World Cup: England 'Well Prepared' For Opener

World Cup: 11 Players You Need To Watch

Updated: 3:39pm UK, Thursday 12 June 2014

By Nick Powell, Sports Editor

Like the Grand National, the World Cup has become a great participation event in offices, clubs and schools.

Join the sweep, pick the top scorer, guess how far England will go, perhaps even have a bet.

So to help, here's a team of men who are probably not big names in your household or workplace - but might be in a month's time.

:: Thibos Courtois, goalkeeper (Belgium/Atletico Madrid)

Actually a Chelsea employee, but doing so well on loan at Atletico that his future has become a big debating point in the last few months.

If Belgium are to do as well as the bookies predict, then he is certain to have enhanced his reputation even further.

Italy's veteran keeper Gianluigi Buffon has picked him out as a man to watch - and he should know.

:: Mauricio Isla, attacking right-back (Chile/Juventus)

Older than some of his colleagues in this fabled team at the age 25 and with almost half a century of appearances for Chile behind him, he has a great chance to win more admirers of his charging runs down the right.

Chile are in the same group as Spain and Holland but do not rule out Isla helping dump one of those giants out at the first hurdle.

:: Raphael Varane, central defender (France/Real Madrid)

He has only played five times for France, but at 21 years old he is part of a badly needed new generation for the 1998 world champions.

Big and strong - not to mention fiery - he got involved in an altercation on the pitch with opposition boss Diego Simeone at the end of the Champions League final, in which his Real team beat city rivals Atletico Madrid.

Jose Mourinho says he's the world's best young defender.

:: Mats Hummels, central defender (Germany/Borussia Dortmund)

If Germany go a long way in the World Cup, Hummels has the potential to be one of the stars of the tournament.

A dominant figure who can play as well as block, he also has a memorable name and a girlfriend, Cathy Fischer, who has been described as Germany's top WAG.

:: Yuto Nagatomo, left-back (Japan/Inter Milan)

Nagatomo has talked ambitiously about Japan winning the World Cup. One day, perhaps. Although they did reach the last 16 in 2010.

If they are to do it again, he will need to be at his best, both in defence and marauding down the left.

:: Juan Cuadrado, midfield (Colombia/Fiorentina)

Top scorer from midfield for Fiorentina in the Italian League with 11 goals last season, Cuadrado was converted from a right-back and is already interesting many of Europe's top clubs.

There is every chance there will be a long queue at his agent's door after the World Cup.

:: William Carvalho, midfield (Portugal/Sporting Lisbon)

You thought Angola was not the place to look for football talent?

This young man from Luanda has to force his way into Portugal's team but he is big and powerful (think Manchester City's Yaya Toure) with a future to match.

:: Paul Pogba, midfield (France/Juventus)

Still only 21, he has been in the headlines since Sir Alex Ferguson decided he was not good enough for Manchester United.

His poise belies his years. Zinedine Zidane, a World Cup winner in 1998, says his young countryman will become one of Europe's best central midfielders.

:: Ciro Immobile, striker (Italy/Borussia Dortmund)

This guy could be huge and may even be the World Cup's top goalscorer - worth a punt at around 50-1 if you like a bet.

No one got more than him in Italy last season and he has just signed for Dortmund.

Mario Balotelli is the big name in the Italians' attack ... so far.

:: Carlos Bacca, striker (Colombia/Sevilla)

Now carrying a nation's goalscoring hopes on his shoulders after injury ruled out his more illustrious colleague, Radamel Falcao, but he is up to the task.

He scored four goals towards the end of the season for his Spanish club, the Europa League winners.

And Bacca has every chance of helping Colombia progress from a group that also includes Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan - therefore boosting his own reputation.

:: Joel Campbell, striker (Costa Rica/Arsenal)

You're going to hear plenty about Joel Campbell because he is a big threat to England's hopes of progress from Group D.

Arsenal have loaned him out for the last three seasons, most recently to Greek club Olympiakos, for whom he scored against Manchester United in the Champions League.

His mum told him to read Psalm 27 - "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" - before matches and apparently he does so.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Great North Swim Challenger Dies Taking Part

A 52-year-old man has died after taking part in the Great North Swim in Windermere.

He was taken to hospital by air ambulance because of a "medical emergency", Cumbria police said.

Officers attending the event were alerted to the incident on Friday afternoon.

The man, who has not been named, was from Wallington, south London, police said.

The event's organiser, Nova International, released a statement, expressing its condolences.

It said: "Nova International deeply regrets the tragic loss of life at the Great North Swim today and offer our deepest sympathy and condolences to the family and friends of the individual concerned.

"In the case of a fatality there is a strictly planned procedure that we adhere to with the professional organisations.

"We must ensure that the next of kin are informed before any further comment is made but we will provide an update as soon as we are in a position to do so."

The Great Swim Series is staged in lakes, lochs and docklands across the country, its website says.

The Great North Swim was being staged this weekend and consists of various courses of between a half-mile and 3.1 miles.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Retailers Set Goals On World Cup Success

By Emma Birchley, Sky News Correspondent

England fans are not the only ones hoping the players can find the back of the net as their World Cup campaign finally gets under way.

Retailers too are banking on success.

The Centre for Retail Research has estimated that every time England scores - shops, restaurants and pubs will benefit to the tune of almost £200m.

At Sainsbury's, designers started working on the merchandise more than a year ago.

Corporate affairs director Alex Cole said: "The longer England stays in the tournament, the more excuse we have got for parties as a nation.

"But also the sun is really important so the sunnier it is the more likely we are to say, yes, we will have a BBQ and get some people round to watch the match with us."

The further in the competition England progress, the better for retailers

But it is not just sales of sausages and beer that soar. TVs are selling well. So too are souvenirs and sportswear.

Takeaway pizzas are expected to sell in their millions but many people will head straight from work to bars or restaurants to watch the matches.

Phil Collinson, manager at Rileys Sports Bar in central London, is expecting 30,000 fans to come through the doors during the tournament.

"It's our responsibility to make sure everyone from all the different nations has the chance to see the matches," he said. "It will be an incredible atmosphere and great to be part of."

Reaching the final 16 is expected to see the takings by retailers, bars and restaurants rise by more than £1.3bn while a place in the final would be worth almost £2.6bn to the economy.

Michael Jarman says success equals spending

With England taking on Italy in their first game, it can mean split loyalties if you are running an Italian business in the heart of London.

But while there is no surprise who Lorenzo Mariotti, manager of the restaurant Little Italy in Soho, wants to win, he knows the importance of the home nation staying in the competition.

"We really need both teams to play well and go (as) far as they can and hopefully meet in the semi-final or final," he said. "It will be the most great game of the World Cup."

Former footballer and city trader Michael Jarman says success in the tournament will see football fans out spending.

"You find the general morale and momentum of the UK consumer is going to be more upbeat, a bit more optimistic," he said.

"You then have the new football season starting. Naturally there will be a better feel-good factor."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Queen's Birthday Honours: Stephen Sutton's MBE

By Rhiannon Mills, Sky News Reporter

Stephen Sutton, the teenage cancer sufferer who raised more than £4m for charity, has been honoured with an MBE in this year's Queen's Birthday Honours.

Stephen, who was 19 when he died last month, had been told about the honour before his death.

His fundraising efforts have inspired others to help him raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

His mother, Jane Sutton, said he saw it as an incredible honour to be nominated and gave it the thumbs up.

Jolie receives an honorary Damehood for her work to fight sexual violence

In a statement she added: "Although Stephen continually told all of us that he didn't do his charity work for recognition, even he acknowledged that to be appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire was 'awesome'."

He is joined on the list by the likes of actress Angelina Jolie, who is receiving an honorary Damehood for her work to fight sexual violence.

This week, Jolie has taken centre stage at a summit in London to End Sexual Violence in Conflict (ESVC).

Her honorary Damehood is part of the Diplomatic Service and Overseas Birthday 2014 Honours List for exceptional service to Britain overseas.

Jolie said: "Working on the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) and with survivors of rape is an honour in itself.

"I know that succeeding in our goals will take a lifetime, and I am dedicated to it for all of mine."

In the acting world, Dame Maggie Smith is made a Companion of Honour, while Daniel Day-Lewis receives a knighthood, and Homeland star Damian Lewis gets an OBE.

In sport, Britain's winter Olympic winners are honoured. Skeleton gold medallist Lizzy Yarnold receives an MBE, as do visually-impaired skier Kelly Gallagher and her guide Charlotte Evans.

An OBE also goes to Wales rugby head coach Warren Gatland, while England women's cricket captain Charlotte Edwards receives a CBE.

Homeland star Damian Lewis gets an OBE

Golfer Laura Davies becomes a Dame, as do author Hilary Mantel and fashion designer Zandra Rhodes.

And MBEs go to Torchwood star John Barrowman, singer songwriter Cerys Matthews, and Nicola Clarke, chair of the Military Wives Choirs Foundation.

The Cabinet Office said 1,149 people had received an award and alongside the famous faces, 73% have been given to people for the charity or voluntary work they do for their local community.

Ron and Avril Head, who have fostered 140 children over the past 30 years, were in shock at receiving their MBEs.

Mrs Head said: "We hope this will be a way of promoting fostering. There are hundreds of children waiting for people to look after them and hopefully we might inspire people."

IT entrepreneur Scott Fletcher, from Manchester, also gets an MBE for helping young people into work.

Women receive 49% of the honours, while 6.2% of all those honoured come from ethnic minority communities, a slight increase on recent lists.

The last New Year Honours List was the first in which the women outnumbered the men.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Delays In Cancer Tests May Put Lives At Risk

Cancer patients' chances of survival could be put at risk by growing delays in the NHS carrying out tests that can diagnose the disease, experts have warned.

The number of patients in England waiting longer than the recommended six weeks for investigations such as MRI and CT scans has doubled in a year.

In April, the figure reached 16,981 - or 2.2% of all the patients waiting for such tests.

That was a six-year high and compared to April 2008 when just 2,904 patients were waiting for the 15 checks which also include audiology assessments or cardiac echos.

Macmillan Cancer Support called the delays "worrying" and said each hospital has a responsibility to meet the targets.

But it added "the Government and the next also need to take responsibility".

The charity's chief executive Ciaran Devane said: "It is extremely worrying that the proportion of people who face delays in receiving vital tests which can diagnose cancer has doubled since this time last year, from 1.1% to 2.2%.

"Only two weeks ago we heard that more people are waiting longer to start treatment and now more people are waiting longer just to get diagnosed.

"Once again, we see that cancer care in this country isn't fixed. The NHS is under strain and cancer risks being overlooked and not given the focus it needs.

"Each individual hospital has a responsibility to meet these targets, or they risk putting a patient's best chance of survival at risk."

An NHS England spokeswoman said: "Timeliness of diagnosis and treatment is what patients expect and is essential to providing high-quality care.

"The vast majority of patients get their tests promptly with most patients waiting less than three weeks from referral, despite the number of tests rising by almost 56,000 when compared to the same period last year."

On Friday, it was announced that extra funds are to be ploughed into the NHS to help keep waiting times down.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Barefoot Boy To Be Reunited With Family

A three-year-old boy who was found alone and barefoot in a Birmingham street is to be reunited with his family.

Police made an appeal on Friday morning to trace his parents and about an hour later the child's "distressed" father contacted police to report him missing. 

The youngster was discovered in Chesterton Road, Sparkbrook - a few streets from his home - by a member of the public who alerted officers just before 10pm on Thursday.

They went to the scene and took him to a police station. He was later looked after by social services.

The child was believed to be of Somali origin but had been unable to give officers his name or any other details.

West Midlands Police say the child was black, has short black afro hair, and wore a yellow t-shirt and navy tracksuit bottoms.

Chief Inspector Ian Green, from Birmingham East Police, said: "We are very relieved to be able to hand back the little boy back to his family.

"We will of course be investigating how the boy got out of the house and we'll be speaking with the family.

"We would like to thank local people and the media for their help.

"We really appreciate all the shares and re-tweets on social media which we know has reached hundreds of thousands of people."

Earlier, Acting Inspector Amer Shams said: "This is obviously very unusual and worrying."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Armed Robber On The Run Is 'Threat To Public'

A convict on the run from an open prison is one of nearly 90 currently at large from the same jail.

Police have warned David Blood, who absconded from Ford Prison in West Sussex on Thursday, may pose "a threat to the public".

The 48-year-old is one of the latest inmates to go on the run from the jail, with Sussex police revealing there are 89 convicts missing from Ford, including a number of murderers, and some who have been missing for years.

It is thought to be the second time Blood has escaped from an open prison. It is understood he went missing from HMP Sudbury in Derbyshire in April 2012.

On that occasion, he was not found until almost three months later.

Blood was jailed for life at Stafford Crown Court in 2003 after he was convicted of robbing a post office in Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands with a number of other men in December 2000.

PC Stephen Reed said: "Because of Blood's record, we have to consider that he could pose a threat to the public.

Simon Rhodes-Butler handed himself in at Sutton police station

"I would urge anyone that sees him to contact us on 999 rather than approaching him."

Police have described Blood as 6ft 1in tall (1.85m), of small build with brown eyes and cropped black hair. He is known to have links in Staffordshire and Warwickshire.

Blood's escape is the latest in a spate of inmates absconding from open prisons.

The most high-profile offender to go missing was the violent armed robber Michael Wheatley - known as Skullcracker.

Wheatly carried out a raid on a building society while on the run after being let out of the Standford Hill prison in Kent last month.

He was later jailed for life.

The latest escape came as another convicted robber who had failed to return to Ford on May 22 handed himself into police.

Simon Rhodes-Butler - who robbed a garage owner of his watch in March 2011 - has been charged with escaping lawful custody.

His capture brings to 89 the number of inmates at large from the prison.

In a statement Sussex police said: "Some have been missing for a matter of weeks but others have been missing for a number of years.

"We are focused on returning each and every one of these people to prison."

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "The Justice Secretary has been clear that keeping the public safe is our priority and has already ordered major changes to tighten up temporary release processes and open prison eligibility.

"Absconds have reached record lows under this Government - down 80% over the last 10 years - but each and every incident is taken seriously, with the police contacted as a matter of urgency.

"Open prisons and temporary licence are an important tool in rehabilitating long term offenders but not at the expense of public safety."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Named Doctors 'Will Improve Hospital Care'

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

Hospital patients will for the first time be assigned a named consultant responsible for all their care.

New guidance from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges puts individual doctors in charge of patients, even if they have multiple medical problems.

Patients will have the doctor's name written above their bed. And a named nurse on every shift will provide day-to-day care.

According to the Academy the move should improve patient safety and the quality of care - and was a key recommendation of the Francis Report into the mid-Staffs scandal.

It should also mean patients are discharged only if it is clinically appropriate and they have appropriate support.

Sky News revealed last month that many hospitals are sending patients home overnight without adequate care in place.

Professor Terence Stephenson, Chair of the Academy said: "Doctors recognise that we need to have clear lines of responsibility when it comes to the way patients are treated during their stay in hospital.

"(Patients) need to know who to go to if they have questions or if they think something needs to be done differently.

"This is vital if we are to drive up standards of care and continue to safeguard patient safety."

The guidelines were produced in response to a request by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Mr Hunt said: "Patients tell us that, too often, their care isn't joined up.

"That's why every patient should have a single responsible clinician whose job it is to help them with anything that goes wrong and make sure they get the care they need. This guidance will make that a reality."

The move was welcomed by the parents of two-year-old Alice Mason, who died from irreversible brain damage after a breakdown in communication by doctors at two hospitals caring for her.

Alice's mother Rosalyn told Sky News: "They should have been talking to each other on the phone at the very least.

"Faxes that were supposed to have been received from one hospital did not arrive, voicemails were not picked up. So communication is part of it."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Twenty-Three Treated In Salmonella Outbreak

More than 20 people at a hospital in the West Midlands have been struck down by an "unusual" salmonella outbreak.

Health officials have expressed concern at how it has been spreading and are investigating the cause.

They said there were usually two to four cases reported across the region each month.

Birmingham's Heartlands Hospital said eight patients were being treated in its wards for the effects of the bacteria. All are in a stable condition.

Four staff members and 19 patients have so far tested positive for a common strain of salmonella.

This has prompted fears of a more widespread community-based outbreak.

Restrictions have been put in place on visitors to eight wards at the hospital, and deep-cleaning processes have been implemented.

A hospital spokesman said tests had not highlighted any signs of the salmonella bacteria in hospital food or water.

All visitors to the medical facility are being asked wash their hands on entry and exit from any ward area.

And they are advised not to visit the site if they have had diarrhoea or vomiting within the previous 48 hours.

Medical director Dr Andrew Catto said: "Any infection in someone who is already ill can be very serious and we are taking every precaution possible to protect our patients and staff.

"We are concerned by the spread and number of patients who have tested positive, as this is unusual.

"Not all community salmonella cases get reported, as many people recover quickly and do not feel the need to go to see their GP.

"Usually, we see between two and four cases across the West Midlands reported monthly and for a hospital to see this number in such a short space of time requires expert investigation."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Passport Surge: Theresa May Warned A Year Ago

Theresa May was warned a year ago the closure of overseas passport offices would lead to 350,000 extra applications, it has emerged.

It comes as a huge surge of requests for passports was blamed for a significant backlog, prompting the Home Secretary to bring in a series of measures aimed at tackling delays.

Mrs May said the hold-ups, affecting holidaymakers and business travellers had been caused by the highest demand seen for more than a decade, and agreed it was an "unprecedented increase...which no one could have foreseen".

Boxes of applications waiting to be dealt with at Liverpool passport office

But in a report published in July last year, Paul Pugh, the head of the Identity and Passport Service, predicted there would be around an extra 350,000 applications to UK offices as a result of overseas embassies closing their passport desks and relocating operations back to Britain in a £20m cost-cutting move.

In an emergency Commons statement on Monday, Mrs May said the passport office was receiving "350,000 more applications for passport applications and renewals" than normal for this time of year.

Mrs May also indicated the increase was due in part to the "improved economic environment".

She insisted the Government was doing all it could to deal with the backlog of more than 30,000 applications which had not been dealt with within the normal three-week deadline.

In a sign of the continuing crisis, interviews for first-time applicants for passports have been suspended in London, with people directed to other offices in the region.

The Home Office insists the two figures are completely separate

With anger mounting over the delays, Mrs May announced a series of measures aimed at tackling he problem.

Urgent applications will be fast-tracked for free, and an extra 200 staff would be drafted in to deal with applications.

People applying to renew passports overseas for travel to the UK would be given an automatic 12-month extension.

And those applying for passports overseas for their children would also be issued with emergency travel documents for travel to the UK - although they will still have to provide "comprehensive proof" that they are the parents.

Mrs May admitted there was no "big bang, single solution" to the crisis.

But her Labour opposite number accused Mrs May of presiding over a "sorry shambles" and called on her to apologise to the thousands of people whose travel plans had been thrown into doubt.

The Home Office says the 350,000 mentioned in the IPS report and those quoted by Mrs May are two different sets of figures.

The forecast figure was also for the full year, while the extra applications mentioned by the Home Secretary covered the period January to May.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Google In Talks To Take Virgin Galactic Stake

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

Google is in talks with Virgin Galactic about a deal that will hand it crucial access to satellite-launch technology and an equity stake in Sir Richard Branson's $2bn (£1.2bn) space tourism venture.

Sky News can exclusively reveal that the discussions with Virgin Galactic are part of Google's ambitious project to put hundreds of satellites in low-Earth orbit in an attempt to extend internet access to billions of people.

Negotiations between the two companies have been taking place for months, and are said to be at an advanced stage.

The talks are likely to lead to a deal with two main elements, according to insiders.

The first will see Google inject hundreds of millions of dollars into a joint venture, with Virgin Galactic folding in the technology it has developed as part of its efforts to build the world's first space tourism business.

Sir Richard Branson plans to be on the first commercial flight

The second component will involve Google spending roughly $30m (£17.8m) in return for a small stake in the Virgin Galactic holding company.

The terms of the alliance have not yet been finalised and could yet be altered before a deal is struck.

A person close to Google said, though, that its £17.8m investment could value Virgin Galactic at as much as £1.2bn, equating to a shareholding of approximately 1.5%.

The deal could be reputationally valuable for Virgin Galactic, which has had to defend itself against frequent suggestions that problems with its development will curb its viability.

The company has insisted that flights should begin this year, although there is no firm date, while rivals such as Elon Musk, the billionaire businessman, are developing competing projects.

Celebrities including Ashton Kutcher, Katy Perry and Sir Richard himself are said to have paid $200,000 (£119,000) to secure seats on the venture's inaugural flights.

News of the talks with Virgin Galactic comes a day after Google said it was buying Skybox Imaging, a start-up satellite venture, for $500m (£297m).

SpaceShipTwo's first rocket-powered test flight took place last year

Skybox has developed small, comparatively cheap satellites which are capable of taking high-quality photographs and videos of the Earth.

Google is engaged in a race with internet rivals to extend web access to the billions of people who do not currently have it, by using balloons, drones and satellites.

Doing so contains powerful commercial incentives for Google, which would see usage of its services and advertising revenues benefit from a significantly-enlarged customer base.

Google has bought solar-powered drone maker Titan Aerospace

Its other acquisitions aimed at broadening internet access include Titan Aerospace, which it bought in April with the aim of building jet-sized drones which would utilise solar power to fly uninterrupted for years. The drones could be used to provide online access in remote parts of the world.

Virgin Galactic is about one third-owned by Aabar Investments, an Abu Dhabi-based group, which paid about $280m (£166m) for a 32% stake in the venture's holding company.

That deal valued Virgin Galactic at approximately $900m (£535m), meaning that the transaction with Google, if it is completed, would mean that the company's equity value had more than doubled since 2009.

Sir Richard and Larry Page, Google's co-founder, are close friends, and have registered the name Virgle for use on potential future business collaborations.

Google and Virgin Galactic both declined to comment.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man, 86, Held Over Death Of 70-Year-Old Woman

An 86-year-old man is due to appear in court following the death of a 70-year-old woman in her home in Scotland.

The body of Francine Clark was found at about 10.30am on Wednesday at her house in Fintry Gardens in Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire.

Following the discovery police detained the man, who is expected to appear at Dumbarton Sheriff Court later today.

A Police Scotland statement said: "An 86-year-old man has been arrested and is presently detained in police custody in connection with the death of a 70-year-old woman.

"Relatives are aware and a full report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal."

Bearsden is a prosperous suburb about six miles northwest of greater Glasgow. 

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rik Mayall Post-Mortem 'Inconclusive'

Rik Mayall's Memorable Lines

Updated: 5:50pm UK, Monday 09 June 2014

Rik Mayall, who has died aged 56, starred in a host of comedy productions. Here are some of his most memorable lines and scenes:

:: As Lord Flashheart in Blackadder II:

(To Baldrick [Sir Tony Robinson], dressed in drag as a bridesmaid): "Thanks bridesmaid, like the beard. Gives me something to hang on to!"

:: As hero pilot Squadron Leader Lord Flashheart in Blackadder Goes Forth (1989)

Flashheart: All right men, let's do-oo-oo it! The first thing to remember is: always treat your kite [taps chalkboard picture of a biplane] like you treat your woman [whips the air with his cane]

Lieutenant George (Hugh Laurie) : How, how do you mean, Sir? Do you mean, do you mean take her home at weekends to meet your mother?

Lord Flashheart: No, I mean get inside her five times a day and take her to heaven and back.

Captain Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson): I'm beginning to see why the suffragette movement want the vote.

Lord Flashheart: Hey! Any girl who wants to chain herself to my railings and suffer a jet movement gets my vote!

"Captain Darling? Last person I called darling was pregnant 20 seconds later."

:: As Alan B'Stard in The New Statesman (1987 - 1992)

"Why should we, the country that produced Shakespeare, Christopher Wren, and those are just the people on our banknotes for Christ's sake, cower down to the countries that produced Hitler, Napoleon, the Mafia, and the the the, the the the, the the the Smurfs! Remember my friends, God is dead. Marx is also dead. But the market lives.The market must become your new God."

:: As Richard "Richie" Richard in Bottom (1991 - 1995)

Richie: Some people are short-tempered, aren't they?

Eddie Hitler (Adrian Edmondson): Yeah, well, about four or five thousand of 'em, by the looks of things.

Richie: Yeah. But it's wonderful, though, Eddie. I mean, look. All the local communities are out there, on the streets.

Eddie: Beating the shit out of each other.

Richie: Yeah! Oh, I love carnival time. Oh, look at that policeman over there!

Eddie: Which one?

Richie: The one jumping up and down, waving his arms.

Eddie: The one that's on fire?

Richie: Yeah!

Source: IMDB

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Urgent Passport Cases 'Fast-Tracked For Free'

Passport Service Cuts Hit Expat Applications

Updated: 12:14pm UK, Wednesday 11 June 2014

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

The backlog and workload problems at the passport office are causing frustration and anger - not just for people based in the UK, but for Britons living all around the world.

Until a few years ago, British citizens living abroad could simply wander down to their embassy and apply for a passport. It would be issued within a day or two. Job done.

The system was then changed largely because passports had become more sophisticated - with biometric technology for security. Embassies didn't have the equipment to produce the new biometric passports.

So, regional offices were set up within certain embassies around the world. For those of us living here in Beijing, Hong Kong became the regional hub.

We could apply via the British Embassy in Beijing, the application would be sent to Hong Kong and the new passport would be issued there. A little more bureaucratic but still entirely workable.

But in December, "cost saving" measures were made to the application system. All regional offices were shut and Britons globally were told they must apply for their replacement passports in the UK.

They now have two options. Either they can travel to the UK and then apply for the "one-day" service. That could cost a huge amount in air fares.

The alternative is to send their application form, together with their old passport, to the UK Passport office in Liverpool - a process that the Passport Office says will take "at least six weeks".

That means that for at least six weeks the applicant is unable to leave wherever it is they live. For many, that's entirely impractical. For some, it will impact on their business.

With a bit of research and a half-hour long distance phone call to the passport office, I have discovered that it is possible to send a copy of your old passport rather than the original, but only in "exceptional circumstances" determined on a "case-by-case basis".

However, this leads to its own problems - the moment the new passport is issued (back in the UK) the old one (still in the hands of the applicant) is cancelled.

So in the time it takes to send the new one to the applicant overseas - several weeks - they are unable to travel because the passport they hold will be flagged as 'cancelled' at immigration.

Confusing? Frustrating? Certainly.

The stories we're hearing are mounting up - a British bride-to-be, living in Hong Kong, has been waiting for her replacement passport for eight weeks. She still doesn't have it. Her wedding, in Bali, is in two weeks.

A Briton living in South Africa who's taking a group of South African children to the World Cup, had been waiting 15 weeks.

A British businessman living in Hong Kong told us he'd waited 10 weeks. His new passport has just arrived but the passport office forgot to send back his old one which contained his visas. He is therefore still unable to travel.

The bottom line is this - not all that long ago, Britons living abroad could get a replacement passport in a day or two.

Now they are being grounded for "at least six weeks" and in many cases, far longer.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mourning Mum In Call To Legalise Drugs

By Lisa Dowd, Sky News Correspondent

A single mother who lost her only child after she took MDMA is calling for drugs to be legalised and regulated.

Martha Fernback was just 15 when she died after swallowing half a gram of the powder - better known as ecstasy - in July last year.

A verdict of accidental death was recorded at Oxford Coroner's Court after a short hearing.

In a statement following her daughter's inquest, Anne-Marie Cockburn said: "It has been 328 days since my precious girl was safely by my side.

"Martha wanted to get high, she didn't want to die - no parent wants either, but one of those is preferable to the other.

"I wish Martha was sitting her GCSEs alongside her friends at school right now.

"I wish the drug education she received had enabled her to make a more fully informed decision, instead of leaving her so vulnerable and in danger.

"I would like to meet with Theresa May, Norman Baker and Yvette Cooper to start a sensible dialogue for change, from prohibition to strict and responsible regulation of recreational drugs.

"This will help to safeguard our children and lead to a safer society for us all by putting doctors and pharmacists, not dealers, in control of drugs."

The drug that killed the teenager was unusually high in its purity.

On a website set up in her daughter's memory, Ms Cockburn said: "Free drug testing facilities should be widely available in order to fully educate young people and, by putting some safeguarding measures in place, levels of harm are significantly reduced.

"Had Martha been able to access drugs that had been legally produced and labelled accordingly, she would have been able to make a more informed decision - in fact, I'd go as far as to say that she might still be alive."

The inquest heard how the MDMA powder that Martha took was 91% pure and doctors found that the concentration of the drug in her blood was "very high".

The hearing was told that the purity level would normally be around 58%.

After she had taken the drug, Martha had told friends it "was amazing ... it feels like a dream".

But in statements read out at the hearing her friends said she began to "sweat profusely", her behaviour became "more erratic", and she started to tremble and shiver.

She collapsed in a local park, an ambulance was called, but she was pronounced dead at the the city's John Radcliffe Hospital.

Sky News has approached the Home Office for comment but received no immediate statement. 

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Passport Pile-Up: PM Says Backlog Is 30,000

David Cameron has admitted around 30,000 passport applications have been delayed - after the Government earlier denied a backlog.

The Prime Minister told the House of Commons there had been 300,000 more applications than normal at this time of year and that 10% of those had been delayed.

He said emergency plans were being put in place to ensure families who want to go on holiday get their passports back in time.

In an angry exchange at Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, Labour leader Ed Miliband said the Government needed to "get a grip" on the unfolding crisis.

He said the row between Mrs May and Education Secretary Michael Gove had distracted the Home Secretary from her job.

He said: "The truth of the picture of this Government is we have the Home Secretary fighting with the Education Secretary but not paying attention to the business of government."

Those British citizens living abroad are being hit

"The truth is that is tens of thousands of people are finding that their holidays are being cancelled because they are not actually getting a passport,"

However, Mr Cameron said the Home Office had been on top of the situation since the beginning of the year.

The Government had on Wednesday morning denied there had been a pile-up of applications after unions claimed a 12-year high in applications and cuts in staffing had lead to a 500,000 backlog.

Mr Cameron and his Home Secretary Theresa May said 250 staff had been redeployed to tackle the problem, working seven days a week around the clock to make sure people got their documents.

Meanwhile Sky has seen a letter sent to the UK Visas and Immigration Department saying 72 of their staff will start training next week on how to process passport applications ready to be redeployed.

The increase in passport applications started in January and coincides with the closures of regional application offices across the world in an attempt to cut costs.

British citizens living abroad now have to apply in the UK and many of those are now reporting significant delays with their applications.

Applications in the Liverpool passport office

Pictures taken by a disillusioned worker in the Liverpool passport office show tens of thousands of applications waiting to be dealt with.

One MP said thousands of families face having their summer holiday plans ruined because documents were not being prepared in anything like the normal time.

Some families who want to make sure their documents are returned in time for them to go on holiday face paying extra for a faster service - up to £55.50 on top of the £72.50 standard fee.

Mr Brokenshire admitted to Sky News that the Passport Office did make a profit from those who elected to use the faster services because they feared their holiday plans could be in jeopardy.

Three million passports have already been issued this year, with officials processing an average of 18,000 applications a day over the last two months. 

The increase has been blamed on the number of people feeling they can now afford holidays with the economic recovery.

Mike Jones, from the PCS Union said: "There are half a million applications that are waiting within the Passport Office at the moment.

Families are frantic for passports to return

"That figure is raised steeply over a number of months. The Home Office and the Passport Office used to have strategies in place for when the figure reached 150,000, that they would put contingency plans in to deal with those amounts."

He told Radio 4's Today programme: "Now we have seen the figures are up to 500,000 and rising at the moment. Even all the contingencies that they are trying to put in place, we are still seeing that figure rising, so there is clearly a crisis going on within the Home Office and the Passport Office as well."

Labour's Geoffrey Robinson, the MP for Coventry North West, claimed the Government had left it so late to react to what he called a "burgeoning problem" that there was not enough time to deal with it before the start of the summer getaway.

"The nub of the problem lies in the cuts the Government has made," he said.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Passport Service Cuts Hit Expat Applications

The backlog and workload problems at the passport office are causing frustration and anger - not just for people based in the UK, but for Britons living all around the world.

Until a few years ago, British citizens living abroad could simply wander down to their embassy and apply for a passport. It would be issued within a day or two. Job done.

The system was then changed largely because passports had become more sophisticated - with biometric technology for security. Embassies didn't have the equipment to produce the new biometric passports.

So, regional offices were set up within certain embassies around the world. For those of us living here in Beijing, Hong Kong became the regional hub.

We could apply via the British Embassy in Beijing, the application would be sent to Hong Kong and the new passport would be issued there. A little more bureaucratic but still entirely workable.

But in December, "cost saving" measures were made to the application system. All regional offices were shut and Britons globally were told they must apply for their replacement passports in the UK.

They now have two options. Either they can travel to the UK and then apply for the "one-day" service. That could cost a huge amount in air fares.

The alternative is to send their application form, together with their old passport, to the UK Passport office in Liverpool - a process that the Passport Office says will take "at least six weeks".

That means that for at least six weeks the applicant is unable to leave wherever it is they live. For many, that's entirely impractical. For some, it will impact on their business.

With a bit of research and a half-hour long distance phone call to the passport office, I have discovered that it is possible to send a copy of your old passport rather than the original, but only in "exceptional circumstances" determined on a "case-by-case basis".

However, this leads to its own problems - the moment the new passport is issued (back in the UK) the old one (still in the hands of the applicant) is cancelled.

So in the time it takes to send the new one to the applicant overseas - several weeks - they are unable to travel because the passport they hold will be flagged as 'cancelled' at immigration.

Confusing? Frustrating? Certainly.

The stories we're hearing are mounting up - a British bride-to-be, living in Hong Kong, has been waiting for her replacement passport for eight weeks. She still doesn't have it. Her wedding, in Bali, is in two weeks.

A Briton living in South Africa who's taking a group of South African children to the World Cup, had been waiting 15 weeks.

A British businessman living in Hong Kong told us he'd waited 10 weeks. His new passport has just arrived but the passport office forgot to send back his old one which contained his visas. He is therefore still unable to travel.

The bottom line is this - not all that long ago, Britons living abroad could get a replacement passport in a day or two.

Now they are being grounded for "at least six weeks" and in many cases, far longer.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Two Teens Killed In Sixth-Floor Balcony Fall

Two teenagers have died after falling from a balcony while "kissing" and "frolicking" on the sixth floor of a block of flats

Police, who were called just after midnight to Knights Tower, in Deptford, south London, have described the deaths of the 18-year-old man and 19-year-old woman as as "tragic accident".

Samson Oguntayo, 32, an events manager who lives in the neighbouring Cornmill House, said he and his partner Blessing had seen the couple fall.

"They were trying to have sex on the balcony, the guy was lifting the girl and putting her on the bannister, he kept on doing it," he said.

"He was putting her on there - they were going back and forth. You could see they were doing some really dangerous stuff.

Residents said they heard a loud bang

"It is not the first time we have seen people on the balcony acting up.

"At some point friends must have come outside and they got down and came back inside and then came back out again.

"This time they started doing it again. You see people on the balcony doing all sorts of things and I just felt it was one of those things and in a moment they will probably go back inside.

"The last thing I expected was to see them falling down five floors. We just screamed."

Maureen Flynn, 22, a resident of a neighbouring block, said: "I did not see them fall but I saw their friends come out on to the balcony. They were crying, they did not know what had happened.

"I had to tell them 'Your friends are dead'."

The apartments lie on the banks of the River Thames

A resident who lives in the opposite block, and who did not want to be named, said he saw a couple "frolicking" on the balcony last night.

"The occupants were inside, these two were on the balcony," he said.

"We were shutting our blinds when we saw a couple on their balcony frolicking. They were kissing and stuff, she was telling him to get off her. We then shut our balcony."

He said less than 10 minutes later he heard a "bang" and that a neighbour had witnessed the couple fall.

"She saw him lift her up and put her on the edge of the balcony," he said.

"She said she had her arms around his neck and then he was stood against her kissing her. Then she saw his legs stumble backwards - he stumbled backwards and she stumbled the other way. Then they both fell off."

Police are not treating the deaths as suspicious

Shradha Chaturvedi, 31, an auditor and resident of the second floor of Knights Tower, said: "I heard a very, very loud noise and a lady screaming initially - I heard a boom and at first I thought a firework had gone off or something.

"My husband came down and there were two other guys outside who were totally drunk. They said 'Don't go out there.' There was a woman out there who was crying."

A police spokesman said officers were not treating the deaths as suspicious.

Inspector Shaun Carre-Brown said: "This appears to be a tragic accident and our thoughts go out to the families and those that knew them.

Witness have been urged to call 101 and ask for the CID at Plumstead police station. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Boris Johnson: 'Blast Me With Water Cannon'

Boris Johnson has offered to be blasted by a water cannon to show they are safe as the political row over the weapon intensifies.

The London Mayor has ordered three water cannon for the capital despite the Home Secretary having not officially sanctioned their use.

Theresa May insisted she had yet to consider the use of the weapon, with the Metropolitan Police yet to make the case and a "health and safety" assessment of their use needed.

However, in a move that is likely to nettle the Home Secretary, Downing Street indicated David Cameron supported their use.

The Prime Minister's spokesman said: "If the police judge water cannons as a resource which can contribute to effective policing then the PM supports it."

Calls for water cannon came after the 2011 London riots

Speaking on LBC radio, Mr Johnson said he had to commit to buying the water cannon from the German police for £130,000 because they were threatening to sell them elsewhere.

He said he could not wait for the Home Secretary's decision.

Challenged by radio presenter Nick Ferrari to be filmed standing in front of a water cannon, Mr Johnson said: "I'm certainly prepared to do anything to show that they're safe within reason.

"I'm not quite sure whether I want to stand in front of a water cannon, I haven't done anything to deserve it."

He later added: "OK. Man or mouse. Alright, you've challenged me to this. I suppose I'm going to have to do it now."

Police use water cannon in Northern Ireland

Mr Johnson has been accused of "playing politics" over the issue after a recent poll suggested he and Mrs May were favourites to become the next leader of the Conservatives.

But he denied his decision was about making political capital at a time when the Home Secretary is embroiled in a public row over extremism in schools.

Mrs May is also under scrutiny over her handling of the unfolding crisis at the Passport Office.

Water cannon have never been used on the British mainland, although they have been deployed in Northern Ireland and British police have been trained to use them.

However, in the wake of the 2011 London riots support for their use increased, although there has been significant opposition.

Mrs May, who has already ruled out Government funding for the cannon, said: "There is a decision to be taken about water cannon and I will make sure that that decision is taken on the right basis. There are health and safety issues that need to be looked at very carefully.

"But let me clear about the timetable. The Metropolitan Police started talking about water cannon after the riots in August 2011. The police have to put a case for water cannon.

"They didn't put a group together to do that until January 2013 and they did not submit that case to the Home Office until March 2014."

Labour and the Liberal Democrats have condemned Mr Johnson's decision as "reckless".

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Black Cab Demo Causes Central London 'Gridlock'

Parts of central London are currently gridlocked after thousands of black cab drivers took industrial action at Trafalgar Square.

The traditional cabbies are protesting at Transport for London's (TfL) regulation of rival cab service Uber.

The Google-backed app allows users to order a car at the touch of a button, and the fare is calculated using GPS tracking.

But traditional cabbies say this is effectively a taxi meter, which only black cabs are legally entitled to use in the capital.

Sky's Ashish Joshi said that Trafalgar Square was "gridlocked" just before the protest officially started at 2pm.

Up to 12,000 black cabs were expected in central London with the intent to cause traffic chaos.

More follows...

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Madeleine McCann: New Search 'Will Be Useful'

By Tom Parmenter, Sky Correspondent, in Praia da Luz

The renewed searches in Praia da Luz will be "useful" in understanding what happened to Madeleine McCann, a former Portuguese attorney general has told Sky News.

Pinto Monteiro, who was in post when Madeleine disappeared in the resort of Praia da Luz in May 2007, explained that he believed the Portuguese and British are working professionally together in the latest phase of the investigation.

"All investigations deemed to discover what happened to Madeleine will be useful - we need to establish some certainty as to what happened," he said.

The site of digs in Praia da Luz

He added that the case was a complex criminal investigation due to "hundreds of false directions, hundreds of false statements … some were well-intentioned and others just malicious".

Specialist teams have spent the past week on new searches.

Monday was a rest day for the detectives and search staff who will move their focus onto a new site on Wednesday. Today is a national holiday in Portugal.

The scrubland they cordoned off for the past week is once again open; most of the holes dug have now been filled back in.

A discarded police bag on scrubland where searches finished at the weekend

A discarded Metropolitan Police evidence bag is one of the few items the teams have left behind.

The detectives have not revealed what intelligence led them to conduct the searches on the land which now seems to have been discounted from their investigation.

Portuguese police sources confirmed to Sky News that the next searches on Wednesday will take place on sites just outside Praia da Luz.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Speeding Drivers Could Be Fined £10,000

Drivers caught speeding on motorways could be fined up to £10,000 under plans being considered by the Government.

Magistrates would be able to issue fines four times larger they can at present, with maximum penalties for a range of offences including drink-driving and driving with defective tyres or brakes, so-called 'level four' offences, all increasing to £10,000.

People convicted of criminal damage, racially aggravated disorder or failing to provide a drugs sample could all be fined the same amount.

Meanwhile, motorists who ignore red traffic lights or use their mobile phone while driving, both of which are 'level three' offences, could be given fines of up to £4,000 - up from £1,000 at present.

Courts would also be able to levy unlimited fines for the most serious crimes dealt with by the lower courts, such as arson, fraud and animal cruelty, which at present attract penalties of up to £5,000.

The Government paved the way for the huge increase - the first in more than two decades - when it passed new legislation in 2012.

Justice Minister Jeremy Wright said the changes would give magistrates the "greater powers" they need to punish offenders.

However, motoring groups have criticised the changes, with Robert Lipton, director of the National Motorists Action Group, telling the Daily Telegraph the move was "disproportionate and draconian".

Edmund King, president of the AA, added: "We wouldn't condone excessive speeding ... but fines have to be proportionate to the offence.

"One has to question whether increasing the fines four-fold is proportionate and it probably isn't."

Mr Wright said financial penalties were "an effective way of punishing criminals and deterring them from further offending".

"Magistrates are the cornerstone of our justice system and these changes will provide them with greater powers to deal with the day-to-day offences that impact their local communities," he said.

Legislation to increase the levels of fines will be laid before Parliament on Tuesday and will be debated before coming into force.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rik Mayall: Comedian 'May Have Died After Fit'

Stars Mourn 'Funniest Man Of Generation'

Updated: 8:00am UK, Tuesday 10 June 2014

Comedian Adrian Edmondson has led tributes to his long-time friend and collaborator Rik Mayall, who has died aged 56.

The pair worked together on hit shows such as The Young Ones and Bottom after meeting at Manchester University.

"There were times when Rik and I were writing together when we almost died laughing," said Edmondson. "They were some of the most carefree stupid days I ever had, and I feel privileged to have shared them with him. And now he's died for real. Without me. Selfish b*****d."

Mayall's CV stands alongside anyone in sitcom, rising to fame in the 1980s as Cliff Richard superfan Rick in The Young Ones.

Sir Cliff said: "I became a fan of his when he was in The Young Ones show and was always thrilled when he used my name during his series. I am so sad at his passing."

Shows like Blackadder and The New Statesman contributed to Mayall becoming one of the most recognisable comics of the modern era.

Blackadder writer Ben Elton and co-star Stephen Fry were quick to pay their respects.

"I met Rik when I was 18 and his friendship and extraordinary comic talent have been an inspiration to me ever since," said Elton.

"I owe him so much, he changed my life utterly when he asked me to co-write The Young Ones with him and he was with me on the day I met my wife. He always made me cry with laughter, now he's just made me cry."

Fry added: "Simply distraught to hear of the death of Rik Mayall. An authentic comedy genius and a prince among men."

Comic Bob Mortimer was one of the first to respond to news of Mayall's death.

He wrote on Twitter: "Last time I saw him he grabbed my crotch and said 'Not eaten yet then?' So sad … Funniest man of his generation."

Mortimer was joined by a host of fellow comedians.

"Very sad to hear of the passing of Rik Mayall," said Monty Python star Eric Idle.

"Far too young. A very funny and talented man."

Impressionist Rory Bremner too: "Oh no. Awful news about Rik Mayall - a fireball of creative comic energy and inspiration. Such brilliant raw talent."

Here are some of the other tributes made:

:: DJ Chris Moyles: "RIP Rik Mayall. Thank you for making me laugh a million times. Woof."

:: Actress Helen Lederer: "Rik Mayall, I loved you. Gutted. The man who taught me not to crash laughs, has crashed. Real love to wife, children. Massive loss."

:: DJ Chris Evans: "RIP Rik Mayall. I'm off to hit the gasman with a frying pan. It's the least I can do."

:: Comedian Jack Dee: "So shocked to hear about Rik Mayall. A wonderfully funny icon of British comedy."

:: Satirist Charlie Brooker: "Rik Mayall was just pure wiry, energetic, unpredictable humour poured into the shape of a human. You couldn't not watch him."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Grid To Pay Firms To Prevent Winter Blackouts

National Grid has begun offering to pay firms to manage their electricity use from this winter to help prevent the "lights going out".

The company, which runs the power network in England and Wales, is asking the largest energy users to agree to cut their usage at peak times over the next four winters.

But the move was seized upon by a body representing big industry as proof that its earlier warnings to successive governments on a lack of spare capacity risked harming consumers and businesses.

National Grid said any requests to reduce power consumption would apply between 4pm and 8pm on winter weekdays and would add no more than £1 annually to the average household energy bill.

The Demand Side Balancing Reserve service (DSBR), as the scheme is being called, would only be enacted on a voluntary basis, the company insisted.

Industry groups argue too much focus has been placed on renewable energy

National Grid was also looking, from winter 2015/16,  to boost capacity from electricity generators that would otherwise be closed or mothballed between the hours of 6am and 8pm on winter weekdays.

Both initiatives followed a consultation exercise on the best way to tackle the growing threat of blackouts.

Worries about power shortfalls have grown in recent years following the closure of many old generators under European emissions rules.

Threats of oil and gas supply disruptions remain a concern given limited storage space while energy firms have warned their levels of infrastructure investment are unclear in an environment of hostility towards rising household bills.

It was anticipated, the power operator said, that both its initiatives would not be required in 2018/19 because the Government was introducing reforms to ensure sufficient capacity was available to meet future demand.

National Grid's Peter Bingham said: "It's our job as electricity system operator to make sure we've got all the right tools at our disposal to balance supply and demand on the electricity network, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

"For winter 2014/15 we are inviting providers of demand side response services to offer a small volume of demand reduction capability to pilot the new DSBR service.

"For winter 2015/16, we will tender for both services. This offers generators an incentive to make their power stations available in winter where they might otherwise be unavailable."

The Energy Intensive Users Group (EIUG), which represents major industry, said the measures were avoidable.

Its statement said: "EIUG has warned for many years, the reason we are facing this situation is because of the flawed energy policy followed by successive governments, overly focused on costly intermittent renewables like wind and solar, which are inherently incapable of providing secure electricity supplies.

"The government has belatedly realised the urgent need to enable investment in secure generating capacity from nuclear and gas-fired power stations, but past mistakes mean this investment will arrive later than needed, leaving consumers at unacceptable risk of price spikes and blackouts, and jeopardising the investment in manufacturing industries needed to continue the economy recovery."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cameron Sets Out 'British Values' For Schools

'Trojan Horse': Full Statement

Updated: 10:45am UK, Monday 09 June 2014

The full statement from Park View Educational Trust on a damning Ofsted inspection of its schools as part of the checks sparked by alleged Islamist infiltration plot.

"On behalf of the staff, students and parents who have worked so hard to improve their schools, we're extremely disappointed to confirm that Ofsted has graded Park View, Golden Hillock and Nansen schools as inadequate and put them into special measures.

"We support the role of Ofsted in holding schools to account in a fair and transparent way. But we wholeheartedly dispute the validity of these gradings.

"Park View, Golden Hillock and Nansen are categorically not inadequate schools.

"Our Ofsted inspections were ordered in a climate of suspicion, created by the hoax Trojan letter and by the anonymous unproven allegations about our schools in the media.

"Ofsted inspectors came to our schools looking for extremism, looking for segregation, looking for proof that our children have religion forced upon them as part of an Islamic plot.

"The Ofsted reports find absolutely no evidence of this because this is categorically not what is happening at our schools. Our schools do not tolerate or promote extremism of any kind. We have made a major commitment to raising all students' awareness of extremism, people who know and have worked with our schools are appalled at the way we have been misrepresented.

"Our schools serve some of the most disadvantaged communities in Britain. In spite of this, 75% of students at Park View achieved at least five good GCSEs last year including English and maths. This makes it the best school of its type in England.

"Golden Hillock and Nansen are on course to get their best results ever.

"Quite simply this is because we believe our role is to break the link between demographics, deprivation and destiny. We refuse to let our students' backgrounds limit what they can achieve and who they can become.

"The speed and the ferocity with which Park View school in particular has been condemned is truly shocking.

"Park View School, where we are standing today, has helped to transform the lives of local families by realising their hope and ambition for educational success. School communities in Park View, Golden Hillock and Nansen, that have worked hard to turn round failing schools, are being condemned when they should be being celebrated.

"The problem here is not extremism, or segregation, or religious indoctrination, all the things that Ofsted looked for but failed to find in our schools. The problem here is the knee-jerk actions of some politicians that have undermined the great work we do here and undermined community cohesion across Birmingham and across many of our cities.

"They have put Muslim children from these communities at substantial risk of not being accepted as equal, legitimate and valued members of British society.

"And they have allowed suspicion to be cast on the aspirations of their parents and anyone else who believes that these children deserve the same rights and excellent standards of education as any other child.

"It is important you know that we will now be challenging all these reports through the appropriate legal channels."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Scottish Voters 'Not Getting Full Picture'

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Gordon Brown has told Sky News an independent Scotland would be a "more unequal country", despite the SNP's claims to the contrary.

In an exclusive interview with Eamonn Holmes marking 100 days to go until the referendum vote, he warned of serious economic consequences if the country splits from the rest of the UK.

The former prime minister said: "The SNP claims Scotland would be more equal - a fairer, more socially-just place - but actually, when you look at the policies, they're so keen to appease so many different people, they would end up making Scotland a more unequal country.

"The idea that oil is the solution to our problems is simply fantasy.

"We should not be led into this belief that somehow, the day after independence, everything is going to be wonderful when there are quite painful decisions that have to be made."

Asked by Holmes whether Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond had been telling "porky pies" about the true cost of independence, he replied: "I don't believe we're getting the full picture about what the consequences of independence are."

Mr Brown says Mr Salmond should apologise for a "terrible mistake"

In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Brown said he felt embarrassed when Mr Salmond staged his controversial Saltire stunt after Andy Murray's Wimbledon triumph.

He said the gesture was a "terrible mistake", "cheap" and "made Scotland look small".

But he also hit out at the Coalition Government's tactics in the battle over Scottish independence in the run-up to the referendum in September.

He claimed the tone of claims by the Liberal Democrat Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander that Scots would be £1,400 a year better off by staying in the UK was "patronising".

"Last week when the Scottish Office and the UK Government put out that statement that Scotland would be £1,400 better off without independence, and they gave the example of (the amount of) fish and chips you could buy ... I thought that was patronising," Mr Brown said.

Asked by Holmes whether David Cameron had lectured Scots during a visit to his home country last month, Mr Brown said: "It was done for the right reasons but it looked like Britain versus Scotland.

"We've always been a nation. We've always had our institutions, we've always had our Parliament.

"The only issue that remains to be decided is if you want to break every link that remains with Britain."

Asked why he had stepped up his own efforts for the "no" campaign, Mr Brown said: "I'm a proud Scot. I want to put the case. I believe we have a strong sense of national pride.

"We're making a decision for my children's future. I'm not complacent but once I and others within Scotland make the case, I think we'll win this argument."

He was then asked: "What if you lose?"

"People will have to accept it," he admitted.

"The problem is this vote is almost irreversible.

"I think people will want to end the divisiveness and work together. We're adults with a vote (that) will affect generations."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Stunning Views And Secrecy At England's Rio HQ

England will train for the first time at their Rio headquarters on Monday - a military base that sits in the wealthy, secluded district of Urca in a cove overlooking Guanabara Bay.

Judged on the scenery alone, you might think the Brazilian Tourist Board had put together Roy Hodgson's itinerary rather than the Football Association.

The pitch at the base sits directly at the foot of Sugar Loaf mountain and the sea laps at a private beach a few yards away.

There is method to the choice beyond the magnificent view.

Steven Gerrard leads his team-mates past the pool at their Rio hotel

The military setting offers Hodgson first-class facilities as well as seclusion, give or take the odd prying eye from the Sugar Loaf cable car, as he plots England's campaign.

The pitch has been improved since I was last there in December under the guidance of the Wembley groundsman and all the other facilities are on site.

Urca has previously been used by Brazil's Olympic volleyball team and it is easy to see why.

There is a large, two-storey gymnasium equipped with free weights and machines, cardio equipment and even the old military favourite, the medicine ball.

The training base is overlooked by Rio de Janeiro's Suger Loaf mountain

There is one drawback to the location, however.

It is nine miles from England's hotel in Sao Conrado at the other end of the city waterfront and a challenging journey in Rio's grinding traffic.

On our last visit it took a full hour to make the trip in mid-morning, though the FA has been assured that police outriders and road closures will make the journey manageable, even if it wins few friends among Rio's commuters.

England will lay on the charm on the first day, throwing open the doors to press and public for 90 minutes, a Fifa requirement for all competing nations.

Security was tight for England's arrival in Brazil on Sunday

For Steven Gerrard and his players, it may be a rare sight of ordinary fans, if the security that greeted them on arrival in Brazil on Sunday is any guide.

England's coach was ringed by police with riot shields as it pulled on to the forecourt of the Royal Tulip Hotel.

There was no obvious threat beyond the watching media and a few bemused locals but the authorities are clearly taking no chances.

We can expect a significant security presence later in the day too, when a group of England players will visit the Rocinha favela that sits on the hill above their hotel.

The players will get no greater example of the yawning gap between rich and poor that still exists in Brazil, despite all its economic expansion, than the view from their balconies.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Glasgow 'Full Of Surprises' As Vote Draws Near

Sunny Govan. Really? My experience of Glasgow having been limited mainly to a slate-grey and sodden Liberal Democrat conference, I was not expecting to be greeted by blue skies and sweltering temperatures on arrival in Clydeside.

My welcome from the team at Sunny Govan Community Radio was equally unexpected: a chance greeting on the street as I walked around talking to people about their expectations for the referendum, now just 100 days away.

I had come to Glasgow to look into how voters' choice might be decided not just by the virtues (or otherwise) of independence but by age-old political loyalties - the classic affiliation with Labour and a particular dislike of the Conservatives.

Having spoken to politicians on both campaigns, I had assumed that one might readily encounter that undecided (historically Labour-voting) individual that was for now on the fence as far as independence was concerned.

These are the people both the "yes" and "no" campaigns expect to focus on above all others over the next 100 days.

The argument that is shared on both sides is that fear of a Tory government in Westminster will drive Labour supporters into the independence camp. The "yes" team hope to exploit this dynamic, while "no" need to combat it.

Voters' dislike extends beyond David Cameron (left) to other leaders too

The surprise when I spoke to the radio volunteers along with their friends at the neighbouring hairdressers and the pub a couple of doors down was that while people were reasonably, though not venomously, hostile to the Conservatives, they were not much more enamoured of other front rank politicians, from Ed Miliband to Alistair Darling and Alex Salmond.

The disaffection with the political class, and the willingness to speak highly of UKIP and Nigel Farage, was much of a piece with all I have recently encountered in constituencies that tend to be viewed as far less "tribal" hundreds of miles away in England.

And if that was unexpected, even more so was the fact that people told me they had not had any contact with either referendum campaign on the doorstep.

Many of the people I spoke to were crying out for information. The admirable Sunny Govan Radio is the sort of platform I would have imagined politicians would be eager to exploit, and yet apart from one or two posters here and there, I could see no sign that people were being engaged.

Sunny Govan? It was a surprise, for sure. But far more so was the fact that as far as local people are concerned, both referendum campaigns have an awful lot of work to do.

:: With 100 days to go until the Scottish referendum, Sky News has a day of special coverage on TV, online and mobile, including interviews with leading figures from both sides of the debate.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cybercrime 'As Lucrative As Drugs Trade'

By Tom Cheshire, Technology Correspondent

Cybercrime costs £266bn every year - about as much as the global drugs trade - according to a new report revealed exclusively by Sky News.

Computer security company McAfee said that cybercrime is worth 0.8% of the global economy.

And if cybercrime was a country, its GDP would rank 27th - above Singapore, Austria and Denmark.

The UK ranked fifth in the G20 countries most affected, with an annual loss of £6.8bn as a result of cybercrime.

One British company told officials that it had incurred revenue losses of £770m because of one attack, through the loss of intellectual property.

The report also suggests that cybercrime leads to 150,000 job losses in Europe every year.

It warns that "the cost of cybercrime will continue to increase as more business functions move online and as more companies and consumers around the world connect to the internet".

Last year, 93% of large corporations and 87% of small to medium sized companies suffered data breaches, with the average cost of an attack worth £770,000 and £60,000 respectively.

Raj Samani, chief technical officer of McAfee EMEA, told Sky News: "In the past, studies such as this have relied on surveys.

"We commissioned a think-tank to work with economists and intellectual property lawyers, as well as the security industry, to understand the true impact of cybercrime."

The McAfee report found the UK lost £6.8bn a year to cybercrime

The £266bn figure, more than twice as high as previous estimates, is based on data aggregated from 28 countries around the world, which between them account for 80% of global cybercrime.

The report comes after a number of high-profile cyberattacks, notably the hacking of eBay users' details and the Game Over Zeus and Cryptolocker pieces of malware.

Christian-Marc Lifländer, a cyberdefence policy adviser at Nato, told Sky News: "To tackle the problem, you first have to realise it is a serious problem.

"It is no longer an emerging threat, it is here. It is a new way of life, in many ways."

Paul Gillen, head of operations at Europol's European Cybercrime Centre, told Sky News: "The area of internet investigations has been a new area of responsibility for law enforcement officers and agencies throughout the globe.

"We've been trying to get agencies to work together on single operations targeting cybercriminals causing such devastating losses.

"It has been a difficult passage. No country can do this alone.

"Criminals do not need to turn up at the location of the crime - they're doing it from the safety of their own living rooms."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Birmingham Schools 'Target Of Extremist Plot'

Schools in Birmingham are being targeted by a campaign to impose hardline Islamic views on teachers and their pupils.

Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw said schools in the city were being run under a "culture of fear and intimidation".

He said successful head teachers had been forced out of their posts or "marginalised" leaving a "vaccum" leading to "a collapse in morals and a rapid decline".

The "steep and sudden decline" meant schools which were recently judged outstanding by inspectors were now found inadequate, he said.

In addition governors were exerting "far more influence on the day to day running of these schools than is either appropriate or acceptable."

Park View Academy has gone from 'outstanding' to 'inadequate'

Ofsted inspected 21 schools across Birmingham after allegations of a attempted takeover of the city's schools by Islamist extremists. Five have now been placed in special measures as a result.

Sir Michael said: "Some of our findings are deeply worrying and in some ways quite shocking, while a number of these schools are doing well and providing their children with a good, well-rounded education, there are others that give cause for grave concern.

"In the most serious cases, a culture of fear and intimidation has taken grip since the schools were last inspected. We found evidence that some head teachers, including those with a proud record of raising standards, have been marginalised or forced out of their jobs.

"This has left a vacuum in which schools previously rated good or outstanding have suffered enormous staff turbulence, a collapse in moral and a rapid decline in their overall effectiveness."

Golden Hillock has also been placed in special measures

He said that a number of head teachers had "reported that there's been an organised campaign to target certain schools in Birmingham in order to impose a narrow faith based ideology  and alter the schools character and ethos."

Inspectors have found schools were not taking seriously enough their duty to protect children from extremism and radicalisation.

One school had even invited a speaker known for their extremist views to give a talk.

Teachers reported  they were being treated unfairly because of their sex or religion and that boys and girls were not treated equally.

The vice chairman of the Park View Education Trust, which runs three of the schools put in special measures – Park View Academy, Golden Hillock and Nansen primary – has hit back saying the schools do not "promote extremism".

David Hughes says inspections were carried out in a 'climate of suspicion'

David Hughes said: "Ofsted inspectors came to our schools looking for extremism, looking for segregation, looking for proof that our children have religion forced upon them as part of an Islamic plot."

He said they would be mounting a legal challenge against Ofsted's findings.

The other two schools placed in special measures were Saltley and Oldknow.

David Cameron has ordered Education Secretary Michael Gove to carry out  "dawn raids" on the schools, which have been accused of covering up evidence of infiltration.

It comes after a row erupted between Mr Gove and Home Secretary Theresa May after the Education Secretary said the Home Office had failed to properly deal with extremism.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Metal Studs Treat The Homeless 'Like Animals'

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky News Reporter

Metal studs installed to stop homeless people from sleeping outside private flats in London have been described as "brutal" by a homelessness charity.

Residents at the block on Southwark Bridge Road said they appeared a few weeks ago after someone had been sleeping rough there.

In reaction, Howard Sinclair, Chief Executive of St Mungo's Broadway, said: "Each year our teams, in Southwark and elsewhere, help thousands of people off the streets.

"Part of their role is to prevent people adopting a street lifestyle which, on occasions, means adapting the physical environment to prevent people sleeping rough in a particular location on a regular basis. These 'studs' appear a rather brutal way of doing just that."

The studs are intended to prevent rough sleepers from using the doorway

Its not clear who ordered them and if they are solely to deter rough sleepers but their installation has sparked an angry reaction.

Emi Takehara lives in the block and told Sky News: "I feel really uncomfortable having these spikes in front of my home. It's like treating these homeless people like animals."

Andrew Horton spotted the studs on his way to work and posted pictures of them online.

It is split opinion on Twitter.

David Wells wrote: "These Anti homeless studs are like the spikes they use to keep pigeons off buildings. The destitute now considered vermin."

The anti-homeless devices appeared outside the flats a few weeks ago

Others, including Gavin Logan defended the installation, tweeting: "There will be a context behind those anti-homeless spikes. Possibly a last resort against someone who was aggressive and refused housing."

Homelessness charities say this is not a one-off, metal studs have been appearing across the country for the last decade as the number of people sleeping rough rises.

The management company has not been available for comment but Councillor Peter John, leader of Southwark Council, issued a statement confirming the council is not responsible.

He added: "The council can look into health and safety or planning concerns that are reported to us.

"With regards to people sleeping rough, the council has a dedicated officer who works closely with organisations like St Mungo's [a homelessness charity], who have a 'no second night out' policy to ensure rough sleepers are found shelter and support."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Minimum Wage Dodgers 'Named And Shamed'

Twenty-five employers who failed to pay their staff the national minimum wage have been "named and shamed" by the Government.

It is the biggest number of employers publicly named since a new crackdown was announced last year.

Between them, they owe workers more than £43,000 in arrears, and face fines of over £21,000.

The minimum wage is currently set at £6.31 an hour.

Business Minister Jenny Willott said: "Paying less than the minimum wage is not only wrong, it's illegal. If employers break the law they need to know that they will face tough consequences.

"Any worker who is entitled to the minimum wage should receive it. If anyone suspects they are not being paid the wage they are legally entitled to they should call the Pay and Work Rights helpline on 0800 917 2368."

The Government also plans to increase fines, so that an employer underpaying 10 workers could face fines of up to £200,000.

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Under-paying your lowest paid staff is immoral and illegal. Employers caught in the act deserve to be fined and have their reputation ruined.

"This should send a clear message that dodging the minimum wage does not pay. All minimum wage cheats should be named and shamed, and HMRC need greater resources to catch even more crooks."

The 25 employers are as follows:

:: Christine Cadden and Nicola Banks of Renaissance, Wirral, neglected to pay £7,310.65 to three workers.

:: Alan King and John King of Arthur Simpson & Co, Bradford, neglected to pay £6,426.12 to a worker.

:: Central Heating Services Ltd, Hampshire, neglected to pay £6,200.28 to four workers.

:: Cargilfield School Ltd, Edinburgh, neglected to pay £3,739.58 to a worker.

:: A2ZEE Construction Ltd, Cramlington, neglected to pay £3,375.51 to 14 workers.

:: Mr and Mrs Balasco of Eugenio, Bristol, neglected to pay £3,037.53 to two workers.

:: Mr and Mrs Hampton of The Wheatsheaf Inn, Cheshire, neglected to pay £2,057.88 to five workers.

:: Steven Stainton of Steven Stainton Joinery, Cumbria, neglected to pay £1,415.82 to a worker.

:: Runbaro Ltd, Swindon, neglected to pay £1,413.88 to a worker.

:: Satwinder Singh Khatter and Tejinder Singh Khatter of The Bath Hotel, Reading, neglected to pay £1,237.79 to two workers.

:: Richard Last of Classic Carpentry, Godalming, neglected to pay £1,236.72 to a worker.

:: We are Mop! Ltd, London, neglected to pay £1,018.05 to two workers. 

:: Mrs Sue English of Legends Hairdressers, Colchester, neglected to pay £823.40 to a worker. 

:: Saftdwin Ltd, Hampshire, neglected to pay £806.37 to two workers.

:: Master Distribution Ltd, Essex, neglected to pay £718.62 to a worker.

:: Perth Hotels Ltd, Perth, neglected to pay £556.80 to a worker.

:: Bryants Nurseries Ltd, Hertfordshire, neglected to pay £494.07 to a worker.

:: Dove Mill Retail Outlet Ltd, Bolton, neglected to pay £461.84 to a worker.

:: Luigi's Little Italy Ltd, Yorkshire, neglected to pay £281.04 to five workers.

:: CPS SW Ltd, Exmouth, neglected to pay £261.29 to a worker.

:: Mr Gary Calder, Mr Richard Calder and Mr Neil Calder of Avenue Agricultural, Northamptonshire, neglected to pay £256.55 to a worker.

:: Dakal Ltd, Northampton, neglected to pay £252.00 to two workers.

:: Zoom Ltd, Havant, neglected to pay £242.28 to three workers.

:: HSS Hire Service Group Ltd, Manchester, neglected to pay £149.00 to 15 workers.

:: Sun Shack Ltd, Hamilton, neglected to pay £134.35 to eight workers.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Scots Vote: 'English Politicians Keep Out'

English politicians getting involved in the Scottish independence debate is more likely to make Scots vote in favour of leaving the Union, an exclusive Sky News/YouGov poll has found.

Our poll shows almost a third of people in the UK (31%) believe English politicians should stay out of the debate.

In Scotland the figure is higher - 44%.

When asked if English politicians getting involved would make it more or less likely Scotland votes yes to independence, 43% said they thought it would make that prospect more likely.

Tomorrow marks 100 days until the referendum, which will ask people the question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"

The countdown will see both sides of the campaign step up their efforts to secure their preferred outcome.

Current polling shows the no camp has the advantage.

First Minister Alex Salmond said: "The eyes of the world are on Scotland and we should be proud of the example we are setting in terms of the profoundly democratic and peaceful nature of the debate on our future - not something that is always the case elsewhere."

He added that independence is the only guarantee of further powers for Scotland, after the Scottish Conservatives pledged to "take the stabilisers off" and grant full income tax powers if it votes against independence.

:: We will have reaction to the findings in the Murnaghan programme at 10am from Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond and Foreign Secretary William Hague.

:: Sky News will be in Scotland on Monday for a day of special coverage on the referendum - on TV, online and mobile. This will include interviews with leading figures from both sides of the debate.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

GPs 'Should Offer On-The-Spot Smear Tests'

By Harret Hadfield, Sky News Reporter

Women should be offered on-the-spot smear tests during regular doctor's appointments, according to a new study.

All women in the UK aged between 25 and 65 are offered the test regularly every three years to screen for cervical cancer.

A smear test can also detect pre-cancerous cells, that could lead to cancer, making it a highly effective preventative measure.

The recommendation comes from the think tank Demos, working alongside charity Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust.

Jo Salter from Demos told Sky News: "We think that doctors are really crucial to tackling this problem because they are the gatekeepers who invite women to be screened, but often they are a barrier because they can't get an appointment or because their GP is quite off-putting about it."

It has found 3,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year. Of those, 900 will die from the disease.

Cervical cancer is the third most common gynaecological cancer in the UK.

Improved screening rates will cut those diagnosed cancer in half

Currently only 78% of eligible women take up the test - but with a 100% screening rate, the number of those diagnosed with the illness would be cut in half.

For GPs, who are already very short of time, it is another thing to have to fit into an appointment slot.

Dr David Lloyd, from The Ridgeway Surgery in Harrow, said: "In a 10-minute appointment we have to cover the problem that the patient came with in the first place ... then, if she hadn't had a recent smear, we'd have to have a discussion with the patient.

"Some women may not want to have a smear at that stage as it's a bit more than just having your blood pressure taken and then there's a little extra time on everything else."

Embarrassment, busy lives and finding the test painful are among the reasons given by women who avoid screening.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More