FA Boss: Summer World Cup In Qatar 'Impossible'

Fifa Boss: Move 2022 World Cup

Updated: 1:07pm UK, Thursday 18 July 2013

Fifa's president says the organisation still has enough time to switch the 2022 World Cup to the winter to avoid Qatar's intense summer heat.

Sepp Blatter said he would discuss the plans with his executive committee in October.

The move would cause major disruption to various domestic leagues around the world.

But Blatter insisted: "We still have enough time.

"The executive committee will certainly follow my proposal. Then we will have dealt with the topic for good."

Temperatures can reach 50C (122F) in Qatar, and games are to be played in air-conditioned stadiums.

In winter temperatures reach a high of 24C (75F).

Blatter said: "The Fifa World Cup must be a festival of the people. But for it to be such a festival, you can't play football in the summer.

"You can cool down the stadiums, but you can't cool down the whole country - and you can't simply cool down the ambience of a World Cup. The players must be able to play in the best conditions to play a good World Cup."

Hassan al Thawadi, the head of Qatar's organising committee, said the country was open to the move "if it's the wish of the football community".

Blatter said medical information about the effects of the heat on players led to his change of heart.

"There has been a fresh medical investigation into what it would be like to play football there in the summer and we have to take into account the health, not of the spectators, but of the players," he explained.

Qatar defeated bids from South Korea, Japan, Australia and the US for the right to host the 2022 World Cup.

Speaking to Sky Germany, Blatter also said Brazil might have been the wrong choice to host the 2014 World Cup if the tournament is affected by the wave of protests seen at the Confederations Cup last month.

Hundreds of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets expressing their anger over the costs to stage the World Cup and demanding better public services.

"If this happens again we have to question whether we made the wrong decision awarding the hosting rights," Blatter added.

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Zanzibar Acid Attack Victim Tweets Her Thanks

Zanzibar Acid Attack: Two Held

Updated: 4:59pm UK, Friday 09 August 2013

Two girls from London who had acid thrown in their faces on the Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar have arrived back in Britain.

:: WARNING: This story contains a graphic image depicting acid burns

A medevac plane carrying Katie Gee and Kirstie Trup, both 18, landed at RAF Northolt at lunchtime and the pair were taken away in two ambulances.

They were then transferred to the specialist burns unit at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and reunited with their families.

The teenagers were attacked by two men on a motorbike as they walked through the historic capital Stone Town on Wednesday night.

The acid was splashed over their faces, chests, backs and hands.

Their arrival back in Britain came as a Zanzibar police chief told Sky News that five people have been questioned over the acid attack.

Regional police commander Mkadam Khamis said two of the suspects are being detained for further interrogation while the other three have been released.

Police on the island have also offered a reward of 10 million Tanzanian shillings (£4,000) for information leading to any arrests. 

Sky News Foreign Affairs Correspondent Lisa Holland said there were some suggestions that one of the people held was a local shopkeeper who had been in an altercation with one of the girls a few days before.

But she added that the motive remained unclear - with other reports of eyewitnesses saying the acid was not intended for the British teenagers but someone else walking down the road.

The pair, who had been volunteering at an orphanage on the island, were taken to hospital in Dar es Salaam on the Tanzanian mainland, before being flown home.

Miss Gee's mother Nicky Gee told Sky News her daughter had suffered burns to her "whole face and her whole body" in the "vicious attack".

A photograph released by the girls' families showed the injuries Miss Gee of them suffered in the attack.

The girl is shown wearing an open striped shirt and a silver necklace. What appear to be acid burns are clearly visible on her chin, neck and upper chest.

Miss Trup also reportedly received horrific burns and was said to be "inconsolable".

The young women, who are from north London and were planning to start university in the autumn, were enjoying the last week of a trip as volunteer teachers to the predominantly Muslim island when a corrosive substance was thrown at them.

The trip had been organised by i-to-i Travel, which is based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, and runs gap year trips to parts of Africa, Asia, central and South America and Australia.

Trips to teach in Zanzibar, based in Stone Town, start at £669 for two weeks, according to its website.

In its latest statement, i-to-i Travel confirmed the girls had been repatriated to the UK and said: "We welcome the proactive investigations being carried out by local authorities in Zanzibar and continue to liaise with them.

"We wish the girls a fast and full recovery and our thoughts are with them and their families at this difficult time."

The organisation added that it had advised all its customers still in Zanzibar "to remain vigilant" and anyone due to fly out there this weekend had been given the option to volunteer at a different project, but all had chosen to continue to travel to Tanzania.

The Foreign Office travel advice for Tanzania warns that although most visits to the country are trouble-free, "violent and armed crime is increasing".

The advice, available on its website, says: "Mugging, bag snatching (especially from passing cars) and robbery have increased throughout the country."

It adds: "In Zanzibar, incidents have taken place in Stone Town and on popular tourist beaches."

Jakaya Kikwete, Tanzania's president, is reported to have visited the women at the Aga Khan Hospital in Dar es Salaam and promised that the men responsible for the "shameful" attack would be found.

Zanzibar is an archipelago of islands in the Indian Ocean around 22 miles off the mainland.

The semi-autonomous region of Tanzania is predominantly Muslim and has been the scene of some religious violence in recent years.

Earlier this year two Christian leaders were killed and in November a cleric was treated in hospital after an acid attack. This is the first such assault on foreigners in the popular tourist destination.

A further announcement from the police in Zanzibar regarding the case is expected later today.

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Olympic Boycott Urged Over Russia Gay Rights

By Katie Stallard, Russia Correspondent

Calls are growing for a boycott of next year's Winter Olympics in Russia in protest at what campaigners have called its "barbaric" new homophobic laws.

Broadcaster Stephen Fry has appealed directly to David Cameron and members of the International Olympic Committee [IOC] to stop the games being held in Russia, comparing Vladimir Putin's treatment of gay people to Adolf Hitler's treatment of Jews.

He said allowing the games to go ahead in Putin's Russia would be comparable to the decision to hold the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany.

Four-time Olympic champion diver Greg Louganis yesterday delivered a 320,000 signature petition to IOC headquarters in Switzerland, urging it to condemn Russia's "anti-gay laws".

Stephen Fry has compared Russia's actions to the Nazis

US President Barack Obama said earlier this week: "I think they [Putin and Russia] understand that for most of the countries that participate in the Olympics, we wouldn't tolerate gays and lesbians being treated differently." 

Asked by TV host Jay Leno whether this was "like Germany: let's round up the Jews, let's round up the gays," President Obama replied: "I have no patience for countries that try to treat gays or lesbians or transgender persons in a way that intimidate them or are harmful to them."

The White House later cancelled a planned meeting with President Putin in Moscow, primarily over Russia's decision to grant whistleblower Edward Snowden asylum, but also citing a lack of progress on human rights among a number of issues of concern.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin signed a new bill into law in June banning "homosexual propaganda" - making it illegal to give anyone under 18 information about homosexuality.

Anyone deemed to be promoting gay rights, or "non-traditional relationships" to young people in Russia could now be arrested and fined, or in the case of foreigners, detained and deported.

Protesters gathered outside the Russian consulate in New York

Critics say the law is intentionally vaguely-worded and part of a broader crackdown on gay rights in Russia.

The country's sports minister has said the law will apply to athletes and spectators at the Sochi games, due to be held in the Russian Black Sea resort in February 2014.

In an open letter to the British Prime Minister and IOC, Stephen Fry said: "The IOC absolutely must take a firm stance on behalf of the shared humanity it is supposed to represent against the barbaric, fascist law that Putin has pushed through the Duma.

"An absolute ban on the Russian Winter Olympics of 2014 on Sochi is simply essential.

"Stage them elsewhere in Utah, Lillyhammer, anywhere you like. At all costs Putin cannot be seen to have the approval of the civilised world.

"He is making scapegoats of gay people, just as Hitler did Jews. He cannot be allowed to get away with it."

Leading Russian LGBT rights campaigner Nikolai Alexeyev, head of the organisation Gay Russia, told Sky News it had seen an increase in homophobic violence since the introduction of the law.

He said: "The situation is deteriorating in the last months due to the very big discussions around the law banning homosexual propaganda.

Scuffles broke out outside parliament when the new law was debated in June

"Of course this law gave a sort of carte blanche top to the anti-gay people - anti-gay activists - to further attack LGBT people.

"We saw in recent months a rise in homophobic crimes, we saw that several people were killed on the basis of hatred towards LGBT people.

"The situation is very tense now due to this law and the forthcoming Olympic Games, which is now very much linked to this gay topic due to the outrage from the international community."

The controversial law has also prompted a campaign to boycott Russian vodka in the United States, as well as criticism from pop stars including Madonna and Lady Gaga.

In a message on her Twitter account earlier this week, Lady Gaga called the Russian government "criminal".

She added: "Why didn't you arrest me when you had the chance, Russia? Because you didn't want answer to the world?""

"Oppression will be met with revolution. Russian LGBTs you are not alone. We will fight for your freedom."

An IOC spokeswoman confirmed it had received a petition from activists and said it had "engaged in an open and constructive discussion" with them.

Campaigners want protests and publicity during next year's winter games

Speaking in Sochi on Wednesday, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak said the law would not "infringe on rights of people based on sexual orientation, either at the Olympics, or before or after" - as long as children were not involved.

He said gay athletes could "get on with their private life, including telling adults about its advantages and attractiveness, but not involve children".

LGBT campaigner Nikolai Alexeyev said a boycott would not be fair to the sportsmen and women who have trained towards the games.

The Sochi Olympics should instead to be used to draw attention to the current situation in Russia, said Mr Alexeyev.

"I think it's not very just to these athletes to deny them this opportunity to compete and I think that it would be much more practical to express outrage against these homophobic laws in Russia by showing some kind of support during the Olympic Games, during the press conference, during the TV reports from the games, during any Olympic competitions."

He added: "To wear the rainbow pins, wear the rainbow flags, to do something during the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics … to try to do the gay pride in Sochi like we want to do on the day of the opening of the games.

"I think this will attract more publicity around the world because the eyes of the world will be on Sochi during the games in February next year."

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Revealed: The UK's Most Wanted Tax Fugitives

By Poppy Trowbridge, Business and Economics Correspondent

A rogues' gallery of the UK's most wanted tax fugitives has been released in a bid to collect hundreds of millions of pounds in unpaid duty.

One year on from releasing the details of the UK's 20 most sought after tax criminals, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has now added the names and photographs of 10 more fugitives to that original target list.

Those on the list are being pursued for a range of crimes including VAT fraud, tax evasion and money laundering.

Together, their crimes have cost the taxpayer close to £720m.

Among the new names on the list are Michael "Arthur" Fearon, who is wanted in connection with evasion of excise duty on nearly £8.4m cigarettes, and is believed to be in the Republic of Ireland.

Chancellor George Osborne says tax evasion 'will not be tolerated'

Anish Anand, who is believed to be in the UK, is wanted in relation to £6m VAT and film tax credit fraud, while Michael George Voudouri is wanted in connection with £10m VAT fraud. He is believed to be in Northern Cyrpus.

And Sumir Soni (aka John Soni, John Miller, Samir Soni, Bhader Singh), who is believed to be in Kenya, is wanted in connection with evading duty of £3.6m from the illegal sale and distribution of alcohol, and the illegal importation of nine million cigarettes.

Anthony Judge, who was wanted for his role in over £350,000 of tax fraud and had been on the run for 10 years, was detained at Heathrow Airport last month as he attempted to enter the UK on a forged passport.

He is the second of HMRC's most wanted to be captured since the rogues' gallery was first published.

In May, John Nugent was apprehended in the US after the authorities there saw the list.

The gallery has been viewed over 1.5 million times, with new intelligence received from the public on the current whereabouts of 17 of the 20 named on the original list.

HMRC has also launched an interactive map of the world to illustrate where the tax fugitives are believed to be.

The crimes of those on the list have cost the taxpayer £720m

Chancellor George Osborne said: "Our message is clear, tax fraud and evasion is illegal and will not be tolerated.

"The Government has stepped up HMRC's enforcement activities to enable them to pursue tax cheats relentlessly around the world."

"This new list will help put more tax fraudsters in the spotlight and bring them to justice."

The Chancellor has faced public outrage in recent months over the number of large, multinational corporations operating in Britain that pay little or no corporation tax on earnings which can top billions of pounds each year.

Yet some tax experts say HMRC is missing the real problem in tackling tax avoidance.

Richard Murphy, of Tax Research UK, told Sky News: "The problem is very large companies who aren't paying very large amounts of tax that they might owe because of skilful tax avoidance by accountants and lawyers.

"The second problem is actually ordinary people avoiding and evading income tax by putting cash in their pockets … paying their builders, their plumbers, their cleaners, their tutors and everybody else without tax being paid and that is a massive problem in our economy.

"But the big problem is not this form of crime of which this list is being published about."

Taxpayers Alliance chief executive Matthew Sinclair said part of the difficulty was with the UK's "hugely complex and fundamentally dysfunctional tax system".

He said reforming taxes to make them simpler would reduce the scope for evasion and free up HMRC resources to focus on fraud.

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A&E Crisis: £500m Bailout Over Two Years

Struggling A&E departments in England are to be given a £500m Government bailout to help relieve pressure over the winter months.

The funding, announced by Prime Minister David Cameron, will be spread over the next two years to prepare the service for winter and will include £15m for the troubled 111 phone service.

The emergency care system has come under intense pressure, partly due to a rise in the number of people attending A&E.

Over one million more people attend A&E than three years ago.

Some experts have blamed issues in primary care, saying patients feel they have nowhere to turn once GP surgeries are closed.

Major problems with the new 111 service for non-urgent care are also thought to have impacted on A&E.

Last month, MPs on the Health Select Committee said plans to tackle problems in A&E were not robust enough.

The new funding is aimed at A&E departments identified as being under the most pressure and will be targeted at "pinch points" in local services.

Hospitals have already put forward proposals aimed at improving how the service works, including taking into account how other services feed into it.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt says the money will help units over winter

One way of relieving pressure could be to minimise A&E attendances and hospital admissions from care homes by appointing hospital specialists in charge of joining up services for the elderly.

Consultants may also be called upon to review patients arriving by ambulance at A&E so that a senior level decision is taken on what care is needed at the earliest opportunity.

Mr Cameron said: "With over a million more people visiting A&E in the last three years, services and staff can find themselves under pressure during the busier winter period.

"While A&E departments are performing well this summer and at a level we would expect for this time of year, I want the NHS to take action now to prepare for the coming winter.

"The additional funding will go to hospitals where the pressure will be greatest, with a focus on practical measures that relieve pinch points in local services."

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "This £500m will help A&E departments to prepare for winter and give patients confidence that they can quickly access safe and reliable emergency care."

A spokesman for the British Medical Association (BMA) said: "It is right that the Government is finally listening to the concerns of doctors and patients but, at a time when they are demanding cuts of £20bn across the NHS, this is nothing more than papering over the cracks.

"It is recognition that their austerity programme has hospitals facing ever increasing demands with diminishing resources."

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Hannah Smith: Charge Site Over Death Says Dad

The father of Hannah Smith, who killed herself after being bullied online, wants the owners of the website on which she was abused to be charged with manslaughter.

The 14-year-old, from Lutterworth, Leicestershire, took her own life on Friday after being abused on the social network site ask.fm.

Dave Smith has accused the website owners of not caring that "teenagers are dying and killing theirselves".

Speaking to the Daily Mirror in his first on-camera interview since Hannah's death, Mr Smith said: "The people that run it should get done for manslaughter or murder because you try contacting them and they don't care.

"These websites should be got rid of, if nothing else they need to be regulated and they need to stop people from doing this.

Hannah and her best friend Georgia Clarke (R)

"If David Cameron was sitting here now I would want to know why he hasn't done something about this six, 12 - two years ago.

"Modern technology has gone on but the law have stuck the same."

Ask.fm allows users to post anonymous questions and messages but has been criticised for not doing enough after several other teenagers took their lives - apparently after receiving abuse on the site.

Hannah died by suicide after repeated messages encouraging her to kill herself and criticising her appearance.

Mr Smith and Hannah's stepmother, Deborah Smith, said people needed to think more about the effect of their online posts as it emerged their elder daughter Jo has also been the target of abuse on the site.

"How could you?" said Deborah Smith. "People need to stop and think.

"You can't just sit behind a keyboard and type something and think that doesn't matter. There's a complete lack of emotional intelligence."

Mr Smith added: "There's something not right with the world today that people can tell someone to die so many times that they actually do it."

Hannah received messages criticising her appearance

He described his younger daughter was a "bubbly person" and a "pleasure to be around" and that he had intervened in the past to stop her being bullied at school.

He also said, on the night before she died, Hannah had told him: "Goodnight Dad, I love you."

"I was 50 miles away in a lorry," said Mr Smith, describing how he found out about her death.

"My brother turned round to me and said 'Hannah's hung herself' and I said 'is she dead?', and he said 'yeah'.

"I just broke down and turned the lorry round as fast as I could to get back."

Ask.fm, based in Latvia, has called the teenager's death a "true tragedy" and said it is cooperating with Leicestershire Police's investigation.

In a statement the site said it actively "encourages users and their parents to report any incidences of bullying", either by using the in-site reporting button, or via the website's contact page.

"All reports are read by our team of moderators to ensure that genuine concerns are heard and acted upon immediately - and we always remove content reported to us that violates our Terms of Service," the statement added.

:: Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 08457 90 90 90 or email jo@samaritans.org.

:: BeatBullying.org is also available for advice and support.

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Outcry As Girl Called 'Sex Predator' By Judge

A paedophile who had sex with a 13-year-old girl faces having his sentence reviewed after a judge described the young victim as "predatory" and then let him walk free from court.

The Attorney General's office has launched an investigation after being alerted to the case by a string of emails and phone calls.

It will now decide whether it should ask the Court of Appeal to consider if the eight-month suspended sentence given to Neil Wilson, 41, was unduly lenient.

Meanwhile the Crown Prosecution Service has said the prosecutor in the case used "inappropriate" language when he also called the girl "predatory".

The CPS said: "The transgressor in this case was the defendant and he bears responsibility for his criminal acts."

Judge Nigel Peters said at Snaresbrook Crown Court, in east London, that he had taken into account that the girl looked and behaved "a little bit older" than she was.

The 13-year-old had been "egging on" her abuser, the judge said on Monday, and she was reportedly described by prosecutor Robert Colover as being "sexually experienced".

Wilson, now living in York, had watched the girl strip out of her school uniform at his home in Romford, Essex, before she performed a sex act on him. He admitted two counts of making extreme pornographic images and one count of sexual activity with a child.

Judge Peters told Wilson: "Allowing her to visit your home is something we have to clamp down on and in normal circumstances that would mean a significant term in prison.

"On these facts, the girl was predatory and was egging you on.

"That is no defence when dealing with children but I am prepared to impose a suspension."

After the sentencing, a woman who campaigns on behalf of sex abuse victims launched an online petition calling for a review, which has so far been signed by more than 4,000 people.

She wrote on the Change.org website: "I'm a survivor of childhood sexual abuse.

"I could have been that 13-year-old girl who the judge and prosecutor described as 'predatory'.

"I have seen first-hand how this kind of victim blaming prevents women from coming forward and protects men who commit these crimes."

Children's charity Barnardo's insisted it was wrong to suggest children could be complicit in their own abuse.

A spokeswoman said: "It is plain wrong to imply in any way that the experiences of sexually exploited children are something they bring on themselves."

The Attorney General said a decision on whether the case is referred to the Court of Appeal will be made within 28 days.

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'Bongo Land' Comment Sparks UKIP Racism Row

A senior UKIP politician has been caught on camera saying Britain should not send aid to "bongo bongo land", claiming the recipients lavishly spend the money on luxuries.

Godfrey Bloom, a UKIP MEP, was filmed at a meeting of supporters in the West Midlands saying those who received aid spent the money on "Ray-Ban sunglasses, apartments in Paris, Ferraris and all the rest of it".

The video - obtained by the Guardian newspaper - also shows Mr Bloom railing against the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) for ruling that full life sentences could not be handed down.

In the footage of his July speech at the meeting in Wordsley, near Stourbridge, Mr Bloom says: "How we can possibly be giving a billion pounds a month when we're in this sort of debt to bongo bongo land is completely beyond me.

"To buy Ray-Ban sunglasses, apartments in Paris, Ferraris and all the rest of it that goes with most of the foreign aid. F18s for Pakistan. We need a new squadron of F18s. Who's got the squadrons? Pakistan, where we send the money."

A UKIP spokesman told the newspaper Mr Bloom's comments were being "discussed right at the very highest level of the party".

Later in the speech, but in the same video displayed on the Guardian's website, he says in reference to the ECHR ruling: "You can torture people to death but you jolly well can't give them a full life sentence because that's against their human rights.

"We can't hang them because we're now a member of the European Union and it's embedded in the treaty of Rome.

"It's a personal thing, but I'd hang the bastards myself.

"Especially for some of these, especially for the guy who hacked the soldier to death. I do hope they would ask me to throw the rope over the beam because I'd be delighted to do so."

Mr Bloom told the newspaper that his comments were not racist.

He said: "What's wrong with that? I'm not a wishy-washy Tory. I don't do political correctness. The fact that the Guardian is reporting this will probably double my vote in the north of England."

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Python Attack: Snake Kills Two Sleeping Boys

A python that escaped from a pet store has killed two children by strangling them in their sleep in eastern Canada.

The two boys - aged five and seven - were sleeping at a friend's flat in the town of Campbellton when they were attacked by the snake.

The animal had escaped from a store that specialised in exotic pets located on the ground floor of the building.

"The preliminary investigation has led police to believe that a large exotic snake had escaped its enclosure at the store sometime overnight," the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement.

A Burmese python in its cage at a zoo in Florida (Pic: File)

"(It) got into the ventilation system, then into the upstairs apartment. It's believed the two boys were strangled by the snake."

The owner of the pet store, Jean Claude-Savoie, told Global News that he found a "horrific scene" when he checked on the boys.

"I thought they were sleeping and I've seen the hole in the ceiling, (and) everything has fallen. I turn the lights on and I've seen this horrific scene," Mr Claude-Savoie said.

"I have so many mixed emotions right now. I can't believe this is real."

The python has been recaptured and is being held by police.

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Owners Of Killer Dogs May Face Life In Prison

The owners of killer dogs could face life in prison - an increase from the current maximum of two years - under new sentencing proposals.

Higher sentences for owners who allow their dogs to attack members of the public have been put out by the Government for consultation.

For owners whose dogs kill their victims, life imprisonment is an option, while 10 years is the maximum term suggested for injuring a person or killing an assistance dog, like a guide dog for the blind.

Some 16 people have been killed by dangerous dogs since 2005, including 14-year-old Jade Anderson who was savaged by four dogs as she was visiting the home of a friend near Wigan in March.

Animal welfare minister Lord de Mauley said: "Dog attacks are terrifying and we need harsh penalties to punish those who allow their dog to injure people while out of control."

In February, the Government said it would introduce new measures to tackle out-of-control dogs by changing the law to ensure owners can be prosecuted regardless of where their dog attacks.

Jade Anderson was savaged by four dogs at a house near Wigan

The new consultation will run to September 1 and will be used to inform recommendations put forward in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents postmen and women and telecoms engineers, who suffer around 5,000 dog attacks each year, welcomed the consultation.

CWU general secretary Billy Hayes said: "Current sentencing arrangements do not match the serious nature of offences.

"Sixteen people have been killed since 2005 by dogs, yet the maximum prison sentence is just two years.

"Only one person has ever been imprisoned for a dog attack on a postal worker and as the fatality rate from dog attacks grows, sentencing must get tougher."

Last month, Jade Anderson's parents, along with the parents of four-year-old John Paul Massey, who died after his uncle's pitbull attacked him in 2009, handed in a petition at 10 Downing Street calling for David Cameron to take action to prevent more attacks.

They called for preventative measures and education to put a stop to the 210,000 attacks and 6,000 hospital visits caused by dangerous dogs each year.

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Gibraltar: The 'Party Is Over' Warns Spain

Britain's Foreign Office says it is "concerned" over comments made by Spain's foreign minister in which he warned the "party is over" when it comes to his country's policy on Gibraltar.

Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said he was considering retaliatory measures towards the British territory, including a 50 euro border crossing fee, amid a dispute over an artificial reef being created by the Gibraltarians.

He told ABC newspaper the proceeds would be used to help Spanish fisherman who have lost out because of damage to fishing grounds allegedly caused by Gibraltan authorities.

Mr Garcia-Margallo added that tax investigations into thousands of Gibraltarians who own property in Spain could also be launched.

Spain is also considering closing airspace to planes heading to Gibraltar airport, he added, as well as changing rules to increase tax revenue from online gaming companies based on 'the Rock'.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are concerned by today's comments on Gibraltar, which we are looking into further.

"As we have said, we will not compromise on our sovereignty over Gibraltar, nor our commitment to its people. We continue to use all necessary measures to safeguard British sovereignty."

The comments come after "disproportionate checks" at the border have increased tensions between Britain and Spain.

Mr Garcia-Margallo says airspace could even be closed

The Spanish ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Office earlier this week to explain why people crossing the border were having to wait up to seven hours in sweltering heat.

Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire said the delays were "as a result of wholly disproportionate checks introduced by the Spanish authorities on vehicles both leaving and entering Gibraltar".

William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, also called Mr Garcia-Margallo to express concern over the delays.

Britain has held sovereignty over Gibraltar for three centuries and its 2.6 square miles is home to 30,000 people, with an economy dominated by off-shore banking, internet gambling operations and tourism.

However, ownership of the territory has long been a point of contention between Spain and Britain.

The latest tensions began 10 days ago after Gibraltar boats began dumping blocks of concrete into the sea near the territory.

The British territory said it was creating an artificial reef that would foster fish populations but Spain said the reef would block its fishing boats and ramped up border checks.

Gibraltar has complained to the European Commission, saying the checks violate EU rules on free circulation.

Spain's previous government took a softer line on Gibraltar and did not discuss the issue of sovereignty but Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, elected in November 2011, has taken a harder line regarding his country's claim on the territory.

The UK Government has made clear that it will not negotiate over sovereignty as long as Gibraltar's people want to remain British.

An FCO statement added: "Our differences with Spain on Gibraltar will be resolved by political means through our relationship as EU partners, not through disproportionate measures such as the border delays we have seen over the past week.

"We have many common interests with Spain and wish to continue to have a strong relationship at every level with the Government of Spain. 

"In the meantime, we will be seeking an explanation from Spain following reports that the Spanish government might target Gibraltar with further measures."                 

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Bronx Shooting: Teenager Shot By New York Cops

A 14-year-old boy has been shot dead by police in the Bronx after the teenager refused to drop his gun and pointed it at officers.

Shaaliver Douse died of a single gunshot wound to his jaw after the confrontation, the New York Police Department said.

Two officers with the NYPD were on foot patrol when they heard gunfire at around 3am on Sunday.

The officers responded to the scene and found the boy with a 9mm handgun firing at a fleeing man.

The officers identified themselves as police and ordered him to drop his weapon.

Police recovered this bloody 9mm handgun from the scene (Pic: NYPD)

When he pointed his gun at them, one of the officers shot him, police said.

The teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.

The two officers had joined the department in January, according to police sources.

Douse had been in trouble with the law before, the NYPD said.

He was charged in May with attempted murder after a 15-year-old boy was shot in a Bronx neighbourhood where Douse lived.

That shooting took place two miles from where Douse was himself shot dead.

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Twitter Says 'Sorry' To Women Over Abuse

Twitter's UK boss has personally apologised to women who have been attacked by "trolls" on the social networking site, vowing to do more to protect people from abuse.

It comes as Scotland Yard said its e-crime unit was looking into claims by eight people of abuse.

Twitter found itself in the spotlight after three female journalists said they had been the subject of bomb threats on the site and two other women - an MP and a campaigner - received threats of rape.

The bomb threat tweet was sent to Guardian columnist Hadley Freeman, Independent columnist Grace Dent and Europe editor of Time magazine Catherine Mayer, as well as a number of other women.

In separate incidents, Labour MP Stella Creasy and campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez, who successfully fought for a woman's face to appear on £10 banknotes, were threatened on Twitter with rape.

Twitter is "committed to making the site a safe place for users"

Two arrests have already been made in relation to those threats.

Meanwhile, TV classics expert Mary Beard silenced an internet troll after naming and shaming him on the site.

Twitter UK has now clarified its rules on abusive behaviour amid a growing backlash over a series of attacks.

Labour MP Stella Creasy (L) and Mary Beard received abuse on Twitter

The firm said it was putting extra staff on the teams which handle abuse reports, and an "in-tweet" report button has been added so people can report abusive behaviour directly from a tweet.

The company, which has its European headquarters in Dublin, has recently taken on its first in-house counsel for the region.

It has also started advertising for a legal policy staff member to work on rotating shifts "to provide timely responses to emergency requests from all over the world".

The job description added: "We're a passionate team of intensely motivated, detail-oriented folks, seeking the same to join us!"

The website has introduced a new security button to report abuse

The blogging site's policy shift comes after an online petition calling for a "report abuse" button had attracted more than 120,000 signatures.

Tony Wang, general manager of Twitter UK, posted a series of tweets saying abuse was "simply not acceptable".

He wrote: "I personally apologise to the women who have experienced abuse on Twitter and for what they have gone through.

"The abuse they've received is simply not acceptable. It's not acceptable in the real world, and it's not acceptable on Twitter.

"There is more we can and will be doing to protect our users against abuse. That is our commitment."

Campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez was threatened on Twitter with rape

Twitter is also working with the UK Safer Internet Centre, which promotes the safe and responsible use of technology.

The rules include "You may not publish or post direct, specific threats of violence against others" and "You may not engage in targeted abuse or harassment".

The social networking website added: "User abuse and technical abuse are not tolerated on Twitter.com, and may result in permanent suspension."

In a message posted on its blog, Twitter's senior director for trust and safety, Del Harvey, and Mr Wang wrote: "It comes down to this: people deserve to feel safe on Twitter.

"We want people to feel safe on Twitter, and we want the Twitter rules to send a clear message to anyone who thought that such behaviour was, or could ever be, acceptable."

"We are committed to making Twitter a safe place for our users," they said, adding: "We're here, and we're listening to you."

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Interpol Global Security Alert After Jailbreaks

A global security alert has been issued by Interpol as it urged countries to be on their guard following a series of prison breaks believed linked to al Qaeda.

The international police organisation warning comes after America's State Department put out a worldwide travel alert and will close 21 of its embassies and consulates across the Muslim world on Sunday.

The US measure was in response to non-specific information suggesting the terror network was planning attacks during the month of August.

The Obama administration has warned US citizens of the potential for terrorism particularly in the Middle East and North Africa.

US joint chiefs of staff chairman General Martin Dempsey said there was a "significant threat", describing it as "more specific" than previous threats.

A section of the British embassy compound in Yemen

Meanwhile, Britain is shutting the doors of its embassy in Yemen on Sunday for two days due to increased security concerns. France will also close its embassy for the same reason.

Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has withdrawn a number of staff from the capital Sana'a, and British nationals have been warned against all travel to the country.

Those still in Yemen have been advised to leave immediately, as it is "extremely unlikely" their evacuation could be arranged if the security situation deteriorates.

The FCO recommended particular vigilance during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ends on August 8, when "tensions could be heightened".

Interpol urged countries around the world to show "increased vigilance", following a series of prison escapes over the past month, which freed hundreds of terrorists in Iraq, Libya and Pakistan.

The State Department warned US citizens of the potential for terrorism

An elaborate raid earlier this week freed 252 inmates from a prison in Dera Ismail Khan in Pakistan.

Rocket-propelled grenades and bombs were used in the assault, with the Taliban claiming that two dozen newly-liberated militants had been smuggled into its tribal heartland.

Interpol said it was "asking its member countries to closely follow and swiftly process any information linked to these events and the escaped prisoners".

It added: "They are also requested to alert the relevant member country and Interpol general secretariat headquarters if any escaped terrorist is located or intelligence developed which could help prevent another terrorist attack."

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

Yemen has become a stronghold of al Qaeda over recent years, with local offshoot al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula believed to have several hundred members.

This was despite efforts by the country's authorities to suppress the group and US drones killing leaders including Anwar al Awlaki.

Yemen was the source of an attempt to bomb a US-bound airliner in 2009.

There has been unrest recently after the mutiny of troops in the Republican Guard, with fighting around the presidential palace on Friday.

The latest alert by the US warned that al Qaeda or its allies may target American government or private US 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 aircraft and boats.

The US 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.

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