Katie Hopkins sparks backlash after branding payday lending 'a good business model'

LOUDMOUTH Katie Hopkins has provoked a Twitter row after she defended payday lending companies, saying they were “a good business model.”

The controversial star took part in a heated TV debate about debt last night in which she also criticised teenage mothers and slammed people for spending too much money on Christmas. 

Hundreds of people took to Twitter to condemn her views but today she remained defiant in the face of mounting anger. 

Ms Hopkins made her comments on Channel Five’s The Big 'Can't Pay' Debt Debate: Live, which was hosted by Nick Ferarri. 

She was was joined by panelists Jim Davidson who was declared bankrupt, former premier league footballer Lee Hendrie whose problems with debt drove him to attempt suicide, and Olympic legend Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards who has also struggled with debt.

When the issue of payday loans with high interest rates was raised Ms Hopkins said : "I think it's a decent business model."

She slamed another woman, who had struggled with debt after spending £1,600 on Christmas presents, saying: "You have to save for Christmas.” She later questioned how anyone can spend that kind of figure on children’s gifts.  

The 39-year-old’s appearance on the show sparked a fierce reaction on Twitter.

TV psychologist Jo Hemmings wrote: “Is @KTHopkins obligatory in every TV debate? If they can only find one gobby mare like her, it's hardly representative.”

‏Another, @MetalOllie, added: “Why do we need to hear from that vacuous, hate filled bag of spew. Katie Hopkins voice is of NO value to ANY serious debate

While ‏@JoeyRymell  posted: “@KTHopkins we don't hate you because you're famous, you're famous because we hate you.

But Hopkins too took to the social media site to hit back at those criticising her.

She wrote: “I don't worry about debt because I don't buy things I can't afford. We save for the future, insure against illness & tell kids 'no'. Simple”

She also tweeted: “The only thing people in debt have in common other than bad money management, is an ability to blame anyone but themselves. #debtdebate”

The debate was held after research by Channel 5 discovered British families owe a record £1.4trillion, the equivalent of £54,000 for every home.

Nine million people are said to be struggling to pay their debts. Millions of Britons would have to borrow money to pay their bills within a month of losing their job. 

Forty per cent would need a loan within three months, while one in 10 is so close to the financial abyss that they live week-to-week and would have to go cap in hand to friends or family to make ends meet.

Even when mortgages are taken out of the calculations, the average family still owes more than £8,000, according to the survey.

Christian Guy, director of the Centre for Social Justice, said: “Years of increased borrowing, rising living costs and struggling to save have forced many families into a debt trap that is very difficult to escape.

“Problem debt can have a corrosive impact on people and families. It can wreak havoc on mental health, relationships and wellbeing.

“People are awake until the early hours worrying about their finances and bills, while some of the poorest are cut off from mainstream banking and have no choice but to turn to loan sharks and high-cost lenders.” 

The study also revealed a worrying lack of financial knowledge, with one in six borrowers having no idea what interest rates they are paying.

 

Our TV shows are far too white, says Lenny Henry: Comedian attacks hit shows including Broadchurch and Miranda

Comedian and actor Lenny Henry launched a scathing attack on British TV hits including Broadchurch, Miranda and Midsomer Murders last night for being too white.

The 55-year-old criticised the shows for having fewer black actors than similar programmes in America, saying they were not representative of modern Britain.
Giving the annual Bafta Television Lecture, Henry said: ‘What is going on? This is 2014.
‘The evolution of black and ethnic minority involvement in British drama seems to lurch one step forward and two steps back, a bit like John Sergeant in Strictly Come Dancing. Except he had a job at the end.’
Mr Henry highlighted ITV crime drama Broadchurch, BBC sitcom Miranda and Northern Irish hit Mrs Brown’s Boys as examples of shows with majority white casts.

In an ironic aside, he said: ‘In Broadchurch, at least the boyfriend of the deceased is mixed race, so there’s someone in there.
‘Mrs Brown’s Boys. The Irish. An ethnic minority transvestite. I guess that counts.’
Quoting from a letter written by a 19th century black actor describing the troubles of finding work, he added: ‘Imagine if he’d had to cope with whoever casts Midsomer Murders. He would have topped himself.’
Mr Henry also warned Britain’s top stars are leaving the UK for America, where he said hit shows such as Breaking Bad and Boardwalk Empire all employ more black actors.
He said: ‘Since 2008 I’ve noticed a worrying trend. Our most talented black and minority ethnic actors are increasingly frustrated and they have to go to America to succeed.
‘You know who I’m talking about, David Oyelowo in The Butler, Idris Elba in Long Walk to Freedom, Prometheus and The Wire, Thandie Newton in Crash and Mission Impossible, Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave, David Harewood in Homeland.’

The comedian, who has recently embarked on a career as a stage actor and director after a career in stand up, called for the BBC to create ring fenced budgets for black dramas.
It could only be spent on productions where two out of three criteria are met: that at least half of the production staff or half of the on-screen talent are black, Asian or from a minority ethnic background, or where black people control at least 30 per cent of the production company.
He said imposing a more draconian quota system that would oblige the BBC to cast more black actors would ‘leave us open to possible legal challenges’.

It is not the first time Mr Henry has spoken out on the issue of under-representation of ethnic minority talent.
Last year he said it was a ‘disgrace’ there were not more black actors up for gongs at the annual Bafta TV awards.

Passenger takes picture of Delta Airlines jet losing wing part mid-flight

It’s the last thing you would want to see when you look out a plane window in mid-flight.

Passenger Trevor Sinclair took this picture after a wing panel fell off a Delta Airlines Orlando-to-Atlanta flight on Sunday.
After feeling the Boeing 757 rock from side to side, the crew made a safe emergency landing at its planned destination.
None of the 169 people on board was hurt.
Delta said it was investigating but insisted the lost wing panel did not affect the plane’s ‘ability to fly or land’.

Immigrant child rapist sues UK for breach of his 'human rights' - A SUDANESE rapist who preyed on girls as young as 13 is suing Justice Secretary Chris Grayling

A SUDANESE rapist who preyed on girls as young as 13 is suing Justice Secretary Chris Grayling over “frus­tration and anxiety” caused by a delay to his parole hearing.

Adil Aboulkadir, 38, was jailed for a minimum of four years for his part in the abuse of three vulnerable girls.

He was said to have led a gang of five Darfur refugees who groomed victims aged 14 and 13 in Dartford, Kent.

Aboulkadir had already launched a series of taxpayer-funded ­legal actions which could cost Britain more than £250,000 and block moves to deport him for years.

Now he wants damages, saying his human rights were violated because he had to wait seven months for a court date to argue for his freedom.

Taxpayers paid £125,000 for a legally-aided lawyer and ­interpreter during the gang’s trial at Maidstone Crown Court in 2008. Aboulkadir was convicted of rape and sexual ­activity with a child. But he convinced the High Court that his rights were “arguably” violated by a failure to consider release immediately his minimum jail term ended.

He was freed 16 months ­after the four-year tariff expired. Since 2013 he has been in an immigration centre, fighting a bid to deport him.

He has been granted a judicial review hearing over the delay and the case could end up in the European Court of Human Rights.

Former minister and Daily Express columnist Ann Widdecombe said: “What about the frustration and anxiety of his victims?” Ukip Euro MP Gerard Batten said: “End his frustration – put him on the plane to Sudan.

“He’s laughing in our faces. We must free ourselves from the idiocy of the Convention on Human Rights. ”

Jonathan Isaby, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “It’s an insult that taxpayers foot the bill for this vile individual.”

Julian Blake, for Mr Grayling, said Aboulkadir’s challenge was “academic” as he was cleared for release last September.

A date will be set for a full High Court hearing.

Aboulkadir is also seeking to challenge his convictions.

Another of the gang, Jumaa Kater Saleh, 25, has won compensation for being held too long during a bid to deport him. He spent two years at an immigration centre after two in jail. He will not be deported – on human rights grounds.

VIDEO: Trombone player SNEEZES right into his instrument during church concert

SNEEZING is virtually impossible to stop, as this poor trombonist found out to his embarrassment.
Scroll down for video..........

The Enfield Citadel Band had travelled to Tiptree in Essex to play for residents at a local church.
All was going well and sounding glorious, right up until the trombone player failed to stifle a sneeze – straight into his instrument.
The crowd didn't seem to batter an eyelid at the noise of the sneeze, which sounded like an elephant.

And the band themselves didn't stop for a second, carrying on playing as if nothing had happened.
The hilarious clip has been viewed nearly half a MILLION times.
Bet he's glad it was only one sneeze – not even the most polite audience member could ignore the sound of a herd of elephants in the room!

Boeing 777 hijackers plunged to 5,000ft and used low altitude 'terrain masking' manoeuvre practised by fighter jets to avoid radar detection

Claims today that the missing Malaysian Airlines jet dropped to an altitude of 5,000ft to avoid radar lends credibility to reports by villagers that they saw bright lights and loud noises at about the time the aircraft is thought to have made a 'U-turn'.
Investigators told a Malaysian newspaper that the Boeing 777 had dropped to a lower altitude to avoid ground radar, using the surrounding terrain as a sonar barrier.
This type of flying is considered to be dangerous and risky, because it places tremendous pressure on the frame of the aircraft - and flying low at night without radar assistance could lead to the plane crashing into trees or mountains.

Investigators told the New Straits Times that they were now convinced the aircraft flow low over Kelantan, which is in the north east - exactly the same area where the villagers and fishermen who saw bright lights in the sky on the night the jet vanished are living.
At least nine people - fishermen, farmers and villagers - have made reports to police about seeing lights in the sky and some said they heard the loud noise of an engine.

These accounts appear to match the conclusions of investigators who say the jet flew low after making a sharp turn and heading west from its course over the South China Sea.

The first report of a 'bright light descending at high speed' came from Alif Fathi Abdul Hadi, 29, who said he saw the light heading towards the South China Sea at 1.45am on the night the aircraft disappeared.
The businessman lives in Kampung Kadok, in the far north west of the Malaysian mainland, close to the southern border of Thailand - and the light he witnessed would have been several miles to the north of the flight path the jet was on before it vanished.
Lending credibility to the account by Mr Alif is the claim by fisherman Azid Ibrahim, 55, who saw a bright light streaking overhead at 1.30am on Saturday, about 100 miles south of where Mr Alif had seen the light.

Mr Alif told the New Straits Times that the bright light was the type that aircraft use when taking off and landing at night - like a car uses its headlights.
'I was walking towards the rear of my house when I saw the light, and wondered where it was heading to,' he said. 'The airspace here is like a highway for aircraft and they usually travel in routine patterns.
'However, the light I saw was moving towards a completely different direction. It was going towards the sea, near Bachok (which lies to the south of Mr Alif's home).'
His description tends to indicate that if the light he saw was on the doomed aircraft, it had turned north instead of continuing on its regular north-easterly flight path.

Mr Alif said the aircraft he usually sees fly across the sky for as far as his eyes could see but the light he saw in the early hours of Saturday vanished from view behind a line of coconut trees.

While he thought nothing of it at the time, when he learned about the missing aircraft MH370 the following day he lodged a report with police.
Mr Alif's account tended to coincide with that of fisherman Mr Azid who told the New Straits Times: 'Usually, lights from an airplane look like distant stars at night but the one that I saw was big, as the aircraft was flying below the clouds.
'I followed the light for about five minutes before it disappeared.'
Meanwhile, researchers from Slade.com have pinpointed 634 runways where the place could have landed in the vast area now being searched.

Flight MH 370: Was missing Malaysia Airlines jet flown to Taliban base in Afghanistan?

THE missing Malaysia Airlines flight could have been deliberately flown to a Taliban base on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border, sources have claimed.

The theory comes after it was revealed the final “all right, good night” message from the plane’s cockpit came 14 minutes after the flight’s ACARS reporting system was disabled. 

Now Malaysian Authorities are seeking diplomatic permission to investigate the theory that the Boeing 777 and its 239 passengers have been flown to a Taliban controlled area of northwestern Pakistan and Afghanistan, The Independent reported. 

It is thought the plane may have dropped to an altitude of less than 5,000 ft to evade being detected by radar as it flew over other countries.

An official confirmed the plane had flown at a low lever over Kelentan, Malaysia.

Speaking to the New Strait Times he said: "The person who had control over the aircraft has a solid knowledge of avionics and navigation, and left a clean track. It passed low over Kelantan, that was true.

"It's possible that the aircraft had hugged the terrain in some areas, that are mountainous to avoid radar detection".

It is also thought that the final message from the plane, "all right, good night", may have been made by the co-pilot rather than the pilot.

Experts have said only a trained person would have the skills necessary to turn of the plane’s tracking system. 

Following the developments, the backgrounds of the pilots are being investigated, as a search of one of their homes revealed a sophisticated flight simulator.

The news comes after police searched the home of pilot Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah and his number two, Fariq Abdul Hamid.

It is understood that laptops from Captain Zaharie’s home are being studied, including a flight simulator programme.

He was said to be a “fanatical” supporter of the country’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and had attended the trial where the politician was jailed for homosexuality just hours before the flight.

Zaharie’s wife and three children had moved out of the family home in Kuala Lumpur the day before the plane went ­missing.

The search for the missing jet now involves 26 countries with experts examining 657 sites where the Boeing 777 could have landed. 

Speaking at a press conference this morning, Malaysia's transport minister said two iranian passengers traveling on the flight with stolen passports were being re-investigated, while security on Malaysian flights has been stepped up.

Investigators also raised the possibility that the last satellite “ping” from the aircraft may have come when it was on the ground if it had enough electrical power in reserve.

Initially discounted, the hijacking theory now tops the list of possible explanations for flight MH370’s disappearance.

Experts said deliberately shutting down the plane’s transponder, which signals its position to satellites, suggested the crew did this voluntarily or were forced to do so by someone else.

Major General Affendi Buang, of the Malaysian Air Force, said: “This will tell you something because this is something not normal that the pilot would do.”

It has been suggested that at least three different pieces of signalling equipment were ­dis­abled.

One of them was located outside the cockpit, implying at least two people collaborated in the hijack. Aviation expert James Hall said hijackers could have taken advantage of sloppy air defence in the region, adding: “They could have been looking for the weakest link and found it in Malaysia. They may have been trying to hijack the plane for financial reasons or something similar to 9/11.”

Crash expert George Bibel said: “The plane changed course – that screams some kind of evil activity.”

Yesterday the FBI broke its silence on the mystery saying the disappearance could be an act of piracy, adding the possibility that passengers and crew are being held for ransom could not be ruled out.

Only four weeks ago, an Ethiopian Airlines co-pilot hijacked his own plane to seek political asylum in Switzerland.

Katie Hopkins Lays Into Late Bob Crow Just Hours After His Death

Rent-a-gob Katie Hopkins has sunk to a new low, this time laying into Bob Crow just hours after his death was announced.
The controversial Rail, Maritime and Transport Union leader is believed to have died of a massive heart attack aged just 52, in the early hours of Tuesday.
However the former Apprentice star and tabloid columnist wasted little time in voicing her opinion, tweeting "There was a man called Bob Crow. *limerick to follow, after appropriate amount of time for national outpouring of union grief*".

 Hopkins also referred to Bob Crow's famous quote from last year, in which he said former prime minister Margaret Thatcher could "rot in hell" for what she did to the country, as a reason to shun the union leader from any form of respect.

She then used the news of Mr Crow's death to promote her upcoming TV appearance, suggesting that the London Underground would be on time following the union leader's death:

However Katie Hopkins' comments prompted both outrage and support on Twitter, with reaction to her tweets ranging from calling her a "vile human being" to being "well within her rights".

Hopkins is the first high-profile figure to publicly lambast the late union leader, with Crow's most famous opponents giving heartfelt tributes.
Boris Johnson, who clashed many times with the union leader, said: "Whatever our political differences, and there were many, this is tragic news.
"I'm shocked. Bob Crow was a fighter and a man of character. Bob fought tirelessly for his beliefs and for his members."
"It's a sad day."

Britain set for hottest summer EVER after ''exceptionally mild'' spring weather makes UK warmer than Mediterranean

Forecasters are expecting a surprise summer heatwave and bookies have now slashed the odds of temperatures soaring past the 25.6C March record set 1968 in Mepal, Cambs

Britain basked in glorious sunshine again yesterday as temperatures topped 19C – hotter than on the Med.
And forecasters are saying this summer could be the UK’s hottest ever because of warmer water as far away as the Pacific.
Thousands flocked to beaches, beer gardens and parks to lap up “exceptionally mild” spring weather caused by a band of high pressure making its way across Britain.
The hottest ­recorded in Britain yesterday was 19.3C (66F) in London’s St James’s Park.
That was more than two degrees warmer than in Greece where temperatures reached 17C and six degrees hotter than Turkey where it was just 13C.
Bookies have now slashed the odds of temperatures soaring past the 25.6C March record set 1968 in Mepal, Cambs, after the mercury soared well above the 12C average for this time of year.
And despite the wettest winter on record in England and Wales, forecasters are now expecting Britain to experience a surprise summer heatwave.
Boffins at Justus Liebig University in Giessen, Germany, say there is a 75 per cent chance that this summer will be a scorcher, with Britain set for an El Niño weather pattern,

That means waters on the Pacific equator rise higher than usual, ­leading to hotter temperatures here. It is even possible 2003’s record of 38.5C in Faversham, Kent, may fall.

Met Office forecaster Tom Morgan confirmed: “It was a lovely warm sunny day in the South.”

MeteoGroups’s Andy Ratcliffe added: “It will be dry across the UK, but there could more unsettled weather towards the end of the week in the North West.”
And the good news is large parts of the country will still be basking today.
In the South and East of England, temperatures are expected to top 18C.
But in the North West and Scotland, temperatures will be cooler with a chance of rain.

The men, all aged in their thirties who work as teachers or teaching staff, are suspected of possessing extreme pornography.

Three School Staff Held Over Indecent Images

Three men employed as teachers or teaching staff in Birmingham have been arrested for alleged possession of extreme pornography.

Two of them, aged 36 and 37, were detained at their homes in the city while the third, aged 32, was held at his property in Wolverhampton just after 6am.
They are being questioned by detectives from the West Midlands force's public protection unit at police stations in the region.
One of the men works at Park View School and the other two are employed at Golden Hillock School.
Police have notified the management at the schools as well as the Department for Education.
The force said its investigation began in April 2013 as a result of an ongoing enquiry into the sharing of extreme pornography.
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Put your brollies away! Britain is set for driest March ever

BRITAIN may be enjoying the driest March on record – with little chance of rain for at least the next fortnight, forecasters said last night.

A “mammoth” area of high pressure, which has brought the recent above-average temperatures, is wedged over the UK.

And it shows no signs of shifting yet, meaning the country may not see any significant rainfall until April.

Almost everywhere can look forward to at least 10 more days of it being dry and sunny.

After weeks of the wettest winter since 1910, parts of the country have so far seen less than a sixth of the average rainfall for March.

Jonathan Powell, forecaster for Vantage Weather Services, said this month could beat March 1927 when only 0.6ins of rain fell.

He said: “It is a similar stubborn high to that which we saw during the very hot weather last summer and it will stay very, very dry.

“It is going to bring more glorious conditions with temperatures to stay around 63F (17C) or even 64F at the weekend. The only downside is all the right  ingredients are there for some quite problematic fog.”

The prospect of a lengthy dry spell will come as a relief to the flood-ravaged South.

Although river and groundwater levels have fallen they are still “exceptionally high”.

The Environment Agency still has four flood warnings and 59 flood alerts in place across Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, West Sussex, West Berkshire, Kent and Surrey.

But a spokesman said a continued dry spell would see water levels fall in the worst-hit areas.

The deluged Somerset Levels were seeing falling levels after Britain’s biggest ever pumping operation, although ground- water levels remain exceptionally high across much of the South.

But the Met Office said so far just 0.5ins of rain has fallen in London against an average of 2.2ins across the South-east.

East Anglia has seen 0.2ins, a seventh of the 1.7ins average, while parts of Wales have seen 0.8ins, a sixth of the region’s 4.6ins average.

The warm weather could bring the risk of disruptive fog and the Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for fog across most of the South today.

A spokesman said: “Where it forms it is likely to be dense at times, especially in low-lying areas. The public should be aware of the potential for some difficult driving conditions and disruption to travel, particularly during the morning rush hour.”

Spokeswoman Nicky Maxey said: “It is going to stay fairly mild with temperatures dropping slightly to more normal values though creeping up again on Sunday.

“It will feel colder at night but then start to warm up again during the day.”

Britain has so far basked in temperatures higher than Greece and the Mediterranean with the mercury touching 69F (20.5C) in Kent last weekend. Leon Brown, forecaster for The Weather Channel, predicted another glorious few days this weekend.

He said: “Sunday may turn out to be a fine and quite sunny day for southern and eastern England.” Fog today may linger till late morning, but it will get warmer by the afternoon.

He said temperatures will hit 63F where the sun breaks through earliest in the morning, while sheltered locations such as west Wales may reach 64F.

Sales of barbecues have rocketed 111 per cent compared to the same time last year.

Asda spokeswoman Mammy Kufuor said: “The nation has been raring to light the barbecues.”

 

Teacher orders boy, 10, to remove Help for Heroes wristband worn in memory of Lee Rigby 'because it might cause offence'

A teacher allegedly ordered a 10-year-old boy to take off his Help for Heroes wristband because it could cause offence.
Tracy Tew was shocked when her son Charlie was put on a report card at Maldon Primary School in Essex after he refused to take off the charity rubber bracelet sold to honour injured soldiers.
Charlie wears the wristband - bought at the Colchester Military Festival - in honour of murdered solider Lee Rigby and service personnel in his family, including his great-granddad and uncle.

Mrs Tew, 38, a domestic service assistant at a hospital, said: ‘We are really proud of Charlie for sticking to his guns. He wanted to keep it on and he didn’t agree with the reasons why he shouldn’t.

The mother of two added: ‘When the teacher said she was worried it was going to offend people, I thought it was disgusting. Our family are up in arms because we are all military minded.

‘With what happened with Lee Rigby, Charlie really wanted to wear a wristband.’
Drummer Rigby, 25, was killed by two Islamic fanatics in Woolwich, south-east London, in May last year. Michael Adebolajo, 29, and Michael Adebowale, 22, were jailed for the murder last month.

Headteacher Tracy Thornton insisted wearing wristbands is against the school’s jewellery policy.

She said: ‘They are not allowed to wear jewellery, and that includes wristbands, for health and safety reasons because they could get caught.

‘I can’t comment on what one particular teacher said, but for the general perspective of the school, the children are not allowed to wear jewellery except small silver studs and watches, which have to be taken off for PE.’
Bryn Parry, co-founder and CEO of Help for Heroes, told MailOnline: ‘A school's uniform policy is a matter for the principal and governors.
‘However, over 6million wristbands are proudly being worn in support of our wounded servicemen and women, including many wristbands on the frontline in Afghanistan.
‘We have not heard of a single health and safety incident connected to them, nor have we ever had a complaint that they are offensive.
‘We do also have a wonderful range of other items such as lapel badges for those who are keen to show their support for our wounded.’Terry Sutton, Colchester president of the Royal British Legion - a separate charity to Help for Heroes - said he has never heard of anyone taking offence to wristbands backing military charities.

He said: ‘It’s hard to see how the band would cause offence, except, I suppose, to the radical Muslim community. I don’t think that will be a problem in Colchester and in its surrounding area.
‘Help for Heroes bands are something young people in particular have latched onto and it’s great, as a former serviceman, to see them showing their support.’
The school has around 400 pupils aged between four and 11. In its last Ofsted report in January 2013, it was rated as 'good' overall - an improvement from 'satisfactory' in the previous inspection.

Joan Collins, Pixie Lott and Ben Kingsley re-create Oscars selfie at Prince's Trust Awards

JOAN Collins and a host of glamorous stars re-created the famous Oscars selfie on the red carpet of the Prince's Trust awards ceremony this afternoon.

The 80-year-old posed with Pixie Lott, Sir Ben Kingsley, X Factor champ Sam Bailey and Strictly Come Dancing host Tess Daly for the photo.

Others who crammed into the snap that emulated the Academy Awards selfie were The Wire star Dominic West, Jools Holland and Vernon Kay.

Mrs Collins was triumphant after she whipped out her smart phone to take the picture at the VIP bash at the Odeon in Leicester Square.As the celebrities clapped after the selfie was taken, the glamorous actress and author said: "We got it. If they can do it at the Oscars we can do it here."

Mrs Collins tried to encourage Prince Charles to pose in the photo, which was posted on her Twitter, but he walked away before it was taken.

She added: "He said 'what a good idea' but wasn't in the picture."

TV stars Ant and Dec hosted the Celebrate Success Awards which honours young people who have turned their lives around with help from the Trust.

BREAKING NEWS: '5 Buildings In Explosion And Building Collapse' In New York

Local media reports say police and fire units have responded to a possible explosion and building collapse in New York City.

FDNY confirmed via Twitter that crews responded to a building collapse and fire in Uptown Manhattan on East 114 Street.
Metro-North Railroad says it has suspended all commuter train service in the area.
The explosion happened at a building on 116th Street and Park just after 9:30 a.m., according to officials. A three-alarm fire is raging atop the building.

There are reports that people are trapped after part of the building collapsed.
It is unclear what caused the explosion at this time, but Con Ed was requested on rush for a gas leak.
Officials are requesting the Metro-North be shut down at this time.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport Union leader Bob Crow has died at the age of 52, according to the Press Association.

RMT Union Leader Bob Crow Dead

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union leader Bob Crow has died at the age of 52, the union has confirmed.

In a brief statement the RMT said:  "It is with the deepest regret that RMT has to confirm that our general secretary Bob Crow sadly passed away in the early hours of this morning.
"RMT would request that all media respect the privacy of the friends and family of Bob Crow at this distressing time."
Mr Crow has been a controversial and divisive figure seen by some as the staunch defender of workers rights and by others as a force for disruption.
His supporters credited him with revitalising the RMT while his detractors highlighted his significant salary and holidays abroad while continuing in a council house.

Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone paid tribute to Mr Crow saying that his work had a huge influence on young people coming up through the trade union movement and would create a "better generation of trade union leader in the future".
He told Sky News: "He fought really hard for his members. The only working-class people who still have well-paid jobs in London are his members."
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A missing woman managed to unwittingly join a search party looking for herself.

Woman accidentally joins search party looking for herself

Toronto Sun reports that a tourist group traveling by bus to the volcanic Eldgja canyon made a pit stop near the canyon park. The woman in question went inside to freshen up and change her clothes at the rest stop, and when she came back “her busmates didn’t recognize her.”

Word spread among the group of a missing passenger, and the woman didn’t recognize the description of herself. Next thing you know, a 50-person search party was canvassing the area, and the coast guard was mobilizing to deploy a search party of its own.
About 3am, some genius in the group finally figured out that the missing woman was actually in the search party, albeit in different clothes, and the search was called off.
No word on what kind of wardrobe was involved in this woman’s “freshening up.” But her sense of self-image must be way out of whack to join a search party until 3am without even suspecting for a minute that the woman in the description bore some resemblance to herself.

'Distracted' driver chatting on hands-free escapes jail after hitting toddlers

A WOMAN who hit two little children, who later died, in her BMW as she chatted on her hands-free phone escaped jail yesterday.

A jury ruled Sharmila Mistry, 41, was not to blame for mounting a kerb and hitting Zofia Tabaka, two, and Oliwier Baczyk, 21 months, in their buggies.

Mistry’s car was shunted towards the toddlers when she collided with a Mini that jumped a red light in Leicester.

James Thomas, prosecuting, said Mistry, of Bushby, was distracted by her phone call and was doing 36mph in a 30mph zone. Oliwier and Zofia died later that day.

Leicester Crown Court cleared her of causing death by careless driving but she was convicted of careless driving.

She was fined £3,000 and banned from the road for 18 months.

Family forced to flee home after finding potentially deadly spiders in a bunch of bananas

A terrified family were forced to leave their home for three days after they discovered a swarm of potentially toxic spiders in a bunch of bananas.
Dad Jamie Roberts, 31, spotted white patches in the fruit after putting them in a bowl, but assumed the marks were simply mould.

However, closer inspection revealed a spider nest containing hundreds of the eight-legged creatures.
Jamie - who already suffered from arachnophobia - and his wife Crystal called pest controllers, who warned them to leave their home immediately.

The couple and their two children - Georgina, seven, and Joshua, five - were kept out of the house in Hednesford, Staffordshire for three days while toxic fumes used to kill the spiders were cleared.
While the spiders have not been officially identified, the family believe they may be the Brazilian Wandering Spider.
According to the Guinness World Records, the species is the world's most poisonous spider, with venom said to be 30 times more powerful than that of a rattlesnake.

Humans bitten by a Brazilian Wandering Spider can suffer an irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, vomiting and eventual death. Children under seven are thought to be most vulnerable to their bite.

It was like something out of a horror film because suddenly the window sill was moving with hundreds of these spiders.
My wife and I rang the shop where we bought them and they asked us to drop them round to them.
When we did they called pest control and they told us to get out of the house.
They said they couldn’t be sure what kind of species of spider they were because you can only do that when they are fully grown but they looked identical to the deadly Brazilian Wandering Spider.

Jamie’s wife Crystal said she had bought the bananas from a local shop.
“I unpacked the bananas from the cellophane wrapper and put it in the bin so it’s possible the ‘queen spider’ may have been in there," she said.

PICTURED: Dramatic pictures show moment a skydiver survived a collision with a plane when both tried to land in the same spot.

John Frost was inches from the ground when the Cessna swept in, snagging his parachute on its wing.
John, 49, who narrowly avoided its propeller, was hurled 75ft into the air before falling on to the grass runway.

 
The pilot, 87-year-old Shannon Trembley, then lost control of the plane — which nosedived into the turf.  Amazingly, both men suffered just minor injuries in Saturday’s drama — captured by a photographer at South Lakeland airport, near Tampa, Florida.
Badly-bruised John — who had jumped from 12,00ft with six others — said yesterday: “I’m just happy to be alive. I had right of way to land.”
Shannon’s wife Dorothy said he tried desperately to get out of John’s path.
Experts are investigating the collision.

A WOMAN is facing emergency surgery today after she was savaged by a pit bull-type dog in an attack which sparked an armed police hunt for the animal.

'Seriously injured' woman to face emergency surgery after dog attack

The 22-year-old victim, named locally as Joanne McCord, is likely to undergo an operation today after she suffered "serious injuries" to her scalp, face and arm in Lincoln last night, police said.
The attack sparked a hunt for the animal, involving armed officers and a police helicopter, in the city.
But the force has confirmed the dog, believed to be an American pit bull, was caught in the early hours of this morning.

Staff at Lincoln County Hospital raised the alarm at around 10.30pm, last night after Miss McCord was admitted with her injuries.
Police said the attack is believed to have taken place close to an old quarry at the rear of Outer Circle Road, but an exact scene has not been identified.
The force had warned locals to steer clear of the danger zone during the search, with a spokeswoman saying: "We would ask that members of the public stay away from the area for their own safety at this time."
However, police later confirmed the dog had been caught at around 1.30am.
A Lincolnshire Police spokesperson said of the victim: "The injuries consist of a serious injury to her scalp, injuries to her face and to her arm. She remains on a ward at Lincoln County Hospital and is likely to undergo surgery later today."
The force said the dog is thought to be owned by a man known to the victim.
"This man has been arrested on suspicion of offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act and also for affray," the spokesman added.
The second offence arose from an alleged incident when police tried to seize the dog suspected of the attack from a Lincoln address. It was eventually seized and is now in police kennels, the force said.
Lincolnshire Police said it would need to carry out forensic tests to establish the exact breed of the dog, which is a white "American pit bull terrier-type of animal".
Certain types of American pit bull terrier are banned in Britain under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
Miss McCord recently posted on her Facebook page: "There's no such thing as a dangerous dog!! Just a dangerous owner!!'

She regularly updates her Facebook profile by posting appeals by rescue shelters such as Angels for Animals Networks, Inland Valley Humane Society & S.P.C.A.'s and Yonkers Animal Shelter's.
Police are asking anyone who saw the attack, or who may have any information about the dog, to call the 101 non-emergency number and quote incident number 521.

Terrorism fears grow as Malaysia Airlines missing 777 plane wreckage found

WRECKAGE from the missing 777 jet has been found as fears grow the plane was struck by terrorists.

Teams hunting for the Malaysia Airlines aircraft spotted what they believe to be a door and tail in the sea off Vietnam.
Officials said it was too dark to be certain the objects were from the Boeing aircraft that was carrying 239 people.

A source from the National Committee for Search and Rescue said: “As it is night they cannot fish them out for proper identification.
“They have located the position of the areas and flown back to the land.”
Interpol investigators last night slammed airport security after it emerged up to four passengers had boarded with stolen European passports.
Two were reported travelling on the stolen passports of Italian tourist Luigi Maraldi, 37, and of an Austrian citizen.
Investigators are also probing whether the jet came apart at 35,000ft, suggesting an explosion on board, and was destroyed before it hit the ocean.
A source revealed: “The fact that we are unable to find any debris so far indicates that the aircraft is likely to have disintegrated.”

The plane was flying from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to China’s capital Beijing and scheduled to land at 10.30pm UK time on Friday.
The tragedy comes a week after 33 people were knifed to death and 130 wounded by Islamic militants at a railway station in south-west China.

Brit paedo tried to get girl, 13, pregnant so he could ABUSE the baby

A TWISTED paedophile flew to America in the hope of getting a 13-year-old girl pregnant so that he could abuse the baby when it was born.

Brit Shuhel Mahboob Ali last week admitted to enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity, after unwittingly revealing his sick plans to an undercover FBI agent.
The 40-year-old had replied to a fake ad that offered an underage girl for sex, and flew to the U.S. to meet with the agent – who was posing as the girl's father.
Incest-obsessed Ali arrived in the country with bondage tape, face masks, condoms, cameras and a laptop containing child porn all stashed away inside his luggage.

Revealing his desire to get the girl pregnant and have sex with their newborn baby "as soon as the midwife left", Ali planned to bring her back to the UK to "train her sexually and prepare her for a family".
He told the undercover agent: "When you start with very, very, very young, you can mould them to believe anything and do anything."
Ali was arrested in Florida last April and pleaded guilty to his crimes last week.
Sheriff Wayne Ivey said: "It is truly unimaginable that monsters exist and walk among us with the purpose of victimising our most precious citizens."
Ali was jailed for 10 years.

Officials are investigating whether the missing plane carrying 239 people was destroyed in a terror attack.

Malaysia Airlines: False Passports Terror Probe

Interpol says at least two passports used on the missing Malaysia Airlines plane were stolen and it is "examining additional suspect passports" used on the flight.

The international police body said it was of "great concern" that passengers were able to board the Boeing 777-200 using stolen passports, and no checks had been made against its database.
Security services are investigating whether the plane carrying 239 people was destroyed in a terror attack.

The jet disappeared almost two days ago off Vietnam's south coast, but there is still no sign of the aircraft or any wreckage.
The search area has been widened after radar data indicated the plane may have turned back.
The FBI and Boeing have joined the investigation after it was revealed four passengers may have been travelling on false passports.
Malaysia's defence and transport minister Hishamuddin Hussein told a news conference in Kuala Lumpur: "All the four names are with me."
He confirmed Malaysian investigators have met counterparts from the FBI, and said the operation is focusing on "the entire passenger manifest".
It emerged on Saturday that two people boarded the plane using stolen European passports.
"On the issue of the passports, I'm in touch with the international intelligence agencies," he said.
"At the same time our own intelligence has been activated, and of course, the counter-terrorism units ... from all the relevant countries have been informed."
Asked whether he believes the plane was hijacked, he would only say: "We are looking at all possibilities."
The two men using stolen passports reportedly bought their tickets together from a travel agency in Pattaya, Thailand, and were due to fly on to Europe from Beijing.
Flight MH370 was travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it vanished around two hours into the flight.
The plane disappeared from radar at 1.30am (5.30pm UK time) on Friday, about 85 miles (135km) north of the Malaysian city of Kuala Terengganu.
A huge search involving 22 aircraft and 40 ships is continuing in the vast waters of the Gulf of Thailand, between Vietnam and Malaysia.
It concentrated around the Vietnamese island resort of Phu Quoc after Vietnamese air force jets spotted two huge oil slicks.
The parallel slicks - both between 10 miles (16km) and 12 miles (19km) long and 500 metres apart - were consistent with the kind of spills caused by fuel from a crashed airliner, a Vietnamese government statement said.

The search has now widened to the sea off Malacca, on the west coast of Malaysia, after radar data indicated the plane may have turned back before disappearing.
US federal safety officials said a team of experts are heading to Asia to help in the investigation.
The team includes accident investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board, as well as technical experts from the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing.
The plane's disappearance is especially mysterious because it happened when the plane was at cruising altitude, not during the more dangerous phases of take-off or landing.
Officials are examining CCTV footage of passengers boarding the plane.
One of the passengers was listed as a 37-year-old Italian called Luigi Maraldi but he has contacted his parents to say he was not on the airliner.
He had his passport stolen in Thailand several months ago, leaving questions over who used his passport to board the plane and whether that has anything to do with the airliner's disappearance.
Another passenger used a passport belonging to Austrian citizen Christian Kozel, whose passport was stolen in Thailand two years ago.
He is listed as one of the passengers although he has been confirmed as safe and well by authorities.
Relatives are still waiting anxiously at Beijing airport for news of their loved ones.
Tech firm Freescale Semiconductor said 20 of its staff were on the plane.
In a statement it said: "Twelve are from Malaysia and eight are from China. The entire Freescale Semiconductor community is deeply saddened by this news."