Category: news

A murder inquiry was launched after Suzanne Pilley disappeared

Police hunting the killer of missing Edinburgh woman Suzanne Pilley are continuing to follow new leads in the area they think her body was hidden.

Ms Pilley, 38, disappeared on 4 May and officers believe she was murdered and her body dumped in Argyll.

It comes as new links emerged between her former boyfriend and the area where police are focussing efforts.

David Gilroy strenuously denies any involvement in Ms Pilley's disappearance.

Officers are focussing their efforts on a large area of Argyll, and are investigating claims Mr Gilroy was there about the time she went missing.

Newspaper reports have suggested Mr Gilroy, who works for the Edinburgh-based firm Infrastructure Managers Limited, was at a school in Lochgilphead on 5 May, the day after Ms Pilley went missing.

The company has a contract to manage the maintenance of the campus and Mr Gilroy was a regular visitor to the school.

The reports suggest he turned up unannounced that day, spent some time in the building and picked up some bin bags from a cleaner.

CCTV footage

He is said to have left the building shortly after that. It is claimed he told colleagues that he had a meeting in Lochgilphead but did not inform the school.

Lothian and Borders Police are not denying or confirming any of the information.

On Friday 21 May Mr Gilroy spent six hours helping police with their inquiries on a voluntary basis.

Ms Pilley, 38, from the Stenhouse area of Edinburgh, disappeared on 4 May.

Police found CCTV footage of her outside her office in Thistle Street, Edinburgh, on the morning she disappeared.

Officers believe she was killed on the day she disappeared and her body dumped in countryside in the west of Scotland.

Four officers from Lothian and Borders Police have based themselves at Lochgilphead Police Station in Argyll.

Police said they now had more than 100 separate items of information from the public after several appeals.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Stephen Griffiths was arrested at his home on Monday

A 40-year-old man charged with the murders of three Bradford women who worked as prostitutes, is due to appear before magistrates later.

Stephen Griffiths is accused of murdering Suzanne Blamires, 36, Shelley Armitage, 31, and Susan Rushworth, 43.

Mature student Mr Griffiths, of Thornton Road, Bradford, will be remanded in custody to appear in the afternoon at the city's crown court.

Body parts found in the River Aire on Tuesday were from Ms Blamires.

She had lived in Barkston Walk, Allerton, and was last seen on 21 May.

Ms Armitage, also from Allerton, has been missing since 26 April and Ms Rushworth, from the Manningham area of the city, dissappeared on 22 June last year.

Mr Griffiths, reported to be a psychology graduate undertaking postgraduate research in criminology at Bradford University, was arrested on Monday at his home on the edge of the city's red-light district.

He lived in a third-floor flat in Thornton Road, a short distance from Bradford city centre.

The decision to charge Mr Griffiths was authorised by Peter Mann of the Crown Prosecution Service.

Police continued to search the flats in Thornton Road on Thursday and have sealed off an area around the complex.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

A postman from Cornwall has admitted 27 charges of sexually abusing children and having images of child pornography.

At Truro Crown Court, Michael Williams admitted charges of inciting sexual activity, grooming and possessing and distributing indecent images.

He also admitted voyeurism, as well as possessing or making indecent images.

Williams, 28, from Penryn, also asked for another four offences of a sexual nature to be taken into consideration by the court.

The charges he admitted to included:

Three counts of grooming children over the internetEight counts of sexual activity with a child aged between 13 and 15Nine counts of causing or inciting a child over 13 to engage in sexual activityFour counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activityOne count of voyeurismTwo counts of making or possessing indecent images

Sentencing of Williams, from Tresooth Lane, has been adjourned for three months for the preparation of psychiatric reports.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

A UK marine killed in a bomb blast in southern Afghanistan has been named by the Ministry of Defence.

Cpl Stephen Curley from 40 Commando Royal Marines, serving as part of Combined Force Sangin, was killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, was killed while on foot patrol. He was married to Kirianne and had a five-month old son.

Mrs Curley said it was "impossible" to say how much he meant to her.

She said: "It is impossible for me to express what my husband meant to me, Daddy to our 18-week-old son William and my partner in crime, Stevie was my purpose, what makes me tick.

"A man of few but powerful words when it mattered, he lived by the motto ‘If you’re not living life on the edge, you’re taking up too much room’. This will be forever imprinted on our hearts.

"Steve stood firmly for what he believed in – a man who lived by his convictions and fought vehemently for what he thought was right.

"Steve loved his family, and would be so proud of his mother and brother. We will carry your heart with us always. Engraved in my wedding ring the words, Kirianne, my one, my love, my wife. Stephen, sleep well my love."

Lt Col Paul James, Commanding Officer 40 Commando Group, said Cpl Curley was "the very best of his generation".

Lt Col James said: "[He was] bright, fit, charismatic and supremely brave, he was a man who genuinely inspired others. Based with me, I saw in him a selfless, loyal, utterly dedicated and natural leader of men.

"He died on patrol in Sangin leading the men he loved, and alongside the men who loved him."

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Premier Wen Jiabao says China will not protect whoever was behind the sinking of a South Korean warship.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

By Clare MathesonBusiness reporter, BBC NewsTransport for London brings in £3bn in revenues each year

Almost £30m has has been left unused on Oyster pay-as-you-go (PAYG) for at least a year, the BBC has learned.

A total of 16.5m PAYG cards sat idle during the year from April 2009 to April 2010. The average amount on each card was £1.80.

Transport for London (TfL) says no card is deemed as expired and users can always claim the balance back.

The smart cards are used to pay for travel in London. There are plans to roll out similar schemes across the UK.

Oyster cards can be topped up for use on buses, tubes and trains across the capital.

Last year alone, 31,000 PAYG cards were issued and topped up but never subsequently used, even though they held £246,000 worth of travel on them, according to information obtained in a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.

Refunds

"Pay-as-you-go Oyster cards do not expire and customers are able to return their cards at any time for a refund of the remaining balance and card deposit," Transport for London said.

"Revenue generated from fares, including Oyster fares, is used to operate, maintain and upgrade London's transport network.''

However, if your card is lost or stolen you will only be able to make a claim if you had already registered your card with Transport for London.

Director of fares and ticketing Shashi Verma added that TfL had tried to make it "as easy as possible" for commuters to reclaim the balance on their Oyster cards.

"Many don't claim it back as it's just pennies and obviously some of these are tourists," he added.

"One of the busiest places that we have issuing refunds is Heathrow Airport and we provided that facility at Heathrow precisely for this reason, because there are people exiting the country."

Spreading trend

A similar "smart card" scheme currently operates in Newport, and the Welsh town plans to introduce a pay-as-you-go service in several days.

However, unlike the Transport for London scheme, the new service will operate on a "use it or lose it" basis.

Continue reading the main story

People do lose smart cards…and, of course, the person who issues these cards effectively benefits

David EverettManaging Director Smartcard Group

A spokesman for Newport Bus said that while the Passport card would never expire, users would be unable to return the card to the company and recover the remaining balance.

Elsewhere in the UK, smart card provider Squid helped Bolton council launch a local services card in 2008 which allows residents to top-up their card and spend the balance on local buses, or services such as leisure centres and libraries and shops. It now also operates a number of cashless schemes across Scotland.

And a number of local authorities have plans to introduce transport smart cards in the future – including Bristol, North and South Yorkshire, Reading, Bristol and the Midlands.

Business model

Smartcard Group managing director David Everett said he was "not surprised" by the £29.85m left unspent on Oyster cards in the past year.

He said most people don't realise is that any kind of pre-payment card is likely to have unspent funds on it.

"People do lose smart cards, they don't spend them, or they put them away and, of course, the person who issues these cards effectively benefits."

Mr Everett added that the amount left unclaimed on pre-payment cards usually amounts to 2-10% of the value issued and this amount can be built into a company's business model.

"This allows you as a company to say your liabilities will reduce, but the only way to ensure this is if you say it expires over time – for example a gift card that expires after a year – then of course you get that value," he explained.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Two versions of the iPad are available

The Apple iPad tablet computer is going on sale in the UK, after one million were sold in the first 28 days after its launch in the US.

Some Apple stores will open an hour earlier, at 0800 BST, to allow fans to get their hands on the device.

But there are warnings that some customers who pre-ordered the device in order to get it in the post on its UK launch date may be disappointed.

This is because shipping dates for the computer have slipped.

Connection cost

Apple has already delayed the international launch of the iPad citing strong demand in the US since its launch on 3 April.

Despite the success, some have criticised the iPad saying it was a closed system that limited what people could do with the books, magazines, music and video they enjoy.

Customers outside the US have been able to place pre-orders for the touch-screen device since 10 May.

While those that placed orders immediately are likely to get them, others may face a longer wait. Apple's estimates for shipping dates are now mid-June.

There are also reports that some who placed an early pre-order had got their UK iPad a day ahead of its officieal release.

IPAD PRICESContinue reading the main story16GB, wi-fi only – £429 inc vat32GB, wi-fi only – £499 inc vat64GB, wi-fi only – £599 inc vat16GB, wi-fi/3G – £529 inc vat32GB, wi-fi/3G – £599 inc vat64GB, wi-fi/3G – £699 inc vat

Some bigger Apple stores are set to open at 0800 on 28 May in anticipation of extra sales.

"There will be some stock on the shelves," said Stuart Miles of gadget site Pocket Lint. "But it's likely that it will only last for tomorrow."

Two versions of the iPad are available. One only uses wi-fi to connect to the net and the other uses both wi-fi and the 3G mobile technology.

In the UK mobile phone providers Vodafone, Orange, O2 and 3 have revealed details of the price plans for the 3G version. This will require a separate micro-Sim card in order to connect to the net. Existing mobile phone Sims will not work in the iPad.

Mr Miles said he had been using his wi-fi-only US iPad for about a month.

"It's an emotional luxury product," he said. "One that you do not need but once you have it you will find ways to use it."

He agreed that many of the things the iPad offers can be done on other gadgets such as phones and laptops.

"Most of the people in the world do not interact with content, they just consume it," he said. "It's a great device for consuming content but not great for creating it."

The tablet-device is also starting to see competition from other devices such as the Dell Streak and many others.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

England resume on 362-4 on day two of the first Test against Bangladesh – with Jonathan Trott 175 not out.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Gun battles are taking place in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, after at least one minority Islamic religious centre was attacked, reports say.

Several people are reported to have been injured as police took on gunmen in residential areas.

Lahore – Pakistan's cultural capital – has been the scene of a string of brazen militant attacks.

At least 45 people were killed in March when two suicide bombers attacked a crowded residential area of the city.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

By Jonathan AmosScience correspondent, BBC News David Willetts is getting to grips with the science and space brief

The new science minister David Willetts says space is a vital growth sector for the UK economy and he intends to do everything he can to support it.

"I believe in the space industry," he told BBC News. "Britain has a comparative advantage and we will carry on backing space."

Mr Willetts was speaking after chairing the UK Space Leadership Council, which advises government on space matters.

The group includes interests across industry, academia and government.

He said the new Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition would pick up where the previous government had left off and would put "energy into the programme".

UK space had witnessed some key developments just prior to the General Election. These included the establishment of an executive space agency, and the production of a major report that set out a strategy to grow the British space industry over the next 20 years, creating 100,000 jobs in the process.

Mr Willetts acknowledged that the election process had paused the momentum, but he told the Council that he was ready to push forward again.

He paid tribute to his predecessor, the Labour science minister Lord Drayson, for his efforts on space, and said the coalition had no intention of tearing up good work just for the sake of it.

UK’S GROWING SPACE SECTORContinue reading the main storyBritain currently has a 6% share of the global space marketThe sector contributes some £6bn to the UK economyIt has grown by an average of 9% per year (1999-2007)The industry supports up to 70,000 jobs, about 19,000 directlyA pre-election strategy report saw further major growth opportunitiesStrategy to grow UK space sector

Mr Willetts reaffirmed his desire to make the space agency a truly executive body with control over policy and funding that hitherto has been spread across government departments and science research bodies.

"The agency is at the moment essentially a shell and it needs a proper single funding pot," he told BBC News.

"It wasn't possible for Lord Drayson to resolve that issue before the election, and with all these public expenditure issues hanging over us it's going to take a while; but I'm committed to trying to achieve that, to get as much money as possible aggregated into the single funding pot for the space agency."

Funding has always been a thorny issue in UK space matters.

British governments have traditionally had a lower civil spend than their major European space partners – Germany, France and Italy – and with the current tight fiscal environment, this is unlikely to change in the near term.

But Andy Green, who led the Space Innovation and Growth Team that set out the 20-year strategy, said a lot of what was required of government did not involve spending money.

"We all recognise the difficulty of the situation we are in, but we've also made the point obviously that where the government does decide to intervene financially and otherwise, the emphasis should be on growing sectors," the chief executive of Logica told BBC News.

"He seemed to have a genuine passion for space as an opportunity to grow employment and wealth in this country.In the first instance, that's what we were looking for – enthusiasm."

Mr Willetts promised to tackle regulation issues, such as the access to spectrum that enabled companies to develop new satellite services.

The UKSA has yet to have its funding arrangements sorted out

He highlighted the role satellites could play in climate monitoring, and in providing universal access to broadband internet.And he said he wanted to see the UK take part in the emerging global space tourism business.

This is currently being led by a British company – the Virgin Group – but the firm will be operating first out of the US, and it will need legislative assistance before it can work from home shores.

"I personally would love to see Virgin Galactic being launched from the UK," Mr Willetts said.

"There are a lot of challenges in making that happen, but I think it would be a great pity if we missed out and I want to try to make it happen."

Finally, on the issue of space science, the minister said he would be talking to the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) to see how its "controversies" in recent years could be resolved.

The council has structural problems and has been hit particularly hard by the recent fall in the pound, which makes its subscriptions to major European "science clubs", like the European Space Agency, relatively expensive.

David Willetts is the Conservative Minister for Universities and Skills.He reports to Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and President of the Board of Trade.

Current rules preclude Virgin from running space trips from the UK

[email protected]

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

The Q4000 mobile offshore drilling unit (right) is pumping the mud

BP has resumed pumping mud into the leaking oil well in the Gulf of Mexico after briefly suspending the high-risk "top kill" procedure.

The oil giant said it was too early to say whether the latest attempt to stem the leak had been successful.

It has emerged that far more oil has poured from the well than was previously thought, which would make this the biggest spill in US history.

US President Barack Obama is to visit the affected area in Louisiana.

Mr Obama has defended his government's handling of the huge oil spill. Speaking at the White House, the president vowed to hold BP accountable for the "horrific disaster".

He unveiled a series of measures, including a continued moratorium on drilling permits for six months.

The move comes after an opinion poll said 60% of Americans were unhappy with the government's response.

Brief suspension

BP suspended its "top kill" procedure, untested at this depth, for several hours on Thursday so it could monitor progress.

It has now resumed pumping heavy mud into the ruptured well

It says it believes the procedure can work – although it may not know for days yet.

It would take 24-48 hours before BP engineers could tell whether "top kill" had worked, company officials said at about 2000 GMT on Thursday.

If the procedure succeeds, cement will be injected to seal the well.

New estimates from a panel of US scientists said at least 12,000 barrels (504,000 gallons) were leaking into the Gulf every day, far exceeding the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster.

The leak was caused by an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig on 20 April, which also killed 11 workers.

President Obama stressed that his administration, and not BP, was in charge.

But he admitted the government did not have the technology to deal with the damaged oil well nearly a mile (1.6km) below the surface, meaning that Washington must rely on BP to plug the ruptured well.

Policy shift

The president's comments came as questions were increasingly being asked about whether he had been sufficiently engaged in handling the disaster, says the BBC's Adam Brookes in Washington.

Continue reading the main storyHurricanes could damage pipelinesFrom shrimp fisher to oil-collectorMardell Blog: Turn on the theatreQ&A: Drilling restrictions

In a shake-up of the offshore oil industry, Mr Obama suspended test drilling on 33 rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as halting exploratory deepwater drilling for another six months.

In addition, he cancelled the sale of some offshore leases off the coasts of Alaska and Virginia.

Correspondents say the move marks a shift in policy since March, when President Obama gave the go-ahead to widen the scope for offshore drilling in order to reduce dependency on oil imports.

Hours before Mr Obama spoke, the head of the Minerals Management Service (MMS), which oversees drilling operations, resigned.

Elizabeth Birnbaum and the MMS have come under fire from lawmakers over lax oversight of drilling operations.

The president blasted the "scandalously close relationship" between oil companies and regulators, and said officials granting exploration permits would no longer be responsible as well for ensuring safety.

Also on Thursday, Mr Obama's top spill response official – Coast Guard commander Admiral Thad Allen – approved part of an ambitious plan to build barrier islands to stop oil from coming ashore in Louisiana.

The oil leak has already soiled more than 110km (70 miles) of Louisiana's coastline, threatening fragile marshlands and putting the Louisiana fishing industry at risk.

US officials warned the coming hurricane season could be one of the worst on record.

Are you in the region affected by the oil? What is your reaction to the apparently successful attempt to stem the flow of oil and gas? You can send us your views and experiences Click here to add comments..

(Required) Name(Required) Your E-mail address(Required) Town & Country(Required) Phone number(Required) Comments

The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide.

Terms and conditions

SendClear

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

The McLarens of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button set the pace in first practice at the Turkish Grand Prix.

Hamilton posted a time of one minute 28.653 seconds, with fellow Englishman Button almost a second slower.

The Mercedes pair of Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg followed with the third and fourth fastest times.

The Red Bulls, which are expected to dominate, had Sebastian Vettel fifth, ahead of Renault’s Robert Kubica, with team-mate Mark Webber eighth.

More to follow.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Prudential needs shareholder backing for its AIA takeover

Prudential has suspended trading of its Hong Kong-listed shares and confirmed it is in talks to renegotiate its deal to take over AIG's Asia business.

The suspension comes only three days after the UK insurer's shares launched on the Asian markets.

It is currently seeking shareholder backing for its £24.6bn ($35.5bn) takeover of AIA.

But investors are said to be unhappy with the deal, with the amount being paid a particular concern.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Water quality was tested at 769 beaches in the UK

More UK bathing beaches have excellent water quality than last year, but pollution has worsened since 2006, the Marine Conservation Society says.

It rated 421 of 769 beaches as excellent – 33 more than 2009, but below the 505 rated highly in 2006.

It blamed heavy rainfall during the past three summers for overloading sewage systems and washing fertiliser and pollutants onto beaches.

It also warned that several popular beaches would fail EU rules from 2015.

The annual Good Beach Guide is published on Friday and lists results of water quality tests conducted from May to September 2009.

It has four grades: "MCS recommended" for the highest water quality and good sewage treatment; "guideline" for good water quality only; "basic pass" means the water passed the European Commission statutory minimum; and "fail".

Sewage overflow

The latest guide recorded fewer failures than last year – 41 as opposed to 66.

Water quality had steadily improved from 2001 to a peak in 2006, but has declined ever since, the marine society said.

Based on Met Office data, the summers 2007 to 2009 combined were the wettest period since 1914.

The society said this caused overloaded sewer systems to discharge raw sewage on to some beaches, and pollutants such as animal waste, fertilisers and refuse to be washed from farm land and city streets into rivers and the sea.

"The regional pattern to this rainfall means that some regions such as north west England and Scotland fared worse in this year's guide whereas others like the Channel Isles did markedly better," a spokeswoman said.

Tougher rules coming

It warned that stricter EU regulations, due to come into force in 2015, willsee 83 beaches fail even the minimum water quality standard unless improvements are carried out.

The list included Rock in Cornwall, Paignton Sands, Robin Hood's Bay, Bridlington South, Chalkwell Bay at Southend, Plymouth Hoe and the main beach at Weston super Mare, it said.

Sewer overflow pipes, which transport raw sewage into rivers and the sea, were a cause of concern, said the society's coastal pollution officer, Thomas Bell.

"MCS knows of at least 500 UK beaches with one or more of these pipes.

"There are many places where they don't cause a problem but 45% of tested beaches aren't recommended by MCS because of pollution.

"That percentage is set to increase because of tougher bathing water standards from 2015, and we think [overflow pipes] are partly to blame," Mr Bell said.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Stephen Griffiths was arrested at his home on Monday

A 40-year-old man charged with the murders of three Bradford women who worked as prostitutes, is due to appear before magistrates later.

Stephen Griffiths is accused of murdering Suzanne Blamires, 36, Shelley Armitage, 31, and Susan Rushworth, 43.

Mature student Mr Griffiths, of Thornton Road, Bradford, will be remanded in custody to appear in the afternoon at the city's crown court.

Body parts found in the River Aire on Tuesday were from Ms Blamires.

She had lived in Barkston Walk, Allerton, and was last seen on 21 May.

Ms Armitage, also from Allerton, has been missing since 26 April and Ms Rushworth, from the Manningham area of the city, dissappeared on 22 June last year.

Mr Griffiths, reported to be a psychology graduate undertaking postgraduate research in criminology at Bradford University, was arrested on Monday at his home on the edge of the city's red-light district.

He lived in a third-floor flat in Thornton Road, a short distance from Bradford city centre.

The decision to charge Mr Griffiths was authorised by Peter Mann of the Crown Prosecution Service.

Police continued to search the flats in Thornton Road on Thursday and have sealed off an area around the complex.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.