Yemen: UK To Close Embassy Temporarily

The British Embassy in the capital Sana'a is preparing to close for two days as a "precautionary measure".

The embassy, which is already operating with reduced staff, will close temporarily on August 4 and 5.

It comes as the Foreign Office issued further advice warning against all travel to the country and said British nationals who remain there are unlikely to be evacuated should violence escalate.

"If you travel to Yemen against our advice, you should regularly reassess your security and plan any movements around the country carefully," the Foreign Office said.

"The provision of close security protection and/or a military escort is extremely important.

"There is a high threat from terrorism throughout Yemen ... (and) there is a very high threat of kidnap from armed tribes, terrorists and criminals."

The warning comes as the US State Department issued a global travel alert amid fears of possible al Qaeda terrorist attacks.

Some 21 American embassies in the Middle East, including Yemen, will close on Sunday, although there was no immediate indication of any link between the British and US actions.

Clashes have been reported in Sana'a, where a group of soldiers who joined a mutiny in an elite military unit tried to storm the presidential palace.

At least one person was killed and six injured, with tanks and armoured vehicles deployed to maintain security.

The attackers were reported to be part of a group of Republican Guard troops loyal to Yemen's ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

US Issues Travel Alert Over Al Qaeda Threat

"All appropriate steps" must be taken to protect Americans from a possible al Qaeda attack, US President Barack Obama has said.

The US has issued a worldwide travel alert, citing an al Qaeda threat that also led to a decision to close US embassies around the Muslim world.

"The president is being updated on a potential threat occurring in or emanating from the Arabian Peninsula," said a White House official.

The US embassy in Abu Dhabi will be shut on Sunday

The State Department warned American citizens of the potential for terrorism particularly in the Middle East and North Africa.

"Current information suggests that al Qaeda and affiliated organisations continue to plan terrorist attacks both in the region and beyond, and that they may focus efforts to conduct attacks in the period between now and the end of August," the statement said.

The alert was posted a day after the US announced it would close diplomatic facilities on Sunday because of an unspecified threat.

State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the department acted out of an "abundance of caution" and that some missions may stay closed for longer than a day. Sunday is a business day in Muslim countries.

Four Americans were killed in the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi

Representative Ed Royce, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said on Friday the embassy threat was linked to al Qaeda and focused on the Middle East and Central Asia.

"We've had a series of threats," Mr Royce told reporters. "In this instance, we can take a step to better protect our personnel and, out of an abundance of caution, we should."

Representative Dutch Ruppersberger, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Panel, described the threat as "not the regular chit chat" picked up from would-be militants on the internet or elsewhere.

The State Department issued a major warning last year informing American diplomatic facilities across the Muslim world about potential violence connected to the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

In Benghazi, Libya, four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, were killed in an attack on the US consulate. 

The deadly assault has prompted several calls for investigations from House Republicans who have accused the Obama administration of misleading Americans about the attack.

Sky News US political analyst Jon-Christopher Bua said the latest moves by the State Department are not based on the politics surrounding the Benghazi fallout.

"The latest closure announcement of the US embassies and today's alert for potential al Qaeda terrorist attacks seem to be driven by real information and not over cautious individuals with political motives," he said.

Friday's alert warned that al Qaeda or its allies may target US government or private American interests.

It cited dangers involved with public transportation systems and other prime sites for tourists, noting that previous terrorist attacks have centred on subway and rail networks as well as airplanes and boats.

Meanwhile, Britain announced it also will close its embassy in Yemen on Sunday and Monday amid "increased security concerns".

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Illegal Immigration Raids: 140 Arrested

Nearly 140 people have been arrested after a series of raids to tackle people working illegally in the UK.

It comes as the Home Office faces criticism over its tactics, its fine collection success rate, and its data collection accuracy.

Immigration enforcement officers arrested 139 suspected immigration offenders at locations including London, Durham, Manchester, Wales and Somerset. Those who have no right to be in the UK face being thrown out.

Immigration Minister Mark Harper said: "We are sending a clear message to employers who choose to use illegal labour - we will find you and you will pay a heavy penalty.

"We will not allow the growth of a shadow economy for illegal migrants."

The move is the latest attempt by the Government to crack down on those illegally in the country, following a controversial advertising van campaign and reports of stop and check operations near London train stations.

In recent days it also emerged that two-thirds of fines imposed on employers of illegal workers have not been collected in the past five years.

Meanwhile, at the weekend the Public Administration Committee of MPs said UK migration figures are "little better than a best guess".

The Government will introduce the Immigration Bill later this year, which will carry proposals to tackle rogue businesses by increasing the £10,000 amount they can be charged if they are found to be employing illegal workers.

But concerns have been raised about recent anti-immigration operations in London, and Barry Gardiner, the Labour MP for Brent North, has written to Home Secretary Theresa May following reports of spot checks.

The Independent reported that he demanded an investigation into the checks which he said violated "fundamental freedoms".

Phil O'Shea, who witnessed one of the operations earlier this week in north London, told the Kilburn Times: "They appeared to be stopping and questioning every non-white person, many of whom were clearly ordinary Kensal Green residents going to work."

A Home Office spokesman defended the tactics: "We make no apology for enforcing our immigration laws and our officers carry out hundreds of operations like this every year around London.

"Where we find people who are in the UK illegally, we will remove them."

Shadow immigration minister Chris Bryant said: "Intelligence-led operations to remove illegal immigrants are to be welcomed. Racial profiling is not."

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sanjeev Chada: Father Charged With Murder

The father of two boys found dead in the boot of his car has been charged with their murder.

Sanjeev Chada, 43, was brought before a special sitting of Swinford District Court on Thursday where he was accused of killing 10-year-old Eoghan and Ruairi, five.

They went missing with Chada after leaving the family home on Sunday evening.

Their bodies were discovered the next day in the boot of Chada's crashed car, four miles from Westport, Co Mayo.

Chada, of Ballinkill, Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, was arrested after being treated in hospital for injuries from the crash.

He stood with his head bowed and hands clasped during the five-minute hearing.

Throughout the proceedings, bearded, ponytailed Chada, dressed in a blue top, grey flannel bottoms and blue trainers, appeared distraught.

Chada arriving at Swinford District Court where he was charged

Solicitor James Hanley applied for legal aid, stating that effectively Chada had no income.

Mr Hanley said Chada was living with his wife who was in employment and asked that he be checked on regularly while in prison and kept apart from other inmates.

When asked if he was suggesting this meant a suicide watch, the solicitor replied that it was.

A crowd of about 50 people gathered outside the court but there were no incidents.

Chada will appear before Harristown District Court later this morning.

His wife Kathleen spent the night with the bodies of her children ahead of their funeral.

Family friend and parish priest Father Declan Foley will preside at their funeral Mass in Saint Lazerian's Church, Ballinkillen.

The schoolboys will then be buried in the adjoining cemetery.

On Thursday, detectives sealed off a second crime scene close to Ballintubber Abbey in Mayo, where it is believed the boys died of asphyxiation, which can be caused by strangling or suffocation.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Daniel Pelka: Magda Was 'A Very Good Girl'

By Katie Stallard, Sky News Correspondent, In Lodz

The mother of convicted murderer Magdalena Luczak has spoken of her shock and deep pain at Wednesday's verdict.

Speaking exclusively to Sky News at her home in Lodz, Poland, Jolanta Luczak said her daughter had sobbed down the phone as she told her that Daniel had died last year, and that she could barely comprehend she had been convicted of his murder.

Ms Luczak: 'I wanted her to return to Poland with the children'

Clutching a framed photo of Magdalena, at times visibly shaking with emotion, she said: "It is just shock, shock, shock. You cannot imagine how big the pain is, how big a tragedy this is.

"You have to experience this to understand how cruel is this feeling."

The mother said she had lost her grandson, her daughter, and also her husband, Magdalena's father, who died earlier this year after a heart attack, which she believes was caused by the stress of the trial.

"Do you know how strong this pain is? It is a pain that you just cannot cure, it is so hard to stand."

She said Magdalena called her several months before Daniel died to say she was in trouble.

"I remember she called me, she was crying, she said she had a hard life, she did not want to be with this man anymore.

"I told her to come back, pack up and come back to Poland. I wanted her to make a decision and return with the children to Poland, but she told me that Daniel had no documents, no passport.

Ms Luczak (L) told Sky's Katie Stallard she asked Magda to return to Poland

"I told her that there would be a way, to bring the child back to Poland. But then I didn't hear from her. He did not allow her contact with the family."

She said her daughter called again after Daniel died, but she could barely speak as she tried to explain what had happened.

"Magdalena just told me 'Daniel is dead' nothing more, because she was crying so much. And then the police came and arrested her. 

"I just remember she was crying, you know, this is a very big tragedy, we all were shocked. I went home and found my husband crying so badly, really badly."

As a young girl, she said Magdalena was a 'good girl' - a normal girl who grew up in a normal home.

Magda and Krezolek arrived in the UK from Poland in 2006

"She was a very good girl. Good to her brother when he was a tiny boy, good to everyone. Completely normal. Normal child, good person. She was not troubled.

"I do not agree with the judgment, for sure. I think the UK is very much at fault. For the whole matter. Social services should work properly there, but they have failed, they have done nothing.

"She was a normal girl, who grew up in a normal home. Not with any problems. She was a normal child as long as she lived in Poland."

"I do not know by who she was influenced, I do not know with what kind of man she met, what she did, what she was thinking. But please, tell the judge that really she was a normal girl and that the social services should also be held responsible. Because they also failed the test.

Daniel was tormented, starved and abused before being murdered by the pair

"It is very painful, very painful. If she was not with this man, if the relevant social services departments had done their job , there would not have been this tragedy.

"I do not know what he was giving her; drugs or alcohol, I just don't know what happened."

Mrs Luczak now fears she will never see her daughter again.

"I do not know how she will stand the prison sentence. I do not even know what kind of sentence they will give.

"Please, let me know will I ever live to see her? Talk to her, ask her why?

"Why that happened? Why she went to the jail? Why there is no child?"

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Daniel Pelka: MP Slams School For Failure

Teachers and social service staff "badly let down" an abused boy who was then murdered by his mum and stepfather and should consider quitting their positions, a local MP has demanded.

Daniel Pelka, four, was subjected to a horrifying catalogue of assaults and callous abuse at the hands of Magdelena Luczak and Mariusz Krezolek who were convicted of his murder on Wednesday.

MP for Coventry North West Geoffery Robinson said the case was "horrifyingly reminiscent" of the Baby Peter case in 2007, when Haringey child protection services failed to prevent the death of toddler Peter Connolly.

Daniel's mother Magda Luczak and stepfather Mariusz Krezolek

Mr Robinson has called for the immediate resignation of the city's Director of Children's Services, Colin Green - who intends to step down in September - and said those serving under him should also consider their positions.

"Where were these individuals when Daniel needed them most?" he asked. "Bureaucracy triumphed over common sense, care, and compassion. 

"Those who failed Daniel must examine their own consciences, and conclude whether it is appropriate for them to remain in their posts".

Daniel died of a head injury in March 2012 after suffering months of cruelty and violence which turned him from "a beautiful little boy to a bag of bones", according to police.

Mr Robinson and Daniel's father both criticised Children's Services

He was imprisoned in a room with the door handles removed, fed salt when he asked for a drink, deprived of food, and forced to defecate in his bed.

Mr Robinson expressed anger at Daniel's school which failed to act upon warning signs that suggested he was being abused.

"Daniel was let down," he said. "He was let down badly, by an evil stepfather, an indifferent and selfish mother, but also by the Children's Services in Coventry and by the school that he attended.

"How can the staff at his school have failed to have recognised patterns of behaviour that should have set alarm bells ringing, not only within the school but within the corridors of power within the council?

Daniel runs after his mum as she picks him up from school

"How could anyone believe it to be normal for a child to climb on the top of furniture to get to food; to scavenge around bins to access waste; and to steal food from the lunch-boxes? 

"What human being, with the slightest understanding of children, would not have been concerned enough to take action to set alarm bells ringing?"

Daniel's biological father, who moved back to Poland when the boy was one year old, echoed Mr Robinson and questioned why "nobody reacted in time" to ask why Daniel was so hungry.

"If people in school saw that he was taking a food from bins, they should do something," he said. "Go to Magda, or to Mariusz, and ask why the child is hungry.

"They should send the police or social services to check the situation at home; check what they were doing with the child.

"As far as I know they did just nothing. Of course they failed Daniel. Nobody reacted in time. I am not saying they are guilty, but I know they made a mistake".

Luczak and Krezolek will be sentenced on Friday.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Spain Train Crash Hearing: 'Driver On Phone'

The driver of the train that crashed in Spain killing 79 people was on a phone talking to railway officials just before it derailed, investigators say.

The train was travelling at 119mph (190kph) in the moments before it came off the tracks outside of Santiago de Compostela last Wednesday, a preliminary hearing has been told.

The court, sitting in Spain's capital city Madrid, was told the conductor activated the brakes "seconds before the crash".

But investigators working with the Court of Justice in Galicia said this only managed to slow it to 95mph (153kph) at the point when it came off the rails on a bend.

The speed limit at the spot where the train derailed was set at 50mph (80kph).

The train derailed as it entered a bend in the track

Crash investigators have been opening the black boxes which record details about the train's speed and conversations between drivers and other controllers.

Under Spanish law, the contents of the black boxes were revealed within a court environment.

The train was carrying 218 passengers when it hurtled off the tracks last Wednesday evening. It slammed into a concrete wall, causing some carriages to flip over and catch fire.

So far, 79 people have died, and at least 130 were taken to hospital. Two Americans were among the dead, while four US citizens and one Briton were among the injured.

Train driver Francisco Jose Garzon is under investigation

Dozens of passengers are still being treated for injuries.

The driver Francisco Jose Garzon Amo has been identified as the person most likely to be responsible for multiple cases of negligent homicide but is still under investigation.

He was questioned and then released on Sunday and is under court supervision.

A statement released by the court said that the conductor was talking on the phone to an official of national rail company Renfe while apparently consulting a paper document at the time of the crash.

The crash killed 79 people and dozens of injured remain in hospital

"Minutes before the train came off the tracks he received a call on his work phone to get indications on the route he had to take to get to Ferrol," it said.

"From the content of the conversation and background noise it seems that the driver consulted a map or paper document."

Investigators from the Santiago de Compostela court, forensic police experts, the Ministry of Transport and Renfe examined the contents of the two black boxes.

The Spanish railway agency has already said the brakes should have been applied 2.5 miles (4km) before the train hit the curve.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Brecon Beacons: Third SAS Hopeful Dies

An army reservist who was left hospitalised while trying out for the SAS in the Brecon Beacons has died, the Ministry of Defence has announced.

Two others from the Territorial Army died on July 13 after collapsing with suspected heat exhaustion on one of the hottest days of the year.

All three were on the first day of a week-long assessment while attempting to join the reservist section of the elite regiment.

Lance Corporal Craig Roberts was named as one of those who died shortly after details of the incident emerged. Edward Maher was named last week.

Police have been investigating the deaths of the two servicemen.

The third man had been in a serious condition in hospital since the training exercise was abandoned. It is understood he was on life support.

The MoD said it was withholding his name for the intermediate future out of respect for his relatives.

Edward Maher was one of those who died

"It is with great sadness that we can confirm that a third army reserve soldier injured during a training exercise in the Brecon Beacons has died of his injuries," it said in a statement.

"The family have asked for a period of grace before he is named and request that this is respected by the media."

The selection process the men were taking part in was running alongside regular SAS trials and was abandoned due to the deaths.

For the regular version of the special forces elite, the trials would involve a 40-mile speed march with about 55lb on their backs, including a replica rifle, normally completed over a 20-hour period.

Experts said it was likely that the process would have been slightly reduced for the reservist version or split up, but nevertheless gruelling.

A spokesman has said there are no plans to change "routine exercises" in light of the incident.

The Brecon Beacons is one of several locations British military use as part of their training. The deaths occurred near the Storey Arms activity centre.

The area's rugged and sprawling terrain helps prepare soldiers physically and mentally for warfare as well as put their logistic skills to the test, making it an ideal area for elite forces personnel like the SAS.

However, the Brecon Beacons' jagged topography can prove dangerous even to the most hardened and physically fit.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

NHS Ward Ratings A 'Patient-Led Revolution'

The first results of a system allowing patients to rate the hospital ward or department they have been treated in are to be published later.

Hundreds of thousands of patients have taken part in the NHS Friends and Family Test during April, May and June 2013.

They were asked for their views after staying in hospital overnight or visiting an A&E department.

It is the first time a national health service has published a single measure of patient satisfaction for every hospital.

They all answered one simple question. "How likely are you to recommend our ward/A&E department to your friends and family if they needed similar care or treatment?"

Tim Kelsey, NHS England's National Director for Patients and Information, said:  "At the heart of the tragedy of Mid Staffordshire was one simple lesson: the NHS has got to do better at listening to patients and doing something about what they say.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt: 'This is an historic moment for the NHS'

"This is a radical response, a potential game changer. It creates a direct conversation and gives NHS staff the opportunity to respond quickly to what they are being told.

"We hope to encourage a patient-led revolution in healthcare, driven by the transparency, better information and public participation in design of services."

The test was announced by David Cameron in January 2012 with the aim of giving patients a stronger voice when deciding whether their care is good enough.

Hospitals will be able to take swift action to make any necessary improvements and NHS England will publish monthly updates to ensure regular feedback about what patients think of services.

NHS England plans to extend the test to maternity services in October and to GP practices and mental health services by end of December 2014, with other services following by 2015.

NHS Trusts will also invite patients to provide more information so they can understand more deeply what they are being told.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "This is an historic moment for the NHS - we will eventually know what patients think about almost every ward, at every hospital, across the county.

"This simple test will throw a spotlight on both good and poor care, and sends a clear signal to every NHS organisation that patients must come first every time."

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ireland: Missing Boys 'Found Dead In Car Boot'

The bodies of two boys who went missing in Ireland are understood to have been found in the boot of their father's car after a crash.

Eoghan Chada, 10, and his five-year-old brother Ruairi disappeared from the family home in Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, on Sunday evening.

They were found by police attending a car accident during which their father Sanjeev was injured, although they are believed to have died beforehand.

Mr Chada, who is being treated in hospital, will be questioned by detectives.

Eoghan Chada (L) and his younger brother Ruairi

The 43-year-old's two sons were the subject of a nationwide search amid fears he had abducted them after telling his wife Kathleen he was taking them bowling.

Gardai issued the first ever amber alert for missing children, triggering nationwide broadcasts, social media alerts and traffic and travel messages, after he failed to return home.

At the time of the alert, officers said they had no knowledge of any breakdown in relations in the family and insisted that the couple were not estranged.

Eoghan and Ruairi were described as extremely popular and "two little sports fanatics" who were members of their local junior hurling club.

Father Declan Foley, parish priest near their home in the tight-knit village, was with the Chada family when news of the car accident was broken to the boys' mother and other relatives.

"It was like an earthquake hit the place. It was devastating for all of us," he said.

"You can't put into words the shock and numbness and pain and grief of that news coming through."

Mr Chada's car crashed in Clooneen, Rosbeg, on the coast road to Louisburgh, around 185 miles from the family home.

Forensic examinations were carried out at the scene, while post mortems will be carried out on the boys' bodies in Mayo General Hospital, Castlebar.

Gardai appealed for anyone who witnessed the crash or saw Mr Chada's dark green Ford Focus, registration number 06 CW 238, in the hours after the boys' disappearance to contact the incident room at Westport Garda station.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Thirty-Seven Dead In Italy Tour Bus Plunge

At least 37 people have been killed after a coach plunged 100ft down a motorway embankment and split in half in Italy.

The tour bus, carrying many children, hit several cars before plunging down the slope near Naples.

Many of the dead were discovered lying outside of the bus, while others were found inside the mangled wreckage.

Rescuers with electric saws cut through the twisted metal to explore the inside of the bus, stopping occasionally in silence to listen for any cries for help

It is not known if anyone in the cars has been injured

At least 11 people - including four children - were taken to hospital and two are in a critical condition.

The bodies were laid out on the roadside, covered in white sheets as emergency crews attended to the injured. A number of wooden coffins were also brought to the scene.

It is understood the driver of the coach is among the dead, a fire service spokesman said.

The coach had been warned of heavy traffic ahead near Avellino, outside Naples, along a stretch of the A116 motorway, before the crash, highway officials said.

Coffins are lined up at the scene of the crash

The officials said the bus driver, for reasons not yet determined, appeared to have lost control of his vehicle.

Witnesses described hearing a noise as if the vehicle had blown a tyre, shortly before the accident.

Reports said as many as 49 people had been aboard the bus when it ripped through a guardrail into a ravine near a wooded area.

Occupants of cars which were hit by the bus stood on the highway near their vehicles after the crash.

At least 11 people - including four children - were taken to hospital

One car's rear was completely crumpled, while another was smashed on its side. It was not immediately known if anyone in those cars had been injured.

The highway links western and eastern Italy across the south.

First reports said the passengers had spent the day in Puglia, an area near the Adriatic on the east coast famed for religious shrines.

But later it was reported that the bus had been bringing the passengers home after an outing to a thermal spa near the town of Benevento, not far from Avellino.

The coach crashed in a rural area near Naples

Most of the passengers were from the Campania area around Naples, the Italian news agency ANSA said.

The bus drove off the highway near the town of Monteforte Irpino in Irpinia, a largely agricultural area about 40 miles inland from Naples and 160 miles south of Rome.

A reporter for Naples daily Il Mattino said witnesses told him the bus had been going at a "normal" speed on the downhill stretch when it suddenly veered and started hitting cars.

He said some witnesses thought they heard a noise as if the bus had blown a tyre.

A local prosecutor arrived at the crash scene to begin an investigation into the cause of the crash.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Muslim Brotherhood Marches On Military HQ

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has flown into Egypt for talks as international pressure increased on the new regime over the weekend's violence, which claimed more than 80 lives.

But the country's new rulers warned they would take "decisive and firm" action against protesters if they went beyond their right to peaceful demonstration.

Even after the deaths of 72 people at a pro-Morsi demonstration in Cairo Saturday, supporters of the ousted president remained defiant, saying they were determined to maintain what they insisted were peaceful protests.

Nine more people died in violence in Egypt's second city, Alexandria.

Egypt's vice presidency said Ashton would meet with interim president Adly Mansour and Mohamed ElBaradei, who is vice president for international affairs. ElBaradei on Saturday night denounced the "excessive use of force" against protesters.

State news agency MENA said Ashton would also hold talks with members of deposed president Mohamed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and the Tamarod group that organised the huge protests that led up to his overthrow by the army.

"I deeply deplore the loss of life," said Ashton in a statement, adding that she would be pressing the need for all sides to be included in the return to democracy, "including the Muslim Brotherhood".

UN leader Ban Ki-moon warned Egypt's interim leadership on Sunday that every death made it harder to drag the country out of its crisis, a spokeswoman said.

Ban "expressed his profound concern about the direction in which the transition in Egypt is moving" and condemned the heightened violence, UN spokeswoman Morana Song said.

He called on the authorities to protect "all Egyptians, regardless of party affiliation", Song added.

But tensions remained high after Saturday's killings, the bloodiest incident since Morsi's overthrow on July 3.

Egypt's presidency reacted on Sunday to the bloodshed a day earlier.

"We are saddened by the spilling of blood on the 27th," Mansour adviser Moustafa Hegazy told reporters.

But he dubbed the protest area where the deaths occurred a "terror-originating spot" and said "we cannot decouple this from context of terrorism".

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

MPs Issue Warning Over Immigration Figures

Official migration statistics are "not fit for purpose" and leave assessments of the Government's progress in reducing net migration as "little better than a best guess," according to a scathing report.

Analysis on how many non-UK residents are entering and leaving the country is primarily based on "random interviews" of travellers at ports and airports that were introduced to examine tourism trends, the Public Administration Select Committee has found.

Just 5,000 migrants a year are identified through the International Passenger Survey and many "may be reticent to give full and frank answers," it warned.

Although the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which uses the research to draw up its migration estimates, has "done its best" to produce informative statistics, the survey "is not fit for the purposes to which it is put" and ministers must find new ways to gather information, MPs said.

In the year to June 2012, immigration was estimated at 515,000 while emigration was estimated at 352,000.

The Coalition aims to reduce net migration - the difference between the two figures - from the hundreds of thousands down to the tens of thousands by 2015.

But MPs warned the Government is at risk of ending up with an "inappropriate" immigration policy if it bases its target level of net migration on uncertain statistics "which could be out by tens of thousands."

The Coalition is aiming to significantly reduce net migration by 2015

ONS migration estimates contain no information on the immigration status of migrants, while statistics produced by the Home Office do not indicate the number of visa holders with valid leave to remain in the UK or the number who overstay their leave to remain, the report said.

Statistics produced by both organisations are "blunt instruments" for measuring, managing, and understanding migration, it added.

The committee said migration figures could be considerably improved if the Home Office and ONS properly recorded and linked the data they already gather.

MPs called for the e-Borders system to be used for measuring immigration, emigration and net migration as quickly as possible.

Committee chairman Bernard Jenkin said: "Most people would be utterly astonished to learn that there is no attempt to count people as they enter or leave the UK.

"They are amazed when they are told that government merely estimates that there are 500,000 immigrants coming into the UK each year.

"This is based on random interviews of around 800,000 people stopped and interviewed at ports and airports each year.

"Only around 5,000 of those are actual migrants, many of whom may be reticent to give full and frank answers, to say the least."

The International Passenger Survey also fails to garner the type of information needed to work out the social and economic consequences of migration, such as demand for the National Health Service or schools.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Egypt: US Bloodshed Fears As Scores Killed

At least 120 people have been killed after security forces attacked a protest by supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi in Cairo, according to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Doctors at a field hospital said another 1,000 people had been wounded in clashes on the road to Cairo's international airport, while the Muslim Brotherhood was claiming that a total of 4,500 had been wounded.

The latest violence in Egypt has prompted condemnation from the international community.

The US Secretary of State, John Kerry, said Washington had "deep concern" about the "bloodshed and violence" in the country and added that Egyptian authorities had "a moral and legal obligation to respect the right of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression."

Protesters set off flares in a mass protest in support of the army in Cairo

The Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, condemned the violence and said: "In Egypt, democracy was massacred, national aspirations were massacred, and now the nation is being massacred."

Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a statement that he was "deeply concerned" by the violence.

He said: "I am deeply concerned by recent events in Egypt, and condemn the use of force against protesters which has led to the loss of lives."

Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad said: "They are not shooting to wound, they are shooting to kill," adding that demonstrators had been hit by gunshot in the head and chest.

He said the shooting started just before pre-dawn prayers at a round-the-clock sit-in staged by Morsi supporters at Rabaa al-Adawiya in east Cairo.

An Apache helicopter flies over Tahrir Square during the protests

Activists rushed blood-spattered casualties to the makeshift hospital, some carried on planks or blankets. Many had fatal head wounds.

However, the Egypt Health Ministry claimed that the number of deaths reached 65, the number of wounded 750.

Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei on Saturday strongly condemned the "excessive use of force" in Egypt after deadly clashes between supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi and security forces.

"I strongly condemn the excessive use of force and the deaths, and I am working hard and in every direction to end the confrontation in a peaceful way, God protect Egypt and have mercy on the victims," he said on his Twitter account. 

However, amid claims that rooftop snipers had opened fire on the vigil, Egypt's interior minister blamed the Brotherhood for the violence.

Speaking at a news conference, Mohamed Ibrahim said the security forces would act "in a legal fashion" to disperse the protesters "as soon as possible".

Protesters stand on power lines near Cairo's presidential palace

He accused the Brotherhood of exaggerating the death toll for political ends and denied that police had opened fire.

The violence broke out as rival rallies were held across Egypt for and against the overthrow of Mr Morsi, who is under investigation for murder.

Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians heeded a call by army chief General Abdel Fattah al Sisi to take to the streets, while the Muslim Brotherhood mounted counter-demonstrations in Cairo.

A spokeswoman for the pro-Morsi camp said eight Brotherhood supporters had died in a clash near the Cairo vigil alone, and another said rooftop snipers had opened fire.

At least 10 people have also been killed in Egypt's second city of Alexandria, where hundreds of people fought pitched battles, with birdshot fired and men on rooftops throwing stones at crowds below.

Lasers are pointed at an army helicopter near the palace

Several of those killed were stabbed, hospital officials said, and at least one was shot in the head.

The investigation into Mr Morsi over his 2011 escape from jail has signalled a clear escalation in the military's confrontation with the deposed leader and his Islamist movement.

MENA said Mr Morsi, who has been held at an undisclosed military facility since his overthrow, had been ordered detained for 15 days pending the inquiry.

Egypt's army-installed interior minister, Mohamed Ibrahim, said month-old Cairo vigils by Mr Morsi's supporters would be "brought to an end, soon and in a legal manner".

An army official said the military had given the party a Saturday deadline to end its resistance and join a military-set roadmap to fresh elections.

But the Brotherhood says it wants nothing to do with the army's transition plan and called its own crowds out for counter-demonstrations in a "day to remove the coup".

Mr Morsi has been in military detention at an undisclosed location since he was overthrown.

UN leader Ban Ki-moon has called on the military to free Mr Morsi and other Islamic Brotherhood leaders, said deputy UN spokesman Eduardo del Buey.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More