Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 28 Februari 2015 | 16.12
Energy price comparison websites have been "duping" customers into switching to deals that are not the cheapest on the market and should pay them compensation, a group of MPs have said.
The Energy and Climate Change Committee said some sites had used misleading language to dupe consumers into options that only displayed commission-earning deals.
It has called on energy watchdog Ofgem to consider requiring price comparison sites to disclose the amount of commission received for each switch at the point of sale.
Representatives of the "big five" sites told MPs they earn up to £30 in commission every time a customer switches to a participating provider, or up to £60 when a customer switches both their gas and electricity accounts.
Committee chairman Tim Yeo said: "Consumers trust price comparison services to help them switch to the best energy deals available on the market.
Video:Big Six Criticised For Overcharging
"But some energy price comparison sites have been behaving more like backstreet market traders than the trustworthy consumer champions they make themselves out to be in adverts on TV.
"Some comparison sites have used misleading language to dupe consumers into opting for default options that only display commission-earning deals. And others have previously gone so far as to conceal deals that do not earn them commission behind multiple drop-down web options."
He added: "As an immediate and essential first step towards rebuilding confidence, the companies should compensate any consumers who have been encouraged to switch to tariffs that may not have been the cheapest or most appropriate for their needs.
Video:Energy Bills: What We're Paying
"We have no objection to commission being paid by suppliers to price comparison websites as long as the arrangements are clearly disclosed."
Earlier this month, uSwitch told the committee it would compensate consumers who had been misled into signing up for an energy tariff that was more expensive than others available.
Its chief executive Steve Weller told the committee he was "sincerely disappointed" that a customer was told by his call centre that the cheapest deal available to him was with First Utility, when it was in fact with extraenergy for more than £60 less.
A nine-year-old has forced the Mayor of London to admit he does not have "the faintest idea" which of the capital's football teams are preparing to clash in a cup final this weekend.
Robert Ebner-Statt had to tell Boris Johnson that it was two of his city's teams - Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur - playing in tomorrow's Capital One league cup final at Wembley.
That was despite the Conservative politician's claim that "I support all London clubs, I levitate".
Mr Johnson described the PM as 'very, very competent'
He added that for "some reason I cannot fathom, my sons support Newcastle Utd".
Mr Johnson came unstuck over football during a grilling by children as part of Hotseat - a collaboration between Sky News and the national newspaper for young people, First News.
Video:Boris Johnson On 'Jihadi Nonsense'
During the session he answered questions about terrorism, education policy, obesity, his political ambitions and much more.
At one point, Mr Johnson revealed that he gave lorry drivers "a piece of his mind" if they sounded their horn at him while cycling, because it made him "see red".
While previous Hotseat guests, Chancellor George Osborne and Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, refused to answer basic timetables questions, Mr Johnson was asked about a different subject - Latin.
Sophia Hindmarsh, 10, tried to play on rumours that Mr Johnson would like to become Prime Minister, by asking him to translate "Princeps Esse Velim" (I want to be leader).
Smiling, Mr Johnson quickly replied, "I know what you are trying to get me to say," and instead hit back with "Volo David Cameronem esse principem" - which he said meant "I want David Cameron to be Prime Minister."
It was not his only defence of the Conservative leader.
When asked if he wanted to be Prime Minister, he said: "I think Dave is going to get back in. I think it is more likely, frankly, that one of you will take over in some distant future than I will."
He described Mr Cameron as "very, very competent" and an "expert leader of the country".
The Mayor also spoke on a range of other issues, including:
Immigration and second jobs...
He defended immigration, as long as people were not "skiving, idling, loafing, leeching", and he entered into the debate about MPs' salaries and second jobs.
Mr Johnson claimed politicians should certainly not "be going around trying to take more dosh off the taxpayer".
Ministers, he added, should not be doing private consultancy work on the side. But he insisted that MPs were not "twerps" - well "not all twerps".
Jihadis and tuition fees...
Mr Johnson told the children that the thing he most wanted to change in the world was children being lured into what he called "Jihadi nonsense".
And he criticised Labour's policy to cut tuition fees, arguing that it was right for graduates who "earn massively more than people who don't go to university" to pay for their education.
Video:Boris Stands By Jihadi Comments
Parenting, regrets and weird gifts...
The young people asked Mr Johnson what sort of dad he was - "embarrassing"; his biggest personal and political regrets - "my failure to get anywhere as a rockstar"; his weirdest gift - "a banquet of camel"; and his celebrity crushes - to which he strangely responded "Basil Brush".
Bouts of road rage...
On road rage, he said: "When lorry drivers come up behind me and I'm cycling innocently, keeping to my side of the road and they decide because they are so big and their lorry is so powerful and they just want to clear me out of the road and they hoot aggressively then I do see red a bit. I do."
He admitted entering into altercations if he pulled up beside a lorry driver who had done that at the traffic lights.
The embarrassing zip wire...
He also talked about the famous incident when he got stuck on a zip-wire, describing his "embarrassment and personal discomfiture".
He said he was accompanied by a bodyguard called Carl, who used to work for Tony Blair.
When he asked him for help, he said Carl simply took out a mobile phone and "took a photograph of my rear end".
The Boris Factor...
The young people also asked what the "Boris factor" was, to which he replied it was doing your best and turning up.
"My strong advice to you, turning up is about 90% of success in life," he said.
Healthy-ish eating…
On obesity, he said it was right to encourage children to eat healthily by limiting their options.
He tried to compare an unhealthy option like pizza and chips to a healthy option - but took some time to think of one, finally landing on ratatouille and salad.
Asked which he would choose, he said: "I would probably have both".
A classmate of Mohammed Emwazi - the Londoner unmasked as "Jihadi John" - has told Sky News that "nothing in his high school could have left him radicalised".
The fellow pupil of the Quintin Kynaston academy, who was two years older than Emwazi and does not wish to be named, believes the IS militant's education beyond high school may be responsible for his transformation into a cold-blooded killer.
"It wasn't like university where you'd have speakers coming over from certain societies to give talks," he said. "I suppose there was potential for him to be groomed, that is a possibility. But at the time, at secondary school, he was like any of us."
Emwazi went on to study at the University of Westminster between 2006 and 2009 - finishing his computer programming degree in the same year he was reportedly questioned by an MI5 officer in Amsterdam, accused of attempting to travel to Somalia to join a terror group.
According to the classmate, there was nothing to suggest Emwazi was religious during his teenage years. He was quiet, rarely made eye contact, and always wore a baseball cap - but was known to get into the occasional fight.
1/5
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
Written By Unknown on Jumat, 27 Februari 2015 | 16.12
"Alarming" numbers of children are being exposed to images of self-harm before they are even teenagers, a study by four youth charities has found.
According to the survey, 60% of 11 to 14-year-olds have shared photographs of people self-harming on social networking sites.
When children from this age group were asked how they responded to such images, more than half said they "felt like hurting themselves afterwards".
The study also suggests that 80% of 18 to 21-year-olds have self-harmed, or know someone who has - prompting experts to warn the findings "beg concerning questions about the relationship between self-harm, children, young people and parts of the online world".
More than 2,000 people aged between 11 and 21 were questioned by ChildLine, YouthNet, selfharmUK and YoungMinds ahead of Self-Harm Awareness Day on 1 March.
Video:Compassion Urged For Self-Harmers
Emma Thomas, chief executive of YouthNet, said: "We all have a responsibility to share content and images responsibly online, and to be aware of how what we post might affect others.
"Far more must be done to educate and empower young people, so they can be safer online."
In response to the findings, a Government spokesman said it took the issue of child safety online very seriously - with £150m being invested to help young people who suffer from eating disorders, and those who self-harm.
He added: "The four main internet service providers have committed to giving their customers an unavoidable choice on installing family friendly filters that will protect all devices in the home.
"These allow parents to prevent their children from accessing suicide and self-harm sites, as well as other potentially harmful content."
Lloyds Banking Group is to pay a dividend for the first time since its taxpayer bailout after annual profits quadrupled to £1.76bn in 2014.
The taxpayer is set to net £130m from the payment, which equates to 0.75p-per-share or £535m in total.
It is a sign the bank's recovery plan is on track as the Treasury continues to slowly return Lloyds to private hands through share sales.
Its share price rose 1% in early trading on the FTSE 100 after the development was confirmed.
Chancellor George Osborne said the payout was good news for millions of savers who hold Lloyds shares or have money invested in Lloyds through their pensions.
He added: "Today's results are another major milestone in the recovery of the British economy from the great recession and the bank bailouts."
However, there is likely to be a backlash against the Lloyds chief executive Antonio Horta-Osorio, who is in line to net £11.5m in bonuses, including a £7m long-term award set three years ago which was linked to a recovery in the bank's share price.
Lloyds' total bonus pool for the year was set at £369m - a decline of almost 4% on last year - and considerably lower than that of RBS for 2014 which on Thursday confirmed it remained loss-making.
Like its high-street rival, Lloyds was rescued in 2008 with a £20bn injection of taxpayer cash which led to it being 40% owned by the Government.
That stake has since been reduced to 24%.
Mr Horta-Osorio said: "Over the last four years we have transformed Lloyds Banking Group into a low cost, low risk, UK-focused retail and commercial bank.
"This has been made possible by the hard work of everyone at the Group. Today's results also demonstrate that our profitability and capital position have improved significantly, and this has enabled the Board, for the first time in over six years, to recommend we pay a dividend to our shareholders.
"While we recognise we have more to do, we enter the next phase of our strategy from a position of strength.
"We will remain focused on our customers, embrace the digital age throughout the whole Group, continue our support for the UK economy and aim to deliver strong and sustainable returns for our shareholders."
Its profits were achieved despite £2.2bn of charges in respect of the mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI) during the year - down from over £3bn in 2013 - and other regulatory provisions of £925m, which included its £217m fine for fixing the Libor inter-bank lending rate.
Lloyds said it was expecting 600,000 new PPI complainants in the current financial year and warned it may have to raise its current provision, which currently totals more than £12bn to date.
The bank also confirmed that it had withdrawn from a US Department of Justice programme examining allegations of tax evasion related to its historic private banking operations in Switzerland.
Lloyds said it had completed a process of due diligence related to the investigation and determined no further participation was warranted.
Ed Miliband will today outline Labour's election promise to reduce tuition fees - rolling back some of the increase which was implemented by the coalition.
Under the party's plans, the cap on undergraduate fees would be reduced from £9,000 to £6,000 per year.
Mr Miliband first expressed aspirations of introducing this policy in 2011 - and the shadow cabinet minister responsible for realising it, Chuka Umunna, described the process as "long and tortuous".
At an audience with students in Leeds, the Labour leader will say: "We all know that under David Cameron and Nick Clegg, the fee cap for full-time undergraduates was trebled to £9,000 per year.
"With most universities charging close to the maximum, graduates now leave university with more than £44,000 debt on average.
Video:'You Can't Get That Trust Back'
"My generation would never have imagined beginning our adult life with that amount of debt. But this Government expects it of this generation."
The Labour leader will publish a "zero-based review" of Higher Education, arguing that students cannot afford to repay fees, leading to a ballooning burden for the taxpayer, much of which will have to be written off.
"The Government has designed a system which is burdening students with debt today, and set to weigh down the taxpayer with more debt tomorrow. Much of this money will never be paid back," he will add.
"By the late 2040s, student loan write-offs will be hitting £21bn a year - almost double the entire cost of police services in England and Wales. It must go down as one of the most expensive broken promises in history."
But Business Secretary Vince Cable told Sky News: "It's an absolutely terrible idea that will do great harm to universities.
"Its completely unecessary because we have got a good system now where universities are properly funded, students who go there don't pay any cash, they pay back later in life in relation to their income.
"The only people who benefit from the Labour proposal will be future graduates on high incomes - the investment bankers of the future.
Video:Labour Tuition Fee Plan Criticised
"It's a very, very retrograde, regressive step that will undermine higher education."
According to Mr Cable, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has reported the UK system was the "best in Europe", but the Liberal Democrats are well aware of the electoral damage they will receive from tuition fees.
In seven seats, students hold the balance of power. Mr Clegg and Mr Cable have repeatedly apologised for having made a pre-election pledge not to raise tuition fees, abandoned when in Government.
The tuition fees announcement will form the centrepiece of Labour's youth manifesto.
Labour has been squeezed by the Green Party when it comes to support from the under-25s, and it needs to motivate young people just to register to vote.
But it also needs to keep university chiefs on side. Labour is expected to raid tax breaks for large pension pots to replace the universities' lost income from fees.
The full details will be announced this afternoon.
Written By Unknown on Kamis, 26 Februari 2015 | 16.12
By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent
A British soldier who showed "complete disregard" for his own safety has won the Victoria Cross for his role in a gun battle in Afghanistan.
Lance Corporal Joshua Leakey will receive the honour following a combined US/UK assault on a Taliban stronghold in Helmand Province in 2013.
His group came under attack from around 20 insurgents armed with machine guns and rocket propelled grenades.
Under heavy fire he ran to the top of a hill where he realised two friendly machine gun teams had been surrounded.
He then moved back down the hill to give first aid to a US Marine Corps captain and began casualty evacuation.
Despite being the most junior member of the group, he returned to the top of the hill to take control of a machine gun, before moving position to fire on the enemy.
Again Lance Cpl Leakey ran 200 metres down the hill, this time to pick up a second machine gun. In 45 degree heat he clambered back up again with 60lbs of equipment on his back, drawing fire.
The troops around him were inspired by his actions and started fighting back.
General Sir Nicholas Carter 'humbled to award him the Victoria Cross'
During the battle, 11 insurgents were killed and four wounded.
According to his citation, his "gritty leadership" well-above his junior rank, "single-handedly regained the initiative and prevented considerable loss of life".
On hearing the news he was to receive the British armed forces' highest military honour, he said: "Why me? Why on earth have they picked me out for this.
"It's amazing to receive this, it's outrageous really. But it represents something more than just me, my mates who were there with me at the time, the rest of that tour, all the other tours the battalion has done and the regiment as well."
The Head of the Army, General Sir Nicholas Carter, clearly moved when announcing the honour , said he was "humbled to award him the Victoria Cross".
The award comes almost 70 years after another member of his family was given the same honour.
His second cousin twice removed, Sergeant Nigel Gray Leakey, was a posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross in November 1945 for his gallantry while fighting in Africa during the Second World War.
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Video:Madge Slams Into Brits Stage
Madonna took a nasty tumble down some stairs after a costume malfunction during her first performance at the Brit Awards in 20 years.
Viewers were left shocked when the singer fell backwards and smashed into the stage after a dancer tried to yank off the cloak she was wearing.
The singer fell three steps before getting back on her feet to continue the performance surrounded by dancers dressed as devils.
Madonna said she was 'fine' on Instagram
She took to Instagram soon after the gaffe and explained that the Armani cloak was "tied too tight", but that she was "fine".
"Armani hooked me up! My beautiful cape was tied too tight! But nothing can stop me and love really lifted me up! Thanks for your good wishes! I'm fine! ❤️#livingforlove," she wrote.
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Gallery: Fallen Madonna: Star Hits The Deck
Madonna takes a nasty tumble during her performance of Living For Love at the Brit Awards
The accident happened when a dancer attempted to remove her cloak, sending her falling backwards down the stairs with her legs in the air
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Madonna was temporarily left on the deck but the Queen of Pop carried on with her performance despite the wince-inducing mishap
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Sky's Richard Suchet, who was at the event at the O2 Arena in London, said onlookers winced as the Queen of Pop fell in front of thousands of fans.
Many took to Twitter to show their support after the slip-up as she sang her new single Living For Love.
The track, from the 56-year-old's new album Rebel Heart, ironically contains the lyrics "Lifted me up and watched me stumble" and "Took me to heaven and let me fall down."
Tweeter Louise Houghton wrote: "Big respect to @Madonna @BRITAwards for carrying on so professionally & giving an awesome performance. Please don't slate her."
Melanie Redmond tweeted: "Oh my god. Madonna. That fall. I feel so bad for you but you did sing about stumbling. And you really did more than that, you crash landed."
1/23
Gallery: Battle Of The Nice Guys At Brits
Ed Sheeran won the first award of the night after being named best British male solo and best British album
Paloma Faith gave a long and emotional speech after being named best British female solo artist
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Another wrote: "I'm sweating with anxiety for the cape puller who will perish in the flames tonight."
Madonna was the last act to perform during the show, hosted by Ant and Dec, which saw Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith walk away with two prizes each.
She was not the only act whose performance did not go as they might have hoped.
Kanye West's song All Day had to be heavily muted by ITV because of repeated uses of the n-word in the lyrics, leaving many watching at home scratching their heads.
One viewer, tweeting as Shukat1, said: "Why have Kanye if you're just gonna censor the performance?"
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Madonna Blames Brits Stairs Tumble On Cloak
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Madge Slams Into Brits Stage
Madonna took a nasty tumble down some stairs after a costume malfunction during her first performance at the Brit Awards in 20 years.
Viewers were left shocked when the singer fell backwards and smashed into the stage after a dancer tried to yank off the cloak she was wearing.
The singer fell three steps before getting back on her feet to continue the performance surrounded by dancers dressed as devils.
Madonna said she was 'fine' on Instagram
She took to Instagram soon after the gaffe and explained that the Armani cloak was "tied too tight", but that she was "fine".
"Armani hooked me up! My beautiful cape was tied too tight! But nothing can stop me and love really lifted me up! Thanks for your good wishes! I'm fine! ❤️#livingforlove," she wrote.
1/8
Gallery: Fallen Madonna: Star Hits The Deck
Madonna takes a nasty tumble during her performance of Living For Love at the Brit Awards
The accident happened when a dancer attempted to remove her cloak, sending her falling backwards down the stairs with her legs in the air
]]>
]]>
Madonna was temporarily left on the deck but the Queen of Pop carried on with her performance despite the wince-inducing mishap
]]>
]]>
Sky's Richard Suchet, who was at the event at the O2 Arena in London, said onlookers winced as the Queen of Pop fell in front of thousands of fans.
Many took to Twitter to show their support after the slip-up as she sang her new single Living For Love.
The track, from the 56-year-old's new album Rebel Heart, ironically contains the lyrics "Lifted me up and watched me stumble" and "Took me to heaven and let me fall down."
Tweeter Louise Houghton wrote: "Big respect to @Madonna @BRITAwards for carrying on so professionally & giving an awesome performance. Please don't slate her."
Melanie Redmond tweeted: "Oh my god. Madonna. That fall. I feel so bad for you but you did sing about stumbling. And you really did more than that, you crash landed."
1/23
Gallery: Battle Of The Nice Guys At Brits
Ed Sheeran won the first award of the night after being named best British male solo and best British album
Paloma Faith gave a long and emotional speech after being named best British female solo artist
]]>
Another wrote: "I'm sweating with anxiety for the cape puller who will perish in the flames tonight."
Madonna was the last act to perform during the show, hosted by Ant and Dec, which saw Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith walk away with two prizes each.
She was not the only act whose performance did not go as they might have hoped.
Kanye West's song All Day had to be heavily muted by ITV because of repeated uses of the n-word in the lyrics, leaving many watching at home scratching their heads.
One viewer, tweeting as Shukat1, said: "Why have Kanye if you're just gonna censor the performance?"
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Top Stories
Reports: NHS Failings Let Savile Abuse Children
VC Hero Took On 20 Taliban In Helmand Battle
Surgeon Plans First Human Head Transplant
Breaking News: Prince William Qualifies As Air Ambulance Pilot
Breaking News: RBS Racks Up £3.5bn Loss As Boss Hands Back £1m
A £4bn writedown on its US business meant Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) remained in the red in 2014, with the bank confirming a £3.5bn loss.
The annual loss marked the seventh consecutive year the part-nationalised bank has failed to achieve profitability however the figure was a marked improvement on 2013 when it lost £9bn.
RBS said it would have made a profit but for the money it had written off at its US bank Citizens, which was built up over 25 years, through what it called a "fair value adjustment".
The bank also confirmed a Sky News story of Wednesday evening that chief executive Ross McEwan was giving up his £1m "role-based allowance" for 2015, which is intended as a top-up to his £1m basic salary.
He had already decided not to take a bonus for 2014 and RBS said it was reducing the size of its total bonus pool for the year by 16% to £483m.
Sir Howard Davies, currently leading the Airports Commission, was to be its new chairman and he would replace Sir Philip Hampton from September, it added.
The bank said it had £2.2bn in litigation and conduct provisions during the year - money it set aside to cover the cost of previous misconduct.
It included additional provisions for the mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI) of £650m and provisions relating to investigations into the foreign exchange market of £720m.
The bank confirmed on Wednesday that it had suspended two further employees in connection with the currency-rigging investigation.
Operating profits were £3.5bn - the highest since 2010. - which RBS said reflected its restructuring efforts and renewed focus on the customer.
Mr McEwan said: "Our 2014 performance shows a strategy that is working. The strong execution against the targets we set now gives us a platform to go further and faster against this strategy.
"These results make clear that underneath the conduct, litigation and restructuring charges, we have strong performing customer businesses that are geared towards delivering sustainable returns for investors.
"What you see today is a bank that is on track and delivering on its plan; a bank that is able to deliver on its ambition to be number one for customer service and advocacy in the UK and Republic of Ireland".
Unions expressed concern that further planned restructuring would hurt jobs.
Unite national officer Rob MacGregor said: "Unite is deeply concerned that the announcement today by RBS of further restructuring will unfairly impact low-paid and administration staff within the investment banking division.
"Today's announcement won't leave the wealthy traders devastated and worried about how they pay their mortgages. It will be the worker in the back office earning £20,000 per year who now faces uncertainty about what the future holds.
"Already over 30,000 jobs have been cut from across RBS since the bailout in 2008.
"We now want a proper consultation period with Unite involving serious negotiations about how the business will be restructured."
The Chancellor welcomed Sir Howard's appointment as chairman in a letter this morning, calling on him to ensure the bank's business was "conducted to the very highest ethical standards".
George Osborne wrote: "Given the extraordinary support it has enjoyed in the past from taxpayers, I know you recognise that RBS must remain a backmarker on pay and continue to show responsibility and restraint."
Written By Unknown on Rabu, 25 Februari 2015 | 16.12
Three British schoolgirls feared to be planning to join Islamic State are now believed by police to have crossed the Turkish border into Syria.
Scotland Yard said counter-terrorism officers leading the investigation "now have reason to believe that they are no longer in Turkey and have crossed into Syria".
A spokesman added: "Officers continue to work closely with the Turkish authorities on this investigation."
The girls were students at Bethnal Green Academy in east London
Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and 15-year-old Amira Abase, from east London, flew to Istanbul from Gatwick Airport last Tuesday.
The girls' relatives have made emotional pleas for them to come home amid concerns they may have been recruited by jihadists who communicated with them online.
1/7
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
The Speaker of the House of Commons has admitted he is partly responsible for the bad behaviour at Prime Minister's Questions.
In an exclusive interview with Sky News Stand Up Be Counted members, John Bercow MP said: "Do I accept some share of the responsibility for putting it right? I do."
He also gave his views on the "cash for access" scandal telling MPs Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Jack Straw they will "cop it" if it is proven they have broken the rules over claims they offered to trade their influence in return for money.
Four young people challenged the Speaker on how he runs Parliament as part of Sky News' campaign to give a voice to 18-24 year olds.
Chris Robertson, 24, from Lincoln, said he finds MPs' conduct at PMQs "horrible".
Video:'Rifkind And Straw May Cop It'
He said: "I'm a student union president and if I acted like that around my members I'd have been sacked by now.
"You've been speaking out for six years. Do you not think it should've been curtailed by now? Does it mean that you have failed in your job as leader of the house and Speaker?"
Mr Bercow replied: "Do I accept that the unreformed Prime Minister's Questions is a problem? I do. Do I accept some share of responsibility for putting it right? I do.
"Would I accept that it's all down to the Speaker? No I wouldn't. What I can't do, what no Speaker can do is make people behave decently if they don't want to behave decently.
"Members have got to take responsibility for their own conduct in the chamber.
"And I think my point would be to ask members who shout regularly - would you be content for your constituents to see and hear you if you if you were caught on camera?
Video:What They Thought Of Mr Speaker
"And if the answer is they would be content, there is something wrong, and if the answer is that they wouldn't be content then they should change the way they behave."
The Stand Up Be Counted contributors were given rare access to the Speaker in the Palace of Westminster as part of attempts to engage young people in politics.
Less than half of 18-24 year olds voted at the last election, with young women the least likely to vote by some margin.
Eighteen-year-old Ellie James, from Grimsby, challenged the Speaker about the lack of female MPs.
He criticised the main parties for not doing enough, saying: "I think the parties talked the talk and have made some progress but I don't think they anything like as effectively walked the walk, so I would look to the parties to do more there."
He also revealed that he seeks to make sure women are called to speak in the Chamber, adding: "I don't like calling lots of men in a row. I always have in mind what female colleagues I have called today. And if I may say so, and this isn't meant in a patronising sense at all, but the simple fact is women on the whole are better behaved in parliament than the men.
Detectives investigating the disappearance and suspected murder of cook Claudia Lawrence are carrying out fresh searches close to her home in York.
The focus will be the alleyway to the rear of her flat in Heworth Road.
North Yorkshire Police's Major Crime Unit will also be carrying out house-to-house inquiries in the area as well as contacting former residents.
CCTV images of Ms Lawrence recorded just before she went missing
It comes as Miss Lawrence's family prepare to mark her 41st birthday on Friday.
Detective Superintendent Dai Malyn, who is leading the investigation, said: "The team are currently working on a lead that may indicate the alleyway at the rear of Claudia's house is significant.
"We still don't know if Claudia left for work on the morning of Thursday 19 March 2009 or whether something happened overnight within her house.
"If the latter is the case the person or persons responsible, in my view, would have used the rear alleyway as the front door leads onto a busy main road. This is why this specific piece of information needs to be fully investigated.
"Officers will be conducting house-to-house enquiries in the vicinity to jog people's memories about any vehicular access to the alleyway and how frequently this was used by neighbours or other pedestrians.
"We are also checking again that no CCTV recording equipment in the neighbourhood has been overlooked."
Det Supt Malyn added: "This remains one of several active enquiries at present that will be developed over the coming weeks and months.
"Together with Claudia's family, we remain absolutely determined to solve this case and bring those responsible for her disappearance and suspected murder to justice."
Miss Lawrence worked in a kitchen at York University and was 35 when she went missing.
She was last seen at around 3pm on 18 March 2009 as she made her way home from her shift and was reported missing by her father two days later.
Last May a 59-year-old local man was arrested on suspicion of killing Miss Lawrence but was later released without charge.
Written By Unknown on Selasa, 24 Februari 2015 | 16.12
By Gerard Tubb, Sky News Correspondent
Children with a high risk of developing life-threatening peanut allergies can be protected if given foods containing them when they are babies, according to new research.
Almost one in 50 children is allergic to peanuts, double the rate of ten years ago, and the condition kills more people than any other food allergy.
The Learning Early About Peanut Allergy study led by Professor Gideon Lack of King's College London involved 640 children who were considered at high risk of developing peanut allergy due to pre-existing severe eczema or egg allergy.
Half the children ate foods containing peanuts at least three times a week until they were five, while the others avoided peanuts altogether.
At the end of the study 3.2% of the children who had eaten peanuts had an allergic reaction to them, compared with 17.2% of the control group.
Professor Lack said it was an important clinical development that contravenes previous guidelines.
"Whilst these were withdrawn in 2008 in the UK and US, our study suggests that new guidelines may be needed to reduce the rate of peanut allergy in our children," he said.
Despite their findings, the study's authors warn parents not to give peanuts to infants or young children without taking medical advice and say further research is needed.
Farmers have warned that almost half of the UK's food will come from abroad by 2040.
Research by the National Farmer's Union (NFU) has found that over the last 30 years a downward spiral of self sufficiency means less and less of what we eat is British grown or reared.
Currently just 60% of food consumed in the UK is British. That is predicted to fall to 53% in 25 years time, with a warning it could fall below 50% by 2080.
NFU vice president Guy Smith said: "Currently, farming grows most of the raw ingredients for Britain's food and drink industry - worth £97bn - which provides jobs for 3.5 million people across the country.
"With that in mind, the prospect of the UK becoming less than 50% self-sufficient should ring alarm bells across all political parties.
"Our burgeoning trade deficit in food and drink isn't just worrying in terms of food security, it also has important implications for jobs and general economic health."
Mike Gorton has been farming in Cheshire for nearly five decades. He told Sky News it is important to protect the quality of the food we eat.
"Recently we saw the 'horsegate' scandal where you can't be as sure of products from abroad as you can from our domestic produce that has the red tractor where we're working hard as an industry to ensure the standards the public demand are met."
The NFU says it has the support of the public, citing a recent poll which found 85% of people want to see more British produce on supermarket shelves.
However many shoppers who spoke to Sky News in Handforth, Cheshire, admitted price dictates what they buy over whether it is British or not.
An excessive reliance on imported food led to rationing during World War Two. A subsequent drive to increase food production has now subsided since self sufficiency peaked in the 1980s.
The NFU says the UK's food security should be a priority whichever Government is in power after the general election.
A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said: "From farm to fork, our food industry is in good health - it generated a record £103bn for our economy last year, more than cars and aerospace combined.
"We are helping the industry become more competitive, at home and abroad, by opening up record numbers of international food markets to export our produce, making it easier for our schools and hospitals to buy local, helping consumers choose UK products through improved country-of-origin labelling, and investing in cutting-edge technology like GPS-guided tractors."
Pressure is mounting on Sir Malcolm Rifkind to step down as chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) after he was secretly filmed negotiating an advisory role with a fictitious Chinese company.
The Conservative MP was lured into a sting in which he told undercover reporters he could offer "useful access" to British ambassadors across the world.
The Prime Minister has not offered Sir Malcolm his confidence, and now a former chair of the group has said the allegations make his position as chairman "very difficult".
Sir Malcolm strongly denies wrongdoing but Kim Howells, a former chairman of the ISC, has cast doubt on whether the Conservative MP can carry on in his role.
He told Newsnight that the reputation of the committee – which has oversight of intelligence and security agencies - could not afford to be "dragged down" by a sting because it was "too important".
Video:Straw Says He's Done Nothing Wrong
He also questioned how Sir Malcolm could have the time for an advisory role given how busy he would be as chairman of the ISC.
The controversy has also left the MP fighting to save his House of Commons career – after the Conservatives removed the whip from him pending an internal investigation.
He will have to face his local association in Kensington, London, on Thursday, where there could be anger about his comments regarding how much free time he had. Sir Malcolm told the undercover reporters he spent "a lot of time reading, a lot of time walking".
Both Sir Malcolm and Labour MP Jack Straw were caught out after reporters posed as representatives of a fictitious Chinese company.Jack Straw boasted about working "under the radar" in a £60,000 consultancy role for a commodities company for whom he claimed to have altered EU regulation and Ukrainian law.
Sir Malcolm said he could offer "useful access" to British ambassadors across the world – and write to ministers for information without naming the client.
He also said: "I am self-employed – so no one pays me a salary. I have to earn my income." He told Sky News the comments were "silly", acknowledging that he has a £67,000 income as an MP.
Sir Malcolm said he was going to fight the allegations, and insisted the conversation with the fake company was completely unrelated to his role in the committee.
He said he had only talked about helping the company to source information in the public domain.
But there is disquiet among some committee members, who say the controversy has been harmful, but who also argue that without Sir Malcolm the group's latest investigation could be delayed.
Meanwhile, Mr Straw has also denied all wrongdoing but the affair has cast a shadow over the end of his House of Commons career.
The Labour leader Ed Miliband described the incident as "disturbing".
Some had assumed Mr Straw would move into the House of Lords but Labour sources say that could not happen while an investigation is ongoing. The MP agreed to be suspended from the Labour party.
Both men have referred themselves to the parliamentary standards commissioner – but an investigation could take months.
Written By Unknown on Senin, 23 Februari 2015 | 16.12
Rolf Harris Stripped Of Honours In Australia
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The 84-year-old was convicted of a string of indecent assaults last year
Disgraced veteran entertainer Rolf Harris has been stripped of his honours in his native Australia.
Harris was jailed for more than five years last year after being convicted of a string of indecent assaults, including one on an eight-year-old.
Another of his young victims was the best friend of his daughter Bindi,
The shamed 84-year-old artist and musician has now lost his Officer and Member of the Order of Australia honours.
A statement from the secretary of the order of Australia said: "It is notified for general information that the Governor-General has terminated the appointments of Officer and Member of the Order of Australia in the General Division, made to: Mr Rolf Harris".
1/10
Gallery: Rolf Harris' Career In Pictures
Rolf Harris was born on March 30, 1930, and grew up in Perth, Western Australia. As a boy, he became interested in art and his talent was recognised at primary school.
Harris had his first solo art exhibition in Perth at the age of 16. He spent two years at university but left to begin a course at teacher training college.
]]>
He was a talented swimmer when he was a teenager but while he was at teacher training college, he contracted a virus that paralysed him for several months.
]]>
In 1952, aged 21, he left Australia to study art in London. He started at art school in 1953 but left after two years to work with the artist Hayward Veal.
]]>
During the 1950s, he worked for the BBC on children's programmes. In 1958, he married Alwen Hughes and worked on a TV show in Perth for a year.
]]>
There have also been calls for Harris to lose his CBE in Britain.
Honours given by Buckingham Palace can be revoked when the person is judged to have brought the system into disrepute.
The Honours and Appointments Secretariat can recommend to the forfeiture committee to remove an honour if a person has been found guilty of a crime.
The decision to strip an individual of an honour must be approved by the Queen.
During sentencing last year, Mr Justice Sweeney told Harris: "Your reputation lies in ruins. You have been stripped of your honours and you have no one to blame but yourself.
Video:Co-Author: Two Sides To Rolf Harris
"You took advantage of the trust placed in you because of your celebrity status to commit the offences."
Harris' BAFTA fellowship was removed following his conviction, while he was also stripped of an honorary degree from the University of East London.
During his seven-week trial, prosecutor Sasha Wass described Harris as a ''sinister pervert''.
She claimed he had a ''dark side'' and was a ''Jekyll and Hyde character''.
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Rolf Harris Stripped Of Honours In Australia
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
The 84-year-old was convicted of a string of indecent assaults last year
Disgraced veteran entertainer Rolf Harris has been stripped of his honours in his native Australia.
Harris was jailed for more than five years last year after being convicted of a string of indecent assaults, including one on an eight-year-old.
Another of his young victims was the best friend of his daughter Bindi,
The shamed 84-year-old artist and musician has now lost his Officer and Member of the Order of Australia honours.
A statement from the secretary of the order of Australia said: "It is notified for general information that the Governor-General has terminated the appointments of Officer and Member of the Order of Australia in the General Division, made to: Mr Rolf Harris".
1/10
Gallery: Rolf Harris' Career In Pictures
Rolf Harris was born on March 30, 1930, and grew up in Perth, Western Australia. As a boy, he became interested in art and his talent was recognised at primary school.
Harris had his first solo art exhibition in Perth at the age of 16. He spent two years at university but left to begin a course at teacher training college.
]]>
He was a talented swimmer when he was a teenager but while he was at teacher training college, he contracted a virus that paralysed him for several months.
]]>
In 1952, aged 21, he left Australia to study art in London. He started at art school in 1953 but left after two years to work with the artist Hayward Veal.
]]>
During the 1950s, he worked for the BBC on children's programmes. In 1958, he married Alwen Hughes and worked on a TV show in Perth for a year.
]]>
There have also been calls for Harris to lose his CBE in Britain.
Honours given by Buckingham Palace can be revoked when the person is judged to have brought the system into disrepute.
The Honours and Appointments Secretariat can recommend to the forfeiture committee to remove an honour if a person has been found guilty of a crime.
The decision to strip an individual of an honour must be approved by the Queen.
During sentencing last year, Mr Justice Sweeney told Harris: "Your reputation lies in ruins. You have been stripped of your honours and you have no one to blame but yourself.
Video:Co-Author: Two Sides To Rolf Harris
"You took advantage of the trust placed in you because of your celebrity status to commit the offences."
Harris' BAFTA fellowship was removed following his conviction, while he was also stripped of an honorary degree from the University of East London.
During his seven-week trial, prosecutor Sasha Wass described Harris as a ''sinister pervert''.
She claimed he had a ''dark side'' and was a ''Jekyll and Hyde character''.
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Straw And Rifkind Face 'Cash For Access' Claims
Breaking News: HSBC Annual Profits Fall 17% To £12.14bn
Stuart Gulliver, HSBC's chief executive, reportedly kept millions of his own money sheltered in the bank's private Swiss offshoot.
The Guardian says Mr Gulliver - due to announce the bank's full-year results this morning - kept $7.6m (£4.93m) via an account held by a Panamanian company.
Leaked files reportedly show that in 2007 he was the beneficial owner of an account held by Worcester Equities Inc.
It comes amid the ongoing scandal over claims HSBC's Swiss private banking arm helped wealthy clients evade and avoid tax, and provided services to criminals including arms dealers.
The Derby-born banking chief apologised for the behaviour of the Swiss division in national newspaper advertisements last week.
Video:Timeline Of Whistleblower's Claims
Mr Gulliver insisted it had been "completely overhauled" since 2007, when whistleblower Herve Falciani opened the door to the scandal, stealing company data and passing it to French authorities.
Swiss prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into allegations of money laundering after raiding the bank's offices in Geneva.
The 55-year-old - believed to have raked in a £7.4m reward package last year - is legally domiciled in Hong Kong after working there for many years, despite now working in the UK.
Video:HSBC Whistleblower Speaks Out
Representatives for the banking boss told the Guardian he had paid his bonus payments into HSBC Suisse until 2003.
They said Hong Kong tax had been paid and that Mr Gulliver had also told the UK taxman about the account a "number of years" ago.
A representative said: "Full UK tax has been paid on the entirety of his worldwide earnings less a credit for tax paid additionally in Hong Kong…"
Video:Cameron And Miliband Clash On HSBC
But, according to the newspaper, they would not say why a Panamanian company had been used to hold the money when Swiss accounts already offer secrecy.
MPs are set to grill HMRC tax officials on Wednesday over accusations they failed to act properly on the leaked files and potential evidence of tax evasion by more than 3,000 Britons.
HSBC, the global bank currently at the centre of a tax scandal, has blamed a 17% fall in annual profits on the cost of past mistakes.
The London-listed group said reported profit before tax fell to $18.68bn (£12.14bn) in 2014 and it reflected "lower business disposal and reclassification gains and the negative effect, on both revenue and costs, of significant items including fines, settlements, UK customer redress and associated provisions".
The explanation reflected the continued cost on the industry of a number of scandals, including the mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI).
The results were announced just hours after HSBC's chief executive Stuart Gulliver, who has vowed to reform the bank in the wake of allegations of complicity in tax evasion at its Swiss arm, was dragged into a tax row himself.
Mr Gulliver, who denies any wrong-doing in connection with his own Swiss-based account, said he was "disappointed" in the group's performance last year.
"2014 was a challenging year in which we continued to work hard to improve business performance while managing the impact of a higher operating cost base.
"Profits disappointed, although a tough fourth quarter masked some of the progress made over the preceding three quarters.
"Many of the challenging aspects of the fourth-quarter results were common to the industry as a whole."
Banks have not only been negotiating the effects of record-low interest rates but also uncertainty over the global economy.
In relation to the Swiss tax scandal, HSBC chairman Douglas Flint said the bank needed to reinforce controls and demonstrate their effectiveness.
He added: "We deeply regret and apologise for the conduct and compliance failures highlighted, which were in contravention of our own policies as well as expectations of us."
The bank was also the subject of a £216m fine from the Financial Conduct Authority relating to HSBC's failure to prevent the rigging of foreign exchange operations.
Written By Unknown on Minggu, 22 Februari 2015 | 16.12
More than £300m is to be spent over the next five years on research, medical trials and training to tackle dementia, the Prime Minister has announced.
David Cameron plans to set up an international dementia institute in England in a bid to make the UK a world leader for research and medical trials.
A separate multimillion-pound fund will be launched to help establish an international investment scheme to discover new drugs and treatments that could slow down the onset of dementia or even deliver a cure.
Some 1.3 million NHS workers, from surgeons to hospital porters, will be given training in how to give those with dementia the best possible standards of care.
Businesses and public services will be encouraged to offer greater understanding and support for people with the condition.
Video:Oct: Dementia Plan A 'Travesty'
And a further three million volunteers are to be recruited to train as "dementia friends" to help care for sufferers.
Mr Cameron said: "Dementia is one of the greatest challenges of our lifetime, and I am proud that we are leading the world in fighting it.
"Because of the growing strength of our economy, we can invest in research and drug development, as well as public understanding, so we defeat this terrible condition and offer more hope and dignity for those who suffer.
"That way, we can help make Britain a country that offers security in retirement for all."
Video:2014: Dementia Care Plan Revealed
Other pledges include having the majority of people in England living in "dementia friendly communities" by making shops, transport and other public places more accessible to people with the condition.
And initial dementia assessments by GPs will take place in an average of six weeks and will be followed by better onward support.
There are around 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK, with the number expected to hit a million within the next 10 years.
Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, said: "Dementia Friends is truly changing attitudes and capturing the public's attention.
Video:June: Dementia: Threat To Humanity
"Together we are transforming lives today and reaching out for preventative treatments and a cure tomorrow.
"This Government has rightly prioritised dementia.
"We would all acknowledge the work that remains to be done, but the PM deserves credit for the phenomenal achievement in getting dementia on the national and global agenda and this has resulted in significant progress."
Mr Cameron visited High Wycombe on Saturday to meet people with dementia, and dementia friends.
Video:Sept: Cost Of Dementia Care Soars
He said: "What today's announcement is about is a very simple but bold ambition, and that is to make the United Kingdom the best place on the planet in terms of researching into dementia, in terms of diagnosing people with dementia and then in terms of treating, helping and caring for them.
"Not just hospitals and care homes, but the whole of our country making dementia friendly communities."
"Super tides", 50mph winds and large waves are threatening to combine to bring flooding misery for coastal communities in England.
The biggest flood risk is in the South West, with four "immediate action required" warnings issued by the Environment Agency (EA), mainly for the Somerset coast; and three for the North West.
Two warnings are also in place around the Wye Estuary in the Midlands. There are also dozens of lower-level amber flood alerts - meaning flooding is possible.
Most of the serious warnings are in England's South West (Pic: EA)
"It's possible we could see some large waves and spray and urge people to take care near coastal paths and promenades and not to drive through flood water," said the EA's flood risk manager Jonathan Day.
The spring "super tides" occur regularly when the gravitational pull of the sun and moon combine.
But the pull of the planets is also at an 18-year peak, making the tides slightly bigger this year, according to the EA.
The South East saw a dusting of snow on Saturday
Surfers on the River Severn made the best of the tidal boost, riding the incoming bore wave on Saturday morning.
Crowds gathered on the banks to watch the phenomenon, which at its peak can reach 13mph and three metres in height.
Saturday's wave was one of several large surges expected in February and March.
Meanwhile, heavy snow is also set to add to a turbulent mix of weekend weather, causing travel problems in Pennine areas and the Highlands.
A woman on a paddle board prepares for the Severn bore surge
Parts of England's South East have already had snow this weekend, with rural areas of East Sussex, Surrey and Kent seeing some picture postcard scenes.
The Met Office said freezing temperatures on Saturday night would see more wintry showers sweeping in in the morning.
"The whole of the country will experience strong winds and severe gales over the course of [Sunday], meaning it will be a wet and windy day for many - and a snowy and windy day for northern parts," said Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge.
A gang of men, believed to be Chelsea fans, are being hunted by police after being heard shouting racist chants at St Pancras station.
The men were returning from Paris by train on Wednesday, the day after the club played Paris St Germain in the French capital.
The incident happened at the central London station at around 8pm, and was reported by a member of the public who was "disgusted" by their behaviour, the British Transport Police (BTP) said.
It comes after police released images of three men - believed to be Chelsea fans - who they want to speak to in connection with a separate incident on the Paris Metro on Tuesday.
The three men police want to speak to
A group of fans were captured on video stopping a black man boarding a train and chanting: "We're racist, we're racist, and that's the way we like it."
Speaking about the incident at St Pancras station, Superintendent Gill Murray of the BTP said: "The men shouted as they walked through the station having alighted from the train a short time earlier.
Video:Victim: Metro Incident Was Racist
"If you travelled on the train from Paris or were at the station and have information which can assist our investigation I would urge you to get in touch as a matter of urgency."
The club has suspended five people from Stamford Bridge, the club's stadium, while it investigates the incident on the Paris Metro.
Chelsea said it had received "substantial information" following an appeal for witnesses.
The club has reiterated its vow to ban for life anyone proved to have been involved, and is helping police in the UK and France.
Video:'We Don't Want Them At Our Club'
Manager Jose Mourinho has said the club is "ashamed" of the supporters, and said he would welcome the victim - Souleymane Sylla - to a future home game.
But Paris-born Mr Sylla, who believes the fans who abused him should be jailed, has rejected the invitation.
"I appreciate Mr Mourinho's invitation, but I can't get my head around being in a stadium at the moment," he said.
In a coincidence, Chelsea's home match against Burnley on Saturday is the club's designated annual "Game for Equality".
Video:'It Was Raised By A Concerned Fan'
Before kick-off, fans of the London side unfurled a banner that read: "Black or white we're all blue."
The matchday programme also denounced the Paris abuse over several pages, including in a column by captain John Terry.
Terry was banned for four matches in 2012 after being found guilty of racially abusing then Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand.
He wrote: "This club stands against all forms of discrimination.
Video:Chelsea Manager 'Ashamed'
"Football is a sport for everyone, that is one of the main reasons why we love it."
Club chairman Bruce Buck wrote: "We are all appalled at what we saw and the club would like to apologise unreservedly to Mr Souleymane S for the behaviour of a group of individuals and their unforgivable actions towards him.
He added: "The people involved in that incident in Paris do not represent Chelsea Football Club, they do not stand for the values of this club and they have no place at this club.
"This has been echoed loud and clear by the vast majority of Chelsea supporters."
