Woman Jailed For Life For Grandmother Murder

A woman has been jailed for a minimum of 37 years for murdering a stranger in a knife attack in the street.

Nicola Edgington had killed her mother six years earlier, but was released to live in the community.

She was found guilty at the Old Bailey last month of murdering Sally Hodkin, 58, and attempting to murder Kerry Clark, 22.

Both women were on their way to work in Bexleyheath, southeast London, in October 2011 when Edgington attacked them with a knife.

She bought one knife from Asda and attacked Miss Clark, who was waiting for a bus.

When Miss Clark grabbed the blade and kicked her away, Edgington ran to a butcher's shop and grabbed a larger knife.

Edgington took the knife from a butcher's shop

She attacked Mrs Hodkin, a law firm accounts clerk, with such force that she almost decapitated her.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) found that a number of police blunders led to Edgington carrying out the attacks.

The 32-year-old made five 999 calls just hours before asking to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act because she believed herself to be a danger.

But Metropolitan Police staff failed to carry out a police national computer (PNC) check on her which would have alerted them to her previous conviction for the manslaughter of her mother, the IPCC said.

Edgington also sought help at a local hospital from where she called 999.

But after delays in admitting her, she walked out.

The IPCC found officers only contacted the hospital following her fourth phone call and said Edgington's second 999 call from the A&E department was downgraded because she was considered to be in a place of safety.

Sally Hodkin was on her way to work

An officer was not dispatched at this stage despite Edgington's claim she could be very dangerous, it found.

Edgington was said to have a borderline personality disorder and was found to be emotionally unstable and regularly blamed others for her situation.

She was ordered to be detained indefinitely at a secure hospital after stabbing her mother nine times in 2006.

Doctors diagnosed schizophrenia and she pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

But medics ruled she was well enough to be treated in the community after three years.

At the Old Bailey Judge Brian Barker told Edgington her behaviour had been "consistent and calculated".

He said: "You are manipulative and exceptionally dangerous. What you did could not have been more selfish.

"I disagree that the responsibility for these acts can be laid on others.

"You made your choice and these were terrible acts for which you must take responsibility.

"You have come as near as can be to having three deaths on your hands."

Edgington was jailed for life with a minimum term of 37 years for murder and given a concurrent sentence of life with a minimum term of 20 years for attempted murder.

Mrs Hodkin's widower, Paul, told the court in a statement: "Forty years of marriage gone, wiped out in seconds by someone that should not have been on the streets."

His solicitor, Daniel Rubinstein, said outside court: "While the family are relieved that a very dangerous woman has been taken off the streets, they remain concerned at the very many questions that remain over the actions of authorities and the alleged failure to treat clearly dangerous people in a secure environment.

"They will be considering further action to get answers in the hope that other families won't have to go through the same appalling experience that they have."

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

British Army Bases In Germany To Close By 2019

British Army's History In Germany

Updated: 10:27pm UK, Monday 04 March 2013

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

The British Army arrived in Germany after the end of the Second World War to control the British zone of the country.

It became known as the Rhine Army or BAOR because of the location of bases in West Germany. Its first Commander-in-Chief was one Field Marshall Montgomery.

In the early years, relations between locals and occupiers were completely non-existant.

The British were not allowed to socialise with Germans. To ensure these strict rules were followed, bases were like small towns and everything was catered for - shopping, entertainment, schooling, you name it.

So separate were the two cultures, and such was the British loathing of Germany, that the military even had its own currency to avoid money going into the German economy.

It was also a reflection on the number of serving military in the country at the time. At its height the BAOR numbered 150,000 personnel and that is not including wives and children.

The Cold War followed some years later and Germany became the frontline against the communist threat from the East. Soldiers based there remember training for an imminent Soviet invasion and practising drills in the event of a nuclear strike.

As the years went on, and Germany rebuilt itself, relations softened and soldiers were allowed to fraternise with German women. Naturally some ended up marrying each other and that hasn't changed a bit.

In the late 1980s it became a target for a new enemy. Ten people were killed in attacks by the IRA between 1988 and 1990. This campaign only ended when two Australian tourists were shot dead after being mistaken for off-duty British soldiers.

In recent times Germany has been an important staging post for British forces as the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have demanded a change in focus.

Any soldier of a certain generation is likely to have spent some time in Germany, whether posted there on a more permanent basis or just in the country on exercise.

The well known sports broadcaster Barry Davies began his future career whilst serving in Germany. He commentated on inter-regimental sports matches for the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) radio and so a vocation began.

The relationship between the British military and the Germans was one that started from the lowest point imaginable but has grown into one of shared resources and outlook.

They arrived as occupiers, became guests, and will leave as friends.

By 2019, a long and entwined history, will come to and end.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cardinal: Sexual Conduct 'Fell Below Standards'

Cardinal Keith O'Brien has admitted that there have been times when his sexual conduct "fell beneath expected standards".

The 74-year resigned as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh last week over allegations of improper behaviour up to 30 years ago.

In a statement issued by the Catholic Church in Scotland, he said: "In recent days certain allegations which have been made against me have become public. Initially, their anonymous and non-specific nature led me to contest them.

"However, I wish to take this opportunity to admit that there have been times that my sexual conduct has fallen below the standards expected of me as a priest, archbishop and cardinal.

"To those I have offended, I apologise and ask forgiveness.

The cleric initially contested the allegations against him

"To the Catholic Church and people of Scotland, I also apologise.

"I will now spend the rest of my life in retirement. I will play no further part in the public life of the Catholic Church in Scotland."

The Cardinal had offered to stand down from his post in November but his resignation was only accepted on Monday.

It came a day after The Observer reported three priests and a former priest had complained about him to the Vatican over alleged "inappropriate behaviour" stretching back three decades.

In fresh claims published on Sunday, the former priest attacked the Catholic Church's response to the complaints.

He told the newspaper of "sensing the cold disapproval of the Church hierarchy for daring to break ranks".

He added: "I feel like if they could crush me, they would.

"The vacuum the Church has created has allowed whimsy and speculation to distort the truth, and the only support I have been offered is a cursory email with a couple of telephone numbers of counsellors hundreds of miles away from me."

Another priest, Father John Robinson, told the Scottish Daily Record: "If the Catholic Church in Scotland is to heal itself, we need transparency and understanding.

"We need to learn lessons from the mistakes we have made in the past and move on to become a more loving and understanding Church which does not condemn victims or even abusers."

Cardinal O'Brien, who was born in Ballycastle, Co Antrim, had been the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh since 1985.

Ordained as a priest in 1965, he was proclaimed a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in October 2003.

It is understood he is currently out of the country and will not be attending the conclave to elect the successor to Pope Benedict.

His absence means Britain will have no representative to vote in the forthcoming election of the next pope.

The cleric, who initially said he would contest the claims and was taking legal advice, had been expected to quit on March 17 - the date of his 75th birthday.

Cardinals older than 75 are not allowed to vote in the conclave, which is expected to take place in the new few weeks.

An outspoken cleric through the years, Cardinal O'Brien has been no stranger to making the news with his views.

Last week, in a BBC interview, he called for the Catholic Church to end its celibacy rule for the priesthood.

He also recently advocated priests marrying - and has been an outspoken opponent of plans to legalise same-sex marriage. His stance landed him the Bigot of the Year award from the gay rights group Stonewall.

In 2007, he caused controversy when on the 40th anniversary of the Abortion Act, he said the termination rate north of the border was equivalent to "two Dunblane massacres a day".

The Archbishop of Glasgow has been appointed to govern the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh until a permanent replacement for Cardinal O'Brien is chosen.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mortars Found In Van In Londonderry

At least three mortars have been found in the back of a van which had had its roof removed in preparation for an attack, Sky sources say.

Army bomb disposal experts were called to the Letterkenny Road area of Londonderry after the devices were discovered last night and around 100 homes have been evacuated.

Sky's Ireland correspondent David Blevins said: "It would appear that police have managed to thwart yet another attempted attack by dissident Republicans.

"A huge security operation has been under way for several hours after Sky sources confirmed that police intercepted at least three mortars."

Three men have been arrested, including two 37-year-olds and a 35-year-old.

Blevins said: "We are being told by local people in the Letterkenny Road area that police stopped the van and there is some suggestion they stopped a motorbike at the same time before they made the arrests.

"The police realised very quickly that they had intercepted the mortars primed for an attack in the vehicle with a Southern Irish registration number plate."

A Police Service of Northern Ireland spokesman said: "Police are currently dealing with a security alert in the Letterkenny Road area of Londonderry, following the discovery of a suspicious object in a vehicle.

"Approximately 100 homes have been evacuated and army technical officers are at the scene.

"Detectives from PSNI serious crime branch are dealing with the incident and are linking it with dissident republican activity."

Blevins said: "The timing of any attack would be significant given that we are just four days away from a Westminster by-election in Northern Ireland in the mid-Ulster constituency - the seat which was formerly held by Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness.

"That indeed may have been why a possible attack was being planned by those opposed to the peace settlement."

The four contenders for Thursday's by-election are Sinn Fein Assembly Member Francie Molloy, independent Nigel Lutton, the Social Democratic and Labour Party's Patsy McGlone and Eric Bullick of the cross-community Alliance Party.

More follows...

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Assad Hits Out At UK Government In Interview

Syrian President Bashar al Assad has heavily criticised the British government, calling it "shallow and immature".

In an interview with The Sunday Times, he dismissed any suggestion that Britain could help to resolve the conflict saying: "We do not expect an arsonist to be a firefighter."

He said Britain was not trusted by many in the Middle East, saying its has been viewed as "unconstructive" in the region for centuries.

"There's no contact between Syria and Britain for a long time.

"You cannot separate the role form the credibility, and you cannot separate the credibility from the history of that country.

"To be frank, Britain has played famously in our region (an) unconstructive role in different issues, for decades, some say for centuries."

He added: "How can we expect to ask Britain to play a role while it's determined to militarise the problem?

"How can you ask them to play a role in making the situation better, more stable, how can we expect them to make the violence less when they want to send the military supply to the terrorist?

"I think they are working against us, and they are working against the interests of the UK itself.

"This Government is acting in a naïve, confused, and unrealistic manner. If they want to play a role they have to change this, they have to act in a more reasonable and responsible way."

Earlier this week the Syrian Government said it is ready for talks with its armed opponents.

However, Syrian rebel leader Selim Idris said there could be no negotiations unless Mr Assad stepped down and leaders of the army and security forces were put on the trial.

The UN estimates that around 70,000 people have been killed since fighting began in Syria almost two years ago.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mokhtar Belmokhtar: Gas Terror Chief 'Killed'

Belmokhtar: Profile Of Mr Marlboro

Updated: 12:54am UK, Sunday 03 March 2013

By Sam Kiley, Middle East Correspondent

He was known as Mr Marlboro because of his cigarette smuggling. The French intelligence service called him "The Uncatchable".

Born in central Algeria in 1972, Mokhtar Belmokhtar grew obsessed with Jihadi ideology in his teens. At 19 he volunteered to fight alongside the mujahedeen in Afghanistan.

He missed most of the fighting there as the Soviets withdrew as he arrived but he did encounter senior members of what was to become al Qaeda - receiving training in a Jalalabad base.

In the early 1990s he returned to Algeria to join Islamic militant groups. He served them as a quartermaster - rapidly rose to dominate operations in the south of the country during the Algerian civil war.

Described by the then head of France's Territorial Surveillance Directorate (Direction de la surveillance du territoire – DST) as Algeria's link to al Qaeda, Belmokhtar maintained strong links to the movement's core in Pakistan.

But he was a vital element in the expansion of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). A franchise of the Jihadi movement AQIM was seen as the poorly performing franchise during the last decade. 

But Belmokhtar forged links with Tuareg rebels in the south Sahara from Mali to Niger and into Mauritania.

He rapidly expanded a criminal empire to fund his political and military operations from smuggling cigarettes, diamonds, drugs and people into Europe.

He further stuffed his war chest with funds from hostage taking operations. In 2003 he was implicated in the kidnapping of 32 Europeans in the Sahara.

In 2008, he took control of negotiations for the release of two Austrian hostages. And in 2009 took control of two Canadians kidnapped in Mali and released by him for allegedly £3m and freedom for several of his associates from Malian jails.

Robert Fowler was a UN special envoy in Mali when he was kidnapped and then handed on to Belmokhtar.

He described the man who has now projected himself on to the world stage from the relative obscurity of the Saharan wastes.

"He is very cold. Very business-like. I was afraid for my life all the time. I was afraid for my life when I woke up in the morning and when I went to sleep at night. He is a very serious player," Mr Fowler told ABC News in the US.

Belmokhtar's movement got a huge boost from the collapse of the Libyan regime of Muammar Gaddafi.

The Tuareg fighters he had employed from Niger, Mali and Chad, fled his service carrying with them vast stockpiles of heavy weapons and bringing many years of combat experience.

This influx of new weapons and fighters allowed for al Qaeda-related groups to capture much of northern Mali and establish closer links between groups from Mauritania to Somalia and into the Arabian Peninsula.

Some intelligence agencies believe that Belmokhtar fell out with the AQIM leader in the north of Africa, Abdulmalek Droukel.

But al Qaeda is a franchise. Its strength lies in fragmentation. A devolved series of groups are harder to infiltrate or destroy than one large organisation.

Al Qaeda expert Aaron Zelin describes this as "controlled fragmentation".

French intelligence services had been trying to kill or capture Belmokhtar for more than a decade. They believed that he had the capacity to mobilise French citizens with their roots in North Africa for terror operations inside Europe.

After France launched its war against Islamists in Mali, many of whom are connected to Belmokhtar, his organisation which calls itself "The Masked Ones", vowed to continue attacks against western targets in Africa and beyond.

Belmokhtar's attack in Algeria meant his name was heard more widely as his movement posed a strategic threat to Europe's energy supplies.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Queen 'Suffering From Gastroenteritis'

The Queen has cancelled an engagement in Swansea as she is suffering from the symptoms of gastroenteritis.

Buckingham Palace confirmed the Queen is unwell and will "be assessed in the coming days".

The 86-year-old monarch was due to visit Wales tomorrow to present St David's Day leeks to 3rd Battalion The Royal Welsh.

She is currently at Windsor Castle, where she is spending the weekend "as usual", the palace said in a statement.

The Queen is due to travel to Rome on March 6 to visit Italy's President Napolitano.

She last had to cancel an event - an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle - due to chronic back pain in October 2012.

She also missed a church service at Sandringham two days before Christmas last year because she was "getting over the tail end of a cold".

The Queen presented Olympic stars, including Jessica Ennis, Nicola Adams and Greg Rutherford, with honours at Buckingham Palace on Thursday.

Jessica Ennis beamed as the Queen presented her with a CBE on Thursday

A palace spokesman said the Queen's visit to Rome was still due to take place but a decision would be made after further assessment of her condition.

Meanwhile, Swansea Council said the ceremony would go ahead tomorrow as planned with the Lord Lieutenant of West Glamorgan, Byron Lewis.

A council spokesman said: "Due to minor illness, Her Majesty The Queen is unable to attend Saturday's event.

"The ceremony will continue as planned and will be carried out by the Lord Lieutenant of West Glamorgan, Mr Byron Lewis.

"The Lord Lieutenant will be met upon arrival at the Guildhall by Brigadier Philip Napier, Colonel of the Regiment.

"The parade will present arms for a royal salute and play the national anthem before the Lord Lieutenant is invited to present leeks to a representative body of the regiment.

"Following the parade, the Lord Lieutenant will attend a reception with members of the battalion and their families, before proceeding to the George Hall for lunch.

"The event will take place in and around the Brangwyn Hall and public viewing areas will be available."

Gastroenteritis is an infection of the stomach and bowel, with common symptoms including vomiting, diarrhoea and dehydration.

In England, the two most common causes of gastroenteritis in adults are the norovirus and food poisoning, according to NHS Choices.

The Queen has rarely missed events during her 61-year reign, even though she carries out more than 300 engagements a year.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Obama Signs Order To Start Spending Cuts

President Barack Obama has signed an order authorising $85bn cuts in domestic and defence spending following the failure of efforts to strike a deal with Republicans on cutting the US deficit.

Mr Obama and Republican leaders in the House and Senate declared themselves still deadlocked after a last-minute White House meeting last night.

The two sides are at odds over the president's insistence on increasing tax revenue as part of any plan to tackle the country's $16.6trn debt.

Mr Obama signed the order which officially enacts the across-the-board reductions - known as a "sequester" in government budget language. Under the law, the president had until midnight.

The $85bn cuts apply to the remainder of the 2013 fiscal year, which ends on September 30. But the legislation that requires the spending reduction will continue slashing government spending by about $1rn more over a 10-year period.

Speaking after the White House meeting, Mr Obama said: "Let's be clear, none of this is necessary."

He blamed the deadlock on Republicans who he said refused to close tax loopholes that benefit the wealthy, adding that "the pain will be real" for the American people.

"I am not a dictator. I'm the president," Mr Obama said, warning he could not force his Republican foes to "do the right thing," or make the Secret Service barricade Republicans leaders in a room until a deal is done.

"These cuts will hurt our economy, will cost us jobs and to set it right both sides need to be able to compromise," Mr Obama added.

Republican John Boehner, speaker of the House of Representatives, walked out of the meeting to say there would be no compromise as long as Mr Obama insisted on higher tax revenue.

Republicans are standing fast against further increasing taxes and will not compromise on achieving debt reduction through spending cuts alone.

The opposition party is still feeling the sting from its most conservative members after agreeing at the end of 2012 to allow the expiration of Bush-era tax cuts for Americans earning $400,000 or more a year.

Friday's meeting was the first the two sides have held this year on the budget battle, and it lasted less than an hour.

The immediate impact of the cuts on the public is uncertain, but they will carve 5% from domestic agencies and 8% from the Pentagon between now and October 1.

Defence officials say they will be forced to reduce the working week of 800,000 civilian employees, scale back flight hours of warplanes and postpone some equipment maintenance.

The deployment of a second aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf has also been cancelled.

The US Navy will gradually stand down several hundred planes starting in April, the Air Force will curtail flying hours and the Army will cut back training for all units except those deploying to Afghanistan.

Several major programmes will be unaffected, including the Social Security pension programme, the Medicaid health care programme for the poor and food stamps.

Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel warned that the budget cuts will endanger the US military's ability to conduct its missions.

"This will have a major impact on training and readiness," he said. "Later this month, we intend to issue preliminary notifications to thousands of civilian employees who will be furloughed."

Mr Hagel also acknowledged that the budget cuts "will cause pain, particularly among our civilian workforce and their families".

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Eastleigh By-Election: Lib Dems Triumph

The Liberal Democrats have won the Eastleigh by-election - as the UK Independence Party pushed the Conservatives into third place.

Local councillor Mike Thornton claimed 13,342 votes for the Lib Dems, with 11,571 for Ukip's Diane James and 10,559 for Conservative candidate Maria Hutchings.

Labour's John O'Farrell was fourth with 4,088 votes.

Ukip candidate Diane James reacts to the result

Mr Thornton said in his acceptance speech that the result represented a "great night" for his party nationally.

"A strong signal of support for (leader and Deputy Prime Minister) Nick Clegg, an affirmation of our role of national interest within the coalition and a huge boost to our party's mission in government to build a stronger economy in a fairer society so that everyone can get on in life," he said.

He said it showed those who had "written off" the Lib Dems had been proved wrong, adding: "We have done it and we will do it again."

Ms James hailed her second place as "a humungous political shock" that represented a "seismic shift" in British politics.

And Mrs Hutchings appeared to be fighting back tears as she thanked opponents for a "clean campaign".

A by-election was called in the Hampshire constituency following the resignation of disgraced Lib Dem MP Chris Huhne.

The Lib Dem majority was more than halved compared to that secured by Huhne in 2010  - from 3,864 to 1,771.

But the result comes after influential Tory backbencher David Davis warned the Prime Minister that third place would represent a "crisis" for the party.

Ukip leader Nigel Farage welcomed the result, saying: "On the day I think we won it but we could not catch up with the deficit in postal votes. In a short space of time we have created a massive surge."

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

South Africa: 'Man Dragged Behind Police Van'

A taxi driver in South Africa died after being handcuffed to a police vehicle and dragged hundreds of yards, it has been alleged.

Independent police investigators are looking into the claims after video footage emerged showing a man being dragged along a road behind a police van.

Police in Johannesburg are due to hold a news conference later this morning.

The man, named locally as 27-year-old Mido Macia from Mozambique, was later found dead in a police cell in Daveyton, Johannesburg, on Tuesday. Inmates claim he was beaten to death.

Officers have claimed they put Mr Macia in a police van in order to take him to a police station on the East Rand, and cannot explain how he later died.

Officers are seen restraining the man and handcuffing him to the van

The video, obtained by South Africa's Daily Sun newspaper, shows officers struggling to overpower a man - believed to be the taxi driver - before attaching him to a point at the rear of their vehicle and then driving off leaving him hanging outside.

At one point they attempt to carry his legs while the vehicle is moving forward but have to drop him as the police van speeds up.

The footage then shows the man trying to stay on his feet as he is dragged behind the vehicle for several hundred metres.

The person filming the incident attempts to keep up with the truck dragging the taxi driver, but has to give up as the vehicle is going too fast.

Inmates in the cells he was taken to have claimed he was later beaten by police.

South Africa's Independent Police Investigation Directorate (IPID) said on Wednesday that officers had initially attempted to arrest Mr Macia because he was allegedly obstructing traffic.

At one point they lift his legs but have to let go when the van speeds up

IPID spokesman Moses Dlamini said: "We are investigating an incident involving the death of man, allegedly at the hands of the police. We are shocked by the footage which has been released.

"The circumstances surrounding his death are still allegations ... let's find out what really happened," he said.

He said there were reports Mr Macia had tried to disarm a police officer before the attack.

The taxi driver was then allegedly beaten once inside the police holding cells.

He is understood to have been found dead by another police officer later the same day.

Mr Dlamini told the South African website News 24 that an investigation had begun before Mr Macia's death into allegations he carried out an assault resulting in grievous bodily harm.

Police in South Africa are known for heavy handedness when dealing with the public, and the police watchdog is handling numerous cases of police brutality.

In the 12 months before March 2010, according to Amnesty International, there were 920 complaints of serious assault and 294 deaths in custody.

The police department could not confirm if the officers had been suspended.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More