Quantcast
Channel: Latest News
Viewing all 5527 articles
Browse latest View live

Nurse jailed for murdering parents

0
0
Image A nurse found guilty of using "extreme violence" to murder her elderly parents has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years. Susan Toop killed her father, Arthur Toop, 82, and mother, Joan, 74, at their bungalow in Bournemouth, Dorset, on November 28, 2008. The unmarried 54-year-old, who lived with her parents, stabbed them several times before hitting them repeatedly with an ornamental flat iron. Toop had pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, but was found guilty of murder by a jury at Winchester Crown Court in July. She was sentenced at the Royal Courts of Justice in London by Mr Justice David Clarke, who imposed two life terms. Toop, who was present in the dock of the court, was told by the judge that she had done a "terrible thing", killing her parents with "great violence". He described it as a "sad and tragic" case. The judge said the jurors convicted Toop of the murder of both her parents and the verdict was one they were "entirely entitled to reach". He told Toop that although there was "clear evidence of abnormality of mind", the jury clearly thought it did not "significantly or substantially reduce your responsibility for the terrible thing you did in killing your parents that night". Toop, who had worked as a clinical leader at the outpatients department of the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, told police she wanted to put her parents "out of their misery". But passing sentence, the judge said: "Your motivation for killing your parents is far from clear even now. It appears that you had come to believe that they were ready to die or wished to die, but it must be made quite clear that there is no objective evidence... that supports that view. It was a false belief."

School 'no touch' rule scrapped

0
0
Image So-called "no touch" rules that discourage teachers from restraining and comforting children are to be scrapped, Education Secretary Michael Gove has confirmed. Mr Gove also signalled that the coalition was pushing ahead with controversial plans to give teachers a right to anonymity when faced by allegations from pupils. "At the moment if you want to become au fait with what this department thinks on how to keep order in class you have to read the equivalent of War And Peace," he told a national newspaper. He continued: "There is about 500 pages of guidance on discipline and another 500 pages on bullying. We will clarify and shrink that. "Teachers worry that if they assert a degree of discipline, one determined maverick pupil will say, 'I know my rights' and so teachers become reticent about asserting themselves. There are a number of schools that have 'no touch' policies and we are going to make clear this rule does not apply. "I don't believe you should be able to hit children, but I do believe that teachers need to know they can physically restrain children, they can interpose themselves between two children that may be causing trouble, and they can remove them from the classroom. The important thing is that teachers know they are in control, and this department and the justice system will back them." Insisting that teachers should be able to console victims of bullying, he referred to David Cameron's infamous "hug a hoodie" row, joking: "Teachers should not have to think youths have to wear hoodies before they can comfort them." Mr Gove promised to give teachers "a new general right to search children for anything that is banned by the school rules". At present the list was too restrictive and a legal minefield, he added. He also vowed to speed up the timetable by which allegations against teachers have to be investigated, or dropped. The Labour government clarified guidance to say that teachers could use "reasonable force" just before the general election. However, then-children's secretary Ed Balls had insisted it was a "myth" that some schools employed no-contact policies.

Some councils 'short of road grit'

0
0
Image Some councils have not yet received all the road-gritting salt they need from suppliers for this winter, the Local Government Association (LGA) has revealed. Responses from 87 councils to an LGA poll showed 18% had not been provided with all the salt they had requested and were short by an average of 1,700 tonnes each. The survey also showed that 78% of councils intended to have more salt in stock this winter, with the rest aiming for the same amount as last year when some councils struggled to cope with the worst winter for 30 years. Covering councils in England and Wales, the poll also showed that around 10% of councils had an arrangement to get supplies from abroad this winter. LGA economy and transport board chairman Councillor Peter Box said: "Treating the roads during the past two winters has caused problems for councils because of salt suppliers being overwhelmed by demand. The whole country is well aware of the power of Mother Nature. "As we go into another winter, a proportion of councils do not have as much salt in their storage facilities as they would like to have because the suppliers haven't provided all the stock they've asked for." He continued: "Although there should be a few weeks' grace before gritting is necessary on a large scale, it is not ideal that the suppliers are playing catch-up from the word go. "Councils all over the country are responding to this by setting up more arrangements with neighbouring councils to co-operate on supplies, and have looked into foreign sources of road salt. "Predicting winter weather can be difficult, as the Met Office is well aware. Whatever conditions descend on the country over the coming months, councils have spent the summer making sure they are more ready than ever to deal with them and keep neighbourhoods moving. "The co-operation and help of residents everywhere will also be vital."

BBC unions study new pensions offer

0
0
Image Unions are looking at an "improved" offer for BBC staff pensions which prompted them to call off a planned strike during next week's Conservative Party conference. The walkout by thousands of journalists, technicians and other broadcast staff on October 5 and 6 would have threatened coverage of the Prime Minister's speech. The new offer will now be put to a ballot of members of Bectu, the National Union of Journalists and Unite, although officials warned that strikes would be held later in the month if the deal was rejected. Labour Party leader Ed Miliband had earlier called on BBC staff not to black out David Cameron's keynote speech midway through the Tories' annual gathering in Birmingham, saying that in the "interests of impartiality and fairness" it should be broadcast on television and radio. His intervention, just days after being elected Labour leader thanks to strong backing from union members, angered union officials. Some of the BBC's most prominent presenters, including Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman and BBC political editor Nick Robinson, had criticised the timing of the planned strike, saying the move "risks looking unduly partisan". The dispute flared after the BBC announced plans to cap pensionable pay at 1% from next April and revalue pensions at a lower level, which unions said effectively devalued pensions already earned. BBC management said the changes were needed to try to tackle a huge pension deficit of more than £1.5 billion. Unions said talks with BBC management on Thursday led to "key improvements", including reducing employee contributions to a proposed new career average pension scheme from 7% to 6%, as well as other changes and a pledge to "revisit" elements of the pension reforms. The new proposals, described as a "breakthrough", also included important new measures to provide staff facing compulsory redundancy with time to identify alternative employment in the BBC, said unions. Staff will also vote on a pay offer of a £475 flat rate increase to all staff earning up to £37,726, backdated to August.

Labour fails to gain ground in poll

0
0
Image David Cameron has received a boost with a poll suggesting Labour had not gained ground following Ed Miliband's anointment as leader. As activists gathered for the Tory conference in Birmingham, research by ComRes for the Independent newspaper found the party had marginally extended its advantage since the middle of last month. The Conservatives were up two points on 39%, while Labour's rating went up one to 36%. The Liberal Democrats were unchanged on 15%. ComRes telephoned 2,035 adults online between September 29 and October 1. The data was weighted by past vote recall.

Taser boss 'destroyed' by furore

0
0
Image A company director believed to have killed himself was "destroyed" by the furore caused by criticism of his firm for supplying the Tasers used during the stand-off with gunman Raoul Moat, his business partner has said. Peter Boatman, who was director of operations for Pro-Tect Systems, was found dead at his Northampton home and is understood to have taken his own life. The Home Office revoked the firm's licence to import and sell Tasers on Tuesday after it breached its terms by supplying X12 Tasers, which were still being tested by Government scientists, directly to police involved in the Moat manhunt. Kevin Coles, Pro-Tect's managing director, said there was "no doubt" that his colleague's apparent suicide was linked to the week's events. He said: "He was a proud man and he felt ashamed at recent developments. He spent all his life involved in officer safety and what happened was a result of him being worried about the welfare of officers. He knew there was something there that would offer the officers protection and that was what his motive was. The furore over it destroyed him." The 57-year-old former police officer had a "lovely wife", children and young grandchildren: "He's not a person you imagine would ever do that." Mr Boatman was previously in charge of assessing the merits of Taser as head of operational training for the Northants force before leaving to join Pro-Tect. Mr Coles, who was also a family friend of his, said he "wasn't the man he was" after the criticism levelled at his firm. He added: "We're all just dreadfully sorry for (his wife) Steph and the family." A Home Office spokesman said it could not comment while the police investigation was ongoing, but added: "Any such death is a tragedy." Northamptonshire Police said later that "due to recent police contact with the deceased" the force had voluntarily referred the case to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Dozens die in Indonesia train crash

0
0
Image Dozens of people have been killed in a train crash in central Indonesia. Thirty-six people were said to have died and many were injured, some critically. The accident happened at a station in Petarukan, a city on the northern coast of Central Java province, at around 3am local time. A train from the capital Jakarta, slammed into a train sitting idle near at the platform, causing severe damage to both. One body was still trapped inside the wreckage, said Marsono, a rescuer who goes by only one name. Thirty-five other bodies were brought to nearby hospitals, said Tri Yuniasari, a spokeswoman from the Hasyim Ashari hospital. Earlier Cendana Banandi, a government life insurance official, had put the death toll at 43. Meanwhile, another passenger train crashed in the town of Solo at around 4am, said Transportation Ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan. He said information was still being collected about casualties. An official at a public hospital who identified himself only as Peter told Metro TV and El Shinta that one person had died in that crash. Indonesia - with a reputation for poor safety standards and maintenance - has been hit by a series of plane, train and ferry accidents in recent years that have left hundreds dead.

Suicide pact woman 'was harassed'

0
0
Image One of the women who died in a copycat double suicide pact contacted police to complain she was being harassed, it has emerged. The woman, who has not been named, fled to a flat in Putney, south-west London, owned by a not-for-profit trust that helps vulnerable women. She and another woman - both reported to have been prostitutes - apparently gassed themselves after sealing doors and windows at the property. Neighbours said one of the women appeared scared and was reluctant to speak to people as she kept her curtains drawn night and day. One said she moved to the bedsit about five months ago from Roehampton to "escape someone" and because of people taking drugs near her home. Officials at the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) launched an investigation on Friday night into the reaction of police to her complaints. They received a referral from Metropolitan Police detectives after they found records of her contacting the force on a database, it is understood. The bodies of the two women, both believed to be in their 20s, were found at the second-storey flat in Norman Court, Lower Richmond Road, on Thursday morning. Investigators believe they used a toxic combination of chemicals to gas themselves. Emergency service workers donned breathing apparatus and protective equipment to enter the flat and examine the scene. Last week the bodies of Joanne Lee, 34, of Essex, and Stephen Lumb, 35, of West Yorkshire, were found in a car in Braintree, Essex. Police feared the incident could be one of the first chemical suicides of its type after the pair released a deadly gas and left warning posters. They met in a suicide chatroom, sparking condemnation of sites that often encourage vulnerable people to take their lives and advise on how to do so. News of the Putney deaths was posted on one leading suicide site on Friday, provoking a user to comment: "Good for them."

US apologises for 'syphilis study'

0
0
Image American scientists deliberately infected prisoners and patients in a mental hospital in Guatemala with syphilis 60 years ago, a recently unearthed experiment that prompted U.S. officials to apologise on Friday and declare outrage over "such reprehensible research". The discovery dredges up past wrongs in the name of science - such as the infamous Tuskegee syphilis study that has long dampened minority participation in medical research - and could complicate ongoing studies overseas that depend on cooperation from some of the world's poorest countries to tackle tough-to-treat diseases. Uncovering it gives "us all a chance to look at this and - even as we are appalled at what was done - to redouble our efforts to make sure something like this could never happen again," said Dr Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH-funded experiment, which ran from 1946 to 1948, was uncovered by a Wellesley College medical historian. It apparently was conducted to test if penicillin, then relatively new, could prevent some sexually transmitted infections. The study came up with no useful information and was hidden for decades. "We are outraged that such reprehensible research could have occurred under the guise of public health," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said. President Barack Obama called Guatemala's president, Alvaro Colom, later on Friday to apologise. Mrs Clinton had called to apologise the night before. "Obviously this is shocking, it's tragic, it's reprehensible," said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs. "It's tragic and the US by all means apologises to all those who were impacted." Guatemalan Embassy official Fernando de la Cerda said his country hadn't known anything about the experiment until Mrs Clinton called to apologise on Thursday night. "We appreciate this gesture from the USA, acknowledging the mistake and apologizing," he said. "This must not affect the bilateral relationship." Strict regulations today make clear that it is unethical to experiment on people without their consent, and require special steps for any work with such vulnerable populations as prisoners. But such regulations didn't exist in the 1940s.

Bail call for minor crime suspects

0
0
Image People accused of crimes from minor assault to criminal damage could be bailed rather than locked up awaiting trial, under plans to ease prison overcrowding. The move would affect up to 40,000 defendants a year who come before magistrates and are remanded in custody before being tried for lower-level offences. The Times said the idea was being studied by officials at the Ministry of Justice as prison numbers in England and Wales yesterday reached 85,495 - a record high for the second consecutive week. Justice Secretary Ken Clarke is under pressure to ease overcrowding and make £2 billion of savings from his departmental budget. But such a plan would risk angering Tories who are gathering in Birmingham for the party's annual conference next week. Supporters will point out that most of those remanded in custody on lower-level offences are either later acquitted, given non-custodial sentences or end up having charges dropped. Summary offences, which can only be tried by magistrates and carry a maximum jail sentence of six months, include car theft and other motoring crime, shoplifting, some minor assaults and being drunk and disorderly. Courts usually resort to locking up people on remand in such cases if they think that there is a risk that the alleged offenders will disappear before their cases reach court. The proposal is expected to form part of a package of measures in a Green Paper on sentencing and the rehabilitation of offenders due to be published before Christmas. A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "We are looking at all kinds of options in the run-up to the spending review. However, no decisions will be announced before October 20."

Osborne slams Labour over military

0
0
Image Chancellor George Osborne has launched a searing attack on Labour for leaving Britain's Armed Forces outdated. As Tory members gathered in Birmingham for the party's first conference since it entered coalition, Mr Osborne accused the previous government of spending billions of pounds on weapons and equipment only suitable for the Cold War era. "We are going to have a bunch of kit that makes us extremely well prepared to fight the Russians on the north German plain. That's not a war we are likely to face," he told a national newspaper. But Mr Osborne admitted there was not much the coalition could do about the problems. "We are bound into contracts and that's just a fact of life," he added. It emerged this week that Defence Secretary Liam Fox had written privately to Prime Minister David Cameron warning that "draconian" cuts demanded by the Treasury will have "grave consequences". Mr Osborne admitted he was "not thrilled" to learn of Dr Fox's letter, and supported Mr Cameron's insistence that the Army and the operation in Afghanistan must take priority in the defence budget. By contrast, Dr Fox is believed to want to make significant cuts in Army manpower, and focus resources on the Navy and RAF.

Probe as man and woman found dead

0
0
Image Two people have been found dead in Co Antrim, police said. A 33-year-old woman was discovered in the Carnbeg Meadows area of Antrim while a 34 year-old man was found in the Parkgate Road area of Ballymena in the early hours of Saturday. Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland's Serious Crime Branch are investigating. It is understood the deaths are linked.

Prince in India ahead of Games

0
0
Image The Prince of Wales has arrived in India for the Commonwealth Games and was immediately greeted with an image from his past that left him a little surprised. Charles was shown a picture of himself from 30 years ago as he met staff and students from a prestigious institution that is leading the country's technology and engineering research. He peered at four photographs that showed him with dark hair, slightly trimmer figure and a less lined face and was told they were taken when he visited the educational establishment in 1980. He told the gathered students and staff from the Indian Institutes of Technology - a group of 15 engineering and technology bodies - that is celebrating its golden anniversary he was amazed at their achievements over the years. Speaking at a reception held at the British High Commission in Delhi the prince said: "It is remarkable it's been going 50 years, it will be interesting to see where you all end up - you all make a huge contribution." Joking about the black and white pictures, which showed him giving a speech in 1980 and shaking hands with students, he said: "If you see a photo of yourself after 30 years - it's rather worrying." Charles is in India to represent the Queen at Sunday's opening of the Commonwealth Games, which has been plagued a catalogue of problems. The Delhi games have been hit by a number of problems - from concerns over living conditions in the athletes' village to a pedestrian bridge collapsing near the main stadium and part of the ceiling of the weightlifting auditorium falling down. Clarence House has played down reports of a row over who will preside over the opening ceremony, saying the prince and India's president Pratibha Patil will both play an important part. A spokeswoman said: "Both the Prince of Wales and the president of India will have a prominent role in the opening ceremony in Delhi."

Teenager injured in gun attack

0
0
Image A 16-year-old boy has been shot in the back and legs, police said. The teenager was discovered with bullet wounds shortly before 10pm on Friday night in Camberwell, south London. He was taken to hospital in a serious condition but his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Police were called to reports of shots fired in Coleby Path. "Officers attended and found a male, believed to be aged 16, with gun shot wounds to the back and legs." Officers from the Met Police's Trident unit, which tackles gun crime within the black community, were today continuing their investigations. No arrests have been made.

EuroMillions set for £112m rollover

0
0
Image The chance of entering the ranks of the super-rich is expected to fuel lottery fever this week after a vast EuroMillions draw went unmatched once again. Nobody matched Friday night's EuroMillions draw with the massive £112 million jackpot now rolling on to next Friday. If a UK ticket holder wins they would easily take top spot on The National Lottery Rich List, deposing the £84.4m winner from May this year. The jackpot is the fourth largest ever available in the UK, only behind three previous EuroMillions draws. Since June 2009 ten Britons have won EuroMillions jackpots totalling £347m including the top four big winners on The National Lottery Rich List. A National Lottery spokesman said: "Players love a big jackpot and with the top spot on our Rich List also up for grabs, it is going to be a big EuroMillions week. "The £112 million jackpot is more than enough to transform your life and the lives of your friends and family. "Huge jackpots like these really capture the imagination of players but don't forget that in addition to the chance to scoop a life-changing sum, more people playing EuroMillions means more money raised for Good Causes all over the UK." Last November Les and Sam Scadding from South Wales, and the Magnificent Seven syndicate from Liverpool, stole the UK lottery crown, each banking £45.5m. February saw a new record breaker when Nigel Page from Cirencester won £56m.

Door forces plane emergency landing

0
0
Image A jumbo jet with more than 300 people on board had to make an emergency landing at Heathrow after the handle on one of the doors was reported to be moving, according to the airline. The British Airways Boeing 747, heading to New York, had taken off from Heathrow airport and was over London at 9.20am when a light in the cockpit indicated there was a problem with one of the doors. The pilot turned the aircraft, with 296 passengers and 15 crew on board, around to land at Heathrow. The plane was airborne for 11 minutes, according to a spokeswoman for BA. She added that a full investigation was under way and the passengers were being put on another flight to continue their journey. The spokeswoman said: "Passengers disembarked after the aircraft operating BA117 from Heathrow to New York JFK returned to Heathrow shortly after take off. "The aircraft landed safely and taxied to the stand. "It returned to the airport as a precaution because the handle on one of the doors was moving. At no time was the door open. "We are launching a full investigation as to how this incident occurred."

Twelve killed in US missile attacks

0
0
Image Two suspected American missile strikes have killed 12 alleged militants in a north-western Pakistan tribal region, intelligence officials said, a sign the US is unwilling to stop using the unpopular tactic despite heightened tensions between the two countries over recent border incursions by Nato. The Pakistani Taliban, meanwhile, claimed responsibility for an attack on Nato oil tankers in Pakistan's south, saying they were avenging the killing of three Pakistani border guards by Nato helicopters. In apparent retaliation for the killings, Pakistan has cut off a key US and Nato supply line on its soil. A surge in reported US drone missile strikes in Pakistan along with Nato operations along the border suggest Western forces are cracking down on insurgents who easily move across the porous border between Afghanistan and Pakistan - something Islamabad has been slow to do despite pleas from Washington. Pakistan's willingness to block the supply line amid public outrage, however, shows the leverage it has over the US and Nato. Four suspected US missiles struck a house in Datta Khel village in the North Waziristan tribal region, killing eight suspected militants, the Pakistani intelligence officials said. Four other missiles hit a different house in the area later, killing four more suspected insurgents, they said. Datta Khel is believed to be a hideout for Taliban and al Qaida fighters accused of targeting Nato and US forces in Afghanistan. Those killed today were believed to be insurgents working for warlord Hafiz Gul Bahadur. Over the past five weeks, the US is suspected of launching at least 23 missile strikes in Pakistani territory, an unprecedented number. Western officials say some of the CIA-controlled, drone-fired strikes have been aimed at disrupting a terror plot against European cities. US officials rarely discuss the covert programme, but have described it in the past as a highly successful tool that has killed some top militant leaders. Pakistan, while formally opposing the missile strikes, is believed to secretly provide intelligence for them. Polls show deep opposition among Pakistani citizens to the strikes, along with a belief that they kill large numbers of civilians. Public outrage has also risen over the recent Nato incursions. On Thursday, two Nato helicopters crossed into the Kurram tribal region and killed three Pakistani paramilitary soldiers who fired warning shots at them from a border post.

Tube union warns of safety threat

0
0
Image The Rail Maritime and Transport union (RMT) has warned that London Underground bosses could put passengers' safety at risk by using under-trained staff during a Tube strike. Thousands of members of the RMT and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) are set to walk out for 24 hours from 7pm on Sunday in a row over 800 job cuts. Bob Crow, RMT general secretary, said: "We have been leaked information that managers have been given two days training on key deep safety and emergency procedures that the regulations say require six weeks of intensive instruction. "That is an outrageous case of playing fast and loose with life or death safety procedures and shows that there is no corner that London Underground won't cut to try and run skeleton services regardless of the risks to the public. "Instead of playing dangerous games down the deep tube tunnels the managers responsible for this lethal gamble with safety should be engaging in proper talks with the unions to resolve the issues at the heart of this dispute." Nobody from Transport for London (TfL) was immediately available for comment. Transport bosses are laying on more than 100 extra buses, increasing capacity for more than 10,000 more journeys on the river, organising marshalled taxi ranks and delaying or curtailing planned roadworks. Volunteers will also be positioned at Tube, bus and rail stations to help commuters with their journeys and provide maps and other information, and people who own a bike are being encouraged to cycle to work. TfL said London Underground ran a third of its normal services during a walkout last month, carrying more than a million people.

Family distraught by toddler death

0
0
Image The family of a two-year-old girl who died in hospital after she apparently fell from the second floor of a block of flats have said they are "devastated". Kayleigh Wotherspoon's family described her as "full of life and a cheeky wee monkey". Officers were sent to the scene in Fair Isle Road in Kirkcaldy at around 2.45pm on Friday after reports a child had fallen from the second storey of a block of flats. Kayleigh was taken to Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline before she was transferred to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh where she died. Police said today there appeared to be no suspicious circumstances. In a statement released by Fife Constabulary the family said: "Kayleigh was full of life and a cheeky wee monkey. A loving baby sister to Katelyn. "The whole family are completely devastated and Kayleigh will be sorely missed." Detective Inspector Tom Brown, who is leading the investigation into the death for Fife Constabulary, said: "This is particularly sad case and our thoughts at this time are with the family of Kayleigh. Our investigations are continuing and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal at Kirkcaldy. At this time there appear to be no suspicious circumstances." A woman, who lived near to where the family of the girl lived and wished not to be named, said: "I didn't really know them. I saw them in the street a few times when I was out. It is very sad."

Cuts protests at Tory conference

0
0
Image Thousands of protesters are expected to gather outside the Conservative Party conference to demonstrate against cuts in public spending. Right to Work campaigners will hold a rally at midday on Sunday and then march through Birmingham city centre as the Tories hold their first conference since entering coalition. Between 5,000 and 10,000 activists, trade unionists and students from around the country are expected to attend, campaign organisers said. Labour MP John McDonnell and Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, are among speakers due to address the crowds. They will be joined by campaigners from other organisations and political parties including the Green Party, the Respect party, Keep Our NHS Public and the Local Housing Allowance Reform Group. The campaigners said they rejected the austerity measures being introduced by the coalition, which they claim represent a "full scale assault on the living standards of working people." They will say that working people are being asked to pay for a crisis they did not cause and will declare their solidarity with those fighting similar measures in Greece and elsewhere in Europe. Right to Work campaigner Ron Clark said: "The June 22 emergency budget is only the starter. The Con Dem emergency budget will cost each family £450 a year through the increase in VAT to 20 percent. West Midlands Police said it had worked with the protest organisers to agree a route for the march, which will cause some traffic disruption.
Viewing all 5527 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images