Italy: Briton Held Over Tour Guide Murder

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

A Briton has been arrested in Italy for the murder of a tour guide and the attempted killing of another man.

Jason Peter Marshall, 25, was held by police early on Saturday after they traced him through his mobile phone signal to a late night bus.

He was arrested after a 55-year-old man was found severely beaten in the bedroom of his apartment in central Rome, following calls to police when neighbours heard screams and calls for help.

When officers arrived on the scene, the victim identified Marshall as his attacker and described how he had been threatened with a gun, badly beaten with a telescopic cosh and smothered with a pillow.

Marshall is said to have fled the apartment with €400 (£348), credit cards and the victim's iPad as he allegedly tried to erase all traces of contact between him and the victim.

Marshall, who is originally from Greenwich, southeast London, is said to have arrived in Italy last month and police in Rome have confirmed he is also the prime suspect in the murder of tour guide Vincenzo Iale.

The 68-year-old was found strangled and stabbed to death in his flat at Torvajanica, on the outskirts of Rome, four weeks ago with his bank card missing.

Police said Marshall was being held in Rome's Regina Coeli jail on suspicion of murder, attempted murder, kidnap and possessing offensive weapons.

Sources said the victims had been targeted through gay internet chat rooms.

A Rome police source said: "This could easily have been a double murder investigation and the second victim - although badly hurt - can think himself lucky he is not dead."

No one from the British Embassy in Rome was immediately available for comment and Marshall is expected to be questioned further by prosecutors ahead of appearing before an investigating judge.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Bedroom Tax' To Hit Thousands Of Families

By Emma Birchley, East Of England Correspondent

Thousands of families living in social housing are facing a cut in their benefits from April because they are seen to have too big a home.

The under-occupation penalty, dubbed "the bedroom tax", aims to encourage households to downsize if they have spare rooms, freeing up their properties for larger families.

But council house tenant Eddie Bird says the policy fails to take into consideration individual cases. His wife Shirley has terminal cancer, and weighing just five-and-a-half stone, needs her own room.

"Any form of movement on the bed and it affects my wife. She's in constant back pain," said Mr Bird. "There's no room for separate beds so I sleep in the box room."

They have been told they will lose nearly £14 a week in benefits.

"It's going to affect my wife's quality of life. We have a Motability car but if we can't afford to put petrol in it, we can't go on any day trips."

The Government hopes the policy will make better use of almost a million rooms that are not used and help reduce the £23bn housing benefit bill.

Eddie Bird says he will lose out despite his wife having terminal cancer

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: "We've put a fairly sizeable sum aside to be able to ensure that those kind of cases can be paid for.

"But the general idea that there has to be a limit on the amount of benefit that people receive I think is a correct one.

"And these are exactly the same kind of rules that have existed in the last few years in private rented (accommodation), so we are applying to public housing.

"If it was good enough for private renting, it's got to be good enough for public housing."

But critics question how you can penalise tenants for not moving somewhere smaller when there simply are not enough suitable sized properties available.

It is something the Coast and Country Housing Association has seen in South Teesside. They have 10,000 properties but only two one-bedroom apartments available.

Chief executive Iain Sim said: "We had the pasty tax last year - this is the nasty tax. This is hitting people directly who through no fault of their own are under-occupying the property that they live in.

"The cut in their benefit will range from 14% for one room up to 25% for two rooms. That's a loss in income of between £10 and £22 a week. That's a lot of money to take from people with very limited incomes."

The change is expected to affect 660,000 claimants.

Some households will be exempt if, for example, a non-resident carer for a disabled person helps at the home overnight.

But as Eddie and Shirley Bird are married they will not be eligible for this exemption. Their only hope is that they will qualify for financial assistance from a fund called the Discretionary Housing Payment scheme, but it is not guaranteed.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

AAA Credit Rating Lost: Osborne Defiant

George Osborne is coming under pressure over what Labour calls his "catastrophic economic policy failure" after the UK lost its top-grade AAA credit rating.

International agency Moody's downgraded it by one notch to AA1, citing slow growth and a rising debt burden.

The Chancellor said it was a "stark reminder" of the country's debt problems, but said the coalition was determined to stick by its plan for economic recovery.

In the last election, Ms Osborne made safeguarding Britain's top credit rating one of his key pledges.

And he has used maintaining the rating for government bonds as one of the main arguments for the Government's austerity programme.

The downgrade is a major blow for Mr Osborne, who has been coming under increasing pressure to take action to stimulate the economy.

He said: "We have a stark reminder of the debt problems facing our country - and the clearest possible warning to anyone who thinks we can run away from dealing with those problems.

"We are not going to run away from our problems, we are going to overcome them."

Labour's shadow chancellor Ed Balls told Sky News: "They (the Government) are paying the price for an absolute catastrophic failure of economic policy and everybody can see that now pretty much other than the chancellor and the prime minister.

"Until they face up to reality, we're just going to have more of the same."

Moody's said it did not expect Britain's slow recovery to change

Moody's said Britain's recovery was proving to be significantly slower than previous rebounds from recession and it did not expect the situation to change.

"[There's] increasing clarity that, despite considerable structural economic strengths, the UK's economic growth will remain sluggish over the next few years," it said.

Moody's is the first of the major credit rating agencies to knock the UK off of its top rating.

The ratings agency also cut the Bank of England's AAA rating by one notch, also to AA1. The US' top credit rating was downgraded by one notch in 2011.

Sky Economics Editor Ed Conway said: "The fact that Britain has lost its AAA crown for the first time since credit ratings were given to the UK back in the 1970s, it's a really big blow to Britain's reputation.

"It's something of an economic blow, but in a way it's more of a political problem for George Osborne. He made a key part of the Conservative election pledge to safeguard Britain's credit rating."

Moody's said that the British economy is constrained both by the troubled global economy and the drag from businesses and the Government slashing its debt burdens.

"Moreover, while the Government's recent Funding for Lending Scheme has the potential to support a surge in growth, Moody's believes the risks to the growth outlook remain skewed to the downside," it said.

Labour has insisted that withdrawing demand from the economy has put it more at risk by stunting growth.

Mr Balls said: "This credit rating downgrade is a humiliating blow to a prime minister and chancellor who said keeping our AAA rating was the test of their economic and political credibility.

"In the Budget the government must urgently take action to kick-start our flatlining economy and realise that we need growth to get the deficit down. If David Cameron and George Osborne fail to do so and put political pride above the national economic interest we face more long-term damage and pain for businesses and families."

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Oscar Pistorius: Prosecution's Closing Speech

Prosecutors have warned that Oscar Pistorius has the "money, means and motive" to flee South Africa if he is given bail.

The athlete is accused of shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead, and a judge is expected to decide whether to grant him bail today.

While trying to persuade the judge that Pistorius is a flight risk, Gerrie Nel compared the case to that of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

"His face is well-known all over the world and he's sitting in embassy in London," he said.

He also suggested that Pistorius could also consider changing his facial appearance to avoid being recognised.

In a closing statement, Mr Nel said that Pistorius' version of events was "improbable" and that the level of violence used was "horrific".

He added that the athlete - who has often cried during proceedings - was feeling sorry for himself, and feared that his career was over.

His defence said the offence he faces should be culpable homicide, adding: "He did not want to kill Reeva."

Oscar Pistorius claims the death was a tragic mistake

He also said it was difficult for Pistorius to disappear because of his disability.

Earlier, his coach Ampie Louw said that if the athlete is granted bail, he will start training again next week.

Members of Miss Steenkamp's family are also in court for the hearing.

On Thursday, police were forced to pull their lead detective off the athlete's case after it emerged he himself faces attempted murder charges for shooting at a minibus.

Defence lawyers for Pistorius say the athlete shot dead his girlfriend by a terrible mistake, and deserves bail to prepare for his case.

They say the case has been marred by a bungled police investigation.

The 'blade runner', whose lower legs were amputated in infancy, is said to have killed model Reeva Steenkamp, 29, in the early hours of St Valentine's Day at his home.

Prosecutors have told the court it was a premeditated murder, with Pistorius firing four shots through a locked toilet door at Ms Steenkamp on the other side.

She was hit in the head, arm and hip.

Witnesses said they heard gunshots and screams from the home in a gated community surrounded by three-metre-high stone walls and an electric fence.

Pistorius contends he was acting in self-defence.

He says he mistook Ms Steenkamp for an intruder and felt vulnerable because he was unable to attach his prosthetic limbs in time to confront the threat.

The 26-year-old said he grabbed a 9-mm pistol from under his bed and went into the bathroom.

Pistorius described how he fired into the locked toilet door in a blind panic in the mistaken belief that the intruder was lurking inside.

Bail hearings in South Africa allow for prosecutors and defence lawyers to lay out their basic arguments, based on preliminary evidence.

The arrest of Pistorius stunned millions who watched in awe last year as the Olympic and Paralympic sprinter reached the semi-final of the 400m in the London Olympics.

The impact has been greatest in sports-mad South Africa, where Pistorius was seen as a rare hero who commanded respect from both blacks and whites, transcending the racial divides that persist 19 years after the end of apartheid.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Savile: Pollard BBC Inquiry Evidence Released

Timeline of the BBC's Savile Affair

Updated: 11:00am UK, Friday 22 February 2013

The Timeline of events at the BBC and its handling of the coverage of the Jimmy Savile scandal

October 29, 2011: Former BBC star Jimmy Savile dies, opening the way for broadcasters and newspapers to report on allegations that he abused children without fear of legal action.

November 11, 2011: BBC2 screens a tribute programme to the late DJ: 'Jimmy Savile: As It Happened'.

November 25: Emails show that Newsnight Editor Peter Rippon appears happy with the progress of a Newsnight investigation into historic allegations of abuse by Savile.

November 30: Rippon appears to change his mind on whether the investigation should be aired, saying that the Crown Prosecution Service's belief that Savile was too old to be pursued was 'key'.

December 1, 2011: Rippon decides to stop work on the investigation, emailing Newsnight producer Meirion Jones to say: "pull editing now."

December 2, 2011: BBC Director of News Helen Boaden is said to have told George Entwistle that he may have to change the Christmas schedules, which included two tributes to Savile, because of the Newsnight investigation. The conversation was said to have lasted '10 seconds' and was at a lunch function.

December 28: Another Jimmy Savile tribute show 'Jimmy Savile at the BBC: How's About That Then?' airs on BBC2, two days after a look back at 'Jim'll Fix It', fronted by Shane Richie.

September 17, 2012: George Entwistle starts work as director-general after BBC Trust Chairman Chris Patten confirms him as Mark Thompson's successor on July 4.

October 3: ITV broadcasts 'Exposure: The Other Side Of Jimmy Savile', opening the floodgates to hundreds of sexual abuse allegations against the former presenter. When it emerges Newsnight had carried out an investigation into Savile's activities but later shelved it, the programme and corporation come in for criticism.

October 5: George Entwistle, now Director General, emails staff to say the Newsnight investigation was into Surrey Police's inquiry into Jimmy Savile. Meirion Jones emails back and corrects Entwistle, telling him the pulled Newsnight slot was an investigation into whether Savile was a paedophile.

October 12: Amid growing pressure on the corporation, George Entwistle apologises to victims and announces two separate inquiries into why Newsnight's investigation was dropped, one of which is to be handled by former head of Sky News Nick Pollard, and another into the culture of the BBC while Jimmy Savile worked there.

October 22: Newsnight editor Peter Rippon steps aside after inconsistencies emerge in a blog he wrote explaining his decision to shelve the Savile story and a Panorama investigation into Newsnight's handling of the issue is watched by five million viewers.

October 23: George Entwistle appears before MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee and gives a faltering performance when grilled on who at the BBC knew about Jimmy Savile's activities.

October 25: Controler of BBC Five Live is asked to lead the corporation's coverage of the Savile scandal, with Helen Boaden and her deputy Steve Mitchell effectively removed from overseeing it.

November 2: Newsnight broadcasts a report implicating "a senior Tory from the Thatcher era"  - later identified as Lord McAlpine - in the North Wales child abuse scandal.

November 9: The BBC and Newsnight are forced to make a grovelling apology after victim Steve Messham admits he was mistaken about Lord McAlpine's involvement in the abuse.

November 10: George Entwistle announces his resignation, hours after admitting he had not known about Newsnight's McAlpine broadcast during an interview with John Humphrys on Radio 4's Today programme. He had been in the job only 54 days - the shortest period of any Director General's tenure.

November 12: Director of News Helen Boaden and her deputy Steve Mitchell are told to 'step aside' from their day to day management of BBC News.

December 18: The BBC apologises to Lord McAlpine and pays him a reported £185,000 in damages plus legal costs.

December 19: The Deputy Director of News at the BBC Stephen Mitchell quits after 38 years at the corporation on the day the Pollard Review into Newsnight's failings is published.

December 20: Helen Boaden returns to full duties.

January 25, 2013: It is announced that Tony Hall, a former BBC man who had been working at the Royal Opera House for several years, is to be the new Director General.

February 15, 2013: BBC announces Paul Mylrea, the Director of Public Affairs, is to leave the corporation later in the year. In the meantime, it has also announed Helen Boaden will be moved to Director of Radio.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Oscar Pistorius: Cop Called Over Shooting Charges

The police officer leading the Oscar Pistorius case has been summoned by the magistrate after it emerged he has been charged with seven counts of attempted murder from 2011.

Hilton Botha and two other officers reportedly opened fire on seven passengers in a taxi mini-bus in an attempt to stop it. It is alleged that the officers, who were on duty at the time, were drunk.

They were arrested after the event in October 2011 and charges were initially dropped but were reinstated by the state prosecutor in the days before the shooting of Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius arrived in court for the third day of the bail hearing and hopes to find out today whether he will be remanded in custody until his murder trial.

Oscar Pistorius arrives at court for the third day of his bail hearing

The hearing was adjourned briefly after the magistrate summoned Botha to the courtroom. However, he was only asked to clarify whether he had examined the mobile phone records of Pistorius and Miss Steenkamp in the hours surrounding the shooting incident.

Prosecutors have said that it is up to police to decide whether to drop Botha from the investigation, however, police are insisting that at present he is still involved in the case.

An earlier report from Eyewitness News had quoted a National Prosecuting Authority spokesman as saying that Botha "cannot continue with this case".

Neville Malila said they had bolstered the investigation team

Botha only discovered the charges against him had been reinstated yesterday. He is set to appear in court in May but police plan to keep him on the Pistorius murder case.

The South African Police Service has confirmed the charges against the detective and launched an investigation which may see Botha suspended.

Spokesman Neville Malila said: "We were only informed yesterday that attempted murders charges against Hilton Botha have been reinstated."

He said that Botha remained on the Pistorius case and that the charges would not hamper Botha's investigation into the circumstances of the Valentine's Day shooting at Pistorius' Silver Lakes home.

Hilton Botha arrives at court to give evidence at Pistorius' bail hearing

But he added that they had bolstered the team investigating the alleged murder of Miss Steenkamp.

It is unclear why the charges against Botha were reinstated. He denies being drunk and  has told a South African news channel that he was chasing suspects.

Medupe Simasiku, the spokesman for National Prosecution Agency, said: "The (Pistorius) prosecutors were not aware of those charges (against Botha)."

Oscar Pistorius is due to find out whether he will be granted bail

Under cross-examination during Pistorius' bail hearing, Botha was accused of contaminating the crime scene in the paralympic star's home and backtracked on key details, including the distance of witnesses from the house.

In his often confused testimony, Botha, who was described as a 24-year police veteran with 16 years as a detective, conceded that police had left a 9 mm slug from the shots that killed Miss Steenkamp inside a toilet at the scene.

Police also lost track of illegal ammunition found inside the house, Botha said, and the detective himself walked through the crime scene without wearing protective shoe covers, potentially contaminating the area.

He also claimed in court that police found boxes of testosterone and needles in multiple Paralympic champion Pistorius' bedroom following the Valentine's Day shooting last week, but then said later he wasn't sure what the exact name of the substance was.

The lead defence counsel Barry Roux accused the police of oversights and mistakes on their initial investigation.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Spurs Fans Attacked By Gang In Lyon Bar

Three Tottenham fans were taken to hospital with minor injuries after a group of up to 50 masked thugs attacked a bar on the eve of Spurs' game in Lyon.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers smashed doors and threw cast iron chairs, wooden objects and a flare in to the Smoking Dog pub in Lyon.

Up to 150 Spurs fans were drinking in the bar, popular among ex-pats in the French city, ahead of tonight's Europa League match.

It is the second time that Tottenham fans have been targeted in apparent anti-Semitic attacks in the last three months.

In November, fans of the club, which has a traditionally strong Jewish following, were ambushed inside a pub in Rome on the eve of their game against Lazio.

Damaged caused inside the Smoking Dog pub

Eyewitnesses inside the Smoking Dog said the thugs attacked the bar at 10.18pm on Wednesday night and then returned shortly after to launch another assault on the pub, which was damaged extensively as a result.

The pub's landlord, Dave Eales from Retford, said: "At 10.18 the pub was rammed with Tottenham fans watching the Champions League on the television.

"The front of the pub, which is made up of reinforced glass, was attacked by 20-25 people.

"They threw projectiles through the windows. There was a stand off. They didn't get in to the bar. Then it calmed down. Then they came back a second time and it all started again.

"There were three injured Tottenham fans taken away by ambulance. One of them had a head injury. I'm not sure how bad it was."

Far-right thugs were blamed for the knife attack on Tottenham's supporters in Rome and two eye-witnesses claimed the attack could have had an anti-Semitic motive.

Scene of the attack on Spurs fans in Rome in November

One, who did not want to be named, said: "There were 50 who attacked in the first wave and 25 in the second.

"It's a pretty scary thing when you're confronted by people doing Nazi salutes."

Spurs fan Christian Radnege, who was in the bar at the time of the attack, said: "They came in making Nazi salutes. It was frightening."

Mr Eales, 42, said he had anticipated trouble may occur and that he had told the Lyon police as much earlier this week.

He added: "The most disappointing thing is that I spoke to the police a couple of days ago about the potential for trouble because of what people associate Tottenham being."

A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We are aware of reports of an attack on British nationals in France and are offering consular assistance."

A Tottenham spokesman said: "Club officials attended an incident last night in Lyon.

"A group of around 50 people confronted fans. The situation was dealt with and arrests were made within the hour. Three fans sustained minor injuries and received prompt medical assistance.

"Spurs officials and stewards will be in the city throughout the day, along with matchday French police ahead of kick-off."

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Oscar Pistorius Sobs As Bail Verdict Due

Oscar Pistorius' lawyers said that there was no evidence to support a premeditated murder charge against the athlete as the bail hearing moved into its third day.

Barry Roux stressed that the police evidence against Pistorius was poor, as he argued that the Olympic and Paralympic sprinter should be granted bail.

As the court hearing got under way, Nike confirmed that it had suspended its endorsement contract with Pistorius.

A spokesman said: "We believe Oscar Pistorius should be afforded due process and we will continue to monitor the situation closely."

The developments come as it emerged overnight that the police officer leading the investigation was himself facing seven charges of attempted murder for shooting at a minibus while on duty in 2011.

Oscar Pistorius clutches at a tissue

It is alleged he, and two other officers, were drunk at the time. The charges had been dropped but were reinstated by the state prosecutor yesterday.

Botha denies being drunk and says he was chasing suspects as part of an investigation.

It follows a day in which the lead detective investigating the alleged murder admitted to a series of mistakes and inconsistencies.

On Wednesday, the court in Pretoria was told that a witness heard "non-stop shouting" coming from Pistorius' home before he shot his girlfriend dead.

The witness overheard a "row" said to have come from the property at the exclusive Silver Lakes Golf Estate between 2am and 3am on Valentine's Day, the prosecution said.

Pistorius arrives in court for day three of his hearing

Lead detective Hilton Botha later said under cross examination that the person who overheard the argument was in a house 600m away.

But after he was questioned again by prosecutor Gerrie Nel he stated the distance was much closer.

Miss Steenkamp, 29, was hit by three bullets - one in the head, the hip and arm, Pretoria Magistrates Court heard.

Pistorius has admitted shooting the model with a 9mm pistol pulled from under his bed, but claims he did so thinking she was a burglar who was in the bathroom.

After realising his mistake, he said he broke down the door with a cricket bat and carried her downstairs.

Hilton Botha was called back to court to give evidence on phone records

The runner said he shot through the door while on his stumps.

But the court heard that the bullets' trajectory was through the top of the door and Mr Botha claimed the bullets were fired down, suggesting Pistorius was wearing his prosthetic legs when the shots were discharged.

He said: "I believe he knew she was in the bathroom and he shot four shots through the door."

The court also heard that two boxes of testosterone and needles were found in Pistorius's bedroom.

Mr Roux countered prosecution claims that testosterone was found, saying it was actually a herbal remedy, called Testocompasutium co-enzyme.

*The family of the athlete have devoted his official website to updates about the bail hearing and messages of support.

"We will issue at least two statements a day, in order to provide the media with the freshest news, taking into account the time differences," said Janine Hills, the chief executive of Vuma corporate reputation management.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

North Korea Video Shows Obama In Flames

A new North Korean video shows President Barack Obama and American troops in flames and blames US hostility for its recent nuclear test.

The footage was uploaded on YouTube - two weeks after a separate video that showed New York City burning after an apparent missile attack.

Both videos were uploaded by the North's official website, Uriminzokkiri, which distributes news and propaganda from the state media.

The latest video came with a series of Korean-language captions, arguing that North Korea had been forced into conducting its latest nuclear test on February 12 because of US hostility.

"The North's high-level nuclear test aimed at US invaders, is the nuclear deterrent to safeguard our sovereignty," one caption read.

"The US practically guided the North towards conducting the nuclear test," it added.

The video showed images of Mr Obama waving and preparing to deliver his State of the Union address - all superimposed against a background of rising flames.

It ended with an animated sequence of a nuclear bomb being detonated in an underground bunker and the message: "The whole world is now watching. The US must answer now".

The North's latest test was its biggest yet in terms of explosive yield and, according to Pyongyang, marked a breakthrough in its efforts to develop a "miniaturised" warhead that could fit on a ballistic missile.

The earlier video posted by Uriminzokkiri had to be withdrawn, after it emerged that the footage of a burning New York was taken from the Call of Duty video game.

The makers of the game, California-based Activision, filed a copyright complaint.

The US is negotiating in the Security Council for stronger UN sanctions against Pyongyang following its nuclear test in the far northeast, the country's third since 2006.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Oscar Pistorius: Prosecution Outlines Case

Prosecutors have directly challenged two of Oscar Pistorius' key claims about the night he shot and killed his girlfriend.

Investigating officer Hilton Botha says a witness saw lights on after the shooting - despite the Paralympian earlier claiming he was too frightened to switch on the light fearing intruders were inside his home.

A statement on behalf of the 26-year-old athlete - read out in court on Tuesday - also said he was not wearing his prosthetic legs at the time and felt vulnerable.

But Mr Botha said that the trajectory of the shots was downward, suggesting that he was firing from a standing position.

The court also heard that "non-stop shouting" was heard coming from Pistorius' home before Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead.

A diagram of Oscar Pistorius' bathroom was shown to the court

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel said the prosecution team has a witness who heard the shouting between 2am and 3am.

The details were revealed as the second day of the 26-year-old athlete's bail hearing began at Pretoria Magistrates' Court.

In an affidavit, Pistorius has denied murdering the model Miss Steenkamp, 29, at his home in the early hours of Thursday.

He has said the couple were in love and he fired through a closed toilet door within the bathroom, hitting the victim, thinking a burglar or burglars were inside.

Mr Botha described the moment he arrived at the athlete's house in the early hours of the morning and found Miss Steenkamp's body lying on the ground floor at the bottom of the stairs.

Miss Steenkamp's funeral was held in Port Elizabeth

He said she was dressed in white shorts and a black top, and covered in towels.

The officer told the court that he saw a firearm on the shower mat, and one bullet cartridge in the passageway and three in the bathroom.

He said unlicensed .38 calibre ammunition was found at his home, and he wanted the Olympian charged with unlawful possession.

Needles and testosterone were also found in his bedroom, the court heard.

Earlier the Paralympian arrived at the court in the back of a police car with a blue blanket covering his head. He entered the courtroom wearing a dark suit and tie just after 8am UK time.

The chances of Pistorius being given bail lessened at the first bail hearing on Tuesday after Magistrate Desmond Nair ruled the case a schedule six offence - meaning premeditated murder.

It means his lawyers now have to prove "exceptional circumstances" for him to be granted bail until he goes to trial.

Mr Botha told the court that Pistorius is a "flight risk" and could flee if given bail.

He said the athlete has offshore accounts and a house in Italy, and stresses that South Africa does not have extradition agreements with all countries.

Pistorius has said he had been a victim of crime and received death threats, but the court heard there were no records of this.

His father Henke and brother Carl - who have supported him in the two previous hearings - looked on from the public gallery.

The proceedings were delayed as more than 100 journalists squeezed into court to report the hearing.

There were chaotic scenes as one reporter fainted, an overflow room was set up to provide more space and courtroom screens had technical problems.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pound Plunges As King Loses QE Vote

The pound has plunged against key economies after it was revealed that the Bank of England boss lost a vote for an increase in monetary stimulus.

Sterling fell to fresh multi-month lows against the euro and the dollar after minutes from the BoE showed governor Sir Mervyn King wanted an increase of quantitative easing (QE) to £400bn.

The notes showed that unexpectedly three out of the nine BoE policymakers voted for an increase in asset purchases under the bank's QE programme, which currently sits at £375bn.

However, they were outvoted by the six others who preferred to keep policy unchanged.

The minutes also show that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) considered cutting interest rates below the current historic low of 0.5%.

The pound slid to an 8-1/2-month low against the dollar and the euro jumped to a near 16-month high, a rise of nearly 0.9% on the day.

The FTSE 100 index peaked above 6409 after news of the MPC minutes was released.

James Knightley, economist at ING bank, said it was "significant" that Sir Mervyn voted for more QE.

"Clearly, if the data disappoints, more QE will be on its way," Mr Knightley said.

Governor Sir Mervyn King is to leave the Bank of England soon

The MPC meeting was held on February 6 and 7, with the governor being supported by BoE economist Paul Fisher and Professor David Miles.

The British economy has been stagnant for the past two years, and the central bank only sees sluggish future growth.

But concerns about inflation and how effective more buying of bonds or other assets would be have stayed the bank's hand.

However, the swing in the governor's views provided the sharpest divergence in views since June last year, when a split vote was followed the next month by a majority in favour of an extra £50bn of purchases.

"A case could ... be made for undertaking additional asset purchases at this meeting," the minutes said.

"The degree of slack in the economy, and the likely positive response of supply capacity to increased demand, meant that higher output growth would not necessarily lead to any material additional inflationary pressure."

More broadly, the MPC said it was willing to allow longer for inflation to fall to its target, and to consider measures to boost lending from sources other than banks.

Most economists have seen it as unlikely that the BoE would opt to try and pump yet more cash into the economy, due to persistently high inflation and doubts from King among others about further asset purchases.

The meeting was only the fourth time that the governor has been outvoted since he took office in 2003.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hilary Mantel: Kate Is A 'Plastic Princess'

Award winning author Hilary Mantel has launched a scathing attack on the Duchess of Cambridge, describing her as "designed by committee", in a lecture at the British Museum.

The 60-year-old author, who won the Man Booker Prize in 2009 and 2012, compared Kate to Anne Boleyn, Marie Antoinette and Princess Diana during the lecture entitled Undressing Anne Boleyn.

In it, she said: "It's rather that I saw Kate becoming a jointed doll on which certain rags are hung.

"In those days she was a shop-window mannequin, with no personality of her own, entirely defined by what she wore.

"These days she is a mother-to-be, and draped in another set of threadbare attributions ... her only point and purpose being to give birth."

She also described the Duchess as having a "perfect plastic smile" and said her first official portrait, unveiled last month, revealed "her eyes are dead and she wears the strained smile of a woman who really wants to tell the painter to b***** off".

Kate's first official portrait went on display last month

The lecture for the London Review of Books was given on February 4, but the full version of her speech will be published in the latest edition of the review on Thursday.

Mantel, author of Thomas Cromwell novels Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies, said Kate was not like Anne Boleyn who was a "power player, a clever and determined woman".

It comes as the Duchess will show off her baby bump for the first time when she visits a project for women recovering from substance dependence.

The 31-year-old will visit Hope House, a project run by Action On Addiction of which she is a patron; it will be her first solo engagement of 2013.

Charity CEO Nick Barton later came to the Duchess's defence, describing her as an "intelligent" woman who was genuinely interested in the work of his organisation.

St James' Palace has also announced the details of her next public engagement on March 5 when she will visit the Lincolnshire town of Grimsby.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Reeva Steenkamp Funeral: Family Pay Tribute

The family of shot Reeva Steenkamp have paid an emotional tribute following her funeral, as one mourner said her killer must "stay in jail".

They attended a private service in Port Elizabeth as her boyfriend, the athlete Oscar Pistorius, appeared in court charged with premeditated murder.

Ms Steenkamp died from gun wounds

Mike Steenkamp, her uncle, said they would remain positive about her life: "We have to keep Reeva in our hearts forever." 

He also thanked well-wishers in South Africa and around the world for their "tremendous" compassion.

Ms Steenkamp's brother, Adam, said: "There's a space missing inside all the people that she knew that can't be filled again. We'll miss her."

Mourners including her father Barry and mother June earlier comforted each other outside a crematorium in the city, in southern South Africa, before the 29-year-old's casket was carried inside.

Gavin Venter, who used to work for Barry Steenkamp, said: "Without a doubt (Pistorius) is a danger to the public ... He must stay in jail. He's already shown how dangerous he can be for what he did to Reeva."

The model and law graduate died from gunshot wounds on Thursday.

Hundreds of miles away from the funeral, prosecutors have been laying out details of the case against Pistorius, 26, at a bail hearing in Pretoria.

They say Paralympian and Olympian Pistorius, who denies murder, put on his prosthetic legs and walked seven metres before firing four times through a bathroom door at his luxury home in Pretoria, killing her.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel told the packed court that an unarmed Ms Steenkamp locked herself inside the cramped bathroom because she was scared after a row.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Oscar Pistorius 'Put On Legs To Kill Partner'

Prosecutors claim Oscar Pistorius got up from bed, put on his prosthetic legs and walked seven metres before firing through a bathroom door and killing his girlfriend.

During the hearing, prosecutor Gerrie Nel argued the Paralympian fired four shots at unarmed Reeva Steenkamp through a closed door, showing it was a premeditated murder. He added there was "a motive to kill".

Magistrate Desmond Nair ruled that, for the purpose of the bail hearing, the case was a schedule six offence or premeditated murder, which means it will be difficult for the 26-year-old to get bail. 

Earlier, Mr Nel said Ms Steenkamp fled to the small, cramped bathroom and locked herself in because she was scared after they'd had a row on Valentine's Day.

Oscar Pistorius is charged with murdering Reeva Steenkamp

The 29-year-old model died from "three shots" last Thursday at Pistorius' home in South Africa. The family attended her funeral in Port Elizabeth this morning.

Mr Nel said the defence had a number of questions to answer, including:

:: Why did Pistorius carry Ms Steenkamp's body down a staircase after she was shot?

:: Why didn't Pistorius look for his girlfriend if he suspected there was a burglar in the house?

:: Why did Ms Steenkamp lock herself in the toilet - was she afraid of being shot or killed?

:: Why did he put on his prosthetic limbs and walk seven metres to the bathroom?

Mr Nel said: "If I arm myself, walk a distance and murder a person, that is premeditated. The door is closed. There is no doubt. I walk seven metres and I kill. The motive is 'I want to kill'. That's it."

He added: "It wouldn't be correct for me to venture into the motive now. We can say that there was a motive to kill."

Meanwhile the athlete's defence lawyer Barry Roux said there was no evidence of premeditation, insisting he had mistaken Ms Steenkamp for a burglar.

Arguing the law graduate's death was accidental, he said: "We submit it is not even murder. There is no concession this is a murder."

"All we really know is she locked herself behind the toilet door and she was shot," he added.

Pistorius, who won two gold medals at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, broke down in tears during the hearing which will determine whether he should get bail.

Sky's special correspondent Alex Crawford, who is inside the court in Pretoria, said the double amputee's "face was creased in pain" and he was "weeping" as he was formally charged with murder.

The prosecutor said Pistorius, nicknamed the Bladerunner, "killed an innocent woman".

For the first time, Pistorius is expected to explain how his girlfriend died during the hearing.

Crawford said his defence team will detail why he should be given bail, arguing that he is not a danger to society or himself and is not going to abscond.

At the start of proceedings, Pistorius, in a grey suit and tie, nodded after the chief magistrate asked if he was well. And he nodded his appreciation when his brother, Carl, pressed his shoulder in support.

Journalists jammed into the courtroom, which was full with almost 100 people, including Pistorius' father, Henke, and sister Aimee.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

British Worker Kidnapped In Nigeria

Armed men in northern Nigeria have kidnapped a group of foreign workers including one Briton, Sky sources have confirmed.

A picture purportedly showing the hostages kneeling on the ground in front of several masked men holding rifles was released to Nigerian media.

The armed men abducted the seven foreigners after attacking a construction company camp and killing a guard, police said.

"From the report we have received, the hostages are seven in all. They include four Lebanese, an Italian, a Briton and a Greek," Bauchi state police spokesman Hassan Auyo said.

This would make it the biggest kidnapping yet in a region that is under attack from Islamic extremists.

Greece, Lebanon and Italy have all said their citizens are involved. However, Britain's Foreign Office has not confirmed if a Briton is among them.

The kidnapping on Saturday night happened in Jama'are, a town in a rural portion of Bauchi state.

The gunmen attacked a local prison first, burning two police trucks, another Bauchi state police spokesman, Hassan Muhammed told the Associated Press.

Then they targeted a workers' camp for a construction company called Setraco, which is in the area building a road, Mr Muhammed said.

The gunmen shot dead a guard at the camp before kidnapping the foreign workers, he added.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office in Britain said: "We are aware of the reports and are making inquiries with local authorities."

Nigeria's predominantly Muslim north has been under attack by the radical Islamic sect known as Boko Haram in the last year and a half.

The country's weak central government has been unable to stop the group's bloody guerrilla campaign of shootings and bombings.

The sect is blamed for killing at least 729 people in 2012 alone, according to an AP count.

Foreigners have been frequently abducted by militant groups and criminal gangs for ransom in Nigeria's oil-rich southern delta and have become increasingly targeted in Nigeria's north as the violence has grown.

Sky News Special Correspondent Alex Crawford said: "Nigeria, particularly the north of Nigeria, has got a big problem. It's the scourge of the country and has been for many years now.

"Local Islamist groups called Boko Haram have been largely responsible for carrying out the kidnappings.

"This is one of the militant groups who have operating inside Mali. They are one of five extremist groups who are believed to have been running operations inside Mali and around the Sahel."

Gunmen who authorities say have links to Boko Haram also kidnapped an Italian and a British man last year in northern Kebbi State.

They were later killed during a rescue operation by Nigerian soldiers backed up by British special forces. The sect later denied taking part in that abduction.

Chinese construction workers have also been killed by gunmen around Maiduguri, the northeastern city in Nigeria where Boko Haram first began.

Setraco Nigeria, a construction and civil engineering company, is a subsidiary of Setraco International Holding group.

The Nigerian company, which was established in 1977, is currently working on expanding a major road in the north of the country.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Oscar Pistorius Cancels All Future Races

Double amputee athlete Oscar Pistorius has been forced to cancel all future races and says his "key focus" is now defending himself against the charge he murdered his girlfriend, his agent says.

Peet Van Zyl said he had "no option" but to cancel Pistorius' track dates for the foreseeable future "to allow Oscar to concentrate on the upcoming legal proceedings".

Pistorius was arrested and charged on Valentine's Day with the premeditated murder of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in Pretoria, South Africa.

Police allege that he shot 29-year-old Miss Steenkamp four times.

His family has issued a statement saying he denies the charges against him in the "strongest possible terms".

Pistorius, nicknamed the Blade Runner, is due to appear in court on Tuesday to face a bail hearing at which he will be told if he has to stay in jail.

Meanwhile, the athlete is being held at a police station in Pretoria, where his agent Mr Van Zyl and members of his family visited him on Sunday night.

Pistorius is accused of killing his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

The agent spoke to reporters after leaving the police station and revealed the double-amputee Olympian's track career was now on hold.

One of the race meets he has been pulled from is the Manchester City Games on May 25.

However, Mr Van Zyl said Pistorius' sponsorship deals, including those with big-name brands Nike and Oakley, were safe for now.

"I can confirm that at this point in time all parties are supportive and their contractual commitments are maintained," he said.

"They have said they are happy to let the legal process take its course before making any change in their position."

It has been reported that Pistorius has contracts and deals worth £1.3m with Nike, as well as others with BT and Thierry Mugler.

Last week, BT and Nike signalled their intention to wait for further developments before making a decision on their relationship with him.

BT said in a statement: "Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragedy.  Given the ongoing legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further."

Nike said: "We're not making any comment at this stage other than to say that the incident is a police matter and we will continue to monitor the situation closely."

Despite its decision to stand by him for now, Nike last week pulled an advert featuring Pistorius with the strapline: "I am the bullet in the chamber."

On the track, Pistorius had agreed to take part in five races in the first half of 2013: two in Australia, two exhibition runs against fellow Paralympians Alan Oliveira, from Brazil, and Briton Jonnie Peacock, and an appearance in the US.

Prosecutors have said they will pursue a more serious charge of premeditated murder, but his lawyers are expected to argue the charge should be reduced to murder without premeditation. This would mean he could be allowed free on bail.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Wandsworth Tower Block Stabbing: Teen Named

Police have named a 16-year-old boy who was stabbed to death at a block of flats in south London.

Peter Hagan was discovered in the stairwell after police were called to Albon House in Neville Gille Close, Wandsworth, at 1.30am on Sunday morning.

The boy was found in a stairwell

The teenager was pronounced dead at the scene and a murder investigation is under way.

Nine people have been arrested in connection with the inquiry, eight of which have been bailed.

In an appeal for information, Detective Chief Inspector Nick Scola, from the Metropolitan Police's homicide and serious crime command, said: "I believe the victim had attended a party in Albon House.

"I need to trace everyone at that party, and in particular I am appealing for any information about a group of between five and eight males seen running from the scene into the surrounding streets and possibly through King George's Park."

Police said: "Although we await formal identification, we are satisfied the victim was Peter Hagan."

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Brit Backpacker: I Feel Lucky To Be Alive

A British backpacker missing in the scorching Australian outback for three days has told of how he did everything he could to survive - including drink his own urine and contact lens solution.

Sam Woodhead, 18, became lost after he set out for a jog from the remote Queensland cattle station where he had worked for less than two weeks.

But the chance discovery of packets of lenses in his rucksack - put there by his father, Peter - helped to keep him going for 72 hours in blistering temperatures of around 40C (104F).

Sam Woodhead was a keen long distance runner

The former Brighton College student, from Richmond upon Thames, London, also used his rugby shorts and other items of clothing to create an SOS sign that led to his rescue.

He was found about three miles away from the ranch by rescuers in a helicopter. He had lost two stones in weight and was just hours from death.

He told Sky News: "I feel very fortunate to be alive and to be standing here.

"I know that so many people helped out ... and I genuinely believe that if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here today.

"It was a really amazing feeling to be actually picked up and realise that I was actually going to make it through ... and it wasn't going to be the end."

His mother, Claire Derry, has visited him in hospital in Longreach, about 50 miles away from where he was discovered. She said he had lost weight and his kidneys were not working properly due to dehydration.

Mr Woodhead with his mother and sister Rebacca before the ordeal

She said: "His birth was one of the best moments of my life, and this is pretty close to it, getting him back again, because I was pretty convinced it was touch and go. I did an awful lot of praying during that flight.

"He looks fantastic, he's suntanned, his mouth isn't blistered, he looks great, he's thinner and questionably a lot thinner than when I last saw him.

"The only concern is that his kidneys are not quite functioning normally and his blood's not normal. But that, the doctor says, is completely typical of somebody who's been completely dehydrated."

Ms Derry added: "He  tried to drink his own urine. He said he'd run out of the contact lens fluid and the contact lens capsules said they were 69% water. But they'd all gone so the urine had become very, very concentrated.

"So he said he couldn't stomach it, so he had nothing, he had nothing to keep him going, by the time the helicopter crew got to him."

She told Sky News: "Sam is an amazingly cool guy and he said 'hi mum' and I said 'Sam I didn't think I would be holding you in my arms again frankly'.

Mr Woodhead is helped by medical personnel after his helicopter rescue

"But he didn't cry and didn't show very much emotion at all. He just said I'm really happy to see you."

Mr Woodhead, who is set on joining the Armed Forces and is a keen long distance runner, is expected to leave hospital on Sunday.

Mike Curtin from Queensland State Police said: "He was quite disorientated but, you know, his body seemed to bounce back fairly quickly once he knew that obviously he was located and so forth and he was quite happy of the fact that someone had found him."

Mr Curtin warned of the harsh Australian climate and called on young people to be careful when travelling or working in the remote Australian Outback.

He said: "It's one of those things and I think there's a lesson to be learned here from any of these young fellows who do take, or young boys and girls, who take jobs in areas like this isolated part of the state, to be careful, to be safe, and prepare.

"And never take the harshest Australian environment and our climatic conditions here for granted."

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Horsemeat: 'Ministers Were Warned In 2011'

Government ministers were warned in 2011 that horse meat was illegally entering the human food chain, it has been claimed.

John Young, a former manager at the Meat Hygiene Service, now part of the Food Standards Agency (FSA), told the Sunday Times he helped draft a letter to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in April that year. 

But he told the paper the letter to former minister Sir Jim Paice on behalf of Britain's largest horse meat exporter, High Peak Meat Exports, which warned that flesh with possible drug residue getting into food could blow up into a scandal, was ignored.

In the letter the company warned the Government that its passport scheme designed to stop meat containing the anti-inflammatory drug phenylbutazone, known as bute, getting into the food chain was not working, calling it a "debacle".

"Defra gave nearly 80 organisations the authority to produce passports and some of them are little better than children could produce... It's a complete mess," he said.

Sir Jim said he did not remember seeing the warnings, telling the Sunday Times: "If this information was in Defra and was not being acted upon, it warrants further investigation. I would like to know why on earth I was not being told about it."

He admitted the horse passport scheme to stop bute getting into the food chain was not working, saying: "We now know that and we need to know why."

Seven percent of people have stopped eating meat altogether, poll suggests

Meanwhile the boss of one of the country's leading supermarkets warned that consumers could end up paying the price for the horse meat scandal, as ensuring food has the best safety guarantees means it can no longer be regarded as a "cheap commodity".

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Mark Price, the managing director of Waitrose, said rising costs of rearing animals could mean that "somewhere along that long supply route, somebody has looked to cheat and take advantage of these circumstances either for their own personal greed or to keep a company afloat".

Waitrose has not been affected by the scandal, which Mr Price puts down to its rigorous verification processes.

On Friday, the Food Standards Agency released test results for possible horse meat contamination.

The watchdog said 2,501 tests were conducted on beef products, with 29 results positive for undeclared horse meat at or above 1%.

The 29 related to seven different products, which have already been reported and withdrawn from sale.

:: Almost a third of voters (31%) have stopped eating ready meals as a result of the scandal, a poll suggested, and as many as one in 14 (7%) have stopped eating meat altogether.

The ComRes survey for the Sunday Mirror and the Independent on Sunday, also found a majority in favour of a ban on all meat imports "until we can be sure of their origin" by 53% to 33%.

There was encouraging news for the Government as well: 44% said it had responded well to the crisis against 30% who disagreed.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pistorius Told Friend: 'I've Killed My Baba'

The best friend of Oscar Pistorius has told how the athlete rang him the night his girlfriend was shot and said: "I've killed my Baba. God take me away."

Justin Divaris, who introduced Reeva Steenkamp to the South African gold medallist, said Pistorius was crying down the phone and admitted he had shot the 29-year-old model.

Mr Divaris, 27, said: "Oscar called me at 3.55am saying that Reeva had been shot. I said to him, 'What are you talking about? I don't understand you'.

"He then repeated himself - 'There has been a terrible accident. I shot Reeva'."

Mr Divaris told the Sunday People that he then spoke to a neighbour who was also in the house, who warned: "She's not OK. You need to get here."

By the time he arrived at Pistorius' house on a gated estate in Pretoria, the double amputee was already being held by police.

He could see Miss Steenkamp's body inside the house at the bottom of the stairs, covered in blankets and towels.

Pistorius - nicknamed the Blade Runner due to his high-tech artificial limbs - was being detained in the garage, and was crying and repeating himself incoherently.

Reeva Steenkamp in Tropika Island of Treasure

The 26-year-old appeared in court on Friday accused of premeditated murder over the shooting on Valentine's Day.

He is being held in custody and his family has said he denies murder in the strongest possible terms.

Miss Steenkamp's father Barry has also now spoken publicly for the first time and said he does not hate Pistorius for what happened.

He told The Mail on Sunday he was struggling "to find some reason why this happened to our lovely daughter".

Talking about Pistorius, he said: "He must be going through things that we don't know about. There is no hatred in our hearts."

He said he and his wife June were "at a complete loss," adding: "June is inconsolable. We just need to find some answers.

"Reeva was the most beautiful, kind girl in the world. She had love for everyone and was loved by everyone who knew her."

Mr Steenkamp said he had never met Pistorius but his wife had occasionally spoken to him on the phone.

Henke Pistorius trying to comfort his son as he leaves court

The athlete's own father Henke has also spoken out, saying his son must have acted "on instinct".

Mr Pistorius said he has "zero doubt" that it was a tragic accident and said he believes she was mistaken for an intruder.

His family is behind him "heart and soul" and will do "whatever needs to be done" to help him clear his name, he told The Sunday Telegraph.

Their comments came after a reality show featuring Miss Steenkamp was broadcast despite controversy over its airing.

Tropika Island of Treasures showed the model laughing and joking with her fellow contestants and swimming with dolphins.

In an interview, the model - who was also the face of cosmetics giant Avon in South Africa - spoke about the importance of leaving a positive mark in life.

She said: "I think the way that you go out, not just your journey in life, but the way that you go out and the way you make your exit is so important.

"You either made an impact in a positive or a negative way, but just maintain integrity and maintain class and just remain true to yourself."

Pistorius became an international icon after becoming the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics last year. He also won a gold medal in the Paralympics.

He had both of his legs amputated below the knee when he was less than a year old and had campaigned for years to be allowed to compete on an equal level.

The athlete will be back in court on Tuesday when his lawyers are expected to attempt to get his charge downgrade and argue for his release on bail.

His girlfriend's funeral is scheduled for the same day.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More