UKIP Candidate Quits Over Offensive Remarks

Five Boys Held For Murder After Argument

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 16 Desember 2014 | 12.25

Three boys aged 14 and two others who are 13 were arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was stabbed in north London.

The 52-year-old victim was attacked apparently during an argument with a group of youngsters as he tried to get into a block of flats where he lived in Edmonton on Sunday night.

Police say the victim - who was with a woman - continued into the block but was followed by two of the boys and he was then stabbed.

The youngsters did not know the man, who died at the scene shortly before 8.40pm.

Of the boys arrested, the three 14-year-olds and one 13-year-old were bailed and must return to an east London police station on a date in late January pending further enquiries.

The second 13-year-old remains in custody at an east London police station.

Detective Chief Inspector Neale Baldock said: "Our initial enquiries have established that there was a supervised party taking place at another address within the block and the group of males were trying to gain access to this.

"The victim and this group were not known to each other - what started as a minor verbal altercation has escalated into a shocking act of violence."

Sky Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said: "There is a good deal of police activity at the scene, much of it focused on talking to people that live in this block of flats.

"They're trying to establish how what appears to have been an altercation turned into such a drama."

12.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Designer's 'Magical Journey' Closes For Good

A Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen-designed Christmas experience is closing early, just weeks after it was widely criticised.

The Magical Journey experience at the Belfry Hotel, near Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, had originally closed just a day it was originally launched in late November but later reopened after a series of "improvements".

On Monday it closed for good after a major financial backer pulled out with nine opening days left.

The organisers said they had been "left in the lurch" and could not find a replacement backer.

The celebrity interior designer told the Press Association he was "extremely surprised" after finding out on Twitter his experience had been shut down.

Mr Llewelyn-Bowen, who shot to fame on BBC's Changing Rooms, said he had not given any financial support to the project and was unaware who the backer was.

He said: "It's absolutely shocking. We found out by Twitter. Everybody was in bed feeling Christmassy and now we are not feeling very Christmassy at all.

"I was really impressed with the way they addressed all the issues the first time around and the energy and resources that went into it so I'm extremely surprised the towel's been thrown in at this stage.

"I feel appalling it is not the happy experience I really want it to be. I feel extremely sorry for everybody let down in the next nine days and also for the staff who worked on the front-line. I'm hoping they will get their money back.

"On a personal level I was so excited by the idea of designing Christmas."

He said in hindsight the group he worked with to deliver the project was not experienced enough for the type of event.

"I was just commissioned to create some design concepts for the experience," he said. "There was no financial backing from my point of view and no involvement in the management.

"I feel very much I was the designer and I'm a very public face so people are cross with me."

The presenter added he would be donating his fee, the amount of which he would not confirm, to a Birmingham children's hospice and said: "I do not want to make any money at all out of this experience."

A statement on the Magical Journey's website said: "We are really sorry to have to tell you this, but as of tomorrow (Tuesday 16 December 2014) The Magical Journey, based at The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, will no longer be in operation.

"We are truly sorry. After all we've been through having to shutdown in the final week is devastating. Although we had quite the time of it in the press and on social media, feedback was great with over 600 four and five star reviews."

The website said that anyone who has bought tickets and wants their money back should use the Chargeback scheme.

The experience is the latest in a series of Christmas-themed attractions to suffer criticism over the last couple of years for providing poor value for money.

12.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

UKIP Candidate Quits Over Offensive Remarks

Written By Unknown on Senin, 15 Desember 2014 | 12.25

UKIP Candidate Quits Over Offensive Remarks

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A high-profile UKIP Westminster hopeful has quit as the party's candidate in a top target seat after making offensive comments.

In recordings of phone calls obtained by the Mail on Sunday, Kerry Smith is said to have mocked gay party members as "poofters", and referred to someone as a "chinky bird".

He also joked about shooting people from Chigwell in a "peasant hunt".

In a statement released on Sunday evening, he said: "I have this evening offered my resignation as UKIP PPC for South Basildon and East Thurrock.

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Gallery: The UKIP History In Pictures

1993: UKIP is founded by Alan Sked in response to the Maastricht Treaty, which set out the modern day EU and paved the way for the Euro. He left the party in 1997 saying it had become a "racist party for the far-right". He is now the leader of New Deal, which has been called UKIP of the Left.

1999: The party takes its first three seats in the European Parliament, under the leadership of the millionaire businessman Michael Holmes. Nigel Farage is one of those MEPs.

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2000: Michael Holmes resigns and Jeffrey Titford takes over as leader of UKIP. He leads the party to field 420 candidates at the 2001 General Election and secure 1.5% of the vote.

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2002: Former Conservative Roger Knapman takes over at the helm.

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2004: The party wins 12 seats at the European Elections, among the UKIP MEPs is the chat show host Robert Kilroy Silk.

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"I want the best for South Basildon and East Thurrock and I want to see the real issues discussed that touch the lives of people.

"Therefore I have chosen to resign so that Ukip can win this seat next May."

Mr Smith's resignation comes just days after he was reinstated as the party's election candidate in South Basildon and East Thurrock.

Mr Smith, a member of both Essex County Council and Basildon District Council, initially apologised and said he had been under great stress and taking strong painkillers for a back injury when he made the comments.

Mr Kerry also accepted claims he made in the calls about party leader Nigel Farage and other senior figures were "completely wrong" and "fuelled by frustrations at the time".

Mr Smith was deselected as the candidate for South Basildon and East Thurrock in October - with Neil Hamilton, the former Tory minister who is now UKIP's deputy chairman, in the running to win the nomination.

But Mr Hamilton ended up endorsing the Essex county councillor in his hustings speech after Mr Smith was reinstated.

It led the ex-Conservative to hit out at party insiders over a "dirty tricks" campaign being run against him.

A party spokesman was unable to say when the selection process would be run again, and Mr Hamilton declined to comment on Mr Smith's resignation or his own plans.

UKIP MEP Patrick O'Flynn said of Mr Smith's comments before he announced his resignation: "He needs to learn to express himself more respectfully about minorities of all kinds now he is off the prescription drugs and he is our candidate."

But he added: "He is very popular... He is a young man, he is learning politics.

"We don't want to become so anodyne and speaking in such non-colloquial language that we lose touch and I think some of the other parties risk doing that.

"But clearly what he said there is unacceptable. He has apologised unreservedly. There are big mitigating circumstances.

"It is from some time ago and we are willing now to judge him on his performance going forward from now."

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Written By Unknown on Minggu, 14 Desember 2014 | 12.25

Businesses are furious after a piece of software used by retailers on Amazon went wrong, causing hundreds of items to be sold at 1p.

Some firms which use RepricerExpress say they risk going bankrupt because the problem has resulted in them losing so much money.

The software is designed to keep businesses competitive by automatically repricing items of stock so they are cheaper than others in the digital market.

The firm states on its website: "We are here to increase your sales on Amazon and Rakuten's Play.com and make your efforts as profitable as possible."

For an hour on Friday, between 7pm and 8pm, a problem with RepricerExpress led to hundreds of items being sold on Amazon at a fraction of their normal price. At the same time, some customers said, Amazon charged its usual fees for every item sold.

One of the sellers, Judith Blackford of Kiddymania, told Sky News she could be forced out of business as result of the error.

She said: "I started using Repricer Express - a repricing tool as did a lot of other businesses a few months ago.

"Last night through an error in their programme they listed my stock on amazon at 1p per item including delivery.

"I have lost about £20,000 overnight. Having asked Amazon to cancel the orders they are still sending them out and charging me horrendous fees.

"Surely someone has to be accountable for this. I will be bankrupt at this rate by the end of January."

Another retailer affected, Discount Discs, told Sky News: "We are yet to quantify the amount of stock we have lost but we are aware of other sellers losing around £100k of stock.

"This has happened on probably the busiest trading weekend of the year for many sellers."

As a result of the error, several buyers commented on Twitter at how pleased they were to have bought the items for so little.

One person wrote: "Amazon are having a glitch on their site and loads of stuff is selling for 1p. I just bought an incense holder, don't even need it."

An email to some customers from the CEO of RepricerExpress, Brendan Doherty, said the problems with the software caused incorrect pricing to be sent to Amazon.

A statement on the company's website from Mr Doherty said: "I am truly sorry for the distress this has caused our customers.

"We have received communication that Amazon will not penalise sellers for this error. We are continuing to work to identify how this problem occurred and to put measures in place to ensure that it does not happen again.

"Everyone here is devastated and disappointed that you have experienced this problem.

"We understand that you are angry and upset and we will endeavour to work to make good on this issue."

No comment has yet been received from Amazon.

12.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Top MP's Demand Over CIA Torture Report

By Sophy Ridge, Political Correspondent

The head of the UK's Intelligence and Security Committee is demanding to see material documenting any British links to the CIA's use of torture.

Sir Malcolm Rifkind, chair of the Commons committee, is seeking any intelligence relating to the UK that was redacted from the explosive Senate report into the CIA.

It concluded that the CIA lied over its torture and interrogation programme developed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

Sir Malcolm told The Observer newspaper: "I am not going to go into the details of how we might try and achieve this, there are various ways we can try and advance it, but at the end of the day the actual decision on the American redacted material is for the Americans to take.

"One additional point is that the only issues we are going to be asking them about are issues relevant to the United Kingdom.

"We don't need to see the whole of their redacted report."

The British Government has admitted requesting the deletion of references to Britain's intelligence agencies for national security reasons.

UK Government representatives had 24 meetings with members of the US committee responsible for the findings.

Some of the deletions are believed to relate to the British Overseas Territory of Diego Garcia.

There is escalating pressure on the British government not to extend an agreement allowing the US to use the territory in the Indian Ocean as a military base.

Andrew Tyrie, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on rendition, said any negotiations should address allegations that it was used by the CIA to render terror suspects around the world.

"The negotiations on the lease can focus minds on establishing the scope and limits of Britain's involvement, direct or indirect, in extraordinary rendition," Mr Tyrie said.

"We are talking about kidnap and taking people to places where they may be maltreated or tortured."

The former Home Office minister, Lib Dem MP Norman Baker, who has taken a close interest in the atoll, said: "As it comes up for renewal, we need a full explanation of what happened in our name on that island."

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Hundreds Of British Troops To Be Sent To Iraq

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 13 Desember 2014 | 12.25

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondence

Hundreds of British soldiers are to be sent to Iraq to help the fight against Islamic State, Sky News understands.

The soldiers - expected to number a few hundred - will go to the region "within weeks" senior military sources have said.

The National Security Council is expected to rubber-stamp the mission when it meets on Tuesday.

Although small groups of British troops have conducted similar missions over the past few months, this will be much greater in size and on a more permanent basis.

A team of military advisors recently went to the country to scope out options.

It's believed the mission will be largely split between the capital Baghdad and Irbil in the Kurdish controlled north.

It hasn't been confirmed which regiments the troops will be drawn from.

The UK government has repeatedly insisted that any such training mission would not constitute 'boots-on-the-ground' although British Special Forces are operating in the region.

In October a dozen soldiers from The Yorkshire Regiment were dispatched to Irbil to train the Kurds to use heavy machine guns.

An advisory team has also been embedded in the Iraqi military HQ, working alongside the Americans.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman wouldn't confirm the specifics of the latest mission but did say: "The Defence Secretary announced the intention to provide further training to the Iraqi military in early November.

"No decisions on troop numbers, units or locations have been made, so this is purely speculation at this stage."

The British contribution will fit into a wider mission involving a number of nations.

Earlier this week, the most senior US Commander Lt Gen James Terry revealed that the coalition training mission would involve around 1,500 soldiers.

US special operations troops have already set up a training base at the Ain al-Asad air base in Anbar Province.

Germany recently pledged around 100 soldiers to help train the Peshmerga in northern Iraq. That mission, if approved, will begin early next year.

NATO has also said it would explore options if the Iraqi government came forward with an official request.

The Alliance said that any training mission wouldn't necessarily be based in Iraq. Neighbouring Jordan has been used for similar projects.

12.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Probe Under Way Into Air Traffic 'Glitch'

An investigation is under way into why Britain's air traffic control system malfunctioned for the second time in two years, causing transport chaos for thousands of people.

The focus of the probe will be hardware and software connected to the flight data system, which is believed to control the flight plans of the planes.

Air traffic control service NATS said: "Following a technical fault with the flight data system used by air traffic controllers at Swanwick, NATS can confirm that the system has been restored to full operational capability and a thorough investigation is continuing, to identify the root cause.

"Although operational restrictions applied during the failure have been lifted, it will take time for flight operations across the UK to fully recover."

More than 300 flights were cancelled or delayed after a computer failure at NATS headquarters in Swanwick, Hampshire, on Friday afternoon.

The cancellations came just over a year after hundreds of flights were affected when problems arose with a telephone system at NATS in early December 2013.

The chaos that hit UK airports began to clear last night, but there were expected to be knock-on effects on Saturday.

There were reports passengers on some flights were unable to collect their luggage and were told that it would be sent on to them by courier.

Others on their way to London were reported to have been redirected to European airports.

Seventy flights were cancelled at Heathrow, which last night said it was getting back to normal.

Gatwick said some cancellations were expected and passengers were advised to contact their airline for the latest flight information.

Other airports where travellers suffered delays on Friday included Manchester, Birmingham, Stansted and Luton, but airports as far north as Aberdeen and Edinburgh were affected.

All airports advised all travellers to reconfirm their flights.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the disruption was unacceptable.

He said: "Disruption on this scale is simply unacceptable and I have asked NATS for a full explanation of this evening's incident. I also want to know what steps will be taken to prevent this happening again."

Experts said part of the problem was that the system is operating at full capacity and anything that goes wrong has a huge impact.

Professor Martyn Thomas, visiting professor of Software Engineering at the University of Oxford, said: "Some of NATS' computer systems are very old - the National Airspace System that performs flight data processing is software that dates from the 1960s.

"Interfacing new systems to this old software can create difficulties."

Air traffic control safety expert Philip Butterworth-Hayes said: "Swanwick ... has an incredibly complicated, customised software system, where you have to upgrade things all the time. A small upgrade can cause all sorts of problems.

"The issue we have in the UK, especially in the south eastern UK, is there's very little spare capacity, because the system is running at such high rates, it only needs a small little glitch to create a large problem."

12.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK Sought Changes To Senate CIA Torture Report

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 12 Desember 2014 | 12.25

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Britain has been dragged deeper into a row over US torture allegations after the Government admitted it did ask for changes in a Senate report on the CIA's behaviour.

In an abrupt U-turn by No 10, officials admitted changes had been asked for, 24 hours after denying Britain had asked for passages to be removed.

At Thursday's No 10 briefing, David Cameron's Deputy Spokeswoman confirmed British intelligence agencies discussed redactions with their US counterparts.

"My understanding is no redactions were sought to remove any suggestion that there was UK involvement in any alleged torture or rendition," she said.

And then she admitted: "There was a conversation with the agencies and their US counterparts on the executive summary.

"Any redactions sought there were done on national security grounds in a way we would have done with any other report."

And yet on Wednesday, the day the CIA report was published, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman, when asked what redactions had been sought, repeatedly said: "None whatsoever, to my knowledge."

The admission comes after the head of the CIA John Brennan described the techniques used to extract information as "abhorrent".

The Senate report had detailed the US intelligence agency's "brutal" treatment of al Qaeda suspects in a network of secret prisons around the world.

On Wednesday night, former President George W Bush's Vice President Dick Cheney robustly defended the programme, which included forms of torture such as "waterboarding".

Andrew Tyrie, the Conservative MP who founded the All Party Group on Extraordinary Rendition, said a judge-led inquiry is now essential as public trust in the security services is at risk of being corroded.

"The Senate's report, and the further reports of redactions, greatly strengthen the case for a full and detailed inquiry into allegations of British facilitation of kidnap and torture, led by a judge," he said.

"The ISC has been handed back this task. Given the difficulties they faced in 2007, that is a huge challenge.

"Until that work is completed, until the scope and limits of our involvement are known, allegations – whether true or not - will continue to be made, corroding public confidence.

"We cannot know what, if any, of the material redacted might be of legitimate public concern. Until a full inquiry is completed, it will continue to be claimed that some of it is."

12.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Councils' Revenue From Parking Reaches Â£667m

Councils' Revenue From Parking Reaches £667m

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The amount of profit being raised by local councils from parking charges rose by more than 12% last year.

An RAC Foundation survey found that in 2013/14, councils in England made a combined "profit" of £667m from their on and off-street parking operations.

The previous year they made £594m from fines, permits and tickets.

Around £293m of the amount raised in 2013/14, or 44%, was generated by councils in London, the study found.

RAC Foundation director Professor Stephen Glaister said: "Parking profits seem to be a one-way street for councils, having risen annually for the last five years.

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Gallery: All The Fun Of The Fare

The scourge of the inner city motorist, the parking meter is more than 50 years old. These tireless guardians of British kerbs have been used since 1958, when they were introduced to the streets of Mayfair.

Arthur Longley of Wimbledon, tested the new parking meters at the New Malden Factory shortly before the scheme was introduced in London.

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The meter came to the UK more than two decades after its invention by US newspaper editor Carlton Magee in 1935. Three years later, this lady was celebrating with a nickel for an hour's parking at White Plains, New York.

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In August 1957, one Mr Bruce put money in a London parking meter near Marble Arch under the not-so-watchful gaze of an attendant named Mr Stapeley.

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This camel put up with the deserts of Africa and crazy European drivers - but what gave it the hump were the parking restrictions in Belgravia, central London. The camel was taking part in a publicity stunt to promote a Royal Gala Charity evening in 1976.

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"Yet over the same period spending on local roads has fallen about a fifth in real terms.

"We understand the pressures councils are under with their overall income still falling and the level of services they have to provide in such areas as social care rising rapidly."

"The bottom line is that parking policy and charges must be about managing traffic not raising revenue."

The RAC found that very few councils were losing money on parking operations, with just 16% of the 353 parking authorities in England reporting negative numbers for 2013/14.

The figures were calculated by adding up the amount each council earned from parking charges and penalty notices, then deducting running costs.

The foundation said that while some of the increase in profits was down to a rise in the amount the councils were able to recoup, there was also evidence that many councils were cutting operating costs sharply.

The authority with the largest surplus in 2013/14 was previous table-topper Westminster with £51m.

The five biggest "earners" were all London authorities, with only Brighton and Hove and Nottingham breaking into a top 10 dominated by councils in the capital.

These were the councils with the biggest surplus in 2013/14 before capital charges.

LOCAL AUTHORITY SURPLUS

1. Westminster £51.0m

2. Kensington & Chelsea £33.5m

3. Camden £24.9m

4. Hammersmith & Fulham £23.0m

5. Wandsworth £19.7m

6. Brighton & Hove £18.1m

7. Nottingham City £12.1m

8. Islington £10.4m

9. Tower Hamlets £8.32m

10. Brent £8.13m

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