Trader Robin Clark Shot By Hitman In Essex

A City trader has been seriously injured after being shot by a hitman at an Essex railway station.

Police believe Robin Clark, 44, was "deliberately targeted" as he got out of his car in the car park at Shenfield station at 5.50am on Friday.

The gunman, who was wearing a balaclava, fled the scene in a vehicle parked nearby.

Robin Clark suffered serious injuries. Pic: Robin Clark/Twitter

Mr Clark, who lives in Essex, works for City brokerage firm RP Martin.

He was shot in the leg and is being treated at Basildon Hospital for his injuries, which are not life-threatening.

A British Transport Police spokesman said: "As he got out of the car he was approached by an unknown man and received a single gunshot to the leg."

Detective Superintendent Gary Richardson said: "At this stage we believe the victim of this assault was deliberately targeted.

"We do not believe this incident was gang-related and I would like to reassure the public that there is no reason for any undue concern.

"Inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances, including the motive behind the attack."

A spokesman for RP Martin said: "We are aware of this morning's incident and are giving Robin all the support we can.

"It would not be appropriate to comment any further at this stage."

:: Watch Sky News live on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria Peace Talks Get Under Way in Geneva

The two sides in Syria's bloody civil war have met for the first time at peace talks in Geneva.

The negotiations in have been dogged by delays with both factions blaming each other for a lack of progress.

Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad has told Sky News he will propose the best way for the country to move forward is to hold fresh elections.

Both sides, sat at a U-shaped table, communicated through the international mediator Lakhdar Brahimi, rather than speaking directly to each other.

The talks are being overseen by the special envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi

The talks are seen by many diplomats as the best hope for an eventual end to Syria's three-year conflict, which has left at least 130,000 people dead.

Sky's Sam Kiley said: "It's going to be a long, slow process."

Further talks are planned with humanitarian and 'transition' issues to be discussed.

Opposition spokesman Monzer Akbik said the regime had had to listen to them and the 'voice' of the Syrian people.

"The Syrian people want transition from dictatorship to democracy," he said.

He also revealed there had been no handshake.

Both sides shelved the major stumbling block regarding the future of President Bashar al Assad, to allow the talks to proceed.

They had looked to be in doubt on Friday after the Syrian government delegation threatened to leave the convention if "serious" discussions did not start within 24 hours.

The ultimatum followed the refusal by the country's opposition to hold face-to-face talks with the Assad regime, after it refused to concede to the formation of a transitional government.

More follows...

18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Labour Would Restore 50p Top Rate Tax

Labour would restore the 50p top rate of tax if it gets into power at the next general election, the shadow chancellor has confirmed.

Ed Balls made the announcement in a pitch to run Britain's economy, during which he promised to balance the nation's books and cut national debt.

In his speech to the Fabian Society's annual conference in central London, he described Labour as the "party of radical economic change" and said it was "speaking up ... for working people" facing a "cost of living crisis".

He said the country is "crying out for real and lasting change" and claimed the Prime Minister and the Chancellor are "out of touch" with voters.

Mr Balls said: "When the deficit is still high, when tough times are now set to last well into the next parliament, when for ordinary families their real incomes are falling and taxes have risen, it cannot be right for David Cameron and George Osborne to have chosen to give the richest people in the country a huge tax cut.

"That's why, for the next parliament, the next Labour government will reverse this government's top rate tax cut so we can finish the job of getting the deficit down and do it fairly.

"For the next parliament, we will restore the 50p top rate of tax for those earning over £150,000, reversing this unfair tax cut for the richest 1% of people in the country."

In his speech, Mr Balls said Labour would introduce a 10p starting rate of tax, which he claims would "help make work pay and cut taxes for 24 million people on middle and lower incomes".

He also announced Labour would create the British Investment Bank to support small businesses, commit to building 200,000 new homes a year by 2020 and expand free childcare for working parents to 25 hours a week.

"By supporting the long-term growth that will earn our way to higher living standards and help reduce the deficit, by rooting out waste in public spending, by making fairer choices on tax and benefit reform ... Labour can change Britain," he said.

More follows...

18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Philpott Fire Killings 'Could Not Be Predicted'

By Adele Robinson, Midlands Correspondent

The six Philpott children killed in a house fire started by their parents were victims of "a criminal act no one could have predicted", according to a Serious Case Review.

The Derby Safeguarding Children Board concluded that their deaths could not have been prevented.

Mick and Mairead Philpott and their friend Paul Mosley were convicted of manslaughter and jailed last year.

Jade Philpott and her brothers John, Jack, Jesse, Jayden and Duwayne died after their home was set alight in May 2012.

A statement from the board said their "tragic" deaths could not have been foreseen.

"Given the notoriety of the father, the incidents of domestic abuse and visibility of the children, there were some opportunities to get to know the family better, although this would not have led to professionals becoming aware that there were plans to deliberately set fire to the house when the children were sleeping."

Mick and Mairead Philpott were jailed last year

Mick Philpott lived for some time with his wife and former mistress, along with their 11 children.

The review found that the living arrangements at Victory Road were "unorthodox" but stated: "Although professionals recognised the arrangements as unusual they did not appear to affect the children and there was no evidence of difficulties between the adults."

The report considered a number of issues relating to the children including adult relationships, overcrowding at the house, Mick Philpott's previous convictions, domestic abuse, and media coverage.

"There were not concerns about the care of the children," report author Glenys Johnston told Sky News.

"In fact the children presented as happy, healthy, who formed good relationships with others around them.

"They were not malnourished, there were no concerns about the welfare of the children."

The Derby house has been demolished

In 2005 and 2006, Sure Start staff "commented positively on the family atmosphere and the father's engagement with his children".

In 2011, after one child told school staff she had been slapped at home, investigations found the "family continued to appear well adjusted and happy".

The report highlighted areas for improvement, however, including the sharing of information of past convictions going back decades.

Several agencies did not know of Mick Philpott's violent past, a conviction for attempted murder on an ex-girlfriend in 1978.

Workload pressures also meant more thorough checks on the children's files did not happen.

There were also opportunities to get to know the family better due to Mick Philpott's notoriety and various incidents of domestic abuse.

Paul Mosley also received a 17-year sentence for the deaths

The report stated: "Information that has emerged after the deaths of the children have described some tensions between the father and the women who lived in the house due to his controlling manner, but this was not apparent at the time.

"The relationship between the two mothers was always viewed as supportive and caring with neither of them having any difficulty with the partnership arrangements or any jealousy."

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue advice forms part of the review's 10 recommendations, for example continuing to encourage the installation of sprinklers into new houses.

As a result of the Philpott children's deaths research was carried out by the service into why they did not hear the smoke alarms.

Area manager Gavin Tomlinson, said: "Obviously children are developing their hearing at a younger age and they may not be woken by the smoke alarm.

"That said, the smoke alarm is there to alert all occupants and obviously there will be responsible people in the house - adults with children."

Mick Philpott was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 15 years after being described as a "disturbingly dangerous" man.

His wife, who is likely to be released after serving half of her 17-year term, took part as part of a plan to frame his former mistress who had left the family.

Their friend Paul Mosley was also jailed for 17 years.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Justin Bieber: Beliebers Camp Outside Hotel

Hundreds of fans of the pop star Justin Bieber have set up camp outside a Miami hotel where the singer has stayed since his release from jail.

So-called Beliebers showed their devotion to the troubled teenage singer was undimmed after he was bailed on charges including driving under the influence of drink or drugs and resisting arrest.

Bieber, who could face up to six months in prison if found guilty, told officers he had been drinking, smoking marijuana and taking anti-depressants, according to police.

Justin Bieber pictured after he was arrested. Pic: Miami Beach Police

But one adoring fan outside Bieber's hotel told Sky News: "It makes me want to support him even more, and defend him even more.

"I am worried about how he's going to be after this because everybody's pressuring him."

However, many have taken to Twitter to question those supporting the star, pointing to the victims of drink-driving.

Bieber's booking form after his arrest

Canadian-born Bieber was stopped by Miami police after apparently drag racing. He was clocked in a rented yellow Lamborghini doing around 60mph in a 30mph zone.

It has been reported that the singer's father was with him at the time.

The 19-year-old was arrested and taken to jail from where he made his first court appearance via videolink.

He was also charged with driving with an expired licence and bail was set by a judge at $2,500 (£1,500).

The singer waves to fans after he was released from jail

After he was released from jail, Bieber, wearing a hooded black top, sat on top of a waiting SUV for a few seconds and waved to his fans.

Bieber failed a sobriety test during his arrest, according to authorities, and he swore at officers when he was stopped, according to a copy of the arrest report.

An officer claimed the Canadian singer had "bloodshot eyes" and added he could smell alcohol on his breath.

Police said two SUVs had blocked the road in a residential area of Miami Beach so the 19-year-old star could race a friend, identified as R&B singer Khalil Sharieff, who was driving a rented Ferrari.

The van transporting Bieber to jail

Miami Dade state attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle told Sky News: "We take cases like this very seriously. It could have been the recipe for a tragedy."

Bieber told police he was returning from a studio recording session and repeatedly asked why he had been stopped and arrested.

"Why did you stop me?" he asked, according to the report. "Why do you have to search me?"

Bieber posted this graffiti photo on Instagram just hours before his arrest

Speaking at a news conference, Miami Beach Chief of Police Raymond Martinez said the singer had resisted arrest although he had done so "without violence".

Mr Martinez said the 19-year-old Canadian had been "belligerent" and had used some "choice words" when he was arrested.

He said Bieber had been very cooperative once he got to the station.

The star, who reportedly earned $58m (£35m) last year, arrived at Miami-Dade County Jail where he had his mugshots and fingerprints taken.

Khalil Sharieff was also charged with driving under the influence

The van with blacked-out windows transporting the singer was trailed by squad cars.

Miami-Dade Police spokesman Sergeant Bobby Hernandez told WSVN in South Florida that officers saw two cars racing at 4.09am.

Mr Hernandez said two vehicles apparently had been used to block off an area on Pine Tree Drive and 26th Street for the race.

He said the second car was a red Ferrari, and that the driver, Khalil, was also arrested. Khalil was later charged with driving under the influence, and his bail was set at $1,000 (£600). Both cars were towed away.

Bieber promoting his film Believe in December

Bieber was pictured in the car with a woman, named in some reports as model Chantel Jeffries, in the driving seat before his arrest.

The teenager has been in Florida for the past few days and has been spotted in nightclubs and at a skate park.

He posted photos on Instagram of him performing tricks on his skateboard and spraying his initials onto a wall at the park.

He is also alleged to have spent thousands of dollars at a strip club called the King of Diamonds.

A first conviction could bring a fine of between $250 (£150) and $1,000 (£600), depending on the level of alcohol, as well as community service and possibly a jail sentence.

Bieber's arrest comes just a week after the singer's California home was raided by police over claims that he pelted his neighbour's house with eggs, causing thousands of dollars of damage.

In that case, authorities arrested one member of Bieber's entourage, rapper Lil Za, on suspicion of drug possession.

Last year in the UK, the singer disappointed thousands of fans by showing up to gigs late, which meant many of his young followers had to leave his performances only moments after he started performing to catch trains home.

He was also involved in a scuffle outside his hotel in London during his visit.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Take-Home Pay 'Rising Faster Than Prices'

By Darren McCaffrey, Sky Political Reporter

Nine out of 10 British workers have seen their take-home pay increase in the past year, according to Treasury figures.

In a counter attack on Labour's so-called cost of living crisis, the Tories argued there was "stark" evidence that the economic recovery is for all.

Conservative ministers said nearly everyone except the richest 10% saw their take-home pay rise by at least 2.5% once tax cuts were taken into account.

This is above the Consumer Price Index inflation rate which stood at 2.4% in the year ending April 2013.

It is claimed conditions have improved most for the bottom 50% of earners with take-home pay rising three quarters faster than CPI inflation.

Though the figures take into account cuts to income tax and national insurance, they do not include cuts to benefits to people in work.

The Treasury says all but the top 10% of earners saw a rise last year

Labour accused the Conservatives of being "highly selective" with their statistics and failing to "understand the cost-of-living-crisis".

Minister of State for Skills and Enterprise Matthew Hancock MP said: ‪"Of course as a consequence of the Great Recession people who work hard have been made poorer and times are tough for families as a result.

‪"That's why, as part of our long-term economic plan, we are cutting taxes for hardworking people so they have more money in their pockets and are more financially secure.

"Last year, our tax cuts meant people's take home pay rose faster than prices. So while there is still a long way to go, these figures show our plan is working.

"Only by continuing to work through our long-term plan will we secure a better future for Britain."

Labour though argued that for most - real wages have fallen.

Shadow Treasury Minister Cathy Jamieson said: "The truth is that under David Cameron real wages have fallen by over £1,600 a year and analysis of IFS figures show families are on average £891 worse off as a result of tax and benefit changes since 2010.

Overall, wages rose by a third more than the rate of CPI inflation

"At the same time this government has given a huge tax cut to people earning over £150,000."

Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank, said the Government's figures did not take account of benefit reductions and so did not reflect what has happened to household incomes overall.

Mr Johnson said it appeared that pay was now rising faster than inflation for most workers, but predicted that - after inflation is taken into account - incomes will remain "well below" their pre-recession levels by the time of the 2015 general election.

"There are two problems with this which one needs to take into account," he said.

"First, we have other sets of data - the Office for National Statistics publishes an average weekly earnings index. That went up quite a lot less quickly than inflation in the most recent months.

"And of course they are not taking account of reductions in things like benefits which were occurring over the time.

"So if you are looking at household incomes, that will be different from what's happened to take-home pay," he told BBC Radio.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lib Dems Dismissed Hancock Sex Claims In 2012

The Liberal Democrats dismissed sex claims against MP Mike Hancock in 2012, a letter obtained by Sky News reveals.

The allegations against the politician by a woman constituent had been raised with Liberal Democrat central office and separately in a letter to Nick Clegg in 2011.

However, a letter, dated February 2012, said that the claims of sexual impropriety against Mr Hancock, who also sits as a Lib Dem councillor at Portsmouth City Council, had been considered but that they did not merit an investigation by the party.

In response to the 2011 letter written by the lawyer of the woman at the centre of allegations, the Liberal Democrats' official reply said: "Taking into account the contents of that correspondence, and applying the Party Constitution and membership rules, the committee decided that it would not commence any investigation or take any other action in respect of the matter that you have raised.

"In reaching this decision, the committee also took into account the nature of the police investigation and the stance of the Office of the Parliamentary Commission for Standards (OPCS).

"As a result, that has to be an end to the matter."

The letter says: 'That has to be an end to the matter'.

It has also emerged that former Lib Dem Chief Whip Alistair Carmichael spoke at length to the alleged victim and to Mr Hancock.

Mr Hancock, 67, was suspended by the Liberal Democrat party on Wednesday after a report into the matter was leaked on the internet.

The report - carried out by a barrister on behalf of Portsmouth City Council - described "compelling" evidence of "serious and unwelcome sexual behaviour" towards the woman constituent.

The development intensified the sex claims scandal which has engulfed the party, and led to significant criticism of Nick Clegg's leadership.

It follows the fallout from the case of the former party chief executive Lord Rennard, who was accused of sexually harassing women party activists.

The party is already in turmoil over the Lord Rennard sex claims scandal

The report into Mr Hancock's behaviour by Nigel Pascoe QC concluded that the barrister had no doubt that the complainant had provided "compelling prima facie evidence of serious and unwelcome sexual behaviour" carried out towards her by Mr Hancock.

Mr Pascoe described the woman as "a straightforward and vulnerable person, angry and hurt by what she said had happened to her".

He also acknowledged that Mr Hancock, who was exposed in 2011 for having an affair with a Russian aide 40 years his junior, was not motivated "solely by sexual desire" and that he had sought to help her "wholly properly" as a local councillor.

The Liberal Democrats said it was the first time the party had seen the report, which was released last year, and that given its conclusions they had decided to suspend Mr Hancock.

However, it is clear from the February 2012 letter obtained by Sky News that the party was made aware of the severity of the allegations against Mr Hancock.

Mr Hancock had an affair with Katia Zatulliveter, who was accused of spying

In a letter to Liberal Democrat Central Office in October 2011 from the woman's lawyer, Harriet Wistrich, she points out that her client had written to Mr Clegg to raise her concerns but that she had not received a response.

Mr Hancock has been accused of sexually assaulting the woman after she contacted him in 2009 for help dealing with a difficult neighbour.

Police decided that no action should be taken against Mr Hancock but the woman is taking her case to the High Court in a civil claim on Friday.

Mr Hancock has always denied the claims and resigned the Liberal Democrat whip last year to fight the case. However, he remained a councillor in Portsmouth.

The council opposed calls from Conservative and Lib Dem councillors to publish the report at a council meeting this week, claiming it would be inappropriate ahead of a civil court case brought by Mr Hancock's accuser.

It has postponed taking any disciplinary action against Mr Hancock until the civil case has been heard.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukraine Protesters 'Ready For Bullet To The Head'

Police and protesters in the Ukrainian capital Kiev were locked in a tense standoff early on Thursday, as the US threatened to impose sanctions over street battles which have claimed three lives.

Opposition leaders called for "calm" and an eight-hour truce ahead of fresh talks with President Viktor Yanukovych, which witnesses said appeared to be holding.

Police and protesters clashed again overnight, turning an area at the heart of the city into a virtual war zone with demonstrators setting fire to barricades, hurling stones and Molotov cocktails and police using tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets.

Sky's Katie Stallard, in Kiev, said: "Protesters also burned tyres, mattresses, whatever they could find to keep going, and reinforcing barricades too.

Fires continue to rage in central Kiev

"They have made homemade shields out of planks of wood and are rehearsing their tactical formations - how they plan to stand together and how they plan to protect themselves."

Earlier, opposition leaders had told them to go on the offensive on Thursday. They said Wednesday's peace talks had proved useless.

Vitali Klitschko said if this involved going onto the streets under bullets - that is what he and they were prepared to do.

They have on Mr Yanukovych to announce early elections within 24 hours or face more violence on the streets.

And have demanded he dismiss the government and scrap harsh anti-protest legislation.

Demonstrators have made their own shields out of wood to defend themselves

The leader of the opposition Fatherland party Arseniy Yatsenyuk said he was ready to die for the cause.

"If he does not go down that path then we will go forwards together and if it means a bullet to the head, then it is a bullet to the head. Viktor Yanukovych you have 24 hours. Take a decision. I have taken my decision," he said to cheers, speaking to around 40,000 people in Kiev's Independence Square.

Mr Klitschko added: "Early elections will change the situation without bloodshed and we will do everything to achieve that."

Medical staff in Kiev told Sky News that three people have been killed during the clashes.

Two protesters died after being shot, while another died from injuries sustained in a fall. One of the dead protesters was named locally as Serhiy Nihoyna.

Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said the police did not have live ammunition and that opposition leaders should be held responsible for the deaths.

Opposition leaders have told protesters to go on the offensive on Thursday

Police have thrown stun grenades and broken through protesters' barricades, made from burnt-out buses.

Protesters have also lobbed petrol bombs at police during ferocious clashes in the city's snow-covered streets.

During confrontations on Wednesday, riot police beat and shot at protesters, volunteer medics and journalists. The Interior Ministry said 70 protesters have been arrested.

The US State Department has threatened to impose sanctions against the Ukraine in response to the continued use of violence against protesters.

Spokeswoman Marie Harf said the US would continue to call upon Mr Yanukovych "to protect the democratic rights of all Ukrainians, including the rights of peaceful protest".

Image said to show one of the dead, Serhiy Nihoyna (Pic: Serhiy Proskurnia)

"I don't have more details on what those sanctions might look like, but we will continue to consider additional steps, as I said, including sanctions, in response to the use of violence," she said.

The rioting intensified when some 200,000 took to the streets at the weekend in a show of anger over the new anti-protest laws rushed through by Mr Yanukovych.

The laws allow for jail terms of up to five years for those who blockade public buildings. They also ban protesters from wearing masks or helmets.

Meanwhile, Russia said it would not intervene, according to President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

"We consider we do not have the right to intervene in any way in the internal affairs of our brother Ukraine. That's unacceptable and Russia has not done this and will not do it," he said in an interview published on the website of Komsomolskaya Pravda.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Murder Case Misconduct Detective To Keep Job

A detective disciplined for not following arrest guidelines in the Becky Godden-Edwards murder case will keep his job, police say.

Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher had previously been found to have breached murderer Christopher Halliwell's rights by failing to caution him and denying him a solicitor in an attempt to force information out of him.

Although 49-year-old taxi driver Halliwell was jailed for life for killing Sian O'Callaghan, the charge that he murdered Rebecca Godden-Edwards was dismissed due to Det Fulcher's mistake.

More follows...

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Unemployment Rate Falls To 7.1% In Job Surge

The UK unemployment rate fell to 7.1% during the three months to the end of November, prompting concerns of a rise in mortgage rates.

It was the biggest ever quarterly increase in employment. A total of 280,000 jobs were created in the period.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the number of those jobless fell by 167,000 between September and November, to 2.32 million.

The ONS said a total of 30.15 million people are now in work. The number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance last month fell by 24,000 to 1.25 million, the ONS said.

It said average earnings increased by 0.9% in the year to November - excluding bonuses. The pay figure was unchanged on the previous month.

The drop in the unemployment rate has potential implications for both savers and borrowers.

The Bank of England's monetary policy committee said it would consider a base rate rise, from the current record low of 0.5%, when the unemployment rate reached 7%.

The 0.5% is the lowest sustained base rate since 1964.

Forecasters had not expected the threshold to be reached until later in the year.

The 7% jobless rate will not trigger an automatic rate rise, according to the bank.

The latest unemployment rate of 7.1% is down by 0.5% from June-August, and by 0.6% from a year earlier.

But youth unemployment reached its highest rate since 1993.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

British Drug Smuggler Escapes Death Penalty

A British woman has escaped the death penalty after admitting smuggling crystal meth into Indonesia from China.

Andrea Waldeck has instead been jailed for 14 years and fined £100,000.

The 43-year-old admitted to taking three pounds of the drug through an airport in Java in April hidden in her underwear, but claimed she was coerced into it by her boyfriend in exchange for around £3,000, according to her indictment.

The former Police Community Support Officer with Gloucestershire Police, who left the force in February 2012, hung her head as she was led down to the cells at the court in Surabaya.

The ex-Gloucestershire Community Support Officer is considering an appeal

The sentence was lower than the 16 years recommended by the prosecutor. Under the country's strict anti-drugs laws Waldeck could have been given a death sentence.

The judge in the case said: "Andrea Waldeck has been proven legally and convincingly guilty of offering to sell or become a middle person to sell drugs."

He added that the punishment was lenient because Waldeck had "honestly admitted her mistake, which helped the trial proceed smoothly".

Waldeck's mother and brother at a hearing during her trial

The indictment against her said that Waldeck was arrested at a hotel after she managed to get through airport security with the drugs hidden in four plastic bags in her underwear.

It added that two members of a drugs gang had been on their way to the hotel to pick up the crystal meth, but police knew what was going on and got there first and arrested Waldeck.

She is considering whether to appeal against the ruling.

Waldeck is not the first foreigner to be punished in Indonesia for drug smuggling. 

Grandmother Lindsay Sandiford was sentenced to death in January 2013 after being caught trying to smuggle £1.4m worth of cocaine into Bali. The sentence was unanimously upheld in August by Indonesia's Supreme Court.

On Monday, Frenchman Michael Blanc was freed on parole after 14 years in prison for transporting hash, a purified form of cannabis, into the country.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria: Clash Ends 'Constructive' Start To Talks

The Syrian foreign minister and the UN Secretary-General have clashed at the start of crucial peace talks aimed at ending the country's bloody civil war.

Walid al Muallem ignored Ban Ki-moon's appeal for him to end an opening speech that lasted more than 30 minutes, saying: "You live in New York. I live in Syria. I have the right to give the Syrian version here in this forum."

He also launched a blistering attack on the Syrian opposition, asking them: "Where is your vision for this great country? Where are your ideas? Where is your political programme? What are the tools on the ground? I am quite sure you have nothing."

Mr Ban said the "constructive mood" with which the talks began had been shattered and warned: "I hope this will not be repeated."

Earlier, the US Secretary of State said world leaders have an "opportunity and an obligation" to find a way to end a conflict that has killed more than 100,000 people and created an estimated 2.3 million refugees.

The city of Montreux, Switzerland, is hosting the Geneva II talks

John Kerry said millions of Syrians "are relying on the international community to find a solution to save their lives and their country".

He said it had taken "a lot longer than many of us wanted" for world leaders to attempt to thrash out a resolution but said he was "as determined as ever" to end what he described as the "horrors of human catastrophe".

The conference on the banks of Lake Geneva is going ahead despite a last-minute dispute over the UN's decision to withdraw an invitation to Iran, after it refused to endorse a plan for a transitional governing body in Syria.

Groups fighting the rule of Bashar al Assad, who counts Iran as one of his closest allies, had threatened to pull out of the so-called "Geneva II" talks unless the invitation was rescinded.

In his opening exchange, opposition leader Ahmed Jarba accused the Syrian president of war crimes comparable to those committed by the Nazis during World War Two.

US Secretary of State arrives in Switzerland ahead of the talks

He demanded Mr Assad stand down as president and called on the government to commit to a transition of power - an issue expected to be central to the success of the talks.

However, Mr al Muallem has rejected any discussion of Mr Assad quitting his post.

"The subject of the president and the regime is a red line for us and the Syrian people and will not be touched," he said on the eve of the talks, according to the SANA news agency.

The conference also begins in the shadow of allegations of large-scale torture and execution of prisoners by government forces.

The day before the talks, a group of international lawyers published allegations of the "systematic torture and killing" of up to 11,000 people by the Syrian regime.

Smoke rises after a bomb blast in the Syrian city of Aleppo

Foreign Secretary William Hague urged both sides in Syria to "seize the chance" to end the civil war as he arrived in Switzerland.

"Opposition has been tested and has come. Now regime must be tested on willingness to seek a political solution," Mr Hague wrote on Twitter.

Mr Hague added that it was a "great shame" that Iran, which has enjoyed a thawing of relations with the West in recent months, had failed to endorse the principles of the talks.

US President Barack Obama and Russia's Vladimir Putin had a "business-like" conversation about the Syrian conflict by phone on Tuesday.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also met Mr Kerry in Montreux ahead of today's opening of negotiations.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

£6,000 Of Viagra Stolen From Military Stocks

Nearly £6,000 of Viagra has been stolen from military reserves since 2007, according to Government figures.

The anti-impotence pills are among £7m of stolen stock, which also includes 100 bayonets, thousands of rounds of ammunition, televisions, a karaoke rig and an industrial washing machine.

The Ministry of Defence was quick to point out that Viagra was also used for conditions such as low blood pressure and altitude sickness.

Also among the thefts is equipment from nuclear submarines, £7,000 of silver cutlery from Redford Cavalry and Infantry Barracks near Edinburgh and a £25,000 silver statue from the Household Cavalry barracks in Knightsbridge.

The figures were disclosed by the MoD in response to a written parliamentary question from Conservative MP Nick de Bois.

A silver statue was stolen from the home of The Household Cavalry

Defence minister Dr Andrew Murrison told The Times newspaper: "The Ministry of Defence takes detecting and deterring fraud and theft seriously and set up a new counter fraud and loss department last year to improve the way fraud and theft is managed across defence ...

"The focus of this new department's work is to secure reduced losses caused by fraud, theft and loss, increased recovery through civil and internal procedures and the improved protection of assets through increased target hardening."

The thefts were significantly greater between 2009 and 2010 with £2.5m of equipment going missing, while just £816,906 worth of kit vanished between 2012 and 2013. 

Since April 2013, £572,549 of military stock has been misappropriated.

The figures were released following the case of Sergeant Major Steven Barratt, who was last week jailed for 20 months for trying to sell £115,000 of Army night vision kit on eBay.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Motorway Pub Opens Despite Opposition

A new £1m pub has opened at a motorway service station, in the face of fierce criticism from road safety and alcohol campaigners.

Pub chain JD Wetherspoon says The Hope & Champion will be open from 4am to 1am, seven days a week.

The venue is located in the Extra Motorway Service Area at junction 2 of the M40 in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire.

The first person to order a pint was a man called Tom who told Sky News he had heard on the news that it was the first motorway pub to open so he had stopped on his way into work.

He ordered his pint at 9.20 and, when asked what he thought of the idea of selling alcohol on the motorway, he said it was "frankly ridiculous".

Tom, who was "slightly surprised" by the number of photographers on hand to record the moment, had a few sips of his pint and then put it down, saying he was driving.

It is the first pub ever to be opened at a motorway service area, and will sell real ale from local and regional brewers.

But critics say the location of the pub is "at odds" with public opinion.

Wetherspoon's is defiant about the opening, despite critics' complaints

The RAC said a survey of 2,000 people showed only 12% of respondents supported putting pubs into motorway service stations.

Around two-thirds said they did not agree with the move, with older drivers more likely to oppose the sale of alcohol at motorway service areas.

Only 8% of over-55s were in favour, with 71% against, while almost one in five of those aged between 18 and 34 were in support.

The RAC's head of external affairs Pete Williams said: "The public appear to be very much against the introduction of motorway pubs.

"In our view this is a risky and frankly unnecessary move. The question we are struggling to answer is - of all the places to open a pub, why choose a motorway service station?

"The temptation to drink and drive can only be increased by easier access to alcohol."

But Steve Baldwin, manager of the new pub, said the venue would serve the local community.

"The Extra Motorway Service Area, now including The Hope & Champion, primarily serves the motorway users, but its facilities are also available to the surrounding community from the local road network," he said.

Sir Ian Gilmore, Royal College of Physicians special adviser on alcohol and chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said: "I am disappointed by the decision to open a JD Wetherspoon on the M40.

"We are trying to prevent harm from alcohol-related traffic accidents and this sends out completely the wrong message."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria: Brutal Photos 'Are Evidence Of Torture'

UN Cancels Iran's Invitation To Syria Peace Talks

Updated: 7:57am UK, Tuesday 21 January 2014

The UN Secretary-General has withdrawn his invitation to Iran to join this week's peace conference on Syria.

Ban Ki-moon was forced to act after the exiled Syrian opposition threatened to withdraw from the talks if Iran - a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al Assad - takes part in the conference.

It came as a group of top lawyers published what they described as "clear evidence" of the "systematic torture and killing" of up to 11,000 detainees by the agents of the Syrian government.

The lawyers, who are all former international war crimes prosecutors, were handed 55,000 images smuggled out of the country by an ex-military policeman.

In a report, they said the photographs showed emaciated corpses with severe injuries and would support findings of crimes against humanity by the Assad regime.

Some of the victims appeared to have been beaten, strangled or electrocuted, they claimed.

Mr Ban said the Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had repeatedly assured him that he "understood and supported" the aim of the peace conference.

But Iran's UN ambassador declared his country would not join the peace talks, due to open in Switzerland on Wednesday, if it was required to accept a Syria declaration adopted by major world powers in Geneva in 2012.

The roadmap calls for a transitional government to guide the country out of the three-year war which the UN says has killed more than 100,000 people.

During a news conference in New York, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said: "The Secretary-General is deeply disappointed by Iranian public statements today that are not at all consistent with that stated commitment."

The Syrian National Coalition has said it will join the talks now that Iran's invitation has been retracted.

Spokesman Monzer Akbik said: "We appreciate the United Nations and Ban Ki-moon's understanding of our position. We think they have taken the right decision."

High-ranking delegations from around 40 countries - including Russia, which said the decision to pull Iran's invitation was a mistake but not a catastrophe - are attending the talks.

However, Abbas Araqchi, Iran's deputy foreign minister, said a "comprehensive solution" would not be found unless "all influential parties" are involved in negotiations.

"Everyone knows that without Iran the chances of a real solution to Syria are not that great," he said.

Face-to-face negotiations between the Syrian government and its opponents - the first since the conflict began three years ago - are to start on Friday in Geneva.

:: Watch the latest updates live on Sky News on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Sickening' Footage Of Birmingham Street Robbery

Police have released footage of what they have described as a "sickening" unprovoked violent attack on a man who was knocked unconscious and repeatedly kicked in the head by two thieves.

The victim who has been left with permanent scarring to his body, was ambushed by the "thugs" as he made his way home from a night out at a birthday celebration in Birmingham.

CCTV obtained by West Midlands Police of the attack shows the men picked their target by throwing a cermic plate at the 51-year-old's arm as he walked along Bordesley Green Road.

The victim is punched in the head, which knocks him to the ground

The footage shows the victim turn around as the plate strikes him and shatters into pieces at his feet.

He confronts the man that has thrown the plate and continues walking up the road when suddenly a second man appears and punches the victim in the head, immediately knocking him to the gutter unconscious.

What follows is "absolutely horrendous", police said, as the first offender begins to rifle through the vcitim's coat and trouser pockets, helping himslef to a watch and mobile phone.

While this is going on, the man who threw the punch saunters back over to the pair and can be seen stamping on the victim's head and slapping him across the face, back and forth, a few times.

One of the attackers rifles through the victim's pockets

He then kicks the victim in the head twice, stamps on it again two times and appears to slap his face again before both attackers run out of view of the CCTV camera.

A motorist then appears to slowly drive by and pull up with his window wound down in the foreground down to see what has happened, and appears to be confronted from a distance by one of the robbers.

A second car pulls up in the distance near to where the victim is lying unconscious in the road, his legs partly on the pavement, as the two perpetrators stroll away, just as a concerned passer-by stops to call the emergency services.

The victim, who suffered extensive cuts to his face and head and more cuts and bruising to his body, is having to also deal with the psychological impact of the assault, as well as the loss of his watch and phone.

The offender who knocked him down joins his accomplice ...

More than a dozen other witnesses can be seen driving along as the attack took place and the victim today encouraged them to speak to detectives.

Speaking anonymously, he said: "I urge you to come forward and furnish the police with information which could assist and lead to the conviction and imprisonment of these perpetrators and cowards.

"This community will not tolerate or accept crimes such as the one inflicted on myself and people should be safeguarded from these thugs.

"On the advice of others, I have chosen not to view the CCTV, but I want such cowardly perpetrators to know the psychological damage you inflict on innocent people can be irreparable."

... and proceeds to repeatedly stamp and kick the victim in the head

And in a direct message to the offenders, he said: "The community abhors your crimes and looks forward to you being caught, convicted and removed from our streets."

Chief Inspector Dawn Miskella, from Birmingham CID, said: "The footage speaks for itself − it was an absolutely horrendous, unprovoked attack on an innocent man who was making his way home from a night out, leaving him with long-lasting injuries.

"I would appeal directly to those people who drove past the scene as the robbery was taking place to please come forward and speak to us. You may not have realised what was going on at the time, but your information could be vital in helping us find the people responsible."

The attack happened outside the Bordesley Green surgery on Bordesley Green Road, at the junctions with Pikewater Road and Whitehall Road, at around 1.10am on Sunday, December 15.

Anyone with information can contact Birmingham Police CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

IMF Upgrades UK Growth Forecast Above Rivals

By Ed Conway, Economics Editor

The International Monetary Fund is on the brink of upgrading its growth forecast for the UK more than any other major economy, Sky News has learnt.

The Fund is poised to increase its projection for UK growth in 2014 from 1.9% to 2.4%. Although the Fund will also lift its forecasts for world economic growth, the UK upgrade is significantly stronger.

It is the latest boost to the fortunes of the Chancellor, coming barely 24 hours after the Ernst & Young ITEM Club also increased its projection for UK economic growth this year.

Although the Fund's forecast for growth this year will be shy of the 2.7% predicted by the ITEM Club, the scale of the upgrade underlines how quickly sentiment about Britain's economy has turned in recent months.

The updated forecasts may also be construed as a reputational blow for the Fund itself, whose chief economist warned less than a year ago that the economic policies being carried out by George Osborne amounted to "playing with fire".

Since then, the Fund has already increased its growth projections for Britain once, last October, before this week's anticipated upgrade.

The news comes amid growing optimism about the speed of the UK recovery. In spite of concerns about retailers' fortunes over Christmas, retail sales grew in December at the fastest annual rate in almost a decade.

The Office for National Statistics is expected to announce next week that growth in the final quarter of 2013 remained relatively strong at around 0.7%.

However, some have voiced concern that Britain has been reliant for much of the growth on household spending rather than the exports and manufacturing sector.

The IMF itself has voiced concern that, having failed to rebalance the economy, the government is now reliant, through policies such as Help to Buy, on boosting the housing market and encouraging consumers to take out more debt.

Nonetheless, the IMF upgrade represents the latest evidence that Britain's recovery is starting to take real hold, pushing the country towards robust growth this year.

 :: Watch the news conference live on Sky News, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mikaeel Kular's Mother Due In Edinburgh Court

Missing Mikaeel Kular: A Timeline Of Events

Updated: 11:23am UK, Monday 20 January 2014

The disappearance of three-year-old Mikaeel Kular, from Edinburgh, sparked a major police investgation and search. Here is a timeline of events leading to the discovery of the three-year-old boy:

Thursday, January 16

:: 0900: Police Scotland launch a search for Mikaeel after his mother reports him missing. She tells police she last saw him when she put him to bed at around 9pm the night before, but when she went to wake him at around 7.15am, he was not in his bedroom at their home in Ferry Gait Crescent.

:: 1020: Police release a photograph of the missing boy. He is described as being of Asian appearance and possibly wearing a beige hooded jacket, brown Clarkes shoes and pyjamas.

:: 1055: Police Scotland superintendent Liz McAinsh tells reporters there is no evidence to suggest "criminality" at this stage, but officers are "keeping an open mind". One of the possibilities is he left his home of his own accord, and so local residents are urged to look in their own homes, gardens, sheds, parks and lock-ups. The boy's mother is said to be "distraught".

:: 1320: Police activity is reported in the Waterfront Gait area of the city and a man is detained by police. It is not connected to the search for Mikaeel.

:: 1430: Coastguard and lifeboat teams search the shoreline in the Cramond and Drylaw area. Local residents and volunteers join the search for the missing boy, with a police helicopter already in action and specialists with sniffer dogs and mountain rescue teams deployed on the ground. Forensic teams continue to examine his home.

:: 1600: Police Scotland issue a Child Rescue Alert which is usually reserved for abduction and kidnap cases and supported by all police forces across the UK. A dedicated hotline - 0300 200 0200 - is also set up.

:: 1630: Concerns grow for the youngster who Supt McAinsh says may be out wandering the streets "cold, hungry and disorientated" as darkness falls and the temperature drops. Police issue an updated description of Mikaeel, saying that he may also be wearing black gloves with multi-coloured fingers, dark navy blue jogging bottom and a grey pyjama top with an embroidered turquoise dinosaur on the chest. He also has a faded scar on the bridge of his nose and a sore on the left hand side of his mouth.

:: 2100: Police Scotland release a new image of Mikaeel which shows him in the beige jacket he is believed to have been wearing when he disappeared. The search continues through the night.

Friday January 17

:: 0700: Supt McAinsh makes a fresh appeal for help to find the child and says there has been a "fantastic" response from the public with some 150 calls made to the hotline.

:: 1000: Hundreds of people gather at the North Neighbourhood Centre in West Pilton Gardens to help search for Mikaeel.

:: 1030: A missing person appeal for Mikaeel is published on digital billboards across the UK, with adverts adverts shown in areas such as train stations and shopping centres.

:: 1345: A "potential sighting" at 8.30am on Thursday in West Pilton Gardens, Edinburgh, is investigated. The child matches Mikaeel's description, in all but the fact that he is wearing a hat, police say. But it is not confirmed as the missing boy. Volunteers including firefighters and mothers pushing prams take part in a search of the shore at Cramond, in north-west Edinburgh.

:: 1745: Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham says there have been no confirmed sightings of Mikaeel and police are exploring whether his disappearance may be the result of a "criminal act", but adds officers are also still looking at whether he could have left his home of his own accord. He says all immediate family members have been traced and spoken to by police, and a timeline of Mikaeel's movements before his disappearance established. Supt McAinsh reveals Mikaeel has not been at nursery since the Christmas break because he has been ill.

:: 2030: Police thank the more than 200 volunteers who helped during the day, and the search continues into the night.

Saturday January 18:

:: 0110: Police convene a sudden news conference and reveal that a body believed to be that of Mikaeel was found shortly before midnight in Fife. Mr Graham confirms that a person has been detained in connection with the death and Mikaeel's family informed.

:: 2300: Mr Graham confirms a 33-year-old woman has been arrested and charged in connection with Mikaeel's death and will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, January 20.

18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More