'Reinstate Clarkson' Petition Tops 250,000

May: Child Abuse Cases Are 'Tip Of The Iceberg'

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 14 Maret 2015 | 18.54

Allegations of sex abuse within the institutions meant to protect vulnerable children are "only the tip of the iceberg", Theresa May has claimed.

The Home Secretary believes such abuse is "woven, covertly, into the fabric of our society" - with survivors claiming the exploitation runs through every level of society like "a stick of Blackpool rock".

Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Mrs May added it was a "new beginning" for the independent inquiry into child sex abuse, and conceded the investigation got off to a difficult start.

She wrote: "We already know the trail will lead into our schools and hospitals, our churches, our youth clubs and many other institutions that should have been places of safety but instead became the setting for the most appalling abuse.

"However, what the country doesn't yet appreciate is the true scale of that abuse."

Mrs May also insisted that the inquiry was a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" that would enable the country to learn lessons for the future by addressing the wrongs of the past.

She wrote: "The victims and survivors who have had the courage to speak out are clear that they have done so for one common reason - to save the next generation of children from the abuse they suffered.

"That is what this inquiry is for. Where there has been a failure to protect children from abuse, we will expose it and we will learn from it."

Justice Lowell Goddard is chairing the four-person panel, which was established in the wake of several child sex abuse scandals.

They include the crimes committed by disgraced TV star Jimmy Savile, the abuse of vulnerable girls in towns and cities nationwide, and growing fears that an alleged paedophile ring was operating in the heart of Westminster.

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Clarkson Hints At Possible Top Gear Exit

Jeremy Clarkson has hinted he may be ready to leave Top Gear after being suspended over a bust-up with a producer.

Writing in his column for the Sun newspaper he appeared to refer to himself as a "dinosaur", explaining that "the day must come when you have to wave goodbye to the big monsters".

He wrote: "Nature made a mistake when it invented the dinosaur. It was too big, too violent ...

"All the dinosaurs died and now, years later, no-one mourns their passing.

"These big, imposing creatures have no place in a world which has moved on."

Clarkson, 54, has been suspended over a row in which he allegedly tried to hit a producer, named in reports as Oisin Tymon.

A petition calling for Clarkson to be reinstated has reached more than 840,000 signatures.

But the controversial presenter wrote: "You can start as many campaigns as you like and call on the support of politicians from all sides, but the day must come when you have to wave goodbye to the big monsters, and move on.

"We lose one animal and get another. The world turns."

He goes on to say: "As you may have heard, I've been suspended by the BBC following a fracas at a North Yorkshire hotel.

"I don't intend to dwell here on what happened then or what will happen in the future. I'm sure you're as fed up with the story as I am.

"One of the things which has cheered me is how many people have expressed support in the last few days. I'm touched and grateful."

Clarkson is being summoned to appear before a BBC disciplinary panel that will decide his fate.

The panel will be chaired by Ken MacQuarrie, the head of BBC Scotland who conducted the investigation into Newsnight's false expose of Lord McAlpine.

The corporation has not revealed when or where the hearing will take place.

:: Read Sky News' interview with a family who say Clarkson launched into an expletive-ridden rant at the producer.

According to reports, he lashed out because he was unable to order a steak at the Simonstone Hall Hotel near Hawes, North Yorkshire, where the production team were staying.

The Sun and Daily Mirror said the hotel's chef had gone home by the time they arrived and they were only offered cold meat platters, although Clarkson had ordered a £21.95 steak.

The papers quoted a source who claimed Clarkson blamed Mr Tymon for not arranging hot food and said there had been a "scuffle".

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Labour To Unveil Key General Election Pledges

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Ed Miliband is due to launch Labour's General Election pledge card, containing promises on the economy, living standards, the NHS, immigration and tuition fees.

The Labour leader will unveil the list of vows, which the party hopes will simplify its message to voters, at a pre-election rally of more than 1,500 party members and supporters in Birmingham.

The five pledges are:

:: Economy - Labour claims it will balance the books and cut the deficit every year.

:: Living standards - Boosted by Mr Miliband's pledge to freeze energy bills until 2017.

:: NHS - Labour says it will recruit 20,000 more nurses and 8,000 more GPs.

:: Immigration - People who come to the UK will not be able to claim benefits for at least two years.

:: Young people - Tuition fees cut to £6,000, more apprenticeships and smaller class sizes.

Launching the card, Mr Miliband will say the choice at this election is not simply between parties and leaders, but between different visions of our country.

"The choice is between the pessimists or the optimists, fear or hope, the few or the many, the good of some or the good of all," he is expected to say.

"Today I urge the British people to choose optimism, to choose a country for the many, to choose the good of all, to choose hope - and to recognise that when working people succeed, nothing can stop us as a country."

On the economy, the Labour leader will say: "The Tories promised to eliminate the deficit and they have failed. They've made the cuts but they haven't cut the deficit as they promised."

And on living standards, he will say: "We will stand up to the big energy companies."

On the immigration pledge, a response to pressure from Labour MPs who fear damage by UKIP, Mr Miliband will say: "We will not countenance systems and rules that damage the interests of all those people working hard and trying to get on.

"That's why we say we will have fair rules on immigration. People will have to wait for at least two years until they can claim benefits."

It is not the first time Labour has unveiled a pledge card. Tony Blair and John Prescott did so successfully in 1997, winning a landslide general election victory.

But the pledges were very different in 1997. First was cutting class sizes, second was quicker punishment for young offenders, third was cutting NHS waiting lists, while getting under-25s off benefit and no rise in income tax made up the other two.

Responding to Mr Miliband's speech, Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps said: "The real choice at this election is between the stability and strong leadership of David Cameron and the Conservatives working to a long-term economic plan, securing a better future for Britain.

"Or Ed Miliband carried into Downing Street in the pocket of Alex Salmond and the SNP - meaning more borrowing, more debt, higher taxes and weaker defences."

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Mahatma Gandhi Statue Unveiled In London

A bronze statue of the Indian civil rights leader Mahatma Gandhi has been unveiled in central London.

Prime Minister David Cameron said the sculpture is a "magnificent tribute" to one of the "most towering figures" in history.

The privately-funded work by Philip Jackson, who has made statues of the Queen Mother and the Bomber Command memorial, shows Mr Gandhi dressed in a shawl and traditional dhoti skirt, with his hands clasped.

It is inspired by photographs of him at 10 Downing Street during a visit in 1931.

The statue was unveiled in Parliament Square by Indian finance minister Shri Arun Jaitley in a ceremony that included a personal tribute from Mr Gandhi's grandson, the former governor of West Bengal, Shri Gopalkrishna Gandhi.

A band played Indian classical music on sitars, Indian flags adorned the square, and schoolchildren stood in the crowd to watch.

The PM said: "This statue is a magnificent tribute to one of the most towering figures in the history of world politics and by putting Mahatma Gandhi in this famous square we are giving him an eternal home in our country.

"Many of his teachings remain as potent today as when he first made them.

"'The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others' and 'be the change that you want to see in the world' remain timeless, profound and inspiring words of wisdom."

The ceremony is part of events in Britain to mark the 100th anniversary of Mr Gandhi's return to India from South Africa to start the nation's struggle for independence, which was eventually gained in 1947.

The statue was announced in July by Chancellor George Osborne and former foreign secretary William Hague during a visit to the site of Mr Gandhi's assassination in New Delhi.

The Gandhi Statue Memorial Trust has raised £1m of donations in six months for the project, including £100,000 from billionaire Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal.

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JD Wetherspoon Plots High Street Coffee War

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 13 Maret 2015 | 18.54

JD Wetherspoon has confirmed plans to challenge the high street coffee and breakfast markets after announcing a fall in operating profits.

The pub chain reported profits of £55.1m for the 16 weeks to 25 January - a drop of 1.1% - despite revenues rising 9% and like-for-like sales growing 4.5%.

Its chairman Tim Martin, who has long campaigned for a level playing field on tax with supermarkets, said: "The first half of the financial year resulted in a reasonable sales performance and free cash flow, although our profit was under pressure from areas which included increased competition from supermarkets and increased pay and bonuses for pub staff.

"As previously highlighted, the biggest danger to the pub industry is the continuing tax disparity between supermarkets and pubs.

"Thanks mainly to the work of Jacques Borel's VAT Club, there is a growing realisation among politicians, the media and the public that pubs are overtaxed and that a level tax playing field will create more jobs and taxes for the country".

Wetherspoon, which last year announced plans to create 15,000 new jobs over five years, has blamed tax rates for hampering its expansion plans.

It argues the greatest disparity is in VAT as supermarkets - currently locked in a bitter price war - do not pay it on food but pubs and cafes are hit with a 20% rate.

Wetherspoon has suggested this allows supermarkets to "subsidise their alcoholic drinks".

The Chancellor, who has cancelled the beer duty escalator, may use the Budget next week to go further.

It was claimed earlier this year that George Osborne's two previous cuts to beer duty had helped annual beer sales rise for the first time in a decade.

The company said it was looking to the breakfast trade to help achieve further growth.

It said it had successfully established a strong coffee and breakfast trade in recent years, selling approximately 50 million coffees and teas per year alongside about 24 million breakfasts.

JD Wetherspoon said: "We are increasing our efforts in this area by introducing more competitive prices from Wednesday 18 March.

"Lavazza filter coffee, with free refills, will be available at 99p or under, between 8am and 2pm daily, at approximately 880 pubs.

"We are also introducing more competitive prices for breakfasts. Our aim is to triple coffee and breakfast sales over the next 18 months".

The company said it was introducing several drinks offers, reflecting greater supermarket competition, from the same date.

It warned: "Marketing and labour costs may be higher than anticipated in the second half, as a result of the coffee and breakfast campaigns.

"The second half of the last financial year was strong, which will make it difficult to improve on that performance in the current year, although we expect a reasonable outcome for the full financial year, even so".

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Family: Clarkson Said He'd Have Colleague Fired

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson is facing new allegations over the "fracas" at a Yorkshire Dales hotel that led to his suspension by the BBC on Monday.

Four members of the same family who overheard the row say Clarkson told a colleague he would have him fired because there was no hot food at the end of a day's filming.

The Ward family from Leeds told Sky News that Clarkson ranted for up to half-an-hour at the Simonstone Hotel near Hawes and say they were shocked at his language and the way he treated his colleague.

They also claimed he criticised the BBC, saying it was "getting worse".

Sue Ward, 54, a medical receptionist, described Clarkson's behaviour towards the unnamed employee as shocking.

"He said he hadn't done his job properly, it was ridiculous that there was nothing to eat, obviously there was lots of expletives in between all this, and that he would be losing his job, he would see to it that he would lose his job," she said.

"Even someone who's really inept at their job should be told properly, in a proper manner," she said

"But the fact that it was in a public place, I didn't want to listen to that language."

Sue's brother in law Bob Ward, 60, said Clarkson arrived with his co-presenters by helicopter at around 9.30pm and refused to have his picture taken.

"I said 'Any chance of a selfie Jeremy?' and he said 'No, not with the day I've had today'."

Within minutes, Bob's wife Denise, 51, said Clarkson was shouting and swearing and had spoiled the evening they had been looking forward to.

"We were sort of, 'Ooh, celebrities, will we see them?' and then it was just the shock of how can someone be so rude?" she said.

"It was just the swearing and the length of time and this poor guy that he was ripping into," she added.

Top Gear is the BBC's biggest global brand, worth more than £50m a year, but with Clarkson suspended the next three episodes have been scrapped.

The only Top Gear fan among the Ward family, Sue's husband Alan, 56, agreed with the three quarters of a million people who have signed an online petition for Clarkson to keep his job.

"He's brash, we know what he's like, he's been in trouble before and I think he'll be in trouble again," he said.

"I think he'll continue to do that job because without Clarkson there's no Top Gear."

Sky News has approached Clarkson for a comment but he has not responded.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that Clarkson's Twitter profile has changed from saying, "I am a presenter on the BBC2 motoring show, Top Gear" to "I am probably a presenter on the BBC2 motoring show, Top Gear".

One fan responded by tweeting "brilliant", while an opponent wrote "You'll soon be changing the verb tense in your profile then?"

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Service Marks End Of Afghanistan Conflict

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

A memorial service is taking place at St Paul's Cathedral to mark the end of the Afghanistan conflict.

Veterans of the campaign as well as next of kin of the 453 service personnel killed in the 13-year war are attending the service.

They are joined by the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, who himself served two tours in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister David Cameron and other senior political and military figures are also service.

A service will also be held in Kabul at the same time.

A Memorial Cross made from used shell cases is being processed through St Paul's Cathedral by representatives from the RAF, Royal Navy and Army.

After being blessed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, it will be taken to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire as part of a permanent installation.

After the service, a parade of servicemen will march through the streets of London ending at the Guildhall in the city.

It will be made up of veterans representing many parts of the military.

There will also be a flypast of aircraft that flew in the conflict: a Sea King helicopter, two Chinooks and two Apaches, followed by an RAF C-130 Hercules and two Tornado fast jets.

Various members of the Royal Family will then host three receptions at the Honourable Artillery Company, Horse Guards Parade, and the Guildhall.

Following the announcement of the service last month, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said he hoped people throughout the UK would join together in "remembering those we have lost and recognising the extraordinary courage and dedication of all those who served".

He said: "They leave a proud legacy - terrorists have been prevented from using Afghanistan as a safe haven for attacks on our streets and it is a safer and more prosperous country."

The final chapter in the conflict came last October when the last British troops were airlifted from Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, leaving just a few hundred personnel in advisory, logistical and support roles to help the Afghan army.

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Govt: NHS Waiting Time Target Cannot Be Met

The Department of Health says the NHS cannot meet a patient waiting time target in A&E for the whole of 2014/15.

The aim is to have 95% of patients waiting four hours or less at accident and emergency departments in England.

This was missed for the 23rd week in a row last week.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said this means it is not possible for the health service to meet the standard for the fourth quarter of the year, and all of 2014/15.

It is the first time in a year the target has not been met.

More follows...

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Murdered Sarah Payne: Stolen Statue Recovered

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 12 Maret 2015 | 18.54

A statue in memory of murdered Sarah Payne, stolen from her former school, has been recovered undamaged.

The 2ft bronze was found by a member of the public early on Thursday in Surrey.

It followed an appeal by police and Sarah's mother, Dr Sara Payne, who told Sky News the theft made her feel sick.

She had feared the statue could be melted down for scrap.

The figure was given to Burhill County Primary School in Hersham, Surrey, in memory of their former pupil who was abducted and killed by Roy Whiting in 2000 when she was eight years old.

It is thought it was stolen around 1am on Wednesday.

It was found outside an address in Northfield Road in nearby Cobham, and believed to have been left outside the property between 5.15am and 7.30am.

Three people are thought to have been involved in the theft. A van was also seen in the area around the time of the offence.

Sergeant Marc Nettleingham, of Surrey Police, said: "We are continuing to carry out a number of inquiries to identify the offenders responsible for this theft, which is particularly reprehensible... and the investigation is ongoing."

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France Overtakes Britain In IS Air Campaign

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

France has overtaken Britain as the second biggest contributor to the air campaign against Islamic State, Sky News can reveal.

The UK government has long claimed that position but since the arrival of French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in the Gulf last month, the French are putting up more planes on more sorties over Iraq.

French warplanes now fly between 12 and 15 sorties a day, more than three times the amount of RAF jets.

There are more than four times as many French fighter jets involved in the campaign.

The Charles de Gaulle has 21 jets on board, including 12 Rafale, nine Super Etendard and a further 15 are based on land in Jordan and the UAE.

In contrast, the UK has eight Tornados based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, flying an average of two sorties a day in pairs.

The Tornados are supported by a Voyager refuelling aircraft, which also contributes to the French mission when needed.

The French also have considerably more personnel assigned to the campaign: 3,200 compared to 500 from the UK.

Sky News' research undermines David Cameron's repeated claim that Britain is the major partner to the United States in the air effort.

Only last week he told an audience: "The second largest contributor in terms of airstrikes and air patrols is Britain by a very large margin. I think you have to add up several other countries to get to the scale of what we're doing."

French officials told Sky News they do not see it as a competition but consider their military to be the second biggest contributor, not the RAF.

In response, the Ministry of Defence said British planes had carried out a greater number of airstrikes.

"We have been focussing our military contribution where it can have the most impact - airstrikes in support of Iraqi forces, providing vital intelligence, surveillance and air-to-air refuelling capabilities to the coalition.

"We continue to fly daily Reaper and Tornado missions and our Voyagers routinely refuel coalition aircraft, including French."

The international coalition has been flying missions over Iraq and Syria for 31 weeks.

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Gallery: Sept: British Jets' First IS Combat Mission

British jets armed with missiles have taken off on their maiden combat mission over northern Iraq

Two Tornado GR4 fighter jets left RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus on Saturday morning, the day after MPs approved airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq

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Sir Philip Green Sells BHS To Retail Firm

Sir Philip Green has sold loss-making high street chain BHS to a retail buyout vehicle for an undisclosed sum.

The tycoon, who owned the department store business for almost 15 years, had put it up for sale earlier this year after receiving a number of approaches.

He paid £200m for the-then British Home Stores in 2000 but recent annual losses had widened to £21m in 2013/14 from £19.3m the previous year.

More follows...

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Mass Surveillance: Intelligence Staff Sacked

A number of British intelligence staff have been sacked for inappropriately accessing personal information, it has emerged.

The revelation came in a long-awaited parliamentary report which was announced after whistle-blower Edward Snowden exposed mass surveillance techniques used by GCHQ and its US counterpart.

The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) inquiry recommended a single law be introduced to regulate the UK's intelligence agencies and their powers to snoop on private communications.

The ISC report concludes that the legal framework governing GCHQ, MI5 and MI6 is "unnecessarily complicated" and "lacks transparency".

But the inquiry found the intelligence agencies were not trying to cheat the law through mass surveillance programmes.

When asked by Sky News for further details about why intelligence staff were sacked, the committee's spokeswoman MP Hazel Blears replied: "I think we say in the report that these incidents have been extremely rare.

"We also recommend in our report that these matters should be a criminal offence because we regard this as extremely serious indeed.

"If you're trying to get public confidence around privacy then if someone breaches the rules then there ought to be severe sanctions for that kind of breach.

"We're not in a position today to give you the detailed information ... but I think the fact the committee recommends it be a criminal offence gives an indication of how seriously we take it."

The committee said thousands of private communications are read by GCHQ spies on a daily basis using bulk interception methods.

In a section of the report that is heavily redacted, the committee said it is "unavoidable that some innocent communications may have been incidentally collected".

Ms Blears said: "There is a legitimate public expectation of openness and transparency in today's society, and the security and intelligence agencies are not exempt from that.

"While we accept that they need to operate in secret if they are to be able to protect us from those who are plotting in secret to harm us, the Government must make every effort to ensure that information is placed in the public domain when it is safe to do so.

"This report is an important first step toward greater transparency.

"Nevertheless, there is more that could and should be done.

"This is essential to improve public understanding and retain confidence in the vital work of the intelligence and security agencies."

Shami Chakrabarti, director of rights campaign group Liberty, said: "The ISC has repeatedly shown itself as a simple mouthpiece for the spooks - so clueless and ineffective that it's only thanks to Edward Snowden that it had the slightest clue of the agencies' antics.

"The committee calls this report a landmark for 'openness and transparency' - but how do we trust agencies who have acted unlawfully, hacked the world's largest Sim card manufacturer and developed technologies capable of collecting our login details and passwords, manipulating our mobile devices and hacking our computers and webcams?

"No doubt it would be simpler if we went along with the spies' motto of 'no scrutiny for us, no privacy for you' - but what an appalling deal for the British public."

The ISC is now without its former chair Sir Malcolm Rifkind after he was forced to step down following the cash-for-access controversy.

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Lambeth Council Abuse: Key Findings

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 11 Maret 2015 | 18.54

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs & Education Editor

Details of an internal investigation documenting allegations of sexual assaults and abuse carried out by officers within Lambeth council in the 1990s have been revealed. They include:

:: There were two sites on Lambeth council property used to carry out sexual assaults. They were used for this purpose "on many occasions over the years".

:: Two private removal firms were "frequently" on site, and were believed to have removed evidence of equipment used during sexual assaults, and washed the area down. One firm had keys to all internal lockers, including a cabinet where evidence in a criminal case was kept and later went missing.

:: Items handed to police following the rape of a female member of staff by a colleague on council premises included a semen-stained blanket, soiled tissues, cassettes and a penknife.

:: Bulic Forsythe, a manager in the housing department, told colleagues he was going to "spill the beans" after a visit to one of these sites.

He clashed with an individual who held a senior position and is named in the report as the head of the ring involved in abuse, and then moved from the housing department to social services.

Whilst in social services Bulic told another colleague he believed the individual in housing could still 'get to him'. After his death in 1993, colleagues reported that a report he had compiled went missing from his office.

:: Three male employees, including one in a senior position, were suspended from their jobs in the housing department as a result of the internal investigation.

Despite the findings of rape and sexual assault, and possessing indecent images of children, they were suspended on grounds of a 'breach of the council's equal opportunities policy'.

:: The report recommends a criminal investigation into the allegations of rape, child rape and images of abuse. The Metropolitan Police has confirmed no investigation was ever undertaken at the time.

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Car Makers Attack 'Anti-Diesel' Campaign

By Gerard Tubb, Sky News Correspondent

A growing campaign to blame the drivers of diesel cars for dangerous air pollution has been attacked by motor manufacturers.

Emissions from diesel engines, including particulates and nitrogen oxides, have been linked to heart disease, cancer and asthma, while air pollution is said to kill 29,000 people a year in the UK.

After decades of tax incentives in favour of diesel vehicles, some drivers are now facing penalties for choosing diesel cars that cost less to tax but do more damage to air quality.

London's Mayor Boris Johnson has proposed adding £10 to the daily congestion charge for diesel cars, while Islington residents will soon have to pay an extra £96 for a diesel parking permit.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has been stung into launching a campaign to try to persuade motorists to keep buying diesel cars.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: "Today's diesel engines are the cleanest ever, and the culmination of billions of pounds of investment by manufacturers to improve air quality.

"We need to avoid penalising one vehicle technology over another and instead encourage the uptake of the latest vehicle technology by consumers."

More than one in three cars on the road is now powered by diesel, up from less than one in 10 in 1994.

The popularity of diesel is the result of favourable vehicle tax rates introduced by the government in 2001 to reduce carbon dioxide levels from petrol engines.

Last year, the World Health Organisation warned air quality in most cities that monitor outdoor air pollution failed to meet safe levels, with people at risk of respiratory disease and other health problems.

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Was Man Murdered For Exposing Paedophile Ring?

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs & Education Editor

Police investigating Westminster-linked child abuse are examining whether a man was murdered because he was about to expose a paedophile ring operating within a London council.

Sky News has obtained details of an internal investigation documenting sexual assaults and abuse carried out by officers within Lambeth Council in the 1990s.

The unpublished report reveals claims from those within the council that Bulic Forsythe, a manager in the housing department whose murder sparked a nationwide appeal in 1993, may have discovered council property was being used to carry out abuse.

That abuse involved senior figures in Lambeth who were using council premises for the rape of women and children, according to the report's remarkable findings.

They used the basement of Lambeth's housing headquarters, the report says, because "sexual assault could be performed without fear of interruption by other staff".

A senior staff member is accused of watching material with "sadistic, bestial and paedophile themes" which "may have been home-produced by staff of people with whom they associated".

One female staff member was subject to a rape on council premises "of horrendous proportions", such that she was still suffering from serious injuries one month on.

She described being raped alongside children and animals by senior figures in the council.

Although the report, which was prompted by alleged breaches of the council's equal opportunities policy, recommends a criminal investigation, its findings were never formally investigated by the police at the time.

Instead, the perpetrators within the council were dismissed from their positions. The report has never before been made public.

It also reveals that colleagues of Bulic Forsythe, whose family have long believed he was murdered to prevent him from blowing the whistle on events at Lambeth, also feared he had been killed as part of a cover up.

"The murder of Bulic Forsythe was seen by some witnesses as a possible outcome for anyone who strayed too far in their investigation or for those who asked too many questions," the report says.

"The panel heard evidence about Bulic Forsythe whilst he was working in social services visiting Hambrook House and speaking to a colleague and telling her that he was going to 'spill the beans'.

"Three days later he was killed," the report says.

Sky News showed the report to Kiddist Forsythe, 21, the daughter of Bulic Forsythe, who was born three months after his murder.

She said: "Some of the stuff that's in here, I honestly can't believe happened. I was very shocked.

"It's really clear the fear that operated in the council - it seems from the report my father felt that fear," she went on, adding he was scared that if he moved jobs "people in power could still get to him".

Sky News contacted a number of people who held senior positions in Lambeth at the time of the alleged incidents. All said the council had elements of dysfunctionality and was plagued by corruption and fear.

Dr Nigel Goldie, former assistant director of social services, said: "There were often rather strange things happening. Things going on behind the scenes that were never properly explained or known about.

"This was in the context of an organisation that displayed dysfunctional features."

There has been a renewed focus on events in Lambeth in the 1980s and 1990s amid growing evidence of a series of paedophile rings operating across England involving the abuse of children in care homes, in some cases allegedly by politicians and other senior figures.

The Metropolitan Police, which has been investigating events in Lambeth at the time under Operation Trinity, said it was considering the report as part of its investigation.

Detective Inspector Sean Crotty said: "This report provides the context to people who were abused in Lambeth.

"What we need is for people who were children at the time and who were abused to come forward."

Lambeth Council said it is supporting Operation Trinity and is working closely with specialist police investigators.

A spokesperson said: "Lambeth Council is determined to do all that we can to support this renewed push to tackle the issue, and ensure that offenders who had previously escaped justice are now held to account."

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'Reinstate Clarkson' Petition Tops 250,000

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An online petition calling for the BBC to reinstate Jeremy Clarkson has been signed by more than 250,000 people.

The Top Gear presenter was suspended and the show put on hold after he allegedly tried to hit one of the producers at the end of filming in Newcastle.

The producer involved in what the BBC called a "fracas", said to have been over a lack of catering, has been named by the Daily Mirror as Oisin Tymon, 36.

The paper quotes a source as saying Clarkson "snapped" when he discovered no food had been laid on.

A BBC spokeswoman said: "Following a fracas with a BBC producer, Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended pending an investigation.

"No one else has been suspended. Top Gear will not be broadcast this Sunday. The BBC will be making no further comment at this time."

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Gallery: Top Gear In Production In North Yorkshire

These photographs taken last week show the Top Gear team filming in the Yorkshire Dales near Hawes. Pictures: Thomas Beresford @ North Yorkshire Snow Updates www.facebook.com/NorthYorkshireWeatherUpdates

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The online campaign on Change.org was created with the social-media hashtag #BringBackClarkson by right-wing blogger Guido Fawkes.

The presenter's daughter Em Clarkson also tweeted her support: "Oh God, BBC please take him back... he's started cooking..."

Hours after the suspension was announced, Clarkson's co-presenter James May took to Twitter to say: "No Top Gear this weekend, apparently. How about [the film] 633 Squadron instead?"

Fellow host Richard Hammond replied: "No, surely, Last of the Summer Wine; no one will notice the difference. Job done."

Clarkson then broke his silence, replying that the film Where Eagles Dare - about the rescue of a US general held captive in WWII - should be shown instead.

The presenter, who has been involved in a number of high-profile gaffes in recent years, was put on what the corporation called his final warning in 2014.

It followed claims he used the n-word while reciting the nursery rhyme Eeny, Meeny, Miny Moe during filming of the BBC2 programme.

Clarkson said he was "horrified" that it sounded as though he used racist language in the out-take, which was not broadcast.

The Sun newspaper, for which Clarkson is a columnist, said he shrugged off his suspension and quoted him as saying: "I'm having a nice cold pint and waiting for this to blow over."

Over the years there have been numerous calls for Clarkson to be sacked, including online petitions signed by thousands of people, but all have been ignored.

Talking to Sky News, former BBC chairman Michael Grade described him as "the Kevin Pietersen of broadcasting. You can't live with him or without him," he said.

Top Gear is one of the BBC's biggest money spinners, pulling in millions of pounds from a devoted - and international - audience.

This Sunday's episode was set to feature Clarkson with co-hosts Hammond and May getting to grips with classic cars such as a Fiat 124 Spider, an MGB GT and a Peugeot 304 cabriolet.

They were going to take to the road and end up at a classic track day, with Gary Lineker due to be the "star in a reasonably priced car".

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Written By Unknown on Selasa, 10 Maret 2015 | 18.54

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has criticised "apologists" who tried to blame Britain's intelligence agencies for radicalising the Islamic State (IS) militant known as Jihadi John.

He condemned critics who try to "excuse" terrorists by pointing the finger of blame at MI5, MI6 and GCHQ.

"We are absolutely clear - the responsibility for acts of terror rests with those who commit them. But a huge burden of responsibility also lies with those who act as apologists for them," he said.

His comments appeared to be directed at Asim Qureshi, of campaign group Cage, who said it was MI5's attempts to recruit Mohammed Emwazi - recently revealed as Jihadi John - as an informer that led to him joining IS.

The agencies have been criticised for allowing the 26-year-old Londoner to travel to Syria - where he is believed to have beheaded Western hostages in videos - even though he had been known to MI5 since 2008.

Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute in London, Mr Hammond said agencies are currently facing an "unprecedented" level of challenge in the face of a wide range of global threats.

"The sheer number and range of cases, old and new, amounts to the greatest challenge to our collective security for decades and places unprecedented demands on those charged with keeping us safe," he said.

"The emergence of groups such as Boko Haram in Nigeria and (IS) in Syria, Iraq and Libya, simply serves to underline the pace with which the threats to our safety and security from this source are evolving.

"It is only thanks to the dedication, and in many cases the brilliance, of our intelligence officers that we have succeeded to detect and contain these threats."

Mr Hammond also highlighted the renewed threat posed by Russia - saying it was the "single greatest threat to Britain's security".

"We are now faced with a Russian leader bent not on joining the international rules-based system which keeps the peace between nations, but on subverting it," he said.

"President (Vladimir) Putin's actions - illegally annexing Crimea and now using Russian troops to destabilise eastern Ukraine - fundamentally undermine the security of sovereign nations in Eastern Europe."

During questions at the end of his speech, Mr Hammond was asked what efforts are being made to track down Emwazi.

He said: "What I can tell you is the murders of hostages in Syria are the subject of an ongoing Metropolitan Police investigation.

"And as you would expect I can't comment on any aspect of an ongoing police investigation I'm afraid."

He also said parents and schools have a responsibility to stop young people travelling abroad to take part in the conflict in Syria and Iraq.

The parents of three London schoolgirls believed to have entered Syria with the aim of joining IS are due to appear before the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee later, alongside the ambassador of Turkey.

Mr Hammond said he had spoken to Turkey's foreign minister about what action can be taken to stop would-be jihadists crossing the country's border with Syria.

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Gallery: Images Of The 3,000-Year-Old Assyrian Site

The 3,000-year-old site on the banks of the Tigris river was once the capital of the world's most powerful empire, the Assyrians. European archeologists first excavated the site in the 1840s

Statues, sections of palaces and gold items were unearthed at the site. Some of its best-known monuments include these winged bulls with human faces, known as lamassus

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Crufts Death: Reports More Dogs Poisoned

The Kennel Club has confirmed it is looking into reports that as many as six dogs were poisoned at this year's Crufts show.

Irish setter Jagger, who came second in his class at the show last Thursday, collapsed and died the day after returning to Belgium from the event at Birmingham's NEC.

The animal's joint owners have claimed that beef laced with unknown poisons was found during a post-mortem examination into the dog's death.

Several other dogs, including a West Highland white terrier, an Afghan hound and a Shih Tzu were also sick after the show, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Mylee Thomas claims her Shetland sheepdog Myter Eye to Eye was poisoned the day after Jagger died.

She told the newspaper: "The setter was poisoned the day before my bitch, and I don't think there is a link between the two.

"I think that one (Jagger) was someone who had randomly targeted them because a lot of people don't agree with Crufts."

The Kennel Club, which organises the prestigious show, said it had not received any reports over suspicions of poisoning.

A spokeswoman said they were looking into the reports, but said no formal investigation was underway.

She said: "The facts surrounding Jagger's sad death are still being established.

"With regards to speculation about any other incidents involving other dogs, we must stress that these are at this stage just rumours.

"There are any number of reasons why a dog may display symptoms such as sickness and should a dog fall sick there are vets at Crufts who will examine the dog in question and file a report."

She added: "As with any international competition rumours of sabotage do occasionally surface. This of course is not in the spirit of competition and will not be tolerated.

"Anyone caught attempting to deliberately sabotage another competitor's performance, particularly if a dog's welfare is put at risk, will face severe disciplinary action, which could include a ban on competing at all Kennel Club licensed events.

"Furthermore anyone who puts a dog's welfare at risk could face prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act."

She added that no vets had raised concerns about poisoning and no official complaints from any other owners at Crufts had been made.

West Midlands Police has said it was liaising with Crufts officials and the NEC to secure any potential evidence.

Jagger was owned by Belgian Aleksandra Lauwers and Leicester-based breeders Dee Milligan-Bott and her husband, Jeremy Bott.

Mrs Milligan-Bott, who believes the suspected poisoning was a random attack, called it a "heinous crime" and she did not think another exhibitor was responsible.

Mr Bott said it was "out of the question" that other Crufts owners could have set out to kill Jagger.

The four-day show finished on Sunday, with Scottish Terrier Knopa named Best In Show.

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Police Forces Lose Track Of 396 Sex Offenders

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By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

Police have lost track of almost 400 registered sex offenders they should be monitoring, include a child rapist who vanished two years ago, official figures have revealed.

Others have been off the police radar for much longer, one for 14 years.

Claude Knights, of the child protection charity Kidscape, said: "The horrifying prospect is that these offenders will have rebuilt their lives in communities who don't know them.

"Re-offending is high and particularly among those who have left the support system that was designed to help them."

Everyone on the register - currently around 60,000 - is required to say where they are living. They are monitored by police, probation officers and the prison service under the multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA).

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Gallery: Police Have Lost Track Of Almost 400 Sex Offenders

Failed asylum seeker Patrick Kanda, who was convicted of child rape, is unaccounted for - one of 396 registered offenders that UK authorities have lost track of

Stefan Taylor, who was convicted of indecent assault, disappeared in Blackpool. The offenders have vanished after moving home without telling authorities

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Anishbai Patel incited a child to engage in a sex act. Lancashire Police have described him as "high risk"

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It is believed Witshire rapist Abdelouaheb Delham may have returned to Algeria

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Iraqi Osman Abdurahman, who is missing from Sheffield, committed a sex attack on a teenage girl

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But a total of 396 registered sex offenders have vanished after moving home without telling the authorities their new address.

Some of those missing are foreign nationals who may have returned to their own countries. That could include failed asylum seeker Patrick Kanda, 36, who was convicted of child rape.

He was monitored for several years after he was released from prison, but vanished two years ago from his home in Dagenham, Essex.

He is one of 167 offenders who have stopped reporting to monitors at the Metropolitan Police.

West Midlands Police has "lost" 39 registered offenders, Greater Manchester Police is missing 25, and Essex and Sussex have no contact with 11 offenders.

There are offenders missing from their homes in most of the UK's 45 forces, but only Scotland says it knows where all its 4,775 sex offenders are living.

The figures were revealed in response to a Freedom of Information request by the Press Association news agency.

Jim Gamble, who runs child protection consultancy Ineqe, said: "Offenders who have chosen to go off the radar should be pursued and punished.

"By disappearing they are removing the incentive for staying in the system for the many others who choose to comply."

A Home Office spokesperson said: "The UK has some of the toughest powers in the world to deal with sex offenders and we are committed to ensuring the system is as robust as possible.

"Under this government more adult sex offenders are being imprisoned, and they are being imprisoned for longer. The latest published figures show there are more than 11,000 sentenced adult sex offenders in prison - up by more than 2,500 since 2010.

"We have also reformed civil orders by introducing new measures that give police and the courts further powers to restrict and monitor the activities of sex offenders and those who pose a risk.

"It is for the police to manage offenders in their area, but we work closely with forces to ensure legislation is effective and that officers have all the tools they need."

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Written By Unknown on Senin, 09 Maret 2015 | 18.54

Two teenagers who were killed when the car they were in hit a tree have been named as George Wharton, 14, and 13-year-old Rhys Baker.

The boys are thought to have been picked up by a 21-year-old just before 1.50pm on Saturday without the permission of their parents.

The driver is seriously ill in hospital and two other teenagers, Kameron Walters, aged 14, and 15-year-old Joshua Van Veen, remain in a critical condition.

The accident happened on the A62 Gelderd Road in Morley, Leeds. Superintendent Sam Millar, of West Yorkshire Police, described it as "a terrible tragedy".

Both boys who died were from the local area and went to the Bruntcliffe Secondary School and Morley Academy, where staff and pupils are now being supported by police.

Dave Gurney, executive headteacher of Bruntcliffe School, said Rhys had been a "well-liked member of his year group", while Leanne Griffiths, principal of The Morley Academy, described George as "a popular boy with a bright future ahead of him".

Police say the blue Peugeot is believed to have overtaken another vehicle "at speed" before crashing.

Supt Millar said: "We are appealing for any witnesses to the specific incident but also the movements and behaviour of the car during the rest of the day.

"We are particularly keen to speak to anyone who saw the vehicle at the Tesco Express store.

"I would also like to praise a number of members of the public who stopped at the scene of the incident and helped in whatever way they could."

Friends gathered at the scene on Sunday to lay flowers and remember the victims.

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Three Missing British Schoolgirls 'In Al Raqqa'

Three missing schoolgirls who left Britain to join Islamic State have crossed into Syria and are believed to be staying at a house in al Raqqa, Sky sources say.

Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and Amira Abase, 15, boarded a flight from Gatwick Airport bound for Istanbul last month.

Authorities feared the teenagers, who attended Bethnal Green Academy in east London, were seeking to join the Islamist militants.

Sky's Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay said: "We're being told tonight that they've crossed into Syria through a crossing... which is not too far from Kilis.

"They're now apparently in a house that is owned or controlled - or at least hosted by - a British girl who had been in contact with them through the internet, and had brought them through Turkey and into Syria.

"We are told by... good sources within the city of al Raqqa that they are there, that they are safe.

"That is where they are staying - with this British girl who is hosting them.

"There's been a lot of discussion about where they are, (and) how they got there. But we are told they are now inside Syria, they are inside al Raqqa, and they are under the control of Islamic State."

Last week CCTV footage emerged which appeared to show the three teenagers at a bus station in Istanbul.

The girls were seen wrapped in heavy winter jackets, two with hoods pulled up, and carrying packed sports bags and holdalls.

The footage was recorded in the early hours of 18 February, less than 24 hours after the trio left their London homes, telling their families they would be out for the day.

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Gallery: Three Schoolgirls From East London Go Missing

These pictures were taken from Kadiza Sultana (l) and Shamima Begum's (r) Twitter accounts

Kadiza and Shamima are feared to be on their way to Syria with a third girl, 15-year-old Amira Abase

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Crufts Poison Claims: Dog Owners' Devastation

The owners of a prize-winning Irish setter who they claim was poisoned at the world famous Crufts dog show have spoken of their devastation.

Jagger, who died in Belgium the day after appearing at the show in Birmingham, was owned by Belgian Aleksandra Lauwers and Leicester-based breeder Dee Milligan-Bott.

Ms Lauwers wrote on her Facebook page: "To person (sic) who has done it, hope you can sleep well knowing you have killed our love, family member and best friend to our son."

Ms Milligan-Bott described the dog's painful death as a "heinous crime" claiming poisoned beef cubes were discovered after an autopsy, although a full toxicology report has yet to be released.

In a post on her Facebook page Ms Milligan-Bott said: "This (poisoning) resulted in a very painful death for our beautiful boy.

"The timings from the autopsy will make it clear the only place this could have been given to Jagger was while on his bench at Crufts."

Appealing for information to find the person responsible she said she was hopeful a fellow competitor was not involved.

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Gallery: Crufts Has Been Hit By Scandals Before

In 1992 a breeder claimed her Anatolian Shepherd was poisoned because of its white coat

An investigation was launched into claims that Danny the Pekinese had been given a facelift

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England Crash Out Of Cricket World Cup

England have crashed out of the cricket World Cup after a dismal performance against Bangladesh.

England was set a target of 276 to win and stay in contention for the quarter finals but poor batting saw them lose to Bangladesh by 15 runs.

Put into bat at the Adelaide Oval, Mahmudullah had struck his and Bangladesh's first World Cup century, starring in two key partnerships to lift Bangladesh to 275 for seven.

England, despite being finalists in the competition three times, made a mess of their chase on what should have been a good batting wicket, folding for 260 in the 49th over.

More follows...

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Four Victims Named In Two-Car Wales Crash

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 08 Maret 2015 | 18.54

The names of a woman and three teenagers killed in a two-car crash in Wales have been revealed.

The 17-year-olds and a 68-year-old woman died and two others are in hospital following the crash in Powys, Mid Wales, just before 10.15pm on Friday.

The 68-year-old has been named by police as Margaret Elizabeth Challis, from the Merthyr area and two of the teenagers who died were named locally as Rhodri Miller and Corey Price.

Rhodri, who was driving, had only recently passed his driving test and his friend Corey was a promising young footballer who trained with the Cardiff City Football Academy.

The third teenager killed was Rhodri's girlfriend Alesha O'Connor. While the two young men died at the scene, Alesha died in hospital.

All three were from Barry.

The crash happened as a number of vehicles travelled in a convoy on the A470 near Storey Arms, Brecon, between Libanus and RAC bends.

The two cars involved in the collision were a black Volkswagen Golf estate and a green Volkswagen Golf.

The teenagers were in the green Golf and Mrs Challis was a passenger in the black Golf estate, which was not believed to be part of the convoy.

Five male drivers, aged 17 and 18, who were in other vehicles, have been arrested, Dyfed Powys Police said.

The driver and front-seat passenger in the black Golf estate have been taken to hospital. The driver's condition is described as serious.

Superintendent Chris Curtis said: "This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with the families at this difficult time.

"We are working with South Wales Police in order to provide support to the families affected and also the communities they live within.

"We will work with partners to ensure that the incident is fully investigated."

Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact Dyfed Powys Police on 101.

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Thatcher 'Turned Blind Eye' To Paedophile MPs

Former prime minister Margaret Thatcher knew about politicians sexually abusing children - but failed to act against them, an MP has told Sky News.

Simon Danczuk, who exposed Sir Cyril Smith as a prolific child abuser, said: "There is no doubt about it now, from what we know, that she turned a blind eye to people who were quite clearly paedophiles. That is absolutely clear.

"It is a real stain on Margaret Thatcher's legacy and I don't get any pleasure from saying that, but she turned a blind eye to it."

The Rochdale MP also claimed the Government is refusing to publish at least four other files on historic child abuse because it was worried about what information may come out before May's General Election.

He added: "(The Cabinet Office) have resisted publishing these documents for over 12 months - that's not acceptable.

"They refused to tell the public who nominated Cyril Smith for a knighthood. A journalist managed to get that out of them after going to the Information Commissioner. It was indeed David Steel.

"And we now know they are resisting publishing at least four other files relating to historic child sexual abuse.

"We have to ask the question is the Cabinet Office fit for purpose?"

Asked whether Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg were colluding in a "cover-up", he said: "You can't really reach any other conclusion, can you.

"Cameron has spoken on this issue and said we'll leave no stone unturned. But his lack of action says otherwise.

"Nick Clegg has failed continually to really put any action in place. He's the Deputy Prime Minister. David Cameron is the Prime Minister.

"They are at the top of government. The buck stops with them. Why aren't they calling for all these documents to be published? Why aren't they insisting on more action?

"The reality of it is, this is the truth of the matter, we are approaching the General Election. This isn't party political, but they are concerned about what information is going to come out before the General Election, that's the truth of it.

"And the second point is they're more concerned about protecting legacies - the legacies of previous politicians. That's just not acceptable. We need less polishing of halos and more lifting of stones."

The Cabinet Office has denied trying to cover up information about Downing Street's knowledge of Smith's abuse of young boys before he was knighted.

Documents show Mrs Thatcher was made aware of the claims about the Liberal MP before he was handed the honour in 1988.

The 19-page dossier of information on the decision to give Smith the knighthood contains several letters, including an undated one from a Political Honours Scrutiny Committee member to the then prime minister.

In the letter, marked secret, Lord Shackleton said police investigated Smith in 1970 for "indecent assault against teenage boys" between 1961 and 1966.

But, the letter noted, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) decided "there was no reasonable prospect of conviction".

The letter to Mrs Thatcher said the case was reported in the Rochdale Alternative Press and Private Eye, adding: "One may regret this kind of press reporting but it could be revived if an award to Mr Smith were made."

Lord Shackleton also said it would be "slightly unfortunate" if this "episode" stopped Smith, who died aged 82 in 2010, receiving the knighthood.

But he added: "We felt it right to warn the honours system would be at some risk if the award were to be made and announced."

The documents were released to the Mail on Sunday following repeated demands for disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act since April last year.

The documents were only made public on Friday after an intervention by the Information Commissioner, the paper said.

A Cabinet Office spokesman said: "There is no cover-up nor was the Cabinet Office forced to release this information by the Information Commissioner.

"This is a sensitive and complex case and it is right that we considered advice from a range of officials. After considering the advice, the Cabinet Office decided to disclose information."

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