Fuel Risk As Grangemouth Crisis Deepens

The Grangemouth oil refinery is to be closed for at least a week, threatening fuel supplies in Scotland, as its owner complains of financial damage from a threatened strike.

The 48-hour stoppage was called off by the Unite union following the breakdown of talks through the night with the site's owners Ineos at the conciliation service Acas.

The company later confirmed operations would not be re-started this week.

Ineos said: "Grangemouth is financially distressed. The industrial action called by Unite the Union has inflicted significant further damage on the company.

"Ineos will put a proposal to the workforce tomorrow and expects a response on Monday, after the weekend. The company will review its position with its shareholders on Tuesday."

Ineos says Grangemouth is run at a loss

Unite had earlier accused Ineos of "scandalous behaviour" as their talks failed to resolve their bitter row over the treatment of a union convenor - accusing the firm of walking away and said it was acting to protect a national asset.

Unite's Scottish secretary Pat Rafferty said: "We are outraged that Ineos representatives walked away from Acas talks, after 16 hours of negotiation and on the cusp of an agreement, for the ludicrous reason that Ineos chairman Jim Ratcliffe instructed his management representatives to demand an apology on his behalf.

"Acas representatives informed us that we could not conclude an agreement to take to our members because a list of fresh demands were placed upon us and because 'Jim wants an apology' and that this was a 'deal-breaker'.

"I have never came across anything like this in over 30 years of employment relations and it is utterly reprehensible."

Unite accused Ineos of running the Grangemouth refinery and petrochemical sites into a "damaging cold shutdown" which would affect fuel production and supply across Scotland.

Mr Rafferty continued: "As a result, Unite will now call off all industrial action with immediate effect in order to protect this national asset from the scandalous behaviour of its owner.

"The plant should now start the return to full production and there is no excuse for this not to happen."

Petrol and diesel production was suspended at the plant on Monday night in preparation for Sunday's walkout.

Experts had warned that the stoppage raised the prospect of shortages if the dispute was not resolved as all of Scotland's needs are met through supplies from Grangemouth.

The row centred on alleged unfair treatment of plant worker, Stephen Deans, who is also a union official. Unite and the company were already in dispute over terms and conditions at the plant.

Ineos had previously warned the petrochemical site would have to close by 2017 unless a "survival plan" involving cutting pension entitlement and pay was implemented.

The company argued that the refinery, located on the Firth of Forth, was not profitable - losing more than £576m in the last four years.

It claimed the pension scheme was £200m in deficit and pension costs of 65% of salary were "unsustainable".

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Royal Mail Staff To Strike In November

The first national postal strike in almost four years will be held on November 4, union bosses have confirmed.

A 24-hour stoppage is being planned by the Communication Workers Union (CWU) amid a bitter row with Royal Mail over pay and pensions which threatens to disrupt the busy Christmas delivery season if left unresolved.

The union ballot of around 115,000 of its members at Royal Mail and Parcelforce returned a 4-1 decision on a 63% turnout in favour of industrial action, which is linked to the recently completed privatisation of the service.

The vote was returned despite a windfall under the flotation that left full-time staff who took up free share options sitting on paper earnings worth £3,545 by close of trading on Tuesday.

Those shares cannot be sold for three years under the terms of the sale.

A Royal Mail spokesman said the company was "very disappointed" at the result of the ballot, adding: "Any action, or the threat of disruption, is damaging to our business, especially in the run up to Christmas, our busiest time."

However, Dave Ward, deputy general secretary of the CWU, said: "Postal workers have spoken very clearly that they care about their jobs, terms and conditions far more than they care about shares.

"The stakes have become much higher for postal workers since privatisation, making this ballot more important than ever.

"Postal workers will not be the people who pay for the profits of private operators and faceless shareholders.

"The question now is whether this privatised Royal Mail still wants an agreement.

"We have offered the company a two-week period to reach an agreement and having already had many hours of negotiation, this is achievable if there is a will.

"What we want is a groundbreaking, long term, legally binding agreement that not only protects postal workers' job security, pay and pensions, but will also determine the strategy, principles and values of how the Royal Mail Group will operate as a private entity.

"This means there will be no further breakup of the company, no franchising of individual offices or delivery rounds, no introduction of a cheaper workforce on two-tier terms and conditions and no part time industry.

"It will mean - regardless of who owns Royal Mail - this company will not be able to enter the race to the bottom and replicate the employment practices and service standards of its competitors."

The union also announced a new ballot of its members at Royal Mail that would potentially enable postal workers to boycott competitors' mail to supplement the strike action.

The Royal Mail spokesman added: "The three-year pay offer and groundbreaking deal on protections on offer from Royal Mail addresses points raised by CWU, and talks to reach agreement are continuing to further address these points.

"Royal Mail will do all that we can to protect our business and minimise the impact of any industrial action on our customers' mail."

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Southampton: Mystery Noise Keeps People Awake

An investigation has been launched into a mystery night-time noise that has been plaguing residents for months.

People living in the industrial Waterside area of Southampton Water have been driven to distraction by the low-frequency drone that has been keeping them awake.

Some have taken to staying overnight at the homes of family and friends to avoid the buzz, while others have reportedly taken tablets to help them sleep through the noise.

New Forest District Council is trying to find the cause of the sound, which starts at around 10pm.

A spokesman said: "Within the last week we have received approximately 10 complaints relating to a low-frequency noise in the Waterside area.

"The complaints refer to the noise similar to that of a low-frequency drone, which has been occurring during the night for several months.

"Due to the large amount of heavy industry processes along the Waterside area, the Environment Agency and New Forest District Council environmental health teams are now working together to establish the source of the noise.

"Out-of-hours monitoring is to be carried out as part of the investigation."

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Immigration: 'One In Five Marriages A Sham'

By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

Up to one in five marriages conducted in civil ceremonies in parts of the country may be bogus, one of Britain's most senior registrars has warned.

In an interview with Sky News, Mark Rimmer, the chairman of the Local Registration Services Association, said 20% of weddings in urban areas were suspicious - the worst it has ever been.

Home Office figures show the number of reported cases has tripled in the last three years to 1,800.

But Mr Rimmer said the number of sham marriages - which were likely an attempt to gain residence in the UK - reported to the authorities was "the tip of the iceberg" and that official figures are a "drop in the ocean" compared with the full scale of the problem.

He said the issue is now worse than in 2004 when the first legislation to combat the phenomenon was introduced and that registrars are having to conduct ceremonies they suspect to be bogus "through gritted teeth".

"We have seen huge increases in potential sham marriages presenting themselves to us, we now have more reports from registrars going to the Home Office, but I think that is the tip of a very large iceberg, and effectively the real scale of the problem is far greater than that that is reported to the Home Office officially.

"Most registration officers are not immigration officers, they came into this business to facilitate marriage. So therefore they don't want to be cynical.

"Unfortunately therefore what happens is the ones that are absolutely blatant get reported and there are some that are borderline that slip through without being reported - and that is the iceberg under the water and that's huge - it is absolutely huge.

"In an area like anywhere in London it is multiple times per week ... it would not be unreasonable to say that 20% of all our marriages are suspicious or have some elements of suspicion about them.

"So one in five in London, probably in the other big cities as well it will be a similar problem. Obviously in county areas in the countryside it is not as big a problem, but certainly in the urban areas, with high areas of ethnicity it is significant."

As part of an investigation into the issue, Sky News witnessed a raid last month by Home Office officials on a suspected sham marriage between a Nigerian man and a Portuguese woman in Harrow, northwest London.

The 32-year-old groom was arrested and has since been deported, while the 22-year-old woman is on bail under criminal investigation.

Cllr Susan Hall, Leader of Harrow Council, said: "It is appalling to see the lengths some people go to in dressing up and organising guests for a sham marriage.

"A marriage is supposed to be the happiest day in your life. Well, in this case, the couple certainly got a day they won't forget."

Mr Rimmer suggested that overall 15,000 of the 173,000 civil weddings that take place each year in England and Wales could be bogus - almost 10 times the official level.

Officials found the process very frustrating, he told Sky News.

"You go into a marriage thinking that you are going to a proper relationship - sealing and cementing someone's relationship - yet you know that this is purely a financial transaction, you can imagine how frustrating that can be. Very often the ceremony is done through gritted teeth," he said.

Sky News joined officials on a raid in September Pic: Dermot Carlin

Both David Cameron and Theresa May have repeatedly pledged to tackle sham marriages.

In a speech in October 2011, Mr Cameron pledged to "end the ridiculous situation where a registrar who knows a marriage is a sham still has to perform the ceremony".

But Mr Rimmer said the situation was worse than ever after a series of legal challenges.

He said: "Sham marriages have been a problem for many, many years. And the previous government introduced legislation to combat it back in 2004.

"As a result of that legislation, it did put a cap on the problem for the first year or so, but unfortunately the legislation was subject to challenge and the government lost on a couple of occasions in the high court.

"Eventually it was watered down to a degree it became meaningless and eventually was repealed in 2010. Since 2010, we have had the problem re-emerging and it is even worse than the problem was in 2004."

In July 2008 the Law Lords ruled that Home Office rules under which foreign nationals needed official permission to marry breached human rights.

Mr Rimmer added that while the rules for British citizens bringing foreign partners into the country to marry have been tightened, EU citizens are still free to abuse the laws.

He said: "The law relating to British nationals getting married is becoming more and more rigid. So therefore there are probationary periods if you marry a British national during which time the Border Agency/Home Office can check up as to whether that relationship is still in existence.

"There is not the same check with European Union nationals, so therefore the scams are usually perpetrated by European nationals other than Brits, because it is more advantageous to do so.

Brodie Clark, former head of the UK Border Agency

"Some nationalities in Europe being trafficked in for the sex industry - are being sold on to go through bogus marriages, so these people are victims in themselves, under duress.

"These sham marriages are a direct result of organised crime, this is organised criminality, a lot of racketeers making millions of pounds out of the racket - this is actually not something that is like a green card - this is massive criminality on an industrial scale."

Mr Rimmer said his organisation is working with ministers to introduce new legislation that could help reduce the number of sham marriages by including ceremonies held in the Church of England.

Brodie Clarke, former head of the UK Border Force, told Sky News it is impossible for officials to police every marriage.

He said: "They can't be everywhere. We do need to depend on the public and have sought that support from registrars to say if there's something suspicious here, please report it. And that would then trigger the attendance of somebody or an examination by somebody from UKBA to look at those circumstances.

"So it can't be done just by uniformed people in the Home Office - it needs partnerships of all. That's the only way this is going to pull together and work.

"But those demands and requirements of partners have to be reasonable and they have to be able to deliver on those demands and requirements - and that's a challenge, I think, for government to make that work."

Immigration Minister Mark Harper told Sky News: "Sham marriages have for too long been an easy target for migrants seeking to circumvent our immigration rules, often assisted by organised criminals.

"Registrars are frustrated when they marry couples who are obviously sham. We need more effective tools to deal with it.

"By extending the marriage and civil partnership notice period to 28 days in England and Wales and allowing this to be increased to 70 days in some circumstances we will make time to investigate, prosecute and remove those involved in sham marriages."

:: Immigration UK: A week of special coverage on Sky from October 14 to 18 - watch on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82, Skynews.com and Sky News for iPad

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

South Africa Toddlers Found Dead In Toilet

South African police are questioning three people over the deaths of two toddlers who were found in a communal toilet, sparking violent protests and looting.

Angry residents in the Diepsloot township north of Johannesburg barricaded roads, set fire to tyres and stoned vehicles after the girls, two cousins aged two and three, were discovered.

Shops belonging to foreign nationals were looted, according to reports.

The protesters accused police of failing to provide security for their community.

Gauteng police said they were investigating if the girls - identified as Yonelisa and Zandile Mali - had been sexually assaulted before they were killed. 

They also told reporters they were searching for a fourth person in connection with the investigation.

The two girls had been reported missing at the weekend and were found in the toilet cubicle in the early hours of Tuesday.

Last month, the body of a five-year-old girl was found in a skip in the same area.

Diepsloot is an impoverished area of Johannesburg. Pic: File

Diepsloot, which borders one of the country's wealthiest gated estates, Dainfern, is among the most impoverished areas in Johannesburg.

Some parts of the township have no running water and residents share pit latrines or mobile toilets.

President Jacob Zuma urged South Africans not to take the law into their own hands.

"These gruesome incidents of extreme torture and murder of our children do not belong to the society that we are continuously striving to build together," he said.

"We condemn these murders in the strongest possible terms."

In a separate case, the bodies of two other children were found in a field in Katlehong township in East Rand, Gauteng province.

The children, aged one and three, were found next to their mother, who had been critically injured, according to iAfrica.com.

Police Colonel Katlego Mogale said: "It appears as if they were dropped by the husband in an open place and then the husband drove away. They are all Mozambican nationals."

The death of a young boy whose body, bearing marks of torture, was found in a field east of Johannesburg is also being investigated by police.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Plebgate' Row: Cameron Blasts Police Conduct

MP Andrew Mitchell is owed an apology over the conduct of three police officers accused of lying about a meeting with him, the Prime Minister has claimed.

In a deepening row over the long-running 'plebgate' saga, senior police had hit back after Home Secretary Theresa May gave her support to an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

The report questioned the "honesty and integrity" of Inspector Ken MacKaill, Detective Sergeant Stuart Hinton and Sergeant Chris Jones, and said the trio should have faced misconduct hearings for their actions.

And speaking at Prime Minister's questions, David Cameron said Mr Mitchell was "owed an apology, the conduct of these officers was not acceptable" and "these things should be properly investigated".

The Home Affairs Select Committee's chairman Keith Vaz raised the row with Mr Cameron in the Commons, saying the IPCC report was "damning".

The PM said: "I agree 100% with what the Home Secretary said yesterday and I think we should be clear about what we are discussing here.

"The whole case about what happened outside 10 Downing Street, that's with the CPS and we have to leave that on one side until they make their decision.

"What's being discussed here is the fact that ... the former chief whip had a meeting with Police Federation officers in his committee where he gave a full account of what had happened, they left that meeting and claimed he had given them no account at all.

"Fortunately this meeting was recorded so he has been able to prove that what he said was true and what the police officers said was untrue."

Theresa May said the IPCC statement made "troubling reading"

"He is owed an apology, the conduct of these officers was not acceptable, these things should be properly investigated, as the Home Secretary has said."

Mrs May had previously backed the IPCC report that said West Mercia Police had been "quite wrong" not to take disciplinary action against the three men.

They are accused of lying about what chief whip Andrew Mitchell said in a private meeting about the so-called 'plebgate' affair last year.

Chief Constable David Shaw, of West Mercia Police, has been summoned to give evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on the issue.

However, in a joint statement with police in Warwickshire and the West Midlands, the force defended its handling of the case.

"Andrew Mitchell MP has never made a complaint to police," it said.

"West Mercia, with the support of West Midlands and Warwickshire Police, recognising the public interest in this case, independently decided to investigate this incident and made a referral to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

"We asked for the matter to be independently investigated by the IPCC because we recognise the significant public interest in the matter, however this was declined.

"The IPCC have supervised this investigation throughout and have been invited to reconsider their position on more than one occasion.

"The decisions following this investigation were carefully considered, with the support of appropriate legal advice.

"Warwickshire, West Mercia and West Midlands Police have separately considered the findings of the investigation and all three forces agree on the outcome."

West Midlands Police Commissioner Bob Jones told Sky News said he had not seen conclusive evidence that the officers had lied.

"My job is to ensure there is a proper investigation," he said.

"There's been a very thorough investigation supervised by the IPCC."

West Mercia police commissioner Bill Longmore expressed surprise about comments by IPCC deputy chairwoman Deborah Glass and said he was seeking an urgent meeting with Mrs May.

"Given the critical statement which the IPCC deputy chair has made in the last few hours, I am frankly surprised the IPCC did not resume conduct of the investigation," he said.

"They certainly had the power to do so."

The chairman of the Police Federation, Steven Williams, also questioned the intervention by Ms Glass.

"My concern is that by releasing her personal view that she disagrees with the findings of the West Mercia investigation, she displays a lack of independence," he wrote in a letter to Mrs May.

Mr Mitchell met Mr MacKaill, Mr Hinton and Mr Jones, federation representatives of West Mercia, Warwickshire and the West Midlands respectively, on October 12 to "clear the air".

A transcript shows Mr Mitchell apologised for swearing at the police officers but denied using the word "plebs".

In comments made after the meeting, Mr MacKaill claimed the former Tory chief whip would not provide an account of the incident.

Giving evidence to MPs, Mrs May said: "The IPCC statement makes troubling reading.

"If it is indeed the case that warranted police officers behaved in the way Deborah Glass has described, that's not acceptable at all."

Asked if the chief constable of West Mercia Police should apologise to Mr Mitchell, Mrs May said: "I think that would be appropriate."

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Madeleine McCann: 150 Calls After Dutch Appeal

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 9:48am UK, Monday 14 October 2013

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: Feb 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: Feb 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: Feb 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pensioner Guilty Of Raping Trafficked Orphan

A pensioner who trafficked a deaf and mute orphan into the UK, using her to milk the benefits system, has been found guilty of repeatedly raping the girl.

Ilyas Ashar, 84, sexually abused his vulnerable victim again and again, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

Two female jurors wept as guilty verdicts were delivered on 13 counts of rape.

The girl, an orphan from Pakistan who is profoundly deaf and cannot speak, was beaten and slapped and forced to work for Ashar and his family as a domestic servant.

While Ashar used his victim to satisfy his sexual desires, the girl was also used to steal more than £30,000 in benefits on her behalf.

The youngster was even taught enough sign language by the family so she could agree to the benefit money being handed over to the Ashars.

Tallat Ashar has been found guilty of trafficking and benefit fraud

She was first brought into the UK in June 2000 when aged around 10, though her exact age is not known.

For almost a decade the girl, now aged 19 or 20, had to work and sleep in the cellar at the family's substantial home in Cromwell Road, Eccles in Salford.

Ashar had been convicted at an earlier trial of two counts of trafficking a person into the UK for exploitation, two counts of furnishing false information to obtain a benefit and one of permitting furnishing of false information to obtain a benefit.

His wife, Tallat Ashar, 68, was found guilty of two counts of trafficking a person into the UK for exploitation, and four counts of furnishing false information to obtain a benefit.

His daughter, Faaiza Ashar, 46, was found guilty at an earlier trial of two counts of furnishing false information to obtain a benefit, and one count of permitting furnishing of false information to obtain a benefit.

All three were convicted at the earlier trial where the jury were unable to reach verdicts on the allegations of rape so Ashar was re-tried.

Reporting on the second trial was banned until the verdicts on the rape charges were in.

The jury were not told about the guilty verdicts at the earlier trial, where the court heard the girl was made to cook, clean, do the washing and ironing for the Ashars and clean the houses and cars of their family and friends.

She also spent her days in the cellar packing football shirts, clothes and mobile phone covers.

The girl had no family or friends in the UK and had never been to school in Pakistan or Britain.

She could not read or write and the only people she knew in Britain were the Ashars, who told her both her parents were dead.

She was, however, taught to write her signature - so her name could be used to claim benefits.

Judge Peter Lakin excused the panel of six men and six women of sitting as jurors again for 10 years and thanked them for their public duty in what he described as a "difficult" case.

Ashar's lawyer asked for bail to be continued but the judge refused.

He was remanded into custody to be sentenced next week along with his wife and daughter, who sat in the public gallery grim-faced.

Salford divisional commander Chief Superintendent Mary Doyle, said: "This was a dreadful case where the girl endured years of domestic exploitation at the hands of the Ashar family.

"They have exploited her disability and made it appear to the authorities that she was responsible for their own fraudulent behaviour. She was essentially kept in domestic servitude.

"What is remarkable - and the most important aspect of this unusual case - is that the victim has emerged a confident, well-adjusted and determined young woman.

"At no stage have the defendants shown any remorse, or admitted to what they did to a girl, who was only as young as 10 years old when this began."

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Savile Scandal: Investigation Into Ex-Cop

The IPCC is investigating claims a former inspector acted on behalf of Jimmy Savile before he faced a police interview.

The allegations refer to a then West Yorkshire Police officer having inappropriately contacted Surrey Police, the Independent Police Complaints Commission said.

It comes a day after transcripts of a 40-minute interview detailing Savile's alleged sexual abuse were made public for the first time by Surrey Police.

It was conducted by officers at Stoke Mandeville Hospital on October 1, 2009, about three separate allegations involving three girls.

The disgraced broadcaster was questioned about accusations of abuse at a children's home in Staines in Berkshire and at the hospital.

More follows...

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Senate Leaders 'Reach Deal' To Avert Default

Senate leaders have reached a last-minute agreement to avert a threatened US default and reopen the government, according to a Republican senator.

Senator Kelly Ayotte said congressional leaders would push for passage as soon as possible.

"I understand they've come to an agreement but I'm going to let the leader announce that," Sen Ayotte said as she walked into a meeting of Senate Republicans called to review details of the emerging deal.

The deal was struck by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and GOP Leader Mitch McConnell.

Sen Ayotte said she understood the legislation would first receive a vote in the Republican-controlled House, an arrangement that would speed its way through Congress to President Barack Obama's desk.

Speaker John Boehner and the House Republican leadership met in a different part of the Capitol to plan their next move.

House Speaker John Boehner has failed to rally Republicans behind a deal

A spokesman, Michael Steel, said afterward that no decision had been made "about how or when a potential Senate agreement could be voted on in the House".

A top Democratic aide told Reuters that aides to Speaker Boehner called senior Senate staff earlier in the day to say the House would vote first on the measure.

The aide added that the deal appears certain to be approved with mostly Democratic votes.

The New York Stock Exchange soared on the news that the threat of default was easing in, rising roughly 200 points by late morning.

Officials said the proposal called for the Treasury to have authority to continue borrowing through February 7, and the government would reopen through January 15.

The president's health care law is at the heart of the dispute

With borrowing authority set to run out on Thursday, leaders worked through the night to craft an agreement that could win bipartisan support in the deeply polarised Congress.

President Barack Obama has warned of the consequences of a default and leading economists have said it could hurt the global economy.

Warren Buffett, one of the the world's most influential investors, said the threat not to raise the debt limit is a "political weapon of mass destruction" comparable to poison gas.

Mr Buffett, who leads the Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate, told CNBC that he does not think the federal government will fail to pay its bills.

"If it does happen, it's a pure act of idiocy," he added.

Uncertainty over Washington's ability to avert a default led Fitch Ratings to warn it could cut the sovereign credit rating of the United States from AAA, citing the political brinkmanship on Capitol Hill.

The renewed push in the Senate came after a day of chaotic developments in the House that saw two separate GOP plans buried when it became apparent they failed to rally enough support among Republican rank-and-file.

Politically, neither party is faring well, but polls indicate Republicans are bearing the brunt of public unhappiness as survey after survey shows their approval ratings plunging.

A Washington Post/ABC News poll released on Monday found that 74% of Americans disapprove of the way congressional Republicans have handled the standoff, compared with a 53% disapproval rating for Obama.

The shutdown has already furloughed hundreds of thousands of federal workers and forced national parks and monuments to close down in high season.

Some tourist attractions such as the Grand Canyon and the Statue of Liberty have now reopened, as states agreed to fund their running.

However, many communities have lamented the economic damage they have had to incur.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More