Savile: Celebs 'Frightened By Police Probe'

Dozens of big name stars from the 1960s and 70s have contacted Max Clifford "frightened to death" they will become implicated in the widening Jimmy Savile child abuse scandal, the PR guru has claimed.

He said the stars, some of whom are still big names today, were worried because at their peak they had lived a hedonistic lifestyle where young girls threw themselves at them but they "never asked for anybody's birth certificate".

Scotland Yard is leading the current investigation into accusations of abuse by former BBC DJ and presenter Savile, which now involve around 300 potential victims.

Officers have searched a cottage belonging to Savile in Allt na Reigh in Glencoe, Scotland, to look for "any evidence of any others being involved in any offending with him".

Speaking on London's LBC radio, Mr Clifford said young pop stars at the time had gone from working in a factory one week to performing in front of thousands of people "and girls are screaming and throwing themselves at them then".

"All kinds of things went on and I do mean young girls throwing themselves at them in their dressing rooms at concert halls, at gigs, whatever," he said.

"They never asked for anybody's birth certificate and they were young lads ... suddenly everyone's dream was a reality."

He added: "We are talking about a lot of people that were huge names in the 60s and 70s and a lot of them barely remember what they did last week, genuinely.

"For them to try and recount what happened in a dressing room in 1965 or 1968 or 1972, genuinely they are frightened to death."

Mr Clifford said that he did not condone the men's behaviour, but that it could be understood, adding: "No one had heard the word paedophile in those days, the 60s and 70s."

Seven alleged victims of Savile made complaints to four separate police forces, Surrey, London, Sussex and Jersey, while the disgraced television presenter was alive but it was decided that no further action should be taken.

Scotland Yard revealed on Friday that a retired officer had told them that he had investigated Savile in the 1980s while based in west London but did not have the evidence to proceed.

Commander Peter Spindler said he believed the allegation was of an indecent assault, possibly in a caravan on BBC premises in west London, but officers have still not found the original file.

Another allegation, of inappropriate touching dating back to the 1970s, was made by a woman in 2003, but this was treated as "intelligence" by police because the victim did not want to take action.

Surrey Police submitted a file to the Crown Prosecution Service containing references to four potential offences, including an allegation of indecent assault on a young girl at a children's home.

The allegations related to three potential victims in Surrey and another in Sussex, and Savile was interviewed under caution in 2009, but prosecutors decided there was insufficient evidence to bring charges.

The seventh allegation emerged in 2008 when Jersey police received a claim that an indecent assault occurred at children's home Haut de la Garenne in the 1970s.

Again it was decided that there was insufficient evidence to proceed.

Mr Spindler said Savile was "undoubtedly" one of the most prolific sex offenders he had come across and that Operation Yewtree, looking into Savile's crimes, would be a "watershed moment" for child abuse investigations.

Claims have been made that former DJ Savile, who died last year aged 84, targeted children while they were in hospital.

He had a bedroom at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, an office and living quarters at Broadmoor and widespread access to Leeds General Infirmary.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

British Banker Dies In Hurricane Sandy

The British boss of an investment bank has been killed in a hurricane sweeping across the Caribbean.

Timothy Fraser-Smith, 66, chief executive of Deltec Bank & Trust, fell from the roof of his home in wealthy Lyford Cay a private gated community on the western tip of New Providence Island in the Bahamas as he tried to repair a window shutter.

His death, on Thursday night, was one of 43 across the Caribbean caused by the hurricane that has now been downgraded to a tropical storm.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: "We can confirm the death of a British national in the Bahamas on October 25."

Mr Fraser-Smith joined Deltec in June 2000 as chief executive, according to the company's website, having worked in many countries. Deltec said he studied law at the University of Edinburgh before gaining an MBA from Cranfield Business School, Bedfordshire.

On Saturday, Sandy spun away from the Bahamas, churning northward towards the US East Coast, where it threatens to join with winter weather fronts to create a superstorm.

In Haiti, the number of people who have died reached 26 on Friday.

With the storm projected to hit the US Atlantic Coast early on Tuesday, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned it could merge with two other systems to become a hybrid, monster storm dubbed "Frankenstorm".

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

CCTV Clue In Hunt For Fugitive 'Sex Attacker'

Police hunting for a fugitive who is believed to have sexually attacked two schoolgirls while on the run have released CCTV pictures.

Ivan Leach, who is also known as Lee Cyrus, did not return from day release from North Sea Camp open prison in Boston, Lincolnshire, earlier this month.

People are being warned not to approach him under any circumstances and described him as "dangerous and predatory".

Officers fear he carried out a very serious sexual assault in Tayside, Scotland, since he absconded on October 9.

Despite a large scale police search and numerous reported sightings 47-year-old Cyrus remains at large.

New CCTV footage, believed to be of Cyrus in Preston city centre on October 17, has now been released in the hope that someone might come forward with information. It shows him walking down Friargate at 6.50pm in the direction of the train station.

He has links to Preston, and has known to be in the city on a number of occasions since he absconded, but it is believed he could be anywhere in the country.

Police enquiries are also ongoing in Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Tayside.

Cyrus was jailed in 2005 for robbing a 90-year-old woman in Ribbleton, Lancashire. He was given a life sentence with a minimum tariff of five years. He also has convictions for burglary and robbery and assault.

Detective chief inspector Ian Dawson of Preston Police said Cyrus "is an extremely dangerous and predatory individual who poses a serious threat to members of the public".

He added: "He has previous convictions for burglary, sex offences against a young girl, assault and robberies in which he has targeted elderly people in their own homes.

"We believe he could be sleeping rough and travelling extensively throughout the country."

Cyrus is described as white, around five feet 11 inches tall, of stocky build with cropped hair and hazel eyes.

Anyone with any information about his possible whereabouts is being urged to contact local police either in person or on 101, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria: Tank And Sniper Fire 'Kills Three'

Three people are reported to have been killed by tank and sniper fire in Syria's capital, hours after a ceasefire was agreed.

The Damascus suburb of Harasta was apparently targeted in a violation of the temporary truce agreed to mark the four-day Muslim holiday of Eid Al Adha.

Rebels in a northern town close to the Turkish border also reported one of their fighters was shot dead by a sniper, and a Reuters journalist in the town heard what sounded like four rounds of tank fire.

The ceasefire was brokered by UN and Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi. The regime and the main rebel force, the Free Syrian Army, had both agreed to temporarily lay down their arms.

In a statement read on state television after the deal, the Syrian army said it would still respond to gunfire or roadside bombs and keep rebels from bolstering their positions or getting supplies.

President Assad pictured at a prayer service on Friday

A Free Syrian Army commander also said rebels would retaliate if they were attacked.

On Friday morning, Syrian state television showed President Bashar al Assad attending morning prayers for the start of Eid at a mosque in Damascus.

He was pictured smiling and looking relaxed as he spoke to other worshippers, in his first television appearance for more than a month.

During prayers, Imam Walid Abdel Haq called on Syrians to "stop quarrelling because you are all brothers".

"Do you not see what has been happening for two years in the country, the destruction and death? Stop this," he said.

Protests were reported to have taken place in Raqa in the north east, where security forces fired tear gas, and in the southern Deraa province, where three people were injured as police fired live rounds to disperse demonstrators.

Activists said protests also took place in Damascus and Aleppo.

In the Idlib village of Al-Habit protesters chanted against Mr Assad, saying: "Traitor, give up, you have destroyed Syria."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Trainee Teachers Face Tough New Tests

Prospective teachers will have to sit new tougher tests in English, maths and reasoning before they can start training.

The changes will see calculators banned from maths tests, and pass marks in English and maths raised.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said the "rigorous selection" of trainee teachers was key to raising school standards.

All trainee teachers currently have to pass basic skills tests in literacy and numeracy. However, until this September they were allowed unlimited resits.

Figures showed that around 98% of trainees passed the tests, potentially calling into question the level of challenge.

Candidates have already been limited to two resits for each test from this September, and the pass mark has been raised.

Now a panel of head teachers and education experts has recommended that the tests are toughened-up further.

The Government has said it will accept the panel's recommendations in full.

Education Secretary Michael Gove has backed the overhaul

Following the changes, candidates will have to achieve separate passes in English, mathematics and reasoning in order to be able to start teacher training.

Mr Gove said: "The evidence from around the world is clear - rigorous selection of trainee teachers is key to raising the quality and standing of the teaching profession.

"These changes will mean that parents can be confident that we have the best teachers coming into our classrooms.

"Above all, it will help ensure we raise standards in our schools and close the attainment gap between the rich and poor."

The panel's chairman, Sally Coates, said: "We believe that the whole selection process needs to be sufficiently rigorous to ensure that anyone who gains a place on a course of initial teacher training would be highly likely to succeed in that training, and go on to make an excellent teacher."

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat education minister David Laws has criticised teachers for leaving children with "depressing low expectations" of what they can achieve in life.

He said too many children were led to believe that top exam grades, places at elite universities and professional careers were beyond them.

"Teachers, colleges, careers advisers have a role and a responsibility to aim for the stars and to encourage people to believe they can reach the top in education and employment," Mr Laws told The Daily Telegraph.

"That's not happening as much as it should do at the moment."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

British Oil Executive Gunned Down In Brussels

A British oil executive - named by Sky sources as Nicholas Mockford - has been shot dead in Brussels.

The killing took place on October 14 but Belgian investigators have only just revealed information about his death.

Mr Mockford, who worked for ExxonMobil,  was gunned down as he left a restaurant with his wife.

The Foreign Office said: "We can confirm the death of a British national in Brussels on October 14 and we are providing consular assistance."

Police said the businessman was shot three times as he left an Italian restaurant in Neder-Over-Heembeek, a suburb of the Belgian capital.

It happened at around 10pm as he walked with his wife Mary from the Da Marcello restaurant on Rue de Beyseghem to their car, which was parked nearby.

The attack took place in the Neder-Over-Heembeek area of Brussels

Mrs Mockford was violently attacked and struck several times on her face as one of the attackers tried to grab her handbag.

A second attacker opened fire on the 60-year-old oil executive, who later died of his injuries.

He was shot three times, once as he lay on the floor, and his wife Mary was left beaten and covered in blood, cradling her husband and shouting for help. He died on the way to hospital.

Witnesses say they saw the couple walk across the street to their Lexus 4x4 car before shots were fired.

It is understood that the two men were carrying motorcycle helmets and they initially fled on foot before taking a ring road on a "two-wheeled vehicle".

Shortly after the events, a white van passed Rue de Beyseghem and came across the victims.

Investigators have been questioning the driver of this vehicle.

The Daily Telegraph said police in Belgium were considering all possible motives for the shooting, including a carjacking, although Mr Mockford's car was not stolen.

The Belgian prosecutor's office said last night that there was a "judicial instruction" from Martine Quintin, the investigating judge, that meant they could give no "explanation" and no detail about the killing, which a spokesman said was "usual in such a serious murder investigation", the newspaper reported.

However, Chief Inspector Wim Van Leifferenge said the killing had been reported by media in the country since it happened.

Mr Van Leifferenge said no-one had been arrested and those responsible were still on the run.

Mr Mockford is understood to have worked for ExxonMobil since the 1970s and was head of marketing for interim technologies for ExxonMobil Chemicals, Europe, promoting new types of greener fuel.

Brought up in Leicestershire, he had moved abroad from Chichester some years ago, living in Belgium and Singapore.

He was married to his Belgian wife for 15 years and has three grown-up children living in Britain from his first marriage, according to the Telegraph.

A family member, who asked not to be named, told the newspaper they thought he had been killed in a professional hit.

The relation said: "We are all confused about what has happened. Nick was a genuinely lovely, clean-cut, mild-mannered, family man."

He added: "He was shot so calmly and so quickly, it smacks horribly of a professional hit, but we can't fathom why. He isn't the type to cave in to blackmail and it just doesn't compute."

A spokesman for ExxonMobil said: "Mr Mockford, a British national, was a department manager at our office close to Brussels, but we have no indication that the incident was work related.

"Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues and we are supporting them as best we can at this very difficult time."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

MP: 'Paedophile Ring Linked To Ex-PM's Aide'

A historic paedophile ring may have been connected to Downing Street, a senior Labour politician has suggested.

Labour MP Tom Watson, deputy chairman of the party, alleged that a member of a notorious group was linked to a former Number 10 aide.

During Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Watson referred to the case of Peter Righton, who was convicted of importing and possessing illegal homosexual pornographic material in 1992.

He said: "The evidence file used to convict Peter Righton, if it still exists, contains clear intelligence of a widespread paedophile ring.

"One of its members boasts of his links to a senior aide of a former prime minister, who says he could smuggle indecent images of children from abroad.

"The leads were not followed up, but if the files still exist, I want to ensure that the Metropolitan Police secure the evidence, re-examine it and investigate clear intelligence suggesting a powerful paedophile network linked to Parliament and Number 10."

Prime Minister David Cameron said it was a "very difficult and complex case" and he was "not entirely sure" which former prime minister Mr Watson was talking about.

He vowed to look at the case "very carefully and see what the Government can do" to help give the Labour MP the assurances he wanted.

Writing on his blog later, Mr Watson added: "The central allegation was that a large body of material seized in the raid on Righton's home had not been fully investigated...

"Within the material seized at Righton's home were letters from known and convicted paedophiles. The contact, who has seen the letters, claimed that one paedophile in particular was of great concern.

"He said that the paedophile, who worked with children, boasted of a key aide to a former PM who could help get hold of indecent images of children."

Mr Watson made clear he was not referring to the former MP Sir Peter Morrison, Margaret Thatcher's parliamentary private secretary and deputy chairman of the party.

Mr Watson raised the Righton case after he was contacted by people close to the investigation who said they could not understand why the wider paedophile network had not been properly investigated.

The MP has also written to the Met Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe with more details about the case.

His office was bombarded with calls on Wednesday as speculation mounted about exactly who he had been referring to. "I'll say more when I can but this may not be for some time," he wrote.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hurricane Sandy Hits Cuba After Jamaica

Hurricane Sandy tore down power lines and trees as it pounded Jamaica, before heading for Cuba and the Bahamas.

The storm had developed from a Category One to Category Two hurricane when it made landfall just west of Santiago de Cuba with maximum sustained winds of 114mph.

The US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) in Miami said Sandy was moving north-northeast at 15mph and was expected to keep its hurricane strength as it moved through the Bahamas.

"It is a big storm and it's going to grow in size after it leaves Cuba," said Michael Brennan, a hurricane forecaster at the NHC.  

Storm clouds gathered over Cuba as Sandy approached

In Jamaica, schools and businesses were closed and authorities moved residents in low-lying, flood-prone areas into shelters amid steady rain and fierce winds.

Residents reported widespread power outages, flooded streets and some severely damaged homes.

One man was crushed to death by stones that fell from a hillside as he tried to get into his house in a rural village near Kingston, according to a police official.

Earlier on Wednesday, a woman in Haiti was swept away by a rushing river she was trying to cross.

Widespread flooding was reported across Jamaica

Cruise ships changed their itineraries to avoid the storm, which made landfall five miles east of the capital and airports were closed.

Curfews were imposed on 80 communities in an attempt to prevent the looting which has followed previous storms.

Many people refused to evacuate their homes because they were fearful their possessions would be stolen.

Officers said suspected looters shot and wounded a police official as he led a group through a volatile section of West Kingston called Craig Town.

In some southern towns on Jamaica, a few crocodiles were caught in rushing floodwaters that carried them out of the mangrove thickets, into housing districts, local residents reported.

One large crocodile reportedly took up temporary residence in a family's front yard in the city of Portmore.

Sandy dumped heavy rain on Jamaica and Cuba

Sandy was expected to dump a total of 6in to 12in of rain as it made its way across parts of Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and eastern Cuba.

The 18th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season was expected to pass to the west of the US naval base at Cuba's Guantanamo Bay, where pre-trial hearings were being held for a suspect in the deadly 2000 attack on the destroyer USS Cole off Yemen.

The 15,500 people living on the US base, along with the 166 prisoners held there, have been warned to be ready for the storm.

Sandy could possibly bring tropical storm conditions along the southeastern Florida coast, the Upper Keys and Florida Bay by Friday morning.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Recession Ends Amid Olympics Boost

How GDP Is Compiled Really Matters

Updated: 8:11am UK, Thursday 25 October 2012

By Ed Conway, Economics Editor

I've covered economics for a decade or so, but I confess that until very recently I didn't really know what GDP really is.

I mean, like most of you I knew it was the broadest and most widely-used measure of our economy's health - that it determines whether we're officially in recession or not (two or more quarters of shrinking GDP equals a recession).

I knew it was the sum of everything spent, earned or made in Britain.

What I didn't know was how it's actually put together.

I guess I vaguely assumed - and I don't think I'm entirely alone - that the Office for National Statistics had some kind of electronic hotline into British business, some privileged access to their numbers, which in turn became the Gross Domestic Product number.

Turns out I was monumentally wrong.

For it transpires that GDP - that big number we're all so focused on, the figure that tells us whether we're in a recession or booming, that can end a political career and swing an election - is actually a big, big survey.

I know this because earlier this month I spent some time in the ONS headquarters in Newport with the team who put together this most significant of all numbers.

For the first time, they allowed cameras into their offices to show how GDP really comes into being - and the genesis might well surprise you.

At this point it might be worth explaining why this matters so much: there is arguably no other number out there that can swing the financial markets quite so much, that can influence Britain's feelgood factor, that dominates the headlines and strikes fear into politicians.

And yet there are many people who question whether we can really rely on the numbers.

Some economists argue that the GDP figures in recent months have painted a far more negative picture of the UK economy than is actually the case.

Some argue that Britain never really experienced a double-dip recession - but that this reality will only ever be confirmed many years into the future when the ONS revises those initial estimates.

So how GDP is put together really matters. And it all starts with the pounds in your pockets.

For the first estimate of GDP - the one today - is created from data collected in surveys of tens of thousands of surveys from businesses around the country - whether they're manufacturers, construction firms, retailers or others.

Each month a large sample of them is asked by the ONS to tell them their turnover (how much money is going through the till), along with a few other industry-specific questions which form part of the retail sales, manufacturing output and other releases.

The turnover number is what matters from the perspective of GDP. They fill the relevant questionnaire in and post it to the ONS (they can also submit the data through an automated telephone system).

When those envelopes arrive there the questionnaires are scanned and the numbers go into the ONS' systems.

The problem is that by the time that first estimate needs to be produced, the ONS only has 44% of the relevant data (the rest arrives in dribs and drabs over the following months, hence the revisions). In particular, the ONS only has early responses for the final month of the quarter.

So there are some pretty big gaps to be filled, and the ONS has to make some estimates about what the other data will eventually say when it comes in.

It relies for this on computer models, backed up by assumptions and calculations from the ONS staff themselves. After they make these calls they meet and discuss them in so-called "balancing meetings": the statisticians ask each other whether the data are reliable and their assumptions have foundation.

During this entire period, those GDP assumptions and the ultimate figure are kept locked up (quite literally - there are safes into which they are put) such that only a dozen or so statisticians actually know the number before it comes out.

So far as anyone knows, there has never been a leak of a number as sensitive as this from the ONS. But 24 hours before the figures are published, selected ministers and officials also get a look.

The figures are revised again a month after that initial release, and then again a month later. During that period, more information has come in from quarterly surveys which measure families' and businesses' incomes, and other spending data.

As I said, GDP can be measured in terms of what we spend, what we earn and what we make - they should all add up to the same number, since what one person buys another person sells. And the extra data furnishes that initial estimate and, occasionally, contradicts it.

The ONS maintains that its record of revisions is acceptable by international standards. It points out that its surveys have far more respondents than those put together by independent competitors.

But some, most notably Kevin Daly of Goldman Sachs, argue that it has a tendency to revise the more distant history so substantially that often periods we thought at the time were slumps were actually booms.

A case in point is the early 1990s: at the time, the ONS said the UK was suffering a double-dip recession.

But by the end of the millennium it had revised its assessment: far from slumping, the UK was actually bouncing back forcefully at that point. When Norman Lamont referred to "green shoots", it turns out he was absolutely right.

Today, the GDP figures have been telling an altogether different story to the unemployment figures, which seem to suggest there never was a double-dip. Based on precedent, we are unlikely to know the definitive story for years to come.

Which implies that the ONS, and the way it puts together this most important of all numbers, will remain in the spotlight for the foreseeable future.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ex-Council Staff Win Equal Pay Ruling

Former employees of Birmingham City Council can launch unequal pay claims, the Supreme Court has decided in a landmark ruling.

The council had appealed against a ruling by the Court of Appeal to allow claims to go through civil courts instead of only through employment tribunals.

Until today, people were only allowed to make claims through tribunals within six months of employment.

Now former staff will be able to claim through the civil courts within six years of their employment ending.

Lawyers describe the judgment, given in London, as a "landmark" and say it could have "huge implications".

More follows...

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Savile: Pressure Mounts On BBC Bosses

Charities helping victims of sexual abuse have been swamped with inquiries – prompted by the widening Jimmy Savile controversy.

The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) has seen nearly a trebling of calls to its hotline.

Napac chief executive Pete Saunders told Sky News: "As we speak it is well over 2,500 calls we have received and is rapidly heading towards 3,000.

"It has been relentless. Normally we deal with up to 300 inquiries weekly but since Savile it is up to 800 a week.

ITV broadcast a documentary on Savile's on October 3, after a similar programme was halted by the BBC Newsnight show, and it included the Napac hotline number for adults who suffered childhood abuse.

"We had 150 calls on the night the documentary was aired and it has remained consistently high. It has been relentless and we have to thank our amazing team of volunteers who have answered calls," Mr Saunders said.

Abuse claims by BBC star Savile date back decades

The NSPCC, which deals with stopping cruelty to those who are children now, also received calls relating to Savile victims who are now adults.

A spokeswoman told Sky News: "We have received 157 calls directly related to claims against Jimmy Savile, and these have been passed to police.

"We have also received 99 other calls of abuse unrelated to him since the documentary was broadcast."

The spike in calls to charities comes as pressure has continued to mount on BBC bosses, past and present, over the halting of an investigation into sexual abuse by Jimmy Savile.

According to The Times, the corporation's director of news insisted on an "impossibly high barrier" on Newsnight journalists over allegations of Savile being a paedophile.

Sources at the current affairs programme told the newspaper that Helen Boaden allegedly intervened last year, insisting staff gather evidence as if the late star were still alive and able to sue.

The Times said sources at Newsnight claimed Ms Boaden's approach subsequently influenced the show's editor Peter Rippon to halt the investigation.

BBC Newsnight editor Peter Rippon has "stepped down" amid an inquiry

Mr Rippon has since "stepped aside" while the corporation launches a review into Savile's predatory behaviour over several decades on BBC premises.

The spreading concerns of BBC managerial responsibility have also drawn in the previous BBC boss, Mark Thompson, about how much he knew.

Mr Thompson, who recently resigned as director general, said: "There is nothing to suggest that I acted inappropriately in the handling of this matter.

"I did not impede or stop the Newsnight investigation, nor have I done anything else that could be construed as untoward or unreasonable."

On Tuesday, current director general George Entwistle was urged to "get a grip" on his organisation during a hostile grilling by MPs about the broadcaster's handling of the claims.

Condemning the "broader cultural problem" at the BBC that had allowed Savile's alleged behaviour to take place, he conceded the corporation had been slow to react to the emerging crisis.

Mr Entwistle told the committee he had ordered an internal audit of the operation of the BBC's child protection policies and would report its results to the BBC Trust in December.

He said the corporation was now investigating up to 10 "serious allegations" involving past and present employees over the "Savile period".

Scotland Yard said 60 of the 200 people who have come forward since ITV first aired a documentary on the former DJ's sexual abuse have made claims against people other than Savile.

Lord Patten has been urged to resign by a former colleague

It is understood that the Metropolitan Police have made preparations for the first arrests in its own investigation.

Meanwhile, in a letter to BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten, Culture Secretary Maria Miller warned that the scandal had raised "very real concerns" about public trust in the corporation.

She said it was vital that the independent inquiries were "able to follow the evidence wherever it takes them".

In his response Lord Patten wrote: "You know how seriously the Trust takes the allegations surrounding Jimmy Savile and the need to maintain public trust in the BBC."

The peer said the inquiries would be "comprehensive and independent", but also delivered a thinly-veiled warning that the Government should not wade into the row.

"I know that you will not want to give any impression that you are questioning the independence of the BBC," he wrote.

Conservative MP Sir Roger Gale, a former director of current affairs programmes for the BBC, suggested Lord Patten and Mr Entwistle may have to "fall on their swords".

He said: "Chris Patten is an old friend and a former parliamentary colleague for whom I have had a high regard but in his comment he has made it clear that he is out of touch.

"Not only with the strength of feeling and concern in Parliament about the 'Savile affair' and related matters but, more importantly, with the strength of public revulsion at what has happened at Television Centre and with the corporate culture that, for the best part of 40 years, has apparently covered it up.

"Attack may be the best form of defence but in seeking to criticise a Culture Secretary who has not, ever, sought to challenge the independence of the BBC, he indicates how very little, within that corporate arrogance, has really changed," Mr Gale said.

Mr Entwistle told MPs he believed the Newsnight investigation into Savile should have continued and said there had been a "breakdown of communication" between its reporters and the editor and he did not feel "confident" that he could get an explanation over what happened from within the BBC.

Conservative MP Therese Coffey branded as "chilling" an email sent by Mr Rippon last November that said "our sources so far are just the women" and questioned whether the culture had really changed at the BBC.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Unions: 4,300 Job Losses As Ford Closes Plant

Unions have claimed that Ford will close its factory in the Belgian town of Genk, resulting in 4,300 job losses, according to media reports.

The US automaker will tranfer production from the plant in 2014 as it attempts to deal with a slump in demand across Europe, according to Reuters.

"The management has decided to close the car assembly and the press activities in Genk at the end of the current production cycle in 2014," Luc Prenen, leader of the ACV union, told workers gathered outside the plant.

"This will result in the closing of the Genk production site and will cause the loss of 4,300 jobs." 

Production of the company's new Mondeo, S-Max and Galaxy models will be transferred to Valencia, Spain.

The move could also affect a further 5,000 subcontractors that work for the firm in the region.

Hundreds of employees gathered outside the gates of the plant in eastern Belgium, as local Ford managers met with staff representatives.

Ford's Genk factory represents more than 30% of car production in Belgium.

More follows...

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Obama Aggressive In Final Presidential Debate

Romney Avoids Foreign Policy Blow

Updated: 5:37am UK, Tuesday 23 October 2012

By Dominic Waghorn, US Correspondent

This was always going to be a tough one for Mitt Romney.

The Republican challenger has not distinguished himself on foreign policy. 

And on many foreign issues there is not enough swinging room between him and the President to let him land a punch.

The President probably won on points, but his challenger held his own and made no gaffes. Given his previous form on foreign policy, that's an improvement.

This debate was about foreign policy when the election is not. The economy remains the overriding issue.

It was predictable then that both men would try and bring the debate back to domestic issues.

President Obama was the first, 25 minutes in, stressing that nation building starts at home.

Mr Romney joined in, forcefully making the argument that America will only be respected overseas if it's strong at home. 

Then followed a slew of argument that had nothing to do with foreign policy from healthcare reform to classroom sizes. 

There were cheers in the adjoining "spin room" from journalists when moderator Bob Schieffer tried to return the discussion to foreign affairs even if it was largely in vain.

With the odds stacked against him, Mr Romney was largely avoiding losing.

His most dangerous moment was one of his own creation, a tactical error he could have avoided.

He probably should not have mentioned foreign trips, given how badly his last one went, offending the British, Palestinians and the press travelling with him.

But he brought up the President's visits overseas all the same, accusing him of indulging in an "apology" tour allowing his opponent to come right back at him.

"If you want to talk about trips governor," came back the president. Mr Obama then compared his visit to Israel, which included a tour of the Yad Vashem holocaust museum, to Mitt Romney's which he said was more about attending fundraisers.

Many Americans will not have been watching. This was a big sports night.

In the Tailgaters Sports Bar in Daytona Beach up the coast, most people weren't focused on the debate. The Chicago Bears were playing the Detroit Lions, by coincidence the hometown teams of each candidate.

The game was on a much bigger screen than the debate in the bar.

But a few were paying attention to the candidates.

Carl Dephillipe told Sky News the debate had made all the difference to his vote.

"I am a Democrat so I was leaning towards Obama but I hadn't heard anything about his foreign policy till tonight so finally being to sit down tonight to listen to his foreign policy I'll definitely be giving him my vote," he said.

Further down the bar David Daley was also critical of Mr Romney.

"I think he's basically selling the American people a dream. That he's promising a lot of things that he's not going to be able to do," he said. 

For the record, the President's team beat Mr Romney's by 13 to 7.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hacking: Mirror Papers Face Legal Claims

By David Bowden, Senior Correspondent

Newspapers belonging to Trinity Mirror are to face legal claims over phone hacking allegations for the first time, Sky News has learned.

Until now the only company to be sued for illegally snooping on voicemail messages was News Group Newspapers, publishers of the now-defunct News Of The World.

The latest claims allege that the mobile phone messages of the former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, Abbie Gibson, former nanny to the Beckham children, ex-Manchester City star Garry Flitcroft and actress Shobna Gulati were all listened to by Mirror group journalists.

Lawyer Mark Lewis: 'We will show there is a smoking bullet'

There have been allegations that hacking was going on at the Mirror titles before, but the publisher of papers including the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and People has always strenuously denied any wrongdoing.

But now solicitor Mark Lewis has lodged claims on behalf of his clients.

Piers Morgan: 'No reason to believe (hacking) was going on'

He said that unlike the News Of The World hacking cases, where police found a list of alleged victims in a notebook belonging to private investigator Glen Mulcaire, there is no paper trail this time round.

"There might not be a documentary smoking gun, but we will show there is a smoking bullet, the consequence of the actions," said Mr Lewis.

The former editor of the Daily Mirror, Piers Morgan, wrote a number of articles alleging phone hacking was prevalent in Fleet Street, but told the Leveson Inquiry he had never sanctioned it when he was an editor.

"My own evidence is I had no reason or knowledge to believe it was going on," he told the inquiry earlier this year.

In the summer, Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Sue Akers, in charge of investigating any criminal aspects of the cases, told MPs she believed there were more than 1,000 victims of phone hacking.

Scores of claims have been made against the News Of The World and many of the cases have been settled already with payouts totalling millions of pounds.

The most high-profile case involved the hacking of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone and cost the paper £3m.

Actress Sienna Miller reportedly received £100,000 and her former boyfriend Jude Law is also among the many celebrities to have won a substantial payout from News Group.

Politicians including former deputy prime minister Lord Prescott and Respect MP George Galloway have also been paid compensation.

This latest revelation that hacking was allegedly going on at a rival newspaper group will, temporarily at least, take the spotlight off the wrongdoing at the News Of The World.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jimmy Savile: BBC Boss Faces MPs Over Scandal

BBC boss George Entwistle will later be questioned by MPs about the organisation's handling of the Jimmy Savile sex abuse claims.

The director-general faces the Culture, Media and Select Committee hours after the BBC broadcast a Panorama investigation looking at why a Newsnight programme about the allegations was dropped.

The corporation is battling what has been called its "biggest crisis in 50 years" after claims about decades of alleged child abuse by Savile, who died in October last year.

The allegations about the Jim'll Fix It star only fully emerged when ITV broadcast a documentary at the start of this month.

It sparked immediate questions about how the BBC lost their scoop and accusations of a cover-up - as well as major concerns about why the claims were never properly looked into when Savile was alive.

Mr Entwistle will be asked why the Newsnight investigation was axed shortly before tribute programmes to the presenter were shown over the Christmas period.

He will also face questions about the culture at the BBC at the time of the allegations, its vetting procedures and the existing policies on sexual harassment.

Police have called Savile a sexual predator

The broadcaster has already admitted that the account given by Newsnight editor Peter Rippon was "inaccurate or incomplete" and he has stepped aside to focus on preparing for the inquiry.

Panorama's own investigation into the affair highlighted the different explanations given by BBC bosses about the nature of the original Newsnight investigation and why it was dropped.

Once the claims emerged, Mr Entwistle wrote to all staff to insist that the show had been about "Surrey Police's inquiry into Jimmy Savile towards the end of 2011".

But Newsnight producer Meirion Jones insisted it had been looking into whether the star was a paedophile.

"We didn't know that Surrey Police had investigated Jimmy Savile - no-one did - that was what we found when we investigated and interviewed his victims," he said.

Mr Jones and reporter Liz MacKean both appeared in the Panorama documentary and said they had interviewed at least four alleged victims of Savile.

They confirmed with Surrey Police that they had investigated sex abuse complaints against the presenter and DJ in 2007.

Panorama reported that Newsnight bosses had wanted its reporters to stand up a suggestion that Savile was not prosecuted because the CPS thought he was too old and frail.

Once they told bosses the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had not charged Savile due to a lack of evidence, they were told to end the investigation and the show was withdrawn, they said.

Mr Entwistle, then the director of vision, also apparently had a brief conversation with BBC director of news Helen Boaden on December 2 about the Newsnight programme.

She told him he might have to change the Christmas schedules if it went ahead, because of the planned tributes.

It has now emerged that Surrey Police found evidence of "three further potential offences" during its investigation but did not do more because "evidence showed none of the alleged victims would support a prosecution".

Newsnight editor Peter Rippon

Ms MacKean said: "Ever since the decision was taken to shelve our story, I've not been happy with public statements made by the BBC. I think they're very misleading about the nature of the investigation we were doing."

She added: "I was very unhappy the story didn't run because I felt we'd spoken to people who collectively deserved to be heard and they weren't heard and I thought that was a failing ... I felt very much that I'd let them down."

She said she had been left with the impression that Mr Rippon was feeling under pressure, writing to a friend: "PR (Peter Rippon) says if the bosses aren't happy ... (he) can't go to the wall on this one."

Mr Jones warned Mr Rippon what would happen if the investigation was dropped and insisted it stood up as it was.

"I was sure the story would come out one way or another and that, if it did, the BBC would be accused of a cover-up," he told Panorama.

"In fact, I wrote an email to Peter saying 'the story is strong enough' and the danger of not running it is 'substantial damage to BBC reputation'."

A Panorama statement said: "Peter Rippon has always maintained the story was pulled for 'editorial reasons' and not because of a potentially embarrassing clash with planned BBC tributes to Savile over Christmas.

"Panorama has found no evidence to contradict that view."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

BBC 'In Crisis' Over Jimmy Savile Scandal

The BBC is said to be facing "its worst crisis for 50 years", as a documentary lifts the lid on the extent to which senior managers of the corporation were aware of the Sir Jimmy Savile abuse claims.

A special edition of Panorama reveals fresh evidence about what the BBC knew of Savile's decades of child abuse and its investigation into why Newsnight spiked its probe into the scandal, sparking allegations of a cover-up.

The BBC flagship programme, which airs tonight, examines why corporation chiefs - including the director-general - gave different explanations why Newsnight was dropped and what it was about.

Newsnight editor Peter Rippon maintains the piece - which was due to run last December - was pulled for editorial reasons, and not because the potentially damaging revelations coincided with a planned tribute to the star.

But the hour-long documentary will hear from Newsnight producer Meirion Jones and reporter Liz MacKean, who both claim they had interviewed at least four alleged victims of Savile - and confirmed with Surrey Police that officers had investigated sex abuse complaints against the Jim'll Fix It star in 2007.

The journalists say that, when they told bosses the Crown Prosecution Service did not charge Savile because of insufficient evidence, they were told to end the investigation - and the show was withdrawn.

BBC director-general George Entwistle said it would be "inappropriate" for him to comment ahead of the broadcast, as he has not yet seen the programme. He added: "There will be a BBC statement later this morning touching upon some of the issues raised".

Questions over how director-general George Entwistle has handled the crisis

The programme also calls into question Mr Entwistle's handling of the crisis in the days after it broke.

On October 5, Mr Entwistle wrote an email to all staff saying "the BBC Newsnight programme investigated Surrey Police's enquiry into Jimmy Savile towards the end of 2011".

But Meirion Jones sent an email reply to Mr Entwistle on the same day taking issue with his account.

He wrote: "George - one note - the investigation was into whether Jimmy Savile was a paedophile - I know because it was my investigation. We didn't know that Surrey Police had investigated Jimmy Savile - no-one did - that was what we found when we investigated and interviewed his victims."

The abuse stories about Savile only fully emerged after ITV broadcast a documentary at the start of this month - sparking controversy at the BBC over losing its scoop and leading to the cover-up allegations.

John Whittingdale, chairman of the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, which will take evidence from Mr Entwistle on Tuesday, said they would want to know why he did not seek more information about the Newsnight investigation.

"If you were the director of vision, you were told at the time you were commissioning programmes paying tribute to Jimmy Savile that Newsnight might be about to reveal a bombshell, you wouldn't just have a 10-second conversation.

"You'd say 'Tell me more, I'm about to go public putting out these programmes making out that Jimmy Savile was this saint'," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

Police say they have identified more than 200 potential victims

Mr Whittingdale said the most important question was why the Newsnight segment was dropped.

He told Sky News: "Whilst Panorama say there is no evidence the editor was leant on from outside, the explanations originally given look very thin today."

Panorama said it has failed to find evidence of a "BBC cover-up" over the Newsnight decision.

In a statement, the programme said: "Peter Rippon has always maintained the story was pulled for 'editorial reasons' and not because of a potentially embarrassing clash with planned BBC tributes to Savile over Christmas.

"Panorama has found no evidence to contradict that view."

But the corporation's veteran foreign affairs editor John Simpson said of the fallout: "This is the worst crisis that I can remember in my nearly 50 years at the BBC. I don't think the BBC has handled it terribly well.

"I mean I think it's better to just come out right at the start and say we're going to open everything up and then we're going to show everybody everything.

"All we have as an organisation is the trust of the people the people that watch us and listen to us and, if we don't have that, if we start to lose that, that's very dangerous I think for the BBC."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cameron's 'Rehab Revolution' To Cut Crime

David Cameron is to call for a "tough but intelligent" approach to law and order as he tries to move on from a difficult week.

In a speech later today, the Prime Minister will announce a "rehabilitation revolution" under which virtually all prisoners will receive help turning their lives around and breaking the cycle of reoffending.

Mr Cameron will say he wants to see an extension of payment-by-results for companies, charities and voluntary groups who help offenders escape a life of crime.

Currently, only those who are jailed for more than a year are given rehabilitation. The new initiative aims to provide support to all but a small number of high-risk prisoners by the end of 2015.

Mr Cameron will say: "I want to see rehabilitation reach more of those who would benefit from it. Today, rehab just goes to those who have been inside for a year or more.

"But that misses all those who go in for shorter sentences yet reoffend time and time again. So I want to look at making them part of the rehabilitation revolution too."

Sky's Political Correspondent Peter Spencer said: "Mr Cameron's plan today is to seriously try to change the subject from his travails over Andrew Mitchell and the 'plebgate' affair with a major speech on crime and punishment and rehabilitation.

"In his speech, he will be adopting a slightly tougher tone than we've heard in the past."

While placing a greater emphasis on rehabilitation, the Prime Minister will seek to reassure supporters of tougher sentencing - including many on the right of his party - that he is not turning "soft or liberal" on law and order.

The PM will say prevention is 'the most effective way to deal with crime'

He will stress that he never in fact uttered the phrase "hug a hoodie" despite it becoming a defining motif of his leadership.

Serious crimes must be met with long prison sentences, he will say, adding: "Retribution is not a dirty word. It is important to society that revulsion against crime is properly recognised."

But he will argue that "just being tough isn't a successful strategy in itself", and prisoners who cannot read, are addicted to drugs or have never worked a day in their life, need help so that they can lead productive lives.

"Recognising this isn't soft or liberal, it's common sense," he will say.

"We'll never create a safer society unless we give people, especially young people, opportunities and chances away from crime.

"Prevention is the cheapest and most effective way to deal with crime - everything else is simply picking up the pieces of failure that has gone before."

He will also say that Justice Secretary Chris Grayling, appointed to replace Ken Clarke in last month's reshuffle, is leading a mission to see more offenders properly punished but fewer returning to prison.

Mr Cameron's speech comes as the Prime Minister tries to recover from the plebgate row sparked by Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell's clash with a police officer in Downing Street.

Mr Cameron had spent weeks trying to shore up Mr Mitchell but he finally quit on Friday, sparking questions about the leader's judgement and the political operation at Number 10.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cardiff Hit-And-Runs: Man Faces Court

The man charged over the murder of a mother-of-three who died in an apparent hit-and-run attack in Cardiff has been named as Matthew Tvrdon.

The 31-year-old, who has also been charged with 13 counts of attempted murder and four counts of assault, as well as dangerous driving, arrived at Cardiff Magistrates' Court this morning.

The charges were announced just hours after hundreds of people grieved for Karina Menzies, 31, at a church service in the city.

She was killed on Friday when she was hit by a white van outside Ely Fire Station.

Abuse was yelled at the accused as he arrived at the court

Senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Paul Hurley said: "South Wales Police has been overwhelmed by the support we have received from the community.

"We wish to express our sincere thanks to the many people who have come forward to give information, provide witness accounts, and offer both CCTV and mobile phone footage of Friday's traumatic and tragic events.

"While a man has been charged, the investigation is still very much ongoing and we still appeal for anyone with information to contact the incident room at Cardiff Central Police Station."

Hundreds of people gathered to share their grief at the church and prayer service on Sunday.

Ms Menzies was killed outside a fire station

The raw emotion in the Welsh capital was evident as 200 people held a minute's silence for Ms Menzies.

Reverend Jan Gould led a special service at the Church of the Resurrection in Ely, breaking down before the packed congregation.

She said from the pulpit: "Whether we've personally known one or more of the victims of Friday's terrible events, or whether we are here as a member of this community simply wanting to show solidarity, there can be no one who has not been profoundly affected by what has happened here this week.

"This must surely be perhaps the deepest grief we have shared as a community.

Candles were lit for the victims at a Cardiff church

"This grief, of Karina's tragic death ... has broken the heart of our community, and the healing work that is now to be done will take a very, very long time.

"We will never be the same again as a community - for how can we not be changed after such a tragedy."

In her service, Ms Gould pleaded with her 600-strong congregation to respond to the events with love.

"The only way that we can move forward into the future with hope is by responding to this suffering the same way Jesus did - with love," she said.

"Not malice, not hatred, not revenge. Not taking the law into our own hands - that's what our justice system is for."

The raw emotion in the Welsh capital was evident

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tebbit: 'PM Incompetent Over Mitchell Row'

David Cameron has been criticised by Conservative grandee Lord Tebbit following Andrew Mitchell's resignation as chief whip.

He said the Prime Minister had allowed "this dog of a coalition Government" to look incompetent.

Accused of calling police officers "plebs" when they would not let him leave Downing Street on his bicycle through the main gates, Mr Mitchell finally quit his Cabinet post on Friday.

Despite the unequivocal support of Mr Cameron, Mr Mitchell admitted that the ongoing row had made his position untenable.

Writing in The Observer, Lord Tebbit said: "This dog of a coalition Government has let itself be given a bad name and now anybody can beat it.

"It has let itself be called a Government of unfeeling toffs. Past governments have had far more real Tory toffs: prime ministers Alec Douglas-Home and Harold Macmillan, or even in Thatcher's day, Whitelaw, Soames, Hailsham, Carrington, Gowrie, Joseph, Avon, Trenchard and plenty more, without incurring similar abuse."

He added: "The abiding sin of the Government is not that some ministers are rich, but that it seems unable to manage its affairs competently."

Andrew Mitchell resigned on Friday

A Cabinet minister in Margaret Thatcher's government, Lord Tebbit said Mr Cameron needed to impose "some managerial discipline not just on his colleagues but on himself".

The criticism comes amid reports that Mr Mitchell decided to step down after younger Tory MPs from the 2010 intake made clear their hostility when Parliament returned this week.

Many were dismayed that the row dragged on for so long and that Mr Mitchell - who did not attend the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham earlier this month - had not been sacked by the PM.

It has been a disastrous week for Mr Cameron following Mr Mitchell's decision to quit and reports George Osborne tried to sit in a first class train carriage with only a standard ticket - claims which have been firmly rejected by the Chancellor.

He will attempt to shore up his authority and move on from recent events in a speech next week in which he will call for a new "tough but intelligent" approach to law and order.

A ComRes opinion poll, carried out for The Independent on Sunday and the Sunday Mirror, revealed Labour are now eight percentage points ahead of the Tories.

The Lib Dems were in a distant third with just 10% of those polled opting for the party.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Prayers For Hit-And-Run Dead And Injured

A special church service will be held today for the 14 victims of a series of hit-and-run attacks in Cardiff, which left a mother of three dead and 13 others injured.

Karina Menzies, 32, was killed after she was knocked down during one of the collisions involving a white van outside a fire station in the Ely area of the city on Friday.

Thirteen others were injured in the crashes on the streets of the Welsh capital. Two of the injured adults are in a critical condition and five children are also receiving treatment.

The service, at Church of the Resurrection on Grand Avenue, will take place from 5pm.

Adam and Annie Lewis were walking with their daughter when they were hit

Meanwhile, detectives were last night granted a further 36 hours to question a 31-year-old man on suspicion of murder.

Officers are also appealing for information about a mystery car seen driving on the wrong side of the road shortly before the crashes.

The black Renault Clio was seen on Western Avenue, not far from Cowbridge Road West, where one crash happened. There were no full registration details for the Clio but officers said it carried an 05 plate.

CCTV images show the moment a white van swerved across four lanes of traffic, mounted the kerb and crashed into Adam and Annie Lewis and their two-year-old daughter, Amelia-May.

Ms Menzies, 32, was killed on Friday after being knocked down

Amelia-May's grandmother, Maureen Lewis, said the toddler was catapulted from her pushchair into the air and suffered injuries to her face. She said Annie suffered a broken leg.

Detective Superintendent Paul Hurley confirmed reports that the suspect left his vehicle and physically assaulted people between the crashes and also carried a weapon.

It is believed the weapon was a steering wheel lock.

The officer said: "We are aware the suspect assaulted people outside his vehicle," and he added police were "looking to identify and recover" the weapon.

Father Adam Lewis (top), mother Annie (right) and two-year-old Amelia-May

He said no firearm was involved and there was no suggestion anyone had been stabbed.

According to unconfirmed reports, police are also investigating whether the driver was involved in a domestic incident before the rampage.

The horrific events began when police received calls about an incident in Crossways Road in Ely at 3.30pm.

This was soon followed by other reports of hit-and-run collisions in several locations in the west of the city, including Grand Avenue, Cowbridge Road West and the Leckwith Retail Park.

Police were called to five locations in Cardiff

Seventy officers are working on the investigation.

Floral tributes were laid at the scene where Ms Menzies was killed.

Among those paying their respects was local Labour MP Kevin Brennan.

He said: "Karina was a well-liked mother who had three children. One of her children is disabled and is currently on a dream holiday in Florida."

The white van pictured after being stopped by police

Ely sub-postmaster Shady Taha, 29, had just served two girls aged about 10 and a woman in her mid-20s moments before one of the hit-and-runs in Grand Avenue, immediately outside a row of shops.

He said: "All of a sudden I heard a bang. I looked out and across the road one girl was on the floor and the other girl was screaming. I heard a van speed off but I did not see it."

Lynda Paterson, who lives in Cowbridge Road West, described the scene outside her house as chaotic.

"I was going to pick my children up from school and I could see there were police and someone was lying on the floor, on the pavement."

Other eyewitnesses said pedestrians were deliberately targeted by someone driving a white van.

The crime scenes included Ely fire station, an area near the Merrie Harrier pub in Llandough on the outskirts of Cardiff, where the suspect was arrested, and Leckwith Retail Park - next to the Cardiff City Stadium.

Ms Menzies' brother, Craig Menzies, told Radio 5 Live that she died trying to save the lives of her children.

Describing the moment the van careered towards them, he said: "He went through the traffic, aimed for them and then just hit them head on.

"She just screamed and threw them out of the way as much as she could. He still clipped them but she took it head-on. She saved their lives."

He told the programme it was "a waste of a life".

He added: "She was the world to me. She was my best friend. She was a lively, bubbly person. There's just so many good things you could say about her.

"We'll all be lost without her."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

At Least One Dead In Damascus Car Bomb Blast

At least one person has been killed after a car bomb exploded near a police station in the Syrian capital.

The pro-government broadcaster Ikhbariya TV said the blast hit the Old City quarter of Bab Touma in Damascus.

It came as President Bashar al Assad opened talks with visiting UN peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, who is trying to broker a truce to start during a Muslim holiday this week.

A security official said the explosion targeted a police station in the neighborhood, which is a popular attraction for shoppers and inhabited mostly by the Christian minority.

More follows...

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More