Jihadi's Father Regrets Co-Operating With Police

Hundreds Of British Troops To Be Sent To Iraq

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 13 Desember 2014 | 16.12

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

Hundreds of British soldiers are to be sent to Iraq to help the fight against Islamic State, Sky News understands.

They will make up a training mission to assist the Iraqi Army and Kurdish Peshmerga.

The soldiers - expected to number a few hundred - will go to the region "within weeks" senior military sources have said.

The National Security Council is expected to rubber-stamp the mission when it meets on Tuesday.

Although small groups of British troops have conducted similar missions over the past few months, this will be much greater in size and on a more permanent basis.

A team of military advisors recently went to the country to scope out options.

It's believed the mission will be largely split between the capital Baghdad and Irbil in the Kurdish controlled north.

It hasn't been confirmed which regiments the troops will be drawn from.

The UK government has repeatedly insisted that any such training mission would not constitute 'boots-on-the-ground' although British Special Forces are operating in the region.

In October a dozen soldiers from The Yorkshire Regiment were dispatched to Irbil to train the Kurds to use heavy machine guns.

An advisory team has also been embedded in the Iraqi military HQ, working alongside the Americans.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman wouldn't confirm the specifics of the latest mission but did say: "The Defence Secretary announced the intention to provide further training to the Iraqi military in early November.

"No decisions on troop numbers, units or locations have been made, so this is purely speculation at this stage."

The British contribution will fit into a wider mission involving a number of nations.

Earlier this week, the most senior US Commander Lt Gen James Terry revealed that the coalition training mission would involve around 1,500 soldiers.

US special operations troops have already set up a training base at the Ain al-Asad air base in Anbar Province.

Germany recently pledged around 100 soldiers to help train the Peshmerga in northern Iraq. That mission, if approved, will begin early next year.

NATO has also said it would explore options if the Iraqi government came forward with an official request.

The Alliance said that any training mission wouldn't necessarily be based in Iraq. Neighbouring Jordan has been used for similar projects.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

David Miliband Hints At A Return To Politics

David Miliband has hinted he is intending to return to front line politics after a hiatus which followed his brother winning the Labour leadership.

The former foreign secretary has said he "passionately" wants Labour to win the general election and said his brother Ed would make a good prime minister.

He said current Labour leader has "the clarity, the vision, the determination".

When the Financial Times asked him about his own ambitions, he suggested the experience he has gained in his current job as head of NGO International Rescue Committee in New York could be useful for any future political career.

He told the FT: "Tony Blair and John Major have said they wish they'd done their post premiership jobs before they became prime minister."

But when he was asked whether his job in particular was one was good before taking up the premiership he said: "That's not the way I conceived it."

The paper asked him who he thought was going to win the 2015 general election. He said: "I passionately want Labour to win - and Ed to win."

Questioned if his brother would make a good prime minister, he told the paper: "Of course. I would know that better than most."

Asked about his brother's qualities, Mr Miliband said: "What I would say is that the clarity, the vision, the determination, those are all important qualities."

There has been an intense period of scrutiny of Ed Miliband recently, with deep unrest among the ranks of backbench MPs about his performance as leader.

Last month, Tony Blair said he thought Mr Miliband was "robust enough" to deal with the doubts over his leadership, and offered his "full support".

Meanwhile, David Miliband insisted Ed had the "resilience" to cope with the criticism he has faced and insisted that people's belief in Labour's values will see them win the general election.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Investigation Into Air Traffic Control 'Glitch'

An investigation is under way into why Britain's air traffic control system malfunctioned for the second time in two years, causing transport chaos for thousands of people.

The focus of the probe will be hardware and software connected to the flight data system, which is believed to control the flight plans of the planes. The company has ruled out a power outage as the cause, however.

Air traffic control service NATS said: "Following a technical fault with the flight data system used by air traffic controllers at Swanwick, NATS can confirm that the system has been restored to full operational capability and a thorough investigation is continuing, to identify the root cause.

"Although operational restrictions applied during the failure have been lifted, it will take time for flight operations across the UK to fully recover."

More than 300 flights were cancelled or delayed after a computer failure at NATS headquarters in Swanwick, Hampshire, on Friday afternoon.

By Saturday morning, timetables were returning to normal, although Heathrow said 38 flights had been cancelled before 9.30am and Gatwick Airport cancelling a handful of flights.

Friday night's problems came just over a year after hundreds of flights were affected when problems arose with a telephone system at NATS in early December 2013.

There were reports passengers on some flights were unable to collect their luggage and were told that it would be sent on to them by courier.

Other airports where travellers suffered delays on Friday included Manchester, Birmingham, Stansted and Luton, but airports as far north as Aberdeen and Edinburgh were affected.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the disruption was unacceptable.

He said: "Disruption on this scale is simply unacceptable and I have asked NATS for a full explanation of this evening's incident. I also want to know what steps will be taken to prevent this happening again."

Experts said part of the problem was that the system is operating at full capacity and anything that goes wrong has a huge impact.

Professor Martyn Thomas, visiting professor of Software Engineering at the University of Oxford, said: "Some of NATS' computer systems are very old - the National Airspace System that performs flight data processing is software that dates from the 1960s.

"Interfacing new systems to this old software can create difficulties."

Air traffic control safety expert Philip Butterworth-Hayes said: "Swanwick ... has an incredibly complicated, customised software system, where you have to upgrade things all the time. A small upgrade can cause all sorts of problems.

"The issue we have in the UK, especially in the south eastern UK, is there's very little spare capacity, because the system is running at such high rates, it only needs a small little glitch to create a large problem."

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

No Pupils Warned School Before Teacher Stabbing

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 12 Desember 2014 | 16.12

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

The church school where teacher Ann Maguire was stabbed to death by 15-year-old William Cornick in April has revealed that none of its 950 pupils tipped off staff about his repeated threats to kill teachers.

A court was told that Cornick warned friends and fellow pupils at Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds over a period of four months that he planned to harm the popular Spanish teacher.

But the school says none of its staff or church figures heard any rumours and pupils stayed silent even when Cornick showed them knives and said he was going to stab another teacher's unborn child.

Cornick, who used a picture of the grim reaper on his Facebook page, was jailed for a minimum of 20 years in October for murdering Mrs Maguire in a frenzied attack in a classroom after developing an irrational hatred for her.

At his sentencing hearing Paul Greaney QC told Leeds Crown Court that from December 2013 "disturbing aspects to William Cornick's personality were becoming apparent".

Mr Greaney said Cornick told at least six pupils of his plans and on the morning of the murder "made plain to a number of his fellow pupils that he intended an attack on Mrs Maguire".

The court also heard about meetings held in school over Cornick's attitude towards Mrs Maguire including one involving his parents when he "made plain that he hated Mrs Maguire" and was subsequently disciplined.

In a Freedom of Information Act request Sky News asked the school what was known by staff, management, governors, church figures or anyone else about rumours, threats or concerns about violence involving Cornick.

The school's headteacher Stephen Mort replied: "There have been no threats, rumours or reports of threats or concerns about violence against school staff made by or concerning William Cornick made to the school."

Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Police confirmed they were also unaware of Cornick's threats.

Leeds City Council said: "There was no contact between any member of staff at Leeds City Council and Corpus Christi Catholic college staff in connection with threats or concerns about violence in the school ... as there were no such reports made to the school."

Corpus Christi College was downgraded by Ofsted in July 2013 from "Good" to "Requires Improvement" and told to conduct an external review of governance.

The school's leadership, management and governing body were singled out for criticism by inspectors, although the students' spiritual, moral and social development were praised.

The inspection report says: "Students say they feel very safe in school. It is clear that they have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe."

In a report published five months before the murder inspectors from the Diocese of Leeds wrote: "Pupils, staff, governors, parents, external agencies all work together in a joyful, prayerful community."

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Water Bills To Fall By Â£20 Over Next 5 Years

Household water bills are to fall by around £20 over the next five years.

The 5% drop, excluding inflation, would see average bills come down from £396 to £376 by the end of the decade, according to the industry regulator.

The price ruling by Ofwat confirms a provisional determination in August.

When the process for setting bills began last year, water companies had submitted plans which would on average have cut bills by 2% in real terms.

Ofwat rejected a request by the UK's biggest water company, Thames Water, to increase household charges by 3% over the period 2015-20 to help pay for the £4.2bn super-sewer project.

The firm has been told it must instead cut them by 5%.

It also said utility firms must improve efforts to tackle water leakage, supply interruptions, sewerage water flooding of properties and see cleaner water at beaches.

Ofwat chief executive Cathryn Ross said: "With bills held down by 5% and service driven up over the next five years, customers will get more and pay less.

"Where companies stepped up to do the best they could for their customers we did not need to intervene, but where companies fell short we stepped in to make sure customers get a good deal.

"Now the hard work begins. Companies will only build trust and confidence with their customers if they deliver.

"Those who do can look forward to fair returns, while those that don't will be hit in the pocket and face a tough five years ahead."

More follows...

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK Sought Changes To Senate CIA Torture Report

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Britain has been dragged deeper into a row over US torture allegations after the Government admitted it did ask for changes in a Senate report on the CIA's behaviour.

In an abrupt U-turn by No 10, officials admitted changes had been asked for, 24 hours after denying Britain had asked for passages to be removed.

At Thursday's No 10 briefing, David Cameron's Deputy Spokeswoman confirmed British intelligence agencies discussed redactions with their US counterparts.

"My understanding is no redactions were sought to remove any suggestion that there was UK involvement in any alleged torture or rendition," she said.

And then she admitted: "There was a conversation with the agencies and their US counterparts on the executive summary.

"Any redactions sought there were done on national security grounds in a way we would have done with any other report."

And yet on Wednesday, the day the CIA report was published, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman, when asked what redactions had been sought, repeatedly said: "None whatsoever, to my knowledge."

The admission comes after the head of the CIA John Brennan described the techniques used to extract information as "abhorrent".

The Senate report had detailed the US intelligence agency's "brutal" treatment of al Qaeda suspects in a network of secret prisons around the world.

On Wednesday night, former President George W Bush's Vice President Dick Cheney robustly defended the programme, which included forms of torture such as "waterboarding".

Andrew Tyrie, the Conservative MP who founded the All Party Group on Extraordinary Rendition, said a judge-led inquiry is now essential as public trust in the security services is at risk of being corroded.

1/10

Gallery: Current And Former Inmates' Allegations

]]>

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jihadi's Father Regrets Co-Operating With Police

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 11 Desember 2014 | 16.12

Jihadi's Father Regrets Co-Operating With Police

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

By Adele Robinson, Midlands Correspondent

The father of a British jihadi jailed for nearly 13 years after travelling to Syria says parents with children who do the same will be "too scared to tell police".

Mohammed Nahin Ahmed's father spoke to Sky News exclusively on the condition that neither his name nor face were shown.

His son was sentenced alongside his friend Yusuf Sarwar at Woolwich Crown Court last week for terrorism offences.

Childhood friends Sarwar and Ahmed, both 22, were given 12 years eight months in prison each, plus another five years on licence.

Ahmed's father says his family co-operated with the police and helped persuade the pair to return home to Handsworth in Birmingham.

1/11

Gallery: Terror Pair Left Trail On Computer

Two British men who travelled to Syria to fight alongside rebels have pleaded guilty to terrorism offences. All photos from West Midlands Police.

Mohammed Nahin Ahmed and Yusuf Zubair Sarwar spent eight months in Syria last year after contacting Islamist extremists from the UK. This email was sent to Ahmed by a Danish extremist.

]]>

Nahin and Sarwar leaving the Heathrow Premier Inn for the airport terminal.

]]>

"We told the police, we went to them for help but we didn't get any. We surrendered them for justice but the police didn't help at all.

"If anyone's children go to Syria now, no one will tell the police because they will be too scared to tell them this.

"My son lives in jail so what did I gain from going to the police? People go to the police for justice and help. No, I wouldn't go again."

Ahmed and Sarwar admitted engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorism acts in July.

They became the first Britons to be convicted in the UK of Syria-related terrorism offences.

Upon sentencing the judge said it made no difference that their offences were abroad and described them as "fundamentalists committed to violent extremism".

Ahmed's father, however, says his son made a mistake and returned to the UK because he feared for his life.

"No, he is normal. His life was normal. He prayed just the way we do. I think maybe it was the internet that brought those kinds of thoughts to him, the internet brainwashes people these days.

"But going to war without telling us was wrong. Going to war is wrong."

Both families have said they will appeal against what they see as excessive and unfair sentences.

Ahmed's father said a similar case a week before saw two brothers from East London jailed for less than half of his son's sentence.

Mohommod Nawaz and Hamza Nawaz were given four-and-a-half years and three-and-a-half years respectively.

They had admitted conspiracy to attend a terrorism training camp in Syria.

Ahmed's father said he had communicated with his son in prison recently, who had expected a five or six-year jail term.

"I have spoken to him over the phone. He is feeling very bad. He knew that he will be sentenced, but he didn't think it would be this long. If he had known he wouldn't have come back from Syria."

Recommended by Outbrain Recommended by Outbrain

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 10 Desember 2014 | 16.12

It's not unusual to have big Atlantic storms batter Scotland at this time of year.

But this is a weather bomb, a rapidly intensifying depression - with the pressure plunging in the eye of the storm by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours.

And it's leading to exceptionally high seas, with wave heights in excess of 50 feet or 16 metres.

That's more than twice the height of an average house.

The biggest waves will be in the deeper water.

But the islands and western and northern coasts of Scotland will bear the brunt through Wednesday.

The atrocious weather is being fuelled by a strong transatlantic jet stream.

The high altitude winds are racing along at 230mph.

They spawned this storm and have steered it headlong into the Scottish coast.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bankrupt Property Tycoon Dies After Balcony Fall

A bankrupt businessman who fought a lengthy multi-million pound divorce battle has died after a falling onto railings.

Property tycoon Scot Young - who was sent to prison during the bitter six-year divorce row with his estranged wife Michelle - fell from a fourth floor window in Marylebone, London, on Monday.

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: "Police were called to Montagu Square at 5.20pm on Monday December 8 to reports of a man having fallen from a fourth floor window.

"A man, believed aged in his early 50's, was pronounced dead at the scene. The death is not being treated as suspicious at this time."

A spokeswoman for his girlfriend Noelle Reno confirmed that it was Mr Young who had died.

More follows...

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Britain Braced As 'Weather Bomb' Closes In

More than 17,000 people in the Western Isles of Scotland have been left without power as a so-called "weather bomb" struck the country.

The outage, affecting the whole area, happened just before 7am.

Engineers are working to restore supplies, said Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution.

Meanwhile, rescue operation has been launched to help a Spanish fishing vessel in difficulties off Orkney.

Shetland Coastguard said a rescue helicopter and Stromness Lifeboat had been sent to the scene.

And 20 vehicles are reported stuck on Cairn O' Mount, a high mountain pass, in Aberdeenshire.

Forecasters have issued widespread weather warnings across Britain, with major travel disruptions expected as winds of up to 80mph strike some areas and huge waves hit northern coastal regions.

Waves 52ft high have been recorded off the Outer Hebrides.

In Scotland, several ferry and train services have been cancelled while some bridges have been closed due to high winds.

Schools and nurseries in the Western Isles have been closed.

The Met Office has issued amber "be prepared" weather alerts for western Scotland, the Highlands, Northern Ireland, Orkney and Shetland and Strathclyde regions.

Yellow weather warnings have also been issued across England's South East, South West, North East, North West, Yorkshire and Humber, as well as in northern Wales and several other areas.

Sky News Weather Presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "Scotland, northern England, Northern Ireland and the north of the Republic are today experiencing very stormy conditions, with strong gusty winds and large waves, posing problems for both rush hours and ferry crossings.

"The heavy showers in the north could also produce some hail and thunder, as well as snow across hills and mountains.

"With the strong gusty winds, this could mean drifting and blizzard conditions as well."

The rapid cyclogenesis - known colloquially as a "weather bomb" - is a deep low pressure system moving slowly eastwards between Scotland and Iceland.

The freezing winds will peak on Wednesday, but more southerly areas of the UK are likely to be hit by a second storm due to roll in from the Atlantic on Thursday night.

:: Send us your pictures and videos by emailing news@sky.com, texting 84501 or tweeting @SkyNews.

:: Full weather and travel updates at skynews.com, Sky News for iPad app, mobile devices and your local commercial radio station.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Missing Madeleine: Police To Question Suspects

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 09 Desember 2014 | 16.12

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent, in Portugal

Detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann will today begin interviewing 11 people considered witnesses and suspects in the seven-year mystery.

Police from the British-led investigation Operation Grange will be in attendance, but it is understood Portuguese officers from the Policia Judiciaria will lead the questioning.

Seven of the number are believed to be 'arguidos', which means they are treated as formal suspects but have not been charged with a crime.

In Portuguese law, police can declare a suspect to be an arguido in order to ensure they cannot travel abroad and can be used as a pre-cursor to charging a suspect with an offence.

However, the status also gives the suspect the right to refuse to answer questions and secure legal representation.

A further four people are being interviewed as witnesses to the disappearance of Madeleine who vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in May 2007 while her parents Gerry and Kate were dining with friends nearby.

It is believed that one of the men police will question as a witness is Robert Murat who was declared an arguido by Portuguese police in the initial investigation.

He was later cleared and won substantial libel payouts from several media organisations.

Mr Murat says he is happy to help the investigation and has nothing to hide.

It is believed the interviews will be attended by Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Wall who will officially take over control of Operation Grange on 22 December after the departure of DCI Andy Redwood.

Earlier this year, Scotland Yard detectives returned to Portugal to help interview several people over the case.

It followed on from searches of three areas of land near the Ocean Club, the hotel where the McCanns were staying.

Portuguese and British investigators excavated an area of scrubland to the west of the resort at the start of June but found no evidence related to the case.

Portuguese police closed their investigation in 2008, but the Metropolitan Police launched its own inquiry three years later.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tesco Issues Full-Year Profit Warning

Struggling supermarket giant Tesco has seen its share price plunge more than 15%, after it issued its fourth profit warning in a year.

In a trading update, Britain's biggest grocer said profit to the year ending February 2015 would not exceed £1.4bn - some 30% below previous estimates of around £1.94bn.

The double digit share price plunge comes on the 100th day in office for new chief executive Dave Lewis.

Mr Lewis is set to take over the day-to-day running of the UK business on January 1.

The company has seen £11.7bn in market capitalisation eroded this year so far, with £3.4bn wiped from its value since Mr Lewis joined.

It said the cost of overhauling internal structures, product lines and investments were behind the latest trading update.

The company has struggled amid the rise of more discerning shopping habits, discounters and a succession of scandals.

In early 2012 it issued its first profit warning in two decades.

It then took a series of hits over its failing venture in the United States and writedowns in its UK property portfolio post-recession.

Last year it was hit by the scandal over horsemeat and in 2014 there has been significant management shake-ups.

Tesco was also hit by an accounting controversy, after it inaccurately recorded £250m as profit in its books.

A number of senior executives have been suspended pending the outcome of an internal inquiry and it later emerged that a key financial role had been vacant for months.

The Serious Fraud Office has since launched an official investigation into the £250m accounting issue.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

M25 Section Closed After Fatal Crash

Part of the M25 has been closed in both directions after a serious crash in which one person died.

Three people were also taken to hospital following the accident at 1.50am, Essex Police said.

The crash involved several vehicles, including lorries.

It is reported some of the vehicles crashed through the central reservation barrier and ended up on the other side of the road. A number of people were trapped in their cars.

The Highways Agency said the motorway is now closed between junctions 23 and 27 clockwise and anticlockwise between junctions 27 and 25.

It has led to long delays on the M25 and heavy traffic in the surrounding area. Chaotic scenes were reported during the morning rush hour.

Matt Abbott, a chief reporter for various local newspapers in Essex, tweeted: "Some of the worst traffic i've seen as M25 closure has huge impact on roads in W Essex. Ongar gridlocked. I'm now at standstill in Brook St."

"Nearly 3 hours on the m25 and not completed one junction!!! #essex stretch is a nightmare," tweeted Mark Nash from Brentwood.

Transport for London said traffic was particularly heavy on the A13, A127, A12, M11, A10 and the A406 North Circular Road as a result of the crash and the diversions put in place.

An Essex Police spokesman said: "Investigations are continuing and police are also working with the Highways Agency to clear the carriageways of debris so that repairs and resurfacing can be carried out.

"No definite time for the reopening of the motorway can be set yet but it is likely to remain closed throughout the morning rush hour."

On Twitter Essex Police wrote: "Please avoid M25 in Essex after fatal road traffic collision. Both carriageways shut bet J26 and J27. Likely closed for morning rush hour."

The East of England Ambulance Service, who first attended the accident near Waltham Abbey, confirmed that one person had died at the scene.

A spokeswoman said: "Unfortunately despite the best efforts of the crew, one patient sadly died at the scene.

"Three other patients with non-life threatening injuries were taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital for further care."

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Speed Up Benefits Payments' To End Hunger

Written By Unknown on Senin, 08 Desember 2014 | 16.12

Benefits should be paid faster and a living wage introduced in an effort to eliminate hunger in the UK by 2020, says a report by a cross-party group of MPs and church leaders.

They also recommend that more leftover food is donated to food banks and call for an end to what they say are rip-off phone and energy charges that penalise poorer households.

On Sunday, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said that hunger "stalks large parts" of the country, with a surge in the number of families relying on food banks.

Mr Welby revealed how he had been left more shocked by the plight of Britain's hunger-stricken poor than suffering in parts of Africa.

The Feeding Britain report found that since the establishment of the Trussell Trust network in 2004 numbers of emergency food assistance providers have grown to at least 1,500, including 800 food banks - around half of them operated by the Trust.

Citing evidence that its 420 food banks alone provided help to 913,138 people in 2013/14 - up from 128,697 in 2011/12 - the report said it was "clear that demand for emergency food assistance is increasing, and sometimes increasing dramatically".

The inquiry team said that their "anger knows no bounds" at the destruction - sometimes with state subsidies - of 4.3 million tonnes of edible food deemed "surplus" by the UK food industry each year, just 2% of which is diverted to charities to feed the hungry.

Many people turn to food banks to avoid hunger during "unimaginable" waits for benefit claims to be processed, while others are forced to ask for help after being left without an income for weeks or months because of benefit sanctions, said the report.

And the support networks of family and community which would once have stepped in to provide help for those facing hunger appear to have "diminished", leaving individuals "isolated and exposed" at times of financial crisis.

The inquiry's co-chair, Anglican Bishop of Truro Tim Thornton, said: "We heard stories and gained first-hand experience that led us to the conclusion that the rise in the use of food banks does indicate a deeper problem in our society - the 'glue' that used to be there is no longer there in many instances."

A Cabinet Office spokesman said: "This report is a serious contribution to an important debate, with many good ideas, and recognising that the reasons behind demands for emergency food assistance are complex and frequently overlapping.

"As a country we have enough food to go around, and we agree that it is wrong that anyone should go hungry at the same time as surplus food is going to waste."

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nuisance Calls A 'Modern-Day Menace' - Report

Company bosses should be held accountable for nuisance calls made to customers, according to a Government task force.

The expert panel said more than a billion unwanted calls are estimated to be made every year and are causing considerable distress to some people.

Complaints to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) reached 18,594 for live calls and 22,072 for automated messages between April and June.

Most related to accident claims, payday loans and debt management.

Businesses must prioritise the issue at board level and ministers should review the ICO's powers to hold executives to account if their firm breaks the rules, updating the law if needed, said the Nuisance Calls Task Force.

Which? executive director Richard Lloyd, who headed the panel, said: "(Consumers) are often confused or misled by requests for consent to being contacted, so today we set out recommendations to introduce tougher rules and more action from businesses, the regulators and the Government.

"Only through concerted and co-ordinated action will we put people back in control of their data and help bring this modern day menace to an end."

High numbers of calls and text messages are still being sent in breach of the existing legislation, according to the report.

It said consumers often do not realise they have given permission to receive messages and called for them to be able to easily withdraw consent.

Companies should ensure any sales leads they buy have been fairly and legally obtained and records of what consent has been obtained, as well as how and when, must be kept.

Culture minister Ed Vaizey said: "For too long nuisance calls have plagued consumers, often at very inconvenient times of the day and in some cases leaving vulnerable people like the elderly too scared to answer the phone.

"That's why we're determined to tackle this scourge through the first ever nuisance calls action plan.

"We've already made progress including making it easier for Ofcom to share information with the ICO about companies breaking the rules, and we're currently looking at lowering or removing the legal threshold before firms could be hit with fines of up to £500,000."

Justice minister Simon Hughes said: "We have already increased the level of fines available to punish rogue companies.

"We now want to make it easier for the Information Commissioner to take action against these companies which break the law.

"Those responsible should be held to account, and we will review how they are made to answer for any wrongdoing."

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sexual Abuse A 'National Health Epidemic'

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

There could be more than 11 million survivors of sexual abuse in the UK, a Government adviser has told Sky News.

Experts say they are now dealing with a "national health epidemic", while there has been a huge surge in people looking for support since the Jimmy Savile scandal.

Some are related to recent high-profile cases, but sexual abusers are more likely to be people who are already known to the victim.

Founder of the Lantern Project on Merseyside, Graham Wilmer, told Sky News: "There are potentially about 11.7 million victims out there at the moment who have not disclosed, and many of those people will start to come forward in very significant numbers."

Mr Wilmer, who was recently appointed to the Government's Independent Panel Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, explained that the figures are based on accepted statistics that suggest one in six boys under the age of 16 have been sexually abused - for girls the figure is one in four.

He said the country was facing "a massive, massive problem".

"From what we have seen, if you don't provide the right level of support and intervention to support people when they come forward you see very significant health problems, mental health and physical health, which have a direct cost to us as a society," Mr Wilmer said.

"We look upon child abuse and its impact now as a national health epidemic."

There are around 130 similar groups offering support around the country that sit under the umbrella organisation The Survivors Trust, but access to services is still patchy in some parts of the UK.

Psychotherapist Brian Mynott, a survivor himself, runs the Real Dawn group in West Yorkshire and says there is a desperate need for more people to be properly trained to offer professional help.

He told Sky News: "It is a million miles from being enough.

"There is only one of me when there should be about a dozen of me in the Wakefield area alone, and that is not me validating myself - that is what is missing.

"I have absolutely no shame in recording to anybody that I have been a victim, but to get to that point is a journey that cannot be covered by volunteers alone."

He added: "It is very sad that when people phone me up I can't refer them on somewhere and it is very sad when people can't get my services because I am booked up. These are people that need help now."

Mr Mynott is now also working with Leeds Trinity University to ensure students are aware of the growing demand for his services.

The Home Office, the Department of Health and the NHS have all committed to continue improving services for abuse survivors.

Mr Wilmer said investing in the support system is more important than the precise number of victims.

"All of the forces of law, and the forces of support work that are available are all gearing towards saying this number is a big number, whether it is 11.5 million or 11.1 actually isn't really relevant," he said.

"The fact is that it is a massive number and because it is a massive problem we are now focusing on it and we are going to do something about it."

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Osborne: Lib Dems Would Cause 'Economic Chaos'

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 07 Desember 2014 | 16.12

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

George Osborne has placed himself on a collision course with the Lib Dems - warning that they, as well as Labour, would trigger "economic chaos" in Britain.

The Chancellor has also accused Nick Clegg's party of wanting to place "hefty income rises" on families.

The intervention could tip the Coalition into open civil war after a week in which the Lib Dem leader failed to turn up to watch Mr Osborne deliver his Autumn Statement, and a senior colleague criticised the scale of cuts that were unveiled.

Writing in the Sunday Times, Mr Osborne says: "The Liberal Democrats are now arguing with themselves, so it's hard to work out exactly what they think."

He said the party wants tax rises instead of cuts but can't find the money needed through a property tax alone.

"If you want higher taxes to do the heavy lifting, you'd also need to increase taxes like income tax or national insurance."

He admitted that, under his plans, there would be cuts for departments but also big reductions in the welfare bill.

Suggestions being put forward include pushing single parents to return to work a year earlier than at present, when their child turns two, and restricting child benefit to the first two children in the family.

"There's a clear choice: a competent plan to stay on course to prosperity with us; or a return to economic chaos with all the alternatives," he writes.

The article is likely to infuriate Mr Osborne's Treasury colleague, the Lib Dem chief secretary Danny Alexander, as well as the leader, Mr Clegg.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Archbishop Welby Warns Hunger Stalks The UK

The Archbishop of Canterbury says he was left more shocked at the plight of poor families in the UK being forced to rely on food banks than the suffering in African refugee camps.

Hunger "stalks large parts of the country" while the scale of waste was "astonishing", said the Most Rev Justin Welby.

His made his comments ahead of the publication on Monday of a parliamentary report he has backed that sets out a series of proposals aimed at preventing people going hungry, and urges swift action by the Government and food industry.

In an article in The Mail on Sunday Archbishop Welby said, although less "serious", the situation of a family having to turn to food bank in the UK had shocked him more than terrible suffering in Africa because it was so unexpected.

He wrote: "In one corner of a refugee camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo was a large marquee.

"Inside were children, all ill. They had been separated from family, friends, those who looked after them.

"Perhaps, mostly having disabilities, they had been abandoned in the panic of the militia attack that drove them from their homes. Now they were hungry.

"It was deeply shocking but, tragically, expected.

"A few weeks later in England, I was talking to some people - a mum, dad and one child - in a food bank.

"They were ashamed to be there. The dad talked miserably.

"He said they had each been skipping a day's meals once a week in order to have more for the child, but then they needed new tyres for the car so they could get to work at night, and just could not make ends meet.

"So they had to come to a food bank. They were treated with respect, love even, by the volunteers from local churches. But they were hungry, and ashamed to be hungry.

" I found their plight more shocking. It was less serious, but it was here.

"And they weren't careless with what they had - they were just up against it. It shocked me that being up against it at the wrong time brought them to this stage. There are many like them. But we can do something about it."

The sharp increase in the number of food banks across the country in recent years has proved politically divisive.

Earlier this year, ministers were accused of "taking food from the mouths of children" after blocking millions of pounds of European funding agreed for British food banks.

Cash to help people suffering extreme poverty across the EU was backed in a vote at the European Parliament but the Government said food aid was better decided nationally rather than by Brussels.

Archbishop Welby has called for changes to allow food companies to pass on goods they could no longer sell.

Under the current system it costs retailers to give away surplus food to the the hungry.

He added: "At least some of the food being sent to the incinerator should be used as a force for good to help (the poor) out of the rut in which they find themselves.

"We need to make it easier for food companies to give edible surplus food to charities and still encourage them to send inedible food for energy production.

"The big names in the food business know they have a moral obligation to they communities they work in.

"We need to make sure that the financial incentives in their industry don't act against their moral instincts."

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

David Haines' Widow Brands IS Killers 'Cowards'

By Katie Stallard, in Sisak, Croatia

The widow of murdered aid worker David Haines has told Sky News the militants who killed her husband are cowards.

Speaking at their home in Sisak, Croatia, in her first television interview, Dragana Haines said: "They consider themselves brave, but that's not bravery.

"It's a cowardly act to behead someone who has his hands tied behind his back, who is kneeling.

"You are a coward if you are going to behead someone who is helpless. You're not even a human being.

"You must be a monster to do something like that."

Mr Haines grew up in Scotland and served as an aircraft engineer in the RAF, but he found his calling in humanitarian work.

He met Dragana, his second wife, in post-war Yugoslavia.

He was working for a German reconstruction charity, and she was a translator for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

They married in 2010 and settled in Croatia, where their daughter, Athea, was born.

In March 2013, he was kidnapped while working for a French aid agency in Syria.

"Every day was a challenge," Mrs Haines said.

"Waking up in the morning and thinking OK should I be hopeful? Will it be a day when they will call me, or he will call me and say 'OK I'm free, I'm coming back'?

"Or will it be a day when they will call me and say something bad has happened?"

In June, Islamic State released a video showing Mr Haines, and warning he would be next to be killed.

"I saw him in the video," Mrs Haines said through tears.

1/6

Gallery: Profile: David Haines

David Haines was born in Holderness, East Yorkshire in 1970. He was raised in Scotland, where his parents still live

He studied at Perth Academy. After school he worked for Royal Mail before becoming an RAF engineer

]]>

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gagal Coba

Mengenai Saya

Popular Posts Today

Hundreds Of British Troops To Be Sent To Iraq

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 13 Desember 2014 | 16.12

David Miliband Hints At A Return To Politics

Investigation Into Air Traffic Control 'Glitch'

No Pupils Warned School Before Teacher Stabbing

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 12 Desember 2014 | 16.12

Water Bills To Fall By Â£20 Over Next 5 Years

UK Sought Changes To Senate CIA Torture Report

Jihadi's Father Regrets Co-Operating With Police

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 11 Desember 2014 | 16.12

Top Stories

Top Stories

Police Arrest 76 People At 'Die-In' Protests

Two Teenage Girls Charged With Woman's Murder

What Is The Weather Bomb Heading To UK?

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 10 Desember 2014 | 16.12

Bankrupt Property Tycoon Dies After Balcony Fall

Britain Braced As 'Weather Bomb' Closes In

Missing Madeleine: Police To Question Suspects

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 09 Desember 2014 | 16.12

Tesco Issues Full-Year Profit Warning

M25 Section Closed After Fatal Crash

'Speed Up Benefits Payments' To End Hunger

Written By Unknown on Senin, 08 Desember 2014 | 16.12

Nuisance Calls A 'Modern-Day Menace' - Report

Sexual Abuse A 'National Health Epidemic'

Osborne: Lib Dems Would Cause 'Economic Chaos'

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 07 Desember 2014 | 16.12

Archbishop Welby Warns Hunger Stalks The UK

David Haines' Widow Brands IS Killers 'Cowards'

Links

Arsip Blog