![Six face court on terror charges]()
Six men are due to appear in court accused of terror offences.
The men, all from Birmingham, were charged on Sunday night after being arrested in a major operation by the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, West Midlands Police said.
Four were charged with preparing for an act of terrorism in the UK, and two more with failing to disclose information. One of those two was also charged with terrorist fundraising.
Irfan Nasser, 30, Irfan Khalid, 26, Ashik Ali, 26, and Rahin Ahmed, 25, are all charged with engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts, contrary to the Terrorism Act 2006.
It is alleged that between Christmas Day 2010 and September 19 this year, they were preparing, or helping others prepare, to commit acts of terrorism.
For Nasser, from Sparkhill, Khalid, from Sparkbrook, and Ali, from Balsall Heath, this is alleged to have included planning a bombing campaign; stating an intention to be a suicide bomber; collecting money for terrorism; making or helping make a homemade bomb for terrorism; and recruiting people for terrorism.
Nasser and Khalid are also accused of travelling to Pakistan for training in terrorism including bomb making, weapons and poison making, as well as making a 'martyrdom' film.
Ahmed, from Moseley, is accused of helping others travel to Pakistan for terrorism training, collecting money for terrorism and investing and managing money for terrorist acts.
Ashik Ali's brother Bahader Ali, 28, and Mohammed Rizwan, 32, both from Sparkbrook, are both charged with failing to disclose information about acts of terrorism.
It is alleged that between July 29 and September 19 this year, both had information which they knew may help prevent the commission of an act of terrorism but did not disclose the information. Bahader Ali is also charged with terrorist fundraising. All six men will appear at West London Magistrates' Court.
Britain will bask in an Indian summer this week with temperatures set to soar to as high as 28C, weather forecasters predicted.
High pressure currently over Europe is set to drift northwards bringing warm southerly winds and sunshine across most parts of the UK.
Weather experts at MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said temperatures would climb from Tuesday with highs of up to 24C expected in parts of south east England and Lincolnshire.
"At the moment, it looks like Friday and Saturday are going to be the warmest days of the week with temperatures locally getting up to as high as 28C in the London area," said forecaster Andy Ratcliffe.
"Most of the UK will be dry, warm and humid with plenty of sunshine all week. Temperatures of around 23C are expected in the south east tomorrow before increasing to 25C on Wednesday," he added.
Mr Ratcliffe said Thursday will be even hotter with the mercury peaking on Friday and Saturday
Met Office forecaster Helen Waite agreed that the week ahead was going to be "unseasonably warm".
She added: "The high pressure building over the next few days will bring clear skies and sunshine. Temperatures will start to rise on Tuesday and continue to do so through the rest of the week as warm air comes up from the south."
Ms Waite said north west Scotland and Northern Ireland would be the only areas of Britain to see unstable weather this week with some strong winds and showers. However temperatures are still expected to be slightly higher than average.
The mercury peaked at 23C in Gravesend, Kent, on Sunday while readings are expected to be slightly lower at around 22C in London on Monday.
Shadow chancellor Ed Balls insisted he could make no promises now to reverse coalition tax rises and spending cuts in four years' time.
In an attempt to restore Labour's credibility on the public finances, he said it would be "irresponsible" to make commitments with little idea about the state of the economy he could inherit after the next general election.
He also rejected Liberal Democrat calls for the sale of publicly-owned shares in RBS and Lloyds banks to be used for a pre-election giveaway. Mr Balls said he would use the money to reduce the deficit.
Speaking to the BBC1, he said: "It is not possible for us now, in Opposition, with responsibility, to say four years out from an election, to promise to reverse tax rises here or spending cuts there.
"Even though they are unpopular, I can't do that because it's irresponsible, because I can't say what the state of the economy will be and what the level of borrowing will be. And I'm worried, because their plans aren't working for them, it's going to be higher than expected, not lower. The disciplined thing to do is say we will make our commitments when we know the situation."
Mr Balls' positioning is designed to counter Tory accusations that he - a senior member of the Cabinet under Gordon Brown - has no credibility on the economy. It may anger rank-and-file Labour members and unions campaigning against cuts in public services.
Stressing the need for "responsibility", Mr Balls added: "If they can make a profit on the sale of bank shares which are owned by the public at the moment, we should not, as Nick Clegg and Vince Cable have said, use that for a giveaway. Use the bank shares to repay the national debt. That's the responsible thing to do."
The move echoes Mr Brown's decision in 2000 to use £22.5 billion from the sale of third-generation mobile phone licences to pay off debt.
His comments come ahead of his keynote speech to the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, when he will seek to allay voters' fears that a future Labour government might drive the deficit back up, by promising to submit the party to tough new rules requiring it to keep debt down.
The rules - which would bar a future Labour chancellor from allowing the national deficit to swell as it did under Mr Brown - will be included in Labour's manifesto for the next general election and will be subject to monitoring by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, Mr Balls will say.
Six men are due to appear in court accused of terror offences.
The men, all from Birmingham, were charged on Sunday night after being arrested in a major operation by the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, West Midlands Police said.
Four were charged with preparing for an act of terrorism in the UK, and two more with failing to disclose information. One of those two was also charged with terrorist fundraising.
Irfan Nasser, 30, Irfan Khalid, 26, Ashik Ali, 26, and Rahin Ahmed, 25, are all charged with engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts, contrary to the Terrorism Act 2006.
It is alleged that between Christmas Day 2010 and September 19 this year, they were preparing, or helping others prepare, to commit acts of terrorism.
For Nasser, from Sparkhill, Khalid, from Sparkbrook, and Ali, from Balsall Heath, this is alleged to have included planning a bombing campaign; stating an intention to be a suicide bomber; collecting money for terrorism; making or helping make a homemade bomb for terrorism; and recruiting people for terrorism.
Nasser and Khalid are also accused of travelling to Pakistan for training in terrorism including bomb making, weapons and poison making, as well as making a 'martyrdom' film.
Ahmed, from Moseley, is accused of helping others travel to Pakistan for terrorism training, collecting money for terrorism and investing and managing money for terrorist acts.
Ashik Ali's brother Bahader Ali, 28, and Mohammed Rizwan, 32, both from Sparkbrook, are both charged with failing to disclose information about acts of terrorism.
It is alleged that between July 29 and September 19 this year, both had information which they knew may help prevent the commission of an act of terrorism but did not disclose the information. Bahader Ali is also charged with terrorist fundraising. All six men will appear at West London Magistrates' Court.
The London stock market continued to slide as traders digested emerging details of a multitrillion-pound eurozone rescue plan.
The FTSE 100 Index was nearly 2% lower as crisis talks between world finance leaders in Washington over the weekend failed to inspire traders.
Emergency measures to rescue the euro, costing two to three trillion euros (£2.6 trillion), and potentially allowing an orderly debt default in Greece, could be revealed in a matter of days.
But Cameron Peacock, market analyst at IG Markets, said: "The key demand from investors is for action as opposed to words."
Britain's top 100 companies saw £78 billion wiped from their value last week as the sovereign debt crisis and America's creaking public finances fuelled fears of another global recession.
Pumping cash into a number of Europe's beleaguered banks is the cornerstone of a rumoured three-pronged plan being discussed to save the single currency.
The shoring up of vulnerable banks would allow Greece to partly default on its debt - wiping billions of pounds from the country's balance sheet. The third part to the plan involves providing additional firepower for the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) - the bailout fund - which could cost trillions of euros.
But analysts warned that investors were likely to remain sceptical.
Mr Peacock said: "It's becoming increasingly difficult to give credibility to suggestions that a solution can be found that won't see many getting their fingers burnt as a result."
The weak start on the FTSE 100 Index follows a similarly poor performance in Asia, where Japan's Nikkei 225 Index fell more than 2% and the Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong was down nearly 3%.
Britain's most senior police chief has said that Scotland Yard will be a service criminals fear, as he rose before dawn to meet officers and staff across the capital on his first day in office.
Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe, who was brought in following a series of high-profile resignations in the wake of the phone hacking scandal, said he wanted to bring "total policing" to London by cutting crime, reducing costs and developing the force's culture.
Starting in Romford, east London, he is meeting officers and staff, including those from the territorial support group (TSG) which was heavily involved in last month's riots, as he makes his way west to Wandsworth before heading to the force's headquarters at New Scotland Yard.
"I want to make the Met the best police service in the world," he told staff.
"It is my intention to build on public trust in the Met and lead a service that criminals will fear, and staff will be proud to work for.
"As Commissioner, I have three simple aims: I want us to cut crime, cut costs, and continue to develop the culture of the organisation, and to do all that based on simple but important values of humility, transparency and integrity.
"We will do that through what I call 'total policing'."
Mr Hogan-Howe, 53, will also meet officers from the diplomatic protection group, mounted branch and marine support unit as he uses one of the police boats to work his way along the Thames.
The 26th commissioner will also take to the streets of the capital on foot, in a car and on the Docklands Light Railway before addressing a 1,000-strong meeting of officers and staff in central London.
Three British men arrested in Kenya reportedly on suspicion of terrorist activities were working undercover for a private intelligence firm, their company has said.
Nick Cryne, 30, Niall Young, 34, and Ben Hope, 27, were stopped by police while trailing two executives alleged to have been swapping company secrets.
Intelligere, a firm which offers corporate investigation services, said the group formed a three-man team and had been tasked with tracking the pair.
Gary Lincoln-Hope, chief executive of Intelligere, said: "We have spent the weekend in contact with the British Embassy in Kenya and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
"They have been tremendously helpful. We hope to see our three employees released from jail tomorrow.
"Their activities conducted prior to being arrested and put in jail were wholly legal. They are not linked to terrorism."
Cryne, from Manchester, Young, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, and Hope, from Birmingham, are due to appear in court in Kenya.
Intelligere is a division of the XFOR Group which handles international corporate intelligence operations.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are aware that a number of British nationals were arrested in Mombasa, Kenya, on September 22. We are providing consular assistance to them."
European markets have seen more volatility as traders digested a multitrillion-pound emergency plan being drawn up to rescue the euro.
It is thought the package, costing up to three trillion euro (£2.6 trillion) and potentially allowing Greece to default on its debts without sinking the eurozone, could be revealed within days, according to reports.
Traders remained sceptical over the prospects for success, causing the FTSE 100 Index to open 2% lower before it returned back above the 5000 barrier to stand slightly higher.
Louise Cooper, markets analyst at BGC Partners, predicted a rollercoaster ride for markets while details of the plan are thrashed out.
She said: "A sufficiently credible plan to solve the eurozone crisis will necessitate changes to treaties, laws, and not least the German constitution. There will be wobbles and uncertainty at every vote and stage of political implementation.
"And then we have the problem that the voters in each country are unlikely to be keen on the solution and have not had the downside risks explained to them in sufficient detail. So what have we to look forward to? Continued financial uncertainty, high volatility and nervousness."
Pumping cash into at least 16 of Europe's beleaguered banks is the cornerstone of a rumoured three-pronged plan being discussed to save the single currency.
The shoring up of vulnerable banks would allow Greece to partly default on its debt - wiping billions of pounds from the country's balance sheet and allowing the country to remain within the eurozone.
The third part of the plan involves providing additional firepower for the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) - the bailout fund - which could cost trillions of euros.
Ben Critchley, a sales trader at IG Index, said: "For now at least, it looks as if markets are giving some credence to a firm plan on how to tackle the debt crisis beginning to emerge. But if recent experience is anything to go by, this patience is unlikely to last too long if details are not forthcoming."
A man has been remanded in custody accused of contaminating packs of the painkiller Nurofen Plus with anti-psychotic and anti-epileptic drugs.
Christopher McGuire, 30, of no fixed address, appeared in a brief hearing at West London Magistrates' Court. He spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth.
McGuire is charged with four counts of contamination of goods, and two counts of administering a noxious substance.
The maximum sentence if convicted is 10 years in jail.
He was remanded by District Judge John Zani to appear at Southwark Crown Court on December 2 for a plea and case management hearing.
Reckitt Benckiser, manufacturer of the drug, recalled the product on August 26 and halted distribution after discovering five boxes contained other companies' medicines.
It estimated that some 250,000 packets were still in customers' hands.
Four of the boxes were found to contain the anti-psychotic drug Seroquel XL 50mg and one packet contained Pfizer's anti-epileptic medication Neurontin, in 100mg capsules.
The charges against McGuire state that between June 1 and August 26 this year he contaminated packets of Nurofen Plus at three branches of Boots the chemist at London's Victoria railway station, in Beckenham High Street, Beckenham, in the Glades in Bromley, and at the Beckenham Independent Pharmacy in Beckenham.
He is accused of administering a noxious substance, Seroquel, to two witnesses on August 22 this year.
Shadow chancellor Ed Balls has set out a five-point plan to kick-start the flagging economy, including help for home-owners and small businesses.
Mr Balls called on the Government to slash VAT on home improvements and repairs to 5% for one year and to introduce a 12-month national insurance break for small businesses taking on new workers.
His "plan for growth" came in a speech to Labour's conference in Liverpool in which he sought to rebuild the party's credibility on the economy by vowing to submit to "iron discipline" on spending.
To the dismay of some rank-and-file activists, Mr Balls told conference that he would not promise to reverse cuts and tax rises being imposed by the coalition Government. He pledged to use any windfall from the sale of the state's stake in part-nationalised banks to pay down debt, rather than to fund tax cuts or share giveaways to voters.
He said the party's election manifesto would include tough new independently monitored rules which would prevent a future Labour chancellor from allowing Britain's deficit to balloon once more.
In his first speech to conference as shadow chancellor, Mr Balls acknowledged that Labour has a fight on its hands to restore public confidence in its credibility on the economy, following the banking crisis which took place under Gordon Brown.
He admitted that Labour made "mistakes" on bank regulation, immigration from eastern Europe, abolishing the 10p tax rate and failing to do enough to support training. But he rejected Conservative claims that excessive spending on public services was to blame for the financial crisis.
"The Government must adopt a steadier, more balanced plan to get our deficit down and take immediate action now to support the economy and create jobs here in Britain," said Mr Balls.
His five-point plan included long-standing Labour demands for a temporary reversal of January's hike in VAT to 20% and a repeat of Alistair Darling's tax on bank bonuses to pay for home-building and jobs for young people. He called for investment in schools, roads and transport to be brought forward, and he announced proposals to boost growth by cutting VAT to 5% on home improvements.
"Five immediate steps the Government could take tomorrow - and if they do so, we will back them," said Mr Balls. "Call it Plan A-plus. Call it Plan B. Call it Plan C. I don't care want they call it - Britain just needs a plan that works."
Hundreds of school children have gathered for an assembly in memory of two "wonderful" teenage girls who were killed with their mother and three younger siblings in a house fire.
Grieving youngsters at Crest Girls' Academy were comforted by teachers as they mourned their classmates - Hanin Kua, 14, and her sister Basma, 13, who died when the blaze swept through their home in Neasden, north-west London, in the early hours of Saturday.
During the short assembly held ahead of morning lessons, the school's pupils and staff paid tribute to the "popular, caring and diligent" pair who were killed alongside their mother Muna Elmufatish, 41, nine-year-old sister Amal and brothers Mustafa and Yehya, aged five and two. Father Bassam Kua, 51, and 16-year-old daughter Nur escaped from the house but remain in hospital.
Addressing some 900 students - many of whom wept or held hands - Bev Bell, principal at Crest Academy, said: "The girls were well known, loved and respected by you all. We are so proud to have experienced their contribution to our lives within this academy."
Girls sat crying and hugging as Mrs Bell said: "Basma Kua and Hanin Kua died in the early hours of Saturday morning in a tragic fire in their home in Sonia Gardens. We also say goodbye to their three younger siblings who lost their lives in the fire on Saturday morning. Our thoughts and wishes go to Braintcroft Primary School for their loss too.
"Our thoughts must also go to Nur Kua and her father who are fighting for their lives and are the remaining members of this wonderful family in our school community."
An anonymous poem about the loss of a child was read out before the pupils were addressed by an imam. Many sat where they were, reluctant to leave as the assembly concluded.
Earlier, a sombre atmosphere hung over the school as children and teachers arrived for classes. They were directed to a memorial garden where many sat in silence.
Speaking outside the school gates, Mrs Bell said Hanin and Basma had been "role models" for their fellow pupils. She added: "The whole community is very quiet and sombre at the moment. It has hit them very, very hard indeed. There is a huge sense of loss felt by the whole school."
London Fire Brigade confirmed there was a Beko fridge-freezer at the scene of the blaze but said it was not thought to have been the cause. The brigade issued a warning in July that there were up to 500,000 potentially faulty Beko fridge-freezers across the country which could pose a serious fire risk.
Residents have won a temporary reprieve in their long-running battle to stay on the UK's biggest illegal travellers' site.
A judge ruled that residents of Dale Farm near Basildon in Essex were entitled to an extension of an injunction stopping their evictions until the courts have ruled on the legality of their proposed removal.
The ruling was a blow to Basildon Council, which is also facing other legal action that could prolong yet further its 10-year battle to clear the site, expected to cost some £18 million.
On Monday last week Mr Justice Edwards-Stuart granted a temporary injunction preventing the council from clearing the site - thought to house more than 80 families composed of some 400 individuals - pending the latest ruling.
Travellers said they feared evictions would not be carried out lawfully and that council officials would "over-enforce".
The judge, sitting at London's High Court, said there were "triable issues in relation to almost every plot" as to whether the steps the council proposed to take came within the terms of enforcement notices being used as the basis for eviction.
He said a further court hearing was necessary to determine the facts, and would be concerned principally with the date of construction of structures on the site the council was proposing to remove or demolish.
The judge said: "This result has come about mainly because the terms of the enforcement notices issued between 2002 and 2004 may not have been sufficiently precisely drawn, although the extent to which this may prove to be the case has yet to be finally determined."
The judge said he would consult lawyers for both sides before drawing up his order "in case there are any factual errors or slips".
The hearing is continuing.
A two-year-old boy has died after falling from a third-floor balcony.
Devon and Cornwall Police said the child was taken to hospital by ambulance after falling from a building in Torquay, Devon, on Friday evening.
They have launched an investigation into the fall, which happened in Lichfield Avenue at around 7.40pm, but say they are not treating the death as suspicious.
Floral tributes could be seen at the scene of the accident, outside a three-storey block of flats on a housing estate less than a mile from the sea in the popular resort town.
Neighbours of the people involved declined to comment.
A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said: "Police are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a toddler from Torquay.
"At 7.40pm on Friday September 23 police were called to Lichfield Avenue, Torquay, by an ambulance crew who were treating a two-year-old boy who had fallen from a third-floor balcony.
"The child was taken to Torbay Hospital where he subsequently died. The death is not being treated as suspicious at this time but police are keen to hear from anyone who has any information that may assist police in their inquiries."
The Lockerbie bombing case is closed, Libya's transitional justice minister has said.
Mohammed al-Alagi noted that the only man convicted in the case, Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, was freed on compassionate grounds because of illness and said there was no reason to keep dragging the case into court.
His remarks to reporters in Tripoli come after the Scottish authorities asked Libya's new rulers for help to catch those responsible for the bombing, Britain's worst terrorist attack.
The Scottish prosecutors' office said it has asked the National Transitional Council, which has been governing the country since Muammar Gaddafi's fall, for written evidence and witnesses that could aid the inquiry.
Asked for his response, al-Alagi said "the case is closed".
Six men accused of terror offences have been remanded in custody over an alleged UK suicide bombing plot.
Some of the defendants are accused of wanting to be suicide bombers, having trained for terror in Pakistan and having raised money for terrorism.
The men, all from Birmingham and said to be part of a terror network, appeared at West London Magistrates' Court, and were remanded by deputy senior district judge Daphne Wickham.
Ashik Ali, 26, of White Street, was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on October 21.
He will appear on the same day with co-accused Irfan Nasser, 30, of Doris Road, Irfan Khalid, 26, of Timbers Way, and Rahim Ahmed, 25, of Moorcroft Road. They are accused of one count of "engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts".
Nasser, Khalid and Ali are said to have planned a bombing campaign, stated an intention to become suicide bombers, collected money for terrorism, made or helped make a homemade bomb and recruited people for terrorism.
Nasser and Khalid are also accused of travelling to Pakistan for terror training including bomb making, weapons and poison making as well as making a "martyrdom" film. Ahmed is accused of helping others travel to Pakistan for terror training, collecting money for terrorism and investing and managing money for terrorist acts.
Mohammed Rizwan, 32, of Asquith Road, was charged with failing to disclose information about acts of terrorism. He will next appear before Westminster magistrates on October 24.
He will be joined on that day by Ali's brother Bahader Ali, 28, of Turner Road - both are from the Sparkbrook area of the city.
Bahader Ali is also accused of failing to disclose information about acts of terrorism and "arranging the availability of property for terrorist purposes".
Residents of Dale Farm are celebrating another reprieve that has raised their hopes that they can remain living on the UK's biggest illegal travellers' site.
A High Court judge granted scores of families an extension to an injunction stopping their evictions until the courts have finally ruled on the legality of their proposed removal from the site near Basildon, Essex.
Two further court hearings are planned. The first will be on Thursday and concerns the latest traveller application for judicial review. The second will be next Monday when the legality of the eviction action itself will be examined.
Mr Justice Edwards-Stuart, sitting in London, was told by the travellers' lawyers that at least two further applications for judicial review to block the evictions are also in the pipeline, which could further prolong Basildon Council's 10-year battle to clear the site at a cost of £18 million.
Candy Sheridan, vice chair of the Gypsy Council, said outside London's High Court she intended to make new applications on behalf of travellers for planning permission at Dale Farm.
But council leader Tony Ball said the authority hoped to start removing residential structures on site after Thursday's hearing.
He said: "Today was another day when the wheels of justice continue to grind slowly forward. It has been good day for the council and our local residents. We will be back in court on Thursday after which we fully hope to be in a position to commence removing residential structures from the vast majority of plots.
"Outstanding technical issues, such as fences and gateposts, will be dealt with separately next Monday. After 10 years, if we have to wait a few more days to follow due process and get things right then that is what we will do."
In the ruling, the judge agreed to extend an injunction he granted on Monday last week to prevent the council from clearing the site - thought to house more than 80 families composed of 400 individuals.
Reacting to the news, resident Kathleen McCarthy said: "Every day is a blessing and we feel that at least our arguments are being listened to. One thing is certain: we will all stand together. Either we all go or none of us go, we will not let the council divide us. We want to stay for another 30 years. We want to do what is legal and right."
Labour has offered tax breaks to homeowners and small businesses as part of a five-point plan to boost growth which shadow chancellor Ed Balls said could help Britain avoid a decade of economic stagnation.
His calls for a temporary cut to 5% in VAT on home improvements and a national insurance holiday for firms with fewer than 10 employees taking on new staff were welcomed by builders and small businesses.
But Tories accused Labour of being "addicted to debt", claiming the cost of Mr Balls' plan would add £20 billion to Government borrowing.
The shadow chancellor used his keynote speech to Labour's annual conference in Liverpool to try to rebuild the party's damaged credibility on the economy, promising to exercise "iron discipline" on spending.
To the dismay of some activists he said Labour could not promise to reverse coalition cuts and would use any windfall from the sale of part-nationalised banks to pay off debt, not boost spending.
Promising "fiscal responsibility in the national interest", he told delegates: "It will not be enough to expose that David Cameron and George Osborne have got the economy badly wrong. We will never have credibility unless we have the discipline and the strength to take tough decisions."
Transport union boss Bob Crow of the RMT - which is not affiliated to Labour - said Mr Balls showed "a bizarre set of priorities" in earmarking cash from bank shares for debt-reduction rather than schools and hospitals.
Len McCluskey, general secretary of Britain's biggest union Unite, questioned Mr Balls' approach, warning that "Labour ... cannot simply be the party that cuts a little less than the Tories. That will not win the next election."
Tories said Mr Balls had failed to come up with a credible plan to deal with the deficit.
Treasury minister Justine Greening said: "Announcing £20 billion new spending after claiming he would be tough on the deficit shows Ed Balls has zero credibility. He's ducked all the tough decisions and refused to apologise for Labour overspending. Labour is still dangerously addicted to debt."
