Colchester Murder Police Arrest 19-Year-Old

Detectives investigating the "brutal" murder of a Saudi Arabian student in Colchester are questioning a 19-year-old man.

Nahid Almanea was stabbed 16 times while walking along a path in Colchester, Essex, on Tuesday morning.

The 31-year-old had been taking an English language course at the University of Essex since January as part of her studies for a life sciences PhD.

Essex Police said the man was held shortly after midnight in connection with a separate assault.

His arrest followed a report from a female jogger that a man had approached her and tried to grab her near Peache Road, Colchester at around 10pm, on June 19.

She was able to fight him off and make her way home - where she immediately contacted police.

A police spokesman said: "Following further enquiries he was then further arrested shortly after 4pm today in connection with the murder investigation.

Police have been patrolling a large area in Colchester

"He remains in custody for questioning."

Earlier, investigators promised to "unrelentingly" pursue all lines of inquiry in the hunt for the student's killer.

Police were investigating whether Ms Almanea's clothing - an abaya robe and hijab headscarf - was a factor in the stabbing, but stressed they did not know for sure.

They said there were other possible motives and called for calm as they confirmed they were investigating threats of revenge attacks made on social media.

Officers warned local people not to go out alone and to be vigilant.

They said the fact that she was stabbed multiple times bore "obvious similarities" to the murder of James Attfield, a vulnerable man with brain damage.

He was stabbed more than 100 times in a park in Colchester in March, but Essex Police have stressed the cases remain separate investigations.

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Brakes Slammed On 'Over-Zealous Spy Cars'

Councils in England will be banned from using CCTV "spy cars" to impose fines on drivers breaking traffic rules, the Government has said.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles and Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the move "reins-in over-zealous parking enforcement practices" that have been used as a "cash cow" by local authorities.

The ban will now become law through the Deregulation Bill, following a three-month consultation.

Tickets will have to be fixed to the windscreen by parking wardens, making it illegal for councils to issue penalty charge notices to drivers using just the CCTV spy cars.

But councils will still be allowed to use cameras along "critical routes", such as schools, bus lanes, bus stops, and red routes, where traffic must be kept moving for safety reasons.

Traffic wardens will have to fix penalty notices to windscreens

Mr Pickles, who has long-called for the ban, told Sky News: "We don't want them used to raise money. The priority if for them to be used for public safety and to cut congestion."

He added: "CCTV spy cars can be seen lurking on every street raking in cash for greedy councils and breaking the rules that clearly state that fines should not be used to generate profit for town halls.

"Over-zealous parking enforcement and unreasonable stealth fines by post undermine the high street, push up the cost of living and cost local authorities more in the long term.

"Today the Government is taking urgently needed action to ban this clear abuse of CCTV, which should be used to catch criminals, and not as a cash cow."

The Government says nine million parking fines are issued every year by local authorities in England. 

Local authority revenue from parking in England rose from £608m in 1997 to £1.3bn by 2010, it adds.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "These measures will deliver a fairer deal for motorists, ensuring that parking enforcement is proportionate, that school children are protected and buses can move freely, and that key routes are kept clear."

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'Fiasco' Over Benefits For Sick And Disabled

By Becky Johnson, Sky News Reporter

A Government welfare scheme has been branded a "fiasco" for leaving thousands of disabled people waiting months for payments.

An influential group of MPs said the new Personal Independence Payment (PIP) had left vulnerable people unnecessarily distressed.

They said the scheme, which replaced Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for working age people last year, had been rushed through, with a "shocking" impact on the lives of claimants.

PIP was introduced by the Government to help simplify the welfare system.

Claimants can receive between £21 and £138 a week but must attend an assessment to calculate the level of support they are entitled to.

However, Margaret Hodge, who chairs the cross-party Public Accounts Committee, said: "The implementation of PIP has been nothing short of a fiasco.

"The Department for Work and Pensions has let down some of the most vulnerable people in our society, many of whom have had to wait more than six months for their claims to be decided.

"The personal stories we heard were shocking. We heard evidence of a claimant requiring hospital intervention as a result of the stress caused by the delays suffered."

Stephanie Kendrick, 43, from Buckley, Flintshire, developed a condition last year that makes it difficult for her to walk.

She had to give up work and applied for PIP in August last year.

She was told it would take between eight and 10 weeks but a series of delays meant it took eight months for the payments to be agreed.

She told Sky News it put such a strain on her finances she and her husband had to put their house up for sale.

"I've had to live off food parcels from my family ... we've relied on relatives and friends who have bought milk and bread, just ... to make sure we can pay the gas and the electric," she said.

The Government denied it had let vulnerable people down.

Mike Penning, the minister for disabled people, said: "New PIP includes a face-to-face assessment and regular reviews to ensure support goes to those who need it most.

"The PAC report is based on old statistics. I've introduced a faster process for people with terminal illnesses, with clearance times reducing to our target of 10 days.

"A higher proportion of people are getting the highest rate of financial support for daily living under PIP than DLA."

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Lack Of Competitive Sport 'Harming' Pupils

By Emma Birchley, Sky News Correspondent

Failure to give pupils the chance to play competitive sports has an impact on their education, the schools watchdog Ofsted has warned.

The chief inspector of schools, Sir Michael Wilshaw, believes too many schools are treating the chance to compete as "an optional extra" when it should be a priority.

The research was carried out after it emerged that more than 40% of the country's Olympic medals were won by former independent school pupils at London 2012, despite only 7% of all children attending fee-paying schools.

Sir Michael said: "What this report clearly shows is that where there is a clear determination for schools to be the best, even though their facilities may not be great, they find a way - whether it's finding a nearby sports field to use or swimming pool - so where there is a real commitment it works, and where there isn't a commitment, it doesn't."

Double Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington, who went to a state school, believes her competitive streak helped her way from the pool.

Rebecca Adlington says competitive swimming improved her focus at school

"I started swimming competitively when I was 11 and yet my education was very important to me and it made me focus more in class," she told Sky News.

"I had more energy, I was able to focus and learnt time management from an early age and for me sport had given me much more than those Olympic medals."

At Fearnhill School in Letchworth the importance of competition is also understood.

Gold medal winning Olympic cyclist Victoria Pendleton was a former student.

Head of PE Simon Lawrence said: "Participation is important but I think that that drive to win is crucial and it's transferable into other areas of life ... job interviews, exam results."

But he said it was impossible to compare the facilities available at independent schools with what his pupils have available.

"A lot of private schools have outstanding facilities and extra coaches that help them," he said.

"I think the opportunities that pupils get at private schools are far greater to try some of these sports. A lot of pupils at this school never have the chance to try rowing for example."

And at his school, sport teachers already spend about two nights a week working late to hold clubs and attend fixtures, as well as having sessions in lunch breaks.

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PM Warns Iraq Terrorists Will 'Hit UK At Home'

Timeline: How The Iraq Crisis Unfolded

Updated: 2:12pm UK, Tuesday 17 June 2014

A look back at the main events in the Iraq crisis, which has seen Sunni insurgents from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror group move to within 50 miles of the capital Baghdad.

December 2011: US troops complete their withdrawal after the 2003 invasion which led to the removal of Saddam Hussein.

August 2013: More than 70 people are killed in attacks at the end of Ramadan. ISIS claim responsibility.

January 2-4, 2014: ISIS declares itself in control of the western city of Fallujah and parts of Ramadi following clashes sparked by the clearing of a Sunni-Arab protest camp.

February: al Qaeda formally disowns ISIS, which was at one time an affiliate, because of its extreme methods.

April: Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki wins the most seats in a general election.

June 10: ISIS seizes all of Nineveh province in the north, including the capital Mosul - Iraq's second city. Mr Maliki asks parliament to declare a state of emergency.

June 11: The militants launch a wave of attacks further south, taking Tikrit and freeing hundreds of prisoners in Baiji. An assault on Samarra, 70 miles (110km) north of Baghdad, is repelled by security forces.

June 12: Iraq's air force strikes fighters' positions near Mosul and Tikrit.

US President Barack Obama says he is looking at "all the options" to help the government, which fails to secure authorisation for a state of emergency.

The army abandons its bases in Kirkuk, leaving Kurdish Peshmerga troops to take control.

June 13: A top Shia cleric issues a call to arms, telling the population to take up arms and defend their country.

Mr Maliki claims government forces have started to clear cities of "terrorists" and implements an emergency plan to protect Baghdad.

President Obama rules out sending back troops to fight ISIS.

The rebels move into the towns of Saadiyah and Jalawla in eastern province of Diyala.

June 14: Iran offers to work with the US to tackle the crisis, as Britain pledges an initial £3m in emergency aid to help refugees fleeing the violence.

The Iraqi army's fightback continues, with forces retaking the towns of Ishaqi, al-Mutasim and Duluiyah in Salaheddin province.

Troops also regain much of Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's home town.

US aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush is ordered to the Persian Gulf.

June 15: Photos emerge appearing to show an ISIS massacre of 1,700 captured government soldiers. Baghdad says number is exaggerated.

Reports say militants have overrun Tal Afar, the largest town in Nineveh province.

A bombing in central Baghdad leaves 15 people dead and dozens injured.

Former PM Tony Blair tells Sky News that critics who believe the violence is the result of the 2003 invasion are "profoundly mistaken".

June 16: Video footage purporting to show an ISIS fighter questioning and killing unarmed Iraqi soldiers draws condemnation.

ISIS takes control of Tal Afar and the al Adhim area of Diyala province.

US Secretary of State John Kerry says Washington is "open to discussions with Iran".

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Cameron Wants 'Global Push' To Fight Dementia

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

A "bold, global push" is urgently needed to find effective treatments against dementia, David Cameron is due to warn.

The Prime Minister will tell an international conference that 40 million people worldwide now have the disease.

And the number is set to double every 20 years, unless scientists find some way of slowing or preventing the slow decline in brain function.

The meeting is a follow-up to the first Dementia Summit of G8 industrialised nations held in December, at which politicians committed to finding new treatments by 2025.

"The truth is that dementia now stands alongside cancer as one of the greatest enemies of humanity," the Prime Minister will say.

"We have to fight to cure it. I know some people will say that it's not possible, but we have seen with cancer what medicine can achieve.

"We need to join up the dots and create a big, bold global push to beat this."

Global funding for dementia research is just one fifth of that spent on cancer. In the last 15 years only three drugs have been developed.

The World Dementia Envoy Dr Dennis Gillings, who was appointed following the G8 Summit, will tell the meeting that pharmaceutical companies need to be given incentives to invest in research, and encouraged to speed up clinical trials so patients benefit sooner.

"Just as the world came together in the fight against HIV/Aids, we need to free up regulation so that we can test ground-breaking new drugs," he will say.

The Medical Research Council will announce the world's largest ever study into dementia, with two million people in Britain invited to take part.

And Alzheimer's Research UK hopes to raise £100m to fund more drug research.

The fresh focus being given to dementia was welcomed by Alison Carter, who helps to care for her father John Fenn.

He was diagnosed with vascular dementia seven years ago. Existing treatments have done little to slow the disease.

She told Sky News: "The idea that there are drugs out there which are now being looked at that could delay it for five years. If my dad could have five years back, that would be fantastic."

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Poor White Pupils Need Longer School Days

Longer school days could be introduced to boost the exam results of white working-class children who are lagging behind the rest of their classmates.

A report by the Commons Education Select Committee suggests days should be extended to give children somewhere to do their homework.

Figures show 32% of poor white British children got at least five C grades at GCSE, including English and maths last year, compared with 61.5% of poor children from an Indian background and 76.8% of poor children from a Chinese background.

The report also urged the Government to do more to attract good teachers to work in disadvantaged schools.

Committee chairman Graham Stuart said: "Poor white British children now come out of our schools with worse qualifications than equally poor children in any other major ethnic group.

"They do less homework and are more likely to miss school than other groups.

"We don't know how much of the under-performance is due to poor attitudes to school, a lack of work ethic or weak parenting.

"What is certain is that great schools make a significant difference in turning poor children's education around."

The report said child many children from poor white backgrounds will end up as "Neet" (not in education, employment or training), after leaving school.

"This problem must be tackled by ensuring that the best teachers and leaders are incentivised to work in the schools and areas that need them most, and by providing better advice and guidance to young people," it said.

"Schools face a battle for resources and talent, and those serving poor white communities need a better chance of winning."

A Department for Education spokesman said: "The over-riding objective of our reforms is to improve the attainment of the poorest children in society - and we are already seeing real improvements.

"We have made it easier for all schools, not just academies and free schools, to extend the length of the school day.

"This can transform long-term under-performing schools, demonstrated by the likes of Great Yarmouth Primary Academy."

10.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Primodos Row: Watchdog Took Years To Warn GPs

By Jason Farrell, Political Correspondent

The Government medicines watchdog took years to warn doctors about a pregnancy test drug that may have caused deformities in babies in the womb, Sky News has learned.

The drug Primodos, a hormone pregnancy test, was prescribed by GPs across England in the 1960s and 70s - and was taken by 1.5 million British women.

But Sky News has found it was not licenced to be used in pregnancy after 1970 amid concerns about its effect on the foetus.

Freedom of Information Requests to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) revealed letters were written to doctors - but not until five years later in 1975 when a warning was also placed on the packet. 

Then called the Committee on Safety of Medicines, the watchdog warned GPs of concerns about "an increased incidence of congenital abnormalities" in babies born to women who took the drug.

The MHRA says it's not aware of letters about Primodos

They wrote: "On the present evidence, the Committee believe that it is possible that the use of these preparations for the diagnosis of pregnancy could on occasion lead to abnormalities of the foetus."

Even after this, thousands of prescriptions were given to women until 1977 when the Committee sent a second letter to GPs saying the association had been confirmed. After this prescriptions ceased.

However, the MHRA said in a statement: "We do not hold any such letters and are not aware that any were sent by the CSM about Primodos or hormone pregnancy tests at that time. Nor are we able to comment on whether a letter should have been sent."

For years campaigners with deformities allegedly caused by the drug have challenged the German drug company Shearing, now owned by Bayer, to accept responsibility. The company however insists no link has been shown.

Three years ago Sky News conducted an exclusive investigation speaking to retired researchers who originally raised concerns about the drug.

Campaigners want the drug company to admit responsibility

One of them, Dr Isobel Gal who conducted research at Queen Mary's Hospital for Children in Surrey, told Sky News how she spent a decade trying to persuade people of the link.

Documents seen by Sky News, that have been sealed in the National Archives for 30 years, show CSM officials admitted they made mistakes while rudely dismissing Ms Gal and her research.

They, along with other letters about the drug, were found by alleged victim of Primodos, Nichola Walton, who suffers from stomach and spinal abnormalities.

She said: "They've covered so many things up so many times. So many victims have already passed.

"So many parents have buried their children and they've not been able to see the evidence. They've not been able to explain. I just think it is appalling."

In a statement Bayer, which took over Shering, told Sky News: "UK litigation in respect of Primodos, against Schering (which is now owned by Bayer), ended in 1982 when the claimants' legal team, with the approval of the court, decided to discontinue the litigation on the grounds that there was no realistic possibility of showing that Primodos caused the congenital abnormalities alleged."

They also said that any use of Primodos as a Pregnancy Test after 1970 would have been "off-label".

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'True Brits' Must Speak English, Survey Finds

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

People in the UK have tougher attitudes towards immigration and welfare and have set a higher requirement for what it takes to make a person British, according to a new survey.

The British Social Attitudes survey found 95% of people thought to be "truly British" you must speak English - up from 86% in 2003.

It also found more than three quarters of people - 77% - say you must have lived in Britain for most of your life, while 51% said "true Brits" must have British ancestry.

Some 74% also said it is important to be born in Britain.

Under that definition Boris Johnson, a potential future Prime Minister, Prince Philip - the husband of the Queen - and iconic stars Joanna Lumley and Cliff Richard would all be counted as non-Brits.

74% of people say Brits should be born in the UK, ruling out Joanna Lumley

The study also reveals that 61% of people believe EU immigrants should have to wait three years for access to welfare benefits.

That flies in the face of David Cameron's attempt to be tough on immigration by setting the limit at three months.

And it will raise concerns about the possibility that UKIP could continue with the electoral success it experienced in May when it topped the polls in the European elections.

The 31st Natcen Social Research British Social Attitudes survey also found that almost a quarter of Britons think the main reason immigrants come to this country is to claim benefits.

And only 27% think legal immigrants who are not British citizens should have the same rights as the rest of the country - down from 40%.

Penny Young, chief executive of NatCen Social Research, said: "In an increasingly diverse, multi-cultural country, we might expect people to be more relaxed about what it means to be British, yet the trend is going in the opposite direction.

"It is now harder to be considered British than in the past and one message comes through loud and clear, if you want to be British, you must speak English.

"And as we debate whether UKIP's vote will hold up in the General Election, British Social Attitudes shows that the public is yet to be convinced that politicians have got a grip on immigration.

"They want tougher rules on benefits and many are unaware of the policies that are in place to control immigration."

The study suggests Mr Cameron's hope to teach British values in schools might not be successful, as many people believe Britishness is something people need to be born with - and cannot go on to acquire.

The Prime Minister wants to mark the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta next year with a new drive on British values in schools.

It follows a scandal in Birmingham with allegations of a co-ordinated plot to push Islamic teaching into British state schools.

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Flood Defence Funding Is At 'Bare Minimum'

Funding for clearing rivers, routine dredging and maintaining existing flood defences is at a "bare minimum", MPs have warned.

A report on the winter floods, which saw 7,000 homes hit after repeated storms and the wettest winter on record, has called for maintaining flood defences over cost-cutting.

The Parliamentary Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) committee said the funding for maintenance work needed to keep up with an increased risk caused by more frequent extreme weather events.

MPs urged the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to draw up fully-funded plans to address a backlog of maintenance work and maintain flood defences.

A submerged car after winter storms caused flooding on the Somerset Levels

Committee chairwoman Anne McIntosh said: "We have repeatedly called on the Government to increase revenue funding so that necessary dredging and watercourse maintenance can be carried out to minimise flood risk, yet funding for maintenance remains at a bare minimum.

"Ministers must take action now to avoid a repeat of the devastation caused by the winter floods.

"The Government needs to recognise the importance of regular maintenance work and put it on an equal footing with building new defences."

The Environment Agency was criticised for failing to carry out dredging on rivers when the Somerset Levels flooded during the winter.

Dredging operations began on the River Parrett in Somerset in March with extra funding from the Government.

The report added: "The avoidance of flood events that devastate communities should, as far as is possible, take priority over cost-cutting."

It welcomed £270m of additional funding for tackling flooding, but said £130m of that had been reallocated from elsewhere in the Defra budget.

Shadow environment secretary Maria Eagle said: "In February David Cameron said 'money was no object' when it came to flood defence funding, yet today the select committee says that the funding the Government describe as additional is actually only reallocated."

An Environment Agency spokesman added: "We review our maintenance programme to make sure we spend taxpayers' money where it is most effective and are working with Defra on several pilot projects aimed at making it easier for farmers and landowners to undertake watercourse maintenance."

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British Man Dies After Barbados Stabbing

A British man, thought to be in his late 20s, has died on the island of Barbados after he was stabbed in the chest.

The victim, who has not been named, was apparently involved in an altercation with a local man in St Lawrence Gap, Christ Church, at around 5.30am on Sunday, Barbados Today reported.

He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Bridgetown, but died from his injuries.

A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said: "We are aware of the death of a British national in Barbados on June 15.

"We are providing consular assistance to the family at this sad time."

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Forced Marriage Becomes Criminal Act In UK

A new law criminalising forced marriages which comes into effect today could protect thousands of potential victims.

Forcing someone into marriage in England and Wales will carry a maximum seven-year jail sentence under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

The change also criminalises forcing a British marriage into marriage outside the UK.

Home Secretary Theresa May said: "Forced marriage is a tragedy for each and every victim, and its very nature means that many cases go unreported.

The Forced Marriage Unit gave advice to more than 1,300 people in 2013

"I am proud to say that the UK is already a world-leader in the fight to stamp out this harmful practice with the Government's Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) working hard to tackle this terrible practice in the UK and overseas."

Mrs May has joined anti-child marriage charity Freedom, police, the Crown Prosecution Service and a victim of forced marriage in a Freedom2Choose campaign video.

A forced marriage is where one or both spouses do not consent and are coerced into it through physical, psychological, financial, sexual or emotional pressure.

The Home Office has said the FMU gave advice or support in a possible forced marriage to more than 1,300 people in 2013.

Freedom founder Aneeta Prem said: "In the most tragic cases, people forced into marriage become domestic slaves by day and sexual slaves by night.

"Today's announcement sends out a powerful message that this indefensible abuse of human rights will not be tolerated."

Last week, the NSPCC said children as young as 12 were calling ChildLine about forced marriage, with numbers up two-thirds in the last year.

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