UK border staff 'not ready' for Ebola

31 July 2014 Last updated at 10:23

Border, immigration and customs staff feel unprepared to deal with people coming to the UK with possible cases of the Ebola virus, a union leader says.

Immigration Service Union (ISU) general secretary Lucy Moreton said her members needed more information on the threat.

But the Border Force has insisted staff have been given guidance on how to identify and deal with suspected cases.

Almost 700 people have died in West Africa since the first case of Ebola was detected in February.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the UK government was taking the current threat to the country "very seriously".

Ebola kills up to 90% of those infected but patients have a better chance of survival if they receive early treatment.

'No guidance'

Mrs Moreton told BBC News that ISU members were "very concerned".

"They serve on the front line; they are the first point of contact usually for people coming off an aircraft and the concern is what do they do if they're confronted with someone that doesn't appear well who appears at the border," she said.

"There is no health facility at the border, there is no containment facility, and until extremely recently there has been no guidance issued to staff at all as to what they should do," she said on BBC Radio 4's The World Tonight.

"They are phoning us up and asking, 'what are we supposed to do, how do we spot this, how do we protect ourselves?', and we can't answer that for them just now."

A Border Force spokesperson said its priority remained the security of the border, which included helping protect public health.

"We have well-established procedures for dealing with infectious diseases," the spokesperson said.

"We are currently working closely with partners such as Public Health England to minimise any potential risk and Border Force officers have already been given guidance on how to identify and safely deal with suspected cases of Ebola."

Mr Hammond said the UK's health services had the experience to deal with the threat posed by the deadly virus.

Negative test

He said the threat to Britain came from someone contracting the disease abroad and becoming unwell back in the UK, but the disease had not yet "directly" affected the UK.

Elsewhere, Dr Nick Beeching, senior lecturer at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, told the BBC people were not going to catch the virus simply by being on a plane with an infected person.

"This is acquired by close contact with body fluids of people that are infected," he said.

"It's not spread through the air, like let's say flu or SARS, so it's a very different kind of transmission from those infections."

Several West African airlines have now stopped flying to Liberia and Sierra Leone amid concerns about the spread of the disease to those countries from Guinea.

The move comes after an infected American man of Liberian descent was found to have flown from Liberia to Nigeria last week. He developed symptoms during the flight.

All schools in Liberia have been shut down to try to stem the outbreak - the world's deadliest to date - and some communities have been placed into quarantine. Sierra Leone's president has declared a public health emergency.

Earlier this month Public Health England issued an alert to UK doctors to be aware of Ebola symptoms.

Ebola virus disease (EVD)

• Symptoms include high fever, bleeding and central nervous system damage
• Fatality rate can reach 90%
• Incubation period is two to 21 days
• There is no vaccine or cure
• Supportive care such as rehydrating patients who have diarrhoea and vomiting can help recovery
• Fruit bats are considered to be virus' natural host

Do you work in immigration and customs? How prepared is the UK? Do you have family in West Africa who are affected by the outbreak? You can send your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using 'Ebola UK' in the subject line.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Assault charge for duke's ex-aide

31 July 2014 Last updated at 06:45

A former aide to the Duke of Edinburgh has been accused of sexually assaulting a girl in the 1970s.

Benjamin Herman, 79, is charged with three indecent assaults between 1972 and 1974, during which time he served as an equerry to Prince Philip.

Prosecutors say the alleged victim was aged about 12 at the time.

Mr Herman is due appear before Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on Monday. A spokesman for Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

The Lieutenant-Colonel was the duke's personal assistant between 1971 to 1974, attending to his engagements and private matters.

He later went on to become head of the Princess Royal's household in 1974.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "Officers from Wandsworth CID investigating an allegation of historical sexual assault which occurred between 1972 and 1974 at a location in Putney arrested a 79-year-old man.

"He was subsequently bailed to a date in mid-June pending further investigation."

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

New Ofsted chair to be announced

31 July 2014 Last updated at 07:57

The government is set to announce its choice for the new chairman of schools regulator Ofsted, the BBC understands.

Whitehall sources suggest the frontrunner is businessman David Hoare - the current chairman of the mail company DX Group and a trustee of AET, the largest academy group in the UK.

The post became vacant in February when ministers failed to renew then chairman Baroness Sally Morgan's contract.

She said there was a "determined effort" to appoint Tories to the job.

Then Education Secretary Michael Gove's unexpected decision not to extend her three-year contract prompted a coalition row, amid speculation that multimillionaire Tory donor and Carphone Warehouse co-founder, David Ross, would be appointed.

Liberal Democrat schools minister David Laws was also said to be furious about the decision to replace Baroness Morgan.

The Lib Dems suggested Mr Gove had been trying to politicise the post, which his allies denied.

They insisted the selection process was overseen by an independent panel, and Downing Street said appointments were made on merit.

Mr Gove said he wanted a fresh face at the schools watchdog.

Better relations

Baroness Morgan was previously a senior aide to Tony Blair when he was prime minister.

BBC political correspondent Vicki Young says Mr Hoare's appointment would be "far less controversial" than that of former frontrunner Mr Ross.

Mr Hoare has been chairman of a number of companies including Virgin Express, Paragon Group and Laura Ashley.

He is also a trustee of the Teenage Cancer Trust.

His appointment would be an indication that relations between the Conservatives and Lib Dems in the Department for Education have been patched up since Mr Gove was moved in the recent reshuffle, our correspondent adds.

Mr Gove was replaced as education secretary by Nicky Morgan in mid-July.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Warm weather hits British Gas profit

31 July 2014 Last updated at 09:31

British Gas has reported a sharp drop in profits for the first half of the year due to warmer weather.

Residential supply operating profit fell by a quarter to £265m, owner Centrica said. Operating profit at the parent company was down 35% at £1.03bn.

Centrica said the average annual British Gas customer bill would be £90 lower this year than in 2013.

Earlier, regulator Ofgem said the big six energy firms were set to double profit margins over the next year.

The industry accused Ofgem of using inaccurate figures.

Profit margins

The predicted fall in bills this year is due to warmer weather and energy efficiencies, Centrica said, rather than to any fall in residential energy prices.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

The good news from a customer's point of view is that actually we expect average bills to [come] down"

End Quote Sam Laidlaw Centrica chief executive

It added that post-tax profit margins would be about 4%, lower than last year and below the 4.5%-5% the company says it needs to achieve in order to make necessary investments in the business.

Centrica said the number of British Gas residential customer accounts fell by about 1% in the first three months of the year before stabilising in the second quarter.

"We had warmer weather in the UK which meant that actually our average customer's consumption of gas was down 24%," Centrica's chief executive Sam Laidlaw told the BBC.

"We actually also simultaneously had very cold weather in the US - the polar vortex - which resulted in generating companies charging us with a lot of additional ancillary costs.

"The good news from a customer's point of view is that actually we expect average bills to be down by some 7%, or £90, this year."

Mr Laidlaw also said profits would be lower this year than last, but that the group was "well positioned to return to growth in 2015".

Earlier this week, Centrica announced that Iain Conn, currently BP's head of refining and marketing, will take over from Mr Laidlaw as chief executive at the start of 2015.

Richard Lloyd, executive director of consumer group Which?, highlighted the fact that profits fell because the group sold less energy because of lower demand.

"British Gas profits are down because of a warm winter, not lower prices. Ofgem reports that supplier profit margins are set to double, while energy costs continue to be the top consumer concern," he said.

"Energy companies must do everything they can to pass on any savings to their customers, including falling wholesale and network costs. That's why we need the competition authority to establish whether the price we pay for our energy is fair."

Investigation

Ofgem estimated that the big six energy firms - British Gas, EDF, E.On, RWE, Scottish Power and SSE - would make on average a profit margin of 8% over the next year.

But the industry said the figures were not only inaccurate, but did not take tax or interest into account.

Ofgem has already referred the industry to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

The CMA is looking at rising bills, service quality and profitability of big energy companies, but will focus particularly on whether they can be both energy generators and retailers at the same time.

Domestic Gas Supply Margin
	2012	2011	2010	2009
Source: Segmental Statements
Centrica	11.2%	8.1%	10.6%	7.4%
EON	-1.8%	-5.4%	-2.0%	-7.3%
EDF	-4.1%	-9.0%	-1.4%	-13.5%
RWE	1.7%	-1.6%	-0.4%	-8.8%
Scottish Power	7.1%	11.4%	6.3%	-0.9%
SSE	11.4%	8.6%	6.3%	-3.2%

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Two thirds of pier saved in fire

31 July 2014 Last updated at 10:35

Fire crews have saved two thirds of Eastbourne Pier after fire destroyed part of the structure, leaving a metal skeleton.

The blaze broke out on Wednesday afternoon behind some wood panelling in the arcade building.

Chief fire officer Des Pritchard said the outgoing tide and low water pressure had hampered crews but their hard work had "paid off".

Fire minister Penny Mordaunt is to visit the pier "as a priority".

Ms Mordaunt said she would be visiting Eastbourne to speak to local people and thank firefighters for their efforts.

No-one was injured and the fire is not being treated as suspicious.

Mr Pritchard, of East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Pier fires are very difficult to fight because there's only one way on to the pier from the land side.

"Our crews worked tremendously well and whilst some of the pictures in the media show what might be a scene of devastation, our crews managed to save two thirds of the pier."

He said most of the hotspots had been extinguished overnight, with RNLI lifeboat crews assisting.

BBC Sussex reporter Simon Jenkins

Looking towards the pier, if you start on the outer pavilion that's absolutely fine.

You move back along it and then you come to effectively a skeleton of steel and twisted iron.

It's a blackened hulk of twisted metal.

People are shocked, people are concerned and they're coming down to check if the rest of it is still here.

The arcade has been left a shell and a number of small buildings at the Victorian structure have been badly damaged, a fire service spokesman said.

An investigation into the cause of the blaze is under way.

Kay Healy, who works at the History Bear Collection on the pier, said the attraction was very busy when fire alarm went off.

"When we walked towards the front of the pier there was smoke coming out of the arcade," she said.

"The pier was packed...it took five minutes to get people off.

"There was no panic - no-one running, just walking."

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Aerial footage of Eastbourne Pier on fire

She said it took at least 30 minutes for the bystanders to see the flames.

"Then when we went to the other side of the pier, we realised how serious it was," Ms Healy said.

"The fire crew was trying to smash the roof in to get the hoses in and then all of a sudden the flames came from everywhere. It was horrendous."

Eastbourne MP Stephen Lloyd said: "The good news is that we don't have a Brighton or Hastings scenario where the whole pier is destroyed."

Mr Lloyd is due to meet the pier's owners and local councillors later to discuss the blaze and its aftermath.

Eastbourne Borough Council leader David Tutt said he was hopeful the pier could be repaired, and he understood the fire had been started by an electrical fault.

Pier fires

• The Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare was damaged by fires in 1930 and 2008
• Hastings Pier was almost destroyed by a fire on 5 October 2010
• West Pier in Brighton burned down in 2003
• The Indian Pavilion on Blackpool's North Pier was destroyed by fire in 1921
• South Parade Pier in Southsea was destroyed by a blaze in 1904
• Another fire in 1974 meant the pier needed rebuilding for a second time

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Israel to 'destroy all Gaza tunnels'

31 July 2014 Last updated at 10:35

Israel will not stop its operation in Gaza until all the tunnels constructed by Hamas have been destroyed, PM Benjamin Netanyahu has said.

Speaking ahead of a cabinet meeting, he said Israel was determined to destroy the tunnels - used to attack troops and towns - "with or without a ceasefire".

Earlier Israel called up 16,000 reservists, bringing the total mobilised so far to 86,000.

Some 425,000 people in Gaza have been displaced by fighting, the UN says.

The UN says it is sheltering 225,178 Palestinians in 86 shelters across Gaza, with 200,000 more thought to be sheltering with friends or family.

The total number displaced amounts to 25% of all of Gaza's 1.7 million inhabitants.

Israel began Operation Protective Edge on 8 July. Since then at least 1,360 Palestinians have been killed, mostly civilians.

The operation began with a focus on Hamas' rocket-launching capability, but has since expanded to take in the threat from tunnels.

After air strikes began, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) discovered an extensive network of tunnels leading from Gaza into Israel.

Hamas militants have launched several attacks from the tunnels, killing a number of Israeli soldiers.

It launched a ground operation to destroy the tunnels on 17 July, and insists that any ceasefire deal includes the right to continue that mission.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tags plan to cut alcohol-linked crime

31 July 2014 Last updated at 10:40

Repeat offenders convicted of alcohol-related crimes could be forced to wear ankle tags to monitor whether they are still drinking, under a pilot scheme.

The tags will record levels of alcohol in their sweat every 30 minutes.

The 12-month trial in four London boroughs - Croydon, Lambeth, Southwark and Sutton - gives courts the ability to ban people from drinking alcohol.

Up to 150 offenders are expected to be made to wear the tags for four months to make sure they comply.

The aim of the pilot scheme is to reduce the costs and harm caused by excess drinking.

Alcohol tagging has been trialled in previous schemes in the UK, but this new programme marks the first time courts will be able to enforce it.

A Home Office study has estimated that about one million violent crimes a year in England and Wales are linked to alcohol.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Katrina, a mother who took part in an alcohol tag trial: "I think it's a good deterrent"

For the next year, courts in the four boroughs will be able to impose "alcohol abstinence and monitoring requirements" on people who commit crimes while drunk.

Offenders who are subject to the orders will have to wear an anklet known as a transdermal tag. If the alcohol level in their sweat shows they have been drinking, they may face further penalties.

The tags will not be used on people who are alcohol dependent or require specialist medical support.

'Booze culture'

Up to 150 offenders are to be fitted with the tags, including motorists repeatedly convicted of drink-driving and people who cause trouble after drinking too much in pubs and clubs.

The scheme is being introduced by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, and it is similar to programmes already in force in the US.

Mr Johnson said: "Alcohol-fuelled criminal behaviour is a real scourge on our high streets, deterring law-abiding citizens from enjoying our great city, especially at night, placing massive strain on frontline services, while costing businesses and the taxpayer billions of pounds.

"I pledged to tackle this booze culture by making the case to government for new powers to allow mandatory alcohol testing as an additional enforcement option for the courts."

Professor Keith Humphreys, a former senior policy adviser at the drug policy office in the White House, told the BBC that alcohol ankle-tagging worked.

"The affect on crime has been dramatic. In South Dakota - where this was initially developed - there has been a 12% drop in repeat drink driving arrests and a 9% drop in domestic violence arrests."

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

HSBC closes some Muslims' accounts

30 July 2014 Last updated at 05:00 By Dominic Laurie Reporter, Radio 5 live

HSBC bank has written to Finsbury Park Mosque and other Muslim organisations in the UK to tell them that their accounts will be closed.

The reason given in some cases was that to continue providing services would be outside the bank's "risk appetite".

The wife and teenage children of a man who runs a London based Islamic think tank have also been contacted.

HSBC said decisions to close accounts were "absolutely not based on race or religion".

"We do not discuss relationships we may or may not have with a customer, nor confirm whether an individual or business is, or has been a customer.

"Discrimination against customers on grounds of race or religion is immoral, unacceptable and illegal, and HSBC has comprehensive rules and policies in place to ensure race or religion are never factors in banking decisions."

No chance

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

They have put us now in a very, very difficult situation - this is the only account we have"

End Quote Mohammed Kozbar

Finsbury Park Mosque in north London was written to by HSBC on 22 July.

The only reason given for the intention to close its account was that "the provision of banking services… now falls outside of our risk appetite".

In the letter, the bank notifies the treasurer of the mosque that it will close the account on 22 September.

Khalid Oumar, one of the trustees of the mosque, questioned the motives behind the letters.

"The letters that have been sent and the letters that we received do not give any reason why the accounts were closed in the first place," he said.

"That has led us to believe that the only reason this has happened is because of an Islamophobic campaign targeting Muslim charities in the UK."

'Astonishing'

The mosque's chairman Mohammed Kozbar told the BBC: "The bank didn't even contact us beforehand. Didn't give us a chance even to address [their] concerns.

"For us it is astonishing - we are a charity operating in the UK, all our operations are here in the UK and we don't transfer any money out of the UK. All our operations are funded from funds within the UK."

Until 2005, the mosque was run by Abu Hamza, who in May this year was convicted of terrorism offences in the United States.

"The positive work we have done since taking over over from Abu Hamza to change the image of the mosque, there is nothing really that can explain [HSBC's decision]," says Mr Kozbar.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

It is unsettling. I am not used to being addressed in those terms. It's like I have done something wrong"

End Quote Anas Al Tikriti

"They have put us now in a very, very difficult situation - this is the only account we have."

Mr Kozbar says HSBC's decision could have negative repercussions for the bank.

"We are sure that our community will be frustrated, and might consider closing their accounts themselves with HSBC if the bank doesn't reopen our account, or at least give us an explanation."

Jeremy Corbyn, the local MP for Finsbury Park, says he has worked with the mosque ever since it was built.

"Over the past 10 years, it has developed into a superb example of a community mosque supporting local people and providing facilities for all faiths if they need it.

"I am shocked and appalled at the decision of HSBC."

'Unsettling'

Anas Al Tikriti was born in Baghdad but has lived in the UK for several decades. His family has also received letters. He runs the Cordoba Foundation, a think tank on Islamic issues set up in 2005 in order to address, he says, the relationship between Europe and the Middle East.

He, his wife and his sons aged 16 and 12 all received separate letters this week from HSBC informing them that their accounts would be closed in September. This time, no reason was given.

Mr Al Tikriti says he has banked with HSBC since the 1980s and has rarely been overdrawn.

"It is unsettling. I am not used to being addressed in those terms. It's like I have done something wrong. The involvement of my family disturbs me. Why the entire family?"

"I can only speculate - and I wish someone from the bank could explain [why the accounts were closed]. The organisations are mainly charities and the link is that many of them if not all of them are vocal on the issue of Palestine."

"It would be a great shame if that was true. As I'm left to speculate, that's the only reason I can come to."

His think tank, the Cordoba Foundation, which also banks with HSBC, was also told that its account will close, with an almost identical letter to that sent to the Finsbury Park Mosque, and dated the same day.

'Alternative arrangements'

Ummah Welfare trust, based in Bolton, has distributed £70m to projects in 20 countries. It has had a presence in Gaza for 10 years.

In a letter, also dated 22 July, HSBC gave Ummah the same reason for closing its account that it had given to the Finsbury Park Mosque - that "provision of banking services now falls outside our risk appetite".

It then gave the charity two months' notice of its decision to close the trust's accounts.

"You will need to make alternative banking arrangements, as we are not prepared to open another account for you," the letter continues.

Mohammed Ahmad, who runs Ummah, says it is a dream customer for a bank and always in credit.

He asked HSBC in a meeting why the accounts were closing, but says the bank's representative gave them no answer.

Mr Ahmad says that they "have always tried to work within a legal framework and accommodate banks, if, for example, there was an issue with sanctions".

Mr Ahmad says he thinks HSBC has made its decision because of its work in Gaza, where he says Ummah provides "ambulances, food aid, medical aid, and grants."

"We make sure we go out of the way to work with organisations that are non-partisan. What we do now is we do a check on Thomson Reuters and make sure that there is no link whatsoever with blacklisted organisations. We don't want to damage our relief efforts. We have tried our best to be non-partisan as much as possible."

A government official the BBC spoke to said they did not believe this was the result of government action but reflected a decision the bank had taken itself based on its own risk analysis.

In December 2012, HSBC had to pay US authorities $1.9bn (£1.2bn) in a settlement over money laundering, the largest paid in such a case. It was alleged to have helped launder money belonging to drug cartels and states under US sanctions.

In August last year, it was reported that HSBC asked more than 40 embassies, consulates and High Commissions in the UK to close their accounts. At the time, the bank said "HSBC has been applying a rolling programme of "five filter" assessments to all its businesses since May 2011, and our services for embassies are no exception."

The Charities Commission has confirmed that it is not investigating any of the organisations involved and says that if the charities don't have a relationship with a bank it could harm public trust in their work.

Have you received a letter from HSBC to say your account has been closed? Send your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using 'HSBC' as the subject.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Guinea concert stampede kills 24

30 July 2014 Last updated at 05:12

At least 24 people have died in a stampede at a beach concert in Conakry, the capital of Guinea, to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The president's office has declared a week of national mourning after what it called a "tragic drama" at a concert by the Guinean rap group Instinct Killers.

Dozens of people were injured, said police sources quoted by AFP.

The concert took place on Tuesday evening on a beach in Ratoma, a northern suburb of Conakry.

The authorities were "shocked by the tragic drama caused by mass movements at a cultural event," said a statement from the president's office.

Hospital sources said there were 13 girls among the dead.

Did you attend the concert? You can send us your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line "Guinea concert".

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gaza refuge suffers deadly shelling

30 July 2014 Last updated at 09:45

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Martin Patience reports: The school was attacked ''without warning''

Tank fire has killed at least 15 Palestinians sheltering at a school in a Gaza refugee camp, the UN says.

Witnesses at the UN-run Abu Hussein school, where thousands were taking refuge, said walls had been destroyed.

Israel, which has accused the militant group Hamas of using schools as bases to launch rockets, said it was investigating the reports.

At least 1,200 Palestinians and 55 Israelis have been killed since Israel launched its offensive on 8 July.

Most of the Palestinian deaths have been civilians.

Some 53 Israeli soldiers have been killed along with two civilians. A Thai worker in Israel has also died.

The Israelis launched its offensive in Gaza after a surge in rocket fire from the territory.

Hamas, which controls Gaza, says it will not stop fighting until the blockade, maintained by both Israel and Egypt, is lifted.

The current conflict is now the longest between Israel and militants from Gaza.

A 2012 offensive lasted for eight days, and the 2008 conflict went on for 22 days.

A monthly opinion poll of about 600 Israeli Jews by Tel Aviv University suggests 97% support the current military operation.

Bob Turner from the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) told the BBC that the attack on the school in the Jabaliya refugee camp came without warning.

He said the Palestinians had been told to take refuge at the school as a safe area from the fighting.

A reporter for the Associated Press said there was a large round hole in the ceiling of a classroom and another in one of the bathrooms.

In another classroom, the strike had blown out the front wall, AP reported.

Mr Turner said early indications suggested the school was hit by "multiple explosive projectiles".

Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra accused the Israelis of attacking the school and gave a much higher death toll.

Rockets found

Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of using schools and civilian areas as bases to launch attacks, although it is unclear whether the Abu Hussein school was under suspicion.

A UN-run school was hit last week, with Palestinians saying at least 15 were killed.

But the Israeli military "ruled out" that it was responsible, saying a single "errant" shell had landed in an empty courtyard. It said it had come under fire from militants using anti-tank missiles in the vicinity of the school.

The UN on Tuesday revealed that a cache of rockets had been found at one of its schools in Gaza - the third case of its kind.

But the organisation declined to give the location of the school or say who was responsible for the weapons.

In a statement, UNRWA said it was "yet another flagrant violation of the neutrality of our premises. We call on all the warring parties to respect the inviolability of UN property."

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Israel has mourned the deaths of five soldiers killed by Hamas militants that emerged from an underground tunnel, as Orla Guerin reports

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

The BBC's Chris Morris reports from the ruins of a Gaza mosque, where he says the mood is one of "defiance"

Israel stepped up the intensity of its strikes on Tuesday and overnight into Wednesday, saying it had hit a number of tunnels dug by militants to infiltrate and attack Israel.

But the Israeli military said rockets continued to land in Israel from Gaza.

Palestinian officials said Gaza's port had been destroyed on Tuesday, its only power plant had been put out of action.

Meanwhile, Palestinian factions Hamas, Fatah and Islamic Jihad are expected to meet in Cairo later to discuss a ceasefire.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK 'to feel Russia sanction pain'

30 July 2014 Last updated at 10:07

The UK will pay an economic price for imposing sanctions on Russia, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said.

But he said the "pain" would be no worse than in other EU countries and would be worth it to curb "Russian aggression".

Details of the latest EU sanctions package will be announced later on Wednesday.

It is likely to include a new list of Russian oligarchs who are to face asset freezes and travel bans.

There will also be measures aimed at the the oil sector, defence equipment and sensitive technologies.

'Take a stand'

The aim was to put pressure on Russian banks and industrialists - the "cronies around Mr Putin, who will feel the pain personally" - to make them "think very hard about the impact this is having on Russia's economy," said the foreign secretary.

Sanctions are already having significant costs on Russia, with its central bank spending tens of billions of dollars in order to defend the rouble, a senior state department official has told the BBC.

Mr Hammond told BBC Breakfast: "The sanctions package is is designed to hurt Russia more than it hurts us but it would be absurd to suggest that we can impose wide-ranging sanctions on the Russian economy without also having some impact on ourselves.

"So our discussions last week focused on a package which shares the burden fairly across the EU, making sure that the big economies share the pain.

"But if we are going to take a stand against Russian aggression, if we are going to insist on Russia behaving like a civilised nation in the modern world then we have to be prepared to pay the price for doing that."

He said the sanctions regime will "go on for as long as it needs to go on".

'Unavoidable'

But he suggested that if Russia began to cooperate with the international community over the downing of the Malaysia Airlines jet that killed 298 people in eastern Ukraine - and ended support for Ukrainian rebels - then the EU could begin to "ratchet down" the sanctions.

He rejected suggestions Britain was likely to suffer most from sanctions, saying Russian banks only made up a small proportion of business in the City.

Russia has come under increased pressure after the downing of the Malaysia Airlines jet that killed 298 people in eastern Ukraine.

Western nations have said there is growing evidence that the plane was hit by a Russian-supplied missile fired by rebels. Russia has denied supplying heavy weapons to the rebels, and Russia and the rebels blame Ukrainian government forces.

US President Barack Obama has announced new economic sanctions against Russia, including banning people in the US from banking with three Russian banks.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the latest EU measures as "unavoidable".

Vladimir Chizhov, Russia's ambassador to the EU, told the BBC: "I am disappointed because the EU is slipping along the tracks that lead nowhere."

Last weekend, the EU subjected a further 15 Russian individuals and 18 entities to asset freezes and visa bans for their alleged involvement in the Ukraine conflict.

The list of 87 targets of EU sanctions now includes the heads of the Federal Security Service (FSB) and foreign intelligence, the president of Chechnya, as well as two Crimean energy firms.

However, UK company BP, which owns nearly 20% of Russian state oil giant Rosneft, has warned that further sanctions against Russia could "adversely impact" its performance.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK to allow driverless cars on roads

30 July 2014 Last updated at 10:30

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

The BBC's Rory Cellan-Jones takes a ride in a driverless car

The UK government has announced that driverless cars will be allowed on public roads from January next year.

It also invited cities to compete to host one of three trials of the tech, which would start at the same time.

In addition, ministers ordered a review of the UK's road regulations to provide appropriate guidelines.

The Department for Transport had originally pledged to let self-driving cars be trialled on public roads by the end of 2013.

Business Secretary Vince Cable revealed the details of the new plan at a research facility belonging to Mira, an automotive engineering firm based in the Midlands.

"Today's announcement will see driverless cars take to our streets in less than six months, putting us at the forefront of this transformational technology and opening up new opportunities for our economy and society," he said.

UK engineers, including a group at the University of Oxford, have been experimenting with driverless cars. But, concerns about legal and insurance issues have so far restricted the machines to private roads.

Other countries have, however, been swifter to provide access to public routes.

The US States of California, Nevada and Florida have all approved tests of the vehicles. In California alone, Google's driverless car has done more than 300,000 miles on the open road.

In 2013, Nissan carried out Japan's first public road test of an autonomous vehicle on a highway.

And in Europe, the Swedish city of Gothenburg has given Volvo permission to test 1,000 driverless cars - although that trial is not scheduled to occur until 2017.

Competition cash

UK cities wanting to host one of the trials have until the start of October to declare their interest.

The tests are then intended to run for between 18 to 36 months.

A £10m fund has been created to cover their costs, with the sum to be divided between the three winners.

Meanwhile, civil servants have been given until the end of this year to publish a review of road regulations.

This will cover the need for self-drive vehicles to comply with safety and traffic laws, and involve changes to the Highway Code, which applies to England, Scotland and Wales.

Two area will be examined by the review: how the rules should apply to vehicles in which the driver can take back control at short notice, and how they should apply to vehicles in which there is no driver.

International rivals

In May, Google unveiled plans to manufacture 100 self-driving vehicles.

The search-giant exhibited a prototype which has no steering wheel or pedals - just a stop-go button.

Google has also put its autonomous driving technology in cars built by other companies, including Toyota, Audi and Lexus.

Other major manufacturers, including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and General Motors, are developing their own models.

Most recently, the Chinese search engine Baidu also declared an interest, saying its research labs were at an "early stage of development" on a driverless car project.

But concerns about the safety of driverless cars have been raised by politicians in the US and elsewhere.

Earlier this month, the FBI warned that driverless cars could be used as lethal weapons, predicting that the vehicles "will have a high impact on transforming what both law enforcement and its adversaries can operationally do with a car".

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ebola virus threatens UK - Hammond

30 July 2014 Last updated at 10:30

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

UK Foreign Secretary: "Ebola is something we need to respond to."

The Ebola virus, which has killed more than 670 people in West Africa, is a threat to the UK, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has told the BBC.

He said he would chair an emergency Cobra meeting on the issue later.

Mr Hammond said no Britons had been affected so far and there were no cases in the UK, but the government was viewing the outbreak very seriously.

Earlier this month Public Health England issued an alert to UK doctors to be aware of Ebola's symptoms.

Several West African airlines have now stopped flying to Liberia and Sierra Leone amid concerns about the outbreak.

It comes after an infected Liberian man was found to have travelled through a major Nigerian airport last week.

At the scene

Tulip Mazumdar, Gueckadou, Guinea

This is the final resting place of the latest victim of Ebola: a four-month-old baby boy called Faya.

He caught the virus from his mother, who died a few weeks earlier. His is the 20th anonymous grave in this dark and lonely clearing.

"I was there with him just before he died," says Adele Millimouno, a Medicines Sans Frontieres (MSF) nurse recruited from a nearby village.

"I had been feeding him milk. I stepped away, just for a short break, but then I was called back and he was dead. I was totally devastated."

Ebola voices: Fighting the deadly virus in Guinea

Why Ebola is so dangerous

'Managing risk'

Mr Hammond told BBC News the government was "absolutely focused" on tackling the threat posed by the Ebola virus, including looking at "whether there are precautions we need to take - either in the UK or to protect our nationals in the area abroad".

He went on: "At the moment we don't think any British nationals [abroad] are affected and we are fairly confident there are no cases in the UK.

"But it is a threat, it is something we need to respond to and we will be doing so through the Cobra mechanism."

The Department of Health said a man had been tested for Ebola in Birmingham but tests for the virus proved negative.

A Public Health England spokeswoman said the alert sent to UK doctors on 1 July advised them to be aware of the symptoms of Ebola, especially in people who had recently returned from the affected area.

Issuing national medical alerts was a very common event, she added.

Earlier, the government's chief scientific adviser Sir Mark Walport told the Daily Telegraph Ebola was a threat because of how "interconnected" the world was now.

Sir Mark said: "The most dangerous infections of humans have always been those which have emerged from other species. They are a potential major threat to us.

"Emerging infectious disease is a global grand challenge. We were lucky with Sars. But we have to do the best horizon scanning.

"We have to think about risk and managing risk appropriately."

Analysis

Helen Briggs, Health Editor, BBC News website

Doctors have been told to remain vigilant for possible cases of Ebola "imported" to the UK.

The medical director of Public Health England said it was "unlikely but not impossible" that travellers infected in West Africa could develop symptoms on their return. According to Dr Ben Neuman, a virologist at Reading University, the chance of the virus spreading in the UK was "very, very small".

He said border staff are already trained to deal with illnesses of this kind, and anyone showing signs of fever from an outbreak area would be stopped, quarantined and treated in containment facilities if the infection were confirmed.

He said the virus itself is "delicate and inefficient - you have to pick it up from bodily fluids". But he said it was sensible to be prepared, given the situation in West Africa.

Early treatment

Elsewhere, Dr Brian McCloskey, director of global health at Public Health England, said the outbreak was "clearly not yet under control" in West Africa.

"The risk to UK travellers and people working in [affected countries] of contracting Ebola is very low but we have alerted UK medical practitioners about the situation in West Africa and requested they remain vigilant for unexplained illness in those who have visited the affected area.

"It is important to stress that no cases of imported Ebola have ever been reported in the UK and the risk of a traveller going to West Africa and contracting Ebola remains very low since Ebola is transmitted by direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person."

BBC global health correspondent Tulip Mazumdar said the West African outbreak had been going on for four months.

In that time local people had been looking after the sick and carrying out burials, which could actually help to spread the virus, she added.

Ebola kills up to 90% of those infected, but patients have a better chance of survival if they receive early treatment.

The outbreak - the world's deadliest to date - was first reported in Guinea in February. It then spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Ebola virus disease (EVD)

• Symptoms include high fever, bleeding and central nervous system damage
• Fatality rate can reach 90%
• Incubation period is two to 21 days
• There is no vaccine or cure
• Supportive care such as rehydrating patients who have diarrhoea and vomiting can help recovery
• Fruit bats are considered to be virus' natural host

Are you affected by the issues raised in this story? Are you in West Africa or do you have family there? You can send your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using 'ebola' in the subject.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bank unveils bonus clawback plan

30 July 2014 Last updated at 10:37

The Bank of England has unveiled plans that mean rule-breaking bankers may have to pay back bonuses up to seven years after being awarded them.

Bankers that are found guilty of causing a bank to fail could also be jailed for long periods.

Even if bonuses paid in shares have been cashed and spent, bankers could be asked to pay the money back.

The banking industry said the new rules could put UK banks at a disadvantage compared with banks elsewhere.

Many bankers receive a substantial chunk of their pay in the form of an annual bonus, which can be up to double their basic salary.

Under current rules, that bonus is usually deferred for a period of three to five years, during which time it can be clawed back if appropriate.

Continue reading the main story

In principle, I support the idea that where there is wrongdoing, there should be appropriate punishment"

End Quote Antony Jenkins Barclays chief executive

But misconduct such as rigging interest rates or reckless risk-taking can take longer to emerge, so under the new policy, bonuses may be clawed back up to seven years later.

There will also be a new criminal offence, involving a "reckless decision" which causes a financial institution to fail.

To be found guilty, senior managers would have to be aware at the time that their actions might cause the bank or building society to collapse.

'Responsibility'

"Holding individuals to account is a key component of our job as regulators of banks," said Andrew Bailey, the Bank's deputy governor for prudential regulation.

"The combination of clearer individual responsibilities and enhanced risk management incentives will encourage individuals in banks to take greater responsibility for their actions," he said.

The move comes days after Lloyds Banking Group was fined £218m.

The company was condemned for "serious misconduct" over certain key interest rates set in London.

The British Bankers' Association maintains the rules will put UK banks at a disadvantage to their foreign competitors and could see top bankers, and the tax they contribute, go elsewhere.

'Conduct issues'

Commenting on the plans, Antony Jenkins, chief executive of Barclays, said: "I believe that banks have to regulate themselves and that's why culture is so important, so that banks do the right business in the right way.

"I would say that in principle, I support the idea that where there is wrongdoing, there should be appropriate punishment.

"If that's criminal wrongdoing, it should be criminal, if it's recklessness, that should be punished also, so I'm not against the concept of clawback, " he continued.

The Bank of England warned in March that bankers might have to return their bonuses up to six years after receiving them.

Speaking earlier in the year, Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, told the BBC's Andrew Marr that bank bonuses should be deferred for a "very long time" to ensure bad practice was not rewarded.

He said the structure of compensation should change to allow banks to take back bonuses if senior staff were found to have taken "risks that were not fully understood" and if there were "conduct issues".

He said new rules already in place would prevent banks from paying increased bonuses if their capital levels fell below a certain level.

In February, the Bank of England set out tougher proposals for non-EU banks, to try to prevent a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis.

Non-EU banks wanting to take deposits would have to set up subsidiaries in the UK and face stricter rules, it said.

These would then be directly regulated by the UK's Prudential Regulatory Authority (PRA).

Do you work in finance? If so, what are your thoughts on the move? You can send us your views and experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line "bank bonuses".

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

UN calls for immediate Gaza truce

28 July 2014 Last updated at 09:30

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Eugene-Richard Gasana: "The Security Council urges the parties and the international community to achieve a comprehensive peace"

The UN Security Council has called for an "immediate and unconditional humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza.

An emergency session backed a statement calling for a truce over the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr "and beyond".

Both the Palestinian and Israeli envoys to the UN criticised the statement, for different reasons.

Gaza had its quietest night in weeks after a weekend punctuated by brief truce initiatives offered by both Israel and Hamas.

More than 1,030 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 43 Israeli soldiers and two Israeli civilians have been killed. A Thai national in Israel has also died.

The Gaza health ministry on Sunday revised the number of Palestinian dead down by 30 after some relatives found missing family members.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Ian Pannell reports on the intense bombardment in Gaza

Israel's military reported a new rocket attack on Monday morning, saying it had hit an open area in southern Israel. It fired back, in its first reported military action since late on Sunday evening.

At the scene: Martin Patience, BBC News, Gaza

The big hope here is that the patchwork of ceasefires we have seen in the past couple of days will become more sustainable and durable, that through international pressure we will see the ceasefires hold and hostilities end.

This was perhaps the quietest night in the Gaza Strip that we've seen in the three weeks since this operation began. Today marks the start of Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, and it is a festival which is supposed to last three days, so people here will certainly welcome the quiet.

But the reality is that there is not a great deal to celebrate in Gaza. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting, most of them civilians. More than 100,000 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes. So people will welcome this respite but there is still uncertainty.

'Durable' truce

The UN Security Council endorsed a statement from Rwanda, the current president of the council, calling for a "durable" truce based on an Egyptian initiative - under which a pause in hostilities would lead to substantive talks on the future of Gaza, including the opening of Gaza's border crossings.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Orla Guerin reports on Israel's response to rocket attacks

The statement also emphasised that "civilian and humanitarian facilities, including those of the UN, must be respected and protected".

It further stressed the need for "immediate provision of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip".

The Palestinian representative at the UN, Riyad Mansour, said the statement did not go far enough and that a formal resolution was needed demanding that Israel withdraw its forces from Gaza.

"They should have adopted a resolution a long time ago to condemn this aggression and to call for this aggression to be stopped immediately," he said.

Speaking for Israel, Ron Prosor accused the Security Council statement of bias.

"Miraculously it doesn't mention Hamas," the Israeli envoy said. "It doesn't mention the firing of rockets. Those things are lacking in this statement."

Opinion polls published at the weekend suggest there is still widespread support among Israelis for the military operation.

At the scene: Bethany Bell, BBC News, Jerusalem

While Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing increasing international pressure for a long-term ceasefire with Hamas, at home there is strong public support for the army's offensive in Gaza. A poll published by Israel's Channel 10 television on Sunday said 87% of Israelis were in favour of continuing the Gaza operation - and just 7% wanted a full ceasefire.

There are concerns about the rising number of casualties among Israeli soldiers but people here want the rocket fire on Israel to stop. The sound of sirens over central and southern Israel has become part of everyday life. And many are very concerned about the new threat posed by the network of cross border tunnels from Gaza.

At her home on a kibbutz close to the Gaza border, one woman said she was afraid. Rockets can be intercepted by Iron Dome, she told me, referring to Israel's missile defence system. "But there's no Iron Dome protection against Hamas fighters coming up through the tunnels to kidnap and kill us."

Pressure on Obama

US President Barack Obama called for an immediate, unconditional humanitarian ceasefire in a phone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday.

A long-term solution, he added, would have to allow "Palestinians in Gaza to lead normal lives" and "must ensure the disarmament of terrorist groups and the demilitarisation of Gaza".

Mr Obama may have felt compelled to make the call after some embarrassment to his Secretary of State, John Kerry, in Israel, the BBC's Aleem Maqbool reports from Washington.

Mr Kerry's ceasefire plan was rejected, and his character was attacked in sections of the Israeli media.

Mr Obama may also feel that after a weekend where brief ceasefires helped expose the full extent of the destruction in parts of Gaza, he had to be seen to be condemning it, our correspondent adds.

Israel launched its military offensive on 8 July with the declared objective of stopping Hamas, the Islamist group which controls Gaza, firing rockets from Gaza into Israel.

On 18 July, it extended operations with a ground offensive, saying it was necessary to destroy tunnels dug by militants to infiltrate Israel.

Are you in Israel or Gaza? How are you affected by the situation? Email your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject 'Israel Gaza'.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bidding starts for fracking licences

28 July 2014 Last updated at 08:36

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

The BBC's David Shukman explains how fracking works

The bidding process for licences to extract shale gas - using the controversial process fracking - will begin later on Monday.

About half the UK is open to exploration, but tightened rules cover areas of outstanding beauty.

Companies granted a licence to begin test drilling will also need planning permission and environmental permits.

The coalition sees shale gas as a major potential energy source. Critics of fracking warn of environmental dangers.

In announcing the so-called 14th onshore licensing round, Business and Energy Minister Matthew Hancock said: "Unlocking shale gas in Britain has the potential to provide us with greater energy security, jobs and growth."

"We must act carefully, minimising risks, to explore how much of our large resource can be recovered to give the UK a new home-grown source of energy."

It is the first time in six years firms have had the opportunity to secure new licences.

Drill down

Robert Gatliff, Science Editor at the British Geological Survey told the BBC it would still be some time before full scale drilling would start.

"The first stage, you'd review all the data you've got. Then you'd want to drill one or two exploration holes and then take samples of the shale and see exactly what the content is and see which have got the most in and which bits are likely to fracture best to get the most oil out."

He said that although surveys suggest there is between 820 and 2000 trillion cubic feet of gas embedded under the UK, "there's no way we'd get all that out".

"If you look at what happens in the US, and that's where you've got to look because that's where they've drilled thousands of holes, they're not getting more than 5%."

"In Britain we're so crowded and we've got these beautiful areas, that reduces the amount we can get out as well."

Demonstrations

About half the UK is open for licensing, including parts of National Parks. But applications there will only be accepted in "exceptional circumstances and in the public interest", said the government. The same rules apply for the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Sites.

"Proposals for such development must recognise the importance of these sites," Communities Minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon said.

The licences are likely to prove controversial, as there is a great deal of public opposition to fracking, which involves blasting water, chemicals and sand at high pressure into shale rock formations to release the gas held inside.

Angry demonstrations took place in the West Sussex town of Balcombe last summer as more than 1,000 people protested at a test site operated by energy company Cuadrilla.

Test drilling has also taken place in Lancashire.

Critics of fracking argue that it can lead to earth tremors, water contamination and disruption to rural communities. There are also concerns about methane leakage and diverting resources away from renewable energy.

The industry itself rejects these criticisms, arguing that, if regulated properly, fracking is a safe way to unlock huge resources of gas, which is a cleaner source of energy than coal.

Access rights

The government is keen to promote fracking in the UK, and has already announced a number of incentives to help kick-start the industry, including tax breaks, payments of £100,000 per site plus a 1% share of revenue to local communities.

It argues that shale gas could be an important bridge to help secure energy supplies until renewable energy capacity is increased.

Others argue that while it may be cleaner than coal, it is still a hydrocarbon that emits CO2 linked to global warming.

In the US, shale gas has seen energy costs tumble, but questions remain about whether the American shale revolution can be replicated in the UK and elsewhere.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ferry students 'floated from cabins'

28 July 2014 Last updated at 08:50

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Students who survived the Sewol disaster described being "swept off their feet" as the ship began to sink, reports Lucy Williamson

Students who survived South Korea's ferry disaster have described escaping from flooded cabins as the ship sank.

The students had obeyed the crew's orders to stay put, even as water started coming in as the Sewol listed.

Students floated up to cabin doors - by now overhead - and were pulled out by their classmates.

The Sewol ferry sank on 16 April off Jeju island, killing 304 people. The students were testifying at the trial of the ship's crew.

"We were waiting and, when the water started coming in, the class rep told everyone to put on the life vests," Reuters news agency quoted one student as saying.

"The door was above our heads, so she said, 'We'll float and go through the door' and that's how we came out.

"Other kids who got out before us pulled us out."

Most of those who died on the Sewol were teenagers from the same high school who were on a school trip.

The crew are charged with negligence and abandoning ship. The captain and three officers are also charged with "homicide through wilful negligence".

Investigators say the ferry had been illegally modified to carry more passengers and cargo, and was overloaded.

But prosecutors say the actions of the captain and crew - including instructing passengers to stay in their cabins as the ship listed - led to more deaths.

Swept back

Monday marked the first time students had given evidence at the trial.

They are testifying at a district court near their homes near Seoul, rather than at the actual trial in the southern city of Gwangju.

One witness told the court passengers received multiple instructions to stay put.

"They kept saying the same thing over and over," AFP quoted the student as saying.

Another student described escaping through a stairwell to a hatch and jumping into the sea, as a swell hit.

"There were many classmates in the corridor and most of them were swept back into the ship," she said.

The disaster caused shock and outrage in South Korea, including harsh criticism of both bureaucrats and business officials whose alleged failings or corruption led to the tragedy.

Officials from ferry operator Chonghaejin Marine are also the subject of separate legal proceedings.

Earlier this month, police identified a body found on 12 June as company owner Yoo Byung-eun, who had been the subject of a man-hunt since the disaster.

His son, Yoo Dae-kyun, was arrested on Friday.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Passport workers go on strike

28 July 2014 Last updated at 09:05

Thousands of passport workers have gone on strike in a dispute over staff numbers and pay.

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) said the action was a "bid to end staffing shortages that have caused the ongoing backlog crisis".

Home Office figures suggest about 360,000 passport applications are currently being processed - but it is not clear how many are overdue.

The Home Office warned the PCS action could jeopardise people's holidays.

The 24-hour strike will continue until midnight.

BBC News correspondent Richard Lister said the Passport Office had "struggled to cope with an unprecedented number of applications" this year.

"With the summer holiday season now well under way the agency is still under enormous pressure to keep up with demand," he said.

In June the Home Office redeployed hundreds of staff to deal with a growing backlog of applications, amid reports of people waiting up to two months for passports that are meant to be processed within three weeks.

'Sticking plasters'

The government has said the number of full-time equivalent staff at the Passport Office fell from 3,700 at the end of 2010 to 3,164 two years later, but then rose to 3,333 by the end of 2013.

The Home Office estimates that around 170,000 passports are processed per week.

PCS said the office had "cut hundreds of staff since 2010" and only agreed to "seriously discuss jobs after recent media and political scrutiny".

It said there had been talks in recent weeks but senior Passport Office staff were "still failing to commit to work with the union to agree a long-term solution to understaffing, instead of the sticking plasters they are currently applying".

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "We are still a long way off getting a commitment from the agency that it will work with us to put the proper resources in place to ensure these backlogs do not reoccur year after year."

The union is also in dispute with the government over pay, claiming Passport Office workers can be paid up to £3,000 less than people doing "similar work" in other parts of the Home Office.

"The agency appears to have accepted the argument over pay but would still have to put a business case to the Treasury for funds," PCS said.

The "threat of more privatisation" is also part of the dispute, the union added.

The spokeswoman said service counters will remain open today.

Meanwhile, the Home Office said holding a strike at this stage was "irresponsible" and would inconvenience passport applicants and "jeopardise their holidays".

"We strongly urge PCS to reconsider this action which is not in the interests of staff or the general public they are dedicated to serving," a spokeswoman said.

Backlog 'falling'

"HM Passport Office staff know how important it is to hard-working people and their families to receive their passports in time for their summer holidays. They have shown this through their hard work and commitment during this exceptional period of high demand."

Appearing before a committee of MPs earlier this month, Passport Office chief executive Paul Pugh said 170,000 passports were being issued each week, and he expected that to rise to about 180,000 a week "over the summer".

Speaking on 8 July, he said the number of passports classed as "work in progress" had totalled 508,000 the previous week, but that the number was falling.

On Sunday the Home Office said the latest figure was 360,000, but it did not say how many had taken longer than the standard three weeks.

It said the backlog was falling, but the PCS strike could put holidays at risk for people who were waiting for passports.

It added that customer service counters would remain open at passport offices.

Are you waiting for a passport to be issued? Are you concerned about your passport application? Send us your comments. You can email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line 'passport strike'.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lightning kills man on US beach

28 July 2014 Last updated at 10:05

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Lightning struck people on Venice Beach, as Wendy Urquhart reports

One man has been killed and several people have been hurt after lightning strikes on crowded Venice Beach in Los Angeles, California.

The lightning struck amid a rare summer thunderstorm, spreading panic among bathers and visitors.

Lifeguards fanned out across the beach and the water to attend to the injured, many of whom were treated at the scene.

Elsewhere in California, emergency crews are battling to contain wildfires that are threatening hundreds of homes.

At least 14 homes have reportedly been destroyed in the fires, which have blazed across drought-stricken grassland and forest.

A fire in the Sacramento region has spread to cover an area of about 4,000 acres, while another blaze has been threatening homes around Yosemite National Park.

'Big flash of light'

The man killed at Venice Beach is said to have been 20 years old. The exact cause of his death is not yet known, and it is unclear if he was struck directly.

Witnesses say the sky darkened suddenly and screams filled the air as the storm hit the beach on Sunday afternoon. Eight people were admitted to hospital.

One of the injured is said to be in a critical condition. Several people received treatment for milder symptoms, including anxiety.

Stuart Acher told KABC-TV he was hit by lightning while playing volleyball.

"All of a sudden there was a big flash of light and a boom, and it felt like someone punched me in the back of my head," he told the station.

"It went down the whole side of my right body, and my calves sort of locked up, and I fell over. And I looked up and everybody else was, you know, falling over."

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Footage shows the flames engulf huge parts of the Californian countryside

Steve Christensen told Associated Press news agency that his friend had tried to help lifeguards searching for a missing swimmer.

"He went out to the water to find him and walked right into him," he said. "He was face down on the bottom."

Lightning also hit Catalina Island, near Los Angeles.

A 57-year-old man who was playing golf was injured in the strike. His condition is said to be stable.

Until the latest strike, at least 15 people had been killed this year by lightning in the US, according to the National Weather Service.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

Domestic abuse law planned - Labour

28 July 2014 Last updated at 10:33

New laws on domestic violence would be introduced by a Labour government to prevent abusive partners avoiding prosecution, the shadow home secretary has said.

Yvette Cooper says a commissioner would also be appointed by Labour to oversee "national standards" in such cases.

Ms Cooper says more offenders are now avoiding court action as "community resolutions" are instead being used.

Police have disputed the claim they are not taking violence seriously.

The Home Office, meanwhile, said the use of the resolutions - which can include apologies or compensation - for serious crimes was "not acceptable".

Community resolutions are used by police to resolve low-level or minor offences through "informal agreement between the parties involved", instead of through the court system.

They are aimed at first-time offenders and can be used where there has been an admission of guilt and after the victim's views have been taken into account.

Data compiled by Labour from 15 of the 43 police forces showed there were 3,305 uses of community resolutions for domestic violence in 2013 - up from 1,337 in 2009.

In a speech in Birmingham to mark Labour's summer campaign, Ms Cooper will say the data is "deeply worrying" and suggests ministers are "turning their backs" on victims of domestic violence.

She will also repeat Labour's promise to ban the use of the resolutions for domestic and sexual violence.

'Harder to escape'

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Ms Cooper said the aim of Labour's planned legislation was to ensure police intervened in cases of domestic violence.

Ms Cooper is to say community resolutions can be "very effective", but will say they should not "be used for violent offences, and especially not for domestic violence".

She will accuse the government, saying it "just doesn't take violence against women seriously".

Continue reading the main story

It is not acceptable for the police to use out-of-court settlements for serious criminality and that is why the government is already reviewing how they are used"

End Quote Home Office spokesman

"For the police to simply take a violent abuser home to apologise risks making domestic violence worse and makes it even harder for victims to escape a cycle of abuse," she will say.

Advice from the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) suggests community resolutions are suitable for crimes such as criminal damage, minor theft and anti-social behaviour.

Assistant Chief Constable Gary Shewan from Greater Manchester Police, Acpo's lead on restorative justice, told Today community resolutions were given in less than 1% of cases categorised as domestic violence.

He added the method is "specifically attuned to low level domestic abuse particularly where victims want that course of action".

A Home Office spokeswoman said a review had already been conducted into the inappropriate use of community resolutions.

She also said every police force in England and Wales had been written to by Home Secretary Theresa May instructing them to produce a domestic violence action plan.

"It is not acceptable for the police to use out-of-court settlements for serious criminality and that is why the government is already reviewing how they are used," the spokeswoman said.

The Home Office is yet to respond to a consultation on the use of out-of-court disposals, which ended in January.

Sandra Horley, chief executive of national domestic violence charity Refuge, said: "These types of remedies may be effective for some crimes - but domestic violence is not one of them".

"When women make the extraordinarily brave step of reporting their partners to the police, they must feel confident that they have the full weight of the law behind them."

Hilary Fisher, of the charity Women's Aid, said: "Women tend not to call and ask for help until they've experienced violence for over five times, sometimes up to 30 times."

She said weak punishments would not deter these serial perpetrators who would think "if the police don't take it seriously why should I?"

Have you been a victim of domestic violence? Send us your comments. You can email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line 'Domestic violence.'

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More

MH17 downing 'may be war crime'

28 July 2014 Last updated at 10:34

The downing of Malaysia Airlines jet MH17 in eastern Ukraine may constitute a "war crime", the UN human rights chief Navi Pillay says.

Ukraine and Western governments believe pro-Russian rebels shot down MH17, using a missile system supplied by Russia. All 298 people on board - most of them Dutch - died on 17 July.

Moscow and the rebels have blamed Ukrainian forces for the plane crash.

Dutch and Australian police are now heading for the crash site.

Heavy fighting in the area prevented the police going there earlier. They want to help secure the huge crash site - in rebel-held territory - so that plane wreckage and human remains can be examined by international crash experts.

Most of the bodies have been removed, many of them repatriated to the Netherlands.

"This violation of international law, given the prevailing circumstances, may amount to a war crime," Ms Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in Geneva.

At least 1,129 people have been killed and 3,442 wounded in the Ukraine conflict since mid-April, the UN said.

The conflict has displaced more than 200,000 people, many of whom have fled east to neighbouring Russia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday he hoped that monitors from the OSCE international security body would be able to deploy on the Ukraine-Russia border in the next few days.

Heavy fighting

The Ukrainian army is trying to take control of two main roads, which the government in Kiev believes to be vital supply lines from Russia for rebel forces in Donetsk.

In the past 24 hours there has been heavy artillery fire at the city of Horlivka, where several civilians were killed.

In the city of Donetsk at least three people died in shelling too, the municipal authorities say. And there are reports of civilian casualties as a result of the shelling of Luhansk, which is also held by the rebels.

"Every effort will be made to ensure that anyone committing serious violations of international law including war crimes will be brought to justice, no matter who they are," Ms Pillay said.

Last week, the US-based Human Rights Watch said both sides in the conflict were using unguided Grad rockets against civilian areas, in violation of human rights norms, and urged them to stop doing so. It documented several attacks in which, it said, the rockets were apparently fired by government forces.

The US has produced what it calls satellite evidence that rockets have been fired at Ukrainian forces from Russian soil.

Russia denies that any of its forces are helping the rebels.

16.50 | 0 komentar | Read More