Grieve Warns Of 'Ethnic Corruption' In UK

Politicians need to "wake up" to the problem of corruption in ethnic minority communities, the Government's senior law officer has warned.

Attorney General Dominic Grieve said he was referring "mainly to the Pakistani community" in his comments.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, the Tory MP pointed out that it could also be found in the "white Anglo-Saxon" community but he said it was a growing problem "because we have minority communities in this country which come from backgrounds where corruption is endemic".

"It is something as politicians we have to wake up to," he added.

The MP for Beaconsfield said: "I can see many of them have come because of the opportunities that they get. But they also come from societies where they have been brought up to believe you can only get certain things through a favour culture.

"One of the things you have to make absolutely clear is that that is not the case and it's not acceptable."

Baroness Warsi said electoral fraud also affects the Asian community

Asked if he was referring to the Pakistani community in his remarks, Mr Grieve told the newspaper: "Yes, it's mainly the Pakistani community, not the Indian community. I wouldn't draw it down to one. I'd be wary of saying it's just a Pakistani problem."

Mr Grieve highlighted electoral fraud as an area of concern, echoing comments made in 2010 by senior Tory Baroness Warsi.

Lady Warsi told the New Statesman magazine there were "at least three seats where we lost, where we didn't gain the seat, based on electoral fraud" and said the problems were "predominantly within the Asian community".

Mr Grieve also said that the UK's infrastructure could be put under strain if significant numbers of Bulgarians and Romanians come to the UK when controls expire in January.

He acknowledged that "the volume of immigrants may pose serious infrastructure issues".

Later in a statement, Mr Grieve said: "I am very clear that integration between ethnic communities in the UK has worked well and has delivered great benefits for all of us.

Mr Grieve said he was 'disappointed' with the Telegraph's front page story

"This is a point I clearly made in my interview with the Telegraph, and I'm disappointed that this has not been reflected in their front page story.

"The point I was making is that, as a law officer, it's my duty to ensure the rule of law is upheld, and one of the issues that I feel requires close attention is any potential for a rise in corruption to undermine civil society.

"I believe this is an issue which needs to be addressed calmly and rationally.

"I am absolutely clear that this problem is not attributable to any one community, as I know very well from my many years promoting community cohesion."

Sky News political reporter Darren McCaffrey said Mr Grieve's comments are likely "to prove controversial".

"We have to remember he is an elected politician and he is also the Government's top lawyer, he is someone that we don't usually hear from a lot and this is why his intervention is unusual," he added.

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Iran Nuclear Talks: Kerry Arrives In Geneva

US Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived for talks in Geneva as world powers push to clinch a historic deal over Iran's nuclear programme.

The arrival of Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov had heightened speculation that Mr Kerry might also attend the crucial final stages of the latest round of talks aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Mr Kerry's goal is to "help narrow differences and move closer to an agreement," a State Department spokeswoman said.

Mr Lavrov joined the talks as negotiators said there had been some progress on the third day of meetings and the White House said the US remained "hopeful" that agreement could be reached.

British Foreign Minister William Hague and his French counterpart Laurent Fabius are also due to travel to Geneva to take part in negotiations.

This third meeting since President Hassan Rouhani's election in June is seen as the biggest hope in years to resolve the decade-old standoff over Iran's nuclear programme.

Iran's Foreign Minister said talks were 'progressing well' on Friday

Failure might mean Iran resuming the expansion of its atomic activities, while Washington and others could toughen already painful sanctions and the possibility of Israeli military action would draw nearer.

Tehran suggested there had been an improvement after an hour-long meeting on Friday between Zarif and the powers' chief negotiator Catherine Ashton.

Mr Zarif said on Facebook: "The negotiations are progressing well but we still have differences of opinion over a limited number of issues."

"God willing we will reach a result," he told Iranian media.

Baroness Ashton's spokesman said that the meeting was "useful", without giving details.

Good relations between Mr Kerry and Mr Lavrov were key to Syria talks

At the last gathering, foreign ministers including Mr Kerry flew to Geneva but three days of intense talks failed and they went home empty-handed.

Both sides say they want a deal but getting an accord palatable to hardliners in the United States, Iran and Israel has proved difficult.

Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor Tim Marshall, in Geneva, said: "They've spent the last 12 days talking to each other via the phone at political director level and I think they've got so close.

"They're burning political capital here, the foreign ministers. If they come in again and leave empty handed again, they've burned a lot of capital and the voices that say 'what is the point of this' will grow ever louder.

"And I think if they don't get a deal, you might see extra sanctions coming from the US Congress next week and that will scupper the whole deal."

According to a draft proposal hammered out on November 9, the US, Britain, China, France, Russia, and Germany - the so-called P5+1 nations - want Iran to freeze key parts of its nuclear programme for six months.

In return Iran would get minor and, Western officials insist, "reversible" sanctions relief, including unlocking several billion dollars in oil revenues and easing trade restrictions on precious metals and aircraft parts.

This hoped-for "first phase" deal would build trust and ease tensions while negotiators push on for a final accord that ends once and for all fears that Tehran will get an atomic bomb.

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Toddler Murder: Teenager Charged Over Death

A man will appear in court today charged with the murder of a two-year-old girl.

Dean Harris, 19, of Yaxley in Cambridgeshire, will appear before Peterborough Magistrates' Court.

The toddler, who has been named as Amina Agboola, died on Thursday after being taken to Peterborough City Hospital with serious injuries.

A 28-year-old woman, believed to be the girl's mother, was also arrested and has been released on police bail.

Harris is understood to be the mother's partner.

The couple were arrested after taking the girl to hospital themselves.

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Women Were 'Kept As Slaves For Over 30 Years'

Two people have been released on bail as part of an investigation into slavery and domestic servitude at a house in London sparked by a report on Sky News.

The inquiry was launched after one of three alleged victims told a charity she had been held against her will for more than 30 years in a house in Lambeth, south London.

She contacted the Freedom Charity after seeing its founder Aneeta Prem in a report last summer about forced marriages.

Scotland Yard said the charity, which advises and supports victims of forced marriages or honour-based violence, got in touch and helped with sensitive negotiations, which revealed the location of the house and led to the rescue of the three women.

Police said two people detained in connection with the investigation - a 67-year-old man and a 67-year-old woman - have been bailed until a date in January, pending further inquiries. 

Police believe the youngest of the alleged victims may have spent her entire life as a domestic slave.

Detective Inspector Kevin Hyland from the Metropolitan Police's human trafficking unit told a news conference at Scotland Yard that the force had "never seen anything of this magnitude".

Home Secretary Theresa May is "shocked by this appalling case," her department said in a statement.

Officers said the two suspects, who are not British, were arrested at 7.30am on Thursday and taken to a south London police station for questioning.

Detective Inspector Kevin Hyland said the victims were 'highly traumatised'

One of the three alleged victims is a 69-year-old Malaysian woman, the other a 57-year-old Irish woman and the third a 30-year-old Briton.

All three, described by police as "highly traumatised", were taken to a place of safety where they remain.

Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said police do not believe the women were sexually assaulted, but they may have been physically and mentally abused.

Ms Prem told Sky News it was the Irish woman who phoned the Freedom Charity after watching her on television.

"I think all of them saw me on the news and made a decision because of the name of the charity and because they had seen me on TV - that gave them the courage to make that phone call," she said.

"I can't go in to too many details but they managed to get to a phone and make a call to us.

"We started to talk to them in depth when we could. It had to be pre-arranged when they were able to make calls to us and it had to be done very secretly because they felt they were in massive danger.

"It was planned that they would be able to walk out of the property. The police were on standby."

The three women were rescued from an address in Lambeth, south London

Police said the British and Irish women left the house and met police at an agreed location on October 25. They helped police find the address, where the third woman was rescued on the same day. 

DI Hyland said the suspects were not immediately arrested as officers had to "establish the facts" from "extremely traumatised" victims.

He said it appeared the three alleged victims had been given "limited freedom" during the three decades they claim to have been held as slaves.

He said he was unable to confirm any relationship between the suspects and the three women who were freed.

"I don't know any relationships between the women in respect of the suspects," he said.

"Clearly, because of the nationalities of the women that have been held victims, it's very unlikely they are related in any way."

He added: "We applaud the actions of Freedom Charity and are working in partnership to support these victims who appear to have been held for over 30 years."

A Home Office spokesman said: "The Home Secretary is shocked by this appalling case and while the police need to get to the bottom of exactly what happened here, she's made clear her determination to tackle the scourge of modern slavery."

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Greenpeace Activist Anthony Perrett Released

Anthony Perrett, one of the British Greenpeace activists arrested by Russian authorities during a protest, has been released from detention in St Petersburg.

He is the first Briton of seven non-Russian activists to be freed on bail. Three Russian nationals were freed on Monday.

The protesters were arrested two months ago while protesting against drilling in the Arctic.

Thirty people including six Britons aboard the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise were detained after the protest in September.

They were initially charged with piracy but are now accused of hooliganism, which carries a shorter maximum jail term of seven years.

Greenpeace on Thursday unveiled giant portraits of those arrested - the "Arctic 30" - outside the London offices of oil giant Shell.

The protest group said it was drawing attention to Shell and its Russian partner Gazprom's planned joint venture to drill for oil in the Arctic.

John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace UK, said: "Shell and Gazprom are not equipped to drill in the Arctic without causing catastrophic damage to the unique ecosystem.

"But what makes their Arctic plans so blindly stupid is that they're only able to drill there because of the huge loss of Arctic sea ice from climate change."

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Ex Co-op Bank Chairman Paul Flowers Arrested

Former Co-op bank chairman Paul Flowers has been arrested in connection with a drugs supply investigation, police have said.

West Yorkshire Police said officers detained the 63-year-old in the Merseyside area on Thursday night and he is being questioned at a police station in West Yorkshire.

Mr Flowers, a Methodist minister, was suspended by both the church and the Labour party following claims that he bought and used illegal drugs including crystal meth, crack cocaine and ketamine.

He has also been engulfed in allegations about gay sex, questions over his expenses claims at a drug charity and drink-driving.

Police outside Mr Flowers' house in Bradford

It also emerged he had resigned as a Labour councillor after adult material was discovered on his computer.

His arrest comes as the Co-op is seeking to recover £31,000 paid to him since he quit his £132,000-a-year post in June.

In a statement, it said: "When Paul Flowers relinquished his responsibilities in June, it was agreed, as per his contractual obligations, that his fees for the rest of his period of office would be paid.

"Following recent revelations, the board stopped all payments with immediate effect and no further payments will be made."

The Co-op is in trouble after a series of bad deals

Mr Flowers, who led the Co-op Bank for three years, has been accused of incompetence after the bank found a £1.5bn black hole in its finances.

This followed the purchase of Britannia Building Society in 2009 and abortive attempts to take on hundreds of Lloyds Bank branches.

The bank now faces a rescue which will see 50 branches close and investors including US hedge funds take control of 70% of the business.

Mr Flowers being quizzed by MPs about his time at the bank

Tory MP David Davis has said George Osborne and the Treasury had "serious questions to answer" about the oversight of the bank.

"There are really serious questions to answer about what they were all doing," David Davis told the Financial Times.

Issues over the bank's operations were raised by a rival at the time of the aborted takeover bid of Lloyds branches.

"These problems were apparent to a rival and would have been - with a bit of work - to anyone else," Mr Davis said.

Labour has come under fire over its dealings with the Co-op

Labour - which accuses Prime Minister David Cameron of seeking to "smear" the party over its relationship with the Co-op - seized on the comments in a bid to move the spotlight on to the Conservatives.

Leader Ed Miliband insists the party acted with the "utmost integrity" in its dealings with Mr Flowers and suspended him when the allegations about his private life emerged.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls, who received a £50,000 donation to his office from the Co-operative Group, said he had "nothing to hide".

He told Sky News political editor Adam Boulton that he had never had a phone call or a meeting with Mr Flowers and stressed that the donation came from the Co-op Group and not the Co-op Bank.

Mr Cameron has announced an inquiry into the bank's ailing finances and the decision to appoint Mr Flowers - with details expected to be announced within days.

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Hundreds Of Brits Jailed Abroad On Drug Charges

By Tadhg Enright, Sky News Correspondent

More than 850 Britons are locked up in prisons overseas for drugs-related offences - with some facing the death penalty or sentences of up to 39 years.

The figures have been released by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) which has launched an information campaign aimed at preventing others from meeting a similar fate.

The "Know Before You Go" campaign says the zero-tolerance approach of some countries often results in strict penalties which can come as a shock to British travellers who, if arrested, can be detained for months without trial in distressing prison conditions.

Consular affairs minister Mark Simmonds told Sky News:  "There's an assumption that what might be a cautionary offence in the UK will be a cautionary offence in other countries.

"People continue to be astonished at some of the penalties handed down for certain crimes overseas.

"In some countries possessing small amounts of marijuana can lead to decades in prison."

While the FCO helps Britons detained overseas, it has warned it cannot interfere in the process of law, and its message to anyone tempted to smuggle drugs is the risk will always be greater than the reward.

The campaign follows the high-profile cases of Michaella Connolly and Melissa Reid, who are awaiting trial in Peru accused of cocaine smuggling.

They have admitted the charges but prosecutors have rejected their pleas and they face prison terms of up to 15 years.

Briton Terry Daniels is helping to spread the word, having once been jailed in Spain for drug smuggling.

"When I first saw the girls (in Peru), one of them looked very similar to me at that age and it absolutely shocked me," she said.

While working in the bars and clubs of Tenerife in 1997, Terry went on holiday with her boss, only to be arrested upon their return when cocaine was found in his suitcase.

"He was a drug smuggler and in their eyes we were both guilty. Whether I knew or not, they didn't care," she said.

Lindsay Sandiford faces the death penalty in Bali for drug smuggling

She spent the following 14 years, some of it in a mixed prison, fighting and waiting for a pardon from the King of Spain.

She said: "Nobody's invincible, everybody who goes abroad thinks they're wearing some cloak like nobody can see what they're doing. Don't take any risks that you wouldn't take in this country. Drugs are bad enough here, let alone abroad."

Convicted drug smugglers can face the death sentence in a total of 33 countries worldwide, including Thailand and Indonesia.

British grandmother Lindsay Sandiford, 57, is currently on death row in a prison on Bali having been convicted of smuggling cocaine.

In the United Arab Emirates, possessing - or even testing positive for - the smallest amount of illegal drugs carries a minimum four-year sentence.

The charity Prisoners Abroad is currently supporting 80 Britons between the ages of 18 and 30 held in foreign countries for drug offences. Two thirds of these are still awaiting trial, while others are serving sentences from a year to nearly 39 years.

Chief executive Pauline Crowe said: "In many countries, men and women find themselves without access to food, clean water and the most basic of medical care.

"We urge people to consider the unsanitary conditions, overcrowded cells and the constant threat of disease before they get involved in drugs. They may have to live through these conditions for many, many years."

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British Greenpeace Activist In Court

A British Greenpeace activist detained after the Russian oil rig protest in the Arctic is appearing in court in St Petersburg.

It comes after Alex Harris from Devon, Anthony Perrett from Newport, South Wales and London journalist Kieron Bryan were granted bail on Wednesday.

They and two other Britons were among the 30 people detained by Russian security forces two months ago following the protest.

Twelve other members of the group have also been granted bail, with Brazilian Ana Paula Maciels, 31, the first to be released from custody.

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Co-Op: Flowers In £75k Charity Expenses 'Scam'

Disgraced former Co-Op bank boss, Paul Flowers, claimed £75,000 in false expenses from a drugs charity, it has been claimed.

Mr Flowers, a former Labour councillor, clocked up the claims over five years during his time as the chairman of the trustees at Lifeline, according to the charity's chief executive Ian Wardle.

Mr Wardle told Sky News that he had raised questions over Mr Flowers' claims in 2004 and there had been an investigation during which the former Methodist minister was asked to account for his claims item by item.

Mr Flowers is under investigation by police after being filmed by a newspaper allegedly buying and using illegal drugs, including crystal meth, crack cocaine and ketamine - a horse tranquilliser used as a party drug.

He said that the "total cost of clearing up the mess" left by Mr Flowers during his time at the charity was £150,000.

Mr Wardle said: "I developed concerns at the beginning of 2004 about some of the claims which had been made and I spoke to our treasurer at the time and we then involved our solicitor and then to cut a long story short in June 2004 I raised the matter formally, fully and in depth with our trustee body.

"Our trustee body suspended Reverend Flowers and then we investigated the claims and we investigated five years of claims."

Mr Flowers allegedly buying drugs in a newspaper sting

Mr Flowers said that, after taking advice from a QC,  they had sought to keep the matter quiet because they feared it would cause significant damage to the charity's reputation.

He said that he had filed a 70-page report on the matter to the Charity Commission.

The development comes amid the deepening crisis over Mr Flowers appointment to lead the Co-operative Bank which was sparked by the drugs sting revealed in a newspaper on Sunday.

David Cameron on Wednesday announced there would be an inquiry into Mr Flowers' appointment to the bank and its ailing finances.

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Tory Rebels To Block Army Restructure Plan

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

Tory rebels are preparing to vote against controversial Government plans to axe 20,000 Army jobs and replace them with reservists.

Under the plans the newly named Army Reserve, formerly known as the Territorial Army (TA), would increase in size to 30,000 personnel by 2020.

However, rebel Conservative backbenchers, led by Basildon MP John Baron, will attempt to block the move.

Mr Baron told Sky News the Government's plans need to be "properly scrutinised" to see if they are viable and cost effective.

"There are so many questions that remain unanswered, let's stop for a moment, let's properly scrutinise these plans and if they pass that scrutiny test by Parliament then, fine, they can proceed," he said.

Armed Forces reservists sign up

This week soldiers from 1st Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, were cheered by crowds in Rochdale and Bury as they marched through the towns following their return from a six-month tour of Afghanistan.

They face the possibility of job losses as the Government restructuring proposals involve axing their sister 2nd Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, and merging the two together.

Captain Rex Anderton told Sky News: "There's a lot of disappointment, but we're a very reactive force, we've learnt to deal with change as it comes, that's one of the good things about the British Army is that we adapt and overcome whatever the decisions are made at a higher level."

Veteran Fusilier Stephen Taylor was watching the troops parade through Bury.

A gunner carrying out a training exercise in Northumberland

He served six years in the regular Army and 10 years in the TA.

He told Sky News he believes reservists cannot replace full-time soldiers.

"When you're a regular you're training every day of your life, seven days a week. When you're in the TA you're allowed to go home," he said.

"Reservists can only do so much. You need the regular Army to train the other people up, but the reservists can only do half the job."

However, among the crowds lining the streets was 18-year-old Army cadet Chris Hall, who believes joining the Army Reserve is an attractive option.

"For me it means I can follow a career other than the Army, I can do pharmaceutical research or go into medicine, and it still means I can be part of the Army ... I can follow a career myself and still serve my country," he said.

Regular and reserve army units prepare for operations in Afghanistan

Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Peter Wall, said: "The Army is committed to delivering Army 2020.

"It will provide a coherent, integrated force of regulars and reserves that will deliver the capability the Government requires of us. We are well on our way to implementing this plan.

"To reverse course at this stage would be destabilising and damaging. Increasing and rebuilding the Army Reserve is crucial to delivering the fighting force of the future.

"To do otherwise would leave a gap in our capability and deprive talented young people of an opportunity to benefit from military service."

:: Watch coverage of the debate on Sky News

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Iran Nuclear Talks With West Resume In Geneva

PM's Key Call To Iran President

Updated: 12:02am UK, Wednesday 20 November 2013

David Cameron has become the first British Prime Minister to call an Iranian president in more than a decade.

The Prime Minister spoke to Hassan Rouhani by telephone on Tuesday afternoon ahead of negotiations over Tehran's nuclear ambitions in Geneva this week.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The two leaders discussed the bilateral relationship between Britain and Iran welcoming the steps taken since President Rouhani took office, including the appointment of non-resident Charges d'Affaires last week.

"They agreed to continue efforts to improve the relationship on a step by step and reciprocal basis.

"On Iran's nuclear programme, both leaders agreed that significant progress had been made in the recent Geneva negotiations and that it was important to seize the opportunity presented by the further round of talks which get under way on Wednesday.

"The Prime Minister underlined the necessity of Iran comprehensively addressing the concerns of the international community about their nuclear programme, including the need for greater transparency."

Dr Rouhani also gave details of the phone call on his Twitter feed, saying they discussed "way to create a positive atmosphere to address concerns on both sides on the nuclear issue".

Three days of high-level talks between representatives from Iran and the P5+1 group of nations earlier this month failed to achieve a breakthrough.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said Iran had been unable to accept a deal "at that particular moment", but Tehran blamed divisions between Western powers.

Some reports suggested France had wanted to place restrictions on the heavy-water reactor being built at Arak.

Iran stresses that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only, and has warned world powers against making "excessive demands" when trying to negotiate a deal.

In September, US president Barack Obama spoke with Mr Rouhani, the first such top-level conversation in more than 30 years.

Mr Obama said it was a "unique opportunity" to make progress with Iran's new leadership.

On the eve of next round of Geneva talks, the President urged Congress against imposing news sanctions on Iran during the negotiations.

He said such measures "would be most effective as a robust response, should Iran not accept the P5+1 proposal, or should Iran fail to follow through on its commitments," according to White House spokesman Jay Carney.

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Hull Named As UK City Of Culture 2017

Hull has been named as the UK City of Culture 2017, beating Leicester, Swansea Bay and Dundee to the title.

Famous abolitionist William Wilberforce is among Hull's famous sons

The city will hope to see an economic boost from the accolade, which is handed out every four years.

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Maria Miller said: "This is brilliant news for Hull and everyone involved in the bid there.

"This year's UK City of Culture, Derry-Londonderry, demonstrates the huge benefits that the title brings. These include encouraging economic growth, inspiring social change and bringing communities together.

"It can produce a wonderful mix of inward investment, and civic pride, and I hope Hull's plans will make the most of all that being UK City of Culture can bring."

Ms Miller praised the three losing cities for the "time, effort and determination" they put into their bids.

"I hope they will still take forward many of the fantastic ideas and events they had planned so that their communities can enjoy these innovative cultural plans," she said.

Hull Marina is a popular attraction in the city

Referencing Hull band The Housemartins' first big hit, Happy Hour, former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who is from Hull, responded to the news on his Twitter page, writing: "It's Happy Hour again! #HullYes Well done."

TV producer Phil Redmond, who chaired the advisory panel that helped choose the winner, said all four shortlisted cities showed a "real understanding" of what the award was about.

Hull's Princes Quay shopping centre

"But ultimately it was the unanimous verdict of the panel that Hull put forward the most compelling case based on its theme as 'a city coming out of the shadows'," he said.

"This is at the heart of their project and reminds both its people and the wider world of both its cultural past and future potential.

The Guildhall in the centre of Hull

"We were particularly impressed with Hull's evidence of community and creative engagement, their links to the private sector and their focus on legacy, including a commitment to enhance funding beyond 2017 and I'd like to congratulate all involved."

Hull's city council admits one of the aims of the bid is to "change the perceptions" of the city.

Prince Street in Hull

It is often derided - up until this year regularly featuring in the comic book Crap Towns - and last month an Economist article cited Hull as one of "Britain's Decaying Towns".

But the current city of culture, Londonderry, has seen visitor numbers double over the course of this year and had around £120m of capital investment pumped into the city since the title was won in 2009.

Its mayor, Councillor Martin Reilly, said: "I am confident that an amazing year awaits Hull as the winning city for 2017, I wish them every success and look forward to forming a working relationship with Hull to share our experiences and learning."

Leicester's mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said he was surprised and disappointed at the result.

"I can only guess that Hull desperately needed a shot in the arm while the judges decided we in Leicester are making our way successfully and didn't need it as much," he said.

Meanwhile, Welsh Secretary David Jones MP said: "As much as today's announcement will come as disappointing news to those who have supported Swansea Bay's bid, they should be rightly proud of all that they have achieved."

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Toronto Mayor Rob Ford Knocks Over Councillor

Toronto's disgraced mayor Rob Ford went down fighting as the city council stripped him of most of his remaining powers, after a heated debate where he knocked over a female councillor.

Mr Ford, who has been under fire for his drug use and drinking as well as the way he has handled the accusations, has vowed in an interview to give up alcohol and lose weight.

In the latest chapter of the saga in Canada's biggest city and economic hub, Mr Ford was reduced to largely a figurehead following the latest sanctions against him for his admissions of smoking crack cocaine and binge drinking.

The council voted to cut his office budget by 60% and allow mayoral staff to join the deputy mayor.

"This is a coup d'etat," Mr Ford told the council, denouncing the motion.

Members of the public chanted from the gallery "Shame! Shame!" at the mayor. But he taunted back at the hecklers, deriding them as "punks".

In chaotic scenes shown on TV, Mr Ford is seen running across the council chamber straight into councillor Pam McConnell, who falls over.

Mr Ford has vowed to take the council to court

Another councillor asked him to apologise and Mr Ford said he was rushing to the defence of his brother, city councillor Doug Ford.

"I picked her up. I ran around because I thought my brother was getting into an altercation," Rob Ford said.

Visibly shaken after being run over, Ms McConnell, a petite woman in her 60s, said she never expected the chaos that broke out.

Mr Ford now effectively has no legislative power as he will no longer chair the executive committee. But he keeps his title and ability to represent Toronto at official functions.

He has vowed to take the council to court and insists he will seek re-election next year, warning councillors that the campaign would rival the 1991 Gulf War.

"This, folks, reminds of when I was watching with my brother when Saddam (Hussein) attacked Kuwait," Mr Ford said.

"And President Bush said, 'I warn you, I warn you, do not (attack Kuwait).' Well, folks, if you think American-style politics is nasty, you guys have just attacked Kuwait."

The latest council motion is the strongest possible measure it can adopt against Mr Ford since it does not have the power to remove a mayor unless there is a criminal conviction.

Doug Ford also brought a motion that was later ruled out of order that would have called a snap mayoral election, something the mayor also has sought.

Councillors turned their backs on Rob Ford in the chamber last week

"This is a modern-day overthrow of an elected official. This is wrong," said the mayor's brother.

In an interview with CBC on Monday after the council action, Rob Ford said he had not had a drop of alcohol in three weeks and vowed to stop drinking completely.

"Finished," he said when asked by host Peter Mansbridge about his drinking.

"I've had a 'come to Jesus moment' if you want to call it that."

He has also said he hoped to run for prime minister one day.

A new television show featuring the mayor and his brother also debuted on Canada's right-wing Sun News Network.

During the one-hour show, the mayor and his brother took recorded questions from viewers and defended his recent performance as mayor, but revealed nothing new about the scandal.

Rob Ford's troubles have thrust Toronto into the international spotlight

Rob Ford's troubles began in May when news reports first surface of a video showing him smoking crack.

Outbursts caught on camera and claims he verbally abused his aides and entertained a prostitute have added to the controversy.

Many of Mr Ford's political allies - including most council members - have deserted him, and polls show his approval rate is down sharply from two years ago. 

Over the weekend, Mr Ford made the rounds of the media to try to convey his side of the story, to general incredulity, and attended a Canadian football game where fans cheered him on.

He maintained, however: "I'm not an alcoholic, I'm not a drug addict."

Of his critics, he said: "The haters are going to be the haters."

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Body In Well Had Been There For Two Years

Police believe the body of a man found in a well in Surrey had been there for about two years before it was discovered last week.

Detectives also say the man had been assaulted and tied up and the incident is being treated as murder.

The body was discovered by workmen at an address in Audley Drive, Warlingham, on Friday.

Seven men aged between 21 and 27 arrested on suspicion of murder have been bailed to a date in late December, pending further investigation.

A post-mortem on Sunday did not discover a cause of death, and further tests are being carried out.

But it did reveal that the body, confirmed as that of a white man, had injuries consistent with an assault before it was bound up and placed in the well, Scotland Yard said.

Specialist police officers recovered the body

Detective Chief Inspector Cliff Lyons said officers were reviewing missing person reports to try to establish the man's identity.

"Given the complex nature of this investigation, it is likely that forensic work at the property will continue for a further month as we attempt to secure all available evidence," he said.

"While our work continues to establish the facts of how this male came to sustain his injuries and his body end up in the well, our focus is also on finding out his identity.

"This is someone's son and my team owe it to him and his family to find out the truth and bring those who committed this atrocious act to justice."

The investigation has so far seen the well where the body was found partly demolished and water taken away for forensic examination.

Anyone with information was urged to call police on 020 8721 4961 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

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Stafford Inquiry: 'Nurse Count' To Boost Safety

By Thomas Moore, Health & Science Correspondent

Hospitals will have to make public the number of nurses on their wards under a series of measures to improve patient safety.

The Department of Health said the monthly reports would be mandatory from next April.

Hospitals in England will also have to disclose the percentage of shifts that meet safe staffing guidelines independently approved by the health watchdog NICE.

The staffing levels will be made public on a new patient safety website, which will also include information on the number of "never events" - those which should never happen in the health service such as a surgeon operating on the wrong part of the body.

The plans are part of the Government's response to the inquiry into the scandal at Stafford Hospital, in which up to 1,200 patients are thought to have died needlessly as a result of poor care.

NHS England will also set up a national patient safety programme to spread best practice and learn from mistakes.

Health minister Norman Lamb said: "We are determined to see the NHS become a world leader in patient safety, with a safety ethos and level of transparency that matches the airline industry.

"We need transparency on staffing levels, backed up by a strong inspection regime to get better, safer care."

Frank Robinson's son John died after misdiagnosis at Stafford Hospital

Figures from NHS England show that hospitals expect to recruit an extra 3,700 nurses by the end of the financial year.

In February the Mid Staffordshire Inquiry by Sir Robert Francis QC made more than 200 recommendations to change the culture in the NHS and put compassion back at the heart of patient care.

The report had recommended that hospitals should have a duty of candour, a legal responsibility to tell patients if something has gone wrong in their care.

But the Department of Health has so far refused to fully introduce the policy.

Peter Walsh, the head of patient safety campaign group Action Against Medical Accidents, told Sky News: "The current plans are that this is limited to fatal cases and the most severe cases of permanent disability.

"That would be a disaster. In effect, it would legitimise the vast majority of serious harm caused to patients being covered up. That would take us in exactly the opposite direction from the one we need to go in."

Patient satisfaction at the Princess Alexandra Hospital has soared

Frank Robinson, whose son John died after he was misdiagnosed and sent home from Stafford Hospital, also urged the Government to introduce the duty of candour as soon as possible.

He told Sky News: "So many lives have been lost through cover-ups and so many people have suffered. I just don't want that to happen to anyone else and this is a golden opportunity, and if the Government miss this opportunity, that's shameful."

The Mid Staffs Inquiry had strongly criticised managers for chasing government targets, rather than treating patients with compassion.

But there is evidence that the report is beginning to change the culture in the NHS.

The Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex, has increased the amount of consultant time on the unit, and made sure patients have a full assessment by a senior nurse within 15 minutes of arriving.

Patient satisfaction has soared as a result.

Dr Joud Abduljawad, clinical director of urgent care at the hospital, said: "Targets are not our primary reason for looking after patients.

"If you give every patient a timely assessment and timely care you will achieve the target as a secondary point.

"It's not the target, it's what is best for the patient that we are focusing on."

:: Watch Sky News for the latest reaction to the health reforms.

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Russia Plane Crash: Briton Among The Dead

A Boeing 737-500 airliner has crash-landed in the Russian city of Kazan, killing all 50 people on board - including a British national.

The Tatarstan Airlines flight from Moscow was trying to abort its landing in order to make a second approach, when it struck the runway and exploded.

Forty-four passengers and six crew members on board were killed, according to emergency officials.

Among the dead was the son of the leader of the Tatarstan region, Irek Minnikhanov, and the head of Russia's FSB security service in Tatarstan, Alexander Antonov.

The UK Foreign Office confirmed the death of a Briton in the crash.

"We are in touch with local authorities and providing consular assistance to those affected," it said.

The aircraft was making a second attempt to land at Kazan airport

The plane took off from Moscow's Domodedovo airport at 6.25pm local time and crashed just over an hour later.

According to eyewitnesses, the Boeing lost altitude quickly and its fuel tank exploded on impact.

There were high winds and cloudy skies over the airport in central Russia at the time of the crash.

Boeing officials at the Dubai Airshow declined to comment on the crash.

The flight was operated by the regional Tatarstan airline, according to a spokeswoman from Russia's Emergencies Ministry.

Kazan, which is 500 miles east of Moscow, is the capital of the oil-rich region of Tatarstan.

A new runway was built at the airport ahead of the World Student Games, held in the city earlier this year.

A spokesman for state aviation oversight agency Rosaviatsia said authorities would search for the flight recorders.

"The plane touched the ground and burst into flame," Sergei Izvolsky said.

"The cause of the crash as of now is unknown."

Russia and the former Soviet republics combined had one of the world's worst air traffic safety records in 2011, with a total accident rate almost three times the world average, according to the International Air Transport Association.

IATA said last year that global airline safety had improved, but accident rates had risen in Russia and the ex-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States.

In April 2012, at least 31 people were killed when a Russian passenger plane crashed shortly after take-off in Siberia.

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US Midwest Hit By Severe Tornadoes: Six Dead

At least six people have died as powerful tornadoes carved a path of destruction across the US Midwest.

Entire neighbourhoods were flattened within seconds as the twisters, triggered by a "very dangerous" and fast-moving weather system, touched down in as many as 10 states.

Forecasters said the extreme weather, which destroyed homes, uprooted trees and flipped cars upside down, could affect more than 50 million people.

The devastation left behind by a tornado in Washington, Illinois

According to the National Weather Service, more than 60 tornadoes struck, unleashing 80mph winds and hail stones up to two inches in diameter.

Extensive damage was reported in Illinois, where three people are known to have died.

At one hospital in Peoria, Illinois, doctors were treating at least 24 casualties, some of whom had head injuries and broken bones.

The storm moved toward the east coast, causing major damage in Illinois

Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin were buffered by the storm, which weakened it tracked east towards Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and New Jersey.

Anthony Khoury, who saw a twister rip through his home city of Washington, Illinois, told Sky News: "Most of my neighbourhood is completely destroyed, everything has been demolished.

"Families have lost their homes, people don't have anywhere to sleep and the electricity has gone."

Entire communities were flattened in seconds

Michael Perdun, a fellow Washington resident, said: "I stepped outside and I heard it coming.

"My daughter was already in the basement, so I ran downstairs and grabbed her, crouched in the laundry room.

"All of a sudden I could see daylight up the stairway and my house was gone."

A car crushed by a fallen tree in Pekin, Illinois

Jeff Leeman, who was in his backyard with his son when a tornado struck Pekin, Illnois, added: "In a matter of seconds ... it was right on top of us.

"We hustled in the house and before we knew it, it was gone. It was that fast."

The tornadoes brought down phone lines, making communications difficult, and left debris strewn across roads, rendering many impassable.

The severe weather also caused the cancellation of many flights, while the Baltimore Ravens' game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field was temporarily suspended in the first quarter due to lightning in the area.

Meteorologist Matt Friedlein said such powerful storms rarely occur so late in the year because the climate is usually too cold.

However, temperatures had been forecast to climb to as high as 26 degrees Celsius, he said, which is warm enough to produce severe weather when coupled with strong winter winds.

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Google Agrees To Block Child Abuse Images

Internet searches for child abuse images will be blocked for the first time by Microsoft and Google after months of mounting pressure.

The groundbreaking move will soon prevent illegal images and videos from appearing in more than 100,000 search terms associated with abuse.

Google says it has also developed technology that will allow illegal videos to be "tagged" so all duplicate copies can be removed across the internet.

The changes will apply across the world in more than 150 languages.

Microsoft, which operates and powers Bing and Yahoo, will reportedly confirm at a Downing Street summit on online pornography today that it is introducing similar reforms.

Google chairman Eric Schmidt, writing in the Daily Mail ahead of the No 10 talks, said: "We've listened.

"We've fine-tuned Google Search to prevent links to child sexual abuse material from appearing in our results."

Illegal images showing child sex abuse will not appear in search results

The Prime Minister welcomed the move as a "really significant step forward", but threatened to bring forward new legislation if search engine companies failed to deliver on their promises.

Calls for internet companies to take action against searching for illegal content grew following the trials of child killers Mark Bridger and Stuart Hazel earlier this year.

Bridger, who murdered five-year-old April Jones, and Hazel, who killed 12-year-old Tia Sharp, both used the internet to search for child abuse images before the killings.

Senior figures from Google, Microsoft and BT were summoned to Parliament for a meeting with Culture Secretary Maria Miller in June where they were told they had to do more to combat the issue.

David Cameron told the Daily Mail: "We learnt from cases like the murder of Tia Sharp and April Jones that people will often start accessing extreme material via a simple search in one of the mainstream search engines."

The crackdown comes as Mr Cameron is set to reveal at the summit that Britain's National Crime Agency is to join America's FBI to tackle online child abuse.

The UK's National Crime Agency is to join forces with America's FBI

The transatlantic taskforce is being established by the US assistant attorney general and the British to target criminals who use the internet to hide from the law.

It will be specifically tasked with tracking down offenders who use the "dark web" - secret and encrypted networks that are increasingly being exploited by paedophiles and other criminals.

The NCA estimates the number of UK daily users of secret or encrypted networks will have risen to 20,000 by the end of the year.

While some will be using them for legitimate purposes, UK law enforcement and intelligence agencies believe paedophiles involved in distributing child abuse material are using them to hide their identities.

At the same time a group of industry experts is being set up to look at new technical solutions for removing child abuse material from the the internet.

Joanna Shields, the chief executive of Tech City UK, said it would be looking to spot the "threats of future" to protect the most vulnerable in society.

"It's vital that governments and industry work together to eradicate child abuse content from the internet, and that we mobilise the best and brightest in the technology industry to come up with innovative solutions to tackling this problem," she said.

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Age Of Consent 'Should Be Dropped To 15'

The age of consent should be lowered to 15, a leading public health expert has said.

Professor John Ashton, president of the Faculty of Public Health, has called for a national debate, saying that society sends "confused" signals about when sex is permitted.

His intervention comes against a backdrop of official figures which suggest that up to a third of teenagers have sex before the present age of consent of 16.

Prof Ashton told the Sunday Times that lowering the age by a year could "draw a line in the sand" against sex at 14 or younger.

It would also make it easier for 15-year-olds who are in sexual relationships to obtain contraception or sexual health advice from the NHS.

He said: "Because we are so confused about this and we have kept the age of consent at 16, the 15-year-olds don't have clear routes to getting some support.

Lowering the age would make it easier for 15-year-olds to get contraception

"My own view is there is an argument for reducing it to 15 but you cannot do it without the public supporting the idea and we need to get a sense of public opinion about this.

"I would not personally argue for 14 but I think we should seriously be looking at 15 so that we can draw a line in the sand and really, as a society, actively discourage sexual involvement under 15.

"By doing that, you would be able legitimately to organise services to meet the need."

The Faculty of Public Health, part of the Royal Colleges of Physicians, gives advice to ministers and civil servants although it is independent of government.

David Tucker, head of policy at the NSPCC, said he would be happy to have a debate on the issue but said he would want to see the evidence for Prof Ashton's claims.

He said: "Has there really been a significant change in the amount of young people having sex over the past 20 or 30 years?

"If it has changed, then is reducing the age of consent the most sensible way to deal with it?"

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Unions Probe: Review Into Intimidation Claims

David Cameron has set himself on a collision course with the unions by announcing an independent review into allegations of intimidation and bullying.

The move follows claims of sabotage and harassment related to the bitter industrial dispute which almost led to the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery in Scotland.

Downing Street said the wide-ranging review, headed by Bruce Carr QC, will investigate allegations of the use of so-called "leverage" tactics by the unions as well as the impact of such disputes on the critical national infrastructure.

However, in a sign of renewed coalition tensions, the Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable made clear he had only agreed to the inquiry on the basis that it would also examine the practices of employers.

The Unite union dismissed the review as a "Tory election stunt" and warned that no trade union would be prepared to "collaborate" with it.

The review follows claims that Unite sought to intimidate executives from Ineos, the refinery's owners, including sending "mobs" of demonstrators to protest outside their homes and premises associated with Ineos chairman, Jim Ratcliffe.

In recent weeks the Prime Minister has repeatedly attacked the union in the Commons, challenging Labour leader Ed Miliband to hold an inquiry into claims of vote-rigging in the Falkirk constituency party in an attempt to secure the selection of Unite's favoured candidate for parliament.

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey has always denied any intimidation or bullying on the part of the union, insisting that it was acting within the law.

As part of his remit, Mr Carr will consider whether existing laws are sufficient to prevent what Government sources described as "inappropriate or intimidatory actions" in trade disputes as well as the response of the police to complaints.

Unite claimed Grangemouth employees had been bullied during the dispute

More generally, the review will look at the underlying causes of industrial relations difficulties in affected industries, the potential impact on the UK's critical national infrastructure and the consequences for investor confidence in key sectors.

It will also make recommendations on the respective roles of government, employers and employee representatives in ensuring effective workforce relationships.

Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude, a Conservative, said: "Allegations about trade union industrial intimidation tactics, including attempts to sabotage businesses supply chains and harass employers' families are deeply concerning.

"That's why we need an independent review to get to the bottom of these activities, as well as to look at the role played by government, employers and employees in industrial disputes.

"This forms part of our long-term plan to ensure Britain remains competitive and to secure an economic recovery for hard-working people."

Mr Cable, in contrast emphasised that Britain had generally enjoyed good industrial relations for the past two decades while strikes were at a historically low level.

"There were clearly some very serious matters going on in Grangemouth. That is why I have agreed to a proportionate and rational review of industrial disputes, including leverage and other tactics used by both unions and employers," he said.

"There are rogue unions but there are also rogue employers, some of whom have in the past engaged in illegal tactics like blacklisting. This Government will tolerate neither"

A Unite spokesman said: "This review is a sorry attempt by the coalition to divert attention from the cost of living crisis. Vince Cable may not have noticed but the Grangemouth dispute has been settled.

"This review is nothing more than a Tory election stunt which no trade unionist will collaborate with."

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Typhoon Haiyan A Climate Change 'Wake-Up Call'

The devastating typhoon in the Philippines must act as a wake-up call to the impact of climate change, aid agencies have warned.

Members of the Disaster Emergencies Committee (DEC) are warning leaders meeting at the UN climate talks in Warsaw that the disaster offers a glimpse of the future if urgent action is not taken.

Aid agencies including Christian Aid, CAFOD, Care International, Oxfam and Tearfund said ministers meeting in the Poland capital must act urgently because climate change is likely to make such extreme weather events more common in future.

Climate models forecast that typhoons could become more powerful and that weather-related events around the world will be more extreme and frequent, they warned.

Family members carry a relative's coffin through a destroyed chapel

The aid agencies said the governments meeting must deliver more climate finance, drastically cut global emissions and establish a loss and damage mechanism which would obligate developed countries to help those who are at risk of the effects of climate change.

The DEC and other agencies are working to deliver life-saving aid to the millions affected by the typhoon - said to be the strongest ever to make landfall - which saw wind speeds of up to 200 miles an hour flattening swathes of the Asian island nation.

Oxfam's head of advocacy, Max Lawson, said: "This should be a wake-up call for negotiators who have been sleepwalking through a process fraught with delay and indecision.

A damaged fishing boat lies submerged on Bantayan Island

"The images we have seen from the Philippines are a reminder that climate change is not about numbers and process, but a growing reality for poor people who desperately need support to protect themselves and build safer futures."

Delegates from 195 countries are taking part in the annual UN climate talks, which are taking place until November 22.

It comes as delayed emergency supplies continue to flow into the central Philippines on Saturday.

People in a temporary shelter in Tacloban city

More than a week after Typhoon Haiyan killed at least 3,633 people, the UN has doubled its estimate of homeless to nearly two million.

There are still 1,179 people missing, according to national figures.

Philippines President Benigno Aquino is visiting the typhoon-hit areas today. He has faced criticism for a slow response to the disaster and unclear estimates of casualties, especially in the hardest-hit Tacloban area.

A child's teddy bear is hung out to dry

British Prime Minister David Cameron pledged an additional £30m on Saturday for international aid agencies working in the country.

It brings the total amount pledged by the British Government to £50m, on top of £33m in donations from the public.

The Royal Navy warship HMS Daring has arrived this morning to help the aid effort.

Japan will also send 1,180 troops to the island nation, along with US military assistance from the USS George Washington aircraft carrier.

A number of Britons are still missing following the disaster, Foreign Secretary William Hague confirmed on Saturday.

Among those feared dead is Colin Bembridge, 61, from Grimsby, who was staying with his partner Maybelle, 35, and their three-year-old daughter Victoria near Tacloban when the storm hit.

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