Rotherham Council Branded 'Not Fit For Purpose'

Iraq Inquiry Report Out 'As Soon As Possible'

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 04 Februari 2015 | 20.14

The chairman of the inquiry into the Iraq War has said he is unable to say when his long-awaited report will be published.

Sir John Chilcot faced questions from MPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee about why the document has yet to be released.

He said the aim is to release it "as soon as we possibly can".

The draft report is said to be around one million words in length, and more than £9m has been spent on the inquiry.

The inquiry, which was set up in 2009, heard evidence from its last witness in 2011.

Concluding the public evidence sessions four years ago, Sir John said it would take "some months" to write the conclusions".

David Cameron is among those who have expressed frustration at the delay, and last week some MPs demanded that the existing text and key evidence be handed over to be published immediately.

In his opening statement, Sir John said: "My committee and I want, and intend, to deliver our report to the Prime Minister as soon as we possibly can.

"But as I said to the Prime Minister ... I see no realistic prospect of doing so before the General Election.

"We have to maintain the principles by which we have operated throughout: fairness, thoroughness and impartiality.

"It is our duty to deliver a report which gives the Government, Parliament, the public, and particularly all those who have been deeply affected by events in Iraq, the answers they deserve."

He told MPs part of the reason for the delay is the Maxwellisation Process - the practice of giving those due to be criticised in a report time to respond.

Sir John defended the time it has taken for the report to be finalised, saying it was a "massive task" of "constructing a reliable account" based on information that was "interlinked by a web of advice, discussion and debate".

"Quite difficult exchanges" about the release of Government documents had also held up publication, he said.

The finger for the delay has often been pointed at Tony Blair, who was Prime Minister at the time of the conflict.

But Mr Blair has repeatedly insisted that he has nothing to do it, and Sir John told MPs: "As of today I don't think anyone involved in the Maxwellisation process is seeking to spin it out."

Sir John quipped that he had "tried very hard not to rue" the day he accepted the job.

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Gallery: Protests At Tony Blair's Chilcot Appearances In 2010 And 2011

Protesters gather outside Westminster's Queen Elizabeth II building for Tony Blair's appearances before the Chilcot Inquiry in 2010 and 2011

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20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

New Zealand Judge To Chair Child Abuse Inquiry

New Zealand high court judge Justice Lowell Goddard has been named as the latest chair of the troubled child abuse inquiry.

Home Secretary Theresa May said in a statement to MPs that a new statutory inquiry will be established, meaning the current panel will be dissolved.

Current members will be able to reapply for their roles.

The terms of reference are also being looked at, meaning that the investigations could potentially go back beyond 1970.

Mrs May said she was "more determined than ever" to expose those who had failed victims.

"The Home Office received more than 150 nominations from survivors, their representatives, MPs and members of the public," she said.

"In addition, the Home Office also contacted Commonwealth countries via the Foreign Office to identify any suitable candidates.

"Each and every name was assessed against a set of criteria incorporating the views of survivors on the most important factors.

"This included the appropriate skills to carry out this complex task, experience of that subject matter, and the absence of any direct links to any individual about whom people may have concerns, or any institution or organisation that might fall under the scope of the inquiry."

Justice Goddard was admitted to the bar in 1975 and is currently based at the High Court in Wellington.

Speaking ahead of the announcement, child abuse lawyer Dino Nocivelli told Sky News: "Survivors of child abuse are often mistrustful of authority figures, and this is perfectly understandable considering the abuse they have suffered.

"The fact that survivors are still waiting for a truly independent inquiry is truly an embarrassment and inexcusable."

The first chair of the inquiry was Baroness Butler-Sloss, who stood down in July amid questions over the role of her late brother, Lord Havers, who was attorney general in the 1980s.

Her replacement, Dame Fiona Woolf, resigned after criticism of her links to the establishment, most notably in relation to former home secretary Leon Brittan, who died last month.

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20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

One In Two Britons Will Get Cancer, Say Experts

By David Bowden, Senior Correspondent

One in two people in the UK will get cancer at some point in their lives, according to the latest forecast by experts.

Cancer Research UK announced the new figure - which replaces the longstanding previous estimate of one in three - as it warned the country faces a "crisis" if it does not plan ahead.

The charity says the increase in cases is largely attributed to people living longer, but that the number of people surviving the disease has never been higher.

Professor Peter Sasieni, from Queen Mary University of London, is the author of the study published in the British Journal of Cancer that produced the figure.

"Cancer is a disease of old age," he said.

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Gallery: Why Are More People Getting Cancer?

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"The longer you live the more likely you are to get cancer and we think two thirds of the increase is because of increased longevity, the other third is because cancer rates are actually increasing."

While Cancer Research UK said there will "never be one single magic bullet" to cure all cancers, it called for a boost to public health and the NHS to meet looming demands for better diagnostics, treatments and earlier diagnosis.

The country's cancer survival rate has doubled over the last 40 years and around half of patients now survive the illness for more than 10 years.

The lifetime cancer risk for women (47.55%) is lower than that of men (53.5%), while the combined lifetime risk is 50.5%.

In 1980 the combined risk was 27.2%, in 1990 it was 32.7%, in 2000 it was 37.1% and in 2010 it was 41.8%.

Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK's chief executive, said: "We're living longer and that means we're more likely to develop a range of age-related health issues.

"We need to plan ahead to make sure the NHS is fit to cope. If the NHS doesn't act and invest now, we will face a crisis in the future - with outcomes from cancer going backwards.

"There will never be one single magic bullet that treats ... cures all cancers.

"I cannot foresee a time when that's going to be the case. But already we're able to cure a number of cancers now."

20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

McIlroy Settles Multi-Million Pound Lawsuit

By David Blevins, Ireland Correspondent

Golfer Rory McIlroy and his former manager have reached a settlement in their multi-million pound legal dispute.

It means the 25-year-old world number one will be spared cross-examination in Dublin High Court.

Talks continued for seven hours after Mr Justice Cregan postponed the opening of the case overnight when he was told lawyers for both parties were making progress on issues.

McIlroy was suing his former management company for £4.5m, alleging he was coerced into signing an "unconscionable" contract at a Christmas party.

Horizon Sports Management was counter-suing him for £13m, alleging breach of contract and unpaid fees for negotiating some of his lucrative sponsorship deals.

At the start of 2013, McIlroy signed a deal with Nike worth $100m (£65m) over five years.

in a joint statement, the two sides said: "The legal dispute between Rory McIlroy and Horizon Sports Management has been settled to the satisfaction of both parties who wish each other well for the future."

The terms of the settlement were not revealed.

The dispute had rumbled on for 18 months and a previous attempt at arbitration proved unsuccessful. With legal costs included, the lawsuit had run to an estimated £40m.

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Gallery: A Look At The Rise Of A Golf Prodigy

Born in Holywood, Northern Ireland, a young Rory McIlroy was introduced to golf by his father. He won the 2003 Ulster Boys Championship at 13 and the European Amateur title in 2006

In 2007, at the age of 17, McIlroy won the trophy for best amateur player in the 136th British Open Golf Championship at Carnoustie, Scotland

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Rotherham Council Branded 'Not Fit For Purpose'

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By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

Rotherham Council has been branded "not fit for purpose" and "in denial" about its shortcomings by an independent government inspection.

The report was set up to assess Rotherham council's ability to handle revelations that 1,400 girls were subjected to sexual abuse over a period of 16 years.

The inquiry found that: "In particular, it is failing in its duties to protect vulnerable children and young people from harm."

Louise Casey's report was published as it was claimed a police officer and two local politicians have been accused of having sex with underage girls in Rotherham.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission would not confirm that it had received an allegation of sexual abuse by a police constable but said that so far there had been 20 complaints against ten South Yorkshire officers in relation to their handling of the child sexual exploitation investigation in the South Yorkshire town.

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Gallery: Who's Who in The Rotherham Abuse Scandal

Roger Stone - Leader of Rotherham Borough Council from 2003 to 2014. Resigned when the report was published in August last year.

Shaun Wright - Former Police & Crime Commissioner and Cabinet Member for Children's Services until 2010. Resigned following intense pressure, three weeks after the report was published.

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Joyce Thacker - Former Head of Child Services for Rotherham Borough Council. Resigned from her post just days after Shaun Wright stepped down.

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Jahangir Akhtar - Former Deputy Leader of Rotherham Borough Council. Quit before the report was published, following claims he knew about a relationship between a 14-year-old girl and a suspected abuser.

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David Crompton - Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police. He initiated an independent investigation after the report was published.

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The National Crime Agency also refused to say if it was investigating two councillors.

The report described an "unhealthy" culture within the South Yorkshire authority, with evidence of sexism, bullying and suppressing bad news.

It also cited difficulties within the council when dealing with issues of race and said it has been damaged by "misplaced political correctness".

The report blames those difficulties for fuelling racial tensions and support for the far-right.

Rotherham Council is "incapable of tackling its weaknesses without a sustained intervention", Ms Casey concluded.

The inquiry also endorsed the findings of a previous investigation carried out last year by an expert in child care, Professor Alexis Jay.

That report made headlines around the world after finding that girls had been beaten by groups of men in Rotherham and in some cases forced to witness the rape of other victims.

She wrote: "In just over a third of cases, children affected by sexual exploitation were previously known to services because of child protection and neglect.

"It is hard to describe the appalling nature of the abuse that child victims suffered. They were raped by multiple perpetrators, trafficked to other towns and cities in the north of England, abducted, beaten, and intimidated.

"There were examples of children who had been doused in petrol and threatened with being set alight, threatened with guns, made to witness brutally violent rapes and threatened they would be next if they told anyone.

"Girls as young as 11 were raped by large numbers of male perpetrators."

Most of the men involved were of Pakistani origin.

Professor Jay also said that the collective failures of political and administrative leaders had been "blatant."

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Written By Unknown on Selasa, 03 Februari 2015 | 20.14

A triple murderer has lost an appeal against his whole-life prison sentence.

Arthur Hutchinson was jailed in 1984 for stabbing husband and wife Basil and Avril Laitner to death after breaking into their Sheffield home on their daughter's wedding night, then killing one of their sons.

He is the first whole-life prisoner to challenge his sentence after a controversial ruling by judges at the European Court of Human Rights in July 2013 that the tariffs breach human rights.

At the time, the Strasbourg-based court said that a sentence which forces murderers to die in jail was "inhuman and degrading" because it is not "reducible".

But in the case of Hutchinson, judges have ruled that the Secretary of State's power to review whole-life sentences is sufficient.

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Gallery: Whole-Life Prisoners

Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe was not given a whole life sentence when originally jailed for 13 murders in 1981. He was told he would serve 30 years before parole would be considered. In 2010, the High Court made the unusual step of subsequently imposing a whole-life tariff

'Crossbow cannibal' Stephen Griffiths was given a whole-life tariff after being convicted of murdering three women in Bradford, one of whom was shot with a crossbow

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20.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

CCTV Footage Exposes Slaughterhouse Cruelty

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By Hind Hassan, Sky News Reporter

Campaigners and MPs are calling for CCTV cameras at every abattoir after footage revealed extreme animal cruelty at a halal slaughterhouse.

Secretly recorded video shows sheep being kicked, thrown and punched at Bowood Lamb abattoir in Thirsk, North Yorkshire.

The filming was carried out by animal rights group Animal Aid, who smuggled cameras into the site and filmed footage over three days in December.

In the video, one of the workers stands on the neck of one animal, while another worker hacks a sheep to death - contrary to Islamic guidelines.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) says it has suspended the operating licences of four of the slaughter men and is now conducting an investigation.

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Gallery: Halal Slaughterhouse Investigation

Four slaughtermen have had their operating licences suspended after an animal rights group used hidden cameras to film the alleged mistreatment of animals at a halal slaughterhouse

Animal Aid claims the footage shows a worker hacking and sawing at animals' throats, in direct contravention of Islamic practice

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The footage is also believed to show staff taunting and frightening animals by waving knives, smacking them on the head and shouting at them. Click through to see more images.

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Conservative MP Henry Smith will call for mandatory CCTV in slaughterhouses during a House of Commons debate.

He told Sky News it would allow for "an independent assessment and so that those carrying out that role know that the system is monitored to prevent cruelty taking place".

The MP for Crawley said: "Already many abattoirs, particularly ones that supply the big supermarkets like Tesco and Waitrose, have a system of CCTV to ensure animal welfare standards are maintained.

"So what I'm asking for is that is extended across all slaughterhouses in the UK. It's not something that is very expensive or burdensome but actually could end a lot of unnecessary suffering and abuse of livestock in the food production process."

Slaughterhouses in the UK are required to stun animals before they are killed to minimise pain, but Muslim and Jewish slaughterhouses are exempt due to religious requirements.

Halal meat must be prepared in accordance with Islamic law. Like Jewish kosher meat, it requires the animal to be slaughtered and the blood drained.

Both religions dictate that it should be done with a surgically sharp knife and in one uninterrupted sweep.

Masood Butt, from The Association of Non Stun Abattoirs (ANSA), which represents the halal meat industry, said: "Islam has absolutely clear guidelines about treating animals within a slaughterhouse or outside a slaughterhouse and that is to be kind and merciful to them and respecting their care and not to cause pain or suffering to the animal unnecessarily.

"For example, Islam says you are not allowed to slaughter an animal in front of an other animal.

"You are not allowed to deprive them from food or water. You have to provide enough space for them to lie down or walk about.

"Islam has clear guidelines not to slaughter babies in front of their mother and if they have done so they are not only not following the laws of animal welfare in the UK, but they are also not following the rules in Islam."

The Muslim Council of Britain said it is appalled at reports of animal mistreatment.

A spokesman said: "Animal cruelty is wrong and criminal wherever it may occur.

"That it is being carried out in halal slaughter makes it even more incredulous. Animal welfare should be observed by all slaughterhouses.

"The findings certainly are abhorrent in Islamic practice, and the abattoir must be subject to the full force of the law."

In a statement The FSA said: "There is no excuse for treating animals in the way shown on the video and we are therefore investigating the footage with a view to prosecution."

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