Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 14 Februari 2015 | 20.14
A 32-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of being a member or supporter of Islamic State.
The suspect was detained at a property in Newham, east London on Saturday morning by officers from Scotland Yard's Counter Terrorism Command.
He has been taken into custody at a south London police station, where he is being questioned.
He is also suspected of collecting information which may be useful to someone who commits or prepares acts of terrorism and of encouraging acts of terrorism.
Islamic State, which is staging a conflict in Iraq and Syria where it wants to create an Islamic caliphate, was named as a banned organisation in the UK in June last year.
The group has released a number of videos showing the murders of Western hostages, including British aid workers Alan Henning, 47, and David Haines, 44.
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Video:Frantic Efforts To Save Bin Lorry
By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent
Frantic attempts were made to stop a Glasgow bin lorry as it killed six people last December, Sky News has learned.
Two men were inside the cab with the driver at the time, desperately trying to rouse him after he had collapsed.
The pair, who Sky News has chosen not to name, shouted to him that he was killing people and shook him.
But their efforts were hampered by a metal rail inside the cab, which separates the driver and the crew, who sit on a raised bench in the rear.
It presented an obstacle and inflicted injuries on at least one of the pair as they were jostled by the erratic movement of the vehicle.
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Gallery: Victims Of Glasgow Bin Lorry Crash
Jacqueline Morton, 51, who had left work early to collect her granddaughters
Stephenie Tait, 29, was a teacher at St Philomena's Primary school
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Gillian Ewing, 52, was also killed in the accident
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Jack Sweeney, 68, from Dumbarton, was killed along with his wife and granddaughter
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Erin McQuade, 18, with her grandmother Lorraine Sweeney, aged 69
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A succession of collisions meant the driver's weight shifted on the steering wheel which, in turn, caused sudden changes in the lorry's course.
There was an air-brake in the cab which slowly reduces speed but neither of the two crew was trained in how to drive the bin lorry and so neither knew how to bring it to a halt.
The vehicle only came to rest after crashing into the Millennium Hotel in Glasgow's George Square.
The two crew members first realised something was wrong after they had stopped to make the penultimate pick-up of their round outside the Primark store in Queen Street.
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Gallery: Images From The Scene In Glasgow After The Bin Lorry Crash
The lorry crashed into the Millennium Hotel at the top of Queen Street in the city centre
One police officer said it first mounted the pavement 300 metres down the street
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As the vehicle set off again, it swerved and then proceeded on its fatal journey, about 400 metres towards George Square.
The driver has been named as 58-year-old Harry Clarke and he has spoken of how the victims were on his mind "every minute of every day".
Following the incident, a blood sample was taken from him and he tested negative for drink-driving.
He has since reportedly said that he was diagnosed with a heart condition following the crash on 22 December last year.
Video:Aftermath Of The Crash
Examination of on-board monitoring equipment showed it travelled at just over 20mph for roughly 40 seconds as the tragedy unfolded.
As a bin lorry driver, he was routinely required to insert a driver's tacho-card - a digital device that records a driver's details such as hours spent on the road and speed driven - into a dashboard slot.
He had not done so on the day of the crash.
Whether that was a factor or a minor irregularity that has no relevance to the crash will be a decision for Scotland's Crown Office.
Video:Funeral For Victims Of Lorry Crash
The office is currently considering a police report on the incident. It will also decide whether or not a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) will take place into the circumstances of the crash.
The GMB Union, which represents the two crew members on board the refuse truck, has told Sky News it would welcome an inquiry.
Cal Waterson, regional organiser of GMB Scotland, said: "I wouldn't like to speculate at the moment because we're still waiting for the police report to be published but, obviously, there was pressure being put on the accelerator.
"How would the crew have been expected to prevent that? That's something that I hope a Fatal Accident Inquiry would look into and be able to come up with some recommendations whereby we can put in some overriding device in the rear of the cab or something similar."
Video:Witness: Lorry Knocked People Down
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Glasgow Bin Lorry Crash: Panic Inside The Cab
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Video:Frantic Efforts To Save Bin Lorry
By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent
Frantic attempts were made to stop a Glasgow bin lorry as it killed six people last December, Sky News has learned.
Two men were inside the cab with the driver at the time, desperately trying to rouse him after he had collapsed.
The pair, who Sky News has chosen not to name, shouted to him that he was killing people and shook him.
But their efforts were hampered by a metal rail inside the cab, which separates the driver and the crew, who sit on a raised bench in the rear.
It presented an obstacle and inflicted injuries on at least one of the pair as they were jostled by the erratic movement of the vehicle.
1/5
Gallery: Victims Of Glasgow Bin Lorry Crash
Jacqueline Morton, 51, who had left work early to collect her granddaughters
Stephenie Tait, 29, was a teacher at St Philomena's Primary school
]]>
Gillian Ewing, 52, was also killed in the accident
]]>
Jack Sweeney, 68, from Dumbarton, was killed along with his wife and granddaughter
]]>
Erin McQuade, 18, with her grandmother Lorraine Sweeney, aged 69
]]>
A succession of collisions meant the driver's weight shifted on the steering wheel which, in turn, caused sudden changes in the lorry's course.
There was an air-brake in the cab which slowly reduces speed but neither of the two crew was trained in how to drive the bin lorry and so neither knew how to bring it to a halt.
The vehicle only came to rest after crashing into the Millennium Hotel in Glasgow's George Square.
The two crew members first realised something was wrong after they had stopped to make the penultimate pick-up of their round outside the Primark store in Queen Street.
1/11
Gallery: Images From The Scene In Glasgow After The Bin Lorry Crash
The lorry crashed into the Millennium Hotel at the top of Queen Street in the city centre
One police officer said it first mounted the pavement 300 metres down the street
]]>
As the vehicle set off again, it swerved and then proceeded on its fatal journey, about 400 metres towards George Square.
The driver has been named as 58-year-old Harry Clarke and he has spoken of how the victims were on his mind "every minute of every day".
Following the incident, a blood sample was taken from him and he tested negative for drink-driving.
He has since reportedly said that he was diagnosed with a heart condition following the crash on 22 December last year.
Video:Aftermath Of The Crash
Examination of on-board monitoring equipment showed it travelled at just over 20mph for roughly 40 seconds as the tragedy unfolded.
As a bin lorry driver, he was routinely required to insert a driver's tacho-card - a digital device that records a driver's details such as hours spent on the road and speed driven - into a dashboard slot.
He had not done so on the day of the crash.
Whether that was a factor or a minor irregularity that has no relevance to the crash will be a decision for Scotland's Crown Office.
Video:Funeral For Victims Of Lorry Crash
The office is currently considering a police report on the incident. It will also decide whether or not a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) will take place into the circumstances of the crash.
The GMB Union, which represents the two crew members on board the refuse truck, has told Sky News it would welcome an inquiry.
Cal Waterson, regional organiser of GMB Scotland, said: "I wouldn't like to speculate at the moment because we're still waiting for the police report to be published but, obviously, there was pressure being put on the accelerator.
"How would the crew have been expected to prevent that? That's something that I hope a Fatal Accident Inquiry would look into and be able to come up with some recommendations whereby we can put in some overriding device in the rear of the cab or something similar."
Video:Witness: Lorry Knocked People Down
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Obese Could Lose Benefits Unless They Diet
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Obese people could lose benefits worth up to £100 a week if they refuse to diet, as a review into sickness payments is ordered by David Cameron.
Drug addicts and alcoholics could also lose benefits if they refuse treatment that would help them get a job, in a move aimed at stopping people claiming as a "lifestyle" choice.
"Too many people are stuck on sickness benefits because of issues that could be addressed but instead are not," said the Prime Minister.
David Cameron has ordered a review into sickness benefits
"Some have drug or alcohol problems, but refuse treatment.
"In other cases people have problems with their weight that could be addressed, but instead a life on benefits rather than work becomes the choice.
Video:Obesity 'Could Bring Down The NHS'
"It is not fair to ask hardworking taxpayers to fund the benefits of people who refuse to accept the support and treatment that could help them get back to a life of work.
"The next Conservative government is determined to make sure that the hardest to help get the support they need to get them back to a fulfilling life."
Ministers estimate there are almost 100,000 people claiming sickness benefits on the grounds of treatable conditions such as drug or alcohol addiction, or obesity.
At present, there is no requirement for such people to undertake treatment, meaning it is possible to claim without making efforts at recovery.
Of the 2.5 million claiming sickness benefits, about 1.5 million have been claiming for more than five years.
Mr Cameron says he has asked Professor Dame Carol Black to undertake a rapid review in to how best to help those suffering from long-term yet treatable conditions back in to work.
"In particular, I have asked her to consider whether people should face the threat of a reduction in benefits if they refuse to engage with a recommended treatment plan," he said.
"It is vital that people who would benefit from treatment get the medical help they need."
Professor Black, a leading Government adviser on health, work and welfare, said: "I am deeply interested in trying to overcome the challenges these types of benefit claimants pose.
"These people, in addition to their long-term conditions and lifestyle issues, suffer the great disadvantage of not being engaged in the world of work, such an important feature of society."
Explaining the reasons for the threat to axe benefits from the obese, drug addicts and alcoholics, a Government source said: "As well as the unwarranted expense, this represents an unproductive waste of human potential."
Tam Fry from the National Obesity Forum told Sky News: "Obesity is the issue which might bring down the NHS.
"We have the most appalling problem and so far the coalition government have done absolutely nothing serious about it. If this is a sign they are taking obesity serious then I think this is something they should be considering."
He added: "You've got to be very careful about how you do it because all those people who are fat because they have a metabolic and a medical syndrome attached to it, they have got to be protected.
"But for the people who just eat and eat and eat and refuse to take any kind of treatment, then I think there is a salvo that has to be fired across their bows."
However, disability campaigner Ellen Clifford was outraged by Mr Cameron's proposal, telling Sky News: "If you threaten taking away people's benefits that's not actually going to help people. It didn't work in the Victorian times, it's not going to work now.
"That isn't going to suddenly snap people out of an enduring condition. It's punitive and it's savage."
And former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell, who had a well-publicised battle with booze and is an Alcohol Concern ambassador, criticised the proposal as a "stupid little stunt".
He said the Prime Minister was "pathetic" and was not taking the problem of addiction seriously.
A couple arrested as they attempted to stage a bogus wedding have been jailed for immigration offences - after the would-be groom was unable to remember his bride's name.
Pakistani Zubair Khan, 28, and Hungarian Beata Szilagyi, 33, were detained minutes before the sham marriage ceremony, the Home Office said.
They were exposed after Khan had to make a phone call to the marriage fixer, Khaliq Dad Khan, to check his bride's name during a meeting with the registrar before the wedding was due to go ahead.
Khan as he was arrested at his bogus wedding in Hull
The registrar then notified authorities and the bride and groom were detained on the spot at Hull Register Office last October.
Zubair Khan, of London, was jailed for 20 months and Szilagyi, of Hull, was sentenced to 17 months at Hull Crown Court on Friday.
Szilagyi, of Hull, was jailed for 17 months
They both admitted conspiracy to facilitate a breach of immigration law.
Khaliq Dad Khan, 48, who lived with the groom, was jailed for 20 months after pleading guilty to the same charge.
Marriage fixer Khaliq Dad Khan, 48, was jailed for 20 months
Andy Sharpe, from Immigration Enforcement Criminal Investigations, said: "This was a farcical but nonetheless serious attempt to cheat the UK's immigration laws.
"We continue to crack down on sham marriage abuse, and we work very closely with registrars to identify suspicious marriages. We will not hesitate to act where we believe a relationship is not genuine."
The arrests were made minutes before the ceremony in October
Immigration and Security Minister James Brokenshire said: "The criminal gangs who try to cheat their way around our immigration laws will not escape justice."
He added that investigators had intervened in more than 2,400 suspected sham marriages in 2014 - nearly twice as many as the year before.
Three men have been killed after a double-decker coach collided with their stationary car on the M1 in Bedfordshire.
Their vehicle was on the hard shoulder between junctions 12 and 13 when the collision occurred at 6.46am this morning.
A fourth man has been taken to a hospital in Oxford with serious injuries, and the northbound carriageway of the M1 remains closed.
Meanwhile, at least one person has died in a pile-up on the M40. Another six people are seriously hurt, and as many as 45 people have been left with minor injuries.
The crash occurred just before 7.50am this morning on the northbound carriageway between junctions 9 and 10 in Bicester, Oxfordshire. An estimated 40 cars were involved.
Northbound stretches on both motorways, indicated in blue, are closed
That stretch of the motorway has been closed by the emergency services, and is not expected to open until 2.30pm. A couple of southbound lanes have now reopened.
"It is quite a major collision. We have a lot of resources on the scene - ambulances, our helicopter ambulance, rapid response vehicles, our doctor and our hazardous area response team," a spokeswoman for the South Central Ambulance Service said.
According to the Met Office, it was "quite foggy" on the roads this morning, and this would have hampered visibility considerably.
Traffic was already busier than usual on the M40 as families began their travels for the half-term holidays.
West Ham fans had been advised to avoid both motorways as they travelled to the Midlands to watch their team play West Brom.
Written By Unknown on Jumat, 13 Februari 2015 | 20.14
By David Blevins, Ireland Correspondent
A 13-year-old boy has died following an altercation during his lunch break at a grammar school in County Fermanagh.
Oisin McGrath, a student of St Michael's College in Enniskillen, was taken to hospital from the school on Monday.
He was later transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, where he lost his fight for life on Thursday evening.
Parishioners at a special mass were told that, on medical advice, his parents had made the difficult decision to withdraw life support.
Their parish priest, Father Seamus Quinn, confirmed the family had also opted to donate the schoolboy's organs for transplant.
He said: "There are no words to describe what they're going through. They're devastated, they're numb, they're in shock. It's a nightmare, except this one you don't waken up from. It's horrendous."
Oisin McGrath fell ill at St Michael's College in Enniskillen on Monday
A sixth-form student, aged 17, was detained by police after the incident but later released on bail pending enquiries.
In a statement, St Michael's - a Catholic school for boys - said: "A group of students were playing at lunchtime when one student became unwell and we sought medical assistance.
Video:Local Priest: 'The Family Is Numb'
"He was taken by ambulance to the South West Acute Hospital for medical help."
The school said it would be closed on Friday and would reopen on Wednesday February 18 after a mid term break.
Northern Ireland's Education Minister John O'Dowd expressed his sadness at Oisin's death.
The Minister said: "I am deeply saddened at the tragic death of Oisin McGrath. As a parent myself I can only imagine the grief his parents and family are feeling.
"My thoughts and prayers are with them at this terrible time. I also extend my sympathy to the whole St Michael's College community.
"The Western Education and Library Board is providing counselling and pastoral support to the school and will continue to do so for as long as is needed."
Oisin McGrath was a popular member of the under-14 team at Belcoo Gaelic football club in County Fermanagh.
In a statement, the club said: "Our thoughts remain with Oisin's extended family circle and friends at this tragic time."
They also included the quote "ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam", which translates as: "On the right hand of God that is his soul."
Sinn Féin MP Michelle Gildernew expressed her sympathy to the McGrath family.
She said: "My thoughts and prayers are with the McGrath family. The loss of a young life after such a tragic incident is devastating for the entire community.
"I offer my sincerest sympathies to Oisín's parents Sharon and Nigel, his younger sisters Ciana and Cairenn and to their entire extended family."
Undergoing hormone replacement therapy (HRT) could increase a woman's risk of getting ovarian cancer by as much as 40%, according to a new study.
The research by Oxford University and published in The Lancet has been welcomed by cancer charities, who are urging more women to study the risks before deciding if they want the treatment.
Around 7,000 women in the UK are diagnosed with ovarian cancer annually and 4,300 women a year die from it - 12 a day.
Liz Aram, from southwest London, underwent HRT for five years and was subsequently diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
She is now in remission, but says if she had read this report at the time she was making her decision on HRT, she would have made a different choice.
"I think if I had known this information back then, I probably would have tried to live longer with the symptoms I was experiencing," she said.
"I would have just worked on and worked through the tiredness I was feeling as a result of going through the menopause, I would have just soldiered on.
"I think knowing that there's a killer disease and the risk could be increased would have put me off it."
Cancer charities are urging women to talk to their GP about the risks involved before making their final decision on whether or not to have HRT.
"Research had already shown an increased risk of ovarian cancer for women using HRT for longer than five years," said Fiona Osgun, from Cancer Research UK.
"But this new, comprehensive analysis shows there's also a risk if you use HRT for less time than that. Once a woman stops taking HRT her risk of ovarian cancer can go back down over time.
"HRT is effective at reducing symptoms of menopause and there are many factors at play in a woman's decision to use it or not. If you are thinking of stopping or starting HRT speak to your GP."
The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said it will now evaluate the findings.
"Our advice has always been that the lowest effective dose of HRT should be used for the shortest possible time," said Dr Sarah Branch, deputy director of MHRA's Vigilance and Risk Management of Medicines Division.
"We will evaluate the findings of this study and its implications for shorter term use and update product information as necessary.
"The decision to start, continue or stop HRT should be made jointly by a woman and her doctor, based on the best advice available and her own personal circumstances, including her age, her need for treatment and her medical risk factors."
Pathologists at the University of Leicester believe they may have found the killer blow that claimed the life of King Richard III.
Forensic experts have been investigating the trauma inflicted on the former monarch's body at the Battle of Bosworth Field more than 500 years ago.
And they say they discovered an injury to the base of his skull which was consistent with a sword or the top spike of a bill.
Professor Sarah Hainsworth said: "Using modern forensic examination, we have discovered that Richard's skeleton sustained 11 wounds at or near the time of his death – nine of them to the skull, which were clearly inflicted in battle.
"The injuries to the head suggest he had either removed or lost his helmet. The other two injuries that we found were to a rib and pelvis."
Video:Scans Reveal Richard III Death Clue
Whole body CT scans and micro-CT imaging were used to examine Richard III's injured bones - and academics even tried to determine which medieval weapons were used.
Professor Guy Rutty, also a forensic pathologist with the Home Office, described the breakthrough as a "eureka moment" which "we will all remember".
"I approached this examination as that of any patient - just because he was a king did not make a difference," he said.
Video:May 2014 - Court Rules On Burial
"Everyone is treated the same with the same doctor/patient relationship, the same respect in death and the same level of professional investigation."
The whereabouts of King Richard III's remains were a mystery for centuries, until they were found underneath a council car park by the University of Leicester in 2013.
The last king of the House of York, he reigned from 1483 until his death in 1485.
A quick-thinking bus driver has been hailed a life-saver after manoeuvring his vehicle to help a naked man escape from a burning building.
The man is thought to have been in the shower when the fire started in his third-floor flat above a cafe in Braintree, Essex, and he found himself trapped.
Passers-by flagged down off-duty bus driver Andy Waterman, who was taking his double-decker back to the depot.
He positioned it close to the roof of the flat, allowing the man to jump about 10ft (3m) to safety.
Firefighters then arrived and helped him to the ground.
The fire broke out just after 7pm. Pic: Essex County Fire and Rescue
Mr Waterman, from West Mersea, is to receive a commendation from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service.
He said: "A group of people started flagging me down and they were asking me to stop.
"I asked them what the problem was and they said a man was stuck on the roof of his flat because it was on fire.
"I drove nearer and all I could see was thick, black smoke. (Then) I saw the man and thought 'We've got to get him to safety'."
Mr Waterman added: "I have been driving buses for eight years and nothing like this has happened before. I am just pleased the man is alive."
Eight fire crews were sent to the scene. Pic: Essex County Fire and Rescue
Incident commander Dave Barritt said: "The man was trapped on the third floor and there was no way he could get out.
"If the bus hadn't been there I don't know how he would have escaped - the fall could easily have killed him. The bus driver's actions saved this man's life."
Eight fire crews were called to the scene and it took them several hours to bring the flames under control.
Adrian Jones, managing director of the First Essex bus company, which employs Mr Waterman, said: "We are very proud of Andy - he was in the right place at the right time."
Former weather presenter Fred Talbot has been found guilty of indecently assaulting two boys when he was a teacher.
Talbot showed little reaction to the verdicts, which related to two victims who were aged 14 or 15 in the 1970s.
The 65-year-old, who was known to millions for his forecasts on a floating weather map for ITV's This Morning show, was described as a "chancer" at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.
He was said to have been "obsessed" with teenage boys and "could not help himself", particularly when he had been drinking alcohol.
Talbot's diary entries formed part of the prosecution's case
Victims described how they were forced to sleep naked with him during school trips on canal barges that he had organised.
One told how boys would take turns to sleep in Talbot's bed on one of the trips, and that at one stage the defendant "started talking to me about sexual stuff" before assaulting him.
Video:Talbot Concealed Dark Past Of Abuse
Talbot's diary entries spanning three decades were seized by police and formed a key part of the prosecution's case. One entry read: "What I am doing with the kids means a lot to me, but it may be the wrong thing."
Greater Manchester Police Detective Constable Chris Doggart praised the bravery of the victims and said: "Talbot was an extremely popular and well liked individual - both as a celebrity weatherman and formerly as a science teacher - who earned not only the trust and adulation of many of his peers and pupils, but also much of the nation.
"Now he has been exposed as an opportunistic sex offender and that reputation is rightly in tatters."
The jury cleared Talbot of eight counts of indecent assault in relation to three other complainants.
Among prosecution witnesses at the trial was The Stone Roses singer Ian Brown, who had told the court how Talbot had explained to boys in his class how to carry out a sex act.
Brown said Talbot had also shown a gay porn film in another class.
Video:Talbot's Abuse Was 'Appalling'
Talbot's teaching career ended abruptly in 1984 after a proposal he made to two boys about sleeping with them at his home.
During a police interview in 2013, Talbot refused to answer questions about allegations by men who claimed they had been abused as children.
The abuse happened during his time as a biology teacher at Altrincham Grammar School for Boys in Cheshire, which said in a statement: "These awful events took place over 30 years ago and naturally our thoughts go out to those former pupils who were subjected to this abuse.
"We are confident that our present pupils and their parents know that the school is totally committed to ensuring the safety of our students and staff at all times and that these historical offences have no bearing on the School's outstanding reputation today."
Talbot has been remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced on 13 March.
Written By Unknown on Kamis, 12 Februari 2015 | 20.14
A woman has been arrested on suspcicion of murdering a man in his eighties at a care home in Yorkshire.
Officers were called at 3.20pm yesterday afternoon after a resident at the Sowerby House care home in Thirsk was found dead in his room.
Detectives say a woman in her fifties from Thirsk with no known connection to the home is being questioned on suspicion of the man's murder.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: "Following an early investigation and forensic assessment, it is suspected that the injuries suffered by the deceased are non-accidental."
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Superintendent Dai Malyn, said: "We ask that consideration is given to the residents and the families connected to the care home at this time.
"The home has not been closed, however, there are areas within the home which are still being examined."
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Video:See Bond Shoot A Baddie In Spectre
The first behind-the-scenes footage from the new James Bond film Spectre has been released.
The new video shows Daniel Craig and his co-stars Lea Seydoux and Dave Bautista shooting scenes in the snowy Austrian mountains.
The footage shows the scale of director Sam Mendes' production with helicopters, cable cars and car chases on windy mountain roads.
Fans also get a glimpse of 007 showing off his skills with a gun.
The film's other stars, Monica Bellucci and Christoph Waltz, do not appear in the clip.
1/11
Gallery: James Bond Filming Begins On Thames
Daniel Craig has been spotted back in character as James Bond as shooting for the 24th film Spectre takes place on the Thames in London
The actor was joined by his co-star Rory Kinnear, who plays MI6's Bill Tanner, on the boat
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Director Sam Mendes (flat cap in boat on right) shouts instructions to Craig and Kinnear
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Bautista, who plays henchman Mr Hinx, said: "I grew up in the inner city. It's my first time ever on a mountain."
Seydoux, who plays Bond girl Madeleine Swann, said: "I'm quite nervous at the moment but really excited about starting the film."
Associate producer, Gregg Wilson said: "We have to deliver an amazing sequence and this is going to be one of the major action sequences of the movie, a jewel in the crown so to speak.
"It's going to be spectacular and Austria seemed to offer everything that we needed to pull it off."
Video:Watery Scenes Filmed For Bond
Production designer Dennis Gassner adds: "The thing that Sam and I talked about was how we are going to top Skyfall, it's going to be Spectre and so far it's a great start.
"I think that we are going to continue the history of the Bond films, making things that are exciting for the audience to look at and what could be more exciting than to be on top of the world?"
Craig has also been spotted filming scenes on the River Thames and in Camden in London.
:: Spectre will be released on 6 November.
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Spectre: Behind The Scenes On The New Bond
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Video:See Bond Shoot A Baddie In Spectre
The first behind-the-scenes footage from the new James Bond film Spectre has been released.
The new video shows Daniel Craig and his co-stars Lea Seydoux and Dave Bautista shooting scenes in the snowy Austrian mountains.
The footage shows the scale of director Sam Mendes' production with helicopters, cable cars and car chases on windy mountain roads.
Fans also get a glimpse of 007 showing off his skills with a gun.
The film's other stars, Monica Bellucci and Christoph Waltz, do not appear in the clip.
1/11
Gallery: James Bond Filming Begins On Thames
Daniel Craig has been spotted back in character as James Bond as shooting for the 24th film Spectre takes place on the Thames in London
The actor was joined by his co-star Rory Kinnear, who plays MI6's Bill Tanner, on the boat
]]>
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Director Sam Mendes (flat cap in boat on right) shouts instructions to Craig and Kinnear
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Bautista, who plays henchman Mr Hinx, said: "I grew up in the inner city. It's my first time ever on a mountain."
Seydoux, who plays Bond girl Madeleine Swann, said: "I'm quite nervous at the moment but really excited about starting the film."
Associate producer, Gregg Wilson said: "We have to deliver an amazing sequence and this is going to be one of the major action sequences of the movie, a jewel in the crown so to speak.
"It's going to be spectacular and Austria seemed to offer everything that we needed to pull it off."
Video:Watery Scenes Filmed For Bond
Production designer Dennis Gassner adds: "The thing that Sam and I talked about was how we are going to top Skyfall, it's going to be Spectre and so far it's a great start.
"I think that we are going to continue the history of the Bond films, making things that are exciting for the audience to look at and what could be more exciting than to be on top of the world?"
Craig has also been spotted filming scenes on the River Thames and in Camden in London.
:: Spectre will be released on 6 November.
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It sounds more defiant than when I last asked him about coalition.
At his party conference in Doncaster in September Mr Farage said he would "do a deal with the devil" for an EU referendum - even at the prospect of propping up a Miliband government.
Now Mr Farage says "no to any coalition deals with the establishment parties" although the line above in his article in The Daily Telegraph says: "No to propping up a government that refuses us an immediate referendum."
As if, perhaps if they did offer that, he would prop up an establishment party.
It has left me confused. Has his position changed or not?
While we ponder this, we do get a few policies which thus far are all good news policies - no bedroom tax or mansion tax, no tuition fees for students who choose useful subjects such as science and medicine and a scrapping of hospital parking fees.
Again, it's not clear yet, but I suspect UKIP will say the cost of all this will be covered by leaving the EU and cutting international aid.
But we're still waiting for UKIP's big policy announcements on deficit reduction, education and protecting the NHS and we can't take any clues from the 2010 manifesto as Nigel Farage has disowned every word of it. (Beat that Nick Clegg with your one U-turn)
One thing is very clear. Nigel Farage has a red line - and it is the EU, but we have known that for sometime. Let's hear the rest.
The governor of the Bank of England has said interest rates could be cut further and asset purchases expanded if negative inflation gives way to "bad" deflation.
Outlining the Bank's quarterly Inflation Report, Mark Carney said it was "more likely than not" that the core consumer prices index (CPI) measure of inflation would turn negative in the spring.
However, he insisted that falling prices should be short-lived and that the UK was not expected to experience a damaging spiral into deflation - a more entrenched period of negative price growth.
Mr Carney welcomed weak inflation in the short term, saying that falling commodity costs, particularly oil, provided a boost in spending power to UK households and most businesses.
CPI, which follows the price changes on a range of goods in the economy, currently stands at a joint-record low of 0.5% but has been falling steadily in the past few months given the halving in Brent crude prices.
The latest projections in the report suggested CPI would average around zero in the second and third quarters this year before starting to climb towards the end of 2015.
Mr Carney said the Bank's monetary policy committee (MPC) would need to provide "more support" should negative inflation prove more persistent.
He said the Bank could decide to expand its £375bn quantitative easing (QE) programme to bolster money supply or cut its Bank rate further towards zero from its current level of 0.5%.
It has been at that level for 71 months as the UK economy recovers from the effects of the world financial crisis.
Fears of a spiral into deflation are more real in the eurozone where the European Central Bank is set to introduce its first QE programme from March with bond purchases expected to total €1.1tn (£815bn).
Mr Carney stressed to reporters that low inflation was not the "main story" as the Bank also upgraded forecasts for wages and economic growth in the coming years.
He reiterated that the next change in monetary policy was likely to be a rise in interest rates - something financial markets are not forecasting until mid-2016.
But he conceded that a Greek exit from the eurozone would change the outlook for the UK.
The Labour leader Ed Miliband has said he stands by comments made in the Commons, accusing a Tory peer of tax avoidance activities.
He was speaking after Lord Fink acknowledged he did take "vanilla, bland" tax avoidance measures.
He had threatened to sue Mr Miliband after the Labour leader waded into the row over alleged tax avoidance linked to HSBC's Swiss subsidiary.
Mr Miliband named Lord Fink in the Commons as a holder of an account at the Geneva branch and accused David Cameron of being "a dodgy Prime Minister surrounded by dodgy donors".
Lord Fink was quick to brand Mr Miliband's claim as "untrue and defamatory" and challenged him to repeat it in public where he would not have the protection of parliamentary privilege so he could take legal action.
Video:Cameron And Miliband Clash On HSBC
But in an interview with the Evening Standard said he did not want to sue Mr Miliband, and acknowledged he had engaged in tax avoidance, although he said this was at "the mildest end of the spectrum".
"What I did ... was at the vanilla, bland, end of the spectrum," he insisted.
And he said he had rejected expert advice that he could save a fortune by adopting "aggressive" avoidance measures.
Lord Fink told the newspaper: "I don't even want to sue Ed Miliband. In my life I have been libelled a few dozen times and I have never sued anybody, even for some comments that were quite outrageous.
"f he simply uses the words 'Lord Fink did ordinary tax avoidance' then no, I couldn't sue him. But if he made the statement 'dodgy' about my bank account, that was potentially libellous. That was the issue I took exception to.
"I also took exception to him saying I had questions to answer. In fact, whenever anyone has put questions to me I have answered them."
He went on: "The expression tax avoidance is so wide that everyone does tax avoidance at some level."
Mr Miliband, in a speech in north London, said he stood by his claim Lord Fink had been involved in "tax avoidance activities".
And he called on Prime Minister David Cameron to "say what steps he is going to take to find out about the tax avoidance activities of Lord Fink".
He said: "It's true that individuals and companies avoid tax.
"Part of the answer is to reduce the options for that happening so there's a responsibility on government."
Launching Labour's education policy for the May general election at his former school in north London, Mr Miliband accused the coalition Government of failing to "act properly against tax avoidance".
Video:'You've Only Seen 1% Of Wrongdoing'
The Labour leader said: "Yesterday a Conservative donor challenged me to stand by what I said in the House of Commons. I do.
"And believe it or not, now today he confirmed it as well. He has just said, and I quote 'I didn't object to his use of the word tax avoidance, because tax avoidance - everyone does it'.
"David Cameron must explain why he appointed a treasurer of the Conservative Party who boasts about engaging in tax avoidance and thinks it is something that everyone does.
"This the big choice facing our country - a choice between an old economy defended by this Government in which a blind eye is turned to tax avoidance, and a new economy built by investing in the talents and education of all our young people."
Mr Miliband told Sky News: "The difference between today and yesterday is Lord Fink is saying what I said about Lord Fink.
"When somebody says I am going to sue the Labour leader because he says I am engaged in tax avoidance and the next day says I am not going to sue him because I have engaged in tax avoidance, I'd say that's a pretty open and shut case."
But responding to Mr Miliband's comments, Lord Fink said: "Yesterday I challenged Ed Miliband to repeat the accusations he made in the Commons - that I used an HSBC bank account to avoid tax and that I was a 'dodgy donor'. He did not.
"This is a major climbdown by a man who is willing to smear without getting his facts straight."
Meanwhile, the man who lifted the lid on the HSBC tax scandal has said he first raised concerns about suspect practices at the bank in 2008 - two years earlier than previously thought.
In an interview with Sky News, Herve Falciani said he emailed and called Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs seven years ago.
Written By Unknown on Rabu, 11 Februari 2015 | 20.15
More than 40% of schoolgirls aged between 13 and 17 in England say they have been coerced into engaging in sexual activity, a study has found.
Most of the schoolgirls say they were pressured into having sex, although some also reported being raped.
The survey found many have also suffered physical attacks, intimidation and emotional abuse.
The study was carried out by researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Central Lancashire, led by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).
Researchers also carried out the study in Norway, Italy, Bulgaria and Cyprus.
It was the largest of its kind ever carried out in Europe.
It found that a high proportion of teenage boys regularly view pornography and one in five hold negative attitudes towards women.
Some 22% of schoolgirls reported suffering physical violence or intimidation from their boyfriends, including slapping, punching and strangling.
The NSPCC has called on the Government to help children learn about healthy relationships.
Claire Lilley, head of child safety online at the NSPCC, said: "The levels of victimisation revealed by this research shows action is urgently needed by the Government to make updated sex and relationship education a statutory right for every child and young person.
"There needs to be a greater focus in schools on topics such as sexual exploitation and violence against girls and young women, as part of a balanced curriculum.
"The high rates of sexual coercion discovered need to be addressed through education and awareness-raising that challenges attitudes and helps change behaviour.
"We need to nurture children to have positive relationships based on mutual respect."
A project to test driverless vehicles is being launched today in the hope the UK will become a leading global supplier.
A shuttle is being tried out in the London borough of Greenwich and an electric pod will be used on closed roads and pedestrian areas in Milton Keynes and Coventry.
Vehicles trialled in Bristol will also help gauge public reaction to the cars and assess legal and insurance issues.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said: "The UK is at the cutting edge of automotive technology - from the all-electric cars built in Sunderland to the Formula One expertise in the Midlands.
"It's important for jobs, growth and society that we keep at the forefront of innovation, that's why I launched a competition to research and develop driverless cars.
Video:UK Driverless Car Trials Begin
"The projects we are now funding will help to ensure we are world leaders in this field and able to benefit from what is expected to be a £900bn industry by 2025."
The Government says there are no legal barriers to the testing of automated vehicles on public roads.
Dr Nick Reed from the Transport Research Lab, which is running the Greenwich trials, said the shuttles use sensors to avoid hazards.
Video:The Future Of Driving?
"Safety is paramount in our research and the vehicle is detecting moving objects around it, and if pedestrians are moving into its path it will slow down, and if they continue into its path it will come to a safe stop ahead of the pedestrian," he said.
It is hoped £19m of Government funding will help British designers get ahead of competitors.
In the US, Google has been testing its version for several years and car companies have been showing off their designs.
Video:How The Finished Pods Will Look
For the UK trials, a qualified driver will be ready to take control if necessary.
David Williams, head of underwriting at insurance firm Axa, said: "Currently whoever is driving the car, or cars, are responsible for the accident, but going forward what's it going to be?
"Is it going to be the manufacturer of the vehicle? The person who programmed the software? And it gets even more complicated - most of these vehicles, they're not driverless all the time, they have the ability for people to interact and take over."
1/5
Gallery: Mercedes Unveils Driverless Car At CES
The Mercedes-Benz F015 Luxury in Motion autonomous concept car is shown on stage during the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas
The interior features a wooden floor and four futuristic armchairs covered in white Nappa leather, which rotate to face each other
NHS staff who raised the the alarm over poor patient care were "driven to the brink of suicide", a major review into the treatment of whistleblowers has found.
The report's author, Sir Robert Francis QC, said he repeatedly heard horrific stories of workers' lives being destroyed because workers had tried to to the right thing for people in their care.
He said the health service must undergo a "major change of culture".
Action has been urged at "every level of the NHS" to make staff raising their concerns the norm.
Other proposals made in the government-commissioned review include:
:: Freedom to Speak Up Guardian in every NHS Trust - a named person to give independent support to whistleblowers and hold board to account if it fails to focus on the patient safety issue.
:: A National Independent Officer to support the Guardians an intervene when cases go wrong.
:: A support scheme to help good NHS staff who are without work after raising concerns to get another job.
:: Sets out 20 Principles and Actions which aim to create the right conditions for staff to speak up.
Some 600 staff spoke to the review team, with another 19,000 responding to an online survey.
Many staff said they did not speak up because they felt their concerns would not be listened to, while others feared victimisation.
The report said student nurses and doctors believed the problem to be "endemic" within the health service.
Sir Robert wrote: "The genuine pain and distress felt by contributors in having to relive their experiences was every bit as serious as the suffering I witnessed by patients and families who gave evidence to the Mid Staffordshire inquiries."
Announcing the raft of measures, Sir Robert stressed that a change in culture was more important than regulation in bringing about the much-needed change.
"What I heard during the course of the review from staff, employers, regulators and unions and others leaves me in no doubt that there's a serious problem in the National Health Service," he told reporters.
"Taking into account all the evidence obtained by the review, I have come to the conclusion there must be a change of culture.
"No amount of legal or regulatory change will make it easier for staff to raise issues that worry them unless there is a culture which encourages and supports them to do so."
He told a press briefing in central London that staff who raise concerns can often find themselves in a "toxic mix of grievance and disciplinary action" impacting on every aspect of their lives.
"Too often, honestly-expressed anxieties have met with hostility and breakdown of working relationships," he said.
"Worse still, some people suffer life-changing events, they lose their jobs, their careers and even their health."
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt ordered the review last June after Sir Robert led two inquiries into failures at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, which the QC said had shown the "appalling consequences for patients when there is a 'closed ranks' culture".
In his letter to Mr Hunt after concluding the latest report, Sir Robert wrote that some cases he came across had been "truly shocking".
"We heard all too frequently of jobs being lost, but also of serious psychological damage, even to the extent of suicidal depression," he wrote.
"In short, lives can be ruined by poor handling of staff who have raised concerns."
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he was accepting all Sir Robert's proposals "in principle".
He told MPs: "The message must go out today we are calling time on bullying and intimidation which have no place in the NHS."
The Government would also legislate to safeguard whistleblowers against discrimination.
A man and two women have been arrested on suspicion of terror-related offences.
The man, aged 31, is being held on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism and his arrest comes as police search five addresses on Merseyside..
Officers from the North West Counter Terrorism Unit and Merseyside Police raided the houses after "intelligence received" from law-enforcement agencies.
Police said the searches were expected to take many hours or even days.
Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Mole from the North West Counter Terrorism Unit, said: "It is our intention to carry out a thorough, professional investigation to determine the circumstances and details of the activity reported.
"We are taking all measures necessary to ensure public safety, which is our primary concern.
"Members of the public will see a lot of police activity at a number of addresses in the coming hours and possibly days.
"However, it is absolutely vital to stress - and, I hope, at the same time, reassure the public - that there is no current threat or evidence of an imminent attack."
Anyone with concerns about suspicious activity should contact local police or the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789321.
Meanwhile, officers from the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit have arrested two women from Walsall in connection with Syria-related offences.
One, aged 23, was held on suspicion of preparing for acts of terrorism and the other, aged 33, is accused of failing to disclose information.
The arrests are the latest of about a dozen since the UK raised its international terrorism threat level to "severe" in August.
Written By Unknown on Selasa, 10 Februari 2015 | 20.14
Police are investigating the cause of a collision involving a tipper truck that left four people dead, including a four-year-old girl.
The 32-tonne truck, which was carrying aggregate, crashed into cars and pedestrians as it travelled down a steep hill in Upper Weston in Bath, Somerset, just after 4pm on Monday.
Mitzi Rosanna Steady, who was walking with her grandmother, died at the scene.
Three men from South Wales, aged 59, 52 and 34, were also killed when the truck overturned and smashed into their car at the bottom of the hill.
Eyewitness accounts given to police suggest the driver of the truck had been trying to avoid an accident.
Video:Witness: 'It Sounded Horrendous'
The area was busy with parents collecting children from school, and police have asked Weston All Saints Primary School to remain closed today due to the incident.
The young girl's grandmother was airlifted to Southmead Hospital in Bristol in a critical condition from a primary school playing field.
Another three patients, two men and one woman, suffered minor injuries and were taken to the Royal United Hospital in Bath.
One of the men - a HGV driver - and the woman remain in hospital with minor injuries, while the second man was discharged overnight.
A makeshift facility at the school was set up to treat several "walking wounded" with less serious injuries.
Video:Bath Truck Crash Victims Remembered
A detailed examination of the scene has begun, and motorists have been told to avoid the Lansdown Lane area between the High Street and Deanhill Lane, which will remain closed.
Avon and Somerset Police Chief Inspector Norman Pascal said: "This is a tragic incident in which three men and a young girl have lost their lives and we're carrying out a full and meticulous investigation to find out what happened.
"The tipper truck has been recovered and will undergo a full examination and our investigators will be carrying out further inquiries at the scene today.
"We have specially trained family liaison officers supporting the victims' families to make sure they have all the help they need and are being kept updated on the progress of our investigation."
Liberal Democrat MP Don Foster said the council had imposed a 20mph speed limit on parts of the road to improve safety.
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Gallery: Runaway Truck Hits Cars And Pedestrians
The tipper truck - carrying gravel - turned over in the accident
Lansdown Lane in Upper Weston was closed over the accident
A 25-year-old man has been remanded in custody charged with assaulting disabled pensioner Alan Barnes, whose plight sparked a global fundraising effort.
Richard Gatiss was told that the charge, that he assaulted Mr Barnes with intent to rob him, can be dealt with only at Crown court.
Mr Barnes, 67, who is registered blind and just 4'6" tall, suffered a broken collar bone in the incident two weeks ago outside his Gateshead flat where he lived alone.
He can only see shapes a few inches away from him and he told police someone attacked him as he put out his recycling bin.
After Northumbria Police appealed for information beautician Kate Cutler, 21, who had never met Mr Barnes, started an online campaign to raise money to raise £500 to buy him new carpets and curtains.
News of the fund spread through social media, attracting donations from around the world until it reached £329,000 before being closed by his family last week.
Mr Barnes met the campaigner last weekend and described her gesture as "magic".
Mr Gattis, also from Gateshead, did not speak during the brief hearing and was remanded in custody to appear at Newcastle Crown Court on 24 February.
Chief Superintendent Andy McDyer, of Northumbria Police, said: "I'd like to reassure people that since this happened we've been relentless in our investigation and in following up lines of inquiry.
Mr Barnes has disabilities from birth after his mother contracted German measles when she was pregnant.
He is a well-known figure in Low Fell and is renowned for being able to quickly calculate how many days old someone is from their date of birth.
More than 1,000 UK prisoners had their rights breached when they were prevented from voting in elections, European judges have ruled.
But the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rejected the applicants' claims for compensation and legal costs.
The case considered by the court related to 1,015 inmates who were in jail and barred from voting in one or more elections between 2009 and 2011.
The three judges unanimously agreed there had been a violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights - right to free elections.
This was due to the "blanket character" of the statutory ban.
The court made the ruling as it was identical to other prisoner voting cases in which a breach had been found, while no changes had been made to the law.
There has been pressure on the UK authorities to bring in legislation on prisoner voting.
The Council of Europe's Committee noted last September its "profound concern and disappointment" that a Bill had not been introduced.
Prime Minister David Cameron has previously said the controversial issue should be for Parliament to decide and not a "foreign court".
Sean Humber, the lawyer representing 554 prisoners fighting for the right to vote, welcomed the ECHR's ruling, but said compensation should have been awarded, particularly given the lack of government action.
Pointing out the ruling had confirmed the "unlawfulness" of the blanket ban, Mr Humber said successive UK governments had "cynically sought to drag the matter out through a succession of consultations during the last decade".
Mr Humber, from the firm Leigh Day, said: "Unfortunately, we seem to be in the sad position where the Government is taking an almost perverse pleasure in ignoring successive court judgments and is content to continue violating the human rights of thousands of its citizens.
"It should be worrying to all of us that the Government appears to have so little regard for its international human rights obligations or indeed the rule of law."
But the Ministry of Justice said the issue of prisoner voting should be decided in the UK.
An MoJ spokesman said: "The Government has always been clear that it believes prisoner voting is an issue that should ultimately be decided in the UK.
"However, we welcome the court's decision to refuse convicted prisoners costs or damages."
UKIP's home affairs spokesperson, Diane James MEP, said: "UKIP believes that it should be the British parliament which should have the final decision on which laws are implemented in the Britain.
"There should be no unwarranted interference in a national issue."
The UK's most senior police chief says he is reviewing the operation to guard WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange because it is "sucking" their resources.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg last week revealed the cost of the surveillance operation outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London had reached around £10m.
The Met's Commissioner wants to find 'the way forward'
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe told LBC radio: "We are reviewing the way forward there.
"There is no doubt it's a drain - we'll look to see what other opportunities we have, how we can do that in the future. It's sucking our resources."
Video:August 2014: Assange Reveals Plans
Mr Assange, who has been granted political asylum by Ecuador, has been living at the embassy since June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden where he faces questions over claims of sexual assaults, which he denies.
Police officers guarding the building in Knightsbridge are under orders to arrest him if he leaves.
The Australian came under intense scrutiny after WikiLeaks began releasing a selection of more than 250,000 classified US diplomatic cables passed to the whistle-blowing website in 2010.
The 43-year-old fears that if he is sent to Sweden, he could also be extradited to the US to face charges for leaking the documents.
He hinted in a news conference last year that he would leave the embassy "soon" after suggestions he needs treatment for lung and heart problems.
David Cameron has hailed business as "the country's job engine" as he unveiled plans to help firms through the financial "valley of death".
The Prime Minister said a Tory Government would launch a financing scheme to help the country's fastest growing companies.
Mr Cameron made the pledge during a speech to the British Chambers of Commerce annual conference where he outlined a series of steps taken by the Government, which he said had helped support business.
And he warned companies had reason "to fear the alternative" in a sideswipe at Labour.
Written By Unknown on Senin, 09 Februari 2015 | 20.14
The family of a pensioner whose purse was stolen as she lay dying on a road have urged the thief to give himself up.
Irene Ditcher, 82, was hit by a lorry in Leigh, Greater Manchester, on Wednesday.
When police arrived they found her dead at the scene, and witnesses reported seeing a man steal her purse before fleeing.
Police have described the theft from Ms Ditcher as a "disgusting" crime.
In a statement through police, Ms Ditcher's nephew and niece said: "We cannot believe that someone has done this to our auntie. We are absolutely disgusted by this person's actions.
"Had Auntie Irene been alive she would have given them the money if they'd asked.
"We just hope their conscience gets the better of them and they hand themselves in to the police."
They said they wanted to thank the public for the kindness shown over their loss.
Detective Sergeant Neil Lawless said: "This is one of the most disgusting crimes I have ever investigated and I find it hard to believe someone could stoop so low to commit such a horrific offence.
"This man has taken what he sees as an easy opportunity by stealing a purse from a dying woman.
"I am sure the community will be equally disgusted and I appeal to anyone who may have seen this man take the purse and walk off on Leigh Road.
"There are a number of rumours circulating on social media at the moment but I would like to reassure residents we are doing all we can to find out who is responsible.
"However, for us to do so, we need your help.
"If you have any information, no matter how insignificant you think it may be, please call us as soon as possible."
The man is described as white, 6ft, aged between 30 and 40, medium build, with a dark brown beard, wearing a light grey hooded top with the hood up, light blue jeans and black boot-style training shoes.
Anyone with information is asked to phone police on 101 or CrimeStoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.
HSBC's Swiss banking arm helped wealthy customers avoid tax and hide millions of dollars, according to a report by a network of investigative journalists.
The British banking giant provided accounts to international criminals, corrupt businessmen, politicians and celebrities, secret files analysed by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) show.
The documents have led to criminal investigations in several countries and attempts to get the money back after being stolen by an IT worker in 2007 and passed to authorities in France.
Details of the 30,000 accounts, which hold nearly £78bn of assets, are coming to light after the files were obtained by the French newspaper Le Monde and analysed by the ICIJ.
Lord Green, HSBC boss during the period, later joined the Government
The files are reported to include evidence that the bank colluded with some clients to hide accounts from tax authorities in their home countries.
While holding a secret bank account is not illegal, they have been used by some to deliberately conceal assets to dodge tax, which is against the law.
Video:Miliband: HSBC Tax Claims 'Serious'
"HSBC profited from doing business with arms dealers who channelled mortar bombs to child soldiers in Africa, bag men for Third World dictators, traffickers in blood diamonds and other international outlaws," the ICIJ reported.
According to the files, the bank's clients included former and current politicians from Britain, Russia, India and a number of African countries.
Those named in the files include people sanctioned by the US, such as Turkish businessman Selim Alguadis and Gennady Timchenko, an associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin who was the subject of sanctions over the Ukraine crisis.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) was passed the data - known as the Lagarde List - in 2010 and has since then clawed back £135m from some of the 3,600 Britons identified as potentially avoiding tax.
But some MPs have complained about HMRC's perceived slow progress and the fact that only one evader has been prosecuted to date.
The revelations have sparked a blame game between the Conservatives and Labour over the failure to tackle the problem of hidden accounts and tax evasion.
Ed Miliband said there were questions over the appointment of Lord Green, who ran the bank during the period and was appointed as a trade minister in 2010.
He said: "I think this is a very serious situation and the Government has some serious questions to answer.
Video:Green 'Cleared Up The Mess At HSBC'
"We need to know why HMRC apparently did not act, apart from at the margins, on the information that they seem to have been given about what was going on.
"We need to know from the Government why they appointed Stephen Green of HSBC as a trade minister well after this information was passed to HMRC.
"I would like to see the Government explain what they did.
"We cannot have a country where tax avoidance is allowed to carry on and where government just turns a blind eye."
City Minister David Gauke told Sky News he "was not aware of any evidence" that Lord Green had been involved in any improper activity.
Mr Gauke called on Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls, who was City Minister in the years up to 2007, to make an urgent statement in the Commons about what he knew about the claims and why the Labour government allowed large-scale tax avoidance and evasion to take place.
Mr Balls said: "Nobody will fall for yet more desperate distraction tactics from George Osborne and the Tories when it is clear that this information was first given to the government in 2010."
The bank said in a statement that since the period in question, it had "implemented numerous initiatives designed to prevent its banking services being used to evade taxes or launder money".
Video:Govt 'Asleep At Wheel' On Evasion
"Although there are numerous legitimate reasons to have a Swiss bank account, in some cases individuals took advantage of bank secrecy to hold undeclared accounts," the statement continued.
"This resulted in private banks, including HSBC's Swiss private bank, having a number of clients that may not have fully met their applicable tax obligations.
"We have taken significant steps over the past several years to implement reforms and exit clients who did not meet strict new HSBC standards, including those where we had concerns in relation to tax compliance," it added.
"We are fully committed to the exchange of information with relevant authorities and are actively pursuing measures that ensure clients are tax transparent, even in advance of a regulatory or legal requirement to do so.
"We are also co-operating with relevant authorities investigating these matters and we acknowledge and are accountable for past control failures."
HMRC said in a statement: "We have systematically worked through all the Lagarde data.
"As a result tax, interest and penalties have now been paid by those who hid their assets in Switzerland to get out of paying tax.
"The decision to prosecute is made by the Crown Prosecution Service based on the facts."
