Glasgow Bin Lorry Crash: Panic Inside The Cab

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 14 Februari 2015 | 14.43

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By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

Frantic attempts were made to stop a Glasgow bin lorry as it killed six people last December, Sky News has learned.

Two men were inside the cab with the driver at the time, desperately trying to rouse him after he had collapsed.

The pair, who Sky News has chosen not to name, shouted to him that he was killing people and shook him.

But their efforts were hampered by a metal rail inside the cab, which separates the driver and the crew, who sit on a raised bench in the rear.

It presented an obstacle and inflicted injuries on at least one of the pair as they were jostled by the erratic movement of the vehicle.

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Gallery: Victims Of Glasgow Bin Lorry Crash

Jacqueline Morton, 51, who had left work early to collect her granddaughters

Stephenie Tait, 29, was a teacher at St Philomena's Primary school

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Gillian Ewing, 52, was also killed in the accident

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Jack Sweeney, 68, from Dumbarton, was killed along with his wife and granddaughter

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Erin McQuade, 18, with her grandmother Lorraine Sweeney, aged 69

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A succession of collisions meant the driver's weight shifted on the steering wheel which, in turn, caused sudden changes in the lorry's course.

There was an air-brake in the cab which slowly reduces speed but neither of the two crew was trained in how to drive the bin lorry and so neither knew how to bring it to a halt.

The vehicle only came to rest after crashing into the Millennium Hotel in Glasgow's George Square.

The two crew members first realised something was wrong after they had stopped to make the penultimate pick-up of their round outside the Primark store in Queen Street.

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Gallery: Images From The Scene In Glasgow After The 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

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As the vehicle set off again, it swerved and then proceeded on its fatal journey, about 400 metres towards George Square.

The driver has been named as 58-year-old Harry Clarke and he has spoken of how the victims were on his mind "every minute of every day".

Following the incident, a blood sample was taken from him and he tested negative for drink-driving.

He has since reportedly said that he was diagnosed with a heart condition following the crash on 22 December last year.

Examination of on-board monitoring equipment showed it travelled at just over 20mph for roughly 40 seconds as the tragedy unfolded.

As a bin lorry driver, he was routinely required to insert a driver's tacho-card - a digital device that records a driver's details such as hours spent on the road and speed driven - into a dashboard slot.

He had not done so on the day of the crash.

Whether that was a factor or a minor irregularity that has no relevance to the crash will be a decision for Scotland's Crown Office.

The office is currently considering a police report on the incident. It will also decide whether or not a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) will take place into the circumstances of the crash.

The GMB Union, which represents the two crew members on board the refuse truck, has told Sky News it would welcome an inquiry.

Cal Waterson, regional organiser of GMB Scotland, said: "I wouldn't like to speculate at the moment because we're still waiting for the police report to be published but, obviously, there was pressure being put on the accelerator.

"How would the crew have been expected to prevent that? That's something that I hope a Fatal Accident Inquiry would look into and be able to come up with some recommendations whereby we can put in some overriding device in the rear of the cab or something similar."

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Written By Unknown on Jumat, 13 Februari 2015 | 14.43

A woman has been charged with the murder of an 81-year-old resident at a care home.

Heather Davidson is accused of killing the man at the privately run Sowerby House in North Yorkshire.

The 53-year-old is due to appear at Northallerton Magistrates' Court.

Detectives previously said Ms Davidson, from Thirsk, has no known connection to the home.

Police were called on Wednesday afternoon after the pensioner was found dead in his room.

Senior investigating officer DS Dai Malyn said: "We ask that consideration is given to the residents and the families connected to the care home at this time.

"The home has not been closed; however, there are areas within the home which are still being examined.

"Specially trained police family liaison officers have been deployed to support the deceased's family.

"At this moment we are not in a position to release the identity of the deceased."

Local councillor Mark Robson, who lives 50 yards from the care home, said: "We have not experienced this sort of thing before and hopefully we won't again.

"Our concerns have to be with his family but also our thoughts are with the staff and residents who must be going through an awful time."

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British Sons Plead For Guantanamo Dad's Release

By Ian Woods, Senior Correspondent

The British family of a prisoner in Guantanamo Bay have pleaded with the US government to send him home to London.

In their first interview, the teenage sons of Shaker Aamer told Sky News how their hopes of a reunion have been raised and then dashed.

Mr Aamer has been detained without trial inside the maximum security prison for 13 years - even though he was cleared for release in 2008.

The British government has lobbied on his behalf, and his case has attracted cross-party support, but there has been no explanation as to why he has not yet been freed.

Although he was born in Saudi Arabia, his wife and four children are British citizens. They barely remember their father; indeed his youngest son, Faris, was born on the same day as Mr Aamer arrived at Guantanamo on Valentine's Day 2002.

Faris celebrates his 13th birthday on Saturday and told Sky News: "It's upsetting and quite shocking that I've never met him in my entire life."

His 15-year-old brother Micheal spoke of how their hopes have been dashed.

"We felt very happy," he said.

"We thought there might be a chance for him to come home, but it just kept getting delayed.

"We just felt more sad because nothing happened. We've seen other people with their parents... seen how they enjoy themselves, how they're so close to them.

"It's like there is a part of our heart that is missing because we've been yearning for him to come home for many years and nothing's happened yet."

Mr Aamer took his young family and pregnant wife to Afghanistan in 2001. He says he was working for a humanitarian charity.

But a few weeks later the 9/11 attacks put the country at the centre of America's so-called War on Terror.

His family escaped to Pakistan but Mr Aamer says he gave himself up to the Northern Alliance and was then handed over to US forces.

After detention at Bagram Airbase he was moved to Guantanamo.

The Pentagon compiled a lengthy list of allegations claiming he had ties to al Qaeda.

His lawyer insists the allegations are false and are the result of torture or false confessions to earn rewards.

And his supporters stress that if the Americans actually believed them, they would not have cleared him for release.

Guantanamo spokesman Lt Col Myles Caggins told Sky News: "In 2009 Shaker Aamer's detention status was reviewed. As a result he was placed in a category we call 'eligible for transfer'.

"At some point in the future we will find a new home for him to be repatriated or resettled to."

But Micheal was unimpressed when he saw the video.

"I feel very sad because the man said they were going to try to find him a home," he said.

"But his home is here in London with his family."

There have been various theories about the delay.

Some say the US may prefer to see him sent to Saudi Arabia, where he is less likely to speak publicly about allegations of torture. There is also the issue of compensation.

Lt Col Caggins said: "We make these moves after a rigorous inter-agency process between our security officials, law enforcement and intelligence officials to ensure that transfer will be to a place that can maintain security assurances and human rights protections for those former Guantanamo detainees."

Mr Aamer's lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, scoffs at that.

"The most obvious person in the entire world to release is Shaker Aamer because he would be coming to the country with the best record of released prisoners, Britain," he said.

"And he would be coming to a place where we know his human rights are going to be respected, and he's been cleared for eight years, and he's got a wife and four children. What on earth is the argument against it?"

At least in recent years the family have been able to speak to their father. The International Red Cross has organised Skype video calls. Micheal remembers the first.

"We were all very excited," he said.

"We were very energetic. We couldn't wait to see him. And then when the call finally happened, we couldn't believe it was actually him.

"His voice. We hadn't heard it for such a long time.

"It was very surprising to hear his voice again. It was a shock. Skype has been very good at lifting our hopes up again because we've been able to speak to him, see how he's doing, and he's a very funny person.

"He always makes jokes. He lightens the mood a lot of the time. We talk about what's going on in our lives, how our education is."

Mr Aamer's wife and daughter preferred to stay in the background and not be interviewed. Because both boys are under 16, Sky News has agreed not to show their faces.

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'Uncaring' Paramedic Stood Over Dying Patient

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 12 Februari 2015 | 14.43

A paramedic who stood over a heart attack victim for a couple of minutes as he lay dying outside hospital has been sentenced.

Matthew Geary, who had his hands in his pockets, wrongly assumed Carl Cope, 47, was drunk and CCTV footage showed he left him collapsed in the road, a court heard.

Geary, 36, failed to provide any help to the patient despite seeing him stumble and fall to the ground outside Walsall Manor Hospital, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

The paramedic, who had taken no equipment from his ambulance, was filmed apparently talking to Mr Cope, and was seen lifting and dropping his limp arm.

After two minutes he was seen walking away and then went to summon security staff who tried to rouse Mr Cope but the judge said "it was all too late".

The defendant, of Great Wyrley, Staffordshire, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to breaching health and safety laws by failing to conduct a proper examination of Mr Cope or to attempt prompt resuscitation.

Sentencing, Judge John Warner condemned the paramedic's actions as "callous and uncaring" and wholly at odds with his job, and gave him a suspended eight-month prison term.

He ordered Geary to complete 240 hours of community service and suspended his custodial sentence for two years.

Judge Warner described Mr Cope's treatment as a "truly lamentable" sequence of events.

Prosecutor Gordon Aspden told the judge that Mr Cope, from Bloxwich, near Walsall, was taken to hospital by Geary in June 2012, after he called an ambulance for treatment following chest pains.

Although Mr Cope was not in good health and had a heart condition, ECG tests conducted by ambulance staff suggested his symptoms were not cardiac-related.

He was then taken to Walsall Manor but decided to leave its accident and emergency department to buy a drink from a nearby shop.

But as he returned to the department, Mr Cope collapsed yards away from its main entrance in an area in full view of Geary and other ambulance staff.

Security camera video handed to a police inquiry into the incident showed four staff members walking past Mr Cope, and Geary standing over him for around two minutes before walking into the hospital.

The court heard Geary had handed Mr Cope over to nurses at the hospital and was later seen chatting about football as the patient was slumped beside a bin outside its Accident and Emergency department.

The judge criticised medical staff for discussing the "ownership" of Mr Cope as he lay dying, telling Geary: "It was almost as if he was some kind of chattel.

"Eventually you went over to him, not providing medical help and asked security to deal with it. Security eventually came out and tried to rouse Mr Cope but it was all too late.

"There was no excuse in my judgement for the way you failed to act. Without any justification you had obviously come to a view about him."

Geary has since resigned from West Midlands Ambulance Service.

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Three Held In Anti-Terror Operations

A man and two women have been arrested on suspicion of terror-related offences.

The man, aged 31, is being held on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism and his arrest comes as police search five addresses on Merseyside..

Officers from the North West Counter Terrorism Unit and Merseyside Police raided the houses after "intelligence received" from law-enforcement agencies.

Police said the searches were expected to take many hours or even days.

Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Mole from the North West Counter Terrorism Unit, said: "It is our intention to carry out a thorough, professional investigation to determine the circumstances and details of the activity reported.

"We are taking all measures necessary to ensure public safety, which is our primary concern.

"Members of the public will see a lot of police activity at a number of addresses in the coming hours and possibly days.

"However, it is absolutely vital to stress - and, I hope, at the same time, reassure the public - that there is no current threat or evidence of an imminent attack."

Anyone with concerns about suspicious activity should contact local police or the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789321.

Meanwhile, officers from the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit have arrested two women from Walsall in connection with Syria-related offences.

One, aged 23, was held on suspicion of preparing for acts of terrorism and the other, aged 33, is accused of failing to disclose information.

The arrests are the latest of dozens since the UK raised its international terrorism threat level to "severe" in August.

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Labour Denies Pink Minibus Is 'Patronising'

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 11 Februari 2015 | 14.43

Labour's deputy leader has denied the party is "patronising" women by using a bright pink bus to encourage them to vote.

Harriet Harman will head up the "woman-to-woman" campaign, which aims to visit more than 70 constituencies before the General Election.

But she was forced to defend the push at a briefing for journalists after questions were asked about the colour of the 16-seater vehicle.

Ms Harman denied suggestions the campaign was "patronising" to women, and said the colour showed it was "different".

"Is it not magenta or something?" she joked.

"We wanted to mark that this was something different.

"We wanted it to look conspicuous and therefore a white van was not going to do the job."

She added: "It is a very nice looking bus.... It is the correct colour. This is a One Nation Labour colour."

Conservative MP Caroline Dineage said: "The wheels have come off the Labour bus.

"Getting Harriet Harman to drive around the country in a pink van to try and attract the female vote is as patronising as it gets.

"This is clearly just another divisive gimmick that the electorate will see through."

Ms Harman said at the briefing the party doesn't want women to "give up on politics".

"If you look at the figures, the disaffection that there is with politics is even more pronounced among women," Ms Harman said, pointing to the 9.1 million women who didn't vote at the last election.

"We want women to feel that this is their democracy and politics is for them as well as for men.

"Politics is too important to be left to be a men-only activity. We are saying this is a woman-to-woman activity."

Ms Harman said the Conservatives and David Cameron had nothing to offer female voters, while her party would be highlighting policies on issues like childcare and domestic violence.

She also criticised the Conservatives for auctioning a shoe-shopping trip with Home Secretary Theresa May at the party's fundraising Black and White Ball.

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Driverless Car Trials Begin Across Britain

By Lisa Dowd, Sky News Correspondent

A project to test driverless vehicles is being launched today in the hope the UK will become a leading global supplier.

A shuttle is being tried out in the London borough of Greenwich and an electric pod will be used on closed roads and pedestrian areas in Milton Keynes and Coventry.

Vehicles trialled in Bristol will also help gauge public reaction to the cars and assess legal and insurance issues.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: "The UK is at the cutting edge of automotive technology - from the all-electric cars built in Sunderland to the Formula One expertise in the Midlands.

"It's important for jobs, growth and society that we keep at the forefront of innovation, that's why I launched a competition to research and develop driverless cars.

"The projects we are now funding will help to ensure we are world leaders in this field and able to benefit from what is expected to be a £900bn industry by 2025."

The Government says there are no legal barriers to the testing of automated vehicles on public roads.

Dr Nick Reed from the Transport Research Lab, which is running the Greenwich trials, said the shuttles use sensors to avoid hazards.

"Safety is paramount in our research and the vehicle is detecting moving objects around it, and if pedestrians are moving into its path it will slow down, and if they continue into its path it will come to a safe stop ahead of the pedestrian," he said.

It is hoped £19m of Government funding will help British designers get ahead of competitors.

In the US, Google has been testing its version for several years and car companies have been showing off their designs.

For the UK trials, a qualified driver will be ready to take control if necessary.

Insurer David Williams said: "Currently whoever is driving the car, or cars, are responsible for the accident, but going forward what's it going to be?

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Gallery: Mercedes Unveils Driverless Car At CES

The Mercedes-Benz F015 Luxury in Motion autonomous concept car is shown on stage during the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas

The interior features a wooden floor and four futuristic armchairs covered in white Nappa leather, which rotate to face each other

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Man Due In Court Over Alan Barnes Mugging

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 10 Februari 2015 | 14.43

A man will appear in court later charged with assaulting disabled pensioner Alan Barnes outside his home.

Richard Gatiss, 25, from Gateshead, will appear at Gateshead Magistrates' Court after being charged with assault with intent to rob.

Mr Barnes, 67, suffered a broken collarbone when he was shoved to the ground during the attack in Gateshead on 25 January.

After reading about the mugging, beautician Katie Cutler, 21, set up an online fundraising page hoping to raise £500 to help Mr Barnes move into a new home.

The campaign went viral until it was finally halted with donations standing at more than £330,000.

Mr Barnes met the campaigner last weekend and described her gesture as "magic".

Chief Superintendent Andy McDyer, of Northumbria Police, said: "I'd like to reassure people that since this happened we've been relentless in our investigation and in following up lines of inquiry.

"In the early hours of Monday, officers made an arrest in connection with the investigation and this man has now been charged and is progressing through the court process."

The pensioner, who is 4ft 6in tall and visually impaired, has disabilities from birth after his mother contracted German measles when she was pregnant.

He is a well-known figure in Low Fell and is renowned for being able to quickly calculate how many days old someone is from their date of birth.

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Police Probe Deadly Truck Crash Near School

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Police are continuing to investigate the cause of a collision involving a tipper truck that left four people dead, including a young girl.

The 32-tonne truck, which was carrying aggregate, crashed into cars and pedestrians as it travelled down a steep hill in Upper Weston in Bath, Somerset, just after 4pm on Monday.

The girl, who was a pedestrian, and three adults in a car died at the scene.

Eyewitness accounts given to police suggest the driver of the truck had been trying to avoid an accident.

The area was busy with parents collecting children from school, and police have asked Weston All Saints Primary School to remain closed today due to the incident.

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Gallery: Runaway Truck Hits Cars And Pedestrians

The tipper truck - carrying gravel - turned over in the accident

Lansdown Lane in Upper Weston was closed over the accident

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The deaths happened outside a school. Pic: Peter Fletcher

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Witnesses said the driver of the truck was trying to prevent an accident

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The air ambulance was called to take the injured to hospital. Pic: Chris Lucas

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A number of people were also injured.

One of them, who is believed to be female, was airlifted to Southmead Hospital in Bristol in a critical condition from a primary school playing field.

Another three patients, two men and one woman, suffered minor injuries and were taken to the Royal United Hospital in Bath.

A hospital spokesman said: "As a precaution, one adult male and one adult female are being kept in overnight."

"The third person, an adult male, is being discharged."

A makeshift facility at the school was set up to treat several "walking wounded" with less serious injuries.

A detailed examination of the scene has begun, and motorists have been told to avoid the Lansdown Lane area between the High Street and Deanhill Lane, which will remain closed.

Liberal Democrat MP Don Foster said the council had imposed a 20mph speed limit on parts of the road to improve safety.

"It is a road where we have put speed limits in and flashing lights because it is quite a steep hill coming down," he said.

"There have been attempts by the council over the years to improve safety on the road."

Anyone with information who has not already spoken to police is asked to contact Avon and Somerset Police's collision investigation unit on 101.

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Written By Unknown on Senin, 09 Februari 2015 | 14.43

Labour will significantly boost paternity leave if it wins the election - doubling to four weeks the time fathers can take off and adding more than £100 a week to match the minimum wage.

The plans are expected to cost the taxpayer at least £150m a year if they succeed in raising the take-up by around a quarter, an amount the party says would be more than offset by savings in tax credits from extending free childcare.

Labour is launching what it has dubbed "Father's Month" as part of a coordinated push of family-friendly policies.

Leader Ed Miliband contrasted the paternity leave reform with the Conservative promise of a tax break for married couples.

"The Tories want to spend £700m on what they call a married couple's allowance but which in fact will go to just one in five families with children," he said.

"Instead, at the heart of Labour's plan is the belief that Britain succeeds when modern working families succeed.

"That means giving dads, as well as mums, the chance to spend more time at home in those crucial weeks after babies have been born."

Enacting the reforms, which were first proposed by the left-leaning IPPR think tank last year, would benefit up to 400,000 families a year, the party said.

Under the current rules, new fathers qualify for a statutory £138.18 a week, equivalent to £3.45 an hour for a 40-hour week.

Employers are encouraged to make up the gap between this and the employee's usual pay.

But only just over half of new fathers (55%) currently take it up.

Increasing the taxpayer-funded contribution to the minimum wage level would increase take-up to around 70%, the IPPR estimates.

This would cost the Treasury around £150m in 2015/16.

Labour also said House of Commons figures show its policy of extending free childcare to three and four-year-olds - funded by a levy on the banks - would save "significantly" more in tax credits than the cost of the increased paternity pay.

"The modern British family needs government to be more flexible in what it does to help," Mr Miliband said.

"Thanks to the last Labour government, fathers have two weeks' paid paternity leave.

"Millions of families have benefited, with parents saying this has helped them support each other, share caring responsibilities and bond with their children.

"But the money isn't great - and too many dads don't take up their rights because they feel they have to go back to work so they can provide for their family."

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'Internet Asbos' For Hate Crime Perpetrators

People who persistently spread racial hatred online could be given "internet Asbos" banning them from sites such as Twitter and Facebook, under proposals to crack down on a "disturbing" rise in anti-Semitism in Britain.

A group of MPs has called on the Crown Prosecution Service to examine whether prevention orders, similar to those which can be used to restrict sex offenders' online access, could be applied to hate crimes.

The request follows an alarming rise in incidents against Jews which occurred during fighting in Gaza and Israel last year.

The issue has come under renewed scrutiny following the Paris terror attacks in which a Jewish supermarket was targeted.

The MPs' report says that "Hitler" and "Holocaust" were among the top 35 key words used on Twitter last summer.

Highly abusive posts on the microblogging site were singled out, including the hashtag "Hitler was right", which was trending in July, as well as the "presence of Hitlerian themes and imagery on Facebook".

The report said: "There is an allowance in the law for banning or blocking individuals from certain aspects of internet communication in relation to sexual offences.

"Informal feedback we have received from policy experts indicates that this is a potential area of exploration for prosecutors in relation to hate crime.

"If it can be proven in a detailed way that someone has made a considered and determined view to exploit various online networks to harm and perpetrate hate crimes against others then the accepted principles, rules and restrictions that are relevant to sex offences must surely apply."

It comes after Twitter chief executive Dick Costolo admitted they "suck" at dealing with abuse and so-called trolling, vowing in an internal memo to "start kicking these people off right and left".

The MPs' report said: "Given the scale of social media content produced on a daily let alone minute by minute basis, we have some albeit limited sympathy for the companies that are responsible for hosting it.

"Whilst there is rightly an expectation on those companies to act as there is on government, police and prosecuting authorities, so too civil society has a crucial role to play."

Other proposals in the report include setting up a government fund to cover the costs of security at synagogues and establishing an independent council on anti-Semitism.

Last week, figures released by the Community Security Trust - a charity that monitors anti-Semitism and provides security for the Jewish community in Britain - showed there were a record number of anti-Semitic hate incidents in the UK last year.

Data from the Metropolitan Police supplied to the panel showed that there were 306 anti-Semitic incidents and 236 offences in London between April and November last year.

Prime Minister David Cameron described the report as "hugely important", adding: "Tackling anti-Semitism goes right to the heart of what we stand for as a country."

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: "We remain staunchly committed to tackling anti-Semitism wherever it occurs and will continue to take a zero-tolerance approach.

"Those who perpetrate hate crimes of any kind will be punished with the full force of the law."

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis welcomed the report, saying it "could not come at a more opportune time".

He said: "The threat against the Jewish community is real and anxiety remains high following recent events in France and elsewhere."

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Prince Charles: Youth Extremism 'Alarming'

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 08 Februari 2015 | 14.44

The Prince of Wales has weighed in on rising fears over the radicalisation of young people in the UK, describing it as "alarming".

In a radio interview Prince Charles said the extent to which young people are becoming radicalised is one of the "greatest worries".

He said it was particularly concerning "in a country like ours where you know the values we hold dear".

"You think that the people who have come here, born here, go to school here, would abide by those values and outlooks," the Prince told BBC Radio 2's The Sunday Hour.

His comments came as he kicked off a six-day tour of the Middle East.

The Prince of Wales landed in Jordan late on Saturday, where he is due to hold talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II.

Jordan has carried out three consecutive days of airstrikes on Islamic State targets after the terrorist group released a video showing 26-year-old Jordanian pilot Moaz al Kasabeh being burned to death.

Prince Charles said preventing the radicalisation of Muslim youth was a "great challenge" and something that could not be swept "under the carpet".

He expressed particular concern over the threat posed by young Muslims coming into contact with extremists online, describing it as "frightening".

"I can see I suppose to a certain extent, some aspect of this radicalisation is a search for adventure and excitement at a particular age," he said, adding that he had tried to create alternative paths for young people through his work with The Princes Trust charity.

The Prince's tour will also see him travel to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

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NHS To Probe Thousands Of Patient Deaths

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

Thousands of patient deaths are to be investigated to see whether they could have been avoided in a new drive to make the NHS safer.

For the first time anywhere in the world the medical notes of around 2,000 patients who have died in England will be analysed by experts every year.

The data will be used to give the most comprehensive ever estimate of avoidable mortality in hospitals around the country.

Every hospital chairman will have to write to the Health Secretary annually setting out their plan for eradicating unnecessary deaths.

Jeremy Hunt said: "I'm determined to go even further in rooting out poor care.

"I want all hospital boards to have a laser-like focus on eradicating avoidable deaths in their organisation; even one life lost to poor care or safety error is too many."

The announcement comes as a new analysis revealed that 11 hospital trusts put under 'special measures' 18 months ago because of their high death rates have dramatically improved their care.

Extra staff, management changes and mentoring by more successful NHS organisations cut death rates at the 11 hospitals by more than 9% - three times more than the national average.

Health analysis company Dr Foster, which carried out the research, estimated that at least 450 lives have been saved as a result.

Roger Taylor, who led the research, said: "We were not expecting to find such a strong result.

"It is remarkable to see this intervention has produced a real change and improvement for patients.

"It has saved lives and produced better care."

A further eight hospital trusts have since been put into special measures, bringing the total to 19.

The Department of Health said the trusts have employed an extra 1,800 nurses and 110 doctors. Almost 130 senior managers have been replaced.

Mr Hunt will this week publish a report on the culture change in the NHS in the two years since the inquiry into the Mid-Staffs hospital scandal.

He is expected to announce new measures to support staff to speak up about poor or unsafe care.

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