Special Forces: 600 Support Posts To Go

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

Around 600 posts could be cut from the support network for Britain's special forces after the military pull-out from Afghanistan.

The Special Forces Support Group is expected to be restructured as Britain's role in the Afghan conflict draws to an end.

The Ministry of Defence thinks the extra support and logistics will no longer be necessary.

The unit is primarily made up of paratroopers from 1 Para and a contingent of Royal Marines.

It was bolstered around five years ago to cope with the demands of fighting in Afghanistan.

These personnel, although some of the UK's most exceptional armed forces, do not complete the same training as SAS or SBS soldiers, neither do they apply the same rules of anonymity.

Their role is to provide logistical support, intelligence gathering and force protection.

The Government does not comment on the special forces, but senior defence sources have stressed this should not be seen as an attack on the special forces.

Of the posts that will be closed, 156 will be from the support group itself, the remainder from a wider network that assists the SAS and SBS.

It is understood that none of the personnel affected will actually lose their jobs because both the Royal Marines and paratroopers are exempt from the latest redundancies.

In the case of the marines, this is because the Navy has pretty much made all the cuts it needs to. The paras are deemed exempt because they are a specialist regiment.

The posts will be closed and those affected will go back to their original jobs.

Paranoia about redundancies in the Armed Forces was revived last month when the latest tranche of job losses was announced. The third round will mean 5,300 soldiers learning they have lost their jobs in June.

The Ministry of Defence defends the cuts as necessary to "meet the challenges of the future".

Former Liberal Democrat leader and Royal Marine Lord Ashdown told Sky News: "My guess is this is a redeployment - it will not cut back on special forces numbers, though it may have an impact on capacity."

Confusion also persists over the defence budget post-2015.

On his recent trip to Algeria, Libya and Liberia, Prime Minister David Cameron told reporters that defence spending would start to rise again beyond 2015, but Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said he thought this only applied to equipment spending.

Jim Murphy, shadow defence secretary, said: "This seems senseless and serious.

"These very specialised, high-end forces, which the UK now needs more than ever, may lose their roles at the same time as ministers hail their importance."

He added: "The country will demand an explanation as to why at a time when more is being demanded of Special Forces these roles may be lost."

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Malala: Shot Teen's Surgery 'Successful'

A schoolgirl who was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman in Pakistan has had successful surgery, doctors have said.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham confirmed that Malala Yousufzai, 15, underwent cranial reconstruction and cochlear implantation procedures on Saturday.

A hospital spokeswoman said Malala's medical team were "very pleased" with her progress following the operations, which lasted for some five hours.

Commenting on the surgery, the spokeswoman said: "Both operations were a success and Malala is now recovering in hospital.

Malala was shot by a Taliban gunman

"Her condition is described as stable and her medical team are very pleased with the progress she has made so far. She is awake and talking to staff and members of her family."

Malala has been receiving treatment at the hospital since she was flown to Britain in October after being shot in north-west Pakistan for promoting women's rights.

Doctors at the hospital said on Wednesday that Malala was set to undergo surgery for what they hoped would be the last time.

The teenager required the fitting of a custom-made titanium plate to repair damage to her skull, as well as a cochlear implant to help her recover hearing in her left ear.

Malala has been in hospital since October

Speaking earlier this week, Dr Dave Rosser, medical director at the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, said both procedures were routinely carried out at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Dr Rosser described Malala as a "remarkable young woman" who had made great progress in her recovery.

He also said she was fully aware of the threats the Taliban had made against her life.

Addressing a media briefing on Wednesday, Dr Rosser said: "She's not naive at all about what happened to her and the situation in terms of her high-profile.

"She's incredibly determined to continue to speak for her cause."

Dr Rosser said it could take "between 15 and 18 months" for any hearing to recover in her left ear but added that in time she would have almost normal levels of hearing, thanks to the surgery.

Dr Rosser also credited the surgeons who operated on Malala in Pakistan soon after she was shot with saving her life.

Malala escaped death by a matter of inches when she was shot on October 9 last year - as the bullet entered just above her left eye and ran along her jaw -"grazing" her brain.

In a statement, the hospital said Malala would continue her recuperation as an inpatient until she was well enough to be discharged.

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Blackpool Stab Death Teen's Family Pay Tribute

The parents of a teenager found stabbed and burned in Blackpool have spoken of their sorrow at the loss of their "beautiful" daughter.

A post-mortem examination found 16-year-old Sasha Marsden's body was set on fire after she had died from stab wounds to the head and face.

Police, who continue to question a  22-year-old man who was arrested nearby, issued a statement on behalf of the teenager's family.

Her mother, Jayne and Gary Marsden, said: "No words can express how we feel.

"Our beautiful daughter has been taken from us. She was a loving daughter, sister, granddaughter, great granddaughter, auntie, niece, cousin and girlfriend. She was very much loved and her loss has left a huge gap in all our lives, a gap that can never be filled.

The alley where Sasha's body was discovered

"Sasha was your typical teenager, a fun-loving girl who enjoyed spending time with her friends and boyfriend, with her parents being last on the list unless she wanted something or needed a lift somewhere.

"We would ask that we be left alone in private to allow us to come to terms with losing our beautiful precious daughter."

Sasha's brother Mark Brett, 24, said: "She was my little sister and I was so proud of her going to college to do her child care course. She will be missed by all her family and friends."

Her sister, 21-year-old Katie Brett, said: "She is a gorgeous little lady and knows how to make an impression and when you meet her. You would never forget her.

"She was an expert wind up merchant and although you might be annoyed with her, you couldn't stay mad with her for long."

The 16-year-old was described as "cheeky and friendly"

Sasha's oldest sister, Gemma Aitchison, 26, said: "Cheeky, friendly and stubborn are all things that make Sasha as special as she is and make her overcome anything. She is a beautiful sister and a wonderful and caring aunty too."

And her brother Thomas Nicholl, 21, said: "Sasha was an adorable little sister and was never afraid to put her opinions across no matter what the situation was.

"She always knew how to make us smile, especially after winding us up. She gave the most amazing cuddles and we will miss her so much."

It comes after her friend, Stephanie Kyle, told Sky News that Sasha had recently received a death threat via email.

Sasha, whose body was discovered in an alley, was in the first year of a childcare course at Blackpool and The Fylde College and lived with her parents in nearby Staining.

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Halal Products Withdrawn After Pork DNA Found

The company which supplied halal food found to contain traces of pork DNA has removed all halal products from the manufacturer.

Food distributor 3663 carried out its own tests on the products after initially fearing five of its halal products may have contained horsemeat. But tests found it was pork DNA traces.

The firm identified McColgan Quality Foods Limited, a Northern Ireland-based company, as the source of "the very small number of Halal savoury beef pastry products" affected.

In a statement the company said: "3663 withdraws McColgan Quality Foods Limited halal pastry products from distribution to Ministry of Justice."

Islamic law forbids the consumption of pork.

3663 has not been suspended, but the "sub-contractor" McColgan has been suspended, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said.

On an Invest Northern Ireland-backed website, McColgan Quality Foods - based in Strabane, County Tyrone - is said to be "approved for the preparation of Halal product".

The website lists McColgan's customers to be popular supermarket brands including Lidl, Nisa, Spar and Costcutter.

The pork DNA was found in pies and pasties

It states McColgan's specialises in "a wide range of chilled & frozen, sweet & savoury convenience foods for retail and food service".

In a statement it said it was "proactively co-operating" with the Food Standards Agency.

"McColgan's has already taken swift measures to identify, isolate and withdraw all of the products which are supplied to The Prison Service while an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding this deeply regrettable and unforeseen incident takes place.

"McColgan's is keen to stress that at no point has pork of any kind been included in the recipes of any of the halal-certified products it supplies."

The row comes after traces of horsemeat were found in burgers sold by some UK supermarkets, including Tesco.

3663 - the numbers in the name corresponding to the letters "FOOD" on a telephone number pad - said in a statement its sentiments echoed those of the Ministry of Justice, and said it was a situation that "we deeply regret".

It added that the beef pastry products were only distributed to prisons.

A spokesman for the MoJ said that following the discovery of non-halal meat and the traces of pork, all prisons were informed and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) immediately informed.

Justice minister Jeremy Wright said: "This is an absolutely unacceptable situation, and one which we regret greatly. Clearly this must be distressing for those affected and they can be reassured we are doing everything we can to resolve the situation. The Prison Service is investigating this as a matter of urgency."

On Thursday Burger King dropped the Irish food processing plant which supplied burgers contaminated with horse DNA.

The Silvercrest plant in Co Monaghan, part of the ABP Food Group, has lost contracts with the major fast food chain and also supermarkets Tesco, Aldi and the Co-operative Group.

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Mini Drones: Army Deploys Tiny Helicopters

British troops are using a nano drone just 10cm long and weighing 16 grams on the front line in Afghanistan to provide vital information on the ground.

They are the first to use the state-of-the-art handheld tiny surveillance helicopters, which relay reliable full motion video and still images back to the devices' handlers in the battlefield.

The Black Hornet Nano Unmanned Air Vehicle is the size of a child's toy, measuring just 10cm (4 ins) by 2.5cm (1 inch), and is equipped with a tiny camera.

The 16g helicopters are used to assess enemy threat

Soldiers use the mini drone to peer around corners or over walls to identify any hidden threats and the images are relayed to a small screen on a handheld terminal.

Sergeant Christopher Petherbridge, of the Brigade Reconnaissance Force in Afghanistan, said: "Black Hornet is definitely adding value, especially considering the light weight nature of it.

"We used it to look for insurgent firing points and check out exposed areas of the ground before crossing, which is a real asset. It is very easy to operate and offers amazing capability to the guys on the ground."

The nano helicopter has been developed by Prox Dynamics AS of Norway as part of a £20m contract for 160 units with Marlborough Communications Ltd (MCL), Surrey.

The tiny drones send video and still images back to a handheld screen

Philip Dunne, Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, said: "Black Hornet gives our troops the benefits of surveillance in the palm of their hands. It is extremely light and portable whilst out on patrol.

"Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems are a key component in our 10-year equipment plan and now that we have balanced the defence budget we are able to confidently invest in these kinds of cutting-edge technologies."

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Blackpool Stab Death: Teen 'Received Threat'

A 16-year-old girl whose body was found burning in an alley had recently received a death threat in an email, a friend of the teen has told Sky News.

Sasha Marsden's body was set on fire after she had died from stab wounds to the head and face, a post-mortem examination has found.

Herr friend, Stephanie Kyle, told Sky News of a threat received by Sasha, which she said police had been told about.

"She got an email saying her time was going to come very soon," she said.

"Obviously this happened, and she's gone and ... we don't know why."

Police released this image of Sasha

Police cordoned off the area in South Shore, Blackpool, after her body was discovered at 9pm on Thursday.

A 22-year-old man was arrested nearby and police have been granted more time to question him.

A woman aged 20 was also held but later released without charge.

A police spokesman said: "Following the death of Sasha Marsden, a Home Office post-mortem examination has been carried out and has found that Sasha died as a result of receiving significant stab wounds to the head and face.

"It also showed that attempts were made to set the body on fire and this was after Sasha had died.

The teenager was on a childcare course at college

"The results have been shared with the family, and specially trained officers are continuing to support them."

On Friday, crime scene investigators carried out forensic searches of the alley behind Kirby Road and at the Grafton House bed-and-breakfast hotel on the same road, which is a few streets off the Promenade.

Carl Evans, owner of the nearby Kimber Guest House, told Sky News he spotted the fire when he walked out into his back garden on Thursday evening.

"I heard the alarms going and saw the smoke, but I thought it was just someone burning rubbish," he said.

The crime scene in Blackpool has been cordoned off by police

He added that some residents had attempted to put out the flames before realising it was a body on fire.

"The lass two doors up said someone seemed to have put something out - like a mannequin - but it turned out to be the body of a 16-year-old girl."

Sasha was in the first year of a childcare course at Blackpool and The Fylde College and lived with her parents in nearby Staining.

Paying tribute, Mandy Pritchard, head of the college's school for society, health and childhood, said she was "a friendly, considerate individual who cared about her fellow students".

Numerous tributes were paid to the youngster on a Facebook page set up in her memory.

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Special Forces: 600 Support Posts To Go

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

Around 600 posts could be cut from the support network for Britain's special forces after the military pull-out from Afghanistan.

The Special Forces Support Group is expected to be restructured as Britain's role in the Afghan conflict draws to an end.

The Ministry of Defence thinks the extra support and logistics will no longer be necessary.

The unit is primarily made up of paratroopers from 1 Para and a contingent of Royal Marines.

It was bolstered around five years ago to cope with the demands of fighting in Afghanistan.

These personnel, although some of the UK's most exceptional armed forces, do not complete the same training as SAS or SBS soldiers, neither do they apply the same rules of anonymity.

Their role is to provide logistical support, intelligence gathering and force protection.

The Government does not comment on the special forces, but senior defence sources have stressed this should not be seen as an attack on the special forces.

Of the posts that will be closed, 156 will be from the support group itself, the remainder from a wider network that assists the SAS and SBS.

It is understood that none of the personnel affected will actually lose their jobs because both the Royal Marines and paratroopers are exempt from the latest redundancies.

In the case of the marines, this is because the Navy has pretty much made all the cuts it needs to. The paras are deemed exempt because they are a specialist regiment.

The posts will be closed and those affected will go back to their original jobs.

Paranoia about redundancies in the Armed Forces was revived last month when the latest tranche of job losses was announced. The third round will mean 5,300 soldiers learning they have lost their jobs in June.

The Ministry of Defence defends the cuts as necessary to "meet the challenges of the future".

Former Liberal Democrat leader and Royal Marine Lord Ashdown told Sky News: "My guess is this is a redeployment - it will not cut back on special forces numbers, though it may have an impact on capacity."

Confusion also persists over the defence budget post-2015.

On his recent trip to Algeria, Libya and Liberia, Prime Minister David Cameron told reporters that defence spending would start to rise again beyond 2015, but Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said he thought this only applied to equipment spending.

Jim Murphy, shadow defence secretary, said: "This seems senseless and serious.

"These very specialised, high-end forces, which the UK now needs more than ever, may lose their roles at the same time as ministers hail their importance."

He added: "The country will demand an explanation as to why at a time when more is being demanded of Special Forces these roles may be lost."

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fast Tweet Kills May Help Avoid Prosecution

Twitter users who delete their offensive tweets soon after posting them could save themselves from being hauled before the courts, the country's leading prosecutor has told Sky News.

Keir Starmer, director of public prosecutions, said it was "not a get-out-of-jail card", but that the threshold for prosecuting people who abuse others on the internet should be high.

He said it was "relevant" for police to consider whether a "spontaneous" offending remark on Twitter and other social media sites had been removed swiftly and followed by an apology.

Libellous comments, or messages which breach court orders or were threatening, would still face prosecution regardless, he said.

This includes racist remarks, especially if targeted at an individual, which he said were likely to be treated as harassment.

Speaking on Sky's Murnaghan show, Mr Starmer said: "There's a lot of stuff out there that is highly offensive that is put out on a spontaneous basis that is quite often taken down pretty quickly and the view is that those sort of remarks don't necessarily need to be prosecuted."

He continued: "I think that if there are too many investigations and too many cases coming to court then that can have a chilling effect for free speech.

"This is about trying to get the balance right, making sure time and resources are spent on cases that really do need to go to court, and not spent on cases which people might think really would be better dealt with by a swift apology and removal of the offending tweet.

"This is not a get-out-of-jail card but it is highly relevant. Stuff does go up on a Friday and Saturday night and come down the next morning.

"Now if that is the case a lot people will say that shouldn't have happened, the person has accepted it, but really you don't need a criminal prosecution. It is a relevant factor."

But he said Twitter was not a place where people could "go and say what they like" without thinking of the circumstances.

He added he was holding a three-month consultation on new guidelines he had drafted.

Solicitor Rupinder Bains, who specialises in defamation, said Mr Starmer's suggestions made "common sense".

She told Sky News: "Everything comes down to context. It has got to come down to what was said, how it was said, who by, who to ..."

"People do need to become aware that they need to think a little bit more before they say things," she added.

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Gay Marriage: Tories Call For Delay To Vote

Around 180 Conservative MPs are reportedly poised to oppose or abstain in a vote on gay marriage to be held on Tuesday.

MPs will vote on the proposals, which will also allow civil partners to convert their partnership to a marriage and enable married people to change their legal gender without having to end their union, for the first time when the Bill has its second reading on Tuesday.

Backbenchers have made no secret of their opposition to the move and were left even more angered when the Tory leadership made clear earlier this week it would not include marriage tax breaks in next month's budget - something that would have been seen as a concession to disgruntled traditionalists.

Twenty five chairmen or former chairmen of Conservative Party associations have written a letter to the Prime Minister warning him that the policy will cause "significant damage" at the ballot box.

Michael Gove supports the legislation

The letter calls for a decision to be postponed until after the 2015 general election.

It closes by saying: "Resignations from the Party are beginning to multiply and we fear that, if enacted, this Bill will lead to significant damage to the Conservative Party in the run up to the 2015 election."

David Cameron views the introduction of same-sex marriage as the "Conservative Party delivering the promise it made".

But Geoffrey Vero from Conservative Grassroots told Sky News: "It's very dangerous to scratch the core beliefs of many people and this is a matter which should be taken much more slowly and debated across the country."

Minister for culture Ed Vaizey said he did not think the issue would tear the Tory party apart and told Sky News he thought it was a "civilised debate".

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, a big supporter of reforms, said: "Every year thousands of people choose to marry in a church rather than a registry office because they believe marriage is sacred. Religious freedom is not just for heterosexuals - we should not deny anyone the right to make a lifelong commitment to another person in front of God if that is what they believe and that is what their church allows."

Education Secretary Michael Gove has also thrown his support behind the proposed legalisation of same-sex marriage and promised teachers would not be disciplined for refusing to promote it.

Concerns have been raised ahead of the Commons vote that thousands of teachers could face the sack because they object to the new law.

But Mr Gove made clear that while teachers would have to explain that it is legal, they would not be required to actively promote it.

Writing in today's Mail on Sunday, Mr Gove explained his stance, saying it was wrong to say to gay men and women that their love is less legitimate.

He said: "It's wrong to say that because of how you love and who you love, you are not entitled to the same rights as others. It's wrong because inequality is wrong."

He continued: "Marriage is not undermined by extending it to gay people - it is reinforced by including everyone equally."

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson and Welsh Secretary David Jones are expected to vote against the plans while Defence Secretary Philip Hammond will vote against or abstain and Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith is poised to abstain, according to The Sunday Telegraph.

Tony and Barrie Drewitt-Barlow are gay Christians who would like to marry in their local church where their five children were baptised. Tony said: "It's just about fairness, it's just about being the same as everybody else. We're not asking for more than anyone else, just the same."

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Halal Products Withdrawn After Pork DNA Found

The company which supplied halal food found to contain traces of pork DNA has removed all products from the manufacturer.

Food distributor 3663 carried out its own tests on the products after initially fearing five of its halal products may have contained horse meat. But tests found it was pork DNA traces.

The firm identified McColgan Quality Foods Limited, a Northern Ireland-based company, as the source of "the very small number of Halal savoury beef pastry products" affected.

In a statement the company said: "3663 withdraws McColgan Quality Foods Limited halal pastry products from distribution to Ministry of Justice."

Islamic law forbids the consumption of pork. All the contaminated products have been withdrawn, the MoJ confirmed.

The row comes after traces of horse meat were found in burgers sold by some UK supermarkets, including Tesco.

3663 - the numbers in the name corresponding to the letters "FOOD" on a telephone number pad - said in a statement its sentiments echoed those of the Ministry of Justice, and said it was a situation that "we deeply regret".

"3663 would like to clarify that the very small number of Halal Savoury beef pastry products that have been withdrawn from supply were only ever distributed to custodial establishments.

"The products in question are from one particular food manufacturer, McColgan Quality Foods Limited, and have not been distributed to any other customer. All halal products from this manufacturer have been withdrawn."

A spokesman for the MoJ said that following the discovery of non-halal meat and the traces of pork, all prisons were informed and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) immediately informed before steps were taken to suspend the relevant supplier.

Justice minister Jeremy Wright said: "This is an absolutely unacceptable situation, and one which we regret greatly. Clearly this must be distressing for those affected and they can be reassured we are doing everything we can to resolve the situation. The Prison Service is investigating this as a matter of urgency."

The Prison Reform Trust said it welcomed the immediate apology and investigation.

On Thursday Burger King dropped the Irish food processing plant which supplied burgers contaminated with horse DNA.

The Silvercrest plant in Co Monaghan, part of the ABP Food Group, has lost contracts with the major fast food chain and also supermarkets Tesco, Aldi and the Co-operative Group.

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