Girl Among Four Dead As Truck Careers Down Hill

Talbot Guilty Of Indecent Assaults On Two Boys

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 14 Februari 2015 | 10.03

Former weather presenter Fred Talbot has been found guilty of indecently assaulting two boys when he was a teacher.

Talbot showed little reaction to the verdicts, which related to two victims who were aged 14 or 15 in the 1970s.

The 65-year-old, who was known to millions for his forecasts on a floating weather map for ITV's This Morning show, was described as a "chancer" at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.

He was said to have been "obsessed" with teenage boys and "could not help himself", particularly when he had been drinking alcohol.

Victims described how they were forced to sleep naked with him during school trips on canal barges that he had organised.

One told how boys would take turns to sleep in Talbot's bed on one of the trips, and that at one stage the defendant "started talking to me about sexual stuff" before assaulting him.

Talbot's diary entries spanning three decades were seized by police and formed a key part of the prosecution's case. One entry read: "What I am doing with the kids means a lot to me, but it may be the wrong thing."

Greater Manchester Police Detective Constable Chris Doggart praised the bravery of the victims and said: "Talbot was an extremely popular and well liked individual - both as a celebrity weatherman and formerly as a science teacher - who earned not only the trust and adulation of many of his peers and pupils, but also much of the nation.

"Now he has been exposed as an opportunistic sex offender and that reputation is rightly in tatters."

The jury cleared Talbot of eight counts of indecent assault in relation to three other complainants.

Among prosecution witnesses at the trial was The Stone Roses singer Ian Brown, who had told the court how Talbot had explained to boys in his class how to carry out a sex act.

Brown said Talbot had also shown a gay porn film in another class.

Talbot's teaching career ended abruptly in 1984 after a proposal he made to two boys about sleeping with them at his home.

During a police interview in 2013, Talbot refused to answer questions about allegations by men who claimed they had been abused as children.

The abuse happened during his time as a biology teacher at Altrincham Grammar School for Boys in Cheshire, which said in a statement: "These awful events took place over 30 years ago and naturally our thoughts go out to those former pupils who were subjected to this abuse.

"We are confident that our present pupils and their parents know that the school is totally committed to ensuring the safety of our students and staff at all times and that these historical offences have no bearing on the School's outstanding reputation today."

Talbot has been remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced on 13 March.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

British Sons Plead For Guantanamo Dad's Release

By Ian Woods, Senior Correspondent

The British family of a prisoner in Guantanamo Bay have pleaded with the US government to send him home to London.

In their first interview, the teenage sons of Shaker Aamer told Sky News how their hopes of a reunion have been raised and then dashed.

Mr Aamer has been detained without trial inside the maximum security prison for 13 years - even though he was cleared for release in 2008.

The British government has lobbied on his behalf, and his case has attracted cross-party support, but there has been no explanation as to why he has not yet been freed.

Although he was born in Saudi Arabia, his wife and four children are British citizens. They barely remember their father; indeed his youngest son, Faris, was born on the same day as Mr Aamer arrived at Guantanamo on Valentine's Day 2002.

Faris celebrates his 13th birthday on Saturday and told Sky News: "It's upsetting and quite shocking that I've never met him in my entire life."

His 15-year-old brother Micheal spoke of how their hopes have been dashed.

"We felt very happy," he said.

"We thought there might be a chance for him to come home, but it just kept getting delayed.

"We just felt more sad because nothing happened. We've seen other people with their parents... seen how they enjoy themselves, how they're so close to them.

"It's like there is a part of our heart that is missing because we've been yearning for him to come home for many years and nothing's happened yet."

Mr Aamer took his young family and pregnant wife to Afghanistan in 2001. He says he was working for a humanitarian charity.

But a few weeks later the 9/11 attacks put the country at the centre of America's so-called War on Terror.

His family escaped to Pakistan but Mr Aamer says he gave himself up to the Northern Alliance and was then handed over to US forces.

After detention at Bagram Airbase he was moved to Guantanamo.

The Pentagon compiled a lengthy list of allegations claiming he had ties to al Qaeda.

His lawyer insists the allegations are false and are the result of torture or false confessions to earn rewards.

And his supporters stress that if the Americans actually believed them, they would not have cleared him for release.

Guantanamo spokesman Lt Col Myles Caggins told Sky News: "In 2009 Shaker Aamer's detention status was reviewed. As a result he was placed in a category we call 'eligible for transfer'.

"At some point in the future we will find a new home for him to be repatriated or resettled to."

But Micheal was unimpressed when he saw the video.

"I feel very sad because the man said they were going to try to find him a home," he said.

"But his home is here in London with his family."

There have been various theories about the delay.

Some say the US may prefer to see him sent to Saudi Arabia, where he is less likely to speak publicly about allegations of torture. There is also the issue of compensation.

Lt Col Caggins said: "We make these moves after a rigorous inter-agency process between our security officials, law enforcement and intelligence officials to ensure that transfer will be to a place that can maintain security assurances and human rights protections for those former Guantanamo detainees."

Mr Aamer's lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, scoffs at that.

"The most obvious person in the entire world to release is Shaker Aamer because he would be coming to the country with the best record of released prisoners, Britain," he said.

"And he would be coming to a place where we know his human rights are going to be respected, and he's been cleared for eight years, and he's got a wife and four children. What on earth is the argument against it?"

At least in recent years the family have been able to speak to their father. The International Red Cross has organised Skype video calls. Micheal remembers the first.

"We were all very excited," he said.

"We were very energetic. We couldn't wait to see him. And then when the call finally happened, we couldn't believe it was actually him.

"His voice. We hadn't heard it for such a long time.

"It was very surprising to hear his voice again. It was a shock. Skype has been very good at lifting our hopes up again because we've been able to speak to him, see how he's doing, and he's a very funny person.

"He always makes jokes. He lightens the mood a lot of the time. We talk about what's going on in our lives, how our education is."

Mr Aamer's wife and daughter preferred to stay in the background and not be interviewed. Because both boys are under 16, Sky News has agreed not to show their faces.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

HSBC Tax Dodging Claims: What Is The Row About?

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 13 Februari 2015 | 10.03

A political row has erupted over allegations of tax dodging tied to a Swiss subsidiary of HSBC.

David Cameron has been accused of not asking questions of former HSBC chief executive Steven Green - whom he later appointed a Lord in 2010 and Conservative minister.

The man who blew the whistle on tax dodging allegations has told Sky News he first raised concerns seven years ago and that British investigators have only received a "tiny part" of the information on HSBC.

Here is how the allegations have emerged.

:: What is the row about?

HSBC's Geneva branch is facing allegations that its staff encouraged customers to dodge tax payments.

Herve Falciani, the whistleblower who leaked tens of thousands of account details from the branch in 2007, told Sky News he first contacted HMRC in 2008.

Details of thousands of UK-based clients of the branch were handed to HMRC in May 2010, with press reports showing HSBC involvement in tax avoidance appearing in September that year.

Another French source has handed the full data to Le Monde newspaper, which then passed it on to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

The bank now admits problems in controls and compliance at the branch in the period before 2008, which has caused political controversy in Greece, Spain, India, France, Belgium and now the UK.

:: Why is David Cameron embroiled in the row?

The allegations of compliance and control problems at HSBC's Swiss subsidiary occurred at a time when Lord Green was chief executive and then chairman of the bank.

Lord Green was then made a lord, trade minister and was appointed to a Cabinet committee on post-banking crisis reform by David Cameron - after HMRC had received details of thousands of Britons suspected of avoiding taxes with the help of HSBC.

Wealthy donors to political parties were among those who legally held accounts with HSBC's Swiss branch.

The Guardian newspaper published a list of nine Conservative Party donors who it said were listed in files relating to clients of HSBC's Swiss subsidiary.

The Labour party has demanded the Prime Minister make it clear whether he talked to Lord Green about tax-dodging allegations linked to the bank before he was appointed as a minister.

:: Who else is tied up in the allegations?

Labour leader Ed Miliband accused Lord Fink in the House of Commons of seeking to avoid paying taxes by holding a Swiss bank account.

Lord Fink, who gave £3m to the Conservative Party, was appointed party treasurer and given a peerage by Mr Cameron.

The Tory peer has said the claim was "untrue and defamatory" and challenged Mr Miliband to repeat the allegation outside Parliament - where he would not be protected from legal action by parliamentary privilege - or withdraw it publicly.

But Lord Fink subsequently acknowledged he did take steps to avoid paying tax, although he insisted they were at "the mildest end of the spectrum".

It led Mr Miliband to challenge the Prime Minister over whether he agreed with Lord Fink that "everyone" engages in the practice, which is not illegal.

Mr Cameron also told the House of Commons that Labour donor Lord Paul was also caught up in the revelations.

Lord Paul has said he had a Swiss bank account because he had a house in the country.

:: What is happening about the claims?

Representatives from HSBC and HM Revenue and Customs will give evidence to MPs about the allegations.

More than 6,000 names are understood to have been passed to HMRC.

UK tax authorities say they have pursued around 1,100, recovering £135m in unpaid tax, fines and interest.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Miliband Turns Up Heat In Tax Avoidance Row

Ed Miliband has accused the Government of turning a blind eye to tax avoidance as an ex-Tory Party treasurer acknowledged he had taken steps to reduce his liabilities.

The Labour leader also challenged the Prime Minister over whether he agreed with Lord Fink that "everyone" engages in the practice, which is not illegal.

His comments came after the Conservative peer acknowledged he did take "vanilla, bland" measures to reduce his tax liabilities.

However, while Mr Miliband said he stood by his charge that Lord Fink had engaged in tax avoidance, he insisted his allegation over Conservative Party "dodgy donors" was not aimed at the peer personally.

This led Lord Fink to accuse the Labour leader of a "major climbdown".

The row was triggered after claims made by Mr Miliband during a bitter exchange in the House of Commons over alleged tax avoidance linked to HSBC's Swiss private subsidiary.

The Commons Treasury Select Committee has announced it plans to investigate the allegations against the bank - taking oral evidence from both HSBC and HMRC.

Mr Miliband was speaking in the House of Commons, where he is protected by parliamentary privilege, when he named Lord Fink as one of the UK citizens listed as legally holding an account at the bank's Geneva branch.

The Labour leader also accused Mr Cameron of being "a dodgy Prime Minister surrounded by dodgy donors".

Lord Fink had branded the claim as "untrue and defamatory", and had threatened legal action if he made it in public.

But in an interview with the Evening Standard he said he did not want to sue Mr Miliband, and acknowledged he had engaged in tax avoidance, although he said this was at "the mildest end of the spectrum".

"What I did ... was at the vanilla, bland, end of the spectrum," he insisted.

Lord Fink told the newspaper: "I don't even want to sue Ed Miliband. In my life I have been libelled a few dozen times and I have never sued anybody, even for some comments that were quite outrageous.

"If he simply uses the words 'Lord Fink did ordinary tax avoidance' then no, I couldn't sue him. But if he made the statement 'dodgy' about my bank account, that was potentially libellous. That was the issue I took exception to.

"I also took exception to him saying I had questions to answer. In fact, whenever anyone has put questions to me I have answered them."

He went on: "The expression tax avoidance is so wide that everyone does tax avoidance at some level."

In a speech for the launch of Labour's education policy for the May General Election at his former school in north London, Mr Miliband said: "Yesterday a Conservative donor challenged me to stand by what I said in the House of Commons. I do.

"And believe it or not, now today he confirmed it as well. He has just said, and I quote 'I didn't object to his use of the word tax avoidance, because tax avoidance - everyone does it'.

"David Cameron must explain why he appointed a treasurer of the Conservative Party who boasts about engaging in tax avoidance and thinks it is something that everyone does.

"This is the big choice facing our country - a choice between an old economy defended by this Government in which a blind eye is turned to tax avoidance, and a new economy built by investing in the talents and education of all our young people."

But responding to Mr Miliband's comments, Lord Fink said: "Yesterday I challenged Ed Miliband to repeat the accusations he made in the Commons - that I used an HSBC bank account to avoid tax and that I was a 'dodgy donor'. He did not.

"This is a major climbdown by a man who is willing to smear without getting his facts straight."

Meanwhile, the man who lifted the lid on the HSBC tax scandal has said he first raised concerns about suspect practices at the bank in 2008 - two years earlier than previously thought.

In an interview with Sky News, Herve Falciani said he emailed and called Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs seven years ago.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Machete Seized As Australia Plot 'Foiled'

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 11 Februari 2015 | 10.03

Australian police say they have prevented an "imminent" terror attack linked to Islamic State (IS) after arresting two men in a Sydney suburb.

Police say a machete, a hunting knife and homemade IS flag were seized in Fairfield, as well as a video of a man talking about an attack.

New South Wales state Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn said the planned attack was "consistent with the messaging coming out of IS".

State premier Mike Baird said a potentially "catastrophic" incident had been avoided.

He said: "It was beyond disturbing, what was planned.

"Certainly, something catastrophic was avoided yesterday and for that we should be very thankful."

When asked whether a beheading was planned, Ms Burns said police were unsure of the attack's nature, but added it was imminent and likely to have involved a knife.

"We believe that the men were potentially going to harm somebody, maybe even kill somebody, and potentially using one of the items that we identified and recovered yesterday, potentially a knife," she said.

The men, aged 24 and 25, would have carried out the attack on Tuesday if they had not been arrested that day, Ms Burns added.

"We built up information, we received further information which indicated an attack was imminent, and we acted."

The men will appear in court later charged with undertaking acts in preparation or planning for a terrorist act.

They have been refused bail and could face life in prison if convicted.

Ms Burn said the men were not previously on their radar and she did not know whether the alleged target was the police, military or the general public.

She did confirm that one of those arrested features in the video that was seized.

Police are trying to determine if the men were in contact from anyone in IS.

In December, a gunman claiming to represent IS took 18 people hostage in a 16-hour siege at a Sydney cafe.

The hostage situation ended in a hail of gunfire when police rushed the cafe.

The gunman, Man Haron Monis, and hostages Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson died in the siege.

A number of raids have been carried out in Sydney and Melbourne since Australia raised its terror threat level to high for the first time in September, citing the likelihood of attacks by Australians radicalised in Iraq or Syria.

Australia, which backs US action against IS in Syria and Iraq, believes at least 70 citizens are fighting in the region, backed by 100 "facilitators" at home.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Driverless Cars Set For Testing Across Britain

By Lisa Dowd, Sky News Correspondent

A project to test driverless vehicles is being launched by the Government in the hope the UK will become a leading global supplier.

The trials will see a shuttle trialled in the London borough of Greenwich and an electric pod will be used on closed roads and pedestrian areas in Milton Keynes and Coventry.

Vehicles trialled in Bristol will also help gauge public reaction to the cars and assess legal and insurance issues.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: "The UK is at the cutting edge of automotive technology - from the all-electric cars built in Sunderland to the Formula One expertise in the Midlands.

"It's important for jobs, growth and society that we keep at the forefront of innovation, that's why I launched a competition to research and develop driverless cars.

"The projects we are now funding will help to ensure we are world leaders in this field and able to benefit from what is expected to be a £900bn industry by 2025."

The Government says there are no legal barriers to the testing of automated vehicles on public roads.

Dr Nick Reed from the Transport Research Lab, which is running the Greenwich trials, said the shuttles use sensors to avoid hazards.

"Safety is paramount in our research and the vehicle is detecting moving objects around it, and if pedestrians are moving into its path it will slow down, and if they continue into its path it will come to a safe stop ahead of the pedestrian," he said.

It is hoped £19m of Government funding will help British designers get ahead of competitors.

In the US, Google has been testing its version for several years and car companies have been showing off their designs.

For the UK trials, a qualified driver will be ready to take control if necessary.

Insurer David Williams said: "Currently whoever is driving the car, or cars, are responsible for the accident, but going forward what's it going to be?

"Is it going to be the manufacturer of the vehicle? The person who programmed the software? And it gets even more complicated - most of these vehicles, they're not driverless all the time, they have the ability for people to interact and take over."

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Gallery: Mercedes Unveils Driverless Car At CES

The Mercedes-Benz F015 Luxury in Motion autonomous concept car is shown on stage during the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas

The interior features a wooden floor and four futuristic armchairs covered in white Nappa leather, which rotate to face each other

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10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Murder Arrest After Briton's Daughter 'Filmed'

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 10 Februari 2015 | 10.03

A British man has been arrested in Spain after being accused of a fatal attack on a German who was filming his daughter in a restaurant.

The Civil Guard said 40-year-old Kainth Devinder attacked Sandro Rottman after he spotted him filming his daughter with a tablet device in the port of Sotogrande in the early hours of Sunday morning.

A source from the Civil Guard told the AFP news agency: "The girl's father got up and went to the table where the victim was.

"He took the tablet off him, saw that there were recordings of his daughter, and that was when the attack took place."

No weapons were involved in the attack, but Mr Rottman, 43, suffered serious injuries.

He was taken to a hospital in La Linea de la Concepcion, where he died. Police are waiting for the results of a post-mortem examination.

The British man left the restaurant after the attack and was arrested at his home after he was identified by witnesses.

He has been remanded in custody after he appeared before a magistrate on Monday.

His daughter is thought to be under the age of eight.

In a statement, the Civil Guard said the man who was killed had been arrested a few days earlier over possession of indecent images of children.

The two men are not thought to have known each other.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are urgently investigating reports of the arrest of a British national in the Cadiz area in southern Spain.

"We stand ready to provide consular assistance if requested."

Sotogrande, around 16 miles north of Gibraltar, is a popular upmarket resort known for its golf courses.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Girl Among Four Dead As Truck Careers Down Hill

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Four people have died and several others injured after a truck collided with vehicles and pedestrians in Bath.

The 32-tonne truck, which was carrying aggregate, hit a little girl and another pedestrian first.

The pedestrian is in a "very critical" condition according to Chief Superintendent Caroline Peters.

It then continued downhill and struck a number of vehicles, killing three adults who were in the same car in Lansdown Lane, Upper Weston, just after 4pm on Monday.

Four people were also injured and have been taken to the Royal United Hospital in Bath and Southmead Hospital in Bristol.

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Gallery: Runaway Truck Hits Cars And Pedestrians

The tipper truck - carrying gravel - turned over in the accident

Lansdown Lane in Upper Weston was closed over the accident

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The deaths happened outside a school. Pic: Peter Fletcher

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Witnesses said the driver of the truck was trying to prevent an accident

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The air ambulance was called to take the injured to hospital. Pic: Chris Lucas

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Witnesses suggested that the driver, who was among those injured, was trying to avoid an accident.

A spokesman from Avon and Somerset Police said: "Four people have died at the scene and there are several people injured.

"We're working with South Western Ambulance Service and Avon Fire and Rescue Service at the scene.

"The area is closed off to allow for investigative work to take place."

Police officers have closed off the area, which is near a primary school, as investigation work takes place.

A spokeswoman for South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust said: "We can confirm that we have taken one patient by air ambulance to Southmead Hospital in Bristol.

"Three patients have been taken to the Royal United Hospital in Bath."

Chris Lucas took a photo of two air ambulance helicopters which landed on a playing field after the crash.

He said: "My children were coming home and as I opened the front door my neighbour said 'Oh my God there has been a crash, I'm going to call the emergency services'.

"One thing that is really concerning is that road is on the school pick-up run. Weston All Saints Primary School is right next to it.

"All fatalities are awful, but I am praying there are no children involved."

Don Foster, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, wrote on Twitter: "Very sorry to learn of tragic, fatal accident in Weston, Bath, this evening. Condolences to friends and families."

He said the council had imposed a 20mph speed limit on parts of the road to improve safety.

"It is a road where we have put speed limits in and flashing lights because it is quite a steep hill coming down," he added.

"There have been attempts by the council over the years to improve safety on the road."

Weston All Saints Primary School will be closed on Tuesday, a spokesman for Bath and North East Somerset Council said.

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Written By Unknown on Senin, 09 Februari 2015 | 10.03

Egypt: 25 Killed In Riot Before Football Match

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A riot outside a major football match in Egypt has killed at least 25 people, authorities have said.

The violence came ahead of a game between Egyptian Premier League clubs Zamalek and ENPPI at the Air Defense Stadium east of the capital, Cairo.

Security officials, speaking anonymously as they weren't authorised to talk to journalists, said some people died during a stampede, while others were killed in clashes with police.

Security officials said Zamalek fans tried to get into the game without tickets, sparking clashes.

One witness said: "We were inside the stadium when the clashes began outside.

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Gallery: Clashes Leave 25 Dead Before Football Match In Egypt

At least 25 people have been killed in clashes between police and football fans in Egypt

Security officials said fans of Zamalek tried to get into the game without tickets, which sparked the violence

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Zamalek fans said on their group's official Facebook page that the violence started because the authorities only opened one narrow, barbed-wire door to let them in

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Some of the victims are reported to have died during a stampede, while others were killed in clashes with police. Continue through for more pictures

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"There was a police car on fire and they were shooting birdshot and tear gas.

"The people fled into the desert to escape," they added.

At least another 25 people were wounded, with many suffering broken bones and bruising, the health ministry said in a statement, according to state news agency MENA.

Zamalek fans, known as "White Knights", posted on their group's official Facebook page that the violence started because the authorities only opened one narrow, barbed-wire door to let them in.

They said this sparked pushing and shoving and later police officers fired tear gas and birdshot.

The group later posted pictures it claimed were of dead fans and the names of 22 people it said had been killed.

The images could not immediately be verified.

The state prosecutor has ordered an investigation into the violence, according to a statement from his office.

It said fans had blocked a road to the stadium and torched three police vehicles.

Despite the violence, the match continued, sparking further outrage among the fans.

The Egyptian Premier League has been suspended indefinitely, the prime minister's office said in a statement, which accused fans of trying to storm the stadium and attacking police.

Hardcore fans, known as Ultras, often clash with police inside and outside of stadiums.

Many of them participated in the 2011 uprising that forced President Hosni Mubarak from power.

Fans have only recently been allowed at matches again, and the Interior Ministry planned to let only 10,000 fans into the ground, which has a capacity of around 30,000.

The deadliest football riot in Egyptian history happened three years ago during a match between Port Said's al Masry and Cairo's al Ahly.

A total of 74 people, most of them al Ahly fans, were killed.

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