Millions 'Should Not Be In A&E' - Exclusive

By Thomas Moore, Health Correspondent

Up to 6.5 million patients every year should avoid going to A&E and be treated by GPs, paramedics and even chemists instead, the doctor leading the review of NHS emergency services claims today.

Around one third of all people who visit A&E each year could be diverted away from hospital under plans to be unveiled shortly by NHS chiefs.

In an exclusive interview with Sky News, the doctor in charge of re-shaping emergency services in England said family doctors, ambulance staff and pharmacists could treat them instead to relieve the pressure on A&E.

Indicating for the first time how he hopes to radically reform A&E, Professor Keith Willett, the national director for Acute Episodes of Care, said: "We know that 15% to 30% of people who turn up to be treated at A&E could have been treated in general practice.

"They did not know that because the system did not obviously make itself available to them."

He said patients with routine medical problems are going to A&E because they cannot get a quick enough appointment with their GP. Others are frustrated by out-of-hours services.

Prof Willett says a long-term solution is needed

"We can look at the way primary care is available to people," he said.

"By changing the way we deliver services we can start to address the demand. We can do the same thing in terms of the ambulance services and how much, how many patients they treat, at the scene, rather than transfer and that's about them having the right information.

"We would look to the public to understand the issues and when the situation does get difficult, to take the advice that I've suggested about phoning first, to get the right advice, to go to the right place, to think of using your general practitioner or indeed your pharmacist, (who) give a lot of advice for minor ailments."

Professor Willett and the medical director for NHS England, Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, will publish their plan for reforming emergency services later this autumn. It is expected to be implemented two years from now.

The plan will acknowledge that demand for care will continue to rise with an ageing population. But it will set out a series of measures for reducing pressure on A&E departments.

They are expected to include:

:: A&E units will have to ensure a consultant is available seven days a week

:: Other senior doctors, such as elderly care specialists, will be expected to help assess and treat patients arriving at A&E

:: Paramedics will treat more patients at home or by the roadside so they don't need hospital care

:: Patients will be encouraged to 'ring first', using the NHS111 helpline to be directed towards appropriate care.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt wants GPs to be more proactive

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has also said GPs must take on a bigger role. Next week he will call on GPs to do more to prevent patients with chronic conditions, such as diabetes, from suffering emergency complications.

In an interview for State Of Emergency, Sky News' 24 hours of live coverage from Nottingham's Queen Medical Centre which begins today at 5pm, Mr Hunt said: "The role of GPs in caring for older people needs to be proactive - checking up on people, finding out how they are, heading off problems before they happen - rather than reactive.

"GPs are busy, so to make that happen we have to find ways of getting more capacity in the system and that is a big challenge.

"But we have to address that. In the end, if the NHS is to be sustainable, it has to be about prevention as much as cure."

But GPs say they are already doing what they can.

Professor Mike Pringle, president of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: "They are overwhelmed by the workload they are expected to deliver.

"We have got to start to build general practice, not blame it, not victimise it.

"We have to invest in it if we are going to solve these problems. And I am sure the Secretary of State recognises that."

England's A&E departments were under severe pressure last winter.

Waiting times reached their worst in nine years between January and March 2013, with more than 300,000 patients waiting more than four hours for treatment.

The Government has given the NHS an extra £500m over two years to find short-term solutions to the likely rise in demand for emergency care in the winter months.

Hospitals could bring GPs into A&E departments to see patients with more minor problems and more locum A&E doctors are likely to be employed to fill vacancies.

Only half the training posts for emergency medicine have been filled in the last two years, and more than a third of hospital trusts have vacancies for A&E consultants.

Professor Willett said a long-term solution is required.

"We do have to address the emergency medicine workforce," he said.

"But that will not produce new consultants for several years. So we have to manage the situation and take away from emergency medicine teams those patients who could be managed by other parts of the system.

"Defaulting to seeing an emergency medicine consultant is not necessary for many of those patients and it is frustrating to wait."

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Buckingham Palace Break-In: Two Arrested

Security Scares For Royal Family

Updated: 6:27am UK, Saturday 07 September 2013

The break-in at Buckingham Palace is the latest in a series of security scares involving the Royal Family.

:: In March 2011, a car carrying the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall was mobbed by demonstrators who had split from a protest against higher university tuition fees.

Camilla was visibly distressed after being poked in the ribs with a stick through an open window in the distinctive Rolls-Royce Phantom VI as she and Charles travelled to the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium.

:: In 2003, comedian Aaron Barschak managed to get into Prince William's 21st birthday party at Windsor Castle.

The self-styled "comedy-terrorist" set off a series of alarms and was caught on CCTV before he joined 300 guests at the bash and was removed.

:: In 1994, student David Kang charged at Charles while firing a starting pistol during a ceremony in Sydney, Australia.

Kang was wrestled to the ground by New South Wales premier John Fahey and another man, while Charles was praised for his calm reaction.

:: In 1981, six blank shots were fired from the crowd while the Queen rode during the Trooping the Colour ceremony.

The Queen's horse was startled but she managed bring it back under control while police rushed to grab the shooter.

:: In 1974, Princess Anne was the target of an apparent kidnap attempt in The Mall near Buckingham Palace.

Four people, including her bodyguard, Jim Beaton, were injured after shots were fired when their car was forced to halt by another vehicle which blocked their route.

A police officer chased the driver, Ian Ball, and brought him to the ground before arresting him.

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Winter Wonderland: 'Unbelievable' Hail Storm

A freak hail storm left part of a Cornish town looking like a winter wonderland.

After the hottest summer in the county for seven years, residents in Boslowick, Falmouth could have been left wondering if it was already nearing Christmas with the scenes in their streets.

Hail and flash flooding in Falmouth (Pic: Pirate FM)

Resident Tommy Matthews filmed the snowy-like conditions on Friday morning.

He said they were "the likes of which I don't think I've ever seen before".

Mr Matthews added: "You can see the hail just mounting up everywhere and there are rivers of water just pouring down between it.

"It's absolutely unbelievable".

The hail then thawed and coupled with torrential downpours brought flash flooding to the town on Friday night.

Fire crews were scrambled to help pump water away as roads turned to rivers.

Heavy rain and cooler temperatures have led to a major change from summer heat to autumnal weather across much of the UK.

Sky's weather forecaster Isobel Lang said: "Last week's mini heatwave came to an abrupt halt on Friday with heavy, thundery downpours.

"Durham recorded 63mm in just 24 hours which lead to the Environment Agency issuing two flood warnings on the River Esk.

"Parts of Falmouth in Cornwall were transformed into a winter scene after a thunderstorm left a blanket of hail which proceeded to thaw bringing local flooding.

"Storms of this nature are not unusual at any time of the year, although after the week's sunshine and heat, it was a bit of a shock."

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'Devoted' Mum Killed In Holiday Boat Tragedy

A British mother has been killed in a boating accident during a dream holiday with her family in Brazil.

Gillian Metcalf, of Tenterden, Kent, was travelling with her husband and two daughters when their boat was struck at high speed by another vessel.

The 50-year-old died instantly from head injuries during the collision on the Rio Negro river on September 5.

It is believed the other boat did not stop to help.

It was "an accident that should never have happened", her husband Charlie told the Daily Mail.

Daughter Alice, 18, added "she died happy, painlessly and with her family around her".

Friend and colleague Richard Locke said he was "devastated" by the death and paid tribute to Mrs Metcalf, saying "we have all lost a very special person".

Mrs Metcalf was a partner at the affordable housing law firm Sharratts, which she helped set up in 1999.

In a statement on the firm's website, he said: "As you will imagine this news has hit us all very hard.

"Gill was a marvellous lawyer, a generous friend and most of all a loving wife and devoted mother to her two girls."

Mrs Metcalf counted skiing, golf, cinema and reading among her hobbies.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are aware of the death of a British national in Manaus on September 5.

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

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Immigration: Official Data 'Poor' Leak Reveals

Immigration A Toxic Issue In UK

Updated: 4:07pm UK, Saturday 07 September 2013

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

Leaked Government documents always cause a stir of interest among Westminster's media pack, not least when they are labelled "sensitive" and "should not be forwarded".

The latest, from the Department for Education, is all about the looming crisis in school places.

A baby boom matched by a surge in immigration is loading pressure onto primary schools, with reports last week of children packed in like "sardines". This memo suggests that the pressure will soon mount on secondarys, too, with 35,000 extra places needed by 2015.

So why the controversy?

What makes this story political is the reason behind the mess and - crucially - who is to blame. After all, immigration is a toxic issue in Britain, with concerns of its impact thrown regularly to MPs when they doorstep their constituents.

For Conservatives it is seen as key to retain a strong stance in the face of the growing threat of UKIP to the right.

That is why Tory sources typically point the finger at Labour to explain the surge in immigration. And it is certainly the case that this internal analysis points to a "threefold increase in net long-term migration since the mid-1990s".

But what is interesting is another line that raises questions about current Government policy, warning that data on immigration is "poor" and it is unclear if current policies will be effective. Whitehall officials are admitting that things are not back on track inside a document that was never meant to be seen outside their own offices.

For a Prime Minister who has promised to bring net immigration down to the "tens of thousands" this conclusion is a problem because it adds fuel to the warnings of critics that his promise is unrealistic.

The freedom of movement within the EU makes it very difficult to take action. Moreover, limiting visas for students or high-level workers from elsewhere could damage the UK economy.

Already this issue has led to a clash between the Conservative Home Secretary Theresa May and Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable, who thinks restricting certain types of immigration could be bad for industry.

Whatever the reason, one thing is clear: Schools are at the sharp end.

According to the memo, some local councils are facing a situation in which demand outstrips supply even when only taking into account the children of migrant workers.

Tories will promise that free schools will help ease the pressures - but can they really be opened quickly enough?

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Alps Murder Suspect Denies Involvement

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

Alps murder suspect Zaid al Hilli has denied any involvement in the shooting of his brother Saad and other family members.

Speaking on the first anniversary of the massacre, the accountant said: "I have no idea who killed them. Absolutely no idea."

He refused to discuss any details of his questioning by Surrey police after his arrest in June on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. He is currently on bail.

But French prosecutor Eric Maillaud has accused Mr Hilli, 54, of not co-operating with investigators.

M. Maillaud said: "He doesn't co-operate, which is even more intriguing. Saad was scared of his brother. It's for this reason he changed the locks of the house."

Saad al Hilli was shot dead with his wife and mother-in-law

The house is Saad al Hilli's £1m family home in Claygate, Surrey, which the prosecutor believes was part of a bitter inheritance dispute between the two brothers in the months before the murders.

However, Mr Hilli said before his arrest that he had loved his younger brother Saad and could not understand the murder. He denied they had had a row over money.

Saad al Hilli, 50, was shot dead in his car parked in a lay-by in a mountain road near Lake Annecy in France. Also killed were his wife Iqbal, 47, her mother Suhaila al Allaf, 74, and a French cyclist Sylvain Mollier.

The couple's daughter Zainab, seven at the time, recovered after being shot and pistol-whipped and her sister Zeena, who was four, was found unhurt hiding beneath her mother's body.

French investigators and Surrey detectives have explored several theories, including Saad al Hilli's Iraqi background and his work as a satellite design engineer, but have failed to establish a firm motive.

Saad al Hilli's family home in Claygate, Surrey

The apparent lack of progress in the investigation has angered friends of the family.

Engineer James Matthews said: "At Saad's house they dug up the garden, ripped up his book shelves, cut into his safe and took away his music.

"I thought Saad was the victim, but the police were treating him as though he was responsible for his own death."

Mr Matthews also said that Saad had asked him to be a witness for him if the dispute with his brother Zaid went to court.

Surrey police still have 40 officers working on the case on behalf of the French authorities. They revealed they have seized 5,000 documents, taken 560 witness statements and collected 1,600 other pieces of evidence.

Detective Superintendent Nick May said: "The tragic events of a year ago left four people dead in appalling circumstances.

"We remain committed to finding answers to what happened that day on behalf of their families, particularly for the two young girls who lost their parents.

"This remains a complex enquiry and we continue to have a team of officers dedicated to supporting the investigation."

The prosecutor and Surrey detectives are due to hold a news conference in Annecy on Friday, but are not expected to reveal any breakthrough in the case.

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Teachers To Stage New Strikes Over Pay Row

Teachers are planning a fresh round of strikes in October in a move that will affect thousands of primary and secondary schools.

Members of two teaching unions will walk out in eight areas of England next month in a long-running row over pay, pensions and workload.

A national walkout is likely to follow before Christmas.

The new strikes, on two days in October, are the latest move in the campaign by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the NASUWT over Government education reforms.

They said teachers were "angry, frustrated and concerned" by Education Secretary Michael Gove's plans, accusing him of being "reckless and irresponsible".

Mr Gove hit back, declaring there was "no excuse" for the action and accusing union leaders of undermining the teaching profession by suggesting it was in crisis.

Michael Gove insists he is trying to defend teachers from cynics

The union's members in the East Midlands, West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside and the Eastern region will walk out on October 1.

Those in the North East, London, the South East and the South West will follow on October 17.

There are no strike dates for Wales because the government there has tried to engage with teachers about their complaints, the NUT and NASUWT added.

There is anger that teachers' pay is being linked to performance, with schools setting salaries themselves instead of following a national framework.

Changes have also been made to public sector pensions.

Unions accused Mr Gove of failing to agree to talks, which they claimed had left them no choice but to strike.

NUT general secretary Christine Blower claimed Mr Gove had left teachers facing a "brick wall".

NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates added: "This is not a reckless rush to strike action. We have been trying to engage with Mr Gove since he came to office.

"No one wants to be disrupting children's education. Our experience is parents understand that if you attack teachers' pay and conditions you are putting at risk children's education.

"Since June Mr Gove has taken to going from one public platform to another using megaphone diplomacy rather than sitting down and engaging frankly. It is a reckless and irresponsible way for a Secretary of State to behave."

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), which historically does not take part in industrial action, said it shared the organisations' "frustration".

General Secretary Brian Lightman said: "While ASCL and the teacher unions have different views on the best way to resolve disputes with the Government, we all are united in campaigning for the fairest working conditions and remuneration for teachers and school leaders."

Mr Gove appeared baffled by the row, insisting teachers' pensions were still far better than most deals and that pay reforms would see good performers receive more.

"I fear the reason is that there are people within the executive and leadership of the teaching unions who are for ideological reasons on some sort of kick," he said.

He insisted he was willing to meet with the union bosses for talks "any time, any place, anywhere, to get them to see the error of their ways."

A Department for Education spokesman added: "It is disappointing that the NUT and NASUWT are striking over the Government's measures to allow heads to pay good teachers more.

"In a recent poll, 61% of respondents supported linking teachers' pay to performance and 70% either opposed the strikes or believed that teachers should not be allowed to strike at all."

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Sheppey Crash: 100 Cars Collide On Bridge

A 100-vehicle pile-up on the New Sheppey Crossing Bridge has left hundreds of people injured in a crash witnesses described as "mayhem".

Nobody is believed to have died in the crash around 7.15am, but police say "there could be people trapped" in their cars.

Chief Inspector Andy Reeves, from Kent Police, said it was "truly miraculous" that there were no fatalities from the crash.

"From my perspective, it's truly miraculous. It's very fortunate."

A Kent Police spokeswoman said visibility was a problem at the time, and witnesses say there was "very, very thick" early morning fog hovering over the bridge.

Five people have been cut free from their cars. Pic: Chris Buckingham

There are reports of some motorists driving "like idiots" in the conditions before the crash that closed the A249.

Witnesses told Sky News that some motorists were driving without headlights.

At least eight people have suffered serious injuries, and another 60 people suffered minor injuries.

Lives were probably saved by a quick-thinking lorry driver who used his truck to block the entrance to the bridge and stop more cars piling into the crash.

A driver involved in the incident, Chris Buckingham, told Sky News: "He was going the other way and ... he's gone down to the end of the carriageway, gone across the roundabout and actually blocked off the road so no more cars could actually enter the dual carriageway before the emergency services got there.

Fog across south-east England around 8am today. Pic: MeteoGroup

"Whoever that guy is I'd like to shake his hand because he's probably saved lives."

Up to 30 medical response vehicles were on the scene and motorists have been warned to avoid the area.

The bridge was clogged with buckled cars, lorries and even a car transporter as people waited at the side of the road to receive help from the emergency services.

A witness to the pile-up, Martin Stammers, told Sky News: "I was very, very, lucky. I was the last car out of it, if you like. As I came to the top of the hill, there were about five cars already smashed up, one was across my carriageway.

"I had to hit my brakes hard as well, I just had enough space to get through.

The crash occurred on the New Sheppey Crossing bridge in Kent

"From then on, all you could hear was the screeching of car tyres and the thudding, which was endless.

"It must have been going on for five to 10 minutes. You could hear the screeching, you could hear the lorries thudding into cars, you could hear glass breaking, there was nothing we could do.

"Even after the police turned up, you still heard further down the bridge – a quarter of a mile, half a mile away - cars still going into the back of each other. It was horrendous."

Student Jaime Emmett, 19, was driving through the fog when she became involved in the pile-up.

"There was a man at the side of the road saying to stop. I stopped in time but a van smashed in to me and I smashed in to the car in front," she said.

Some 30 medical response vehicles are on the scene

"I was lucky I was not injured. It was all quite surreal when it happened."

Another witness, David Ingram, described the scene of the crash as "mayhem".

"People were going quite fast, too fast. We were about 50 to 60 cars back. Luckily people coming on to the island were flashing their lights and waving their arms like mad (to warn us).

"It's carnage, it really is. The fog was very, very thick today. You could not see a vehicle in front of you as you came on to the bridge.

"We managed to stop .. the people in front of us weren't that lucky. It was mayhem."

Witnesses say the fog was very thick at the time of the crash

Valentine Elad, a 46-year-old teacher whose car was struck from behind in the crash, told of the eerie aftermath of the pile-ups.

He said: "There were cars upside-down on other cars. There was a black four-wheel-drive Mitsubishi upside-down on a small white car, and an Audi upside-down on the bonnet of another car. It was horrible."

A statement from the Kent Fire and Rescue Service said: "There are no fatalities but ambulance crews are dealing with a large number of walking wounded casualties.

"Firefighters have used hydraulic cutting equipment to release five people from their vehicles."

AA president Edmund King said the pile-up may have been caused by "stupid driving".

"It's really bad to travel too close to the car in front in good conditions and if you do it in foggy conditions it's an absolute recipe for disaster.

"In dense fog you cannot see the brake lights ahead. By law, you don't have to have fog lights on, although it's recommended.

"Unfortunately many people don't know how to turn their fog lights on. You may only need them once a year but it's vital they get used."

A statement from Kent Police said: "Emergency services are currently at the scene dealing with the incident.

"Officers are urging motorists to avoid the area but if a journey to the Island is essential, the old Kingsferry Bridge remains open but expect long delays."

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Michael Le Vell 'Devastated' By Rape Claims

Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell has told a court he's "devastated" and "like a lost soul" after being accused of child sex abuse.

Giving evidence on the fourth day of his trial at Manchester Crown Court, he said: "I am lost. I don't know where this has come from. It has left such a hole in my life. I am like a lost soul."

He added: "I'm fighting for my life."

Asked about the rape allegations he said: "I promise you, never in a million years would I do anything like that ever."

Le Vell said the alleged victim had a "tendency to lie" after the court heard him describe her in police interviews as a "silly girl" who is "seriously deluded".

"I think it was one of those lies that just escalated and she couldn't stop it," he said.

Earlier the court had been hearing details of four interviews the star, who plays car mechanic Kevin Webster in the ITV soap, gave to police after his arrest.

After the actor was accused of rape by the alleged victim's mother, he told police: "When she told me you could have just blew me over. My legs just went to jelly."

The 48-year-old continued: "I just said to the girl's mother, 'Please tell me you are f****** joking. Please, this has got to be a joke'. I was in total shock."

Later in the police interview the officer said Le Vell said: "This is a life changing thing. It will cost me my job."

During the interviews, he said the alleged victim's mother "thinks I am the devil reincarnated".

Le Vell is accused of 12 charges in all - five counts of rape, three of indecent assault, two counts of sexual activity with a child and two of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

The alleged offences relate to one complainant and are said to have taken place between September 2002 and September 2010.

Le Vell told the court he had never been arrested or cautioned before.

Asked about his drinking, Le Vell said he had the "working-class mentality" of a "bloke" - working, then drinking to unwind - and went to the pub most nights.

"I know it sounds a bit chauvinistic but that's the way I was brought up," he added.

He admitted he was "an alcoholic" and had twice tried Alcoholics Anonymous without success.

Earlier in the trial, the court heard Le Vell was alleged to have raped the girl while she clutched a teddy bear during one attack.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, wept as she told the court that Le Vell told her it was their "little secret".

But Le Vell told police: "I did not rape her and I certainly did not try to smother her."

The 48-year-old, who lives in Hale, Cheshire, is charged under his real name of Michael Turner.

He denies all the charges and has called the claims "an absolute pack of lies".

:: A man has been arrested and bailed over publicly identifying Le Vell's alleged victim in a tweet.

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Father Jailed For Son's Cancer Charity Theft

A man who stole hundreds of thousands of pounds from children's cancer charities - including one he set up to help his own son - has been jailed for five years.

Kevin Wright stole a total of £171,500 from the Bobby Wright Cancer Fighting Fund, with the cash used to fund his "interests, investments and personal lifestyle".

The 49-year-old was found guilty of 10 counts of theft and two of fraud by false representation following a trial at Nottingham Crown Court last month.

He also stole cash and credit balances from appeals he set up to raise money for cancer treatment for three-year-olds Callum Kaye and Armani Mohammad.

Jurors were told he gave £20,000 to a friend who ran a used-car business and that he put £60,000 into Premium Bonds.

Another £30,000 was used to buy the Toad In The Hole restaurant in Exeter, Devon, while a further £30,000 was invested in the Royal Oak pub in a village close to his home.

More follows...

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Young Brits 'Could Miss Digital Jobs Boom'

Up to 750,000 jobs could be created in the next five years to fuel Britain's "burgeoning" digital economy, a report has predicted.

Mobile phone giant O2 said the continued growth of the digital sector offers "fantastic opportunities for tech-savvy young people", but warned not enough was being done to harness their skills.

Ronan Dunne, chief executive of the company's parent firm Telefonica, told Sky News: "If we don't generate those jobs using British youngsters with the right skills, businesses will have to look overseas.

"With the situation in the UK, where one million young people are out of work, we have to make sure we get the schooling elements right, the employer elements right and the readiness for work right."

Research by O2 suggests that 20% of the 750,000 possible vacancies would be entry-level jobs, suitable for people entering the world of work for the first time.

Many roles would be linked to the nationwide roll-out of 4G technology, which offers faster mobile internet speeds.

However, Mr Dunne said employers must show a greater willingness to recruit school leavers in order for the digital jobs boom to have a noticeable impact on youth unemployment.

"The onus cannot be on the Government alone," he said.

"Businesses must proactively seek out opportunities to collaborate to maximise the digital growth opportunity and harness the potential of the next generation.

"As digital natives, young people possess valuable skills that will be the future fuel of our economy, but not enough is being done to harness them."

Mr Dunne's comments came at the opening of Campus Party Europe, one of the world's biggest technology festivals.

Up to 60,000 young people are expected to attend the week-long event at The O2 in London.

As well as 100 guest speakers, the event features a digital skills marketplace, where school leavers can meet potential employers, and a hackathon, which aims to teach young people basic coding skills.

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Jon Venables: Bulger Killer Freed From Prison

Jon Venables, one of the killers of two-year-old James Bulger, has been freed from prison for the second time.

Venables was freed from prison after being locked up in 2010 for downloading images of child abuse after previously serving eight years for murdering two-year-old James in Liverpool in 1993.

Legal sources confirmed his release to the Press Association.

The killer has reportedly been given his second new identity at a reported cost of £250,000.

But James Bulger's father, Ralph, believes Venables, 31, will commit more crime, a friend said.

Ralph Bulger pictured in 2011

"He hasn't put a time on it but he is convinced he will reoffend," she said.

She added that James' family were given little information about Venables' release and Mr Bulger was told via his lawyer.

"As ever they are kept in the dark.

"They don't explain the terms of his release, I don't know whether they are going to.

James' mother, Denise Fergus, believes Venables should still be in jail

"But I don't think Venables can enter Merseyside, however that was one of the conditions which he repeatedly broke before."

The toddler's mother, Denise Fergus, told The Sun that Venables is "a danger to the public".

"He lies for his own sick ends," she said.

Venables was 10 years old when he and his friend, Robert Thompson, tortured and murdered James after abducting him from a shopping centre in Bootle.

A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: "We do not comment on individual offenders."

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Rush: Lauda Shocked By F1 Movie Crash Scenes

By Richard Suchet, Arts and Entertainment Correspondent

F1 legend Niki Lauda had no idea what happened in the crash that left him with horrific facial burns - until he saw the hospital scenes in a new movie depicting his infamous rivalry with James Hunt.

The Austrian returned to racing just weeks after his Ferrari left the track in the 1976 German Grand Prix as he tried to stop Hunt from being crowned champion.

Australian actor Chris Hemsworth plays 1976 F1 champion James Hunt

Speaking at the world premiere of Rush, Lauda, who was trapped in his burning car for over a minute, told Sky News: "I was inside so I was busy staying alive.

"The movie is done very realistically and I, too, was shocked when I saw the hospital scenes, how they treated me, what they had to do to keep me alive.

"So even the movie for me was a shock in one way."

Olivia Wilde, who plays Hunt's first wife Suzy Miller, signs autographs

Ron Howard's new movie tells the story of the Hunt-Lauda rivalry - widely considered to be one of the fiercest sport has ever known.

"It's a gauntlet, emotional and physical, that they put themselves through to try to achieve greatness, to fulfil that need that they had [to win]," said Howard. 

"All of that was only intensified by the fact that it was played out in Formula 1 - a world that is dangerous, that is visual, that is cinematic, that is so visceral - so I thought it was a fantastic combination."

F1 drivers Sergio Perez and Jenson Button were at the premiere

Rush stars Australian actor Chris Hemsworth as playboy British racer Hunt - a risk-taker, with a penchant for drugs, women and alcohol.

Germany's Daniel Bruhl plays the dour, detail-obsessed Lauda.

Niki Lauda says he now feels "very warm" about his great rival

Asked how he feels about his rival now, Lauda said: "I wish James could be here tonight, because this would be my best day.

"I feel very warm about him."

Hunt died from a heart attack in 1993, aged just 45.

David Hasselhoff and Hayley Roberts arrive at the world premiere

His son Tom, was also on the red carpet, said he was happy with his father's portrayal in the film.

He told Sky News he understood why Howard had covered his father's playboy lifestyle.

"There were bits of that involved in dad's life. That's part of who dad was - that's partly why he was so famous and popular."

Rush is released in the UK on September 13.

In real life Lauda and Hunt were friendly rivals

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Ray Mears Helped Track Down Raoul Moat

Survival expert Ray Mears has broken a two-year silence to speak of his role in the hunt for killer Raoul Moat.

The bush tracker and TV presenter joined a Tornado fighter jet and scores of armed police officers in the £1 million-plus search for the former doorman.

They were called in after Moat and his accomplices went to ground in woodland surrounding Rothbury, Northumberland, in July 2010.

Mr Mears, 49, contacted a police search adviser he had met at a lecture years earlier to offer his skills and after police discovered an abandoned campsite on the outskirts of Rothbury, he was called in to help.

In an interview with the Gloucestershire Echo, the bushcraft expert said that at one point he was within 20ft of the gunman after eight hours of moving stealthily through dense forest.

He described the scene when he arrived in Rothbury as like something "out of a Hollywood film set" with bright lights, police snipers, helicopters circling overhead and the Tornado making reconnaissance sorties.

Raoul Moat went in the run in the Northumberland countryside

He told the newspaper: "It was all a bit surreal. This is the first time I've talked about it and it's because I feel there has been sufficient water under the bridge."

Mr Mears, who was speaking ahead of the publication of his autobiography later this month, added: "It was such a unique set of circumstances. I have experience of tracking for 40 years.

"I can't imagine there would be that many people in the country who would have been in a position to help the police find someone who had gone into hiding who needed to be found.

"It was a real-life hunt; within my skill set but outside of my comfort zone."

Mr Mears told the newspaper that police disclosed afterwards that Moat's emergence from hiding was a direct result of his presence with armed officers.

Moat went on the run after shooting Chris Brown, 29, who had started a relationship with his ex-girlfriend Samantha Stobbart.

Police pictured after cornering Moat near Rothbury

The spurned lover killed Mr Brown and seriously injured Ms Stobbart in theshooting in Birtley, Gateshead, two days after he was released from prison.

The following day the 37-year-old bodybuilder blasted unarmed PC David Rathband in the face, leaving him blind.

The officer was found hanged at his home in Blyth, Northumberland, in February last year.

The huge search for Moat, involving officers from 18 forces, was one of the biggest police operations seen in the UK.

The rapidly evolving manhunt gripped the nation as newspapers, television and radio stations concentrated on the search, bringing close scrutiny of the police's actions.

The 17-stone steroid addict was finally cornered at the edge of the River Coquet on the evening of July 9.

Following a five-hour stand-off with armed police the father-of-three shot himself in the head at the moment officers used Tasers to try to disable him. He was later declared dead at hospital.

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Corrie Le Vell 'Raped Girl On Regular Basis'

The mother of Michael Le Vell's alleged victim says she believes her daughter was raped by the actor "on a regular basis".

The Coronation Street star is at Manchester Crown Court for the second day of his child rape trial.

On Monday, his alleged victim told the court the actor first raped her when she was six years old as she clutched her teddy bear.

Her mother, who cannot be identified, was in the witness box today and cried as she recalled the moment her daughter told her about the alleged rape.

The woman told the court: "I believe he molested and abused her on a regular basis and there had been a number of rapes."

She said her daughter told her how Le Vell held a teddy bear against her mouth while raping her and he would force the girl to give him oral sex.

The victim's mother said when she confronted Le Vell about the alleged sex abuse, he replied: "You are joking. You are having a laugh."

Le Vell, 48, who plays car mechanic Kevin Webster in the ITV soap, denies committing the offences.

Le Vell, at court today, plays car mechanic Kevin Webster in the soap

Earlier, the girl, 17, was cross-examined by Le Vell's defence barrister Alisdair Williamson, who accused her of lying.

The girl, who is giving evidence from behind a screen in the court, cannot be identified for legal reasons.

During the cross-examination, Mr Williamson questioned the girl's story and her motivations.

The barrister said the girl went to an "inspirational self-help" conference where she heard a motivational speech from a woman who was raped at a young age.

Mr Williamson said the rape victim who gave the talk then went on to rebuild her life and become a success.

The lawyer said: "Is that what some of this is about? You heard this lady talking about how she was raped when she was very young and how she went on and became a model? You want to become an actress or a dancer, is that right?"

The girl replied: "I wanted to, I don't anymore."

During further questions from Eleanor Laws QC, prosecuting, the girl said she could not remember seeing the motivational speech from the rape victim.

The alleged victim also told the court that Le Vell smelt strongly of alcohol the first time he raped her.

She cried as she told the court: "I hated him because what he did was so wrong and I was so young and I did not know at the time."

Le Vell outside the court on Monday

The girl said Le Vell took her to an award show and arranged a visit to Coronation Street after he raped her.

As the girl gave evidence, Le Vell repeatedly shook his head.

Earlier, the barrister asked the girl about alleged inconsistencies in what she had told police.

Mr Williamson told the court the witness had initially told police she had never talked to anyone about the alleged abuse.

But the lawyer claimed the witness "told lots of girls" about it.

"I told two friends because they saw me crying," the witness replied.

But when police were called in the witness told the officer she had not told anyone, the court heard.

Mr Williamson continued: "The officer came to see you because ... you told people and you told the officer a little lie.

"You told him you had not told the girls, they had just guessed.

"I suggest that was a little lie?"

"No," the witness replied.

Le Vell is facing 12 charges in all - five counts of rape, three of indecent assault, two counts of sexual activity with a child, and two of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

The alleged offences relate to one complainant and are said to have taken place between 2001 and September 2010. The girl was aged between six and 14.

After his arrest Le Vell, a father of two, told officers the allegations were a "pack of absolute lies" and he has maintained his innocence throughout.

Le Vell, of Hale, Cheshire, is one of TV's most famous faces after playing Kevin Webster for the past 30 years.

ITV has said he will not be appearing in any further episodes of Coronation Street pending the outcome of legal proceedings.

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Council Paints Nine Inch Double-Yellow Lines

In a move sure to anger motorists, Westminster Council has painted a nine inch double yellow line in Caxton Street, central London.

The lines appeared recently painted on the road between a taxi rank and some parking bays.

Leith Penny, Westminster City Council's strategic director for city management, said: "This was a mistake by a contractor. We are obviously not happy about it, because double yellow lines should play an important part in traffic management and road safety.

The lines are as big as a (toy) double-decker bus

"But on this occasion we can see how absurd this looks and we will make sure it is corrected."

Earlier this year, double yellow lines stretching for just 13 inches were discovered on a street in Cambridge.

The lines were painted on a gap between parking bays in Humberstone Road, West Chesterton, by Cambridgeshire County Council.

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Zanzibar: Acid Attack Girl Pledges To Return

A British teenager who was attacked with acid in Zanzibar has vowed to return to the archipelago though she fears her assailants may never be caught.

Kirstie Trup and Katie Gee, both 18, are recovering after they were targeted by two men on a moped during a volunteering holiday last month.

Despite her ordeal Ms Trup has insisted she has many happy memories of her time there where the two childhood friends worked with underprivileged children.

But she has questioned why the authorities have not caught her attacker in Stone Town, the old part of the island's main city where "everyone knows everyone".

Stone Town, where the attack took place

"I feel very frustrated and upset that our attackers haven't been caught," she told The Sunday Times.

"Stone Town is too small for it to be this hard and I fear they will never be caught."

The teenagers, from north London, were nearing the end of a month-long stint teaching English when they were attacked on August 7.

Ms Trup suffered severe chemical burns to her shoulder and back from the sulphuric acid which was launched at the pair as they walked back from a restaurant on the predominantly Muslim island.

Ms Gee's injuries, showing dark burns seared across her jaw, neck and chest

Police in Zanzibar have interviewed several people, including eyewitnesses, and are believed to have identified a possible culprit.

But Miss Trup said authorities in Tanzania have not shown the girls a photograph of the suspect.

"This experience, as horrible as it has been, has not deterred me from wanting to do more voluntary work in Zanzibar," she told the newspaper.

"In fact, I would even like to return to do more work there next year."

Miss Trup, who was discharged after three days, has returned for a skin graft.

She is expected to take up a place at Bristol University where she will study history at the end of the month.

Miss Gee, the more seriously injured of the two, is still believed to be in hospital. She has a place at Nottingham University to study sociology but may take a year off to recover from her wounds.

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Syria: Hague Rules Out British Military Action

Syria: How Crisis Has Developed

Updated: 10:31pm UK, Saturday 31 August 2013

:: March 2011 - Protesters stage demonstrations in Damascus and security forces in Daraa shoot dead several campaigners, leading to unrest and violence.

:: May - The Syrian military deploys tanks in a bid to quash demonstrations.

:: July 19 - The UK freezes £100m of Syrian assets.

:: August 18 - US President Barack Obama calls on Bashar al Assad to step down. The US freezes all assets of the Syrian government.

:: November 16 - The Free Syrian Army attacks a military base near Damascus.

:: February 4, 2012 - A UN Security Council resolution on Syria is rejected for a second time by Russia and China.

:: March 1 - Government troops seize the Baba Amr district of Homs after an intense battle lasting for several weeks.

:: April 12 - A UN-brokered ceasefire comes into force after fierce fighting in the country.

:: May 23 - Dozens of people, many of them women and children, die in Houla, near Homs. Foreign Secretary William Hague says they were "massacred at the hands of Syrian forces". The UN later accuses the Syrian military of committing war crimes.

:: August - Barack Obama says the use of chemical weapons against civilians would represent the crossing of a "red line".

:: March 6, 2013 - Foreign Secretary William Hague says Britain will provide opposition forces with "non-lethal equipment for the protection of civilians".

:: April-May - Britain says there is credible evidence to suggest Syrian forces have used chemical weapons in Adra, Darayya and Saraqiq and calls for an investigation by the UN.

:: April 29 - Syrian prime minister Wael Nader al Halqi survives an assassination attempt as a car bomb explodes in Damascus.

:: May 14 - Footage of a Syrian rebel commander apparently cutting out a soldier's heart is condemned by the country's National Coalition.

:: June 6 - Syrian forces, backed by Hizbollah fighters, recapture the strategic border town of Qusair.

:: June 6 - Human Rights Watch releases footage which it claims shows Syrian troops shelling school buildings.

:: July 25 - The UN says the number of people killed in the civil war has reached 100,000.

:: August 21 - An alleged chemical attack in Damascus kills 1,300 people, according to the opposition. Doctors Without Borders says 335 people died from "neurotoxic" symptoms.

:: August 25 - Foreign Secretary William Hague says a chemical attack by the Syrian government is the only "plausible explanation" for the deaths.

:: August 26 - UN inspectors brave sniper fire to gather "valuable" evidence from one site of the alleged chemical attack, as the US Secretary of State John Kerry says the Assad regime would face action over the "moral obscenity".

:: August 27 - The UK recalls Parliament to hold a vote on August 29 on the use of chemical weapons in Syria. David Cameron and Barack Obama agree there is "no doubt" the Assad regime is responsible for the alleged attack.

:: August 28 - Britain tables a draft UN resolution condemning the alleged attack and "authorising all necessary measures".

:: August 29 - David Cameron is forced to rule out military action after narrowly losing a Commons vote on the principle of intervention.

:: August 31 - President Obama says the US "should take military action" in Syria but confirms he will seek authorisation from Congress before launching any strikes against the Assad regime. He says the US is "prepared to strike whenever we choose".

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Camper Falls Off Cliff During Night Visit To Loo

A camper was airlifted to hospital when she went to the toilet in the dark and plunged 40ft down a cliff.

The woman was camping with friends at the Cae Du campsite in Rhoslefain in Wales and had left her tent to go to the toilet at 1.30am.

But she became disorientated without a torch and instead plummeted off the beach cliff. Friends of the woman raised the alarm an hour later when she failed to return to the tent.

A spokeswoman for the campsite said: "She went to the toilet in the early hours of Friday morning.

"A friend was supposed to go with her with a light but she went on her own. She fell right off the campsite. It is a long way down. The friends raised the alarm an hour after."

Cae Due is located on the west coast of Wales

The woman was discovered at the foot of cliffs of campsite, near the village of Rhoslefain.

An RAF search and rescue helicopter was sent to the scene and took the woman to Ysbyty Gwynedd Hospital in Bangor.

A spokeswoman for Wales Air Ambulance said the patient was transferred to University Hospital of North Staffordshire in Stoke-on-Trent on Saturday.

She said: "RAF Search & Rescue went to this mission, however the WAA crew later transferred the patient to another hospital due to the nature of her injuries.

"Our Caernarfon-based air ambulance conveyed an adult female from Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor, yesterday (August 31) at 10.50am to Stoke hospital, arriving at 11am."

The Cae Du campsite has been situated on the remote beach cliff since the 1930s.

"The lights from the toilet block were shining all the way on the path to their tent," the campsite spokeswoman said.

"Their tent was near the toilet. We can't understand it.

"The campsite has been going since the 1930s and nothing like this has ever happened before. We are just glad she is alive and that's the most important thing."

The Cool Camping guide describes Cae Du as "the campsite of your dreams".

It adds: "'Idyllic' is a word that is used far too often, but it sums up the situation of Cae Du as no other word can."

:: Picture supplied by Dave Croker

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Sir David Frost Dies Of Heart Attack On Ship

Sir David Frost: Obituary - 1939-2013

Updated: 12:09pm UK, Sunday 01 September 2013

Sir David Frost - who probably interviewed more world figures from royalty, politics, the Church, show-business and virtually everywhere else, than any other living broadcaster - was the most illustrious TV inquisitor of his generation.

He not only won virtually all the major television awards available, but his professional activities were so diverse that he was once described as "a one-man conglomerate".

Sir David was regularly scoffed at by fellow broadcasters for his allegedly non-aggressive style of questioning.

But he invariably had the last laugh because he almost always extracted more intriguing information and revealing reactions from his subjects than other far more acerbic broadcasters who boasted about their hard-hitting treatment of their "victims".

He was as affable and effusive off-screen as he was on it. And his cheery trademark introduction, "Hello, good morning and welcome" to his long running BBC1 Sunday programme Breakfast With Frost set the amiable tone for what was to follow.

His interview with the doomed American President "Tricky Dicky" Richard Nixon was a TV classic. During it, Nixon dramatically admitted that he had "let down the country".

But there were many other historic moments, including one when he suddenly introduced the word "bonkers" during a tense interview with the then prime minister Margaret Thatcher over the sinking of the Argentine warship the Belgrano during the Falklands conflict. She was furious.

Sir David first came to notice nationally with the Saturday night TV satirical programme That Was The Week That Was, which he hosted and co-created in the early 1960s. By today's standards of merciless lampooning, it would appear tame.

But in those days, it cocked a snook at the Establishment and pomposity in a way that had never been tried on the broadcasting media before.

It shocked authority, and was a programme not to be missed by those who were its victims as much as by those who enjoyed seeing the great and the good so savagely ridiculed.

But it "made" Sir David who was then seen as a coruscating rebel, although quite a likeable one, and who was to develop, ironically, as an Establishment figure in his own right.

David Paradine Frost was born on April 7, 1939, the son of a Methodist preacher, at Tenterden, Kent. He was educated at Gillingham Grammar School, Wellingborough Grammar School and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.

At Cambridge he joined Footlights, the renowned revue and cabaret society. He then started to do some TV for the regional station in Norwich, particularly a programme called Town and Gown which was about Cambridge.

For the Christmas edition of that programme in December 1959, the programme-makers decided they wanted a spoof of TV and they approached Footlights and asked Sir David and the comedian Peter Cook to write it.

Later Sir David said: "We went to the station to do it, and I walked into this rather odd environment of a television studio and I thought 'This is home. This is for me'. It was an instant feeling, and from that moment on, for me the decision was made. It was a very memorable day."

After the enormous success of That Was The Week That Was, Sir David set up his own company David Paradine Ltd which gave birth to many more hugely popular programmes, including A Gift of Song, Spitting Image, Through the Keyhole, Peeping Times, How to Irritate People and The Spectacular World of Guinness Records.

Sir David was instrumental in starting up two important TV franchises: LWT in 1967, and as one of the Famous Five who launched TV-am in February 1983. In July, 1969, during the British television Apollo 11 coverage, he presented David Frost's Moon Party for LWT, a 10-hour discussion and entertainment marathon.

His dramatic interview with Richard Nixon was at the time the most widely watched news interview in the history of TV. It was shown in almost every televised nation in the world, and garnered the largest audience ever achieved for such an interview in the United States.

It was later dramatised into a sell-out West End play, and more recently a Hollywood movie.

It was a brilliant scoop. Sir David, whose career at that stage appeared to be on the decline, poured some of his own wealth into this interview. It was a gamble, but it totally restored his fortunes - and there was no looking back after that.

Another of his programmes, The Frost Report, effectively launched John Cleese, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett on their subsequent glittering careers.

Sir David's list of interviewees reads like a roll call of the world's most famous and powerful people. They include virtually every US president and British prime minister during his working life.

Others included Prince Charles, the Duke and Duchess of York, the Princess Royal, Robert F Kennedy, Henry Kissinger, Pierre Trudeau, Mikhail Gorbachev, Indira Gandhi, Benazir Bhutto, King Hussein, Golda Meir, Yasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin, Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk, and countless more.

He was the only person to have interviewed all six British prime ministers serving between 1964 and 2007 (Harold Wilson, Edward Heath, James Callaghan, Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Tony Blair) and the seven US presidents in office between 1969 and 2008 (Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush, Bill Clinton and George W Bush). He was also the last person to interview Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran.

Outside world affairs, his roster ranged from Orson Welles, Tennessee Williams, Noel Coward, Peter Ustinov, Woody Allen, Muhammad Ali, the Beatles, Clint Eastwood, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sir John Gielgud, Norman Mailer, Warren Beatty and many more.

His Sunday morning interview programme Breakfast with Frost ran on the BBC from January 1993 until May 2005. The programme originally began in this format on TV-am in September 1983 as Frost on Sunday and ran until the station lost its franchise at the end of 1992. Later it transferred briefly to BSB before moving to the BBC.

Later he was to work for Al Jazeera English and had recently interviewed F1 driver Lewis Hamilton.

Among his awards were two Emmy Awards (for The David Frost Show), the Royal Television Society Silver Medal and the Richard Dimbleby Award in the United Kingdom and internationally, the Golden Rose of Montreux.

American audiences took to him as enthusiastically as British ones, a considerable achievement because more often than not megastars on the British TV screen flop hopelessly in the United States.

The Chicago Tribune once wrote of him: "Few interviewers have been as consistently well-prepared, bright and engaging as David Frost."

The Christian Science Monitor also spoke of his programmes producing "results that are often more revealing than anything on prime-time news", while New York Newsday wrote: "He has become an Anglo-American broadcasting phenomenon."

During one hectic period in his life, Sir David was virtually commuting on a weekly basis to present coast-to-coast programmes in the United States and returning to Britain to host programmes here. He was undoubtedly the busiest, and certainly the most energetic, television personality of his generation.

Over the years, Sir David wrote 17 books, produced several films and started two television networks, London Weekend Television and TV-am.

In 1983, he married Lady Carina Fitzalan-Howard, second daughter of the Duke of Norfolk. There were three sons.

He was awarded an OBE in 1970 and received his knighthood in 1993.

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Council Paints Nine Inch Double-Yellow Lines

In a move sure to anger motorists, Westminster Council has painted a nine inch double yellow line in Caxton Street, central London.

The lines appeared recently painted on the road between a taxi rank and some parking bays.

Leith Penny, Westminster City Council's strategic director for city management, said: "This was a mistake by a contractor. We are obviously not happy about it, because double yellow lines should play an important part in traffic management and road safety.

The lines are as big as a (toy) double-decker bus

"But on this occasion we can see how absurd this looks and we will make sure it is corrected."

Earlier this year, double yellow lines stretching for just 13 inches were discovered on a street in Cambridge.

The lines were painted on a gap between parking bays in Humberstone Road, West Chesterton, by Cambridgeshire County Council.

22.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Zanzibar: Acid Attack Girl Pledges To Return

A British teenager who was attacked with acid in Zanzibar has vowed to return to the archipelago though she fears her assailants may never be caught.

Kirstie Trup and Katie Gee, both 18, are recovering after they were targeted by two men on a moped during a volunteering holiday last month.

Despite her ordeal Ms Trup has insisted she has many happy memories of her time there where the two childhood friends worked with underprivileged children.

But she has questioned why the authorities have not caught her attacker in Stone Town, the old part of the island's main city where "everyone knows everyone".

Stone Town, where the attack took place

"I feel very frustrated and upset that our attackers haven't been caught," she told The Sunday Times.

"Stone Town is too small for it to be this hard and I fear they will never be caught."

The teenagers, from north London, were nearing the end of a month-long stint teaching English when they were attacked on August 7.

Ms Trup suffered severe chemical burns to her shoulder and back from the sulphuric acid which was launched at the pair as they walked back from a restaurant on the predominantly Muslim island.

Ms Gee's injuries, showing dark burns seared across her jaw, neck and chest

Police in Zanzibar have interviewed several people, including eyewitnesses, and are believed to have identified a possible culprit.

But Miss Trup said authorities in Tanzania have not shown the girls a photograph of the suspect.

"This experience, as horrible as it has been, has not deterred me from wanting to do more voluntary work in Zanzibar," she told the newspaper.

"In fact, I would even like to return to do more work there next year."

Miss Trup, who was discharged after three days, has returned for a skin graft.

She is expected to take up a place at Bristol University where she will study history at the end of the month.

Miss Gee, the more seriously injured of the two, is still believed to be in hospital. She has a place at Nottingham University to study sociology but may take a year off to recover from her wounds.

22.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria: Hague Rules Out British Military Action

Syria: How Crisis Has Developed

Updated: 10:31pm UK, Saturday 31 August 2013

:: March 2011 - Protesters stage demonstrations in Damascus and security forces in Daraa shoot dead several campaigners, leading to unrest and violence.

:: May - The Syrian military deploys tanks in a bid to quash demonstrations.

:: July 19 - The UK freezes £100m of Syrian assets.

:: August 18 - US President Barack Obama calls on Bashar al Assad to step down. The US freezes all assets of the Syrian government.

:: November 16 - The Free Syrian Army attacks a military base near Damascus.

:: February 4, 2012 - A UN Security Council resolution on Syria is rejected for a second time by Russia and China.

:: March 1 - Government troops seize the Baba Amr district of Homs after an intense battle lasting for several weeks.

:: April 12 - A UN-brokered ceasefire comes into force after fierce fighting in the country.

:: May 23 - Dozens of people, many of them women and children, die in Houla, near Homs. Foreign Secretary William Hague says they were "massacred at the hands of Syrian forces". The UN later accuses the Syrian military of committing war crimes.

:: August - Barack Obama says the use of chemical weapons against civilians would represent the crossing of a "red line".

:: March 6, 2013 - Foreign Secretary William Hague says Britain will provide opposition forces with "non-lethal equipment for the protection of civilians".

:: April-May - Britain says there is credible evidence to suggest Syrian forces have used chemical weapons in Adra, Darayya and Saraqiq and calls for an investigation by the UN.

:: April 29 - Syrian prime minister Wael Nader al Halqi survives an assassination attempt as a car bomb explodes in Damascus.

:: May 14 - Footage of a Syrian rebel commander apparently cutting out a soldier's heart is condemned by the country's National Coalition.

:: June 6 - Syrian forces, backed by Hizbollah fighters, recapture the strategic border town of Qusair.

:: June 6 - Human Rights Watch releases footage which it claims shows Syrian troops shelling school buildings.

:: July 25 - The UN says the number of people killed in the civil war has reached 100,000.

:: August 21 - An alleged chemical attack in Damascus kills 1,300 people, according to the opposition. Doctors Without Borders says 335 people died from "neurotoxic" symptoms.

:: August 25 - Foreign Secretary William Hague says a chemical attack by the Syrian government is the only "plausible explanation" for the deaths.

:: August 26 - UN inspectors brave sniper fire to gather "valuable" evidence from one site of the alleged chemical attack, as the US Secretary of State John Kerry says the Assad regime would face action over the "moral obscenity".

:: August 27 - The UK recalls Parliament to hold a vote on August 29 on the use of chemical weapons in Syria. David Cameron and Barack Obama agree there is "no doubt" the Assad regime is responsible for the alleged attack.

:: August 28 - Britain tables a draft UN resolution condemning the alleged attack and "authorising all necessary measures".

:: August 29 - David Cameron is forced to rule out military action after narrowly losing a Commons vote on the principle of intervention.

:: August 31 - President Obama says the US "should take military action" in Syria but confirms he will seek authorisation from Congress before launching any strikes against the Assad regime. He says the US is "prepared to strike whenever we choose".

22.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sir David Frost Dies Of Heart Attack On Ship

Sir David Frost: Obituary - 1939-2013

Updated: 12:09pm UK, Sunday 01 September 2013

Sir David Frost - who probably interviewed more world figures from royalty, politics, the Church, show-business and virtually everywhere else, than any other living broadcaster - was the most illustrious TV inquisitor of his generation.

He not only won virtually all the major television awards available, but his professional activities were so diverse that he was once described as "a one-man conglomerate".

Sir David was regularly scoffed at by fellow broadcasters for his allegedly non-aggressive style of questioning.

But he invariably had the last laugh because he almost always extracted more intriguing information and revealing reactions from his subjects than other far more acerbic broadcasters who boasted about their hard-hitting treatment of their "victims".

He was as affable and effusive off-screen as he was on it. And his cheery trademark introduction, "Hello, good morning and welcome" to his long running BBC1 Sunday programme Breakfast With Frost set the amiable tone for what was to follow.

His interview with the doomed American President "Tricky Dicky" Richard Nixon was a TV classic. During it, Nixon dramatically admitted that he had "let down the country".

But there were many other historic moments, including one when he suddenly introduced the word "bonkers" during a tense interview with the then prime minister Margaret Thatcher over the sinking of the Argentine warship the Belgrano during the Falklands conflict. She was furious.

Sir David first came to notice nationally with the Saturday night TV satirical programme That Was The Week That Was, which he hosted and co-created in the early 1960s. By today's standards of merciless lampooning, it would appear tame.

But in those days, it cocked a snook at the Establishment and pomposity in a way that had never been tried on the broadcasting media before.

It shocked authority, and was a programme not to be missed by those who were its victims as much as by those who enjoyed seeing the great and the good so savagely ridiculed.

But it "made" Sir David who was then seen as a coruscating rebel, although quite a likeable one, and who was to develop, ironically, as an Establishment figure in his own right.

David Paradine Frost was born on April 7, 1939, the son of a Methodist preacher, at Tenterden, Kent. He was educated at Gillingham Grammar School, Wellingborough Grammar School and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.

At Cambridge he joined Footlights, the renowned revue and cabaret society. He then started to do some TV for the regional station in Norwich, particularly a programme called Town and Gown which was about Cambridge.

For the Christmas edition of that programme in December 1959, the programme-makers decided they wanted a spoof of TV and they approached Footlights and asked Sir David and the comedian Peter Cook to write it.

Later Sir David said: "We went to the station to do it, and I walked into this rather odd environment of a television studio and I thought 'This is home. This is for me'. It was an instant feeling, and from that moment on, for me the decision was made. It was a very memorable day."

After the enormous success of That Was The Week That Was, Sir David set up his own company David Paradine Ltd which gave birth to many more hugely popular programmes, including A Gift of Song, Spitting Image, Through the Keyhole, Peeping Times, How to Irritate People and The Spectacular World of Guinness Records.

Sir David was instrumental in starting up two important TV franchises: LWT in 1967, and as one of the Famous Five who launched TV-am in February 1983. In July, 1969, during the British television Apollo 11 coverage, he presented David Frost's Moon Party for LWT, a 10-hour discussion and entertainment marathon.

His dramatic interview with Richard Nixon was at the time the most widely watched news interview in the history of TV. It was shown in almost every televised nation in the world, and garnered the largest audience ever achieved for such an interview in the United States.

It was later dramatised into a sell-out West End play, and more recently a Hollywood movie.

It was a brilliant scoop. Sir David, whose career at that stage appeared to be on the decline, poured some of his own wealth into this interview. It was a gamble, but it totally restored his fortunes - and there was no looking back after that.

Another of his programmes, The Frost Report, effectively launched John Cleese, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett on their subsequent glittering careers.

Sir David's list of interviewees reads like a roll call of the world's most famous and powerful people. They include virtually every US president and British prime minister during his working life.

Others included Prince Charles, the Duke and Duchess of York, the Princess Royal, Robert F Kennedy, Henry Kissinger, Pierre Trudeau, Mikhail Gorbachev, Indira Gandhi, Benazir Bhutto, King Hussein, Golda Meir, Yasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin, Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk, and countless more.

He was the only person to have interviewed all six British prime ministers serving between 1964 and 2007 (Harold Wilson, Edward Heath, James Callaghan, Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Tony Blair) and the seven US presidents in office between 1969 and 2008 (Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush, Bill Clinton and George W Bush). He was also the last person to interview Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran.

Outside world affairs, his roster ranged from Orson Welles, Tennessee Williams, Noel Coward, Peter Ustinov, Woody Allen, Muhammad Ali, the Beatles, Clint Eastwood, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sir John Gielgud, Norman Mailer, Warren Beatty and many more.

His Sunday morning interview programme Breakfast with Frost ran on the BBC from January 1993 until May 2005. The programme originally began in this format on TV-am in September 1983 as Frost on Sunday and ran until the station lost its franchise at the end of 1992. Later it transferred briefly to BSB before moving to the BBC.

Later he was to work for Al Jazeera English and had recently interviewed F1 driver Lewis Hamilton.

Among his awards were two Emmy Awards (for The David Frost Show), the Royal Television Society Silver Medal and the Richard Dimbleby Award in the United Kingdom and internationally, the Golden Rose of Montreux.

American audiences took to him as enthusiastically as British ones, a considerable achievement because more often than not megastars on the British TV screen flop hopelessly in the United States.

The Chicago Tribune once wrote of him: "Few interviewers have been as consistently well-prepared, bright and engaging as David Frost."

The Christian Science Monitor also spoke of his programmes producing "results that are often more revealing than anything on prime-time news", while New York Newsday wrote: "He has become an Anglo-American broadcasting phenomenon."

During one hectic period in his life, Sir David was virtually commuting on a weekly basis to present coast-to-coast programmes in the United States and returning to Britain to host programmes here. He was undoubtedly the busiest, and certainly the most energetic, television personality of his generation.

Over the years, Sir David wrote 17 books, produced several films and started two television networks, London Weekend Television and TV-am.

In 1983, he married Lady Carina Fitzalan-Howard, second daughter of the Duke of Norfolk. There were three sons.

He was awarded an OBE in 1970 and received his knighthood in 1993.

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Camper Falls Off Cliff During Night Visit To Loo

A camper was airlifted to hospital when she went to the toilet in the dark and plunged 40ft down a cliff.

The woman was camping with friends at the Cae Du campsite in Rhoslefain in Wales and had left her tent to go to the toilet at 1.30am.

But she became disorientated without a torch and instead plummeted off the beach cliff. Friends of the woman raised the alarm an hour later when she failed to return to the tent.

A spokeswoman for the campsite said: "She went to the toilet in the early hours of Friday morning.

"A friend was supposed to go with her with a light but she went on her own. She fell right off the campsite. It is a long way down. The friends raised the alarm an hour after."

Cae Due is located on the west coast of Wales

The woman was discovered at the foot of cliffs of campsite, near the village of Rhoslefain.

An RAF search and rescue helicopter was sent to the scene and took the woman to Ysbyty Gwynedd Hospital in Bangor.

A spokeswoman for Wales Air Ambulance said the patient was transferred to University Hospital of North Staffordshire in Stoke-on-Trent on Saturday.

She said: "RAF Search & Rescue went to this mission, however the WAA crew later transferred the patient to another hospital due to the nature of her injuries.

"Our Caernarfon-based air ambulance conveyed an adult female from Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor, yesterday (August 31) at 10.50am to Stoke hospital, arriving at 11am."

The Cae Du campsite has been situated on the remote beach cliff since the 1930s.

"The lights from the toilet block were shining all the way on the path to their tent," the campsite spokeswoman said.

"Their tent was near the toilet. We can't understand it.

"The campsite has been going since the 1930s and nothing like this has ever happened before. We are just glad she is alive and that's the most important thing."

The Cool Camping guide describes Cae Du as "the campsite of your dreams".

It adds: "'Idyllic' is a word that is used far too often, but it sums up the situation of Cae Du as no other word can."

:: Picture supplied by Dave Croker

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