Most Voters Want Farage In Leaders' Debate

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

A new poll suggests most of the public believe Nigel Farage should take part in any televised leaders' debates ahead of next year's general election.

A Comres poll has found 51% of people think UKIP should be represented alongside David Cameron, Labour leader Ed Miliband and Lib Dem Nick Clegg.

Even more - 53% - say the Prime Minister would look like a coward if he refused to take on Mr Farage.

It comes amid Conservative fears that the right-wing UKIP could top the polls in England in next month's European elections.

Mr Cameron said debates "sucked the life" out of the last campaign

The party is enjoying a popularity boost after Mr Farage easily won a television debate against Mr Clegg.

The party thinks its overall poll position - which at 15% is well ahead of the Lib Dems - means it ought to be included in any further debates.

And Mr Farage has warned that if the party is excluded he will provide "an alternative form of entertainment on the evening".

The poll was carried out for Grassroots Conservatives, a Tory pressure group that feels the liberal wing of the party has too much control over the leadership.

Mr Clegg, left, had challenged Mr Farage to a debate

James Joshua, executive director of the organisation, told Sky News that Mr Cameron would be most respected by party members if he took the UKIP threat on face to face.

But some senior Conservative strategists do not want their leader to take part in the clashes at all - because they believe three debates in quick succession before the 2010 election cost the party a majority.

Mr Cameron said the debates "sucked the life" out of the campaign.

Others argue that UKIP should not be included because they have not achieved any success in general elections with no seats, while other small parties excluded from the debates do have MPs in Parliament. 

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Scotland 'Should Determine Its Own Future'

By Niall Paterson, Scotland Correspondent

"Put Scotland's future in Scotland's hands." That is the message Alex Salmond will deliver to delegates today at the SNP's Spring Conference.

As the nationalist party committed to fulfilling an 80-year pledge to gain Scotland its independence from the United Kingdom continues to reduce the gap in the polls ahead of September's referendum, he is expected to maintain that the vote is not about him.

"This referendum is not about this party, or this First Minister, or even the wider Yes campaign," he will say.

"It's about putting Scotland's future in Scotland's hands.

"Our party is hugely popular, and we are currently five, 10 and 15 points ahead in polls for Westminster, Europe and Holyrood respectively.

"But a Yes vote in September is not a vote for me, or for an SNP government in 2016.

"It's a vote for a government in Scotland that the people of Scotland choose, pursuing policies the people of Scotland support."

The speech, much like the campaign, will make much of the fact that Scots have voted in a way at significant variance with the overall result of recent general elections.

He will say: "I tell you what (the government of an independent Scotland) won't be. It won't be a government led by a party with just a single MP in Scotland.

"A government dismantling our welfare state. Determined to privatise public services.

"In an independent Scotland we can give this guarantee: The era of unelected Tory governments handing out punishment to the poor and the disabled will be gone and gone for good."

Mr Salmond says a Yes vote is a vote for the future of Scotland

Results vary, but the Yes campaign is still significantly behind the No vote in all major polls, although the margin has narrowed in recent months.

And despite the fact the Yes campaign has yet even to come close to a majority in said polls, the SNP leader in Westminster remains upbeat, with five months of campaigning to go.

"When people are able to contrast the Yes case with the No case and understand the momentum is going in the direction of the Yes case, I'm confident we will get a Yes result," Angus Robertson MP told Sky News.

"It might surprise some people in the bunkers of Whitehall and Westminster when it does, but when they wake up they will realise this is about Scotland governing itself like so many other places have decided to do over recent decades.

"We will have excellent relations with our friends on these islands.

"But we will always have a government that we actually elect making better decisions for people who life here - regardless of where they are from."

Given their lead in the polls it's unsurprising that the Better Together camp remains positive, despite considerable media and public opinion branding their campaign negative.

Asked whether it was easier for people to enthuse about independence rather than maintaining the status quo, Lewis Macdonald, a Labour member of the Scottish Parliament, told Sky News: "It's important to say there's a lot to be enthusiastic about.

"The union has worked very, very well for many generations and it's delivered us many benefits. But this isn't about change versus the status quo. This is about devolution, the kind of change that people in Scotland have wanted for a long time.

"It's a referendum that will be decided by the judgement people make at the end of the day. I think many people have made up their minds, some still have to choose.

"My expectation is that those people who still have to make up their mind will come to the same conclusion as those who have already made up their mind.

"At the moment, and for as long as I can remember the split has basically been two to one for remaining in the UK. I expect that the undecideds will come down in much the same kind of split.

"But only time will tell."

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nigel Evans Prosecution 'Was Great Tragedy'

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

Friends of the former deputy speaker Nigel Evans have questioned the decision to prosecute the MP on charges of rape and sexual assault.

After a four-week trial at Preston Crown Court, the politician has been cleared on all charges.

Evans, 56, is regarded by many colleagues as one of the most popular MPs in Westminster. 

He was arrested after police turned up at his constituency home in Lancashire early one morning in May 2013.

A student who had stayed at Mr Evans' address several days earlier claimed he had been raped by the politician. 

From the outset the MP said the young man had consented to sex.

In relation to accusations of indecent or sexual assault from another six men, he insisted either that they did not happen or that he had misinterpreted signals from the alleged victims.

Lembit Opik said the situation was a 'great tragedy'

Despite the charges, friends said even before Mr Evans was cleared that they would stand by the MP.

Former MP Lembit Opik told Sky News: "I'm not a judge and I'm not a lawyer but I'm a human being and so is Nigel Evans and the great tragedy in this situation is, not withstanding the outcome of the case, he's been punished for two years.

"He's lost his job when he wasn't even found guilty of anything and we've really got to ask ourselves where is this country going if that's regarded as justice."

Mr Evans was a vice chairman of the Conservative Party and was promoted to the shadow cabinet after Iain Duncan Smith became party leader in 2001. 

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

The politician is now openly gay, but he kept it a secret for most of his life, only coming out in 2010 after his mother died.

The prosecution in his trial had claimed that the MP "often when in drink, pressed his sexual attentions on younger men, on occasions using or trading on his position of influence."

Mr Evans had been arrested in his Ribble Valley constituency

Barrister Mark Heywood QC said that the defendant's behaviour had become more and more serious.

He told the court: "He not only abused those young men, in some instances very seriously so, but he abused the positions he held."

But the defence argued successfully that jurors could not rule out the possibility that some form of collusion had taken place between some of the complainants. 

The judge in the case, Mr Justice King, said in his summary that there was a "real possibility" that one of the alleged victims had put up some of the others to bolster his own account.

Many current and former MPs have come forward in support of Mr Evans.

His London flatmate, Conservative MP Brian Binley, told Sky News: "He is a congenial man and enjoys a drink, enjoys a glass of wine. He's also a tactile man as many of us are. And sometimes that can be misconstrued."

Novelist and former MP Edwina Currie has known Mr Evans for more than 30 years. 

Edwina Currie said she hoped Mr Evans could 'move on'

Asked if she thought he would still be able to pursue his dream of becoming speaker of the House, she replied:  "I don't think it's appropriate to start thinking you can go back to exactly where you were. 

"You obviously can't after all of the trauma and the emotional pain of being faced by people you thought were your friends. 

"Nigel will need to move on after all of this and I certainly hope he does."

Mr Evans has much support in his Ribble Valley constituency.

Christine Dilworth is a friend and landlady of the pub adjoining his cottage in Pendleton. She said:  "We were most shocked for one morning police just to appear on your doorstep and take him off not knowing what for or anything.

"Basically, by being such a kind, open person, which he is, I think has been his downfall.

"His door was always open in the village when he was at home - always. Anybody passing would call in it was always an open house."

When he resigned as deputy speaker following his arrest, the MP quoted Winston Churchill, saying: "When you are going through hell keep going." 

Finally, he can start to leave the hell of this case behind.

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tories Attack CPS Over MPs' '11 Months Of Hell'

Nigel Evans Prosecution 'Was Great Tragedy'

Updated: 3:24pm UK, Thursday 10 April 2014

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

Friends of the former deputy speaker Nigel Evans have questioned the decision to prosecute the MP on charges of rape and sexual assault.

After a four-week trial at Preston Crown Court, the politician has been cleared on all charges.

Evans, 56, is regarded by many colleagues as one of the most popular MPs in Westminster. 

He was arrested after police turned up at his constituency home in Lancashire early one morning in May 2013.

A student who had stayed at Mr Evans' address several days earlier claimed he had been raped by the politician. 

From the outset the MP said the young man had consented to sex.

In relation to accusations of indecent or sexual assault from another six men, he insisted either that they did not happen or that he had misinterpreted signals from the alleged victims.

Despite the charges, friends said even before Mr Evans was cleared that they would stand by the MP.

Former MP Lembit Opik told Sky News: "I'm not a judge and I'm not a lawyer but I'm a human being and so is Nigel Evans and the great tragedy in this situation is, not withstanding the outcome of the case, he's been punished for two years.

"He's lost his job when he wasn't even found guilty of anything and we've really got to ask ourselves where is this country going if that's regarded as justice."

Mr Evans was a vice chairman of the Conservative Party and was promoted to the shadow cabinet after Iain Duncan Smith became party leader in 2001. 

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

The politician is now openly gay, but he kept it a secret for most of his life, only coming out in 2010 after his mother died.

The prosecution in his trial had claimed that the MP "often when in drink, pressed his sexual attentions on younger men, on occasions using or trading on his position of influence."

Barrister Mark Heywood QC said that the defendant's behaviour had become more and more serious.

He told the court: "He not only abused those young men, in some instances very seriously so, but he abused the positions he held."

But the defence argued successfully that jurors could not rule out the possibility that some form of collusion had taken place between some of the complainants. 

The judge in the case, Mr Justice King, said in his summary that there was a "real possibility" that one of the alleged victims had put up some of the others to bolster his own account.

Many current and former MPs have come forward in support of Mr Evans.

His London flatmate, Conservative MP Brian Binley, told Sky News: "He is a congenial man and enjoys a drink, enjoys a glass of wine. He's also a tactile man as many of us are. And sometimes that can be misconstrued."

Novelist and former MP Edwina Currie has known Mr Evans for more than 30 years. 

Asked if she thought he would still be able to pursue his dream of becoming speaker of the House, she replied:  "I don't think it's appropriate to start thinking you can go back to exactly where you were. 

"You obviously can't after all of the trauma and the emotional pain of being faced by people you thought were your friends. 

"Nigel will need to move on after all of this and I certainly hope he does."

Mr Evans has much support in his Ribble Valley constituency.

Christine Dilworth is a friend and landlady of the pub adjoining his cottage in Pendleton. She said:  "We were most shocked for one morning police just to appear on your doorstep and take him off not knowing what for or anything.

"Basically, by being such a kind, open person, which he is, I think has been his downfall.

"His door was always open in the village when he was at home - always. Anybody passing would call in it was always an open house."

When he resigned as deputy speaker following his arrest, the MP quoted Winston Churchill, saying: "When you are going through hell keep going." 

Finally, he can start to leave the hell of this case behind.

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

PC Blakelock Murder Accused Found Not Guilty

A man accused of stabbing PC Keith Blakelock during the 1985 Tottenham riots has been found not guilty of murder.

Nicky Jacobs, who was 16 at the time of the attack, had maintained his innocence throughout.

There were cheers from the public gallery as the verdicts were returned by a jury, who took just six hours to clear the 45-year-old with a majority of 10-2.

PC Blakelock was killed by a mob armed with knives and machetes at the height of the riots at the Broadwater Farm estate in 1985.

Estates were devastated during the riots

The 40-year-old was among a group of officers sent out without cover on the night of Sunday, October 6 to protect firemen tackling fires.

He suffered 43 wounds and was left with a knife embedded in his neck.

Mr Jacobs stood and punched the air as he was cleared, before breaking down in tears.

Those supporting him in the public gallery included Winston Silcott, whose conviction for the murder of PC Blakelock was quashed in 1991.

Mr Silcott shouted "Yeah, yeah" and "Brother, brother" from the gallery. Once outside he told reporters: "The police are bitter about what happened, that's why they brought this case.

"Vengeance, that's what the police were out to get."

Winston Silcott at the Old Bailey

PC Blakelock's family, who were in court, have said they are "extremely sad and disappointed at the verdict".

Police have justified pursuing Mr Jacobs almost three decades after the riots in north London and pledged to continue to seek justice for PC Blakelock's death.

Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said: "No matter how difficult an investigation it has been to carry out - given the many years that have passed, the lack of forensic evidence and CCTV, plus the main witnesses to Keith murder's being those taking part in the riot - it was important we exhausted every possible lead we could.

"Sadly, Keith's widow, family and friends still have not seen anyone brought to justice for his murder. The dignity, extraordinary patience and courage they have shown in their nearly 30-year quest for justice is humbling.

"We will not give up on bringing Keith's killers to justice.

"There are people who know exactly who took part in the attack on Keith and people who took part themselves. It is not too late for you to come forward. Almost 30 years on, people's lives are very different, their allegiances broken or shifted. Help us now."

PC Keith Blakelock's widow, Elizabeth Johnson

The Crown Prosecution Service also insisted "it was right" to bring a case because "there was sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and it was in the public interest". 

The trial heard from three anonymous witnesses who claimed to have seen Mr Jacobs take part in the killing.

During investigations into the attack on PC Blakelock a decision was made to give immunity to so-called "kickers" - those who were involved in the attack but did not use weapons.

In exchange they would cooperate with prosecutions, and the jury was told that some witnesses received payments.

Detective Superintendent John Sweeney, who led the investigation for 14 years, insisted: "No-one has been rewarded for this trial."

Mr Jacobs had previously been convicted of affray in 1986 and was photographed at the scene throwing petrol bombs at the police.

Police made numerous arrests at the time

The defendant had written a rap poem during his time in a juvenile detention centre in which he boasted about "chopping" at the officer.

Defending, Courtenay Griffiths QC said: "Bob Marley wrote I Shot The Sheriff but I have not heard of him being put on trial for murder."

The riots on Broadwater Farm are among the worst civil disturbances ever seen in Britain.

Violence erupted on October 5, 1985 after Cynthia Jarrett died of a heart attack following a police search of her home in Tottenham.

This came a week after police shot a black woman in Brixton.

Mr Jacobs was the seventh person to be tried for the Blakelock killing.

Three men, including Mr Silcott, were convicted in 1987 but later cleared on appeal after allegations of fabricated evidence. Three juveniles were acquitted before their case reached a jury.

Stafford Scott, from the Tottenham Rights Group, said the police should now close the case.

Stafford Scott from the Tottenham Rights Group

"This time around we've been given justice. We hope this puts an end to the case," Mr Scott said outside court.

"We feel sorry for the family of PC Blakelock but they shouldn't have been drawn through this because this case should never have happened.

"They've investigated this for 10 years and we've seen a jury release Nicky Jacobs in less than seven hours.

"I think for the police this really is the end of the route."

Mr Jacobs will be released from Belmarsh prison on Thursday.

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Half A Billion Pounds 'Wasted' On Anti-Flu Drugs

Half a billion pounds has been wasted stockpiling two ineffective anti-flu drugs, according to researchers.

A study claims there is "no good evidence" Tamiflu and Relenza stop the spread of the infection or prevent the complications of influenza.

Researchers, from The Cochrane Collaboration and the British Medical Journal (BMJ), also claim taking the drug could increase a person's risk of nausea and vomiting.

The authors also said the drugs had a number of side effects including headaches, kidney problems and pschiatric syndromes.

Cochrane's editor in chief Dr David Tovey said: Initially thought to reduce hospitalisations and serious complications from influenza, the review highlights that Tamiflu is not proven to do this, and it also seems to lead to harmful effects that were not fully reported in the original publications.

"This shows the importance of ensuring that trial data are transparent and accessible."

Pharmaceutical company Roche, which makes Tamiflu, said it "fundamentally disagrees" with the latest review.

Roche's UK medical director Dr Daniel Thurley said: "Roche stands behind the wealth of data for Tamiflu and the decisions of public health agencies worldwide, including the US and European Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation."

The Department of Health said Tamiflu has a "proven record" of safety, quality and efficacy.

However, a spokeswoman said: "We regularly review all published data and will consider the Cochrane review closely."

Professor Wendy Barclay, influenza virology expert at Imperial College London, said: "This new report, taken alongside a lot of other data collected in different settings, does not convince me that the risks of taking Tamiflu or Relenza would outweigh the benefits."

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ireland And Britain Have A 'Fresh Canvas'

Ireland's President has hailed progress in relations with Britain, telling members of both Houses of Parliament the two countries have a "fresh canvas to sketch out our shared hopes" after centuries of fraught ties.

Michael D Higgins - a veteran left-wing politician, poet and human rights activist - said it was impossible to "wipe the slate clean" about the past, but relations between the two countries were warm.

It was a turn of events Ireland's ninth president acknowledged had once seemed "unachievable".

The Queen addresses the banquet at Windsor Castle

Mr Higgins' address at Westminster is a first for an Irish head of state.

He is currently at Windsor Castle for a state banquet hosted by the Queen.

Her Majesty told those gathered: "We shall no longer allow our past to ensnare our future."

Martin McGuinness at the banquet

The Queen added that the goal of living together as "neighbours and friends" is within reach after "so much chequered history" and "avoidable and regrettable pain".

Echoing those words, Mr Higgins said: "The shadow of the past has become the shelter of the present". 

The guest list includes the British Prime Minister David Cameron, Irish PM Enda Kenny, Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.

Mr Higgins said there was still a way to go towards lasting reconciliation

It will be the second time the Queen has shaken hands with Sinn Fein's Mr McGuinness, a former Irish Republican Army leader who played a key role in the Troubles - decades of sectarian violence between Protestants and Catholics.

In a wide-ranging speech, Mr Higgins acknowledged this troubled past, but hailed the transformation of relations between the two countries, which have steadily improved since the Good Friday peace agreement in 1998.

Ties were now "strong and resolute", the president said, adding: "Formidable flows of trade and investment across the Irish Sea confer mutual benefit on our two countries.

The Very Rev John Hall shows Michael D Higgins around Westminster Abbey

"In tourism, sport and culture, our people to people connections have never been as close or abundant."

The two nations should take "immense pride" in the peace that has been built in Northern Ireland, he said.

"There is of course still a road to be travelled - the road of a lasting and creative reconciliation - and our two governments have a shared responsibility to encourage and support those who need to complete the journey of making peace permanent and constructive."

The Queen wore sky blue cashmere and green feather flowers in her hat

The 72-year-old president laid a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Soldier at Westminster Abbey before his speech.

Earlier in the day, Mr Higgins and his wife Sabina met Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle.

The couple travelled to Windsor with Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall who had greeted the visitors at the Irish Embassy in London.

The two heads of state have already met informally, but President Higgins' official welcome includes all the traditional pomp and circumstance.

Watched over by Queen Victoria, the Irish tricolour and the Union flag

He took part in a ceremonial carriage procession through the streets of Windsor which were decked out in Union flags and Irish tricolours.

After the guests were honoured with two separate gun salutes, the Queen and president entered the castle in the Australian State Coach, before Mr Higgins and Prince Philip inspected troops.

Major Andrew Seddon, captain of the Queen's Company Grenadier Guards, invited Mr Higgins to inspect the guard of honour, speaking to him in Irish.

The Queen and Prince Philip escort their visitors from Ireland

Mr Higgins presented a new ceremonial red coat to the regimental mascot, an Irish wolfhound called Domhnall of Shantamon.

The historic visit comes three years after the Queen became the first British monarch to visit the Republic of Ireland.

Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore said: "We are very close, respectful neighbours and I think the relationship we are building and working on is one that, given our very complex history, many people throughout the world will be able to draw some inspiration from."

The Queen spoke in Irish and commemorated those who had fought for freedom during her ground-breaking tour.

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Arts Subjects Made Tougher In Exams Revamp

GCSE and A-level arts subjects are to be made tougher in the latest stage of a major reform of the exams system.

Nine GCSE subjects and six A-levels will be reformed, with Education Secretary Michael Gove insisting he wants schools to "nurture creative talent in every child".

In September 2016 new GCSEs in art and design, music, drama, dance, citizenship, computer science, design and technology, PE and religious studies will be introduced.

Improved A-levels in music, drama, dance, design and technology, PE and religious studies will be introduced at the same time.

"I am passionate about great art, drama, dance, music and design, and I am determined to ensure every child enjoys access to the best in our culture," Mr Gove added.

"That is why I am delighted that new high-quality qualifications in creative and cultural subjects will be made available to all students."

Music Education Council chair Richard Hallam welcomed the latest announcement.

He said: "This inclusion sends a renewed message of the educational importance of music and other arts subjects."

The new GCSEs and A-levels are part of a major programme of exam reform that will be phased in from next year.

GCSE grades in England are to be replaced with a numbered system to allow examiners to distinguish between the brightest students.

The new scale will see an extra grade added into a revamped qualifications system from one to nine - with nine being the highest mark available.

In the reforms, students taking A-levels will no longer sit exams after one year, and will instead be tested at the end of their two-year course.

AS-levels will be separated from A-levels and become a separate qualification.

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Shrien Dewani Extradited To South Africa

A British man suspected of arranging the murder of his new wife on honeymoon in South Africa has been extradited to face trial.

Shrien Dewani was taken from Fromeside Hospital to Bristol Airport accompanied by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Extradition Unit.

Officers were met at the airport by representatives from the South African authorities who have escorted him on the flight to Cape Town.

Dewani was put on a flight from Bristol Airport bound for Cape Town

Dewani is accused of being behind a plot to kill his new bride Anni, 28, who was shot dead after being kidnapped during a taxi ride through a township on Cape Town's outskirts.

Three men have been convicted already and are serving jail terms. Prosecutors allege Dewani ordered the killing of his wife, who was a Swedish national.

The extradition of Dewani, 34, from Bristol, brings to an end a three-year battle to bring him to court after her death in November 2010.

Dewani's lawyers argued he should not be forced from the UK to face trial until he had recovered from mental health problems, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Mrs Dewani's uncle Ashok Hindocha told a news conference on Monday he was relieved his family would now have an opportunity to get justice.

He said: "(I am) relieved. Hopefully this case from now onwards will be about Anni.

"Until now, it hasn't really been about her. You cannot really blame anyone. It's the justice system and the way it is.

"Obviously, we were extremely surprised that it took so long."

Hitman Xolile Mngeni is serving a life sentence for Anni Dewani's murder

Her brother Anish Hindocha added: "It's been very difficult. There is no life in our family any more, we struggle.

"With the help of the South African people, with the help of the British people, we are at least trying to cope.

"We need justice for Anni. That's the only thing in our minds, and we will hopefully get it soon."

Dewani is due to appear in court later where he will be formally charged.

It is understood if he is found fit to do so, Dewani could stand trial in September.

The three men who have already been convicted and jailed over Mrs Dewani's death include taxi driver Zola Tongo, who was given 18 years after admitting his role in the killing.

Xolile Mngeni, who prosecutors claim was the hitman, and another accomplice, Mziwamadoda Qwabe, who pleaded guilty to murder and received a 25-year prison sentence.

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Irish President Makes Historic State Visit

Rocking In The Castle With Michael D

Updated: 9:31pm UK, Monday 07 April 2014

"When will my time come?" is the title of one of his poems. Almost a century after Ireland secured its independence from Britain, the poetic president's time has come to pay a historic state visit to the next door neighbours.

Michael D Higgins is more than a poet. The 72-year-old head of state, a native of Limerick, is a veteran champion of human rights, Irish arts and sport. He's affectionately known, the length and breadth of Ireland, as Michael D.

He was the first member of his family to attend university and lectured in politics in Galway and Illinois in the United States before running for office himself. He's arguably the most eclectic of the nine presidents in Ireland's history.

Don't be deceived by his grandfatherly appearance. The Irish President has fire in his bones. He's a recipient of the Sean MacBride International Peace Prize, has campaigned tirelessly for victims in Chile and Cambodia, and vigorously opposed the war in Iraq.

A former Labour government minister for arts, heritage and the Gaeltacht (Irish language), he helped to establish the country's first Irish language TV channel (TG4) and oversaw the removal of Section 31, which had censored Sinn Fein from Ireland's airwaves.

Anglo-Irish relations have changed beyond recognition since those days. Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness, now Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister, will attend a state banquet in Windsor Castle during the president's official visit and meet the Queen for a second time.

Long before his installation as Ireland's ninth president, Michael D Higgins had been elected President of Galway Football Club. The Hollywood actor Martin Sheen, who studied in Galway University, describes the Republic's current head of state as a "dear friend".

His fan base includes the former chart-topping Saw Doctors. The band once wrote a song in his honour, entitled 'Michael D Rocking in the Dail (Parliament) Bar'. The military bands around Windsor may not be familiar with that particular track.

President Higgins and his wife Sabine have four days of engagements in the UK, four days which, according to Ireland's Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore, "will not just write another chapter in Anglo-Irish relations but take us well into the book".

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Spanish Police Hunt Ex-Lover After Brit Killed

Police are hunting for a woman suspected of shooting dead a British businessman at his home on Spain's Costa del Sol.

The wealthy jeweller, named locally as Andrew Bush, was found lying in a pool of blood with two gunshot wounds to his head at around 3am on Saturday morning.

Firefighters and police discovered the businessman's body after forcing their way into the beachside villa where he lived.

The businessman's girlfriend alerted police with an emergency call after the attack, which happened in a village between the resorts of Estepona and Marbella.

The pair are said to have been ambushed by a woman, who police suspect may be the man's ex-girlfriend.

She is thought to have been lying in wait for them inside the five-bedroom house.

Mr Bush, originally from Bristol, and his current girlfriend were returning to their home from a trip abroad together at the time.

The house is a village between the resorts of Estepona and Marbella

The unnamed girlfriend, who is said to be British, told investigators she saw the attacker flee and then called the emergency services after becoming locked out.

Early on Sunday, the killer was still on the run after escaping from the scene in her alleged victim's Hummer car.

Police are yet to officially name the victim, but he was identified locally as 48-year-old company director Mr Bush.

An Audi car believed to have been used by the attacker was taken away, along with a Porsche and Ferrari thought to be owned by the victim.

A gun found nearby was also taken away.

It has emerged Mr Bush's killer may have been inside the house for several days after letting herself into the villa with a set of keys she had kept.

Estepona is on the Costa del Sol

Detectives sealed off the villa, owned by a Spanish couple, on Saturday ahead of its examination by police forensic experts on Monday.

A source close to the investigation said: "It is being treated as murder and police are hunting the dead man's ex on suspicion of committing this crime.

"They are probing the possibility she may have let herself into the property while the occupant was away and waited for several days for him to return."

The businessman's body has been taken to Malaga for a post-mortem examination.

A family relative is believed to be en route to southern Spain.

The victim's terracotta-coloured villa lies in a quiet residential street in an area called Cancelada, between San Pedro and Estepona.

A National Police spokesman confirmed an investigation was underway but said he was not authorised to give out any more information.

A spokesman for the local emergency services said: "We received a call at 2.10am on Saturday morning from the partner of the dead man because she could not gain access to the property.

"Firefighters managed to get in and found the man lying dead inside with a gunshot wound to his head. Police are now investigating."

A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We are aware of the death of a British national in Estepona, Malaga, on 5 April.

"We are in touch with local authorities and are providing consular assistance to the family."

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Maria Miller Faces Fresh Expenses Questions

Maria Miller 'Got Off Lightly' Over Expenses

Updated: 8:13pm UK, Saturday 05 April 2014

The former head of the Standards Committee, Sir Alistair Graham, has told Sky News that Culture Secretary Maria Miller "got off lightly" over her claims for parliamentary expenses.

The Culture Secretary has paid back £5,800 of expenses she had wrongly claimed for a second home and made a 32-second apology for her "unhelpful" attitude towards the investigation.

But she remains under pressure after it emerged the 10-member standards committee overruled the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards' findings that she should return £45,000.

Sir Graham told Sky News: "I'm genuinely shocked by the degree of pressure that Maria Miller seemed to be putting on the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards as she carried out her investigation.

"I think there are some pretty serious matters that have come up through the investigation and I have to say I think she's got off pretty lightly."

The comments came as Prime Minister David Cameron avoided further questions about Mrs Miller's future today.

Arriving at the Conservative Spring Forum, Mr Cameron refused to respond when asked if Mrs Miller should lose her job.

A transcript of a conversation in which Mrs Miller's aide highlights her role in the Leveson inquiry to a journalist investigating Mrs Miller's expenses has been released.

In the phone call from 2012, Joanna Hindley, Mrs Miller's special advisor, told Holly Watt: "Maria is obviously been having quite a lot of editors' meetings around Leveson at the moment.

"So I am just going to flag up that connection for you to think about."

Mrs Miller was reported to the commissioner in December 2012 over concerns she had improperly claimed around £90,000 on a southwest London property between 2005 and 2009.

Ms Hindley criticised journalists for knocking on the door of the property, which was answered by Mrs Miller's father.

"I should just flag up as well, while you're on it that when she doorstepped him, she got Maria's father, who's just had a [removed] and come out of [removed]," she said in the phone call to Ms Watt.

Ms Watt replied: "You can't possibly know that until you've knocked on someone's door."

Ms Hindley answered: "Well no, Holly, but you could possibly know that had you spoken to people a little higher up your organisation, who do know that."

In a statement to Sky News, Ms Hindley defended her remarks, saying: "This conversation must be seen in context that this reporter had tried to door step Maria's elderly dad and she was calling to complain. 

"In regards the Leveson comment, this was simply stating fact that Maria Miller was meeting lots of newspaper editors about Leveson and she would raise reporters behaviour with Tony Gallagher, then the Telegraph's editor.

"She did and Tony Gallagher apologised, apparently in written form."

The Prime Minister has stood by Mrs Miller but on Friday he was accused of misleading the public over the situation.

In an interview with Sky News, David Cameron said MPs had not been allowed to "police themselves" as independent members on Parliament's Standards Committee had made the "casting vote" on how the Culture Secretary should be dealt with after an expenses investigation.

However, it is clear from the rules governing the committee that independent committee members do not get a vote on how MPs are dealt with.

Downing Street later admitted Mr Cameron had made a mistake in suggesting lay members had made the decision on Mrs Miller's treatment.

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Food Waste 'Is Morally Repugnant', Say Lords

The scale of food waste, which sees 15 million tonnes of food dumped each year in the UK and at least 90 million tonnes across the EU, has been branded "morally repugnant" by a House of Lords committee.

The Lords EU Committee said supermarkets should abolish "buy one get one free" offers and cancel orders of food from farmers after the produce has been grown, a practice which leads to edible food being ploughed back into the fields. 

They also suggested that more unused food sold by retailers should be donated to food banks, rather than sent for composting or landfill as is often the case at present.

In a report, the committee said EU efforts to reduce food waste were "fragmented and untargeted" and called for the new European Commission to publish a five-year strategy within six months of taking office later this year.

Committee chairwoman Baroness Scott said: "Food waste in the EU and the UK is clearly a huge issue. Not only is it morally repugnant, but it has serious economic and environmental implications.

The committee says taking action against food waste cannot be delayed

"The fact that 90 million tonnes of food is wasted across the EU each year shows the extent of the problem and explains why we are calling for urgent action.

"Globally, consumers in industrialised nations waste up to 222 million tonnes of food a year, which is equivalent to nearly the entire level of net food production of Sub-Saharan Africa.

"We cannot allow the complexity of the issues around defining and monitoring food waste to delay action any further.

"We are calling on the new European Commission, which will be appointed in November this year, to publish a five-year strategy for reducing food waste across the EU, and to do so within six months of taking office."

The report found that the carbon footprint of worldwide food waste is equivalent to twice the global greenhouse gas emissions of all road transportation in the US.

Lady Scott added: "We were shocked at the extent of food waste in the EU. Especially given the current economic challenges the EU faces, it is an absolutely shocking waste of resources.

"Some efforts are already being made, which is very positive, but much more can be done, and so we are calling on the EU, the Government, businesses and consumers to make sure it is."

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Buckingham Palace: 'Gun Drama' At Gates

A Queen's Guard stopped a man who tried to force his way into Buckingham Palace on Friday evening, say reports.

The ceremonial soldier ran 50 yards and pointed his bayonet-fixed rifle at the "ranting" suspect, the Sun On Sunday said.

The Sun on Sunday's coverage of drama

The man had screamed at police for five minutes and walked towards the gates as the "gun drama" took place, it is claimed.

An unnamed tourist quoted by the newspaper said: "He was trying to get closer or inside."

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police confirmed a disturbance took place at the Palace's North Centre Gate at around 5.50pm.

He said: "Officers from Royalty Protection spoke to a male and he was given words of advice. There were no arrests."

An Army spokesman said: "We are aware of an incident outside Buckingham Palace on Friday and while no one came to any harm and there were no arrests, we are very clear that the Metropolitan Police lead on Royal Security arrangements including outside the Palace itself."

Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the incident.

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More