Pele's Son Jailed For 33 Years Over Drugs Money

One of Brazilian football legend Pele's sons has been sentenced to 33 years in prison for laundering money for drug traffickers.

Edson Cholbi Nascimento, nicknamed Edinho, denies the charges in the case, which date from 2005, and will reportedly be allowed to remain free pending appeal.

Edinho, 43, is accused of ties with a drug cartel led by Ronaldo "Naldinho" Duarte Barsotti.

But though he admits buying drugs from the cartel, he denies working with them.

Pele reacts during a 2005 news conference about Edinho's drug problems

Edinho had a relatively low-key career in the 1990s playing for Santos, the same club where his father shot to fame.

The Praia Grande criminal court in Sao Paulo also sentenced three other defendants to 33 years' jail and ordered the confiscation of all property seized in the police operation against them, including about 100 cars.

Pele, whose full name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, has seven children.

Considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, he won three World Cups with Brazil, in 1958, 1962 and 1970.

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Prisoner-Swap Soldier's First Day Of Freedom

A US soldier held for nearly five years by the Taliban in Afghanistan is undergoing a medical examination in Germany before being flown back to the US for a reunion with his family.

Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, from Idaho, was freed on Saturday evening in exchange for America turning over five Taliban detainees held in Guantanamo, to Qatari custody.

Sources say he is "weakened, scared and vulnerable" after having been tortured, and is currently receiving treatment at a US military hospital in Landstuhl.

His release follows months of indirect contact with the militants, with Qatar acting as intermediary.

President Obama at the White House with Sgt Bergdahl's parents

According to a senior defence official, once Sgt Bergdahl climbed onto the noisy helicopter he took a pen and wrote on a paper plate, the letters "SF?" - asking the troops if they were special operations forces.

They shouted back at him over the roar of the rotor blades: "Yes, we've been looking for you for a long time."

Then, according to the official, Sgt Bergdahl broke down and cried.

The parents of the freed soldier, Bob and Jani Bergdahl, said they were "joyful and relieved".

"We cannot wait to wrap our arms around our only son," they said.

Speaking at the White House flanked by Sgt Bergdahl's parents, US President Barack Obama said: "The Qatari government has given us assurances that it will put in place measures to protect our national security."

Sgt Bergdahl was released in exchange for five Guantanamo detainees

He added: "Sergeant Bergdahl has missed birthdays and holidays, and the simple moments with family and friends which all of us take for granted.

"But while Bowe was gone, he was never forgotten."

Mr Obama expressed his gratitude to the Emir of Qatar for helping secure the soldier's release, and also the support of the Afghanistan government.

Sgt Bergdahl was taken prisoner in the Paktia Province of Afghanistan on June 30, 2009.

Mike Baker, a former CIA operations officer, told Sky News: "It's been a long time coming.

"It's been a very frustrating exercise over the years, in part because for quite along time it was not clear who we were supposed to be negotiating with.

"People are extremely happy here he's back."

There was a continuing campaign in the US to secure the soldier's freedom

On the US policy not to negotiate with terrorists and concerns the exchange could lead to further hostage-taking, Mr Baker said this was a consideration, but added: "We had to get our guy back.

"We have a very strict policy as does the UK, we don't leave people behind. This was just a festering wound for all of these years. It had to be dealt with."

The identities of the freed detainees have not been revealed, although reports claim they are senior Taliban figures.

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Jungle Search For Missing Briton Stepped Up

The girlfriend of a British man missing in the Malaysian jungle has spoken of her torment, as the hunt for him is stepped up.

Kit Natariga's partner Gareth Huntley disappeared on Tuesday on a trek to a remote waterfall on Tioman Island, off the peninsula's east coast.

Search teams have been promised every available resource to help find the 34-year-old accountant, with a helicopter crew, paramilitary commandos and emergency services drafted in.

Mr Huntley's girlfriend, Kit Natariga, has appealed for extra help

Sniffer dogs and patrol boats will also be used to help trace him, and there is speculation that specialist military personnel from Britain, based in nearby Brunei, could join the search.

Sky's Darren McCaffrey, outside the Foreign Office, said: "So far, that hasn't been offered or indeed requested by the Malaysian authorities."

Mr Huntley with Ms Natariga

Speaking to Sky News shortly after landing on Tioman, Ms Natariga said: "It's really tough, especially coming onto the island.

"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."

The stepped-up search comes after Mr Huntley's family criticised the response of authorities in both Britain and Malaysia.

His mother, Janet Southwell, wrote an open letter to David Cameron, urging the Prime Minister to intervene.

His brother, Mark Huntley, said "real action" was needed and called for "boots on the ground".

"This was a man working out there as a wildlife volunteer," he said. "He deserves our assistance."

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, who is also in Malaysia, raised the issue with his counterpart Hishammuddin Hussein and was told "all available search assets" will be used.

Gareth Huntley and his mum, Janet Southwell, who has flown to Malaysia

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "He was assured the Malaysian authorities would do all they could to locate him."

Mr Huntley's family have since said they are "hugely grateful" to Mr Cameron and Mr Hammond for their intervention.

The missing Briton, who lives in Hackney, east London, had been working for the Juara Turtle Project, a Malaysian conservation charity.

The Briton's disappearance is described as out of character

He told friends he would return from the jungle on Tuesday afternoon but has not been seen since setting off earlier in the day.

Ms Southwell described her son's disappearance as "totally out of character".

"He just would not do it," she said. "He knows there are too many people who care (about him) and love him."

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India Girls' Gang Rape: Suspects Confess

Three suspects have confessed to the gang rape and murder of two teenage girls in northern India last week, police have said.

The 14 and 15-year-old cousins, from the lowest Dalit caste, were found hanging from a tree in the village of Katra, in Uttar Pradesh, after disappearing from their homes on Tuesday.

The three suspects detained so far in the attack are cousins in their 20s from an extended family, and they face murder and rape charges, crimes punishable by the death penalty.

The father of one of the victims covers his face

Police officer Atul Saxena said a search for two additional suspects is continuing.

Mr Saxena said officers were preparing identity sketches of the two missing suspects based on descriptions provided by the arrested suspects in Katra, in Baduan district, about 300km (180 miles) from Lucknow, the state capital.

Authorities have also arrested two police officers and suspended another two for failing to investigate when the father of one of the teenagers reported the girls missing.

Onlookers at the site where the girls were found hanged

Federal authorities are expected to take over the investigation into the crime this week.

India tightened its rape laws last year - introducing the death penalty for gang rape - following the fatal gang rape of a 23-year-old woman on a moving bus in New Delhi.

The case sparked nationwide protests.

A rape is committed every 22 minutes in India, a nation of 1.2 billion people - and activists say many more cases go unreported because of a culture of tolerance.

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Kenyan Farmers Threaten Violence Over Khat Ban

By Hind Hassan, Sky News Reporter

Kenyan khat farmers have threatened violent action against the British government following its decision to ban the stimulant.

FG Machuma, who says he represents the Meru tribe, told Sky News the decision to make the plant a class C drug was a "declaration of war".

He added: "If they don't listen to us ... they have a military base in Nanyuki ... and they will have to leave.

"If they don't leave peacefully then we will take arms and deal with them in Kenya."

Men chew khat and drink coffee in London

In the UK, khat is popular among some members of Somali and Yemeni communities.

The latest figures from 2011-2012 put the plant's UK value at £13.8m.

Users chew the leaves then swallow the juice, which contains an ingredient similar to amphetamine.

After a few hours, users become talkative and experience feelings of alertness, euphoria and excitement.

But symptoms can include depression, lack of concentration and psychosis.

The majority of British trade comes from the town of Meru in Kenya.

A farmer plucking khat shoots off a tree on a plantation in Kenya

It provides a source of income for around 500,000 farmers, who say the ban threatens their livelihood.

Home Secretary Theresa May defied the Government's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to push through the ban, which was approved by the House of Lords on May 12.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Drug misuse has a serious impact on society and the ban on khat will help protect vulnerable members of our community.

"It will also prevent the UK from becoming a single regional hub for criminals trying to make a profit, as countries across Europe have already implemented the same ban.

"Parliament has now approved the government's decision and khat will become a class C drug on June 24, 2014."

Users of the plant claim they are being unfairly targeted.

A van transporting khat meant for export to Nairobi

Mahamud Ahmed Mohamad - who owns the UK's largest khat warehouse in west London - insists that chewing khat is a Somali tradition.

He told Sky News: "It's like closing a pub ... will you feel happy if you close British pubs?

"Why don't you close alcohol which is affecting a lot of people? Why is it only khat that is a major issue?"

He currently employs around 40 workers and says they will be made redundant once the ban is implemented.

Mr Mohamad is challenging the ban in the Court of Appeal.

Farmer James Ntonyi chews khat leaves at his father's farm in Meru

Abukar Awale, a former user, insists the substance is addictive and psychologically damaging.

The anti-khat activist blames his former habit for a violent confrontation during which he was stabbed.

"Availability of khat and the legality of khat was attracting more young people," he said. "By banning it we are preventing young people from failing in society."

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India Battles With Tobacco Addiction Epidemic

By Neville Lazarus, Sky News India Producer

Naveen Khanna could never have imagined that an innocent habit of chewing tobacco, like millions of other Indians, could nearly cost him his life.

It took less than four years of chewing tobacco for the 69-year-old to develop a full-blown case of mouth cancer.

It has left his face disfigured and Mr Khanna has undergone 35 radiation therapy sessions and an operation to get rid of the cancer.

He is taking no chances and makes trips to the hospital every three months for a check-up.

Bitter and resentful, he is now the voice of victims in an anti-tobacco campaign; a campaign he started from the kiosk which sold him his first tobacco pouch.

Naveen Khanna developed mouth cancer after chewing tobacco

He told Sky News: "By simply putting notices on the pouches and cigarettes that this is dangerous and this causes cancer will not be sufficient.

"There should be a ban and the government must implement this ban."

According to medical experts, India has epidemic proportions of diseases related to the use of tobacco.

There are 275 million tobacco users in the country.

Reports estimate that close to a million people die every year due to tobacco-related diseases.

Tobacco is cheap and widely available

Dr Harit Chaturvedi, head of the oncology department at a leading hospital in Delhi, told Sky News: "It's the biggest problem.

"In India we have 1.2 million new cancer cases every year and tobacco accounts for nearly half that number.

"I see a significantly rising trend but the statistical data does not support this sharp rise. But we on the clinical side see a massive increase."

This year campaigners want a steep increase in taxes on tobacco products.

But they are up against a very rich and powerful lobby that until now has effectively blocked or slowed down legislation against it.

Dr Harit Chaturvedi advocates a ban on tobacco

According to Dr Chaturvedi "the tobacco industry mafia is riding over the willpower of the so-called people in charge. It buys their will. The product needs to be banned.

"The money spent on treatment and man hours lost is far greater than the money and taxes it generates. This industry is just giving disease."

In a right to information (RTI) disclosure, the Union government revealed that tobacco companies have made donations to political parties in the past and may continue to do so.

An ordinary packet of 10 cigarettes costs about six pence. A pack of 25 sticks of the Indian version, called Beedis, costs a penny.

Fifty new patients are added to Dr Chaturvedi's list every week and he is just one doctor in this country of more than a billion people.

Chewing tobacco has been banned in most states, but the law is not enforced

Dr Chaturvedi is concerned by the increase in mouth and throat cancer caused by chewing tobacco, which is widely available and convenient to carry and consume.

Most states in India have banned chewing tobacco but the legislation is not enforced.

According to a report by the International Tobacco Control Project (ITCP), despite signing up to a global treaty and having a number of anti-tobacco and smoking laws, India is failing and leaving its people vulnerable to addiction and ill health.

Campaigners and medical experts like Dr Chaturvedi warn not only of the sharp increase of cancer victims but also that users are getting younger, with children as young as nine or 10 becoming addicted.

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Cameron: Meriam Death Sentence Is 'Barbaric'

David Cameron says the death sentence handed down to Meriam Ibrahim is "barbaric" and has called on Sudanese authorities to intervene.

The Prime Minister joined international condemnation of the 27-year-old mother's plight, saying he is "absolutely appalled" by the case.

And UKIP leader Nigel Farage has now called on the Government to cut aid cash to Sudan, which last year stood at £42m.

Mr Cameron said: "The way she is being treated is barbaric and has no place in today's world.

Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg have also condemned Ms Ibrahim's sentence

"I urge the government of Sudan to overturn the sentence and immediately provide appropriate support and medical care for her and her children.

"The UK will continue to press the government of Sudan to act."

Meanwhile, Mr Farage has urged the ending of UK financial support for Sudan.

He said: "I suspect this particular case is going to shock people, horrify people so much that there will be a renewed debate about where we are spending billions of our pounds every year."

Tory MP for Totnes Dr Sarah Wollaston has also said on Twitter that aid should be conditional on "action to reverse the rising tide of barbarity against women".

Husband Daniel Wani with his newborn baby in prison

But Conservative International Development Secretary Justine Greening argued it would be "totally perverse" to withdraw aid:

She said: "British aid to Sudan only goes on helping the very poorest Sudanese people via the UN and NGOs, and not a penny is given to the Sudanese government.

"Withdrawing support from thousands of Sudanese families, many also with small children, would only compound this terrible situation. That cannot be right."

Ms Ibrahim was found guilty by a Sudanese court of apostasy in renouncing Islam and of adultery for marrying a Christian, Daniel Wani.

She was sentenced to 100 lashes and death by hanging earlier this month.

Her death sentence has been suspended for two years so she can nurse her daughter Maya, who was born in prison on Wednesday.

There have been claims that Ms Ibrahim may soon be released, but the UK Foreign Office has not been able to confirm the reports.

Ms Ibrahim was forced to give birth to the child while shackled to a prison floor after guards at Omdurman Women's Prison refused to release her.

Both the UK and US governments have summoned Sudan's charge d'affaires to discuss the case.

Foreign Office Minister Mark Simmonds told Sky News Britain is doing everything it can to pressure the Sudanese government to lift Ms Ibrahim's sentence.

He said: "We are putting intense pressure on the Sudanese government to do everything that they can to ensure her release.

"Hopefully the international outrage will push the Sudanese authorities into a situation where they feel they have to release Meriam."

He said her sentencing was unconstitutional under Sudanese law and in violation of the country's commitment to treaties that relate to human rights and freedom of religion.

The US State Department has described Ms Ibrahim's incarceration as "horrific" and continues to press Sudanese officials to intervene.

US embassy officials have been attending Ms Ibrahim's public hearings and are monitoring the appeals process in Khartoum.

Mr Cameron's comments follow condemnation from former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and British politicians including Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg.

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Justin Bieber Caught On Camera Using N-Word

A video has been leaked showing Justin Bieber making a racist joke where he uses the n-word.

The Baby singer is believed to be 17 in the video, which appears to have been filmed as part of his 2011 documentary Never Say Never.

The Canadian star is seen laughing as he tells the joke about black people and chainsaws.

As he is about to say the punch line someone off camera can be heard saying: "Don't even say it. Don't say it."

But Bieber, who is now 20, goes on to use the n-word five times while laughing.

The Sun on Sunday newspaper, which obtained the video, claims his team "were so shocked they tried to buy up the bombshell video".

Bieber is due to stand trial for driving under the influence

Bieber has not commented on the video.

His team have had their work cut out this year with the star being involved in a number of controversial incidents.

In January his California home was raided by police after he was accused of egging a neighbour's house, causing thousands of pounds' worth of damage.

Later that month he was arrested for driving under the influence and drag racing in Miami Beach. He is due to stand trial in July.

Last month he was accused of attempting to snatch a woman's phone off her while he was playing mini golf with friends. He told his fans not to "believe rumours" after the allegation.

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Qatar Committee Rejects World Cup Bribe Claims

The committee which ran Qatar's successful campaign to host the 2022 World Cup has denied any wrongdoing after new reports of corruption in the bidding process.

The Sunday Times claimed Mohamed Bin Hammam, a former Fifa executive member for Qatar, made payments totalling $5m (£2.98m) to football bosses to secure support for the bid.

But the committee said: "We vehemently deny all allegations of wrongdoing", adding it won the right to hold the 2022 football tournament "because it was the best bid".

Mohamed Bin Hammam, former Fifa executive member for Qatar

It said Mr Bin Hammam played no official or unofficial role in the committee.

And it added it was co-operating fully with the ongoing investigation of Fifa's Michael Garcia and remained totally confident that any objective inquiry would conclude it won the bid to host the World Cup fairly.

Meanwhile, a Fifa vice-president has told Sky News that if evidence of corruption in Qatar's bid is found then a revote would have to be considered.

Lusail Stadium which would host the final of the 2022 World Cup

Jim Boyce told Sky News: "I have absolutely no doubt that if there's concrete evidence being supplied by Mr Garcia (Fifa's chief investigator) to Fifa and to the executive committee then it's got to be taken very seriously and I hope the right decision would be made at that time."

The paper claims Mr Bin Hammam used 10 slush funds to pay cash to football officials in order to create a "groundswell" of support for Qatar's campaign.

Millions of emails and other documents relating to the payments were obtained by the newspaper.

Mr Bin Hamman also allegedly hosted lavish junkets for African officials at which he handed out almost $400,000 in cash.

Mr Bin Hammam with Fifa president Blatter in 2010

It is also alleged he paid $1.6m (£950,000) into bank accounts controlled by Jack Warner, the former vice president of Fifa, some $450,000 (£268,000) of which was paid before the vote for the World Cup.

The newspaper said Mr Bin Hammam declined to respond when asked about the claims.

FA chairman Greg Dyke said the allegations were "very serious" and should be investigated by Mr Garcia.

But he would not say whether there would be a campaign to have the vote run again, insisting people should wait for Mr Garcia's findings.

The decision to award the World Cup to Qatar has proved controversial

He told Sky News: "If Mr Garcia comes out and says he believes there is corruption involved then that campaign will happen.

"But we can't do that until there has been a proper investigation."

Former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind told Sky's Murnaghan programme that if the allegations "are even remotely correct" it brings into question whether Qatar should host the tournament.

Speaking on the same programme, a former director of public prosecutions said criminal proceedings could follow.

People celebrate after Qatar was awarded the World Cup in 2010

Ken MacDonald said: "This is evidence of very serious crime and the fact that the allegation is that they used dollars, US dollars, means that the Justice Department in Washington has jurisdiction over this.

"If the Justice Department started to take an interest in this then I think Fifa would feel the heat very very quickly."

Mr Bin Hammam was banned for life from football administration by Fifa's ethics committee shortly after a failed campaign for the presidency in 2011.

In 2010, he was among the 22 people who decided to award the World Cup to Qatar.

The decision provoked widespread condemnation, and concerns about the safety of players, who will play in extreme heat.

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Jewish Museum Shooting Suspect Arrested

Police investigating a shooting at a Jewish museum in Belgium that left four people dead have arrested a man.

Mehdi Nemmouche, a Frenchman with suspected ties to Islamic radicals in Syria, was detained in Marseille in southern France, investigation sources told the AFP news agency.

The 29-year-old, who is being held on suspicion of murder and attempted murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise, was allegedly found with a Kalashnikov rifle and a handgun.

Two women and a man were killed in the shooting in Brussels on May 24, which French President Francois Hollande said was clearly of "anti-Semitic character".

Two women and a man were killed in the shooting on May 24

A fourth person who was injured in the attack died later in hospital.

The victims, who were shot in the face and neck, included two Israeli tourists who were visiting Brussels from Tel Aviv.

Following the attack, Belgian police released CCTV footage of a suspect dressed in sunglasses and a cap, who walked into the museum carrying two bags.

He can be seen removing an automatic rifle and shooting through a door before walking away.

Security around all Jewish institutions in Belgium was raised to the highest possible level in the aftermath of the shooting.

The country is home to about 42,000 Jews, half of whom live in Brussels.

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