World Cup Ticket Scam Suspect 'Not Fugitive'

A British man accused of running a World Cup ticket touting operation is not a "fugitive", according to his company.

Brazilian police said on Thursday they considered Ray Whelan to be "on the run" after he left his Rio de Janeiro hotel.

However, his employer, Match Services, believes Mr Whelan's movements within Brazil were not restricted under the terms of his release.

Mr Whelan is suspected of supplying tickets to a touting gang working at the World Cup.

He is a director of Match Services, a subsidiary of the Byrom Group which owns Fifa's ticket and hospitality rights,

Mr Whelan was first arrested on Monday

A statement from the firm said: "Match must emphasise its understanding that the terms of Ray Whelan's previous release did not restrict Ray Whelan's movements, provided he stayed within Brazil.

"We do not believe that the term 'fugitive' is appropriate under the circumstances as he is presently with his lawyer.

"We understand that any accused in Brazil has the fundamental right to resist a coercion that he believes to be arbitrary and illegal."

CCTV footage of Mr Whelan shows he did not rush from his hotel, added the company.

Mr Whelan was first arrested on Monday on the basis of telephone taps in which he was heard discussing $25,000 (£14,500) cash deals for ticket packages with Lamine Fofana, an Algerian suspected of being the conduit for hundreds of tickets.

He was released on bail on Tuesday morning but on Thursday a judge approved an arrest warrant, a precursor to his being formally charged.

Match says it is confident the charges against Mr Whelan will be rebutted

Under the order he was to be taken into custody along with 10 other suspects.

Officers went to his hotel, the upmarket Copacabana Palace, but found he had left by a staff entrance an hour earlier.

Police later said in a statement: "Teams from the 18 Precinct (Flag Square), coordinated by the delegate Fabio Barucke, were at the Copacabana Palace Hotel on the afternoon of Thursday, to comply with probation warrant issued by the court against Raymond Whelan.

"According to the delegate, the English fled out the back door of the hotel and is now considered a fugitive."

Mr Whelan's whereabouts still appear to be unknown.

Match says it has not spoken to him or his lawyer since they left the hotel and therefore "cannot comment on his circumstances".

"Ray Whelan has not yet been granted the due process of a fair trial," said the company. "Match remains absolutely confident that any charges raised against Ray will be rebutted."

Match has previously described the arrest of Mr Whelan as "arbitrary and illegal" and accused the police of failing to understand the ticket and hospitality market.

They say Mr Whelan could not be expected to know that touting suspect Fofana was banned from buying products, and that while cash deals are unusual it is not a breach of the rules.

Mr Whelan surrendered his passport as a condition of his bail and is not permitted to leave Brazil.

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Hamas: Israel's Main Airport Will Be Targeted

A Complex Web Of Friends And Enemies

Updated: 5:06pm UK, Friday 11 July 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

Rockets fired from Lebanon into Israel at dawn. The opening of a new front for Israel already engaged in an escalating air campaign in the Gaza Strip? No.

Neither the Israelis nor Hezbollah, which has an arsenal of 100,000 rockets and controls southern Lebanon, are that stupid.

The missile attack on Israel's north was an attempt by Sunni militants to spark a confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel that both know would be a zero sum.

Why would Sunnis, in all probability descendants of Palestinian refugees from what is now Israel, want to do that?

It's Hezbollah, a Shia movement, after all, that has been a major conduit of experts, funding and modern rockets to Hamas, a Sunni organisation, in Gaza. Hamas and Hezbollah are allies.

But only when it comes to fighting Israel.

In Syria, Hamas has condemned the Assad regime, which like Hezbollah is backed by Iran.

Sunnis of Palestinian descent are among volunteers who have joined rebel groups fighting Damascus, while Hezbollah has sent thousands of its best fighters to the frontlines to defend the regime of Bashar al Assad.

There is a logic at work here.

If Sunni groups in south Lebanon can sucker the Israelis into a war with Hezbollah they could enjoy the double whammy of reduced pressure on Gaza, and the use of Israel's devastating air power against Hezbollah, the Sunni's enemies in Syria.

No better example of an attempt to kill two birds with one stone.

It won't happen because both Hezbollah and Israel, foes who have the greatest respect for one another, saw through the plot some time back. It's not the first time it has been tried.

But it does signal just how the Middle East's tectonic plates of conflict have shifted and can overlap.

The explosion of sectarian Muslim war between Sunni and Shia in Syria, which has spread into Iraq and has destabilised Lebanon, has become the defining clash in a new age of chaos.

Rival regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran use proxies to vie for influence and control.

The Saudis have become increasingly nervous of the spread of a Shia crescent from Tehran through Baghdad to Damascus and south Lebanon.

But Tehran has also used enemy forces to bolster the positions of its allies.

According to intelligence sources Muhsin al Fadhli, once a senior al Qaeda figure based in Iraq has taken up an operational roles inside Syria - at the instigation of the Iranian government.

Why would Tehran release someone to fight a key client an ally in Damascus?

Because radical groups like the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have fought harder against fellow rebel groups than they have against the Assad regime.

Tehran has split the rebels.

But now ISIS threatens Iran's client government in Baghdad showing that an enemy's enemy may be a friend from time to time, but will remain an enemy.

This may be complicated but there is no excuse for stupidity in the Middle East. Failure to comprehend this can be fatal.

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World Cup Ticket Scam: Briton On The Run

By Paul Kelso, Sports Correspondent in Rio de Janeiro

Ray Whelan, the British executive at the heart of a ticket-touting investigation, is considered to be "on the run" after he left his hotel "in a hurried manner" before police arrived to arrest him.

Mr Whelan, a director of Match Services, a subsidiary of the Byrom Group which owns Fifa's ticket and hospitality rights, is suspected of supplying tickets to a ticket-touting gang working at the World Cup.

He was first arrested on Monday on the basis of telephone taps in which he was heard discussing $25,000 (£14,500) cash deals for ticket packages with Lamine Fofana, an Algerian suspected of being the conduit for hundreds of tickets.

MATCH have described Whelan's arrest as 'arbitrary and illegal'

Mr Whelan was released on bail on Tuesday morning but on Thursday a judge approved an arrest warrant, a precursor to his being formally charged. Under the order he was to be taken into custody along with 10 other suspects.

Police went to his hotel, the Copacabana Palace, on Wednesday afternoon but found he had left by a staff entrance an hour earlier, at around 3pm local time.

His fugitive status came as Match Services promised to do all it could to assist the authorities in Brazil.

Police said in a statement: "Teams from the 18 Precinct (Flag Square), coordinated by the delegate Fabio Barucke, were at the Copacabana Palace Hotel on the afternoon of Thursday, to comply with probation warrant issued by the court against Raymond Whelan. According to the delegate, the English fled out the back door of the hotel and is now considered a fugitive."

Marcos Kac, the Rio de Janeiro investigating magistrate in charge of the inquiry, said they may ask for help from federal police in case Mr Whelan is considering leaving the city by private jet.

He surrendered his passport as a condition of his bail and is not permitted to leave the country.

Match has described the arrest of Mr Whelan as "arbitrary and illegal" and accuse the police of failing to understand the ticket and hospitality market.

In a statement Jaime Byrom, the chairman and founder of the Byrom Group, said: "Notwithstanding our belief that the action taken against Mr Whelan was illegal and baseless, Match Services and I personally remain totally committed to assist the authorities from the 18th Precinct or any other jurisdiction in Fifa's fight against illegal ticket sales."

As well as owning the rights to Fifa's hospitality operation, Match also supply ticketing and accommodations services, and run a ticket enforcement programme, effectively working with local authorities to clamp down on touts or unlicensed hospitality providers working in opposition to them.

Under Fifa rules it is illegal for anyone to sell an ordinary match ticket for above its cover price. Tickets provided by Match as part of corporate packages however can be sold at any price, as long as they are accompanied by an element of hospitality or accommodation.

Match say that in the telephone conversations with Fofana released to the media Mr Whelan is discussing unsold hospitality packages for all seven games at the Maracana in Rio, which have an approved price of $24,750.

While Fofana was banned from buying products from Match, they say Mr Whelan could not be expected to know that. They acknowledge that while cash deals are unusual it is not a breach of the rules.

Fofana and 10 other suspects were arrested with hundreds of tickets, including some in the name of former players and the son of a senior Fifa executive committee member.

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Obese Diabetes Sufferers Could Get NHS Ops

Hundreds of thousands of obese people with type 2 diabetes could get weight-loss surgery on the NHS.

Draft guidance from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (Nice) says people who fit the criteria should be assessed for bariatric surgery.

This could include having a gastric band fitted to reduce the size of the stomach or a gastric bypass, where the digestive system is re-routed past most of the stomach.

"Obesity rates have nearly doubled over the last 10 years and continue to rise, making obesity and overweight a major issue for the health service in the UK," said  Professor Mark Baker, director of the Centre for Clinical Practice at Nice.

"Updated evidence suggests people who are obese and have been recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes may benefit from weight loss surgery.

"More than half of people who undergo surgery have more control over their diabetes following surgery and are less likely to have diabetes related illness; in some cases surgery can even reverse the diagnosis."

However, Simon O'Neill, of Diabetes UK, said: "Bariatric surgery can lead to dramatic weight loss, which in turn may result in a reduction in people taking their type 2 diabetes medication and even in

some people needing no medication at all.

"This does not mean, however, that type 2 diabetes has been cured.

"These people will still need to eat a healthy balanced diet and be physically active to manage their diabetes."

Currently weight loss surgery is given to patients on the NHS to those who are morbidly obese with a body mass index (BMI) score of over 40 or to those who have a BMI over 35 and who have another serious health condition.

But now Nice is suggesting people with a BMI score of 30 to 35 should be considered for an assessment for weight-loss operations on the NHS if they have been diagnosed within the last 10 years.

This could mean that as many as 800,000 could be considered for this type of surgery on the NHS.

The draft guideline has been issued for consultation.

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Public Sector Strike Threatens Huge Disruption

Unions: Workers Can't Feed Their Families

Updated: 1:33am UK, Thursday 10 July 2014

Unions say they are angry at 'abysmal pay', working conditions and pensions. Here is a snapshot of each union's main complaints.

:: Unite

Members: 70,000 from various sectors, ranging from industry and manufacturing to education and agriculture.

Unite national officer for local government Fiona Farmer said: "Our members have endured four years of pay cuts in real terms and they voted overwhelmingly to strike on July 10 to drive home the message to ministers that poverty pay in local government must end.

"The depth of feeling on the pay issue is reinforced by the fact that local government unions, GMB and Unison, and members of the National Union of Teachers are all taking action on tomorrow.

"Poverty pay is widespread across local councils. Household bills continue to soar, but our members' buying power is constantly being eroded. The national minimum wage will soon overtake local government pay scales; members are choosing between heating and eating."

:: NUT

Members: 300,000 qualified teachers

Christine Blower, General Secretary National Union of Teachers, said: "Despite months in talks with Government officials, the real issues of our dispute have not been addressed. Teacher morale is at a low ebb.

"Changes to pay, pensions and a workload of 60 hours are unacceptable and unsustainable. Thousands of good, experienced teachers are leaving or considering leaving their job and a teacher shortage crisis is looming.

"The fact that teachers are prepared to take strike action is an indication of the strength of feeling and anger about the Government's imposed changes. Strike action is a last resort but, due to the intransigence of the coalition Government, it is one which we cannot avoid."

:: Unison

Members: 1.3 million workers from a range of roles within all public service areas, including people employed by public service authorities, private companies and community organisations.

Dave Prentis, Unison General Secretary, said: "Unison's local government and school members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland hold their first one day strike over an abysmal 1% pay offer. Faced with soaring food, fuel and housing costs, they have had to put up with three years of frozen pay, and now yet another below inflation offer.

"They have seen the value of their pay fall by nearly 20% since the coalition came to power and many struggle to make ends meet, to feed their families and pay their bills. Our charity is seeing more and more people asking for help and we know that many have had to resort to food banks to put food on the table.

"This is a national disgrace that these workers, who keep vital services running for their communities should be paid so badly, that they can't pay all their bills. And the lowest paid are still waiting for £250 promised by the Chancellor for two years' running. They have now voted to take strike action; that is not something they do lightly. But they are saying enough is enough. Work should pay enough for people to be able to live on."

:: GMB

Members: 617,000 workers, including school meal servers, street cleaners, binmen and carers.

GMB National Secretary, Brian Strutton, said: "We have tried sensible discussions, we've sought to negotiate reasonably, we've said we are willing to accept ACAS arbitration rather than go on strike - but to everything we've tried the employers have said 'no'. So we have no choice.

"GMB members serving school meals, cleaning streets, emptying bins, looking after the elderly, helping children in classrooms and in all the other vital roles serving our communities are fed up with being ignored and undervalued.

"Their pay has gone up only 1% since 2010 and in October even the national minimum wage will overtake local authority pay scales. Their case is reasonable, the employers won't listen and don't care, no wonder they have turned to strike action as the only way of making their voices heard."

:: PCS

Members: 270,000 civil servants.

A PCS spokesman said: "We're striking because, as well as tens of thousands of job being cut from the civil service since 2010 and the ongoing threat of more of the civil service being privatised, wages have been frozen and capped to such an extent that by next year incomes for many civil servants will be 20% lower than they would have been if they'd kept pace with increases in the cost of living. That is a huge hit in salary to take.

"There are other endemic issues, such as unequal pay. For example, staff in the Passport Office - in the eye of the storm at the moment - can be paid £3,000 less than their colleagues doing similar work elsewhere in the Home Office.

"Across the civil service, women are paid 10% less than men, 14% less for part-time workers. We've tried to negotiate but the Government refuses. Faced with this, it's inevitable that people will want to take industrial action."

:: RMT

Members: 80,000, of whom 361 TfL (Transport for London) backroom staff will be on strike.

RMT's Acting general secretary Mick Cash said: "While the political class, the bankers and the idle rich have all got their snouts in the trough, of course we are right to stand up and fight for the millions of workers told to take a hit despite the fact that they had no part in creating the financial crisis.

"We would be foolish not to maximise the unity of the trade union movement in the face of an aggressive, anti-union government that is mired in its own cesspit of scandal. We will take no lectures in morality from them.

"The front line of defence against cuts and austerity is the organised working class and that is why the Tories and big business want to tighten the legal noose around our necks. They will have a fight on their hands."

:: FBU

Members: 44,000 firefighters

Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: "The government must realise that firefighters cannot accept proposals that would have such devastating consequences for their futures, their families' futures  - and the future of the fire and rescue service itself.

"We have tried every route available to us to make the government see sense over their attacks.

"Three years of negotiations have come to nothing because the government is simply unwilling to compromise or even listen to reason despite a huge amount of evidence showing their planned scheme is unworkable."

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Israel Airstrike On Gaza 'Kills Five Children'

An Israeli airstrike into Gaza has killed seven civilians, including 5 children, according to Palestinian authorities who say it was the deadliest single bombing so far.

Residents claim two houses were hit in the attack in a densely populated area near Khan Younis.

According to Palestinian officials another 16 people were injured in the attack.

It comes as Prime Minister David Cameron voiced his support for Israel and its response to what he calls "appalling" rocket strikes from Hamas militants.

Locals search through rubble after the attack

The Israeli army has stepped up its offensive on the Gaza Strip in an effort to hit Hamas targets, as militants continue to fire rockets at Israeli cities.

Mr Cameron phoned Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday to offer his support.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "(He) spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu earlier this evening about the situation in Israel.

"The Prime Minister strongly condemned the appalling attacks being carried out by Hamas against Israeli civilians.

"The Prime Minister reiterated the UK's staunch support for Israel in the face of such attacks, and underlined Israel's right to defend itself from them."

In response to the escalating conflict, the United Nations Security Council is set to convene in New York on Thursday.

"Gaza is on a knife-edge," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.

"The deteriorating situation is leading to a downward spiral which could quickly get out of control. The risk of violence expanding further still is real."

The exchange of fire marks the heaviest fighting between Israel and Hamas since an eight-day battle in November 2012.

More than 3 million Israeli citizens are under threat of rocket attack

The IDF launched the major air campaign above Gaza on Tuesday, targeting the homes of suspected militants and concealed rocket launch locations.

More than 400 airstrikes have taken place, with 50 people killed in Gaza.

Israel said it had hit more than 300 targets and Hamas positions throughout Gaza.

The Israel Defence Force (IDF) said "at least 82 rockets hit Israel" on Wednesday, and 21 were intercepted.

Hamas said it fired three rockets on Wednesday at Dimona, targeting what Israel claimed was its highly secure nuclear reactor site.

Israel has launched repeated airstrikes to thwart militants in Gaza

There have been no Israeli deaths, but the barrages have paralysed business in southern communities.

Mr Netanyahu has warned Hamas that it will pay a "heavy price" for the rocket attacks, many of which have targeted populated areas of Israel.

The Israeli cabinet has said it may also send in ground troops and has authorised the call-up of as many as 40,000 reservists.

Israel has started to amass troops around the Gaza Strip

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has accused Israel of committing atrocities in Gaza.

Mr Abbas said: "It's genocide - the killing of entire families is genocide by Israel against our Palestinian people."

The US State Department said it has called for all sides to deescalate, but reiterated Israel's right of self-defence.

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World Cup: Brazil Suffer Humiliating 7-1 Exit

Brazil are out of their own World Cup after an astonishing 7-1 semi-final loss to Germany.

The embarrassment started when Thomas Muller opened the scoring on 11 minutes, before an extraordinary sequence of play saw the Germans bag four goals in six minutes in Belo Horizonte.

Miroslav Klose fired his record 16th World Cup goal on 23 minutes before Muller made it 3-0 two minutes later. Within another minute it was 4-0 thanks to Toni Kroos and Sami Khedira completed the first-half humiliation with a fifth just before the half-hour mark.

Chelsea forward Andre Schurrle scored twice to make it 7-0 in the second half before a late consolation goal for his clubmate Oscar.

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari watches on the sidelines

Even without injured superstar Neymar and suspended captain Thiago Silva, Brazil went into the match as marginal favourites with the bookies due to home advantage.

Their humiliating exit could reignite anger over the cost of hosting the competition.

Most Brazilians have embraced the World Cup over the last three weeks, but the build-up was marred by rioting among those who thought the estimated $11.3 billion (£6.6bn) should have been spent on public services and infrastructure.

A poll of Brazilians beforehand found 60% thought the competition was bad for the country.

Brazilian heartache as their team heads out of the tournament

Ill feeling following their exit will not be helped if rivals Argentina beat Holland to make the final, which will be played in Brazil's iconic Maracana on Sunday.

Those wearing yellow also feel aggrieved that no one was punished for the fierce challenge that left star player Neymar with a broken bone in his back.

The loss is also a blow for President Dilma Rousseff, who was hoping to capitalise on the good feeling that would have followed a sixth World Cup triumph. Campaigning officially began at the weekend ahead of October's election.

Germans celebrate in Berlin

But during the match, sections of the crowd chanted obscenities against Ms Rousseff, who did not attend the game.

"Like every Brazilian, I am very, very sad about this defeat. I am immensely sorry for all of us. Fans and our players," Ms Rousseff wrote on Twitter.

"But we won't let ourselves stay down," she said, before quoting a Brazilian song: "Brazil, get up, dust yourself off and move forward."

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Syria Fighter: 'I'veTrained Teenage Brits'

By Jason Farrell, Sky News Correspondent

A jihadi fighter in Syria has told Sky News he has been training British teenagers as young as 16 to fight in the war.

Yilmaz, a Dutch national who has been in the region for two years, said: "It's extremely easy to get here … People go on holiday, they end up in Syria."

Speaking via Skype, from the Idlib province of the war-torn country, the fighter insisted the majority of Britons did not pose a threat to their home country.

But he added: "There is always the chance of a loose cannon doing something stupid, doing something crazy."

Asked how young his trainees from Britain were he replied: "16, 17 ... Most are in their 20s."

Security services in the UK estimate 400 to 500 British jihadists are involved in the conflict in Syria or Iraq, and there are concerns some may wish to return and commit terrorist acts when they return.

Three Muslims from Cardiff have appeared in an ISIS video from Syria and last week a social media account in the name of one of them posted pictures of homemade bombs.

Nasser Muthana, 20, appeared to warn that Britain should be afraid to allow him to return.

But Yilmaz, who was in the Dutch army and also worked in an old people's home in Holland, told Sky News: "We see this jihad in Syria as something holy.

Three UK Muslims in Syria made a video calling for others to join them

"When I speak to the British fighters and the foreign fighters here, I just can't see them risking everything, coming home and committing crimes."

He added: "It's funny, the British Government itself is funding and training, be it in Jordan or Syria, the Free Syrian Army. So the British Government is helping and I'm helping in my own way."

Yilmaz says he supports the goal of ISIS to overthrow the Syrian regime - but believes Iraq is a distraction that is taking focus away from what President Bashar al Assad is doing in Syria.

"My main concern here at the moment is that exactly the same things are being done here but by the Shia death squads, but all the attention is being shifted to ISIS.

A video image purportedly showing Muslims forced to pray to President Assad

"The main goal is getting rid of this regime and bringing in place an Islamic government that's built upon Islamic principles and an Islamic court."

On Sunday, it emerged that two 16-year-old twin sisters, from Manchester, had run away from home and travelled to Syria where it is feared they may have joined the ISIS fight.

Giving an insight into women's roles among his fighters, Yilmaz said: "Some brothers brought their wives or their sisters - but it's a supporting role, housework, washing, fixing clothes … there's no need for female fighters."

Sky News also spoke to a British-born Londoner here in the UK who converted to Islam six years ago and believes it is his duty to go to Syria.

Suliman, who says he has not gone for family reasons, said: "For me personally it's to be able to aid others but the main purpose is because it pleases God.

Londoner Suliman would like to go to Syria after being inspired by videos

"It is the best death. If you are to die out there on the battlefield, it is the best death - if I did die - I'd have done something good for people, and that would surely be written down as a good deed."

But he says "it's not fair to class people as terrorists" because they fight in Syria.

"There are people out there like myself who are sincere and will go out there to help those in need.

"There are people who will come back, and they will have hatred for Britain. And those are the people we need to look out for and even the Muslims around these people - we need to help them. We need to aid them out of that picture of hatred."

Both Suliman and Yilmaz say they were influenced in their views about Syria by YouTube videos and by social media.

Haras Rariq, head of outreach at the Quilliam Foundation, said: "The overwhelming majority of Muslims will reject going out to fight ISIS and rightly so, they shouldn't go. It's not Islamic, it's not what the Prophet talked about.

"But the problem is a small number will go and they're the people that we need to worry about."

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Inquiries To Investigate Child Sex Abuse Claims

Sex Abuse Inquiries: The Unanswered Questions

Updated: 7:52pm UK, Monday 07 July 2014

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Theresa May went a long way to satisfying MPs' demands for a wide-ranging inquiry into child sex abuse allegations.

But there are still plenty of unanswered questions arising out of the affair and the so-called "Dickens dossier" presented to then-home secretary Lord Brittan in 1983.

In fact, the Home Secretary told MPs there was no such thing as a "single Dickens dossier", despite Lord Brittan confirming last week that the late Tory MP went to him with a "substantial bundle of papers".

Mrs May has set up two inquiries, the first a "review of a review", as she put it, to look into an investigation carried out by her permanent secretary, Mark Sedwill, last year.

The second is a much wider inquiry carried out by a panel of experts into allegations of abuse which the Home Secretary said could become a full public inquiry like that into the Hillsborough disaster.

According to Yvette Cooper, the Shadow Home Secretary, Mrs May had "changed her position" by bowing to the demands from MPs led by the Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk, who exposed the activities of Cyril Smith.

The Government denies charges of a U-turn, of course. But it's significant that her widely welcomed announcement followed talks with the Prime Minister on Sunday.

All the signs are that David Cameron ordered her to agree to a wide-ranging investigation. It was Number 10, after all, that announced on Sunday evening that the Home Secretary would make a Commons statement.

The unanswered questions will now be put to Mr Sedwill when he gives evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee, exactly a week after Mr Danczuk challenged Leon Brittan's handling of the Geoffrey Dickens allegations.

"The Committee will be interested to hear what has happened to the missing files, understand further details of the review Mr Sedwill has set up, including how this fits into the Home Secretary's inquiry, and why the Committee were not directly informed about the original investigation beforehand," said Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee.

Let's take those one by one:

:: The missing files

This was the issue that most exercised MPs of all parties during questions following Mrs May's Commons statement.

Mr Sedwill has admitted 114 files are missing. Until he provides satisfactory answers about what happened to them, conspiracy theorists will cry, "cover-up!"

:: The Home Office review

Presumably Mr Vaz is referring to the review which will now be carried out by Peter Wanless, the NSPCC chief, into what happened when Mr Sedwill carried out a review last year in response to parliamentary questions from Labour MP Tom Watson.

:: The Home Secretary's inquiry

This is all a bit vague so far. We don't yet know who will lead it and what form it will take.

It sounded from her statement as though the Home Secretary hasn't decided this yet and may not even have found a chairman or chairwoman yet.

:: Why was the Home Affairs Select Committee not told in advance about the original inquiry?

This sounds a bit like Mr Vaz being self-important. But he may have a good point if the Home Secretary was trying to hush up the inquiry or keep it secret from MPs.

But let's ask a fifth question, not posed by Mr Vaz, but by Labour MP Lisa Nandy and Tory MP Mark Reckless in the Commons earlier:

:: How much did Government and Opposition whips know about the sex abuse allegations? 

Whips often boast about their "little black book", containing colourful details of MPs' sexual exploits.

Will they be asked to spill the beans? Almost certainly not.

John Wakeham, Margaret Thatcher's great fixer and now in the Lords, was Tory Chief Whip from 1983-87 and Derek Foster, also now in the Lords, was Labour's Chief Whip.

Knowing the inscrutable Lord Wakeham as I do, I'd be very surprised if he were to reveal the secrets of the "little black book".

But whether or not Theresa May was ordered by the PM to bow to pressure from MPs, with her skilful and adept handling of the rapidly escalating child abuse crisis she has defused the tension for now.

But the allegations won't go away and if either inquiry uncovers some explosive discoveries, the Home Secretary - and her Tory predecessor Leon Brittan - will have more uncomfortable questions to answer.

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Alzheimer's Test Could Be Ready In Two Years

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

A blood test that identifies patients likely to develop Alzheimer's Disease could be available in two years, according to scientists.

The test, which works long before there are recognisable symptoms, is almost 90% accurate, new research shows.

And the inventors believe it would allow drugs to be tested in the early stages of the disease, in the hope of delaying or even stopping further deterioration.

Professor Simon Lovestone, who devised the test at King's College London, said: "A drug that worked in that preclinical phase would feel like prevention.

"You would go to your doctor take a drug and in effect you would have the clinical symptoms prevented - even if the clinical disease had started in your brain."

Doctors know that Alzheimer's starts to affect the brain at least 10 years before there are outward signs of the disease.

The new test identifies 10 key proteins in the blood of patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment who will go on to develop Alzheimer's in the next year.

Results of a major trial published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia show the test is 87% accurate.

Vivienne Hill, whose mother had Alzheimer's, has welcomed the research

"Alzheimer's begins to affect the brain many years before patients are diagnosed," said Prof Lovestone.

"Many of our drug trials fail because by the time patients are given the drugs, the brain has already been too severely affected.

"A simple blood test could help us identify patients at a much earlier stage."

The test has been welcomed by Alzheimer's Research UK, which funded the study.

But Dr Eric Karran, the charity's science director, cautioned that it needs further refinement before being used by GPs to routinely diagnose the disease.

He told Sky News: "You have false positives, which is where the test says you are liable to get Alzheimer's disease but in fact the test is wrong.

"If this was some benign condition one wouldn't be bothered.

"But we know that Alzheimer's Disease is the most feared diagnosis. So it is very important to understand that point."

Vivienne Hill was devastated that doctors could do nothing to slow her mother Mary's symptoms. She welcomed the new research.

"We knew she was going to slowly deteriorate from a vibrant happy woman to someone who was bedridden for the last three years of her life who could not talk or do anything for herself," she said.

"It's horrible knowing that."

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May To Give Statement On Child Abuse Claims

Westminster Abuse Claims: 'Cover-Up Possible'

Updated: 3:37am UK, Monday 07 July 2014

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

Keith Vaz described the letter he received from the most senior official at the Home Office - just days ago - as one of the best he had ever seen.

The chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee was particularly impressed by the level of detail provided by Mark Sedwill.

He was surprised about how frank the permanent secretary had been about a Home Office investigation into its own handling of historical child sex allegations against politicians.

The letter recounted how hundreds of files were raked through, with correspondence passed to the police.

It said a single overarching dossier, said to be compiled by the late Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens, was never found.

But the key admission was that 114 "potentially relevant" documents had got lost, gone missing or been destroyed.

Despite that the Home Office investigation, which took place last year, concluded that officials had done nothing wrong - implying that the destruction of the documents was simple protocol.

Yet campaigners and lawyers representing potential victims jumped on the revelation - warning that the missing files may have contained crucial evidence that could lead to convictions.

Acknowledging public distrust over the issue, Mr Sedwill promised to bring in an independent legal expert to review last year's investigation.

On Tuesday, the permanent secretary will appear before the select committee - his first public appearance since the letter was released.

He is likely to name a QC and set out the terms of reference for the review.

But he is also likely to face questions from MPs about the lost documents.

Suspicious MPs will want to interrogate him about how the Home Office could say the original allegations were properly dealt with when so much potential evidence was missing.

Simon Danzcuk - an MP who has been campaigning for alleged victims - says the department is guilty of either incompetence or a cover up.

He - and a growing number of MPs (now over 140) - want a full "Hillsborough"-style public inquiry.

They say an internal review can't possibly get to the bottom of this.

Instead they want a process that can see former home secretaries and officials questioned - including those who saw the original files.

Downing Street is resisting such a move - saying an internal review is the right approach.

A source said the allegations of victims should be scrutinised by the police not Government.

They have support from David Mellor who was a Home Office minister at the time the dossier was compiled.

He describes Mr Dickens as a "rent-a-quote" MP and suggests the dossier is a weaker document than has been suggested.

He thinks claims of a Westminster paedophile ring are exaggerated.

But a Conservative colleague who sat in Margaret Thatcher's cabinet - Lord Tebbit - takes a different view.

He says there was an instinct in the 1980s to protect the establishment.

With such a senior figure suggesting that a cover-up might have been possible - the questions of critics are unlikely to go away any time soon.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Westminster Abuse Claims: 'Cover-Up Possible'

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

Keith Vaz described the letter he received from the most senior official at the Home Office - just days ago - as one of the best he had ever seen.

The chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee was particularly impressed by the level of detail provided by Mark Sedwill.

He was surprised about how frank the permanent secretary had been about a Home Office investigation into its own handling of historical child sex allegations against politicians.

The letter recounted how hundreds of files were raked through, with correspondence passed to the police.

It said a single overarching dossier, said to be compiled by the late Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens, was never found.

But the key admission was that 114 "potentially relevant" documents had got lost, gone missing or been destroyed.

Despite that the Home Office investigation, which took place last year, concluded that officials had done nothing wrong - implying that the destruction of the documents was simple protocol.

Lord Tebbit believes an establishment cover-up is possible

Yet campaigners and lawyers representing potential victims jumped on the revelation - warning that the missing files may have contained crucial evidence that could lead to convictions.

Acknowledging public distrust over the issue, Mr Sedwill promised to bring in an independent legal expert to review last year's investigation.

On Tuesday, the permanent secretary will appear before the select committee - his first public appearance since the letter was released.

He is likely to name a QC and set out the terms of reference for the review.

But he is also likely to face questions from MPs about the lost documents.

Suspicious MPs will want to interrogate him about how the Home Office could say the original allegations were properly dealt with when so much potential evidence was missing.

Mark Sedwill is to appear before MPs

Simon Danzcuk - an MP who has been campaigning for alleged victims - says the department is guilty of either incompetence or a cover up.

He - and a growing number of MPs (now over 140) - want a full "Hillsborough"-style public inquiry.

They say an internal review can't possibly get to the bottom of this.

Instead they want a process that can see former home secretaries and officials questioned - including those who saw the original files.

Downing Street is resisting such a move - saying an internal review is the right approach.

A source said the allegations of victims should be scrutinised by the police not Government.

A Home Office investigation concluded officials had done nothing wrong

They have support from David Mellor who was a Home Office minister at the time the dossier was compiled.

He describes Mr Dickens as a "rent-a-quote" MP and suggests the dossier is a weaker document than has been suggested.

He thinks claims of a Westminster paedophile ring are exaggerated.

But a Conservative colleague who sat in Margaret Thatcher's cabinet - Lord Tebbit - takes a different view.

He says there was an instinct in the 1980s to protect the establishment.

With such a senior figure suggesting that a cover-up might have been possible - the questions of critics are unlikely to go away any time soon.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

First Video Of ISIS Group Leader Al Baghdadi

Jihadist group ISIS has released a video apparently showing the first public appearance of its elusive leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi.

In the Ramadan sermon footage, said to have been filmed in a mosque in the Iraqi city of Mosul on Friday, he calls on all Muslims to obey him.

Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed caliph of a state straddling Iraq and Syria, is increasingly seen as more powerful than al Qaeda's leader.

The 21-minute video's release on the internet follows reports he was killed or injured in an attack.

The recording shows a bearded man in a black robe and black turban ascending a pulpit below the black flag of the Islamic State.

If confirmed, it would be Baghdadi's first public appearance.

Omar al Shishani has appeared in recent propaganda videos released by ISIS

"God has granted your brothers, the mujahedin, victory and a conquest after years of patience and holy struggle, and enabled them to achieve their objective," he said.

"I was appointed in charge of you, though I am not the best or better than you, so if you see me in the right, then help me, and if you see me in the wrong, advise me and put me right."

The Iraqi government said the video is "indisputably" not Baghdadi.

"We have analysed the footage ... and found it is a farce," said Interior Ministry spokesman Brigadier General Saad Maan.

In an audio tape released last week, Baghdadi called on Muslims to take up arms and flock to the caliphate ISIS has declared on captured Syrian and Iraqi soil.

Reyaad Khan has had his assets frozen by the UK government

Another man, Omar al Shishani - which means Omar the Chechen - has appeared in ISIS's recent propaganda videos and may have been promoted to overall military chief.

The red-bearded militant is among hundreds of Chechens who are considered some of the toughest and most ruthless jihadi fighters in Syria and Iraq.

Baghdadi, born in Samarra in 1971 according to US intelligence, joined the insurgency sparked by the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

At one point he spent time in an American military prison in Iraq.

In 2005, American forces said they had killed "Abu Dua", one of his known aliases, on the Iraq-Syria border.

The US Treasury declared him a terrorist three years ago, and there is now a $10m (£5.9m) bounty on his head.

The video comes as three British citizens thought to be fighting alongside ISIS in Syria have had their assets frozen by the UK Treasury.

Reyaad Khan and Nasser Muthana, both 20 and from Cardiff, and Abdul Raqib Amin, who grew up in Aberdeen, were seen in a propaganda video released by ISIS last month.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Westminster Abuse Claims Probe: 114 Files Lost

The Home Office has admitted that more than 100 official files relating to allegations of historic child abuse by politicians have been lost or destroyed.

The department's permanent secretary, Mark Sedwill, said the documents - which related to a 20-year period between 1979 and 1999 - were "presumed destroyed, missing or not found".

The disclosure came as Mr Sedwill said he will appoint a senior legal figure to assess the Home Office's handling of a dossier alleging historical child abuse involving powerful and famous figures at Westminster in the 1980s.

It follows the Prime Minister's call for him to establish what happened to the file which was handed to the then home secretary Leon (now Lord) Brittan by Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens in 1983.

The Home Office disclosed that 114 files have vanished without a trace

Lord Brittan admitted he had received the dossier and passed it on to officials, but no action was ever taken.

In a letter to the chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Committee, Mr Sedwill revealed that while the original review had identified 527 potentially relevant files which had been retained, there were a further 114 files which could not be located.

He said that the investigation had not found a single dossier from Mr Dickens, but several sets of correspondence over a number of years to a number of home secretaries containing claims of sexual offences.

The Prime Minister is under pressure to launch a full public inquiry

However he said that the review had found no record of specific allegations by Mr Dickens of child sex abuse by senior figures.

"Like any other citizen, I am horrified by what we have learnt in the past couple of years about the systematic abuse of children and vulnerable adults by prominent public figures, and the state's failure to protect them," he wrote.

"Some have been brought to justice and I hope that the police investigations now under way across the country are equally successful. The Home Office has and will co-operate fully with any police inquiry."

Earlier, David Cameron faced criticism for an "inadequate" investigation into what happened to the dossier.

Labour MP Simon Danczuk, whose campaign raised the issue of what happened to the Dickens' file at a Commons Home Affairs Committee hearing, said there needed to be a public inquiry.

He told Sky News: "The public are very clearly concerned and they won't be satisfied with another review by Home Office officials.

"Reviews like this often prove to be whitewashes.

"The Prime Minister should establish an over-arching review led by child protection experts to draw together the results from all these different case, investigations and institutional inquiries."

Allegations of sex abuse have been made against the late Cyril Smith

Labour leader Ed Miliband has told Sky News that as well as a "thorough review" of what happened at the Home Office, there must also be a wider look at child protection.

The Met Police said in a statement: "We are currently assessing information and conducting a number of investigations under Operation Fairbank.

"Any material submitted to us, historic or current, is reviewed to establish if it is relevant to these."

Calls for more to be done about allegations of child sex abuse by politicians have increased since the 2010 death of Liberal Democrat MP Cyril Smith, who was subsequently said to have been a paedophile.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More