Written By Unknown on Senin, 29 Desember 2014 | 14.44
Police have launched a murder investigation after the body of a 51-year-old man was found in Bath city centre on Christmas Eve.
A member of the public discovered Thomas Downey under a railway arch on Lower Bristol Road, near Bath railway station just after 1.30pm on Wednesday.
The area was cordoned off and a detailed search of the area continues.
A post mortem examination has been carried out and confirmed that Mr Downey died from significant head injuries.
His family have travelled down from Manchester and are helping investigating officers with the inquiry.
A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said: "They are being supported by a police family liaison officer and our thoughts are with them at this sad time."
Mr Downey is known locally as "Manchester Tommy".
Officers have urged anyone with information to share it with police to help them piece together what happened on Christmas Eve.
Two men in their thirties have been arrested on suspicion of murder and continue to be questioned.
The spokesman added: "The neighbourhood policing team are working with the local community to provide support and reassurance and to assist with the investigation.
"However, we are still keen to speak to anyone who was in the area near to the station in Lower Bristol Road around lunchtime on Christmas Eve.
"We believe the area would have been busy with shoppers and people leaving work early."
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Major Crime Investigation Team on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
London's King's Cross station was hit by more problems today as an investigation was launched into disruption caused by overrunning engineering work.
A number of trains out of King's Cross were cancelled and other services delayed after a signalling failure this afternoon.
The failure meant that some Great Northern services from the station were cancelled, while incoming trains ended their journeys at Finsbury Park.
A Great Northern spokeswoman said: "At approximately 13.30 this afternoon signalling problems were experienced in the Finsbury Park area, resulting in no trains being able to run in and out of London King's Cross.
"Several trains terminated at Finsbury Park and Welwyn Garden City. Rail replacement buses were organised for passengers to transport them across to the Thameslink route, where ticket acceptance was in place.
Video:Probe Launched Into Travel Chaos
"Signalling was restored at 14.15. Customers may have been affected by residual delays of up to 60 minutes whilst the service recovered.
"We would like to apologise for any inconvenience that Great Northern's customers may have experienced."
Today's problems follow major disruption yesterday when King's Cross and Paddington stations were closed because engineering works ran over schedule.
Both stations have since reopened and services from Paddington were running as planned, a Network Rail spokeswoman said.
Network Rail's Robin Gisby, managing director of network operations, apologised for yesterday's disruption which led to extra police being brought in to control crowds.
"I'm deeply sorry for the delays, upset and upheaval caused... to passengers impacted by our overrunning improvement work outside King's Cross," he said.
"We've had an army of 11,000 engineers out over Christmas Day and Boxing Day at 2,000 locations nationwide.
Written By Unknown on Rabu, 24 Desember 2014 | 14.44
A bankrupt property tycoon whose body was found impaled on railings did not die in suspicious circumstances, a coroner has said.
Scot Young was discovered in what was described as a "grisly" and "brutal" scene following his death in Marylebone, central London, on December 8.
The 52-year-old had been jailed during a public divorce row over a multimillion-pound settlement because he would not reveal financial records.
After his fatal fall, friends of Mr Young came forward with concerns about a potential "ring of death" in his inner circle - saying four of his reported close friends had died in a similar way.
They pointed out Johnny Elichaoff, Boris Berezovsky, Robert Curtis and Paul Castle all appear to have killed themselves after suffering financial setbacks over the past four years.
But opening the inquest into Mr Young's death, Westminster assistant coroner Angela Hodes said there were no suspicious circumstances.
She said his body was identified by brother-in-law Guy van Ristell, with details supplied to the police by his daughter Sasha.
No members of Mr Young's family or friends were present at the hearing, which was adjourned until January 12.
Speaking after his death, his 30-year-old American model girlfriend, Noelle Reno one of the stars of the Ladies Of London reality TV show, said she was "distraught by the sudden loss of my best friend" and wanted to "grieve in peace".
Mr Young had been locked in a long-running legal battle with his ex-wife Michelle, 50, with whom he had two daughters.
Northern Ireland's political parties have reached agreement on a range of issues that had threatened the devolved government's future.
The "Stormont House Agreement", which has been forged after weeks of talks, has resolved wrangles over the budget and welfare reforms and established new structures to deal with the legacy of unsolved killings during the Troubles.
An Independent Commission on Information Retrieval will help the bereaved and injured obtain information about events during the conflict.
The First and Deputy First Ministers will also bring forward proposals to deal with parades after the General Election, while a commission will be set up to address the issue of flags.
The agreement paves the way for corporation tax powers to be devolved to Belfast as well, after Chancellor George Osborne said he would do so, provided there was progress at the talks.
Prime Minister David Cameron has also agreed to lend the devolved government £2bn to address a shortfall, after Stormont agreed to cushion welfare reform from its own budget.
Mr Cameron said: "I am delighted that a workable agreement has been reached that can allow Northern Ireland to enjoy a brighter, more prosperous future, while at the same time finally being able to deal with its past.
"This historic agreement has been long in the making and I would also like to pay tribute to all those involved - the Northern Ireland parties, the UK and Irish governments and Senator Hart - for getting us to this position.
"We will now all work collaboratively to see this through. The people of Northern Ireland deserve nothing less."
First Minister and DUP leader Peter Robinson said the deal acknowledged that further work was needed.
"Of course every one of us would have liked to have had a more comprehensive and complete agreement but this is as much and more than we have ever been able to do on these issues in the past," he said.
"So it is a very significant agreement."
Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said the "remarkable agreement" had the potential to give the Executive a "fresh start".
"And it is a fresh start we need to seize with both hands," he said, flanked by party leader Gerry Adams.
Irish foreign affairs minister Charlie Flanagan, who was involved in negotiations, said: "Today we are building on the hard-won peace on this island with a new agreement which aims to further reconciliation and foster economic growth."
Police in Glasgow are investigating why a bin lorry crashed into a crowd of Christmas shoppers in the city centre killing six people.
The truck mounted the pavement outside the Gallery of Modern Art - hitting a group of people waiting to cross the road - carrying on for another 300 metres until it crashed into the Millennium Hotel.
The driver, who was said to be lucid when the vehicle finally stopped, was taken to hospital after the tragedy and it is believed he may have fallen ill at the wheel.
"We heard from eyewitnesses saying he wasn't looking around as the lorry was going across the pavement. He appeared to be slumped over the wheel," Sky's Gerard Tubb, reporting from Glasgow, said.
Seven other people are also being treated for their injuries in three hospitals in Glasgow.
Video:Aftermath Of The Crash
Chief Inspector Mark Sutherland from Police Scotland said on Monday night: "We are currently working with our other agencies to establish exactly what happened.
"It's important that we do a thorough investigation to establish the full circumstances.
"It's important that we take all the necessary steps to do it as quickly as we can so that we get the answers for the families and get their loved ones back to them as quick as we can."
Video:Witness: Lorry Knocked People Down
Police Scotland has appealed to anyone who has photos or videos of the incident to send it to them at georgesquareincident@scotland.pnn.police.uk.
Roads around George Square, which was packed at the time of the accident, remain closed.
A large cordon remains in place and dozens of floral tributes have been placed at the scene.
1/11
Gallery: Images From The Devastating Scene In Glasgow After Bin Lorry Crash
The lorry crashed into the Millennium Hotel at the top of Queen Street in the city centre
One police officer said it first mounted the pavement 300 metres down the street
Written By Unknown on Minggu, 21 Desember 2014 | 14.44
Some people who need an ambulance may soon have to wait longer for it to arrive even if they are classed as a serious case under new proposals.
In a letter seen by Sky News, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives suggests the target time to get to patients suffering a range of "serious but not the most life-threatening" problems, including strokes and seizures, could be increased to 19 minutes.
The current target for an emergency vehicle to reach people in life-threatening situations is eight minutes.
According to the memo, NHS England says there will be no changes to response times where patients have "immediately life threatening" conditions such as cardiac arrest, choking and major bleeding - known as Red 1 calls.
In these instances, a "fast response" car is often sent ahead of a fully-crewed ambulance to meet the time limit.
Video:A&E Waiting Times: The Figures
For serious cases like stroke and fits - Red 2 calls - there will be an extra three minutes added on to the response time.
But a proportion of Red 2s will have the eight-minute target scrapped in favour of a 19-minute one for a full ambulance crew to be sent on its own.
Andy Burnham, Labour's shadow health secretary, said: "This has all the hallmarks of a panic move and suggests Jeremy Hunt's only solution to the A&E crisis is to give up and move the goalposts.
"Rather than getting ambulance response times back up to established standards, it looks like he is running up the white flag. The situation in the NHS is now serious and Jeremy Hunt is failing to provide the leadership it desperately needs.
"While there may be a case for reviewing these rules, this is not the way to do it. It is nothing short of dangerous to make a snap decision at the start of the most difficult winter in the NHS for years.
"Hunt's decision risks leaving thousands of seriously ill people waiting longer for ambulances this winter. The Health Secretary needs to provide urgent reassurance that this change can be safely made and won't put lives at risks."
But a Department of Health spokesman insisted: "No decisions have been made, and the Secretary of State would only agree to proposed changes that improve response times for urgent cases."
He added: "We have given ambulances an extra £50m this winter to ensure the service remains sustainable and the Secretary of State agreed that NHS England should investigate a proposal from the ambulance services themselves to see whether the service they offer the public could be improved."
A mobile treatment centre costing nearly half a million pounds has been opened to keep drunk people out of A&E.
During one of the busiest weekends of the year as many celebrate Christmas parties, Sky News was invited to see the facility in Bristol which has been paid for by pubs and clubs through the National Licensed Trade Association.
The Alcohol Recovery Centre comes in a 65-foot-long truck trailer and is equipped with several beds, a waiting area and showers.
By 11pm on Saturday night the centre had already welcomed its first visitors, all of different ages and from a variety of backgrounds.
We saw patients being assessed by a paramedic to make sure they didn't have any other symptoms or injuries that needed treatment, before being left to rest and sober up.
Chris Hewett from South Western Ambulance Service told Sky News: "We're trying to achieve two things.
"The first thing is take the pressure off our colleagues in the hospitals, and the other thing is to try and keep the 999 ambulances free to go out and answer life-threatening emergencies."
It's hoped the centre will reduce the number of visits to hospital A&E departments, giving paramedics a dedicated space to help people who may be vulnerable because they've drunk too much.
A trial of the scheme, which ran in Bristol during December 2013, was praised for saving hundreds of hospital hours.
There are plans to open more centres like it across the UK in the next 18 months.
Andy Bishop, from the NLTA, said: "I am delighted to be involved with this pioneering national scheme that will have a profound effect on the licensed trade and in turn reduce the pressure of anti-social drinking on the emergency services, maintain ongoing health education and fund increased community support.
"Although we look forward to seeing the success of the project across the UK, our aim is that, through education, there will be no need for such assistance in our society in the future."
Almost 10 million hospital admissions in England last year were related to alcohol, and the cost to the NHS was up to £1.3bn.
Alcohol Concern believes this will contribute to an NHS deficit of £30bn by 2020.
Written By Unknown on Jumat, 19 Desember 2014 | 14.44
By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent
Women could be allowed to fight on the front line from 2016 the Government has announced.
The Defence Secretary has signed off a major review that concluded females could serve in a combat role if they achieved the rigorous physical standards required.
A senior defence source has described it as a "significant step-forward".
The final decision will be made after an 18 month physiological exam. This will look at women's basic physical ability to cope in harsh environments on lengthy deployments of six months or more.
"There is a real desire among Ministers and the military to open up ground combat roles to women," a Whitehall source told Sky News.
Video:Should Women Be On The Front Line?
"This detailed review is a big step forward in the process, however it is clear further work needs to be done before a final decision is taken.
"The wellbeing of all of our personnel is of the utmost importance, but there is genuine hope this will be a reality come 2016."
Women already serve on the front line in a variety of roles: medics, intelligence officers, fighter pilots, and on submarines.
This will open the way for them to join infantry regiments, tanks units and The Royal Marines.
Some allies, the United States, Canada and Australia, already allow women to serve on the front line.
The six-month review was ordered by the last Defence Secretary Phillip Hammond. It has been on the desk of his successor Michael Fallon for a few weeks.
It was overseen by the Head of the Army, General Nicholas Carter.
Amongst many things, the review examined the possible consequences of male soldiers serving in close quarters with female colleagues including what effect this might have on the morale of a fighting unit.
It also looked at whether women are more prone to injury.
The review, whilst not conclusive, has removed doubts within the MoD.
CCTV footage of a shoot-out between a criminal and a policeman on a north London street has been released.
Gunman Sedat Meric is seen in the video firing three shots into West Green Pool Bar, in Haringey, where officers from the National Crime Agency were conducting surveillance.
One officer appeared from behind a car, prompting Meric to turn and fire in their direction.
He is then seen running off while shooting eight times at the pursuing officer, who is shown returning fire.
Realising he had run out of ammunition, Meric discarded his firearm on the pavement and subsequently gave himself up to police. No one was injured.
Meric, aged 25, was found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life at the Old Bailey, over the shoot-out in May.
His 22-year-old accomplice, Oktay Ayanoglu, was convicted of the same offence, although both men were acquitted of attempted murder.
DI Shaun Fitzgerald, from the Trident Gang Command, said: "Meric went out that evening intent on causing fear and intimidation and with no regard for who may have got caught up in the crossfire.
"Shooting at officers of the law highlights his complete disregard. I commend the officers from the National Crime Agency for their bravery in the face of an armed man.
"It is sheer luck that no one was injured as a result of this incident and it highlights the inherent dangers present when carrying a gun."
Meric and Ayanoglu will be sentenced on 9 January.
Written By Unknown on Kamis, 18 Desember 2014 | 14.44
A £5bn project to guarantee mobile phone voice and text coverage to 90% of the UK geographical area by 2017 will go ahead.
The deal means the four mobile networks - EE, O2, Three and Vodafone - have all agreed to tackle poor coverage in so-called partial "not spots".
These are areas that may have coverage from some but not all of the four networks.
This will halve the number of areas where there is patchy mobile coverage.
In addition, the operators will increase full coverage from 69% to 85% - allowing phone users to download data.
Culture Secretary Sajid Javid said: "Too many parts of the UK regularly suffer from poor mobile coverage leaving them unable to make calls or send texts.
"Government and businesses have been clear about the importance of mobile connectivity, and improved coverage, so this legally binding agreement will give the UK the world-class mobile phone coverage it needs and deserves."
A Vodafone UK spokesman said: "We support the Government's objective of delivering better coverage to rural areas including partial not-spots.
"It is a great result for UK consumers and businesses and it will make the UK a leader across Europe in terms of the reach of mobile coverage."
A police force has apologised for letting prolific sex offender Jimmy Savile slip through their net by not properly investigating him while he was alive.
North Yorkshire Police has admitted it missed opportunities to act and let down people who reported abuse by the disgraced entertainer and another man in Scarborough.
Assistant Chief Constable Paul Kennedy apologised to 35 people who say they were abused in Scarborough between 1958 and 1998 by Savile or his friend Peter Jaconelli, a former mayor of the town.
Two of the alleged victims say both men attacked them.
"On behalf of North Yorkshire Police I am sorry, I am truly sorry we did not respond more effectively, we did not investigate those allegations early on," he said.
Savile's headstone was removed after his abuses were revealed
ACC Kennedy said if Savile and Jaconelli were alive they would be arrested on suspicion of child sex offences ranging from indecent assault to rape.
Savile died in 2011 before being exposed as a prolific offender who abused at least 500 children and Jaconelli died in 1999.
After Savile's crimes were made public campaigners and bloggers on the Yorkshire coast pressured the police over their claims that they had no knowledge of complaints against either Savile or Jaconelli when they were alive.
When several men came forward in March 2014 to say they had been abused by Jaconelli the force referred itself to the Independent Police Complaints Commission and began an investigation.
Nigel Ward from the North Yorks Enquirer website welcomed the apology but said more needs to be done.
"The only way to get to the bottom of this now is to have a full scale public inquiry and I would welcome that because I think there are a lot of people who have been culpable in terms of covering up and making it possible for these terrible people to get away with these offences," he said.
The IPCC has recently quizzed an unnamed serving detective sergeant from North Yorkshire Police as part of an ongoing investigation into potential misconduct over how information about Savile and Jaconelli was handled.
Both men are buried in Scarborough's Woodlands Cemetery, where Savile's grave is unmarked after his headstone was removed in 2012 while Jaconelli's prominent headstone records him as Alderman Peter Jaconelli.
Scarborough Council, which is led by Tom Fox, a former Scarborough police commander, stripped Jaconelli of his civic honours when the extent of the complaints against him were acknowledged earlier this year.
Written By Unknown on Rabu, 17 Desember 2014 | 14.44
Boxer Anthony Crolla is being treated for a head injury and a broken ankle after tackling a pair of burglars.
The 28-year-old, known as "Million Dollar", is due to undergo CT scans.
His trainer Joe Gallagher said before going in to see the fighter in hospital: "I tried talking to him before but he's concussed.
"The next door neighbours were being burgled, and the burglars came into his garden.
"He gave chase, and apprehended one of them, and the other one lifted a slab of concrete and hit him with it, and he fell and broke his ankle."
Crolla was due to face Richar Abril from Cuba for the WBA world lightweight title in Manchester on January 23 - but his promoter Eddie Hearn tweeted: "Anthony is in a stable condition in Oldham hospital.
"Unfortunately the Jan 23rd fight is off but concerns right now are with Ant and family."
He added: "You ask anyone in boxing doubt you could find a nicer kid than Crolla, absolutely gutted for him."
Crolla has fought in the super featherweight and lightweight divisions and is the current holder of the WBO inter-continental lightweight title after beating Gavin Rees.
Petrol prices could soon fall below £1 per litre - the lowest level since the end of May 2009.
The RAC said the recent fall in the price of oil - now below the $60-a-barrel - would keep dropping.
"What's currently happening at the pumps with falling fuel prices is something many motorists will not remember seeing before," said RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said.
"Talk of prices going up like a rocket and falling like a feather could not be further from the truth as retailers have been quick to pass on savings at the forecourt since we forecast on December 6 that prices were due to come down by 7p a litre for petrol and 6p for diesel."
The RAC added that it was hopeful drivers would benefit from the fall in prices in the first few months of the new year.
Video:What's Causing Falling Oil Prices?
The group's monitoring of fuel prices shows the average price of a litre of petrol is 116.9p - nearly 14p a litre cheaper than at the start of the year.
Diesel is nearly 16p cheaper - 122.33p a litre now compared to 138.24p in January.
The average supermarket price of fuel is 114.26p a litre for petrol and 120.18p for diesel.
Video:Petrol Prices
Mr Williams added: "Current forecasts are for average petrol prices to fall to below 110p a litre in the next fortnight and diesel to drop to under 116p.
"At these average prices across the country the cheapest retailers will almost certainly be selling petrol for around 105p a litre, or even lower."
Written By Unknown on Selasa, 16 Desember 2014 | 14.44
A Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen-designed Christmas experience is closing early, just weeks after it was widely criticised.
The Magical Journey experience at the Belfry Hotel, near Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, had originally closed just a day after it was originally launched in late November but later reopened after a series of "improvements".
On Monday it closed for good after a major financial backer pulled out with nine opening days left.
The organisers said they had been "left in the lurch" and could not find a replacement backer.
The celebrity interior designer told the Press Association he was "extremely surprised" after finding out on Twitter his experience had been shut down.
Mr Llewelyn-Bowen, who shot to fame on BBC's Changing Rooms, said he had not given any financial support to the project and was unaware who the backer was.
He said: "It's absolutely shocking. We found out by Twitter. Everybody was in bed feeling Christmassy and now we are not feeling very Christmassy at all.
"I was really impressed with the way they addressed all the issues the first time around and the energy and resources that went into it so I'm extremely surprised the towel's been thrown in at this stage.
A photo taken from the Instagram account of the Magical Journey
"I feel appalling it is not the happy experience I really want it to be. I feel extremely sorry for everybody let down in the next nine days and also for the staff who worked on the front-line. I'm hoping they will get their money back.
"On a personal level I was so excited by the idea of designing Christmas."
He said in hindsight the group he worked with to deliver the project was not experienced enough for the type of event.
"I was just commissioned to create some design concepts for the experience," he said. "There was no financial backing from my point of view and no involvement in the management.
"I feel very much I was the designer and I'm a very public face so people are cross with me."
Another photo taken from the Instagram account of the Magical Journey
The presenter added he would be donating his fee, the amount of which he would not confirm, to a Birmingham children's hospice and said: "I do not want to make any money at all out of this experience."
A statement on the Magical Journey's website said: "We are really sorry to have to tell you this, but as of tomorrow (Tuesday 16 December 2014) The Magical Journey, based at The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, will no longer be in operation.
"We are truly sorry. After all we've been through having to shutdown in the final week is devastating. Although we had quite the time of it in the press and on social media, feedback was great with over 600 four and five star reviews."
The website said that anyone who has bought tickets and wants their money back should use the Chargeback scheme.
The experience is the latest in a series of Christmas-themed attractions to suffer criticism over the last couple of years for providing poor value for money.
Four teenage boys have been released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of the murder of a 52-year-old man in London.
The 52-year-old victim was attacked apparently during an argument with a group of youngsters as he tried to get into a block of flats where he lived in Edmonton on Sunday night.
Police say the victim - who was with a woman - continued into the block but was followed by two of the boys and he was then stabbed.
The youngsters did not know the man, who died at the scene shortly before 8.40pm.
Three 14-year-olds and one 13-year-old arrested on suspicion of murder must return to an east London police station on a date in late January pending further enquiries, Scotland Yard said.
Video:Locals On Edmonton Murder
A second 13-year-old, also held on on suspicion of murder, remains in custody at an east London police station.
A post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as a stab wound to the chest.
Detective Chief Inspector Neale Baldock said: "Our initial enquiries have established that there was a supervised party taking place at another address within the block and the group of males were trying to gain access to this.
"The victim and this group were not known to each other - what started as a minor verbal altercation has escalated into a shocking act of violence."
Sky Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said: "There is a good deal of police activity at the scene, much of it focused on talking to people that live in this block of flats.
"They're trying to establish how what appears to have been an altercation turned into such a drama."
Written By Unknown on Senin, 15 Desember 2014 | 14.44
UKIP Candidate Quits Over Offensive Remarks
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Mr Smith was to fight South Basildon and East Thurrock for UKIP next May
A high-profile UKIP Westminster hopeful has quit as the party's candidate in a top target seat after making offensive comments.
In recordings of phone calls obtained by the Mail on Sunday, Kerry Smith is said to have mocked gay party members as "poofters", and referred to someone as a "chinky bird".
Neil Hamilton stepped aside after Mr Smith was reinstated
He also joked about shooting people from Chigwell in a "peasant hunt".
In a statement released on Sunday evening, he said: "I have this evening offered my resignation as UKIP PPC for South Basildon and East Thurrock.
1/16
Gallery: The UKIP History In Pictures
1993: UKIP is founded by Alan Sked in response to the Maastricht Treaty, which set out the modern day EU and paved the way for the Euro. He left the party in 1997 saying it had become a "racist party for the far-right". He is now the leader of New Deal, which has been called UKIP of the Left.
1999: The party takes its first three seats in the European Parliament, under the leadership of the millionaire businessman Michael Holmes. Nigel Farage is one of those MEPs.
]]>
2000: Michael Holmes resigns and Jeffrey Titford takes over as leader of UKIP. He leads the party to field 420 candidates at the 2001 General Election and secure 1.5% of the vote.
]]>
2002: Former Conservative Roger Knapman takes over at the helm.
]]>
2004: The party wins 12 seats at the European Elections, among the UKIP MEPs is the chat show host Robert Kilroy Silk.
]]>
"I want the best for South Basildon and East Thurrock and I want to see the real issues discussed that touch the lives of people.
"Therefore I have chosen to resign so that Ukip can win this seat next May."
Mr Smith's resignation comes just days after he was reinstated as the party's election candidate in South Basildon and East Thurrock.
Mr Smith, a member of both Essex County Council and Basildon District Council, initially apologised and said he had been under great stress and taking strong painkillers for a back injury when he made the comments.
Mr Kerry also accepted claims he made in the calls about party leader Nigel Farage and other senior figures were "completely wrong" and "fuelled by frustrations at the time".
Mr Smith was deselected as the candidate for South Basildon and East Thurrock in October - with Neil Hamilton, the former Tory minister who is now UKIP's deputy chairman, in the running to win the nomination.
But Mr Hamilton ended up endorsing the Essex county councillor in his hustings speech after Mr Smith was reinstated.
It led the ex-Conservative to hit out at party insiders over a "dirty tricks" campaign being run against him.
A party spokesman was unable to say when the selection process would be run again, and Mr Hamilton declined to comment on Mr Smith's resignation or his own plans.
UKIP MEP Patrick O'Flynn said of Mr Smith's comments before he announced his resignation: "He needs to learn to express himself more respectfully about minorities of all kinds now he is off the prescription drugs and he is our candidate."
But he added: "He is very popular... He is a young man, he is learning politics.
"We don't want to become so anodyne and speaking in such non-colloquial language that we lose touch and I think some of the other parties risk doing that.
"But clearly what he said there is unacceptable. He has apologised unreservedly. There are big mitigating circumstances.
"It is from some time ago and we are willing now to judge him on his performance going forward from now."
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UKIP Candidate Quits Over Offensive Remarks
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Mr Smith was to fight South Basildon and East Thurrock for UKIP next May
A high-profile UKIP Westminster hopeful has quit as the party's candidate in a top target seat after making offensive comments.
In recordings of phone calls obtained by the Mail on Sunday, Kerry Smith is said to have mocked gay party members as "poofters", and referred to someone as a "chinky bird".
Neil Hamilton stepped aside after Mr Smith was reinstated
He also joked about shooting people from Chigwell in a "peasant hunt".
In a statement released on Sunday evening, he said: "I have this evening offered my resignation as UKIP PPC for South Basildon and East Thurrock.
1/16
Gallery: The UKIP History In Pictures
1993: UKIP is founded by Alan Sked in response to the Maastricht Treaty, which set out the modern day EU and paved the way for the Euro. He left the party in 1997 saying it had become a "racist party for the far-right". He is now the leader of New Deal, which has been called UKIP of the Left.
1999: The party takes its first three seats in the European Parliament, under the leadership of the millionaire businessman Michael Holmes. Nigel Farage is one of those MEPs.
]]>
2000: Michael Holmes resigns and Jeffrey Titford takes over as leader of UKIP. He leads the party to field 420 candidates at the 2001 General Election and secure 1.5% of the vote.
]]>
2002: Former Conservative Roger Knapman takes over at the helm.
]]>
2004: The party wins 12 seats at the European Elections, among the UKIP MEPs is the chat show host Robert Kilroy Silk.
]]>
"I want the best for South Basildon and East Thurrock and I want to see the real issues discussed that touch the lives of people.
"Therefore I have chosen to resign so that Ukip can win this seat next May."
Mr Smith's resignation comes just days after he was reinstated as the party's election candidate in South Basildon and East Thurrock.
Mr Smith, a member of both Essex County Council and Basildon District Council, initially apologised and said he had been under great stress and taking strong painkillers for a back injury when he made the comments.
Mr Kerry also accepted claims he made in the calls about party leader Nigel Farage and other senior figures were "completely wrong" and "fuelled by frustrations at the time".
Mr Smith was deselected as the candidate for South Basildon and East Thurrock in October - with Neil Hamilton, the former Tory minister who is now UKIP's deputy chairman, in the running to win the nomination.
But Mr Hamilton ended up endorsing the Essex county councillor in his hustings speech after Mr Smith was reinstated.
It led the ex-Conservative to hit out at party insiders over a "dirty tricks" campaign being run against him.
A party spokesman was unable to say when the selection process would be run again, and Mr Hamilton declined to comment on Mr Smith's resignation or his own plans.
UKIP MEP Patrick O'Flynn said of Mr Smith's comments before he announced his resignation: "He needs to learn to express himself more respectfully about minorities of all kinds now he is off the prescription drugs and he is our candidate."
But he added: "He is very popular... He is a young man, he is learning politics.
"We don't want to become so anodyne and speaking in such non-colloquial language that we lose touch and I think some of the other parties risk doing that.
"But clearly what he said there is unacceptable. He has apologised unreservedly. There are big mitigating circumstances.
"It is from some time ago and we are willing now to judge him on his performance going forward from now."
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A scheme offering 100,000 first-time buyers new homes with a discount of 20% as part of a drive to help people onto the property ladder will be launched by David Cameron later.
Those under 40 who have never owned their own home can register their interest in buying via the Starter Home Initiative from the start of 2015 - six months earlier than planned.
Because of a change to the planning system set to come into force, under-used or unviable brownfield land will be freed from certain costs in return for a below market value sale price on properties constructed on the site.
Developers and councils are being urged to ensure the changes unlock a variety of sites across the country.
Mr Cameron said: "Hard-working young people want to plan for the future and enjoy the security of being able to own their own home. I want to help them do just that.
Video:Stamp Duty: Good News For Buyers
"Under this scheme, first-time buyers will be offered the chance of a 20% discount, unlocking home ownership for a generation.
"This is all part of our long-term economic plan to secure a better future for Britain, making sure we are backing those who work hard and get on in life."
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: "The 2008 housing crash blocked millions of hard-working, creditworthy people from becoming home-owners, at a time in their lives when they should have been able to expect to get on the property ladder.
"We're turning that around with Help to Buy, but today's new Starter Homes scheme will offer a further boost, giving young people (under 40) the opportunity to buy low-cost, high-quality new homes for significantly less than they would normally expect."
Stewart Baseley, executive chairman of the Home Builders Federation, said the initiative is "another positive step" in tackling the shortage of housing.
At the moment, developers can face an average bill of £15,000 per home in Section 106 affordable housing contributions and tariffs.
But under the scheme, developers offering Starter Homes would not have to pay certain charges.
To ensure the savings are passed onto buyers, the homes will not be able to be re-sold at market value for a fixed period.
Video:July: Young Unable To Buy Homes
More than 30 house builders have already backed the plans, and say they would consider bringing forward land to be developed from next year.
A design panel will be set up to ensure the homes are not only cheap, but also high-quality.
Renowned architect Sir Terry Farrell, who is on the panel, said it could make a real difference.
He added it would build on the recommendations of the Farrell Review, which raised the need for more proactive planning.
Sir Terry said: "Only by planning and designing our villages, towns and cities together with local communities can we create the kind of built environment we all aspire to and should be demanding."
Shadow housing minister Emma Reynolds said no-one would believe the PM's promises on the issue, and added: "The only way to restore the dream of home ownership is to build more homes and Labour has a plan to get at least 200,000 homes built a year by 2020.
"We are in favour of building starter homes but it is not clear how the Government is going to deliver these homes 20% cheaper than market price."
Written By Unknown on Minggu, 14 Desember 2014 | 14.44
By Sophy Ridge, Political Correspondent
The head of the UK's Intelligence and Security Committee is demanding to see material documenting any British links to the CIA's use of torture.
Sir Malcolm Rifkind, chair of the Commons committee, is seeking any intelligence relating to the UK that was redacted from the explosive Senate report into the CIA.
It concluded that the CIA lied over its torture and interrogation programme developed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
Sir Malcolm told The Observer newspaper: "I am not going to go into the details of how we might try and achieve this, there are various ways we can try and advance it, but at the end of the day the actual decision on the American redacted material is for the Americans to take.
"One additional point is that the only issues we are going to be asking them about are issues relevant to the United Kingdom.
Video:Former CIA Officer Michael Scheuer
"We don't need to see the whole of their redacted report."
The British Government has admitted requesting the deletion of references to Britain's intelligence agencies for national security reasons.
UK Government representatives had 24 meetings with members of the US committee responsible for the findings.
Video:MI5 And MI6 Involvement Questioned
Some of the deletions are believed to relate to the British Overseas Territory of Diego Garcia.
There is escalating pressure on the British government not to extend an agreement allowing the US to use the territory in the Indian Ocean as a military base.
Andrew Tyrie, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on rendition, said any negotiations should address allegations that it was used by the CIA to render terror suspects around the world.
Video:UK Involvement in CIA Torture
"The negotiations on the lease can focus minds on establishing the scope and limits of Britain's involvement, direct or indirect, in extraordinary rendition," Mr Tyrie said.
"We are talking about kidnap and taking people to places where they may be maltreated or tortured."
The former Home Office minister, Lib Dem MP Norman Baker, who has taken a close interest in the atoll, said: "As it comes up for renewal, we need a full explanation of what happened in our name on that island."
The body in charge of Britain's air traffic control system was warned four months ago that it was ill equipped to deal any technical faults, it has been claimed.
A report in the Independent on Sunday says the Civil Aviation Authority told NATS officials in the summer that they needed to be better prepared to deal with IT problems.
A computer glitch at NATS control centre in Hampshire on Friday led more than 300 flights being cancelled or delayed and travel disruption for thousands of passengers.
The air traffic control organisation said on Saturday that the computer meltdown was sparked by an unprecedented systems failure.
It was the second major problem to hit the Swanwick centre in just over a year.
Video:Plane Chaos: Fault 'Unprecedented'
The Independent on Sunday also said that experts had warned NATS that a huge redundancy programme might deepen the problem, resulting in serious future meltdowns.
Meanwhile, an MP called for the top boss of NATS to lose his bonuses as a result of the failure.
Richard Deakin, NATS chief executive, said the software glitch was "buried" among millions of lines of code written a quarter of a century ago.
But Labour MP Paul Flynn told The Sunday Times that Mr Deakin earns more than £1m after receiving a 45% pay rise this year.
"I hope after the chaos, which was dreadful, though a rare event, he will have his bonuses stripped from him," he said.
NATS said operations were back to normal on Saturday with only minor delays and cancellations at some of the UK's airports as a result of a backlog.
Video:Flights Delayed In London Airspace
A statement from NATS said: "Swanwick controller workstations provide a number of tools and services to the controller to enable them to safely control a high volume of air traffic.
"In normal operations the number of workstations in use versus in standby fluctuates with the demands of the traffic being controlled.
"In this instance a transition between the two states caused a failure in the system which has not been seen before.
"The failure meant that the controllers were unable to access all of the data regarding individual flight plans which significantly increases their workload.
"We immediately took steps to reduce the traffic into and out of the UK network. At no time was safety compromised in any way."
Mr Deakin said NATS is investing a "huge amount" in new technology, with £575m set to be spent over the next five years to move towards more resilient, internet-based systems.
Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 13 Desember 2014 | 14.44
By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondence
Hundreds of British soldiers are to be sent to Iraq to help the fight against Islamic State, Sky News understands.
The soldiers - expected to number a few hundred - will go to the region "within weeks" senior military sources have said.
The National Security Council is expected to rubber-stamp the mission when it meets on Tuesday.
Although small groups of British troops have conducted similar missions over the past few months, this will be much greater in size and on a more permanent basis.
A team of military advisors recently went to the country to scope out options.
Video:Troops Return To Iraq For IS Fight
It's believed the mission will be largely split between the capital Baghdad and Irbil in the Kurdish controlled north.
It hasn't been confirmed which regiments the troops will be drawn from.
The UK government has repeatedly insisted that any such training mission would not constitute 'boots-on-the-ground' although British Special Forces are operating in the region.
In October a dozen soldiers from The Yorkshire Regiment were dispatched to Irbil to train the Kurds to use heavy machine guns.
An advisory team has also been embedded in the Iraqi military HQ, working alongside the Americans.
Video:October - Reaper Drones Footage
A Ministry of Defence spokesman wouldn't confirm the specifics of the latest mission but did say: "The Defence Secretary announced the intention to provide further training to the Iraqi military in early November.
"No decisions on troop numbers, units or locations have been made, so this is purely speculation at this stage."
The British contribution will fit into a wider mission involving a number of nations.
Earlier this week, the most senior US Commander Lt Gen James Terry revealed that the coalition training mission would involve around 1,500 soldiers.
US special operations troops have already set up a training base at the Ain al-Asad air base in Anbar Province.
Video:British Troops Back In Iraq
Germany recently pledged around 100 soldiers to help train the Peshmerga in northern Iraq. That mission, if approved, will begin early next year.
NATO has also said it would explore options if the Iraqi government came forward with an official request.
The Alliance said that any training mission wouldn't necessarily be based in Iraq. Neighbouring Jordan has been used for similar projects.
An investigation is under way into why Britain's air traffic control system malfunctioned for the second time in two years, causing transport chaos for thousands of people.
The focus of the probe will be hardware and software connected to the flight data system, which is believed to control the flight plans of the planes. The company has ruled out a power outage as the cause, however.
Air traffic control service NATS said: "Following a technical fault with the flight data system used by air traffic controllers at Swanwick, NATS can confirm that the system has been restored to full operational capability and a thorough investigation is continuing, to identify the root cause.
"Although operational restrictions applied during the failure have been lifted, it will take time for flight operations across the UK to fully recover."
More than 300 flights were cancelled or delayed after a computer failure at NATS headquarters in Swanwick, Hampshire, on Friday afternoon.
Video:Flights Delayed In London Airspace
By Saturday morning, timetables were returning to normal, although Heathrow said 38 flights had been cancelled before 9.30am and Gatwick Airport cancelling a handful of flights.
Friday night's problems came just over a year after hundreds of flights were affected when problems arose with a telephone system at NATS in early December 2013.
There were reports passengers on some flights were unable to collect their luggage and were told that it would be sent on to them by courier.
Other airports where travellers suffered delays on Friday included Manchester, Birmingham, Stansted and Luton, but airports as far north as Aberdeen and Edinburgh were affected.
Video:November: How Busy Is UK Airspace?
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the disruption was unacceptable.
He said: "Disruption on this scale is simply unacceptable and I have asked NATS for a full explanation of this evening's incident. I also want to know what steps will be taken to prevent this happening again."
Experts said part of the problem was that the system is operating at full capacity and anything that goes wrong has a huge impact.
Professor Martyn Thomas, visiting professor of Software Engineering at the University of Oxford, said: "Some of NATS' computer systems are very old - the National Airspace System that performs flight data processing is software that dates from the 1960s.
Video:Air Traffic Problem Delays Flights
"Interfacing new systems to this old software can create difficulties."
Air traffic control safety expert Philip Butterworth-Hayes said: "Swanwick ... has an incredibly complicated, customised software system, where you have to upgrade things all the time. A small upgrade can cause all sorts of problems.
"The issue we have in the UK, especially in the south eastern UK, is there's very little spare capacity, because the system is running at such high rates, it only needs a small little glitch to create a large problem."
Written By Unknown on Rabu, 10 Desember 2014 | 14.44
It's not unusual to have big Atlantic storms barrelling towards Scotland at this time of year.
But this is a weather bomb, a rapidly intensifying depression - with the pressure plunging in the eye of the storm by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours.
And it's leading to exceptionally high seas, with wave heights in excess of 50 feet or 16 metres.
That's more than twice the height of an average house.
The biggest waves will be in the deeper water.
Video:Huge Waves Hit Scottish Coast
But the islands and western and northern coasts of Scotland will be battered overnight and through Wednesday.
The atrocious weather is being fuelled by a strong trans-Atlantic jet stream.
The high altitude winds are racing along at 230mph.
Video:Sky News Weather Forecast
They spawned this storm and now they're steering it headlong into the Scottish coast.
Forecasters have issued widespread weather warnings across Britain as the country braces for a so-called "weather bomb".
Major travel disruptions are expected as winds of up to 80mph strike some areas and huge waves hit northern coastal regions.
The Met Office has issued amber weather alerts for western Scotland, the Highlands, Northern Ireland, Orkney and Shetland and Strathclyde regions.
Yellow weather warnings have also been issued across England's South East, South West, North East, North West, Yorkshire and Humber, as well as in northern Wales and several other areas.
The rapid cyclogenesis - known colloquially as a "weather bomb" - is a deep low pressure system moving slowly eastwards between Scotland and Iceland.
Video:Sky Man Gets Weather Bombed
Steve Willington, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: "Very strong winds are likely to affect northern and central parts of the UK from early Wednesday and last through until early Thursday as a very deep low pressure system moves slowly eastwards between Scotland and Iceland.
"A period of severe gales is likely over northern and central Britain, as well as the potential for storm force winds over north-western coastal areas of Scotland."
Police have warned that travel conditions in the worst-hit areas of Scotland could be "hazardous".
Drivers are being told to expect disruption to both morning and evening rush hours.
Video:What Is A Weather Bomb?
The freezing winds will peak today, but more southerly areas of the UK are likely to be hit by a second storm due to roll in from the Atlantic on Thursday night.
Ferry services in Scotland have already been disrupted as the winds whipped up unusually high waves, with sea swells of up to 12m in parts.
The Forth, Kessock and Skye bridges have been closed to high-sided vehicles because of the rising wind speeds.
Several train services will also be cancelled as a safety precaution, Network Rail and ScotRail have announced.
Video:Huge Waves Hit Scottish Coast
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Written By Unknown on Senin, 08 Desember 2014 | 14.44
By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent
There could be more than 11 million survivors of sexual abuse in the UK, a Government adviser has told Sky News.
Experts say they are now dealing with a "national health epidemic", while there has been a huge surge in people looking for support since the Jimmy Savile scandal.
Some are related to recent high-profile cases, but sexual abusers are more likely to be people who are already known to the victim.
Founder of the Lantern Project on Merseyside, Graham Wilmer, told Sky News: "There are potentially about 11.7 million victims out there at the moment who have not disclosed, and many of those people will start to come forward in very significant numbers."
Mr Wilmer, who was recently appointed to the Government's Independent Panel Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, explained that the figures are based on accepted statistics that suggest one in six boys under the age of 16 have been sexually abused - for girls the figure is one in four.
Video:Breaking Down the Pieces Of Abuse
"You are dealing with a massive, massive problem. From what we have seen, if you don't provide the right level of support and intervention to support people when they come forward you see very significant health problems, mental health and physical health, which have a direct cost to us as a society.
"We look upon child abuse and its impact now as a national health epidemic."
There are around 130 similar groups offering support around the country that sit under the umbrella organisation The Survivors Trust - but access to services is still patchy in some parts of the UK.
Psychotherapist Brian Mynott, a survivor himself, runs the Real Dawn group in West Yorkshire and says there is a desperate need for more people to be properly trained to offer professional help.
He told Sky News: "It is a million miles from being enough.
"There is only one of me when there should be about a dozen of me in the Wakefield area alone, and that is not me validating myself that is what is missing.
"I have absolutely no shame in recording to anybody that I have been a victim but to get to that point is a journey that cannot be covered by volunteers alone."
Video:New Hope For Child Abuse Probe
He added: "It is very sad that when people phone me up I can't refer them on somewhere and is very sad when people can't get my services because I am booked up and these are people that need help now."
Mr Mynott is now also working with Leeds Trinity University to ensure students are aware of the growing demand for his services.
The Home Office, the Department of Health and the NHS have all committed to continue improving services for abuse survivors.
Mr Wilmer said investing in the support system is more important than the precise number of victims.
"All of the forces of law, and the forces of support work that are available are all gearing towards saying this number is a big number, whether it is 11.5 million or 11.1 actually isn't really relevant," he said.
"The fact is that it is a massive number and because it is a massive problem we are now focusing on it and we are going to do something about it."
Company bosses should be held accountable for nuisance calls made to customers, according to a Government task force.
The expert panel said more than a billion unwanted calls are estimated to be made every year and are causing considerable distress to some people.
Complaints to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) reached 18,594 for live calls and 22,072 for automated messages between April and June.
Most related to accident claims, payday loans and debt management.
Businesses must prioritise the issue at board level and ministers should review the ICO's powers to hold executives to account if their firm breaks the rules, updating the law if needed, said the Nuisance Calls Task Force.
Which? executive director Richard Lloyd, who headed the panel, said: "(Consumers) are often confused or misled by requests for consent to being contacted, so today we set out recommendations to introduce tougher rules and more action from businesses, the regulators and the Government.
"Only through concerted and co-ordinated action will we put people back in control of their data and help bring this modern day menace to an end."
High numbers of calls and text messages are still being sent in breach of the existing legislation, according to the report.
It said consumers often do not realise they have given permission to receive messages and called for them to be able to easily withdraw consent.
Companies should ensure any sales leads they buy have been fairly and legally obtained and records of what consent has been obtained, as well as how and when, must be kept.
Culture minister Ed Vaizey said: "For too long nuisance calls have plagued consumers, often at very inconvenient times of the day and in some cases leaving vulnerable people like the elderly too scared to answer the phone.
"That's why we're determined to tackle this scourge through the first ever nuisance calls action plan.
"We've already made progress including making it easier for Ofcom to share information with the ICO about companies breaking the rules, and we're currently looking at lowering or removing the legal threshold before firms could be hit with fines of up to £500,000."
Justice minister Simon Hughes said: "We have already increased the level of fines available to punish rogue companies.
"We now want to make it easier for the Information Commissioner to take action against these companies which break the law.
"Those responsible should be held to account, and we will review how they are made to answer for any wrongdoing."
Written By Unknown on Minggu, 07 Desember 2014 | 14.44
By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent
George Osborne has placed himself on a collision course with the Lib Dems - warning that they, as well as Labour, would trigger "economic chaos" in Britain.
The Chancellor has also accused Nick Clegg's party of wanting to place "hefty income rises" on families.
The intervention could tip the Coalition into open civil war after a week in which the Lib Dem leader failed to turn up to watch Mr Osborne deliver his Autumn Statement, and a senior colleague criticised the scale of cuts that were unveiled.
Writing in the Sunday Times, Mr Osborne says: "The Liberal Democrats are now arguing with themselves, so it's hard to work out exactly what they think."
He said the party wants tax rises instead of cuts but can't find the money needed through a property tax alone.
Video:Osborne Defends 'Balanced' Plan
"If you want higher taxes to do the heavy lifting, you'd also need to increase taxes like income tax or national insurance."
He admitted that, under his plans, there would be cuts for departments but also big reductions in the welfare bill.
Suggestions being put forward include pushing single parents to return to work a year earlier than at present, when their child turns two, and restricting child benefit to the first two children in the family.
Video:Osborne Reveals Boost For Buyers
"There's a clear choice: a competent plan to stay on course to prosperity with us; or a return to economic chaos with all the alternatives," he writes.
The article is likely to infuriate Mr Osborne's Treasury colleague, the Lib Dem chief secretary Danny Alexander, as well as the leader, Mr Clegg.
The Archbishop of Canterbury says he was left more shocked at the plight of poor families in the UK being forced to rely on food banks than the suffering in African refugee camps.
Hunger "stalks large parts of the country" while the scale of waste was "astonishing", said the Most Rev Justin Welby.
His made his comments ahead of the publication on Monday of a parliamentary report he has backed that sets out a series of proposals aimed at preventing people going hungry, and urges swift action by the Government and food industry.
The sharp increase in food banks has led to fierce political rows
In an article in The Mail on Sunday Archbishop Welby said, although less "serious", the situation of a family having to turn to food bank in the UK had shocked him more than terrible suffering in Africa because it was so unexpected.
He wrote: "In one corner of a refugee camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo was a large marquee.
Video:Food Banks Help One Million Britons
"Inside were children, all ill. They had been separated from family, friends, those who looked after them.
"Perhaps, mostly having disabilities, they had been abandoned in the panic of the militia attack that drove them from their homes. Now they were hungry.
"It was deeply shocking but, tragically, expected.
"A few weeks later in England, I was talking to some people - a mum, dad and one child - in a food bank.
"They were ashamed to be there. The dad talked miserably.
"He said they had each been skipping a day's meals once a week in order to have more for the child, but then they needed new tyres for the car so they could get to work at night, and just could not make ends meet.
Video:Red Cross To Help Britain's Hungry
"So they had to come to a food bank. They were treated with respect, love even, by the volunteers from local churches. But they were hungry, and ashamed to be hungry.
" I found their plight more shocking. It was less serious, but it was here.
"And they weren't careless with what they had - they were just up against it. It shocked me that being up against it at the wrong time brought them to this stage. There are many like them. But we can do something about it."
The sharp increase in the number of food banks across the country in recent years has proved politically divisive.
Earlier this year, ministers were accused of "taking food from the mouths of children" after blocking millions of pounds of European funding agreed for British food banks.
Cash to help people suffering extreme poverty across the EU was backed in a vote at the European Parliament but the Government said food aid was better decided nationally rather than by Brussels.
Video:Cameron's Secret Visit To Food Bank
Archbishop Welby has called for changes to allow food companies to pass on goods they could no longer sell.
Under the current system it costs retailers to give away surplus food to the the hungry.
He added: "At least some of the food being sent to the incinerator should be used as a force for good to help (the poor) out of the rut in which they find themselves.
"We need to make it easier for food companies to give edible surplus food to charities and still encourage them to send inedible food for energy production.
"The big names in the food business know they have a moral obligation to they communities they work in.
"We need to make sure that the financial incentives in their industry don't act against their moral instincts."
Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 06 Desember 2014 | 14.44
The families of two young Britons murdered in Thailand say they are "confident" in the work being carried out to solve the "atrocious crimes".
Students David Miller, 24, from Jersey, and 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge, from Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, were found dead on a beach on the holiday island of Ko Tao in September.
Two Burmese bar workers are accused of the murders, but claim they were tortured by the Thai police to secure a confession.
The two Burmese suspects claim their confessions were made under torture
Amnesty International has called for an investigation into the allegations.
The families of Mr Miller and Ms Witheridge have issued statements thanking Metropolitan Police detectives for reviewing the case, and calling for the investigation to be allowed to take its course.
Video:Charges Over Thailand Beach Murders
Ms Witheridge's family said: "We would like to thank the officers who travelled to Thailand to review the case and the Royal Thai Police for facilitating their visit."
They added: "We would like to stress that as a family we are confident in the work that has been carried out into these atrocious crimes and want to remind both press and public that they do not have the full facts to report and make comment on at this stage.
"Our thoughts, as always, are with the Miller family. Together we stand united and focused on seeing a fair and transparent trial process to bring about justice for our beautiful children."
Video:Parents Visit Thai Murder Suspects
Mr Miller's family said: "We would like to express our relief that progress is being made in Thailand and this case is finally coming to court.
"We would like to reiterate our gratitude to the UK Metropolitan Police, who received the co-operation of the Royal Thai Police in undertaking an independent review into the investigation."
And while "support for the Myanmar suspects has been strong and vocal" they urged the public not to "jump to conclusions" and said the "suspects have a difficult case to answer".
Video:Oct 3: Thai Murder Suspects Paraded
They added: "The evidence against them appears to be powerful and convincing. They must respond to these charges, and their arguments must be considered with the same scrutiny as those of the prosecution.
"Please remember that this is above all a story of two wonderful young people, David and Hannah, killed in the prime of their lives in a senseless and brutal way."
The family and friends of a British man who went missing on a stag weekend in Prague have promised to keep searching the streets of the Czech capital until they get news "good or bad".
Builder Karl Law, 35, vanished after getting separated from his friends on a pub crawl three weeks ago.
There have been several potential sightings of him, but none confirmed and he has not contacted anyone who knows him.
His brother Craig Law, 30, said: "No news is good news, so we are thinking positively. We don't want to think of the worst and believe that Karl is alive and out there somewhere.
"Some of us will stay here for as long as it takes to get the answer to what has happened to Karl, good or bad."
A small rotating group of family and friends from Fareham, Hampshire, are taking turns to fly to Prague, travelling around the city and putting up thousands of posters with Karl's photograph and numbers to call for anyone who spots him.
Karl's employer is still paying some of his wages and friends are rallying round to fund the appeal campaign.
Karl Law, far right, with friends
The last person to see Karl was his cousin Steve Stock, wandering near Maxim's bar close to the centre of Prague's lively old town.
"We had split into two groups and I thought he was going off to another club or to get something to eat. Of course, we had all been drinking, but it was our second night and everybody seemed fine."
Sky News joined Karl's family and friends as they travelled the length of one metro line, hopping on and off at each station to stick up posters.
The next day they handed out more appeal notices among tourists in the packed Christmas market.
They also visited several homeless people living in makeshift shelters along the banks of the Vltava River.
Craig said: "It could be he has had an accident or banged his head somewhere and got disorientated. He could be confused and be sleeping rough."
The group has also been making regular checks at hospitals and homeless shelters.
On the night he disappeared Karl did not have his mobile phone or passport with him.
The searchers believe he is still in Prague, a feeling fuelled by possible sightings of him in a cafe, getting off a number 14 tram, or even walking close to Maxim's.
Prague police said they were doing all they could to find him, but released a statement suggesting his family had not disclosed that he had "consumed both alcohol and narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances extensively during the few days before he disappeared".
Anyone who sees Karl Law or knows his whereabouts is urged to call police or his family on +44 7584 035036 or +44 7807 759981.
