Diberdayakan oleh Blogger.

Popular Posts Today

BA Owner IAG Tables Fresh Bid For Aer Lingus

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 24 Januari 2015 | 18.25

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor, in Davos

The parent company of British Airways (BA) has approached Aer Lingus about a fresh takeover bid for the Irish carrier.

Sky News can exclusively reveal that International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) submitted a revised proposal to the board of Aer Lingus within the last couple of days.

Sources said that the board of IAG had authorised an improved all-cash offer earlier this week worth at least €2.50 a share, which would value the Dublin-based airline at more than €1.3bn (£971m).

Directors of Aer Lingus discussed the proposal on Friday with their investment banking advisers from Goldman Sachs, according to insiders.

The disclosure of the approach by Sky News is likely to trigger stock exchange statements by both companies on Monday.

The fresh overture could be sufficient to persuade Aer Lingus to enter into formal takeover discussions with IAG, although it was unclear this weekend whether there were significant conditions attached to the proposal.

It was also unclear whether IAG might be prepared to raise its offer for a third time if the current proposal is rejected.

IAG's chief executive, Willie Walsh, is a former Aer Lingus pilot who went on to run the airline before taking the helm at BA in 2005.

He has made two previous approaches for the Dublin-based carrier, pitched at €2.30 and €2.40 a share, in the past six weeks.

Both were rebuffed by Aer Lingus on the basis that there were undisclosed conditions attached and that they "fundamentally undervalue[d] Aer Lingus and its attractive prospects".

Mr Walsh's attempt to acquire Aer Lingus is designed to cement its grip on take-off and landing rights at London's Heathrow Airport, while enabling him to improve the Irish carrier's profitability by combining some operations with those of IAG.

Already the largest carrier at Heathrow, a merger of the two companies would create a group with close to half of the available slots there.

A Government commission on aviation capacity led by Sir Howard Davies is due to recommend after the General Election whether Heathrow or Gatwick should be allowed to construct a new runway.

Even if Aer Lingus's board is minded to open talks with IAG, Mr Walsh will need to persuade the Irish Government and Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary of the bid's merits.

Ryanair owns a 29.8% stake in Aer Lingus and has fought a long-running battle with regulators over both that shareholding and a string of its own bids for its rival dating back to 2006.

Ryanair has indicated that it would be prepared to consider an offer of between €2.50 and €2.70 a share.

The Irish Government holds a 25.1% stake in the airline, and reports have suggested that it could insist that IAG retains Aer Lingus's Heathrow slots solely for flights to and from Ireland as a condition for approving a deal.

Analysts have argued that such a pre-condition would make Aer Lingus less attractive to Mr Walsh, who in addition to his IAG role is also chairman of Dublin's state debt management agency.

IAG was created in 2009 from the merger of BA and Iberia, which has been radically restructured by Mr Walsh against initially intense opposition from Spanish labour groups.

Since then, it has also acquired Vueling, another Spanish carrier, struck an alliance with American Airlines and considered several other big takeovers.

IAG shares closed on Friday up 2.1% at 536p, valuing it at almost £11bn, while Aer Lingus shares closed up 0.4% at €2.35, giving it a market capitalisation of €1.25bn.

Aer Lingus is preparing for a transition in its leadership regardless of Mr Walsh's efforts to acquire it.

The airline's chief executive, Christoph Mueller, is leaving in May to run Malaysia Airlines, which is being nationalised following the disasters last year involving flights MH370 and MH17.

IAG, which is being advised by Deutsche Bank, and Aer Lingus both declined to comment.


18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Obama Joining PM To Pay Tribute To Saudi King

Prime Minister David Cameron and The Prince of Wales, representing the Queen, are flying to Saudi Arabia today following the death of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz.

They will join a host of international dignitaries in Riyadh to pay their respects to the Saudi royal family.

President Obama has cancelled the end of his visit to India - which included a visit to the Taj Mahal - in order to fly to Saudi Arabia, a long-standing ally of the United States.

Mr Obama will travel to Riyadh on Tuesday to meet with King Salman, the White House has confirmed.

King Abdullah, 90, died on Thursday evening after almost two decades leading the world's biggest oil exporter.

Both Mr Cameron and the Queen said they were "saddened" by his death.

Their decision to fly to Saudi comes amid sharp criticism over a decision to lower flags at Whitehall and across England a mark of respect for the late monarch.

Downing Street and Whitehall buildings, including Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace, were instructed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on Friday to lower the Union Flag for 12 hours in tribute.

But some politicians and human rights campaigners have slammed the tributes to Abdullah who presided over a country where a woman was recently beheaded in public, a blogger was sentenced to receive 1,000 lashes for 'insulting Islam' and where women have been banned from driving.

Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, dismissed the flag tribute as "a steaming pile of nonsense", adding that it was "a stupid act on its own and a stupid precedent to set".

Former Conservative MP for Corby, Louise Mensch, took to twitter to vent her anger: "It is so unacceptable to offer deep condolences for a man who flogged women, didn't let them drive, saw guardian laws passed and starves them."

She even tweeted "F*** YOU" in reply to a tweet from the British Embassy in Riyadh which quoted the Prime Minister's sorrow at the king's death.

The head of Amnesty International implored the world not to forget the country's human rights abuses amidst the tributes to the dead king.

Salil Shetty said: "The Saudi regime seems insensitive to human rights and human dignity and unfortunately they are also protected by many Western countries because they have oil and because they are seen as allies in the fight against terrorism."

But Westminster Abbey argued refusing to lower its flag would not have helped the "desperately oppressed Christian communities of the Middle East".

"For us not to fly at half-mast would be to make a noticeably aggressive comment on the death of the king of a country to which the UK is allied in the fight against Islamic terrorism," a spokesman said.

A spokesman for UKIP leader Nigel Farage said lowering the flags showed "respect for an ally in the war against terror" and that the issue of human rights should be taken up with the new king.

But one of his MPs, Douglas Carswell, disagreed, saying officials had seriously blundered and showed "immoral" values far from those of the British public.

Referencing the civil service mandarin from television series Yes Minister, he said: "Sir Humphrey's values need to be aligned more closely to people in this country rather than being quite so immoral.

"Saudi Arabia is a country that doesn't let women drive and publicly executes people."

Archbishop of Canterbury The Most Rev Justin Welby told Sky News: 'Freedom of religion is essential and freedom to express Christian faith in Saudi Arabia is something that should happen.

"A few weeks ago there was a group of migrant workers arrested for holding a private service in a flat. That's not right.

"But I know that King Abdullah himself - it's a complicated place Saudi Arabia, like all countries - King Abdullah himself is someone who has worked very very hard on these issues and has contributed much and I think it's right that the prime minister should send condolences and should recognise what he's done over the years."

King Abdullah had run the country as de facto leader since the mid-1990s after his predecessor King Fahd suffered a debilitating stroke.

He was admitted to hospital on 31 December suffering pneumonia and the royal court announced that he was breathing with the aid of a tube.

He has been succeeded by his 79-year-old half-brother, Salman.


18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Teenager Murdered In Pub Machete Attack

A murder investigation has begun after a 19-year-old man was killed in a machete attack outside a pub in Gloucester.

He was attacked near the Pike and Musket pub at about 12.40am on Saturday morning, and police are appealing for witnesses.

A 22-year-old man was left with serious injuries after the attack, and investigators believe the weapon used was a machete. 

The victim is now in a stable condition following surgery at the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

A third man, aged 18, sustained minor injuries in the fight, which unfolded on Windsor Drive in Tuffley.

"We would like to speak to anyone who witnessed what happened in the pub's car park or was in the area around the time of the incident and may have seen something which may help with inquiries," a police statement added.

More follows...


18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

The Sun Puts Topless Woman Back On Page 3

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 22 Januari 2015 | 18.26

The Sun has published a photo of a topless woman for the first time in almost a week after speculation the newspaper had scrapped its Page 3 feature.

The newspaper featured a winking "Nicole, 22, from Bournemouth" on Page 3 in Thursday's edition - the first such image published since last Friday.

"Further to recent reports in all other media outlets, we would like to clarify that this is Page 3 and this is a picture of Nicole, 22, from Bournemouth," the paper states beneath a headline "Clarifications and Corrections".

"We would like to apologise on behalf of the print and broadcast journalists who have spent the last two days talking and writing about us."

It was widely reported that the 44-year-old feature had been moved online and would only be available on the paper's website.

Campaigners have long been pushing for the feature to be scrapped, labelling it sexist, harmful to children and out-of-date.

The campaign group No To Page 3 said the "fight might be back on" after Thursday's edition of the paper hit the newsstands.

Writing on their Facebook page the group said: "Thanks to The Sun for all the publicity they've given the campaign."


18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Video: Police Shoot Black Man As He Surrenders

Newly released footage has revealed the moment a man was shot dead during a police traffic stop in New Jersey as he got out of a car with his hands raised.

The footage, captured by a police dashboard camera, shows officers making a traffic stop in Bridgeton, New Jersey, on 30 December.

But the situation becomes increasingly tense as one officer warns his partner that he has seen a gun in the glove compartment of the Jaguar car.

Officer Braheme Days repeatedly shouts at the passenger "show me your hands!" while warning him not to "reach for something" inside the vehicle.

He then appears to reach into the car and remove a gun, but the passenger, Jerame Reid, gets out of the vehicle and is shot several times.

Officer Days and his partner have been placed on leave pending a Cumberland County prosecutor's office investigation.

The shooting has sparked protests in Bridgeton and comes after months of demonstrations over the killings of unarmed black men by white police officers in New York and Ferguson, Missouri.

In the footage, the officers pull over the Jaguar for going through a stop sign.

Officer Days steps back, pulls out his gun and tells the men inside the car to "show me your hands".

1/13

  1. Gallery: Archive: Protests After Eric Garner Grand Jury Decision

    Protesters took to the streets after a grand jury decided not to charge a white policeman over the chokehold death of an unarmed black man

Father-of-six Eric Garner, 43, died after he was restrained by police

]]>
18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Prince Andrew Asked To Respond Under Oath

Prince Andrew has been formally asked to respond to allegations by a woman who claims she was made to have under-age sex with him.

A letter addressed to the Prince at Buckingham Palace has been filed by lawyers acting on behalf of Virginia Roberts.

The document, filed on Wednesday in a Florida court, asks him to take part in a two-hour interview under oath.

Ms Roberts, who is referred to in court as Jane Doe No 3, claims when she was 17 she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew by his friend Jeffrey Epstein - a financier and now convicted sex offender.

The Duke, who is not a party to the proceedings, strenuously denies the claims.

The letter, dated 14 January, said: "This letter is a formal request ... to interview you, under oath, regarding interactions that you had with Jane Doe No 3 beginning in approximately early 2001. Jane Doe No 3 was then 17 years old.

"The interview could be conducted at a time and place of your choosing, and with your co-operation, I believe the interview could be completed in two hours or less."

The Prince is expected to publicly deny the allegations when he hosts an event at the World Economic Forum in Davos later.

He is due to speak at around 5.30pm, with coverage on Sky News.

A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said: "We would not comment on speculation about what the Duke might say."

It is the first time Ms Roberts has spelt out in her own words what she claims happened.

1/8

  1. Gallery: Profile Of Prince Andrew

    Born on 19 February 1960 at Buckingham Palace, Prince Andrew is the second son and the third child of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh

The Prince served in the Royal Navy for 22 years as a helicopter pilot - he took part in the Falklands campaign

]]>
18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Unnatural Sex' File Given To Abuse Inquiry

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 21 Januari 2015 | 18.25

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

A secret Government file has been unearthed that documents "unnatural" sexual behaviour taking place when the Westminster paedophile scandal was at its height.

It has been kept under lock and key for 35 years on grounds of national security - but will now be released to the child abuse inquiry established by the Government.

Security and intelligence expert Dr Chris Murphy stumbled across it last November while searching documents at the National Archives in Kew.

He was immediately alerted by the title: "PREM19/588 - SECURITY. Allegations against former public [word missing] of unnatural sexual proclivities; security aspects 1980 Oct 27 - 1981 Mar 20."

"I was looking through the 'PREM' Prime Minister file series for the 1980s," the University of Salford lecturer told Sky News.

"I think I did a double-take and then started wondering what the potential implications of the title, which is a little vague, could be."

It is highly likely then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher saw the documents, and was briefed on the security implications, but the identities of those within them remain secret.

Dr Murphy added: "The fact that this file is concerning the Prime Minister and these allegations are being taken to the Prime Minister I think would strike anybody of being potentially of some interest."

Sky News highlighted the existence of the file to the Cabinet Office earlier this month.

A spokesperson for the department said: "In this case, the file was kept closed and retained as it contained information from the security services and advice from the Law Officers. 

"These classifications are reviewed periodically."

The department would not reveal whether David Cameron or Home Secretary Theresa May were aware of the contents, but promised it would be made accessible to the child sex abuse inquiry.

"We are clear that any files that are pertinent to the historical child sex abuse inquiry will be made available to the panel," the spokesperson added.

Mrs Thatcher's former press secretary, Sir Bernard Ingham, told Sky News he could not recall the file.

He did though confirm that both he and Mrs Thatcher were aware of allegations against a Government minister in the early 1980s.

Sir Bernard would not name the individual, but said: "I asked him about it and he denied it, so no, I didn't do anything else. What was the alternative?"

In July last year, the Prime Minister promised the survivors of sexual abuse that "no stone would be left unturned" in the pursuit of the truth.

Officials at the Cabinet Office have previously attempted to block requests for information relating to Cyril Smith, the late Liberal politician who is now known to have abused youngsters.

Simon Danczuk MP, who exposed the extent of Smith's offending, told Sky News the "sexual proclivities" file had to be released.

"I think it is right and proper that the Government now open up this document, let us know what is in there," he said.

"I think there is a culture within Government departments of not releasing information and that has caused some of the problems we now have in getting to the bottom of who was involved in this paedophile network and who was involved in covering it up."

The abuse inquiry was announced in July but currently has no chairman, after first Lady Butler-Sloss and then Fiona Woolf were appointed and then stepped down following concerns over their links to the political establishment.

It is still yet to appoint someone to lead it amid growing calls for action from survivors and campaign groups.


18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Iraq Inquiry: The Key Points Explained

Disagreements over confidential messages between then prime minister Tony Blair and US President George W Bush have delayed the publication of the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq War.

The inquiry was set up to examine the initiation and conduct of the war, which began in 2003, and was officially launched nearly six years ago.

A panel of five Privy Counsellors, chaired by Sir John Chilcot, has summoned key figures to give evidence and examined thousands of documents about the arguments behind the decision to go to war.

:: Announced by then-PM Gordon Brown on 15 June 2009, the Iraq Inquiry was officially launched on 30 July.

:: It was set up following calls for an inquiry into the initiation and conduct of the Iraq War in 2003.

:: The panel is comprised of: chairman Sir John Chilcot, former Permanent Secretary at the Northern Ireland Office and a non-party member or chairman of a number of reviews and inquiries; Baroness Usha Prashar, Deputy Chair of the British Council and member of House of Lords; Sir Roderic Lyne, former British ambassador to the Russian Federation; Sir Martin Gilbert, former history don at Oxford University and author; Sir Lawrence Freedman, professor of War Studies at King's College London since 1982.

:: In his opening statement, Sir John said the inquiry would "consider the period from the summer of 2001 to the end of July 2009, embracing the run-up to the conflict in Iraq, the military action and its aftermath.

"We will therefore be considering the UK's involvement in Iraq, including the way decisions were made and actions taken, to establish, as accurately as possible, what happened and to identify the lessons that can be learned," he said.

:: In its terms of reference, the inquiry states it is "not a court of law" and that "nobody is on trial".

:: Of particular interest in the inquiry is the 2002 dossier which established "beyond doubt" that Saddam Hussein had and was continuing to produce Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). This dossier continued the "45 minute" claim, which stated that Saddam could ready these weapons in 45 minutes and led to claims the dossier had been "sexed up".

:: The Iraq War began on 20 March, 2003, with a "shock and awe" surprise attack, followed by a US-led ground invasion of Iraq. Saddam Hussein was captured in December 2003, but the conflict continued for several years as sectarian violence between Shia and Sunni militias erupted with the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians as well as an insurgency against coalition troops. The UK deployed 46,000 troops during the initial invasion, who were withdrawn in 2011. Some 179 British soldiers were killed during the conflict.

:: The first round of hearings began on 24 November 2009, and ran until February 2010.

:: The second round began on 29 June to 30 July 2010.

:: The final round started on 18 January and ran until 2 February 2011.

:: More than 200 Cabinet and Cabinet Committee meetings have been examined.

:: 25 notes from Tony Blair to President Bush have also been investigated, along with more than 130 records of conversations between Mr Blair or Mr Brown and the former US president.

:: The total cost of the inquiry currently stands at £9,016,500.

:: Evidence has been heard from a number of witnesses, including Mr Blair who was called twice. He insisted he had no regrets over the decision to go to war, and described the Iraqi leader as a "monster".

:: The delays have been triggered by disagreements over messages between Mr Blair and President Bush. They have also been caused by the "Maxwellisation process" - the procedure where individuals due to be criticised in an official report are sent details of the criticisms in advance so they can respond prior to the publication of the report.

1/13

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

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

]]>
18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Iraq War Report Delayed For 'Some Months'

The Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war will not be published until after the General Election, it has emerged in a series of letters.

In a letter to Prime Minister David Cameron, chairman Sir John Chilcot said "very substantial progress" has been made in the inquiry, but there was "no realistic prospect" it could be published before May and that completion of the work would take "some further months".

Sir John said he had reached an agreement on the details of notes and conversations between former prime minister Tony Blair and US president George W Bush, which will be published in the report.

The report has been delayed by disagreement over the release of the confidential messages, but the agreement means the "gist" of the communications would be published after Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood blocked the publication of the full exchanges.

Sir John added that the "Maxwellisation process" - the procedure where individuals due to be criticised in an official report are sent details of the criticisms in advance so they can respond prior to its publication - was currently underway into the inquiry's draft report.

The inquiry was set up by the Labour government six years ago and heard from its final witnesses in February 2011.

Mr Cameron wrote to Sir John saying that he would have liked to have seen the report released before the election, but accepted that publication was a matter for the inquiry.

He wrote: "I have to respect your decision and fully accept that it will not now be possible for you to submit your final report to the Government and Parliament until after the election.

"I hope very much that you will be able to do so shortly thereafter."

Speaking at Downing Street on Wednesday, he rejected suggestions that the delay made it appear a cover-up was taking place.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg says the public will find the latest delay "incomprehensible".

In a letter to Sir John, Mr Clegg wrote: "Neither administrative processes nor a constant back and forth between the inquiry and witnesses criticised should frustrate an independent report so important to the country's future from being published as soon as possible .

"If the findings are not published with a sense of immediacy, there is a real danger the public will assume the report is being 'sexed down' by individuals rebutting criticisms put to them by the inquiry, whether that is the case or not.

"The inquiry into Iraq will both resolve the issues of the past, and set the tone for future British foreign policy. We cannot wait any longer for these lessons to be learned."

The latest news of a delay comes as MPs prepare to stage a Commons debate next week on the matter.

Former Attorney General and Conservative MP Dominic Grieve said the public deserved reasons for the "extraordinary delay".

He told Sky News: "It's absolutely imperative we should have an explanation as to what is going on. I think a chronology setting out what's happened... is essential."

Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker told Sky the delay was "not acceptable to the British people" and that the public should have had the findings before the election.

1/13

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

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

]]>
18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Boko Haram 'Abducts' 50 Children In Cameroon

Written By Unknown on Senin, 19 Januari 2015 | 18.25

Suspected Boko Haram fighters have abducted up to 80 people, many of them children, in a deadly assault on villages in northern Cameroon, officials say.

"According to our initial information, around 30 adults, most of them herders, and 50 young girls and boys aged between 10 and 15 years were abducted," a senior army officer deployed to northern Cameroon told news agency Reuters.

That would make it Boko Haram's largest abduction in Cameroon to date.

Government spokesman Issa Tchiroma Bakary confirmed that three people were killed in the attack on Sunday, which targeted the village of Mabass and several others along the Nigerian border.

He said soldiers had intervened and exchanged fire with the assailants for around two hours.

He added that up to 80 houses were destroyed.

The assault comes just days after Amnesty International released satellite images of "catastrophic" Boko Haram attacks on two towns in Nigeria.

It believes hundreds of people were killed and that over 3,700 structures were either damaged or destroyed in the attacks in Baga and neighbouring Doron Baga earlier this month.

The campaign group said the pictures, taken on 2 and 7 January, provided "indisputable and shocking evidence" of the scale of the assaults.

The Islamist organisation was also responsible for the kidnap of more than 200 teenage girls from a school in the northern Nigerian town of Chibok last April.

Boko Haram has been fighting a bloody six-year insurgency to create an Islamic state which has left thousands dead and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes. 

Attacks are increasing in frequency as Boko Haram continues to seize territory in northern Nigeria, and expands its insurgency across the border.

Chadian troops began to arrive in Cameroon on Sunday in order to help repel the extremists' offensive.


18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Imams 'Must Do More' To Root Out Radicals

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has written to over 1,000 mosques in Britain urging them to do more to root out extremists - but the move has been branded divisive by some Muslim leaders.

In the letter, Mr Pickles stressed he was "proud" of the way Muslims in Britain had responded to the terror attacks in Paris, but there was "more work to do".

There are fears about the spread of terrorism after the Paris attacks that left 17 people dead and the arrest of more than two dozen people in anti-terror raids in Belgium, Germany and France.

EU foreign ministers, including Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, are meeting today in Brussels to discuss the terror threat in Europe. Building an alliance - including with Muslim countries - is high on the agenda.

Mr Hammond said: "The Muslim countries of the world are the ones who have suffered the greatest burden of terrorism and they will continue to be in the frontlines.

"We have to work closely with them to protect both those countries and the EU countries."

Mr Pickles insisted Whitehall could not combat jihadist ideology alone and Imams must explain to young people what it means to be British. 

"You, as faith leaders, are in a unique position in our society. You have a precious opportunity, and an important responsibility: in explaining and demonstrating how faith in Islam can be part of British identity," he said in the letter.

"We believe together we have an opportunity to demonstrate the true nature of British Islam today.

"There is a need to lay out more clearly than ever before what being a British Muslim means today: proud of your faith and proud of your country.

"We know that acts of extremism are not representative of Islam; but we need to show what is."

Mr Pickles also sought to reassure the leaders that he had been in touch with police chiefs "to make sure they are providing the support that mosques need" - a concern that some imams expressed in recent discussions.

But the letter immediately drew criticism from some Islamic leaders.

Harun Khan, deputy secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: "We will be writing to Mr Eric Pickles to ask that he clarifies his request to Muslims to 'explain and demonstrate how faith in Islam can be part of British identity'.

"Is Mr Pickles seriously suggesting, as do members of the far right, that Muslims and Islam are inherently apart from British society?"

But communities minister Lord Ahmad, who also signed the letter, rejected the criticism.

He told Sky News: "This is a positive initiative from the Government, it's not seeking to target any particular community.

"It's reaching out across the board, across the country, to say we want to tackle this issue of extremism." 

The letter emerged as the Metropolitan Police announced it had increased security around its buildings and bolstered numbers of firearms officers available.

Home Secretary Theresa May also promised to up the Government's efforts to tackle the terrorist threat and a "chilling" rise in anti-Semitism.

Mr Hammond and his US counterpart John Kerry will also host talks in London on Thursday with ministers from around 20 countries, including Arab states, to discuss ways of tackling Islamic State.


18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cameron Puts Jobs Vow At Heart Of Campaign

David Cameron has been setting out his plan for full employment, promising to make Britain the "jobs factory of Europe" as the economy returns to health.

The Prime Minister, who was speaking in Ipswich, said the country is "coming out the other side" after a "tough few years".

With just months before the general election, he has promised to treble start-up loans for young business people and urge voters to stick with his recovery plan.

Labour however, has said the Tories are out of touch if they think the economy is "fixed" and that most workers are now worse off.

In his speech, Mr Cameron said: "Full employment may be an economic term, but this is what it means in human terms: it means more of our fellow men and women with the security of a regular wage; it means you, your family and your children having a job and getting on in life.

"We are the jobs factory of Europe; we're creating more jobs here than the rest of Europe put together.

"The Conservatives are the party of small businesses," Mr Cameron said. "We're the party of the roofers and the retailers; the builders and the businesswomen.

His plans to boost jobs include: three million more apprenticeships; controlling immigration and migrant benefits to get more Britons back to work; extra support for small business, such as cutting red tape and keeping taxes low; investment in infrastructure.

The Prime Minister said the boost in start-up loans - which are typically around £5,000 - will create at least 100,000 jobs by 2020.

In a wide ranging speech and question and answer session afterwards, he also said it was the government's ambition to lift the amount people had to earn before they paid tax to £12,500, and to cut the benefits cap to £23,000 from £26,000.

Labour has hit out at the PM's boasts about a healed economy, saying it shows they are out of touch with normal working people.

Rachel Reeves MP, Labour's shadow work and pensions secretary, said the party had presided over "five years of talents wasted and opportunities denied".

"The average wage has fallen more than £1,600 per year, 3.5 million people want to work more hours, and the number of people paid less than a living wage has risen to nearly five million," said Ms Reeves.

She said a Labour government would also show strong support for small business and help low-paid workers.

"[We] will bring in a Compulsory Jobs Guarantee to get the long-term unemployed off benefits and into work," said Ms Reeves.

"We will ban exploitative zero-hours contracts, boost apprenticeships, raise the minimum wage to £8 per hour and get more workers paid a living wage."

The Prime Minister's jobs pledge comes as the gap between Britain's best and worst-performing cities has "dramatically widened", according to a new study.

The Centre for Cities research group says for every 12 jobs created since 2004 in cities in southern England, only one was created in cities in the rest of the country.

In The Margins: The 150 Key Election Constituencies


18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Indonesia: Foreigners Executed By Firing Squad

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 18 Januari 2015 | 18.25

Six people, including five foreign nationals, have been executed by firing squad in Indonesia after they were convicted on drug charges.

The foreigners, from Brazil, the Netherlands, Vietnam, Malawi and Nigeria, were executed at around midnight, authorities said, despite international appeals.

The sixth, an Indonesian woman identified as Rani Andriani, was also killed.

"The execution of the six convicts has been carried out,"  spokesman for the attorney general's office, Tony Spontana, told news agency AFP.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff had issued a last-minute plea to Indonesian authorities to spare former pilot Marco Moreira.

It was rejected by Indonesian President Joko Widodo who said the judicial proceedings had followed Indonesian law. 

The Dutch government had issued a similar appeal for its citizen Ang Kiem Soei.

Brazil and the Netherlands have recalled their ambassadors from Indonesia in the wake of the executions.

Clemency appeals for the pair, as well as Namaona Denis of Malawi, Daniel Enemuo of Nigeria, and female convict Tran Thi Bich Hanh of Vietnam were rejected in December.

All six had been sentenced on drug charges from 2000 to 2011.

"What we do is merely aimed at protecting our nation from the danger of drugs," Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo told reporters on Thursday.

"There is no excuse for drug dealers, and hopefully this will have a deterrent effect."

Five of the convicts were killed on Nusakambangan Island, off the south coast of the Indonesian island of Java.

The sixth was killed in Java's Boyolali district.

They were the first executions carried out since President Widodo took office in October.  

At least 138 people are on death row in Indonesia, mostly for drug offences. 

Roughly a third of them are foreigners.


18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Delays As Eurostar Resumes After Fire

Delays As Eurostar Resumes After Fire

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

Passengers are being warned to expect delays on Eurostar services after a lorry fire left thousands stranded on both sides of the Channel.

Eurostar and the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle car service were stopped on Saturday after the fire on the French side of the railway's south tunnel.

The incident on Saturday morning led to long queues at St Pancras station in London as services were cancelled for most of the day.

Queues formed again at the station this morning, where Eurostar services resumed after 8am.

There were also delays in Paris.

1/7

  1. Gallery: Travel Chaos In London And Paris

    This is the scene at St Pancras International station in London as Eurostar services are cancelled in both directions

The company said trains would not be running on Saturday

]]>

Large queues of passengers have formed - but they are being told they will be unable to travel

]]>

It is a similar scene at Gare du Nord station in Paris - this board shows all services have been cancelled

]]>

Passengers are having to make alternative arrangements

]]>
Delays As Eurostar Resumes After Fire

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

Passengers are being warned to expect delays on Eurostar services after a lorry fire left thousands stranded on both sides of the Channel.

Eurostar and the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle car service were stopped on Saturday after the fire on the French side of the railway's south tunnel.

The incident on Saturday morning led to long queues at St Pancras station in London as services were cancelled for most of the day.

Queues formed again at the station this morning, where Eurostar services resumed after 8am.

There were also delays in Paris.

1/7

  1. Gallery: Travel Chaos In London And Paris

    This is the scene at St Pancras International station in London as Eurostar services are cancelled in both directions

The company said trains would not be running on Saturday

]]>

Large queues of passengers have formed - but they are being told they will be unable to travel

]]>

It is a similar scene at Gare du Nord station in Paris - this board shows all services have been cancelled

]]>

Passengers are having to make alternative arrangements

]]>

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ex-MI5 Boss: Terror Laws 'Not Fit For Purpose'

The former head of MI5 has warned that Britain's anti-terror laws are "not fit for purpose".

Lord Evans' comments about the powers of intelligence and security agencies were reported as the Prime Minister said Britain is facing a "very severe threat" from Islamist extremists, including so-called "lone-wolf" terrorists.

Lord Evans told the Sunday Telegraph: "The ability of the police and security agencies to do this important work of protecting our society and its vulnerable people is under threat from changing technology.

"They can only do this if they have the tools to do so - and the tools at their disposal are no longer fit for purpose."

David Cameron is currently pushing for tougher requirements for internet firms to alert authorities to suspicious online exchanges, ban encrypted communications and store data.

Former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown hit out at the push for increased powers, telling Sky's Murnaghan programme: "The whole nation is made a suspect under these proposals."

He added that while he believed Mr Cameron's demand for increased powers was "sincere", it was "connected to the general election", and said the PM was "cavalier" about the protection of civil liberties.

When asked if the message from the US to allies would be to keep up with the changes to anti-terror laws implemented by Washington, the US ambassador to the UK, Matthew Barzun, told the same programme: "Sure, and we work very closely with the UK and other partners around the world to try to achieve that balance."

Mr Cameron earlier spoke to US TV network CBS about measures to tackle extremism at home.

He said: "In Britain's history, we've had some very intense times of terrorist threats.

"Certainly we face a very severe threat.

"That's what we're calling it: severe, because we believe an attack is highly likely. 

"But frankly, we've been in this struggle against extremist, Islamist terrorism now for well over a decade and a half, so we know what it takes to win, but it's going to take a lot of perseverance."

He said the terror threat "keeps morphing" over time, "but it's still based on the fundamental problem of a poisonous death cult narrative which is the perversion of one of the world's major religions".

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and his US counterpart John Kerry are set to host talks in London with ministers from around 20 countries, including Arab states, to discuss ways of tackling Islamic State.

Members of the coalition fighting IS extremists in Syria and Iraq will meet for the summit on Thursday.

On Friday Mr Cameron vowed to tackle what he called the "poisonous narrative of Islamist extremism that is turning too many young minds".

He was speaking following two days of talks with US President Barack Obama in Washington where they said a new group would be set up to exchange information and expertise to tackle the terror threat.

There are fears about the spread of terrorism after the Paris attacks that left 17 people dead and the arrest of more than two dozen people in anti-terror raids in Belgium, Germany and France.

On Saturday, an 18-year-old woman who was arrested at Stansted airport in Essex on suspicion of terrorist offences was released on bail.

Anti-terror officers arrested the teenager when she arrived on a flight at around 4pm on Friday.

:: Watch the Murnaghan programme on Sky News at 10am on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202 and Freeview 132.


18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More
techieblogger.com Techie Blogger Techie Blogger