Weather: Storm Alerts As UK Set For 'Hurricane'

Forecasters are increasingly confident a storm packing hurricane-speed gusts of more than 80mph will hit Britain.

A Met office image shows a forecast for the storm on Monday

Severe weather alerts are in place for England and Wales, with an amber warning, meaning "be prepared", in place for southern counties.

The storm, which is moving across the Atlantic Ocean, would need to buffet the UK with sustained winds for it to be scientifically classed as a hurricane.

Forecasts show how the storm might develop and move towards the UK

Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said the storm could cause structural damage, trees and power cables to come down and transport problems on Monday morning.

"We have been tracking the probable course of the storm and we are tracking it further north than we had thought earlier," she said.

The Met Office website shows amber and yellow alerts for Monday

"We have also revised the speed for gusts of wind up to 70 to 80mph inland, with the possibility of speeds in excess of 80mph in exposed coastal areas."

Atlantic storms of this type usually develop further west across the ocean, losing strength by the time they reach the UK and Ireland.

This one is unusual in that it is expected to appear much closer to land, potentially moving across the country while it is in its most powerful phase.

Some have compared its potential to the Great Storm of 1987 and record-breaking gales in south Wales in 1989.

Sky weather presenter Jo Wheeler said: "Late October is notorious for strong storms, with a wind gust of 124mph recorded in the Vale of Glamorgan in 1989.

"Should this storm achieve its potential, it is likely to bring down trees and cause damage to roads and buildings, possibly causing major transport disruption and power cuts."

The storm's trajectory is unclear but there are fears it may wreak havoc in England and Wales if it hits land.

If it does, it is likely to batter Wales and the South West before sweeping east and touching most of the country.

However, there is a chance it could miss land completely, sweeping instead through the English Channel.

The storm is expected to strike two weeks later than the Great Storm of 1987, which left a trail of destruction on October 15 and 16.

There are already fears the storm may compare to the Great Storm of 1987

Forecasters famously failed to predict its severity before it flattened trees, knocked out power and left 22 people dead in England and France.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

School Bus Crashes Into House At Military Base

Three children and two adults have been injured after a school bus crashed into a house at a military base in Texas.

The driver of the bus said the brakes failed as he was taking 25 children home from Fort Sam Houston Elementary School on Friday.

The vehicle ran into a home in a military housing area at the base in central San Antonio.

Fort Sam Houston spokesman Brent Boller said two children on the bus, one child in the house, the bus driver and a substitute teacher were injured.

All five suffered minor injuries and were taken to hospital for treatment.

Related Stories

North Carolina Fair: Five Hurt In Ride Accident

Navy Officer Guilty Over Yacht-Tanker Crash

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Savile's Chauffeur Charged With Sex Offences

Jimmy Savile's former chauffeur, who once shared a flat with the disgraced broadcaster, has been charged with a string of historical sex offences.

Ray Teret, 72, has been charged with 32 offences relating to 15 alleged victims who claimed they were sexually abused between 1962 and 1996.

Most of the alleged offences are said to have taken place in the Greater Manchester area.

Teret, from Altrincham, is charged with 15 counts of rape of a female under 16, one count of rape, one count of attempted rape of a female under 16, six counts of indecent assault of a female under 16, three counts of indecent assault of a female under 14, one count of gross indecency with a child under 13 and two counts of conspiracy to rape a girl under 16.

Ray Teret is also a former DJ

The former DJ is also charged with one count of possession of extreme pornography, one count of possession of prohibited images and one count of possession of an indecent image of a child.

Teret, who was initially arrested and bailed last November with another man on suspicion of historic rape allegations, is due to appear before magistrates in Manchester on Saturday.

Police previously said the accusations against him were not linked to the national inquiry into Savile.

DCI Graham Brock, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "This has been a complex investigation that was originally launched in October 2012 when an initial complaint was made to Greater Manchester Police.

"Since that time, we have carried out extensive and wide-ranging inquiries and interviewed a number of people as part of that investigation.

TV presenter Jimmy Savile

"It is now very important that we make no further comment and allow the correct legal process to take its course unimpeded and without prejudice.

"We will continue to support all those women who have come forward and offer them whatever welfare they need through the use of specially-trained officers."

Two other men have also been charged following the investigation into Teret.

William Harper, 65, from Stretford, is charged with charged with conspiracy to rape a girl under 16 and attempt rape of a girl under 16.

Alan Ledger, 62, from Altrincham, is accused of indecently assaulting a girl under 16 and aiding and abetting the rape of a girl under 16.

Both men will appear at Manchester City Magistrates' Court on October 30.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK Economy: GDP Growth Accelerates To 0.8%

The UK economy achieved growth of 0.8% in the third quarter - marking a slight acceleration in the recovery across 2013 as a whole.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said it marked the strongest period of growth in more than three years - with services, construction and manufacturing all expanding.

It was also the third successive period of improving output but in line with the expectations of economists though some had forecast growth of 1%.

The ONS said construction - a sector bolstered by Government initiatives such as Help to Buy - surged by 2.5%.

Chancellor George Osborne said of the GDP figure on Twitter: "This shows that Britain's hard work is paying off & the country is on the path to prosperity."

The housing market recovery is reflected in the GDP growth

Overall GDP was 1.5% ahead of the same period last year - a strong comparison with a time when the economy was boosted by the Olympics and Paralympics.

But the economy remains 2.5% off its pre-recession peak at the start of 2008.

During the third quarter, construction was boosted by new work on private housing and private commercial building as well as domestic home repair and maintenance but remained 12.5% off its 2008 high.

Housebuilders have been buoyed by the Government's Help to Buy scheme, which recently launched a new phase offering mortgage guarantees.

Lower gas and electricity demand over the hot summer hurt growth

Production grew by 0.5%, though this remains 12.8% off its 2008 level, while within this manufacturing improved 0.9% in the third quarter.

The powerhouse services sector, which represents three-quarters of economic output, grew by 0.7% and is now 0.6% above its pre-crisis peak.

The largest contributions here came from business services and finance, followed by distribution, hotels and restaurants.

But the wider statistics highlighted one piece of bad news - in terms of UK growth.

The contribution from utilities - including gas and electricity - tumbled by 6.8% in the period, possibly a result of the warm summer compared to the same period last year which was largely a washout and cool.

The figure was seen as a potential factor behind the decision among energy suppliers to increase household bills.

More follows...

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Police 'Find First 3D Gun-Printing Factory'

By Nick Martin, North of England Correspondent

Police have discovered a 3D printer which they believe criminals were using to try to make a gun, Sky News can reveal.

In what is believed to be the first case of its kind, officers in Manchester on Thursday seized a printer and other components potentially used in the manufacture of firearms during a raid.

As part of an operation to target organised crime gangs in the city, police found a trigger and a magazine they believe is capable of holding bullets, both of which are thought to have been made using the printer.

Officers believe the raid - in the Bagley area of the city - could have uncovered what could be Britain's first 3D gun factory.

Earlier this year concerns were raised that the printers, which construct everyday solid items using very thin layers of plastic, could be used to make a gun, which contained no metal parts and could therefore evade detection by security scanners at airports and other potential criminal targets.

The plastic magazine police believe is capable of holding bullets

Detective Inspector Chris Mossop, of Greater Manchester Police, told Sky News: "If what we have seized is proven to be viable components capable of constructing a genuine firearm, then it demonstrates that organised crime groups are acquiring technology that can be bought on the high street to produce the next generation of weapons.

"In theory, the technology essentially allows offenders to produce their own guns in the privacy of their own home, which they can then supply to the criminal gangs who are causing such misery in our communities.

"Because they are also plastic and can avoid X-ray detection, it makes them easy to conceal and smuggle."

The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester, Sir Peter Fahy, told Sky News that 3D guns were "a new phenomenon".

He said: "We will really need to look at this new development. Certainly we feel that we are having success - and the important thing is not to be defeatist about this. It is not to think that we'll never win, that these people are cleverer than us.

"They are not, they are just more violent than us."

In May a US defence company successfully fired the first ever gun made with 3D printer technology and announced plans to distribute the blueprints online.

The 3D printer in what could be a factory for a 'new generation of weapons'

At the time it was warned that criminals may try to use the devices to do something similar.

The firm, Defense Distributed, spent a year trying to assemble a working model. It succeeded using separate printed plastic components and a metal firing pin.

The cost of 3D printers has fallen dramatically in recent months. They can now be bought for less than £1,000.

In a statement Greater Manchester Police said: "Component parts for what could be the UK's first ever 3D gun have been seized by Greater Manchester Police.

"During the searches, officers found a 3D printer and what is suspected might be a plastic clip and a 3D trigger which could be fitted together to make a viable 3D gun.

"It they are found to be viable components for a 3D gun, it would be the first ever seizure of this kind in the UK. The parts are now being forensically examined by firearms specialists to establish if they could construct a genuine device.

"A man has been arrested on suspicion of making gunpowder and remains in custody for questioning."

Sir Peter: 'These people are not cleverer that us, just more violent'

The raid came as part of what police describe as the largest operation to tackle organised criminal gangs in Manchester's history.

In the past week more than 50 suspected members of criminal gangs have been arrested for a variety of offences including drugs, firearms and money laundering.

As well as the 3D printer, seizures included £330,000 worth of drugs, £25,000 in cash along with weapons such as high-powered air rifles, a BB gun, a Taser, a baton and seven high powered cars.

Up to 50 tonnes of counterfeit goods worth at least £2m - including fake trainers, watches and clothing - were also recovered.

Detective Chief Superintendent Rebekah Sutcliffe, who heads Challenger for Greater Manchester Police, said: "Organised crime groups have a corrosive and insidious effect on our communities. These sorts of people mistakenly believe they 'own their turf' and use violence and intimidation to make people's lives a misery.

"However, this week we have brought the fight to these gangs and through Challenger we are now declaring war on these criminal networks who for too long have been bullying communities and enjoying a lavish lifestyle."

There are currently more than 160 known organised criminal gangs in Greater Manchester, costing the local economy between £850m and £1.7bn each year.

However, it is thought there may be up to 500 of these networks in operation.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

NSA Spying: Germany Demands Talks With US

US Spying And The Moral High Ground

Updated: 6:47am UK, Friday 25 October 2013

By Tim Marshall, Foreign Affairs Editor

All nations spy, but not all nations claim they have liberal values and transparent government.

For those that do, it is a little embarrassing to be caught spying on your friends and military allies.

To be caught listening in on the private phone calls of the head of government of an ally is to be embarrassed on a different level.

Hence we see the presence of the US Ambassador to Berlin at the German foreign ministry.

Mr John B Emerson was called in to see foreign minister Guido Westerwelle for a touch of "clarification" on remarks made by the White House on Wednesday night.

This follows a call to Chancellor Angela Merkel's office by the Der Spiegel newspaper.

It asked a question which was probably based on some of Edward Snowden's files, to which it has access: "Has the US been tapping the mobile phone of the Chancellor?"

Der Spiegel says Germany's Federal Intelligence Service had enough information for Mrs Merkel to phone Barack Obama and ask the same question.

The Chancellery was confident enough to make public the call.

Within an hour, White House spokesman Jay Carney came up with an answer: "The  President assured the Chancellor that the United States is not monitoring, and will not monitor, the communications of the Chancellor."

Sadly, at the time of writing, the White House press corps did not appear to have asked the obvious question which arises from such a slippery answer: "OK - is not, and will not monitor, but has it monitored?"

President Obama has now found himself on the receiving end of phone calls from several indignant presidents.

The leaders of Brazil, Mexico, France, and Germany have all made it clear they take a dim view of activities of the American intelligence agencies in their own countries.

Brazil's President, Dilma Rouseff, even went so far as to cancel a state visit to Washington DC.

The US administration is now asking itself how much damage all of this is causing.

Some officials argue that spy storms come and go, but relationships survive.

Others agree about survival but say the relationships will be weakened and that America's standing in the world is damaged in the long term.

It is well known that Russia spies on Britain, which spies on China, which spies on America, which spies on … well, everyone it now appears.

Spying on enemies is obvious, and spying on trade partners is tolerated even if measures are taken to prevent it.

Spying on allies is frowned upon even if most countries do it while taking counter measures.

The French are well known to have been trying to steal everyone's business secrets for decades, and very good they are it too.

The golden rule is: don't get caught and don't embarrass us in public and remember, when it comes to allies, there are limits.

If the French and Americans wanted to know their respective positions ahead of a crucial UN Security Council vote, which was in the balance, they might use a variety of measures to find out.

If some of those measures were, perhaps, questionable and became public, it would be embarrassing but, behind the scenes, both sides would shrug their shoulders.

However, listening into the private calls of a head of government of a key ally is crossing a line - it is personal, a question of trust in a personal relationship, and it is impossible to justify in public.

Therefore, if the claims are true, the Americans have a stark choice.

In their democracy, with its open government, and liberal values, what has the greater value? The information you get from spying on friends at the highest levels or the moral standing you have among those friends and global public opinion?

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Madeleine McCann: Portugal Cops May Open Case

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 9:48am UK, Monday 14 October 2013

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: Feb 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: Feb 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: Feb 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Grangemouth Plant Closure U-Turn Is Possible

The owner of the Grangemouth petrochemicals plant says it could reverse Wednesday's decision to close it if "substantive" talks today yield "very significant" union concessions.

Sources at Ineos were speaking to Sky News ahead of a meeting with Unite which began at 8am but they insisted that any agreement on reopening the chemical side of the operation at the peace talks would have to be rubber-stamped by a full meeting of Ineos shareholders.

The company had announced that it could not continue to operate the loss-making petrochemicals division, leaving 800 jobs at risk at the plant with many more contractors facing the axe too.

Ineos also confirmed that while it was not planning to close down the oil refinery, which produces 80% of Scotland's fuel supplies, it would remain shut for now pending reassurances from Unite that there would be no strike action.

The union's general secretary Len McCluskey arrived at Grangemouth this morning to join local efforts to resolve the dispute, hours after officials accused Ineos owner Jim Ratcliffe of deliberately engineering the chemical plant's closure.

It said on Wednesday that it had put a "plan to save jobs" to the company.

Unite's Scottish secretary Pat Rafferty added: "The ball is now in the court of Jim Ratcliffe and the respective governments in Edinburgh and Westminster and we await their responses."

Ineos argued it was left with no alternative but to close the petrochemical business, which makes products used in the manufacture of household goods such as plastic packaging.

The firm cited a failure to persuade its staff to accept a survival plan, which included a pay freeze, ending of a final salary pension scheme and other changes to terms and conditions.

Ineos said white-collar workers such as administration staff had backed the plan but workers represented by Unite had rejected it.

Politicians had urged the two sides to resume talks to prevent the closure, while efforts are expected to continue to find a potential buyer in case the peace efforts fail.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

NHS Trusts: Quarter Identified As 'High Risk'

44 NHS Trusts At High Risk

Updated: 10:01am UK, Thursday 24 October 2013

There were 44 trusts in the two bands with the highest risk, with 24 trusts in the highest possible band 1.

Band 1:

Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust

Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Croydon Health Services NHS Trust

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust

Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Medway NHS Foundation Trust

North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust

Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

South London Healthcare NHS Trust

Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation Trust

The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

Band 2:

Barts Health NHS Trust

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust

Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust

Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust

Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust

North West London Hospitals NHS Trust

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation TrustN

Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust

Weston Area Health NHS Trust

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syrian Refugee Rescue Caught On Film

By Stuart Ramsay, Chief Correspondent

Illegal immigrants are dying in the Mediterranean in record numbers because criminal gangs know that rich northern European countries such as the UK are too scared to address the issue of international migration because of domestic politics.

As European leaders meet this week to discuss demands for help from frontline countries like Malta, Sky News has obtained exclusive pictures of the moment hundreds of Syrians are left swimming for their lives over a hundred miles from shore.

Hundreds of refugees were tipped into the sea when their boat sank

Mediterranean countries say the whole European Union has to do more and must ignore local politics to help genuine refugees.

There is nothing more scary that being in heavy waters in a rubber dinghy when you are fleeing a war-torn country and you are already completely exhausted.

For refugees and illegal migrants that is normal. Life is basically terrible.

Malta, Spain and Italy are trying to deal with this daily problem.

Survivors scrambled onto life rafts thrown to them by the Maltese navy

The system is not perfect and to be frank they are not being as vigilant as they could be because they cannot really cope with what is going on.

This is a huge international problem that has been going on for years - but nobody so far has done anything significant to stop it.

Sky News obtained a remarkable series of videos from the Maltese government that show for the first time an entire rescue.

The migrants' boat has been shot at by Libyan gunmen who are traffickers and have not been paid off.

Young children were among those pulled from the water

Within hours the boat either capsizes or sinks, with Syrian migrants dumped into the sea.

By chance a Maltese spotter plane sees them and a rescue mission, lasting more than 20 hours, begins.

This man does not know if his two children survived

The spotter plane drops a life raft that gives the survivors a point to aim for. They swim in their dozens to try to find something to hold onto.

It will take over an hour of treading water before the rescue boats arrive. Many people die in this time.

Patrol boats and launch vessels pick the survivors from the sea. This is a joint venture between the Maltese and the Italian navy.

Men, women and children are transferred from the rubber boats to the safety of the patrol vessels.

Among them, a little girl and her father clutching one another survived. Her twin sister has died; her mother, his pregnant wife, perished trying to save the girl.

They know nothing of this as they stand on the rescue ship deck being dried. As with all these disasters many families are split forever in the rescue.

On shore the Syrian migrants wait in a detention centre for news of family members who have simply disappeared. A man cries in anguish and writes on a shoe box: "Where are my two children?"

A translator says he does not know if they are dead or not.

A doctor represents the people in an emotional appeal for more information. I speak to him quietly. I ask why a paediatrician is here, risking this dreadful trip.

"We have no choice, Stuart, you know that," he says. "It is too dangerous in Syria so I decided to take my family to somewhere safe.

"But this has been terrible. Worse than I ever imagined."

I ask if he would do it again.

"Yes," he says. "There is no choice."

These are not work-shy foreigners looking for benefits. These are refugees.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fraudster Norman Brennan Arrested In Spain

An on-the-run benefits fraudster tracked down and confronted in Spain by Sky News has been arrested by police.

Neighbours claimed they had told British authorities where Norman Brennan was many times, but were ignored.

They said nothing had been done to try to extradite the 70-year-old after he moved into their community.

Brennan, a retired joiner from Merseyside, jumped bail in 2008 after admitting £120,000 of benefit fraud and fled to Mijas on the Costa del Sol.

He has lived there openly at the same address ever since - but was arrested on Tuesday evening.

Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt confronted Brennan near his Spanish home earlier this month, but he refused to discuss his life on the run.

He appeared to live alone with his dog, spending his evenings drinking in a local bar.

It is believed Brennan was receiving his old age pension in Spain and, astonishingly, even got mail from the DWP in London.

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith ordered an investigation after Sky News alerted him to the case.

Mr Duncan Smith said he was "astonished" by the case and promised action.

Brennan is now understood to be heading to Madrid, where he is likely to appear in court on Wednesday or Thursday.

"It looks and sounds like he is ready to come back and face the music," said Sky's Martin Brunt.

Members of the UK expat community told Sky News they had reported Brennan to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Merseyside Police and local Spanish police.

However, none of them appeared to have taken any action.

Crimestoppers also said it had passed on information about Brennan, but to no avail.

The Serious and Organised Crime Agency knew of his whereabouts two years ago but says it was never asked to look for him.

Sefton Council, which prosecuted Brennan, would not say when its investigators learned of his new address, but described the case as "very in-depth and complex".

Merseyside Police meanwhile, said it had been working with other agencies to find and arrest Brennan since 2008.

Brennan's five years in Spain came after he admitted using the name of his brother to claim £120,000 in housing and council tax benefit, Jobseeker's Allowance and pension credits.

When he arrived in the country he and his wife bought two adjoining properties on a complex beside a golf course.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Godparents Named Ahead Of Royal Christening

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have named Zara Tindall and six other friends as the godparents of Prince George.

The names were revealed ahead of the christening of the future king and supreme governor of the Church of England at St James's Palace later today.

His other godparents include William and Kate's former private secretary Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, who continues to serve part-time as their principal private secretary and equerry.

Zara Tindall has been named as godmother of the newest royal heir

In a statement, Kensington Palace said the five others are Oliver Baker, Emilia Jardine-Paterson, Earl Grosvenor, Julia Samuel and William van Cutsem.

Kensington Palace confirmed that those invited to the christening include the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, who has become a grandfather for the first time, the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry.

Kate's family - parents Carole and Michael Middleton and siblings Pippa and James - will also attend, along with the godparents and their partners.

The historic 45-minute service conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury will see four generations of British monarchs photographed together for the first time since 1899.

While the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William were all christened at Buckingham Palace, the Duke and Duchess have chosen to break with tradition, holding the baptism in the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace.

The intimate gathering in the chapel where Diana, Princess of Wales' coffin rested before her funeral in 1997 will see William and Kate joined by up to 60 close family and friends.

"This is a hugely significant moment for the Queen. It's terribly important for her to be there with her heir, her heir's heir and her heir's heir's heir," said Sky's Royal Commentator Alastair Bruce.

The last time a monarch was photographed alongside three heirs was in 1899 at the christening of Edward VIII. He was cradled by great-grandmother Queen Victoria, alongside his father George V and grandfather Edward VII.

Prince George will be brought from Kensington Palace by his parents dressed in a Honiton lace christening gown, a replica of the one used by more than 60 members of the Royal Family since 1841.

The christening of Queen Elizabeth II in 1926 and of Prince Charles in 1948

Alastair Bruce added: "The Queen decided a number of years ago that the original gown was no longer in a fit state to be used for christenings and so had a new one made, first worn by the Earl and Countess of Wessex's son at his christening."

The Lily font used by the Archbishop will be brought to the Chapel Royal from the Tower of London where it is normally housed as part of the crown jewels.

Not expected to attend the christening are family members Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, who have other commitments.

Former Daily Mirror photographer Kent Gavin took the official photographs at Prince William's christening and realised one vital shot was missing.

"I was told not to approach the Queen, but when I realised they'd forgotten to have the Queen Mother hold Prince William, I had to say something," he said.

"The Queen called the Queen Mother into the Music Room, she put her drink down and Diana passed Prince William to her. That's how we got an award-winning shot."

:: Watch coverage of the christening throughout the day on Sky News.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Health Tourism: NHS Can Save £500m A Year

The NHS could save £500m a year if it was better at charging foreign nationals to use its services, according to a new report.

This represents a quarter of the annual £2bn cost of treating temporary migrants and foreign visitors given by the Department of Health (DoH).

The savings would come from a crackdown on so-called health tourists, who travel to the UK to access free treatment.

The Government is currently consulting on a package of measures, including a £200 annual levy on migrants from outside Europe.

A new cost recovery unit would also work to recoup money owed by other governments for treating foreign nationals.

Health tourists, such as women who come to the UK in late pregnancy to give birth, cost the NHS at least £70m each year, according to the study on migrant access to NHS care in England.

It also estimates £388m could be recovered from patients who should pay for care but are not always charged.

Officials say that only around 16% of this money - £62m - is currently recouped.

The independent report conducted for the DoH says the NHS has "some of the most generous rules in the world".

At the moment, only hospitals are required to charge for services and even then, emergency care is free.

Jeremy Hunt says the NHS is not an 'international' service

The figures were released ahead of the second reading of the Government's Immigration Bill, which aims to bring in measures to stop migrants abusing public services.

A key measure in the Bill will see temporary migrants, such as overseas students, pay to access the NHS.

Ministers hope the levy on students or foreign workers who come to the UK for more than half a year will generate £200m a year.

The surcharge, combined with better recovery of costs and a deterrent on health tourism, could save the NHS "well over half a billion pounds", a DoH spokesman said.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the NHS is a "national health service - not an international one".

He told Sky News: "I have absolutely no problem at all with foreigners and international visitors using the NHS, but if they are not contributing to it through their taxes they should make a fair contribution in another way.

"Other European countries have much better systems in place. We have to recognise that we are one of the most open economies in the world, London is the most international city in the world and we have an NHS that is free at the point of use.

"We need to have some sensible checks so that we can recover money that will pay for more doctors and nurses."

Labour's shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: "We are in favour of improving the recovery of costs from people with no entitlement to NHS treatment."

However, he claimed the figures were based on "old and incomplete data" and were more about "spin than substance".

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

'White Widow' Lewthwaite's Ode To Bin Laden

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent

The British terror suspect sought by police following the Nairobi shopping mall massacre wrote a poem in praise of Osama bin Laden in which she warned that al Qaeda is "stronger and fiercer" than ever, Sky News can reveal.

Samantha Lewthwaite - known as the "White Widow" - pledged to continue the fight to bring terror to the West and suggested she was prepared to be a martyr for the Islamic cause.

In the 34-line Ode To Osama, which was found by police on a computer in her Kenyan home, Lewthwaite said her love for the mastermind of the September 11 attacks "is like no other".

She lamented his death in 2011 at the hands of American special forces and called on Muslims to follow his example.

Investigators found an "Ode to Osama" on Lewthwaite's computer

"Us we are left to continue what you started," she wrote.

"To seek the victory until we are martyred. To instill (sic) terror into kuffar (non-Muslims) …Your life an example of how we should be.

"Oh Muslims listen to our beloved sheik's words, Let not his struggle and efforts go unheard, Revive what he started and strive to success, Then maybe we can be raised with the best."

The British suspect rented an apartment overlooking the Junction mall

Lewthwaite was married to July 7 bomber Jermaine Lindsay and lived with him in Buckinghamshire before the 2005 attacks. They had two children together.

Last year it emerged she had left Britain for East Africa and had been linked to the al Qaeda terror group al Shabaab.

Despite her sorrow at bin Laden's death, she warned the West - and US President Barack Obama - that the jihad was not over.

Sky News gained access to a flat directly below the one Lewthwaite rented

"As for our enemies our words will be less," she wrote.

"You picked the wrong army to contest. Al Qaeda are stronger and fiercer than ever. Their (sic) was no victory for you Mr Obama The honour is his on martyred Osama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

As part of an investigation, Sky News has discovered that Lewthwaite, who is being hunted by Interpol in the aftermath of the Westgate Shopping Mall massacre, lived in a flat in the Kenyan capital overlooking a different shopping centre  for seven months in 2011.

Sky's Alex Crawford spoke to a block supervisor, who recognised Lewthwaite

She used her South African alias Natalie Faye Webb while she rented the apartment with her four children.

Sky News sources who are involved in the hunt for her have said this was one of three addresses she acquired in the capital.

It is the first time she has been specifically placed in the city where last month's attack, which left at least 67 people dead, took place.

Lewthwaite rented the apartment using her known alias, Natalie Faye Webb

Detectives examining the hard drive of a computer left at her house in Mombasa found several self-portraits of Lewthwaite, including one where she posed with two of her children.

They also discovered evidence which led them to an apartment block in Nairobi overlooking the Junction shopping mall, which British and Kenyan intelligence believe was a potential target for the al Shabaab terror group with which Lewthwaite has been linked.

She lived there with her four children and despite having no apparent income paid 60,000 shillings (nearly £500) a month for the three-bedroom flat.

The clean-up at the site of the Westgate mall attacks is ongoing

A man from the apartment block said she used to go shopping at the nearby mall - popular just like Westgate with wealthy expats - for up to four hours at a time.

Police also traced a flash drive back to her which showed the British woman who married a suicide bomber had spent eight years researching chemicals, explosive ingredients and how to make bombs.

One document she downloaded is entitled the Mujahideen explosives handbook.

The examination of her hard drive showed she had also Googled a significant number of dieting and fitness sites, including websites with workout routines to help you lose weight and makeover sites which demonstrated how to have hair like the singer Taylor Swift.

Out of nearly 2,000 files found, a vast number were about health and body image, and she had downloaded documents about getting started in bodybuilding and visited one site about self-defence.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Energy Regulator Moves To Protect Fixed Rates

The energy regulator has confirmed new rules governing fixed rate energy deals while announcing an £8.5m penalty against ScottishPower over misleading sales techniques.

Ofgem said ScottishPower would pay £7.5m to benefit vulnerable customers and establish a £1m customer compensation fund  for breaching the terms of its market licence between October 2009 and January 2012.

It said Scottish Power provided customers with inaccurate estimations of annual charges and comparisons with their current supplier both on the doorstep and over the phone.

The settlement, the company said, meant that more than 140,000 people on the Warm Home Discount scheme would automatically receive payments of around £50 each.

ScottishPower said it would write to 336,000 households that may have been mis-sold but was criticised by the consumer group Which? for asking people who thought they may have been mis-sold to call an 0845-chargable phone line number.

The company said it accepted the selling failings but insisted it had now rectified the problems. It stopped door-to-door selling in 2011.

The penalty comes at a sensitive time for the big six energy firms - under fire from customers over inflation-busting increases to bills ahead of winter while politicians scrap over intervention in the market.

To date, three of the firms have announced average rises of between 8 and 11%.

As part of moves to ensure the market acts fairly, Ofgem said new rules were now in force meaning energy suppliers were banned from increasing prices on fixed term tariffs over the course of a contract and banned from automatically rolling householders on to another fixed term offer when their current one ended.

The regulator said it wanted to end loopholes in fixed rates including fixed deals linked to standard tariffs, meaning they would rise as standard prices increased.

From December 31, firms will have to cut the number of tariffs they offer customer to just four for gas or electricity while from March companies will have to show the cheapest tariff they offer on every customers' bill.

Andrew Wright, Ofgem's chief executive, said: "Ofgem is resetting the energy market in consumers' favour to make it simpler, clear and fairer.

"Today's extra protection for consumers on fixed prices is just one of a range of reforms we are bringing in over the next six months to hold energy companies to higher standards.

"If suppliers fail to deliver, then Ofgem stands ready to take enforcement action to protect consumers.

"In an era of rising prices it is vital that competition works as effectively as possible. Our reforms seek to give consumers the tools they need to find the best energy deal for them and to ensure that suppliers have to treat them fairly.

"Ofgem is going to make it easier for consumers to "vote with their feet" and for new suppliers to enter the market and take on the Big Six.

Now we are looking for energy suppliers to pick up the baton and put their efforts into restoring consumer trust.

"Encouragingly suppliers have shown a willingness to start on this journey by signing up to our reforms and are now acting to implement them."

:: We want to hear from you - if you've signed up for a fixed tariff, only to find your bill has gone up, or if you've been a victim of mis-selling please get in touch. You can email your comments - or a video of yourself making them - to news@sky.com.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Maria Mystery: No Link With Ben Needham Case

Police say there is no link between the case of missing British boy Ben Needham and the discovery of a young blonde girl found living in a Roma settlement in Greece.

Ben - one of Britain's longest-running missing person cases - was 21 months old when he went missing on the Greek island of Kos in 1991.

The four-year-old girl - known as Maria - was discovered living in a Gypsy camp near the Greek town of Farsala on Wednesday after a raid by police looking for drugs and weapons.

A bedroom in the Roma house where Maria was found

South Yorkshire Police said there appears to be "no direct correlation" between the two cases.

In a statement, the force said: "The case of Ben Needham continues to be investigated by the Greek authorities and South Yorkshire Police continues to support his family.

The alarm was raised when a prosecutor spotted a blonde child in the house

"No investigation is currently being carried out by the force in light of this recent case and officers from South Yorkshire Police will only become involved should authorities in Greece require our assistance."

A Roma couple accused of abducting the girl are due to appear in court in Greece later.

Ben Needham before he went missing in 1991 and how he might look today

They are being named in local papers as Hristos Salis, 39, and Eleftheria Dimopoulou, 40.

A prosecutor who accompanied police on the raid thought it odd that Maria did not look like her darker-skinned "parents".

Roma stand next to the house where Maria lived in Farsala, central Greece

DNA tests later confirmed the couple are not her biological parents.

Greek authorities have put out a worldwide appeal to help identify the youngster and find her real family.

As Maria is being cared for in Athens by the charity Smile Of The Child, the Roma community in Farsala is said to be anxious about the attention the case is attracting.

The Roma community in the town number about 2,000

In a country already devastated by economic crisis, the Roma in the camp make a living selling fruit, carpets, blankets, baskets and shoes at local markets.

They are already considered by some to be social outcasts, thieves and beggars, and now they are worried they will be wrongfully stigmatised as kidnappers and child traffickers.

The community insists they are not child-traffickers or kidnappers

The president of the local Roma community, Babis Dimitriou, said he hoped there would not be a backlash following Maria's discovery.

"There are no transactions involving children here," he said, adding that the couple cared for the little girl "even better than for their own children".

The Roma in Farsala insist their community is not involved in abductions or trafficking.

But police say they are aware of "dozens" of such cases involving Bulgarian Roma in Greece.

Lieutenant General Vassilis Halatsis said: "We know these cases exist, but they involve Bulgarians, not Greeks like us."

Local resident Christos Lioupis said: "After this event, the police have been searching everyone. Isn't this racist?"

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hinkley Point Nuclear Plant Deal To Go Ahead

David Cameron has hailed a landmark deal to build Britain's first new nuclear plant in a generation.

Hinkley Point C in Somerset will be funded by a consortium led by French firm EDF energy, with Chinese investment, and should begin operating in 2023.

Ministers argue it will help secure Britain's future energy supplies, hasten the move to low-carbon power and lower generating costs.

But critics warn it could lead to even higher household bills because the Government has guaranteed the group an electricity price of twice the current levels.

Consumer group Which? has already said the deal should include a claw back so that consumers will receive a refund if it turns out the Government has overpaid.

Highlighting the problem of rising bills, confirmation of the project came shortly before Npower became the latest of the "Big Six" energy firms to hike its prices.

The 'strike price' gives EDF a guaranteed rate for producing electricity

The supplier's electricity and gas bills will rise by 9.3% and 11.1% respectively from December 1, in a fresh blow to struggling homeowners.

The Government has been negotiating with EDF for more than a year over two new plants.

A deal was eventually secured after an agreement to pay £92.50 per megawatt hour of electricity produced at the Somerset site - around double the current market rate.

It will be the first new nuclear power station to be built since Sizewell B, which started generating electricity in 1995.

Anti-nuclear campaigner Theo Simon

The so-called "strike price" could fall by £3 if another mooted development in Suffolk goes ahead, allowing for efficiencies in development and testing.

The contract is due to run for 35 years, with the electric price increasing annually in line with CPI inflation. At full capacity, the two reactors could provide up to 7% of the country's energy needs.

It is understood that China General Nuclear Power Group and China National Nuclear Corporation will be investing in the estimated £14bn scheme.

The project will cut the UK's carbon emissions by nine million tonnes a year, and create 25,000 construction jobs as well as 900 permanent positions once operations begin.

One of the last stumbling blocks was removed last week when Chancellor George Osborne announced Chinese firms would be allowed to invest in civil nuclear projects in the UK - even potentially taking a majority stake.

David Cameron said: "As part of our plan to help Britain succeed, after months of negotiation, today we have a deal for the first nuclear power station in a generation to be built in Britain.

"This deal means £16bn of investment coming into the country and the creation of 25,000 jobs, which is brilliant news for the South West and for the country as a whole.

"As we compete in the tough global race, this underlines the confidence there is in Britain and makes clear that we are very much open for business."

Energy Secretary Ed Davey insisted he had secured "good value" following more than a year of intense negotiations.

"We think it would be good value if (the strike price) was a little higher," the Liberal Democrat Cabinet minister said.

"I was determined to get them below £90 so I could prove to everybody we had got a good deal...

"What has driven a tougher deal is the fact that I made clear we could walk away from the table. We had other nuclear options."

The funding agreement will almost certainly mean that the new reactor at Hinkley will be a mirror image of the Taishan plant in China.

During a visit to the Taishan plant last week, Mr Osborne said: "It is an important potential part of the Government's plan for developing the next generation of nuclear power in Britain.

George Osborne visited a Chinese nuclear power plant last week

"It means the potential of more investment and jobs in Britain, and lower long-term energy costs for consumers".

But anti-nuclear activists living near the site say they have been misled by the decision process to site the plant at Hinkley.

Campaigner Theo Simon told Sky News: "We were told it would mean lower energy bills, but actually the announcement of the strike price is really the last nail in the coffin of this project.

"We were told that it would provide cheap energy; we were told it would help us to bridge the energy gap in the early 2000s, and now it seems it won't be built (until) 2025 and we will all be paying for the profits of EDF and Chinese nuclear corporations for the next 40 years."

Energy policy has shot up the agenda since the party conference season, when Labour leader Ed Miliband pledged to freeze retail prices for 20 months.

The Tories have branded this a "con" that is unworkable because of fluctuations in wholesale prices but the wave of price hikes has ensured the issue remains a major political issue.

Shadow energy secretary Caroline Flint said on Monday that the potential costs of the nuclear deal made it even more crucial that "rip offs" in the energy market were addressed.

"This agreement shows that long-term certainty is what really matters to unlock the investment we need to keep the lights on, not allowing overcharging to continue now," she said.

"David Cameron is now in the ridiculous position of saying that they can set prices 35 years ahead for the companies producing nuclear power, while insisting they can't freeze prices for 20 months for consumers while much-needed reforms are put in place."

The Government claims building a new fleet of nuclear power stations could reduce bills by more than £75-a-year in 2030.

But Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said: "Everyone will want to be assured that the price the Government has agreed for new nuclear power is fair.

"The Hinkley deal commits billions of pounds of bill-payers' money but it has been done without transparent, independent scrutiny.

"If it emerges that the Government has overpaid, we believe there should be a mechanism to refund consumers instead of a windfall to the suppliers."

Greenpeace was also highly critical of the deal.

UK executive director John Sauven said: "It will lock a generation of consumers into higher energy bills via a strike price that's nearly double the current price of electricity, and it will distort energy policy by displacing newer, cleaner, technologies that are dropping dramatically in price."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Npower Energy Bills Up 11% Before Christmas

Energy giant npower has announced an increase in household tariffs of 9.3% for electricity and 11.1% for gas.

The price rise will be imposed from December 1.

It is the third of the so-called big six energy firms to raise its prices in recent days.

On Thursday British Gas become the second major supplier of household energy to announce a rise in its prices - by an average 9.2%.

The company said its electricity and gas prices would rise by 10.4% and 8.4% respectively from November 23 - affecting 7.8 million households.

Rival SSE announced a price hike almost two weeks ago, raising its bills by 8.2% from November 15.

Prime Minister David Cameron has called the latest increase "disappointing" and urged households to try to save money by switching suppliers.

But critics say it is more important to lock into a fixed tariff to avoid future rises.

E.ON, Scottish Power and EDF Energy are the other big providers and are yet to make announcements on their winter pricing.

The price boost by npower came after the Government confirmed a deal for EDF to build Britain's first nuclear power station in a generation.

But the Chinese-backed plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset is not expected to be commissioned until 2023 at the earliest.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Clegg Criticises Coalition Education Reforms

Nick Clegg will dramatically disown key parts of the coalition's education policy by attacking aspects of the Government's free schools policy this week.

The Deputy Prime Minister is to open dividing lines with the Tories by insisting all teachers should be qualified and the national curriculum should be taught in every school.

In the address at a London school on Tuesday, the Liberal Democrat leader will say: "What's the point of having a national curriculum if only a few schools have to teach it? Let's teach it in all our schools.

"And what's the point of having brilliant new food standards if only a few schools have to stick to the rules? Let's have quality food in all our schools.

"That's my philosophy. Diversity amongst schools, yes. But good universal standards all parents can rely on too.

"And, frankly, it makes no sense to me to have qualified teacher status if only a few schools have to employ qualified teachers."

Mr Clegg will also say: "I'm proud of our work over the last three years to increase school autonomy, which, in Government with the Conservatives, has been through the academies programme.

"And it is Lib Dem policy to give all schools, whether they are academies or not, those same freedoms to attract and reward excellent teaching, set their own term dates and vary their school day.

"We believe greater autonomy enables school leaders to take responsibility in those areas where they know what's best for their pupils, whilst also giving them the freedom to innovate.

"But it shouldn't surprise you if I say that, although we work well with the Conservatives, our two parties still have differences of opinion, some strongly held.

"Looking to the future, there are aspects of schools policy currently affected by the priorities of the Conservative Party which I would not want to see continue.

"For example, whilst I want to give schools the space to innovate, I also believe every parent needs reassurance that the school their child attends, whatever its title or structure, meets certain core standards of teaching and care. A parental guarantee, if you like."

:: Nick Clegg will be on Murnaghan this morning, which airs on Sky News from 10am

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Energy Bills: Welby Slams 'Severe' Price Rises

The Archbishop of Canterbury has launched a stinging attack on Britain's energy firms, warning the latest round of price hikes seem to be "inexplicable".

Justin Welby insisted the so-called Big Six energy companies had an obligation to behave morally rather than to simply maximise profit.

His intervention, published in an interview with the Mail on Sunday, came after British Gas followed in the footsteps of SSE by announcing a 9.2% increase in prices.

The head of the Church of England, himself a former oil executive, said he understood the anger the rises had generated.

"The impact on people, particularly on low incomes, is going to be really severe in this, and the companies have to justify fully what they are doing," Mr Welby said.

Last week British Gas announced a 9.2% increase in prices

"I do understand when people feel that this is inexplicable, and I can understand people being angry about it, because having spent years on a low income as a clergyman I know what it is like when your household budget is blown apart by a significant extra fuel bill and your anxiety levels become very high. That is the reality of it."

The Archbishop urged firms to be "conscious of their social obligations", saying they had to "behave with generosity and not merely to maximise opportunity".

"They have control because they sell something everyone has to buy. We have no choice about buying it. With that amount of power comes huge responsibility to serve society," he said.

"It is not like some other sectors of business where people can walk away from you if they don't want to buy your product and you are entitled to seek to maximise your profit.

"The social licence to operate of the energy companies is something they have to take very, very seriously indeed."

Electricity prices are rising faster than those for gas

But the Church Of England owns a significant number of shares in energy companies.

Sky's Chief Political Correspondent Jon Craig said: "Justin Welby has now joined in this increasingly politically charged debate about energy prices - the only embarrassment really for the Church of England really is that it owns more than £7m of shares in Centrica and about £6m of shares in SSE.

Craig added: "The remarks have been welcomed already by the Labour Party - but they will infuriate government ministers, the Prime Minister and the Energy Secretary."

An ongoing bitter political spat over energy has seen Labour leader Ed Miliband attempt to seize the initiative by pledging a 20-month-long price freeze.

Prime Minister David Cameron has dismissed the idea as a "con", and encouraged consumers to switch suppliers to keep bills down.

But polls have suggested that Labour's promise is popular with voters, putting pressure on the coalition to respond.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

JPMorgan Facing Record £8bn Fine: Reports

One of America's biggest banks is facing a record $13bn (£8bn) fine for mis-selling mortgage-backed securities in the run up to the 2008 financial crisis, say US reports.

A tentative deal has reportedly been reached between JPMorgan and the US Justice Department.

Last month, the bank was fined more than £600m over the "London Whale" trading scandal arising from disastrous trades by former bank employee Bruno Iksil.

If the deal is finalised, it would be the biggest settlement of its kind ever paid by a US company.

The agreement was reached by Attorney General Eric Holder, Associate Attorney General Tony West, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon and the bank's general counsel Stephen Cutler in a phone call on Friday night, according to the Wall Street Journal.

It does not resolve a criminal investigation into the bank's conduct being handled by federal prosecutors in Sacramento, California, according to the reports.

On Friday night, Mr Holder told the bank that a non-prosecution agreement was a non-starter, meaning the Justice Department will continue its criminal investigation into JPMorgan.

JPMorgan executives give evidence over the 'Whale' losses to US Senate

As part of the deal, the Justice Department expects the bank to co-operate with its probe into the sale of overvalued mortgage-backed securities, which were blamed for the near-collapse of the banking system in 2007.

JPMorgan spokesman Brian Marchiony and Justice Department spokesman Brian Fallon declined to comment on the reports.

Of the $13bn, $9bn is fines and $4bn will go to consumer relief for struggling home-owners, it is claimed.

When the US housing bubble burst in 2007, bundles of mortgages sold as securities turned sour and the investors who bought them lost billions.

In the aftermath, public outrage boiled over that no high-level Wall Street executives had been sent to jail.

Some lawmakers and other critics demanded that the big bailed-out banks and senior executives be held accountable.

In response, the US government set up a task force of federal and state law enforcement officials to pursue wrongdoing with regard to mortgage securities.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More