Parents To Be Punished For Kids' Bad Behaviour

Parents have been warned by Education Secretary Michael Gove they will face punishments for failing to ensure their children arrive at school "ready to learn and showing respect for their teacher".

Mr Gove has vowed to raise school standards "higher than ever before" as he set out an uncompromising vision to get rid of what he believes is a culture of low expectations.

In a speech to the Policy Exchange think tank, Mr Gove insisted mothers and fathers have to take responsibility for their child's behaviour or face sanctions.

He also hit out at teachers who "set children up to fail" by refusing to think they might be intellectually curious or capable of greatness.

Mr Gove said: "We need to ensure that those parents who don't play their part in ensuring their children attend school, ready to learn and showing respect for their teacher, face up to their responsibilities.

"We will, later this year, be outlining detailed proposals to ensure parents play their full part in guaranteeing good behaviour and outlining stronger sanctions for those who don't."

Mr Gove wants to eradicate what he thinks is a culture of low expectations

The Education Secretary's approach has seen him clash numerous times with teaching unions, which have accused him of a "personal ideological crusade".

But Mr Gove rejected suggestions his reforms are too demanding, and added his reforming zeal will not diminish.

"I believe we have to embrace reform, lean in to the future, set standards higher than ever before," he said.

Mr Gove said he knew what "real barriers to success look like".

"I spent the first four months of my life in care," he said.

"Both my parents had to leave school at 15.

"My sister spent all her school career set apart from other children who were just as bright as her in a school for children with special needs.

"And I know what setting children up to fail looks like."

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Madeleine Search: Needham Family's Sympathy

No Trace Of Ben In New Police Hunt

Updated: 10:17pm UK, Friday 26 October 2012

British police have ended their latest search for Ben Needham who disappeared on the Greek Island of Kos 21 years ago.

A fresh hunt was launched by South Yorkshire Police along with Greek officers on October 19 after doubts emerged about whether parts of the site where he went missing were examined thoroughly at the time.

The 21-month-old Sheffield boy, who moved to Greece with his mother and grandparents, disappeared from a remote spot next to a farmhouse that his grandfather Eddie was renovating.

Detective Superintendent Matt Fenwick said: "Police teams out in Kos have not found anything this week.

"The search has now been completed at about 4pm, Greek time today (Friday). South Yorkshire Police are continuing to support the Greek authorities and Ben's family."

Over the last week, experts focused their search on a large mound, which was grassed over, near the farmhouse.

One theory is that Ben could have been buried beneath building material which was dumped there at the time he went missing.

During operations, sophisticated radar equipment was used to provide penetrating images from below ground level.

Olive and lemon groves surrounding the farmhouse were also examined.

Police also discovered parts of toys that Ben may have been playing with before he disappeared.

Despite a number of possible sightings and a range of theories about what happened to him, no trace of the youngster has been found.

South Yorkshire Police renewed their search following a request from Greek police for extra support, which involved a forensic archaeologist and search dogs.

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Conservatives Hold Newark In By-Election

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

David Cameron is celebrating after the Tories' massive effort in the Newark by-election was rewarded with a comfortable victory over UKIP and a majority of nearly 7,500.

Conservative candidate Robert Jenrick held the seat with 17,431 and 45% of the vote, with UKIP's Roger Helmer second with 10,028 and 26%.

Labour's Michael Payne finished in third place with 6,842 votes, 18% of ballots cast.

But in yet another dismal result for the Liberal Democrats, their candidate David Watts came sixth, polling just 1,004 votes and 2.5%, and was beaten by an independent and the Green Party candidate.

Mr Jenrick said: "The people of Newark have voted to back this government, to back this government's long term economic plan to secure the future of this constituency and of this great country."

UKIP's candidate, Roger Helmer

Although they failed to capture the seat, UKIP will be delighted at the big increase in its support, leapfrogging from fifth to second place and almost polling as highly as the party did in Eastleigh, where it came second to the Lib Dems.

Mr Helmer said the result was a "great sign" for the future of his party.

"We stood in this election hoping to win and planning to win and we have not won but we are encouraged by the fact that we have increased our share of the vote since the general election by a factor of six and we have halved the Conservative majority."

Labour's Mr Payne said he was "extremely proud" of the campaign his party fought and added: "Labour has listened to the people of Newark, campaigning throughout on the issues that matter, especially the future of Newark hospital and the local NHS."

The turnout was a respectable 53%, down from 71.5% at the general election, considerably higher than the 2010 average.

The seat was previously held with a majority of 16,152 by the Tory MP and former Army officer Patrick Mercer, who quit after being exposed in a cash-for-questions scandal.

The candidates on stage at the count

Faced with a UKIP surge, the Conservatives threw everything into the by-election campaign.

Mr Cameron visited the constituency four times during the campaign and Tory MPs - including the most senior Cabinet ministers - were ordered to make at least three visits

Right up to the very last minute, the Tories left nothing to chance.

Led by party co-chairs Grant Shapps and Lord Feldman, up to 100 MPs and 1,000 activists were in Newark on polling day in an all-out effort to stop UKIP winning its first ever Parliamentary seat.

Nigel Farage at the count

UKIP found itself heavily outgunned, with only around 200 volunteers rallying support on polling day.

Mr Helmer was not helped by Mr Farage keeping a relatively low profile during the campaign, visiting just once, last Saturday.

On Wednesday he was in Malta speaking at a conference organised by the Institute of Travel and Tourism of the UK in Malta, and did not arrive in Newark until Thursday afternoon.

:: Political Editor Adam Boulton has taken a look at the state of the parties as they gear up for the general election next year. You can find his analysis on the Sky News Catch Up Service, which is free for TV customers with Sky+ HD boxes connected to broadband.

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Rape Convictions Boost Bid 'Not Enough'

By Frazer Maude, Sky News Reporter

A new action plan to increase the proportion of successful rape convictions has been announced by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

But it has already been criticised by one rape support group.

Women Against Rape claims not enough is being done to encourage victims to report the crimes against them.

The group said: "We're outraged to see the rape action plan announced in a press release today by the CPS and police given that they are at the same time going after women reporting rape for so-called false allegations, with more vigour and resources than we ever see them go after rapists."

In the past year there has been an overall rise in the number of police referrals, prosecutions and convictions for rape. 

But the proportion of court cases that result in conviction has fallen by 4.2%.

To try to improve conviction rates the CPS's new action plan includes:

:: Updating the joint police and CPS national rape protocol

:: The monitoring of police decisions to take no further action in rape cases

:: New practical guidance for frontline police officers and prosecutors

Announcing the new plans, Alison Saunders, the Director of Public Prosecutions, said: "I am determined to ensure our long-term progress to tackle rape continues, particularly in dispelling the myths and stereotypes surrounding these types of cases.

"The new action plan makes very clear that, as with cases of child sexual abuse, the focus of any investigation and case preparation should not be on the credibility of the victim but on the credibility of the overall allegation, including the actions of the suspect."

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt, National Policing Lead on Adult Sex Offences, said: "This is absolutely about helping victims of rape. This is about showing, and continuing to show, our commitment to improving the way we deal with rape."

Some estimates suggest there are as many as 85,000 rapes committed every year in England and Wales, only 10% of which are reported to police. 

One victim told Sky News there are still "myths" surrounding rape.

She said: "But I think the big problem is the prosecutors in court are still allowed to use myths, as are the defendants.

"I actually wrote to Alison Saunders after there were serious flaws in my case and I never got a response.

"I did say to her changes should begin in the justice system before you tackle the myths of the general person in the street."

When asked what she thought of the latest measures, she said: "We've heard it all before.

"I now campaign for Women Against Rape, from their history and the short time I've been there, every year or every so often we see these guidelines are going to be brought out or there's a press release saying we're going to do things better and nothing ever changes."

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Arrests Made Over Tower Hamlets Election

Two people have been arrested as part of a probe into alleged voting malpractice at elections in Tower Hamlets, east London.

A 38-year-old man was arrested on May 13 in connection with an allegation of potential false declarations on nomination forms.

A 24-year-old man was also arrested on June 3 on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud in relation to postal vote applications.

Police said there were eight ongoing investigations in Tower Hamlets relating to voting in the local and European elections on May 22.

"These refer to one allegation of failing to put a correct imprint on election literature; one of making a false statement about a candidate; four of false declarations on nomination papers; and two relating to postal voting," a police spokesman said.

Six further election-related offences are being investigated in other London boroughs, police said.

These relate to four allegations of false declarations on nomination papers, one allegation of bribery, and one of forgery.

A 33-year-old man was arrested in Enfield, north London, in connection with potential false declarations, while three more men were interviewed under caution.

All three men arrested were released pending further inquiries and are due back in custody in late June and mid July.

Police said they had posted an officer to each polling station in Tower Hamlets on May 22 and were now working on a "robust policing plan" for the borough's by-election on July 3.

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Madeleine McCann Police Want To Extend Search

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 10:22am UK, Monday 02 June 2014

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: February 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: February 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: February 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

:: October 17 - Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Scotland Yard team, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, and Mr and Mrs McCann meet officers in Lisbon to be briefed on the Portuguese case.

:: October 23 - Britain's most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe defends the way the Portuguese dealt with the initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, saying it would have been "very difficult" to immediately know if they were dealing with a serious crime.

:: October 24 - Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.

2014

:: January 3 - A family source says Kate and Gerry McCann have been denied permission to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book about the case by former local police chief Goncalo Amaral.

:: January 13 - British police investigate three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine disappeared, and whose phones were apparently "red hot" after she went missing. A letter is sent to Portuguese police asking for help to track them down.

:: January 29 - Scotland Yard officers, including the detective leading the case, fly to Portugal to meet police there and discuss the latest developments.

:: March 19 - Officers from Operation Grange launch a search for a man who sexually assaulted five British girls in the Algarve between 2004 and 2006.

:: April 23 - Detectives identify five new cases where a lone intruder abused young British girls in holiday apartments in the Algarve.

:: May 1 - Kate and Gerry McCann give an interview to Sky News where they are desperate to find out what happened to Madeleine, even if it is the "worst case scenario" as they back calls for a Child Rescue Alert service similar to the Amber Alert system in the US.

:: May 6 - Scotland Yard plans to dig for evidence in three locations in Praia da Luz are approved, with officers set to use ground penetrating radar.

:: May 8 - British Officers reportedly use a military helicopter to photograph potential excavation sites and hold a four-hour meeting with Portuguese colleagues to agree a timetable for new searches.

:: May 22 - Met Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley says the investigation will enter a "substantial phase of operational activity" in Portugal in the coming weeks. 

:: June 2 - Portuguese police seal off an area of scrubland to the west of Praia da Luz as they prepare to examine the potential excavation site.

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Heathrow T2 'Teething Problems' Warning

Passengers using Heathrow's new £2.5bn Terminal 2 (T2) for the first time today are being warned to expect early teething problems.

Bosses at the west London airport are not expecting a repeat of the calamitous opening of Terminal 5 (T5) back in 2008, which led to travel chaos.

This is because T2 will open in phases, with only 10% of its eventual capacity being reached today.

The first flight - a service from Chicago scheduled to reach Heathrow at around 5.55am - will be operated by the American carrier United Airlines, which will have the terminal to itself in the first few days.

There will be a total of 34 flights to and from the terminal today, involving 6,000 passengers.

Six thousand passengers will use the terminal on its first day

By the end of this year more than 20 airlines will have moved in, with 330 flights a day to 50 destinations.

T2 boasts 60 check-in gates and 66 self-check-in kiosks, 29 security lanes, 33 shops, 17 restaurants, more than 7,000 seats, 634 toilets and 42 water fountains.

John Holland-Kaye, Heathrow development director and chief executive designate, said the airport had "sought advice from other airports around the world and learnt lessons from opening T5".

He added: "Heathrow is confident but not complacent about the opening. We recognise that there will inevitably be some teething problems in the first few days.

"We will be focused on identifying and resolving issues as quickly as possible to deliver a smooth journey for passengers."

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One Dead, 13 Injured After Bus And Car Crash

A man has died and 13 people have been left injured after a bus and a car collided in Clapton, east London.

The crash happened at approximately 2.20am in Lea Bridge Road at the junction with Essex Wharf.

A man who was in the car was pronounced dead at the scene.

Three other men who were in the vehicle have all been taken to hospital.

One is in a critical condition, while the other two, who were in the back of the vehicle, are described as being in a serious but stable condition.

All of them are believed to be in their early to mid-20s.

Ambulance crews treated around 10 walking wounded who were passengers on the bus, a N38 travelling towards Whipps Cross.

A number of the wounded have been taken to hospital on another bus supplied by Transport for London.

It is thought they all suffered minor injuries.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area, with road closures in place running from Chatsworth Road with the junction of Lea Bridge Road to Orient Way with the junction with Lea Bridge Road.

Any witnesses or anyone with information relating to the incident is asked to call the police non-emergency line on 101.

More follows...

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Madeleine McCann: Police In High-Tech Search

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 10:22am UK, Monday 02 June 2014

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: February 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: February 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: February 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

:: October 17 - Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Scotland Yard team, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, and Mr and Mrs McCann meet officers in Lisbon to be briefed on the Portuguese case.

:: October 23 - Britain's most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe defends the way the Portuguese dealt with the initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, saying it would have been "very difficult" to immediately know if they were dealing with a serious crime.

:: October 24 - Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.

2014

:: January 3 - A family source says Kate and Gerry McCann have been denied permission to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book about the case by former local police chief Goncalo Amaral.

:: January 13 - British police investigate three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine disappeared, and whose phones were apparently "red hot" after she went missing. A letter is sent to Portuguese police asking for help to track them down.

:: January 29 - Scotland Yard officers, including the detective leading the case, fly to Portugal to meet police there and discuss the latest developments.

:: March 19 - Officers from Operation Grange launch a search for a man who sexually assaulted five British girls in the Algarve between 2004 and 2006.

:: April 23 - Detectives identify five new cases where a lone intruder abused young British girls in holiday apartments in the Algarve.

:: May 1 - Kate and Gerry McCann give an interview to Sky News where they are desperate to find out what happened to Madeleine, even if it is the "worst case scenario" as they back calls for a Child Rescue Alert service similar to the Amber Alert system in the US.

:: May 6 - Scotland Yard plans to dig for evidence in three locations in Praia da Luz are approved, with officers set to use ground penetrating radar.

:: May 8 - British Officers reportedly use a military helicopter to photograph potential excavation sites and hold a four-hour meeting with Portuguese colleagues to agree a timetable for new searches.

:: May 22 - Met Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley says the investigation will enter a "substantial phase of operational activity" in Portugal in the coming weeks. 

:: June 2 - Portuguese police seal off an area of scrubland to the west of Praia da Luz as they prepare to examine the potential excavation site.

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'Muslim School Plot' Fears Were Raised In 1994

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs And Education Editor

Fears that hardline Muslim governors have been infiltrating Birmingham schools go back at least two decades, and were raised with the government in 1994.

Sky News has learned that senior leaders at three schools in Birmingham were so concerned about the influence of Muslim extremists in the 1990s they took their fears to the top.

In a letter to education ministers, copied to then Prime Minister John Major, the heads said extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir was gaining an alarming influence over schools in the city.

Former chair of governors at Golden Hillock School, John Ray, met with then education minister Emily Blatch in Westminster.

He says that had the government acted then, the current trend - in which conservative Muslims have been able to dominate school leadership - could have been averted.

Former chair of governors John Ray expressed concerns in 1994

"(The Trojan Horse plot) reveals something, something that is true," said Mr Ray.

"It reveals a mess that the city council has not been able to check - the development of this whole infiltration of this ceding in of governors of one particular ideology. They are not people who have the welfare of these children at heart."

Like many, Mr Ray believes the content of the so-called Trojan Horse letter, which alleges a plot to oust non-hardline Muslims from schools in Birmingham, is a fake. But he maintains the concerns themselves are very real.

He resigned after 25 years as a governor at Golden Hillock School - one of the schools at the centre of the alleged plot - last year when it was taken over by the Park View Educational Trust, the organisation headed by Tahir Alam, who is accused of exerting pressure on state-funded, secular schools to conform to conservative Islam.

A letter sent to government ministers in 1994

Concerns about Mr Alam and the influence of the Park View Educational Trust have led to a spate of high-level investigations by Ofsted, the Department for Education and Birmingham City Council.

Golden Hillock is now expected to be placed in special measures following the results of an Ofsted inspection to be published next week.

The Department for Education says it has been tackling extremism in schools since 2010, and Birmingham City Council is conducting an investigation which will also look at retrospective evidence.

But details of claims going back two decades will place further pressure on the authorities to explain why it took so long to act.

"I think the city council but also central government and all parties were very reluctant to question the received wisdom that suggests it is fair enough that a separate Islamic identity should be stressed," said Mr Ray.

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Missing Brit's Mum Jets To Jungle Island

The mum of a Brit missing in the Malaysian jungle is set to arrive on the island where he was last seen a week ago.

Paramilitary commandos and sniffer dogs have joined the hunt for Gareth Huntley, who is on a sabbatical from his job in the City.

The Foreign Office have confirmed five helicopters will now be deployed as the search intensifies.

The 34-year-old, who lives in Hackney, disappeared while trekking to visit a waterfall in Tioman Island, off the south eastern coast of the country's mainland.

Mum Janet Southwell will arrive in Malaysia on Monday

Mr Huntley's girlfriend, Kit Natariga, arrived on the island on Sunday and will now be joined by his mother, Janet Southwell.

"It's really tough, especially coming onto the island," Ms Natariga told Sky News.

"It's beautiful, a paradise place, and I know Gareth's out there in the jungle somewhere. Every time I look out of the window, I hope I'll see him.

"It's very difficult ... he's in danger and time is running out."

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has been assured by the Malaysians that "all available search assets" are being used to find Mr Huntley.

Gareth Huntley and his girlfriend Kit Natariga

Patrol boats are being used to help trace the accountant, and there is speculation that specialist military personnel from Britain, based in nearby Brunei, could join the search.

Mr Huntley's younger brother Mark said the family were staying positive.

"We want to personally thank David Cameron and Philip Hammond for their reassurances," he said. "It is a very big positive for us.

"We are, of course, very grateful to the Malaysian people and the authorities for their work too. Everyone has been fantastic.

"We are told that local people went out to look for Gareth as soon as he was first described as missing - so without them there would not be a search mission.

The Briton's disappearance is described as out of character

"What we need now is for that work to continue and to find my brother."

Mr Huntley, originally from West Yorkshire, set off on Tuesday telling friends at the Juara Turtle Project where he was volunteering that he would return by 2pm.

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Two Die As Car And Pack Of Motorbikes Collide

Two motorcyclists have been killed and five other people are in hospital after a car collided with a pack of motorbikes.

The crash happened on the A5104 at Pontblyddyn, around 10 miles north of Wrexham on the England-Wales border.

Two people died at the scene and five casualties were taken to hospital by ambulance and air ambulance after the collision which involved six motorbikes.

The condition of the injured is not known.

Specialist officers examined the scene as the road was closed with diversions put in place.

None of those involved in the crash have been identified.

Inspector Gareth Jones, of North Wales Police, said: "The incident involved a car and six motorcycles - two riders of which sadly passed away at the scene.

"Five further casualties were conveyed to hospital by the Helimed and ambulance. An update is awaited on their condition.

"Officers remain on scene continuing with their investigations."

A file has been prepared for a coroner, police said.

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Nurse Rui Li's Husband Charged With Murder

The husband of nurse Rui Li, who was discovered dead in a car in Bournemouth, has been charged with her murder, police say.

Pierre Legris, 60, will appear before Bournemouth Magistrates' Court on Monday.

Legris's 26-year-old son, also from Bournemouth, remains in custody after Dorset Police were given additional time to question him.

Officers discovered the body of 44-year-old Ms Li "concealed within a silver Fiat Punto", along Verwood Crescent in north Bournemouth on Friday - some four miles from her home in Burnham Drive.

Her distinctive Porsche Boxter, with the personalised number plate L1 RUI, was found outside a property in Wolverton Road.

She was last seen by her 18-year-old daughter more than a week ago and reported missing on Tuesday.

Detective Inspector Marcus Hester, of the major crime investigation team, said: "Family Liaison Officers have updated Rui's daughter with these developments - clearly, this is a very difficult time for her as she tries to come to terms with the loss of her mother."

The scene where Ms Li's body was found

He also continued to appeal for friends and family to come forward so detectives could "build a full picture" of her lifestyle.

"This latest development does not mean we do not want to hear from members of the public if they have any information that could help with the investigation into Rui Li's death," he said.

"We still very much want to hear from anyone who may have any information about what happened to Rui Li."

Formal identification has not yet taken place and the inquest will be opened in due course, police said.

Ms Li was last seen alive by her 18-year-old daughter, Lu Yao, at her home on May 23.

Miss Yao had previously made an emotional appeal for her "loving mum" to get in touch, saying: "My mum is a very conscientious and caring nurse and never lets anyone down."

Detectives said Ms Li moved to the UK from China a decade ago and had worked at Poole General Hospital since 2009.

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Scotland Rally Crashes: Three Spectators Killed

Three spectators have been killed and six others injured after two separate crashes during the Jim Clark Rally in Scotland.

Race organisers abandoned the event following the second crash, which took place at Little Swindon, near Coldstream.

Police say one woman and two men died when a car came off the road and struck four spectators.

Emergency crews pronounced the three spectators dead at the scene of the crash, which occurred around 4pm on Saturday.

The fourth spectator, a man, was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmity in a critical condition.

Two hours earlier another rally car left the road near Crosshall Farm, striking five people.

Three men were initially taken to Borders General Hospital, however one was later transferred to an intensive care unit in Edinburgh.

Police attend the crash scene in the Scottish Borders

The remaining two spectators were treated for minor injuries.

Police say the two drivers involved in the crashes were unhurt.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond has expressed his condolences following the two accidents.

"This is desperately sad and difficult news from the Borders of the tragic circumstances that have occurred at the Jim Clark Rally," he said.

"The police have confirmed three fatalities and my thoughts are with all of those involved and the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives.

"The government is in contact with Police Scotland and we await the outcome of their inquiries. The Jim Clark Rally is a long-standing event of over 40 years.

Alex Salmond: "This is desperately sad and difficult news"

"It is much loved in the Borders and by the rally driving community who I know will share in our sadness at what is a black day for the Borders and for Scotland."

Spectator Tommy Tait was watching the race close to the location of one of the crashes.

He wrote on Facebook: "We must be like cats have nine lives never have we been so close to getting wiped out by a rally car our thoughts go out to the 4 who got hit (sic)."

The Jim Clark Rally takes place over three days on closed roads in the Duns and Kelso areas.

The rally course is described on the event's website as having "a reputation for being fast with big jumps, ditches and hedges".

The event is named after Scottish Formula One driver Jim Clark, who was raised in the area. Clark died in a motor racing accident in Hockenheim, Germany, in 1968.

The organisers of the race said in a statement: "The organisers of the Jim Clark Rally would like to extend their heartfelt condolences and sympathy to all of the families and their friends who have been affected by today's (Saturday's) tragic events.

"Our thoughts are especially with those who have lost family members and to the families of the injured spectators.

"All members of the organising team are in shock and are cooperating fully with Police Scotland to establish the facts."

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