November 14, 2010, 1:41 am
![Image]( "Adams to run for Irish Parliament")
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams will resign his seat in both the Northern Ireland Assembly and Westminster to stand for election in the Republic of Ireland, he has confirmed.
The shock move would leave the West Belfast MP without any political office if he fails to hold the Sinn Fein seat in Co Louth, on the southern side of the Irish border.
The Republican leader will address supporters at a commemoration in the county where he will detail the reasons for taking what is arguably the biggest gamble of his political career.
Mr Adams will detail his plans in a speech to republicans at the rally in Edentubber, Co Louth.
The move comes as Northern Ireland faces Westminster cuts to the Assembly budget, but also at a time when the Republic faces a dire economic future.
Mr Adams is expected to tell supporters: "As the leader of Sinn Fein, in this time of crisis in our country, I am making a stand with this initiative - a stand for a better, fairer, united Ireland."
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November 14, 2010, 1:56 am
![Image]( "Harrison reflects after battering")
Boxer Audley Harrison is contemplating retirement after being outclassed by David Haye during their heavyweight clash.
In Saturday night's much-hyped bout, Olympic gold-medallist Harrison was floored during the third round after his fellow Londoner exploded into action after two uneventful rounds.
Haye, 30, who retained his WBA heavyweight crown in front of a sell-out 20,000 crowd at Manchester's MEN Arena, said afterwards: "I told everyone I'd knock him out in three rounds."
He had hoped to have retired as undisputed champion this year but with negotiations with WBC champion Vitali Klitschko and IBF/WBO king Wladimir repeatedly stumbling, the Londoner is still hanging on.
"Next year I promise that fight's going to happen," he said.
Harrison, 39, landed just one punch in the entire fight and appeared close to tears in the post-fight interview.
When asked if he would now retire, he replied: "I've got to sit down and reflect."
Haye battered his opponent with a combination of left and right hooks during the third round, knocking Harrison to the floor.
Harrison showed courage in returning to his feet, but Haye quickly slid in to continue the punishment.
Referee Luis Pabon soon called a halt to the much-anticipated fight one minute 53 seconds into the round and handed Haye victory by technical knockout.
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November 14, 2010, 1:56 am
![Image]( "Oxford students back hike in fees")
Oxford students have come out in support of controversial plans to hike university tuition fees, in stark contrast to the mood on campuses around the country.
While 50,000 students and lecturers joined angry protests against the increase last week, undergraduates at the university's prestigious Christ Church College voted in favour of it.
The college's junior common room held an emergency general meeting to discuss the contentious issue as members thought the college "should have a position" on it.
Law student Sebastien Fivaz, who proposed the motion last Sunday, said: "It's regrettable to raise tuition fees but I don't think we should be in a position where the Government has to plug the hole in funding."
The motion was passed when 21 students at the elite college voted in favour of raising fees while 14 voted against and four abstained. But the majority disagreed with Government plans to make swingeing cuts to university budgets.
Second year undergraduate Mr Fivaz, 19, admitted soaring fees could deter poorer pupils from going to university. But, he suggested, this could be countered by improving schemes designed to encourage such pupils to apply.
He said: "There is a risk that some people will be put off and it may be applicants from poorer backgrounds. But if we have strong access initiatives and good careers advice I think that can counteract the higher fees. At a university like Oxford, you're guaranteed to have good bursaries."
It is feared that under the plans, top universities such as Oxford and Cambridge would raise fees the full amount, to £9,000, deterring all but the richest from applying.
Christ Church, one of the largest Oxford colleges, already has a reputation for attracting large numbers of students from Eton College and other top independent schools. Famous alumni include 19th century prime minister William Gladstone, poet WH Auden, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and broadcaster David Dimbleby.
Elsewhere, union leaders say the increase in fees, coupled with cuts to university budgets, would mean the end of affordable higher education. Members of the Oxford University Student Union also added their voices to last week's protests.
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November 14, 2010, 1:56 am
![Image]( "Royals lead tributes to UK war dead")
Britain's Armed Forces fighting in Afghanistan were joined by Prince William for a Remembrance Sunday service as the Queen led the nation in honouring the fallen.
At London's iconic Cenotaph war memorial the monarch was the first to lay a wreath to commemorate those servicemen and women killed in all conflicts since the First World War.
Thousands of miles away William, an RAF Search and Rescue helicopter pilot, joined the military congregation at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province for their event honouring Britain's war dead.
The second-in-line to the throne laid a floral tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in all conflicts and also visited the base's state-of-the-art medical centre with Defence Secretary Liam Fox.
The ongoing conflict in Afghanistan has meant Remembrance Sunday still remains a poignant event for many - the number of those who have died since the start of operations in the country in 2001 is now 343.
Stuart Gendall, from the Royal British Legion, said: "Prince William's visit will be absolutely huge I think. It's a wonderful gesture, the men and women out there will be bowled over. He will be talking to them as a serviceman to servicemen and women. This is a huge gesture of respect and fellowship."
At the first stroke of 11am by Big Ben the two minutes' silence began. The Queen stood metres from the Cenotaph eyes fixed on the memorial while behind the sovereign stood her family in a line.
Close by was Prime Minister David Cameron, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, opposition leader Ed Miliband, leaders of other parties, High Commissioners from Commonwealth countries and defence chiefs. The crowds who numbered in their thousands and contained many veterans also watched in silence.
Soldiers from the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery fired a round from nearby Horse Guards Parade which echoed around Whitehall to signal the end of the silence. As the artillery blast faded Buglers of the Royal Marines sounded the haunting melody of The Last Post - which traditionally signalled the end of a soldier's day. The Queen led the laying of the wreaths and was followed in seniority by the other royals - Philip, Charles, Andrew, Edward, Anne and Prince Edward - the Duke of Kent.
The monarch placed her floral tribute at the base of the monument and took a few steps back and bowed her head while the rest of the royals saluted.
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November 14, 2010, 1:56 am
![Image]( "Freed hostage couple leave Somalia")
British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler have finally left Somalia after more than a year in captivity.
The couple, from Tunbridge Wells in Kent, were reportedly handed over to local officials in Adado after a ransom was handed over to their kidnappers, ending a 388-day ordeal.
The pair flew into Nairobi, ahead of their transfer to the British High Commission.
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November 14, 2010, 1:56 am
![Image]( "We can't beat al Qaida: forces head")
The head of Britain's Armed Forces has warned that the West will never be able to defeat al Qaida and Islamic militants.
General Sir David Richards said the national security of Britain is still at stake, but the threat can be contained to allow Britons to lead secure lives.
In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, he also revealed that Prince William is unlikely to serve in Afghanistan but suggested Prince Harry could return to front-line duty in the campaign as a helicopter pilot.
The commander was speaking ahead of the Remembrance Sunday ceremony in Whitehall, where he will lay a wreath in memory of Britain's war dead.
Gen Richards, 58, told the paper: "Make no mistake, the global threat from al Qaida and its terrorist affiliates is an enduring one and one which, if we let it, will rear its head in states, particularly those that are unstable.
"The national security of the UK and our allies, is in my judgment, at stake."
He added: "In conventional war, defeat and victory is very clear cut and is symbolised by troops marching into another nation's capital. First of all you have to ask: do we need to defeat it (Islamist militancy) in the sense of a clear cut victory? I would argue that it is unnecessary and would never be achieved.
"But we can contain it to the point that our lives and our children's lives are led securely? I think we can."
The general said of the men and women fighting in Afghanistan: "I think there are direct parallels to be made with the bravery of those who risked, and who gave, their lives in the fight against fascism in the Second World War."
He also said the British military and the Government had been "guilty of not fully understanding what was at stake" in Afghanistan and admitted the Afghan people were beginning to "tire" of Nato's inability to deliver on its promises, but he insisted the sacrifice being made by British troops in Afghanistan, where 343 soldiers have been killed since 2001, "has been worth it".
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November 14, 2010, 2:00 am
![Image]( "Bull attack woman fighting for life")
A 67-year-old woman whose husband died after they were attacked by a bull in a field is in a "critical but stable" condition in hospital.
The couple were attacked by the animal while walking along a public footpath through a livestock field in Leake Road, Stanford on Soar, Nottinghamshire, at about 4.30pm on Friday.
The woman's 63-year-old husband died from his injuries at the scene of the incident, a spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said.
She managed to get to the nearby road just after the attack, where she flagged down a passing woman motorist who contacted emergency services.
She was taken to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham, where she remained in a critical condition today, the spokesman said.
He added the couple, from Glen Parva in Leicestershire, were believed to be seasoned walkers, and their two sons travelled to the East Midlands to be at their mother's bedside.
The man's elderly parents had also been informed about his death, he said, but police were not yet in a position to release any identities as not all relatives had been informed.
It is not clear why the bull attacked the couple and, after being contained in a shed by its owner just after the attack, it was put down.
Detective Inspector Melanie Bowden said: "The couple's two sons and their other family members are absolutely devastated by this tragic incident.
"We are continuing to support them as they struggle to come to terms with what has happened."
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November 14, 2010, 2:00 am
![Image]( "Suu Kyi call for 'peaceful talks'")
Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has thanked her supporters across the world and called for peaceful dialogue with the country's military junta.
Ms Suu Kyi said she wanted to "remove the sources of disagreement" with the generals and sit down with them across the table, adding: "There are so many things that we have to talk about."
The 65-year-old said she considered herself a "worker for democracy", a description she said was how she saw her future role.
In a interview with the BBC, Ms Suu Kyi said there had been no conditions placed on her release yesterday from house arrest but she recognised the possibility she could again be arrested.
The veteran human rights campaigner, who has been detained for 15 of the last 21 years, appeared reluctant to criticise the generals who rule the country with an iron grip, but said there may come a time in the future when she has to.
She said she had been "better off" under house arrest than the thousands of pro-democracy campaigners who have been imprisoned by the isolated regime.
Ms Suu Kyi said: "I just think of myself as one of the workers for democracy, well better known perhaps than the others here in Burma, but one of those working for democracy, that is my role, it has always been my role and I think it will continue to be my role."
Asked what she meant by calling for reconciliation with the regime she said: "I think we have to sort out our differences across the table, talking to each other, agreeing to disagree or finding out why we disagree and trying to remove the sources of our disagreement if we possibly can.
She said there were "many many questions" about the fairness of the recent elections, which her National League for Democracy (NLD) boycotted. The NLD was looking into allegations of vote-rigging and would publish a report.
But invited to criticise the generals, she stressed: "I don't criticise people just for the sake of criticising them, if there are things to criticise I do criticise. A lot of things I think need to be said about the generals I have already said."
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November 14, 2010, 2:00 am
![Image]( "Teenager bailed in fees demo probe")
A 17-year-old arrested after this week's student fees protest has been released on police bail.
The teenager was the 57th person to be questioned in connection with Wednesday's riot during which a fire extinguisher was launched from the roof of Millbank Tower after protesters stormed the Conservative Party headquarters.
A student at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, has already been questioned in connection with the incident and released on bail. The 23-year-old, originally from Reading, Berkshire, was held at Parkside police station in Cambridge.
A Met spokesman said: "A 17-year-old male arrested on suspicion of violent disorder has been bailed to a date in mid-February pending further inquiries."
Police Federation representatives have called for the person who flung the empty metal fire extinguisher from Millbank Tower to be charged with attempted murder.
Senior officers said it narrowly missed injuring two territorial support group officers, brushing down the back of one and hitting the knees of another.
The incident was one of the defining moments of the four-hour stand-off after a breakaway group of students attacked the Millbank office complex.
Up to 50 demonstrators smashed windows, discharged fire extinguishers and threw debris from the roof of the building.
But hundreds of others gathered in a forecourt below booed the culprit and shouted to others to stop damaging the building and throwing missiles.
The Met said 10 of the 56 people arrested during sprawling outbreaks of disorder were under 18. A spokesman said most of the others were students and aged between 18 and 26.
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November 14, 2010, 2:00 am
![Image]( "IDS condemns Labour benefits 'lies'")
No more than a few thousand people "stuck" in homes they can not afford will be forced to move because of housing benefit cuts, Iain Duncan Smith has insisted.
The Work and Pensions Secretary accused Labour of telling "a pack of lies" about the potential impact of the reforms - which some have compared to social cleansing.
And he issued a warning to landlords that the "game is over" on high rents, vowing to force those charged to benefits claimants down to commercial levels.
State help for rents is to be capped - at £400 for a four-bed property - as part of an effort to slash £1.8 billion a year from the "out-of-control" housing benefit bill.
Local Housing Allowance rates will also be cut and payments cut by 10% for people who have been on jobseeker's allowance for more than a year in changes that have alarmed anti-poverty groups.
Shadow work and pensions secretary Douglas Alexander this week said the "potentially devastating" reforms risked displacing families and increasing homelessness.
He told MPs London would "look very different in the years ahead" - echoing previous warnings from critics that the less well off would be forced out of the centre of the capital.
Mr Duncan Smith insisted that London Mayor Boris Johnson - who publicly vowed not to accept "Kosovo-style social cleansing" - backed the policy.
"What he said to Labour politicians who were whipping up fear about this - by the way a pack of lies... is that what they were saying, 'social cleansing', is an outrage and is not going to happen," he told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show.
"800,000 living in social housing in central London alone are unaffected by this, this is not Paris."
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November 15, 2010, 4:51 am
![Image]( "Banks 'in talks to slash bonuses'")
Banker bonuses are back in the spotlight amid speculation that the level of payouts earmarked for next year will be slashed.
Reports that major British banks were holding talks to discuss reducing the staff bonus pot fuelled the debate on City handouts once more among ministers and business leaders.
It is estimated banks will pay out a total of £7 billion in bonuses for this year, but banks could reportedly be pressured to cut this by nearly half to £4 billion.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said it was reasonable for the public to want bankers to show "restraint" with their bonuses.
He said: "In these challenging times, millions of workers across the public and private sectors are working out how to do more for less and often undergoing pay freezes.
"Banks have been significant recipients of public generosity in the past few years. In return, it is quite reasonable to have high expectations of the way they conduct business and that they are encouraged to show restraint in how they reward themselves during this difficult time."
John Cridland, the newly appointed director general at the CBI, added that bankers should be able to show they have earned their windfalls.
He said: "The important part about executive remuneration and bonuses is that shareholders and other stakeholders can see that it is earned."
Richard Lambert, the outgoing head of the CBI, also said bankers would seem "arrogant and out of touch" if they carried on paying bonuses while the public sector wrestled with swingeing cuts.
The British Bankers' Association (BBA) played down reports it had hosted meetings with the banks to discuss pay rewards.
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November 15, 2010, 4:58 am
![Image]( "Force set to cut almost 3,000 jobs")
One of Britain's largest police forces will shrink by almost a quarter as it sheds nearly 3,000 posts over the next four years.
Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Peter Fahy said 750 civilian employees and 309 officers will go by 2012 with more to follow. The senior officer added that by the financial year 2014-2015 there will be a 23% reduction in employee numbers.
The job losses will form part of a huge programme of reform aimed at saving £134 million in the wake of the Government's spending review.
Mr Fahy said the force is also likely to use a controversial regulation that can make officers retire after 30 years' service.
In a report to the Police Authority, Mr Fahy said the impact of the spending review will be "significant" and officer recruitment has been frozen. He admitted service levels "could deteriorate", but said work is under way to protect the frontline by cutting back office costs and bureaucracy.
Mr Fahy said: "The force will be required to improve service levels with significantly less resources. It is therefore imperative that there is one coherent plan which links the policing priorities with the financial situation.
He added: "The force is committed to the continued development of neighbourhood policing, the protection of vulnerable people and the benefits which arise through aggressively tackling serious and organised crime.
"What is clear is that over the four-year period there will be a reduction in the size of the force. This is currently estimated at around 2,950 posts. Although there will be a significant reduction in the size of the middle and back offices, it is clear that over the four-year period there will also need to be a reduction in frontline police officer numbers."
Representatives of the police rank-and-file have warned up to 40,000 police officers could be axed as a result of the spending squeeze. They said specialist units, such as those who target child abusers and wife beaters, could be hit hardest.
Greater Manchester Police has lost 221 officers since last December and warned cuts could threaten its ability to police football games and party conferences.
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November 15, 2010, 4:58 am
![Image]( "Mother admits bleach manslaughter")
A mother who made her 12-year-old autistic son drink a cup of bleach because she feared social services would take him away has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Satpal Kaur Singh, 44, killed her son Ajit just hours after she refused to co-operate with council staff at a meeting over his care.
But she had appeared "calm" and no one else who attended had "any concerns about her immediate behaviour", the Old Bailey heard.
Hours later she rang police to say: "I've just murdered my son and I've tried to kill myself."
The court heard Singh had made her son drink a cup of Domestos at around 8pm on February 9 and said she had drunk some herself an hour later. Later at the scene a police constable found the boy was not breathing and he could not find a pulse, the court was told. He also noted corrosive burn marks around his mouth, chin and neck.
Richard Whittam QC, prosecuting, said: "This is a case of great tragedy. It involves the killing of a 12-year-old autistic boy by his mother." He said Manchester-born Singh feared social services were going to make an "interim care order" that would result in the boy being taken away.
Mr Whittam said Ajit "was dependant on his mother for all his needs", could not speak so had trouble communicating, and had difficulty getting around outdoors. He could not tolerate crowded places or noisy environments. He would cover his ears and scream. He needed assistance with his personal hygiene. He had no sense of danger. He could be found outside the home despite locks to try to prevent him going outside on his own. Social services had been engaged. There were many child protection conferences. Satpal Kaur Singh did not attend many of them but she did attend some."
Mr Whittam said Singh had made complaints against a number of people, including her husband, neighbours and members of social services. "A neighbour who has known Satpal for over 10 years describes her as blowing everything out of proportion and not being capable of talking reasonably with anybody. It was as if everyone was persecuting her."
The court heard that social workers at Barking and Dagenham Council had concerns about Singh in the months before she killed her son on February 9. Mr Whittam said: "Social services had concerns about a number of things, including Satpal's parenting skills and her lack of co-operation."
Singh, of Lambourne Road, Barking, east London, denied murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. Prosecutors accepted the plea after psychiatrists assessed that she was suffering a mental disorder. Singh has been remanded in custody to be sentenced on December 13.
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November 15, 2010, 4:58 am
![Image]( "Children's faces 'rubbed in urine'")
A married couple inflicted "casual and routine violence" at a children's home where youngsters were beaten and had their faces rubbed in puddles of urine, a court heard.
Morag and Anthony Jordan, both 62, from Kirriemuir, Angus, were accused of acting like "intimidating bullies" during their time working at the Haut de la Garenne home on the island of Jersey.
The pair face a combined total of 48 counts of common assault, dating from the 1970s and 1980s. Both have pleaded not guilty to all charges.
At the opening of a trial being held at the Royal Court of Jersey, prosecuting advocate Stephen Baker accused the couple of "routinely" hitting children with their hands, kitchen implements and shoes.
He claimed that Morag Jordan, originally from Dundee, pushed the faces of children as young as two into urine soaked sheets or puddles on the floor.
Their behaviour caused "physical and mental distress" he told jurors.
The court is due to hear from a succession of witnesses who claim to have been subjected to assaults described by Mr Baker as "frequent and callous".
They relate to incidents at Haut de la Garenne between 1970 and 1984.
The children's home was the subject of a lengthy and high-profile police investigation into allegations of abuse.
Prior to the prosecution's opening, Commissioner Sir Christopher Pitchers, presiding over the trial, warned jurors against being swayed by what they thought they knew about the police probe.
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November 15, 2010, 4:58 am
![Image]( "Freed couple tell of kidnap trauma")
Freed hostages Paul and Rachel Chandler have described their "traumatic" kidnap ordeal at the hands of Somali pirates after the Government denied aid money was used to secure their release.
The Chandlers, freed on Sunday following more than a year in captivity, revealed they were beaten by their captors after refusing to be separated.
The retired couple from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, are poised to return to the UK after a ransom was reportedly paid to secure their release. Reports suggested the money came from a mixture of private investors and the Somali government.
The Government moved to quash reports that part of the release money had come out of British aid paid to the African country's government.
A spokeswoman for the Department for International Development (DfID) said none of the aid money given to Somalia goes through the country's government. She explained: "We channel all our aid through UN agencies and well established and trusted charities. None of it goes through the Somali government." She added: "No part of the UK aid budget has been used to help secure the Chandlers' release, nor to benefit pirates. The British Government does not pay ransoms to hostage takers." In 2009/10 the DfID gave more than £30 million to Somalia which was was used for humanitarian relief, education and health programmes.
The Chandler family released a statement acknowledging the "inevitable questions" that would arise following the release. News of the couple's freedom following the 388-day ordeal prompted joyous scenes. Prime Minister David Cameron, who has spoken to Mr Chandler, said their release was "tremendous news".
The couple were snatched during a round-the-world sailing trip, when their 38-foot yacht, the Lynn Rival, was stormed by armed men. The length of their incarceration meant Mr Chandler was unaware his father had died in July until being told on his release. The 60-year-old said: "We're fine. We are rather skinny and bony but we're fine."
The couple were seen waving and holding hands as they finally left Somalia for Kenya, where they were taken to the British High Commission to prepare for a flight back to the UK. They were handed over to local officials in the Somali town of Adado, then flown to the capital Mogadishu and on to Nairobi, Kenya.
The Chandlers revealed details of their ordeal. Mr Chandler said: "The worst time was when we had to abandon our home and boat... in the ocean."
His 56-year-old wife added: "Abandoning (our yacht) Lynn Rival when we were taken on board the container ship and brought eventually on shore was the worst time. Another time that was very traumatic was when they decided to separate us. We were really distraught, we were very frightened at that point. We refused to be separated and we were beaten as a result. That was very traumatic."
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November 15, 2010, 4:59 am
![Image]( "Bride killed on Cape Town honeymoon")
Police in South Africa have launched a murder hunt after a bride on honeymoon with her British husband was killed in a car-jacking incident.
The couple - named in reports as Shrien and Anni Dewani - had been married for just two weeks when their people carrier was targeted in a township on the outskirts of Cape Town late on Saturday night.
The gunmen drove off with the newlyweds inside the car, and although Mr Dewani, 31, was later released unharmed, the body of his 28-year-old wife was found on Sunday.
Mr Dewani is said to be from Westbury-on-Trym in Bristol, while his wife Anni was of Ugandan-Asian descent.
Western Cape Police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Andre Traut said: "The driver was forced out of the vehicle then the two armed suspects took off with the vehicle with the couple inside." He said the husband was dropped off at midnight in Harare, an area of the township of Khayelitsha.
Officers then began to search for the car but when they found it in a nearby area, the woman was already dead. Lt Col Traut refused to comment on the cause of death but said a post-mortem examination would take place in the coming days.
Albert Fritz, the region's minister for community safety, appealed for local people to come forward with information and said: "This could have happened to any of our loved ones and it is important that communities become involved in doing the right thing."
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are aware of the situation and are providing consular assistance to a British national who is involved, and their family."
A man who came to the gates of a large detached house in Westbury-on-Trym said the family was too upset to comment.
Neighbour, Kamran Ahmed, 17, who used to take post around to the couple, said: "My dad knew them better than me, but they owned care homes and looked after the elderly, so they must have been nice. You just don't expect this kind of thing to happen and to such a nice couple, it's upsetting as we knew them well; it's very bad thing to happen."
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November 15, 2010, 4:59 am
![Image]( "Deport death crash driver: Father")
The father of a girl left dying under the wheels of a car driven by a failed asylum seeker has begged judges for "justice" for his daughter.
Paul Houston, 41, from Darwen, Lancashire, told judges they had the power to bring "my seven years of hell to an end" by sending Aso Mohammed Ibrahim back to Iraq, after he knocked down 12-year-old Amy Houston.
The Iraqi Kurd, banned from driving at the time, ran off, leaving the youngster trapped under his Rover car.
Mr Houston was left to make the decision to turn off her life support machine hours later.
Since the incident in Blackburn, Lancs, in November 2003, Mr Houston has been campaigning to get Ibrahim deported.
He said Ibrahim, jailed for four months after the offence and convicted of driving while disqualified and without insurance, had left his daughter to "die like a dog" under his car as he fled the scene, and begged for an "ounce of justice".
Ibrahim, who has been convicted of a string of offences since coming to the UK illegally in 2001, was never removed and following a tortuous nine-year legal battle, he was later given the right to live here by a judge.
Following pressure from Amy's family, the UK Border Agency is appealing against the judge's decision in a bid to have him deported.
Mr Houston, an engineer, sat just yards from Ibrahim as the case was heard at an Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber in Manchester.
He requested the two judges hearing the appeal read a letter, an impassioned plea, before making a decision, which will be handed down next month.
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November 15, 2010, 4:59 am
![Image]( "Tributes to Afghan death soldier")
A British soldier who died in Afghanistan on Remembrance Sunday was courageous and brave, the Northern Ireland Secretary has said.
The serviceman, 22, from Macosquin, Co Londonderry, was caught in a blast while out on patrol in the Nad'e Ali area of Helmand province on Sunday morning.
The Royal Irish Regiment soldier's death came as Prince William flew into Camp Bastion with Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox for a service of remembrance.
Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson said: "On the day that we remembered all those who died defending freedom and democracy another brave young man gave his life in that cause.
"This conflict is global but the grief and pain of loss is intensely personal. My thoughts are with the family and friends of this courageous soldier."
The regiment is based at Tern Hill, near Market Drayton, in Mr Paterson's Shropshire constituency.
A total of 344 UK military personnel have died in Afghanistan since operations began in 2001.
Sympathies were expressed in the Northern Ireland Assembly. East Londonderry Ulster Unionist Assembly member David McClarty said the latest victim's mother was actively involved in filling boxes to be sent to soldiers in Afghanistan.
"Now is the time for our thoughts and prayers to be very much with the family of the young soldier who has lost his life so tragically and so untimely in Afghanistan, particularly yesterday which was Remembrance Sunday when certainly the majority of us were thinking about those young men and women who have given their lives for the sake of freedom not just in this country but throughout the world," he said.
The serviceman's next of kin have been informed.
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November 15, 2010, 4:59 am
![Image]( "UK could face £6bn Irish debts bill")
British taxpayers could be liable for up to £6 billion of Irish debt under a potential rescue package for the Republic's stricken economy.
Downing Street said the UK was responsible for 12% of a 60 billion euro (£50.94bn) stability mechanism that might be used in a bid to restore confidence in the Irish economy.
The European Financial Stability Mechanism was signed up to by the former Labour government in the aftermath of the Greek debt crisis earlier this year.
While it does not require upfront investment, all EU members - not just eurozone countries - are responsible for a share of the guarantees made to underwrite a struggling nation's debts.
Ireland has not submitted any request for help so far but its government is in talks with other EU leaders about its position.
EU chiefs meeting in Brussels on Tuesday are desperate to quell market fears - which are affecting other indebted EU countries - that Ireland may default on its debts.
It is thought that Dublin may require help from the pan-EU European Financial Stability Mechanism as well as a much larger fund which is the responsibility of eurozone countries only.
Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman said that Britain was responsible for 12% of the European Financial Stability Mechanism.
He added: "Clearly, we have a very open economy and therefore stability in other countries - or instability in other countries - has an impact in the UK."
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November 15, 2010, 4:59 am
![Image]( "Students set to target Lib Dem HQ")
The Liberal Democrats' headquarters will be targeted with the same "legitimate force" seen at the riot at Millbank, student activists have said.
The Education Activist Network (EAN), one of the radical student groups involved in last Wednesday's protests, accused the Liberal Democrats of "betrayal" over university fees and refused to rule out violence when it attempts to occupy the party's headquarters on November 24.
A spokesman said student groups would try to take over the party's offices in Cowley Street, central London, as part of a "Day X" of widespread action against the coalition Government.
At a meeting on Tuesday at the University of Sheffield, EAN activists will debate attempting occupations of Nick Clegg's home and constituency office.
Mark Bergfeld, a member of the NUS national executive committee, said: "The Liberal Democrats stood on a platform of free education and millions of students voted for them. They now feel totally betrayed.
"I think that a party that tells outright lies to students and to workers is a legitimate target for direct action.
"People argue that you can change democracy at the ballot box. We're going to show that we change democracy through direct action."
Mr Bergfeld, 23, said activists aimed to "split" the Government in a mass movement he compared to the Suffragettes.
Speaking outside the London School of Economics, he said: "We see ourselves in the spirit of those mass movements, which have caused governments to fall.
"The Tories and Lib Dems want to create an education system for the few and the privileged and we're going to fight."
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Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams will resign his seat in both the Northern Ireland Assembly and Westminster to stand for election in the Republic of Ireland, he has confirmed.
The shock move would leave the West Belfast MP without any political office if he fails to hold the Sinn Fein seat in Co Louth, on the southern side of the Irish border.
The Republican leader will address supporters at a commemoration in the county where he will detail the reasons for taking what is arguably the biggest gamble of his political career.
Mr Adams will detail his plans in a speech to republicans at the rally in Edentubber, Co Louth.
The move comes as Northern Ireland faces Westminster cuts to the Assembly budget, but also at a time when the Republic faces a dire economic future.
Mr Adams is expected to tell supporters: "As the leader of Sinn Fein, in this time of crisis in our country, I am making a stand with this initiative - a stand for a better, fairer, united Ireland."
Boxer Audley Harrison is contemplating retirement after being outclassed by David Haye during their heavyweight clash.
In Saturday night's much-hyped bout, Olympic gold-medallist Harrison was floored during the third round after his fellow Londoner exploded into action after two uneventful rounds.
Haye, 30, who retained his WBA heavyweight crown in front of a sell-out 20,000 crowd at Manchester's MEN Arena, said afterwards: "I told everyone I'd knock him out in three rounds."
He had hoped to have retired as undisputed champion this year but with negotiations with WBC champion Vitali Klitschko and IBF/WBO king Wladimir repeatedly stumbling, the Londoner is still hanging on.
"Next year I promise that fight's going to happen," he said.
Harrison, 39, landed just one punch in the entire fight and appeared close to tears in the post-fight interview.
When asked if he would now retire, he replied: "I've got to sit down and reflect."
Haye battered his opponent with a combination of left and right hooks during the third round, knocking Harrison to the floor.
Harrison showed courage in returning to his feet, but Haye quickly slid in to continue the punishment.
Referee Luis Pabon soon called a halt to the much-anticipated fight one minute 53 seconds into the round and handed Haye victory by technical knockout.
Oxford students have come out in support of controversial plans to hike university tuition fees, in stark contrast to the mood on campuses around the country.
While 50,000 students and lecturers joined angry protests against the increase last week, undergraduates at the university's prestigious Christ Church College voted in favour of it.
The college's junior common room held an emergency general meeting to discuss the contentious issue as members thought the college "should have a position" on it.
Law student Sebastien Fivaz, who proposed the motion last Sunday, said: "It's regrettable to raise tuition fees but I don't think we should be in a position where the Government has to plug the hole in funding."
The motion was passed when 21 students at the elite college voted in favour of raising fees while 14 voted against and four abstained. But the majority disagreed with Government plans to make swingeing cuts to university budgets.
Second year undergraduate Mr Fivaz, 19, admitted soaring fees could deter poorer pupils from going to university. But, he suggested, this could be countered by improving schemes designed to encourage such pupils to apply.
He said: "There is a risk that some people will be put off and it may be applicants from poorer backgrounds. But if we have strong access initiatives and good careers advice I think that can counteract the higher fees. At a university like Oxford, you're guaranteed to have good bursaries."
It is feared that under the plans, top universities such as Oxford and Cambridge would raise fees the full amount, to £9,000, deterring all but the richest from applying.
Christ Church, one of the largest Oxford colleges, already has a reputation for attracting large numbers of students from Eton College and other top independent schools. Famous alumni include 19th century prime minister William Gladstone, poet WH Auden, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and broadcaster David Dimbleby.
Elsewhere, union leaders say the increase in fees, coupled with cuts to university budgets, would mean the end of affordable higher education. Members of the Oxford University Student Union also added their voices to last week's protests.
Britain's Armed Forces fighting in Afghanistan were joined by Prince William for a Remembrance Sunday service as the Queen led the nation in honouring the fallen.
At London's iconic Cenotaph war memorial the monarch was the first to lay a wreath to commemorate those servicemen and women killed in all conflicts since the First World War.
Thousands of miles away William, an RAF Search and Rescue helicopter pilot, joined the military congregation at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province for their event honouring Britain's war dead.
The second-in-line to the throne laid a floral tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in all conflicts and also visited the base's state-of-the-art medical centre with Defence Secretary Liam Fox.
The ongoing conflict in Afghanistan has meant Remembrance Sunday still remains a poignant event for many - the number of those who have died since the start of operations in the country in 2001 is now 343.
Stuart Gendall, from the Royal British Legion, said: "Prince William's visit will be absolutely huge I think. It's a wonderful gesture, the men and women out there will be bowled over. He will be talking to them as a serviceman to servicemen and women. This is a huge gesture of respect and fellowship."
At the first stroke of 11am by Big Ben the two minutes' silence began. The Queen stood metres from the Cenotaph eyes fixed on the memorial while behind the sovereign stood her family in a line.
Close by was Prime Minister David Cameron, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, opposition leader Ed Miliband, leaders of other parties, High Commissioners from Commonwealth countries and defence chiefs. The crowds who numbered in their thousands and contained many veterans also watched in silence.
Soldiers from the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery fired a round from nearby Horse Guards Parade which echoed around Whitehall to signal the end of the silence. As the artillery blast faded Buglers of the Royal Marines sounded the haunting melody of The Last Post - which traditionally signalled the end of a soldier's day. The Queen led the laying of the wreaths and was followed in seniority by the other royals - Philip, Charles, Andrew, Edward, Anne and Prince Edward - the Duke of Kent.
The monarch placed her floral tribute at the base of the monument and took a few steps back and bowed her head while the rest of the royals saluted.
British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler have finally left Somalia after more than a year in captivity.
The couple, from Tunbridge Wells in Kent, were reportedly handed over to local officials in Adado after a ransom was handed over to their kidnappers, ending a 388-day ordeal.
The pair flew into Nairobi, ahead of their transfer to the British High Commission.
The head of Britain's Armed Forces has warned that the West will never be able to defeat al Qaida and Islamic militants.
General Sir David Richards said the national security of Britain is still at stake, but the threat can be contained to allow Britons to lead secure lives.
In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, he also revealed that Prince William is unlikely to serve in Afghanistan but suggested Prince Harry could return to front-line duty in the campaign as a helicopter pilot.
The commander was speaking ahead of the Remembrance Sunday ceremony in Whitehall, where he will lay a wreath in memory of Britain's war dead.
Gen Richards, 58, told the paper: "Make no mistake, the global threat from al Qaida and its terrorist affiliates is an enduring one and one which, if we let it, will rear its head in states, particularly those that are unstable.
"The national security of the UK and our allies, is in my judgment, at stake."
He added: "In conventional war, defeat and victory is very clear cut and is symbolised by troops marching into another nation's capital. First of all you have to ask: do we need to defeat it (Islamist militancy) in the sense of a clear cut victory? I would argue that it is unnecessary and would never be achieved.
"But we can contain it to the point that our lives and our children's lives are led securely? I think we can."
The general said of the men and women fighting in Afghanistan: "I think there are direct parallels to be made with the bravery of those who risked, and who gave, their lives in the fight against fascism in the Second World War."
He also said the British military and the Government had been "guilty of not fully understanding what was at stake" in Afghanistan and admitted the Afghan people were beginning to "tire" of Nato's inability to deliver on its promises, but he insisted the sacrifice being made by British troops in Afghanistan, where 343 soldiers have been killed since 2001, "has been worth it".
A 67-year-old woman whose husband died after they were attacked by a bull in a field is in a "critical but stable" condition in hospital.
The couple were attacked by the animal while walking along a public footpath through a livestock field in Leake Road, Stanford on Soar, Nottinghamshire, at about 4.30pm on Friday.
The woman's 63-year-old husband died from his injuries at the scene of the incident, a spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said.
She managed to get to the nearby road just after the attack, where she flagged down a passing woman motorist who contacted emergency services.
She was taken to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham, where she remained in a critical condition today, the spokesman said.
He added the couple, from Glen Parva in Leicestershire, were believed to be seasoned walkers, and their two sons travelled to the East Midlands to be at their mother's bedside.
The man's elderly parents had also been informed about his death, he said, but police were not yet in a position to release any identities as not all relatives had been informed.
It is not clear why the bull attacked the couple and, after being contained in a shed by its owner just after the attack, it was put down.
Detective Inspector Melanie Bowden said: "The couple's two sons and their other family members are absolutely devastated by this tragic incident.
"We are continuing to support them as they struggle to come to terms with what has happened."
Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has thanked her supporters across the world and called for peaceful dialogue with the country's military junta.
Ms Suu Kyi said she wanted to "remove the sources of disagreement" with the generals and sit down with them across the table, adding: "There are so many things that we have to talk about."
The 65-year-old said she considered herself a "worker for democracy", a description she said was how she saw her future role.
In a interview with the BBC, Ms Suu Kyi said there had been no conditions placed on her release yesterday from house arrest but she recognised the possibility she could again be arrested.
The veteran human rights campaigner, who has been detained for 15 of the last 21 years, appeared reluctant to criticise the generals who rule the country with an iron grip, but said there may come a time in the future when she has to.
She said she had been "better off" under house arrest than the thousands of pro-democracy campaigners who have been imprisoned by the isolated regime.
Ms Suu Kyi said: "I just think of myself as one of the workers for democracy, well better known perhaps than the others here in Burma, but one of those working for democracy, that is my role, it has always been my role and I think it will continue to be my role."
Asked what she meant by calling for reconciliation with the regime she said: "I think we have to sort out our differences across the table, talking to each other, agreeing to disagree or finding out why we disagree and trying to remove the sources of our disagreement if we possibly can.
She said there were "many many questions" about the fairness of the recent elections, which her National League for Democracy (NLD) boycotted. The NLD was looking into allegations of vote-rigging and would publish a report.
But invited to criticise the generals, she stressed: "I don't criticise people just for the sake of criticising them, if there are things to criticise I do criticise. A lot of things I think need to be said about the generals I have already said."
A 17-year-old arrested after this week's student fees protest has been released on police bail.
The teenager was the 57th person to be questioned in connection with Wednesday's riot during which a fire extinguisher was launched from the roof of Millbank Tower after protesters stormed the Conservative Party headquarters.
A student at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, has already been questioned in connection with the incident and released on bail. The 23-year-old, originally from Reading, Berkshire, was held at Parkside police station in Cambridge.
A Met spokesman said: "A 17-year-old male arrested on suspicion of violent disorder has been bailed to a date in mid-February pending further inquiries."
Police Federation representatives have called for the person who flung the empty metal fire extinguisher from Millbank Tower to be charged with attempted murder.
Senior officers said it narrowly missed injuring two territorial support group officers, brushing down the back of one and hitting the knees of another.
The incident was one of the defining moments of the four-hour stand-off after a breakaway group of students attacked the Millbank office complex.
Up to 50 demonstrators smashed windows, discharged fire extinguishers and threw debris from the roof of the building.
But hundreds of others gathered in a forecourt below booed the culprit and shouted to others to stop damaging the building and throwing missiles.
The Met said 10 of the 56 people arrested during sprawling outbreaks of disorder were under 18. A spokesman said most of the others were students and aged between 18 and 26.
No more than a few thousand people "stuck" in homes they can not afford will be forced to move because of housing benefit cuts, Iain Duncan Smith has insisted.
The Work and Pensions Secretary accused Labour of telling "a pack of lies" about the potential impact of the reforms - which some have compared to social cleansing.
And he issued a warning to landlords that the "game is over" on high rents, vowing to force those charged to benefits claimants down to commercial levels.
State help for rents is to be capped - at £400 for a four-bed property - as part of an effort to slash £1.8 billion a year from the "out-of-control" housing benefit bill.
Local Housing Allowance rates will also be cut and payments cut by 10% for people who have been on jobseeker's allowance for more than a year in changes that have alarmed anti-poverty groups.
Shadow work and pensions secretary Douglas Alexander this week said the "potentially devastating" reforms risked displacing families and increasing homelessness.
He told MPs London would "look very different in the years ahead" - echoing previous warnings from critics that the less well off would be forced out of the centre of the capital.
Mr Duncan Smith insisted that London Mayor Boris Johnson - who publicly vowed not to accept "Kosovo-style social cleansing" - backed the policy.
"What he said to Labour politicians who were whipping up fear about this - by the way a pack of lies... is that what they were saying, 'social cleansing', is an outrage and is not going to happen," he told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show.
"800,000 living in social housing in central London alone are unaffected by this, this is not Paris."
Banker bonuses are back in the spotlight amid speculation that the level of payouts earmarked for next year will be slashed.
Reports that major British banks were holding talks to discuss reducing the staff bonus pot fuelled the debate on City handouts once more among ministers and business leaders.
It is estimated banks will pay out a total of £7 billion in bonuses for this year, but banks could reportedly be pressured to cut this by nearly half to £4 billion.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said it was reasonable for the public to want bankers to show "restraint" with their bonuses.
He said: "In these challenging times, millions of workers across the public and private sectors are working out how to do more for less and often undergoing pay freezes.
"Banks have been significant recipients of public generosity in the past few years. In return, it is quite reasonable to have high expectations of the way they conduct business and that they are encouraged to show restraint in how they reward themselves during this difficult time."
John Cridland, the newly appointed director general at the CBI, added that bankers should be able to show they have earned their windfalls.
He said: "The important part about executive remuneration and bonuses is that shareholders and other stakeholders can see that it is earned."
Richard Lambert, the outgoing head of the CBI, also said bankers would seem "arrogant and out of touch" if they carried on paying bonuses while the public sector wrestled with swingeing cuts.
The British Bankers' Association (BBA) played down reports it had hosted meetings with the banks to discuss pay rewards.
One of Britain's largest police forces will shrink by almost a quarter as it sheds nearly 3,000 posts over the next four years.
Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Peter Fahy said 750 civilian employees and 309 officers will go by 2012 with more to follow. The senior officer added that by the financial year 2014-2015 there will be a 23% reduction in employee numbers.
The job losses will form part of a huge programme of reform aimed at saving £134 million in the wake of the Government's spending review.
Mr Fahy said the force is also likely to use a controversial regulation that can make officers retire after 30 years' service.
In a report to the Police Authority, Mr Fahy said the impact of the spending review will be "significant" and officer recruitment has been frozen. He admitted service levels "could deteriorate", but said work is under way to protect the frontline by cutting back office costs and bureaucracy.
Mr Fahy said: "The force will be required to improve service levels with significantly less resources. It is therefore imperative that there is one coherent plan which links the policing priorities with the financial situation.
He added: "The force is committed to the continued development of neighbourhood policing, the protection of vulnerable people and the benefits which arise through aggressively tackling serious and organised crime.
"What is clear is that over the four-year period there will be a reduction in the size of the force. This is currently estimated at around 2,950 posts. Although there will be a significant reduction in the size of the middle and back offices, it is clear that over the four-year period there will also need to be a reduction in frontline police officer numbers."
Representatives of the police rank-and-file have warned up to 40,000 police officers could be axed as a result of the spending squeeze. They said specialist units, such as those who target child abusers and wife beaters, could be hit hardest.
Greater Manchester Police has lost 221 officers since last December and warned cuts could threaten its ability to police football games and party conferences.
A mother who made her 12-year-old autistic son drink a cup of bleach because she feared social services would take him away has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Satpal Kaur Singh, 44, killed her son Ajit just hours after she refused to co-operate with council staff at a meeting over his care.
But she had appeared "calm" and no one else who attended had "any concerns about her immediate behaviour", the Old Bailey heard.
Hours later she rang police to say: "I've just murdered my son and I've tried to kill myself."
The court heard Singh had made her son drink a cup of Domestos at around 8pm on February 9 and said she had drunk some herself an hour later. Later at the scene a police constable found the boy was not breathing and he could not find a pulse, the court was told. He also noted corrosive burn marks around his mouth, chin and neck.
Richard Whittam QC, prosecuting, said: "This is a case of great tragedy. It involves the killing of a 12-year-old autistic boy by his mother." He said Manchester-born Singh feared social services were going to make an "interim care order" that would result in the boy being taken away.
Mr Whittam said Ajit "was dependant on his mother for all his needs", could not speak so had trouble communicating, and had difficulty getting around outdoors. He could not tolerate crowded places or noisy environments. He would cover his ears and scream. He needed assistance with his personal hygiene. He had no sense of danger. He could be found outside the home despite locks to try to prevent him going outside on his own. Social services had been engaged. There were many child protection conferences. Satpal Kaur Singh did not attend many of them but she did attend some."
Mr Whittam said Singh had made complaints against a number of people, including her husband, neighbours and members of social services. "A neighbour who has known Satpal for over 10 years describes her as blowing everything out of proportion and not being capable of talking reasonably with anybody. It was as if everyone was persecuting her."
The court heard that social workers at Barking and Dagenham Council had concerns about Singh in the months before she killed her son on February 9. Mr Whittam said: "Social services had concerns about a number of things, including Satpal's parenting skills and her lack of co-operation."
Singh, of Lambourne Road, Barking, east London, denied murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. Prosecutors accepted the plea after psychiatrists assessed that she was suffering a mental disorder. Singh has been remanded in custody to be sentenced on December 13.
A married couple inflicted "casual and routine violence" at a children's home where youngsters were beaten and had their faces rubbed in puddles of urine, a court heard.
Morag and Anthony Jordan, both 62, from Kirriemuir, Angus, were accused of acting like "intimidating bullies" during their time working at the Haut de la Garenne home on the island of Jersey.
The pair face a combined total of 48 counts of common assault, dating from the 1970s and 1980s. Both have pleaded not guilty to all charges.
At the opening of a trial being held at the Royal Court of Jersey, prosecuting advocate Stephen Baker accused the couple of "routinely" hitting children with their hands, kitchen implements and shoes.
He claimed that Morag Jordan, originally from Dundee, pushed the faces of children as young as two into urine soaked sheets or puddles on the floor.
Their behaviour caused "physical and mental distress" he told jurors.
The court is due to hear from a succession of witnesses who claim to have been subjected to assaults described by Mr Baker as "frequent and callous".
They relate to incidents at Haut de la Garenne between 1970 and 1984.
The children's home was the subject of a lengthy and high-profile police investigation into allegations of abuse.
Prior to the prosecution's opening, Commissioner Sir Christopher Pitchers, presiding over the trial, warned jurors against being swayed by what they thought they knew about the police probe.
Freed hostages Paul and Rachel Chandler have described their "traumatic" kidnap ordeal at the hands of Somali pirates after the Government denied aid money was used to secure their release.
The Chandlers, freed on Sunday following more than a year in captivity, revealed they were beaten by their captors after refusing to be separated.
The retired couple from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, are poised to return to the UK after a ransom was reportedly paid to secure their release. Reports suggested the money came from a mixture of private investors and the Somali government.
The Government moved to quash reports that part of the release money had come out of British aid paid to the African country's government.
A spokeswoman for the Department for International Development (DfID) said none of the aid money given to Somalia goes through the country's government. She explained: "We channel all our aid through UN agencies and well established and trusted charities. None of it goes through the Somali government." She added: "No part of the UK aid budget has been used to help secure the Chandlers' release, nor to benefit pirates. The British Government does not pay ransoms to hostage takers." In 2009/10 the DfID gave more than £30 million to Somalia which was was used for humanitarian relief, education and health programmes.
The Chandler family released a statement acknowledging the "inevitable questions" that would arise following the release. News of the couple's freedom following the 388-day ordeal prompted joyous scenes. Prime Minister David Cameron, who has spoken to Mr Chandler, said their release was "tremendous news".
The couple were snatched during a round-the-world sailing trip, when their 38-foot yacht, the Lynn Rival, was stormed by armed men. The length of their incarceration meant Mr Chandler was unaware his father had died in July until being told on his release. The 60-year-old said: "We're fine. We are rather skinny and bony but we're fine."
The couple were seen waving and holding hands as they finally left Somalia for Kenya, where they were taken to the British High Commission to prepare for a flight back to the UK. They were handed over to local officials in the Somali town of Adado, then flown to the capital Mogadishu and on to Nairobi, Kenya.
The Chandlers revealed details of their ordeal. Mr Chandler said: "The worst time was when we had to abandon our home and boat... in the ocean."
His 56-year-old wife added: "Abandoning (our yacht) Lynn Rival when we were taken on board the container ship and brought eventually on shore was the worst time. Another time that was very traumatic was when they decided to separate us. We were really distraught, we were very frightened at that point. We refused to be separated and we were beaten as a result. That was very traumatic."
Police in South Africa have launched a murder hunt after a bride on honeymoon with her British husband was killed in a car-jacking incident.
The couple - named in reports as Shrien and Anni Dewani - had been married for just two weeks when their people carrier was targeted in a township on the outskirts of Cape Town late on Saturday night.
The gunmen drove off with the newlyweds inside the car, and although Mr Dewani, 31, was later released unharmed, the body of his 28-year-old wife was found on Sunday.
Mr Dewani is said to be from Westbury-on-Trym in Bristol, while his wife Anni was of Ugandan-Asian descent.
Western Cape Police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Andre Traut said: "The driver was forced out of the vehicle then the two armed suspects took off with the vehicle with the couple inside." He said the husband was dropped off at midnight in Harare, an area of the township of Khayelitsha.
Officers then began to search for the car but when they found it in a nearby area, the woman was already dead. Lt Col Traut refused to comment on the cause of death but said a post-mortem examination would take place in the coming days.
Albert Fritz, the region's minister for community safety, appealed for local people to come forward with information and said: "This could have happened to any of our loved ones and it is important that communities become involved in doing the right thing."
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are aware of the situation and are providing consular assistance to a British national who is involved, and their family."
A man who came to the gates of a large detached house in Westbury-on-Trym said the family was too upset to comment.
Neighbour, Kamran Ahmed, 17, who used to take post around to the couple, said: "My dad knew them better than me, but they owned care homes and looked after the elderly, so they must have been nice. You just don't expect this kind of thing to happen and to such a nice couple, it's upsetting as we knew them well; it's very bad thing to happen."
The father of a girl left dying under the wheels of a car driven by a failed asylum seeker has begged judges for "justice" for his daughter.
Paul Houston, 41, from Darwen, Lancashire, told judges they had the power to bring "my seven years of hell to an end" by sending Aso Mohammed Ibrahim back to Iraq, after he knocked down 12-year-old Amy Houston.
The Iraqi Kurd, banned from driving at the time, ran off, leaving the youngster trapped under his Rover car.
Mr Houston was left to make the decision to turn off her life support machine hours later.
Since the incident in Blackburn, Lancs, in November 2003, Mr Houston has been campaigning to get Ibrahim deported.
He said Ibrahim, jailed for four months after the offence and convicted of driving while disqualified and without insurance, had left his daughter to "die like a dog" under his car as he fled the scene, and begged for an "ounce of justice".
Ibrahim, who has been convicted of a string of offences since coming to the UK illegally in 2001, was never removed and following a tortuous nine-year legal battle, he was later given the right to live here by a judge.
Following pressure from Amy's family, the UK Border Agency is appealing against the judge's decision in a bid to have him deported.
Mr Houston, an engineer, sat just yards from Ibrahim as the case was heard at an Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber in Manchester.
He requested the two judges hearing the appeal read a letter, an impassioned plea, before making a decision, which will be handed down next month.
A British soldier who died in Afghanistan on Remembrance Sunday was courageous and brave, the Northern Ireland Secretary has said.
The serviceman, 22, from Macosquin, Co Londonderry, was caught in a blast while out on patrol in the Nad'e Ali area of Helmand province on Sunday morning.
The Royal Irish Regiment soldier's death came as Prince William flew into Camp Bastion with Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox for a service of remembrance.
Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson said: "On the day that we remembered all those who died defending freedom and democracy another brave young man gave his life in that cause.
"This conflict is global but the grief and pain of loss is intensely personal. My thoughts are with the family and friends of this courageous soldier."
The regiment is based at Tern Hill, near Market Drayton, in Mr Paterson's Shropshire constituency.
A total of 344 UK military personnel have died in Afghanistan since operations began in 2001.
Sympathies were expressed in the Northern Ireland Assembly. East Londonderry Ulster Unionist Assembly member David McClarty said the latest victim's mother was actively involved in filling boxes to be sent to soldiers in Afghanistan.
"Now is the time for our thoughts and prayers to be very much with the family of the young soldier who has lost his life so tragically and so untimely in Afghanistan, particularly yesterday which was Remembrance Sunday when certainly the majority of us were thinking about those young men and women who have given their lives for the sake of freedom not just in this country but throughout the world," he said.
The serviceman's next of kin have been informed.
British taxpayers could be liable for up to £6 billion of Irish debt under a potential rescue package for the Republic's stricken economy.
Downing Street said the UK was responsible for 12% of a 60 billion euro (£50.94bn) stability mechanism that might be used in a bid to restore confidence in the Irish economy.
The European Financial Stability Mechanism was signed up to by the former Labour government in the aftermath of the Greek debt crisis earlier this year.
While it does not require upfront investment, all EU members - not just eurozone countries - are responsible for a share of the guarantees made to underwrite a struggling nation's debts.
Ireland has not submitted any request for help so far but its government is in talks with other EU leaders about its position.
EU chiefs meeting in Brussels on Tuesday are desperate to quell market fears - which are affecting other indebted EU countries - that Ireland may default on its debts.
It is thought that Dublin may require help from the pan-EU European Financial Stability Mechanism as well as a much larger fund which is the responsibility of eurozone countries only.
Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman said that Britain was responsible for 12% of the European Financial Stability Mechanism.
He added: "Clearly, we have a very open economy and therefore stability in other countries - or instability in other countries - has an impact in the UK."
The Liberal Democrats' headquarters will be targeted with the same "legitimate force" seen at the riot at Millbank, student activists have said.
The Education Activist Network (EAN), one of the radical student groups involved in last Wednesday's protests, accused the Liberal Democrats of "betrayal" over university fees and refused to rule out violence when it attempts to occupy the party's headquarters on November 24.
A spokesman said student groups would try to take over the party's offices in Cowley Street, central London, as part of a "Day X" of widespread action against the coalition Government.
At a meeting on Tuesday at the University of Sheffield, EAN activists will debate attempting occupations of Nick Clegg's home and constituency office.
Mark Bergfeld, a member of the NUS national executive committee, said: "The Liberal Democrats stood on a platform of free education and millions of students voted for them. They now feel totally betrayed.
"I think that a party that tells outright lies to students and to workers is a legitimate target for direct action.
"People argue that you can change democracy at the ballot box. We're going to show that we change democracy through direct action."
Mr Bergfeld, 23, said activists aimed to "split" the Government in a mass movement he compared to the Suffragettes.
Speaking outside the London School of Economics, he said: "We see ourselves in the spirit of those mass movements, which have caused governments to fall.
"The Tories and Lib Dems want to create an education system for the few and the privileged and we're going to fight."
