Belfast: 26 Police Injured During Clashes

Twenty six police officers have been injured in loyalist rioting as violence linked to a contentious republican parade engulfed Belfast city centre.

Five of the officers required hospital treatment and there were reports that a number of members of the public were also hurt.

Police fired plastic baton rounds and water cannon after coming under attack from loyalists who pelted them with bottles, fireworks and glasses as hundreds of loyalist demonstrators gathered to protest at the rally. 

Officers came under "heavy and sustained attack"

Metal guttering ripped from shop fronts was also used in the violence and several vehicles were set on fire.

Protesters had attempted to block part of the route of the Anti-Internment League parade, which was diverted to avoid the disturbances.

There were some sectarian clashes as the march passed close to loyalist protesters.

Assistant Chief Constable George Hamilton said: "Police have come under heavy and sustained attack by crowds intent on creating disorder.

Five offiers required hospital treatment

"As disturbances are continuing I would call upon people of influence in communities and those in political leadership to do all possible to reduce tension.

"As Northern Ireland moves ahead, the effect of tonight's violence has the potential to damage the local economy and the reputation of Belfast as a tourist destination."

The disorder comes after eight officers were injured at a republican anti-internment bonfire near the city centre on Thursday night.

Police said their use of water cannon was a "proportionate" response

Eight people were arrested and at one point, as violence spread to north Belfast, officers were attacked by a man with a sword.

The parade was unable to pass down Royal Avenue as intended. After a significant delay, it did finally proceed along the outskirts of the city centre and onward to west Belfast.

However, trouble continued in its wake.

Steve Pound MP, Labour's Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland, said: "We have seen sad scenes again in Belfast tonight, which have become too familiar over recent months.

Protesters attempted to block part of the route parade

"The vast majority of people across the community will unite to condemn attacks on the police and the public disorder we have seen.

"But unfortunately this is not an isolated occurrence. Northern Ireland can't afford to slip back to causal violence or acceptance of it.

"Both the governments and political leaders in Northern Ireland need to show leadership and address what are becoming far too common scenes."

Last month parts of Belfast were consumed by more rioting, predominantly loyalist, when Orangemen were banned from parading past the nationalist Ardoyne area.

Eight people have been arrested so far

Friday night's republican parade is in protest at the deeply controversial internment policy in place at the height of the Troubles in the 1970s.

It saw mass arrests and detention without trial of hundreds of people suspected of being involved with the IRA.

Parading tensions have also spread to other parts of Northern Ireland with controversy surrounding a planned Sinn Fein-backed commemoration event in the County Tyrone town of Castlederg on Sunday.

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Forced Marriages: Alert Over School Holidays

Teachers, doctors and airport staff have been warned to stay alert to forced marriages over the school holidays.

Summer marks a peak in reports of forced marriage cases, when young people can be taken on "holiday", unaware of the real purpose of the trip, the Home Office said.

Between June and August last year, the Forced Marriage Unit (FMU), a joint operation by the Home Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, received more than 400 reports.

The unit is handing out "Marriage: it's your choice" cards to provide help and information to potential victims, pointing them to confidential advice.

Aneeta Prem, the founder of Freedom Charity, said: "The 'Marriage: it's your choice' card is a concise and accessible way to receive information that could save someone's life.

In June and August 2012 the Forced Marriage Unit received 400 reports

"It's vital that young people travelling abroad for a family wedding this summer realise it could be their own wedding they'll be going to - and know who they should contact for help should they find themselves in danger."

The cards remind young people to speak to police or airline staff if they find themselves at an airport with nowhere to turn.

The FMU earlier this year revealed it helped in 1,485 cases of possible forced marriage in 2012, involving 60 countries across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and North America.

The statistics for last year show that of the 744 cases where the age was known, more than 600 involved people under the age of 26.

Crime prevention minister Jeremy Browne said: "The rise in forced marriage reports over the school holidays is shocking.

"Teenagers expecting their GCSE or A-level results should be embarking on a bright future, not condemned to a marriage with someone they have never met and do not want to marry.

"This is a serious abuse of human rights and that is why we are legislating to make it illegal."

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Cancer: 18,000 Patient Files Lost Each Year

Around 18,000 cancer patients have their medical files lost every year in hospitals, while more suffer humiliation at the hands of nurses, according to a charity.

A poll for the charity Macmillan Cancer Support also revealed one in seven (14%) who requested help to go to the toilet said they were forced to wait at least 30 minutes for assistance.

Around 1% said they had been left for at least two hours, while some 12% of patients said they had a toilet accident while waiting for help.

The YouGov survey of 2,217 adults living with cancer also found  that 11% of patients admitted to English hospitals every year have their medical file lost by a doctor or nurse.

The charity estimates around 18,000 of the 170,000 admitted to hospital have their file lost, which could impact on treatment.

More than one in five (21%) of those surveyed said had felt patronised by hospital staff, while 15% of patients said they had felt humiliated by the nurses treating them at some point.

NHS England has been urged not to scrap a cancer patient experience survey

The poll also found that one in 10 patients staying overnight in hospital was examined on an open ward or with the curtain round their bed partly open.

Mike Hobday, director of policy and research at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "The lack of basic care, dignity and respect experienced by cancer patients in hospital is shocking.

"Giving patients a positive experience when they're in hospital is as important as good medical care but sadly there's still a culture in some hospitals where hitting targets is put before the compassionate care of patients."

Mr Hobday called on NHS England not to scrap the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey, which is under review.

"The National Cancer Patient Experience Survey has been hugely effective as a warning system for hospitals to improve their care. It is vital that it continues. Not only is it an essential way to drive improvements in cancer care, but it also provides a voice for thousands of cancer patients."

Jane Cummings, NHS England's chief nursing officer, said: "I am committed to taking action to make sure that all patients receive the highest standard of care and that they are always treated with compassion and dignity.

"Our Compassion in Practice strategy sets out exactly how we can deliver the '6Cs' - care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment. These are the core elements of our vision."

She said compassion "comes naturally to the overwhelming majority of staff" but added: "Sadly some people do not have the capacity to be compassionate and caring despite training and support. They have no place in the NHS.

"We only want staff who come to work to make a difference for their patients and are prepared to take personal responsibility for individuals in their care."

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Mafia Boss Could Go Free Over Warrant Concern

A wanted Mafia boss found living in suburbia could walk free today over legal problems with the warrant for his arrest.

Domenico Rancadore, 64, who is wanted by the Italian authorities, was arrested by British police at his home in Uxbridge, west London, on Wednesday under a European Arrest Warrant.

The father-of-two had been living in the UK as a house husband under the alias Marc Skinner since 1993 while his wife, Anne, ran a travel agency to support the family.

He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court later where District Judge Quentin Purdy will decide whether he can be allowed bail.

During a short appearance at the same court on Thursday, the judge said: "The warrant may be such it has to be discharged.

Ranacadore was arrested at his home in west London on Wednesday

"There are concerns about the validity of the warrant that has come before the court."

Former teacher Rancadore is facing a seven-year term in an Italian jail for being part of a criminal organisation between 1987 and 1995.

He was "a man of honour" in Mafia group Cosa Nostra, controlling Trabia, near Palermo in Sicily, the court heard.

He tried to flee through the back door of his home in Manor Waye when police arrived on Wednesday, but came face to face with a waiting detective constable.

He initially gave police his false name - Skinner is his wife's maiden name - but eventually came clean.

Rancadore, nicknamed "u profissuri" (the teacher) because he was a qualified PE teacher before turning to a life of crime, following in the footsteps of his father Giuseppe, who was also a top Mafia boss and given a life sentence.

He was running a travel agency with his wife and said by Italian police to be "living a golden life" in Britain, with a comfortable home as well as top of the range Jaguar and Mercedes cars.

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French Nanny Wanted In Wales Posts On Facebook

A French au pair is on the run from police in the UK - despite regularly updating her Facebook profile and continuing to offer her services as a nanny.

Emeline Essertel is wanted by detectives in South Wales after failing to appear in court in March to face charges relating to fraud, stealing a debit card and possessing CS gas.

Essertel posted pictures of herself partying

The theft charge relates to a debit card stolen from the family home in which she was living between January 19 and January 30 this year.

The 24-year-old had been bailed to an address in London, but fled back to France - prompting officers to launch an appeal for information last month.

Since that time Essertel's Facebook profile has been updated on several occasions.

As well as uploading photographs of a rugby final in Dublin between French sides Clermont and Toulon, images of a two-week break in Amsterdam and a night out with friends have also been posted.

An advert on a recruitment website, which she last logged into on April 16, said: "It will be eight months since I returned to France to complete my nursing degree and I would (like to) go back to see other countries to learn new cultures and be able to speak English (as soon as) possible.

The 24-year-old failed to appear in court in March

"I want to assure you (of) my experience with children. During my studies I was able to do internships in various hospitals, primary schools and retirement homes."

According to official documents, Essertel appeared at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on January 31 charged with one count of theft, one count of fraud by false representation and one count of possession of a weapon.

Essertel posted this photo after fleeing

The fraud charge accused her of using the stolen debit card to buy phone credit, while the third related to possession of a CS gas canister in Cardiff Bay on January 29.

Proceedings were adjourned with Essertel released on bail until March 20.

A few weeks later posts started to appear on her Facebook page detailing her trips to Dublin and Amsterdam.

Police sources said officers have been aware of the possibility that Essertel may have skipped the country "quite a while ago".

South Wales Police said it was pursuing all lines of inquiry "in south Wales, London and France".

A spokesman added: "Essertel had been working as an au pair in Llantwit Major.

"We are appealing for information as to her whereabouts and ask anyone who can assist us with our inquiries to get in touch."

Essertel is described as 5ft 6in. She has short, straight brown hair and brown eyes.

:: Anyone with information should call Llantwit Major police station on 01656 869447 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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'One In Four' Mums Feel Work Discrimination

More than one in four mothers feel they have been discriminated against at work while pregnant or after returning to their job, according to new research.

Two thirds also said they would advise women to wait until the last possible moment to tell their bosses they are expecting.

But the survey of almost 2,000 women found that most did not make a formal complaint about the discrimination.

The study, by law firm Slater & Gordon, questioned mothers on how they were treated before and after the birth of their child and showed some employers were still penalising women for getting pregnant.

Almost a third said they were not treated well during their pregnancy and maternity leave, while almost half were overlooked for a promotion, almost a fifth demoted, while more than a third had responsibility taken off them.

Two out of five also said younger colleagues without children were given more support and encouragement.

Kiran Daurka from Slater & Gordon said: "Despite the equality legislation in place, attitudes and working practices continue to block women in achieving their career aspirations in the UK.

"Anecdotally, we hear of mothers complaining about being put on a 'mummy track' when back at work, and this research illustrates that this is a real experience for many women."

It is illegal to sack a women because she is pregnant or on maternity leave, said Employment Minister Jo Swinson.

She said the Government was committed to supporting women's talents and that shared parental leave and pay, being introduced in 2015, "will allow couples to choose how they share care for their child in the first year after birth".

However, TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said newly-introduced fees for employment tribunals would deter some women from tackling discrimination.

"Sadly some employers are still living in the dark ages when it comes to women in the workplace," said Ms O'Grady.

"[But] by introducing tribunal fees of up to £1,200 to take an employer to court over pregnancy discrimination, the Government has ensured that many more of these women will have to suffer in silence."

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Rottweiler Attack: Toddler Seriously Hurt

Dangerous Dogs: The Victims

Updated: 1:05pm UK, Tuesday 06 August 2013

Some 16 people have been killed by dogs in the UK since 2005. Here is a list of the cases...

May 2013: Clifford Clarke, 79, was outside his home in Clubmoor, Liverpool. Breed of the dog, belonging to a neighbour, was believed to have been a bull masitff crossed with either a Presa Canario or a bandog.

March 2013: Jade Lomas-Anderson, 14, from Wigan, Greater Manchester. Attacked by four or five dogs at a friend's house. Two were believed to have been bull mastiffs, two were Staffordshire bull terriers.

November 2012: Harry Harper, eight days old, from Ketley, Shropshire. Attacked by a Jack Russell in his cot.

October 2012: Gloria Knowles, 71, from Morden, south London. Suffered a heart attack when savaged by her daughter's dogs when she went to feed them. Two were Bordeaux bulldogs, two were American bulldogs and one was a mongrel.

January 2012: Leslie Trotman, 83, of Brentford, west London. He was in his garden when a neighbour's Pitbull-type dog escaped and attacked him.

December 2010: Barbara Williams, 52, Wallington, Surrey. Attacked by a Belgian mastiff in a garden.

April 2010: Zumer Ahmed, 18 months, from Crawley, West Sussex. Killed when her uncle's American bulldog got into the house.

November 2009: John Paul Massey, aged four, from Wavertree, Liverpool. Killed at home by his uncle's pitbull-type dog.

May 2009: Andrew Walker, 21, Blackpool, Lancashire. Bitten more than 50 times by his flatmate's two Alsatians.

February 2009: Jaden Mack, three months old, from Caerphilly, South Wales. Stafforshire bull terrier and Jack Russell attacked him on a table at home after his grandmother fell asleep.

January 2009: Stephen Hudspeth, 33, Bishop Auckland, County Durham. Attacked by a Staffordshire bull terrier and died days later from blood poisoning.

January 2008: James Redhill, 78, Plaistow, east London. His own pet Rottweiler attacked him in the street.

December 2007: Archie-Lee Hirst, one year old, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire. Attacked by a Rottweiler at his grandparents' home.

January 2007: Ellie Lawrenson, five years old, St Helens, Merseyside, Attacked at her grandmother's home by her uncle's Pitbull-type dog.

September 2006: Cadey-Lee Deacon, five months, from Leicester. Taken from her Moses basket by two Rottweilers in the living area of her grandparents' pub.

November 2005: Liam Eames, one year old, from Leeds. Attacked at home by the family's American bulldog.

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Fair Trade Warning To Quick Home Sale Sector

The trading watchdog is urging almost 120 firms operating across the "quick house sale" sector to make sure their business practices are up to scratch.

The warning comes after an investigation found some hard-pressed customers end up handing over their home for less than half of its market value.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said it has also opened formal investigations into three un-named businesses for alleged unfair practices that may have led to some customers losing tens of thousands of pounds.

People who sell their homes to a quick house sale firm usually receive between 10% and 25% less than the market value of their property in return for getting fast access to cash.

But concerns have been raised about firms reducing the price offered at the last minute when the seller has already committed to the transaction.

The OFT said it has seen firms dropping the prices they will pay by up to 53% on initial offers which were already below market price, leaving people tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket compared with the market value.

The average quick sale is estimated at around £100,000.

The regulator warned that some firms risk giving the industry a bad name by exploiting a customer's difficult financial circumstances and giving them significantly less than they were expecting.

It said seven in 10 complaints received by the OFT about quick house sales came from "vulnerable" consumers who may have been particularly attracted by claims of a hassle-free service, with no viewings or hold-ups.

These include older people who may be suffering ill health, people who are heading for repossession and need a fast route out of their debt problems and those who are under pressure to stop a property chain collapsing.

Gaucho Rasmussen, OFT Director, said: "Responsible quick house sale firms offer a valuable service to consumers who want a fast sale.

"However, we have also seen potentially illegal behaviour and as a result the OFT has opened investigations into three companies.

"When sellers get a bad deal, they could lose a lot of money. We want to ensure that consumers can have confidence in this sector and put an end to these shoddy practices."

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NHS Review: 'Zero Harm Culture' For Patients

A major review conducted by a world expert in patient safety and aimed at introducing a "zero-harm culture" in the NHS is set to be published later.

Professor Don Berwick, a former adviser to US President Barack Obama, was tasked by Prime Minister David Cameron earlier this year with conducting a safety review of English hospitals.

He believes the scandal at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, where between 400 and 1,200 more people died than would normally have been expected, should act as a catalyst to drive improvements in the health service.

The review is expected to recommend minimum staffing levels for hospitals and suggest a legal duty for staff to admit their mistakes.

Professor Berwick has said he believes the NHS could offer the safest healthcare in the world.

As part of the review, a team of experts from the UK and US examined why some patients needlessly suffer or die in hospital because of errors.

One basic element of creating a zero-harm culture includes using checklists before surgery and asking patients to give their name before any treatment is given.

In March, Professor Berwick said he would recommend how the NHS could take "serious and profound" action to improve safety.

He said: "Assuring patient safety and high quality care is never automatic. It requires the constant attention of leaders and continual support to the workforce.

"I have read, and been deeply affected by, the harrowing personal stories of individuals and families who were so badly injured when this commitment flagged at Mid Staffordshire Hospitals.

"Our group will do whatever it can to recommend how the NHS in England take serious and profound action, learning from this tragedy to make patient care and treatment as safe as it can possibly be, and ever safer.

"Indeed, there is no reason why English healthcare cannot aspire to be and become the safest healthcare in the world."

Mid Staffordshire was at the centre of a public inquiry into Stafford Hospital, where hundreds of patients were routinely neglected.

Led by Robert Francis QC, the inquiry reported earlier this year, highlighting the "appalling and unnecessary suffering of hundreds of people".

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Regular Eye Tests For Drivers Could Save Lives

By Liz Lane, Sky News Reporter

Regular eye tests for drivers could cut the number of casualties on UK roads by almost 3,000.

Road safety charity Brake, together with the DVLA and insurer RSA, has begun a campaign calling on motorists to visit the opticians at least every two years.

Failing to make sure your vision meets legal standards for the road is an offence.

However motorists are usually only tested for this during their driving exam, where they have to be able to read a number plate 20 metres away.

A survey of 1,000 drivers found 26% have not had an eye test in the last two years. And 3% - the equivalent to more than one million UK drivers - have never had one.

It also discovered there were 9% of drivers who need glasses or lenses, but do not always wear them behind the wheel.

Brake deputy chief executive Julie Townsend said: "Being able to see properly is fundamental to being a good driver. Your eyesight can deteriorate rapidly without you noticing, and at the wheel that can be lethal."

Cassie McCord, 16, from Colchester, was killed when a car mounted a pavement and hit her in February 2011.

The 87-year-old man driving it had failed a police eye test just days earlier, but officers had not been able to persuade him to hand over his licence.

Cassie's mother Jackie told Sky News: "They spent two hours coercing him, trying to get him to surrender his licence voluntarily, but he refused. He got in the car three days later and killed Cassie."

Thanks to a subsequent campaign by Mrs McCord, known as "Cassie's Law", police can now get permission from the DVLA to remove a licence from someone with poor eyesight within minutes - a process that used to take days.

She is now turning her focus to getting drivers to take some personal responsibility and get a test.

"Don't be so silly. These are people's lives. it could be your child, your granddaughter, your grandson, your son or daughter that could be killed by someone who cannot see to drive properly," she added.

"It doesn't take five, 10 minutes of your time to go into an optician's and have a proper eyesight test. And that way you will know as an individual that you are capable and safe to be on the road."

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NHS Procurement: Trusts Told To Slash Costs

NHS trusts in England have been told to change the way they buy supplies and manage their estates, in a drive to cut procurement costs.

Ministers believe the cuts could save as much as £1.5bn a year.

A report published by the Department of Health today found that some parts of the NHS are wasting money by buying well-known brands of supplies when cheaper alternatives are available.

A new NHS procurement champion, with private-sector expertise, is to be appointed to push for better practice across the health service.

Hospitals will be required for the first time to publish what they pay for goods and services and be held accountable for what they spend.

A new "price index" will also allow them to compare the deals they get with those obtained by other healthcare providers.

Launching the cash-saving drive, health minister Dan Poulter said: "The Government is putting an extra £12.7bn into our NHS but that money needs to be spent much more wisely by local hospitals.

"When our NHS is the single biggest organisation in the UK, hospitals must wake up to the potential to make big savings and radically change the way they buy supplies, goods, services and how they manage their estates."

Dr Poulter today published a document, entitled Better Procurement, Better Value, Better Care, which found little consistency in the way the NHS spends taxpayers' money.

The minister - who is a qualified medical doctor - will lead a team drawn from Government, the NHS and business to work with the new procurement champion to provide on-going scrutiny and guidance to the NHS in driving improvements to procurement and productivity.

The NHS will be told to cut its £2.4bn annual bill for temporary staff by 25% by the end of 2016.

And the Department of Health will work directly with NHS suppliers to strike new deals to save money by bulk-buying expensive medical equipment.

Mike Farrar, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents organisations which provide and commission NHS services, said: "Lots of NHS organisations are already doing great work to scrutinise the ways they can reduce the amount they spend on goods and services and plough that money back in to care.

"But many more could be much more efficient if they fully recognised the power of strength in numbers and came together to drive down costs."

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Gibraltar: The 'Party Is Over' Warns Spain

Britain says it is concerned by comments made by Spain's foreign minister in which he warned the "party is over" when it comes to his country's policy on Gibraltar.

Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said he was considering retaliatory measures towards the British territory, including a 50 euro border crossing fee, amid a dispute over an artificial reef being created by the Gibraltarians.

He told ABC newspaper the proceeds would be used to help Spanish fisherman who have lost out because of damage to fishing grounds allegedly caused by Gibraltarian authorities.

Mr Garcia-Margallo added that tax investigations into thousands of Gibraltarians who own property in Spain could also be launched.

Spain is also considering closing airspace to planes heading to Gibraltar airport, he added, as well as changing rules to increase tax revenue from online gaming companies based on "the Rock".

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are concerned by today's comments on Gibraltar, which we are looking into further.

"As we have said, we will not compromise on our sovereignty over Gibraltar, nor our commitment to its people. We continue to use all necessary measures to safeguard British sovereignty."

The comments come after "disproportionate checks" at the border have increased tensions between Britain and Spain.

Mr Garcia-Margallo says airspace could even be closed

The Spanish ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Office last week to explain why people crossing the border were having to wait up to seven hours in sweltering heat.

Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire said the delays were "as a result of wholly disproportionate checks introduced by the Spanish authorities on vehicles both leaving and entering Gibraltar".

Foreign Secretary William Hague also called Mr Garcia-Margallo to express concern over the delays.

Britain has held sovereignty over Gibraltar for three centuries and its 2.6 square miles is home to 30,000 people, with an economy dominated by off-shore banking, internet gambling operations and tourism.

However, ownership of the territory has long been a point of contention between Spain and Britain.

The latest tensions began 10 days ago after Gibraltarian boats began dumping blocks of concrete into the sea near the territory.

The British territory said it was creating an artificial reef that would foster fish populations, but Spain said the reef would block its fishing boats and ramped up border checks.

Gibraltar has complained to the European Commission, saying the checks violate EU rules on free circulation.

Spain's previous government took a softer line on Gibraltar and did not discuss the issue of sovereignty, but Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who was elected in November 2011, has taken a harder line regarding his country's claim on the territory.

The UK has made clear that it will not negotiate over sovereignty as long as Gibraltar's people want to remain British.

An FCO statement added: "Our differences with Spain on Gibraltar will be resolved by political means through our relationship as EU partners, not through disproportionate measures such as the border delays we have seen over the past week.

"We have many common interests with Spain and wish to continue to have a strong relationship at every level with the Government of Spain. 

"In the meantime, we will be seeking an explanation from Spain following reports that the Spanish government might target Gibraltar with further measures."                 

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