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Tributes To British Students Killed In Crash

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 19 Juli 2014 | 14.43

Tenth Briton Confirmed Among MH17 Victims

Updated: 5:57am UK, Saturday 19 July 2014

Ten Britons are now confirmed to have been among the 298 people on board flight MH17, which was shot down in Ukraine.

Friends and colleagues today paid tribute to the British victims named, including Leeds University student Richard Mayne, 20, from Leicestershire.

He had recently completed a charity trek to Everest Base Camp was described as a man who had a "great thirst for life" and "wanted to make the world a better place" by his former headteacher.

John Wood, from the Dixie Grammar School in Nuneaton, said: "Richard was an extremely pleasant and thoughtful young man who gave his time generously for everyone."

His sister Scarlett posted a picture of her and Richard on Instagram with the caption: "Always been my hero. Forever loved, never forgotten."

Ben Pocock was flying to Australia to begin a professional placement and study, Loughborough University said.

His family have spoken of their "devastation".

"He was a gifted academic, talented athlete but more importantly a warm, caring, fun-loving son and brother who had an extremely bright future ahead of him," they said.

"Ben is going to be terribly missed not only by his family but by the wider Keynsham community where he made so many long-lasting friends."

The latest British victim to be confirmed is Cameron Dalziel, a 42-year-old helicopter pilot living in South Africa.

His brother Campbell Dalziel said he "couldn't believe" his brother was gone: "It was [Thursday evening] while we were watching Sky News - he had been in Amsterdam at a conference.

"If the reports are credible and true we are saddened by this news. It's not only him that was taken away from us.

"From an early age he always believed in helping people you know and encouraging people from being a lifeguard on the beach to flying helicopters.

"He was part of the sea rescue team. He never ever wanted recognition just you know he enjoyed it. He loved doing it. If he didn't love it he wouldn't do it."

Newcastle United fans, John Alder and Liam Sweeney, who were travelling to see their football team play in New Zealand, also died in the crash, according to NUFC.com and the Newcastle Evening Chronicle.

Newcastle United said the pair were among the club's most loyal supporters.

Managing Director Lee Charnley said: "The loss of John and Liam is truly devastating news.

"Both men were dedicated supporters of our Club and were known to thousands of fans and staff alike."

Glenn Thomas, 49, from Blackpool, was among 100 delegates reportedly on their way to the International Aids Society (IAS) summit in Melbourne, Australia.

Friends spoke of their shock and loss of the media officer at the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva.

WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said: "We have lost a wonderful person and a great professional. Our hearts are broken. We are all in shock."

Stephen Anderson, 44, was reported by the Daily Telegraph to be among the dead.

The former RAF search and rescue co-ordinator, he grew up and worked in Britain before moving to Penang in Malaysia four years with his wife Joanna, 37, where he worked as a technician for Maersk Drilling.

Mr Anderson had spent 23 years with the RAF, including running the search and rescue team at Lossiemouth in Scotland for three years.

Mr Anderson's niece reportedly posted photos on Twitter yesterday with the message: "Rest in Peace Uncle Steve. You didn't deserve to die. No one on that flight did. I love you so much."


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'Devastating': Tributes For UK Plane Victims

Ten Britons are now confirmed to have been among the 298 people on board flight MH17, which was shot down in Ukraine.

Friends and colleagues today paid tribute to the British victims named, including Leeds University student Richard Mayne, 20, from Leicestershire.

He had recently completed a charity trek to Everest Base Camp was described as a man who had a "great thirst for life" and "wanted to make the world a better place" by his former headteacher.

John Wood, from the Dixie Grammar School in Nuneaton, said: "Richard was an extremely pleasant and thoughtful young man who gave his time generously for everyone."

Richard Mayne. Pic: FacebookBen Pocock. Pic: Facebook Richard Mayne during a trip to Nepal (L) and Ben Pocock (R). Pics: Facebook

His sister Scarlett posted a picture of her and Richard on Instagram with the caption: "Always been my hero. Forever loved, never forgotten."

Ben Pocock was flying to Australia to begin a professional placement and study, Loughborough University said.

His family have spoken of their "devastation".

"He was a gifted academic, talented athlete but more importantly a warm, caring, fun-loving son and brother who had an extremely bright future ahead of him," they said.

"Ben is going to be terribly missed not only by his family but by the wider Keynsham community where he made so many long-lasting friends."

Cameron Dalziel. Pic: Facebook Helicopter pilot Cameron Dalziel. Pic: Facebook

The latest British victim to be confirmed is Cameron Dalziel, a 42-year-old helicopter pilot living in South Africa.

His brother Campbell Dalziel said he "couldn't believe" his brother was gone: "It was [Thursday evening] while we were watching Sky News - he had been in Amsterdam at a conference.

"If the reports are credible and true we are saddened by this news. It's not only him that was taken away from us.

"From an early age he always believed in helping people you know and encouraging people from being a lifeguard on the beach to flying helicopters.

"He was part of the sea rescue team. He never ever wanted recognition just you know he enjoyed it. He loved doing it. If he didn't love it he wouldn't do it."

Liam Sweeney, a Newcastle United fan who was on board the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17Malaysia Airlines Ukraine crash Newcastle United fans Liam Sweeney (L) and John Alder

Newcastle United fans, John Alder and Liam Sweeney, who were travelling to see their football team play in New Zealand, also died in the crash, according to NUFC.com and the Newcastle Evening Chronicle.

Newcastle United said the pair were among the club's most loyal supporters.

Managing Director Lee Charnley said: "The loss of John and Liam is truly devastating news.

"Both men were dedicated supporters of our Club and were known to thousands of fans and staff alike."

Glenn Thomas, a World Health Organisation worker who has been confirmed as a passenger on the flight. Pic: Facebook Glenn Thomas was on his way to an Aids conference. Pic: Facebook

Glenn Thomas, 49, from Blackpool, was among 100 delegates reportedly on their way to the International Aids Society (IAS) summit in Melbourne, Australia.

Friends spoke of their shock and loss of the media officer at the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva.

WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said: "We have lost a wonderful person and a great professional. Our hearts are broken. We are all in shock."

Stephen Anderson, 44, was reported by the Daily Telegraph to be among the dead.

The former RAF search and rescue co-ordinator, he grew up and worked in Britain before moving to Penang in Malaysia four years with his wife Joanna, 37, where he worked as a technician for Maersk Drilling.

Mr Anderson had spent 23 years with the RAF, including running the search and rescue team at Lossiemouth in Scotland for three years.

Mr Anderson's niece reportedly posted photos on Twitter yesterday with the message: "Rest in Peace Uncle Steve. You didn't deserve to die. No one on that flight did. I love you so much."


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Health Fears As UK Gets Hotter Than Bahamas

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 18 Juli 2014 | 14.43

By Nazaneen Ghaffar, Weather Presenter

Temperatures are set to reach 32C (90F) across many southern parts of Britain over the next few days, leading to the chance of severe thunderstorms.

Today, England and Wales will be mainly dry with spells of warm sunshine and it will feel very warm, especially across the southeast.

Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic will also have sunny spells, however western Scotland may see some scattered showers.

Temperatures will widely reach the mid to high 20s across England and Wales, and up to 30C (86F) is possible in the southeast.

Gateshead Quayside Enjoying the sun at Gateshead Quayside in Newcastle

However, Scotland and Ireland will be several degrees cooler.

By this evening, thundery showers will spread into Kerry and Cork and move northwards through the night across most of the Republic of Ireland as well as parts of southwest England, Wales, the Midlands and central and southern England.

The heaviest and most torrential downpours are likely over Ireland. It will be a warm and muggy night as well, especially in the south.

Friday will be another very warm day across England and Wales with high humidity.

Weather warning map A warning for heavy rain on Saturday has been issued. Pic: Met Office

The showers and thunderstorms will continue spreading northwards into Northern Ireland, northern England and Scotland.

As the showers clear, long spells of sunshine will develop in the south. Temperatures will be high again, up to 32C (90F) in the south.

However, from Friday night and into Saturday the Met Office has issued a weather warning for heavy thundery showers for England, Wales and southern Scotland

It says frequent lightning, large hail and strong gusts are possible - as well as flooding.

The hot weather has brought health warnings from authorities - especially for the elderly, the young and those with serious illnesses.

Dr Paul Cosford, director for health protection at PHE, said: "Older people and those with long-term illnesses are particularly vulnerable to the effects of very hot weather, so it's important to look out for them and keep indoor areas as cool as possible."

The Met Office has declared a level 2 heat-health alert, which is activated when there is at least a 60% chance of temperatures being high enough on at least two consecutive days and into the night to have an impact on health.

Weather map The hottest areas will be in the South East of England. Pic: Met Office Weather map Friday will be the hottest day, with temperatures 30C or more in places

The reason for the hot conditions is southerly winds dragging up very warm and humid air, mainly from Iberia where temperatures are close to 40C (104F) in the south of Spain.

Next week's temperatures are likely to be a little lower, however it will still feel very warm and there will still be some thunderstorms.


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Retail Banks Face Competitiveness Probe

The competition watchdog has confirmed it is consulting on a provisional decision to launch an in-depth investigation into the retail banking sector.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said essential parts of the UK market lack effective competitiveness.

The CMA said the existing structure did not meet the needs of consumers or that required by small and medium-sized enterprises (SME).

It said there will now be a consultation for an in-depth market investigation for personal current accounts and SME banking.

The watchdog said despite claims of competitiveness, customers have not benefitted sufficiently from attempts to open up the market.

Recent changes have included a simplification of switching current accounts between providers.

The CMA said it would possibly launch a full-scale market investigation but has told the "big four" banks - Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland - to offer an industry solution.

It said a formal decision on the investigation would be made in the autumn.

The current account sector is around £8bn is size while the SME sector is worth £2bn.

The watchdog commissioned two reports, one into current accounts and the other into SME functionality.

The SME banking market study was a joint project with the City watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

It was the first formal collaboration between the organisations, since the CMA was formed following a merging of the Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission.

The CMA said it was interested in hearing from consumers and companies on their experiences.

It said there appeared to be limited scope for newer and smaller banks and the markets remain concentrated, particularly in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

It added that there was very little movement in the market share of the largest banks - other than as a result of mergers and acquisitions.

The CMA said many customers see little difference between the largest banks in terms of the services they offer.

In addition, it said limited transparency and difficulties for customers in making comparisons between banks, particularly for overdraft charges, are "very complex".

"This makes it hard for customers to choose the cheapest or most appropriate accounts for them, so limiting banks' incentives to compete," the CMA said.

"This may result in higher overdraft charges than would otherwise be the case."


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Health Fears As UK Gets Hotter Than Bahamas

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 17 Juli 2014 | 14.43

By Nazaneen Ghaffar, Weather Presenter

Temperatures are set to reach 32C (90F) across many southern parts of Britain over the next few days, leading to the chance of severe thunderstorms.

Today, England and Wales will be mainly dry with spells of warm sunshine and it will feel very warm, especially across the southeast.

Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic will also have sunny spells, however western Scotland may see some scattered showers.

Temperatures will widely reach the mid to high 20s across England and Wales, and up to 30C (86F) is possible in the southeast.

However, Scotland and Ireland will be several degrees cooler.

By this evening, thundery showers will spread into Kerry and Cork and move northwards through the night across most of the Republic of Ireland as well as parts of southwest England, Wales, the Midlands and central and southern England.

The heaviest and most torrential downpours are likely over Ireland. It will be a warm and muggy night as well, especially in the south.

Friday will be another very warm day across England and Wales with high humidity.

The showers and thunderstorms will continue spreading northwards into Northern Ireland, northern England and Scotland.

As the showers clear, long spells of sunshine will develop in the south. Temperatures will be high again, up to 32C (90F) in the south.

The forecast has brought health warnings - especially for the elderly, the young and those with serious illnesses.

Dr Paul Cosford, director for health protection at PHE, said: "Older people and those with long-term illnesses are particularly vulnerable to the effects of very hot weather, so it's important to look out for them and keep indoor areas as cool as possible."

The Met Office has declared a level 2 heat-health alert, which is activated when there is at least a 60% chance of temperatures being high enough on at least two consecutive days and into the night to have an impact on health.

The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for rain for much of the UK, with "significant" flooding possible.

The reason for the hot conditions is southerly winds dragging up very warm and humid air, mainly from Iberia where temperatures are close to 40C (104F) in the south of Spain.

Next week's temperatures are likely to be a little lower, however it will still feel very warm and there will still be some thunderstorms.


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How To Keep Your Cool In The Summer Heatwave

Public Health England and the NHS have given the following guidance to help people during the heatwave.

:: Try to keep out of the sun during the hottest part of the day, usually between 11am to 3pm. If you are outside, stay in the shade where possible.

:: Apply sunscreen of at least SPF15 with UVA protection.

:: Avoid strenuous activity.

:: Wear UV sunglasses, preferably wrap-around, to reduce UV exposure to the eyes.

:: Wear light, loose-fitting cotton clothes, a hat and light scarf.

:: Drink lots of cool non-alcoholic drinks and food with high-water content, such as fruit and salads.

:: Look out for others, especially vulnerable groups such as older people, young children and babies and those with serious illnesses.

:: Never leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle, especially infants, young children or animals.

:: Keep your house cool - close light-coloured curtains on windows that get direct sun; open windows overnight if safe; turn off non-essential light and electrical items that generate heat.

:: Cool (not cold) showers and baths may help; also try sprinkling water over skin and clothes, or a damp cloth on the back of your neck

:: If observing Ramadan, drink lots of water between fasts. If you feel unwell, confused or disorientated consider breaking your fast. The Muslim Council of Britain says this is allowable under Islamic law.


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Westminster Child Abuse: Call For Cop Amnesty

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 16 Juli 2014 | 14.44

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

A former Special Branch police officer has called for an amnesty to help retired colleagues share what they knew of the paedophile network operating in Westminster in the 1980s.

Chris Hobbs, who had a 32-year career with the Metropolitan Police, told Sky News many former officers would be carefully considering the implications of revealing what they knew about the allegations.

Mr Hobbs said: "It is clear that quite a few police officers probably from commissioner, chief constable rank right the way down to detective constables will know something."

"I think the only way that you will get all police officers to come forward is to offer them some sort of protection, some sort of amnesty.

Chris Hobbs Former Special Branch Officer Parmenter Mr Hobbs during his time as a Special Branch officer

"It would help set officers' minds at rest ... that they weren't suddenly going to subject to the criminal investigations for just possibly doing what they were told.

"I certainly heard nothing in the 80s other than Cyril Smith - and every police officer in London had heard the rumours about Cyril Smith." 

The late Rochdale MP is one of the named abusers of young boys, but the current allegations also concern political figures who are still alive.

Westminster abuse allegations It is claimed that a powerful paedophile ring operated at Westminster

Mr Hobbs added that the Metropolitan Police's track record in dealing with whistleblowers is another reason why former officers may be reluctant to step forward.

He said: "They will be thinking to themselves, 'shall I come forward, dare I risk it or if I keep my head down will the storm pass me by?'."

Cyril Smith Allegations of abuse have been made against the late Liberal MP Cyril Smith

Peter Garsden, president of the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers, said any amnesty would need to be carefully put together.

He told Sky News: "It depends what they are being given an amnesty against - if it is an intention to pervert the course of justice then that is fine. However, if they are part of a paedophile ring that involves the MPs then one does not want to let them off a criminal prosecution."

The Metropolitan Police could not comment on whether any amnesty scheme has been considered in relation to their current investigations.


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Emergency Data Collection Laws Passed By MPs

MPs have passed controversial data collection laws after angry exchanges during an extended sitting of the House of Commons.

A group of up to 56 MPs stood against the massed ranks of the three main parties after their leaders agreed new legislation was urgently needed.

The Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Bill was agreed at third reading by an overwhelming majority of 416, after MPs voted 449 to 33 in favour.

The laws will mean internet firms and other companies will be required to store data on "who contacted whom and when" for 12 months.

The security services could listen to phone calls or read emails, although they would need to request a warrant, which would have to be signed off by a secretary of state, to do so.

The House of Lords will look at the Bill next as ministers aim to have it sent for Royal Assent before the end of the week.

Theresa May Theresa May warned the new laws were needed to protect lives

Backbenchers across the Commons complained at the prospect of the Bill being forced through in a day.

Labour's Tom Watson said: "Parliament has been insulted... (This is) democratic banditry resonant of a rogue state."

Former Tory shadow home secretary David Davis said: "My understanding is there was an argument inside Government between the two halves of the Coalition and that argument has gone on for three months, so what the Coalition cannot decide in three months this House has to decide in one day."

Home Secretary Theresa May said the Bill was vital for national security and public safety in the wake of a European Court of Justice Ruling in April.

The Government has insisted the ruling throws into doubt existing regulations, meaning communications companies could begin deleting vital data.

Ministers claim the Bill only reinforces the status quo and does not create new powers.

Mrs May warned: "If we delay we face the appalling prospect police operations will go dark, that trails will go cold, that terrorist plots will go undetected.

"If that happens, innocent lives may be lost."


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NHS To Monitor Nurses For 'Red Flag' Errors

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 15 Juli 2014 | 14.44

By Thomas Moore, Health Correspondent

Hospitals have been issued with a new checklist that should ensure they have enough nurses to provide safe care.

The NHS watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said all hospitals in England should monitor for "red flag" events that indicate staff are under too much pressure.

They include forgetting a patient's medication, failing to check patients are eating and drinking enough, and omitting to regularly turn immobile patients to reduce the risk of pressure sores.

Any ward manager should be able to respond to red flag events by calling for immediate back-up from other departments, according to new guidelines.

If it happens too often, managers will have to recruit more staff.

"The point of a red flag is that additional staff are required pretty urgently on the ward to make sure that those key things are delivered," said Professor Gillian Leng, deputy chief executive at Nice.

BRITAIN-HEALTH-POLITICS-INQUIRY The watchdog hopes to avoid a repeat of the Stafford Hospital scandal

The watchdog rejected calls to set a national staffing ratio.

It says a target of one nurse to eight patients is too rigid. Some patients - such as the elderly - need far more care than others.

Professor Leng added: "Safe staffing is more complex than setting a single ratio.

"The emphasis should not just be on the available number of staff, it should be on delivering safe patient care and making sure that hospital management and nursing staff are absolutely clear on best practice to do this."

The guidance was welcomed by the Royal College of Nursing.

Chief Executive Dr Peter Carter said: "The needs of patients should be the only thing determining staffing levels - not finances.

Nurse shortages. RCN chief Peter Carter warned finances should not dictate care levels

"Patient care must not be compromised because of short-term financial cuts and a minimum safe staffing level should not become a default staffing level."

Nice estimates that hiring extra nurses to meet safe staffing levels will cost £200m.

But the better quality care they will provide will save £1bn by reducing pressure sores and another £700m by preventing wound infections.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "Recent years have seen a big jump in nursing numbers in hospital wards, with 6,200 more nurses since 2010. Today's guidance will help the NHS use staff as effectively as possible."

Labour's shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: "Hospitals across England are operating way beyond recommended capacity levels and, because of this, too many do not have enough staff to provide safe care.

"In the last year, inspectors failed one in six hospitals for not having adequate numbers of staff."


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Payday Loan Caps Imposed By City Regulator

The City regulator is to impose caps on payday loans from January to tackle abuses in the quick-credit market, in a move set to cost the industry 42% of its annual revenue.

The headline measure was a limit in the overall cost of a loan, which the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said should never exceed 100% of the total amount borrowed.

For example, if a borrower was to take out a loan of £300, the person's liability would not be more than £600.

Fixed default fees were also to be capped at £15, the regulator said, with interest on unpaid balances and default fees not exceeding 0.8% per day of the outstanding amount.

News of the regime - reported by Sky News on Monday night ahead of the announcement - prompted the industry body the Consumer Finance Association (CFA) to warn that the limits could force many of its members out of business, driving customers towards loan sharks instead.

The FCA admitted the measures were likely to cost the payday sector £420m annually but its chief executive Martin Wheatley dismissed the industry's claim as a "scare story."

He said: "For the many people that struggle to repay their payday loans every year this is a giant leap forward.

"From January next year, if you borrow £100 for 30 days and pay back on time, you will not pay more than £24 in fees and charges and someone taking the same loan for 14 days will pay no more than £11.20. That's a significant saving.

"For those who struggle with their repayments, we are ensuring that someone borrowing £100 will never pay back more than £200 in any circumstance.

"There have been many strong and competing views to take into account, but I am confident we have found the right balance.

"Alongside our other new rules for payday firms – affordability tests and limits on rollovers and continuous payment authorities - the cap will help drive up standards in a sector that badly needs to improve how it treats its customers."

The measures were announced 24 hours after Wonga - the country's biggest payday lender - confirmed its new chairman was to lead a drive to improve standards in the wake of damaging revelations the firm created fake legal letters to threaten borrowers in arrears.

Citizens Advice chief executive Gillian Guy said of the caps: "Up until now, payday lenders have had the green light to send people into a spiral of unmanageable debt.

"The cap will help limit the scale of debts but its success will depend on enforcement and is part of a raft of measures, including limiting rollovers, that the FCA must make sure lenders are sticking to."


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Women Bishops: Church Of England Faces Vote

Written By Unknown on Senin, 14 Juli 2014 | 14.43

Will Church Vote Pave Way For Female Archbishop?

Updated: 2:50am UK, Monday 14 July 2014

By Vicky Beeching, for Sky News

Today, the Church of England will take what could be a historic vote - it's most significant in 20 years.

If the vote passes, women will be able to become Bishops for the first time.

The Church of England has had female priests, or vicars, since 1994, when the first 32 were ordained at Bristol Cathedral.

But they couldn't be promoted to higher levels of leadership; a stained glass ceiling existed for them and it remains today.

You may have a sense of déjà vu about this. Didn't the Church already take this vote? Yes, in November 2012 - and it failed to pass.

So how does all of this work? The Church of England has a governing body called the General Synod.

It's made up of three Houses, a bit like Harry Potter with the Houses of Griffindor, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, the General Synod has the House of Bishops - the senior leaders, the House of Clergy - the priests, and the House of Laity - the churchgoers, known as lay people.

To pass the legislation on women bishops, each House has to vote in favour with a 2/3 majority.

In November 2012, the House of Bishops and the House of Clergy both voted in favour. The reason it failed hinged on a small margin - just six votes in the House of Laity - so it was the churchgoers who voted it down.

The same people who voted in 2012 will sit at this Synod, so there is still a chance it could be a 'no' again. But most are quietly hopeful that it will go through, albeit with close numbers.

The vote happens this afternoon in York. First there will be a debate, then voting is carried out electronically and in total silence. This will take place by 6.15pm at the latest.

If the outcome is a 'no', it's likely that Parliament will want to to step in, as they were keen to do so back in 2012. Since then, the Church has had almost two years to try and fix the issue themselves, so it seems conceivable that the Government might want to push through the legislation themselves.

If the vote is a 'yes' it then has to go through Parliament, and get Royal Assent, but these should happen quickly and would enable the first female bishop to potentially be appointed early next year.

Each Bishop looks after an area known as a See.

To appoint a Bishop, first one of these Sees has to become available. Then, as there are no plans within the Church for "all women shortlists",  a candidate would need to prove they were the best person for the job, regardless of gender.

Once women can become bishops, there's no limit to how far they could progress in church hierarchy.

If the vote passes, it's possible we could even see a female Archbishop in our lifetime. Now that would truly be an achievement for gender equality and the Christian faith.


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Abdullah-X Cartoon Aims To Deter Jihadists

By Jason Farrell, Senior Political Correspondent

A former Islamic extremist has become the creator of an innovative campaign to convince young Muslims not to join violent jihad.

In an exclusive interview with Sky News, the creator of an online cartoon character called Abdullah-X explained how his animation aims to unpick the message of radical preachers and dissuade young Muslims from fighting in Syria and Iraq.

In an anonymous interview, he told Sky News: "It hopes to save the lives of young Muslims who believe that jihad has become some call of duty that is mimicked for them through their PlayStation experience that they now think they can do for real in some far-off land, for a cause they don't truly understand."

"Furthermore, it hopefully starts to expel myths and stereotypes and prejudices that non-Muslims may have about Islam because the only Islam they hear about is one they tend to fear nowadays."

At times the cartoon character Abdullah-X is disillusioned and angry. He sings: "You get democracy, we get its hypocrisy. You get the margin for error, we get the label of terror."

But he also asks: "Do you genuinely think that going out there to fight will affect those suffering in a positive way."

Abdullah-X cartoon screen grab The Abdullah-X cartoons feature a disillusioned and angry young Muslim

On his journey he comes to realise violent jihad is not the answer.

The man behind Abdullah-X draws on his own experience having once followed the teachings of preachers such as Abu Hamza and Omar Bakri.

Having been a member of banned extremist groups he describes himself as "someone who's been there, seen it, bought the T-shirt and asked for a refund".

He added: "I have the knowledge, the background and the experience to understand that narratives such as the one driven by extremist groups have beaten mainstream society in access to the internet."

"They have beaten mainstream society in content, in the ability to justify what they stand for and what they believe in, and I felt in 2012 when I started this project that unless we take a proactive step to take some of that ground back online, it will never embed itself in the off-line reality of young people."

Abu Hamza al-Masri The cartoon's creator was once influenced by preachers such as Abu Hamza

Extremists have long known that the internet is a place where mindsets and behaviours can be shaped, but Abdullah-X directly challenges these radical beliefs.

At one point the cartoon asks: "You have to kill others to make your world purer. This is what you think Islam is? Are you for real?"

Its creator said: "I came to that conclusion probably through a mixture of two realisations. One, the people spewing out this message, 90% of them didn't have the heart or conviction to go and do anything like this themselves.

"Certainly individuals who I came into contact with who adopted the mantra of being a Sheikh or a scholar ultimately became the same individuals who were happy to claim government benefits.

"I realised therefore that unless I'm confident that I have the appropriate picture of my faith, I will always be seeing it through the lens of these kind of people. It took me a long time to understand that."

Last week Sky News spoke to a Londoner wanting to fight in Syria - having been influenced by the call to jihad in videos online.

This project sits in the place where these young Muslims might seek answers to questions about jihad - the Google and YouTube search engines.


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Ambulance Response Times 'Putting Lives At Risk'

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 13 Juli 2014 | 14.43

Ambulances are taking longer to reach patients suffering from life-threatening conditions compared to three years ago, according to a new report.

Figures from NHS England suggest that in some areas of the UK, heart attack and stroke victims have to wait almost three minutes more to be seen by a paramedic.

Category A calls where a patient's life is in danger should arrive within eight minutes. But ambulances are taking more than a minute longer to arrive on average and experts warn this is putting lives at risk.

Dr Dale Webb, director of research and information at the Stroke Association, said: "When a stroke strikes, the blood supply to part of your brain is cut off which causes brain cells in the affected area to die.

Paramedic Danny Wroe Paramedic Danny Wroe says increases in traffic are causing longer delays

"So time lost is brain lost. These figures are a concern because stroke patients need to get specialist treatment as soon as possible.

"The quicker someone arrives at a specialist stroke unit the quicker they should receive the right treatment and the more likely they are to make a better recovery."

In the East of England, ambulances are taking some 2.8 minutes longer to respond to the most serious calls. In the East Midlands, ambulances are taking 2.3 minutes longer compared to three years ago.

But an East Midlands Ambulance Service spokesperson cast doubt on the data.

''EMAS is an improving organisation and hit all of its key performance standards during the first quarter of 2014," he said.

Danny Wroe One trust is recruiting more staff like Danny to help with response times

''The method used nationally to measure response times changed between years so the figures quoted do not compare like with like.

"The figure of 489 seconds for May 2014 uses the new criteria and is correct. However, if the new measurement criteria were applied to the May 2013 figure, it would read 476 rather than 376.

"This means the change from 2013 to 2014 is 13 seconds."

Portsmouth-based paramedic Danny Wroe told Sky News: "Traffic is on the increase and people's inability to use their mirrors is a major thing."

The chief executive of the East of England Ambulance Service said the service was dealing with delays by recruiting extra paramedics and putting additional ambulances on the road.

Dr Anthony Marsh said: "We are putting more staff on the front line and reducing the number of cars to increase the number of ambulances.

"We are recruiting 400 student paramedics by April 2015, the first group of which are already working from ambulance stations across the region, as well as up-skilling our existing emergency medical technicians and emergency care assistants.

"Additional ambulances are also on the road, and we launched a replacement programme to ensure no ambulance in our fleet is older than five years by next spring."


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Reshuffle: Youngsters Set For Cabinet Roles

David Cameron is this week expected to deliver the biggest changes to his Cabinet since the beginning of the coalition, with women and a younger generation of MPs expected to benefit.

When it comes to reshuffles, there is one simple rule: the only person who knows all the details is the Prime Minister (and even he can't be certain - remember last time, when Iain Duncan Smith refused to agree to David Cameron's wishes?). The rest is speculation.

Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers arrives to attend a Cabinet meeting at Number 10 Downing Street in LondonBritain's new Financial Secretary to the Treasure Nicky Morgan arrives at Downing Street in London Theresa Villiers and Nicky Morgan are in line for top jobs in the Cabinet

However, there are a few things we know for certain.

First, sources confirm this will be a significant reshuffle with some big changes. David Cameron is notoriously reluctant to shuffle his pack - he knows the danger of having disgruntled ex-ministers on the backbenches - but time is running out if he wants to refresh his team ahead of the General Election.

All the signs are that this will be a wide-ranging and significant shuffle.

Second, a big curveball has been thrown into the mix. Next week, EU leaders will meet to dole out the top jobs in the European Commission and Mr Cameron needs to work out who he wants to nominate.

One of the favourites is the Conservative peer Michael Howard, but it could also go to a current minister such as Theresa Villiers or David Willetts - freeing up another plum job back at home.

If those are the certainties, what are the probables?

Westminster watchers expect to see several women rising through the ranks. Elizabeth Truss is tipped for promotion, perhaps taking David Willetts' job as minister for universities, after performing well in her education brief.

BRITAIN-POLITICS Esther McVey is also tipped for a top position

Esther McVey is also a decent bet for an upwards move - being Liverpudlian means she also ticks the "northern" box.

Other well thought of female MPs include Nicky Morgan, Priti Patel and Amber Rudd. It's clear why Mr Cameron may feel there isn't enough oestrogen around the Cabinet table: out of 23 full-time Cabinet members, just three are women and none are mothers.

However, the chorus of complaints from some quarters that if you are a male Tory MP you have no chance of promotion is mistaken.

Male MPs from the 2010 intake who have enjoyed a stratospheric rise include Sajid Javid, Matthew Hancock and Greg Hands.

In fact, this week's reshuffle is more about the new generation of MPs replacing the old.

Senior politicians such as Andrew Lansley, Sir George Young and Ken Clarke are expected to make way for ambitious youngsters - male and female - with the same pattern repeating further down the ministerial ranks.

But don't expect that to mean the end of the "Cameron's Cuties" headlines and moaning from overlooked male MPs.


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