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May pledges deportation crackdown

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May pledges deportation crackdown Immigration laws will be toughened up to prevent foreign criminals using human rights arguments to escape deportation from the UK, Home Secretary Theresa May will promise. In a crowd-pleasing party conference announcement, the Tory cabinet minister will blame lax laws for a number of controversial cases in which courts have ruled that killers and rapists could remain in this country. Their right to a family life - enshrined in the Human Rights Act was too often being put before the need to control immigration and protect the public, she will complain in her speech to activists in Manchester. Mrs May will risk further inflaming tensions with Liberal Democrat colleagues by declaring once again her desire to see the Human Rights Act scrapped. While the future of the legislation remained under review, she said, actions such as hardening the immigration rules would help end what David Cameron this week called the "chilling culture" the Act fosters. Under the crackdown, the rules will make clear that people convicted of crimes or who started a family life while here illegally or who rely on benefits can be deported. Mrs May announced a review of the system in July after figures showed the right to a family life - Article Eight of the European Convention on Human Rights - was the number one reason foreign criminals or illegal immigrants managed to defeat deportation in the courts last year. More than 100 foreign criminals and illegal immigrants, including a number of violent offenders, used the controversial right to avoid being deported last year. In 2010, 233 appeals against deportation were made. Of these, 149 were successful on human rights grounds - 102 of them citing Article Eight alone. By invoking the right, a Sri Lankan robber was allowed to remain in the UK because he had a girlfriend in Britain and judges ruled an Iraqi killer should not be sent back because he would have posed a risk to people in his home country.

iPhone5 launch expected in London

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iPhone5 launch expected in London Apple is expected to unveil its new iPhone. The technology firm is staying tight-lipped, but invitations have gone out for "a special event" in central London which say "Let's talk iPhone". A similar event is also being held at Apple's US headquarters in California. Industry insiders have predicted the new phone, which is likely to be known as iPhone5, will have a bigger screen and built-in voice recognition software. It is not clear when the phone will be on sale in the UK or how much it will cost. There have also been some predictions Apple will launch a cheaper version of the iPhone4 at the same event. Thousands of gadget fans queued to get their hands on the iPhone4 when it first went on sale last June. Apple's flagship Regent Street store opened its doors early at 7am to deal with the demand. The event is at the Apple store in Covent Garden, central London.

Most managers 'fear new recession'

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Most managers 'fear new recession' Company managers are "very concerned" about the UK's economic prospects, with most fearing another recession, according to a new report. A survey of more than 600 managers showed that just one in 12 believed the economy would grow over the next year, compared with one in six during a similar poll earlier this year. More than two-thirds of those questioned by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) said it was likely the UK will go back into recession, and three out of four believed business insolvencies will increase. Half said their organisation had frozen recruitment, while managers in private firms were most pessimistic about employment opportunities. The CMI said its findings had "serious implications" for the Government's plan for the private sector to lead the UK back into growth and showed a "growing sense of impatience" with actions being taken to reduce the deficit. Petra Wilton, the CMI's director of policy and research, said: "It's clear that managers in all sectors are very concerned about the immediate future of the organisations they run, and the economy more widely. "Given the pressure on the private sector to spearhead the recovery, however, the predictions of business leaders make particularly uncomfortable reading. We've heard a great deal about the recent warnings from the IMF, downward revisions of GDP forecasts and stock market turmoil but this report tells us what the implications of all these challenges actually mean for the senior manager or business leader on the ground. "Three years on from when the UK fell into recession, things don't seem to have moved forward for managers and leaders - they still have to cut costs through redundancies and recruitment freezes, morale continues to worsen and half feel insecure in their own jobs. "It's not surprising, therefore, that an increasing number of organisations would like to see more being achieved sooner by the Government's deficit reduction measures."

Fix eurozone crisis now - Osborne

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Fix eurozone crisis now - Osborne Chancellor George Osborne will push for swift and decisive action from eurozone countries to resolve the Greece crisis when he joins fellow EU finance ministers for talks in Luxembourg. Athens' admission that it will miss its deficit targets and alarm bells over the health of Belgian bank Dexia spooked investors and saw further losses on markets on both sides of the Atlantic. As fears over the potential impact of the worsening situation rose, Mr Osborne used his speech to the Conservative Party conference to issue a warning shot over inaction. He has already set the meeting of the G20 nations in Cannes, France, early next month as the final deadline for those countries in the single currency to produce a workable plan. Addressing the conference in Manchester ahead of the meeting, he said: "My objective is clear. "The eurozone's financial fund needs maximum firepower. The eurozone needs to strengthen its banks. "And the eurozone needs to end all the speculation, decide what they're going to do with Greece, and then stick to that decision." Britain was "paying a high price" for the mistakes made in the eurozone, he said, and resolving the crisis would be "the single biggest boost to confidence that could happen to the British economy this autumn. "The time to resolve the crisis is now. They've got to get out and fix their roof, even though it's already pouring with rain. "We will do everything, work with anyone, overcome every obstacle in our path to jobs and prosperity. So that together we will ride out the storm."

Freed Knox heading home to Seattle

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Freed Knox heading home to Seattle Amanda Knox is due to fly home to Seattle after walking free from the Italian prison where she spent four years for Meredith Kercher's murder. The 24-year-old American won a dramatic court room victory when a jury overturned her conviction after a successful appeal. Knox was sentenced to 26 years in jail in 2009 for the killing that prosecutors said began as a sex game and ended in the stabbing to death of the British student. Miss Kercher's family, some of whom were in court for the verdict, will meanwhile pick up the pieces and try to come to terms with this new development in the case that has brought them so much pain. Only one man remains behind bars for the murder now - small-time drug dealer Rudy Guede - after Knox's ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito also won his freedom yesterday. The Italian 27-year-old had been sentenced to 25 years in prison for what prosecutors said was his part in the gruesome killing. But like Knox, he maintained his innocence, and the climax of the appeal vindicated them both. Miss Kercher's father, John Kercher, told the Daily Mirror their acquittal was "ludicrous", however. "It makes a mockery of the original trial," he said. "We are all shocked. We could understand them reducing the sentence, but completely freeing them? Wow." His opinion seemed to be shared by the huge crowd gathered in the piazza outside the court house in Perugia, the medieval city where the murder took place. In chaotic scenes that threatened to turn violent at times, hundreds of angry members of the public cried "shame" as news of the verdicts reached them.

12 killed as Pakistan gunmen attack

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12 killed as Pakistan gunmen attack Suspected Sunni extremists have opened fire on Shiite Muslims travelling through south-western Pakistan, killing 12 people and wounding six others in the latest apparent sectarian attack to plague the country, police said. Sunni militants with ideological and operational links to al-Qaida and the Taliban have carried out scores of bombings and shootings against minority Shiites in recent years, but the past couple weeks have been particularly bloody. The gunmen who attacked were riding on motorbikes and stopped a bus carrying mostly Shiite Muslims who were headed to work at a vegetable market on the outskirts of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, said police official Hamid Shakeel. The attackers forced the people off the bus, made them stand in a line and then opened fire, said Shakeel. The dead included 11 Shiites and one Sunni, he said. The wounded included four Shiites and two Sunnis. Sunni extremists carried out a similar attack on Shiite pilgrims travelling through Baluchistan about two weeks ago, killing 26 people. Pakistan is a majority Sunni Muslim state, with around 15% Shiite. Most Sunnis and Shiites live together peacefully in Pakistan, though tensions have existed for decades. In the 1980s and 1990s, Pakistan became the scene of a proxy war between mostly Shiite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia, with both sides funnelling money to sectarian groups that regularly targeted each other. The level of sectarian violence has declined somewhat since then, but attacks continue. In recent years, Sunni attacks on Shiites have been far more common. The groups have been energised by al-Qaida and the Taliban, which are also Sunni and share the belief that Shiites are infidels and it is permissible to kill them. The Sunni-Shiite schism over the true heir to Islam's Prophet Muhammad dates back to the seventh century. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, one of the country's most ruthless Sunni militant groups, claimed responsibility for the attack in Baluchistan two weeks ago. One of its alleged leaders, Malik Ishaq, was released from prison on bail in July after being held for 14 years on charges, never proven, of killing Shiites.

Cricket spot-fixing trial to begin

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Cricket spot-fixing trial to begin The trial of two Pakistani cricketers accused of spot fixing is set to begin. Former captain Salman Butt, 26, and fast bowler Mohammad Asif, 28, are charged with conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments. The allegations date from Pakistan's tour of England last summer. The pair, who deny the charges, are accused of conspiring between August 15 and 29 last year to accept money in return for arranging for deliberate "no balls" to be bowled during the Test Match between the two sides at Lord's Cricket Ground in London. The trial at London's Southwark Crown Court is expected to last up to four weeks.

NHS reforms are right, says Cameron

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NHS reforms are right, says Cameron Prime Minister David Cameron has defended his Government's NHS reforms after a group of top doctors and health specialists warned they will do "irreparable harm" to the health service. More than 400 experts sent an open letter to the House of Lords urging peers to reject the coalition's controversial Health and Social Care Bill when they vote later this month. The letter, also sent to the Daily Telegraph, said: "The Bill will do irreparable harm to the NHS, to individual patients and to society as a whole. "It ushers in a significantly heightened degree of commercialisation and marketisation that will fragment patient care; aggravate risks to individual patient safety; erode medical ethics and trust within the health system; widen health inequalities; waste much money on attempts to regulate and manage competition; and undermine the ability of the health system to respond effectively and efficiently to communicable disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies." The letter includes signatories from across a wide spectrum of public health practice, including more than 40 directors of public health and some 100 leading public health academics. Its authors added: "While we welcome the emphasis placed on establishing a closer working relationship between public health and local government, the proposed reforms as a whole will disrupt, fragment and weaken the country's public health capabilities. "The Government claims that the reforms have the backing of the health professions. They do not. Neither do they have the general support of the public. "It is our professional judgment that the Health and Social Care Bill will erode the NHS's ethical and co-operative foundations and that it will not deliver efficiency, quality, fairness or choice. We therefore request that you reject passage of the Health and Social Care Bill." Mr Cameron told ITV1's Daybreak: "Of course there are doctors and others within the NHS that are wary about parts of our proposals, about greater choice for patients, about greater competition with the NHS. "There have always been opponents to that, but the point of the exercise we held in the summer, when we paused and restarted the reforms, was to bring more of the health service on board, and many GPs, many doctors and many in the health service recognise that change is necessary if we are going to drive up standards in the health service, in which we invest and care about so much."

Huntley 'attacker' goes on trial

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Huntley 'attacker' goes on trial A prisoner is due to go on trial accused of murdering another inmate and attempting to kill Soham murderer Ian Huntley. Damien Fowkes, 35, is accused of slashing Huntley's throat in Frankland Prison, Durham, in March last year. Fowkes, from Northampton, is accused of inflicting a seven-inch wound on Huntley's neck using a blade fashioned from a toothbrush and razor blade when they were in the kitchens. School caretaker Huntley was jailed for life for the 2002 murders of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham, Cambridgeshire. Fowkes is alleged to have strangled to death another prisoner, Colin Hatch, at Full Sutton prison near York in February He is due to go on trial at Hull Crown Court before Mr Justice Coulson.

13 dead in attack on Shiite Muslims

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13 dead in attack on Shiite Muslims Suspected Sunni extremists have opened fire on Shiite Muslims travelling through south-western Pakistan, killing 13 people and injuring seven others in the latest apparent sectarian attack to hit the country, police said. Sunni militants with ideological and operational links to al Qaida and the Taliban have carried out scores of bombings and shootings against minority Shiites in recent years, but the past couple weeks have been particularly bloody. The gunmen who carried out Tuesday's attack were riding motorbikes and stopped a bus carrying mostly Shiite Muslims who were heading for work at a vegetable market on the outskirts of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, said police official Hamid Shakeel. They forced people off the bus, made them stand in a line and then opened fire, he said. The dead included 12 Shiites and one Sunni, he said. Seven people were wounded - five Shiites and two Sunnis. Local TV footage showed relatives wailing at the hospital where the dead and wounded were taken. One relative hugged a wounded man as another walked by, his clothes soaked with blood. Shiites blocked the main highway on the outskirts of Quetta to protest at the killings and set fire to the bus which took the dead and wounded to the hospital. Sunni extremists carried out a similar attack on Shiite pilgrims travelling through Baluchistan about two weeks ago, killing 26 people. Pakistan is a majority Sunni Muslim state, with around 15% Shiite. Most Sunnis and Shiites live together peacefully in Pakistan, though tensions have existed for decades. In the 1980s and 1990s, Pakistan became the scene of a proxy war between mostly Shiite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia, with both sides funnelling money to sectarian groups which regularly targeted each other. The level of sectarian violence has declined somewhat since then, but attacks continue. In recent years, Sunni attacks on Shiites have been far more common.

Kercher family 'back to square one'

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Kercher family 'back to square one' Meredith Kercher's brother has said that her family has accepted an Italian court's decision to clear Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito of her murder, but added that questions still had to be answered about what really happened. Lyle Kercher said it was "back to square one" in the search to find out what "truly happened" following the dramatic acquittal last night of Knox and Sollecito. "While we accept the decision that was handed down yesterday and respect the court and the Italian justice system, we do find that we are now left obviously looking at this again and thinking how a decision that was so certain two years ago has been so emphatically over turned now," he said. He was speaking at a news conference in Perugia alongside his mother, Arline, and sister, Stephanie. Mr Kercher said the decision raised further questions: "There is, of course, a third defendant - Rudy Guede - who is convicted, has been appealed and has been upheld and, at the time, I understand the court agreed that he was not acting alone. "Of course, if the two who were released yesterday were not the guilty parties, we are now obviously left wondering who is the other person or people, and really, for us, it feels very much almost like back to square one and the search goes on really to find out what truly happened." Mrs Kercher told the news conference that they were still "absorbing" the decision: "What happened to my daughter, Meredith, is every parent's nightmare. "Of something so terrible happening, when basically she was in the safest place, her bedroom. Nobody is untouched by this." The Kerchers were speaking after American Knox, 24, and Italian Sollecito, 27, were dramatically freed from prison following a successful appeal against their convictions. The former lovers were found guilty in 2009 of killing the British student after forcing her into a violent sex game. Knox has now left Rome aboard a London-bound plane en route to the United States. The Italy-US Foundation, which has championed her cause, said Knox departed from Rome's Leonardo da Vinci Airport. In London, she will catch a connecting flight home to the United States with her family.

Prisoner admits Huntley murder bid

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Prisoner admits Huntley murder bid A fellow prisoner has admitted trying to kill Soham murderer Ian Huntley. Damien Fowkes, 35, pleaded guilty at Hull Crown Court to slashing Huntley's throat in Frankland Prison, Durham, in March last year. Fowkes, from Northampton, also admitted the manslaughter of child killer Colin Hatch, who was strangled at Full Sutton Prison near York in February this year. He was initially charged with Hatch's murder but his plea of guilty to manslaughter was accepted on the grounds of his diminished responsibility. Fowkes stood in the sealed dock surrounded by five prison officers, wearing a grey sweatshirt and a black hat. He has a large scar down the left side of his face and a tattoo down the right. An application for him to come into court in handcuffs was rejected by the judge. The prisoner spoke to confirm his name and enter his pleas. He denied murdering Hatch but admitted manslaughter. Graham Reeds, prosecuting, said this plea was acceptable. The court heard how Fowkes shows "strong psychopathic traits".

Cameron pledge on foreign criminals

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Cameron pledge on foreign criminals David Cameron has pledged to make judges "see sense" on foreign criminals who use human rights arguments to escape deportation. The Prime Minister said rewriting immigration rules would ensure that the courts favoured safeguarding the British public above protecting the family lives of killers and rapists. In a round of interviews at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, Mr Cameron denied that the Government was powerless to prevent criminals using the European Convention on Human Rights to avoid being kicked out. "The problem here is that there are foreign criminals in Britain, people sometimes actually who still threaten our country or could threaten our country," he said. "We are unable to deport them because they appeal to the courts under Article 8 of this charter, which is the right to a family life. We believe that the courts are currently giving too much attention to that rather than the protection of the UK." He went on: "The right to a family life is not an inalienable right in the European convention so I believe this change will work. It is not the whole solution to the problem but it is a good start." Mr Cameron made clear that the Conservatives would be aiming to go "a little further" on the issue if they had won an outright majority, rather than forming a Government with the Liberal Democrats. Home Secretary Theresa May will flesh out the planned immigration changes in a speech to activists later. She will blame lax laws for a number of controversial cases in which courts have ruled that killers and rapists could remain in this country. Mrs May will risk further inflaming tensions with Liberal Democrat colleagues by declaring once again her desire to see the Human Rights Act scrapped. Mrs May announced a review of the system in July after figures showed that Article 8 was the number one reason foreign criminals or illegal immigrants managing to defeat deportation bids in the courts last year.

NHS Trust destroyed patient records

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NHS Trust destroyed patient records An NHS Trust accidentally destroyed 10,000 archived records and failed to realise its mistake for three months, the information watchdog has said. The Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust records, which should have been kept in a dedicated storage area, were put in a disposal room due to a lack of space and then destroyed by mistake between December 28 and 31 last year, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said. It is not known how many of the records contained the personal details of former patients, but some included names, addresses and a limited amount of medical information relating to the patients' previous treatment But the trust said no clinical risks were posed to patients by the loss. Sally Anne Poole, the ICO's acting head of enforcement, said: "Although the majority of information lost was several years old and only being kept for archiving purposes, there is no excuse for failing to keep it secure. "The hospital should have ensured that the records were kept in a safe area - and, had they had adequate audit trails in place, they would have been able to keep track of where this information was at all times." The trust has signed an undertaking to ensure its staff are made aware of data protection polices and procedures and that they receive suitable training on how to follow them, the ICO said. Information Commissioner Christopher Graham warned in July that a culture change was needed within the health service to ensure patients' personal information was kept secure. The security of the most sensitive personal data remains a "systemic problem" within the NHS, he said. Policies and procedures to keep the information safe may already be in place, but they are not being followed by staff on the ground, he added.

Plea to ministers on squatting law

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Plea to ministers on squatting law The Government has been urged not to criminalise squatting after a report found it would lead to an increase in some of the most vulnerable homeless people sleeping rough. The report, published by Sheffield Hallam University on behalf of homeless charity Crisis, comes as the Government consults on plans to bring in laws making squatting a criminal offence and ending so-called "squatters' rights". It said the new laws would result in the criminalisation of homeless people, who squat because accessing adequate affordable housing in England and Wales is so difficult, but would have little impact on levels of squatting. The report, entitled Squatting: A Homelessness Issue, found most homeless squatters squat only as a last resort, after approaching and being turned away from hostels, shelters and local authorities. It added that homeless people who squat occupy empty, usually disused or abandoned properties and there was no evidence of squatters displacing anyone from their homes. The Government's proposals would see a new criminal offence of squatting brought in, along with steps to prosecute squatters for other offences they commit, such as criminal damage, burglary, or using electricity without permission. The report said: "Strengthening laws or enforcement activity against squatters in occupied buildings is likely to have minimal impact on levels of squatting but significant impact on squatters themselves. Squatting, then, is a homelessness and welfare issue, not a criminal justice issue." The report also found that squatters are more likely to have "significant welfare needs", including mental and physical health issues, compared to homeless people who have not squatted. It said a recent study found that 34% of homeless squatters had been in care, 42 reported mental ill health. Of homeless people who had not squatted, 19% had been in care, 27 had mental ill health.

Greece fears hit world markets

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Greece fears hit world markets Fears that Greece may default on its debts and potentially sink the euro have intensified, dragging London's blue chip shares index below the 5000 mark. Eurozone finance ministers delayed a decision as to whether to pay the debt-stricken nation the next tranche of its 110 billion euro (£94.4 billion) bailout money, sparking further doubts that it will keep up with its debt repayments. The FTSE 100 Index fell 2.5% on Tuesday, extending its abysmal form after its worst quarter for nine years saw nearly 14% wiped off its value. The uncertainty over Greece hit markets around the world, with the Dax in Frankfurt and the CAC 40 in France both down around 3%, while Asian markets also suffered sell-offs on Monday night. Eurozone ministers have cancelled their meeting about the debt-stricken country planned for October 13 after the country admitted it would fail to meet its tough deficit reduction measures. A decision is not now expected until the second half of the month following a review of Greece's economy. Greece had previously warned it will ultimately go bankrupt if it stops receiving the bailout cash. The losses were also driven by reports that eurozone finance ministers are planning to ask private bond holders to accept bigger losses on Greece's debt to reduce the pressure on the country. Pledges from the French, Belgian and Luxembourg governments to prop up Belgian bank Dexia after its credit rating was put under review failed to reassure markets. There is increasing speculation that the bank, which was among the first to be bailed out in the credit crisis, could be broken up.

Pub landlady wins TV football fight

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Pub landlady wins TV football fight Pub landlady Karen Murphy has won her European court battle against the Premier League over the use of a foreign TV decoder to screen games. The European Court of Justice said an exclusive system of licences for the broadcasting of football matches in different EU countries - effectively stopping fans watching the broadcasts with a decoder card in other member states - is "contrary to EU law". But the verdict also warned: "The screening in a pub of football-match broadcasts containing protected works requires the authorisation of the author of those works." Such "protected works", said the judges, could include the opening video sequence or the Premier League anthem, which is a matter for copyright. Ms Murphy was ordered to pay almost £8,000 in fines and costs after she was taken to court by the League for using a Greek decoder in her Portsmouth pub to screen matches, avoiding the League's own controls over where its matches are screened. But the she took her case to the Luxembourg court which said that some UK pubs had started using foreign decoder cards, issued by a Greek broadcaster to subscribers resident in Greece, to access Premier League matches. The pubs buy a card and a decoder box from a dealer at prices lower than those of Sky, the holder of the UK broadcasting rights. The judges said that, in trying to justify its restrictions, the Premier League could not claim copyright over Premier League matches themselves, as such sporting events could not be considered to be an author's own "intellectual creation" and, therefore, to be "works" for the purposes of EU copyright law. Even if there was such copyright protection for sporting events, banning the use of foreign decoder cards "would go beyond what is necessary to ensure appropriate remuneration for the holders of the rights concerned", the judges went on. "A system of exclusive licences is also contrary to EU competition law if the licence agreements prohibit the supply of decoder cards to television viewers who wish to watch the broadcasts outside the member state for which the licence is granted," they said. Mrs Murphy's solicitor, Paul Dixon, of Molesworths Bright-Clegg Solicitors, said: "I am absolutely delighted for my client, she is a lovely lady."

Kerchers vow to support appeal

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Kerchers vow to support appeal Meredith Kercher's family has vowed to fully support an appeal by Italian prosecutors against Amanda Knox's acquittal for the murder of the British student. Knox is currently on her way home to Seattle after her conviction for killing her British house-mate in Perugia was dramatically overturned on Monday night. She smiled broadly as she made her way to the gate at Rome's Fiumicino Airport. She later changed planes at London's Heathrow Airport before flying back to the US after four years in jail, surrounded by her delighted family. Prosecutors who saw their case collapse over discredited DNA evidence confirmed they will appeal against the verdicts, which saw both Knox and her Italian ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito acquitted and walk free. And a lawyer for the only person still behind bars for the killing, small-time drug-dealer Rudy Guede, has now said he will seek a retrial. Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini, who had maintained the trio killed Miss Kercher together during a drug-fuelled sex game, confirmed he would appeal to Italy's highest criminal court after publication of the reasons for the acquittals, due within 90 days. "Let's wait and we will see who was right - the first court or the appeal court," Mr Mignini said. "This trial was done under unacceptable media pressure." If the highest court overturns the acquittal, prosecutors would be free to request Knox's extradition to Italy to finish whatever remained of her sentence. It will be up to the Italian government to decide whether to make the formal extradition request but it is thought to be highly unlikely that Knox will ever be sent back to Italy over the charges. Miss Kercher's brother Lyle suggested nonetheless that his family's fight for justice would continue. "It's my understanding that the prosecutors will be going ahead to appeal the decision but I believe it's actually someone higher up who decides that," he said. "We would support them fully in that." His sister Stephanie added: "It may be a case of waiting another year now to get the truth and we can't decide that, we have to leave that to the police, the forensics and the courts." The Kercher family, who attended court in Perugia for the verdicts, added that they are "back to square one" in their battle to learn the truth about how the Leeds University student died, and said questions still remain about what really happened..

Moment of danger for economies: PM

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Moment of danger for economies: PM David Cameron has warned that the world economy is at a "moment of danger", amid fresh fears that eurozone crisis is spiralling out of control. With stock markets plunging again on speculation that a Greek default could be close, the Prime Minister said decisive action to prop up the single currency is "vital". The comments came as EU finance ministers met in Luxembourg for the latest round of talks on how to stabilise the chaotic situation. Share prices have continued to fall around the globe following Athens' admission on Monday that it will miss its deficit reduction targets, and on concerns about stalling growth. The FTSE 100 Index was 2.6% lower at 4944.4 on Tuesday, closing below the 5,000-point mark for the first time since July 20 Speaking to the BBC at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, Mr Cameron said: "I think there are some very serious clouds on the horizon, chief amongst them is the problems in the eurozone where the French economy, the German economy have both stalled, and that is a real problem for the British economy. "I think what we've got to do is line up the problems. Dealing with the eurozone, that's absolutely vital, then we've got to the look at the British economy and say look we've got a deficit reduction plan, that's good, that keeps our interest rates low, but we need more on the growth front." The premier said he is acting in "Britain's national interests" by encouraging the eurozone to integrate further to tackle the current problems. He stressed that non-single currency members would require "safeguards" to protect their interests as the necessary reforms are implemented. Mr Cameron admitted that European leaders had not reacted decisively enough to deal with the Greek debt problems over the summer. Asked if there had been a lack of urgency, he replied: "I acknowledge that. Part of the problem is the Greek programme that was put in place, the milestones that they have to hit, people in the eurozone expected that to happen. That has not happened."

Is he dead?, asked Huntley attacker

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Is he dead?, asked Huntley attacker A prisoner who slashed Soham murderer Ian Huntley across the neck with a makeshift knife, leaving him with a gaping wound, told prison officers he wished he had killed him, a court has heard. Damien Fowkes, 36, admitted attempting to murder Huntley at Frankland Prison in Durham, and he also admitted killing another inmate - paedophile and child murderer Colin Hatch - at Full Sutton Prison near York. A judge at Hull Crown Court heard on Tuesday that it was Huntley's "good fortune" that the seven inch long wound that Fowkes inflicted with a razor melted on to a piece of plastic cutlery missed anything vital. Fowkes, who is originally from Northampton, sat in a sealed dock surrounded by prison officers as prosecutor Graham Reeds QC described how he chased Huntley around the healthcare unit at the jail, brandishing two home-made weapons. Huntley's ordeal ended when he shut himself in a servery as Fowkes tried to get at him and prison guards arrived in numbers. The judge, Mr Justice Coulson, heard Huntley was in hospital for three days and needed 21 stitches in the wound. He also suffered a gash to his chest, the court heard. Mr Reeds said Fowkes asked a prison officer: "Is he dead? I hope so." When he was told he had not killed Huntley, Fowkes said: "I wish I had." Following the attack at Frankland, Fowkes was moved to Full Sutton prison where he was placed on D Wing, for vulnerable prisoners, because of his regular bouts of self-harm. The court heard it was in a cell on D Wing that he attacked Hatch in February this year. Mr Reeds said Fowkes barricaded himself and Hatch into a cell and told prison officers he would not kill him if they stayed outside - but he then tied Hatch to a bed and used strips of bedding as ligatures to strangle him. Fowkes admitted attempting to murder Huntley on March 21 last year and admitted the manslaughter of Hatch on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He will be sentenced on Wednesday.
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