs about $1,164.
The bulk of rival smartphones on the market in India cost about $100-$120. But the hope is that manufacturing locally will bring iPhone prices down.
I spoke to Karnataka's information technology minister, Priyank Kharge, who said there was a fierce competition among Indian states to woo Apple to set up a manufacturing facility.
Although Apple is officially saying only that it will invest heavily in India, he confirmed that the tech giant has declared an intention to first start assembling the phones there and then move on to manufacturing.
And by getting Apple to set up in Karnataka, he hopes says it should help promote to region's ambition to become a location for high-end manufacturing.
Theresa May to tackle shortage of affordable rental homes
Theresa May will this week put Generation Rent at the heart of her plans to "fix the broken housing market" with plans to increase the number of affordable rental homes.
Ditching David Cameron's plan to turn "Generation Rent into Generation Buy", the Prime Minister will instead focus on dealing with the high cost of renting in an admission that the UK's booming housing market has left home ownership out of reach for millions of people.
The Government is to change planning rules to enable councils to build more rental homes, and will launch a consultation on how to encourage developers to build more affordable private rented properties. It will also announce new measures to ensure families have better access to long-term tenancies.
"We understand people are living longer in private rented accommodation which is why we are fixing this broken housing market so all types of home are more affordable," said Sajid Javid, the Communities Secretary.
The Government has pledged to build one million new homes in the UK by the end of the decade.
On Tuesday, it will publish a white paper setting down how it will achieve that - through a mix of new measures from encouraging councils to build more homes to plans for a new generation of prefab homes.
Mr Javid said high rents had to be dealt with, as well as increasing supply of new homes.
Britain's housing crisis has proved a boon for private landlords, with the average couple in the private rented sector now spending roughly half of their salary on rent each month.
The plans to boost rental supply is a direct reversal of Mr Cameron's approach to the crisis.
The former prime minister wanted to relax the rules forcing councils to build a certain proportion of affordable homes to rent, arguing that it was blocking the construction of new homes with developers reluctant to invest in properties which take years to turn a profit.
Ms May has also scrapped her predecessor's flagship Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme, which offered first-time buyers the opportunity to purchase a home with a Government-backed loan worth up to 95% of the value of the property.
The Government has a huge task ahead if it is to achieve its ambitious housebuilding targets.
In the year to April 2016, 190,000 homes were built in the UK - and Mr Javid says the Government needs to build at least 250,000 homes a year for the rest of the decade to hit its target.
Speaking to Sky News last month, Mr Javid said Britain's housing crisis was the "biggest social issue" facing the Government, with homes now costing an average of eight times earnings in England and rents becoming cripplingly expensive.
Ms May has made housing one of her top priorities in her domestic agenda in a bid to help more people on to the housing ladder and into affordable rented homes.
But getting housing projects off the ground in the UK is notoriously difficult as local communities often opposed to new development, a trend dubbed as "nimbyism" - not in my backyard.
The Communities Secretary said he was determined to face down political opposition amid warnings of a backlash over plans to encourage councils to increase the number of homes being built in local areas, which could in turn see some pockets of green belt used for housing.
"I am not pretending it is always going to be easy, but the opposition I am concerned about most of all is what happens if we don't make these reforms," Mr Javid told Sky News.
"The opposition of young people and others out there that are looking for decent homes - either to rent or buy; what would happen if their political leaders fail them - and that is certainly not going to happen with this government."
Ditching David Cameron's plan to turn "Generation Rent into Generation Buy", the Prime Minister will instead focus on dealing with the high cost of renting in an admission that the UK's booming housing market has left home ownership out of reach for millions of people.
The Government is to change planning rules to enable councils to build more rental homes, and will launch a consultation on how to encourage developers to build more affordable private rented properties. It will also announce new measures to ensure families have better access to long-term tenancies.
"We understand people are living longer in private rented accommodation which is why we are fixing this broken housing market so all types of home are more affordable," said Sajid Javid, the Communities Secretary.
The Government has pledged to build one million new homes in the UK by the end of the decade.
On Tuesday, it will publish a white paper setting down how it will achieve that - through a mix of new measures from encouraging councils to build more homes to plans for a new generation of prefab homes.
Mr Javid said high rents had to be dealt with, as well as increasing supply of new homes.
Britain's housing crisis has proved a boon for private landlords, with the average couple in the private rented sector now spending roughly half of their salary on rent each month.
The plans to boost rental supply is a direct reversal of Mr Cameron's approach to the crisis.
The former prime minister wanted to relax the rules forcing councils to build a certain proportion of affordable homes to rent, arguing that it was blocking the construction of new homes with developers reluctant to invest in properties which take years to turn a profit.
Ms May has also scrapped her predecessor's flagship Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme, which offered first-time buyers the opportunity to purchase a home with a Government-backed loan worth up to 95% of the value of the property.
The Government has a huge task ahead if it is to achieve its ambitious housebuilding targets.
In the year to April 2016, 190,000 homes were built in the UK - and Mr Javid says the Government needs to build at least 250,000 homes a year for the rest of the decade to hit its target.
Speaking to Sky News last month, Mr Javid said Britain's housing crisis was the "biggest social issue" facing the Government, with homes now costing an average of eight times earnings in England and rents becoming cripplingly expensive.
Ms May has made housing one of her top priorities in her domestic agenda in a bid to help more people on to the housing ladder and into affordable rented homes.
But getting housing projects off the ground in the UK is notoriously difficult as local communities often opposed to new development, a trend dubbed as "nimbyism" - not in my backyard.
The Communities Secretary said he was determined to face down political opposition amid warnings of a backlash over plans to encourage councils to increase the number of homes being built in local areas, which could in turn see some pockets of green belt used for housing.
"I am not pretending it is always going to be easy, but the opposition I am concerned about most of all is what happens if we don't make these reforms," Mr Javid told Sky News.
"The opposition of young people and others out there that are looking for decent homes - either to rent or buy; what would happen if their political leaders fail them - and that is certainly not going to happen with this government."
Donald Trump: Aliens have 'no constitutional rights' to enter US
The US Department of Justice is formally appealing against a federal judge's ruling which suspended President Donald Trump's travel ban, arguing aliens have "no constitutional rights" to enter the United States.
Judge James Robart had questioned the constitutionality of his controversial executive order, which blocks citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US.
The federal government's request, filed with the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, asks for the judge's order to be lifted.
It warns thwarting enforcement of the executive order is harming the public and it is necessary "to ensure that those approved for admission do not intend to harm Americans and that they have no ties to terrorism".
The appeal adds it is a basic principle that "an alien seeking initial admission to the United States requests a privilege and has no constitutional rights regarding his application".
A panel of three judges will decide whether to uphold Mr Robart's order or suspend it pending a full appeal.
"We'll win. For the safety of our country, we'll win," Mr Trump told reporters.
Thousands of travellers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen have been scrambling to catch flights to America since immigration restrictions were temporarily halted nationwide on Friday night.
Those who have valid visas or green cards are being urged to travel immediately.
President Trump has promised to overturn the "ridiculous" ruling and even launched a personal attack on Mr Robart, describing him as a "so-called judge" in a series of ill-tempered tweets.
Judge James Robart had questioned the constitutionality of his controversial executive order, which blocks citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US.
The federal government's request, filed with the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, asks for the judge's order to be lifted.
It warns thwarting enforcement of the executive order is harming the public and it is necessary "to ensure that those approved for admission do not intend to harm Americans and that they have no ties to terrorism".
The appeal adds it is a basic principle that "an alien seeking initial admission to the United States requests a privilege and has no constitutional rights regarding his application".
A panel of three judges will decide whether to uphold Mr Robart's order or suspend it pending a full appeal.
"We'll win. For the safety of our country, we'll win," Mr Trump told reporters.
Thousands of travellers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen have been scrambling to catch flights to America since immigration restrictions were temporarily halted nationwide on Friday night.
Those who have valid visas or green cards are being urged to travel immediately.
President Trump has promised to overturn the "ridiculous" ruling and even launched a personal attack on Mr Robart, describing him as a "so-called judge" in a series of ill-tempered tweets.
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