Santander Bank Hacking Plot: Four Charged

Four men have been charged for allegedly taking control of computers at a bank branch and trying to steal millions of pounds.

Police say one of the men posed as an engineer to fit a computer at the branch in Surrey Quays shopping centre, southeast London, with a "keyboard video mouse" (KVM).

The device, which can be purchased online for as little as £10, allegedly allowed them to transmit the contents of the computer's desktop and take control of all computers at the branch.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said it was not clear whether any money was taken, but the bank said "no money was ever at risk".

Police said that detectives and bank officials had thwarted a "very significant and audacious cyber-enabled offence" that would have cost Santander millions of pounds.

The four men charged with conspiracy to steal are: Lanre Mullins-Abudu, 25, from Putney, southwest London; Dean Outram, 34, from northwest London; Akash Vaghela, 27, from Hounslow, west London; and Asad Ali Qureshi, 35, from southwest London.

A KVM device similar to the one used in the alleged cyber theft plot

They will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on September 14.

Eight other people who were arrested have been bailed until mid-November pending further inquiries.

A Santander spokesman said: "Like all high street banks, Santander works very closely with the police and other authorities to help prevent fraud.

"Through this co-operation, Santander was aware of the possibility of the attack connected to the arrests. The attempt to fit the device to the computer in the Surrey Quays Branch was undertaken by a bogus maintenance engineer pretending to be from a third party.

"No member of Santander staff was involved in this attempted fraud.

"We are pleased that we have been able, through the robustness of our systems, to prevent the fraud and help the police gather the evidence they needed to make the arrests."

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Leicester: Arrests Over Murder 'Linked' To Fire

Police investigating a murder possibly linked to a fire which killed a mother and her three children have arrested three people.

A man and two women, all aged 19, were detained in connection with the murder of a man in his 20s in Leicester.

Leicestershire Police said: "The arrests are in connection with an investigation launched on Thursday, September 12, after police officers found a man injured in Kent Street.

"He was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary where he later died. The man has not yet been formally identified."

The killing took place hours before a mother and her three children were killed in a house fire about half a mile away.

Shehnila Taufiq, who was in her 40s, died along with her 19-year-old daughter and sons aged 17 and 15 when their property was engulfed in flames.

The fire ripped through the family's property in Leicester

The mother and her children, named by a local mosque as Zainab, Jamal and Bilal, died in their bedrooms at their terraced house in the Spinney Hills area of the city just after 12.30am on Friday.

Mrs Taufiq's neurosurgeon husband, Dr Muhammad Taufiq al Sattar, is believed to be on his way home from Ireland, where he works.

Leicestershire Police, who have begun two murder inquiries, said they could not rule out a link between the tragedies and were investigating whether the fire had been intentionally started as a revenge attack.

Assistant Chief Constable Roger Bannister said it was possible both offences, which he described as "terrible, terrible crimes", were linked, citing the close locations and lack of time between them.

He said: "I can't confirm here and now it is a revenge attack - it may be, it may not be - but lines of inquiry will certainly get to the bottom of that."

Referring to neighbours talking about a "fire bombing", Mr Bannister said: "Fire bombing in my experience means different things to different people.

"We are working really closely with the fire brigade. Exactly how the fire started, where it started and of course who is responsible is something we will get to the bottom of."

Mr Bannister said neither the family nor the man who was killed were known to police.

The force has drafted in extra officers and forensics staff to investigate both crimes and increased patrols in the area.

Officers are working to trace a man who also lived in the property.

Neighbours of the family reacted with disbelief to the idea that they could have been intentionally killed - and claimed they may not have been the intended target.

Police say the blaze and a man's murder may be linked

A man, who did not want to be named, said: "Most people feel this was meant for somebody else and they got the wrong house."

Leicester-based Imam Ibrahim Mogra, the assistant secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, visited the scene.

He told reporters: "I did not know them personally but from what people have told me they were a very religious family, very humble, very modest and very generous.

"The mother was a scholar herself and clearly they were a family that was into religion and education and were held in very high esteem by the local community."

Local store-keeper Sattar Raidhan, who has lived in the area for 35 years, said: "I believe the husband worked as a doctor in Ireland and he came home every weekend to see his family. I can't even imagine how this would happen to a family like that."

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Rachael Slack Murder: Ex 'Made Death Threats'

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

A man threatened to kill his former partner and their son six days before all three were found stabbed dead to death, an inquest has heard.

Rachael Slack, 38, her son Auden, 23 months, and his father Andrew Cairns, 44, were found with multiple stab wounds on June 2, 2010, at her home in Holbrook, Derbyshire.

Derby coroner Dr Robert Hunter told jurors that Cairns had been known to psychiatric services for a "considerable number of years" before the deaths.

The court heard that at the beginning of May 2010, Ms Slack visited Cairns, with her new partner Robert Barlow, to tell him that she was in a new relationship.

Later that month, on May 26, Ms Slack contacted a clinical psychologist to say Cairns was in her car, would not get out and was threatening to kill her.

Ms Slack told the psychologist that she had informed Cairns she was pregnant with Mr Barlow's child.

She drove Cairns to a police station, where a psychiatric assessment was carried out.

Cairns was "deemed not to be detainable and was released from the section".

The next day, Ms Slack reported that Cairns was outside her house, but she did not need police to attend.

Later Ms Slack went to a police station and told officers that Cairns had said: "You're a f****** bitch for abandoning me and getting together with someone else and getting pregnant.

"I've given up everything to be with you, if you are going to make it difficult, I'll make it more so, you've no idea of what I'm capable of, I'll kill you and take him (Auden) with me."

Cairns then tried to phone Ms Slack 23 times.

The coroner said Cairns was arrested and Ms Slack was "at high risk of homicide".

Cairns, a golf tutor, was detained overnight and released on bail the following morning. He was told not to contact either Ms Slack or their son.

On May 28, a neighbour contacted police to say Cairns was upset about not seeing his son and felt like "grabbing" him.

Officers spoke to Cairns and felt "there was no indication" of him wanting to harm himself or anyone else.

On the morning of the killings, Cairns complained to his GP about "the lack of input from mental health services" and said: "This is going to be the most important day of your career".

The hearing was told that Cairns went straight to Ms Slack's home. A neighbour reported hearing Ms Slack screaming, and seeing her head and shoulders at the window.

When police arrived, Ms Slack and Cairns were dead.

Cairns was found with a knife on his lap.

Ms Slack had been stabbed 32 times, including twice through the heart. She also had "defensive" injuries to her hands.

Auden had been stabbed 16 times and had a "faint pulse". The child was airlifted to hospital but later pronounced dead.

Giving evidence, Home Office pathologist Professor Guy Rutty told the inquest that he believed Cairns' wounds were self-inflicted.

He added: "From a pathological point of view, it would not be of any surprise to me if Mr Cairns is responsible for the other two.

"I would favour that scenario but I feel ultimately that is the decision of the court."

The inquest, which could last around four weeks, was adjourned until Friday.

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Teenager Charged With Murder Of Baby

A 16-year-old girl has been charged with the murder of a baby.

Lincolnshire Police said the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged over the death of the baby in Hadrian Drive, Baston, between September 3 and 4.

She was remanded in custody and is due to appear before Grantham Magistrates Court later this morning.

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Nigel Evans Sex Charges: Deputy Speaker Quits

Deputy Commons Speaker Nigel Evans has resigned after being charged with a string of offences including sexual assault and rape.

The 55-year-old Tory MP is accused of two counts of indecent assault, five counts of sexual assault and one rape count in relation to seven men.

Evans, who represents the Ribble Valley constituency in Lancashire, will appear before magistrates in Preston on September 18.

The director of public prosecutions Keir Starmer QC said: "Following an investigation by Lancashire police, the Crown Prosecution Service has received a file of evidence in the case of Mr Nigel Evans MP which concerns allegations of a sexual nature.

"After careful consideration, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and that it is in the public interest to prosecute Mr Evans."

In a statement outside Preston police station Evans said he would "robustly defend my innocence" against the allegations which he described as "incredulous".

Evans is still working as an MP

The indecent assaults are alleged to have been committed between January 1, 2002, and January 1, 2004; the sexual assaults between January 1, 2009, and April 1, 2013, and the rape between March 29, 2013, and April 1.

Evans, from Pendleton in Lancashire, answered bail on Tuesday having previously been arrested in May and June.

He was rearrested and interviewed by detectives throughout the day before being charged.

The Swansea-born politician had arrived earlier at the police station, driven by his solicitor.

He smiled and said "thanks for coming" to reporters who had gathered outside.

He dismissed the original allegations against him as "completely false", and said they had been made by two people he had "regarded as friends".

He has stepped aside from his Speaker duties since his arrest, but has continued to work as an MP.

He was one of three deputy speakers elected in a secret ballot of MPs in 2010.

Later that year he came out as gay, saying he was "tired of living a lie".

Mr Evans was a vice chairman of the Conservative Party from 1999 to 2001. When Iain Duncan Smith became party leader in 2001, he was promoted to the shadow cabinet as shadow Welsh secretary - a post he held for two years.

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HS2 Rail Link 'Will Boost Economy By £15bn'

The HS2 high-speed rail project will boost the UK economy by £15bn and will be completed within its £42.6bn budget, the Government is to claim.

New research shows the proposed link between London and cities in the Midlands and northern England will drive growth in the regions.

The announcement by Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin comes in the week the Commons spending watchdog issued a scathing report on the scheme.

It said the apparent benefits were dwindling as the costs spiralled.

Ministers' case for the massive project was based on "fragile numbers, out-of-date data and assumptions which do not reflect real life" with no evidence that it would aid regional economies rather than sucking even more activity into London, said the Public Accounts Committee report.

But Mr McLoughlin will point to a new analysis by KPMG, commissioned by HS2 Ltd, which shows that the boost to Birmingham's economy will be equivalent to 2.1% to 4.2% of the city region's GDP, there will be a 0.8% to 1.7% benefit to Manchester, 1.6% for Leeds and 0.5% for Greater London.

The proposed HS2 lines

"It addresses that vital question: will HS2 create jobs and growth in the North and Midlands, where they are needed most? The answer is absolutely clear. Yes," he will say.

The Exchequer could benefit from £5bn a year in extra tax receipts as a result of the boost to the economy, KPMG said.

The Transport Secretary's speech forms part of a campaign announced by David Cameron to make the case for HS2 in the face of what he called an "unholy alliance" of sceptics.

Recent critics have included Labour's Alistair Darling who first approved it as chancellor, and the Institute of Directors which dismissed it as "a grand folly".

It is also fiercely opposed by some Tory MPs - many representing communities which will be disrupted by construction work and train noise along the route.

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HS2 Rail Project Comes Under Renewed Attack

By Tadhg Enright, Sky News Reporter

The public spending watchdog has delivered another blow to the Government's ambitions for a £50bn high speed rail line connecting London with Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds by saying it has "yet to present a convincing strategic case" to justify the investment.

MPs on the Public Accounts Committee have warned that plans for HS2 are based on "fragile numbers, out-of-date data and assumptions which do not reflect real life".

The committee's chairwoman, Margaret Hodge MP, said: "The Department for Transport has yet to present a convincing strategic case for High Speed 2.

"It has not yet demonstrated that this is the best way to spend £50bn on rail investment in these constrained times, and that the improved connectivity will promote growth in the regions rather than sucking even more activity into London."

The first phase of HS2 - a line which would connect London to Birmingham in just 49 minutes - is due to break ground in 2017.

Among the committee's many criticisms are that the estimated cost of phase one has already increased from £16.3bn to £21.4bn.

But having botched calculations of its benefits, economists have been forced to reduce their forecasts of the potential return on investment.

Map of the HS2 route

The evidence used to show its benefits was so out of date that it failed to recognise business travellers were able to work on trains using laptops and other mobile devices.

The committee has called for a fresh analysis of HS2's potential to be carried out before giving the green light to phase two which would extend it to Manchester and Leeds.

The Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, told Sky News: "The trouble with a lot of these reports is that by the time they surface, they can be out of date.

"But I'm determined that the points made points made by the National Audit Office are the points we address in the department and that we use those points to get it right."

Although HS2 has the backing of the three main political parties, some individuals who originally supported the scheme - such as the former chancellor Alistair Darling - have turned against it.

The Institute of Directors has labelled it a "grand folly" and called for it to be scrapped after a survey of business leaders found they were unconvinced by the economic case behind it.

Prime Minister David Cameron has announced a campaign to bolster support for the project in the face of what he called an "unholy alliance" of critics.

The Government is expected to present a renewed economic argument in favour of HS2 later this week.

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Plymouth Toddler Falls 100ft From Flat

A toddler is in hospital with internal injuries after plunging 100ft (30m) from a fifth floor flat.

The 16-month-old girl is said to be in a "stable condition" after falling from the window of a flat in Savage Road, Barne Barton in Plymouth.

A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall police said officers were called to the address at around 8.25am on Saturday.

The toddler was taken to the city's Derriford Hospital where she remains.

The force is not treating the incident as suspicious and no one has been arrested.

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Dartford Crossing Bomb Hoax: Man Detained

A 27-year-old man arrested in connection with a bomb hoax which led to the Dartford Crossing being closed and severe delays on the M25 has been detained under the Mental Health Act.

The incident led to drivers being caught in nine-mile long tailbacks after both the QE2 Bridge and Dartford Tunnels were closed for almost seven hours during rush-hour traffic on Saturday evening, while traffic was also stopped from using the A20 at Dover.

The suspect, from Bournemouth in Dorset, is alleged to have made bomb threats.

He was arrested on Saturday and has now been taken to a secure unit under the care of the Health Authority, Kent Police said.

Police said they recovered a cylindrical device with wires heavily sealed inside a bag from a coach.

Traffic was stuck in nine-mile tailbacks

It was found after the force was called at 4.03pm to a report of a male pedestrian behaving unusually. He had alighted from a coach which was Dover-bound and run to a rough area nearby, police said.

Security personnel at a nearby distribution depot detained the man and officers arrested him at 4.15pm before he was taken to a police station where he made threats as to a suspicious device on board the coach.

The vehicle, which had just gone through the toll booths, was evacuated along with the immediate surrounding area, which was extremely busy at the time.

Bomb disposal experts attended the scene and a robotic device was deployed to examine the device more closely.

Police said the detained man made further threats that there was an explosive device on another coach and officers then stopped a coach on the A20 at Dover at 6pm.

The Dartford Crossing was closed for several hours

It was evacuated and the road was closed before being reopened at around 10.45pm after no threat was found. The Dartford Crossing was reopened at around 11.45pm.

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Price said today: "We were dealing with a very challenging situation, with two scenes in extremely busy areas. Our main priority was to ensure the safety of the public, our officers and our partners at the scene.

"We had received threats of a very serious nature that required regional and national co-ordination and declared this as a critical incident. Obviously a lot of people were caught up in long delays but this could not be avoided as we had to ensure public safety and as soon as clearance was obtained the road was immediately opened.

"We would like to thank the public for their patience last night, and also thank our partners, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team, South East Coast Ambulance Service, the Highways Agency, Kent Fire and Rescue Service, Kent County Council and others who all worked to ensure the safety of everyone involved."

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Duke Of York Challenged In Palace Grounds

Prince Andrew has been challenged by police in the gardens of Buckingham Palace after returning from an engagement in London.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that a man was ordered to verify his identity by two officers at around 6pm on Wednesday.

The Duke of York had been at an event in Piccadilly, supporting new business ventures.

Two men were arrested over a break-in at Buckingham Palace on Monday

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "On Wednesday, September 4, at approximately 6pm two uniformed officers approached a man in the gardens of Buckingham Palace to verify his identity.

"The man was satisfactorily identified. No weapons were drawn and no force was used."

The confrontation came after an intruder was able to scale a fence and get inside the palace on Monday night, before being arrested by police.

A security review has been launched following Monday night's suspected burglary.

None of the Royal family were at home during the suspected burglary

Police said the man was found shortly before 10.30pm "in an area currently open to the public during the day" and arrested for burglary, trespass and criminal damage.

A second man was arrested outside the palace for conspiracy to commit burglary.

The Met Police spokesman said: "Both men have been bailed to return to a central London police station and inquiries continue.

"A review of the specific circumstances of this incident is being carried out. No members of the Royal Family were at Buckingham Palace at the time of the incident."

The spokesman added that security would form part of the review.

The Queen made her traditional appearance at a Highland Games on Saturday, as details of the break-in emerged.

She was joined by the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales at the Braemar Gathering in Aberdeenshire, where the Royal party watched pipe bands and dancers perform to a large crowd.

The Queen has been spending her summer break at Balmoral Castle since the beginning of August and is not expected to return to the palace until October.

The break-in is one of the most serious security breaches at the palace since 1982, when Michael Fagan evaded guards to get inside the Queen's private chambers while she was still in bed.

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