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A British father whose daughter drowned while diving in Albania says he feels like her death has been “swept under the carpet” and he’ll never stop fighting for justice for her.

George Gannon, 61, told Sky News that Rebecca, 29, from Stone, in Staffordshire, was diving on an organised tour with Spiranca Diving Centre in Sarande last September when she got into difficulties.

He said he was “stunned” when he was told about her death.

“We were sitting as a family watching the funeral of the Queen when there was a knock on the door, two policemen came in and said, ‘we’ve got to tell you that your daughter died in Albania’,” he said. “I haven’t even been able to cry yet, I haven’t been able to grieve.”

George has spent most of the past 12 months in Albania trying to find out what happened, and is now about to return.

‘I’ll never stop until I get justice’

Rebecca died on her 29th dive.
Image:
Rebecca Gannon died in Albania on her 29th dive

“It’s terrible, I’ve had no help from the Albanian government, I’ve had no help from the British government whatsoever,” he said.

“I’ve just been out there on my own fighting for my daughter with no help whatsoever and when I’ve tried to contact people they just won’t speak.

“It’s like the whole situation has been swept under the carpet and it never happened, but I’ll never stop, never, never stop, until I get justice”.

Mr Gannon said Rebecca had wanted to complete 30 dives by the time she turned 30. The dive in Albania was her 29th, and her last.

He suspects that it took too long to rescue Rebecca, that her death could have been prevented, and that the spot where she died was only seven metres deep.

“She’d dived 25-30 metres and for her to die in only seven metres of water was disastrous,” he said.

Read more from Sky News:
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The Spiranca Diving Centre no longer appears to be operating. Pic: Spiranca Diving Centre
Image:
The Spiranca Diving Centre no longer appears to be operating. Pic: Spiranca Diving Centre

Spiranca ran diving trips in the Ionian Sea. The company no longer appears to be operating and one Albanian journalist told Sky News there had been an arrest.

Muhamed Veliu, from Top Channel TV, said: “The prosecutors charged the owner of this company, which provides scuba diving in Saranda, with breaching health and safety regulation of work.

“This is the only charge and basically he did put a surety of about £13,000 and he was released on bail.”

Mr Veliu said that under Albanian law the prosecutors have two years to conclude an investigation and decide whether to send a case to court.

“I do share the same concern with the family of Rebecca Gannon, not being informed about the speed and the stage of this investigation in Albania,” he said. “This is really a big shame for the Albanian justice system.

“Prosecutors in Albania unfortunately underestimate the importance to tell the family about the progress of the investigation, it is not like in the UK when a crime happened and police appoint a liaison officer to the family of the victim. Unfortunately, we do not have that in Albania.”

George, a former bakery owner, says it has cost him his life savings trying to fight for answers on behalf of his daughter.

The family has set up a crowd funding page on Just Giving to try to raise funds for their legal costs.

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office in the UK said: “We are assisting the family of a British national who died in Albania and are in contact with the local authorities.”

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Julian Assange formally admits spying charge as part of a plea deal with US authorities

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Julian Assange formally admits spying charge as part of a plea deal with US authorities

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has pleaded guilty to one count of espionage as part of a plea deal with US authorities.

His court appearance took place on the US territory of Saipan. He left the UK on Monday after being released on bail from Belmarsh high security jail.

Addressing the court, Assange said that he broke US law by encouraging classified leaks, but said he believed the Espionage Act violates free speech.

As per the deal, the judge sentenced Assange to time already served in a British prison and told him he would be able to leave court a free man.

The US request to extradite the WikiLeaks founder on spying charges has been dropped and he is now on his way to his home country of Australia to be reunited with his wife Stella and their two children, Gabriel and Max.

Mrs Assange posted on X after her husband walked out of court: “Julian walks out of Saipan federal court a free man. I can’t stop crying.”

Julian Assange, middle, leaves the court in Saipan. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Julian Assange, middle, leaves the court in Saipan. Pic: Reuters

Julian Assange leaves the federal court in Saipan Pic: AP
Image:
Julian Assange leaves the federal court. Pic: AP

WikiLeaks said Assange is expected to arrive in the Australian capital of Canberra at 6.41pm local time (9.41am GMT).

The 52-year-old arrived at court in a dark suit, with a loosened tie, after flying from Stansted Airport in London on a charter plane and stopping to refuel in Bangkok.

The flight cost him $500,000 (£394,000) with Mrs Assange calling for “emergency” donations to cover the “massive debt” for the jet.

She said her husband was “not permitted to fly commercial airlines or routes to Saipan and onward to Australia” and any contribution would be “much appreciated”.

Inside court, Assange answered basic questions from judge Ms Manglona and appeared to listen intently as terms of the deal were discussed.

Read more:
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Plea deal marks end of a transatlantic tug of war

Artist’s threat to destroy masterpieces ‘helped free Assange’

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrives at a United States District Court in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S., June 26, 2024. REUTERS/Issei Kato
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Assange arriving at court. Pic: Reuters

A map showing Julian Assange's journey from the UK to Australia
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A map showing Julian Assange’s journey from the UK to Australia

As a condition of his plea, he will be required to destroy information that was provided to WikiLeaks.

Assange left court in a white SUV without speaking to reporters, but his lawyer Jennifer Robinson said it was because of support around the globe that “today’s outcome is possible”.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gets into a vehicle outside United States District Court following a hearing, in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S., June 26, 2024. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
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Assange didn’t speak to reporters as he left court. Pic: Reuters

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Julian Assange’s father awaits son’s arrival

She said: “Julian has suffered for more than 14 years because of risk of extradition to the US… today he pleaded guilty to an offence for having published information in the public interest… this sets a dangerous precedent, this prosecution sets a dangerous precedent.”

Thanking Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Ms Robinson said he “did what he needed to do to ensure Julian’s freedom”.

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Julian Assange released from prison

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Mr Albanese has publicly supported Assange as leader of the Australian Labour Party and as prime minister. He said in a statement earlier on Wednesday: “Regardless of what your views about Mr Assange’s activities, his case has dragged on for too long.

“There is nothing to be gained from his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia.”

The hearing took place in Saipan – the US Commonwealth territory – because of Assange’s opposition to travelling to one of the 50 US states and the court’s proximity to Australia.

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The US department of justice said following his sentencing, Assange will leave the US and will be “prohibited from returning” without permission.

American prosecutors had alleged Assange put lives at risk when he helped former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and military files WikiLeaks put online in 2010.

He had been locked in a legal battle in the UK over his extradition, which included him entering the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in 2012 prior to his detention in Belmarsh – where he had been since May 2019.

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Election 2024: I spent a week travelling on night buses to see a view of the UK politicians don’t

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Election 2024: I spent a week travelling on night buses to see a view of the UK politicians don't

There is a rhythm to a night at the Bolton Interchange.

People dart from arriving buses, racing across the concourse to catch departing ones. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. Each rush is followed by a brief lull.

Every night, hundreds of lives intersect at the Bolton Interchange. The night-shift workers and commuters, those out on the town and those just a little bit lost.

Each one has their own story, some are happy to chat, most lose themselves in whatever is playing through their headphones.

I spent a week on the night buses. With the election looming, what the politicians are experiencing on their campaign battle buses is not what ordinary people are seeing. Theirs is a very different perspective.

Sky News's Greg Milam spoke to passengers on night buses
Image:
Sky News’s Greg Milam spoke to passengers on night buses

There is an unmistakeable despair about the state of the country, an indifference to what the political process might do about it and a dark humour about the future. There are very few flickers of optimism.

From the bus-spotter who says the country needs “a good clean”, to those who yearn for a Britain of a different age, to Pete, the elderly bluegrass guitarist heading for an open-mic night.

What does he think of Britain today? “Me and 50 mates are going to go to Lake Windermere to take a s*** in the water. We’ll see if they do anything to stop us, because they don’t seem to be stopping the water companies.”

It is just one of the many raw expressions of the frustration and hopelessness that I hear. As Carl, the night supervisor at the interchange, says: “Late shifts are different here. It is a real eye-opener.”

Sophia Talbot

‘Vote? I just can’t be bothered’

With her shock of white hair and ankle-length peach quilted coat, Sophia Talbot is hard to miss as she jogs across the interchange concourse. She turned 80 a few weeks ago but is still working full-time. She is taking the 125 bus home after completing filming in Bolton as an extra on the TV drama, Waterloo Road.

Sophia: The country is a mess. When I first came to Bolton 21 years ago it was a really nice place and now it’s all run down and boarded up and I think that speaks for everywhere.

Every time I go to the supermarket, I seem to get less for my money. I can drive but I can’t afford a car so that’s why I take the bus.

I do the extras work for a bit of extra money. Extra extra money, I call it.

I don’t think I’ll last long enough to see things in this country change for the better. It will take a long time for that to happen because it has gone down too far.

I probably won’t even vote. I didn’t last time or the time before if I remember right. I just can’t be bothered, and I know that’s not good because if you don’t do it, you can’t blame anybody but yourself, can you?

Janey Fairhurst

‘I’m treated as third class, common muck’

It is just after 8pm, still light on this early summer evening, and Janey Fairhurst is passing through the interchange on her way from Bury to Wigan, after spending the day with a bereaved friend. She lost her job in medical research in November and, after 10 interviews, is still searching for work.

Janey: My life is drastically different to what it was. There are just not enough jobs. There are jobs down South but I feel the North gets forgotten about quite a lot when it comes to politics. Maybe they need to remember that we started the industrial revolution and they wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for that so maybe give the North some more funding and more jobs.

The empire is over, Britain has just crumbled, it has been going in the wrong direction for a long time and there’s no trust between the people and the politicians.

When I was in work I felt like I was winning. I could buy the Tropicana instead of Tesco’s own brand orange juice. You don’t really think about the politics of it all when you’ve got the money.

Now, I feel like I’m treated as third class, common muck and I’m not. I come from a good family. I feel frustrated, angry, sad, belittled, in a way – judged. I worked so hard to get where I was and now I can’t get back into it.

Another night bus rider

‘The cost of living has put a lot on people’

Three buses in the morning and three more in the evening are the routine of Saila Shabir’s working life. From her home in Great Lever to her job in Manchester, she says her time spent travelling has given her perspective on the value of community and the state of the country.

I think it wouldn’t do any harm for everyone to get on the night bus and experience life from this side of things. It might not be their cup of tea but it is a way to understand what people are saying and doing.

I find it uplifting travelling on the bus in the evening because you get to see people from all sorts of backgrounds. It is amazing, really, and it opens your mind that there’s huge prospects and a really expansive community that we could all bring together under one roof.

I’m not going to say I’m despairing but the cost of living has put a lot on people. People need to work together, we can’t just rely on one set of people to do it all. I am hopeful because I do trust the right people will do the job properly. I do see the darker side of life on the buses sometimes but you need the dark to see the light.

Rick Conlon

‘I have never known this country in such a state’

From his blue suede boots to his embroidered collar, Rick Conlon is dressed for a night on the town. It is 11pm and he is making his way home to Rochdale. At 6ft4in with a shaved head, it’s easy to see why he’s well known in local boxing circles. He is jovial despite despairing of Britain today.

Rick: I’m 58 and I’m not political particularly but I have never known this country in such a state. I just think it’s really tough at the moment. I know inflation has come down but there’s a lot of people far worse off than me struggling for food and the basic necessities.

We’re the fifth-richest country in the world, I find it incredible. When I was 16, 17, 18, in Margaret Thatcher’s time, 1981 and 1982, with all that political and social unrest, the country was still a better country. We had massive unemployment but the country was still a better country. People were looked after.

There’s that old saying about how you can judge a country by how it looks after its elderly. It’s just ridiculous how little they’re paid and how little they’re thought of.

If there’s one thing that makes me optimistic, bus fares make me optimistic. Two pounds – you can’t argue with that. Even then they’re probably subsidised but that’s great, because this is a great country, it’s just the government letting us down.

Muj Malik

‘If it was up to me, I’d move country’

Muj Malik is travelling home with his partner Tabitha and five-month-old son, Zair, after another exhausting day searching for a new family home. They have faced months of frustration on growing council house waiting lists and, they say, see countless videos on TikTok from other young families in the same situation.

Muj: Things are not good in this country. My grandma moved here from Pakistan and my mum was born here so I’m third generation but, if it was up to me, I’d move country. I don’t want to live here for the rest of my life. I don’t see the point because the country is just going sideways.

At the end of the day, I’ve got a mixed-race baby, I grew up in a predominantly white area. I like the country and the people and I know there are people far worse off than us. But you’ve got war veterans from this country, people who have gone to war for this country, they’ve put their lives on the line, they’ve lost friends, and you’ve got them sitting outside of Asda homeless with no help whatsoever.

This country is fading miserably. I like the people, it’s not about the people, it’s about the way the country is run.

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Victims ‘taunted’ as Scotland releases 500 inmates early to relieve packed jails

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Victims 'taunted' as Scotland releases 500 inmates early to relieve packed jails

Victims are being taunted by criminals who are being released early from Scotland’s prisons today under emergency plans to tackle overcrowding, Sky News has been told.

Jails across the UK are in crisis with governors in England and Wales warning they could run out of space within days.

From this morning, the SNP government in Edinburgh is allowing more than 500 Scottish inmates, serving short term sentences, out early in a bid to tackle the issue.

Prisoners inside for under four years who have 180 days or less left to serve are being released in waves over the coming weeks across all Scottish prisons.

Sex offenders and domestic abusers are among those exempt, with governors handed a veto.

The charity Victim Support Scotland told Sky News the system will lead to reoffending.

Kate Wallace, its chief executive, said: “The last time this happened, over 40% had re-offended within six months. That created more victims, and we are fully expecting that to be the case again.

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“Victims are concerned about the risks to their own personal safety, and we are aware already of some prisoners who have been in contact with victims saying that they are going to be released, and it being used as a coercive control tool.”

The prison population in Scotland is almost 8,300, more than exceeding the target operating capacity of 8,007.

The Scottish Prison Service insists safety is a priority.

A spokesman said: “Governors have vetoed anyone they found posed an immediate risk to individuals or groups, with the help of intelligence from police and social work.”

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Latest Ministry of Justice figures show English and Welsh jails currently have 87,395 inmates, with maximum spaces standing at 88,778.

The Prison Governors’ Association (PGA) claims police will be unable to detain people because there’s not enough room behind bars.

Some inmates in England and Wales are being freed up to 70 days early in a similar move to Scotland.

However, the Ministry of Justice was unable to tell Sky News how many convicts have been granted freedom since the system came into force in May.

The crisis has been put in to sharp focus with just days to go until the general election.

Read more from Sky News:
Car crashes into gates of PM’s Chequers country estate
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Overcrowding is likely to be one of the biggest first challenges for whoever takes the reins at 10 Downing St.

The Conservatives previously pledged 20,000 new prison places by the mid-2020s but only 6,000 have been created so far. The Tory manifesto now aims to deliver the plan by 2030.

Labour also plan to create 20,000 spaces by allowing ministers to override local authorities on planning decisions.

But speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Sir Keir Starmer did not say whether he would scrap the early release system despite being heavily critical of the government’s strategy.

The Liberal Democrats promise to end overcrowding completely.

Scottish Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “Immediate and urgent action is needed to deal with the significant recent rise in the prison population.

“In cases of emergency release, we have added two other ways to receive information.

“Victims can go through one of four named victim support organisations who can request information about a prisoner’s release on their behalf.

“Alternatively, a victim can contact the Scottish Prison Service directly to request that information.”

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