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Family Demands Names Of New Child Abuse Files

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 07 Maret 2015 | 16.08

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

The Government's refusal to reveal the titles of four files related to child abuse has been branded "disgusting" by the family of a boy missing since 1979.

It is now over a month since the Cabinet Office confirmed it had found four more files relevant to the ongoing child abuse inquiries centred on VIPs in Westminster.

Officials have promised the files will be handed over to the police and various inquiries but they are still refusing to allow the titles of the files to be made public, let alone the contents.

At the start of February Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said: "Officials have identified four additional relevant files, one of which was marked for destruction."

Despite repeated requests from Sky News over the course of the last month officials at the Government department say their position remains unchanged.

It has angered many survivors and campaigners, not least the family of Martin Allen who was 15 years old when he vanished in London nearly 35 years ago.

The teenager was last seen on the London Underground with an unidentified man at Gloucester Road station on 5 November 1979.

His brother Kevin Allen told Sky News he was "pretty definite" there is a link between the establishment abuse networks in Westminster and his brother's disappearance.

He said he could not accept that the names of the files are still being withheld.

"It makes me very angry, because these people have got a hold over us.

"It is our information, these people are our employees taking our money which is more than 'Mr Average' earns probably in the course of a month. It is disgusting.

"It is our lives they are playing with. I hope they can sleep at night."

Mr Allen is in regular contact with Met police detectives leading abuse inquiries which include allegations boys were killed.

While the content of the files may be sensitive, refusing to reveal the names means the public has no way of tracking them or knowing how they are being dealt with.

It follows a Sky News investigation which unearthed another classified file in January that the Cabinet Office had kept closed on grounds of national security.

After MPs raised the issue in the House of Commons, government officials were forced to release it to the National Archives.

The documents revealed former British diplomat, the late Sir Peter Hayman, was the subject of the secret file. The papers documented his "unnatural" sexual behaviour and his activities within the Paedophile Information Exchange group.

Neither the Hayman file nor the four new files were found during an earlier Home Office-commissioned search for documents relevant to ongoing abuse inquiries.

The Cabinet Office declined to make Mr Maude available for interview.


16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Missing Girls' Families Slam Police Over Letter

The families of three London schoolgirls feared to have fled to Syria to become jihadi brides have accused the Metropolitan Police of failing to pass on a crucial letter.

They say a letter from the force requesting to interview the girls in relation to a classmate who ran away to Syria last year should have been handed directly to the families.

However, the letters were hidden by the girls in their school textbooks and their families never saw them.

Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and 15-year-old Amira Abase, who attended Bethnal Green Academy in east London, sparked a police hunt after they flew to Istanbul from Gatwick Airport last month. They are now believed to be in Syria.

Abase Hussein, the father of Amira, insisted that if he had seen the police letter he would have talked his daughter out of leaving and taken away her passport.

Halima Khanom, sister of Kadiza Sultana, said: "We wouldn't have been here today doing this if we'd got that letter and known what was going on."

Scotland Yard confirmed that it sent letters out to the three girls after their friend disappeared in December and that they were also spoken to by officers as part of a "routine inquiry".

A Metropolitan Police statement said: "The Metropolitan Police Service has been engaged with staff at the girls' school since December 2014 as part of the routine inquiry by officers investigating the disappearance of their friend.

"There was nothing to suggest at the time that the girls themselves were at risk and indeed their disappearance has come as a great surprise, not least to their own families.

"The girls were spoken to in December 2014 as part of the routine inquiry by officers investigating the disappearance of their friend.

"We continue to liaise with the school and local education authority in connection with this ongoing investigation."


16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Big Firms Forced To Reveal Gender Pay Gap

Thousands of large companies will be forced to share details of the difference between what they pay their male and female workers.

The Government has agreed to implement the Liberal Democrat measure despite years of Tory opposition to it.

The move will mean companies employing more than 250 people will be required to publish the gap between average pay for their male and female workers.

More than 10 million people across the UK are currently working at firms covered by the legislation.

The current approach, which is voluntary, has seen only five out of around 7,000 large companies publish their gender pay gap.

The new measure, which will come into force within 12 months, could result in fines of up to £5,000 for firms that do not reveal the details.

Equalities Minister Jo Swinson said she was "delighted" her party won the "argument in Government".

She said the move "will force companies to ask themselves difficult questions about how they are valuing the contribution of women in their workforce and act to address problems".

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: "These measures will shine a light on a company's policy so that women can rightly challenge their employer where they are not being properly valued and rewarded."

The legislation will be debated in the Lords on Wednesday, with the Government tabling an amendment to the Small Business Bill.

A Government spokesman said: "Under this Government the gender pay gap is the lowest ever and has virtually been eliminated for those working full time under 40.

"However the pay gap persists, so we think it's time to move forward, so we can create the conditions to ensure that there is equality in workplaces across the country."

Shadow equalities minister Gloria De Piero said: "This is fantastic news for women but why have they waited so long?

"The reality is that it's only when the Government realised they would be defeated on this issue by Labour in the House of Lords that they saw the need to act."

The move comes as the head of the UN agency promoting equality for women said not a single country has reached gender parity.

UN Women executive director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka made the comments 20 years after a groundbreaking conference in Beijing where 189 nations adopted a blueprint to achieve equality for women.

Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka said that although progress had been made since Beijing, there are still fewer than 20 female heads of state and government.

She said the number of female politicians increased from 11% to just 22% in the past 20 years.

Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka also said "the sheer scale of the use of rape that we've seen post-Beijing", especially in conflict situations, "tells us that the women's bodies are viewed not as something to respect, but as something that men have the right to control and to abuse."


16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ford: Action Star Is No Stranger To Danger

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 06 Maret 2015 | 16.08

As Han Solo, Indiana Jones and other larger-than-life characters, Harrison Ford has spent his distinguished career as one of Hollywood's leading men thrilling audiences.

And like his on-screen daredevil antics, Ford has run into several real-life dramas while pursuing his love of aviation, fast driving and the unpredictability of filmmaking.

The actor's plane crash on a golf course in Los Angeles is just one of several close brushes that he has experienced.

The scar on his chin was earned in 1964 in "a mundane way", he has said.

He was speeding to a job at a department store in Orange County, California, when his car careered off the road and into a telephone pole as he tried to grab his seat belt.

In 1999, Ford crash-landed his helicopter during a training flight in Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles.

Ford and the instructor were unhurt.

He used his helicopter in 2000 to rescue hiker off 11,106ft Table Mountain in Teton County, Wyoming, and fly her to a hospital.

One year later, Ford and another searcher helped find a missing boy scout in a forest south of Yellowstone National Park.

"Boy, you sure must have earned a merit badge for this one," Ford told the cold and hungry teenager after whisking him to safety by chopper.

Ford was at the helm of a Beechcraft Bonanza in 2000 when a powerful gust of wind forced him to make an emergency landing at Lincoln Municipal Airport in Nebraska.

Ford and his passenger were uninjured when the plane clipped the runway and its wing tips were damaged, officials said.

Last year, he was filming Star Wars: Episode VII in a studio outside London when a door of Han Solo's Millennium Falcon spacecraft fell and broke the actor's leg, requiring surgery on it. 

Production on the movie was halted for two weeks as he recovered.


16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Harrison Ford's Narrow Escape As Plane Crashes

Harrison Ford's Narrow Escape As Plane Crashes

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Harrison Ford has been injured after the plane he was piloting suffered engine failure and crash landed onto a golf course in Los Angeles.

The 72-year-old was flying solo in a World War Two training aircraft when it crashed into Penmar golf course in the Venice area at 2.25pm local time.

The single-engine plane clipped a tree as it went down shortly after taking off from Santa Monica Airport, about a mile away, the LA Fire Department said.

The yellow plane with stars on its wings was upright and mostly intact after the crash. No one on the ground was hurt.

Ford suffered multiple gashes to his head and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, entertainment website TMZ reported.

Witnesses were reported by local media as saying the actor was helped out of the plane by several bystanders and that he could use his legs.

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  1. Gallery: Harrison Ford In LA Plane Crash

    Harrison Ford has been injured after the plane he was in crash landed onto a golf course in Los Angeles

Click through for more images of the scene

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Harrison Ford's Narrow Escape As Plane Crashes

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

Harrison Ford has been injured after the plane he was piloting suffered engine failure and crash landed onto a golf course in Los Angeles.

The 72-year-old was flying solo in a World War Two training aircraft when it crashed into Penmar golf course in the Venice area at 2.25pm local time.

The single-engine plane clipped a tree as it went down shortly after taking off from Santa Monica Airport, about a mile away, the LA Fire Department said.

The yellow plane with stars on its wings was upright and mostly intact after the crash. No one on the ground was hurt.

Ford suffered multiple gashes to his head and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, entertainment website TMZ reported.

Witnesses were reported by local media as saying the actor was helped out of the plane by several bystanders and that he could use his legs.

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  1. Gallery: Harrison Ford In LA Plane Crash

    Harrison Ford has been injured after the plane he was in crash landed onto a golf course in Los Angeles

Click through for more images of the scene

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16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Israel: Suspect Shot After Jerusalem Attack

A Palestinian suspect has been shot and at least four people have been injured after an attack on pedestrians in Jerusalem, police say.

The attacker is presumed dead after a car rammed pedestrians standing near a tram stop close to East Jerusalem, the predominantly Arab side of the city.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the incident happened close to a border police station on the line separating west and east Jerusalem.

Police are treating the incident as a suspected terror attack.

The Palestinian driver got out of the vehicle and attempted to stab passersby before being shot and wounded by a security guard, police added.

Israeli media are reporting that the injured are female border patrol officers and they have suffered "moderate" and "light" injuries.

The attack mirrors a series of incidents in the city last year in which Palestinians ploughed vehicles into groups of pedestrians, killing several people.

More follows...


16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Downing Street's Letter To Broadcasters

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 05 Maret 2015 | 16.08

The letter from David Cameron's director of communications to Sue Inglish, the chair of the broadcasters' leaders' debates committee, reads as follows:

Dear Sue,

I am writing to you in your capacity as Chair of the broadcasters' "Leaders' Debates" committee.

As you know, I have had serious concerns about the way in which this has been handled from the start.

Despite the Prime Minister having been clear about his concern around holding debates in the short campaign, you did not consult us before issuing a press release last October outlining your plans for three debates during that period.

Had you consulted us, we could have also told you that we also did not think it was appropriate to exclude the Green Party from the process.

Despite all of this, we then entered into negotiations in good faith, during which I made the case for a more representative debates structure, including the Greens. It is fair to say that the desire to exclude the Greens was clear from all other parties present.

Three months later - and again without consultation - you surprised us again by proposing a new seven-party structure, this time not only inviting the Greens, but Plaid Cymru and the SNP as well. Again, this was a flawed proposal - that has resulted in the DUP initiating what appears to be legitimate legal action.

Since this proposal has been suggested, there has been chaos. In recent weeks, you have avoided letting the parties sit in a room to hammer out proposals, making progress impossible.

In order to cut through this chaotic situation I am willing to make the following proposal:

There should be one 90 minute debate between seven party leaders before the short campaign. As well as the Prime Minister, the leaders of the Green Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru, SNP and UKIP should be invited. The leader of the DUP should be allowed to make his case for why he should be involved.

If the broadcasters cannot agree amongst themselves who hosts the debate, lots should be drawn, though the debate should be freely available to whoever wants to broadcast it. In order for it to be organised in time, the debate should take place during the week beginning the 23rd March. I will make myself available to negotiate the details. Having been the editor of numerous broadcast news and current affairs programmes, I know this is ample time to organise a programme.

This is our final offer, and to be clear, given the fact this has been a deeply unsatisfactory process and we are within a month of the short campaign, the Prime Minister will not be participating in more than one debate.

Yours sincerely,

Craig Oliver

Prime Minister's Director of Communications


16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

US Ambassador Slashed In Face With Knife

US Ambassador Slashed In Face With Knife

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The US ambassador to South Korea has been slashed on the face and wrist by a knife-wielding attacker shouting for unification of the divided peninsula.

The 42-year-old Mark Lippert was taken hospital after the attack during a breakfast speech in Seoul, and underwent surgery for more than two hours. His injuries were not life-threatening.

He received an 11cm (4in) wound to the right of his face requiring 80 stitches and a cut to his left arm which ruptured a tendon and caused nerve damage.

Hours later, he tweeted that he was "doing well&in great spirits!"

Mr Lippert will likely need to be treated at the hospital for the next three or four days and may experience sensory problems in his left hand for several months, doctor Chung Nam-sik said.

President Barack Obama called Mr Lippert, a former aide, to wish him a swift recovery.

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  1. Gallery: US Envoy Injured In Knife Attack

    US Ambassador Mark Lippert was slashed on the face and wrist by a knife-wielding attacker

The suspect, identified as im Ki-Jong, screamed demands for a unified North and South Korea

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The attack took place during a breakfast speech in Seoul

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Police patrol the US Embassy after the attack

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A State Department spokeswoman said: "We strongly condemn this act of violence."

Footage taken in the aftermath of the attack showed the ambassador being rushed out of the building holding one hand to his bleeding right cheek, with his other hand smeared with blood.

Security staff and police officers were seen jumping on the ambassador's assailant, who was armed with a 10-inch blade.

Police have identified the suspected attacker as 55-year-old Kim Ki-Jong, who has a previous conviction for assaulting the Japanese ambassador to Seoul in 2010.

"I carried out an act of terror," he shouted as he was pinned to the floor.

Police said they had detained the attacker and started an investigation.

A spokesman for the Korea Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation, which hosted the event, apologised for the lack of security.

Mr Lippert, a long-time adviser to Mr Obama and former US assistant secretary of defence for Asian affairs, only took up his post in South Korea last October.

His wife recently gave birth to their son, to whom they gave a Korean middle name. 

Mr Lippert has previously served as an intelligence officer for naval special operations, and won a Bronze Star Medal following a tour in Iraq.

South and North Korea have been divided since the 1950-53 Korean War and are still technically at war because the fighting ended in a truce.

The US and South Korea launched annual joint military exercises this week leading to heightened tensions with the communist North.

Pyongyang claims they are rehearsals for an invasion, while South Korea and the US argue they are purely defensive.

Following the attack on the ambassador, a South Korean defence ministry spokesman said the exercises would continue as planned.

America has almost 30,000 troops permanently stationed in the South.

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US Ambassador Slashed In Face With Knife

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

The US ambassador to South Korea has been slashed on the face and wrist by a knife-wielding attacker shouting for unification of the divided peninsula.

The 42-year-old Mark Lippert was taken hospital after the attack during a breakfast speech in Seoul, and underwent surgery for more than two hours. His injuries were not life-threatening.

He received an 11cm (4in) wound to the right of his face requiring 80 stitches and a cut to his left arm which ruptured a tendon and caused nerve damage.

Hours later, he tweeted that he was "doing well&in great spirits!"

Mr Lippert will likely need to be treated at the hospital for the next three or four days and may experience sensory problems in his left hand for several months, doctor Chung Nam-sik said.

President Barack Obama called Mr Lippert, a former aide, to wish him a swift recovery.

1/4

  1. Gallery: US Envoy Injured In Knife Attack

    US Ambassador Mark Lippert was slashed on the face and wrist by a knife-wielding attacker

The suspect, identified as im Ki-Jong, screamed demands for a unified North and South Korea

]]>

The attack took place during a breakfast speech in Seoul

]]>

Police patrol the US Embassy after the attack

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A State Department spokeswoman said: "We strongly condemn this act of violence."

Footage taken in the aftermath of the attack showed the ambassador being rushed out of the building holding one hand to his bleeding right cheek, with his other hand smeared with blood.

Security staff and police officers were seen jumping on the ambassador's assailant, who was armed with a 10-inch blade.

Police have identified the suspected attacker as 55-year-old Kim Ki-Jong, who has a previous conviction for assaulting the Japanese ambassador to Seoul in 2010.

"I carried out an act of terror," he shouted as he was pinned to the floor.

Police said they had detained the attacker and started an investigation.

A spokesman for the Korea Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation, which hosted the event, apologised for the lack of security.

Mr Lippert, a long-time adviser to Mr Obama and former US assistant secretary of defence for Asian affairs, only took up his post in South Korea last October.

His wife recently gave birth to their son, to whom they gave a Korean middle name. 

Mr Lippert has previously served as an intelligence officer for naval special operations, and won a Bronze Star Medal following a tour in Iraq.

South and North Korea have been divided since the 1950-53 Korean War and are still technically at war because the fighting ended in a truce.

The US and South Korea launched annual joint military exercises this week leading to heightened tensions with the communist North.

Pyongyang claims they are rehearsals for an invasion, while South Korea and the US argue they are purely defensive.

Following the attack on the ambassador, a South Korean defence ministry spokesman said the exercises would continue as planned.

America has almost 30,000 troops permanently stationed in the South.

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  1. PM Accused Of Bullying Broadcasters On Debates
  2. Downing Street's Letter To Broadcasters
  3. Premier League Stars May Face Spitting Probe
  4. Stepbrother Charged With Murder Of Becky Watts
  5. Fossil Rolls Back Human History 400,000 Years


16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

PM Accused Of Bullying Broadcasters On Debates

David Cameron has been accused of trying to "bully" broadcasters into dropping plans for a head-to-head election debate with Ed Miliband.

The Prime Minister has said he will only take part in one TV election debate, ruling out a contest with the Labour leader.

Downing Street now says the Prime Minister is only prepared to participate in a 90-minute debate with at least seven party leaders before the end of March.

Douglas Alexander MP, Labour's chair of election strategy, said: "This is an outrageous attempt from the Prime Minister to bully the broadcasters into dropping their proposals for a head-to-head debate between David Cameron and Ed Miliband."

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg tweeted: "The British public want the debates so let's get on with it. Stop holding them to ransom by trying to dictate the terms."

The ultimatum was made in a letter sent to Sue Inglish, the chair of the broadcasters' leaders' debates committee, by Mr Cameron's communications director Craig Oliver.

Tony Blair's former spokesman Alastair Campbell accused Mr Cameron of "weasling and wriggling" out of the debates and said he was guilty of "moral cowardice".

:: Sky News' Stand Up Be Counted campaign

A joint statement issued by the broadcasters said: "The BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky have received an email from the Prime Minister's office with a proposal.

"The broadcasters are committed to providing our audiences with election debates. 22 million people watched the debates in 2010 and we believe the debates helped people to engage with the election.

"The broadcasters have set out their proposals and continue to talk to all the relevant parties on an equitable basis.

"We will respond to the Conservatives' proposal in due course."

Sky News and Channel 4 have proposed to host a head-to-head between the two candidates on 30 April.

The BBC and ITV have proposed each staging a debate involving Mr Cameron, Mr Miliband, Nick Clegg, the Greens' Natalie Bennett, Nigel Farage of UKIP, the SNP's Nicola Sturgeon and Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood.

A Sky News poll found 79% of people would be less likely to vote for a party leader who refused to take part in a debate.

Mr Miliband earlier told Sky News that Mr Cameron should "stop making excuses" and commit to a head-to-head TV debate.

And in angry exchanges during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Mr Cameron was asked three times if he would debate with Ed Miliband before the election as he has said.

After the final question the Prime Minister replied: "I have been very clear, I have said get on with the debates before the election campaign begins, I think we should start now."


16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Appeal To Find 'Dangerous' Foreign Suspects

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 04 Maret 2015 | 16.08

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

Police are appealing for help in finding 17 "dangerous" foreign suspects thought to be on the run in the UK.

One is wanted for battering a man to death with a baseball bat for arguing with his girlfriend.

Another is suspected of the human trafficking of teenage girls, a third man is a convicted rapist.

The appeal is a last-ditch bid to find the suspects after Scotland Yard's extradition squad failed to track them down.

Detective Sergeant Peter Rance said: "We believe these people are dangerous, so taking them out of our communities and putting them before the courts is of paramount importance.

"I urge the public to look closely at these pictures.

"Do you recognise these men? It may be that they live next door to you, or you see them regularly elsewhere in your community."

All the fugitives are wanted by authorities across Europe and most have links to London.

Anyone with information on the suspects is urged to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Anyone who sees them is urged not to approach them, but call police on 999.


16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Briton Killed Fighting Against IS In Syria

A British man reportedly killed while fighting against Islamic State in Syria has been named by Kurdish sources.

Konstandinos Erik Scurfield was believed to be fighting alongside Kurdish YPG forces in the northern province of Hasakah.

The details of the death were confirmed by British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights - but it said it was not clear whether the man was a British national or a Greek man who had been living in Britain.

The Foreign Office is investigating reports the dead man is a former Royal Marine.

Sky sources have confirmed a man with the same name used to serve with the Royal Marines.

Pro-Kurdish rights activist Mark Campbell told Sky News he broke the news of the man's death to his family.

"To be honest it was a harrowing phone call.

"There were three questions really his mother wanted to know immediately...

"She wanted to know if there's a body - and there is. She wanted to know when he died - he died yesterday. And she wanted to know  if he died in combat - which he had."

He was wounded during fighting between the towns of Tal Hamis and al Hol and died from his wounds.

The Foreign Office said in a statement: "We are aware of reports of the death of a British national in Syria.

"As we do not have any representation in Syria, it is extremely difficult to get any confirmation of deaths or injuries and our options for supporting British nationals there are extremely limited."

Rami Abdulrahman, the head of the observatory, said just over 100 Western fighters have joined Kurdish forces in Syria from countries including the US, France, Spain and the Netherlands.

Their numbers are small in comparison with those foreign recruits who have joined IS and other hardline groups.

An Australian man fighting with Kurdish forces was killed in the country last week, the Observatory and a Kurdish source said.


16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Embarrassment For Prince At Elephant Sanctuary

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

Prince William's trip to China has been marred by embarrassment after he visited an animal sanctuary while elephants are forced to perform for tourists nearby.

At the same moment that the Prince was being photographed with an elephant, others were waiting in enclosures a kilometre away with their legs shackled.

The prince is in Yunnan Province on the last leg of his tour of China. His visit to this far south western province was supposed to help highlight a cause close to him: the fight to conserve and save endangered species and highlight the trade in endangered wildlife.

Sky News spent an hour at the show in which we watched tourists sitting on elephants trunks, and riding on them. The animals, some wearing giant spectacles, sat down and balanced on tiny stools. Others kicked around footballs.

The show lasts an hour, happens twice a day and is watched by hundreds of Chinese tourists.

Sky News asked the Prince if he was aware the elephant entertainment was taking place down the road. He turned around but didn't respond.

Some 250 elephants live in Wild Elephant Valley near a town called Xishuangbanna. They represent the only 'wild' Asian elephants in China. However from what Sky News witnessed, many of them cannot be classed as living in the wild.

Prince William, who is the patron of the Tusk Trust, wanted to use his last day here to learn more about China's role in fighting the illegal trade in wildlife.

Conservation groups agree that China is the main protagonist in the trade, with tonnes of ivory smuggled into the country from Africa.

While there is no suggestion that the elephant William met or those performing are affected by the illegal trade, they are not living in the wild and are trained to entertain.

Conservationists Sky News spoke to expressed surprise that palace officials would allow William to be seen to endorse a centre at which elephants perform.

A three-year study by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) in 2014 into the welfare of captive elephants in Asia concluded that entertainment venues where elephants are forced into unnatural performances often causes them pain and suffering.


16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

NHS 'Turf War' Led To Baby And Mum Deaths

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 03 Maret 2015 | 16.08

By Nick Martin, Sky News Correspondent

A report into the deaths of as many as 30 mothers and babies from lack of care at a Morecambe Bay trust hospital is expected to be highly critical of NHS managers and health watchdogs.

The investigation, ordered by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, has looked into the circumstances surrounding the deaths at Furness General Hospital between 2004 and 2013.

Families of those who have lost loved ones say they have been forced to wait too long for answers. Many are now suing the Trust for negligence. 

Carl Hendrickson, whose wife Nittaya and son Chester both died, claims health records showing her heart rate during the birth have gone missing.

He said: "It was terrible. My wife actually died in my arms. I felt her heart stop. I was holding her. So they did an emergency section whilst I was there.

"I knew my wife was going to die once they did that. Chester died shortly afterwards. We have been forced to wait too long for a full explanation."

Six midwives face disciplinary hearings in front of the Nursing and Midwifery Council later this year. But to date no nurses, midwives or doctors have been permanently struck off.

The investigation has heard how midwives failed to alert doctors about patient complications in time because of a 'turf war' between the two professions.

Midwives appeared not to have been on speaking terms with doctors and claimed they were made to feel irrelevant when doctors were called in to help with difficult cases.

The report looked at more than 50 cases where there was serious cause for concern about the treatment given to mothers and babies.

In 2014, a separate investigation accused senior officials at the NHS watchdog the Care Quality Commission of colluding to attempt to delete a report which exposed failures to act on concerns.

The report is expected to lead to demands for reform of the way medical staff are held to account.

It is due to be released to the public at midday on Tuesday.

It follows the public inquiry into the scandal at Stafford hospital where hundreds of patients suffered poor care and neglect between 2005 and 2009.

The King's Fund, an independent health charity, has called for the "archaic" system of midwives investigating complaints made against colleagues to be axed.

Peter Walsh, of Action Against Medical Accidents, told Sky News: "The failures of the regulators of all shapes and sizes singularly and collectively is one of the most disturbing features of this episode and we hope that this report really is able to establish who is responsible for these failings."


16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Three British Plane Spotters Arrested In UAE

Three British plane spotters have been arrested in Dubai and are being held in prison.

Conrad Clitheroe, 53, and his friend Gary Cooper, 45, have been detained along with their former work colleague, expat Neil Munro, since 21 February, according to Mr Clitheroe's wife Valerie.

The trio were reportedly taking notes near Fujairah Airport, about 80 miles from Dubai.

They were stopped by an off-duty policeman and were accused of committing a "national security offence".

It is understood the men are being held at Fujairah prison.

Mr Clitheroe's wife, Valerie, says her husband is forced to share a cell with more than 20 men.

He was originally due to fly home on 22 February following a planned four-day trip.

She said: "We were just totally shocked when we heard and couldn't believe it was true.

"He's really choked up every time I've spoken to him. They're trying to help each other but it's difficult not knowing.

"They would never do anything that would risk national security. They weren't taking pictures. They didn't realise plane spotting was such an issue."

She has spoken to her husband three times on the phone since his arrest and is worried about the state of his health.

"He's got high blood pressure and a heart murmur," she said. "He goes for regular check-ups and takes quite a lot of medication which will have run out now."

One solicitor has told her it would cost her $30,000 (£20,000) for just one visit.

The charity Detained in Dubai has now intervened and is seeking the release of the three men.

Its founder Radha Stirling said: "All three friends have a shared hobby of plane spotting and were keen to see Fujairah airport, where many older and rarer aircrafts can be seen.

"The practice is legal in the UAE though not widely understood, nor appreciated by authorities."

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) spokesman said: "We can confirm the arrest of three British nationals in Dubai on 22 February. We are providing consular assistance at this time."

It is not the first time British plane spotters have got into trouble abroad. In 2010, two men were arrested in India after asking for a hotel room overlooking a civilian runway. In 2001, 12 spotters were held in Greece for taking photos at an air show.


16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jail Threat For Child Abuse Case Neglect

By Tom Parmenter, News Correspondent

Sexual abuse of children will be reclassified as a "national threat", with jail sentences for public sector workers who fail to protect youngsters, under Government plans.

It is among a series of proposals unveiled by the Prime Minister in response to abuse scandals in towns and cities where children have been consistently let down.

The crime of "wilful neglect" would be extended to cover children's social care and education, with unlimited fines for individuals and organisations shown to have failed in their duties.

At a Downing Street summit later David Cameron will say: "Children were ignored, sometimes even blamed, and issues were swept under the carpet - often because of a warped and misguided sense of political correctness.

"That culture of denial which let them down so badly must be eradicated.

"Today, I am sending an unequivocal message that professionals who fail to protect children will be held properly accountable and council bosses who preside over such catastrophic failure will not see rewards for that failure."

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan told Sky News the prison sentence threat would affect teachers and social workers.

She insisted her department was putting in place measures to help authorities better address the issue of child abuse, including the training of children's social workers.

It comes as a damning report into the sexual torture of girls in Oxford is about to be published.

Like previous reviews in Rotherham and Rochdale, it will confirm missed opportunities to end the suffering and that youngsters were cast adrift by an inept social care system.

Seven men were jailed for a total of 95 years in May 2013 for grooming, trafficking and systematic sexual abuse of young girls in Oxford.

Since the gang members were arrested, social care has been shaken up in Oxford and a unit known as "Kingfisher" established where social workers and police officers work side by side.

Detective Inspector Laura McInnes said: "Child sexual exploitation is everywhere. When I first started on the team I wondered if we would find enough work and I have been overwhelmed by the amount of work that is coming in.

"I think for any area that perhaps feels that they have not got a problem I would say you probably aren't looking hard enough for it."

Every police patrol is now focused on looking for the signs or behaviours that may mean young people are exposed to abuse.

Sue Evans, social care team manager, told Sky News: "In previous years we did not properly understand the grooming process and the way it eroded the decision making capacity of a child.

"We do now understand that and we have responded in a way that gives all agencies the best chance of ending the hold abusers can gain over children."

More than 200 children deemed to be at risk of abuse in the Thames Valley have been referred to the Kingfisher team since it was created.

Founder of Enough Abuse UK, Marilyn Woods, told Sky News: "Anyone believing this crime can never happen again is naive, unrealistic, uninformed and wrong.

"Attempting to smooth over the here and now reality, misinforms the public and is ultimately damaging for all."

A new national helpline for whistleblowers will also be set up under the Prime Minister's proposals along with new funding for groups working with survivors.


16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Emwazi 'Best Employee We Had', Says Ex-Boss

Written By Unknown on Senin, 02 Maret 2015 | 16.08

The former boss of the Briton identified in reports as the sadistic Islamic State killer "Jihadi John" has said he was "the best employee we ever had".

Mohammed Emwazi was "very good with people" and was "calm and decent", according to the head of an IT firm in Kuwait, which hired the then 21-year-old as a salesman.

He also expressed shock the person he had known was behind the reign of terror in the IS videos.

Emwazi, 26, is believed to have murdered at least five Western hostages, including Britons Alan Henning and David Haines.

His ex-boss told The Guardian newspaper: "He was the best employee we ever had.

"He was very good with people. Calm and decent. He came to our door and gave us his CV."

The executive added: "How could someone as calm and quiet as him become like the man who we saw on the news? It's just not logical that he could be this guy.

"Maybe he fell into the wrong hands when he went back."

Emwazi left the company suddenly in April 2010 after returning to London.

Further details about the killer came as emails emerged suggesting Emwazi considered suicide when he was a student, after suspecting MI5 was closing in on him.

He told a journalist in 2010 that he felt like a "dead man walking".

Emwazi had also contacted a campaign group after he was questioned by counter-terrorism officers while attempting to fly from Heathrow to his native Kuwait in 2010.

In emails to the CAGE organisation, he claimed the security services were "stopping him from living his new life" abroad, where he had secured a job and was getting married.

When Emwazi was first unmasked as "Jihadi John", representatives from CAGE described him as "extremely kind and gentle" and "the most humble young person we ever knew".

Meanwhile, divisions have opened up between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats over whether radical preachers should be banned from university campuses.

Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps revealed on Sky News there is a "difference of opinion" within the coalition.

It comes after a former student at the London university where Emwazi studied said the campus was a toxic environment of radical Islam.

The University of Westminster, where Emwazi studied from 2006 and 2009 and earned a computer programming degree, has vehemently denied the claim.

In an interview on Sky's Murnaghan programme, Mr Shapps said: "Vince Cable doesn't want to do what the Conservatives want to do, which is to make sure that on campus we do not have radical preachers saying things which incite violence which ultimately can lead to the radicalisation of young people."

The department headed by the Lib Dem Business Secretary is responsible for higher education.

Mr Shapps said: "We have seen these three girls go off to Syria. We have seen Jihadi John. We don't think that sort of preaching should happen in our universities.

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  1. Gallery: Jihadi John's University Academic Record

    Mohammed Emwazi, aka Jihadi John, studied a computing course at university. Sky News has exclusively obtained his student record

His file shows mostly middling academic grades for his course modules. He graduated with a lower second (2.2) degree

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16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Search For Missing Becky Watts Intensifies

Search For Missing Becky Watts Intensifies

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

Police are intensifying their search for missing 16-year-old Becky Watts as a laptop found in woods was revealed not to be hers.

Six specialist teams with officers from four counties are now searching locations within a 1.6-mile radius of her Bristol home - as well as sites surrounding the city.

Forensic teams are searching three houses - in the Southmead and Barton Hill areas and the family home in St George - while a dog unit and a police helicopter are due to be used on Monday.

Becky had her laptop, her phone and her tablet computer with her when she left her house in the St George area on 19 February.

She is said to have left without telling friends or family and did not take any spare clothes.

It had been hoped that the discovery of the laptop in woodland, not far from her home, could be a breakthrough in the case - but it has now been discounted.

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  1. Gallery: Three Locations Are 'Lines Of Inquiry', Police Say

    Police are now searching three houses in Bristol as they try to find missing 16-year-old Becky Watts

One of the homes being searched is in Southmead

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More than 100 people, including friends and family, have been taking part in a search for Rebecca.

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The 16-year-old was last seen at her house in Bristol on 19 February

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Members of the public found a discarded laptop during the search but police say this is not related to the investigation

]]>
Search For Missing Becky Watts Intensifies

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

Police are intensifying their search for missing 16-year-old Becky Watts as a laptop found in woods was revealed not to be hers.

Six specialist teams with officers from four counties are now searching locations within a 1.6-mile radius of her Bristol home - as well as sites surrounding the city.

Forensic teams are searching three houses - in the Southmead and Barton Hill areas and the family home in St George - while a dog unit and a police helicopter are due to be used on Monday.

Becky had her laptop, her phone and her tablet computer with her when she left her house in the St George area on 19 February.

She is said to have left without telling friends or family and did not take any spare clothes.

It had been hoped that the discovery of the laptop in woodland, not far from her home, could be a breakthrough in the case - but it has now been discounted.

1/14

  1. Gallery: Three Locations Are 'Lines Of Inquiry', Police Say

    Police are now searching three houses in Bristol as they try to find missing 16-year-old Becky Watts

One of the homes being searched is in Southmead

]]>

More than 100 people, including friends and family, have been taking part in a search for Rebecca.

]]>

The 16-year-old was last seen at her house in Bristol on 19 February

]]>

Members of the public found a discarded laptop during the search but police say this is not related to the investigation

]]>

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ambulance Services Spent £5m On Private Crews

By Thomas Moore, Health Correspondent

Ambulance services were forced to spend more than £5m hiring private crews and charities to cope with the winter A&E crisis as tens of thousands of hours were wasted queuing outside hospitals, a Sky News investigation has found.

Over the four weeks covering the last two weeks of December and first two weeks of January, some 1,780 days of operational time was lost because hospitals were too full to admit patients.

The 42,726 hours of delays are equivalent to taking 64 ambulances out of service at the same time.

On 11,203 occasions over that period crews waited more than an hour to hand over emergency patients, the figures show.

Patients experienced handover delays of more than half an hour 39,523 times.

One service said the delays its crews experienced were twice those of the previous winter.

As a result of the delays and the unprecedented pressure, services had to pay for private ambulances to respond to calls instead landing them with a bill of £3.79m.

They also spent £1.23m on charity-run ambulances such as Red Cross to help ease the crisis.

The figures were obtained by Sky News under Freedom of Information requests made to the 10 regional ambulance services in England.

When ambulances take patients to hospital, crews are supposed to be able to hand them over to staff in 15 minutes or less.

But delays take place when the hospitals are too busy or over-crowded to admit them.

Over the four-week period covered by the figures (from 15 December to 11 January), the West Midlands service recorded 9,874 hours of working time were lost due to delays in excess of a quarter of an hour.

In London, 6,833 hours were lost and in the East Midlands crews recorded 6,761 hours of delays.

In the Eastern region, patients were forced to wait in ambulances for more than an hour on 2,049 occasions, in the East Midlands 2,043 and in the North West 1,854 times.

During the period the South East Coast service spent £919,000 on paying for private ambulances and a further £74,000 to charities.

The London service spent £610,233 on private services and £109,118 on voluntary ones. In Yorkshire, £439,868 was spent on ambulances supplied by charities.

The apparently high use of private agency ambulance staff has raised concerns due to the cost and potential lack of experience among crews.

Christina McAnea, head of health at Unison, said: "Members sometimes tweet us photos of queues of ambulances outside A&E departments.

"That is such a waste of time and resources for very experienced, qualified staff who could be out there helping patients if the rest of the system was running smoothly."

Neil le Chevalier, director of operations, South Western Ambulance Trust, said: "We are very much the sponge of the NHS.

"We absorbed a lot of the pressure. Compared to 2013 we saw double the amount of delays.

"If an ambulance is queuing in a hospital it can't be responding to emergency calls, so it is a very critical situation for us that we have to work through."

A spokesman for NHS England said: "There has been an unprecedented level of demand for all frontline services this winter, which has put every part of the NHS under pressure.

"We have invested over £48m to give ambulance trusts extra capacity this winter to respond to this pressure."


16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Toxic Environment' At Emwazi's University

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 01 Maret 2015 | 16.08

A former student at Mohammed Emwazi's London university has told Sky News it allowed a toxic environment of radical Islam, where holy war was glorified behind closed doors.

The University of Westminster has insisted it condemns the promotion of radicalisation and is trying to stop it, after Emwazi was unmasked as the Islamic State militant "Jihadi John".

The unnamed ex-student said groups active at the university "created a hostile environment towards non-Muslims, were anti-Israeli and homophobic remarks were rampant at the campus".

He added: "If this toxic environment endured after I left I am not surprised a 'normal' young Muslim struggling to find identity became radicalised."

The former student added the university was "excellent" but "their tolerance was abused by people who played a double game".

The University said in a statement: "We condemn the promotion of radicalisation, terrorism and violence or threats against any member of our community.

"We have strict policies to promote tolerance among our 20,000 student community, who come to study from over 150 nations.

"Any student found to be engaging in radicalised activity or intimidating others would be subject to disciplinary procedures."

Emwazi, 26, studied at the university between 2006 and 2009, earning a computer programming degree.

Earlier, an ex-school pupil of Emwazi said he seemed peculiar and violent as a youngster.

The man, who does not want to be named, also told Sky News that Emwazi "got into some fights" and smoked, but there was nothing in his secondary school that could have left him radicalised.

However, he said there was potential for him to be groomed because he kept himself to himself and did not make eye contact.

There has been widespread shock at Quintin Kynaston Academy following Emwazi's apparent involvement in a series of IS videos which show the gruesome beheadings of Western hostages.

The school said in a statement it was "shocked and sickened" that one of their alumni had become involved in terrorism.

MI5 has reportedly questioned Emwazi's former teachers following on from his identification.

The former pupil said there was nothing to suggest Emwazi was religious during his teenage years.

"There was something peculiar about him in that he was violent but he wasn't someone who was loud, who talked in a provocative way," the ex-schoolmate said.

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  1. Gallery: Jihadi John's University Academic Record

    Mohammed Emwazi, aka Jihadi John, studied a computing course at university. Sky News has exclusively obtained his student record

His file shows mostly middling academic grades for his course modules. He graduated with a lower second (2.2) degree

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16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

CCTV Appears To Show Missing London Girls

CCTV footage has emerged appearing to show the three teenage girls who are thought to have joined Islamic State in Syria.

Three girls - believed to be Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and 15-year-old Amira Abase - are seen at a bus station in Istanbul in the footage, which was shown on the Turkish television channel A Haber.

The girls are seen wrapped up in heavy winter jackets, two with hoods pulled up, and carrying packed sports bags and holdalls.

The footage was recorded in the early hours of 18 February, less than 24 hours after the trio left their homes in east London, telling their families they would be out for the day.

They then boarded a flight to Turkey from Gatwick, and are since believed to have crossed the Turkish border into Syria.

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  1. Gallery: Three Schoolgirls From East London Go Missing

    These pictures were taken from Kadiza Sultana (l) and Shamima Begum's (r) Twitter accounts

Kadiza and Shamima are feared to be on their way to Syria with a third girl, 15-year-old Amira Abase

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16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More
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