Cameron Hires Obama Aide Ahead Of Election

David Cameron has hired President Barack Obama's former campaign manager to advise the Conservatives ahead of the 2015 general election.

Jim Messina, a lifelong Democrat, was Mr Obama's deputy chief of staff during his first term and masterminded his successful 2012 re-election campaign.

He told the BBC he had "long admired Prime Minister (David) Cameron" and would be offering the Tories "strategic campaign advice", including the use of Facebook and Twitter to win votes.

He added, however, that he would have no say over the party's policy and would not manage day-to-day political operations.

Mr Cameron's successful recruitment of a high-profile Democrat will comes as a blow to Labour who traditionally have closer links to Mr Obama's party.

Mr Cameron will be advised by Mr Messina

Mr Messina is the second foreigner to join Mr Cameron's top campaign team, after the prime minister hired Australian political guru Lynton Crosby as his chief election strategist.

A Conservative source said that he will report to the party's "senior management team" of Mr Crosby and co-chairmen Grant Shapps and Lord Feldman.

It is understood that he will not move to Britain to work with the Tories, but will continue to be based in the US.

The Washington Post reported that Mr Messina - who left office for a private consultancy after the 2012 election - checked with the White House before accepting the Conservative contract.

The paper quoted an unnamed White House official as saying that Mr Messina's decision to work for Mr Cameron does not represent "any kind of a signal from the president" regarding Britain's election.

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Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon May Open In 2017

By Rhiannon Mills, Sky News Correspondent

Exploratory work is underway off the coast of south Wales where scientists hope to build the world's first tidal lagoon power station.

As Britain continues to search for more sustainable forms of energy, plans are in place for a 9.5km-long, U-shaped sea wall in Swansea Bay that would harness the strength of the tides.

The £650m project's 26 hydro turbines would be permanently under water, generating energy on both the incoming and outgoing tides.

It is hoped the power station could produce enough electricity to power every home in Swansea, saving over 200,000 tonnes of CO2 and offering predictable zero-carbon electricity for 120 years.

The project is yet to receive planning permission but teams are already drilling to assess the make-up of the seabed.

Alex Herbert, head of planning for Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay, told Sky News: "We hope this will be the first in a network of lagoons around the British coast which could produce up to 10% of our energy requirements.

The power station's 26 turbines would be permanently underwater

"With the first one happening in Wales, we're on the map and we're producing jobs locally, as well as expertise we can take elsewhere."

Promotional videos describe the power station's potential to help regenerate the area and attract tourists.

The sea wall would be used for walking, running and cycling, while the lagoon itself would be used for watersports.

However some groups have concerns about the environmental and visual impact of the project.

"It's concerning a number of people," Swansea councillor Tony Colburn said. "It's basically going to cut the bay in half and we'll be looking at a very large wall as opposed to the magnificent view we've got."

Sarah Kessell, of the Wildlife Trust, added: "There could be a loss of breeding ground or of spawning areas for fish that birds feed on.

The 9.5km-long sea wall would be used by walkers and cyclists

"We don't know what the long-term impact will be ... but there are certainly opportunities for mitigation along the way."

A planning application will be submitted later this year with a decision expected in early 2015.

If the development is approved it could be open by 2017, with similar schemes possible in Colwyn Bay, north Wales, and in locations near Liverpool.

Canada, France and South Korea already have tidal power plants but the one planned for Swansea would be the first to utilise both the incoming and outgoing tides.

The bay is considered an ideal location for the project because of its shallow water and 10-metre tidal range - the second highest in the world.

"It's a fantastic proposal because it diversifies how we produce energy," Barry Stewart, a local wildlife enthusiast, said.

"Obviously a project of this scale is always going to have an adverse effect on some ecological features. The wildlife can be accommodated but time will tell."

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Online Dating: Fifth Of Profiles 'Fabricated'

One fifth of online dating profiles are completely fabricated, a survey has found.

A poll of 2,000 people found that 18% admitted to lying about their age, 28% exaggerated their financial status, while 10% admitted to faking where they lived.

Online dating websites say they are taking all steps possible to try to stop scammers and fraudsters from misusing their services.

However, many people have already fallen prey to those online who are not quite what they seem.

Mary Turner was left with £198,000 of debt

Mary Turner met her husband William online, and had two children with him.

It later emerged that he was a bigamist, who had fathered 13 children with six different women.

Ms Turner was left £198,000 in debt, and decided to write a book about her experiences.

She said: "He actually had 13 children by six different women that we found since.

"He ripped me off for £198,000, and took me for everything I owned."

Dominic Blackburn, spokesman for 192.com which carried out the survey, said: "It's very easy to present yourself in a very different way on online dating sites and social networking sites - it's far easier to do it on that than on a face to face basis."

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Lads Mags: Tesco To Restrict Sales To Over 18s

Supermarket giant Tesco says it will sell lads mags only to those aged 18 or over.

The chain also said it had struck a "modesty deal" regarding the front covers of magazines such as Zoo, Nuts and Front and that Bizarre will be supplied in a bag.

The supermarket is bringing in a raft of measures across its 3,000 stores in the UK in response to customer concerns about the racy images.

A Tesco spokesman said: "We have had in depth conversations with our customers about this issue and we're putting new measures in place based on what they have told us they want.

"We've listened carefully to the concerns raised by the campaign groups but our priority is to make sure we meet our customers' needs and expectations.

"To do that we have secured agreement from the publishers of Zoo, Nuts and Front that their magazine covers will be more modest from now on and the publishers of Bizarre will now supply the magazine in a bag.

"We are restricting the sale of these magazines to people over the age of 18 to reassure parents who do not want their children to be able to purchase these titles.

"And we will ensure these titles are always placed on the back tier of the magazine shelves so that the cover is obscured with only the title visible."

Feminist campaign group Lose The Lads' Mags has been part of a driving force in a campaign maintaining it is unacceptable to treat women like sex objects.

It has been targeting high street supermarkets and newsagents which stock the magazines, declaring that it is "a national scandal" they are putting them up for sale.

The group states: "Lads mags aren't just a bit of harmless fun. By portraying women as dehumanised sex objects they fuel attitudes that underpin discrimination and violence against women.

"Displaying lads' mags in everyday spaces like supermarkets sends the deeply harmful message that treating women like sex objects is normal and acceptable."

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Car Parking 'Cash Cow' Plan For Homeowners

Householders should be free to turn their driveway into a car park to boost their income and help provide cheaper parking spaces, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles says.

The Cabinet minister has promised to clamp down on a "back-door parking tax" that forces residents to seek planning permission to charge commuters to park on their property.

New government guidance will allow homeowners to rent out their drives for a single car without making a planning application.

It comes after some town halls demanded that households apply for "change of use" planning permission costing £385, with the threat of a £20,000 fine if they did not, Mr Pickles said.

Householders could earn more than £200 each month renting out their parking space, according to moneysavingexpert.com.

Mr Pickles said: "Councils should be welcoming common sense ways that help hard-working people park easier and cheaply and for families to make some spare cash.

"Councils shouldn't be interfering in an honest activity that causes no harm to others, unless there are serious concerns.

Eric Pickles wants new guidelines for renting out driveways

"Parking charges and fines are not a cash cow for town halls. This Government is standing up against the town hall parking bullies and over-zealous parking enforcement."

Several internet companies have been set up to help households rent out their spare or unused dedicated off-street parking space near town centres, train stations and sports grounds.

Mr Pickles said residents would be allowed to rent a single parking space without planning permission, provided there was no public nuisance to neighbours, or other substantive concerns.

Householders wishing to change their garden into a car park or for other commercial uses would still require planning permission, he added.

It emerged this week that some councils were racking up huge surpluses from their parking-charge activities, according to figures from the RAC Foundation.

In 2011/12, English councils had a total current account surplus of £565m from their on-street and off-street parking operations.

This is a £54m increase on the £511m surplus in 2010/11, said the foundation.

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Mark Duggan: 'No Criminality Over Shooting'

The police watchdog has found no evidence of criminality by officers in the fatal shooting of Mark Duggan.

Tomorrow will be the two-year anniversary of his death in Tottenham, north London, which sparked a national wave of riots and looting.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has been investigating whether any of the 11 firearms officers involved in Mr Duggan's shooting committed any wrongdoing.

Kevin Hutchinson (R) was found guilty of supplying the gun to Mark Duggan

But a spokeswoman said: "We have found no evidence to indicate criminality at this stage."

Mr Duggan's relatives are due to gather with justice campaigners later - along with supporters of Joy Gardner and Roger Sylvester who both died after being restrained by police officers - and Cynthia Jarrett, whose death when police raided her home sparked the Broadwater Farm riots in Tottenham in the 1980s.

Carole Duggan: 'We expect those responsible to be prosecuted'

Mr Duggan's aunt, Carole Duggan, said she wanted the officers involved to be prosecuted.

"It's been two years and we are now waiting for the inquest to get the answers to the questions we have about how and why Mark was killed," she said.

"We expect those responsible for Mark's death to be prosecuted and for justice to be served."

Mr Duggan was shot by armed police in Tottenham on August 4, 2011, after marksmen stopped the minicab in which he was travelling.

Officers feared the father-of-four was on his way to carry out a revenge shooting for his cousin's death.

An inquest into the 29-year-old's death is due to start next month following a series of delays.

Local outrage at the police shooting marked the start of a wave of rioting, looting, and arson that spread across parts of the country in the summer of 2011.

The shooting sparked national riots and looting in 2011

The theme of this evening's event is "Justice delayed is justice denied", and will see the families speak about their ongoing battles for the truth about their loved ones' deaths.

Ms Gardner, who was facing deportation, died in 1993 after police officers restrained her and gagged her with tape.

Her mother, Myrna Simpson, said: "It's important for people to fight for justice and don't stop, because there is no other way to get justice but to fight for it.

"I am still fighting for justice for Joy and not only for Joy but for all. I am fighting for justice for everyone that has been unjustly killed."

The meeting will take place at North London Community House in Tottenham.

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Cycling Festival: 70,000 Gear Up For Mass Event

Tens of thousands of riders are taking to the streets of London and Surrey this weekend for the UK's biggest cycling festival.

More than 70,000 cyclists are due to take part in the inaugural Prudential RideLondon festival, which includes four events designed to appeal to riders of all ages and abilities, from plodders to champions.

The highlight is set to be a 100-mile race from London through Surrey on Sunday, with London mayor Boris Johnson taking part in the challenge.

He said he had done a "couple" of 55-mile rides as part of his training programme codenamed "chiselled whippet".

He hopes to complete the route in 12 hours even though the cut-off time for finishers is supposed to be nine hours.

"My team has told me I will never make it. They think I am too clapped out to cycle 100 miles but the more they discourage me, the more determined I am to have a crack," he added.

British Olympic cycling champions Laura Trott, Dani King and Joanna Rowsell will be riding in Saturday's Grand Prix in London's St James's Park.

Ms Trott told Sky News: "I feel like we're actually turning into a cycling nation now, just like Belgium and Holland are. It's grown and grown.

Dani King, Laura Trott and Joanna Rowsell will be riding in the Grand Prix

"It's been like a knock-on effect from what Chris Hoy did in Beijing, followed by what he did in London. And then two winners of the Tour de France in two consecutive years. It's just getting bigger and bigger."

Staff Sergeant Steve Arnold, 34, of King's Lynn, who had both his legs blown off in Afghanistan, will also be competing in the hope it will help his chances of being selected for Britain at the Paralympics.

He has only been handcycling seriously for a year after it was used as part of his recovery at Headley Court rehabilitation centre.

He added: "I loved representing my country as a member of the armed forces, and I'd love to represent my country in cycling as well. It is going to be a tough field - the hardest I have ever raced against with guys coming from all over the world.

"I can't imagine what it is going to be like racing on the streets of London with all those thousands of people cheering you on."

Saturday will also feature an eight-mile family ride on a traffic-free loop of closed roads in central London.

Up to 20,000 amateur cyclists are to line up for the 100-mile challenge, starting at the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London, and then through Surrey's hills before finishing in central London.

Rugby World Cup winner Matt Dawson, two-time Olympic rowing champion James Cracknell, former Olympic and World champion sprint hurdler Sally Gunnell and soap stars from Emmerdale are taking part.

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Bangladesh: Arrest After British Woman Killed

Police in Bangladesh have reportedly arrested a suspect over the murder of a mother from London.

The woman was hacked to death by four men who stole her jewellery while on holiday with her family in Bangladesh.

The 43-year-old from Stepney was on holiday there with her husband and 12-year-old son when she was killed in a violent robbery.

The Foreign Office has confirmed the death of Rehana Begum, in the northeast of the country.

A spokesman said: "We are aware of the death of a British national, Rehana Begum, in Sunamganj, Bangladesh on 2 August.

"We are providing consular assistance to her family at this difficult time."

Her nephew, Abdul, told the BBC that Mrs Begum had been visiting her family in Bangladesh.

He said: "It happened this morning. She has been hacked to death by four people for jewellery and money."

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Twitter Says 'Sorry' To Women Over Abuse

Twitter's UK boss has personally apologised to women who have been attacked by "trolls" on the social networking site, vowing to do more to protect people from abuse.

It comes as Scotland Yard said its e-crime unit was looking into claims by eight people of abuse.

Twitter found itself in the spotlight after three female journalists said they had been the subject of bomb threats on the site and two other women - an MP and a campaigner - received threats of rape.

The bomb threat tweet was sent to Guardian columnist Hadley Freeman, Independent columnist Grace Dent and Europe editor of Time magazine Catherine Mayer, as well as a number of other women.

In separate incidents, Labour MP Stella Creasy and campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez, who successfully fought for a woman's face to appear on £10 banknotes, were threatened on Twitter with rape.

Twitter is "committed to making the site a safe place for users"

Two arrests have already been made in relation to those threats.

Meanwhile, TV classics expert Mary Beard silenced an internet troll after naming and shaming him on the site.

Twitter UK has now clarified its rules on abusive behaviour amid a growing backlash over a series of attacks.

Labour MP Stella Creasy (L) and Mary Beard received abuse on Twitter

The firm said it was putting extra staff on the teams which handle abuse reports, and an "in-tweet" report button has been added so people can report abusive behaviour directly from a tweet.

The company, which has its European headquarters in Dublin, has recently taken on its first in-house counsel for the region.

It has also started advertising for a legal policy staff member to work on rotating shifts "to provide timely responses to emergency requests from all over the world".

The job description added: "We're a passionate team of intensely motivated, detail-oriented folks, seeking the same to join us!"

The website has introduced a new security button to report abuse

The blogging site's policy shift comes after an online petition calling for a "report abuse" button had attracted more than 120,000 signatures.

Tony Wang, general manager of Twitter UK, posted a series of tweets saying abuse was "simply not acceptable".

He wrote: "I personally apologise to the women who have experienced abuse on Twitter and for what they have gone through.

"The abuse they've received is simply not acceptable. It's not acceptable in the real world, and it's not acceptable on Twitter.

"There is more we can and will be doing to protect our users against abuse. That is our commitment."

Campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez was threatened on Twitter with rape

Twitter is also working with the UK Safer Internet Centre, which promotes the safe and responsible use of technology.

The rules include "You may not publish or post direct, specific threats of violence against others" and "You may not engage in targeted abuse or harassment".

The social networking website added: "User abuse and technical abuse are not tolerated on Twitter.com, and may result in permanent suspension."

In a message posted on its blog, Twitter's senior director for trust and safety, Del Harvey, and Mr Wang wrote: "It comes down to this: people deserve to feel safe on Twitter.

"We want people to feel safe on Twitter, and we want the Twitter rules to send a clear message to anyone who thought that such behaviour was, or could ever be, acceptable."

"We are committed to making Twitter a safe place for our users," they said, adding: "We're here, and we're listening to you."

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Walthamstow: Teens In Court Over Alleged Rape

Two teenagers have appeared in court over the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in northeast London.

The 17-year-olds, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were held over the attack in Walthamstow.

They appeared at Thames Magistrates' Court in Bow, east London on Saturday.

One youth, described as teenager A, was remanded in custody and is due to reappear at Snaresbrook Crown Court on August  21.

The other boy, described as teenager B, was released on conditional bail.

Police said the young girl was approached by three men and dragged to a secluded garage area at the end of Hibbert Road at around 12.15am on July 27.

They said she was "pinned down" and "brutally" attacked by two people before managing to raise the alarm by calling a friend from her mobile phone.

:: Anyone with information is asked to call the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command on 020 8217 7408 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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