Dubai Death: Superbike Racer Emmett Bailed

Former Superbike racer Sean Emmett, whose wife died in Dubai while the couple were on their honeymoon, has been released on bail after being arrested on his return to the UK.

Mr Emmett, 43, had his passport given back to him by officials in the United Arab Emirates months after the conclusion of an investigation into the death of his wife Abbie.

He flew back to the UK from Dubai on Thursday and was immediately arrested.

The sportsman was later released on bail until a date in March, Surrey Police said.

Sean Emmett had been held in Dubai

Mrs Emmett, 27, died in February after falling several floors from a high-rise hotel.

Surrey Police said on Thursday: "A 43-year-old man has today been arrested by Surrey Police officers at Heathrow Airport in connection with the death of Surrey resident Abigail Emmett, nee Elson, in Dubai in February 2013."

Mr Emmett had been stranded in the Gulf state since his passport was handed to officials during the investigation.

Before his arrest, he posted a picture of his newly-returned passport on Twitter, describing it as the "best early Xmas pressie ever".

He later tweeted: "Thanks to everyone for all your messages, my phone's melting!! Flight booked and I'll be landing in Blighty 7.10 tmrw. #bringonthecold."

Mr Emmett last month sent a message of thanks to supporters on Twitter, saying: "Just want to thank each and every one of you that has helped me with support, financial or otherwise. I don't even have contacts for some!"

18.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Teenager Electrocuted In Christmas Accident

A teenager has died in a freak electrocution accident while apparently searching for Christmas decorations in the loft of her house.

Georgia Marshall, 13, from Barry, South Wales, is thought to have been killed when a metal ladder inadvertently touched a live wire.

The schoolgirl was holding the step ladder while her father Richard, 54, searched for the decorations, according to local media.

The teenager, one of seven children, was from a family of animal lovers and grew up surrounded by horses, dogs and guinea pigs.

Her mother, Glenda Marshall, paid tribute to Georgia on Facebook.

"My beautiful light became a shining star today. Love u forever and will miss you till the day I die. My amazing Georgia. Words cannot say how I feel XXX," Mrs Marshall wrote.

Georgia's mother posted a Facebook photo of her daughter riding a horse

She has also posted a photograph of Georgia taken last Christmas, with the message: "My Angel, Christmas 2012."

The accident happened on Saturday and Mrs Marshall thanked friends of the family who have been using the site to express their sympathies.

"This is so hard for us. I just wanted to thank everyone for all the support and offers of help this last couple of days," she wrote.

"Thank you to all the people who have taken and are going to take my guineas for me. This will help me out more than I can say.

"I won't ever get over this, but all your thoughts and help are so much appreciated by all of us here. THANK YOU."

Police are not treating the death of the teenager as suspicious.

A South Wales Police spokesman said: "Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family at this tragic time for them."

18.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Weather: Thousands Evacuated Amid Tidal Surge

Coastal communities have been warned of "exceptionally high tides" to come, as Britain is hit by the most serious tidal surge for more than 60 years.

In some places along the east coast, sea levels have been higher than they were during the devastating floods of 1953.

Speaking after a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said flood defences had protected more than 800,000 homes.

But he warned: "This is not over. There will still be exceptionally high tides ... and I would urge everyone to pay very close attention to advice from the Environment Agency, and also to follow instructions from the emergency services."

A man wades along a flooded street in Lowestoft, Suffolk

The North Sea surge comes after a powerful Atlantic storm, packing winds of up to 140mph, claimed two lives and caused widespread disruption.

The Environment Agency has more than 129 flood warnings and alerts in place across England and Wales, including 23 severe flood warnings which are issued only when flooding poses a "significant threat to life".

Further high tides bring a renewed risk of flooding in areas already inundated with water.

People fill sandbags to protect against the high tide in Great Yarmouth

The tide is expected to peak in Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex before midday, and in Kent between midday and 3pm.

Thousands of homes in coastal areas, including 9,000 in Norfolk alone, have been evacuated after officials warned that lives could be at risk.

Hundreds of people were forced to spend the night camped out in emergency rest centres.

Waves crash onto a beach in Hemsby, Norfolk

Sky's Alex Rossi in Hemsby, Norfolk, said: "Lots of bungalows here were evacuated because emergency services were concerned the flood water would inundate the area.

"The area seems to have escaped quite lightly but not all properties have fared so well. One property has been washed away."

Sea defences built since the 1953 floods, which killed hundreds of people, appeared to have held back the tide in many areas.

Lifeboats rescue people in Rhyl, north Wales

However, a Defra spokesman said some defences had been breached by the combination of high tides, strong winds and a large tidal surge.

Sky's Gerard Tubb in Boston, Lincolnshire, said residents had described water "cascading" down the street as sea defences gave way.

"People here are worried there could be more problems to come," he added.

One local resident told Sky News said: "It's never been this bad in my lifetime. We had plenty of warning ... but you never think it's going to happen to you."

In Rhyl, north Wales, firefighters spent the night going from street to street, trying to pump water out of people's homes.

Sky's Becky Johnson, at the scene, said: "Many residents thought their homes were protected by the sea defences and simply weren't expecting to be flooded.

Water poured into homes in this street in Boston, Lincolnshire

"Lots of elderly people had to be rescued by lifeboats and they were really quite distressed by what was happening."

The tidal surge followed an Atlantic storm which brought severe gales of up to 80mph across Scotland and northern parts of England.

Some mountainous regions in Aberdeenshire and Inverness-shire reported speeds of around 140mph.

Water floods over the promenade in Scarborough, North Yorkshire

One man died after he was struck by a falling tree in a park in Retford in Nottinghamshire, while a lorry driver was killed when his HGV toppled onto a number of cars in West Lothian.

The adverse weather also caused chaos on the transport network, with rail services for Scotland and parts of the North of England suspended and number of flights disrupted.

:: Watch the latest live coverage from around the country on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82, Skynews.com and Sky News for iPad.

18.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

E.ON Dual Fuel Price Tariff To Go Up By 3.7%

Energy supplier E.ON has announced an average price rise of 3.7% for its dual fuel customers, effective from January 18.

The company said the increase in the dual fuel tariff will add an average of £48 to customers' bills.

Consumers with electricity only variable tariffs will also be hit by a 3.7% rise, equal to £20 on their annual payments.

Meanwhile, customers using variable gas tariffs can expect to see an increase of 4.6% - around £37 - to their bills.

The company said in a statement: "For the second year running E.ON has announced an increase later than any other major supplier and has once again shown it is working hard to limit the impact on its customers by announcing a lower average percentage rise than any other major supplier."

The firm said it is offering simpler discounts to customers.

It added that a price alert will automatically inform customers of cheaper deals it may offer in the future.

Chief executive Tony Cocker acknowledged any price rise is dreaded by customers but said his company would improve advice and practical measures for customers.

The price rises incorporate a change to the Government levy system that is calculated into bills.

But Mr Cocker admitted future price rises may occur by 2016.

He said: "Whilst there can be no guarantees, the likelihood of further price rises over the next 18 months caused by an increase in the cost of social and environmental obligations has receded due to the recent action taken by the Government."

18.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Murder Probe After Coventry Flats Fall Death

Police are investigating the murder of a man who fell from a flat on the eighth floor of a tower block in Coventry.

The victim, who is believed to have been in his 30s, is thought to have plunged from the building late last night, West Midlands Police said.

His body was discovered in Eden Street at about 11.23pm by a passer-by.

Despite being rushed to hospital, the man was pronounced dead shortly after midnight.

The area has been cordoned off while forensic and police searches are carried out.

Detective Inspector Derek Packham said: "We are treating this death as suspicious and are actively following up several lines of enquiry today.

"We are still speaking to witnesses at the scene this morning and I am keen to hear from anyone in the area who saw anything which may help us with our investigation.

He added: "Perhaps you saw the man drop from the balcony or heard a disturbance in the moments before or after he fell.

"Please speak to officers at the scene or give us a call."

Anyone with information can contact Force CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

18.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

George Osborne Delivers His Autumn Statement

George Osborne tells MPs "Britain's economic plan is working but the job is not done" as he opens his Autumn Statement.

Mr Osborne says that: "We need a government that lives to its means within the world".

The Chancellor says that the deficit is down but more must be done and he says that unemployment is down but young people are not trained to do jobs.

He warned of "more difficult decisions" but pledged: "The hard work of the British people is paying off and we will not squander their efforts."

But he delivered good news for the economy, saying Britain is now growing faster than any other major economy.

He said: "At the time of the Budget in March, the OBR forecast that growth this year would be 0.6 per cent.

"Today, they more than double that forecast – and estimate growth will be 1.4 per cent.

"Next year, instead of growth of 1.8 per cent, they are now forecasting 2.4 per cent.

"With faster growth now, it means they've revised the following four years to 2.2 per cent, 2.6 per cent 2.7 per cent and 2.7 per cent."

Some choose whisky, some gin, Mr Osborne opts for tea

But he said that the Office for National Statistics has reassessed the depth of the great recession between 2008 and 2009 and £112bn had been wiped off our economy "around £3,000 for every household in this country".

Mr Osborne continued to press home that the economic plan was working saying that rather than the mass redundancies forecast, "businesses had already created three jobs for every one lost in the public sector".

He said there were a record number of people in work and that unemployment was lower than when the coalition came to power.

In last year's Autumn Statement Mr Osborne had forecast an increase in the country's borrowing, however, borrowing is down, he said. The country is now borrowing £2,500 less for every household.

And he said that the country's debt was £18bn lower than forecast in March.

Mr Osborne and chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander

But preparing the public for continued austerity he said: "We will not squander the hard-earned gains of the British people."

Announcing that welfare spending would be capped he said: "Welfare budgets were completely out of control when we came to office and the number of households where no-one had ever worked nearly doubled.

We have taken very difficult decisions to bring benefit bills down – and saved £19 billion a year for the taxpayer.

We need to maintain that discipline."

However, he said that the NHS would be protected from spending cuts.

On pensions Mr Osborne announced a rise of £2.95 a week next year and he confirmed the trailed extension to the pension age, which means people will have to work until 68 before receiving their state pension by the mid 2030s.

He also confirmed that foreign property investors would be subject to a new capital gains tax, a move largely considered to be aimed at preventing a housing bubble in the south east and London.

Mr Osborne poured great praise on Education Secretary Michael Gove, before announcing Nick Clegg's much-championed free school meals for those up to the age of seven. 

But he said more must be done for those leaving school saying there would be funding for Jobcentres to support 16 and 17-year-olds trying to find an apprenticeship.

He also said that job seekers aged 18 to 21 without basic maths or English to be required to undertake training in these skills or lose benefits.

More follows ...

18.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nigella Lawson: I'm Not Proud Of Drug Use

Nigella Lawson has said she is "not proud" of her past drug use after admitting she has occasionally taken cocaine and cannabis.

The celebrity chef she would rather be "honest and ashamed" than "bullied with lies".

She said no one relished the spotlight being put on their mistakes, and denied her admission was "damage limitation".

The 53-year-old told Isleworth Crown Court: "I'm not proud of the fact I have taken drugs but that does not make me a drug addict or a habitual drug user.

"Up until yesterday, I've never spoken about anything that has happened these past months because I wanted to keep my private life, private."

Ms Lawson said she objected to stories "peddled" by her ex-husband Charles Saatchi, including that he was checking her nose for cocaine when he was photographed gripping her throat outside Scott's restaurant in the capital.

"Mr Saatchi was not examining me for cocaine. That's a story he made up afterwards to clear his name," she said.

She denied lying to police when she disputed the drug allegations against her and said it was the "extent" of her drug use that was untrue.

"It was not true in that my ex-husband was saying that he was getting cocaine out of my nose at Scott's and that I had been completely off my head for 10 years," she said.

"I actually did say at the time it was the extent that was not true."

Ms Lawson was in court for a second day as a witness in the trial of two former personal assistants, Elisabetta, also referred to as Lisa, and Francesca Grillo, who are accused of spending more than £685,000 on credit cards loaned to them by Ms Lawson and Mr Saatchi.

Being questioned by Karina Arden, defending Francesca, Ms Lawson denied using her evidence to explain herself in front of "the world's press".

"I felt it was my duty to come," she said. "I certainly felt it would be an unpleasant experience but that's not a good enough reason not to do one's duty."

On Wednesday, she told the court of the "intimate terrorism" she claimed to have suffered at the hands of Mr Saatchi.

She spoke for the first time about the much-publicised incident at the central London eaterie which she claimed was triggered by a comment she made about a passer-by with a baby.

"I said 'I'm so looking forward to having grandchildren'," Ms Lawson told the court.

"He grabbed me by the throat and said 'I'm the only person you should be concerned with'."

She said she first took the class A drug with her late husband John Diamond when he found out he had terminal cancer, and on another occasion later during her troubled marriage to Mr Saatchi.

Ms Lawson said she "became involved" with Mr Saatchi after Mr Diamond died.

"It would be fair to say that not very long after my first husband died I began to become involved with Mr Saatchi," she said.

More follows...

18.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dubai Death: Superbike Racer Held At Heathrow

Former Superbike racer Sean Emmett, whose wife died in Dubai while the couple were on their honeymoon, has been arrested on his return to the UK.

Emmett, 43, had his passport given back to him by officials in the United Arab Emirates months after the conclusion of an investigation into the death of his wife Abbie.

He flew back to the UK from Dubai earlier on Thursday and was immediately arrested.

Mrs Emmett, 27, died in February after falling several floors from a high-rise hotel.

Sean Emmett had been held in Dubai

Surrey Police said: "A 43-year-old man has today been arrested by Surrey Police officers at Heathrow Airport in connection with the death of Surrey resident Abigail Emmett, nee Elson, in Dubai in February 2013.

"The man remains in custody while inquiries continue and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage."

Emmett had been stranded in the Gulf state since his passport was handed to officials during the investigation. Before his arrest, he posted a picture of his newly-returned passport on Twitter, describing it as the "best early Xmas pressie ever".

He later tweeted: "Thanks to everyone for all your messages, my phone's melting!! Flight booked and I'll be landing in Blighty 7.10 tmrw. #bringonthecold."

Mr Emmett last month sent a message of thanks to supporters on Twitter, saying: "Just want to thank each and every one of you that has helped me with support, financial or otherwise. I don't even have contacts for some!"

 

18.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Soldier Held After Nail Bomb Found In Salford

A 19-year-old soldier has been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences after a nail bomb was found at a house.

The man was detained at an army base in Paderborn, Germany, following the discovery of the suspicious device at a terraced house in Salford.

It is understood the soldier was detained by the Royal Military Police on suspicion of the unlawful possession of explosives, firearms and ammunition.

He was flown to the UK and questioned by detectives in Greater Manchester and has been released on bail until January pending further inquiries.

The nail bomb was discovered after a warrant was executed at an address on Mellor Street in Patricroft on November 28 at 1.30pm.

The nail bomb was found at an address in the Patricroft area of Salford

Residents were evacuated to a local school as army bomb disposal officers were called to safely remove the device from the property.

A 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of abusive images.

Police revealed they recovered "several items of literature which could be viewed by some as potentially inflammatory".

These are understood to be extreme right-wing leaflets, according to Sky sources.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said the soldier was arrested on Monday night on suspicion of Section 57 of the Terrorism Act.

On the discovery of the nail bomb, he added: "During a search of the property on Mellor Street, a suspicious device was found.

"A cordon was put in place and a number of residents were evacuated as a precautionary measure.

"Specialist officers assessed the device and were later able to confirm it was no longer a threat to the community."

The Royal Military Police are said to be working closely with Greater Manchester Police as part of the investigation.

More follows...

18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Girl, 15, Held Over Stabbing Death Of Teenager

A teenage girl is being held in connection with the murder of a 15-year-old boy in north London in the early hours of Tuesday.

Joshua Folkes, 17, known to friends as Money J, was stabbed to death outside a friend's home in Palmers Green.

The 15-year-old girl was arrested in the Enfield area on Wednesday and is being held in custody.

Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Wall, the officer in charge of the case, said: "We are appealing to the local community about the murder of a boy who was loved by his family."

"His death has left them devastated. We are appealing to Josh's friends and the community to come forward and help us find his killers.

"Someone out there must know who is responsible for this murder."

Friends lay flowers at the scene of Joshua's death

Close friends of Joshua's left tributes at the site of his stabbing.

Azra Valentino, 18, said: "He wasn't meant to go like this. We're all just shocked. When I see this, I can't believe it really. I'm just shaken up. I don't know what to do.

"Josh was the last person who you'd think would be on the news for a death or something, he wasn't like that. He got caught up in it."

Forensic scientists working onthe crime scene

Another of Joshua's closest friends, who did not want to be named, laid a pair of trainers and a jumper he had owned among the cards and flowers left at the scene.

"I ain't feeling good at all, I ain't feeling good at all," he said. "He was my best friend. He got stabbed. He lived with me here a little bit, he stayed with me here a couple of times."

The distraught friend described Joshua as "a good youth at heart" who loved music, particularly rapping.

"This made me realise what life is seriously really about," he said.

"I lost someone close to me. He had a lot of friends around here. Josh has got a lot of friends, this is what people don't know."

18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nigella Gives Evidence At Aides' Fraud Trial

Nigella Lawson has started giving evidence at the trial of two former personal assistants accused of spending thousands of pounds on company credit cards.

It is alleged that between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2012, Italian sisters Elisabetta and Francesca Grillo committed fraud by abusing their positions while working for Ms Lawson and her former husband Charles Saatchi.

Jurors at Isleworth Crown Court have heard they are accused of using credit cards loaned to them by the TV chef and art dealer Mr Saatchi to spend more than £685,000 on themselves.

Ms Lawson, 53, told the court she felt a "sense of betrayal" at the alleged fraud.

She said: "I do not believe her (Elisabetta) to be a bad person but I believe her not to have a very strong moral compass.

"I was flabbergasted when I learned of the spending."

Elisabetta, 41, sometimes referred to in court as Lisa, and co-defendant Francesca, 35, both of Kensington Gardens Square, Bayswater, west London, deny the charge against them.

More follows...

18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man Arrested After Police Officer Shot In Leeds

Police have arrested a man in connection with the shooting of a woman police officer in Leeds.

A major police manhunt for James Leslie was launched following the attack which took place shortly after 4am in Cardigan Road in the city's Hyde Park district.

West Yorkshire Police said two uniformed officers attended a "routine call" to a disturbance and were confronted by a man at the address who fired at them.

The shooting happened shortly after 4am

The female officer received serious but non life threatening injuries and is currently receiving treatment in hospital. A male colleague was not hurt.

The extent of the policewoman's injuries are not known, or how many shots were fired.

The force said a 37-year-old man was arrested at 10.10am on Wood Lane in the Headingley area of the city following a call from a member of the public and a firearm recovered.

Assistant Chief Constable Geoff Dodd said the investigation was "still at an early stage", and while "any potential risk to the public has been removed", a police presence would remain in the area.

Police officers stand guard in Cardigan Road

"The officer has sustained a very serious injury and her wellbeing is of paramount importance to us. The thoughts of colleagues remain with the officer and her family at this very difficult time," he said.

"It is right to say that incidents where police officers face threat from firearms are thankfully very rare but that does not lessen the shocking impact when an officer is injured in such a way," he added.

Ned Liddemore, vice chairman of the Police Federation, described the shooting as a "cowardly attack".

"We will be supporting the officers and their families through this traumatic time," he said.

Forensic officers at the scene

Kieran Williams, 17, described how he had an altercation with Leslie on Tuesday.

The teenager said Leslie came to his house, which backs on to the scene of the shooting, complaining that someone was shining a torch through his window.

A woman police officer called round to take information from his housemates during the night after a bottle was thrown through their window.

He said he later heard multiple shots.

Radio Aire reporter Charlie Frost said she spoke to a couple of neighbours who heard a disturbance.

"They told be that they were very shook by the incident and that it is very worrying that it can happen here on their doorstep," she told Sky News.

More follows...

18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Football Flares: Young Fans Are 'Used As Mules'

By Enda Brady, Sky News Reporter

Children as young as eight have been used as "mules" to take flares and smokebombs into grounds to be set off by adults.

Premier League officials made the claim as a new campaign is launched warning fans of the dangers posed by setting off flares and smokebombs inside grounds.

It comes just weeks after an assistant referee was hit on the back by a flare during a Premier League clash between Aston Villa and Tottenham.

A linesman was hit by a flare at Villa Park On October 21

The use of pyrotechnics has risen significantly in English grounds in the past few seasons.

There were just eight recorded incidents during the 2010/11 season across the Premier League, Football League and Football Conference and the domestic cup competitions.

This rose to 72 during the 2011/12 season and jumped to 172 last season.

Zenit St Petersburg supporters light flares during a Champions League match

There have been 96 incidents this season, as of the end of October.

"Football fans might see images of football grounds in other parts of Europe full of smoke and light caused by pyrotechnic devices and think that they create a good atmosphere, but they do not," said policing minister Damian Green.

"Flares are very dangerous and can cause severe injuries. We are very lucky that no one has been seriously injured or killed by a flare here for a long time.

Sniffer dogs are used to find pyrotechnics at grounds in England and Wales

"This campaign clearly sets out the dangers of flares and smoke bombs. I want to see the courts taking this problem seriously and dealing in the strongest way possible with fans who still illegally smuggle pyrotechnics into football grounds."

New research carried out for the Premier League found that 87% of fans believe that pyrotechnics are dangerous at matches, while 86% said they were concerned for their safety.

Cathy Long, the league's head of supporter services, said: "We have launched this education campaign because we want fans to be fully aware of the dangers of pyrotechnics and realise the harm they can cause to other supporters.

Flares are lit at a match between Hannover 96 and Eintracht Braunschweig

"Pyrotechnics are not innocent fun, they can be very dangerous and there are victims.

"Fans, club staff and match officials have already been injured, some of them severely, and supporters who bring them are doing so illegally and can face jail and long bans.

"We don't want that, we just want everyone to be safe and able to still come to the game."

The use of pyrotechnics by fans is a relatively new phenomenon in British football, with the trend imported from continental Europe, where the issue is much more prevalent.

Over half of fans have now witnessed pyrotechnics at a match, while 36% have been directly affected, 24% have had their view of the match obscured, 10% have suffered from smoke inhalation and 2% have been affected by heat from a flare.

Alan Weir, head of medical services at St John Ambulance, said: "We know that (our) volunteers have treated people for burns and smoke inhalation caused by flares at several football grounds.

"These cases could have led to disfigurement or other serious injuries, so we're advising fans to seek prompt emergency help should they come into contact with a flare to help prevent their injuries from getting worse."

Of the 172 incidents last season, 164 involved away fans. The average age of fans arrested for using pyrotechnics is 20.

18.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man Arrested For Shining Laser At Helicopter

A 46-year-old man has been detained by officers after shining a laser directly at a Metropolitan Police helicopter.

The crew of the helicopter used onboard video equipment to trace the source of the laser, after it was used while the aircraft was near Orpington, southeast London, at 12.40am on Tuesday.

Officers on the ground were directed to the St Paul's Cray area of the town, where the man was arrested.

A laser pen was also recovered at the scene.

The man was taken to a south London police station where he admitted the offence.

He was given a police caution for endangering the safety of an aircraft.

18.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

RBS And NatWest Glitch: Problems Persist

RBS and NatWest customers are still reporting problems accessing their accounts after a third major glitch in 18 months hit the banking group's IT systems UK-wide.

Thousands vented their anger on Twitter after all the high street banks' systems went down on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, Cyber Monday, for three hours from 6.30pm.

As well as bank cards, there were problems with RBS and NatWest's websites and smartphone apps.

The banking group said that while the technical issue had now been resolved, customers should visit their local branch or phone for free on 0800 151 0404 (NatWest) or 0800 151 0405 (RBS) if they were still experiencing problems with their accounts caused by the resulting backlog of transactions.

It promised anyone left out of pocket as a result of the failure would be compensated and there would be further investment in its technical systems to help prevent more disruption in future.

RBS - which owns NatWest - issued a statement on Tuesday morning via the social network saying: "The systems issues that affected our customers last night have now been resolved and all of our services are now back working normally."

Complaints piled up on Twitter as customers could not access cash

Customer services director Susan Allen told Sky News: "We know it was a very busy time of people doing their shopping before Christmas.

"We clearly deeply apologise for the inconvenience we've caused," she said.

Ms Allen insisted the problems were "completely unrelated" to high transaction volumes on Cyber Monday but was unable to give an explanation for the failure - the third in 18 months to hit customers - saying it was still under investigation.

It is understood that hacking has been ruled out though some customers told Sky News they were being targeted by phishing emails in the wake of the meltdown - an issue RBS said it was looking into.

RBS' apology, along with an earlier tweet about mobile banking problems

Others complained about accounts being closed, suddenly overdrawn or unavailable to access online.

RBS had said on Monday night: "We are very sorry for the system issues that affected our customers this evening. Our customers are reporting that services are coming back on line.

"If customers have been left out of pocket as a result of these system problems, we will put this right.

"If any customer is unable to resolve an issue caused by the disruption, they should get in touch with our call centres or come into a branch in the morning where our staff will be ready to help."

The group said Ulster Bank, which is also owned by RBS, was "partly affected" while several customers in Ireland reported problems.

Reports started to emerge of bank cards being refused at around 6.30pm on Monday.

One customer from Canterbury, Kent, tweeted: "Natwest down again. Looked like a melt in Londis when my card got declined for milk and tuna."

Josh Barlow, a Sheffield Hallam journalism student, wrote: "This is happening every month if not more and it's getting ridiculous."

RBS and NatWest came under fire in March after a "hardware fault" meant customers were unable to use their online accounts or withdraw cash for several hours.

A major computer issue in June last year saw payments go awry, wages appear to go missing and home purchases and holidays interrupted for several weeks, costing the group £175m in compensation.

The latest meltdown will heap more embarrassment on the banks because it came on so-called Cyber Monday, when retailers are hoping for their busiest day of the year as pre-Christmas shoppers search the internet for bargains.

18.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Education Report: UK Lagging Behind The Best

The UK remains a long way behind countries like Singapore, Korea and Japan when it comes to basic standards in education, according to a major international study.

The 2012 Pisa report found the UK's performance in reading, maths and science has failed to improve in recent years.

Despite the UK spending more than average on education, there has been "no change" in attainment, it said.

Among the 65 countries which took part in the study, the UK ranked 26th for maths, 23rd for reading and 21st for science.

The research by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) assessed how students could use their knowledge and skills in real life, rather than just repeating facts and figures.

The findings show that the UK's average score for maths was 494 and 499 in reading, broadly the same as the OECD averages for the subjects.

In these subjects, the UK was on a par with nations such as the Czech Republic, France and Norway.

In science, the UK's teenagers scored 514 points, above the OECD average and similar to results in Australia, Austria, Ireland, New Zealand and Slovenia.

However, the results leave the UK lagging far behind leading nations such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea and Japan in each of the areas tested.

The OECD concluded that across all three subjects, the UK's average performance has remained unchanged since the Pisa tests of 2006 and 2009.

Headteachers have questioned the usefulness of the study

Andreas Schleicher, special adviser to the OECD's secretary-general, told Sky News: "We live in a global economy and the yard stick for success is no longer just improvement by national standards.

"It is about how competitive the school system is (and) how well young people are prepared compared to other people they will be living with in the same world.

"Countries may have different learning environments, different teaching environments and diversity is the strength of the world, but at the very same time we need to see ourselves in a mirror of what other countries show is achieveable."

However, headteachers have questioned the benefit of the study.

Paula Dixon, headteacher at Upton High School in Chester, where 80% of pupils gained grades A* to C in their GCSEs last year, said: "You really cannot expect Britain to do very well in the Pisa study.

"Our whole system is not designed to work well within that kind of framework.

"We know, because we have our own attainment tests in this country, that we are improving standards, and to compare us to South Korea or Finland doesn't make sense."

Anastasia de Waal, deputy director at the education think-tank Civitas, added: "The last thing we want to do is make our system responsive to international rankings.

"What we want to do is address the problems we know we have. They're well recognised, in particular this achievement map that we still have between rich and poor children.

"(We need to) address those, rather than getting distracted by what's happening internationally."

Labour accused the Government of failing schools through its education reforms but the coalition said the figures reflect Labour's policies when it was in power.

18.55 | 0 komentar | Read More