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Ed Miliband Unveils Labour's Election Pledges

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 14 Maret 2015 | 22.11

Ed Miliband has unveiled Labour's pledges for the General Election, covering the economy, the NHS, immigration and tuition fees.

The Labour leader said the choice for voters is not simply between parties and leaders, but between different visions of the country.

The party's five pledges are:

:: Economy -  Labour claims it will balance the books and cut the deficit every year.

:: Living standards - Boosted by Mr Miliband's pledge to freeze energy bills until 2017.

:: NHS - Labour says it will recruit 20,000 more nurses and 8,000 more GPs.

:: Immigration - People who come to the UK will not be able to claim benefits for at least two years.

:: Young people - Tuition fees cut to £6,000, more apprenticeships and smaller class sizes for primary school children.

Speaking to delegates in Birmingham, he said: "Today I urge the British people to choose optimism, to choose a country for the many, to choose the good of all, to choose hope - and to recognise that when working people succeed, nothing can stop us as a country."

Mr Miliband claimed "the Tory experiment" over the past five years had failed, and suggested that working people were £1,600 worse off because of David Cameron's Government.

He added: "We know what their plans mean - it means education cut, the NHS undermined, it means social care devastated, our infrastructure crumbling. Britain cannot afford to take that risk."

To applause from supporters, Mr Miliband also criticised the Prime Minister's decision not to participate in some of the upcoming TV election debates.

It is not the first time Labour has unveiled a pledge card. Tony Blair and John Prescott did so successfully in 1997, winning a landslide general election victory.

But the pledges were very different in 1997. First was cutting class sizes, second was quicker punishment for young offenders, third was cutting NHS waiting lists, while getting under-25s off benefits and no rise in income tax made up the other two.

Responding to Mr Miliband's speech, Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps said: "The real choice at this election is between the stability and strong leadership of David Cameron and the Conservatives working to a long-term economic plan, securing a better future for Britain.

"Or Ed Miliband carried into Downing Street in the pocket of Alex Salmond and the SNP - meaning more borrowing, more debt, higher taxes and weaker defences."


22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Clarkson Hints At Possible Top Gear Exit

Jeremy Clarkson has hinted he may be ready to leave Top Gear after being suspended over a bust-up with a producer.

Writing in his column for the Sun newspaper he appeared to refer to himself as a "dinosaur", explaining that "the day must come when you have to wave goodbye to the big monsters". 

He wrote: "Nature made a mistake when it invented the dinosaur. It was too big, too violent ...

"All the dinosaurs died and now, years later, no-one mourns their passing.

"These big, imposing creatures have no place in a world which has moved on."

Clarkson, 54, has been suspended over a row in which he allegedly tried to hit a producer, named in reports as Oisin Tymon. 

A petition calling for Clarkson to be reinstated has reached more than 840,000 signatures.

But the controversial presenter wrote: "You can start as many campaigns as you like and call on the support of politicians from all sides, but the day must come when you have to wave goodbye to the big monsters, and move on. 

"We lose one animal and get another. The world turns."

He goes on to say: "As you may have heard, I've been suspended by the BBC following a fracas at a North Yorkshire hotel.

"I don't intend to dwell here on what happened then or what will happen in the future. I'm sure you're as fed up with the story as I am.

"One of the things which has cheered me is how many people have expressed support in the last few days. I'm touched and grateful."

Clarkson is being summoned to appear before a BBC disciplinary panel that will decide his fate.

The panel will be chaired by Ken MacQuarrie, the head of BBC Scotland who conducted the investigation into Newsnight's false expose of Lord McAlpine.

The corporation has not revealed when or where the hearing will take place.

:: Read Sky News' interview with a family who say Clarkson launched into an expletive-ridden rant at the producer.

According to reports, he lashed out because he was unable to order a steak at the Simonstone Hall Hotel near Hawes, North Yorkshire, where the production team were staying.

The Sun and Daily Mirror said the hotel's chef had gone home by the time they arrived and they were only offered cold meat platters, although Clarkson had ordered a £21.95 steak.

The papers quoted a source who claimed Clarkson blamed Mr Tymon for not arranging hot food and said there had been a "scuffle".


22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

May: Child Abuse Cases Are 'Tip Of The Iceberg'

Allegations of sex abuse within the institutions meant to protect vulnerable children are "only the tip of the iceberg", Theresa May has claimed.

The Home Secretary believes such abuse is "woven, covertly, into the fabric of our society" - with survivors claiming the exploitation runs through every level of society like "a stick of Blackpool rock".

Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Mrs May added it was a "new beginning" for the independent inquiry into child sex abuse, and conceded the investigation got off to a difficult start.

She wrote: "We already know the trail will lead into our schools and hospitals, our churches, our youth clubs and many other institutions that should have been places of safety but instead became the setting for the most appalling abuse.

"However, what the country doesn't yet appreciate is the true scale of that abuse."

Mrs May also insisted that the inquiry was a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" that would enable the country to learn lessons for the future by addressing the wrongs of the past.

She wrote: "The victims and survivors who have had the courage to speak out are clear that they have done so for one common reason - to save the next generation of children from the abuse they suffered.

"That is what this inquiry is for. Where there has been a failure to protect children from abuse, we will expose it and we will learn from it."

Justice Lowell Goddard is chairing the four-person panel, which was established in the wake of several child sex abuse scandals.

They include the crimes committed by disgraced TV star Jimmy Savile, the abuse of vulnerable girls in towns and cities nationwide, and growing fears that an alleged paedophile ring was operating in the heart of Westminster.


22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Battersea Arts Centre Fire Damage Photos Emerge

Photos have emerged showing the devastation caused by a fire that ripped through an arts centre in south London.

Firefighters are continuing to investigate what caused the blaze at Battersea Arts Centre on Friday, which is thought to have started in the roof of the Grade II listed building.

Devastated residents could be seen crying in the street as around 80 firefighters battled to control the flames, which sent smoke that would be seen for miles billowing into the sky.

No one was injured in the blaze, which affected the building's Grand Hall and its roof.

Firefighters say they managed to save half of the centre.

Station Manager Matt Burrows, who visited the scene on Saturday, said: "Firefighters did a great job to save large parts of the building including the octagonal dome, which I'm told is priceless, and salvaged valuable art work.

"The centre are hopeful that they will be able to open unaffected areas of the building to the public today.

"We'll continue to damp down and our fire investigators are inspecting the building to find the cause."

David Jubb, the centre's artistic director and CEO, said: "The organisation and the front half of the building live to fight another day. We start now."

He thanked the emergency services for saving the building, and said today is the start of the "next chapter" for the centre.

Mr Jubb said: "We want to get the shows back on and rebuild the building brick by brick.

"Huge thanks to the National Funding Scheme who set up a donate page on their site to raise funds.

"This is incredibly important - at the moment we have no offices, no Grand Hall theatre, and we have to re-establish a new financial model for the next 12 months.

"So your support - at whatever level - is so valuable."


22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Body Found In Burning Car Near Golf Club

A woman has been arrested after firefighters discovered a body in the boot of a burning car.

The 34-year-old is being held on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, after the unidentified victim was found in the back of the badly damaged Volkswagen Jetta.

Fire crews were called to Ifield Golf Club near Horsham, West Sussex, on Friday afternoon after receiving reports that a vehicle was on fire.

A post-mortem is being carried out on the body, and investigators from the Surrey and Sussex major crime team have been unable to determine the victim's gender so far.

Detective Chief Inspector Jason Taylor said: "We are treating this as a murder investigation and are following several lines of inquiry.

"Anyone who has any information about the car, or saw it being abandoned and set on fire, is asked to contact police."

The unnamed suspect is from Dulwich in south London.


22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

The Budget: What To Expect From Osborne

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 13 Maret 2015 | 22.11

If you're expecting the forthcoming Budget to make a big difference to your pockets, you may well end up a little disappointed.

Pre-election Budgets tend to be short on measures and long on promises. After all, if there is a new Government elected in May, it will almost certainly table an emergency Budget to implement its own plans.

Often pre-election Budgets serve as a quasi-manifesto, providing a set of fiscal measures you might be able to expect if the governing party gets re-elected.

However, this time around, the Government is, of course, a coalition, and given neither party wants to pre-commit to another term of joint government, the document itself will probably be quite vague about what comes after 2015.

That said, there are certainly areas where we are expecting some movement. There may well be another increase in the tax-free allowance and some anti-tax avoidance measures to clamp down on companies like Starbucks and Google, who have been accused of shifting profits around the world to cut their tax bills.

If previous Budgets are anything to go by, the Chancellor may freeze or cut duty on beer prices (as compared to his predecessor but one, Gordon Brown, who preferred to ease duties on Scotch).

Moreover, the Chancellor has a little more money than expected left in his accounts. Thanks to weaker inflation and lower oil prices, the budget deficit this year may be as much as £5bn smaller than expected.

The question is whether Mr Osborne uses that money to pay off the national debt or to provide extra tax cuts (or, less likely, spending rises).

Certainly, an instant eye-catching tax cut would be an excellent pre-election boost for the Conservatives.

Finally, there's the question of whether the Chancellor will ease up on his austerity plans after the election.

At present, Mr Osborne is targeting a whopping £23.1bn surplus in 2019/20 - far bigger than is necessary even based on his fiscal targets (which just aspire to eliminate the deficit,  not to pull it into surplus).

That ambition will involve swingeing spending cuts, reducing the size of the state to the lowest level since the 1930s.

Those 1930s headlines were deeply unhelpful for the Tories following the Autumn Statement in December, so the Chancellor may well want to scale back the ambition of the spending cuts. Particularly since these are such long-term forecasts that no-one seriously expects them to be met with great accuracy.

Finally, although expectations are low, it would be odd for the Chancellor not to attempt to pluck some kind of rabbit out of his fiscal hat. That's what he's tended to do in the past - can he really resist the temptation so close to an election?


22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Family: Clarkson Said He'd Have Colleague Fired

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson is facing new allegations over the "fracas" at a Yorkshire Dales hotel that led to his suspension by the BBC on Monday.

Four members of the same family who overheard the row say Clarkson told a colleague he would have him fired because there was no hot food at the end of a day's filming.

The Ward family from Leeds told Sky News that Clarkson ranted for up to half-an-hour at the Simonstone Hotel near Hawes and say they were shocked at his language and the way he treated his colleague.

They also claimed he criticised the BBC, saying it was "getting worse".

Sue Ward, 54, a medical receptionist, described Clarkson's behaviour towards the unnamed employee as shocking.

"He said he hadn't done his job properly, it was ridiculous that there was nothing to eat, obviously there was lots of expletives in between all this, and that he would be losing his job, he would see to it that he would lose his job," she said.

"Even someone who's really inept at their job should be told properly, in a proper manner," she said

"But the fact that it was in a public place, I didn't want to listen to that language."

Sue's brother in law Bob Ward, 60, said Clarkson arrived with his co-presenters by helicopter at around 9.30pm and refused to have his picture taken.

"I said 'Any chance of a selfie Jeremy?' and he said 'No, not with the day I've had today'."

Within minutes, Bob's wife Denise, 51, said Clarkson was shouting and swearing and had spoiled the evening they had been looking forward to.

"We were sort of, 'Ooh, celebrities, will we see them?' and then it was just the shock of how can someone be so rude?" she said.

"It was just the swearing and the length of time and this poor guy that he was ripping into," she added.

Top Gear is the BBC's biggest global brand, worth more than £50m a year, but with Clarkson suspended the next three episodes have been scrapped.

The only Top Gear fan among the Ward family, Sue's husband Alan, 56, agreed with the three quarters of a million people who have signed an online petition for Clarkson to keep his job.

"He's brash, we know what he's like, he's been in trouble before and I think he'll be in trouble again," he said.

"I think he'll continue to do that job because without Clarkson there's no Top Gear."

Sky News has approached Clarkson for a comment but he has not responded.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that Clarkson's Twitter profile has changed from saying, "I am a presenter on the BBC2 motoring show, Top Gear" to "I am probably a presenter on the BBC2 motoring show, Top Gear".

One fan responded by tweeting "brilliant", while an opponent wrote "You'll soon be changing the verb tense in your profile then?"


22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pub Landlord Too Heavy For Parachute Stunt

Comedian Al Murray was forced to cancel a skydive intended to generate publicity for his campaign for Parliament - because he is too heavy.

The star is standing against UKIP leader Nigel Farage in the seat of South Thanet in his guise as the Pub Landlord.

Murray had hoped to jump out of a plane from 12,000ft (3,658m) after saying he was "shocked" at claims he had been parachuted in to fight the seat, which is held by the Conservatives.

But as journalists and cameramen gathered to watch the stunt at Headcorn Aerodrome near Ashford, he learned that he was heavier than the 14st 7lb (92kg) weight limit.

Murray blamed the metric scales used to weigh him, and insisted the aborted jump had proved he was a "political heavyweight".

He said: "Unfortunately today's stunt - and that was exactly what it was, a stunt to garner publicity it might generate - has had to be cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.

"It seems that I am too heavy to jump. It's a double whammy.

"Not only am I another tragic victim of this country's obesity epidemic, but also I have been held back by health and safety gone mad."

Murray said he was unsure how much he weighed.

When asked whether Friday the 13th was the best day to perform such a stunt, he said: "I'm a true British man - I neither cry nor weigh myself on scales.

"Those are my values."

Murray is standing for his newly-formed Free United Kingdom Party, and launched an action plan in January under the guise of his patriotic character.

Later on Friday he visited the New Inn pub in the town of Sandwich, and said the aborted stunt was due to "Brussels-based discrimination against people of my weight".

Murray took along the 10 signatories who are backing his bid for Parliament.

He said: "Why a pub for this meeting? Because the pub is the cradle of democracy in a country that is the very mother of Parliaments."

One audience member subjected him to some tough questioning, demanding to know why Murray was making a mockery of the constituency.

The comedian insisted he wanted to get people to vote, adding: "I want to put Thanet on the map - as the most important constituency in the country".

When asked about the TV debates, Murray said he would like to take part, telling reporters: "I can stand and take this stuff, can't I?" 

Mr Farage has expressed his doubts about the legitimacy of Murray's campaign.

He said: "He's not even standing as himself, he's standing as his alter ego.

"It is a bit of a laugh and I have no doubt that in terms of promotion for his tour around the UK he will make a lot of money off the back of it.

"I don't really think the joke is going to last that long."


22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Miliband Mocked Over Kitchen Arrangements

Labour leader Ed Miliband has tried to quell controversy over the kitchen arrangements at his London home, by insisting he only "uses the small one".

Mr Miliband was filmed drinking tea with his wife Justine in a modest kitchen at the £2m property earlier this week.

The images, in a BBC profile, prompted Daily Mail columnist Sarah Vine to criticise the "forlorn little" room, calling it "devoid of colour and character".

Columnist Jenni Russell tried to defend Mr Miliband, godfather to her child, by tweeting that his main kitchen was "lovely" and the footage merely showed "the functional kitchenette by sitting room for tea and quick snacks".

But the intervention did not have the desired effect, and saw Mr Miliband mocked by opponents as "Two Kitchens" - a reference to former deputy prime minister John Prescott's nickname of "Two Jags".

Mr Miliband has denied choosing to be filmed in the smaller kitchen because it was less imposing.

He told the Birmingham Mail: "The house we bought had a kitchen downstairs when we bought it.

"And it is not the one we use. We use the small one upstairs."

When asked again why he was shown in the smaller kitchen, Mr Miliband added: "This is the kitchen Justine and I use."

He joked: "I think Justine would probably say she wishes I'd spend more time in the kitchen."


22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

007 Banned By Welsh Senned: No Licence To Rhyl

Politicians and business leaders have slammed Welsh Assembly bosses for turning down a filming request from the makers of the latest James Bond film.

The producers of Spectre asked the Welsh Assembly Commission if they could shoot scenes inside the Siambr in the Senedd in Cardiff.

But officials said "no", telling the film-makers the main debating chamber for members of the Welsh National Assembly was not a "drama studio".

But Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said it was "a shame" that the Bond series, which has made billions at the box office, would not be coming to Wales.

He said: "From a Welsh tourism perspective, that's the sort of publicity money can't buy.

"TV and film-related tourism is a major industry, bringing fans of Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Who to Welsh locations.

"It's a shame that Spectre won't be added to that list."

Tory shadow health minister Darren Millar tweeted two political rivals, joking: "We have the Chuckle Brothers in the Senedd on a weekly basis - @carlsargeant1 and @LeightonAndrews - why can't we have James Bond? #007"

Steve Sulley, president of South Wales Chamber of Commerce, wrote on Twitter: "So the Welsh Assembly say NO to the new Bond Film filming inside The Senedd... genius decision making... NOT."

Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones retweeted posts from the official Welsh Government account, emphasising that the decision was taken by the Assembly Commission, rather than ministers.

It is believed The Assembly Commission, which looks after the running of the institution, was approached by the makers of Spectre late last year.

The film, which sees Daniel Craig return as Bond, has already started filming in locations including the Austrian Alps, Rome and the River Thames in central London.

But Assembly officials argued it would be highly unlikely permission would ever be granted to film an action film on the floor of the House of Commons.

They said other parts of the Assembly's estate had been offered for filming, but were turned down.

The Commission said in a statement: "The Senedd's Siambr is the home of Welsh democracy and seat of government for Wales.

"Some media activity is allowed in the Siambr when it relates to the work of the Assembly (but) it is not a drama studio.

"The request by (the producers of) James Bond to use the Siambr was turned down and they were offered alternative locations on the estate - which they subsequently declined."

The Senedd, which cost £69.6m, was officially opened in 2006. Sixty AMs sit in its Siambr - with its "mushroom cloud" style wooden ceiling and circular viewing gallery being lauded for its unique architecture and design.

Spectre, the 24th James Bond film, is due for release in November.


22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ebola Nurse And Two Colleagues Back In UK

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 12 Maret 2015 | 22.11

A British healthcare worker who contracted Ebola while working in Sierra Leone has arrived in the UK for specialist treatment.

The unnamed woman, who works for the British military in Kerry Town, is being transferred to a special high-level isolation unit at London's Royal Free Hospital.

Two fellow military healthcare workers who came into contact with the woman returned to the UK on the same plane, Public Health England (PHE) said.

The aircraft landed at RAF Northolt in west London this afternoon.

The pair will be assessed at the Royal Free, the hospital said.

"Neither is displaying symptoms of the disease," it said.

Two other co-workers who also came into contact with the woman will stay in Sierra Leone under observation while it is decided whether they should fly back to Britain.

Rapid tracing was undertaken to identify anyone who had been in recent close contact with the worker after she tested positive to the disease, a PHE spokeswoman said.

"This contact tracing identified four military healthcare workers requiring further assessment," she said.

"On the same precautionary basis that has been adhered to previously, two

healthcare workers are returning on the same military plane today and will be assessed at the Royal Free Hospital. They will then be monitored for any symptoms for the remainder of their incubation period, in line with standard procedures.

"The two other individuals are currently being assessed in Sierra Leone, to inform a clinical decision regarding bringing them to the UK."

An investigation has been launched into exactly how the woman fell ill, at the same British-run clinic where Scottish Ebola survivor Pauline Cafferkey contracted the virus.

Ms Cafferkey had volunteered with Save The Children at the Ebola Treatment Centre in January. She returned to the UK before making a full recovery.

Another British nurse, Will Pooley, also survived the contagious disease after contracting it while working in Sierra Leone last year.

No British nationals have died from Ebola. Ms Cafferkey and Mr Pooley were the only Britons to have tested positive for the disease until the latest case.

A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: "Despite there being stringent procedures and controls in place to safeguard UK service personnel, there is always a level of risk in deployments on operations of this type."

An estimated 700 British servicemen and women have been deployed to Sierra Leone to help in the response against Ebola, which swept through West Africa last year.

They have helped build and staff medical centres such as the Kerry Town Ebola Crisis Centre which opened in November last year, along with a number of volunteers from the NHS.

The 80-bed hospital is managed by Save the Children. It has several beds reserved for health workers who fall ill with the potentially deadly virus.


22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Spies Sacked Over Personal Information Breaches

By Tom Cheshire, Technology Correspondent

Spies have been sacked for "inappropriately accessing personal information" held in bulk personal datasets, it has emerged.

The Intelligence and Security Committee's report into security and privacy - which began in July 2013 as a result of Edward Snowden's disclosures - reveals for the first time the existence of the bulk personal datasets.

These are "large databases containing personal information about a wide range of people" which are not subject to any legislation.

The Prime Minister said these datasets would be put on a statutory footing underneath the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA).

Intelligence and Security Committee spokeswoman MP Hazel Blears told Sky News that spies who illicitly access personal data gathered by intelligence agencies should face criminal charges.

When asked by Sky News for further details about why intelligence staff were sacked, Ms Blears replied: "I think we say in the report that these incidents have been extremely rare.

"We also recommend in our report that these matters should be a criminal offence because we regard this as extremely serious indeed.

"If you're trying to get public confidence around privacy then if someone breaches the rules then there ought to be severe sanctions for that kind of breach.

"We're not in a position today to give you the detailed information ... but I think the fact the committee recommends it be a criminal offence gives an indication of how seriously we take it."

The ISC report stated that GCHQ's bulk interception programme did not amount to "blanket surveillance, nor does it equate to indiscriminate surveillance".

It said that the report contained "an unprecedented amount of information about those capabilities".

However, much of the report was heavily redacted.

The amount of communications collected by GCHQ was not disclosed, nor was specific instances where bulk interception prevented threats to the UK.

The committee said thousands of private communications are read by GCHQ spies on a daily basis using bulk interception methods.

In a section of the report that is heavily redacted, the committee said it is "unavoidable that some innocent communications may have been incidentally collected".

The ISC said that laws governing the security services are "unnecessarily complicated and - crucially - lacks transparency".

It called for a single Act of Parliament to replace all current legislation.

The report also looked at GCHQ's efforts to break encrypted communications.

The report acknowledged the existence of a GCHQ programme dedicated to this task, although its name was redacted.

The ISC asked GCHQ whether this programme "exposed the public to greater risk", and could have a commercial impact on UK communications companies, undermining trust in digital services like secure banking.

The director of GCHQ Robert Hannigan said: "The risk, the point about large scale damage to the internet, I believe is wrong, it is misplaced."

GCHQ's computer network exploitations - hacking into others' computer systems - were also detailed, to an extent.

The number of GCHQ hacks was redacted. The report said: "The agencies may undertake IT operations against computers or networks in order to obtain intelligence."

It called for a specific authorisation regime for such attacks. Earlier this year, the Franco-Belgian SIM card manufacturer Gemalto said it believed it had been hacked either by GCHQ or the NSA.

Shami Chakrabarti, director of rights campaign group Liberty, said: "The ISC has repeatedly shown itself as a simple mouthpiece for the spooks - so clueless and ineffective that it's only thanks to Edward Snowden that it had the slightest clue of the agencies' antics."


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Watch: Axeman Wrestled By Shopkeepers

A robber armed with an axe was thwarted by two shopkeepers who wrestled him to the ground.

CCTV pictures show 28-year-old Errol Woodger wearing a balaclava attempting to smash open a cash register at the convenience store in Greenwich, southeast London.

But two members of staff manage to grab him and hold him until the police arrived.

At Woolwich Crown Court, Woodger pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and possessing an axe. He was jailed for four years.

Detective Constable Laura Hills said: "I would like to commend the victims for their extreme bravery ... Greenwich will be a safer place with Woodger behind bars."


22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hillsborough Chief Denies Police Conspiracy

By Nick Martin, North of England Correspondent

The match commander on the day of the Hillsborough disaster has denied conspiring with other officers to conceal the truth about what happened.

David Duckenfield, former Chief Superintendent with South Yorkshire Police, was giving evidence for a third day at the new inquests into the death of 96 Liverpool fans at Hillsborough on 15 April, 1989.

Under cross-examination Mr Duckenfield admitted his decision to open a side gate and let thousands of Liverpool fans into an already overcrowded stadium was a "blunder of the first magnitude".

Rajid Monon, representing 75 Hillsborough families, suggested the admission was "hugely significant".

"You knew that something horrific was unfolding. You could not handle the truth and that's why you lied," he said.

"And once you lied the genie was out of the bottle and you could not put it back in. It marked, didn't it, the start of the police cover-up?"

Mr Duckenfield, 70, replied: "I don't think I was involved in any cover-up whatsoever."

Mr Monon suggested: "It was the beginning of a false narrative, a false story, about Hillsborough, wasn't it?"

"I disagree," replied Mr Duckenfield.

Mr Monon continued: "A false narrative that sought to blame Liverpool fans for what had happened and concealed the truth about your failings and other senior police officers. That false narrative has sadly survived to this day."

"There was no conspiracy as far as I'm concerned," Mr Duckenfield told the jury.

Earlier Mr Duckenfield issued a dramatic apology to the families of those who died for what he described as a "terrible lie" in not admitting it was his order that resulted in Gate C being opened.

Mr Monon asked why he waited 26 years to confess to lying.

Mr Duckenfield said: "I was possibly in denial. I never found a venue or an opportunity where I could meet with someone and speak to them honestly and openly and ensure that my thoughts and feelings would be reported fairly.

"This court gave me the opportunity to sit here and apologise fully for the first time without fear of anybody misrepresenting what I was saying."

Mr Monon asked: "If the families and their supporters had not waged a courageous and unrelenting campaign that culminated in the High Court in 2012 quashing the determinations made at the original inquests, you would have never made the public admissions under oath that you have made this week, is that right?"

"I don't necessarily agree with that sir," replied Mr Duckenfield.

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  1. Gallery: Hillsborough Report: Key Figures

    Sir Norman Bettison was involved in the original internal inquiry for South Yorkshire Police and is now chief constable of the West Yorkshire force. Insists he has "nothing to hide"

David Duckenfield was chief supt of South Yorkshire Police and in charge of policing on the day of the disaster

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Turkey: Foreign Spy Detained Over UK Girls

Turkey says it has detained a "foreign spy" for helping three British schoolgirls who travelled to Syria to join Islamic State.

The Turkish foreign minister said an intelligence agent working for one of the states in the US-led coalition had helped London teenagers Kadiza Sultana, 16, Shamima Begum, 15, and Amira Abase, 15, get to Syria.

In an interview published on the official Anatolia news agency, Mevlut Cavusoglu said: "Do you know who helped those girls? He was captured.

"He was someone working for the intelligence (service) of a country in the coalition."

Mr Cavusoglu said the agent in question was not American nor from an EU state but did not elaborate.

The three schoolgirls flew from Gatwick to Istanbul on 17 February and are feared to have continued to Syria to become so-called "jihadi brides".

They are believed to be staying in a house in the IS militants' stronghold, Raqqa.

Last week CCTV footage emerged which appeared to show the three teenagers at a bus station in Istanbul.

The girls, who all attended Bethnal Green Academy in East London, were seen wrapped in heavy winter jackets and carrying packed sports bags and holdalls.

The footage was recorded less than 24 hours after the trio left their London homes, telling their families they would be out for the day.

Their families have claimed the Metropolitan Police failed to pass on a crucial letter requesting to interview the girls about a classmate who ran away to Syria.

Instead, the girls hid the letters in their textbooks and they were never seen by the families.

Abase Hussein, Amira's father, insisted if he had seen the police letter he would have talked his daughter out of leaving and taken away her passport.

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  1. Gallery: Three Schoolgirls From East London Missing

    These pictures were taken from Kadiza Sultana (l) and Shamima Begum's (r) Twitter accounts

Kadiza and Shamima are feared to be on their way to Syria with a third girl, 15-year-old Amira Abase

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22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Leaders Trade Insults Over TV Debates At PMQs

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 11 Maret 2015 | 22.11

There have been vicious exchanges during Prime Minister's Questions as David Cameron and Ed Miliband clashed for a second week running over the election debates.

Broadcasters say they will go ahead with the debates without the Prime Minister after he ruled out proposals for two debates with the seven party leaders and one head-to-head clash with Mr Miliband.

During very personal exchanges at PMQs, the Labour leader said Mr Cameron was using "pathetic feeble excuses" and "ridiculous tactics" as he challenged him to meet on the three dates.

"You are not going to be able to wriggle off this ... There is only one person preparing for defeat and it is this Prime Minister," Mr Miliband said.

"We know you lost to the Deputy Prime Minister last time, why don't you just cut out the feeble excuses and admit the truth: you are worried you might lose again."

In response, Mr Cameron claimed the Labour leader was trying to "crawl into Downing Street" with the Scottish National Party's help.

"You want to talk about the future of a television programme, I want to talk about the future of the country," Mr Cameron said.

"The truth is you are weak and despicable and want to crawl to power into Alex Salmond's pocket."

Mr Miliband then said to the PM: "Why are you chickening out of the debates with me?"

"Everyone can see it. I'll tell you why this matters because it goes to your character. The public will see through your feeble excuses," he said.

"Instead of these ridiculous tactics, why don't you show a bit more backbone and turn up for the head-to-head debate with me? Any time, anywhere, any place."

The Prime Minister replied: "I'll tell you what goes to character: someone who is prepared to crawl into Downing Street in alliance with people who want to break up the future of our country.

"What a despicable and weak thing to do: risking our defences, risking our country, risking our United Kingdom.

"If you had an ounce of courage you would rule it out."

Mr Cameron said: "You have been offered a debate and you won't take it. Any time, any place, anywhere but you won't take it."

The Prime Minister has claimed the debates in 2010 got in the way of campaigning and so says any debate should take place before 30 March.

His chief spin doctor, Craig Oliver, said at the weekend the Prime Minister's "final position" was for a single debate to take place in the week starting 23 March.

The four broadcasters - the BBC, ITV, Sky and Channel 4 - have said they will stick to their previously announced plans for three debates during the campaign ahead of the General Election on 7 May.

Meanwhile, a ComRes poll for ITV News found that most people (64%) believe Mr Cameron has damaged his reputation by trying to avoid the debates with other leaders.

The poll also found that 71% of people think the debates should still happen even if the Prime Minister does not take part.


22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lambeth Council Abuse: Key Findings

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs & Education Editor

Details of an internal investigation documenting allegations of sexual assaults and abuse carried out by officers within Lambeth council in the 1990s have been revealed. They include:

:: There were two sites on Lambeth council property used to carry out sexual assaults. They were used for this purpose "on many occasions over the years".

:: Two private removal firms were "frequently" on site, and were believed to have removed evidence of equipment used during sexual assaults, and washed the area down. One firm had keys to all internal lockers, including a cabinet where evidence in a criminal case was kept and later went missing.

:: Items handed to police following the rape of a female member of staff by a colleague on council premises included a semen-stained blanket, soiled tissues, cassettes and a penknife.

:: Bulic Forsythe, a manager in the housing department, told colleagues he was going to "spill the beans" after a visit to one of these sites.

He clashed with an individual who held a senior position and is named in the report as the head of the ring involved in abuse, and then moved from the housing department to social services.

Whilst in social services Bulic told another colleague he believed the individual in housing could still 'get to him'. After his death in 1993, colleagues reported that a report he had compiled went missing from his office.

:: Three male employees, including one in a senior position, were suspended from their jobs in the housing department as a result of the internal investigation.

Despite the findings of rape and sexual assault, and possessing indecent images of children, they were suspended on grounds of a 'breach of the council's equal opportunities policy'.

:: The report recommends a criminal investigation into the allegations of rape, child rape and images of abuse. The Metropolitan Police has confirmed no investigation was ever undertaken at the time.


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Was Man Murdered For Exposing Paedophile Ring?

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs & Education Editor

Police investigating Westminster-linked child abuse are examining whether a man was murdered because he was about to expose a paedophile ring operating within a London council.

Sky News has obtained details of an internal investigation documenting sexual assaults and abuse carried out by officers within Lambeth Council in the 1990s.

The unpublished report reveals claims from those within the council that Bulic Forsythe, a manager in the housing department whose murder sparked a nationwide appeal in 1993, may have discovered council property was being used to carry out abuse.

That abuse involved senior figures in Lambeth who were using council premises for the rape of women and children, according to the report's remarkable findings.

They used the basement of Lambeth's housing headquarters, the report says, because "sexual assault could be performed without fear of interruption by other staff".

A senior staff member is accused of watching material with "sadistic, bestial and paedophile themes" which "may have been home-produced by staff of people with whom they associated".

One female staff member was subject to a rape on council premises "of horrendous proportions", such that she was still suffering from serious injuries one month on.

She described being raped alongside children and animals by senior figures in the council.

Although the report, which was prompted by alleged breaches of the council's equal opportunities policy, recommends a criminal investigation, its findings were never formally investigated by the police at the time.

Instead, the perpetrators within the council were dismissed from their positions. The report has never before been made public.

It also reveals that colleagues of Bulic Forsythe, whose family have long believed he was murdered to prevent him from blowing the whistle on events at Lambeth, also feared he had been killed as part of a cover up.

"The murder of Bulic Forsythe was seen by some witnesses as a possible outcome for anyone who strayed too far in their investigation or for those who asked too many questions," the report says.

"The panel heard evidence about Bulic Forsythe whilst he was working in social services visiting Hambrook House and speaking to a colleague and telling her that he was going to 'spill the beans'.

"Three days later he was killed," the report says.

Sky News showed the report to Kiddist Forsythe, 21, the daughter of Bulic Forsythe, who was born three months after his murder.

She said: "Some of the stuff that's in here, I honestly can't believe happened. I was very shocked.

"It's really clear the fear that operated in the council - it seems from the report my father felt that fear," she went on, adding he was scared that if he moved jobs "people in power could still get to him".

Sky News contacted a number of people who held senior positions in Lambeth at the time of the alleged incidents. All said the council had elements of dysfunctionality and was plagued by corruption and fear.

Dr Nigel Goldie, former assistant director of social services, said: "There were often rather strange things happening. Things going on behind the scenes that were never properly explained or known about.

"This was in the context of an organisation that displayed dysfunctional features."

There has been a renewed focus on events in Lambeth in the 1980s and 1990s amid growing evidence of a series of paedophile rings operating across England involving the abuse of children in care homes, in some cases allegedly by politicians and other senior figures.

The Metropolitan Police, which has been investigating events in Lambeth at the time under Operation Trinity, said it was considering the report as part of its investigation.

Detective Inspector Sean Crotty said: "This report provides the context to people who were abused in Lambeth.

"What we need is for people who were children at the time and who were abused to come forward."

Lambeth Council said it is supporting Operation Trinity and is working closely with specialist police investigators.

A spokesperson said: "Lambeth Council is determined to do all that we can to support this renewed push to tackle the issue, and ensure that offenders who had previously escaped justice are now held to account."


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Paris Metro Incident: Five Men Due In Court

Five men involved in incidents on the Paris Metro ahead of a Chelsea match have been served with summonses, police have said.

The men will appear at Waltham Forest Magistrates' Court on March 25 "regarding a police application for football banning orders", Scotland Yard said.

Controversy erupted last month when Chelsea fans were filmed singing racist chants and refusing to let a black man on a train ahead of a Champions League match against Paris St Germain.

More follows...


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Hillsborough Chief Regrets 'Grave Mistake'

By Nick Martin, Sky News Correspondent

The police officer in charge during the Hillsborough disaster has described the moment he gave the go-ahead to open a side gate, which allowed around 2,000 fans into already crowded terraces, as a "shocking, almost terrifying moment".

Former chief superintendent David Duckenfield, the match commander, was giving evidence for a second day in the new inquests into Britain's worst sporting tragedy.

He described his decision that day as "grave mistake" and said he had "no option" but to open the gates.

Under cross-examination from Christina Lambert QC, counsel to the inquest, the retired officer said he did not realise where the fans would go once the gates were opened.

He told the inquest: "It is arguably one of the biggest regrets of my life that I did not foresee where fans would go when they came in through the gates.

"I was overcome by the enormity of the situation and the decisions I had to make and as a result of that - this is probably very hard to admit - as a result of that I was so overcome probably with emotion of us having got into that situation that my mind, for a moment, went blank."

It was a decision that led to a crush in pens three and four of the Leppings Lane stand and resulted in the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans.

Mr Duckenfield said he had a conversation with second in command Superintendent Bernard Murray.

"He said if you don't open the gates someone is going to get killed and that really was a shocking, almost terrifying moment, to feel we'd got to that situation," he said.

"I said 'Mr Murray, if people are going to die, I have no option but to open the gates'."

Earlier in the hearing the former policeman said he had held a briefing on the morning of the tragedy but had "no recollection" of what he did until 2pm, an hour before the start of the game.

Under cross-examination from Christina Lambert QC, counsel to the inquest, Mr Duckenfield declared it "remarkable" that he could not remember that period.

The 70-year old said he could not remember patrolling the stadium before the game but was "sure" he had looked at plans showing the layout, the inquest heard.

From the witness box Mr Duckenfield admitted that he had only a "basic knowledge" of the stadium.

Asked by Ms Lambert QC whether he "missed a golden opportunity" to patrol the ground prior to the match to learn about exits and stands, he replied: "I can't disagree with your suggestion but I am afraid I can't answer your question."

The inquest heard how Mr Duckenfield held a briefing on 14 April, the day before the match in which he wrote in a report and delivered, he said, word-for-word: "I cannot stress too highly the word safety.

"The ground will be full to capacity today and some of you may never have experienced a football match of this nature.

"Our job is to ensure the safety of spectators."

The jury was told that a police intelligence report said the behaviour of Liverpool fans in 1989 had been "quite good" but noted some incidents at away matches where Stanley knives and weapons had been discarded "a short distance from the turnstiles".

There were reports, the inquest was told, of "pickpockets and travelling thieves" attending matches.

He told the jury: "I had no personal evidence or major doubts that this match wouldn't pass off in a normal manner."


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Hillsborough Chief: I Wasn't Best Man For Job

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 10 Maret 2015 | 22.11

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

The match commander on the day of the Hillsborough disaster has admitted he was "not the best man for the job".

Former chief superintendent David Duckenfield told the Hillsborough inquests jury he had "limited experience" of planning for football matches prior to the day of the disaster on 15 April 1989.

Watched by approximately 200 family members of the 96 fans who died, Mr Duckenfield confirmed he had been promoted just a few weeks before the FA Cup semi-final in Sheffield between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

He was asked by barrister Christina Lambert QC: "Did you think with hindsight: I should have thought about my limited knowledge of the role of commander in a major event that was an all-ticket sell-out?"

He replied: "I am older, probably wiser. Probably I was not the best man for the job on the day."

He was also asked whether it had occurred to him before the match that it "was a job that called for deep experience".

The former South Yorkshire police officer said he had been assured by the assistant chief constable at the time, Walter Jackson, that he would have an experienced team to assist him on the day.

Ms Lambert asked: "Did you think it was a mistake for you to accept the role of match commander and not seek assistance from others?"

He told the jury there had been a culture at the time of  senior officers being moved around different departments and learning "on the job".

Ms Lambert continued: "My question was whether or not it was a mistake."

Mr Duckenfield replied: "With hindsight it was a serious mistake."

He accepted under questioning that he could not remember whether he had read the relevant police guidelines before the match and that he was not aware of the codeword "catastrophe" that was to be used by emergency services in the event of a major incident.

The inquests have already heard that Mr Duckenfield gave the order to open a perimeter gate at the Hillsborough stadium before telling officials that fans had forced it open. 

Ninety-six Liverpool fans died as a result of crushing on the terraces in overcrowded pens at the ground's Leppings Lane end.

Mr Duckenfield is due to give evidence to the inquests in Warrington for four days.


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Police Forces Lose Track Of 396 Sex Offenders

Police Forces Lose Track Of 396 Sex Offenders

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By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

Police have lost track of almost 400 registered sex offenders they should be monitoring, include a child rapist who vanished two years ago, official figures have revealed.

Others have been off the police radar for much longer, one for 14 years.

Claude Knights, of the child protection charity Kidscape, said: "The horrifying prospect is that these offenders will have rebuilt their lives in communities who don't know them.

"Re-offending is high and particularly among those who have left the support system that was designed to help them."

Everyone on the register - currently around 60,000 - is required to say where they are living. They are monitored by police, probation officers and the prison service under the multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA).

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  1. Gallery: Police Have Lost Track Of Almost 400 Sex Offenders

    Failed asylum seeker Patrick Kanda, who was convicted of child rape, is unaccounted for - one of 396 registered offenders that UK authorities have lost track of

Stefan Taylor, who was convicted of indecent assault, disappeared in Blackpool. The offenders have vanished after moving home without telling authorities

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Anishbai Patel incited a child to engage in a sex act. Lancashire Police have described him as "high risk"

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It is believed Witshire rapist Abdelouaheb Delham may have returned to Algeria

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Iraqi Osman Abdurahman, who is missing from Sheffield, committed a sex attack on a teenage girl

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Police Forces Lose Track Of 396 Sex Offenders

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

Police have lost track of almost 400 registered sex offenders they should be monitoring, include a child rapist who vanished two years ago, official figures have revealed.

Others have been off the police radar for much longer, one for 14 years.

Claude Knights, of the child protection charity Kidscape, said: "The horrifying prospect is that these offenders will have rebuilt their lives in communities who don't know them.

"Re-offending is high and particularly among those who have left the support system that was designed to help them."

Everyone on the register - currently around 60,000 - is required to say where they are living. They are monitored by police, probation officers and the prison service under the multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA).

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  1. Gallery: Police Have Lost Track Of Almost 400 Sex Offenders

    Failed asylum seeker Patrick Kanda, who was convicted of child rape, is unaccounted for - one of 396 registered offenders that UK authorities have lost track of

Stefan Taylor, who was convicted of indecent assault, disappeared in Blackpool. The offenders have vanished after moving home without telling authorities

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Anishbai Patel incited a child to engage in a sex act. Lancashire Police have described him as "high risk"

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It is believed Witshire rapist Abdelouaheb Delham may have returned to Algeria

]]>

Iraqi Osman Abdurahman, who is missing from Sheffield, committed a sex attack on a teenage girl

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Hammond Criticises Jihadi John 'Apologists'

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has criticised "apologists" who tried to blame Britain's intelligence agencies for radicalising the Islamic State (IS) militant known as Jihadi John.

He condemned critics who try to "excuse" terrorists by pointing the finger of blame at MI5, MI6 and GCHQ.

"We are absolutely clear - the responsibility for acts of terror rests with those who commit them. But a huge burden of responsibility also lies with those who act as apologists for them," he said.

His comments appeared to be directed at Asim Qureshi, of campaign group Cage, who said it was MI5's attempts to recruit Mohammed Emwazi - recently revealed as Jihadi John - as an informer that led to him joining IS.

The agencies have been criticised for allowing the 26-year-old Londoner to travel to Syria - where he is believed to have beheaded Western hostages in videos - even though he had been known to MI5 since 2008.

Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute in London, Mr Hammond said agencies are currently facing an "unprecedented" level of challenge in the face of a wide range of global threats.

"The sheer number and range of cases, old and new, amounts to the greatest challenge to our collective security for decades and places unprecedented demands on those charged with keeping us safe," he said.

"The emergence of groups such as Boko Haram in Nigeria and (IS) in Syria, Iraq and Libya, simply serves to underline the pace with which the threats to our safety and security from this source are evolving.

"It is only thanks to the dedication, and in many cases the brilliance, of our intelligence officers that we have succeeded to detect and contain these threats."

Mr Hammond also highlighted the renewed threat posed by Russia - saying it was the "single greatest threat to Britain's security".

"We are now faced with a Russian leader bent not on joining the international rules-based system which keeps the peace between nations, but on subverting it," he said.

"President (Vladimir) Putin's actions - illegally annexing Crimea and now using Russian troops to destabilise eastern Ukraine - fundamentally undermine the security of sovereign nations in Eastern Europe."

During questions at the end of his speech, Mr Hammond was asked what efforts are being made to track down Emwazi.

He said: "What I can tell you is the murders of hostages in Syria are the subject of an ongoing Metropolitan Police investigation.

"And as you would expect I can't comment on any aspect of an ongoing police investigation I'm afraid."

He also said parents and schools have a responsibility to stop young people travelling abroad to take part in the conflict in Syria and Iraq.

The parents of three London schoolgirls believed to have entered Syria with the aim of joining IS are due to appear before the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee later, alongside the ambassador of Turkey.

Mr Hammond said he had spoken to Turkey's foreign minister about what action can be taken to stop would-be jihadists crossing the country's border with Syria.

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  1. Gallery: Images Of The 3,000-Year-Old Assyrian Site

    The 3,000-year-old site on the banks of the Tigris river was once the capital of the world's most powerful empire, the Assyrians. European archeologists first excavated the site in the 1840s

Statues, sections of palaces and gold items were unearthed at the site. Some of its best-known monuments include these winged bulls with human faces, known as lamassus

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Becky Watts' Phone And Computers Recovered

Police investigating the murder of teenager Becky Watts say they have recovered her mobile phone, laptop and tablet computer.

A statement from Avon and Somerset Police said the investigation into the 16-year-old's death is likely to continue for several weeks.

The officer leading the investigation, Detective Superintendent Liz Tunks, said: "There is likely to be ongoing police activity at properties in St George and Barton Hill for the next couple of weeks as part of our investigation into the murder of Becky Watts.

"There are specific forensic examinations which we need to complete to help establish exactly what happened to Becky.

"We'd like to reassure the local community that our primary aim is to conduct a meticulous and exhaustive inquiry into Becky's death and even though there have been charges brought in this case, it continues to be an active investigation.

"Although six people have been charged in connection with the case, specialist forensic examinations will continue to help establish the full circumstances surrounding Becky's death."

Becky vanished from her home in Bristol on 19 February, taking her electronic devices with her.

Parts of her dismembered body were found on 2 March.

Her stepbrother, Nathan Matthews, 28, has been charged with her murder. His girlfriend Shauna Hoare, 21 has been charged with perverting the course of justice.

Four others have been charged with assisting an offender by helping to dispose of and hide Becky's remains.

Two fundraising pages intended to help the teenager's family pay for her funeral have raised more than £11,000.


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Three Missing British Schoolgirls 'In Al Raqqa'

Written By Unknown on Senin, 09 Maret 2015 | 22.11

Three missing schoolgirls who left Britain to join Islamic State have crossed into Syria and are believed to be staying at a house in al Raqqa, Sky sources say.

Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and Amira Abase, 15, boarded a flight from Gatwick Airport bound for Istanbul last month.

Authorities feared the teenagers, who attended Bethnal Green Academy in east London, were seeking to join the Islamist militants.

Sky's Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay said: "We're being told tonight that they've crossed into Syria through a crossing... which is not too far from Kilis.

"They're now apparently in a house that is owned or controlled - or at least hosted by - a British girl who had been in contact with them through the internet, and had brought them through Turkey and into Syria.

"We are told by... good sources within the city of al Raqqa that they are there, that they are safe.

"That is where they are staying - with this British girl who is hosting them.

"There's been a lot of discussion about where they are, (and) how they got there. But we are told they are now inside Syria, they are inside al Raqqa, and they are under the control of Islamic State."

Last week CCTV footage emerged which appeared to show the three teenagers at a bus station in Istanbul.

The girls were seen wrapped in heavy winter jackets, two with hoods pulled up, and carrying packed sports bags and holdalls.

The footage was recorded in the early hours of 18 February, less than 24 hours after the trio left their London homes, telling their families they would be out for the day.

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  1. Gallery: Three Schoolgirls From East London Go Missing

    These pictures were taken from Kadiza Sultana (l) and Shamima Begum's (r) Twitter accounts

Kadiza and Shamima are feared to be on their way to Syria with a third girl, 15-year-old Amira Abase

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Crufts Poison Claims: Second Dog Falls Ill

A second Irish setter has become "violently ill" after sitting close to a dog believed to have been poisoned at the world famous Crufts show.

It comes as the owners of Jagger, who died the day after appearing at the show, spoke of their devastation and rejected claims a rival could be responsible.

Jagger, who came second in his class, died a day after returning home to Belgium.

Sky's Enda Brady says an Ireland-based breeder has told him his dog, who was four benches down from Jagger, became "violently ill" on Thursday.

"He couldn't figure out what was going on," said Brady.

"The dog was very, very ill ... Now he feels it is quite obvious there may have been an attempt to tamper with his dog as well.

"He said it was 'deeply worrying' and 'very sinister'."

Jagger was owned by Belgian Aleksandra Lauwers and Leicester-based breeders Dee Milligan-Bott and her husband, Jeremy Bott.

They have said there is no doubt the dog was poisoned - but believe it is an isolated case.

West Midlands Police is liaising with Crufts officials and the NEC venue to secure potential evidence and examine CCTV.

Police in Belgium have also launched an investigation.

Ms Lauwers wrote on her Facebook page: "To person (sic) who has done it, hope you can sleep well knowing you have killed our love, family member and best friend to our son."

Ms Milligan-Bott described the dog's painful death as a "heinous crime" and claimed poisoned beef cubes were discovered after an autopsy, although a full toxicology report has yet to be released.

In a post on her Facebook page Ms Milligan-Bott said: "This (poisoning) resulted in a very painful death for our beautiful boy.

"The timings from the autopsy will make it clear the only place this could have been given to Jagger was while on his bench at Crufts." 

Appealing for information to find the person responsible, she said she was hopeful a fellow competitor was not involved.

"We can't and we won't think that this was the act of another exhibitor, if we thought this we couldn't go on, and the last 30 years would be a complete waste," she said.

"So I ask all of you to unite in finding the perpetrator who did this, and let's continue to produce and breed our gorgeous dogs who we are all so proud of."

Her husband, Jeremy Bott, said it was "out of the question" that other Crufts owners could have set out to kill Jagger.

The Kennel Club, which organises Crufts, released a statement confirming the dog's death.

"The Kennel Club is deeply shocked and saddened to hear that Jagger the Irish Setter died some 26 hours after leaving Crufts," it said.

"We have spoken to his owners and our heartfelt sympathies go out to them.

"We understand that the toxicology report is due next week and until that time we cannot know the cause of this tragic incident."

Crufts presenter Clare Balding said the situation is "awful for all concerned".

The four-day show finished on Sunday, with Scottish Terrier Knopa named Best In Show. 


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'Colossal' Tory Cuts Will Hit NHS, Says Balls

The "unprecedented" scale of Tory spending cuts would mean the NHS would end up footing the bill, the shadow chancellor has said.

Ed Balls said the Conservatives would take the country back to the 1930s with "colossal" cuts that would amount to £70bn in the next parliament.

He said: "Our analysis shows clearly - countries which reduce public spending at the pace George Osborne intends have found they have had no alternative but to cut health spending.

He added: "This shouldn't be a surprise. When George Osborne's plan means such extreme cuts to day-to-day departmental budgets, it's common sense that the NHS, which makes up a full third of the £317 billion spent in those budgets, ends up footing the bill."

In a speech in central London the shadow chancellor warned the cuts would lead to the smallest police force since comparable records began and the smallest Army since Oliver Cromwell's time.

It came as think-tank Royal United Services Institute warned defence cuts would put 30,000 jobs at risk leaving the combined forces with just 115,000 personnel by 2020.

Attempting to show that it was the Tories, and not Labour who could not be trusted on the economy, Mr Balls said if the Conservatives kept their promises to protect spending on health, schools and overseas aid other Government departments would have no budgets for day-to-day running.

He added: "Cuts on this scale would mean closing our embassies around the world, closing down all job centres and back-to-work programmes and all but ending central government's funding for local government. This is clearly impossible to countenance."

Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps said Mr Balls had "lost his marbles" by claming the Tories were planning "extreme" cuts.

He said the Institute for Fiscal Studies had put the Tory cuts at £30bn and the party had set it would meet this with £12bn welfare reductions, £13bn from Whitehall spending and £5bn by closing tax loopholes.

The Deputy Prime Minister added his criticism of Tory cuts during a separate speech in London.

He said: "They cannot embark on this right-wing lurch towards an ever-shrinking state and also somehow pretend that they can fund everything ... you can't.

"Something has to give."

Speaking alongside the Business Secretary, Vince Cable, Mr Clegg said the UK economy could overtake France and Germany by 2035 to be Europe's largest economy under Liberal Democrat plans.

The proposals would see the £4.6bn science budget ring-fenced and doubling innovation spending, increasing Government funding to more than £1bn by 2020-21.

He said: "The Liberal Democrats have rescued the economy and led the recovery. Now is the time to be ambitious about our future.

"We believe that by building a strong, modern, open economy we can become the powerhouse of Europe. We can grow faster than both France and Germany, overtaking them as the largest economy in Europe in 20 years' time."


22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More
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