Ben Needham Search: Children's Toys Found

By Mike McCarthy, Sky News Correspondent, in Kos

Police have discovered parts of toys that Ben Needham may have been playing with on the Greek island of Kos before he went missing.

The samples were found by archaeologists supporting a team of investigators at the spot where the toddler went missing aged 21 months.

Inspector Colin Hope, who is part of the specialist search team, said: "We have found small parts of what look like tiny cars. We have found some wheels, we have found a bonnet.

"But we have also found plastic bits of toys like little heads from dolls and that kind of thing ... a whole range of toys really, including the sort of items we are looking for."

Mr Hope said Ben was known to have had a couple of toy cars.

It is not yet known whether the items, which have been shown to the Needham family, belonged to the toddler.

Excavators have now dug two metres below ground and archaeologists say they have reached the level the ground was at when Ben disappeared in July 1991.

Dr Nicholas Marquez-Grant, an archaeologist from Oxford University, said: "What I am trying to look at in general crime scene work is graves, for example.

"What I am doing here (on Kos) is to establish what the natural layer of soil is. We know from maps and databases what we are looking for - particular layers of a certain colour."

Police are raking and sifting soil dug up by a JCB on a hillside location overlooking the Aegean Sea. The area is not far from Kos town and is surrounded by olive and lemon groves.

A beer can with a sell-by-date of 1992 and a number of animal bones are among the items discovered so far.

Forensic anthropologists are on site to examine the finds.

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Obama Aggressive In Final Presidential Debate

Romney Avoids Foreign Policy Blow

Updated: 10:35am UK, Tuesday 23 October 2012

By Dominic Waghorn, US Correspondent

This was always going to be a tough one for Mitt Romney.

The Republican challenger has not distinguished himself on foreign policy. 

And on many foreign issues there is not enough swinging room between him and the President to let him land a punch.

The President probably won on points, but his challenger held his own and made no gaffes. Given his previous form on foreign policy, that's an improvement.

This debate was about foreign policy when the election is not. The economy remains the overriding issue.

It was predictable then that both men would try to bring the debate back to domestic issues.

President Obama was the first, 25 minutes in, stressing that nation building starts at home.

Mr Romney joined in, forcefully making the argument that America will only be respected overseas if it's strong at home. 

Then followed a slew of argument that had nothing to do with foreign policy from healthcare reform to classroom sizes. 

There were cheers in the adjoining "spin room" from journalists when moderator Bob Schieffer tried to return the discussion to foreign affairs even if it was largely in vain.

With the odds stacked against him, Mr Romney was largely avoiding losing.

His most dangerous moment was one of his own creation, a tactical error he could have avoided.

He probably should not have mentioned foreign trips, given how badly his last one went, offending the British, Palestinians and the press travelling with him.

But he brought up the President's visits overseas all the same, accusing him of indulging in an "apology" tour allowing his opponent to come right back at him.

"If you want to talk about trips governor," came back the president. Mr Obama then compared his visit to Israel, which included a tour of the Yad Vashem holocaust museum, to Mitt Romney's which he said was more about attending fundraisers.

Many Americans will not have been watching. This was a big sports night.

In the Tailgaters Sports Bar in Daytona Beach up the coast, most people weren't focused on the debate. The Chicago Bears were playing the Detroit Lions, by coincidence the home town teams of each candidate.

The game was on a much bigger screen than the debate in the bar.

But a few were paying attention to the candidates.

Carl Dephillipe told Sky News the debate had made all the difference to his vote.

"I am a Democrat so I was leaning towards Obama but I hadn't heard anything about his foreign policy till tonight so finally being to sit down tonight to listen to his foreign policy I'll definitely be giving him my vote," he said.

Further down the bar David Daley was also critical of Mr Romney.

"I think he's basically selling the American people a dream. That he's promising a lot of things that he's not going to be able to do," he said. 

For the record, the President's team beat Mr Romney's by 13 to 7.

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Taiwan Nursing Home Fire: Twelve Dead

At least 12 people have been killed and 60 wounded in a fire at a nursing home in southern Taiwan.

The fire started in the early hours in a nursing facility housing mainly bed-bound patients in Tainan city.

An earlier official estimate had reported there were 72 injured, but this was revised down in a health department statement.

Firefighters carry one of the patients out of the burning building

A fire official said the blaze could have started in a storage room on the second floor of the five-storey building - part of the public Sinying Hospital.

The cause of all the deaths is believed to be smoke inhalation, while the injured were rushed to a dozen hospitals for treatment.

Television footage showed the burnt-out second floor of the building and bed and wheelchair-bound patients being carried out on to the hospital lawn.

Many of those rescued were seriously ill

Premier Sean Chen expressed his shock at the incident and sent his condolences to the families of the victims.

Tainan mayor Lai Ching-te said the fire was unusually deadly because the hospital was in a relatively remote area and most of the patients were immobile.

Concerns over staffing levels have also been raised as there were only six workers on duty for 70 patients.

An investigation into the cause of the fire has been launched.

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Molotov Cocktail Attack Caught On CCTV

A Molotov cocktail attack, which set a man on fire and left him severely injured, has been caught on CCTV in California.

The 54-year-old victim was hit with the incendiary device while sitting outside a grocery store in Long Beach, south of Los Angeles, waiting for his father to do his shopping on Friday evening.

He is in a critical but stable condition with severe burns to his body, police said.

"There's no motive that we're aware of at this point, but of course it's still under investigation," police spokeswoman Nancy Pratt said.

In the footage, captured by a surveillance camera and posted on the internet by the Long Beach Police Department, the victim is seen sitting on the ground with his back against the front wall of the store.

He is suddenly engulfed in a ball of flame as another man runs past.

The victim then runs out to the car park where bystanders rush to his aid and help put out the flames.

Another onlooker is seen helping a woman pull her baby out of harm's way near the flames. Police said no-one else was hurt.

Eyewitnesses told police they saw a man, aged between 25 and 30 years of age, ignite a bottle of liquid before throwing it at the feet of the victim.

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Monster Energy Drink 'Linked To Five Deaths'

The heavily-caffeinated Monster Energy Drink is being investigated by US officials for its reported link to five deaths and one non-fatal heart attack.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is looking into claims that people had adverse reactions after they consumed the 24 oz (680ml) can, which contains 240 milligrams of caffeine.

It has three times more caffeine than an 8.4 oz (240ml) can of its nearest rival, Red Bull, and seven times the amount in a regular 12 oz (340ml) cola.

Although the FDA is investigating the allegations, which date back to 2004, the agency said the reports do not necessarily prove that the drinks caused the deaths or injuries.

"As with any reports of a death or injury the agency receives, we take them very seriously and investigate diligently," spokesperson Shelly Burgess said in a statement.

News of the FDA's investigation follows the launch of a wrongful death lawsuit in California, by the parents of a 14-year-old Maryland girl who died after drinking two Monster Energy Drinks in just 24 hours.

Anais Fournier died in December 2011 after consuming two cans in 24 hours

A post mortem examination found that Anais Fournier died of cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity that impeded her heart's ability to pump blood.

She also suffered from an inherited disorder that can weaken blood vessels. Her parents claim Monster failed to warn about the risks of drinking its products.

"I was shocked to learn the FDA can regulate caffeine in a can of soda, but not these huge energy drinks," her mother Wendy Crossland told The Record Herald.

"With their bright colors and names like Monster, Rockstar, and Full Throttle, these drinks are targeting teenagers with no oversight or accountability."

However labels on the cans do state that the drinks are not recommended for children and people who are sensitive to caffeine.

Monster said last week that it was "unaware of any fatality anywhere that has been caused by its drinks".

The company is the market leader in the US for energy drinks with a 35% share, while Red Bull has 30% and Rockstar has 19%.

But the company's shares plunged $7.59, or 14.2%, to close at $45.73 in trading on Monday after news of the FDA investigation.

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MoD To Control Afghan Drones From UK Base

The Ministry of Defence is to double the size of its armed drone fleet in Afghanistan - and will run its 'spies in the skies' from the UK for the first time.

A batch of five new MQ-9 Reaper drones, which are used to gather surveillance and monitor enemy movements, will be operated from RAF Waddington.

The unmanned aircraft will be based in Afghanistan and will not be flown from the Lincolnshire base.

A spokesman for the MoD said: "The RAF announced in May 2011 that RAF Waddington is to host a new Reaper squadron, known as 13 Squadron.

"The squadron will be officially 'stood up' at a ceremony this Friday. However, operations will not begin immediately.

"Once operational, the squadron will double the UK Reaper intelligence and surveillance capability to 10 aircraft."

The Afghan drones are controlled remotely. Picture: Ministry of Defence

The Reaper drones are the only remote-controlled aircraft from which an aerial attack can be launched.

On the "rare occasions" when weapons are fired, "strict rules are followed", the MoD spokesman said.

"The vast majority of unmanned aircraft flying is surveillance and reconnaissance in support of our front-line troops, providing them with vital intelligence and helping to save lives in Afghanistan," he said.

"Since 2006, they have provided over 100,000 hours of persistent intelligence."

The Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, was first used in Afghanistan in 2007 as a means of keeping tabs on Taliban insurgents.

Some of the drones will continue to be flown from an US Air Force base in Creech, Nevada.

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Tony Scott's Death Confirmed As Suicide

Top Gun director Tony Scott had traces of anti-depressants and sleep-inducing drugs in his body when he killed himself by jumping from a California bridge, coroners have concluded.

Hollywood was left stunned when the 68-year-old, whose action thriller work also included Days Of Thunder, died in August after jumping from the Vincent Thomas Bridge over Los Angeles Harbour.

The LA coroner's office said post-mortem examination results showed therapeutic levels of the anti-depressant mirtazapine and the sleep aid zopiclone in his system.

The cause of death was suicide caused by multiple blunt force injuries and drowning, said coroner's spokesman Ed Winter.

Scott jumped from the Vincent Thomas Bridge over Los Angeles Harbour

Initial reports after his death suggested Scott had been diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer, but his widow Donna Wilson dismissed the rumours as "absolutely false".

Chief investigator Craig Harvey told the LA Times that Scott had no serious underlying conditions.

"There was no evidence of neoplasia – cancer - identified," he told the newspaper.

Born in Britain in 1944, Scott made his mark in the mid-1980s when he directed Top Gun, an action-filled blockbuster about elite navy pilots featuring then-rising star Tom Cruise.

He also directed Enemy Of The State, Beverly Hills Cop II, Spy Game, Unstoppable and Crimson Tide.

He had more than 30 new projects in the pipeline at the time of his death, including Top Gun 2.

Scott and Wilson, his third wife, had twin sons.

His older brother is fellow film director Sir Ridley Scott, the maker of Oscar-winning movies including Gladiator and Black Hawk Down.

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Malala: Al Qaeda Slates Support For Shot Girl

Al Qaeda has reportedly hit out at the widespread support for a schoolgirl shot in the head by the Taliban - and asked why she has been hailed a heroine.

Malala Yousafzai, 15, is being treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham after being attacked by a gunman in Pakistan, and has since received thousands of goodwill messages.

The hospital said she continues to make steady progress and is in a stable condition after she was admitted a week ago following initial treatment in Pakistan.

The teenager was shot with two classmates as they made their way home from school in Swat, in the north west of the country.

She was attacked by the Taliban for promoting the education of girls and criticising the militant group.

A protest in Pakistan against the attack on Malala Yousafzai

The hospital said a bullet that struck her just above her left eye had grazed the edge of her brain. Foreign Secretary William Hague described the atrocity as "barbaric".

In a letter translated by the Site Intelligence Group, al Qaeda's Pakistani spokesman Ustad Ahmad Farooq asked why Malala's blood was "more important" than those of women killed in military operations.

He also asked why the media and the public were silent about women who die due to poverty.

In the letter, called Why Mourn Malala So Much? and addressed to "(my) beloved Pakistani brothers and sisters", Farooq said: "Nobody spoke up for thousands of such Malalas who became victims of military operations, and nobody protested for them on the roads.

"But these circles made so much noise when we targeted this girl who made fun of jihad, the veil and other Islamic values on behest of the British Broadcasting Corporation.

"This attack created shockwaves in the ruling circles around the world. They issued a number of statements condemning the attack on Malala. I may ask why? Why is Malala's blood more important than those killed by the army?"

Thousands of people have rallied across Pakistan in support of Malala, and people have called for the government to act. Pakistani authorities claim to have made a number of arrests.

Malala has been able to stand with help for the first time in hospital and is "communicating very freely", according to an official.

The girl still cannot talk because she has a tracheotomy tube inserted to protect her airway, which was swollen after the shooting, but she is writing notes, according to Dr Dave Rosser, medical director of the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.

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Female Boardroom Quotas: EU Delays Decision

The European Commission (EC) has postponed a decision on whether to back mandatory 40% female quota on company boards.

Commissioner Viviane Reding had hoped the EC would support quotas for all listed companies in the European Union (EU) - enforced with sanctions - to correct the gender imbalance on company boards.

Her proposal followed research that revealed just one in seven board members at Europe's top companies is female, and it would take more than 40 years to reach a significant gender balance at the current rate.

But, following an afternoon of debate, the officials postponed their decision until November 14 when Ms Reding will present an altered proposal.

If the commissioners agree with the new plan, it will be put to the European Parliament which will then vote on whether to make the quotas mandatory across the EU.

Fraser Younson, head of the employment team at law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner, said the postponement demonstrated the pressure being put on the quota proposal.

"Businesses and government alike are becoming more vocal in their opposition of the plans," he said.

"This development keeps the issue up in the air for employers - if the proposals do progress through the European Parliament, they will be inconsistent with the UK's laws on positive discrimination.

"As we wait for the next announcement on 14 November, it is clear that opposition to this proposal is unlikely to die down."

A number of its 27 member states had publically said they would not support the original proposal, and last month nine European countries had sent a strongly-worded letter to the EC's president opposing the plan.

The UK has always rejected gender quotas, but some European countries have already imposed national quotas, including France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands.

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Mining Firm Sacks 8,500 Striking Workers

The mining firm Gold Fields has fired 8,500 miners amid the bitter disputes crippling the industry in South Africa.

The company, the world's fourth-largest bullion producer, said it had carried out its threat against strikers at its KDC East mine after they failed to meet a new deadline to return to work.

Spokesman Sven Lunsche said negotiations had failed and the company had issued dismissal notices to employees, who have 24 hours to appeal.

"We have now reached a situation where the mine is becoming economically very marginal - we need to resume production as soon as possible to prevent total closure," he told Sky News.

"We have dismissed the miners, but hopefully they will use the appeal process to come back to work."

The move was described as a "last throw of the dice" by the firm, which says the dispute has cost it more than £107m.

Mr Lunsche said Gold Fields would begin hiring new staff shortly, adding: "We need to resume production, and we need workers who are willing to do that."

Its larger KDC West mine has seen around half the usual staff numbers return to work.

The development is the latest twist in a wider dispute that has left the South African mining industry battling its worst industrial unrest for decades.

More than 80,000 miners have gone on strike since August, hitting growth and investor confidence in the continent's biggest economy.

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