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Muslim Leaders To Condemn Street Grooming

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 28 Juni 2013 | 18.26

Religious leaders at around 500 mosques across the UK will deliver sermons to hundreds of thousands of Muslims condemning street grooming by gangs.

The campaign organised by Together Against Grooming (Tag), a not-for-profit community organisation set up to tackle the issue, will see imams and other leaders address their congregations.

The campaign will highlight how the Koran condemns all forms of sexual indecency.

Sermons will also focus on the responsibility placed on Muslims to ensure they do all they can to safeguard children and vulnerable people in their communities.

"Friday prayers are very important for every Muslim ... and through the sermon and the message they get from the imam, they make their beliefs," Mohammed Sajad, an imam at a mosque in Sparkhill, Birmingham, said.

"They believe that what is said by the imam is true guidance for them.

Oxford child sex ring Seven men were convicted of grooming underage girls in Oxford

"This is a very strong message and it will have an effect."

The sermon comes after five members of a seven-man sadistic paedophile ring found guilty of grooming vulnerable underage girls were given life sentences at the Old Bailey.

Two other defendants were both jailed for seven years.

Tag spokesman Ansar Ali said his group had been "horrified" by the case and said Muslims feel "a natural responsibility to condemn and tackle this crime".

"Sexual grooming and child abuse afflicts all sections of society and is perpetrated by people of all ethnic groups," he said.

"The Koran and traditions of our Prophet exhort us to act against evil and injustice, and create just societies.

"This is the start of what will be a nationwide project in which we seek to work with others to eradicate this practice from all communities."

Friday is a religious day for Muslims and consists of the Jummah Salah - or midday prayer - a particularly significant part of the Islamic week which sees hundreds of thousands of Muslims up and down the country visiting their local mosques to hear the Khutbah, or sermon.

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, the faith and communities minister, said: "As Muslims we are commanded to be just and fair. To shun evil, wrongdoing and all forms of indecent and immoral behaviour.

"(These are) words from a powerful sermon being read out (in) mosques today, condemning the evil that is child grooming and challenging communities to act."

The Tag campaign has been backed by leading Muslim organisations such as Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), the Mosque and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB), the Islamic Society of Britain (ISB) and independent mosques.


18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Turkey: British Teenager Stabbed In Marmaris

A British teenager is critically ill in hospital in Turkey after being stabbed repeatedly.

The 17-year-old, named in reports as Dwaine Ward, was discovered in a garden in the Tepe district of the popular holiday resort of Marmaris.

Two men are reported to have been arrested over the stabbing.

Turkey Daily News said one of them, a 31-year-old identified only as A.D., had been arrested on charges of "looting, injuring intentionally and depriving of freedom".

The Foreign Office said it was aware that a British teenager had been taken to hospital.

The teenager was stabbed in Marmaris The attack on the teenager happened in the Tepe district of Marmaris

A spokesman said: "We are aware of the case and can confirm that we are aware of the hospitalisation of a British national in Marmaris on June 25.

"We are providing consular assistance."

Local residents reportedly spotted the teenager's bloody body lying in a garden at around 7.30am on Tuesday.

A doctor was said to have stabilised him at the scene before paramedics took him to hospital, where he was placed in the intensive care unit.

A map showing the location of Marmaris in Turkey Marmaris is a popular holiday resort

Turkey's Daily News reported that the teenager was improving after suffering up to 20 stab wounds.

Dwaine was staying at the Ali Baba Hotel with his brother and mother where they are thought to have been on holiday.

His mother said: "Dwaine's facing another operation this morning. His dad's flying out from the UK to be with him."


18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Moors Murderer Ian Brady Loses Prison Bid

Brady On Bankers, Blair And Krays

Updated: 6:51pm UK, Tuesday 25 June 2013

Ian Brady has spoken at length for the first time since 1966 at his mental health tribunal. Here are some of the key quotes from his evidence:

:: On mental illness

"Schizophrenia? Science fiction.

"Personality disorder is not even recognised in Scotland. They have different laws. In my view more sensible views than in England.

"They are inventing - daily - disorders for normal behaviour. People are getting sick of everything being classed as a disorder nowadays."

:: On bankers and Tony Blair

"I am as pragmatic as soldiers or a politician. You don't see any regret from Tony Blair. In fact he is minting a future from his war crimes.

"This dichotomy is common throughout all levels of society. Your bankers bankrupting the country, the illegal invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, people being killed daily."

:: On the Moors Murders

"A criminal in a pursuit of crime is going to gain from the crime. He has given a value to the person he is about to kill."

When asked what value he got, Brady replied: "Existential experience."

:: On his assessment

"To apply risk assessment to me after 50 years is satirical."

:: On "acting" as though he was mentally ill

"Have you heard of Stanislavski?

"If you knew who Stanislavksi is... have you heard of method acting? Does that make it clear to you?"

When later asked to explain the system of acting developed by Constantin Stanislavski, he replied: "It's attempting to portray the heart and soul of the character you are trying to portray."

:: On how the public sees him

"If the public want me to stay in prison, they will keep me in prison.

"Whatever I want, the public and the press want the opposite. That's my experience over the last 50 years."

:: On the prison system

"The only record the British penal system holds in Europe is it, per capita, it imprisons more adults than any other country in Europe. It imprisons more children than any other country in Europe."

:: On the Krays

"I had Train Robber Buster Edwards next to me.

"We were all top-security Cat As - the Krays, Train Robbers.

"We had conditions out of this world. Ronnie Kray was cooking for his landing, I was cooking for mine ... we were sick of eating steak."

:: On notoriety

"Why are they still talking about Jack the Ripper, after a century? Because of the dramatic background, the fog, cobbled streets.

"Mine's the same ... Wuthering Heights, Hound Of The Baskervilles."

:: On talking to himself

"If I interact with the TV, Tony Blair or something on, and make any comment, this is interpreted as psychosis.

"And er, who doesn't talk to themselves? This is a question people very rarely ask."


18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Spending Review: Osborne To Slash Budgets

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 26 Juni 2013 | 18.26

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

George Osborne will today take the axe to public spending and claim the Government's tough policy of cuts is leading to economic recovery.

The Chancellor will announce his spending review, setting out limits for 2015/16 and slicing £11.5bn off the budgets of Whitehall departments, an average of 8%.

But he is also expected to pledge billions more to major big infrastructure projects in an attempt to boost growth over the years up to 2020.

The Cabinet were briefed on the plans this morning, ahead of Mr Osborne's Commons statement at lunchtime.

After the meeting, David Cameron wrote on Twitter: "George Osborne has just briefed the Cabinet on SR2013 - continuing our programme of reform and protecting schools and hospitals."

Echoing his Mansion House speech last week, the Chancellor is expected to tell MPs: "Britain is moving from rescue to recovery. But while the British economy is leaving intensive care; now we need to secure that recovery ...

George Osborne Spending Review

"We're saving money on welfare and waste to invest in the roads and railways, schooling and science our economy needs to succeed in the future.

"I know that times are still not easy for families. But we have a clear economic plan. We've stuck to it. It is working. And I'm determined to go on delivering it.

"Now, together, we're moving Britain from rescue to recovery, let's build an economy that works for everyone."

Following the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby outside Woolwich barracks, the Chancellor will confirm a boost in spending on the fight against terrorism.

Earlier this month, after agreeing Theresa May's Home Office budget, Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander said: "Counter-terrorism policing is a crucial part of our national security and I took no convincing of the need to protect this area.

"Given recent events in Woolwich, we cannot compromise on our national security."

George Osborne Burger Before Spending Review The Chancellor tweeted this image as he was finishing off his speech

Tory MPs will be anxiously awaiting news of where spending cuts in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) budget will fall, following the Chancellor's pledge at the weekend that they will not involve further cuts in manpower levels.

But they will welcome Mr Osborne revealing how he intends to implement a proposed cap on previously uncontrolled parts of the public finances, such as welfare, debt interest and payments to the EU.

The cap on so-called "annually managed expenditure" was floated by Mr Osborne in his Budget in March, when he said he would impose a limit on a "significant proportion" of AME, which is made up of elements of public spending which can go up and down due to factors beyond the Government's control.

The Treasury has signalled that the state pension will not be affected by any cap, and Mr Osborne has said it will not impact on the "automatic stabilisers" which come into effect in a downturn, suggesting that unemployment benefits could also be excluded.

Mr Osborne reached agreement at the weekend with Vince Cable over the level of cuts at his Business Department - the last Whitehall ministry to finalise its settlement.

All areas of departmental current spending will be asked to tighten their belts except the NHS, schools and overseas aid, which are ring-fenced.

Spending Review - Government Ministry Buildings Cuts will take place in the defence budget

Attention will, however, be focused on whether departments like defence or the Foreign Office have succeeded in reassigning elements of their activities to the health or international development budgets.

Mr Osborne said at the weekend that there would be a cut in numbers of civilian workers at the MoD, as well as a renegotiation of major contracts with suppliers to save money.

But he insisted there would be no cuts in numbers of sailors, soldiers or airmen and no reduction in the UK's military capability.

Labour leader Ed Miliband said on Wednesday morning: "What we see again today is the British people paying the price for this Government's failure.

"The Government tells us the economy is healing but actually it is getting worse for ordinary families. What we actually need is a fairer plan to get growth moving, living standards rising and the deficit down."

But in Treasury Questions on Tuesday, Mr Osborne insisted his economic plan was moving Britain "from rescue to recovery" and vowed to protect health and schooling.

Mr Balls taunted the Chancellor: "The fact is that you promised to get the deficit down and it is rising. How can you still say we are all in it together, when for everyone else living standards are falling and the economy has flat-lined for three years?

"Isn't this economic failure the reason why you will not balance the books in 2015 and why tomorrow you are coming back to the House to ask for more cuts in public services, because you are unfair, out-of-touch and now revealed as totally incompetent?"

Mr Osborne replied: "Getting a lesson from you in how to balance the books is like getting a lesson from Dracula in how to look after a blood bank."

Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) head Paul Johnson said: "The scale of the cuts is really astonishing,

"If you really do carry on with the next two years up to 2017-18 as pencilled in, that will result in a whole slew of government spending one third or more less than it was in 2010.

"So, if I was a betting man I would think there would be some kind of tax rises after the election."


18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Redditch Mosque: Swastikas Daubed On Walls

Racist graffiti including swastikas have been painted on a mosque in Redditch after intruders forced their way in to the site.

The damage at the mosque in Jinnah Road was caused between 2am and 4.30am on Wednesday and was discovered by a targeted police patrol.

The graffiti, including swastikas, had been sprayed on to walls and at least half a dozen windows using paint taken from builders' cabins on the site.

Intruders had forced their way on to the site through a gate and then broke into the main building of the mosque.

Graffiti daubed on windows and walls of Redditch mosque The site in Jinnah Road, Redditch, was broken into on Wednesday morning

Superintendent Kevin Purcell, North Worcestershire police commander, said: "For as long as I can remember the relationship between the Muslim community in Redditch, the police and the wider community would best be described as excellent.

"Due to incidents happening nationally targeted patrols have been put in place and these will now be further increased as we will not tolerate mindless attacks of this nature.

"I will be arranging meetings with the chairs of the mosques, local civic leaders and the Independent Advisory Group to reassure them of our commitment and determination to do everything possible to prevent and further such incidents and track down those responsible for this attack."

The graffiti comes just days after detectives in Walsall launched a major hate-crime investigation when a small home-made bomb exploded near a mosque.

Graffiti daubed on windows and walls of Redditch mosque National Front symbols were also painted on windows

Around 150 people were evacuated from their homes in the Caldmore area of Walsall on Saturday night while bomb disposal experts made the device safe.

West Midlands Police said a loud bang heard by residents late on Friday "appeared to be consistent" with the device exploding. No one was injured and it caused minimal damage.

Last week two men were charged in relation to an alleged arson at a mosque in Gloucester, and an Islamic cultural centre in Grimsby was hit by petrol bombs last month.

Mosques in Braintree, Essex, and Gillingham, Kent, have also been targeted.


18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Australia: PM Gillard Forced Out By Rudd

Julia Gillard is to step down as Australia's first female prime minister after losing a leadership fight with Kevin Rudd.

Mr Rudd faces becoming the country's new leader with months until a general election after he won a Labor Party ballot by 57 votes to 45.

The defeated leader made no comment to reporters as she left the voting chamber flanked by supporters. She earlier pledged to quit politics after the elections if she lost the ballot.

Australian opposition leader Tony Abbott speaks during a dinner for U.S. President Barack Obama at Parliament House in Canberra Opposition leader Tony Abbott

Welsh-born Ms Gillard, who ousted former diplomat Mr Rudd as leader in 2010 in a similar showdown, called the vote earlier amid reports that her bitter rival's supporters were gearing up for a fresh challenge.

Opinion polls had shown that the party could face huge losses in the September elections but that Mr Rudd would be the more popular leader.

Mr Rudd must now demonstrate that he can command a majority of the House of Representatives before the governor-general makes him prime minister.

If he cannot, opposition leader Tony Abbott could be asked to form a government, or the elections could be moved from September to August.

It was the latest in a series of power struggles between the pair.

In March, Ms Gillard managed to retain the leadership of the party after she was urged to hold a ballot and Mr Rudd admitted he did not have enough support to defeat her.

During a similar battle in 2012, a video emerged of the Manderin-speaking former diplomat Mr Rudd slamming his fist in an expletive-ridden tirade about a Chinese interpreter.

Ms Gillard's office was forced to deny leaking the footage.

As Ms Gillard called the latest ballot with just hours of notice, she appeared frustrated over the petition for a vote that was circulating within the party.

She said: "Call me old-fashioned, but the way in which these things are normally done is a challenger approaches the leader of the Labor Party and asks them to call a ballot for the leadership, who shake hands and then a ballot is held.

"That hasn't happened but in these circumstances I do think it is in the best interests of the nation and in the best interests of the Labor Party for this matter to be resolved ... "

Mr Rudd had said Labor was facing a "catastrophic defeat" at the next election unless there was "change".

He has promised tighter control of public spending, a speedier return to surplus budgets, and stronger economic growth if he wins office.

More follows...


18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Russian Minister Says Snowden Not On Its Soil

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 25 Juni 2013 | 18.26

Snowden Affair: The Who And The Why

Updated: 5:06pm UK, Monday 24 June 2013

By Tim Marshall, Foreign Affairs Editor

A look at the different players in the Edward Snowden controversy as the whistleblower tries to evade US justice.

China

There's no hard evidence that China has played a role in this affair but it's difficult to argue against the idea.

Beijing had a man and had a problem. The problem was that hanging on to Mr Snowden could damage its relationship with Washington DC which is its biggest foreign policy challenge.

If it had done, a long-running dispute over the issue would mean that relationship would be complicated.

Now it doesn't have a man, it doesn't have problem, and has been able to poke the US in the eye without leaving much of a fingerprint.

It can also claim the somewhat dubious moral high ground, arguing that Mr Snowden's revelations proved that the Americans, who have long complained about Chinese hacking, was in fact spying on China.

China may have granted Hong Kong more autonomy than most of its regions, but foreign policy remains in Beijing's hands.

And it is almost certain China and Hong Kong liaised to smooth the path of Mr Snowden out of their jurisdiction.

Hong Kong

The only quandary for the Hong Kong authorities was how to keep up appearances.

This was a legal matter which quickly turned into a geo political struggle.

It had to preserve its dignity and the rule of law, but also make sure that what Beijing wanted, Beijing got.

Hence the repeated response to the Americans that the case was 'under review' and that more paperwork was needed.

In fact, very little paperwork was required, not even a valid passport. Mr Snowden travelled out of Hong Kong with a revoked passport.

Russia

The Kremlin says it is 'unaware' of any contact with the Russian authorities and Mr Snowden.

However, the idea that Aeroflot would allow a former American spy, whose name was making global headlines, onto one of their flights bound for Moscow, on a revoked passport, without a Russian visa, does not tally with the way the world works.

That Ecuador may have given him a 'travel document' is just part of the pretence.

Moscow is also busy poking Washington DC in the eye, whilst maintaining a modicum of 'not me guv'.

Mr Snowden did not leave Moscow's airport, thus allowing the pretence of him not passing through a border.

Cuba

If Mr Snowden was passing through Cuba, it does not present Havana with a dilemma.

A transit trip would not sour Washington-Havana relations any more than they already are.

Were he to stay there, that would be a different matter. He was checked in for a flight from Moscow to Havana, had a seat, but the plane left, apparently without him.

Venezuela

Hugo Chavez may be gone but the spirit of his 'Bolivarian Revolution' lives on.

Just last month the successor to Chavez, President Nicolas Maduro, referred to Barack Obama as 'the grand chief of devils'. 

Venezuela is part of the Bolivarian Alliance which includes Cuba, and Bolivia, the country named after the 18th century revolutionary Simon Bolivar.

Members tend to be 'anti-imperialist' and take a delight in tweaking the nose of the US and its perceived global arrogance.

Venezuela can handle the heat of allowing Snowden to transit through its territory; after all, despite the rhetoric between Caracas and Washington DC, the US buys 900,000 barrels of Venezuelan oil every day.

Ecuador

Ecuador is also in the Bolivarian Alliance and President Rafael Correa has impeccable 'anti-imperialist' credentials having granted Wikileaks founder Julian Assange asylum in his country and refuge in the London embassy until Mr Assange can get there.

So far Ecuador is assessing Mr Snowden's asylum request.

As he is an American citizen this case if even more sensitive than the Assange affair, and Ecuador, a poverty stricken country has fewer cards to play than Venezuela.

The signs are it will stay within the spirit of the Bolivarian bloc, and keep quiet about its own trampling over the basic tenets of free speech.

The US

Fail.


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Wimbledon: Fans Hit Out Over Empty Seats

A row has broken out over the number of empty seats on the main courts at Wimbledon on the first day of the championships.

Swathes of unoccupied seats were shown on television with many blaming the number of tickets set aside for sponsors.

Sports personality Gary Lineker vented his frustration on Twitter: "Lots of empty seats on centre court. Corporate lethargy no doubt.

"What a waste of tickets so many could give their right arm for #wimbledon."

Tennis fan Neil Harris tweeted: "Please can someone explain to me as if I'm a 2 year old why there are empty seats at #Wimbledon2013 yet can't buy ticket to save my life!"

Andy Murray in action at Wimbledon Andy Murray on his way to an easy win

Impatient4Evita added: "Seems Wimbledon tickets have been wasted on businesses & sponsors, empty seats because they can't be bothered turning up. Sound familiar?"

The criticisms echoed those last summer over the number of vacant seats at the London Olympics.

Organisers the All England Club played down the backlash, saying supporters would naturally leave their seats to get refreshments at what is an all-day event.

Crowds began flocking to SW19 as early as Saturday in the hope of watching the British number 1 Andy Murray in action.

TPippa and James Middleton at Wimbledon Pippa and James Middleton watched the play on Centre Court

But such was the demand that even fans who joined the queue on Sunday afternoon were disappointed.

NHS worker Elaine Williams, 55, from Birmingham, who queued with her husband Les for the 10th year running, said: "There are a lot more people here than in previous years.

"We normally arrive at the same time - around 4.30am - and we were absolutely gob-smacked when we got here this time."

An estimated 8,000 tickets were handed out on Monday morning for before the queue closed at 7.45am - the earliest time ever, according to organisers.

Rafael Nadal waves to the crowd after losing to Steve Darcis at Wimbledon Rafael Nadal waves to fans after crashing out of the men's singles

Those lucky enough to get tickets for Centre Court were not disappointed. They saw Murray cruise into the second round with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 win over German Benjamin Becker.

His victory came after French Open winner Rafael Nadal made a shock exit from the tournament, losing in straight sets to the Belgian player Steve Darcis.

Murray was watched by a number of high-profile tennis fans including the Duchess of Cambridge's sister Pippa Middleton, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and former US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice.

Heather Watson and Laura Robson will be leading the charge for Britain on Tuesday, with world number 1 Serena Williams also in action.


18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Moors Murderer Brady: '12 Warders Attacked Me'

Ian Brady has told his mental health tribunal he went on hunger strike after being "attacked" by 12 warders where he had his wrist broken.

The Moors Murderer, 75, recalled he was in his room and heard chanting of "do not resist". He said the warders were dressed in riot gear and balaclavas and held him down for an hour.

He said he was moved by the riot gear staff and then the next day - September 30, 1999 - began his hunger strike.

Wearing a dark suit, white shirt and tie and his customary dark glasses, Brady is speaking at length in public for the first time since 1966 as he attempts to be transferred from a high-security hospital to prison.

Brady said it would be "easy" to cope in jail if he was kept locked up 24 hours a day and kept apart from other prisoners.

The child killer, speaking in a low, halting Scottish accent, is giving evidence to a tribunal sitting at Ashworth Hospital in Merseyside where he has been held for 28 years.

Brady described his life behind bars, how he enjoys "eclectic, freewheeling conversation", how he studied German and psychology and how he walks up and down in his cell reciting Shakespeare and Plato.

Brady said he set up a braille unit and also worked as a barber at Wormwood Scrubs in the 1970s.

Asked by his lawyer Nathalie Lieven QC about relations with staff and patients at Ashworth, Brady said he enjoyed conversations about "everything".

He said: "Eclectic, I can't stand robotic, feeble, whether psychologists or just ordinary people, if I think they are just going through a list of check points.

Searching The Moors Brady is one of Britain's most notorious killers

"Eclectic, free wheeling conversation. I don't choose the subjects. That's what I enjoy."

Sky's Tom Parmenter said: "He was asked his mental health which is crucial to the hearing because it is his claim that he should not be in a high-security hospital but instead an ordinary prison.

"He was asked about talking to himself in jail, and he said when he was in solitary confinement he would memorise the pages of Shakespeare or Plato and then recite them in his cell.

"He said if he drops a glasses case in a corridor and mutters to himself that would be seized by an opportunistic member of staff and used as evidence. But he also said at the tribunal 'Who doesn't talk to themselves?'"

Brady also made reference to his notoriety as a prisoner, saying the media and the public are still interested in the case.

He said: "They (public and media) are obsessed with the case. Why are they still talking about Jack the Ripper, after a century?

"It fascinates them so, the dramatic background, the fog, cobbled streets. The moors is the same thing... Wuthering Heights, Hound Of The Baskervilles."

The last time Brady spoke so publicly was in court in Chester when he was convicted 47 years ago and jailed for life for three murders.

Brady, who has been on hunger strike since 1999, has previously said he wants to starve himself to death in jail where he cannot be force fed.

Currently, he is fed through a tube in his nose, although the panel heard on Monday he is actually eating other foods and makes himself toast every morning.

180 Ian Brady Myra Hindley was also convicted of child killings

Since 2002 Brady has repeatedly asked for a public hearing which he said would provide "true independence", the tribunal has heard.

His legal team say he has a severe narcissistic personality disorder but is not mentally ill and could be treated in prison rather than hospital.

But Ashworth say Brady is still chronically mentally ill and remains a paranoid schizophrenic who needs around-the-clock care.

He has refused medication and therapy for his mental disorders since 2000 as he is "wholly resistant" to any treatment and now tries to hide his mental illness, the tribunal panel was told.

Brady and his partner, Myra Hindley, were convicted of luring children and teenagers to their deaths, with their victims sexually tortured before being buried on Saddleworth Moor.

Pauline Reade, 16, disappeared on her way to a disco on July 12, 1963, and John Kilbride, 12, was snatched in November the same year.

Keith Bennett was taken on June 16, 1964, after he left home to visit his grandmother; Lesley Ann Downey, 10, was lured away from a funfair on Boxing Day 1964; and Edward Evans, 17, was killed in October 1965.

Brady was given life for the murders of John, Lesley Ann and Edward.

Hindley was convicted of killing Lesley Ann and Edward and shielding Brady after John's murder, and jailed for life.

Both later confessed to the murders of Pauline - whose body was found in 1987 - and Keith whose body has not been discovered.

Hindley died in hospital, still a prisoner, in November 2002 at the age of 60.


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Lawrence 'Smear Plot': Cameron Wants Inquiry

Written By Unknown on Senin, 24 Juni 2013 | 18.25

The Prime Minister has said he wants an immediate investigation into claims the Metropolitan Police carried out an operation to "smear" the family of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence.

The claims emerged in an interview with a former undercover police officer.

Peter Francis said he was told to find "dirt" that could be used against members of the Lawrence family, shortly after the 18-year-old was killed in a racist attack in April 1993, The Guardian reported.

He was also asked to target the friend who witnessed the murder and campaigners angry at the failure to bring his killers to justice, the newspaper said.

Downing Street said David Cameron was "deeply concerned" about the allegations and wants them looked into.

Home Secretary Theresa May is expected to make a statement on the claims in the House of Commons at around 3-3.30pm this afternoon.

Doreen Lawrence Doreen Lawrence said the revelation 'tops' everything she knows

The Home Office has said the claims will be investigated by a team already looking into other possible abuses of responsibility carried out by undercover officers.

Derbyshire's Chief Constable Mick Creedon is heading an inquiry into claims police officers assumed the identities of dead children and had inappropriate sexual relationships.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "We expect the highest standards of professionalism in all aspects of policing.

"That is why Chief Constable Mick Creedon is leading an IPCC-supervised investigation which will ensure any criminality or misconduct is properly dealt with. We would strongly encourage anyone with relevant information to speak to the investigation team.

"We have already announced our intention to legislate to ensure the independent Office of Surveillance Commissioners will provide enhanced judicial oversight of all undercover police deployments."

A leaf lies next to a plaque in memory of murder victim Stephen Lawrence, next to a bus stop in Eltham where he was killed in 1993 The teenager's death sparked a change in how race crimes are investigated

Mr Lawrence's mother, Doreen, told The Guardian that there was no justification for efforts to discredit her family following her son's murder.

Scotland Yard said it recognised the seriousness of the allegations and shared the concerns of the Lawrence family.

"The Met must balance the genuine public interest in these matters with its duty to protect officers and former officers who have been deployed undercover, often in difficult and dangerous circumstances," a spokesman said.

"At some point it will fall upon this generation of police leaders to account for the activities of our predecessors, but for the moment we must focus on getting to the truth."

The claims have surfaced as a result of a joint investigation into undercover policing by The Guardian and Channel 4's Dispatches programme, to be broadcast this evening.

Mr Francis, who reportedly posed as an anti-racist activist in the mid-1990s, said he came under "huge and constant pressure" to "hunt for disinformation" to undermine those arguing for a better investigation into the murder.

He told The Guardian: "I had to get any information on what was happening in the Stephen Lawrence campaign.

"They wanted the campaign to stop. It was felt it was going to turn into an elephant.

"Throughout my deployment there was almost constant pressure on me personally to find out anything I could that would discredit these campaigns."

Mr Lawrence, an aspiring architect, was stabbed to death by a group of up to six white youths in an unprovoked racist attack as he waited at a bus stop in Eltham, southeast London.

In January 2012, Gary Dobson and David Norris were found guilty of being involved in the attack and sentenced to life imprisonment after a forensic review of the case found significant new scientific evidence on clothing seized from their homes following the murder.

During the 19 year wait for justice by the family, there was a campaign by activists for more to be done to bring Stephen's killers to justice.

Responding to Mr Francis' claims, Mrs Lawrence told the Guardian: "Out of all the things I've found out over the years, this certainly has topped it."

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper described Mr Francis' claims as "shocking and appalling" and called for the Home Secretary to seek a faster investigation into his specific allegations.


18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Alps Killings: Al Hilli Brother Arrested

A man has been arrested over the murder of three members of his family and a cyclist who were shot dead in the Alps, according to Sky sources.

Zaid al Hilli, 54, was held by Surrey Police, who have been investigating the deaths of husband and wife Saad and Ikbal al Hilli, Mrs al Hilli's mother Suhaila al Allaf and cyclist Sylvain Mollier.

The suspect - Saad al Hilli's brother - was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder at an address in Chessington at around 7.30am, police said.

Surrey Police said the arrest was pre-planned and the result of ongoing inquiries.

The four victims were gunned down near Annecy in the French Alps in September last year.

The couple's two young daughters, aged seven and four at the time, survived the attack on the family's estate car.

Older sibling Zainab was shot in the shoulder and hit in the head by her attacker, but recovered from her injuries.

Her four-year-old sister Zeena survived by hiding under her mother's skirt in the back seat of the vehicle for eight hours.

Police believe Mr Mollier was an innocent bystander, killed because he was passing at the time of the attack on the family.

Surrey Police set up a Joint Investigation Team to work with their French colleagues - with up to 100 officers working on the case.

In May, Surrey Police issued an appeal for help to trace a vehicle, thought to be UK-registered, which was seen near the crime scene.

Detectives said the 4x4 was being driven on the Combre d'Ire Road in Chevaline, near Annecy, about 20 minutes before the shooting.


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Whistleblower Snowden 'Not On Cuba Flight'

Snowden Affair: The Who And The Why

Updated: 11:45am UK, Monday 24 June 2013

By Tim Marshall, Foreign Affairs Editor

A look at the different players in the Edward Snowden controversy as the whistleblower tries to evade US justice.

China

There's no hard evidence that China has played a role in this affair but it's difficult to argue against the idea.

Beijing had a man and had a problem. The problem was that hanging on to Mr Snowden could damage its relationship with Washington DC which is its biggest foreign policy challenge.

If it had done, a long-running dispute over the issue would mean that relationship would be complicated.

Now it doesn't have a man, it doesn't have problem, and has been able to poke the US in the eye without leaving much of a fingerprint.

It can also claim the somewhat dubious moral high ground, arguing that Mr Snowden's revelations proved that the Americans, who have long complained about Chinese hacking, was in fact spying on China.

China may have granted Hong Kong more autonomy than most of its regions, but foreign policy remains in Beijing's hands.

And it is almost certain China and Hong Kong liaised to smooth the path of Mr Snowden out of their jurisdiction.

Hong Kong

The only quandary for the Hong Kong authorities was how to keep up appearances.

This was a legal matter which quickly turned into a geo political struggle.

It had to preserve its dignity and the rule of law, but also make sure that what Beijing wanted, Beijing got.

Hence the repeated response to the Americans that the case was 'under review' and that more paperwork was needed.

In fact, very little paperwork was required, not even a valid passport. Mr Snowden travelled out of Hong Kong with a revoked passport.

Russia

The Kremlin says it is 'unaware' of any contact with the Russian authorities and Mr Snowden.

However, the idea that Aeroflot would allow a former American spy, whose name was making global headlines, onto one of their flights bound for Moscow, on a revoked passport, without a Russian visa, does not tally with the way the world works.

That Ecuador may have given him a 'travel document' is just part of the pretence.

Moscow is also busy poking Washington DC in the eye, whilst maintaining a modicum of 'not me guv'.

Mr Snowden did not leave Moscow's airport, thus allowing the pretence of him not passing through a border.

Cuba

If Mr Snowden was passing through Cuba, it does not present Havana with a dilemma.

A transit trip would not sour Washington-Havana relations any more than they already are.

Were he to stay there, that would be a different matter. He was checked in for a flight from Moscow to Havana, had a seat, but the plane left, apparently without him.

Venezuela

Hugo Chavez may be gone but the spirit of his 'Bolivarian Revolution' lives on.

Just last month the successor to Chavez, President Nicolas Maduro, referred to Barack Obama as 'the grand chief of devils'. 

Venezuela is part of the Bolivarian Alliance which includes Cuba, and Bolivia, the country named after the 18th century revolutionary Simon Bolivar.

Members tend to be 'anti-imperialist' and take a delight in tweaking the nose of the US and its perceived global arrogance. 

Venezuela can handle the heat of allowing Snowden to transit through its territory; after all, despite the rhetoric between Caracas and Washington DC, the US buys 900,000 barrels of Venezuelan oil every day.

Ecuador

Ecuador is also in the Bolivarian Alliance and President Rafael Correa has impeccable 'anti-imperialist' credentials having granted Wikileaks founder Julian Assange asylum in his country and refuge in the London embassy until Mr Assange can get there.

So far Ecuador is assessing Mr Snowden's asylum request.

As he is an American citizen this case if even more sensitive than the Assange affair, and Ecuador, a poverty stricken country has fewer cards to play than Venezuela.

The signs are it will stay within the spirit of the Bolivarian bloc, and keep quiet about its own trampling over the basic tenets of free speech.

The US

Fail.


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Suspicious Item Found At Walsall Mosque

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 23 Juni 2013 | 18.26

Homes near to a mosque in Walsall are being evacuated following the discovery of a suspicious item, West Midlands Police say.

Army bomb disposal experts are currently at the scene and have this morning ordered the evacuation of around 39 homes in the immediate vicinity of the Aisha Mosque and Islamic Centre.

The measure is precautionary while a further examination of the item is undertaken.

One officer wearing a blue full-length forensic could be seen taking photographs of areas of interest near the building.

Walsall

Police were called to the Rutter Street address at around 10.45pm last night following the discovery in the grounds of the building.

The item was then brought inside the building by a member of the public, police said.

The area has been cordoned off.

"People in the affected area and who are unable to make alternative arrangements are being taken to Walsall Town Hall where they will be cared for," a police statement said.

Bomb squad called to Walsall mosque Forensic experts were at the scene

Meanwhile, local officers remain at the scene and are talking to residents to keep them up-to-date with the incident and offer reassurance.

Viyja Kainth, the vice-chairman of a residents' group, said: "We were told by the police that there was an incident of a serious nature.

"The residents were evacuated in the early hours of the morning," he said, praising the work of Walsall Council in helping those who had to leave their homes.

Bomb squad called to Walsall mosque Police have appealed for information

Ali Mahmood, the chair of the local traders' association, said no details had been provided of the nature of the suspicious item.

"It's a very big shock for the local community," he told reporters.

Sky's Midlands correspondent David Crabtree says that more than 12 hours after the item was found, "the area remains cordoned off and there is a great deal of police activity and forensic work going on".

:: Anyone with information which may help should call police on 101 http://www.west-midlands.police.uk/contact-us/reporting-crime/


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NHS Cover-Up: Burnham Denies Pressuring CQC

Former health secretary Andy Burnham has denied pressuring the NHS watchdog to tone down criticism of hospitals during his time in the job.

Mr Burnham has faced questions about whether he influenced hospitals' watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC) at the time it gave Morecambe Bay NHS Trust a clean bill of health, despite deaths of mothers and babies.

Labour's shadow health secretary insisted he did not cover up any problems at England's hospitals in the run-up to the 2010 General Election and was in fact "actively working to identify them".

An open letter from David Morris, the Conservative MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, asked Mr Burnham: "How much 'pressure' did you put on the CQC to 'tone down' its criticism of hospitals?

"You were the Labour Secretary of State for Health, when the first whitewash inspection of the Morecambe Bay NHS trust occurred in the spring of 2010. This was a crucial pre-election season for you."

Mr Burnham told Sky News' Dermot Murnaghan that the suggestion he pressured the CQC was "fundamentally disproved" by the decisions he took while in office.

He cited his decision in 2009 to set up the Francis Inquiry to investigate failings at Stafford Hospital and said he was "taking steps" to address concerns about the health watchdog.

He said: "I can't recollect every detail of every discussion that I had in that period with the CQC.

James Titcombe's son Joshua died in 2008. Joshua Titcombe's father wrote to Mr Lansley three years ago

"I am confident that it wasn't brought to me that there was a major problem at Morecambe and action needed to be taken - that didn't happen.

"What I'm saying is I don't know whether concerns were raised as part of a more general meeting and I would have to review all the paperwork to provide that extra assurance."

In his reply to Mr Morris, he denied any hospital problems were swept under the carpet.

David Morris has also asked Mr Burnham to make public any emails, texts and letters in which the CQC was discussed and detail conversations he had with former CQC bosses Cynthia Bower and Baroness Young before the hospital was given a clean bill of health.

Meanwhile, Professor Sir Brian Jarman - head of the major healthcare information provider - has told Sky News that he alerted Morecambe NHS Trust to its high mortality rates in December 2009, but nothing was done.

His comments come as it emerged that another former health secretary, the Conservatives' Andrew Lansley, was warned about baby deaths at Furness General Hospital three years ago.

Mr Lansley received a letter from James Titcombe, whose son Joshua died aged just nine days at the hospital, raising concerns over inaction by the CQC.

"Despite all of these regulatory bodies, Joshua's death was preceded by the preventable deaths of other babies, yet no action was taken in time to make a different (sic) to our son," wrote Mr Titcombe.

Cynthia Bower Ex-CQC chief executive Cynthia Bower denies there was any cover up

He continues, "...there seems to be a gap in that the CQC can not investigate individual events and the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman do not assess complaints to their office against principles of patient safety".

Mr Titcombe told Sky News he believes the CQC may have been under pressure from senior health officials not to uncover another big hospital scandal.

The reply to his letter from the Department of Health said it was unable to comment on individual cases.

Mr Lansley also faces allegations that he told whistleblower Kay Sheldon he was considering her dismissal from the CQC board after she warned a public inquiry in 2011 that the CQC was in disarray and public safety was at risk.

A Department of Health spokesman said: "The then Secretary of State, Andrew Lansley, was asked to consider removing Kay Sheldon from the CQC Board by the previous Chair of the CQC, Dame Jo Williams. He chose not to remove her.

"He ordered a review to establish the facts around how Kay Sheldon's raising of concerns about the CQC were handled, taking into account all perspectives.

"After considering its recommendations and the representations of Kay Sheldon he decided that she should remain a member of the Board."

Another whistleblower, former CQC head of media Roger Davidson, has told the Sunday Telegraph that he was forced from his job just before the 2010 General Election, after telling how one quarter of NHS Trusts had failed to meet basic hygiene standards.

In addition, a senior NHS official is facing calls to resign over links to Morecambe Bay.

Mike Farrar, who heads the body representing NHS trusts, was in charge of North West Strategic Health Authority (NWSHA) at the time of the failings.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman confirmed it was investigating complaints against the NWSHA.

Former bosses of hospitals' watchdog CQC have been accused of covering up a report which criticised their original inspection of the Morecambe Bay NHS Trust. They deny the claims.

The CQC gave the trust a clean bill of health in 2010 despite the deaths of up to 16 babies.

James Titcombe and other families who lost babies at the hospital are now calling for a police investigation and an independent inquiry to establish who knew about the alleged cover-up.


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Whistleblower Snowden Leaves Hong Kong

The whistleblower Edward Snowden, who leaked details about snooping carried out by the US government, has left Hong Kong for Russia.

His departure was revealed on the website of the Hong Kong newspaper the South China Morning Post, which said that Russia was not thought to be his intended final destination.

The 30-year-old fugitive's departure has now been confirmed by the Hong Kong government.

It was thought that the eventual destination could end up being Ecuador or Iceland, but Russia's Itar-Tass news agency says he may be heading to Cuba and then on to Venezuela.

Itar-Tass said there is a flight ticket in his name from Moscow to Cuba and that he will then fly on to Caracas.

A source told Itar-Tass: "A Passenger with this name will fly today to Moscow on flight SU213 from Hong Kong, and tomorrow, June 24, he will fly to Havana on flight SU150,"

"Tomorrow, he will go by local flight from Havana to Caracas."

Russia's police have no plans to arrest him when he arrives at Moscow's Sheremtyevo Airport, Interfax quoted officials as saying, unless he does not have an appropriate visa.

The Morning Post said Snowden's flight left Hong Kong around 11am local time (4am UK time) and he was due to arrive in Moscow around 5.15pm local time (1pm UK time). The flight is believed to be currently in the air.

The twitter feed of the WikiLeaks whistleblowers' website said Snowden is currently over Russian airspace and is being accompanied by its legal advisers.

There is speculation he may be eventually heading for Ecuador as he is being helped by WikiLeaks, whose founder Julian Assange has also been granted asylum in the South American country.

Assange is currently in the Ecuador embassy in London as he is unable to leave without being arrested as he is wanted for questioning in Sweden over alleged sexual offences.

Snowden left Hong Kong after The White House asked the autonomous Chinese territory to extradite him. He had earlier been charged in the US with espionage.

WikiLeaks, which has published previous revelations about activities by America's security services, said it had helped Snowden secure political asylum in a "democratic country".

A twitter post said: "WikiLeaks has assisted Mr Snowden's political asylum in a democratic country, travel papers and safe exit from Hong Kong."

The Hong Kong government has said that although the US had sought his extradition, the request did not fully comply with requirements. It said that as a result, he was free to leave.

Snowden was revealed earlier this month to have been the man who leaked to the Guardian and Washington Post newspapers information about monitoring by America's National Security Agency.

Snowden told the Guardian the National Security Agency has been keeping details of millions of phone calls by Americans and monitoring the use by foreigners of internet sites including Google, Facebook and Yahoo.

The South China Morning Post reported that Snowden's departure was a relief to the Hong Kong government, which had been making all legal preparation to deal with new developments regarding the case.

More follows...


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