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Top 10 non-Hague countries children were abducted to
According to the Foreign Office the countries outside of the Hague Convention children are commonly taken to are:
- Pakistan 35 children
- Thailand 17
- India 16
- Japan 11
- Morocco 10
- Egypt 8
- United Arab Emirates 8
- Philippines 7
- Oman 5
- Afghanistan 5
Hot topics of conversation on Twitter in 2013
A royal baby, a raunchy dance, a new Pope and a boy band were just some of the hot topics of conversation on Twitter in 2013.
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NASA: ISS crew safe despite cooling system fault
NASA has said its crew members on board the International Space Station are not in any danger following a fault with one of the station's cooling systems.
Ground crews are continuing to investigate the fault.
A NASA spokesman said: "At no time was the crew or the station itself in any danger, but the ground teams did work to move certain electrical systems over to the second loop.
"Some non-critical systems have been powered down inside the Harmony node, the Kibo laboratory and the Columbus laboratory while the teams work to figure out what caused the valve to not function correctly and how to fix it.
"The crew is safe and preparing to begin a normal sleep shift while experts on the ground collect more data and consider what troubleshooting activities may be necessary."
Top 10 Hague countries children were abducted to
The Hague Convention is an international agreement dealing with cross-border adoption, child trafficking and child laundering.
Top 10 Hague Convention countries snatched children have been taken to over the last year are:
- USA 32 children
- Poland 29
- Ireland 28
- Germany 18
- France 12
- Canada 11
- South Africa 10
- Spain 10
- Australia 9
- Turkey 8
Parental child abduction cases 'double in 10 years'
The number of children snatched by a parent in the midst of a custody battle has more than doubled in the space of a decade, the Government has said.
Figures from the Foreign Office revealed they were now involved in 580 custody cases this year alone, where as they had 272 new potential child abductions in 2003/4.
Charity Reunite, which specialises in assisting parents whose children has taken, have dealt with 447 new cases involving 616 children this year.
Christmas 2012 and the end of the summer holidays saw their caseload surge, the charity revealed.
Golden Globe nominations to be announced
Stars of TV and film will find out today if they are in the running for a prestigious Golden Globe awards.
Nominations will be read out by Avatar actress Zoe Salanda, former House star Olivia Wilde and Parks and Recreation actor Aziz Ansari at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel at 1pm UK time.
Steve McQueen's "12 years a slave", Alexander Payne's "Nebraska" and Alfonso Cuarón's "Gravity" starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney are all tipped for best category film nominations.
"Breaking Bad" is expected to win big after the series finished earlier this year and cleaned up at the Emmys.
Often seen as a precursor to the Oscars, the awards show will be hosted by returning co-emcees Tina Fey and Amy Poehler on Sunday 12 January next year.
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Nigella Lawson's former PA to give evidence at her trial
A former personal assistant to Nigella Lawson and her ex husband Charles Saatchi is expected to give evidence at her trial today.
Elisabetta Grillo and her sister Francesca are accused of committing fraud by abusing their positions as PAs by using a company credit card for personal gain. They deny the charges.
Tougher sentences for sex crimes met with praise
Tougher sentencing guidelines for sex offenders have been met with praise by children's campaigners.
The NSPCC chief executive Peter Wanless praised the removal of "ostensible consent", the idea a child over the age of 13 can consent to sex, as "a step in the right direction".
– NSPCC chief executive Peter WanlessIt is important sentencing reflects the severe damage caused by highly manipulative and devious sex offenders, who may use positions of trust or celebrity status to target children.
Technology is playing a part in the way offenders seek out and groom children....It is right the guidelines reflect the harm caused and the people who cause this misery feel the full weight of the law.
The outdated view children can in some way be complicit in their abuse must be stamped out. The new guidance is a step in the right direction towards addressing this terrible myth.
Read more: Tougher sentences for grooming and online offences
Kate wears 3D glasses to watch Attenborough film
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wore 3D glasses as they watched the latest film by naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough.
Read the full storyTougher sentences for grooming and online offences
Sex offenders will have no protection if they sleep with a child over the age of 13 and claimed they consented, according to new sentencing guidelines.
They see the removal of "ostensible consent" - the idea a child over the age of 13 can agree to sex - while greater emphasis will be placed on grooming by individuals and gangs.
According to the new guidelines:
- A new term has been spawned to take the effect of technology into account. An aggravating factor is "recording the crime", as filming and photographing victims has become more common.
- Offending committed remotely, such as via a webcam, is also included.
- Judges will also have to take into account aspects such as offenders lying about their age, grooming via social media or asking children to share indecent photos of themselves.
