Identity Of Man Found Dead In Well Revealed

A man whose bound body was found in a well in Surrey has been identified by police as Damian Chlywka, a 30-year-old Polish national.

Workmen discovered Mr Chlywka's body in the well outside an address in Audley Drive, Warlingham on November 15.

A team of specialist officers including Metropolitan Police divers had found that Mr Chlywka's body showed injuries "consistent with an assault".

He had been tied up and it is thought he had been there for around two years, Scotland Yard said.

Further tests are being carried out as a post-mortem held on November 17 did not provide a cause of death.

A 41-year-old man and a 33-year-old man have been arrested on suspicion of murder.

They are being held in custody at south London police stations.

Detective Chief Inspector Cliff Lyons, the officer leading the investigation, said: "Damian had lived at various addresses across London including two known to be in the Croydon area. At one point he had lived at 11A Audley Road.

"Our focus now is to build up a fuller picture of Damian's life in the UK.

"We have given the difficult and heartbreaking news to his family who are distraught that this has happened to their loved one.

"I am appealing to anyone who knew or previously worked with him to contact the police and help us to piece together a picture of Damian's life and how it came to end in these distressing circumstances."

Police initially arrested seven men, aged between 21 and 27, on suspicion of murder.

They were subsequently released on bail until a date in late December.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Glasgow Helicopter Crash: At Least Six Dead

Police and firefighters working to try to rescue people from the wreckage of a pub hit by a helicopter say they have made contact with survivors inside.

The police aircraft came down on the Clutha Vaults pub in Glasgow, which was packed with more than 100 people at the time who were  listening to a band.

Sky News sources have confirmed there have been fatalities and earlier Scotland's First Minister told people to prepare for the worst.

Firefighters on the roof of the pub this morning

Grace MacLean, who had been inside the pub when the helicopter struck, told Sky News: "Someone started shouting and the band cut the music ... and then all of a sudden this cloud of dust came.

"You couldn't breathe for inhaling a mouthful of dust. You couldn't see anything. You were clawing at the walls to see where the exit is."

Police said that 32 people, with "multiple types of injury" had so far been taken to hospitals across the city - Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the Western Infirmary - following the crash at 10.25pm on Friday.

The Police have given no details of what has happened to the crew of two officers and a civilian pilot on board the helicopter.

Firefighters said they had made contact with people trapped inside the Clutha bar but said it was difficult to tell how many were inside because the building was "very unsafe".

Assistant Chief Officer Lewis Ramsay said: "We've had some contact and we're working away just now to make sure that the building is safe in order to get people out.

Two police officers and one civilian pilot were on board the helicopter

"We are determined that we are going to get the building stable and we will be in there to carry out those rescues."

There are 125 firefighters working at the scene and rescue services have brought in sniffer dogs to help find those still inside.

Those who helped at the scene told how they worked to form human chain to carry unconscious people out of the pub. Among them was Labour's international development spokesman Jim Murphy, who told Sky News: "I just saw dozens and dozens of people coming out of the pub. It is a horrible, horrible scene."

It is still unclear what caused the crash, with one eye witness saying the aircraft "dropped like a stone" and police have now launched a full investigation into the crash under the direction of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. 

Investigators from the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) were on the scene on Saturday morning trying to piece together what had happened.

Deputy Chief Constable Rose Fitzpatrick said: "Our thoughts are with all those who have been affected by this incident and we are continuing work with our colleagues in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the Scottish Ambulance Service to recover people from the scene.

Those inside the pub gather outside after the crash Pic: Paul Agnew

"A full investigation is now underway however at this early stage it is too early to provide details on why the helicopter came down. There were three people on board the helicopter - two police officers and a civilian pilot and on a busy Friday night, there were a number of customers in the bar.

"We are working hard to recover people still inside the building and we will make further details available when we have them."

The helicopter, a EC135 T2, which is widely used in the police force, has a good safety record with one incident in 2007 after which the AAIB asked manufacturers Eurocopter to look at a stability system switch.

First Minister Alex Salmond said that given the scale of the Glasgow helicopter crash, "we must all prepare ourselves for the likelihood of fatalities".

Gordon Smart, editor of the Sun's Scottish edition, saw the crash from a multi-storey car park nearby.

He told Sky News: "I thought it was a plane that was going to crash. I looked up at the sky and I could see the helicopter falling, tumbling ... and then there was an eerie silence for the last part of the fall.

"But the thing that was disturbing and shocking was there was no explosion. I couldn't understand why a helicopter would fall from that height and not explode. To see the angle, the speed and the trajectory of the fall ... it was a horrific sight."

The Clutha is situated in Stockwell Street in Glasgow

Members of Esperanza, the band playing at the time, all escaped from the wreckage unharmed. They posted on their Facebook site: "Best wishes to everyone from tonight...Hope everyone who got out managed to get home or somewhere safe to stay. To everyone who was injured...please get fixed soon. And please please please let us know of the people who we haven't heard from yet...hope they're found ok."

Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: "My thoughts are with everyone affected by the helicopter crash in Glasgow - and the emergency services working tonight."

A number of St Andrew's Day events were being cancelled on Saturday morning as the tragic toll of Friday night's crash started to become apparent.

Members of the public concerned about relatives who may have been involved in the crash can call an emergency helpline on 0800 092 0410.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Helicopter Fell 'Like A Stone Out Of The Sky'

Eyewitnesses have described the "terrifying" moment when a police helicopter spun out of control and plunged into a bar which was hosting a live music gig.

Grace MacLean was in The Clutha in Stockwell Street, Glasgow, and said people became aware of the crash only when the ceiling of the venue started to cave in.

She told Sky News: "There was a band on, they were quite loud, and we just kinda heard a whoosh and some smoke.

"We looked around and no-one really knew what was going on. Everyone just carried on listening to the band.

Emergency services at the scene

"And then we kind of looked again and the roof was gradually coming down.

"Someone started shouting and the band cut the music ... and then all of a sudden this cloud of dust came.

"You couldn't breathe for inhaling a mouthful of dust. You couldn't see anything. You were clawing at the walls to see where the exit is.

"No-one had a clue what was going on. There was no loud noise.

"People were helping each other out. Everyone started helping people who were hurt. People had some head injuries. Lots of people were covered in dust. There were lots of people shocked.

"No-one knew it was a helicopter crash until people told you."

Labour's international development spokesman Jim Murphy happened to be driving past the pub immediately after the crash.

Firefighters on the roof of the pub where the helicopter crash-landed

"I jumped out and tried to help," he said. "There were people with injuries. Bad gashes to the head. Some were unconscious."

He described how a human chain formed to help pass unconscious casualties out of the pub so that "inch by inch, we could get the people out".

Scores of passers-by in the area ran to the venue after seeing or hearing the aircraft go down.

Connor Gillies, from Radio Clyde News, told Sky News of the "scenes of chaos" and "continuous stream of sirens" in the area on Friday evening.

Mr Gillies described seeing "blood on the shirt" of Mr Murphy, who he said was "clearly very shaken, very upset by the whole thing".

Wesley Shearer, who posted pictures on Twitter of the scene, said there had been "talk of fatalities", but this has not been confirmed.

"This is unbelievable," he tweeted shortly after the crash. "Just spent 20 minutes pulling people out of the bar."

MP Jim Murphy helped people out of the venue

Jan Hollands, who also tweeted pictures from the scene, said she heard the crash and described it as "scary".

At 7am, one worried man was waiting at a police barrier hoping to hear of news about his father, who was in the pub on Friday night.

"My dad was sitting there with his lady friend. She went to the toilet and boom, it came straight through the roof … right on top of the spot where they were sitting.

He added: "That was the last I heard. I'm going to stay here … It cannot get much worse."

:: Police have issued an emergency telephone number for concerned relatives - 0800 092 0410.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mairead Philpott's Appeal Hearing Televised

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

The father of Mairead Philpott has told Sky News she should not be appealing against her sentence for killing her six children.

The court hearing is due to be televised later.

It will be the most high-profile case to be broadcast since cameras were allowed into the Court of Appeal last month.

Philpott, 33, and family friend Paul Mosley, 46, got 17 years for the manslaughter of the children in a house fire in Derby in May 2012.

Philpott's husband, Mick, 56, was jailed for life. He has not appealed, and a plan for Mosley to appeal has been abandoned.

Jade Philpott, 10, and her brothers, Duwayne, 13, John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six, and Jayden, five, all died in their bedrooms after a fire swept through the family home on Victory Road in the Allenton area of the city.

Mairead's father, Jimmy Duffy, said she "shouldn't be appealing at all".

He added: "They should be getting on with what they've got."

Mr Duffy said he was in support of court proceedings being televised.

Back (l-r) Duwayne and John, Front (l-r) Jack, Jessie, Jade and Jayden

"Basically they're going to be seen for what they are, in fact they should have televised the whole case if I had my way," he said.

Mr Duffy said his daughter had written to him from prison. In the letter, Philpott said she is "coping as best as I can it's hard but I'm doing ok for now", and signs off, "Hope to hear from you soon, love Mairead xxxxxx".

But Mr Duffy has little sympathy for her.

A letter written in prison from Mairead to her father

"I love her, she's my daughter, don't get me wrong, she's my flesh and blood, but I can't forgive her for even having a part in it," he said.

Mosley's sister Angela doesn't think he should have tried to appeal in the first place.

She told Sky News: "If you knew your friend was going to set fire to their house, my first port of call would be to the police station.

Mairead is appealing her sentence for killing her children

"You would do everything in your power to stop the fire but they didn't they carried on, they're guilty."

It will be the first time a Court of Appeal hearing has been filmed outside London.

The Lord Chief Justice Sir John Thomas, Mr Justice Flaux and Mr Justice Macduff will hear from legal representatives for Philpott.

A wedding photo of Mick and Mairead Philpott

They will then go through the sentencing guidelines, and give their judgment.

It's unlikely that Philpott will be in court, even via video link, and cameras will only focus on the judges and lawyers.

There is also a 70-second delay which will enable any protests to be screened out and ensure that judges have sufficient time to signal to the video-journalist, Matt Nicholls, if they believe any material needs to be removed from the broadcast.

The house of Victory Road being demolished

Last month The Lord Chief Justice said: "The bringing of cameras into the Court of Appeal and the recording of its proceedings will enable those to be understood much better by the public as a whole. We hope it will increase confidence in the administration of justice."

Philpott and Mosley were sentenced in April by Mrs Justice Thirlwall who described Mick Philpott as "a disturbingly dangerous man" and said his wife put him "above" her children "and as a result they have died".

She said Mosley must have appreciated the "appalling risk" but was "prepared to go along with the plan".

:: The appeal, scheduled for 10.30am, can be watched on Sky News.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Energy Bills: Govt Wants Price Freeze Until 2015

The Energy Secretary has written to the big six energy providers asking them to freeze their prices until after the 2015 general election, according to Sky sources.

The call, barring any big increase in wholesale fuel costs, is to try to avoid another round of price rises that could be blamed on Government green levies, industry sources have said.

Annual bills could be cut by around £50 by the move, it is claimed.

Ed Davey has promised to help firms by introducing changes to the green levies that Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne have pledged to "roll back".

Energy Secretary Ed Davey is believed to be seeking a deal with firms

He first wrote to the firms last week and followed up his appeals with fresh letters this week.

It is understood the companies have so far given no commitment to his proposal.

Ministers are proposing to change the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) - one of the green levies branded "green crap" by a Tory source last week.

The Government wants to be able to announce a pledge or deal in the Autumn Statement on December 5.

The Department of Energy & Climate Change described the claims as speculation, stating there would be no comment on the issue ahead of next week's statement.

Bills are burned during a protest this month against prices and budget cuts

The move comes ahead of a speech by Ed Miliband later in which he will pledge to end the energy "rip-off".

The Labour leader is to call for a tough new regulator with powers to order firms to pass on wholesale savings to customers, and intervene in the market to ensure they get good value in the future.

An independent Energy Security Board would be created modelled on the Office for Budget Responsibility, to help draw up and implement a timetable for building energy capacity and ensure the lights stay on.

He will also promise action to boost competition among suppliers, simplify bills for customers and "secure energy which is affordable and available".

Labour leader Ed Miliband is to pledge to end the energy "rip-off"

The shake-up - described by Mr Miliband as the biggest since privatisation in the 1980s - would be implemented during the 20-month price freeze he has pledged if Labour wins the general election.

Launching the party's energy green paper at Manchester Town Hall, Mr Miliband will refer to the famous "Tell Sid" campaign advertising British Gas privatisation under Margaret Thatcher.

"In the past three years it has become clear to everyone but this government that the energy market is broken," he is expected to say.

"Prices are rising year on year without justification. And Britain is not getting the investment in energy we need to secure supplies for the future...

"We have a new message for Sid: We will freeze your bills for 20 months. We will reset the market with real competition and proper regulation so that prices are affordable. We will secure the investment we need.

"We will stop you being ripped off and, together, we will power Britain into the next century."

Other commitments include preventing power generation companies doing exclusive deals with their retail arms and ensuring all environmental and policy levies on bills are delivering "value for money".

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Three Charged Over FA Computer Hacking

Three men have been charged over allegations of computer hacking at the Football Association, Greater Manchester Police have said.

Dean Mohareb, 30, from Woodley, Stockport, has been charged with perverting the course of justice and unauthorised access to computer data.

Liam Cliff, 18, from Manchester and Vincent Rossi, 46, from Wilmslow, have been charged with perverting the course of justice.

The trio will appear before Stockport Magistrates Court on December 5, 2013.

Greater Manchester Police investigated allegations of computer hacking and the dissemination of private information at the FA.

More follows...

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

David Cameron 'U-Turn' Over Cigarette Packaging

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

David Cameron is set to be accused of a major U-turn over the introduction of plain packaging of cigarettes.

The Government is poised to announce it is pressing ahead with the measure aimed at making smoking less attractive to youngsters.

Mr Cameron's decision to shelve the measure last July caused an outcry after it emerged his election strategist Lynton Crosby, now employed full time by the Conservatives, is a partner of Crosby Textor, which worked with Philip Morris Ltd as it lobbied the UK government against plain packaging.

That prompted the accusation from Ed Miliband in the Commons: "He is the Prime Minister for Benson and Hedge funds, and he knows it.

Australia already uses plain packets which just show health warnings

"Can he not see that there is a devastating conflict of interest between having a key adviser raking it in from big tobacco and then advising him not to go ahead with plain packaging?"

Campaigners for plain packaging feared a pause on consultation in July had effectively ruled out any prospect of its introduction until after the next election, while lobbyists for the tobacco industry were confident of having defeated the proposal.

Now Earl Howe, the health minister, is to introduce an amendment to the Children and Families Bill in the House of Lords, possibly as early as next week, to give the Government enabling powers to introduce plain packaging.

At the same time the Government will announce another review of what has happened in Australia to report back next March. Its findings are expected to strongly back the case for plain packaging.

One of the most recent studies from the country, the first in the world to ban branded cigarettes cartons, found that those using cigarettes sold in standardised plain brown cartons were 81% more likely to consider quitting.

A Government source told The Times: "This will nail Labour's ridiculous smears. Now the pressure will be on Labour to get behind this amendment to enable the introduction of standardised packaging."

The PM was accused of pandering to his election strategist Lynton Crosby

Luciana Berger MP, Labour's shadow public health minister, said: "We need immediate legislation for standard cigarette packaging, not another review. The Government needs to stand up to the tobacco industry's vested interests.

"The evidence to support standardised packaging is clear. The consensus is overwhelming. We don't need any further delay while 570 children are lighting up for the first time every day."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Drink-Driving: Most Brits 'Unaware Of Rules'

By Nick Martin, Sky News Correspondent

More than one million motorists have driven while over the legal alcohol limit in the last two years, new figures reveal.

In most cases drivers got behind the wheel the morning after drinking alcohol because they were not aware how long it takes for alcohol to leave the body.

According to official guidelines, it takes about an hour for the body to break down one unit of alcohol, although alcohol tolerance depends on a number of factors including the person's age, weight, gender and metabolism.

Close to half of drivers (46%) said they did not know how long they needed to wait after drinking before they were safe to drive, research by car insurance company LV found.

Drivers who consumed an average of seven pints of lager or six glasses of wine would have to wait around 15 hours for the alcohol to clear the body.

In Greater Manchester, the annual drink-driving awareness campaign encourages abstinence rather than restraint.

Called None For The Road, it stresses the safest option is to not drink at all.

Inspector Matthew Bailey-Smith, of the Serious Collision Unit, told Sky News: "Most people don't know how long it takes for alcohol to return to legal levels for driving.

"We see people after lunchtime, who had been drinking the night before, well over the legal driving limit.

"That's potentially very worrying and means people will be prosecuted if they are stopped and produce a positive breath test result."

Alexia Techner's partner James Roberts was killed in a car crash in 2009 by a driver who was three times the legal drink-driving limit, despite having stopped drinking 12 hours beforehand.

"If you know you have to drive the next day, don't drink," she said.

"It's just not worth the risk. Even a few beers can stay in your blood the next day and that can affect how you drive."

John O'Roarke, managing director of LV, said: "It's easy to assume that after a good night's sleep you will be sober enough to drive the next day but depending on how many units you've had, you may not be fit to drive.

"The key to enjoying the festive season is to plan ahead and don't drive if you are not within the legal alcohol limits."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Football Match Fixing Claims: Six Arrested

Six people have been arrested on suspicion of fixing British football matches, including at least three current footballers.

Police are investigating an Asian betting syndicate, with the National Crime Agency arresting the six men in the last two days.

One of the people arrested is understood to be a former Premier League footballer who now works as an agent.

The investigation follows an undercover investigation by the Daily Telegraph newspaper, which recorded one alleged fixer offering to rig two games.

Sky News understands the investigation involves clubs in the English Football Conference, the level below the Football League.

In the undercover filming, the alleged fixer says: "So I talk to them. Double confirm. I also tell them, I tell ... this (is) what I want …Because simple I commit myself and they commit.

"So you tell me how many goals … Give me at least five. Ok I do need five. Either 3-2, 4-0, 4-1, I will say I do it for that, for me four is enough."

In another part of the secret filming the alleged fixer claims that the footballers are not difficult to persuade.

"What the players want … they want the money," the man says.

"So for 90 minutes I pay them £7,000 ... definitely they take."

The cost of fixing games in England is "very high", the man in the video adds, saying that the usual rate to bribe the players is £70,000.

The Daily Telegraph says the alleged fixer backed up his claims by correctly forecasting the outcome of three matches by the same team.

"I know what they're going to do ... I know because they all tell me every time," the man reportedly said.

The six people arrested are being held under the Bribery and Fraud Acts at a Midlands police station.

The National Crime Agency said the focus of its investigation is "a suspected international illegal betting syndicate".

Gambling on the matches is thought to take place on Asian-based betting services and so far investigators to do not believe British betting markets are involved.

The Football Association told Sky News: "The FA has been made aware of a number of arrests in relation to a National Crime Agency investigation.

"We have worked closely with the authorities in relation to the investigation.

"The FA will make no further comment due to it being an on-going investigation."

Sky News Sports Correspondent Paul Kelso said fixers were likely to target the lower leagues because the players do not get paid large sums.

"Such is the scale of the betting markets, particularly in Asia - where they are unregulated and often illegal - there are huge profits to be made, even from these small games," said Kelso.

"Rumours around the targeting of lower league games have been rife for a long time," he adds.

"In February this year the FA wrote to all the clubs in the Conference - the fifth tier and below of English football - reminding them of the betting rules because there were suggestions from within the gambling industry that huge amounts of money relatively, hundreds of thousands of pounds, were being gambled on games played in front of a few hundred people."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Bedroom Tax' Leaves Disabled Fearing Eviction

By Jason Farrell, Sky News Correspondent

Thousands of disabled people are cutting back on food and heating to pay for the so-called "bedroom tax", according to a group of leading charities.

The chief executives of leading groups including Disability Rights UK, Scope, Carers UK, The Royal National Institute of Blind People and the Council For Disabled Children say the policy is having a "devastating impact" on people with disabilities.

More than 50 organisations have signed a letter to Iain Duncan Smith calling for immediate action to exempt disabled people from the Spare Room Subsidy.

They claim that it is harder for people in adapted housing to move and that "it is hitting disabled people who need an extra room for essential home adaptations or equipment which enable them to live independently".

The letter to the Department of Work and Pensions states: "We have been deeply frustrated at reports that disabled people and their families are protected from this policy.

The introduction of the "bedroom tax" has proved controversial

"The stark evidence since the policy was implemented in April clearly shows they are not.

"None of these groups are exempt and our organisations are seeing the devastating impact it is having on those who now face a shortfall in their rent as a result of the changes."

The Government does offer help with extra discretionary housing payments (DHPs) for disabled social housing tenants.

However, the letter points to research conducted by the Papworth Trust which showed that one in three disabled people applying for DHPs are refused, the same number as non-disabled people, and that 90% of disabled people refused a DHP are already cutting back on food, drink, household bills and medication or therapies.

Charities have written to Iain Duncan Smith about the bedroom tax

The letter claims that carers and families of disabled children are "being forced deeper and deeper into debt and falling behind on their rent, putting them at risk of eviction".

Sky News spoke to 47-year-old Heather Simpson from Battersea who suffers from a degenerative disease and needs an adapted property with wheelchair access and a stair-lift.

She has been told by her local housing association that it is unable to find her an appropriate smaller home. 

Come December she is worried she may have to find an additional £80 a month to cover her spare room.

She told Sky News: "I'm stuck basically, there's nowhere for me to go.

"I understand there's overcrowding, but there's nowhere for me to go. So I'll just get into debt."

Council tenants judged to have extra bedrooms now receive less benefit

In a letter sent to Heather last week, her Housing Association, Peabody, said it had 1,600 applicants for rehousing and only 145 places.

In a statement, Peabody told Sky News: "The Government's under-occupancy charge has a significant impact on vulnerable people, and we are working with other housing associations and councils to try and increase the options for people needing to move …

"We would like to see the Government take action to mitigate the impact of this policy particularly for the most vulnerable residents in our homes."  

A Department of Work and Pensions spokesperson told Sky News: "We are determined to support those who might need extra help through these necessary reforms.

"That is why we set aside £190m this year to do precisely this, with £25m specifically for disabled people living in specially adapted properties.

"The courts have ruled we are meeting our equality duties to disabled people who are affected by the policy.

"The removal of the spare room subsidy means we still pay the majority of most claimants' rent, but the taxpayer can no longer afford to pay the £500m cost of claimants' extra bedrooms."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Migrant Benefit Rules Tightened By Cameron

EU migrants are to be barred from claiming out-of-work benefits, such as Jobseeker's Allowance, for their first three months in the UK.

Those who do go on to claim the benefits will now only be able to get payments for a maximum of six months.

Prime Minister David Cameron announced the shake-up in a newspaper article amid concerns over a possible surge in Romanian and Bulgarian migrants in January.

He also said migrants caught begging or sleeping rough could be deported.

Writing in the Financial Times, Mr Cameron said he "shared concerns" of many of his MPs over the ending of restrictions on Romanian and Bulgarian workers.

Workers from the two countries will soon get the same right to work in the UK as other EU migrants, with some critics suggesting tens of thousands could arrive each year.

Dozens of Conservative MPs want the Government to ignore EU law and extend existing controls until 2018.

Mr Cameron said: "We are changing the rules so that no one can come to this country and expect to get out-of-work benefits immediately; we will not pay them for the first three months.

"If after three months an EU national needs benefits - we will no longer pay these indefinitely.

"They will only be able to claim for a maximum of six months unless they can prove they have a genuine prospect of employment.

"We are also toughening up the test which migrants who want to claim benefits must undergo.

"This will include a new minimum earnings threshold. If they don't pass the test, we'll cut off access to benefits such as income support. Newly arrived EU jobseekers will not be able to claim housing benefit."

Nick Clegg has welcomed the 'sensible and reasonable' tougher rules

Currently, some immigrants can access Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) within a month of arrival in the UK, according to Downing Street aides.

Mr Cameron said migrants found begging or sleeping rough could be deported and barred from re-entry for 12 months "unless they can prove they have a proper reason to be here, such as a job".

Other measures - to try to prevent undercutting of British workers - include fines of up to £20,000 for firms that pay below the minimum wage.

Downing Street says that the six-month limit could be brought in under existing legislation but the three-month delay on claiming benefits would need legislation, which is to be brought forward to early in the new year.

Mr Cameron also called for tighter rules over the right of EU citizens to move to any member country.

He said one option would be to "require a new country to reach a certain share of average EU GDP per head before full free movement was allowed".

"Individual member states could be freed to impose a cap if their inflow from the EU reached a certain number in a single year," he added.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the Liberal Democrats were behind the tougher rules and called them "sensible and reasonable reforms".

"The right to work does not automatically mean the right to claim," Mr Clegg said.

Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK Independence Party, said Mr Cameron's proposals would do nothing to prevent an influx of new migrants from Bulgaria and Romania.

"Under his proposal somebody can come here on January 1 from Romania and within 12 weeks be entitled to unemployment benefit. I think that's outrageous," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

"I wouldn't call that tough. I would say that we are still being far too generous even if he does have the guts to put this in place.

"This does nothing to stop an unrestricted flow of a very large number of unskilled people coming into Britain at a time when we have a million young unemployed people."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kenya: Two Britons Arrested By Terror Police

Two British citizens have reportedly been arrested by anti-terror police in Kenya.

Sky sources suggested the pair had been carrying hand grenades.

They were detained in Diani, a beach resort on the country's south coast.

A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We're looking into reports of two British nationals detained in Kenya.

"We stand ready to offer consular assistance."

The arrests come two months after the Westgate shopping mall siege in the capital Nairobi in which 67 people including six Britons were killed.

Briton Samantha Lewthwaite who is wanted by Kenyan police

Earlier this month  four men appeared in a Nairobi court charged with "supporting a terrorist group" in connection with the attack in September.

Kenyan police are hunting British-born Samantha Lewthwaite, the widow of a 7/7 suicide bomber Germaine Lindsay, who is said to have masterminded the Westgate massacre.

Interpol issued a warrant for her arrest shortly afterwards for terrorist offences in Mombasa, just along the coast from Diani, dating back to 2011.

Lewthwaite, who has two children by Lindsay and is known as the 'White Widow', is also wanted in connection with seven murders in Kenya.

The 29-year-old is a member of the Somali-based terror group al Shabaab and has been described by Kenyan security officials as an "incredible threat".

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Birmingham Pensioner Died In Hit-And-Run

A 75-year-old man found fatally injured on a Birmingham street was the victim of a hit-and-run driver, West Midlands Police say.

The man's injuries were so severe that police believe he must have been hit by a 4x4 or a van and left for dead.

He was found lying in Beakes Road, Smethwick at around 9.30pm on Saturday night and rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead a few hours later.

Nobody has come forward to report a collision in the road that night and officers believe the man was the victim of a hit and run.

Inspector Paul Bennett, from the Regional Collision Investigation Unit, said: "We have launched a major investigation to determine exactly what led to this elderly man's death.

"At this stage we believe he has been struck by a large vehicle, possibly a 4x4 car or a van.

"Whoever was driving must have known they had hit a person but rather than stop to help, they left him in the road to die.

"The vehicle itself would have sustained collision damage and I want to hear from anyone who may have information that could lead us to the vehicle and driver involved.

"I would also appeal to garage repairs owners to be wary of any vehicles that are brought in with a large amount of damage that the owner can't explain.

Anyone with information should call Inspector Bennett from the Regional Collision Investigation Unit on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

More follows...

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sandy Hook Gunman Obsessed With Columbine

The gunman who carried out last year's Connecticut school shooting was obsessed with mass killings, investigators have said.

Twenty children and six adults were killed by Adam Lanza on December 14, but his motive may never be known conclusively.

State Attorney Stephen Sedensky III said there was no clear indication why the 20-year-old gunman chose Sandy Hook Elementary as his target other than the fact that it was close to his home.

Police at first thought there could have been several gunman

The summary of the investigation said Lanza had an obsession with mass murders, in particular the April 1999 shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado.

He also had significant mental health issues that affected his ability to live a normal life and interact with others, but did not affect his mental state for the crimes.

He "was undoubtedly afflicted with mental health problems", Mr Sedensky wrote.

The shooting rampage sent shockwaves around the world

"Yet despite a fascination with mass shootings and firearms, he displayed no aggressive or threatening tendencies.

"Some recalled that the shooter had been bullied, but others, including many teachers, saw nothing of the sort."

The mother of slain teacher Victoria Soto said in a statement that nothing could make sense of the shooting.

Donna Soto said: "Yes, we have read the report, (but) no, we cannot make sense of why it happened.

Twenty children and six adults were killed in the shooting at Sandy Hook

"We don't know if anyone ever will. We don't know if we will ever be whole again, we don't know if we will go a day without pain, we don't know if anything will ever make sense again."

Lanza killed his mother inside their Newtown home before driving to Sandy Hook Elementary and carrying out the killings.

He then committed suicide as police arrived.

A timeline released with the report indicated that nearly six minutes passed between the arrival of the first Newtown police officer and the time officers entered the school.

Demolition of the elementary school began in October

The report said law enforcement officers were operating under the belief there may have been more than one shooter.

Mr Sedensky released his report amid an ongoing court battle over the release of the 911 tapes associated with the shooting.

The withholding of the recordings, which are routinely released in other cases, has been the subject of a legal battle between The Associated Press and Mr Sedensky before the state's Freedom of Information Commission.

A Connecticut judge said on Monday he would listen to the tapes before ruling whether they could be publicly released.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Children Being 'Failed' Over Gang Sex Abuse

By Jason Farrell, Sky News Correspondent

Children are suffering "sadistic levels" of sexual abuse by gangs, but services designed to protect them are still woefully inadequate, a new study has found.

The research for the Children's Commissioner said victims of gang sexual abuse could be as young as 11 years old and the offenders as young as 12 years old.

The children also have younger siblings who are on the fringes of being at risk.

Deputy Children's Commissioner, Sue Berelowitz, told Sky News: "I have worked with many children who have been victims of sexual violence, but I have never before encountered the levels of sadism and cruelty that I have during this inquiry.

"The sheer degree of depravity that has been enacted on children, sometimes by other children, has been truly shocking."

The report also found that only 6% of Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) are fully complying with key parts of Government guidance on tackling sexual exploitation.

"Whilst 98% of LSCBs told the inquiry that Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) is a strategic priority, almost half were unable to tell us how many victims had been identified during 2012 in their local area," it said.

"During site visits we also continued to hear references to children 'putting themselves at risk', rather than the perpetrators being the risk to children."

The report went on: "Too many people who should be protecting children are in denial about the realities of CSE and therefore do not believe what children may tell them. One young person told us 'They made me feel like it was my fault'."

Deputy Children's Commissioner Sue Berelowitz

In a long list of failings, the report says agencies are "failing to engage" with children, that there is a "lack of leadership" and "limited or no strategic planning".

It also emerged that one chair of a Children's Safeguarding Board did not even know there was a set of Government guidelines on the issue.

Ms Berelowitz, told Sky News the panel had been shocked by the lack of action being taken.

"There is no doubt that children are still falling through the net because of some serious failings," she said.

"It was of great concern to us to identify that of the top 15 requirements that Local Safeguarding Board must comply with to protect children, only 6% are doing what they should be doing.

"So the vast majority of them have a long way to go before they are doing what they should be doing in law to protect children."

A two-year study by the University of Bedfordshire, which was released alongside the report, said that rape was used by gang members as "a form of weaponry".

Report author Jenny Pearce told Sky News: "Thirty four per cent said multiple rape was commonplace among gangs.

"Initiation to a gang might be through raping a girl. A young man might have his girlfriend raped as a form of punishment. Someone might be raped for failing to perform a task."

She added: "Only one in 12 said they would report a rape, and of those most would only tell peers.

"They won't go to the police. That's something we need to address."

The report authors spoke to 188 young people living in gang-affected areas and found that gang sexual violence was not confined to inner cities, or even deprived areas, but was a countrywide problem.

To coincide with these two reports, London Metropolitan University has studied young people's attitudes to rape and sexual consent.

Young people were given rape scenarios and asked whether they felt consent had been given.

Dr Maddy Coy, who conducted the study, said: "There is a sense that young women's actions are always under scrutiny.

"If they have accepted a drink, or worn a top that flatters their breasts, that is seen as an invitation to have sex and they are blamed for what happens next.

"The focus is always on those giving consent, but not enough focus on getting consent. Young people are not aware of what getting consent looks like."

Dr Coy added that only a "minority of young people we spoke to felt that consent should be negotiated".

The Children's Commission is now calling for the Department of Education to review the guidance on child sexual exploitation and to ensure that local services are complying with what has already been set out.

It suggests problem-profiling of potential victims, offenders and gangs needs to take place - along with a greater emphasis on relationship and sex education by trained professionals for children and young people.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Payday Loans To Be Capped By Government

The cost of payday loans will be capped under new laws, the Government has announced.

The industry has been criticised over the affordability of the loans and the way they are marketed, with critics claiming the firms take advantage of vulnerable people.

The Competition Commission is currently investigating the industry and an Office for Fair Trading (OFT) report in September said there were "deep-rooted" problems in the way the loan companies operate.

New financial regulator the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will now be forced by the Government to cap the loans.

The Government will amend the Banking Reform Bill currently going through Parliament to formally establish the cap.

The Labour leader has also heavily criticised the industry

The move comes after the Labour leader Ed Miliband spoke out over what he called the "Wonga economy".

Earlier this month he said payday loan companies were "running riot through our communities".

"They are responsible for a quiet crisis of thousands of families trapped in unpayable debt," said Mr Miliband.

Mr Miliband has also called for a ban on payday advertisements during children's television shows, accusing the companies of using "cartoon characters, trendy puppets or cute plasticine figures" to attract children.

George Osborne denied that the move marked a turnaround for the Government, which had initially resisted calls for a cap and denied that Labour had taken the lead on the issue.

The payday loan industry is worth £2bn

He said: "I don't accept it's a departury from any philosophy. The philosophy is we want markets that work for people, and people who believe in the free market, like myself, want that free market to be properly regulated."

He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "The idea that we are following Labour - the Labour Party were in office for 13 years, Ed Balls and Ed Miliband. This issue came up, they were in the Treasury all those years, they did absolutely nothing.

"I am happy to pay tribute to some individual MPs like Stella Creasy, like Robin Walker the Conservative, who have campaigned on this issue.

"But the idea that the Labour leadership, who were running this country for 13 years and did nothing in this space, took a lead is, frankly, fanciful."

Business Minister Jo Swinson warned in September that interest rate caps to tackle payday lenders could mean people who could pay back loans found they could not get credit and turned to "unsavoury alternatives".

Critics claim affordability checks are not being properly carried out

The Competition Commission investigation into the £2bn industry is due to reveal its findings next year.

It will be looking at claims that firms are emphasising the speed of the loan over cost and are "skimping" on affordability checks.

There have also been complaints of payday firms unexpectedly draining people's bank accounts through a type of recurring payment called a continuous payment authority.

The Financial Conduct Authority, which will take over regulation of consumer credit from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) in April 2014, was already considering new controls before today's announcement.

Among its proposals are unlimited fines, limiting to two the number of times a payday loan can be rolled-over and compulsory affordability checks for all applicants.

Payday loan bosses defended their business in front of MPs

Bosses of three payday loan companies, Wonga, QuickQuid and Mr Lender, defended their industry when they appeared in front of MPs earlier in November.

Henry Raine, head of regulatory and public affairs at Wonga, told the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee: "Wonga's business is aiming to lend to people who can pay us back, that's how we make money.

"The vast majority of people pay us back on time. We freeze interest after 60 days and 25% of people pay us back early."

Mr Raine said around 3% of loans, equating to around 40,000 of Wonga's 1.25 million customers, go to the 60-day period.

He said Wonga's record compared favourably with the rest of the loan industry, including credit card companies and banks.

The company also made a film telling the stories of 12 of its customers.

Wonga's chief operating officer told Sky News the film was made because "the silent majority of people using our service was not being heard".

He added: "Generally you hear a lot of criticism about our service out in the media and actually the super positive stories that we see every day from our customer feedback are not being heard, so we wanted to redress that balance and allow their voice to come out."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

London 'Slavery' Case: New Homes Investigated

Detectives say they are investigating 13 addresses as part of their probe into claims that three women were held as slaves in London.

The inquiry began after one of three alleged victims told a charity she had been kept against her will for more than 30 years in a house in south London.

The three women - a 30-year-old Briton, a 57-year-old Irishwoman and a 69-year-old Malaysian - are believed to have suffered years of physical and mental abuse at the hands of a couple.

Police carried out house-to-house enquiries over the weekend in and around Peckford Place in Brixton, where the three women were found.

It has emerged that the couple - both 67 and of Indian and Tanzanian origin - were previously arrested in the 1970s, although police have not said why.

Officers have recovered a birth certificate for the 30-year-old woman, who is believed to have lived her entire life in servitude, but no other official documents for her have been found.

Police outside the property where the women were allegedly held

The case came to light after the Irish woman rang the Freedom Charity last month after seeing its founder Aneeta Prem in a Sky News report about forced marriages.

The Metropolitan Police said part of the agreement on October 25 when the women were removed from the address was that police would not take any action at that stage.

None of the women was reported missing after being rescued, police said. All three are now in the care of a specialist non-governmental organisation.

Some 37 officers from the Met's human-trafficking unit are working on the case.

On Sunday, Home Secretary Theresa May said tackling modern slavery in Britain was a "personal priority", saying many other victims were "hidden in plain sight" across the country.

"It is walking our streets, supplying shops and supermarkets, working in fields, factories or nail bars, trapped in brothels or cowering behind the curtains in an ordinary street: slavery," she wrote in The Sunday Telegraph.

"Something most of us thought consigned to history books, belonging to a different century, is a shameful and shocking presence in modern Britain."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Clare's Law Set To Widen After Pilot Scheme

A scheme that gives people the right to ask police if their partner has a history of domestic violence is to be extended nationwide.

Clare's Law, which has been trialled by four police forces, is named after Clare Wood, who was strangled and set on fire by her ex-boyfriend George Appleton in 2009.

Police run checks and speak to agencies such as the Prison Service, the Probation Service and Social Services.

If a risk is discovered, information about an abusive partner may be disclosed to whoever is best placed to help - but the disclosure must be "lawful and proportionate".

George Appleton strangled Clare Wood in 2009

Clare's Law has been running in Gwent, Wiltshire, Greater Manchester and Nottinghamshire, and ministers are expected to tell Parliament that it should be extended.

The law is expected to take effect from March.

As well as the potential victim, a third party such as a parent can also apply for information under the initiative, which is officially called the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme.

Miss Wood, 36, a mother of one, had met Appleton on Facebook, unaware of his history of violence against women, including repeated harassment, threats and the kidnapping one of his ex-girlfriends at knifepoint.

At the inquest into her death, the coroner said women in abusive relationships should have the right to know about the violent past of the men they were with.

Recent television adverts have highlighted domestic violence

Clare's father Michael Brown told Sky News he was "delighted" at the prospect of the scheme being extended.

"Why these lads can go through in a little underworld of their own, moving from partner to partner, and causing the trail of devastation that they leave and get away with it - because data protection says you can't tell - I thought it was nonsense," said Mr Brown.

"I'm delighted for the ladies it will protect in the future."

One woman who used Clare's Law to uncover her partner's abusive past said she was glad she took action.

She told Sky News: "I found out that my previous partner was abusive, some physically, but mostly emotionally and mentally, which made me feel very uncomfortable.

Clare Wood's father is "delighted" the scheme looks set to expand

"I'd started to feel that way myself, so by having that confirmed to me it does help you feel a little bit stronger."

The charity Refuge has in the past raised doubts over Clare's Law, saying most abusers are not known to police and urging that instead more should be spent on improving the police response to domestic violence and keeping refuges open.

It is difficult to accurately know the extent of domestic violence in the UK.

However, a 2011/12 survey by the Office for National Statistics found 1.2 million females and 800,000 males reported experiencing domestic abuse over a 12-month period.

Home Secretary Theresa May said: "These new measure that the Government has been piloting will help us to be able to support victims more, to deal with perpetrators and to constantly try to stop this terrible crime of domestic violence that takes place all too often."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Miliband Accuses PM Of 'Reaching A New Low'

Labour leader Ed Miliband has accused the Prime Minister of resorting to a strategy of mud-slinging in an effort to win the 2015 election.

He hit out at David Cameron for using the Paul Flowers scandal to attack his party's links to the co-operative movement.

Writing in the Independent on Sunday, Mr Miliband said Mr Cameron "hit a new low by trying to use the gross errors and misconduct of one man, Paul Flowers, to impugn the integrity of the entire Labour movement".

He said: "We all want proper answers as to what went on at the Co-operative Bank, and the public deserves better than the desperate attempts by the Tory party to score the cheapest political points, including ludicrous claims that Labour's historic links with the Co-op movement were the invention of Rev Flowers.

"Of course, the credibility of their smears was undermined when it emerged that the Chancellor himself was promoting the Co-op's bid to take over Lloyds Bank branches."

The Tories have attacked Labour's links with the Co-op Bank

The Tories have sought to highlight the close links between Labour and the Co-op, including "soft loans" at preferential rates and a £50,000 donation to Ed Balls' office from the Co-operative Group.

But Labour have used the row over the near collapse of the lender to put pressure on George Osborne over the Co-op's aborted bid for Lloyds branches.

Mr Miliband claimed the heated exchanges at Prime Minister's Questions over Labour and the Co-op, along with attacks over the trade unions and seeking to blame Andy Burnham for NHS failings, were part of a plan to fight the "dirtiest general election campaign" for 20 years, masterminded by Tory strategist Lynton Crosby.

"David Cameron cannot resist a low blow when the British public craves a politics on the high ground. His main political strategy is now to sling as much mud as possible in the hope that some of it sticks. When he does so, he demeans his office."

Mr Shapps accused Mr Miliband of 'evading serious issues'

Tory chairman Grant Shapps hit back at the Labour leader, highlighting the activities of Gordon Brown's former spin doctor Damian McBride.

"This is a pathetic attempt to evade the serious issues. Labour have big questions to answer, and when they are asked, they simply try to avoid them by claiming they are smears," he said.

"It is an obvious tactic from the party that brought you the most disgraceful smear operation of modern times, fronted by Damian McBride, and known about, encouraged and tolerated by Ed Balls and Ed Miliband.

"And McBride was simply the latest in a long line of bullying Labour spin doctors, including Alastair Campbell and Charlie Whelan. Incredibly, Labour's new campaign chief Michael Dugher used to be McBride's right-hand man - it's the same old Labour.

"We suggest they explain how the corruption at Falkirk happened, and how the Rev Flowers was allowed to become and remain an adviser, rather than dismiss legitimate questions as smears."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

London 'Slavery': Neighbours' Shock At Claims

People living near to a house where three women were allegedly held as slaves for more than three decades have spoken of their shock at the claims.

The women - a 69-year-old from Malaysia, a 57-year-old from Ireland and a 30-year-old Briton - were taken from the property in Brixton, south London, last month after calling a support charity asking for help.

Police said the women, two of whom who lived in a "collective" with a 67-year-old man they met through a "shared political ideology", had suffered "emotional and physical abuse".

The man and a woman, also 67, who came to the UK in the 1960s and are of Indian and Tanzanian origin, were arrested and released on bail.

Commander Steve Rodhouse, of the Metropolitan Police, said: "Somehow that collective came to an end and the women ended up continuing to live with the suspects.

"How this resulted in the women living in this way for over 30 years is what are seeking to establish, but we believe emotional and physical abuse has been a feature of all the victims' lives."

Kamal Francis described the women as having unkempt appearances

As police carried out door-to-door inquiries to establish more details about the alleged victims, neighbours described the area around the block in Peckford Place, where the women had been living, as a "quiet" area.

One woman, who gave her name only as Valerie, said: "Seeing all this going on is quite surprising to me. It's shocking really."

Abdul Rogers said many people did not speak to each other, adding: "I don't even know my next door neighbour. If I met them on the street now I would not be able to tell it was my next door neighbour, which is not good for community cohesion."

Kamal Francis is a regular visitor to the block of flats as his partner lives directly above where the women were held.

He told Sky News: "One would be wearing a long, baggy, cardigan and a long skirt touching the floor. They had messy hair. They were not neat people."

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

Cmdr Rodhouse said police had found her birth certificate but no further documentation.

The women lived in the Angell Town estate in Brixton

"We believe she has lived with the suspects and the other victims all her life, but of course at this early stage we are still seeking out evidence," she said.

The woman who called Freedom Charity asking for help said she had been held against her will for more than 30 years.

Aneeta Prem, who founded the organisation, said it had seen an "extraordinary" rise in calls to its helpline since the rescue of the three women came to light.

"These women have had traumatic and distributing experiences," she said.

"What needs to happen now is that the three victims, who have begun a long process of recovery, are able to go through their rehabilitation undisturbed, without being identified."

Officers said they were taking "every step" to protect the "emotionally fragile and highly vulnerable" victims.

Lambeth Council has told Sky News it is investigating whether it had ever come into contact with any of the women.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Iran Nuclear Deal Reached At Talks In Geneva

An agreement has been reached between Iran and six world powers to curb Tehran's nuclear programme in exchange for limited sanctions relief.

The deal, announced by European Union policy chief Catherine Ashton, is a first step towards resolving a decade-old stand-off between Tehran and the West.

The agreement between the Islamic state and the US, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia was nailed down after more than four days of negotiations in Geneva.

US President Barack Obama said it was an important first step towards a comprehensive solution to Iran's nuclear programme.

William Hague hailed the agreement as 'very important and encouraging'

Speaking from the White House, Mr Obama said Iran could not use its next-generation centrifuges under the deal and that the substantial limitations under the agreement "cut off Iran's most likely paths to a bomb".

He added that if Iran did not meet its commitments during a six-month period, the US would turn off sanctions relief and "ratchet up the pressure".

"While today's announcement is just a first step, it achieves a great deal," Mr Obama said.

"For the first time in nearly a decade, we have halted the progress of the Iranian nuclear programme, and key parts of the programme will be rolled back."

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iran's Mohammed Javad Zarif

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the deal recognises Tehran's "rights" to maintain a nuclear programme, and it would "never" seek atomic weapons.

The country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said: "This can be the basis for further intelligent actions. Without a doubt the grace of God and the prayers of the Iranian nation were a factor in this success."

Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague said the agreement was "very important and encouraging", adding that it meant "the nuclear programme won't move forward for six months".

He and US Secretary of State John Kerry are due to have talks in London today on the Iran deal and the latest developments in Syria.

Speaking on Iran's Press TV, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the deal was an opportunity for the West to restore trust with the Iranian nation.

He said Tehran would expand co-operation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog, to address what he called some concerns.

But Israel's Cabinet minister for intelligence issues, Yuval Steinitz, said it was a "bad deal" and that last-minute changes to the deal were "far from satisfactory".

"This agreement is still bad and will make it more difficult than before to achieve an appropriate solution in the future," he said.

Instead, he compared it to a failed 2007 international deal with North Korea and said it "is more likely to bring Iran closer to having a bomb".

European Union policy chief Baroness Catherine Ashton and Javad Zarif

Iran will get access to $4.2bn (£2.6bn) in foreign exchange as part of the accord, a Western diplomat said.

A senior US official added that the agreement halted progress on Iran's nuclear programme, including construction of the Arak research reactor.

It would neutralise Iran's stockpile of uranium refined to a fissile concentration of 20%, which is a close step away from the level needed for weapons, and calls for intrusive UN nuclear inspections, the official said.

Iran has also committed to stop uranium enrichment above a fissile purity of 5%, a US fact sheet said.

The deal has no recognition of an Iranian right to enrich uranium and sanctions would still be enforced, the US official added.

Refined uranium can be used to fuel nuclear power plants - Iran's stated goal - but also provide the fissile core of an atomic bomb if refined much further.

Diplomacy was stepped up after the landslide election of Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate, as Iranian president in June, replacing nationalist Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More