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Search For Missing Mother And Baby In Bristol

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 03 Desember 2014 | 23.21

Police are urgently hunting for a mother and her newborn baby daughter who have gone missing from a maternity hospital.

Charlotte Bevan left Bristol Maternity Hospital between 8.30pm and 9pm last night with her four-day-old baby girl, Zarnee Teanna.

The 30-year-old did not have a coat or shoes, and is believed to have been wearing hospital slippers.

Her baby was wrapped only in blankets.

A friend has described her disappearance as "out of character". Writing on Avon and Somerset Police's Facebook page, Isaac Jack McCardle said: "I really hope they are both safe and are all reunited soon."

The baby's father, Pascal Malbrouck, has written on Facebook: "My daughter has gone missing with her mum Charlotte Bevan please if any one has got any info or has seen her please contact me."

At a press conference, he said "the last 3 days as a family have been amazing", and pleaded for Ms Bevan to come back home.

Ms Bevan is described as white, around 5ft 8in tall and of average build with dark wavy hair.

An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman has appealed for anyone who sees them to call 999 immediately.

"We are concerned for both Charlotte's welfare and that of her baby, and are urging Charlotte to let us know that she and her baby are alright," the spokesman said.

"Officers have been searching the city centre throughout the night and appeals have been put out to bus drivers and taxi drivers and those travelling into work on early shifts this morning to lookout for Charlotte and her daughter."

It is believed Ms Bevan was wearing a long black top and black trousers when she disappeared from the hospital on Southwell Street.

The spokesman added Ms Bevan "may appear confused and worried".

"Her baby is inappropriately wrapped for the cold weather in blue and white striped and coloured blankets," he said.

Police have confirmed they have received several reports of sightings of Ms Bevan, including around the hospital, where an area has been cordoned off.

A University Hospitals Bristol spokeswoman said hospital staff had no reason to believe Ms Bevan was going to leave the hospital.

"Charlotte Bevan was due to be discharged from St Michael's Hospital tomorrow (Thursday, 4 December), but elected to leave yesterday for reasons unknown to us," she said.

"Charlotte was recovering from the birth of her baby, and there were no indications that she was planning to self-discharge.

"Charlotte and her baby were seen by staff at 8.30pm; when staff went to check on her at 9.05pm they found Charlotte and her baby missing and immediately sounded the alarm.

"We are working closely with other agencies to establish that Charlotte and her baby are safe."

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK And World Set For Hottest Year On Record

By Isobel Lang, Sky News Weather Presenter

This year is on course to be the hottest on record both for the UK and globally, with human impact the likely cause, say experts.

The UK's mean temperature from the beginning of January to late November is 1.6C above the long-term average, making it the warmest in records dating back to 1910, according to the Met Office, although a cold December could change this.

This year is also set to be one of the warmest on record in the Central England Temperature series, which stretches back to 1659 and is the longest instrumental temperature series in the world.

Around the world, the year is set to be one of the hottest, with global temperatures around 0.57C above the long-term average of 14C from January to October, just ahead of the previous record set in 2010 of 0.56C.

If November and December follow suit, 2014 is likely to be the hottest year on record, ahead of 2010, 2005 and 1998, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has said.

The Met Office has cautioned against placing too much emphasis on a single record temperature and long-term climate change.

But a new research technique indicated breaking the record is much more likely to occur as a result of human greenhouse gas emissions.

Peter Stott, head of climate attribution at the Met Office, said: "Our research shows current global average temperatures are highly unlikely in a world without human influence on the climate.

"Human influence has also made breaking the UK temperature record about 10 times more likely."

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said: "More record warm temperatures in the UK and across the world are yet more evidence that we need to act urgently to prevent dangerous climate change.

"UK actions such as our doubling of renewable electricity and our stretching targets for cutting carbon are a good start but we must be frank and acknowledge there is more to do."

It has also been one of the wettest year's for the UK on record, with 1162 mm of rain between 1 January and 25 November.

Average rainfall in December would make 2014 the fourth wettest year in records dating back to 1910.

But a very wet month could still break the UK record set in 2000 of 1337 mm.

Experts say world temperatures show there is "no standstill in global warming".

WMO secretary-general Michel Jarraud said: "What we saw in 2014 is consistent with what we expect from a changing climate - record-breaking heat combined with torrential rainfall and floods destroyed livelihoods and ruined lives."

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lady Gaga Reveals She Was Raped At Age 19

Lady Gaga has said she was raped at the age of 19 - but says she does not want to be defined by what happened to her.

The pop star was talking to the American 'shock jock' radio DJ Howard Stern when he asked her, because of things she had said in the past and had sung about, if she had ever been assaulted.

She replied: "I went through some horrific things that I'm able to laugh now, because I've been through a lot of mental and physical therapy, and emotional therapy, to heal over the years.

"My music has been wonderful for me but, you know, I was a shell of my former self at one point.

"I was not myself and, to be fair, I was about 19... I went to Catholic school and then all this crazy stuff happened and I was going 'Is this just the way adults are?' I was very naive."

The conversation came about after the DJ asked her about a performance at the South By Southwest music festival, during which she was vomited over by an artist who regurgitates swallowed paint.

She said after the attack, it took her about four to five years before she fully appreciated what had happened to her.

"It happens every day. It's really scary and it's sad," said the star, who, according to Entertainment Weekly, is now 28.

"It did not affect me as much after, as it did about four or five years later. It hit me so hard. I was so traumatised by it. It was like 'keep going'."

She said, at first, she wasn't "even willing to admit that anything had even happened."

The DJ asked her if she had ever confronted the man who assaulted her and she said she had not.

She said: "I think it would terrify me. It would paralyse me. I saw him one time, in a store, and I was so paralysed by fear, because it wasn't until I was a little bit older that I went 'Wow, that was really messed up'.

"'You were 20 years older than me. I was just a kid'."

She said she was worried people would judge her for it.

"I don't want to be defined by it. I'll be damned if somebody's going to say that every creatively intelligent thing I ever did is all boiled down to one d******* that did that to me.

"I'm going to take responsibility for all my pain, looking beautiful and all the things that I've made out of my strife."

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tech Giants Targeted To Pay More In Tax

By Tom Cheshire, Technology Correspondent

Chancellor George Osborne singled out the low taxes being paid by tech giants in his Autumn Statement and vowed to tax them.

The "diverted profits tax" will target those companies that use elaborate off-shore mechanisms to pay minimum UK tax and apply a 25% rate.

"Some of the largest companies in the world, including those in the tech sector, use elaborate structures to avoid paying taxes," Mr Osborne said.

"That's not fair to other British firms. It's not fair to British people either. Today we're putting a stop to it.

"My message is consistent and clear: 'Low taxes, but low taxes that will be paid'."

Tech firms have come under criticism for the meagre tax they paid to the UK Treasury.

Facebook paid just £3,169 in 2013. Amazon paid £10m, Apple paid £11m and Google paid £11.6m.

The cumulative revenues of these four companies in the UK is more than £17bn.

However, it does not appear that the tax will claim a significant portion of those figures.

The Treasury said the tax would raise only £360m per year by 2016-2017, and said: "A behavioural adjustment is also made to reflect groups that attempt to mitigate the tax impact."

Stella Amiss, corporate tax partner at PwC, said: "The diverted profits tax on multinationals appears narrowly focused as it will raise about £300m a year."

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Costa Concordia Video 'Shows Captain Leaving'

Video has emerged of the captain of the doomed cruiseliner Costa Concordia preparing to leave the stricken ship, having previously claimed he had tripped into a lifeboat.

The footage was released by prosecutors who have told reporters they are seeking a 20-year prison sentence for Francesco Schettino, who is giving evidence for a second day at his trial.

Schettino was dubbed Captain Coward after he was accused of abandoning the vessel before passengers had escaped.

He had told investigators he had ''tripped and stumbled into a lifeboat'' the night of the disaster.

But in the video, prosecutors say he can be seen in a tie waiting to board an emergency escape craft.

Schettino crashed the Costa Concordia into rocks off the Italian island of Giglio in January 2012 during an attempted "sail past".

The holed vessel grounded and partially capsized in shallow water, forcing 4,200 passengers and crew to flee, with the loss of 32 lives.

Pressed over why he had delayed raising the alarm, Schettino claimed he feared people would jump into the water and wanted to wait until ship was closer to shore.

"On the ship I am number one after God," he said.

During a combative performance under cross-examination for the first time on Tuesday, Schettino denied he had organised the sail past to impress Domnica Cermontan, a Moldavian dancer who was working on the ship and has told the court she was having an affair with the married captain.

Speaking at his trial in Grosseto in Tuscany on Tuesday, Schettino said he had sought to "kill three birds with one stone" by undertaking the sail past.

He was doing a favour to a ship's official and paying tribute to a former cruise captain who lived on the island of Giglio, while making the cruise more attractive to passengers, he claimed.

Schettino is charged with manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship.

He is being tried alone after five other defendants reached plea deals.

His trial is expected to continue into next year.

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Japan Launches Probe To Capture Comet Clues

Japan has launched a space module on a six-year return trip aimed at blowing a hole in a remote asteroid to try to find clues to how the Earth came about.

Hayabusa 2 successfully blasted off on a H-IIA rocket from the Tanegashima Space Centre in southern Japan at 1.22pm local time after being delayed by bad weather.

The space explorer separated once the rocket had climbed out of the Earth's gravitational pull, trailing orange flames in its wake.

The probe will use the Earth's gravity as a slingshot to propel it towards its target.

The $260m (£166m) project will send it towards the 1999JU3 asteroid in deep space - the carbonaceous asteroid is thought to contain organic matter and water, the stuff of life.

The probe's aim is to collect materials unexposed to millennia of wind and radiation in the hope of answering some fundamental questions about life and the universe.

It is expected to reach the asteroid in mid-2018 and spend around 18 months in the area.

Akitaka Kishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said: "Our objective is to explore. For people to work in space, it requires various kinds of technology.

"In that sense, exploring is a step forward to expanding activities in space in a broader way. Our aim to explore lends great meaning to this mission."

He continued: "If we bring back the material, in a way we can call that a success, but, furthermore, the retrieved rocks and sand taken for analysis would be a finding.

"For the human race, this will be a new finding that could possibly mean a new discovery for us. Bringing back the material is one goal, but the research of the finding is the future."

If all goes well, asteroid samples will be returned to Earth in late 2020.

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Gallery: Philae Lander's Touchdown Seen From Rosetta Craft

This image shows the Philae lander approximately 250m above the comet's surface, as it heads for the planned touchdown point (Pic: ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM)

This image was taken 86 seconds after touchdown. Scientists say the dark area could be dust kicked up by the touchdown (Pic: ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM)

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Autumn Statement: The Key Points At A Glance

The main measures and forecasts as outlined by the Chancellor George Osborne in his Autumn Statement:

TAX

:: Stamp Duty rates overhauled. Top rate now 12% on properties worth more than £1.5m effective from midnight Wednesday. There will be no duty on properties worth up to £125,000 then 2% rate on the portion up to £250,000 then 5% up to £925,000, then 10% up to £1.5m.

:: Higher rate income tax threshold to rise to £42,385 next year.

:: Income tax-free personal allowance to rise to £10,600 rather than the planned £10,500 next year, giving wage boost of £825 a year.

:: ISAs can be inherited tax free.

:: Fuel duty remains frozen.

:: People who die under 75 to be able to pass on annuities, tax free.

CORPORATE TAX

:: A so-called 'Google Tax' will introduce a levy of 25% on profits shifted abroad by multi-national firms. The Diverted Profits Tax aims to raise more than £1bn over five years.

:: Banks to pay almost £4bn more in tax over next five years, with profits which can be offset by losses for tax purposes to be limited to 50%.

:: Inflation-linked increase in business rates capped at 2% and discount for shops, pubs and cafes increased by 50% to £1,500.

SAVINGS

:: Limit on saving in New ISAs to rise to £15,240

DEVOLUTION & 'NORTHERN POWERHOUSE'

:: Business rates for Wales to be devolved to Welsh Government.

:: Plans law to devolve corporation tax to Northern Ireland if the Northern Ireland executive shows it can manage the financial implications.

:: Investment of £250m in new advanced material science institute in Manchester with branches in Leeds, Sheffield and Liverpool. Tendering for new franchises for Northern Rail and Trans-Pennine Express to ensure modern trains.

EDUCATION

:: Government-backed student loans of up to £10,000 are to be made available for postgraduates.

TRAVEL

:: Air Passenger Duty for under-12s abolished from May 2015. Scrapped from 2016 for under-16s.

SAVINGS

:: A further £10bn of Whitehall efficiencies is planned while £5bn more is sought from crackdown on tax evasion and avoidance.

:: Public service pension reforms will be completed, saving £1.3bn annually.

SPENDING

:: NHS gets additional £2bn every year for frontline services. A £1.2bn investment in GP services will be paid for from foreign exchange fines.

:: Government spending £10bn less than forecast this year but warns the coming years will require "very substantial savings in public spending."

PUBLIC FINANCES

:: Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR): Forecast 2014 GDP growth upgraded to 3% from 2.7%. 2015 forecast raised to 2.4%.

:: "Deficit is falling this year and every year." Deficit now cut in half. OBR forecasts borrowing to fall from £97.5bn in 2013/14 to £91.3bn in 2014/15 (£5bn above annual target). Budget surplus of £23bn predicted for 2019/20.

:: Osborne says deficit reduction better than some predicted as welfare spending is lower and interest paid on national debt is considerably lower.

:: OBR predicts wage growth above inflation for the next five years.

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Russell Brand Threatens To Sue Over Rent Row

Actor and comedian Russell Brand has threatened to take legal action over a report containing claims about his housing arrangements.

The comedian and actor, who has been campaigning over the rising cost of homes in the UK, has been also been adding his voice to anti-capitalist protests.

A report in The Sun newspaper made claims in connection with the home Brand rents in London and a firm registered in the British Virgin Islands, a region considered a tax haven.

In a post directed at the paper and owner Rupert Murdoch - chairman and CEO of 21st Century Fox, which owns a 39.1% stake in Sky, parent company of Sky News - Brand wrote: "Hey... I'm gonna sue you and give the money to #NewEraEstate and JFT96."

Earlier this week, the author of the best-selling book Revolution joined hundreds of residents and supporters of the New Era estate in east London, to protest against a takeover by a US investment firm which, the residents fear, could lead to a huge hike in rents.

JFT96 stands for justice for the 96 in reference to the number of football supporters who died in the Hillsborough disaster.

Brand, 39, was caught up in a row with Channel 4 journalist Paraic O'Brien at Downing Street when the reporter asked how much Brand himself paid in rent and suggesting the housing problem was being worsened by the super-rich buying property in London.

The celebrity became agitated at the challenge and pointed his finger in the journalist's face, calling him "a snide".

During the interview, Brand told the reporter: "I'm not interested in talking to you about my rent, mate. I'm here to support a very important campaign."

When asked about the value of his home, he went on: "It's rented. We don't know the value, you would have to talk to my landlord.

"Blessedly, I can afford my rent and I'm prepared to stand up for people that can't."

Brand later discussed the interview on his YouTube news channel, likening it to a "quarrel at a jumble sale".

The comic and actor said: "I shouldn't be allowed on television. I'm so easily wound up. What does it matter to me, what have I got to lose, just from this one bloke?

"But I'm a volatile person."

He went on: "When you talk to a journalist I sort of think it's a combination of boring and really annoying, and my personality type is not well suited to that kind of environment."

O'Brien wrote on Twitter: "Is it my job to test tension between private circumstances and publicly held views of celebrities? Yes."

Westbrook Partners, the US investment firm involved in the New Era buyout, responded on Monday to claims of "social cleaning... forcing ordinary, working-class people out of London".

In a statement, the company said: "There will be no changes to their residential leases and no increases in rents during the first half of 2015."

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Lee Rigby Killers' Appeals Thrown Out

Two men found guilty of the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in May last year have been refused leave to appeal.

Michael Adebolajo's application for permission to appeal to have his conviction overturned and whole-life sentence reduced was thrown out by Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas and two other judges in London.

Lord Thomas, sitting with Lady Justice Hallett and Mr Justice Openshaw, also dismissed a challenge to the minimum term of 45 years behind bars for co-accused Michael Adebowale.

The British-born Muslim converts who became Islamic fanatics ran 25-year-old Fusilier Rigby down in a car before hacking him to death with a meat cleaver and knives in a frenzied attack in Woolwich, south London.

Delivering his judgment, Lord Thomas said the killers' sentences were "just" punishment for the "horrific and barbaric" murder.

The pair had "gloried" in what they had done, he said.

Adebolajo's attempt to challenge his conviction was "misconceived" and "completely hopeless", he added.

Members of Fusilier Rigby's family gasped with relief and there were tears in court as the decision was announced.

Adebowale watched the proceedings via video link from Broadmoor.

Adebolajo had waived his right to do the same from Frankland Prison, Country Durham.

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Gallery: In Pictures: Fusilier Lee Rigby

Lee Rigby was 25 years of age and came from Manchester.

He had been on an attachment in the capital, working as a recruiter.

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Osborne Announces Historic Stamp Duty Reform

Historic changes to one of the UK's "most damaging" taxes have formed the centrepiece of George Osborne's Autumn Statement.

The Chancellor said he was abolishing the "slab rate" of stamp duty - which means huge increases in tax when house values enter a new band.

In future, he said, the tax would apply progressively to the part of the property in each band, like income tax.

The new rates will see house-buyers pay 0% on the first £125,000 then 2% on the portion up to £250,000, 5% up to £925,000, 10% up to £1.5m and 12% on anything above that.

Mr Osborne said the changes - effective from midnight - would save £4,500 on the cost of an average home and cut stamp duty for 98% of house-buyers.

He said: "It is a fair, workable, lasting reform to the taxation of housing."

The Chancellor also announced a plan to cut the cost of air travel for millions of families by abolishing air passenger duty for children under the age of 16 over the next two years.

He also pledged to freeze fuel duty.

Mr Osborne said some death taxes would be abolished - allowing savers to pass on pensions and ISAs to loved-ones tax fee.

And he promised to "revolutionise" support for post-graduate students with the introduction of government-backed student loans of up to £10,000.

The Chancellor used the statement to trumpet the Conservative-led Government's economic credentials, telling Parliament: "Our long-term economic plan is working."

He said the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) had revised up the British economy's growth forecast to 3% and told MPs the UK was now enjoying "more balanced" growth.

On the controversial issue of the deficit, Mr Osborne was cheered by his own MPs and jeered by the opposition as he revealed better-than-expected figures.

He said the OBR's forecasts show borrowing is falling and would continue to fall until a budget surplus is achieved in 2018/19.

Labour Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls said the Chancellor's policies had left workers £1,600-a-year worse off.

He said: "For working people there is a cost-of-living crisis and that squeeze on living standards is not only hitting family budgets - it has also led to a shortfall in tax revenues."

He accused Mr Osborne of missing his targets on clearing the deficit and reducing the national debt, but not telling MPs by how much.

The Chancellor warned that in the coming years there would have to be "very substantial" spending cuts.

He vowed to claw back money from those who pay "paid too little" tax - including multinational firms, who will face a 25% tax on profits generated in the UK, which are then shifted overseas.

He claimed the tax would raise £1bn over the next five years, while changes to tax rules for banks would raise another £4bn over the same period.

He said the Government's policies would mean the richest 20% paying more tax than the remaining 80% put together - which he claimed proved the Tory slogan: "We're all in this together."

There was a promise of help for small businesses - with a doubling of Small Business Rate Relief and a review of the structure of business rates.

Many of the measures announced had been trailed ahead of the speech - such as a plan to repay the national debt incurred to fight the First World War, road building schemes, flood defences and investment in the NHS.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

British Troops Going Back To Iraq For IS Fight

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 05 November 2014 | 23.21

Britain is sending troops back to Iraq to help local forces in the battle against Islamic State militants, the Defence Secretary has confirmed.

Michael Fallon said the UK was "stepping up" its military presence in the country, with its forces to offer further training to Iraqi soldiers and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters.

It comes after a "small specialist" team was sent to instruct Peshmerga in the northern city of Irbil last month.

Mr Fallon, who visited British army trainers teaching Peshmerga fighters how to use heavy machine guns given by Britain, insisted that no combat troops will be deployed to Iraq.

He said the latest move would see UK troops teaching Kurds infantry skills such as sharp-shooting and first aid, while more equipment will be provided.

The UK will also send advisory personnel to Iraqi headquarters.

There have been growing calls to provide more assistance to new Iraqi prime minister Haider al Abadi as his country's forces struggle to reclaim territory from IS, also known as ISIS or ISIL, in the north and west.

Mr Fallon held talks in Baghdad with the PM and Iraqi security advisers, before flying north to Irbil to met the President of the Kurdistan regional government Masoud Barzani and prime minister Nechirvan Barzani.

"The need is now," he said.

Video: How Is Islamic State Funded?

"It's a very immediate challenge from ISIL. As they start to push ISIL back out of the villages and towns that ISIL have gone into they are going to need this kind of assistance with roadside bombs, particularly to counter the terror tactics that Isil have been using.

"So, we are looking very urgently now how we can get more training help to them in the next few weeks."

Asked about concerns of mission creep, he said: "This is a very limited mission.

"The Prime Minister's made it very, very clear we are not going to recommit combat troops to Iraq. We've been there, we've done that.

"What we are going to do is to help the new government of Iraq and its own army take the fight to Isil through the aircraft we have deployed in the sky, through intelligence gathering, and through specialist training."

British troops took part in the 2003 invasion of Iraq that overthrew Saddam Hussein, and later took responsibility for Basra and the south of the country.

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Funeral For 'All Round Legend' Jack Bruce

Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker have said goodbye to their former Cream bandmate Jack Bruce at a funeral full of music.

The stars were among mourners, who also included Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera and Procol Harum's Gary Brooker, who paid tribute to Bruce who died from liver disease 11 days ago.

The service for the Scottish-born bass player and singer was held at Golders Green Crematorium in north London.

Bruce, 71, was most famous for his role in the 1960s supergroup Cream, along with Baker and Clapton, who created enduring tracks such as White Room, Sunshine Of Your Love, I Feel Free and Badge.

The trio reformed for a series of shows in 2005, which included dates at the Royal Albert Hall.

The guests sang Morning Has Broken, the Beatles hit Strawberry Fields Forever and Bruce's track Theme For An Imaginary Western to honour the man who was described in the order of service as a "beloved husband, father, granddad and all round legend".

His friend and Cream lyricist Pete Brown shared reminiscences during the funeral, which also included contributions from Bruce's son Malcolm, daughters Natasha and Kyla, a poem written by another son Corin and a tribute from his wife Margrit.

One of the late musician's bass guitars was displayed prominently, flanked by floral displays shaped like the bass clef motif, which was also pictured on the front of the order of service.

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EU Migrants Pay In More Than They Take - Study

EU migrants contribute more to the UK in taxes than they receive in benefits and services, according to new research.

But the study showed those arriving from outside Europe over a 17-year period took more from the public purse than they put back in.

The findings come as David Cameron moves to tighten the UK's immigration controls by limited EU migration in the face of the growing popularity of UKIP.

The Prime Minister is aware of the need to calm Tory jitters ahead of this month's crunch by-election in Rochester and Strood, where the party is desperate to prevent a second seat falling to UKIP.

The University College London (UCL) report revealed European immigrants made a positive financial contribution of £4.4bn to the UK between 1995 and 2011.

Video: Immigration: Study Out Of Date

However, immigrants from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) made a negative contribution of £118bn.

Over the same period, UK-born workers made a negative contribution of £591bn.

The figures improved for more recent arrivals with EU migrants between 2001-11 making a positive contribution of £20bn, and those from outside Europe £5bn.

Professor Christian Dustmann, director of UCL's Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (Cream) and co-author of the study, said: "A key concern in the public debate on migration is whether immigrants contribute their fair share to the tax and welfare systems.

"Our new analysis draws a positive picture of the overall fiscal contribution made by recent immigrant cohorts, particularly of immigrants arriving from the EU."

He added: "European immigrants, particularly, both from the new accession countries and the rest of the European Union, make the most substantial contributions.

"This is mainly down to their higher average labour market participation compared with natives and their lower receipt of welfare benefits."

Immigration Minister James Brokenshire told Sky News the focus of the report was too narrow and not up-to-date.

Video: Report: Migrants Boost UK Economy

He said: "In respect of the time period that it talks to, it ends in 2011 whereas we have seen the pressure from EU migration - net migration, those who are coming versus those who are going out - over the course of the last 18 months it has more than doubled during that period.

"It also does not take into account pressure on schools, roads, housing services, those things that really matter to people in their communities."

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the report showed the balance on immigration was wrong and there needed to be proper border controls but that Britain must remain an "open economy".

He told ITV's Lorraine programme: "If we were simply to turn our back on the world, which is what UKIP and the Conservative Party and others want, as a country we would be poorer."

UKIP Migration spokesman MEP Steven Woolfe, said: "What this study doesn't do is to show what wealth our own people could have generated if they weren't subjected to wage-reducing, employment-displacing mass immigration from the EU. Nor does it truly take into account the opportunity costs to the UK of substituting large sections of Britain's workforce with migrant labour."

Responding to the report, chairman of the MigrationWatch UK think tank Sir Andrew Green said: "This report confirms that immigration as a whole has cost up to £150bn in the last 17 years.

"As for recent European migrants, even on their own figures - which we dispute - their contribution to the exchequer amounts to less than £1 a week per head of our population."

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Philadelphia Abduction: Suspect Uses Cash Card

A cash card belonging to a woman abducted from a Philadelphia street has been used at a cashpoint 75 miles (120km) away in Maryland.

Police released grainy CCTV images of a man using the card nine hours after 22-year-old Carlesha Freeland-Gaither was kidnapped the night before.

The pictures show a black male in a hoody withdrawing money from a Harford County cash machine near a sliproad for the city of Aberdeen.

"Fresh lead that we're working on right now is that Carlesha's ATM card was used at a standalone bank in Aberdeen, Maryland," said Dennis Wilson, Chief Inspector of the Philadelphia Police Department.

Video: Woman's Abduction Caught On CCTV

Detectives are trying to digitally enhance the video in the hope the suspect can be recognised.

In a tearful appeal at a news conference, Ms Freeland-Gaither's grandmother pleaded for her safe return.

"We love her. And we just want her to be returned to us safely. Safely. That's all we want," she said.

To her daughter, Keisha Gaither said, "All you got to do is just get out. I got you. Just come home. Just come home.

"I love you.... The whole entire family... Your whole world loves Carlesha," she added.

Ms Freeland-Gaither's abduction on Sunday night was caught on a security camera.

The video shows the nurse as she is approached by a man who drags her down the street and bundles her into a car after a fierce struggle. Police do not believe she knew her assailant.

Police spokesman, Lieutenant John Stanford, said: "Based on how this young lady is fighting, it looks like she's fighting for her life."

Her glasses and mobile phone were found lying on the street nearby.

The FBI has put up a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of her abductor.

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Children's Mental Health Services A 'Disgrace'

Vulnerable young people are being put at risk because of "serious and deeply ingrained problems" in children's mental health services, MPs have warned.

The Health Select Committee report said there are "major problems" accessing inpatient mental health services, with families facing "battles" to have their children treated.

During the inquiry, MPs heard evidence from children who spent months on a waiting list for treatment, while some services admitted they were so overwhelmed that they treated a child only once they had seriously self-harmed.

Children as young as 12 were being held in police cells overnight because of a lack of out-of-hours services, while others were being admitted to mental health wards on the other side of the country, the report found.

Services in some parts of the country have reported up to a 25% increase in the amount of children and young people looking for help.

Dr Sarah Wollaston, chair of the committee, said the growing threat of sexting, cyber-bullying and graphic online content to children's mental health needs to be addressed.

She said: "Not only do we have a shortage of prevalence data but we have an issue around the data about the provision of services.

"It is a disgrace that we don't have provision data on children's mental health services.

"What we do have is information from all the people we've heard from that there has been an increase in referrals and new issues have arisen around the impact on children's mental health with new technology and the challenges around the online environment that children face, like cyberbullying and sexting."

The report said: "There are serious and deeply ingrained problems with the commissioning and provision of children's and adolescents' mental health services.

"These run through the whole system from prevention and early intervention through to inpatient services for the most vulnerable young people."

NHS England has said that 6% of the mental health budget is spent on children, despite half of all adult mental health problems starting before the age of 14.

The report called on the Government to invest in services, particularly early intervention measures.

Peter Liver, director of ChildLine, said: "These findings do not come as a surprise to us here at ChildLine. We have held over 34,000 counselling sessions with young people this year who have told us they have suicidal thoughts.

"Children are telling us they feel unable to ask for help from anyone else and we need to ensure they know they are not alone."

Norman Lamb, care and support minister, said a task force had been launched to improve services and a new waiting time standard would be introduced.

He said: "I strongly welcome this report, which will support our work and the work of the task force to make sure children and young people's services get the priority they deserve."

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jailed Pastor's Daughter Held In China

By Sky News Beijing Team

The daughter of a jailed Chinese Christian pastor has been detained by authorities in what her husband claims is an attempt to silence her ahead of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

Zhang Shanshan is the daughter of Pastor Zhang Shaojie, the leader of Nanle County Church in China's Henan Province, who was arrested in November last year along with 23 of his parishioners.

Pastor Zhang was sentenced to 12 years in jail for "gathering crowds to disturb public order" and "fraud", after a secret detention spanning seven months.

His case has pitted a Christian community against the local government in a dispute over freedom to worship and the right to own land.

Sky News has learned that Ms Zhang was taken away by unknown men at around 11am on Wednesday while she was grocery shopping in her hometown.

Her husband, Hah CheeChuan, a Malaysian national, called her repeatedly when she failed to return home but there was no answer.

Ms Zhang eventually called back, and managed to shout the name of the hotel in which she was being held.

Minutes later Mr Hah received a text message from his wife saying: "Nanle Hotel, help me!"

A series of text messages between husband and wife then revealed that two other women were also being held in the same hotel.

One of them was Ms Zhang's aunt and the other was church leader Fan Ruizhen. It is believed the local government wanted to demolish their church before Ms Fan could be released.

Ms Zhang's husband told Sky News that he believed his wife was detained because the local government feared she would try to publicise her father's "unjust" arrest while world leaders were in China for the APEC summit.

He said: "They tried to cover up the ugly things in the country, and they don't want the outside world to know what is going on in China.

Video: Jailed Chinese Pastor's Family Flee

"So I think that's why they've arrested them, and put them somewhere else."

US President Barack Obama, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Russian President Vladimir Putin are among world leaders scheduled to attend the meeting.

The US government is aware of Pastor Zhang's case.

In July, US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said: "I want to express deep concern by the United States by reports that Zhang Shaojie was convicted 4 July and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment in retaliation for his peaceful advocacy on behalf of his church community.

"We call on Chinese authorities to release Pastor Zhang and we urge China to cease harassment of his family members and congregants."

Video: China's Christian Challenge

The hostility and danger faced by some Chinese Christians was witnessed by Sky News in December last year.

A Sky News crew was attacked by a group of local people believed to have been hired by the government as they investigated Pastor Zhang's arrest. Sky News was removed by force from the town and told not to return.

The team secured a secret meeting with Pastor Zhang's other daughter Zhang Huixin, who was in hiding with her baby daughter. She described the violent arrest of her father.

Earlier this year Zhang Huixin - also known as Yunyun - and her husband escaped from China with their baby daughter, and sought shelter in the US state of Texas.

Despite the constitutional rights to religious freedom, China's Christians are among a number of religious groups persecuted by the authorities.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Flood Defences At Risk With Funding Squeeze

A lack of cash for flood defences is increasing the risk of serious problems in many areas if winter storms hit, a spending watchdog has warned.

The National Audit Office (NAO) says half of the country's flood defences - more than 1,300 schemes - are only being maintained to a "minimal level".

But the Government insists there has been a real-term increase in flood defence funding.

Whitehall made an extra £270m available following the winter storms last year, which saw widespread flooding during the wettest winter on record, including an additional £35m in each of the next two years for maintaining defences.

The NAO report said the additional money restored funding for maintaining defences to 2010-11 levels in cash terms.

Video: Feb 21: UK Flooding View From Above

But in real terms - adjusted for inflation - the report found it represented a 6% drop in spending for maintenance since the Tory-led coalition took office.

Without the extra cash from the Government following the winter floods, total funding for flood protection has fallen by 10% since 2010.

While the Environment Agency has improved efficiency, the increased risk of extreme weather events as a result of climate change means current budgets will be under pressure, the NAO said.

The winter storms flooded 7,700 homes and 3,200 commercial properties, as well as cutting off power to hundreds of thousands more households and flooding 49,000 hectares of agricultural land, with areas such as the Somerset Levels particularly badly hit.

Video: Flood-Hit Family Put Home On Stilts

Responding to the report, chairwoman of the Commons Public Accounts Committee Margaret Hodge, said: "I am deeply concerned that current levels of spending are not enough to maintain flood protection, with five million homes at risk of flooding and people's livelihoods in jeopardy.

"It is alarming that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has cut spending on flood protection by 10% between 2011-12 and 2014-15 and it had to react with an emergency bailout of £270m following the winter floods in 2013."

Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, said: "The agency, as it recognises, will need to make difficult decisions about whether to continue maintaining assets in some areas or let them lapse, increasing in future both the risk of floods and the potential need for more expensive ad-hoc emergency solutions."

But Floods Minister Dan Rogerson said: "The NAO has drawn conclusions on funding based on inappropriate comparisons.

Video: Feb 11: Hammond Cornered On Floods

"We have invested £3.2bn in flood management and defences over the course of this parliament which is a real term increase and half a billion more than in the previous parliament.

"Not only are we spending more than ever before, but we are also ensuring that our investment strategy will deliver long-term value for money."

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Apple's Gold Smartwatch Could Cost Up To $5,000

Rumours have been swirling that Apple's gold smartwatch could cost as much as $5,000 (£3,150), according to senior company sources quoted by a French website.

The Cupertino firm is due to launch the new product line in spring next year, but details over how much each device will cost have been sparse.

Now iGen.fr - which covers Apple developments - says the high-end model with gold plating will set customers back up to $5,000.

However the stainless steel models will be easier on the wallet, according the site, costing $500 (£315).

The site is trusted by many Apple watchers as it correctly predicted the introduction of two iPhone 6 models earlier this year.

The watch was unveiled by Apple chief executive Tim Cook in September.

The company says it works as a health and fitness device with many of the same features as a smartphone - but crucially needs an accompanying iPhone to work.

According to many technology sources, Apple is unhappy with the battery life and is working on extending it before it is released.

One report said the battery will last a day on a single charge, while many rival devices last a week.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Car Rams Pedestrians As Jerusalem Clashes Erupt

A driver has rammed his car into a crowd of pedestrians in East Jerusalem before getting out and attacking people with a metal bar - killing one and injuring 13.

The man was shot dead at the scene by police, who described the incident as a "hit-and-run terror attack".

"A commercial vehicle hit and ran over pedestrians at a light rail station," police spokeswoman Luba Samri said.

She indicated that the incident took place on the border between west and annexed East Jerusalem.

Emergency services spokesman Zaki Heller said the car had driven down the light rail tracks then ploughed into people waiting on the platform.

Video: Jerusalem Pedestrians Run Down

Police named the attacker as 38-year-old Palestinian Ibrahim al-Akri, who they said had recently been released from prison after serving time for security offences.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility by any Palestinian organisation but Hamas, the group which runs Gaza, praised the attack and called for more violence.

Hamas official Fawzi Barhoum said: "We praise this heroic operation."

"We call for more such ... operations."

Video: Aftermath Of Jerusalem Car Attack

A similar attack took place in the same area on October 23.

It came as Israeli police clashed with Palestinian protesters at the city's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound after hardline Jewish nationalists announced plans to visit the site despite weeks of soaring tensions.

Jordan announced it was recalling its ambassador to Israel in protest at the Jewish state's "violations" in Jerusalem and its holy sites.

Jordan's state news agency said the decision was taken "in protest at the increasing and unprecedented Israeli escalation in the Noble Sanctuary, and the repeated Israeli violations of Jerusalem".

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Gallery: Jerusalem: Fresh Clashes As Car Rams Crowd

Israeli firefighters prepare to tow the vehicle of a Palestinian man at the scene of what police said appeared to be a deliberate attack on pedestrians in East Jerusalem

An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man looks into the vehicle near the scene of the attack

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23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Juncker: 'I Don't Have A Problem' With Cameron

European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker has launched a fresh attack on David Cameron as the two continue to clash over the EU's £1.7bn demand.

Mr Juncker has said he doesn't "have a problem" with Mr Cameron but went on to accuse the Prime Minister of "having a problem" with other European leaders.

It comes after he said Mr Cameron and his Italian counterpart had mislead their citizens over budget talks with Brussels

Mr Juncker claimed what the Prime Minister said publicly about the EU demand for £1.7bn contradicted what was said to other leaders behind closed doors at last month's summit.

Mr Cameron has refused to pay the bill, making clear he believed the call for extra cash and ensuing row undermined support for British membership of the EU.

Video: Oct 27: EU Demand 'Not Acceptable'

The increase would add almost a fifth to the UK's annual contribution of £8.6bn.

Brussels responded by warning the UK would face "late payment fines" if it failed to hand over the cash - which reflects changes in the relative national income of different EU states - by the 1 December deadline.

However, on Wednesday, EU officials told Reuters EU finance ministers would be willing to allow Britain to pay the bill in interest-free instalments.

Referring to the October meeting, Mr Juncker told a European Parliament hearing: "I don't like the way that certain prime ministers behaved after the summit.

"I took notes and when I compared what they had said inside the room with what they said outside, they did not tally up."

In another news conference on Wednesday he compounded matters saying: "I don't have a problem with Mr Cameron, Mr Cameron has a problem with the other prime ministers,"

His comments are set to further sour relations with Mr Cameron, who bitterly opposed Mr Juncker's appointment as commission boss.

France is the biggest gainer from the recalculation of national contributions to EU budgets, and is due to receive one billion euro (£800m), while EU partners including the Netherlands, Italy, and even bailed-out Greece and Ireland face surcharges.

Video: EU Demand: Should UK Pay More?

Mr Juncker also took a sideswipe at the Italian leader Matteo Renzi, who vowed at the summit to make public the cost of European Union "palaces" in a row over Italy's budget projections, earning a sharp rebuke from then-Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso.

"I said to Matteo Renzi that I was not the leader of some gang of bureaucrats," Mr Juncker said.

"I am the president of the European Commission, a political institution, and I want prime ministers to respect these institutions."

He also suggested Rome was lucky to scrape through an initial review by Brussels of its 2015 budget despite running an excessive deficit.

He said: "If Barroso only listened to bureaucrats, Italy's budget would have been treated differently."

Mr Renzi took to Twitter to hit back at Mr Juncker, demanding respect from Brussels for his country.

He said: "I'm not going to go to Brussels to have what needs to be done explained to me, and I told Barroso and Juncker that."

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man Guilty Of Murdering Women On Puppy Farm

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 29 Oktober 2014 | 23.21

A dog breeder has been found guilty of murdering his partner and her daughter at his puppy farm.

John Lowe, 82, opened fire on 66-year-old Christine Lee and her daughter Lucy Lee, 40, with a shotgun he normally used for killing rats.

Christine's daughter, Stacy Banner, said after his trial: "The shotgun was one of seven that had been returned to him by the police only months before he used it to kill."

She added: "John Lowe pulled the trigger but it was the Surrey Police who put the gun in his hands."

Surrey Police has apologised to the family after Lowe's shotguns were returned to him in July last year following their confiscation the previous March.

The force said two reports indicated the decision was "flawed" and vowed to "co-operate fully" with an Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation.

Lowe told his trial at Guildford Crown Court that the women's deaths near Farnham in Surrey in February were "a terrible accident" after a struggle over the gun as he went to destroy some dogs.

But the jury of six men and six women convicted him of their murders after hearing that, following his arrest, he told the police he had "put down" the women because they had been "giving me s*** for weeks".

They also heard that Lucy made a "desperate" 999 call saying that Lowe had killed her mother and telling the operator she was going back to confront him.

She was then shot twice, with Lowe reloading the .410 calibre double-barrelled weapon between shots.

Lowe, who listened to proceedings through a hearing loop, showed no emotion as the verdicts were given.

Speaking outside court, Mrs Banner said Lowe "brutally and deliberately murdered my mum and my sister by shooting each of them at close range with a shotgun - they did not stand a chance".

She added: "My life stopped when their lives ended on 23rd February this year. It will never be the same for me or my children who have lost their aunt and Nanny Burger King."

She also called for the way gun licensing decisions are made to be changed.

Christine Lee's sister, Julia James, said: "Christine had a heart of gold and was full of life. Lucy believed in protecting life and being kind to others.

"I witnessed on numerous occasions how caring Christine and Lucy had been towards Lowe. It has been heart-breaking listening to his lies."

Surrey Police said three of its employees are being investigated for gross misconduct over the decision to return Lowe's guns before the shooting.

It is also reviewing all cases where guns have been removed and then returned to people in the last three years.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Feminism Row: Harman Gets Shirty With Cameron

Harriet Harman has found a novel way of criticising David Cameron at Prime Minister's Questions - by donning a pro-feminist top he had refused to wear.

In the Commons, the deputy Labour leader was seen wearing a T-shirt with the slogan: "This is what a feminist looks like."

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Mr Cameron had rebuffed five offers to be photographed in the shirt, which is part of a campaign by Elle magazine and the Fawcett Society.

This was despite the fact that Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg had agreed to support the initiative.

Lorraine Candy, Elle's editor-in-chief, claimed his refusal implied he "still has an issue with the word".

Despite his vocal messages of support, the journalist insisted it "doesn't bode well" for the fight for equality "when the man in charge doesn't engage" with such a campaign.

After Ms Harman tweeted a photograph of herself in the T-shirt, she received a scathing response from the Tory press office.

They wrote: "And what does getting your husband through an all-women shortlist look like?"

Their retort was in reference to her husband, Jack Dromey, who was elected as a Birmingham MP after Labour ruled out an all-women shortlist.

The Labour party has insisted on the measure in other areas.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hunt For Bungling Robbers Caught On Camera

By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

Police are hunting two men who prepared for an armed robbery attempt completely unaware they were being filmed by a CCTV camera above their heads.

The incident unfolded in the Shepherd Market area of London's Mayfair in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The two men are seen on the security video walking up a nearby alley before going to a great deal of trouble to hide their faces, putting their hoodies up and putting on gloves.

But all the time the camera is recording very clear images of the pair, who appear not to notice it.

The men are then seen walking to the end of the street, where they attempted to rob a man at gunpoint.

The 37-year-old victim was parking his car in Shepherd Market when he was approached.

He told police one of the robbers said: "What have you got for me?"

The man managed to run away and raise the alarm, and the two would-be robbers were left to flee the scene empty handed, again caught on CCTV as they ran back up the nearby alley.

One of the suspects is described as white and approximately 18 to 21 years old. He was seen putting a green bandana around his face before taking a handgun from his waistband and holding it behind his back.

Police say the second suspect is a light-skinned black man, also around 18 to 21.

As yet no arrests have been made.

Anyone who might know the identity of the men is urged to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Top Referee Dropped For Driving Home Alone

Top football referee Mark Clattenburg has been dropped for this weekend's Premier League fixtures after breaking protocol to attend a pop concert.

The 39-year-old referee drove home alone after West Brom's game against Crystal Palace so he could watch an Ed Sheeran concert in Newcastle.

The rules of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) state officials must travel to and from the ground together.

It has also emerged Mr Clattenburg broke another rule by speaking to Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock on the phone after the 2-2 draw at the Hawthorns.

According to the PGMOL, a referee can only speak to a manager 30 minutes after the game. Any conversation must also take place in front of the referee's assistants.

Following the breaches, the PGMOL board decided not to select the referee for any Premier League games this weekend.

Mr Clattenburg has been disciplined by the PGMOL in the past.

He was sacked five years ago by the PGMOL after an investigation into his "private business affairs". The punishment was reduced to an eight-month ban on appeal.

In 2012, Mr Clattenburg was accused of racially abusing Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel during their match against Manchester United, although he was cleared by the Football Association.

Referee Stuart Attwell will now be in charge of Leicester's home game against West Brom on Saturday.

The game at Leicester will be the referee's first Premier League match in more than two years.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Murder Inquiry Over Body Parts On Island

A murder investigation has been launched after the remains of a woman were found on marshland by a group of ramblers.

The remains of 33-year-old Angela Millington, from Southend, were discovered on 21 June on Foulness Island in Essex.

Ramblers walking in a salt marsh area on the island initially found a collection of bones.

Police were called in and more remains were found.

Ms Millington was identified after forensic and DNA tests and, while it is not known how long the bones had been there, police believe she was murdered.

Detective Chief Inspector Simon Werrett, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: "We have launched a murder investigation as we don't know what happened to Angela.

"We are keeping all lines of enquiry open. Anyone with any information, no matter how small, could help us to discover how Angela died and bring her justice."

Ms Millington had no fixed address and was last seen alive when she visited a housing officer in Westcliff on 21 November last year.

She took money out of her bank account on that same day and her mobile phone has not been used since the end of that month.

Mr Werrett added: "We have not found any of her clothing or belongings.

"Angela was known to associate with street drinkers and local homeless people.

"There was a sighting of her by a police officer in the Porters Grange area of Southend on 6 January but we have no definite details of her movements since 21 November.

"The expert reports indicate that she did not die on Foulness but was either taken there or the body was carried there in the tide."

:: Anybody with information is asked to contact police on 01702 470173. Twitter users can make contact through #answers4angela.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Netanyahu Dismisses 'Coward' Claims From US

By Tom Rayner, Middle East Reporter, in Jerusalem

Israel's Prime Minister has vowed not to bow to "pressure" from Washington, after US administration officials reportedly labelled him a "coward".

An article in The Atlantic magazine quoted unnamed White House officials condemning Benjamin Netanyahu for lacking political courage, his posturing over the Iranian nuclear issue, and for his commitment to the continued construction of illegal settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

The article is the latest sign of the apparently deteriorating relationship between the Israeli and US leaderships.

Officials in Mr Netanyahu's office said the Prime Minister would "continue to meet the security interests of Israel's citizens and the rights of the Jewish people in Jerusalem".

"No pressure will change that."

Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, the leader of pro-settler Jewish Home party, called on the Obama administration to reject the criticisms, which also described Mr Netanyahu as being "chickens***".

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Gallery: September 2014: West Bank Clashes

A Palestinian protester uses a sling to throw stones towards Israeli border policemen during clashes following a protest against the near-by Jewish settlement of Qadomem, in the West Bank village of Kofr Qadom near Nablus
A Palestinian protester uses a sling to throw stones towards Israeli border policemen
A Palestinian protester throws back a gas canister towards Israeli border policemen
Israeli soldiers and border policemen run towards Palestinian protesters
Mourners chant slogans during the funeral of Palestinian prisoner Raed al-Jaabari in the West Bank city of Hebron
A Palestinian protester pushes a burring tyre towards Israeli troops during clashes following funeral of Palestinian prisoner Raed al-Jaabari in the West Bank city of Hebron

"Serious curses such as these towards the Prime Minister of Israel are hurtful to millions of Israeli citizens and Jews around the world," said Mr Bennett.

"If what was written is true, the current government is planning to throw Israel under the wheels of the bus. I call for the US government to renounce these provocative insults and reject them out of hand."

The article in The Atlantic come days after reports the Israeli government is forwarding plans for the construction of a further 1,000 housing units in settlements in East Jerusalem.

Some 600 new units were penned for the Ramat Sholmo settlement in North East Jerusalem, and 400 in the Har Homa settlement, on the southern edge of the city.

Israeli settlements beyond the so-called "green line", which represents Israel's pre-1967 borders, are considered illegal under international law.

Israel seized east Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it - a move which has never been recognised by the international community.

The latest announcement prompted stern criticism from EU governments and the US.

US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said: "We continue to make our position absolutely clear that we view settlement activity as illegitimate and unequivocally oppose unilateral steps that prejudge the future of Jerusalem."

But, speaking at the Israeli Parliament on Tuesday, Mr Netanyahu said: "I've heard the claim that our construction in Jewish neighbourhoods in Jerusalem distances peace."

"It's this criticism that distances peace. These statements are detached from reality, they foster false statements by Palestinians."

Later on Wednesday the UN Security Council will discuss Israel's settlement announcements, following a request by Jordan.

Palestinian officials have warned the announcement of further settlement construction will fuel rising tensions in Jerusalem and the West Bank, where protests and violent incidents have been on the increase.

On Friday a Palestinian teenager was shot dead during protests.

Last week a three-month-old Israeli baby was killed and several other people injured when a Palestinian man drove his car into a crowd waiting at a tram station.

Days earlier a five-year-old Palestinian girl was run over and killed by an Israeli settler in the West Bank.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

RBS Seeks To Shut Down Payday Loan Brokers

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has told Sky News it is actively working to close payday loan brokers.

The group, which includes the Natwest and Ulster Bank brands in its stable, said that between July and August alone it was receiving 650 complaints a day from its customers about payday brokers.

It said one million attempts were being made a month to remove money from RBS or Natwest accounts and said that one customer of a payday broker who was seeking a £100 loan was charged £700 in fees.

Brokers are web-based and do not lend money themselves but often charge fees even if their attempts to find a lender are unsuccessful. Fees usually range between £50 and £100.

The Guardian reported on Tuesday that, in the worst cases, brokers have passed a person's bank details to others which then also attempt to charge the individual for a service.

Its story prompted the Financial Ombudsman to issue a new warning about the use of payday brokers, saying nearly 11,500 people had contacted the service to complain about credit-brokering websites since April alone.

In two-thirds of complaints it investigated, the ombudsman agreed that the consumer had been treated unfairly. Fees were refunded in the remainder of cases.

The ombudsman said many people using the websites thought they were applying for a loan directly and did not realise that they were paying a middleman and loans would not materialise.

Senior ombudsman Juliana Francis said: "In too many of the cases we sort out, no loan is provided and people's bank accounts have been charged a high fee, often multiple times.

"If money has been taken from your account unfairly or without warning, the good news is the ombudsman is here to help."

The Consumer Finance Association (CFA), which represents some of the best known payday lenders but does not represent brokers, said: "Brokers do not lend any money - they are simply the middlemen.

"There is no need to pay a fee to arrange a loan. You can go direct to reputable lenders who have new rules that ensure they will be clear and up front about costs and they cannot make more than two attempts to collect your loan payments from your account.

"Many brokers have no such rules and will keep dipping into your account to take arrangement fees."

Sky News revealed last month how the Competition and Markets Authority was changing the scope of its clampdown on payday lenders to include a greater focus on the brokers too.

Previous regulatory reforms within the short-term credit industry have included rules on capping daily rates and stricter advertising.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Asylum: 29,000 Cases Unresolved Since 2007

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

Failings in the UK's asylum system have led to an "extremely concerning" backlog of cases - with the Home Office accused of being in chaos over immigration.

Some 11,000 asylum seekers have been waiting since 2007 to be told whether they can stay in the country.

In total there are 29,000 cases waiting to be resolved, according to a damning report.

Margaret Hodge MP, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, said: "To make matters worse, the department is also failing to meet its targets for dealing with newer claims, so it is now creating another backlog for itself.

"The number of claims awaiting an initial decision was up 70% to 16,273 in the first three months of 2014 compared to the same period last year.

Video: Asylum Process System In Chaos

"It is deeply worrying that the Home Office is not tracking those people whose applications have been rejected to ensure that they are removed from the UK."

The report said there are 175,000 people whose applications to stay in the UK have been rejected and are still awaiting removal.

The Government scrapped the UK Border Agency last year as part of major reforms.

One asylum seeker has told Sky News she feels mentally "tortured" after being left in limbo.

Her case has been repeatedly delayed and nine months after applying for asylum the Ugandan woman still has not been given a proper interview about her request.

Fearing further delays to her claim, she asked only to be known as "Namusoke" and explained to Sky News: "I feel tortured here in the UK, I feel depressed, stressed and traumatised, so I really feel bad because I can't help nothing for myself.

"I'm a beggar, which I was not born to do."

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Gallery: Struggle Of Calais Migrants 'Prepared To Die'

Migrants who are trying to get to the UK are continuing to live in tents and get on to lorries after Calais' mayor warned MPs they were "prepared to die"
The images show migrants running behind a truck to try to board it as it approached the border post between Britain and France
Other pictures showed the conditions that the migrants were prepared to live in
The mayor of Calais told MPs that fencing donated by Britain to keep illegal migrants from the French port was "laughable"
She said that the border controls should be in Britain, not in France as they are at present
Ms Bouchart told the parliamentary committee it was easier to get welfare benefits in Britain and that migrants viewed the country as an "Eldorado"
Up to 2,300 migrants are thought to be in Calais and surrounding areas
In recent months the French say migrants have been overwhelming security forces as they make regular attempts to mob the port en masse to try and scramble on to trucks boarding ferries to Dover
The pictures were also taken on a day when Britain's asylum system was described as being a "failure"

The woman is fleeing persecution in her homeland due to the fact she is a lesbian - homosexuality is deemed illegal in Uganda.

Immigration and Security Minister James Brokenshire said: "The immigration system we inherited was totally dysfunctional.

"Turning around years of mismanagement has taken time, but it is now well under way.

"We have reformed visa routes to make them more resistant to fraud and cancelled failing contracts; and we are addressing the backlogs we inherited."

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "This report lays bare how Theresa May and David Cameron are presiding over one failure after another in our immigration system."

The Refugee Council's head of advocacy, Lisa Doyle, said: "It's extremely concerning that so many people are still waiting for a decision on their asylum claim, years after first applying."

On Tuesday the mayor of Calais said Britain's benefits system had become a magnet for asylum seekers making their way across the English Channel from France - and that many are "prepared to die" to make the journey.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tesco Faces Criminal Probe Over Profits Crisis

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has launched a formal criminal probe into Tesco's accounting crisis that led the UK's biggest retailer to overstate profits by £263m.

The news was confirmed by both the supermarket chain and SFO, hours after Sky News first revealed details of the investigation.

The company said: "Tesco confirms that it has been notified by the SFO that it has commenced an investigation into accounting practices at the company.

"Tesco has been co-operating fully with the SFO and will continue to do so.

"Tesco has been notified by the Financial Conduct Authority that, in light of the SFO investigation, its investigation will be discontinued."

Video: Tesco's Woes In Detail

The SFO probe, while not entirely unexpected, adds to the sense of crisis at Tesco.

The company, which has lost more than half its value during the last year, has been hit by unprecedented boardroom turmoil, with the chairman, Sir Richard Broadbent, planning to quit next year.

Eight executives, including UK managing director Chris Bush, have been asked to stand aside pending the outcome of investigations into the accounting mis-statement, which relate to payments from major suppliers.

Deloitte, the accountancy firm, and Freshfields, Tesco's legal adviser, undertook a preliminary probe, which was handed to the retailer's board last week.

That report has been handed to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), with which Tesco said earlier this month it is co-operating.

Dave Lewis, the new Tesco chief executive, last week unveiled a fall in half-year profits of more than 90% as the company battles to recapture market share lost to discounters such as Aldi and Lidl.

Tesco has also been deserted by some of its leading shareholders, including the US-based Harris Associates and Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, amid concern over its strategy and the state of its balance sheet.

The turmoil has forced Tesco to shore up its financial position by turning to five banks to lend the company £1bn each in order to head off the prospect of lenders calling in existing loans.

The Daily Telegraph reported on Wednesday that major consumer goods companies which supply Tesco have asked auditors to scrutinise their dealings with the retailer.

The SFO, which has powers to prosecute companies as well as individuals, has been pursuing high-profile cases against Barclays, GlaxoSmithKline and Rolls-Royce, among others.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Student's Left Foot Is Now Her Knee After Op

By Gerard Tubb, Sky News Correspondent

A performing arts student who was diagnosed with cancer and faced losing her leg will soon be walking again after her ankle was used to create a new knee.

Jordon Moody, 22, took advice from specialists at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham and rejected a full amputation in favour of a procedure called rotationplasty.

The delicate operation, carried out by the NHS in July, involved removing most of her thigh and reattaching her lower leg to replace it.

Jordon's shinbone is now where her thigh was, but back to front, so her ankle joint acts like a knee and her foot points backwards ready to have an artificial limb attached.

"At first it was backwards," she explained. "They'd say 'straighten your foot' and I'd automatically bend it.

"Obviously my calf is at the front, if I got an itch on my calf I'd automatically go round the back because my brain and I am used to it being round the back, so that took a lot of getting used to."

The operation has become a recognised procedure in the rare cases where someone needs to have their leg amputated but the lower limb is healthy.

Jordon, from Hessle, near Hull, has publicised her case as part of the Cancer Research UK Stand Up To Cancer fundraising drive.

She hopes to have her prosthetic limb fitted next month and will then have to learn to walk again.

"Once I have that fitted then I'm up and running, I can get rid of my crutches which I've needed for a couple of years now," she said.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Canada Shooting: Police Hunt More Gunmen

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 22 Oktober 2014 | 23.21

Ottawa is in lockdown as police search for up to three gunmen after one was reportedly shot dead inside Canada's parliament building.

Police told the AFP news agency that possibly up to three shooters were feared to be on the roof of the building in the capital.

It came after a soldier guarding a nearby war memorial was wounded after shots were fired.

Shots were also fired near the Rideau Centre Mall, according to police.

Armed forces bases across the country are being closed to the public in the aftermath of the shooting, CBC TV reported.

Video: Video: Shots In Canada Parliament

A construction worker at the parliament told the Reuters news agency he heard a gunshot, and then saw a man dressed in black with a scarf over his face running towards the building with a gun.

Another witness said more than 30 shots were fired inside the building.

Witness Marc-Andre Viau said he saw a man run into a caucus meeting at the parliament, chased by police who yelled "take cover."

This was followed by "10, 15, maybe 20 shots," possibly from an automatic weapon, he said.

Video footage posted by the Global and Mail newspaper showed police crouching for cover as they advanced along a stone hallway, with loud gunfire echoing among the gothic columns.

Video: Soldier Wounded In Ottawa Shooting

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is safe and has left Parliament Hill.

Michelle Rempel, MP for Calgary Centre North, tweeted: "Mom im okay Im in hiding."

Some people fled parliament by climbing down scaffolding erected for renovations, witnesses told the Canadian Press news agency.

The cordon has been pushed back and media on the scene have been told they are not safe.

Police have warned people in Ottawa to stay away from windows and roofs.

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Gallery: Pictures: Shots Fired At Canada Parliament

Canadian police have surrounded the parliament in Ottawa after a soldier was shot while guarding a nearby monument.

The wounded soldier, who was standing guard at the National War Memorial, has been taken away in an ambulance.

The soldier appeared to be seriously wounded and medics were seen pushing on his chest to revive him.

The shooting comes two days after an Islamic convert ran down two Canadian soldiers near Montreal, killing one of them.

Authorities had raised the security threat level from low to medium after that incident.

More follows...

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Malaysia '99.9% Sure' Of Finding MH370

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

Malaysia's defence minister has told Sky News he is "99.9% sure" the sonar technology being used in the hunt for missing flight MH370 will find the doomed jet.

Hishammuddin Hussein officially launched the Malaysian contracted vessel GO Phoenix and its underwater probe at Fremantle Port in Perth on Wednesday.

He told Sky News: "This is cutting-edge technology. That's my personal view based on experts' opinion - 99.9% sure (sonar devices can find it).

"But the ocean is huge so it depends on narrowing the search area and that's the challenge."

The probe, which can go to depths of nearly four miles (6.4km) and cover up to 75 sq miles (194 sq km) per day, is being used in the search area 1,200 miles off the coast of Western Australia.

GO Phoenix is one of three ships being used in the search. Sky News was allowed on board as it was resupplied and refuelled in Fremantle.

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Gallery: MH370: Timeline Of False Hopes

March 8: At 9am, an hour after flight MH370 is reported missing, rumours spread online that it has landed safely in China
March 8: Search planes spot two oil slicks in the South China Sea but tests show the fuel is not from an aircraft
March 9: Vietnam search plane spots mystery objects in the South China Sea but they turn out to be unrelated to MH370
March 10: A moss-covered piece of floating sea debris is mistaken for a yellow life raft
March 11: Two MH370 passengers travelling with stolen passports are identified as illegal immigrants from Iran and are no longer suspected of terrorist activity
March 12: Images released of three floating white objects close to MH370's last known location but searchers find nothing
March 19: PM Tony Abbot announces Australian search teams have spotted two large items in the southern Indian Ocean. They were never found
March 22: Objects tangled with a wooden pallet are mistaken for safety straps but turn out to be seaweed
March 23: 122 items are picked up via a French satellite but search planes are unable to locate any of them
March 27: Thai satellite detects about 300 floating objects in the Indian Ocean but they cannot be identified as coming from MH370
March 28: Search area moves 1,100km northeast as analysis suggests plane used up fuel more quickly than expected
March 30: FBI investigations into a flight simulator found at the home of one of the pilots reveal 'nothing sinister'
April 1: Contrary to previous suggestions, final cockpit communications from the two pilots appear to be entirely routine
April 2: Personal and psychological analysis of all 239 passengers and crew reveals no clues to the disappearance
April 4: Experts dismiss plan to locate the plane's black box using a 'pinger detector' as a 'desperate move' with little chance of success
May 29: US Navy claims a series of pings detected by Bluefin-21 are unlikely to have any connection to the missing plane and may well have come from the search ship itself

Mr Hishammuddin said there was no timeline for the search, but if there was he would leave it up to the experts to advise.

He said Malaysia has never strayed from its focus to find the plane despite numerous obstacles and setbacks.

"All that could have been done to find the plane at this point has been done," Mr Hishammuddin said.

"This is it, the next phase. The search goes on."

Video: June 8: 'Convinced Of A Cover-Up'

One of the crew operating the sonar probe explained how good the resolution is on images received by it.

Project leader Evan Tanner said: "It can identify objects roughly 10cm in size - the same size as a soda can. It will spot that from a kilometre away. It's impressive technology."

Mr Hishammuddin acknowledged the pain still felt by the families and friends of those on board MH370.

He said: "They remain in our thoughts and also in our prayers.

1/7

Gallery: Missing Passengers Of Flight MH370

Stuntman Ju Kun, 35, was travelling to Beijing to see his two young children before starting work on the new Netflix and Weinstein Company series Marco Polo in Malaysia.
Muktesh Mukherjee and Bai Xiaomo were heading home to Beijing after a beach holiday in Vietnam.
Yue Wenchao, 26, is originally from inner Mongolia but had moved to the UK to study a postgraduate course at the University of Hull Business School.
Bob and Cathy Lawton of Springfield Lakes, Australia, are parents to three daughters, as well as doting grandparents.
Hu Xiaoning, 34, was travelling home to Beijing with his three-year-old daughter Hu Siwan.
French students Hadrien Wattrelos, 17, and Zhao Yan, 18, were heading for school in Beijing.
Paul Weeks, a mechanical engineer, left his wedding ring and watch at home when he headed to Mongolia for a work trip.

"We must continue to hope because sometimes hope is all we have.

"We will find MH370."

The GO Phoenix is expected to depart from Fremantle on Thursday to join the search operation off southwestern Australia.

MH370 disappeared with 239 people on board during its March 8 flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

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