Santander Bank Hacking Plot: Four In Court

Four men have appeared in court over an attempt to take control of computers at a Santander bank branch to steal millions of pounds.

It is alleged one of the gang posed as an engineer to fit a computer at the branch in Surrey Quays shopping centre, southeast London, with a "keyboard video mouse" (KVM).

The device, which can be purchased online for as little as £10, allegedly allowed them to transmit the contents of the computer's desktop and take control of all computers at the branch.

But the attempt failed and the Spanish bank said "no money was ever at risk".

Lanre Mullins-Abudu, 25, from Putney, southwest London; Dean Outram, 34, from northwest London; Akash Vaghela, 27, from Hounslow, west London; and Asad Ali Qureshi, 35, from southwest London, are charged with conspiracy to steal.

They spoke only to confirm their names and details when they appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Saturday.

They are accused of committing a "very significant and audacious cyber-enabled offence" that would have cost Santander millions of pounds.

Vaghela was granted conditional bail and the others remanded in custody until the next hearing at Southwark Crown Court on September 27.

Eight other people who were arrested were bailed until mid-November pending further inquiries.

A Santander spokesman said no member of staff was involved.

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April Jones' Parents Plan Funeral A Year On

The parents of April Jones are planning a funeral for the five-year-old a year after she went missing in the hope an inquest will finally enable them to have some closure.

April was kidnapped by 47-year-old Mark Bridger outside her home in Machynlleth, mid-Wales, on October 1 last year. Bridger is serving a life sentence for her murder.

Despite police launching one of their biggest-ever search operations, April's body has never been found. Bridger has repeatedly claimed he cannot remember what he did with her.

However, fragments of a child's skull were found in the ashes of Bridger's fireplace at his home in Ceinws following his arrest, his trial heard.

Coral and Paul Jones have waited a year to bury their daughter's remains

It is hoped the opening of April's inquest on Monday will result in an interim death certificate being issued which will allow her parents to lay her to rest.

It is believed their daughter's remains will be placed in a pink coffin to be taken through her hometown on a horse-drawn carriage.

"They are all we have," her mother Coral said.

"We can now finally lay April to rest. Our hell this past year has been made worse because we did not have April's body."

Mourners have reportedly been asked to wear pink, which was April's favourite colour. It also became a symbol of hope in the wake of her disappearance with scores of pink ribbons being put up by residents.

Mark Bridger is serving a full life sentence for April's murder

Hundreds of people are expected to turn up to say their farewells to the little girl, with a possible venue being St Peter's Church in Machynlleth.

Local councillor Michael Williams said a funeral was the "right and proper" thing to happen.

"I don't think it will be a final goodbye but it will be another step in remembering all the wonderful times that the family had together," he said.

"It will bring people together again in one place to remember the life of a little child that was taken so savagely from the family and community."

Father-of-six Bridger is only the 37th person to be given a whole-life tariff, which means he will die in prison.

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Duke Dwarfed By Giant NBA Star In Video Shoot

The Duke of Cambridge has teamed up with giant basketball star Yao Ming and David Beckham to record two video campaigns against illegal wildlife products.

William was photographed with Beckham and the retired Chinese basketball star, who at 7ft 6in is one of the tallest players in NBA history.

At the 2000 Olympics, Yao formed one third of "The Walking Great Wall", along with his fellow towering team mates Wang Zhizhi and Mengke Bateer.

The Duke (L) with Yao Ming and David Beckham

The 33-year-old, from Shanghai, went on to play for the Houston Rockets in the NBA.

He announced his retirement in 2011 following a series of foot and ankle injuries but remains a superstar in China.

William, Yao and Beckham recorded the public service announcements in London on behalf of the organisation WildAid.

The messages will be broadcast globally in November, but their target audiences are in China and Vietnam, countries which have large markets for illegal wildlife products.

The three are urging consumers not to purchase rhino horn, ivory, and shark fin.

"At the root of the illegal wildlife trade is the demand for products that require the deaths of tens of thousands of these animals every year, pushing them further towards extinction," the Duke of Cambridge said.

In China a "one off" legal sale of ivory in 2009 has stimulated a renewed market triggering increased poaching in Africa, according to WildAid.

"We must reduce demand if we are going to save these animals," Yao said.

"We made tremendous progress reducing demand for shark fin soup through a similar campaign and a government ban at banquets is also helping. Traders say shark fin demand has been cut by 50% or more. I hope we can do the same for ivory and rhino horn."

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Bank Seven-Day Switch Scheme May Fall Flat

By Poppy Trowbridge, Business and Economics Correspondent

The Government wants banks to work harder to win your business and is backing an initiative to allow customers to swap current accounts within seven working days.

But exclusive research conducted for Sky News reveals that the public is largely unaware of the plan and among those in the know the Government's initiative is unwanted.

From September 16 the so-called 7-Day-Switch scheme will come into effect.

Customers wanting to swap banks can provide their preferred lender with personal details, the bank then makes all the arrangements to bring across salary deposits and bill payments - with a hassle free guarantee.

In a move to revitalise competition in high-street banking, Chancellor George Osborne confirmed the plans back in February after the regulator highlighted how little choice existed in the current account market.

But in a poll of more than 2000 bank customers, 44% of those surveyed said they had never heard of the service.

Of those who had, 53% would not even consider switching when the guarantee is in place.

That is perhaps because 82% say they are happy enough with their current account, another indication that the initiative isn't needed by many.

The four biggest banks in Britain - Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland and HSBC - control three quarters of the current account market, according to figures from the Office of Fair Trading.

That means switching accounts may not result in drastically better deals at one bank or another.

Ali Steed, a personal finance expert at mymoneydiva.com, says many of the rates and products don't differ much from bank to bank.

"At the moment, because interest rates are actually very low, the amount of money you can actually get on your savings - from anywhere on the high street - is not really going to put you in a position where you can beat inflation."

If the government initiative is to have any immediate effect it is likely to be in customer service.

Michael Ossei, from uSwitch, says: "Banks will have to work harder to both attract new customers and keep their existing ones, which means that accounts must offer better value for money and customer service."

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Blustery Britain: First Autumn Storm Rolls In

Strong winds and heavy rain are expected to batter parts of Britain this weekend.

Gusts close to 70mph will hit areas of Scotland and Northern Ireland, while most of England and Wales will face blustery conditions, forecasters have said.

Heavy showers in the South East last night saw 27mm of rain fall in Northolt, northwest London, and 26mm at Heathrow, while East Anglia and the Midlands were hit by 10 to 15mm of rain.

The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for gales in Scotland and Northern Ireland on Sunday, and warned of the possibility of travel disruption.

Chief Met Office forecaster Paul Gundersen said: "A spell of gale force westerly winds is expected later Sunday, peaking on Monday across much of Scotland, the north of Northern Ireland and coasts of north west England and north Wales.

"Gusts of 50-60mph are likely, with the potential for 70mph across exposed coasts and hills of Scotland.

"The public should be aware of the potential for some minor disruption to travel and keep up to date with the latest weather forecast information."

Sky News weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar added: "Tonight, outbreaks of rain will spread into Northern Ireland and Scotland and towards the early hours into northern England, Wales and southwest England.

"As well as that there will be strengthening winds with gusts of up to around 55-60mph across northwestern fringes of Scotland, and slightly over 60mph across the Western Isles.

"Sunday will be a wet and windy day across most of the UK. It'll be a dry morning across central and eastern England with a few bright spells to begin with before cloud and rain will spread into all areas by the early afternoon with some heavy downpours.

"Later it will become bright and drier across the north and west of the UK but there will still be frequent heavy showers and strong to gale force winds gusting up to 60mph. Hail and thunder is also possible."

Temperatures will remain in the mid-teens for most of the country over the weekend - a few degrees below average for the time of year - while conditions will remain unsettled into next week, forecasters have said.

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Casual Gaming 'Most Popular Among Women'

By Tadhg Enright, Sky News Reporter

Look around you on a train, a bus or a waiting room and you will see others gazing at screens as life passes them by.

It is more and more likely those people will be playing some of the thousands of downloadable games that have taken our downtime by storm.

It used to be the colourful characters of Angry Birds that had players swiping and poking on their phones.

But now the world's most popular app game is Candy Crush Saga, a puzzle in which players assemble identically coloured sweets to move up through its many levels.

Commuting by train from Slough to central London, Sky News met 22-year-old Lauren Hughes for whom smartphone games are a great time-filler.

"I think there's a big kid in everyone, so I don't mind it," says Lauren.

Most hardcore and regular gamers are still men, research suggests

"I also do things like the word games on there as well, Sudoku, Candy Crush - everyone does Candy Crush."

Unlike other types of computer gaming, such as those on consoles or multi-player internet based games, it is women who make up the largest number of people gaming on their mobiles.

Research by Mintel suggests that 13% of men and 6% of women confess to being "hardcore" gamers who are deeply involved in the gaming culture.

Twenty four per cent of men and 15% of women say they are moderate enthusiasts, classified as "regular" gamers.

But among "casual" gamers, such as those who play on mobile devices, 27% of women say they play versus 24% of men.

One of a growing community of women who are gaming enthusiasts is the New Statesman's Deputy Editor, Helen Lewis, who began playing in her childhood. 

Puzzle-based app games are thought to have broader appeal

"Those big fighting, shooting games are blokey," says Helen. "Those are the ones that dominate the big blockbuster market. 

"That's not the same when it comes to smartphone games which have a lot more puzzle based stuff, which are a lot more accessible to everyone.

"And what we've discovered with that is that there were a lot of women who wanted to play games, but just couldn't before and had we given them the chance before - who knows - many of them might have been playing for decades."

Regardless of the gender of players, the growing popularity of smartphones games has alarmed those who specialise in treating addiction to computer games and other forms of modern technology.

Dr Richard Graham of London's Nightingale Hospital told Sky News why these games can be addictive. 

"Certainly, these games release chemicals within our brains that give us a sense of reward, of satisfaction, and often sort of a buzz of excitement.

On-the-go app gaming increases the chances of addiction, says Dr Graham

"But the problem remains that when you switch off, you're depleted, downgraded and feel that you need to go back to do it again to get that same feeling of wellbeing."

The gaming industry in Britain alone is worth £1.7bn and with smartphones and tablets creeping into more of our lives they offer game developers another platform to sell their wares.

Dr Graham warned: "We're seeing a more casual, a sort of embedded use of games on mobile devices, such that whenever there's a spare moment someone might start playing a particular game.

"Most addiction patters are related to access. If we increase access to alcohol through licensing or pricing, one will start to see more problematic use and then, in turn, addiction.

"And I think understanding that smaller, intelligent, connected devices are increasing access to all sorts of platforms and games does increase the possibility of addiction."

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Plastic Bags: Shoppers To Be Charged 5p

Supermarkets and other big stores in England are to introduce a 5p charge for plastic bags.

The move is due to be announced this weekend by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg at the Liberal Democrat conference in Glasgow.

It will bring England into line with the rest of the UK - with charges already in place in Wales and Northern Ireland, and Scotland set to follow suit in 2014.

Lib Dem sources said the charge, intended to discourage use of the environmentally damaging bags, would come into effect in England in 2015.

However, it is not yet clear whether it will be before the general election, set for May that year, or after.

Mr Clegg was said to have had to fought hard within the Coalition for the scheme - which is Lib Dem party policy - at a time when ministers are under intense pressure over rising cost of living.

But with a 76% fall in plastic bag use in Wales since the levy was introduced there in 2011, the Lib Dem leader was said to believe that it was the right thing to do.

A Lib Dem source said the charge would be the "centrepiece" at the conference this weekend.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey told Sky News: "Liberal Democrats in the coalition are pushing the green agenda all the time.

"Sometimes it's quite a fight - this one we've won and it's very clear the evidence shows that plastic bags not only create lots of litter and a real eyesore, but they can be really bad for wild animals, particularly marine life." 

The charge will only apply to supermarkets and other large stores, with small corner shops excluded.

The proceeds will go to charities involved in clearing up the environmental damage caused by the bags rather than the Government or the retailers.

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Anti-Piracy Course Trains Security Staff

By Frazer Maude, Sky News Correspondent

Maritime security crews now have a new weapon to help combat pirates armed with Ak47s and RPGs - a C&G - a City and Guilds qualification.

It might sound unlikely but the four-day course for MSOs (Marine Security Operatives) is being seen as a positive step towards improving standards across the industry.

Sky News visited one of the two-day fast track courses, provided by 3RG in Poole, Dorset.

Running it was Ray Quarrie, a former member of the elite SBS, the maritime equivalent of the SAS.

He thinks the standardisation provided by the course is needed in an industry which attracts predominantly ex-forces personnel.

"You have to start somewhere," he said.

"Certainly for the new guys who leave the military there's a good benefit.

On-board security can lower insurance premiums and save fuel costs

"They come out of the military and they now know there's one recognised course and a definite direction to go in.

"Before this course it was all hearsay. People were doing this course and that course, of which some were accredited and some, unfortunately, were not."

The course itself doesn't include any firearms training but does teach the students about the complicated laws which apply at sea, navigation skills, and various maritime evasion and avoidance techniques.

The aim is that contact with pirates and any potential firefight should be a last resort option.

The economic and human costs of piracy are staggering.

It is estimated that Somali piracy cost the global economy in the region of $6bn (£3.8bn) last year.

The course teaches navigation, law, and evasion and avoidance techniques

The World Bank also estimates that since the first known hijacking in April 2005, 149 ships have reportedly been ransomed for an estimated total of $315m - $385m (£198m - £242m).

It says as many as 3,741 crew members of 125 different nationalities have been captured, with detention periods as long as 1,178 days.

As many as 97 sailors may have died either during the attacks - in detention after poor treatment or during rescue operations.

By using on-board security teams, shipping companies can greatly reduce their costs by lowering insurance premiums, saving fuel by being able to take more "dangerous" routes, and avoiding any potential ransom payments.

The students taking the course during Sky's visit were nearly all ex-forces and most were already working in the industry.

"So far, yes, it's very good," said former Royal Marine Steve Ware.

Somali piracy is said to have cost the global economy nearly £4bn last year

"It's very orientated to what I'm currently doing in the industry and so from that perspective it's better than some of the courses I've done, which seemed to be a bit of a waste of time."

Simon Jones of Triton International, one of the companies that provide maritime security, was also on the working party to develop the industry's first international standards.

He thinks the qualification is a good starting point for improving the industry's staff.

"The inherent nature of professionals in any industry will mean that every time you get them round the table people will always want to add things," he said.

"You could make the course six months long.

"But you have to be realistic about exactly what is required by the clients, and what is required by law in order to meet the effective operational need of the client base."

Dryad Maritime is a specialist maritime intelligence agency and provides risk forecasts for shipping companies.

Ian Millen from the company said: "The qualification should help weed out less reputable organisations and also provide a recognised standard across the industry."

But he adds a note of caution: "A potential downside is that UK PMSCs (Private Maritime Security Companies) may feel that the requirements place an additional, and potentially unacceptable, 'tax on trade' when compared to potentially less reputable, less regulated, foreign competition."

If the course becomes an industry standard, it could help the PMSCs hoping to save billions of pounds in lost revenue, and, more importantly, dozens of lives.

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Bodies Found In Farmhouse Shooting

A dairy farmer and one of his workers have been found shot dead in an isolated farmhouse in Northern Ireland.

The men were discovered at the secluded property around a mile from the Co Antrim village of Glenarm early on Friday evening.

They have been named locally as farm owner Arthur Gibson, in his early 60s, and farm labourer Michael Murphy, who was in his late 30s.

At this stage it is understood police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the double shooting.

Mr Murphy had worked for Mr Gibson for many years.

The farm is about a mile from Glenarm

Forensic teams in white overalls were examining the scene, paying particular attention to the hallway of the white, two-storey house in Feystown Road.

A small crowd gathered at the police cordon at the end of the long lane leading up to the farm as news of the deaths filtered through to the village.

Neighbours helped to milk the cows and keep the farm operating as the police carried out their investigation.

Local Stormont Assembly member Oliver McMullan, who knew both the dead men, said locals were stunned by what he described as a "double tragedy".

"The death tonight of two men is a tragedy not only for the families but also for the community," he said.

"The community is in a state of shock as both men were well known within this tight knit community."

Forensic teams were paying particular attention to the hallway

Glenarm came to public attention earlier this year when severe late winter blizzards enveloped farms in the surrounding hills in a thick blanket of snow, killing thousands of animals and cutting off many families for days.

Alliance party MLA Stewart Dickson said: "This is an absolutely shocking incident, which has left the village and the surrounding community in shock.

"My thoughts are with the families and friends of the deceased and would call for anyone with any information to contact the PSNI as soon as possible.

"I hope the police will be able to determine what was behind this tragic incident tonight."

A Police Service of Northern Ireland spokesman said: "Police received a report at around 5.15pm this afternoon that two males had been discovered at a property with fatal wounds.

An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths is under way."

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Leicester Fire Victims 'Not Involved In Murder'

A mother and her three children killed in a house fire were not involved in the murder of a man hours earlier, police have said.

Sky News understands Leicestershire Police are investigating whether the victims of the blaze were mistakenly targeted in a revenge attack.

Shehnila Taufiq, who was in her 40s, died in the fire at her terraced home in Wood Hill, in the Spinney Hills area of Leicester, in the early hours of Friday.

Her children, named by a local mosque as 19-year-old daughter Zainab and sons Jamal, 17, and Bilal, 15, also died in their bedrooms.

About half a mile away on Thursday afternoon, a man in his 20s, named locally as Antoin Akpom, was found injured by police officers in Kent Street. He was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary where he later died.

Police were called to the blaze by the fire service at 12.35am on Friday

Three people, a man and two women, all aged 19, have been arrested in connection with the murder.

Mrs Taufiq's neurosurgeon husband, Dr Muhammad Taufiq al Sattar, has returned to Leicester from Ireland, where he works.

He had been working at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin and with private hospitals in the city, the Blackrock and Hermitage clinics.

A representative of Leicester's Jame Mosque, Mohammad Uwais, said Dr Taufiq had addressed members of the mosque on Saturday afternoon.

"He said that he's been comforted by the condolences he's received not just from Leicester, from the UK, from Ireland, but from the world," Mr Uwais told reporters.

"He accepts what God has destined for him and for his family, and that he thanks God in times of joy and also times of tribulation."

Police have said the house fire and a nearby murder may be linked

The family, originally from Pakistan, had a home in Ireland for at least 15 years before the children moved to the UK with their mother about five years ago for Islamic education.

Police on Saturday appealed to residents with information to come forward to help them find the perpetrators of the attacks which they said had left two families "devastated by events of the past 48 hours".

Roger Bannister, Assistant Chief Constable of Leicestershire Police, said: "While we are investigating links between the two crimes there is absolutely no evidence to suggest those who died in the fire, or indeed anyone else who lives in that property, was involved in the assault in Kent Street.

"Because of the close proximity - in terms of time and location - of the two incidents, it is right that we look at whether there are links between the two crimes.

"However, at this stage in our investigations we have found nothing to suggest the residents of the house devastated by the fire had anything to do with the Kent Street incident.

"We have three people in custody in relation to the murder of the young man in Kent Street and we continue with the complex forensic investigations at Wood Hill.

"However, we know there are local people who know more about both incidents and the people responsible and we would appeal to their consciences. Two families have been devastated by events of the past 48 hours. Please help us to find those responsible."

Anyone with information about either attack can speak to their local beat team, call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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