'Rivers Of Hail' As Freak Storm Sweeps Coast

A freak summer storm has brought chaos to the south coast of England with lightning, floods and hailstones and a power cut on the railway lines.

Forecasters said a "deeply unstable airmass" had brought with it the risk of heavy, thundery showers across East Anglia, the South East and London throughout the day. The Met Office said nearly half a month's worth of rain fell in an hour in some areas.

The scene in Brighton after hail and torrential rain swept in

London Fire Brigade rescued two women from a car which in flood water in South Ruislip, northwest London.

Firefighters also rescued five people from three neighbouring houses which were flooded in Thaxted, Essex. One family remained on the first floor of their home while crews pumped water from the property after flood water affected the electrics.

Lighting strikes Hove, Sussex, taken from the bedroom of Jon Hughes

Commuters in West Sussex braved torrential rain and hailstones as they struggled to work, though the main Brighton to London line was unaffected.

People in Brighton, Hove and Worthing who posted pictures on social media websites described seeing cars submerged and people taking shelter in the town hall.  

Commuters were left stranded after the south-coast line was closed

Network Rail said electrical supply problems had been caused by a lightning strike, near Hove, during the morning, causing delays of up to 30 minutes to trains between Worthing and Hove/Brighton.

South West Trains said Woking-bound trains would not be calling at Esher, Hersham or Walton-on-Thames because of flooding.

A spokesman for East Sussex Fire and Rescue told Sky News they received some 300 calls from the public.

A street in Worthing which became impassable

Richard Fowler said: "The control room started receiving calls at six o'clock this morning. We have had 300 calls so far in the south coast area from Brighton and Hove.

"The power to the track has had to be isolated because the tracks are flooded, and we have sent one of our high pumps over to assist with that.

"People are phoning and saying they have flooded basements which are affecting electrics. We did not expect this kind of extreme weather this morning. There are large hailstones on the ground. It is almost like winter."

Worthing Station was closed after flood water poured into the underpass

Hove resident Adam Batchelor emailed a picture to Sky News of the road outside his home in Hove. "The basement flats flooded and people evacuated to the town hall," he said. "Thankfully I stayed away last night!" he said.

Laurence Hill wrote on Twitter: "Used to be roads. Now rivers of hail. Never seen anything like it."

Hailstones that fell across Sussex

The Environment Agency issued a flood warning - meaning flooding is expected - for the Kidbrooke stream at Forest Row, East Sussex.

It said: "Heavy showers will bring a chance of some localised surface water flooding issues across parts of Sussex and Kent this afternoon.

Hail and slush gave some streets the appearance of being hit by snow

"Further heavy showers are expected from around dawn tomorrow across much of southeast England which may result in some surface water flooding, especially in urbanised areas."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Domestic Abusers 'Not Being Brought To Justice'

By Ashish Joshi, Sky News Correspondent

The victims of domestic abuse are being failed by the Government because their abusers are escaping justice, claims Labour.

The Opposition says more than 10,000 perpetrators have not faced justice because police forces are wrongly using community resolutions to deal with violence against women.

Community resolutions were introduced to deal with low-level crime such as vandalism and anti-social behaviour. They are supposed to be used as an alternative to ending up in court.

Victims are asked what they would like to see happen - it could end with an apology, compensation or remedial action like cleaning up graffiti.

In the words of West Midlands Police: "Community resolutions mean children and adults with no previous convictions need not be criminalised for one stupid mistake."

But shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper claims the use of community resolutions to deal with domestic violence has more than doubled in the past five years from 1,337 in 2009 to 3,305 in 2013.

"These figures are deeply worrying. Domestic violence is an incredibly serious crime. Two women a week are killed by their partner or an ex and 750,000 children will grow up witnessing domestic violence," she said.

Yvette Cooper says community resolutions are often used inappropriately

"Some senior police officers say (community resolutions) are only used for first-time offences," said the shadow home secretary, speaking in Birmingham.

"The problem with domestic violence is we know by the point the victim picks up the phone and calls 999 there have usually been repeated cases of abuse before they became brave enough to call.

"And the idea of taking an abuser to see a domestic abuse victim for a state-sanctioned apology to make amends is just dangerous.

"Far too often victims are trapped in a cycle of abuse that outsiders don't take seriously and community resolutions risk perpetrating this."

But the Home Office has rejected Labour's claim that violent partners are escaping justice.

It said: "No government has done more to tackle the abhorrent crime of domestic abuse than this government. Our groundbreaking Claire's Law will help protect women from abusive relationships, while domestic violence protection orders are cracking down on the destructive cycle of repeated abuse.

"It is not acceptable for the police to use out of court settlements for serious criminality and that is why the government is already reviewing how they are used."

But Labour says an inspectorate report "looked at 66 police cases of informal resolution, and judged that the resolution was inappropriate in 14".

Women's charities and campaigners against domestic violence have backed Labour's claims. They are worried community resolutions trivialise violence against women.

Jane Keeper from Refuge said: "Anyone with experience in domestic violence knows that most perpetrators regularly apologise.

"It's a feature of the violence, they abuse, batter, they control, and in the middle of it every now and again they say sorry and they'll never do it again.

"To have police encouraging this with perpetrators and keeping them away from being held accountable, is just playing right into hands of those who perpetrate violence."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tulisa: I Was Suicidal After Fake Sheikh Sting

By Lucy Cotter, Arts and Entertainment Correspondent

Tulisa Contostavlos has revealed she was suicidal after a sting by The Sun on Sunday led to her being charged over drugs allegations.

The former X Factor mentor saw her trial for brokering a drugs deal collapse last week when the judge said there were strong grounds to believe undercover reporter Mazher Mahmood - also known as the "fake sheikh" - had lied at an earlier hearing.

In an interview with Sky News ahead of a TV documentary, Tulisa - who had been told she could face four years in prison - explained it had been the worst year of her life.

"When I found out I was being charged I lost all hope," she said.

"I didn't have any fight left in me. I don't know who that person was but she was in a very dark place."

Tulisa reads a statement after her trial collapses

Tulisa was charged with helping to supply cocaine to The Sun on Sunday journalist after an expose was published in the paper last June.

The fake sheikh posed as a film producer and led Tulisa to believe she was in the running for a £3,500,000 film deal along with Keira Knightley and Kate Winslet.

She says she played up to the role of a bad girl and as well as being plied with alcohol, Tulisa says she believes her drinks were also spiked – an allegation Mr Mahmood strongly denied in court.

"I fully understand the media and the press. I don't see that that in any way justifies what they've done to me. You don't create something that didn't happen."

Tulisa will soon be back in court after she was found guilty of assaulting a celebrity blogger at a music festival last year - a ruling she is appealing.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fracking: More Protection For National Parks

Fracking will be allowed in national parks and areas of outstanding beauty only in "exceptional circumstances", ministers say, as new bidding for shale exploration licences opens.

The policy is part of new guidance published by Government which is aiming to offer up vast swathes of Britain for fracking.

The Government has committed to going "all out for shale", claiming development of the gas and oil resource is needed to improve energy security, and boost jobs and the economy.

But opponents say the high-pressure injection of water risks polluting water supplies, damaging the environment and causing minor earthquakes, and argue further fossil fuels should not be extracted due to climate change.

Areas licensed for oil/gas exploration. Pic: Google

Business and energy minister Matthew Hancock said: "The new guidance will protect Britain's great National Parks and outstanding landscapes, building on the existing rules that ensure operational best practices are implemented and robustly enforced.

"Ultimately, done right, speeding up shale will mean more jobs and opportunities for people and help ensure long-term economic and energy security for our country."

Where an application in National Parks is refused and the developer launches an appeal, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles will consider whether to make the final decision himself to ensure the policy is being properly applied.

But Greenpeace campaigner Louise Hutchins warned: "Eric Pickles' supposed veto power over drilling in National Parks will do nothing to quell the disquiet of fracking opponents across Britain.

"Ministers waited until the parliamentary recess to make their move, no doubt aware of the political headache this will cause to MPs whose constituencies will be affected."

Friends of the Earth energy campaigner Tony Bosworth said: "Today the risk of fracking has spread. This threat to the environment and public health could now affect millions more people.

"Those who thought that fracking would only happen in other places will now worry about it happening on their doorstep."

The shale exploration licences which can be applied for from now provide the first step to start drilling, but do not give an absolute agreement to drill.

Planning permission, permits from the Environment Agency and agreement from the Health and Safety Executive will be required for further drilling.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lloyds Banking Group Fined £218m Over Libor

Rate-Fixing Scandal: What Is Libor?

Updated: 3:07pm UK, Wednesday 06 February 2013

By Ursula Errington, Business Reporter

Every day the banks borrow and lend money to each other as trades are done in all sorts of markets like equities and commodities.

The interest rate they charge each other is called the London Interbank Offered Rate or Libor.

It is set every morning at 11am at the British Bankers Association.

A panel of banks put forward the rate of interest they believe they would have to pay to borrow money across ten currencies for loans ranging from a matter of hours to a year.

The figures are listed in descending order and split into four sections.

Rates in the top and bottom sections are discarded and it's the mean of the middle two sections that determine the benchmark rate.

So how could it be tampered with?

Well, we know traders at banks including Barclays and RBS were influencing the bankers submitting the rates - asking for them to be higher or lower depending on their trading position.

If there was wider collusion too with other submitters, you can soon see how the mean of those figures could be manipulated.

Since Libor underpins trillions of pounds in derivatives, a trader who knows which way it's going to go, could make tens of millions of pounds on a single transaction.

The rate submitted is also a reflection of an institution's credit worthiness in the market.

So if it's low, the perception is - this bank is a safe bet to pay it back.

The implication is that during the 2008 bank crisis the rate may have been manipulated to make some banks look healthier than they were.

It affects ordinary people because it's used to help calculate interest rates on everyday products like credit cards and mortgages.

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Loyal Dog Stands Guard Over Attack Victim

Police have released a photo of a dog found standing guard over his owner who had been violently attacked in the hope it may jog the memories of potential witnesses.

The 49-year-old man was out walking his dog in Bolton, Greater Manchester, when he was knocked unconscious in the early hours of Friday morning.

Passers-by found him lying across a pavement in Chorley Old Road, near the junction with Chorley New Road.

Officers found the faithful pet next to the victim after they were called to the scene.

The man, who suffered a life-threatening head injury, was taken to hospital where he remains in a critical condition.

The dog is now being cared for by his owner's family.

Detective Superintendent Jon Chadwick said: "This man is extremely poorly and, from the extent of his injuries, we believe he was violently assaulted.

"He was out walking his dog when he was attacked and we are urging people to come forward if they were in the area at that time and witnessed the attack or remember seeing the dog in the photo."

:: Anyone who has information is being urged to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

20.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gatwick Passengers Suffer Baggage Delays

Hundreds of people arriving into Gatwick Airport's South Terminal have faced long delays in picking up their luggage, with many being told to go home without it.

An airport spokesman said the overnight disruption was caused by "resourcing issues" involving baggage handlers Swissport.

"Due to resourcing issues with the baggage handlers Swissport there were overnight issues and delays with passengers' luggage," he said.

"Gatwick provided extra staff to help the airlines and their baggage handlers improve their service, as well as providing welfare and water for passengers waiting in the baggage areas, but we are sorry for the delays they faced.

"Baggage operations are now returning to normal."

Passengers of four airlines have been advised to go home without their luggage.

Gatwick said it provided extra staff for airlines to help reduce the delays

Officials at the airport informed passengers of British Airways flights who had waited more than an hour on their bags being returned, and those on Monarch, Thomas Cook or Thompson flights who had been waiting 90 minutes or more, that their luggage would be forwarded to their home address.

It is understood easyJet passengers have also been affected but had not been advised to leave without their baggage.

Some passengers took to social media sites to voice their frustrations over the delays - some up to five hours.

Julian C Adams tweeted: "Such shocking service at Gatwick airport! Waiting for the arrival of baggage for over 2 hours now! #shouldhaveflowntoheathrow."

Sophie Wood ‏tweeted: "3 hrs in #gatwick baggage handling ... Apparent Lack of staff appalling shambles #Gatwick#idiots."

Oliver Webb wrote: "‏@2 hour delays at #gatwick for baggage reclaim. #Swissport to blame apparently. No info from airport staff. Rubbish."

20.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Controlled Explosions After Homes Evacuated

A number of controlled explosions have been carried out at a flat in Derbyshire where police say "potentially volatile" substances were found.

A 55-year-old man has been arrested after the substances were discovered during a search of the flat in Belvoir Crescent, Newhall, South Derbyshire.

Around 200 residents had to be evacuated after the discovery, and officers warned it could take until this afternoon before they are allowed to return to their homes.

Police had been called to the scene on Saturday afternoon by neighbours worried about loud bangs coming from a block of flats.

Firefighters and bomb disposal experts also attended.

Homes have been evacuated in Newhall, South Derbyshire

Resident Leslie Wood, who is staying with friends after being evacuated, told Sky News: "Fire officers came to me and said there had been an incident and we had to vacate the premises for at least 24 hours."

A local school is being used as a coordination centre and temporary shelter.

Superintendent Paul Callum, who is in charge of the incident, said: "The safety of the public is paramount in these situations.

"We apologise for any inconvenience to the evacuees. We will let them return to their homes as soon as we can be sure the area is safe."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Clegg: Russia Should Be Stripped Of World Cup

Russia should be stripped of the 2018 World Cup in the wake of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine, says Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

He said it was "unthinkable" at present that the tournament could go ahead in the country blamed by the West for supplying arms to pro-Russian separatists suspected of shooting down the jet.

Football's world governing body Fifa this week ruled out calls from some German politicians for Russia to be boycotted, insisting the tournament could be "a force for good".

But Mr Clegg told The Sunday Times that allowing it to go ahead without a change of course by Russian President Vladimir Putin would make the world look "so weak and so insincere" in its condemnation of Moscow's annexation of Crimea and support for the rebels.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg

"If there's one thing that Vladimir Putin cares about, as far as I can see, it's his sense of status," he said.

"Maybe reminding him that you can't retain the same status in the world if you ignore the rest of the world, maybe that will have some effect on his thinking."

Russia has reacted angrily to additional sanctions imposed by the EU, saying they would hamper co-operation on security issues and undermine the fight against terrorism and organised crime.

Russia's foreign ministry also accused the US of contributing to the conflict in Ukraine through its support for the pro-Western government in Kiev.

Part of the fuselage from the plane

It comes as 30 Dutch forensic experts cancelled a trip to the crash site in eastern Ukraine due to intensifying fighting in the area between Ukrainian government forces and the rebels.

Malaysia says it has secured an agreement with the separatists to allow international police to enter the site.

Officers would be allowed access to the area to provide protection for international crash investigators to recover human remains and establish the cause of the disaster.

Meanwhile, a Malaysia Airlines official has called for the creation of a new body to decide which flight paths are safe following the downing of the Boeing 777-200 in which all 298 people on board died.

Hugh Dunleavy, the company's commercial director, said airlines could no longer rely on decisions made by existing industry bodies on which volatile regions are secure to fly over.

This map shows the flight path of MH17 before it crashed

Despite flying over a conflict zone, MH17's flight path had been approved by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the Ukrainian authorities and the European airspace service provider Eurocontrol, Mr Dunleavy said.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, he called for airlines and existing aviation bodies to "review existing processes and set more stringent standards".

"Ultimately, we need one body to be the arbiter of where we can fly," he said.

"This tragedy has taught us that despite following the guidelines and advice set out by the governing bodies, the skies above certain territories are simply not safe.

"For the sake of passenger and crew safety we need to insist on a higher level of authority."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Miliband Wants 'Public Question Time' For PM

Labour leader Ed Miliband has said he will give ordinary people the chance to directly question him if he becomes prime minister at the next General Election.

Mr Miliband says he has discussed the idea of a public question time with the Speaker of the House of Commons as part of plans to try and reform the much-criticised Prime Minister's Questions.

A petition recently launched by parenting forum Mumsnet calling for changes to PMQs has gained more than 60,000 signatures.

Inviting public critics to directly confront the country's political leader in Parliament would help re-engage citizens, Mr Miliband said.

"I think what we need is a public question time, where regularly the prime minister submits himself or herself to questioning from members of the public in the Palace of Westminster on Wednesdays," he told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show.

"Why is that important? Because I want to let the public in to our politics.

"At the moment there is the glass that separates the public in the gallery from the House of Commons, but there is a gulf miles wide between the kind of politics people want and what Prime Minister's Questions offers."

A packed House of Commons during Prime Minister's Questions

Mr Miliband praised Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg's decision to take part in a weekly radio phone-in and said he would take part in more himself.

But he said his public session might not take place every week, and insisted those invited "would not just be cheerleading Labour supporters".

Mr Miliband, who said voters "deserved a better debate", suggested the initiative was part of a fightback against critics of his leadership and "geeky" appearance and not a "gimmick".

"It is serious. I want to find ways to change our political culture. It's not just about photo opps - that is a problem - it is deep and it goes well beyond that," Mr Miliband said.

Mr Miliband said he had spotted the potential benefit of regular interaction with the public when Mr Clegg announced his weekly phone-ins on LBC radio.

"He got a whole load of bile about it when he did it and I remember saying to people 'actually, it's good thing to do'," he said.

David Cameron during one of his 'PM Direct' sessions in Coventry

Labour said the sessions would happen at least once a fortnight and possibly weekly, if they were approved by the Speaker, John Bercow.

A spokesman said questioners "would be chosen by a method to ensure a wide representation of the country and political backgrounds".

Prime Minister David Cameron held regular "Cameron Direct" meetings in town halls and other venues outside Westminster as opposition leader and has continued them, less regularly, in office.

Mr Bercow's office said it would examine any proposals submitted by Mr Miliband - which it said echoed similar reforms already submitted to a review.

A Number 10 spokesperson said: "The Prime Minister is open to new ways of engaging with the public.

"He already holds regular PM Directs, where he takes questions from members of the public in towns and cities across the country."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More