Jacintha Saldanha: Nurse's Funeral In India

Family and friends of the nurse who was found dead after taking a hoax call to the hospital treating the Duchess of Cambridge have gathered for her funeral in a small town in India.

Mother-of-two Jacintha Saldanha, 46, was found hanged in her living quarters at London's King Edward VII's Hospital on December 7.

Indian-born Ms Saldanha is due to be buried at a cemetery in Shirva, near Mangalore, after the funeral in the Catholic parish church.

The funeral will take place at Our Lady of Health Church

Ms Saldanha's husband Benedict Barboza and their two children Junal and Lisha arrived in India on Sunday with her body, having flown from London after a memorial mass in Westminster Cathedral on Saturday.

After prayers at her mother-in-law's house, the coffin was taken to Our Lady of Health Church for people to pay their respects.

Shirva is her husband's home town. Several of Ms Saldanha's relatives, including her frail mother, live in Mangalore. Ms Saldanha moved to Britain about 12 years ago with her husband.

Ms Saldanha's coffin arrives in Mangalore

Following Saturday's service, her family paid an emotional tribute to a "kind-hearted, generous and well-respected woman".

Mr Barboza said: "My wife, you were the light in my darkness, who always showed me the way forward.

"From the day we met, you always stood by me in times of hardship and happiness. I feel a part of me has been ripped out."

Ms Saldanha's 14-year-old daughter said: "We will miss your laughter, the loving memories and the good times we had together. The house is an empty dwelling without your presence.

Ms Saldanha's family paid an emotional tribute to her

"We are shattered and there's an unfillable void in our lives."

Her son, 16, said: "Our mother, kind hearted, generous and a well-respected woman in both of our lives. You were the core of the family who kept us together."

Standing outside Westminster Cathedral alongside their local MP Charlotte Leslie and her fellow MP Keith Vaz, who has been campaigning on behalf of the family, Mr Barboza said they "could not have foreseen the unprecedented tragedy that has unfolded in our lives".

A candle-lit vigil for Mrs Saldhana in Mangalore at the weekend

Memorial services have already been held at the hospital where Ms Saldanha worked and in Bristol where her husband and children live.

Three days before Ms Saldanha died she had transferred a phone call from two Australian DJs, believing they were the Queen and Prince of Wales, to a nursing colleague who described in detail the condition of the Duchess during her hospital stay for severe morning sickness.

18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Clegg: 'Rich Pensioners May Lose Benefits'

Nick Clegg has called for wealthy pensioners to lose free bus passes and the winter fuel allowance as he tries to revive his party's fortunes.

The Deputy Prime Minister, in a major speech on the welfare state, insisted the Government has an "absolute duty" to ensure the system is fair to all.

He said this means not paying out to "people who do not need it" and "looking again at universal benefits paid to the wealthiest pensioners".

Such a move would lead to means-testing for the winter fuel allowance, free bus travel, prescriptions and television licences.

David Cameron has committed to keeping universal benefits in place until 2015 but many Tories are keen for reform.

Mr Clegg admitted the benefits shake-up had been "painful and controversial" at times but he claimed the Lib Dems had ensured it was firmly anchored in the political centre ground.

"When two thirds of people think the benefits system is too generous and discourages work then it has to be changed, or we risk a total collapse in public support for welfare existing at all," he told the Centre Forum think tank.

"We need welfare protection for people who fall on hard times. Of course. But you cannot ask low income working people to pay through their taxes for people who aren't in work to live more comfortably than they do."

Mr Clegg sought to put distance between the Lib Dems and the Tories by pointing out that he blocked bids to cut housing benefit for the under 25s and to only pay child benefit for the first two children in a family.

The speech, to the Centre Forum think tank, comes on the eve of his fifth anniversary as Lib Dem leader and as the party battles a major slump in support.

Mr Clegg's speech comes after polls put the Lib Dems in fourth place

He is under intense pressure as further polls show his party has been pushed into fourth place behind the UK Independence Party (Ukip). One poll had Ukip on 14%, ahead of the Lib Dems on just 8%.

Deputy leader Simon Hughes has admitted that "there is a little bit of chatter" about the leadership because of the dismal poll ratings.

Meanwhile, Mr Clegg's former director of strategy Richard Reeves has revealed the leader is attempting to win back votes by setting out the Lib Dem position well before coalition announcements are made.

In an attempt to turn the tide before local elections next May, Mr Clegg apparently wants to show the "inner workings of government" but this will inevitably strain the partnership.

Mr Reeves, writing in The Guardian, suggests the coalition could collapse before 2015 if the tactic fails.

"2013 is the year the Liberal Democrat strategy - deliver, then differentiate - will be tested," he said.

"A more assertive stance in act two of coalition should mean greater support and more votes. If not, the curtain will probably fall on the coalition before 2015."

Mr Clegg conceded that governing in difficult times had meant the party acquiring a "harder edge" but said the alternative was "a retreat to the comfort and relative irrelevance of opposition".

In his address, he suggested many Conservatives believe everyone out of work is "a scrounger" - a jibe at Chancellor George Osborne who said Government should support "strivers" not "shirkers".

"The siren voices of the Tory right who peddle this myth could have pulled a majority Conservative government in the direction of draconian welfare cuts," he said.

He declared that the Tories wanted to implement an extra £10bn in welfare cuts but were kept down to £3.8bn by the Lib Dems, branding some of the earlier plans "extreme".

18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hampshire Kidnap: Two Arrests Over Abduction

Two men have been arrested in connection with a "terrifying" robbery in which a woman was kidnapped at gunpoint and driven around in her own car.

A pensioner couple were approached by a man last Friday morning outside their home in Rookes Lane, Lymington, Hampshire, before being threatened with a gun.

The man, aged in his 70s, suffered a minor head injury as he confronted the robber.

But the woman, who is in her 60s, was then forced to go with the robber as he stole the couple's car and drove her around the Lymington area, making more demands for money.

He returned to the house around 15 minutes later with the woman, who was released unharmed, before he drove off again in the car which he then abandoned.

A total of £100 in cash was stolen.

A 48-year-old man from Lymington was arrested on suspicion of robbery and aggravated burglary and then released on bail until January 11.

A 44-year-old man from New Milton was arrested on suspicion of robbery last night and remains in police custody.

New Forest district commander Chief Inspector Tony Rowlinson said: "I would like to thank members of the public for their response to our appeals.

"Information received over the weekend gave detectives new leads which had to be followed sensitively as well as swiftly."

He had previously said: "This was a shocking crime committed against a couple who were subjected to an unprovoked, terrifying attack in their own home and car."

18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Queen To Attend Cabinet Meeting At Number 10

The Queen is to become the first monarch since Queen Victoria to attend a Cabinet meeting in Downing Street.

Number 10 has revealed that Queen Elizabeth II will observe the ministers' meeting on Tuesday morning.

Queen Victoria was the last monarch at Cabinet

It is expected that she will sit next to Prime Minister David Cameron for the summit, which is the last before the Christmas break.

But it may be that she does not stay for the whole session - likely to last around 90 minutes.

It is also understood that Prince Philip will not accompany her.

Mr Cameron announced the unusual move on Twitter, writing: "The Queen will visit Downing Street tomorrow.

"She will be presented with a gift to mark her Diamond Jubilee and attend Cabinet as an observer."

Downing Street refused to give any details about the gift the Queen will receive during what it described as a "long-planned" visit.

But a spokesman said: "I think she will sit round the table and I think she will sit alongside the Prime Minister."

Energy Secretary Ed Davey told Sky News: "It is a great honour that she is attending Cabinet in her Diamond Jubilee year.

"It has been a very exciting year. Ministers will be excited but minding their Ps and Q's even more than normal."

18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Royal Prank Call Nurse's Family 'Shattered'

The children of the nurse found dead days after taking a prank call say they are "shattered" by their loss.

Jacintha Saldanha was discovered in a nurses' accommodation block close to King Edward VII's Hospital, London, where the Duchess of Cambridge was treated for severe morning sickness.

The 46-year-old answered a phone call from Australian radio presenters Michael Christian and Mel Greig, who pretended to be Prince Charles and the Queen and asked for an update on the duchess's health.

Jacintha Saldanha worked at the hospital where Kate was treated

A service for Ms Saldanha, a mother-of-two, was held at Westminster Cathedral on Saturday.

Outside, her daughter Lisha said: "We will miss your laughter, the loving memories and the good times we had together.

"We are shattered and there is an unfillable void in our lives.

"We love you mum. Sleep in peace and please watch over us until we meet again in heaven."

Benedict Barboza read a tribute to his wife, Jacintha Saldanha

Ms Saldanha's husband Benedict Barboza said his wife was "the light of my darkness who always showed me the way forward".

"From the day we met, you always stood by me, in times of hardship and happiness," he said.

"Nineteen years of togetherness, with a strong bond of affection and understanding, will be cherished forever in my life."

Mr Barboza's son Junal added: "In times of difficulty, you showed us the way forward to happiness and success."

On Friday, John Lofthouse, chief executive of King Edward VII's Hospital, said staff had stood by Ms Saldanha and insisted the nurse was the "victim of a cruel trick".

Writing in reply to a letter sent by Keith Vaz MP, Mr Lofthouse said: "Jacintha believed that the call was genuine, and she felt it appropriate to put the call through. We stand by her judgement.

Australian DJs Michael Christian and Mel Greig made the prank phone call

"Jacintha was reassured on a number of occasions by senior management that no blame was attached to her actions and that there were no disciplinary issues involved, because she had been the victim of a cruel trick."

Ms Saldanha's funeral will be held at a church in India on Monday.

An inquest into her death, which opened on Thursday, heard Ms Saldanha had hanged herself. She left two notes in her room and another among her personal possessions.

A provisional date of March 26 has been set for the next inquest hearing.

18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Paralympian Aims To Turn Convention On Its Head

By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

A British Paralympic judo player aims to be the first in his sport to switch to able-bodied competition.

Sam Ingram will claim a world first in judo if he can follow the trail, blazed by Oscar Pistorius and others, in making the transition from disabled to non-disabled sporting competition.

The partially-sighted judoka won a silver medal at this year's London Paralympics and a bronze in Beijing 2008.  He now intends to fight for Scotland at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games against non-disabled athletes.

The 27-year-old is originally from Coventry but has settled in Edinburgh, where he trains with Scotland's elite judo players.

Sam told Sky News: "If I was selected for Glasgow, I'd prove to myself that all the hard work's paying off. I think I'd prove to other people that just because you have a disability, it doesn't mean that you've got to be pigeon-holed or limited; you can break through.

"People who have been told they'll never walk again have confounded the predictions - it is possible.

The Paralympian intends to take part in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games

"For people with visual impairment, if you can cope with the guys who can see perfectly well, there's no reason why you shouldn't compete against them. I might have a slight disadvantage but, hopefully, I've got other advantages. If I make it to Glasgow, and it goes well, you never what's going to happen - maybe the Olympics in Rio after that."

The main difference between Paralympic and non-disabled judo comes at the start of a fight. When visually-impaired judo players begin a contest they are already gripped onto each other's jacket. In a non-disabled fight, they begin apart and the early exchanges are usually taken up with trying to secure a grip on the opponent.

"In Olympic-style judo," says Sam, when you begin grip-fighting, you have got to see where your opponent is and that's why it's a little bit difficult for people with visual impairment," Sam said.

Although Sam would be the first in judo to take the step from disabled to non-disabled competition, he wouldn't be the first British athlete to do so. Swimmer and cyclist Sarah Storey and archer Danielle Brown have previously competed for Great Britain in Paralympics and in Commonwealth Games for England.

In the wake of the Paralympics in London, there is evidence that disabled people around the UK feel more enthusiastic about sport, even if at least one survey suggests that may not translate into participation.

A post-Paralympics survey by the English Federation of Disability Sport showed that watching the Paralympics encouraged eight out of 10 disabled people to consider taking part in more sport, a large increase.

Shirley-Anne Duff says disabled athletes train as hard as able-bodied ones

However, results from a Sports and Recreation Alliance survey conducted with sports clubs in October 2012 indicated that nine out of 10 (89%) clubs have noticed no change in the number of disabled people joining their club.

There is little doubt, however, that disabled participants who do cross the sporting threshold are still basking in the glow of London 2012.

Sky News attended a training session of the Lothian Phoenix wheeelchair basketball team in West Lothian.

Coach Shirley-Anne Duff told us: "I think there's a lot more awareness of paralympic sport and understanding of the athleticism that's involved, that these athletes train just the same as regular athletes - they train hard and they play hard.  Wheelchair basketball is such a fast paced and exciting sport that people are really able to relate to it because it's so similar to the running ball game."

Gavin Macleod, chief executive of Scottish Disability Sport, said: "I think (the Paralympics) gave people with a disability the perception that sport is for them, that there is something out there that they can do.  There are pathways there and there are opportunities so I think a whole awareness was raised around the Games, which is fantastic."

18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hampshire Robbery And Kidnap: Police Appeal

Police have appealed for a suspected armed robber to give himself up after a woman was kidnapped and driven around in her own car.

The man approached a house in Rookes Lane, Lymington, Hampshire, on Saturday morning, and pointed a gun to threaten the people who live there - the woman, who is in her 60s, and a man in his 70s.

The man received a minor head injury during a confrontation with the suspect inside the house, where money was demanded. No shots were fired, and about £100 in cash was stolen.

The robber then stole the couple's car, a silver/grey Peugeot 207 convertible, which was driven erratically at speed around the local area.

The woman was forced to travel in the front passenger seat of the car, but was not injured and was returned home around 15 minutes later.

The suspect drove away into Newenham Road, where he abandoned the car at the end of the cul-de-sac.

Chief Inspector Tony Rowlinson said: "I am appealing directly to the suspect to consider the consequences of his actions.

"From our initial inquiries, we understand you might be facing personal and painful circumstances in which you feel trapped and desperate for money.

"However, think long and hard about the distress and fear you are causing. I am imploring you to explore your conscience and do the right thing by contacting police to tell us where you are before you make any more reckless choices, which could hurt innocent people. Please phone us on 101.

"My appeal extends to any family or friends who think they may know this person or their current whereabouts. Please contact the police with what you know about this man."

He added: "This was a shocking crime committed against a couple who were subjected to an unprovoked, terrifying attack in their own home and car. I would like to praise their immense courage in dealing with the robber, who was violent towards them."

Police said they were linking the incident to a robbery on December 5 at Brockenhurst railway station.

Chief Inspector Rowlinson said: "I am calling on the community to be alert in spotting and reporting any suspicious behaviour or any information about the suspect's identity or location.

"We cannot confirm at this time whether the gun seen by the couple was real or an imitation firearm, but my advice to members of the public is to phone police on 999 immediately if you see someone matching the suspect's description. Do not approach him; his behaviour is unpredictable, and he could become distressed and agitated if approached."

He also appealed for help from the driver of a 4x4 car, saying: "We remain particularly keen to trace and speak with the driver of a sandy-coloured 4x4 car.

"This motorist is an important witness as it is reported the 4x4 car stopped in West Lane in Lymington to allow the Peugeot 207 to drive past while the robber was at the wheel.

"The woman has told police she waved at the 4x4 driver, who waved back, but did not appear to realise the reality of the situation inside the Peugeot."

The suspect was described as white, 35-55 years old, 5ft 10in, of average build, with dark hair.

The suspect, witnesses or anyone with information have been asked to contact CID at Southampton Central police station by phoning 101 and quoting Operation Prenton. Alternatively, information can be given anonymously by phoning Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

UKIP 'Now The UK's Third Largest Party'

The UK Independence Party has surged to a record poll rating, knocking the Liberal Democrats into fourth place.

The ComRes poll for The Independent on Sunday and the Sunday Mirror put UKIP on 14% - a six-point gain on last month and the party's highest rating in a ComRes poll.

Two other polls in Sunday newspapers - the Observer's Opinium and the Mail On Sunday Survation - also put UKIP at 14%.

The findings will alarm Tory MPs who fear the party is haemorrhaging support over issues such as Europe, the economy and its support for gay marriage.

The ComRes poll, which interviewed 2,002 people online between December 12 and 14, put the Conservatives on 28%, down three points from a month ago and 11 points behind Labour, who are down four on 39%.

Support for the Lib Dems is down to single figures at 9%, a one-point fall on the month, which puts five points between them and Nigel Farage's party.

ComRes/Independent On Sunday/Sunday Mirror

Mr Farage told Sky News: "All the way through UKIP's history people have doubted what UKIP can achieve.

"We've shown in the last two European elections what we're capable of - and I would remind people in 2009 that we came second across the entire United Kingdom.

"And what's happened in 2012 is that all the big issues that we've campaigned long and hard for for many, many years - and taken much abuse for - those issues have become absolutely at the centre ground of what people out there are talking about.

"Unless we see some really substantial change from the Government and from the Labour party in particular - with a U-turn on Europe, open-door immigration, gay marriage and other things - there's no reason to think that this level of support for UKIP can't be maintained."

Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles told Sky's Murnaghan programme that he takes UKIP, which he describes as "a party of dissent", very seriously.

"They represent a voice, and I am very firmly of the view the only way to deal with them is to get dug in, and to fight them on the ground on community issues," he said.

But Mr Pickles said this does not mean the Tories should not form a pact with UKIP.

"I think it is absolutely wrong (that it can be) always assumed that some kind of deal could be done and people would flood back to us. Governments sometimes have to make some very difficult decisions," he said.

He also said: "I think it's important that if we do have a referendum on our future with Europe it's got to be on the basis of not trying to outsmart UKIP or trying to ensure that we can bring the whole conservative party in one - it should be in the national interest."

18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Eva Rausing Died Of Drugs Dependency

Multimillionairess Eva Rausing died as a result of dependent drug abuse, an inquest has ruled.

The 48-year-old's body lay undiscovered for two months before she was found at the £5m west London home she shared with her husband Hans, heir to the Tetra Pak fortune.

Eva Rausing as a teenager

She was found in a fly-filled room hidden under a pile of bedding with a foil pipe in her hand, Westminster Coroner's Court heard.

Police found the mother-of-four's body in an advanced state of decomposition after they had arrested Hans Rausing on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs on July 9.

He was given two suspended sentences in August after admitting preventing the lawful and decent burial of his wife's body.

A post-mortem found his wife had died on May 7 and had drugs in her system. Toxicology reports showed cocaine, opiates and amphetamines in her blood.

She had been fitted with a pacemaker following heart surgery in August 2006, which revealed she had suffered a "non-survivable" heart rhythm on the morning of May 7.

Deputy coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe said Mrs Rausing died as a result of cocaine intoxication contributed to by a heart condition - tricuspid valve disease.

Delivering her verdict, she said: "Mrs Rausing's death was as a result of the dependent abuse of drugs."

Hans and Eva Rausing on their wedding day

The inquest heard that her pacemaker recorded heartbeats up to 384 beats per minute on the calculated day of her death. The normal rate is 65.

Pathologists found no signs of violence on Mrs Rausing's body.

In a statement read to the inquest, Mr Rausing said he had been left devastated by the death of his "beloved wife".

He explained how he discovered Mrs Rausing after hearing her slide off the bed while he was in the bathroom.

"She landed sideways and her head was resting on a pillow," Mr Rausing said. "I tried to pull her up. I shouted 'Eva, Eva, Eva'."

Mrs Rausing was caught with drugs at the US Embassy in London

Mr Rausing said he could see his wife's eyes dim before covering her lifeless body with duvets and bedding.

"I could not cope with her dying or confront the reality of her death," he added.

An investigating officer told the court how Hans Rausing lied to his housekeepers after his wife died, saying she was in the US.

The couple lived a reclusive life on the second floor of their home. Housemaids were not allowed into certain areas. The hearing was told that staff noticed Hans Rausing had stopped sleeping in his bedroom and had started eating downstairs.

The couple had fought a public battle against addiction to drugs.

In 2008 police launched an investigation after Mrs Rausing was caught with drugs as she tried to enter the US Embassy in London for a function.

Subsequent searches of her car and the couple's Georgian townhouse uncovered huge quantities of class A drugs.

They faced drug charges but were given conditional cautions instead, meaning the hearings did not go ahead.

Hans Rausing's parents and siblings said then they were supporting the pair as they fought to overcome drug addiction.

18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Connors Family Found Guilty Of Forced Labour

Five members of the same traveller family who made their staff perform humiliating tasks have been found guilty of forced labour.

William Connors, 52, his wife Mary, 48, their sons John, 29, and James, 20, and their son-in-law Miles Connors, 24, were all convicted of conspiracy to require a person to perform forced or compulsory labour between April 2010 and March 2011.

Bristol Crown Court heard how the Connors would pick up the men - many of whom were homeless or drug addicts - to work for them as labourers.

Jurors were told the victims lived in squalid caravans on traveller sites as they moved around the country working on the Connors' paving and patio businesses.

Prosecutors said the men were paid as little as £5 a day for their work, which included emptying the buckets used as toilets by their bosses, and were forced to scavenge from dustbins for food.

The inside of a caravan occupied by two people who worked for the Connors

Some workers were beaten with broom handles, belts, a rake and a shovel, and one had a hosepipe forced down his throat, it was claimed.

By contrast, the court heard, their employers lived in large, well-equipped caravans, enjoyed holidays in Dubai, Mexico and the Caribbean and drove luxury cars, including a Rolls-Royce, a Mercedes A-Class and a Mini convertible.

Prosecutor Christopher Quinlan QC said: "It was a clear and unequivocal demonstration of control and dominance of one set - the family - over another.

"If you compare and contrast the lifestyles of the workers and bosses it is like comparing a Maserati with a clapped-out Zephyr."

Police began investigating the Connors following the discovery of a worker's decomposed body in a garden shed close to one of the family's caravan sites.

A fellow worker contacted officers in 2009 to say he had been recruited by William and Mary while living on the streets of Cheltenham.

He told detectives he had his identity documents taken from him, was rarely paid, received little food and lived with other workers in the same situation.

When the Connors family was placed under covert surveillance the following year, police recorded evidence of the men being assaulted.

Caravan sites in Gloucestershire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire were raided in March 2011 and 19 men were rescued.

The Connors said their workers were "free agents" who were able to come and go as they pleased.

William and Mary insisted they were "good Samaritans" who provided vulnerable people with food, work and accommodation.

All five defendants had faced a second charge of conspiracy to hold another person in servitude but the judge ordered the jury to find them not guilty of that offence.

They are due to be sentenced on Monday.

18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More