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Russian Woman's Boyfriend Charged With Murder

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 12 Januari 2013 | 20.14

The boyfriend of a 23-year-old Russian woman who was found dead in her flat has been charged with her murder, police have said.

Felipe Lopes, 27, was arrested on the street in the Farnborough area of Bromley on Wednesday morning after police discovered the body of Anastasia Voykina in a house in Streatham at around 2am on Monday.

A post-mortem examination found she died as a result of multiple fractures to the face, head and neck.

Lopes will appear at Bromley Magistrates' Court today, Scotland Yard said.

A missing person report for Ms Voykina was made on Sunday after friends became concerned.

Officers attended a maisonette in James Boswell Close, Streatham, where they found her body.

Formal identification has not yet taken place, but detectives are confident the deceased is the missing Russian. Next of kin has been informed.

Police said she made a phone call to her family on December 30, which was the last known contact with her.


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Northern Ireland Clashes: Four Officers Injured

Four police officers have been injured after more than 30 petrol bombs and other missiles were hurled at them in another night of Union flag demonstrations in Northern Ireland.

The most serious disorder was in Carrickfergus and the Rathcoole area of Newtownabbey, on the northern outskirts of Belfast.

A bus was also set on fire during the disorder. Police deployed water cannon in an attempt to restore calm and two people were arrested.

A small viable pipe bomb was found on the Westlink dual carriageway in Belfast, but it was unclear whether it was linked to the loyalist disorder.

There were widespread and mostly peaceful protests across Northern Ireland on Friday night in co-ordinated action dubbed Operation Standstill by organisers.

Many roads were blocked off between 6pm and 8pm as loyalist protesters again took to the streets to voice their opposition to Belfast City Council's decision to limit the number of days the Union flag flies at City Hall.

Rugby fans travelling to Ravenhill, in east Belfast, for Ulster's crunch Heineken Cup game against Glasgow faced major disruption due to the pickets.

Union Flag protests Protesters carry the Union flag in Newtownabbey

But the city centre was not as empty as might have been expected after an online campaign urged people to defy the protests.

They were called on to stage an "Operation sit-in" in cafes, pubs and restaurants to give businesses hit by the six-week campaign of street action a much-needed boost.

Restaurateur Michael Deane told Sky News the crisis has been a blow to his business but that he refused to give up.

"Belfast is a fabulous city," he said.

"Whether I would come to visit Belfast, looking from outside (at) what you see on the television, no, I probably wouldn't.

"But let's hope this all goes away very quickly."

As loyalists called people onto the streets to protest, young church leaders called them to prayer.

Andrew Masters, from the Christian organisation called What Now?, told Sky News: "We're asking people to pray at 11:11 every day and for two real simple prayers: that peace would come and hope would come and that things that have been lost - the finance, the business, the hope - would be returned."

Around 70 police officers have been injured and more than 100 people arrested in six weeks of trouble since Belfast City Council's ruling on the Union flag.

The Democratic Unionist Party and Progressive Unionist Party have challenged the council over the decision, claiming it contravenes its equality policy.

A Belfast City Council spokeswoman said the flag policy was introduced after a democratic decision elected members.

She said: "The council has taken legal advice throughout this process and the decision is in keeping with the outcome of the equality impact assessment that was undertaken in line with the advice of the Equality Commission.

"The designated days agreed are in keeping with those notified by the UK Government's Department of Culture, Media and Sport."


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Savile Sex Abuse Victims To Seek Compensation

Jimmy Savile Abuse Report: Timeline

Updated: 11:45am UK, Friday 11 January 2013

The police and NSPCC report on the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal follows a lengthy investgation sparked by a television documentary.

This is how the case unfolded:

October 29, 2011

:: Veteran DJ and broadcaster Jimmy Savile is found dead in his home in Roundhay, Leeds, after a spell in hospital with a suspected bout of pneumonia. He was 84.

September 30, 2012

:: It emerges allegations about Savile will be made in a new ITV documentary due to be aired on October 3.

October 1

:: Surrey Police confirm Savile was interviewed in 2007 over allegations dating back to the 1970s but was released without charge.

October 2

:: An historic rape allegation made against Savile is referred to Scotland Yard. It is also revealed that Jersey and Surrey police investigated accusations about alleged abuse in two children's homes, but decided there was not enough evidence to proceed.

:: The BBC says it will make direct contact with police to provide full support over the "disturbing allegations".

:: Newsnight editor Peter Rippon says the show dropped a story about allegations against Savile because it "had not established any institutional failure" on behalf of the police or Crown Prosecution Service. Mr Rippon writes on a BBC blog it was "totally untrue" he came under any pressure to drop the story.

October 3

:: Sussex Police confirm that in 2008 a woman reported she had been indecently assaulted by Savile in Worthing, West Sussex, in 1970, but did not want to co-operate with any inquiry or prosecution.

:: Exposure: The Other Side Of Jimmy Savile is shown on ITV1. In it, five women claim they were indecently assaulted by him when they were schoolgirls in the late 1960s and 1970s.

October 9

:: Comedian Freddie Starr denies any wrongdoing in relation to claims he groped a teenager following the recording of one of Savile's shows.

:: Scotland Yard reveals it is looking at 120 lines of inquiry and as many as 25 victims. Commander Peter Spindler says allegations span four decades and abuse was on a "national scale". He says the inquiry, dubbed Operation Yewtree, will only become a criminal investigation if there is evidence against living individuals.

October 11

:: Allegations emerge that Savile abused children at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire and Leeds General Hospital.

October 12

:: BBC director general George Entwistle offers a "profound and heartfelt apology" to alleged victims as he announces two inquiries - one into potential failings over the handling of the abandoned Newsnight investigation, and a second into the "culture and practices of the BBC during the years Savile worked here".

October 13

:: The Department of Health says it will carry out an investigation into how Savile was appointed to lead a "taskforce" at Broadmoor in 1988.

:: Police say Savile's alleged catalogue of abuse could have spanned six decades and included around 60 victims.

October 19

:: A leaked internal email casts doubt on the BBC's stated reason for cancelling a Newsnight investigation into sexual abuse by Savile, The Times says.

:: Scotland Yard announces that Operation Yewtree is now a formal criminal investigation involving other living people.

October 22

:: The BBC announces that Newsnight editor Peter Rippon has stepped aside "with immediate effect". It says his explanation as to why the show dropped its investigation was "inaccurate or incomplete in some respects".

:: The Crown Prosecution Service say Surrey Police passed a file to them in 2009 based on a complaint made by "a woman who said she had witnessed an indecent assault by Jimmy Savile in the 1970s".

The force found evidence of "three further potential offences" by Savile but evidence showed none of the alleged victims would support a prosecution.

October 25

:: Scotland Yard says it is investigating in excess of 400 lines of inquiry involving 300 victims, of whom all except two are women. Commander Peter Spindler says Savile is one of the most prolific sex offenders in recent history and the inquiry into his abuse will be a "watershed" investigation into sex crime.

October 26

:: It emerges that seven alleged victims of Savile made complaints to four separate police forces - Surrey, London, Sussex and Jersey - while the disgraced television presenter was alive, but it was decided no further action should be taken.

October 28

:: Former pop star Gary Glitter is arrested by officers working on Operation Yewtree. He is bailed to return in mid-December.

November 1

:: Comedian Freddie Starr is arrested in connection with the Savile abuse investigation. He is released on bail.

November 2

:: Freddie Starr returns for further questioning and is later bailed again.

November 11

:: Former BBC producer Wilfred De'ath is arrested at an address in Cambridge but later insists he was the victim of mistaken identity.

:: BBC director general George Entwistle resigns after an "unacceptable" Newsnight broadcast into child abuse in North Wales wrongly implicates a former senior Conservative politician.

November 15

:: Former Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis is arrested on suspicion of sexual offences. Police say the allegations do not directly involve Savile, and are classed under the strand of their investigation termed "others". Mr Travis denies any wrongdoing, saying: "This is nothing to do with kids."

November 29

:: A man in his 80s, from Berkshire, is arrested and questioned by detectives investigating the Savile abuse scandal after attending police premises in south London by appointment. Scotland Yard says he is being treated as part of the investigation that does not directly relate to Savile.

December 6

:: PR guru Max Clifford is arrested at his Surrey home on suspicion of sexual offences and taken to Belgravia police station in central London for questioning. Clifford tells reporters: "These allegations are damaging and totally untrue."

December 10

:: A man in his 60s, from London, is arrested on suspicion of sexual offences and taken to a south London police station. Scotland Yard says he falls under the strand of the investigation termed "others". He is later bailed until January.

December 12

:: Scotland Yard says 31 rape allegations have been made against Savile - out of a total of 450 complaints. It adds 589 people have come forward with information relating to the scandal.

December 19

:: Former BBC radio producer Ted Beston, 76, is arrested in London on suspicion of sexual offences and vehemently denies the allegations the following day.

January 2, 2013

:: Former TV presenter Jim Davidson is arrested but "vigorously denies" allegations of sexual offences made against him by two women. A 53-year-old man is also arrested. Police say the allegations are not directly related to Savile and both men are bailed until March.

January 11

:: The police and NSPCC report on the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal is published.


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Gay Marriage: Catholic Priests Raise Fears

More than 1,000 Roman Catholic priests have signed a letter expressing fears that same-sex marriage legislation would threaten their religious freedoms.

In the letter sent to The Daily Telegraph, the priests said the proposed law would limit their ability to teach about marriage in Catholic schools and other institutions.

The Equal Marriage Bill, allowing couples of the same sex to marry, is due to be published this month.

The letter was signed by 1,054 priests and 13 bishops.

"Legislation for same-sex marriage, should it be enacted, will have many legal consequences, severely restricting the ability of Catholics to teach the truth about marriage in their schools, charitable institutions or places of worship," it said.

"It is meaningless to argue that Catholics and others may still teach their beliefs about marriage in schools and other arenas if they are also expected to uphold the opposite view at the same time."

The letter said the legislation could threaten freedoms in a way that was last seen during "centuries of persecution" of Catholics in England.

It even compared the Prime Minister's proposed changes to the meaning of marriage to those of Henry VIII, who sought to divorce Catherine of Aragon and eventually established himself as the head of the Church of England breaking away from Rome.

David Cameron. David Cameron backs the plan despite opposition from within his own party

Catholic teaching opposes divorce and same-sex marriage, maintaining families should only be based on marriage between a man and woman.

The Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Rev Philip Egan, one of the signatories, told The Daily Telegraph he fears that when preaching or teaching in schools about marriage, "we could be arrested for being bigots or homophobes".

A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: "We have been very clear that our plans for equal marriage will fully protect the freedom of religions bodies to preach, teach and put into practice their beliefs about marriage."

The Government says it will not force religious bodies to carry out services and that the new law will make it illegal for the Church of England and its counterpart in Wales to offer ceremonies.

Still, the plan has proven divisive, with many Tory MPs openly opposing it.


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Birmingham Stabbings: Appeal For Witnesses

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

A 23-year-old man is being questioned on suspicion of stabbing two men to death in Birmingham city centre last night.

The men, who are in their thirties, were attacked just before 6pm.

One victim is thought to have been stabbed outside a Sainsbury's store in Martineau Place, while the other was found slumped near a Boots store in Union Street with fatal injuries.

Officers administered first aid on both men, but both were pronounced dead at the scene.

Kevin Blake, 52, who was leaving work at the time, told Sky News: "There was someone lying on the ground with a police officer pumping his chest and someone holding a white compress on his lower abdomen and someone sort of incubating him.

"He was in a very very bad way. As I walked to the train station there was huge droplets of blood for about 30 or 40 yards which signified that he was very, very seriously injured.

"It was a surprise to read in the paper that two people had been stabbed and not just the one that I saw, it was quite a sight."

A man was arrested in New Street near the Odeon Cinema minutes after the stabbings.

Inspector David Keen said: "Two men have suffered fatal injuries - these have been inflicted in the heart of the city at a busy time when workers and shoppers would be heading home.

"There are potentially hundreds of witnesses, either people who saw the stabbings or the offender leaving the scene, and I'd urge people to get in touch immediately - they could have vital information."

Forensics and search experts cordoned off several scenes in and around Union Street to preserve evidence. Those cordons have now been lifted.

A spokeswoman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: "Crews arrived to find two men who had been stabbed and were being given excellent first aid by police officers and passers-by.

"Both men went into cardiac arrest. Crews and the team of medics administered advanced life support to both men but, sadly, despite the best efforts, nothing could be done to save them and they were confirmed dead on scene."

Post-mortem examinations on the two victims are due to take place to determine the exact cause of their deaths.

Police said they were mounting "extra reassurance" patrols in the area.

:: Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.


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Honda Job Losses: 800 Swindon Staff To Go

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 11 Januari 2013 | 20.14

Honda plans to cut 800 jobs at its Swindon plant due to "low demand" for its vehicles across Europe.

The surprise move - which marks the first time the Japanese carmaker has made UK redundancies - comes after the company hired 500 workers last year and invested £267m in its Swindon factory.

But Honda, which has 3,500 UK employees, said the expected increase in demand had not happened, with sales of cars in Europe, including Spain, Italy and Greece, falling by a million over the past year.

The company's European vice president Ken Keir told Sky News it was a "tough day" for its workers in Swindon.

"While the UK market is stable and there's opportunity for growth, we don't see the same opportunity in mainland Europe for growth," he said.

But Mr Keir insisted the UK "still is" the cornerstone of Honda's European operation.

"Quite categorically, we have a future at Swindon and producing cars in Europe for Europe, regardless of this decision," he said.

"We've got to realign our business with the opportunity in Europe."

The company said it would hold discussions with workers in Swindon and would seek to avoid compulsory redundancies.

Last year, a third of the 150,000 cars built at the Swindon factory were sold in the UK, with the rest exported to 26 countries, mainly in Europe.

The Jazz, Civic and CR-V Honda models are built at the plant, which has an annual capacity of 250,000.

A Department for Business, Innovation and Skills spokesman said: "This will be a bitter blow to the workforce and the local area and we will be working with local partners to minimise the impact of the job losses."


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Alan Greaves Murder Case: Accused In Court

Two men have appeared in court charged with the murder of pensioner Alan Greaves, who was attacked as he walked to church in Sheffield.

Mr Greaves, an organist and lay preacher, was assaulted just a few hundred metres from his home as he walked to St Saviour's Church at High Green, for midnight mass on Christmas Eve.

The father-of-four died from the severe head injuries he suffered three days later.

Ashley Foster, 21, of Wesley Road, High Green, and Jonathan Bowling, 22, of Carwood Way, Pitmoor, have both been charged with his murder.

The pair were remanded in custody when they appeared before magistrates in Sheffield.

There were no applications for bail and they were told they will appear at Sheffield Crown Court on January 18.

Mr Greave's widow, Maureen, attended the short court hearing.

Asked if her faith was helping her through this difficult time as she left the proceedings, she replied: "Immensely.

"The support of the congregation and the police has been outstanding."

South Yorkshire Police have made four arrests in connection with the 68-year-old's death.

Two other men, one in his 20s and one in his 40s, were arrested last month and have been bailed pending further inquiries.

Mr Greaves' death shocked the community where he lived and more than 50 police officers were drafted in to help with the investigation.

An inquest into Mr Greaves' death has been opened and adjourned by Sheffield Coroner Chris Dorries.


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Savile: Report Reveals Full Scale Of Sex Abuse

Jimmy Savile Abuse Report: Timeline

Updated: 11:45am UK, Friday 11 January 2013

The police and NSPCC report on the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal follows a lengthy investgation sparked by a television documentary.

This is how the case unfolded:

October 29, 2011

:: Veteran DJ and broadcaster Jimmy Savile is found dead in his home in Roundhay, Leeds, after a spell in hospital with a suspected bout of pneumonia. He was 84.

September 30, 2012

:: It emerges allegations about Savile will be made in a new ITV documentary due to be aired on October 3.

October 1

:: Surrey Police confirm Savile was interviewed in 2007 over allegations dating back to the 1970s but was released without charge.

October 2

:: An historic rape allegation made against Savile is referred to Scotland Yard. It is also revealed that Jersey and Surrey police investigated accusations about alleged abuse in two children's homes, but decided there was not enough evidence to proceed.

:: The BBC says it will make direct contact with police to provide full support over the "disturbing allegations".

:: Newsnight editor Peter Rippon says the show dropped a story about allegations against Savile because it "had not established any institutional failure" on behalf of the police or Crown Prosecution Service. Mr Rippon writes on a BBC blog it was "totally untrue" he came under any pressure to drop the story.

October 3

:: Sussex Police confirm that in 2008 a woman reported she had been indecently assaulted by Savile in Worthing, West Sussex, in 1970, but did not want to co-operate with any inquiry or prosecution.

:: Exposure: The Other Side Of Jimmy Savile is shown on ITV1. In it, five women claim they were indecently assaulted by him when they were schoolgirls in the late 1960s and 1970s.

October 9

:: Comedian Freddie Starr denies any wrongdoing in relation to claims he groped a teenager following the recording of one of Savile's shows.

:: Scotland Yard reveals it is looking at 120 lines of inquiry and as many as 25 victims. Commander Peter Spindler says allegations span four decades and abuse was on a "national scale". He says the inquiry, dubbed Operation Yewtree, will only become a criminal investigation if there is evidence against living individuals.

October 11

:: Allegations emerge that Savile abused children at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire and Leeds General Hospital.

October 12

:: BBC director general George Entwistle offers a "profound and heartfelt apology" to alleged victims as he announces two inquiries - one into potential failings over the handling of the abandoned Newsnight investigation, and a second into the "culture and practices of the BBC during the years Savile worked here".

October 13

:: The Department of Health says it will carry out an investigation into how Savile was appointed to lead a "taskforce" at Broadmoor in 1988.

:: Police say Savile's alleged catalogue of abuse could have spanned six decades and included around 60 victims.

October 19

:: A leaked internal email casts doubt on the BBC's stated reason for cancelling a Newsnight investigation into sexual abuse by Savile, The Times says.

:: Scotland Yard announces that Operation Yewtree is now a formal criminal investigation involving other living people.

October 22

:: The BBC announces that Newsnight editor Peter Rippon has stepped aside "with immediate effect". It says his explanation as to why the show dropped its investigation was "inaccurate or incomplete in some respects".

:: The Crown Prosecution Service say Surrey Police passed a file to them in 2009 based on a complaint made by "a woman who said she had witnessed an indecent assault by Jimmy Savile in the 1970s".

The force found evidence of "three further potential offences" by Savile but evidence showed none of the alleged victims would support a prosecution.

October 25

:: Scotland Yard says it is investigating in excess of 400 lines of inquiry involving 300 victims, of whom all except two are women. Commander Peter Spindler says Savile is one of the most prolific sex offenders in recent history and the inquiry into his abuse will be a "watershed" investigation into sex crime.

October 26

:: It emerges that seven alleged victims of Savile made complaints to four separate police forces - Surrey, London, Sussex and Jersey - while the disgraced television presenter was alive, but it was decided no further action should be taken.

October 28

:: Former pop star Gary Glitter is arrested by officers working on Operation Yewtree. He is bailed to return in mid-December.

November 1

:: Comedian Freddie Starr is arrested in connection with the Savile abuse investigation. He is released on bail.

November 2

:: Freddie Starr returns for further questioning and is later bailed again.

November 11

:: Former BBC producer Wilfred De'ath is arrested at an address in Cambridge but later insists he was the victim of mistaken identity.

:: BBC director general George Entwistle resigns after an "unacceptable" Newsnight broadcast into child abuse in North Wales wrongly implicates a former senior Conservative politician.

November 15

:: Former Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis is arrested on suspicion of sexual offences. Police say the allegations do not directly involve Savile, and are classed under the strand of their investigation termed "others". Mr Travis denies any wrongdoing, saying: "This is nothing to do with kids."

November 29

:: A man in his 80s, from Berkshire, is arrested and questioned by detectives investigating the Savile abuse scandal after attending police premises in south London by appointment. Scotland Yard says he is being treated as part of the investigation that does not directly relate to Savile.

December 6

:: PR guru Max Clifford is arrested at his Surrey home on suspicion of sexual offences and taken to Belgravia police station in central London for questioning. Clifford tells reporters: "These allegations are damaging and totally untrue."

December 10

:: A man in his 60s, from London, is arrested on suspicion of sexual offences and taken to a south London police station. Scotland Yard says he falls under the strand of the investigation termed "others". He is later bailed until January.

December 12

:: Scotland Yard says 31 rape allegations have been made against Savile - out of a total of 450 complaints. It adds 589 people have come forward with information relating to the scandal.

December 19

:: Former BBC radio producer Ted Beston, 76, is arrested in London on suspicion of sexual offences and vehemently denies the allegations the following day.

January 2, 2013

:: Former TV presenter Jim Davidson is arrested but "vigorously denies" allegations of sexual offences made against him by two women. A 53-year-old man is also arrested. Police say the allegations are not directly related to Savile and both men are bailed until March.

January 11

:: The police and NSPCC report on the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal is published.


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Snow Warning As Met Office Issues Alert

The Met Office has issued a weekend weather warning with snow expected to blanket most of England.

The Level 2 Alert warns there is a high risk of severe cold, icy and snow conditions between Saturday morning and next Tuesday.

The alert highlights all of England as being at risk.

The Met Office warned: "The snow event on Monday may bring 2cm to 5cm (0.75 to 2in) quite widely across England as it spreads southeastwards, with greater than 5cm falling over hills.

"This warning may be extended early next week."

Sky News weather presenter Isobel Lang said temperatures will plummet on Saturday, heightening the risk of sleet or snow.

"Outbreaks of rain across southern Britain will turn to sleet or snow," she said.

A weather alert posted on the Met Office's website. The Level 2 Alert issued by the Met Office

"At this stage around 5cm to 10cm (2in to 4in) of snow is possible over more hilly areas with nearer 2cm to 5cm over some low-lying areas later. Some snow may fall in London."

The Met Office also warned of the dangers of cold ahead of the weekend, especially those who are most vulnerable.

It said: "Prolonged periods of cold weather can be dangerous, especially for the very young, very old or those with chronic diseases.

"If you want more information about how cold weather can affect your health please visit www.nhs.uk.

"If you are concerned about your health or somebody you care for, please contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647, www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk, or your local pharmacist."

Lang advised that Sunday is likely to be even colder than Saturday, however it may be brighter although temperatures will remain just above freezing point.

"Some more significant snow is possible into Monday, and this could bring disruption across central and eastern Britain - so keep an eye on the forecast," she said.

A Level 2 Alert means there is a 60% risk of either heavy snow or widespread ice, or temperatures below 2C for 48 hours or longer.

The highest cold weather alert the Met Office can issue is Level 4, which is classified as a national emergency.


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Esack Murder: Husband Killed Wife In Her Salon

A former policeman has been found guilty of stabbing his estranged wife to death at her high street hair salon.

Ivan Esack knifed Natalie Esack up to 11 times in front of her colleague because he could not cope with her being with someone else.

Mrs Esack, 33, was stabbed in the neck and chest in an attack which lasted about 20 seconds before she fell to the floor.

The 8in (20cm) blade bent and the tip broke off under the ferocity of the attack at Esack Hair and Beauty in High Street, Ashford, Kent, on April 30 last year.

Esack then turned to his estranged wife's colleague, Chelsea Ford, then 17, and said: "She deserved it, the b****."

In the period before the killing, he had told Mrs Esack she was a "dead woman walking" and added: "Tick tock, tick tock."

It took a jury at Maidstone Crown Court seven hours to find the ex-Kent detective constable turned aspiring football agent, guilty of the murder following a three-week trial.

The 38-year-old, of Rosewood Drive, Ashford, will be sentenced on January 14.

He declined to give evidence at the trial and had admitted manslaughter, claiming his responsibility was diminished and that he was suffering from a mental condition.

Prosecutor Philip Bennetts QC said Esack was a "violent and controlling" man who, unable to deal with the separation, killed his estranged wife "because he didn't want her to be with anyone else".

The court heard he had purchased the knife moments before the attack and made sure she was working at the salon the couple set up in 2008 before making his way over.

During the trial, Miss Ford broke down in tears as she described the horror of the attack to jurors.

She said he threw the blood-covered knife down in the salon and walked out "as if he didn't care".

"He was just a horrible person," Miss Ford said. "Whatever she did was wrong. He had to be right. If she wanted to do something, she had to ask him."

After they split, Esack sent her texts calling her names, she told the jury.

"He would send her horrible words. She had no confidence because of him," she said.

Miss Ford also revealed that during a make-or-break holiday to Mexico, Esack told his wife he was in a relationship with a man named Louis.

More follows...


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Teen Computer Gamer Drives Into Record Book

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 10 Januari 2013 | 20.14

A Cardiff teenager who trained himself to become an international racing driver by playing a computer game in his bedroom has entered the record books.

Jann Mardenborough had always wanted to be a racing driver and was told by the owner of his local kart circuit that he was a natural at the age of 11.

But when the circuit closed down, he could no longer afford to pursue his dream on the track so instead started taking part in virtual races on the videogame Gran Turismo.

His years of playing the game paid off when in the middle of 2011, Jann, whose father Steve was a professional footballer, beat 90,000 other gamers to win the European round of GT Academy.

E3 Gaming Conference Held In Los Angeles Jann Mardenborough played his way to the top on Gran Turismo 5

The competition was set up by Sony and Nissan to find the fastest player on Gran Turismo 5 and see if it was possible to transform them into a real racing car driver.

It was, and after six months of driver and fitness training at Silverstone, Jann went on to finish third in class at last year's Dubai 24 Hour race.

He described his achievement, at the age of just 19, as the "weekend of my life".

With his victory, he also cemented his name in the Guinness World Records Gamers Edition 2013 as the Youngest Gran Turismo Academy Winner Turned Pro Racing Driver.

His talents also won him a place driving for Nissan in the Blancpain endurance Series.

Jacob Gaby Jacob Gaby has taken the record of the highest score on FIFA

Another British entry featured in the Guinness World Records Gamers Edition 2013 is 15-year-old Jacob Gaby from Bushey, Hertfordshire.

He has taken the title as the Highest Score on FIFA after scoring 189 goals in one game – nearly five goals a minute.

He was playing as Barcelona against Fulham.

Jacob, who spends seven hours a week playing FIFA, said: "It's incredible to have the record but I can't let it go to my head – I've got my school exams coming up."

The record for the Largest Collection of Videogame Memorabilia went to Brett Martin, 31, from Colorado in the US, who has amassed more than 8,000 items.

Mark Slevinsky, 30, a computer engineer from Alberta, Canada, took the record for the Smallest Arcade Machine for his device which is smaller than an iPhone.


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MoD Overspends Equipment Budget By £6.5bn

By David Bowden, Defence Correspondent

The Ministry of Defence has overspent its equipment budget by £6.5bn and some of its major orders are likely to be delivered 39 years late.

The 16 most costly projects should have taken 159 years to deliver between them and cost a total of £56.5bn.

But the National Audit Office (NAO), in its latest report into the MoD's spending, reveals they are now set to take a total of 195 years and cost £61.1bn.

Report author Tim Banfield said defence buyers could do a lot better.

"What we see is too much turbulence in the projects, there's too much change, so if you look at the 16 projects this year that we are covering, 14 of them have got some change in cost or times cales in the last year," he said.

"If you are the MoD trying to budget well, getting that kind of uncertainty and movement makes it very difficult to plan in the long term."

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said the huge "blackhole" is a legacy of the MoD ordering during the last Labour government.

He described a "conspiracy of optimism" between the MoD and contractors in the past and is adamant the current plans are "fully funded".

Mr Hammond likens balancing the defence budget to "turning round a supertanker".

"These are huge projects often delivered over periods of five, 10 even 15 years, often they've got legacies of poor management and financial control and getting this straight is a big task, but it's happening," he said.

The real big ticket items include £17bn for more Typhoon fighter jets, £12bn for transport aircraft, including refuelling tankers and £5.3bn for the two new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.

The NAO says that delivery delays in air refuelling aircraft means there are likely to be too few to go around in the next three years.

However, Mr Hammond has said he was already taking steps to prolong the life of the current air tankers by another six months to plug the gap.

The NAO has acknowledged that the lead time for some of these projects is so great and the costs difficult to accurately assess, but nevertheless thinks the MoD could get better at it.

It cites one smaller project for a communications system designed for troops in Afghanistan, which costs £32m but will not be ready until all UK forces are back home.


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Six Prisons Shut As Super Jail Project Begins

Six prisons in England are being closed as work begins on plans to create Britain's biggest jail in a move to drive down costs.

Some 2,600 offenders are held at the prisons targeted for closure. Another three sites will be partially shut down.

The prisons shutting are Bullwood Hall in Essex, Canterbury, Gloucester, Kingston in Portsmouth, Shepton Mallet in Somerset and Shrewsbury.

Facilities in Chelmsford, Hull and the Isle of Wight will also see some accommodation reduced.

The new "super prison" will be built in either London, the north west or north Wales and could hold more than 2,000 criminals.

A feasibility study on the project is now set to start, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) announced.

The programme is part of a move to replace older jails and cut prison costs. The Government claims it will save £63m-a-year.

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said: "We have to bring down the cost of our prison system, much of which is old and expensive.

"But I never want the courts to be in a position where they cannot send a criminal to prison because there is no place available.

"So we have to move as fast as we can to replace the older parts of our prison system."

Mr Grayling's stance contrasts with his predecessor Ken Clarke, who wanted more community sentences to ease the pressure on the prison system.

HM Prison Kingston Portsmouth HM Prison in Kingston, Portsmouth is one of six due to close

As well as the super-prison, there are plans for four new mini-prisons known as houseblocks which could hold up to 1,260 prisoners.

These are due to be built at existing prisons in Parc in South Wales, Peterborough in Cambridgeshire, the Mount in Hertfordshire, and Thameside in London.

The young offenders institution at HMP Ashfield is being converted into a full adult prison and some 200 contractually crowded places are private prisons will be decommissioned.

The announcements follow the opening of the new G4S-run HMP Oakwood near Wolverhampton last year, which has a normal capacity of 1,600 prisoners.

The MoJ average cost there is £13,200 per place, less than half the average cost of existing prison places, particularly in older facilities - some of which date back to the 18th century.

Some 83,632 inmates were behind bars as of last Friday, down from the record high of 88,179 after the summer's riots in 2011. MoJ forecasts show the population could hit 90,900 by 2018.

Plans to build a new super-prison are likely to draw comparisons to Labour's £2.9bn proposal for three 2,500-capacity "Titan" jails, which was scrapped in 2009.

Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said shutting prisons and cutting prison numbers offered "major social and economic gains".

But she warned it would be a "gigantic mistake to revive the discredited idea of titans and pour taxpayers' money down the prison-building drain".

She urged the coalition to invest in crime prevention, healthcare and community solutions to crime instead.


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Moira Anderson's Remains Not Found In Grave

By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

The remains of a girl who went missing 56 years ago have not been found in a grave in Lanarkshire.

Forensic scientists investigating the disappearance of Moira Anderson began exhuming a burial site in Old Monkland Cemetery near Coatbride, Lanarkshire, this week, but the search was unsuccessful.

Moira Anderson murder victim Moira Anderson disappeared in 1957

Chief Inspector Kenny Macleod, of Strathclyde Police, said: "I can confirm that Moira's remains have not been found.

"Obviously, this is not the conclusion that her family had wished for, but I would reiterate that the case is not closed.

"The case will remain open and any further lines of inquiry will be investigated."

Moira, who was 11 years old when she disappeared in 1957, is thought to have been murdered.

Her family believed her killer may have dumped her body in an open grave.

The prime suspect behind Moira's disappearance is convicted paedophile Alexander Gartshore, who died in 2006.

The young girl disappeared after taking a trip on a bus that he drove.

One of Gartshore's friends, Sinclair Upton, who died around the time of Moira's disappearance, is buried in the grave that was searched by police.

More follows...


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Exclusive: Supermarket Row Over Festive Sales

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

Tensions between two of Britain's biggest supermarket chains have burst into the open after an executive at Sainsbury's urged City analysts to question market-leading Christmas sale figures produced by rival Tesco.

In an email sent to food retail analysts, a copy of which has been sent to Sky News, a senior member of Sainsbury's investor relations team accused Tesco of being "a bit disingenuous" when it reported UK like-for-like sales growth for the six weeks to January 5 of 1.8%.

The allegation referred to the fact that Tesco's headline sales number was based on an accounting rule that allows it to include sales where customers have used Clubcard vouchers.

"I thought it worth pointing out that the UK [like-for-like] number of 1.8pc that Tesco are reporting this morning is non-IFRIC compliant," the email said. "This is a bit disingenuous, they should be using the 1.4pc number in their headline. All of our reported numbers are IFRIC compliant, as they have to be under IAS18!"

Sainsbury's on Wednesday reported like-for-like sales growth over a longer period of 0.9 per cent. Sources said that if it had used the same accounting benchmark as Tesco and included sales using points under its Nectar loyalty scheme, its growth figure would have been 1.4%.

Tesco insiders said that Sainsbury's was attempting to "smear" its Christmas trading performance.

Philip Clarke, Tesco chief executive, declined to comment on the performance of its competitors, saying that he was focused on "building a better Tesco".

The row underlines the heightened sensitivity within Britain's biggest food retailers about their performance in a lacklustre UK economy.

It also highlights the difficulty of relying on a measurement such as like-for-like sales, which gives little clue about the profitability of a business during a given period. The numbers announced by Tesco covered 42 trading days, while Sainsbury's statement covered 98 days, further pointing to the danger of relying on comparisons which can be misleading.

The respective Christmas trading statements of Sainsbury's and Tesco contained few surprises. Analysts had expected Tesco to rebound from a dire festive period in 2011-12, when it had to issue its first profit warning for decades, while Sainsbury's has seen like-for-like sales grow for 32 consecutive quarters under the leadership of Justin King, its chief executive.

So far, Marks & Spencer, which saw clothing sales fall by nearly 4% over Christmas, and Wm Morrison, the supermarket group, have been the biggest losers from a tough Christmas. At the other end of the spectrum, Next and John Lewis Partnership registered a performance that was well-received by investors.

It is far from unusual for companies to raise questions about the performance of their competitors with City analysts, although it is less common for those suggestions to find their way into the public domain.

Tesco and Sainsbury's both declined to comment further.


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Cyber Attack Threat: UK Armed Forces Warned

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 09 Januari 2013 | 20.14

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

The UK's armed forces are now so dependent on information and communication technology that they could be "fatally compromised" by sustained cyber attacks.

The Defence Select Committee has produced a report that questions the military's contingency plans and urges the Government to do more to address the threat.

"It is our view that cyber security is a sufficiently urgent, significant and complex activity to warrant increased ministerial attention," said committee chairman James Arbuthnot MP.

"The Government needs to put in place - as it has not yet done - mechanisms, people, education, skills, thinking and policies which take into account both the opportunities and the vulnerabilities which cyberspace presents."

Cabinet Secretary Francis Maude is the minister responsible for cyber security, but the report recommends that more ministers should engage and take on responsibility.

"Unless we have a really vigorous approach to defending against the sort of cyber attacks that are developing at a rather quick rate day by day, minute by minute, second by second, unless we have a really vigorous approach we are at risk of our armed forces as well as the whole of the rest of the government infrastructure being compromised," Mr Arbuthnot told Sky News.

GCHQ GCHQ is considered a world leader

Dr Andrew Murrison, the Minister for International Security Strategy, has defended the Government's efforts.

He said: "There's no complacency and we will continue in a very rapidly evolving field to make sure we do absolutely everything to reduce the chance of there being a significant attack here."

GCHQ, the Government's communications headquarters, is considered a world leader.

Under the Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2010, £650m was allocated to a new cyber security programme.

It showed significant recognition of the threat, but in truth no budget can ever be big enough. According to the Boston Consulting Group, the UK is the best prepared country to face a cyber attack.

But countries like Israel, China and the United States are well advanced, and are bettering their systems at a quicker pace.

Major General Jonathan Shaw, the former head of the Defence Cyber Security Programme, told Sky News that the UK competes favourably.

He said: "The way that British government is organised and the security side is actually extremely effective at coping with threats.

"It's a very collegiate atmosphere and the ability of GCHQ to spread their knowledge across government actually gives us a real advantage over someone like the United States which has a much more stovepipe government system."

What is not known is how offensive the UK's strategy is. The Government is clear about the threat it faces, but declines to speak about any aggressive action it takes against states regarded as hostile.

The Defence Select Committee's report should be seen as an attempt to reinvigorate the military and Government's efforts - not as an outright criticism of what has been done.


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Sainsbury's Reveals Record-Breaking Xmas

Supermarket chain Sainsbury's has revealed a record-breaking Christmas trading period, with total sales (excluding fuel) up 3.3% in the third quarter.

The retailer, which sits in third position behind Tesco and Asda, said Christmas was the 32nd consecutive quarter of like-for-like sales growth.

It said stores open over a year saw sales rise 0.9% (excluding fuel), in the 14 weeks to January 5.

Sainsbury's said it served a record number of customers over the festive period, with the week before December 25 its busiest ever.

£16m of sales were achieved in one hour alone, between 12pm and 1pm on Sunday, December 23.

In total it said rang up more than £100m in sales on Christmas Eve.

However sales growth slowed on the 1.9% reported the previous quarter and against last year's 2.1% rise over the Christmas period.

But the performance confirms the pressure on smaller rival Morrisons, which disclosed a 2.5% slide in Christmas sales earlier this week.

Sainsbury's was the only one of the so-called big four players to increase its market share in the run up to Christmas, to 17.1% from 17% a year earlier, while Morrisons saw its share slip to 12%, according to Kantar Worldpanel.

Justin King, chief executive of Sainsbury's, said the group delivered good sales growth in "challenging" conditions.

"We expect the challenging economic backdrop to persist, with customers looking to re-balance their household budget after the festivities and so spending cautiously in the first few months of 2013," he said.

But the group said plans to continue its money-off coupon Brand Match scheme would help ensure it was "positioned to perform well over the next quarter".

Meanwhile, it saw its online business grow by over 15% in the three months and small electricals grew by 25%.


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Council Parking Charge Profits Attacked By IAM

Councils are making huge profits from parking charges while cutting road safety spending, according to new figures.

Councils in England took more than £411m in parking charges in 2011/12 - an increase of almost 15% on 2010/11, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) said.

Yet at the same time, the amount spent by councils on road safety, education and safe routes to schools, decreased by 18% to £105m, the IAM said.

It added that overall revenue spending on highways and transport reduced by 6% between 2010/11 and 2011/12, while capital expenditure (on construction, tarmac etc) reduced by an estimated 13%.

Peter Box, a councillor and chairman of the Local Government Association's economy and transport board, said: "With the number of cars on our roads increasing, it's more crucial than ever that parking is properly managed.

"Councils spend billions of pounds a year on transport services and are currently facing general budget cuts of up to 33% and a £442m reduction in their highways maintenance budget.

"This means they have far less to spend on roads and transport initiatives."

Local Government Minister Brandon Lewis said: "The analysis by the Institute is wrong.

"Income from on-street and off-street parking only rose by 3.7% in the last year, which is lower than the prevailing rate of inflation.

"The Institute have failed to adjust for the fact that councils have cut costs through efficiency savings."

Westminster Council said the £37.1m surplus was all spent transport improvements in 2011-12 .

"Even if these figures were right, which they are not, Westminster's parking surplus is spent entirely on improving roads, transport and infrastructure – for motorists that this group claims to represent," Cllr Daniel Astaire said.

"Westminster must manage the kerb space properly so that it is accessible to residents, visitors and businesses, all of whom have competing needs to park in one of the busiest cities in the world."

The IAM said the top council "earners" from parking in 2011/12, all in London, were:

:: Westminster - up 8.7% from 2010/11 to £38m

:: Kensington and Chelsea - up 31% to £27.5m

:: Camden - up 18% to £25m

Outside London the biggest earners were:

:: Brighton and Hove - up 18.9% to £13.7m

:: Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire - up 9.3% to £6.5m

:: Newcastle upon Tyne - up 51% to £6.2m


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Pensions 'Plunge Over £3,000 In Five Years'

People planning to retire this year expect to be living off the lowest average incomes recorded in six years, it is claimed.

This year's retirees expect to have a typical annual income of £15,300, making them around £3,400 a year worse off than workers who retired in 2008, according to the Prudential.

The gap becomes much worse when taking into account the effects of inflation's erosion of people's household budgets.

Someone who retired last year would have needed an annual income of £21,400 to have the same spending power as an average person who entered retirement in 2008 on a typical income of £18,700, the Prudential said.

However, the average amount private employees retired on last year was £15,500, leaving them £5,900 worse off in real terms than workers who retired in 2008.

Across Britain there is also a £5,700-a-year difference between the regions with the highest and the lowest anticipated incomes for people retiring this year.

Londoners expect to retire on an annual income of around £18,200 this year, while retirees in the West Midlands have the lowest anticipated incomes, at £12,500.

Post-financial crash, annuity rates have dropped 33% and wiped thousands of pounds off retirees' incomes in recent years, while pensioners have faced a perfect storm of high living costs and low returns on their savings.

A retiree Pensioners face high living costs and low returns on their savings

Experts also warned that possible changes to the way that Retail Price Index (RPI) is worked out could lead to more people being forced to put their retirement on hold due to the squeeze on their incomes.

Tom McPhail, head of pensions research at financial services company Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "For people approaching retirement, that is a huge blow to their expectations at a time when it is probably too late for them to do anything about it."

Hargreaves Lansdown said that a 65-year-old man with a £100,000 pension pot could have secured an annual income of £7,855 by buying an annuity in the summer of 2008 but if he was doing so in December 2012, that figure would have fallen to £5,338.

Quantitative easing (QE) has been blamed for pushing down annuity rates which set the size of someone's retirement income for life.

QE makes it cheaper for companies to borrow by pushing down the yield on government bonds, but annuity incomes are also based on these yields, meaning that new pensioners see their incomes reduced.

The Office for National Statistics has also been consulting on changes to the RPI and the recommendations from this will be announced on Thursday.

This trend downward is set to continue as baby boomers pass the age of 65, with 55% of 55 to 64-year-olds drawing a salary, compared with 41% in February 2010, Aviva has said.


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PMQs: Ed Miliband Mocks Coalition Audit

Labour has mocked the Government for releasing an "audit of coalition broken promises" days after its mid-term review.

Party leader Ed Miliband leapt on the publication, expected later this afternoon, during the first Prime Minister's Questions of the year.

He questioned why it was not released as part of the 480-page review of the last two-and-a-half years, which was published on Monday.

Branding the Prime Minister a "PR man who can't even do a relaunch", he said: "Half-way through this Parliament, we know they are incompetent, they break their promises and the nasty party is back."

The audit is believed to include more than 70 pledges that have been missed, covering areas from pensions and road-building to criminal justice.

David Cameron at PMQs David Cameron vigorously defended welfare cuts

Its existence was revealed when one of Mr Cameron's top aides was photographed in Downing Street carrying a document discussing the pros and cons of publishing it.

The dossier is understood to be an annexe to the review, which goes through the 2010 coalition agreement and lists Government progress.

The Prime Minister promised that it would be "full, it will be frank and it will be completely unvarnished".

More to follow...


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Texting Driver Susan Noble Jailed Over Death

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 08 Januari 2013 | 20.14

Police are again warning drivers not to use mobile phones while on the road, after a woman was jailed for three years for causing the death of a man while texting.

Susan Noble, 29, of Armthorpe, Doncaster, was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court for causing the death by dangerous driving of Alexandru Braninski, 25, in December 2011. She had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.

Mr Braninski, a Romanian, suffered traumatic injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene on the northbound carriageway of the A19 near Northallerton.

The car in which he was travelling was stationary because of a puncture at the time of the crash and Mr Braninski was standing behind it while the wheel was being changed.

Noble's car crashed into him, pushing the stationary car into a field at the side of the road.

It was found that she had been texting a friend at the time of the crash.

As well as receiving three years' imprisonment, Noble was also disqualified from driving for six years and will have to take an extended driving test.

Traffic Sergeant John Lumbard, of North Yorkshire Police's roads policing group, said: "Susan Noble has fully accepted that she is responsible for the tragic death of Mr Braninski due to a serious error of judgment.

"I want this tragedy to send a very clear message to drivers that using mobile phones whilst driving can and does lead to horrific consequences.

"Research from around the world has shown time and time again that this behaviour does cause drivers to lose concentration on the road ahead.

"Ideally you should turn phones off while you are driving so that you are not distracted by an unexpected call. However, if you must use a phone while on the move, it is essential that you use a hands-free kit.

"As well as leaving one man dead, the collision has left a family grieving for their loss and a young woman with the knowledge that she is responsible for his untimely death."


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Moira Anderson Police Dig Up Grave In Search

By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

A grave is being exhumed in an effort to solve a 56-year murder mystery.

A forensic team pumped water from the lair at Old Monkland Cemetery in Lanarkshire as a first step in the operation to establish whether or not 11 year-old Moira Anderson is buried there.

Wet, sodden ground is an added complication to the delicate dig, which is being conducted with small shovels and trowels.

The team is investigating suspicions that Moira was abducted and killed when she went missing in 1957 and her body concealed within a grave that lay open at the time.

Her family now believe her killer may have dumped her body in the grave of one of his friends, Sinclair Upton, who died around the time of Moira's disappearance.

They have sought permission through the courts to have the grave exhumed. Mr Upton's family has agreed to the request.

The graves in Lanarkshire being exhumed The exhumation may take days to complete

The prime suspect behind Moira's disappearance is convicted paedophile Alexander Gartshore, who died in 2006.

The young girl disappeared after taking a trip on a bus that he drove.

Underground radar checks on the grave in 2007 indicated an anomaly consistent with the presence of the remains of a child.

The exhumation is being conducted under the direction of forensic anthropologist Professor Sue Black.

Police believe the burial plot has three layers and there may be up to eight people interred there.

Chief Inspector Kenny McLeod, of Strathclyde Police, said: "There may be no necessity to exhume all eight human remains but that does remain a possibility.

Moira Anderson death The site dates back to 1908

"The site does present significant problems and challenges, not only in terms of ground conditions but also record-keeping as you can imagine, going back to 1908, it may not detail every person in the burial plot."

Officers in overalls went in and out of the tents as work started on Tuesday morning.

Mr McLeod said: "There was a petition before Airdrie Sheriff Court last year from the Moira Anderson Foundation and the Crown Office then instructed Strathclyde Police to facilitate the excavation.

"It comes from new information presented to the court.

"Operations like this are not taken lightly as we remain sensitive to Moira Anderson's family and also the families who have relatives buried elsewhere in the cemetery."


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Halfords To Host Practical Driving Tests

Practical driving tests will be available from branches of Halfords from next month, the Government has announced.

The first test centre will open at the firm's Wellingborough store on February 5, before the initiative is rolled out to branches across the country in the coming months.

All tests will be conducted by Driving Standards Agency (DSA) examiners.

The firm's director of communications, David Sawday, told Sky News the store offered learner drivers a "non-threatening environment to meet your examiner and start your test".

"All the people in the country are within a 20 minute drive of a Halford's store so we are a very accessible location," he added.

Other sites under consideration as future test centres include Glasgow, Altrincham, Market Harborough and Hemel Hempstead.

And the car parts and bicycle retailer may not be the only private sector company enlisted to help provide "a more local service for driving test candidates".

The DSA is looking at both the private and public sector, with fire stations and universities reportedly also in the running to host practical driving test centres.

Driving test wait times currently vary from between one week and almost three months, depending on the location.

The Government is currently consulting on proposals to improve the way all motoring services are delivered.

The Halfords deal, which has been in the pipeline since last summer, was finalised by Road Safety Minister Stephen Hammond.

He said: "We are very pleased to be working with Halfords to provide a more local service for candidates.

"This is a great example of working with private sector partners to provide an important local service that is convenient as well as being cost effective."

Paul McClenaghan, Halfords' commercial director, said: "Halfords is already a local destination for motorists, who come to us for a diverse range of automotive products and services.

"We're always seeking new ways in which to enhance our offer, so working with the Driving Standards Agency is a natural fit for the business and extends the help we are able to provide to motorists," he added.


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N-Dubz Frontman Dappy Accused Of Mob Attack

Rapper Dappy sparked a "mob attack" at a petrol station when he spat at two young women who refused to get into a car with him, his trial has heard.

Prosecutor Brian Stork said the 25-year-old, whose real name is Costadinos Contostavlos, pulled up in a car at a Shell garage in Guildford, Surrey, at about 3.30am on February 28 last year.

Mr Stork said Dappy and his friend Kalonji Stewart got out of the car along with a third man.

While Stewart went inside the shop Dappy began talking to Grace Cochran and Serena Burton, who were in a group sitting on the kerb outside.

Mr Stork alleged that Dappy tried to persuade the pair to come with them in their car.

N-Dubz rapper Dappy outside Guildford Crown Court during his trial The prosecution says the fight "kicked off" due to Dappy's behaviour

When they refused he called the women "sluts", said one was ugly and then spat at them, but missed, the prosecutor said.

A man who just met the women, David Jenkins, stood up to defend them, and Dappy is said to have spat at him and it made contact before swinging a punch at him.

Tests on a saliva stain on Mr Jenkins' t-shirt showed a DNA link to Dappy, Mr Stork said.

Mr Stork told Guildford Crown Court: "It all kicked off."

He said Dappy was then joined by two other men, Kieran Vassell and Alfred Miller, who had arrived in a second Mercedes car with other unidentified men.

Mr Stork showed the jury CCTV footage, lasting just moments, from the garage.

It showed the men attacking Mr Jenkins and his two other friends, resulting in Mr Jenkins' teeth being damaged and a fractured nose to another man. They then all got into cars and drove off.

Miller and Vassell are alleged to have used their feet and fists in the attack, and Dappy is alleged to have got involved when he was released from a head lock.

Stewart also got involved, but less so, the prosecution claims.

Dappy denies two counts of common assault on the two women, one of assault by beating, of Mr Jenkins, and one of affray.

Vassell, 25, of Hammersmith, west London, and Stewart, 32, of Harborne, Birmingham, are each charged with affray.

Miller, 28, of Brentford, west London, has pleaded guilty to affray and his case was adjourned for sentence at the end of the trial.


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Amy Winehouse Inquest Confirms Alcohol Death

By Rachel Younger, Sky News Correspondent

Troubled singer Amy Winehouse accidentally drank herself to death at her north London home, a coroner has confirmed.

Dr Shirley Radcliffe returned a verdict of death by misadventure at St Pancras Coroners Court.

The inquest, which originally concluded in October 2011, had to be re-opened after it emerged the first coroner had not been properly qualified.

But in a hearing that lasted just 40 minutes, Dr Radcliffe concurred with the original verdict.

She said Winehouse had "at no time been considered depressed or suicidal" and on the day of her death had been described as "her usual bubbly self".

The court heard there had been no suspicious circumstances and no evidence of illicit drugs in the 27-year-old's system - but the level of alcohol in her blood had been over five times the drink-drive limit.

Two empty vodka bottles were found on the floor of her bedroom.

British singer Amy Winehouse The singer drank herself to death by accident at the age of 27

The coroner concluded: "I'm satisfied on the balance of probability that Amy voluntarily consumed a large amount of alcohol in a deliberate act that took an unexpected turn and led to the death of a talented young woman at such an early age."

None of Winehouse's family were present, having made it clear they were happy with the first inquest which they said had brought them "some relief to have finally found out what had happened to Amy".

But that verdict, delivered by deputy assistant coroner Suzanne Greenaway, couldn't stand after it was found she'd been wrongfully appointed by the area's senior coroner, who was also her husband.

Dr Andrew Reid has now resigned from his post after disciplinary proceedings were launched against him.

His wife, who didn't have the necessary experience, has also stepped down.


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Moira Anderson Case Sees Grave Exhumed

Written By Unknown on Senin, 07 Januari 2013 | 20.14

By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

A family grave in Scotland is to be exhumed as part of an attempt to solve a murder mystery dating back more than 50 years.

Police will dig up the grave at Old Monkland Cemetery in Lanarkshire as they try to find the remains of 11-year-old Moira Anderson, who disappeared in 1957.

She is thought to have been murdered, although her body has never been found.

Her family now believe her killer may have dumped her body in the grave of one of his friends, Sinclair Upton, who died around the time of Moira's disappearance.

They have sought permission through the courts to have the grave exhumed. Mr Upton's family has agreed to the request.

The prime suspect behind Moira's disappearance is convicted paedophile Alexander Gartshore, who died in 2006.

The girl disappeared after taking a trip on a bus that he drove.

The theory being pursued, 56 years on, is that he abducted and killed Moira before burying her body under a coffin in the Lanarkshire grave, which was open at the time.

Underground radar checks on the grave in 2007 indicated an anomaly consistent with the presence of the remains of a child.

The exhumation will begin on Tuesday under the direction of forensic anthropologist Professor Sue Black.


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Northern Ireland Police Chief's Riot Warning

By Vicki Hawthorne, Ireland Correspondent

The Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland has made a direct appeal to protesters on the streets of Belfast to stop demonstrations or ensure they are peaceful.

Mr Baggott was speaking after four continuous nights of rioting in east Belfast linked to loyalist protests. 
Over the weekend, police officers were attacked with petrol bombs, fireworks and masonry. A number of cars were also set on fire.

Loyalists are angry at a decision by Belfast City Council not to fly the Union flag over Belfast City Hall 365 days a year. 

Instead the flag will be flown on a handful of designated days, including the Queen's birthday. 

Belfast map showing areas of disturbance The disturbances occurred after protesters headed home

Since the council took the decision at the beginning of December, there have been widespread protests against the move. 

The majority of demonstrations have been peaceful, but some have erupted into violence with protesters clashing with the police. 

Loyalists taking part in the protests have claimed that the police have been too heavy-handed in their dealing with the demonstrations. 

Some 52 police officers have been injured since the protests began and 96 people have been arrested.

Chief Constable Matt Baggott Chief Constable Matt Baggott said children as young as 10 have been charged

In a press conference at PSNI headquarters in Belfast, Chief Constable Matt Baggott said: "I would like everybody involved in these protests now to take a step back.

"My ambition is that the protests will come to an end, although you appreciate that the police are not in control of that.

"But if not, at the very least those involved in the protests should be off the road, not causing obstruction, absolutely condemning violence and ensuring that these young people are not involved.

"And that requires a concerted effort from politicians and those who have put themselves up as organisers acting together and from parents and responsible members of the community.

"At the moment there is a lack of control, which for me is very worrying."

The violence in east Belfast has also been fuelled by protests taking place close to an interface where loyalist and nationalist residents live on opposite sides of a peace wall.

Loyalists support Northern Ireland remaining as part of the UK, but nationalists generally support a united Ireland.

The protests bring large numbers of people onto the streets in the area where relations between residents are traditionally tense. 

A forum has been set up to try to give those involved in the protests another way to voice their concerns other than demonstrating.

It has been acknowledged that the flag protests have unearthed deeper concerns within loyalist communities. 

People living in these areas have said they feel they have been left behind by the peace process and are not benefiting from the political changes since the Good Friday Agreement.


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EDL Leader Lennon Jailed For Passport Offence

The leader of the English Defence League has been jailed for using someone else's passport to get into the United States.

Stephen Lennon, 30, pleaded guilty to possession of a false identity document with improper intention, contrary to the Identity Documents Act 2010, at Southwark Crown Court.

Lennon used a passport in the name of Andrew McMaster to board a Virgin Atlantic Flight from Heathrow to New York, but was caught out after his fingerprints were taken by customs officials.

He left the airport and entered the US illegally but left the country the following day, using his own passport to return to the UK.

The court heard that Lennon, who had previously been refused entry to the US, used his friend's passport to travel to the country in September.

He used a self check-in kiosk to board the Virgin Atlantic flight at Heathrow, and was allowed through when the document was checked in the bag drop area.

But when he arrived at New York's JFK Airport, customs officials who took his fingerprints realised he was not Mr McMaster.

Lennon was asked to attend a second interview but left the airport, entering the US illegally.

He stayed just one night and travelled back to the UK the following day using his own legitimate passport - which bears the name Paul Harris.

The court heard that is the name that appears on the EDL leader's passport, although he uses aliases.

Lennon, who was arrested in October, was jailed for 10 months.

The court heard that he was previously jailed for assault in 2005 and also has previous convictions for drugs offences and public order offences.

More follows...


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Mother Jailed For Murdering Son Over Koran

A mother has been jailed for a minimum of 17 years after beating her son to death for failing to learn the Koran by heart and then burning his body to hide the evidence.

Sara Ege, 33, collapsed as the sentence was delivered at Cardiff Crown Court and had to be helped, trembling and sobbing, from the dock.

She had been praised as a "brilliant mother" to seven-year-old Yaseen but was convicted of his murder by a jury at the same court last month.

The court heard Ege treated Yaseen like a "dog" and repeatedly beat him with a stick for failing to memorise religious texts quickly enough.

The schoolboy had suffered multiple injuries to his body and died in July 2010 from internal injuries caused by three months of punishing beatings.

His death was treated as a terrible tragedy in the aftermath of the blaze but it was quickly discovered that he was dead before it was set.

Ege accused her husband Yousef Ege, 38, who stood trial with his wife, of being a violent bully who beat her and was their son's real killer.

But he was cleared of causing or allowing his son's death at home in Pontcanna, Cardiff, south Wales, by failing to act to prevent it.

Ege was found guilty both of murder and of a charge of perverting the course of justice.

More follows...


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Nepali Army Officer Faces Torture Charges

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 06 Januari 2013 | 20.14

A Nepali army officer has been in remanded in custody charged with two counts of torture after being arrested in the UK.

Colonel Kumar Lama, 46, of St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, is accused of inflicting severe pain or suffering when he was acting in an official capacity.

The offences are said to have taken place between April 15, 2005 and May 1, 2005, and April 15, 2005 and October 31, 2005 at the Gorusinghe Army Barracks at Kapilvastu, Nepal.

The offences are alleged to have taken place as the then-government fought a decade-long Maoist insurgency.

Lama was arrested under a law which allows the prosecution of suspected torturers, even if the alleged offence has no connection to the UK.

At Westminster Magistrates Court, Judge Quentin Purdy ruled that Lama would be held in custody as there was risk he would leave the country if released.He will appear at the Old Bailey on January 24.

Lama is serving as a military observer with the UN Mission in South Sudan but had been spending Christmas in Britain when he was arrested, the court heard.

His wife and two children, aged 21 and 17, live in the UK.

The British ambassador in Kathmandu was summoned by Nepal's government in protest over the officer's arrest.

Nepal's deputy prime minister Narayankaji Shrestha said the government had demanded the immediate release of Col Lama and had instructed its embassy in London to submit a protest note to the British government.

Two diplomats from the Nepalese embassy were in court for the short hearing.


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NI Clashes: 'Several Shots Fired' At Police

Frontline police officers in Belfast have reportedly come under gunfire as fresh violence erupts over the flying of the Union flag.

A 38-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after gunshots were reportedly fired during clashes between loyalist and nationalist protesters.

Sky sources revealed that pictures from a PSNI helicopter prompted the detention of the suspect.

The PSNI said last night around 100 loyalists pelted officers with rocks, fireworks and fire bombs in the Newtownards Road, Albertbridge Road and Castlereagh Street and Templemore Avenue areas of the city.

One officer was said to have been injured.

A PSNI spokesman said they were investigating reports from their own officers that a number of shots were fired at police lines.

Conall McDevitt, policing spokesman for the nationalist SDLP, said the firing of shots at police officers ended any claim to legitimacy by protest organisers.

Burning debris blocks the Newtownards Road in East Belfast Police used water cannon to extinguish the fires

"Whatever grievance some people may have had, it is totally lost when they allow people to use these protests as cover for attempted murder," said the South Belfast MLA.

"There is only one response possible - and that's a firm policing response against everyone involved in illegal protests and anyone seeking to organise or encourage illegal or violent demonstrations."

The violence followed a tense but peaceful march on Saturday by around 1,000 loyalists.

There was a heavy police presence, including officers in riot gear with dogs stationed within the historic civic building itself and on surrounding side streets.

But as the flag-waving crowds dispersed, ugly scenes flared again.

Loyalist violence on Friday night saw 18 people arrested and nine police officers injured.

More than 30 petrol bombs, along with fireworks, ball bearings and masonry were hurled at officers during a sustained attack in the east of the city. Up to 300 people were involved in the disturbances.

None of the police injuries are life threatening, however one female officer required medical treatment at the scene by an ambulance.

Belfast map showing areas of disturbance The disturbances occurred after protesters headed home

The PSNI said it would be seeking further arrests in the coming days in relation to the disorder and have appealed for witnesses.

On Thursday 10 police officers were injured during a demonstration in east Belfast.

Stormont First Minister Peter Robinson said violence against the police was a "disgrace" and those behind days of unrest were playing into the hands of dissident republicans.

Street protests have been going on for more than a month now against the decision to reduce the number of days the Union flag is flown from City Hall. There have also been death threats to politicians.

Mr Robinson said: "The violence and destruction visited on the PSNI is a disgrace, criminally wrong and cannot be justified.

"Those responsible are doing a grave disservice to the cause they claim to espouse and are playing into the hands of those dissident groups who would seek to exploit every opportunity to further their  terror aims."

Sky's Ireland Correspondent David Blevins said: "There is the potential for the violence to intensify, and the gunshots from with the loyalist area is a very worrying development.

"The clashes between police and loyalists came after the officers were accused of brutality after the march."


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Police Officer Dies Driving To 999 Call

A police officer has died in a road accident while answering an emergency call near Ripon in North Yorkshire.

The officer was killed when his patrol car hit a tree in the village of West Tanfield at 7pm on Saturday, police said.

He was the only person in the vehicle when it crashed and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Temporary Chief Constable Tim Madgwick said: "This is terrible and tragic news and the thoughts of everyone at North Yorkshire Police are with the officer's family at this sad and very difficult time.

"The officer's immediate family have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.

"Everyone is shocked and saddened by the news of his death and I speak for every member of the force in extending our heartfelt sympathies to his family, friends and colleagues."

The road was closed for several hours as investigators examined the scene.

The Health and Safety Executive has also been informed and an investigation will be carried out into the cause of the crash, police said.

Anyone who was in the area at the time and saw the vehicle or witnessed the collision is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101.


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David Cameron Defends Child Benefit Cuts

David Cameron has defended controversial cuts to child benefit payments that come into effect at midnight, insisting the reforms were "fundamentally fair".

The Prime Minister insisted the move - which will see families with one earner on more than £50,000 lose some or all of the payment while households with two parents with salaries just under the trigger keep theirs - was the "right approach".

"I'm not saying those people are rich but I think it is right that they make a contribution," he told BBC 1's Andrew Marr Show.

"This will raise £2bn a year. If we don't raise that £2bn from that group of people, the better off 15% in the country, we would have to find someone else to take it from."

He added: "I think people see it as fundamentally fair that if there is someone in the household earning over £60,000 you don't get child benefit."

David Cameron The Prime Minister: Cuts are 'fundamentally fair'

It is "full steam ahead" for the coalition, Mr Cameron said as he insisted the Government had a packed agenda.

And he told Marr that he had no intention of stepping aside.

He said: "I want to fight the next election as the leader of the Conservative Party, I want to win a Conservative majority and I want to serve."

Mr Marr interrupted: "And stay as Prime Minister for five years?"

Mr Cameron replied: "That's exactly what I have said."

On Monday, Mr Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will publish a mid-term review of progress the Coalition government has made since 2010 and set out its top priorities for the rest of their term.

Mr Cameron said: "What you are going to see tomorrow is a coalition Government with a full tank of gas, it's full steam ahead.

"We have travelled a long way down the road we need to travel but there is a lot more we need to do.

"Far from running out of ideas, we have got a packed agenda, which concerns things like how do we build roads in Britain to make sure our economy keeps moving, how do we pay for the care for the elderly, how do we have a pension system that encourages saving - big things that our going to equip our country for the next decade."


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Voters Promised A 'Real Choice' On Europe

Voters should be "in no doubt" they will be offered a "real choice" on Europe at the next election, the Prime Minister has said.

David Cameron said any vote would happen within five years but refused to be drawn on whether a poll would include the question whether the United Kingdom should remain in the European Union.

He said the Government was currently reviewing which powers should be repatriated back to Westminster, claiming the EU working time directive should never have been implemented.

"There is going to be a large negotiation in Europe," he told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show. "When I became Prime Minister, people said to me 'Don't worry, the one thing you won't have is any treaty changes in Europe'.

"I think we have already had three. One we vetoed so we aren't involved in at all... and we have had two others. People should be in no doubt that the Conservatives will be offering at the next election a real choice and a real way giving consent to that choice."

Asked whether any vote could be delayed by five or 10 years, Mr Cameron said: "No, no, that's not going to happen."

The Prime Minister was then asked about his previous description of UK Independence Party members as "fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists".

Mr Cameron added: "There are some pretty odd people."

Speaking to Dermot Murnaghan on Sky News, Ukip's leader Nigel Farage hit back.

He said: "It shows how disconnected he is. If he wants to go on being rude about me and rude about Ukip well let him do it, we won't lose any sleep over it.

"I don't think there is any prospect of any deal with the Conservative Party all the while that man leads it, given the way he has behaved and his attitude towards us.

"Look, I would do a deal with the devil if it got us what we need, which is a free and fair referendum so that we in this country can decide who governs us."


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