Charles Bronson Supporters Want Him Freed

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

Supporters of notorious prisoner Charles Bronson will today urge the Prime Minister to help free him after nearly 40 years in jail.

They are to hand in to 10 Downing Street a petition of 10,000 signatures calling for parole for the man known as Britain's most violent prisoner.

Friend Lorraine Etherington said: "I would love for No 10 and the politicians in positions of power to look over his case, to be big enough to look beyond the name and reputation that precedes Charlie.

"We feel he's served enough time. There are murderers who've got out after serving less time than Charlie. He hasn't killed or raped anyone."

Ms Etherington, secretary of the Charlie Bronson Appeal Fund, said Bronson had behaved well in jail in recent years and had completed a violence reduction course with help from a psychologist.

Bronson, 61, was jailed for seven years for armed robbery in 1974, but has spent almost all the time since in prison after a series of violent episodes, including hostage-taking, assault and damage.

Branson is currently held in the isolation unit at Wakefield jail

He was jailed for life in 1999 after taking hostage prison art teacher Phil Danielson and holding him for two days. He was ordered to serve a minimum of four years, but has regularly been refused parole.

The 2009 critically-acclaimed film Bronson made a star of the actor Tom Hardy, but did little for the violent reputation of its subject, or his chances of early release.

Ms Etherington said: "The flip side of the film was that it showed Charlie only up to the year he got the life sentence, not the reformed man he is today."

The petition includes a hand-written plea to David Cameron, in which Bronson asks to be allowed to "live what's left of my life and not be buried in the prison system".

He also highlights his artistic side with references to the drawings which sell for hundreds of pounds.

Bronson is currently held in the isolation unit at Wakefield jail in a cell known as the Hannibal cage.

Whenever he leaves the cell he is accompanied by four prison officers. It used to be five officers and that, say his supporters, is a sign of the progress he is making

The movie Branson, starring Tom Hardy, was released in 2009

Tanya Bassett, of the National Association of Probation Officers, said a petition to the Prime Minister had little chance of greeting Bronson freed early.

She said: "It's highly unlikely he or the Justice Secretary would intervene. There is a thorough, in-depth process for the release of prisoners and decisions are made by the Parole Board."

She said Bronson could eventually be released if he showed remorse for his crimes and completed various pre-release programmes to show he was no longer a risk to others.

Bronson supporters are current planning to launch a fourth appeal against his life sentence. If that fails they will put his case for release to the European Court of Human Rights.

12.28 | 0 komentar | Read More

UN Chemical Weapons Inspectors Leave Syria

Syria: US Report On Gas Attack

Updated: 8:13pm UK, Friday 30 August 2013

The US released its assessment of the Syrian government's alleged involvement in the August 21 chemical weapons attack in Damascus. Here is the text.

The United States Government assesses with high confidence that the Syrian government carried out a chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburbs on August 21, 2013. We further assess that the regime used a nerve agent in the attack.

These all-source assessments are based on human, signals, and geospatial intelligence as well as a significant body of open source reporting. Our classified assessments have been shared with the US Congress and key international partners. To protect sources and methods, we cannot publicly release all available intelligence - but what follows is an unclassified summary of the US Intelligence Community's analysis of what took place.

Syrian Government Use of Chemical Weapons on August 21

A large body of independent sources indicates that a chemical weapons attack took place in the Damascus suburbs on August 21.

In addition to US intelligence information, there are accounts from international and Syrian medical personnel; videos; witness accounts; thousands of social media reports from at least 12 different locations in the Damascus area; journalist accounts; and reports from highly credible nongovernmental organisations.

A preliminary US government assessment determined that 1,429 people were killed in the chemical weapons attack, including at least 426 children, though this assessment will certainly evolve as we obtain more information.

We assess with high confidence that the Syrian government carried out the chemical weapons attack against opposition elements in the Damascus suburbs on August 21. We assess that the scenario in which the opposition executed the attack on August 21 is highly unlikely.

The body of information used to make this assessment includes intelligence pertaining to the regime's preparations for this attack and its means of delivery, multiple streams of intelligence about the attack itself and its effect, our post-attack observations, and the differences between the capabilities of the regime and the opposition.

Our high confidence assessment is the strongest position that the US Intelligence Community can take short of confirmation. We will continue to seek additional information to close gaps in our understanding of what took place.

Background:

The Syrian regime maintains a stockpile of numerous chemical agents, including mustard, sarin, and VX and has thousands of munitions that can be used to deliver chemical warfare agents.

Syrian President Bashar al Assad is the ultimate decision maker for the chemical weapons program and members of the program are carefully vetted to ensure security and loyalty. The Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Centre (SSRC) - which is subordinate to the Syrian Ministry of Defence - manages Syria's chemical weapons program.

We assess with high confidence that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale against the opposition multiple times in the last year, including in the Damascus suburbs.

This assessment is based on multiple streams of information including reporting of Syrian officials planning and executing chemical weapons attacks and laboratory analysis of physiological samples obtained from a number of individuals, which revealed exposure to sarin. We assess that the opposition has not used chemical weapons.

The Syrian regime has the types of munitions that we assess were used to carry out the attack on August 21, and has the ability to strike simultaneously in multiple locations. We have seen no indication that the opposition has carried out a large-scale, coordinated rocket and artillery attack like the one that occurred on August 21.

We assess that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons over the last year primarily to gain the upper hand or break a stalemate in areas where it has struggled to seize and hold strategically valuable territory. In this regard, we continue to judge that the Syrian regime views chemical weapons as one of many tools in its arsenal, including air power and ballistic missiles, which they indiscriminately use against the opposition.

The Syrian regime has initiated an effort to rid the Damascus suburbs of opposition forces using the area as a base to stage attacks against regime targets in the capital. The regime has failed to clear dozens of Damascus neighbourhoods of opposition elements, including neighbourhoods targeted on August 21, despite employing nearly all of its conventional weapons systems.

We assess that the regime's frustration with its inability to secure large portions of Damascus may have contributed to its decision to use chemical weapons on August 21.

Preparation:

We have intelligence that leads us to assess that Syrian chemical weapons personnel - including personnel assessed to be associated with the SSRC - were preparing chemical munitions prior to the attack. In the three days prior to the attack, we collected streams of human, signals and geospatial intelligence that reveal regime activities that we assess were associated with preparations for a chemical weapons attack.

Syrian chemical weapons personnel were operating in the Damascus suburb of 'Adra from Sunday, August 18 until early in the morning on Wednesday, August 21 near an area that the regime uses to mix chemical weapons, including sarin. On August 21, a Syrian regime element prepared for a chemical weapons attack in the Damascus area, including through the utilisation of gas masks.

Our intelligence sources in the Damascus area did not detect any indications in the days prior to the attack that opposition affiliates were planning to use chemical weapons.

The Attack:

Multiple streams of intelligence indicate that the regime executed a rocket and artillery attack against the Damascus suburbs in the early hours of August 21.

Satellite detections corroborate that attacks from a regime-controlled area struck neighbourhoods where the chemical attacks reportedly occurred - including Kafr Batna, Jawbar, 'Ayn Tarma, Darayya, and Mu'addamiyah. This includes the detection of rocket launches from regime controlled territory early in the morning, approximately 90 minutes before the first report of a chemical attack appeared in social media. The lack of flight activity or missile launches also leads us to conclude that the regime used rockets in the attack.

Local social media reports of a chemical attack in the Damascus suburbs began at 2:30 a.m. local time on August 21. Within the next four hours there were thousands of social media reports on this attack from at least 12 different locations in the Damascus area. Multiple accounts described chemical-filled rockets impacting opposition-controlled areas.

Three hospitals in the Damascus area received approximately 3,600 patients displaying symptoms consistent with nerve agent exposure in less than three hours on the morning of August 21, according to a highly credible international humanitarian organisation.

The reported symptoms, and the epidemiological pattern of events - characterised by the massive influx of patients in a short period of time, the origin of the patients, and the contamination of medical and first aid workers - were consistent with mass exposure to a nerve agent. We also received reports from international and Syrian medical personnel on the ground.

We have identified one hundred videos attributed to the attack, many of which show large numbers of bodies exhibiting physical signs consistent with, but not unique to, nerve agent exposure. The reported symptoms of victims included unconsciousness, foaming from the nose and mouth, constricted pupils, rapid heartbeat, and difficulty breathing.

Several of the videos show what appear to be numerous fatalities with no visible injuries, which is consistent with death from chemical weapons, and inconsistent with death from small-arms, high-explosive munitions or blister agents. At least 12 locations are portrayed in the publicly available videos, and a sampling of those videos confirmed that some were shot at the general times and locations described in the footage.

We assess the Syrian opposition does not have the capability to fabricate all of the videos, physical symptoms verified by medical personnel and NGOs, and other information associated with this chemical attack.

We have a body of information, including past Syrian practice, that leads us to conclude that regime officials were witting of and directed the attack on August 21. We intercepted communications involving a senior official intimately familiar with the offensive who confirmed that chemical weapons were used by the regime on August 21 and was concerned with the UN inspectors obtaining evidence.

On the afternoon of August 21, we have intelligence that Syrian chemical weapons personnel were directed to cease operations. At the same time, the regime intensified the artillery barrage targeting many of the neighbourhoods where chemical attacks occurred. In the 24 hour period after the attack, we detected indications of artillery and rocket fire at a rate approximately four times higher than the ten preceding days.

We continued to see indications of sustained shelling in the neighbourhoods up until the morning of August 26.

To conclude, there is a substantial body of information that implicates the Syrian government's responsibility in the chemical weapons attack that took place on August 21. As indicated, there is additional intelligence that remains classified because of sources and methods concerns that is being provided to Congress and international partners.

12.28 | 0 komentar | Read More

Woman Shot Dead On Birthday: Hunt For Killer

Police are hunting the killer of a woman who was gunned down while out celebrating her 24th birthday with friends.

Sabrina Moss, of Neasden, north-west London, died in hospital after being involved in a double shooting.

Another 24-year-old woman is in hospital. Her injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

The pair are believed to have been caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, according to detectives.

Officers had been called at 4.12am on Saturday to reports of shots being fired in the street in Kilburn High Road, at the junction with Messina Avenue.

Police investigate the double shooting in the capital

Both women were taken to hospitals and Ms Moss was pronounced dead later. A post-mortem examination will be arranged in due course.

Ms Moss, thought to be the mother of one son, was attacked outside Woody Grill.

She was talking to other people when two black males approached, opened fire and then ran off.

The other woman who was shot remains in hospital and her injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

Officers were called to the scene after reports of gunshots

Tributes to Ms Moss have been left on the social networking site Twitter.

Adjei Adu wrote: "My heart goes out to her family and the lil one she's left behind, sleep well Sabrina Moss."

Leila Hassan tweeted: "My Thoughts Are With Your Family... A Beautiful Young Woman, Mother and Daughter!"

Another tweet read: "Lost the cousin I was close with when I was a child.. R.I.P Sabrina Moss."

A murder inquiry has been launched by detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command and police are appealing for witnesses to the double shooting.

The other woman's injuries are not thought to be life-threatening

Detective Chief Inspector John Sandlin of the Metropolitan Police said: "Enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances of this tragic incident.

"At this early stage, I believe the two women were innocent parties who were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"I am appealing for anyone who witnessed the shooting, or who saw anything suspicion in the Kilburn area early this morning, to call police.

"In particular, I need to hear from anyone who saw two males who came into the High Road from Messina Avenue and, after the shooting, made off on foot back along Messina Avenue."

One man has been arrested in connection with the investigation.

Anyone with information that may assist the inquiry should call the incident room at Hendon on 020 8358 0300 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

12.28 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria: Cameron And Obama Condemn 'Attack'

Prime Minister David Cameron and President Barack Obama have said they are both "gravely concerned" over "increasing signs" that an alleged chemical weapons attack took place in Syria.

The two leaders spoke with Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper by telephone last night as calls increase for UN investigators already in the country to be allowed access to the site of the alleged attack.

A Downing Street spokesperson stressed that any significant use of chemical weapons would merit a "serious response".

The spokesperson added: "The fact that President Assad has failed to cooperate with the UN suggests that the regime has something to hide.

Medecins Sans Frontieres has said 355 people died in the attack

"They reiterated that significant use of chemical weapons would merit a serious response from the international community and both have tasked officials to examine all the options.

"They agreed that it is vital that the world upholds the prohibition on the use of chemical weapons and deters further outrages."

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said the military is ready to exercise "options" on Syria should force be called for, but he declined to say what that action might be.

The attacks took place in the Damascus suburbs of Zamalka and Ein Tarma

He is under mounting pressure to act over the alleged use of chemical weapons, which humanitarian organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said had killed 355 people due to "neurotoxic" symptoms.

The group said victims flooded three Syrian hospitals after a "chemical massacre" on Wednesday.

MSF director of operations Bart Janssens said the reported symptoms "strongly indicate mass exposure to neurotoxic agent".

He said: "Medical staff working in these facilities provided detailed information to MSF doctors regarding large numbers of patients arriving with symptoms including convulsions, excess saliva, pinpoint pupils, blurred vision and respiratory distress.

A boy recovers after the alleged toxic gas attack on Wednesday

"The reported symptoms of the patients, in addition to the epidemiological pattern of the events - characterised by the massive influx of patients in a short period of time, the origin of the patients, and the contamination of medical and first aid workers - strongly indicate mass exposure to a neurotoxic agent."

Rebel groups have claimed the attack was carried out by Assad's forces and that more than 1,000 people had died. The Syrian regime has denied the allegations.

On Saturday, Iran warned the West against military intervention in Syria and claimed the alleged gas attack was carried out by rebels.

UN disarmament chief Angela Kane has arrived in the capital to press the Assad regime to allow weapon inspectors to assess whether a chemical attack has taken place.

12.28 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria: One Million Children Have Fled Conflict

One million children have fled war-torn Syria and another two million have been displaced by the civil war, the UN has revealed.

Children make up half of all refugees from more than two years of conflict in the country, according to latest figures.

Most have found a haven in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq or Egypt, but they are increasingly fleeing to North Africa and Europe.

Anthony Lake, head of UN children's agency Unicef, said in a statement: "This one millionth child refugee is not just another number.

"This is a real child ripped from home, maybe even from a family, facing horrors we can only begin to comprehend."

A girl carries a baby boy in a refugee camp in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

The UN's most recent figures show that some 740,000 Syrian refugees are under the age of 11.

Antonio Guterres, UN high commissioner for refugees, said: "What is at stake is nothing less than the survival and wellbeing of a generation of innocents.

"The youth of Syria are losing their homes, their family members and their futures. Even after they have crossed a border to safety, they are traumatised, depressed and in need of a reason for hope."

More than two million children have been driven from their homes in the face of the civil war.

The UN said that more than 100,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which started as a crackdown on protests against the regime of President Bashar al Assad in March 2011.

According to the organisation's human rights division, some 7,000 of the dead were youngsters.

The UN also warned the refugee children face the threat of child labour, early marriage and the potential for sexual exploitation and trafficking.

More than 3,500 children in Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq have crossed Syria's borders unaccompanied or separated from their families.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ban Ki-Moon Warns Of 'Consequences' For Syria

Time Ticking To Prove Gas Attack

Updated: 12:24pm UK, Thursday 22 August 2013

By Alex Rossi, Sky Correspondent

The video evidence is compelling.

The pictures are horrific.

Hours of footage has now emerged on YouTube of children and adults suffering from what appear to be the after-effects of a chemical attack.

Many of the images are too distressing to show.

They would also be phenomenally difficult to stage.

Directing children to appear to be choking to death in such detail would take the budget and expertise of a Hollywood director - most experts say that this is clearly not the case.

There is now a weight of agreement that the pictures show - incontrovertibly - the aftermath of a deadly chemical assault.

The numbers of dead also suggest that that analysis is the correct one - the death toll just keeps on rising.

On Wednesday there were many questions as to why medical staff and first aiders had not been affected by secondary contamination?

Twenty four hours on and that question has been answered - they are; it just took time.

Many of the people who treated the victims are suffering the deadly consequences of exposure to a lethal nerve agent.

Experts say the timescale is similar to what was seen in the Tokyo subway attack in 1995 when sarin gas was used.

The former head of the British Army's chemical weapons unit, Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, said while video can never be 100% conclusive the evidence it presents is overwhelming.

"It very much looks like a chemical agent has been used, perhaps a nerve agent - the fact that staff have now died as well is revealing. It is disturbingly similar to what was seen in Halabja in Saddam Hussein's Iraq."

But nonetheless without investigation on the ground there are too many questions as to what really happened and who is responsible.

The Russians for instance claim what we are witnessing is an attempt to discredit the Assad regime.

YouTube after all has been used extensively by both sides to spread propaganda throughout the conflict.

The opposition, for example, knows that the widespread use of chemical weapons would be a 'Red Line' issue for the White House and the international community and could trigger Western intervention.

President Assad certainly has the capability to carry out such an assault - it is believed the regime has one of the biggest stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons in the world -  but the only way to know for certain is to get a an expert UN inspection team out on the ground.  

That though is easier said than done.

Although the attacks have taken place just 20 minutes outside central Damascus the area is unsafe.

The UN is unlikely to allow the inspectors, who are already in place, to go there without a guaranteed cessation in the violence.

President Assad is also unlikely to give them permission to travel to the district of eastern Ghouta.

And there lies the problem - if a nerve agent like sarin has been used it would be a race against the clock as the evidence at the crime scene will evaporate in the coming days and weeks.

Without the on the ground analysis then, there cannot be a 100% certainty of what really happened, or who carried out the attack. 

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

GCSE Pass Rate Expected To Fall, Experts Claim

GCSE results could fall this year amid major upheaval in the exams system, education experts have predicted.

Attempts to "secure standards" along with changes to key GCSEs and moves by students to sit different exams could cause a drop in the pass rate for only the second time ever.

The prediction comes on the day teenagers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are due to receive their results.

Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Buckingham University, said it was "likely" that results will drop this year.

Last summer, the proportion of GCSEs awarded at least a C grade fell for the first time in the exam's history, with 69.4% getting this grade or higher - down 0.4% on 2011.

There was also a fall in the proportion of GCSEs awarded the top grades and drops in the percentage of English, maths and science GCSE entries achieving passes at A*-C.

Prof Smithers said:  "I think it's likely that it will drop. Last year it came down a bit at all levels.

"What has happened is the pass rate has gone up year on year because everyone had a vested interest in that happening."

But he added that there is now a "true regulator", Ofqual, which has said that standards should be comparable year on year.

Prof Smithers said that the introduction of the Government's new English Baccalaureate, which is awarded to students who gain at least a C at GCSE in English, maths, science, history or geography and a language could also have an effect.

But he said pressure on schools to ensure pupils meet a set standard could counteract changes within exams.

This year schools must ensure that at least 40% of pupils get five or more Cs at GCSE including English and maths, as well as meeting national progress measures.

In July, Ofqual said it was expecting to see a "small drop in achievement" in science following a move to toughen up the qualifications in the wake of a 2009 report suggesting the courses were too easy.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria Attacks: UN Wants Inspectors To Visit Site

The Syrian government has been urged to allow UN inspectors to visit the site where it is claimed more than 1,300 people died in a chemical weapons attack.

The National Coalition claims toxic gas was used by President Bashar al Assad's forces during a bombardment of rebel-held areas outside Damascus.

Government officials said the claims were "totally false" and the international news organisations reporting them were "implicated in the shedding of Syrian blood and support terrorism".

The incident comes just days after a 20-strong team of UN weapons inspectors arrived in the capital to investigate whether chemical weapons have been used in the conflict.

The attacks are alleged to have taken place in Ein Tarma and Zamalka

And following an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, said: "We very much hope that we will be able to conduct the investigation.

"Dr Sellstrom and his team are in place in Damascus.  We hope that they will be given access to the area by the government  - it's a requirement of consent in situations like this.

"And that also the security situation will allow them to enter the area.

"The Secretary-General has already expressed his preparedness to conduct the investigation.

"We are in contact with the Syrian government - we hope that all other parties will co-operate so that we conduct the investigation and we hope that everybody realises the importance of ceasing hostilities."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague urged international supporters of the Syrian regime to "wake up to...its murderous and barbaric nature" ahead of the UN meeting.

However Russia, which has supported the regime and vetoed past attempts to secure a tough UN resolution, suggested it could be a "premeditated provocation" by opposition forces.

Officials from Russia and China are reported to have blocked a stronger press statement supported by Britain, France, the US and others.

Earlier, Mr Hague said that if verified, the attack "would mark a shocking escalation in the use of chemical weapons in Syria".

He added: "Those who order the use of chemical weapons, and those who use them, should be in no doubt that we will work in every way we can to hold them to account."

Unverified footage of casualties, including children, in makeshift hospitals suffering convulsions and breathing difficulties was circulated on YouTube.

Syria is thought to have some of the world's largest stocks of chemical weapons, including mustard gas and the nerve agent sarin, but the government in Damascus refuses to confirm this is the case.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Peru Drugs: British Women Formally Charged

By Nick Martin, Sky Correspondent, in Lima

Two women arrested on suspicion of trying to smuggle cocaine worth £1.5m out of Peru have been formally charged, prosecutors have said.

Michaella McCollum Connolly and Melissa Reid, both 20, were moved to a detention centre in Lima after appearing before the District Prosecutor on Tuesday.

The women face a maximum prison sentence of 15 years if convicted, the prosecutor's office in Callao added.

McCollum Connolly and Reid were detained in Lima last week, accused of trying to smuggle millions of dollars-worth of cocaine into Europe.

The two women have protested their innocence, saying they were forced to carry items in their luggage at gunpoint.

Michaella McCollum is led away from a police station

Peruvian officials say the women were en route to Madrid and Majorca on August 6 when airport officials discovered almost 12kgs (26lbs) of cocaine hidden inside food packages in their luggage.

The cocaine was said to have a street value of some $2m (£639,000).

They will eventually be taken to the high security women's prison Ancon 2, north of Lima.

Sky News was given rare access to the prison, which is situated in the desert.

Inside, Sarah, a mother-of-two from Croydon, in south London, is serving a six-year sentence for trying to smuggle cocaine into Spain.

Police said cocaine was found inside packets of food in their luggage

Speaking to Sky News she said: "To tell you the truth, to me, all the time that I've been here, it's like being in the Devil's House.

"You don't know when you're gonna leave this place, for those girls, caught with so much, they could spend a long time here."

Commenting on the women's current condition in custody, Peter Madden, the lawyer for McCollum Connolly said: "They're both in a holding cell, there are two other women there, but they haven't gotten anything to eat today.

"They haven't been offered any food and to me that is unacceptable. The conditions inside the holding cells are pretty grim.

"They are expected to lie almost on the floor, there is a sort of sponge-type bed which is just not acceptable, there are no blankets, it's not clean, and the most important thing is that they haven't actually been offered any food today, and it didn't look as if they were going to be."

12.28 | 0 komentar | Read More

Missing Teen Adela Found - Three Men Arrested

Missing Adela Copakova, 14, has been found in Bradford and three men have been arrested in connection with her disappearance.

The teenager had been missing from her home in Sheffield for three days.

The last time she had been seen was at 8pm on Sunday outside a house in the Bradway area of the city.

More follows...

12.28 | 0 komentar | Read More

Prince George: First Official Photos Released

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

Kensington Palace has confirmed that the Duchess of Cambridge's father, Michael Middleton, has taken the first official photographs of William, Kate and their son Prince George.

The Royal couple with Prince George and the pet dogs

The two photographs from the new Cambridge family album were taken by the young prince's grandfather in the back garden of the Middleton family home in Bucklebury.

Taken in "early August", the first photograph is a simple parents and child shot.

The couple, back-lit by the sun, are standing in the gardens of the Berkshire home with Kate cradling her two week old son.

In the second William and Kate can be seen sitting on a rug, also in the garden.

Kate continues to hold Prince George, but they are this time joined by their cocker spaniel, Lupo, and the Middleton's retriever, Tilly.

Sky News understands the two photos were selected from a larger collection taken while the Duke of Cambridge was on paternity leave.

For their official engagement and wedding photographs, the royal couple opted for well-known celebrity photographers Mario Testino and Hugo Bernand.

Michael Middleton took the photographs

Asking new grandfather Michael Middleton is yet another example of the Duke and Duchess choosing to do things their way throughout their marriage.

The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George are thought to have joined Prince William in Anglesey in recent days.

The couple will next be seen together in public on September 12 for an awards dinner hosted by conservation charity Tusk Trust.

In his first interview since he became a father, William said his young son reminded him of himself or Prince Harry.

The Duke told CNN: "He's a little bit of a rascal, I'll put it that way.

"He either reminds me of my brother or me when I was younger, I'm not sure, but he's doing very well at the moment."

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Peru Drugs: Pair To Be Charged With Smuggling

By Nick Martin, Sky Correspondent, in Peru

Two women accused of smuggling £1.5m worth of cocaine out of Peru are expected to be charged later.

Michaella McCollum, from Dungannon, and Melissa Reid, from Lenzie near Glasgow, who are both 20, have spent the past two weeks in police custody awaiting charge.

The Peruvian anti-drug police say they have concluded their investigation into the case, which will now go before the public prosecutor's office.

The contents of that report will form the basis of any charges against the pair, which they are expected to hear in a courtroom later.

Ms McCollum and Ms Reid both say that they were forced to carry the drugs by a gang of Columbian drug traffickers who said they would hurt the womens' families if they did not go through with the plan.

Police will present their case to the District Attorney of Lima at a hearing today.

It comes just a day after CCTV footage emerged which senior police officers claim show Ms McCullum in the Peruvian capital on August 5 walking around freely despite the women saying they were held at gunpoint on that day.

The police say the CCTV will form the basis of their case when it goes before the district prosecutor.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Egypt: Call For 'March Of Anger' As UN Meets

Key Events In Egypt Since 2011

Updated: 12:32pm UK, Thursday 15 August 2013

January 25 - February 11, 2011 - Egyptians stage nationwide demonstrations against nearly 30 years of President Hosni Mubarak's rule. Hundreds of protesters are killed as Mubarak and his allies try to crush the uprising.

February 11 - Mubarak steps down and the military takes over. The military dissolves parliament and suspends the constitution, meeting two key demands of protesters.

November 28, 2011 - February 15, 2012 - Egypt holds multistage, weeks-long parliamentary elections.

In the lawmaking lower house, the Muslim Brotherhood wins nearly half the seats, and ultraconservative Salafis take another quarter.

The remainder goes to liberal, independent and secular politicians. In the largely powerless upper house, Islamists take nearly 90% of the seats.

May 23 - 24, 2012 - The first round of voting in presidential elections has a field of 13 candidates.

The Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi and Ahmed Shafiq, the last prime minister under Mubarak, emerge as the top two finishers, to face each other in a run-off.

June 14 - The Supreme Constitutional Court orders the dissolving of the lower house of parliament.

June 16 - 17 - Egyptians vote in the presidential run-off between Morsi and Shafiq. Morsi wins with 51.7% of the vote.

June 30 - Morsi takes his oath of office.

November 19 - Members of liberal parties and representatives of Egypt's churches withdraw from the 100-member assembly writing the constitution, protesting attempts by Islamists to impose their will.

November 22 - Morsi unilaterally decrees greater powers for himself, giving his decisions immunity from judicial review and barring the courts from dissolving the constituent assembly and the upper house of parliament. The move sparks days of protests.

November 30  - Islamists in the constituent assembly rush to complete the draft of the constitution. Morsi sets a December 15 date for a referendum.

December 4 - More than 100,000 protesters march on the presidential palace, demanding the cancellation of the referendum and the writing of a new constitution. The next day, Islamists attack an anti-Morsi sit-in, sparking street battles that leave at least 10 dead.

December 15, December 22 - In the two-round referendum, Egyptians approve the constitution, with 63.8% voting in favour. Turnout is low.

January 25, 2013 - Hundreds of thousands hold protests against Morsi on the two-year anniversary of the start of the revolt against Mubarak, and clashes erupt in many places.

February - March 2013 - Protests rage in Port Said and other cities for weeks, with dozens more dying in clashes.

April 7 - A Muslim mob attacks the main cathedral of the Coptic Orthodox Church as Christians hold a funeral and protest there over four Christians killed in sectarian violence the day before. Pope Tawadros II publicly blames Morsi for failing to protect the building.

June 23 - A mob beats to death four Egyptian Shi'ites in a village on the outskirts of Cairo.

June 30 - Millions of Egyptians demonstrate on Morsi's first anniversary in office, calling on him to step down. Eight people are killed in clashes outside the Muslim Brotherhood's Cairo headquarters.

July 1 - Huge demonstrations continue, and Egypt's powerful military gives the president and the opposition 48 hours to resolve their disputes, or it will impose its own solution.

July 2 - Military officials disclose main details of the army's plan if no agreement is reached: replacing Morsi with an interim administration, cancelling the Islamist-based constitution and calling elections in a year. Morsi delivers a late-night speech in which he pledges to defend his legitimacy and vows not to step down.

July 3 - Egypt's military chief announces that Morsi has been deposed, to be replaced by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court until new presidential elections. No time frame is given.

Muslim Brotherhood leaders are arrested. Tens of thousands of Morsi supporters remain camped out in two mass sit-ins in Cairo's streets.

July 4 - Supreme Constitutional Court Chief Justice Adly Mansour is sworn in as Egypt's interim president.

July 5 - Mansour dissolves the Islamist-dominated upper house of parliament as Morsi's supporters stage mass protests demanding his return. Clashes between pro and anti-Morsi groups in Cairo and Alexandria, and violence elsewhere leave at least 36 dead. A Brotherhood strongman, deputy head Khairat el-Shater, is arrested.

July 8 - Egyptian soldiers open fire on pro-Morsi demonstrators in front of a military base in Cairo, killing more than 50. Each side blames the other for starting the clash near the larger of the two sit-ins, near east Cairo's Rabaah al-Adawiya mosque.

Mansour puts forward a time line for amending the constitution and electing a new president and parliament by mid-February. The Brotherhood refuses to participate in the process.

July 9 - Mansour appoints economist Hazem el-Beblawi as prime minister and opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei as vice president. A military announcement backs up the appointments.

July 26 - Millions pour onto the streets of Egypt after a call by the country's military chief for protesters to give him a mandate to stop "potential terrorism" by supporters of Morsi. Five people are killed in clashes.

Prosecutors announce Morsi is under investigation for a host of allegations including murder and conspiracy with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

July 27  - Security forces and armed men in civilian clothes clash with Morsi supporters outside the larger of the two major sit-ins in Cairo, killing at least 80 people.

July 30 - The EU's top diplomat Catherine Ashton holds a two-hour meeting with detained Morsi at an undisclosed location. She is one of a number of international envoys, including US Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, to visit Egypt to attempt to resolve the crisis.

August 7  - Egypt's presidency says that diplomatic efforts to peacefully resolve the standoff between the country's military-backed interim leadership and the Muslim Brotherhood have failed.

August 11 - Egyptian security forces announce that they will besiege the two sit-ins within 24 hours to bar people from entering.

August 12 - Authorities postpone plans to take action against the camps, saying they want to avoid bloodshed after Morsi supporters reinforce the sit-ins with thousands more protesters.

August 14 - Riot police clear two sprawling encampments of supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi, sparking running street battles that kill hundreds of people.

The presidency declares a month-long state of emergency across the nation as Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei resigns in protest over the assaults.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tailgaters Facing Instant Roadside Justice

By Frazer Maude, Sky News Reporter

Tailgaters and middle lane hoggers could be hit with on-the-spot fines of £100 and three points on their licence from today.

The idea is to make it easier for the police to tackle problem drivers without being tied up with the bureaucracy of taking offenders to court.

Solicitor Neil Davies, who specialises in motoring offences, says policing the new laws will require officers to make a subjective judgement on whether a particular manoeuvre is illegal or not.

"One of the ways in which a court would assess that question is has the person driving departed from the Highway Code - how well is that person driving?

"Now in issuing the fixed penalty notices of course one would hope that police officer do exercise a degree of discretion, a degree of common sense and that they only issue these notices in appropriate circumstances."

Few motorists would admit to flaunting the Highway Code themselves but for most tailgating and lane hogging are pet hates, so the new laws are being welcomed.

Officers will make a subjective judgement on driving standards

Under the new legislation fines for other offences, from using hand-held mobile phones or not wearing a seatbelt, to driving without insurance, have also been increased - from £60 to £100 and from £200 to £300 respectively.

Although fines have gone up, penalty points will remain unchanged, as will fixed penalty notices for parking, waiting and obstruction offences.

The Department of Transport said: "The changes will give the police the power to issue fixed penalty notices for careless driving and allow them greater flexibility when dealing with less serious careless driving offences - such as tailgating or middle lane hogging - as well as freeing them from resource intensive court processes.

"The police will also be able to offer educational training as an alternative to licence endorsement, and drivers will still be able to appeal any decision in court."

Most motoring groups support the changes, although some road safety campaigners think the punishments should be more severe.

One concern is who will police the new laws, with only half as many traffic officers on Britain's roads as there were in the 1990's.

But senior officers insist they will be enforced and that more serious cases will still be taken to court where the offenders may face higher penalties.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Egypt Forces Fire Tear Gas At Pro-Morsi Camp

Security forces have begun firing tear gas into a pro-Morsi sit-in in Cairo, according to reports.

More follows...

12.28 | 0 komentar | Read More

Peru Drugs Bust: Pair's 'Families Threatened'

Two women who say they were ordered at gunpoint to smuggle £1.5m worth of cocaine out of Peru claim their families were threatened too.

Melissa Reid, 19, from Kirkintilloch in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland, and Michaella McCollum Connolly, 20, from Dungannon in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, are being held in Lima after 11kg (24.2lbs) of cocaine was found in their luggage.

The pair, who deny drug trafficking allegations, were arrested while trying to board a flight from the Peruvian capital to Spain last week.

They were due to appear in court later, but the hearing has been put back until next week because they have still not seen an interpreter.

McCollum Connolly is a former nightclub hostess

They claim they were forced to carry the bags at gunpoint by Columbian gangsters and were unaware they contained narcotics.

Reid has insisted they were not smuggling for financial gain but to save their lives.

She told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "We were given no option. If we didn't do as we were told we would be dead. We were not smuggling for money, we were smuggling for our lives.

"We have no doubt they would have killed us both without hesitation if we didn't do as we were told.

"Ever since I was arrested I have played out what has happened in my mind over and over again, asking myself how could we have gotten out of it. But each time I think it wasn't even an option.

"We both had loaded guns put to our heads. They were more than prepared to use them. If we didn't do it we were told we would die."

An official weighs and tests the drugs hidden inside food packets

The paper's US editor Chris Buckton told Sky News: "They also said that the safety of their families was in jeopardy as well, threats were made to them.

"Melissa was actually told details of her own family, she says, given names of her parents and also their friends. They made it clear they knew where their parents lived."

The women say they were befriended by a man in London, who put them in the hands of South Americans before they were taken to safe houses in Madrid, Ibiza and Majorca.

Reid was the first to be sent to Lima, on August 1, where she was joined by photography student and former nightclub hostess McCollum Connolly a day later.

They are said to be frustrated at the way the investigation is being carried out.

"They have cried themselves to sleep several times," said Mr Buckton.

Reid is due to spend her 20th birthday on Friday in prison

Both are being held at the same jail but in separate cells, McCollum Connolly by herself and Reid in a shared cell where she will mark her 20th birthday on Friday.

"They are very resolute - determined to get themselves back to the UK ... but they are also very aware of what they could face," added Mr Buckton.

Relatives of both women have spoken of the anguish of their ordeal.

McCollum Connolly's lawyer said her family were confident she will be cleared of any wrongdoing.

The family are making arrangements to travel to Peru and are also arranging legal representation.

Reid's father William has said he believes his daughter was "groomed".

If convicted the women could face lengthy sentences in an overcrowded Peruvian prison where they will have to pay for everything including food and bedding.

12.28 | 0 komentar | Read More

Britain's Most Wanted Fraudsters Revealed

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

These are the faces of 25 most wanted identity fraudsters who were caught in the act.

They allegedly stole other people's personal details and then tried to use their own photographs to get passports, driving licences and other official documents.

Some of their victims may have had information taken in burglaries or muggings, others may simply have been intimidated into revealing it.

The scam is often used by organised gangs to commit crimes such as money laundering, drug trafficking and illegal immigration, say investigators.

Nigel Kirby, of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), said: "Be in no doubt, these fraudulently obtained documents are being used by criminals for criminal purposes.

"Passports and driving licences do not just allow you to travel and drive, they are important identity documents that can be used to support applications for mortgages, bank loans and benefits."

The Crimestoppers charity wants the public's help in tracking down the 25 alleged fraudsters.

Director of operations Roger Critchell said: "We need to protect ourselves from such criminals, particularly now with data-driven identity crimes making up the vast majority of all fraud in the UK."

Identity theft is the fastest growing type of fraud in Britain, and hit an all-time high last year with 150,000 identifiable victims, according to the UK's Fraud Prevention Service CIFAS.

:: Anyone who recognises any of the suspects can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online

12.28 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rail Fare Protests As Charges Set To Increase

Thousands of people are set to protest at 50 stations across the UK against the rapid rise of rail fares compared to the average earnings.

Passengers will learn how much more they will be paying from next January when inflation figures are released later.

Analysts predict the latest RPI figure - which is used to calculate next year's rail fare rise - will be 3.3%.

This would see regulated rail fares increasing by 4.3% in January, well above average wage rises.

Campaigners claim train fares have risen three times faster than wages in the last six years.

The next price hike will be the sixth time in seven years that rail fares have outstripped wages, they say.

Between 2008 and next January rail fares will have jumped by 40%, compared with a 15% increase in average earnings, it is claimed.

Prostest are planned at 50 stations including Birmingham New Street

The TUC warned some season tickets could rise by 9%, against forecasts of a 2.4% increase in average earnings next year.

It said rail privatisation was costing taxpayers £1.2bn a year despite "minimal" investment in trains and stations.

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Every year hard-pressed rail commuters have to hand over an ever greater share of their earnings just to get to and from work.

"Wage-busting fare rises are not even going on much needed service improvements either. Instead, passenger and public subsidies are lining the pockets of the shareholders of private rail companies."

The TUC and the Action for Rail campaign group have planned a series of demonstrations at stations including Birmingham New Street, Bristol Temple Meads, Glasgow Central, Manchester Piccadilly, Newcastle Central and London's Paddington and Victoria.

Stephen Joseph, chief executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said: "Getting to work is now the biggest single monthly outgoing for many commuters - more than food, more than housing.

"One of the surest ways of stamping on any green shoots of recovery is to price people off the trains and out of the jobs market. For the sake of the economy, we should end above-inflation fare increases now and start planning for fare reductions."

A Department for Transport spokesman said: "The Government is investing record amounts into our railways, which will help deliver economic growth, improve performance and significantly boost passenger capacity.

"However, we also recognise it is tough for passengers. That is why we are already limiting these rises by capping the average regulated fares increase at 1% in real terms and will be announcing further measures to ensure greater fairness on fares for passengers later this year."

12.28 | 0 komentar | Read More

Zanzibar Acid Attack: Suspect Preacher On Run

Police are hunting a radical Muslim preacher wanted in connection with an acid attack on two British teenagers in Zanzibar.

Sheikh Issa Ponda Issa was cornered by officers near Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, but managed to escape and is now on the run.

He was hit in the shoulder with a tear-gas canister during the altercation, according to local police in Morogoro - the scene of the clash.

Police commander Faustine Shilogile said: "He has not been arrested. He has been shot at. We have been looking for him in all corners of the country."

He added: "We are no closer to finding who was responsible for this. But this is a serious police investigation, and we are doing everything we can."

Five men are also being questioned by officers, according to the authorities.

Kirstie Trup (L) and Katie Gee are being treated in London

News of the preacher's escape came as it emerged that one of the two men involved in the unprovoked attack "smiled" before throwing acid.

Speaking from Zanzibar, medical student Olivia Moore told Channel 4 News: "The two men were on a moped and they went past a group of tourists.

"They stopped for the girls and the two men then looked at each other, nodded and then the man on the back of the bike smiled and threw acid on the girls.

"From then on it's just chaotic. There was no incident that preceded the actual attack.

"Everyone was shocked. Nobody can think of a motivation or anything that precipitated this."

Victims Katie Gee, and Kirstie Trup, both 18 and from London, are still being treated for burns at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital after arriving home on Friday.

They are said to be "well rested and comfortable".

The street on the island where the attack took place

A hospital spokesman said: "They have been with their families all day. Doctors are continuing to assess treatment options for both patients."

The pair were attacked as they walked across a road on Wednesday night.

They had been nearing the end of a trip working as volunteer teachers on Zanzibar, a predominantly Muslim island in the Indian Ocean.

Witnesses have spoken of their desperate attempts to wash the acid off the two girls before they were rushed to hospital.

A picture released by the teenagers' families shows one appears to have extensive acid burns on her chin, neck and upper chest.

It is thought one of the girls is not as badly injured as the other because she was helped into the sea immediately after the attack.

They had apparently been due to return to the UK to collect their A-level results next week.

Miss Trup is hoping to study history at the University of Bristol and Miss Gee is considering the University of Leeds, according to reports.

Meanwhile, Tory MP Bill Cash, who sits on the all-party parliamentary group for Tanzania, has urged the Foreign Office to further upgrade its travel warning for tourists visiting both Zanzibar and Tanzania because it was "more than just an ordinary criminal event".

The Foreign Office updated its Tanzania travel advice page on Friday with details of the attack and warns British nationals to "take care" and read its travel advice.

Mr Cash said: "People need to be extra vigilant and the Foreign Office and High Commission need to make a very thorough evaluation of the threat, as these latest attacks would seem to be on religious grounds.

"The threat to tourists going to Tanzania and Zanzibar needs to be upgraded without doubt."

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Missing Teen Erika Kacicova: New Appeal

Detectives looking for a 13-year-old schoolgirl who vanished from her home have received a number of reports of possible sightings.

Police, who believe Erika Kacicova is with people she knows, made a direct appeal to the teenager on Sunday afternoon, calling on her to return to her "distraught" family.

She was last seen leaving her home in the Darnall area of Sheffield at around 4pm on Monday, August 4.

Erika has been urged to contact her family

Police have been conducting house-to-house inquiries there, and have expanded their search to Bradford.

A 22-year-old man from Bradford was released on police bail earlier after being arrested on suspicion of child abduction.

He approached police on Friday, the day officers made an urgent appeal for information about Erika's whereabouts.

Detective Inspector Helen Tate said: "Please remember she is a young girl who has never been away from home for this long before and we want her to return safe and well."

She added: "Erika, if you are reading this, please let us know you are okay. You're not in any trouble."

Erika's home in Poole Road, Darnall, in Sheffield

She said members of the public had come forward with information and reports of sightings but that "time was of the essence" as they search for the teenager.

Her disappearance was described as "out of character".

Erika is described as being slim and around 4ft 11ins tall. She has long, dark-brown, straight hair and brown eyes.

She was last seen wearing blue jeans, a pink polo-style shirt and a silvery-grey coloured jacket.

:: Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Erika Kacicova: Man Held Over Missing Teenager

A man has been arrested on suspicion of child abduction after a 13-year-old girl went missing.

The 22-year-old from Bradford came forward on Friday, after hearing about appeals to find teenager Erika Kacicova.

The man is now in Sheffield assisting officers with their enquiries to help find Erika.

The teenager was last seen at around 4pm on Monday, August 5, after leaving her family home on Poole Road, in Darnall, Sheffield.

South Yorkshire Police made an urgent appeal on Friday requesting Erika to get in touch, saying they were very worried about her safety.

Police officers and staff in South and West Yorkshire are continuing to search for Erika.

Officers are carrying out door-to-door enquiries in Sheffield and a team of officers from South Yorkshire have gone to Bradford to look for her there.

Detective Inspector Helen Tate said: "Erika has now been missing for almost five full days and we haven't had any positive sightings or confirmed contact from her.

"We know she has gone missing before but not for this long.

"She is a young girl, away from home and our main aim is for her to return safe and well.

"We know Erika's family have friends and acquaintances in the Bradford area, so she may well have travelled to West Yorkshire.

"We are grateful for the calls from the public, so please contact us if you think you know where Erika is.

"Erika, if you are reading this, please let us know you are okay. You aren't in trouble; we just need to know you are safe."

Erika, who has gone missing previously, is described as being around 4ft 11ins tall, Eastern European, of slim build, with long, dark-brown, straight hair and brown eyes.

She was last seen wearing blue jeans, a pink polo-style shirt and a silvery-grey coloured jacket.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Idaho: Teenager Rescued After Suspect Killed

US Abductor 'May Have Explosives'

Updated: 5:28pm UK, Saturday 10 August 2013

The car of a man suspected of killing a woman and her son, and then abducting her 16-year-old daughter, has been found in Idaho.

San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore said horseback riders reported seeing two people matching the description of the suspect and girl in the Cascade area 70 miles northeast of Boise on Wednesday.

Investigators have said an "unusual infatuation" with the teenager might have driven suspect James Lee DiMaggio, 40, to flee with Hannah Anderson from his burned-out home on the California-Mexico border.

"That is kind of a working theory, that it may be something of a motivator," San Diego County Sheriff's Captain Duncan Fraser said. "It's definitely something that we're looking at."

Evidence found in the rubble of the home lead police to believe DiMaggio may have explosives and might abandon his blue Nissan Versa after rigging it to explode.

"In the event that someone comes across the car, they need to use caution," Captain Fraser warned.

On Sunday night, authorities found the body of 44-year-old Christina Anderson when they extinguished flames at DiMaggio's rural home. A child's body was also discovered as they sifted through rubble in Boulevard, a tiny town 65 miles east of San Diego.

The body was identified several days later as eight-year-old Ethan Anderson.

DiMaggio allegedly told Hannah a couple of months ago he had a crush on her and would date her if they were the same age. 

A 15-year-old friend, Marissa Chavez, witnessed the remarks when DiMaggio was driving them home from a gymnastics competition.

"She was a little creeped out by it. She didn't want to be alone with him," she said.

DiMaggio is wanted on suspicion of murder and arson in a search that began in California and quickly spread to Oregon, Washington, Nevada, British Columbia and Mexico's Baja California state.

A possible sighting was reported in northeast California near Alturas on Wednesday afternoon, followed by another about 50 miles along the same road near Lakeview, in south-central Oregon.

Captain Fraser, whose office has had hundreds of leads on DiMaggio's whereabouts, said the Oregon tip appeared "very credible". "We're taking it very seriously," he said.

DiMaggio, a telecommunications technician, was said to have been like an uncle to Hannah and Ethan Anderson and had been close to both of their parents for years.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

FA Boss: Summer World Cup In Qatar 'Impossible'

Fifa Boss: Move 2022 World Cup

Updated: 1:07pm UK, Thursday 18 July 2013

Fifa's president says the organisation still has enough time to switch the 2022 World Cup to the winter to avoid Qatar's intense summer heat.

Sepp Blatter said he would discuss the plans with his executive committee in October.

The move would cause major disruption to various domestic leagues around the world.

But Blatter insisted: "We still have enough time.

"The executive committee will certainly follow my proposal. Then we will have dealt with the topic for good."

Temperatures can reach 50C (122F) in Qatar, and games are to be played in air-conditioned stadiums.

In winter temperatures reach a high of 24C (75F).

Blatter said: "The Fifa World Cup must be a festival of the people. But for it to be such a festival, you can't play football in the summer.

"You can cool down the stadiums, but you can't cool down the whole country - and you can't simply cool down the ambience of a World Cup. The players must be able to play in the best conditions to play a good World Cup."

Hassan al Thawadi, the head of Qatar's organising committee, said the country was open to the move "if it's the wish of the football community".

Blatter said medical information about the effects of the heat on players led to his change of heart.

"There has been a fresh medical investigation into what it would be like to play football there in the summer and we have to take into account the health, not of the spectators, but of the players," he explained.

Qatar defeated bids from South Korea, Japan, Australia and the US for the right to host the 2022 World Cup.

Speaking to Sky Germany, Blatter also said Brazil might have been the wrong choice to host the 2014 World Cup if the tournament is affected by the wave of protests seen at the Confederations Cup last month.

Hundreds of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets expressing their anger over the costs to stage the World Cup and demanding better public services.

"If this happens again we have to question whether we made the wrong decision awarding the hosting rights," Blatter added.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Zanzibar Acid Attack Victim Tweets Her Thanks

Zanzibar Acid Attack: Two Held

Updated: 4:59pm UK, Friday 09 August 2013

Two girls from London who had acid thrown in their faces on the Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar have arrived back in Britain.

:: WARNING: This story contains a graphic image depicting acid burns

A medevac plane carrying Katie Gee and Kirstie Trup, both 18, landed at RAF Northolt at lunchtime and the pair were taken away in two ambulances.

They were then transferred to the specialist burns unit at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and reunited with their families.

The teenagers were attacked by two men on a motorbike as they walked through the historic capital Stone Town on Wednesday night.

The acid was splashed over their faces, chests, backs and hands.

Their arrival back in Britain came as a Zanzibar police chief told Sky News that five people have been questioned over the acid attack.

Regional police commander Mkadam Khamis said two of the suspects are being detained for further interrogation while the other three have been released.

Police on the island have also offered a reward of 10 million Tanzanian shillings (£4,000) for information leading to any arrests. 

Sky News Foreign Affairs Correspondent Lisa Holland said there were some suggestions that one of the people held was a local shopkeeper who had been in an altercation with one of the girls a few days before.

But she added that the motive remained unclear - with other reports of eyewitnesses saying the acid was not intended for the British teenagers but someone else walking down the road.

The pair, who had been volunteering at an orphanage on the island, were taken to hospital in Dar es Salaam on the Tanzanian mainland, before being flown home.

Miss Gee's mother Nicky Gee told Sky News her daughter had suffered burns to her "whole face and her whole body" in the "vicious attack".

A photograph released by the girls' families showed the injuries Miss Gee of them suffered in the attack.

The girl is shown wearing an open striped shirt and a silver necklace. What appear to be acid burns are clearly visible on her chin, neck and upper chest.

Miss Trup also reportedly received horrific burns and was said to be "inconsolable".

The young women, who are from north London and were planning to start university in the autumn, were enjoying the last week of a trip as volunteer teachers to the predominantly Muslim island when a corrosive substance was thrown at them.

The trip had been organised by i-to-i Travel, which is based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, and runs gap year trips to parts of Africa, Asia, central and South America and Australia.

Trips to teach in Zanzibar, based in Stone Town, start at £669 for two weeks, according to its website.

In its latest statement, i-to-i Travel confirmed the girls had been repatriated to the UK and said: "We welcome the proactive investigations being carried out by local authorities in Zanzibar and continue to liaise with them.

"We wish the girls a fast and full recovery and our thoughts are with them and their families at this difficult time."

The organisation added that it had advised all its customers still in Zanzibar "to remain vigilant" and anyone due to fly out there this weekend had been given the option to volunteer at a different project, but all had chosen to continue to travel to Tanzania.

The Foreign Office travel advice for Tanzania warns that although most visits to the country are trouble-free, "violent and armed crime is increasing".

The advice, available on its website, says: "Mugging, bag snatching (especially from passing cars) and robbery have increased throughout the country."

It adds: "In Zanzibar, incidents have taken place in Stone Town and on popular tourist beaches."

Jakaya Kikwete, Tanzania's president, is reported to have visited the women at the Aga Khan Hospital in Dar es Salaam and promised that the men responsible for the "shameful" attack would be found.

Zanzibar is an archipelago of islands in the Indian Ocean around 22 miles off the mainland.

The semi-autonomous region of Tanzania is predominantly Muslim and has been the scene of some religious violence in recent years.

Earlier this year two Christian leaders were killed and in November a cleric was treated in hospital after an acid attack. This is the first such assault on foreigners in the popular tourist destination.

A further announcement from the police in Zanzibar regarding the case is expected later today.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Revealed: The UK's Most Wanted Tax Fugitives

By Poppy Trowbridge, Business and Economics Correspondent

A rogues' gallery of the UK's most wanted tax fugitives has been released in a bid to collect hundreds of millions of pounds in unpaid duty.

One year on from releasing the details of the UK's 20 most sought after tax criminals, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has now added the names and photographs of 10 more fugitives to that original target list.

Those on the list are being pursued for a range of crimes including VAT fraud, tax evasion and money laundering.

Together, their crimes have cost the taxpayer close to £720m.

Among the new names on the list are Michael "Arthur" Fearon, who is wanted in connection with evasion of excise duty on nearly £8.4m cigarettes, and is believed to be in the Republic of Ireland.

Chancellor George Osborne says tax evasion 'will not be tolerated'

Anish Anand, who is believed to be in the UK, is wanted in relation to £6m VAT and film tax credit fraud, while Michael George Voudouri is wanted in connection with £10m VAT fraud. He is believed to be in Northern Cyrpus.

And Sumir Soni (aka John Soni, John Miller, Samir Soni, Bhader Singh), who is believed to be in Kenya, is wanted in connection with evading duty of £3.6m from the illegal sale and distribution of alcohol, and the illegal importation of nine million cigarettes.

Anthony Judge, who was wanted for his role in over £350,000 of tax fraud and had been on the run for 10 years, was detained at Heathrow Airport last month as he attempted to enter the UK on a forged passport.

He is the second of HMRC's most wanted to be captured since the rogues' gallery was first published.

In May, John Nugent was apprehended in the US after the authorities there saw the list.

The gallery has been viewed over 1.5 million times, with new intelligence received from the public on the current whereabouts of 17 of the 20 named on the original list.

HMRC has also launched an interactive map of the world to illustrate where the tax fugitives are believed to be.

The crimes of those on the list have cost the taxpayer £720m

Chancellor George Osborne said: "Our message is clear, tax fraud and evasion is illegal and will not be tolerated.

"The Government has stepped up HMRC's enforcement activities to enable them to pursue tax cheats relentlessly around the world."

"This new list will help put more tax fraudsters in the spotlight and bring them to justice."

The Chancellor has faced public outrage in recent months over the number of large, multinational corporations operating in Britain that pay little or no corporation tax on earnings which can top billions of pounds each year.

Yet some tax experts say HMRC is missing the real problem in tackling tax avoidance.

Richard Murphy, of Tax Research UK, told Sky News: "The problem is very large companies who aren't paying very large amounts of tax that they might owe because of skilful tax avoidance by accountants and lawyers.

"The second problem is actually ordinary people avoiding and evading income tax by putting cash in their pockets … paying their builders, their plumbers, their cleaners, their tutors and everybody else without tax being paid and that is a massive problem in our economy.

"But the big problem is not this form of crime of which this list is being published about."

Taxpayers Alliance chief executive Matthew Sinclair said part of the difficulty was with the UK's "hugely complex and fundamentally dysfunctional tax system".

He said reforming taxes to make them simpler would reduce the scope for evasion and free up HMRC resources to focus on fraud.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ask.fm Bosses: 'We Can Trace Cyberbullies'

The founders of the website linked to the suicide of teenager Hannah Smith said they could reveal the names of anonymous bullies to the police.

Hannah, 14, was found hanged by her 16-year-old sister last Friday at their home in Lutterworth after being abused on the social networking site Ask.fm.

Mark and Ilja Terebin, bosses of the Latvia-based website, said they had the ability to identify "almost all users" and that they are committed to supporting the Leicestershire Police investigation.

They said "in extreme circumstances such as those we've experienced this week" they can use technology to identify those behind the taunts and  "ensure this information is accessible to the appropriate legal authorities".

Hannah Smith, 14, had reportedly been bullied by users on the site

Meanwhile, major advertisers have withdrawn from the website, despite protests from the company that it does "not condone bullying of any kind".

Specsavers, Vodafone, Laura Ashley, EDF Energy and charity Save the Children have all pulled ads from Ask.fm.

A Specsavers spokesman said the company had instructed Ask.fm to remove all of its adverts from the site due to "deep concerns over cyberbullying".

Save the Children said: "We put the welfare of children first and, as a result of the tragic case of Hannah Smith, we no longer advertise on Ask.fm."

Two employees of the company refused to talk to Sky News

EDF Energy also said it had asked its media agency to prevent any further advertising appearing on Ask.fm "with immediate effect".

Ask.fm said in a statement that the company wanted to "reassure all users and parents of users that we are committed to ensuring that our site is a safe environment".

The statement added: "We do not condone bullying of any kind, or any form of unacceptable use of our site."

Ask.fm described the teenager's death as a "true tragedy" and said they had been speaking to Leicestershire Police since the incident.

Hannah's parents have found further "inappropriate postings" on Facebook

They went on to say that various measures had been implemented over the past few months to continue improving users' safety, and improved reporting policies have been put in place.

The company said: "The vast majority of our users are very happy teenagers, who use Ask.fm to converse with their peers around the world about the things that interest them.

"Bullying is an age-old problem that we in no way condone - and while its evolution online is disturbing, it certainly is not unique to our site.

"We will continue to work with the appropriate organisations to safeguard against bullying on Ask.fm - and we would welcome the opportunity to align with the rest of industry and society in fighting it on a higher level."

Ask.fm described Hannah's death as a "true tragedy"

David Cameron has said he was looking at what action to take "to try and stop future tragedies likes this".

Hannah's father, David Smith, said those who run the website should face murder or manslaughter charges.

"There's something not right with the world today if people can tell somebody to die so many times that they actually do it," he said.

Leicestershire Police confirmed they had been contacted by Hannah's father about further claims of "inappropriate postings" on Facebook.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hannah Smith: Charge Site Over Death Says Dad

The father of Hannah Smith, who killed herself after being bullied online, wants the owners of the website on which she was abused to be charged with manslaughter.

The 14-year-old, from Lutterworth, Leicestershire, took her own life on Friday after being abused on the social network site ask.fm.

Dave Smith has accused the website owners of not caring that "teenagers are dying and killing theirselves".

Speaking to the Daily Mirror in his first on-camera interview since Hannah's death, Mr Smith said: "The people that run it should get done for manslaughter or murder because you try contacting them and they don't care.

"These websites should be got rid of, if nothing else they need to be regulated and they need to stop people from doing this.

Hannah and her best friend Georgia Clarke (R)

"If David Cameron was sitting here now I would want to know why he hasn't done something about this six, 12 - two years ago.

"Modern technology has gone on but the law have stuck the same."

Ask.fm allows users to post anonymous questions and messages but has been criticised for not doing enough after several other teenagers took their lives - apparently after receiving abuse on the site.

Hannah died by suicide after repeated messages encouraging her to kill herself and criticising her appearance.

Mr Smith and Hannah's stepmother, Deborah Smith, said people needed to think more about the effect of their online posts as it emerged their elder daughter Jo has also been the target of abuse on the site.

"How could you?" said Deborah Smith. "People need to stop and think.

"You can't just sit behind a keyboard and type something and think that doesn't matter. There's a complete lack of emotional intelligence."

Mr Smith added: "There's something not right with the world today that people can tell someone to die so many times that they actually do it."

Hannah received messages criticising her appearance

He described his younger daughter was a "bubbly person" and a "pleasure to be around" and that he had intervened in the past to stop her being bullied at school.

He also said, on the night before she died, Hannah had told him: "Goodnight Dad, I love you."

"I was 50 miles away in a lorry," said Mr Smith, describing how he found out about her death.

"My brother turned round to me and said 'Hannah's hung herself' and I said 'is she dead?', and he said 'yeah'.

"I just broke down and turned the lorry round as fast as I could to get back."

Ask.fm, based in Latvia, has called the teenager's death a "true tragedy" and said it is cooperating with Leicestershire Police's investigation.

In a statement the site said it actively "encourages users and their parents to report any incidences of bullying", either by using the in-site reporting button, or via the website's contact page.

"All reports are read by our team of moderators to ensure that genuine concerns are heard and acted upon immediately - and we always remove content reported to us that violates our Terms of Service," the statement added.

:: Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 08457 90 90 90 or email jo@samaritans.org.

:: BeatBullying.org is also available for advice and support.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hannah Smith: Charge Site Over Death Says Dad

The father of Hannah Smith, who killed herself after being bullied online, wants the owners of the website on which she was abused to be charged with manslaughter.

The 14-year-old, from Lutterworth, Leicestershire, took her own life on Friday after being abused on the social network site ask.fm.

Dave Smith has accused the website owners of not caring that "teenagers are dying and killing theirselves".

Speaking to the Daily Mirror in his first on-camera interview since Hannah's death, Mr Smith said: "The people that run it should get done for manslaughter or murder because you try contacting them and they don't care.

"These websites should be got rid of, if nothing else they need to be regulated and they need to stop people from doing this.

Hannah and her best friend Georgia Clarke (R)

"If David Cameron was sitting here now I would want to know why he hasn't done something about this six, 12 - two years ago.

"Modern technology has gone on but the law have stuck the same."

Ask.fm allows users to post anonymous questions and messages but has been criticised for not doing enough after several other teenagers took their lives - apparently after receiving abuse on the site.

Hannah died by suicide after repeated messages encouraging her to kill herself and criticising her appearance.

Mr Smith and Hannah's stepmother, Deborah Smith, said people needed to think more about the effect of their online posts as it emerged their elder daughter Jo has also been the target of abuse on the site.

"How could you?" said Deborah Smith. "People need to stop and think.

"You can't just sit behind a keyboard and type something and think that doesn't matter. There's a complete lack of emotional intelligence."

Mr Smith added: "There's something not right with the world today that people can tell someone to die so many times that they actually do it."

Hannah received messages criticising her appearance

He described his younger daughter was a "bubbly person" and a "pleasure to be around" and that he had intervened in the past to stop her being bullied at school.

He also said, on the night before she died, Hannah had told him: "Goodnight Dad, I love you."

"I was 50 miles away in a lorry," said Mr Smith, describing how he found out about her death.

"My brother turned round to me and said 'Hannah's hung herself' and I said 'is she dead?', and he said 'yeah'.

"I just broke down and turned the lorry round as fast as I could to get back."

Ask.fm, based in Latvia, has called the teenager's death a "true tragedy" and said it is cooperating with Leicestershire Police's investigation.

In a statement the site said it actively "encourages users and their parents to report any incidences of bullying", either by using the in-site reporting button, or via the website's contact page.

"All reports are read by our team of moderators to ensure that genuine concerns are heard and acted upon immediately - and we always remove content reported to us that violates our Terms of Service," the statement added.

:: Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 08457 90 90 90 or email jo@samaritans.org.

:: BeatBullying.org is also available for advice and support.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

A&E Crisis: £500m Bailout Over Two Years

Struggling A&E departments in England are to be given a £500m Government bailout to help relieve pressure over the winter months.

The funding, announced by Prime Minister David Cameron, will be spread over the next two years to prepare the service for winter and will include £15m for the troubled 111 phone service.

The emergency care system has come under intense pressure, partly due to a rise in the number of people attending A&E.

Over one million more people attend A&E than three years ago.

Some experts have blamed issues in primary care, saying patients feel they have nowhere to turn once GP surgeries are closed.

Major problems with the new 111 service for non-urgent care are also thought to have impacted on A&E.

Last month, MPs on the Health Select Committee said plans to tackle problems in A&E were not robust enough.

The new funding is aimed at A&E departments identified as being under the most pressure and will be targeted at "pinch points" in local services.

Hospitals have already put forward proposals aimed at improving how the service works, including taking into account how other services feed into it.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt says the money will help units over winter

One way of relieving pressure could be to minimise A&E attendances and hospital admissions from care homes by appointing hospital specialists in charge of joining up services for the elderly.

Consultants may also be called upon to review patients arriving by ambulance at A&E so that a senior level decision is taken on what care is needed at the earliest opportunity.

Mr Cameron said: "With over a million more people visiting A&E in the last three years, services and staff can find themselves under pressure during the busier winter period.

"While A&E departments are performing well this summer and at a level we would expect for this time of year, I want the NHS to take action now to prepare for the coming winter.

"The additional funding will go to hospitals where the pressure will be greatest, with a focus on practical measures that relieve pinch points in local services."

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "This £500m will help A&E departments to prepare for winter and give patients confidence that they can quickly access safe and reliable emergency care."

A spokesman for the British Medical Association (BMA) said: "It is right that the Government is finally listening to the concerns of doctors and patients but, at a time when they are demanding cuts of £20bn across the NHS, this is nothing more than papering over the cracks.

"It is recognition that their austerity programme has hospitals facing ever increasing demands with diminishing resources."

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

A&E Crisis: £500m Bailout Over Two Years

Struggling A&E departments in England are to be given a £500m Government bailout to help relieve pressure over the winter months.

The funding, announced by Prime Minister David Cameron, will be spread over the next two years to prepare the service for winter and will include £15m for the troubled 111 phone service.

The emergency care system has come under intense pressure, partly due to a rise in the number of people attending A&E.

Over one million more people attend A&E than three years ago.

Some experts have blamed issues in primary care, saying patients feel they have nowhere to turn once GP surgeries are closed.

Major problems with the new 111 service for non-urgent care are also thought to have impacted on A&E.

Last month, MPs on the Health Select Committee said plans to tackle problems in A&E were not robust enough.

The new funding is aimed at A&E departments identified as being under the most pressure and will be targeted at "pinch points" in local services.

Hospitals have already put forward proposals aimed at improving how the service works, including taking into account how other services feed into it.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt says the money will help units over winter

One way of relieving pressure could be to minimise A&E attendances and hospital admissions from care homes by appointing hospital specialists in charge of joining up services for the elderly.

Consultants may also be called upon to review patients arriving by ambulance at A&E so that a senior level decision is taken on what care is needed at the earliest opportunity.

Mr Cameron said: "With over a million more people visiting A&E in the last three years, services and staff can find themselves under pressure during the busier winter period.

"While A&E departments are performing well this summer and at a level we would expect for this time of year, I want the NHS to take action now to prepare for the coming winter.

"The additional funding will go to hospitals where the pressure will be greatest, with a focus on practical measures that relieve pinch points in local services."

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "This £500m will help A&E departments to prepare for winter and give patients confidence that they can quickly access safe and reliable emergency care."

A spokesman for the British Medical Association (BMA) said: "It is right that the Government is finally listening to the concerns of doctors and patients but, at a time when they are demanding cuts of £20bn across the NHS, this is nothing more than papering over the cracks.

"It is recognition that their austerity programme has hospitals facing ever increasing demands with diminishing resources."

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Outcry As Girl Called 'Sex Predator' By Judge

A paedophile who had sex with a 13-year-old girl faces having his sentence reviewed after a judge described the young victim as "predatory" and then let him walk free from court.

The Attorney General's office has launched an investigation after being alerted to the case by a string of emails and phone calls.

It will now decide whether it should ask the Court of Appeal to consider if the eight-month suspended sentence given to Neil Wilson, 41, was unduly lenient.

Meanwhile the Crown Prosecution Service has said the prosecutor in the case used "inappropriate" language when he also called the girl "predatory".

The CPS said: "The transgressor in this case was the defendant and he bears responsibility for his criminal acts."

Judge Nigel Peters said at Snaresbrook Crown Court, in east London, that he had taken into account that the girl looked and behaved "a little bit older" than she was.

The 13-year-old had been "egging on" her abuser, the judge said on Monday, and she was reportedly described by prosecutor Robert Colover as being "sexually experienced".

Wilson, now living in York, had watched the girl strip out of her school uniform at his home in Romford, Essex, before she performed a sex act on him. He admitted two counts of making extreme pornographic images and one count of sexual activity with a child.

Judge Peters told Wilson: "Allowing her to visit your home is something we have to clamp down on and in normal circumstances that would mean a significant term in prison.

"On these facts, the girl was predatory and was egging you on.

"That is no defence when dealing with children but I am prepared to impose a suspension."

After the sentencing, a woman who campaigns on behalf of sex abuse victims launched an online petition calling for a review, which has so far been signed by more than 4,000 people.

She wrote on the Change.org website: "I'm a survivor of childhood sexual abuse.

"I could have been that 13-year-old girl who the judge and prosecutor described as 'predatory'.

"I have seen first-hand how this kind of victim blaming prevents women from coming forward and protects men who commit these crimes."

Children's charity Barnardo's insisted it was wrong to suggest children could be complicit in their own abuse.

A spokeswoman said: "It is plain wrong to imply in any way that the experiences of sexually exploited children are something they bring on themselves."

The Attorney General said a decision on whether the case is referred to the Court of Appeal will be made within 28 days.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hannah Smith: Sister Targeted By 'Trolls'

The sister of a "cyberbullying" victim is now being targeted herself by online "trolls".

Hannah Smith, 14, from Lutterworth, Leicestershire, killed herself on Friday after being bullied on website ask.fm, her father Dave said.

Her older sister Jo, 16, has told how she is now being subjected to the same hateful taunts her sister was as they prepare for her funeral.

"I've just lost my sister and now I've got to deal with getting abuse myself," she told the Daily Mirror.

"These trolls don't care what happened to Hannah or what we're going through, they just live in their sad little worlds.

"It's really upsetting. I'm struggling to cope with what's happened and don't need these trolls hounding me."

Jo described her sister as "a beautiful person and so full of life and love".

Mr Smith said the schoolgirl was found dead in her bedroom by Jo.

Hannah had got messages telling her to kill herself. Pic: RIP Hannah Smith

In a statement website ask.fm said: "We have reached out to the Leicestershire Police and would be happy to cooperate with their investigation into the true circumstances of her suicide.

"Hannah Smith's death is a true tragedy. We would like to convey our deepest condolences to her family and friends."

It said it actively "encourages users and their parents to report any incidences of bullying", either by using the in-site reporting button, or via the website's contact page.

"All reports are read by our team of moderators to ensure that genuine concerns are heard and acted upon immediately - and we always remove content reported to us that violates our Terms of Service," the statement added.

Hannah's father Dave has called on Prime Minister David Cameron to ensure social media sites are properly regulated.

He said: "Websites like this are bullying websites because people can be anonymous. If I had not spoken up about this another teenager could be dead next week.

"I would appeal to David Cameron as a Prime Minister and a father to look at this to make sure these sites are properly regulated so bullying of vulnerable people like my daughter cannot take place ... "

The site, which is popular with teenagers, allows users to anonymously post comments or questions on another person's profile.

Hannah and her best friend Georgia Clarke (R)

In the weeks leading up to her death, Hannah received messages criticising her appearance and telling her to kill herself.

The day before she took her own life, she posted a picture online which read: "You think you want to die, but in reality you just want to be saved."

Her best friend Georgia Clarke, 14, told Sky News about the abuse Hannah suffered.

She said: "I knew of it, but she never ... she always said it didn't matter ... she wasn't that bothered about it," she said.

Asked what people were saying, she replied: "Things about her family ... like what she looks like."

:: Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 08457 90 90 90 or email jo@samaritans.org.

:: BeatBullying.org is also available for advice and support.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More