More than 12,000 schools in England and Wales were affected by the strikes Thursday, 30 June 2011
Row over impact of pension strike
More than 12,000 schools in England and Wales were affected by the strikes Thousands of UK schools have closed on a day of strikes by public sector workers over pension changes.
But the government said action by civil servants had "minimal" impact with fewer than 100,000 on strike at midday.
The Public and Commerical Services union said it was the best supported strike it had ever held, with 200,000 civil servants striking.
Jobcentres, border controls and passport offices were also affected by the industrial action.
Thousands of schools were closed across England and Wales as teachers from three unions walked out.
The government says the proposed pension changes are "fair to taxpayers" and other unions are continuing with negotiations.
It condemned the strike, as did the opposition, although Labour leader Ed Miliband accused ministers of mishandling negotiations with the unions.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "Our border controls are in place and Jobcentres and pension offices are open for business.
"Indicative figures from every government department show that as of 12 noon today, over 75% of civil servants were not on strike. Just fewer than 100,000 civil servants were on strike - around one-fifth of the workforce.
"This shows that less than half of PCS members decided to take strike action today."
Analysis
Long running and often bitter disputes often end with a clear winner. But the apparent success of a one day strike is often determined as much by spin, as by the numbers who take to the streets.
The unions see today as a show of strength - the government want to suggest it was really a sign of weakness. Hence the claim that most civil servants went to work, essential services weren't disrupted, and that the borders remained secure.
The unions, on the other hand have been arguing that while perhaps only a handful of courts closed, some cases had to be postponed - and while a small number of job centres shut, far more weren't able to provide a full service to their customers.
There seems little doubt, though, that the disruption to parents and school children alike was extensive - with a majority of schools in England closed, or partially closed.
Today was only the opening salvo in a longer running battle - one which will take place largely behind closed doors, in detailed negotiations, rather than on the streets.
Many of the unions who will sit round the table with government ministers next week weren't on strike today. If they feel the government isn't flexible enough in these talks, much more widespread disruption is possible in the autumn.
Q&A: Public sector strikes Nick Robinson: Unaffordable pensions?Mark Serwotka, leader of the Public and Commercial Services union, said up to four million workers could strike in the autumn if the bitter row is not resolved.
He also said 85% of his members had been on strike, MPs had refused to cross picket lines and staff in Downing Street had taken action.
"The government has been rumbled, and ministers are either badly briefed - or they are lying," he said.
The action by the National Union of Teachers (NUT), the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) and the University and College Union (UCU) affected England and Wales.
The unions say the proposals would mean more work and contributions for a reduced pension.
At least 12,000 schools in England and Wales are known to have been closed or partly closed. Unions say the total is even higher.
Department for Education data suggests that 11,114 of the 21,500 state schools in England were hit by the walkouts - the department based its calculations on data from 80% of schools.
It said in total, 5,679 schools were shut, and another 4,999 were partially closed. Some 201 academies and city technology colleges were also shut, while 235 remained partially open.
In Wales, according to local authority figures, more than 1,000 out of 1,800 schools were either closed or partially closed.
The NUT estimated 85% of schools in England and Wales were affected.
Kevin Courtney, the union's deputy general secretary, said the union realised the action was "very disruptive for parents," and said that "we do regret that".
He added: "We had hoped to reach a settlement before the industrial action, but the government isn't serious about talks."
The PCS also includes police support and border staff and some UK Border Agency staff walked out from 1800 BST on Wednesday.
However, airports and ports reported few difficulties.
Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS, said his members were left with no choice but to take action as the government was not prepared to "compromise on any of the central issues of the strike".
"While they are talking, they are not negotiating," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
The walkouts by the PCS, which has around 260,000 members, were staged across the UK.
The Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson says 90% of police staff who handle calls from the public had not turned up for work and as a result officers were responding more slowly to requests for helpAbout 30,000 workers went on strike in Scotland, including staff at the Scottish parliament, the passport office in Glasgow and civilian employees at defence establishments such as HMS Naval Base FaslaneIn Wales, all national museums were closed to the public and the DVLA operated a reduced serviceHome Office employees were among 3,000 people striking in Northern Ireland. Belfast International Airport warned of possible flights delays as immigration and customs officers join the actionThere were PCS pickets outside the Old Bailey but the courts still opened. At Inner London Crown Court, there were no trials sitting with juries and the PCS union says other Crown, magistrates and coroners' courts were disruptedThe Maritime and Coastguard Agency said there have been some walkouts but all coastguard stations are "operational and appropriately manned"The Department of Work and Pensions said 18 of the 750 Jobcentre Plus offices across the country were closed, and 40% of staff were on strikeIn London, where police leave has been cancelled, union leaders and activists marched to Westminster for a rallyIn Liverpool, some 537 out of the 550 staff at the passport office were on strike. Most civil servants at Ministry of Defence and Criminal Records Bureau offices in the city also walked outCabinet Office Minister Francis Maude said: "What today has shown is that the vast majority of hard-working public sector employees do not support today's premature strike...
"Reform of public sector pensions is inevitable, but we will ensure that public sector pensions will still be among the very best, with a guaranteed pension which very few private sector staff now enjoy. But they will be paid later because people live longer."
Writing on Twitter, Mr Miliband said: "These strikes are wrong at a time when negotiations are going on. People have been let down by both sides - the Govt has acted recklessly".
Some striking workers spoke of their "anger" at Mr Miliband's refusal to back their walkout. PCS union members on the picket line outside the House of Commons said the party should stand up for their rights.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-13983820
bbc news spanish bbc news video bbc news worldwide bbc south news bbc news today
Smithwick reports on RUC murders
Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob Buchanan were murdered by the IRA in 1989 A tribunal investigating alleged Garda collusion in the murders of two high-ranking RUC officers is due to publish its interim report later.
The Smithwick Tribunal was set up to look at the murders of Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob Buchanan.
They were killed in an IRA ambush close to the border in March 1989.
Irish Justice Minister Alan Shatter had asked Judge Peter Smithwick for an interim report by the end of June.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-northern-ireland-13971014
bbc news online radio online bbc news bbc news streaming bbc radio news bbc news rss
Wednesday, 29 June 2011
Labour MPs 'to cross picket line'
Mr Miliband has criticised the strike but did not mention it in Wednesday's exchanges Labour MPs will be expected to cross picket lines during Thursday's public sector strike, the party has said.
A spokesman for leader Ed Miliband said Labour MPs would "come to work as normal" in Parliament despite a pension strike affecting up to 750,000 workers.
David Cameron taunted the Labour leader over the issue in the Commons, saying he could not raise it as he was "in the pocket of the unions".
Mr Miliband has criticised the strike but did not mention it at PMQs.
Asked whether Labour MPs would cross picket lines outside Parliament and other public buildings, a spokesman for the Labour leader said they "will be coming to work as normal".
The PCS Union has said some of its members who work inside Parliament, in roles such as security staff, will picket outside the building.
On Tuesday, the Labour leader and First Minister in Wales Carwyn Jones said his cabinet ministers would not cross any picket lines but would continue with their work across Wales.
MPs' pensionsA funded final salary schemeNormal retirement age is 65, minimum age is 55MPs can contribute either 11.9%, 7.9% or 5.9% of their £65,738-a-year salaryPayments are increased in line with the retail prices indexAccrual is capped at two-thirds of an MP's final salaryThe coalition agreement included a commitment to consult with the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority on "how to move away from the general final salary pension system"Why Miliband is against strikes
The prime minister's official spokesman said "low numbers if any" of the 200 civil servants that work at Downing Street are expected to take part in the strike.
Teachers, civil servants and other public sector workers are due to stage a one-day strike in protest at plans to raise the station pension age, raise employee contributions and link pension values to the generally lower consumer prices index (CPI) rather than the retail prices index (RPI).
Mr Cameron said there had been "not a squeak" from Mr Miliband or other Labour MPs on the issue of the strike or reforms to public sector pensions during the 30-minute weekly session of prime minister's questions.
"Clearly this is the issue that they simply don't want to talk about on the other side of the House," he said.
He added: "Because they (Labour MPs) are all paid for by the unions they cannot talk about this issue."
The prime minister said the proposed strike action was "irresponsible" as talks between ministers and unions were continuing and the government's proposals were fair to workers and fair to the taxpayer.
The leader of the opposition often tends to quiz the prime minister on an issue dominating that day's headlines.
But Mr Miliband decided to use the six questions he is allotted each week to attack Mr Cameron over what he said would be a huge rise in NHS bureaucracy as a result of government reforms and the cost of making NHS staff redundant.
The Labour leader has made his views on the industrial action clear, however, saying on Tuesday it was a "mistake" and "should not go ahead" as it would inconvenience parents and children.
He has urged both sides to continue negotiations, arguing that public sector pensions do need to be reformed. But he has criticised the government for what he said was their "provocative and reckless" handling of the negotiating process.
Up to 5,000 schools in England will either close entirely or partially on Thursday and the UK Border Agency has said some travellers could face disruption at airports and other points of entry and should consider making alternative arrangements.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-politics-13957592
bbc news today bbc news hour bbc news sports bbc world news america bbc news weather
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Bridge girl care move 'surprise'
Georgia Rowe and Neve Lafferty were attending the Good Shepherd Centre A teenager who plunged to her death from the Erskine bridge was "nowhere near" the criteria for her to be in a secure unit the year before she died, a fatal accident inquiry has heard.
Georgia Rowe, 14, died along with Neve Lafferty, 15, after they plunged more than 100ft in October 2009.
Both girls had been residents at the Good Shepherd Centre in Renfrewshire.
Georgia was removed from a foster placement with her aunt in 2008 and taken into care in East Yorkshire.
She was fostered by her aunt in Sorn, Ayrshire, as a baby because her mother was unable to care for her.
But the placement broke down when Georgia began to behave erratically and eventually she was taken back to Hull in 2008, before she was returned to Scotland the following year.
Alison Wallace, a social worker from East Ayrshire Council, said she was "surprised" when she learned that four or five months after Georgia was taken to England, she had been put into a secure unit in Hull.
She told the inquiry: "When she was in East Ayrshire she was nowhere near the criteria for secure accommodation."
She added that it had been her understanding that Georgia would be placed with her extended family in Hull.
But, in fact, Georgia was put in two foster placements before being transferred into secure accommodation in Hull.
Ms Wallace told the inquiry that Hull City Council, who remained the authority in charge of the teenager's care, had passed on no information to social work colleagues in Ayrshire after taking the 14-year-old south in June 2008.
She said she only learned that Georgia had come back to Scotland after her death.
Sheriff Ruth Anderson asked her: "Nobody kept you up to date with what was happening to the child in Hull?"
She replied: "No."
The sheriff went on: "Were you surprised that Hull never once contacted you?"
Ms Wallace said: "Yes. Obviously, the Good Shepherd is a centre we use."
The inquiry at Paisley Sheriff Court continues.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-13944774
Murray powers into quarter-finals
Andy Murray beats Richard Gasquet in straight sets on a scorching Centre Court to reach the last eight at Wimbledon. 
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/sport1/hi/tennis/13930871.stm
bbc news headlines bbc news persian bbc news arabic bbc news radio bbc news online
Monday, 27 June 2011
Woman dead after car mounts kerb
The crash happened near the train station in Motherwell town centre A woman has died and two other people have been injured after a car mounted a footpath in Motherwell.
Police said it appeared that a man had become unwell while driving his car along the North Lanarkshire town's Muir Street at about 1040 BST on Monday.
The car hit two parked cars, mounted a footpath and struck two pedestrians, one of whom died at the scene.
The driver and a woman are being treated for their in juries at Wishaw General Hospital.
Emergency services and crash investigators from Strathclyde Police are at the scene.
The road has been closed and diversions put in place.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-13927914
bbc south news bbc news today bbc news hour bbc news sports bbc world news america
UK faces potential 'brain drain'
The number of people willing to walk away from the UK rises among younger, higher educated workers More than one in four workers in the UK would move abroad for a better job, a survey suggests.
Research group GfK said 27% of employees were willing to change country, possibly driven by a desire to escape the high cost of living and static wages in the UK.
And just under a quarter were looking to leave their employer within a year.
But other countries surveyed may be at a higher risk of a "brain drain", with Latin America potentially hardest hit.
The proportion of workers willing to move country was highest in Mexico (57%) and Colombia (52%), while Brazil and Peru also saw high numbers (41% and 38% respectively).
Even in the US and Canada - countries GfK describes as "traditionally stereotyped for their relative disinterest in living abroad" - a fifth of workers said they would leave to find a better job.
In the UK, the chances of a brain drain appear higher among younger workers with 36% of those aged 18-29 willing to move.
Among higher educated workers, 36% of those with degrees and 38% of those with postgraduate qualifications said they would consider leaving.
"Even if only a fraction of these people actually move abroad, UK businesses will face a significant loss of talent, just at the time they most need it," said Sukhi Ghataore from GfK.
The GfK survey questioned more than 30,000 working adults in 29 countries.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/business-13909598
bbc world news headlines bbc persian news bbc live news bbc africa news bbc news music
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Capsized teenager hunt called off
An air and sea search is due to resume for a teenager missing after the boat he was in capsized off the coast of Aberdeenshire.
It is understood the 18-year-old was out in a small fishing boat with two friends, both 17, when the vessel got into trouble and turned over.
The two others managed to swim to rocks between Banff and Whitehills and raise the alarm shortly before 0100 BST.
The boat has been recovered but there is still no sign of the missing man.
The search is set to resume at about 0800 BST.
The 18-year-old and his two friends set off from Banff between 1100 BST and 1130 BST on Thursday.
After their vessel flooded, they ended up in the water and started to swim for shore.
When one of them reached land he ran to a local hotel and raised the alarm. The second teenager reached the shore shortly afterwards.
Both were taken to hospital suffering from hypothermia. None of them was wearing a lifejacket.
Banff, Gardenstown, Portsoy and Buckie Coastguard Rescue Teams were scrambled, along with Buckie and Macduff RNLI lifeboats.
The RAF rescue helicopter from Lossiemouth also joined the search.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-13899839
Saturday, 25 June 2011
Living room crash man sentenced
The court heard how McGarrigle had taken the car keys from a friend A man who crashed a car into a couple's living room during an argument at a Halloween party has been sentenced to two years probation.
Paul McGarrigle, 33, was also given 240 hours community service and told to pay £5,000 compensation to victims Gayle McQuilken and Allan Fleming.
He had been partying at a house on Findochty Place, Glasgow, when he rowed with the couple who lived next door.
Sheriff Bill Totten said McGarrigle's behaviour had been "outrageous".
Glasgow Sherriff Court heard that the row had escalated and after the pair left the party to get away from McGarrigle, he smashed a BMW through the front wall of their house.
The couple, who were in the kitchen at the time heard a "deafening bang" and returned to their living room to find a car sticking through the wall.
Sheriff Totten said: "Your behaviour was outrageous, you appear to have taken complete leave of your senses that night.
"There is no hint of an excuse or rationale for what you did and there were obviously very serious consequences.
"There was considerable damage caused to the home of the two complainers and it is fortunate that you did not bring the entire front of the house down."
Steven Quither Prosecutor“He was then seen reversing it [the car] back a short distance on to the roadway and then revving up the engine and driving into the front of the house next door”
Sheriff Totten also placed McGarrigle on a curfew for 12 months and banned him from driving for 18 months.
At an earlier hearing, McGarrigle, admitted culpably and recklessly driving the car into the house on 31 October 2010.
He also pleaded guilty to refusing to complete several breath tests after he was arrested at the scene.
Prosecutor Steven Quither told the court that there had been "banter" back and forth between the couple and McGarrigle but shortly after midnight this turned sour and the couple decided to go home.
Mr Quither said: "The accused then asked one of his friends if he could have her car keys because he had left his phone in her car.
"She gave him the keys and the accused went into the car.
"He was then seen reversing it back a short distance on to the roadway and then revving up the engine and driving into the front of the house next door.
Mr Quither added that damage to the house was estimated at £20,000 because there had been a "ripple effect" on the adjoining house next door.
Defence lawyer Kenneth McGowan told the court that his client appreciated the damage he had caused and the distress caused to the couple.
Mr McGowan added: "He has fully expressed his insight into the consequences of these offences and has displayed a great deal of victim empathy."
The lawyer added that McGarrigle could no longer work as a van driver but his employers had agreed to give him a sales job instead.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-13906001
bbc news middle east bbc news live bbc news somali bbc news world the bbc news
VIDEO: Scottish Parliament
Alex Salmond tells MSPs the new anti-sectarian legislation will be delayed by six months during first minister's questions.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/democracylive/hi/scotland/newsid_9517000/9517287.stm
bbc news latest arabic bbc news bbc news on line bbc arabic news bbc news radio online
Friday, 24 June 2011
Arrest after estate cordoned off
Police said a serious offence had taken place at another location earlier in the day A man has been arrested after armed police cordoned off part of a housing estate in Llanelli, Caramarthenshire for five hours.
Officers were called to the Brynhyfryd estate at about 0930BST on Friday.
Dyfed Powys Police said: "Armed officers were in the area in relation to investigations into a serious offence that had occurred earlier in the day at a different location."
The force thanked the public for their patience and cooperation.
"A man has now been arrested in connection with the above offence," said Inspector James Davies.
"There may have been some minimal disruption to some of the residents of Brynhyfryd and for that we'd like to apologise.
"However it was essential that we dealt with the incident in the safest possible way for everyone concerned."
At lunchtime, there was still a heavy police presence, including armed officers.
Residents were being allowed access but police blocked the main estate road, Pencoed.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-wales-13907649
persian bbc news bbc news channel bbc news latest arabic bbc news bbc news on line
Thursday, 23 June 2011
Man drove over girlfriend in tent
Owen had tried to stop the group calling an ambulance to the scene A man who accidentally ran over his girlfriend as they camped with friends on a beach has avoided a jail sentence.
David Owen, 21, was found guilty of taking Louise Graham's car and recklessly running over the tent where she slept, while he was drunk.
Owen was placed on probation for two years, banned from driving for three years, and ordered to perform 50 hours community service.
The incident in 2008, left Ms Graham, 22, with disfiguring scars.
The court had previously heard how the couple, who have since split up, had driven to West Sands in St Andrews with friends.
Ms Graham, from Guardbridge, Fife, told the court, how she fell asleep while Owen and the rest of the group they were with sat drinking cider outside.
She said she then woke up to find the car on top of her.
She was left with burns to her arm, hand and stomach which needed skin grafts and months of treatment, leaving her permanently scarred.
Sheriff Charlei Macnair“The jury found you guilty of culpable and reckless conduct”
The court heard that when the incident happened Owen demanded that none of the group phone an ambulance because he was scared the police would get involved.
Sentencing was deferred to allow Owen to complete a four month sentence imposed in March for stealing a crate of beer.
Sheriff Charlie Macnair said: "The jury found you guilty of culpable and reckless conduct.
"Had you deliberately run over Miss Graham the sentence would have been a lengthy term in prison.
"But you did take this vehicle when you had no right to do so.
"In a case like this I have to take into account the nature of the conduct and the result.
"I consider that I can, just, deal with this by way of a non-custodial sentence."
Leaving court, Owen said: "I'm happy, I had expected to get the jail."
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-13889047
Case review into toddler's death
A review has been carried out into the death of a three-year-old Wolverhampton boy murdered by a couple who were supposed to be caring for him.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-england-birmingham-13885392
bbc news science today bbc news news bbc bbc news west bbc world news service
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
EU says Russia will lift veg ban
European vegetables are expected to be back on sale in Russia this week Russia has said it will resume importing vegetables from the European Union (EU) three weeks after it banned them over the E.coli outbreak.
The European Commission says the EU is expected to start exports this week.
Russian authorities signed the agreement on Wednesday during a visit by European Union health commissioner John Dalli.
The visit was intended to ensure Moscow would stick to its pledge to lift the ban.
EU produce could be reappearing in Russia as early as Thursday.
The commission's health spokesman, Frederic Vincent, said: "We are heading towards an immediate resumption of European vegetables, based on EU certificates that will explain to the Russian authorities that in each EU state there are labs and a surveillance and verification system."
The E.coli outbreak has so far affected more than 3,000 people, causing the death of 35 and leaving about 800 with a complication that can be fatal.
The source of infection, which initially focused on cucumbers from Spain, has been identified as bean sprouts from an organic farm in northern Germany.
The European Commission has offered 210m euros (£186m; $303m) to European farmers who have seen a dramatic loss of income since the outbreak started in early May.
The EU estimates the value of fresh vegetable exports to Russia at 600m euros a year, a quarter of the total exported.
Spain, France, Germany and Poland are the biggest exporting producers.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/business-13875527
bbc southeast news watch bbc news online bbc breaking news bbc news spanish bbc news video
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Brigadier held for links with CIA-backed militants
Brigadier Ali Khan, who was appointed at the Regulation Directorate in GHQ back in May 2009, came under the surveillance radar of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI) earlier this year, according to sources.
Reportedly, after almost six months of surveillance, the ISI and MI in a joint operation, picked up the brigadier from outside his residence on May 6. The intelligence authorities reportedly ran a check on him after some �suspicious� people were found frequently visiting his home. The call records of Khan�s cell phone confirmed the suspicions of intelligence agencies. Sources said Brigadier Ali Khan was linked to the section of militants that had direct ties with the Central Investigation Agency (CIA) and the military intelligence agencies arrested him to probe this connection. The ISPR only confirmed Ali Khan�s arrest but refused to provide further details. Confirming the arrest, ISPR Director General Major General Athar Abbass said the news was not made public earlier due to pending investigations against the brigadier. Abbas said the brigadier was linked to Hizbul Tahrir, a militant organisation banned by former president Pervez Musharraf in 2003. He said the investigations were at early stages and it was premature to comment any further. He denied any racket of senior military officers having links with militants.
Earlier, talking to a private television channel, Abbas had said Hizbul Tahrir was linked to England, which, according to sources, was a hint at the possible nexus between militants, CIA and officers like Ali Khan. The ISPR DG said no other arrests were made.
The brigadier was reportedly going to retire from his duties at Pakistan Army next month. It is also being probed how a brigadier having linkages with militants got appointed Regulation Directorate, an important military branch that primarily deals with recruitments and human resource issues. Hizbul Tahrir is the same organisation that sends hand-outs and parcels to almost all the journalists of mainstream national media instigating the journalist community to declare �Jihad� against the foreign powers, Pakistani government and Pakistan Army.
Agencies add: �We follow zero tolerance policy of such activities within the military. Therefore prompt action was taken on detection,� Abbas said.
A military official, who declined to be identified, ruled out the possibility of the brigadier�s involvement in any plot. �He just had contacts with the banned group. But he was not involved in any type of conspiracy,� Khan is from a family of soldiers - his father was a junior officer while he has two sons and one son-in law in the Army. His wife Anjum rejected the allegations against him as �rubbish�. �Every general knows Brigadier Ali Khan. Even (army chief) General (Ashfaq) Kayani knows him,� she said. �We can never think of betraying the Army or our country. �He was an intellectual, an honest, patriotic and ideological person. It�s a fashion here that whosoever offers prayers and practises religion is dubbed as Taliban and militant,� she said.
A military source told BBC that Gen Kayani had asked for a briefing about the brigadier and after being satisfied about the weight of the �evidence�, ordered the arrest himself.
This is not the first time allegations have been made about links between elements in Pakistan�s military and banned organisations, including militant groups. At least two army officers were court-martialled last year for links with the banned Hizbul Tahrir.
Some fear extremist groups like Hizb-ul-Tahrir may have been making inroads into the Army. �What we see is that it is trying to infiltrate the military and wanting to bring some sort of a change through the military and that could be dangerous,� retired general and defence analyst Talat Masood said.
The allegations against the brigadier could show gaps as far as discipline was concerned, he said, but added that it was a positive sign that the Army had found out and taken action. �I think the Army is trying do a clean-up,� he said. �They have realised that otherwise the institution will be undermined.�
news bbc bbc news west bbc world news service bbc news website bbc news business
Monday, 20 June 2011
Motorcyclist dies after A85 crash
A motorcyclist has died in hospital five days after being seriously injured in a crash on the A85 near Glen Ogle in Perthshire.
James Paton, 52, from Airdrie, came off his bike while negotiating a bend on the Lochearnhead to Crianlarich road at about 1155 BST on 12 June.
He was airlifted to the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow on Friday but died as a result of his injuries.
Central Scotland Police have appealed for witnesses to come forward.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-13839231
Picture plea and previous galleries
Actress Penelope Keith launched the new Nigg ferry from Cromarty. James Robb from Inverness thought that the tug and water cannons made the occasion more festive. We're looking for your digital photographs from around Scotland.
You send them to us and we'll include a selection on the weekly picture gallery published every Friday on the BBC Scotland news website.
They don't have to be related to a news story - they could be a local landmark, a gathering of friends - anything really that depicts life in Scotland.
Senior forecaster Gail McGrane is also looking for your pictures of weather scenes from around Scotland to use on television.
However, if you send in photographs of children, we must have written permission from a parent or guardian of every child featured (a grandparent, auntie or friend will not suffice).
E-mail your pictures to newsonlinescotland@bbc.co.uk
Please give us your name, where you live and brief details about the pictures.
If you want to send your picture from your mobile phone, email them to the same address as above. You can send them from any network or phone.
If you would like your image to be included in the weekly picture gallery, please make sure it has a minimum size of 976x549 pixels for landscape and 412x549 pixels for portrait.
You can also tell us what you think of the week's pictures on the BBC Scotland News facebook page.
If you submit an image, you do so in accordance with the BBC's terms and conditions.
In contributing to BBC News you agree to grant us a royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to publish and otherwise use the material in any way that we want, and in any media worldwide. This may include the transmission of the material by our overseas partners; these are all reputable foreign news broadcasters who are prohibited from altering the material in any way or making it available to other UK broadcasters or to the print media. (See the terms and conditions for the full terms of our rights.)
It's important to note, however, that you still own the copyright to everything you contribute to BBC News and that if your image is accepted, we will endeavour to publish your name alongside it on the BBC News website. The BBC cannot guarantee that all pictures will be used and we reserve the right to edit your comments.
At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-scotland-11287381
bbc news world news bbc news nepali bbc international news bbc news 24 live bbc news north east
Sunday, 19 June 2011
Libya may cost 'more than �100m'
Mr Alexander said it was right that the government found the resources for the action in Libya The total cost of the UK's involvement in Nato's military action in Libya could run "into the hundreds of millions" of pounds, Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander has said.
He told Sky News that while the campaign was currently costing "tens of millions", spending would rise as operations continued.
The government had previously said it would not cost hundreds of millions.
The cost of the military campaign is being met by Treasury reserves.
Mr Alexander said that as the money was coming from reserves "set aside precisely for contingencies such as this, it doesn't have an effect on any other spending, on any other public services".
He added: "Of course there is a very powerful moral case for the action we are taking in Libya, it's right that we find those resources precisely from the contingency reserve that we have.
"It's right that the United Kingdom is playing a leading role to protect Libyan civilians from the appalling activities of the Libyan government and to take that country, we hope, to a better future."
When military strikes against Col Muammar Gaddafi's forces began on 19 March, Chancellor George Osborne estimated that the cost of British involvement would be "in the order of tens of millions of pounds, not hundreds of millions".
Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said: "It is worrying that Danny Alexander seems to be guessing about current costs, which are dramatically more than George Osborne originally predicted.
"We support the mission in Libya, but the government need to be clearer on the costs."
The BBC said last week that it understood that the cost of military operations in Libya to the British taxpayer had reached £100m.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-13829697
the bbc news bbc news live stream nepali bbc news bbc southeast news watch bbc news online
Saturday, 18 June 2011
Man jailed for cruelty to animals
The pony found in the Buckleys' cellar An arrest warrant has been issued for a man convicted of animal cruelty, after he failed to appear for sentence.
Eric Buckley, 56, did not attend Pontypridd magistrates court on Friday.
Last month Buckley and his wife Doreen, 46, were convicted of animal cruelty, including keeping a pony, goats and geese in the cellar of their home.
His wife's sentencing was adjourned until next Friday. She was taken to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital at Llantrisant suffering from chest pains.
The couple, who were living in a former pub in Gilfach Goch in Rhondda Cynon Taf, had 24 animals living in their cellar.
RSPCA inspectors told lat month's hearing at Pontypridd magistrates that conditions were some of the worst they had ever seen.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-13810515
Friday, 17 June 2011
Breaking barriers
Hong Kong: one of the most crowded cities in the world Hong Kong is currently carrying out its first mental health survey.
It is expected to take three years but preliminary findings show the region's mental health services to be inadequate.
Only 1% of Hong Kong residents are currently receiving mental health treatment but the need is thought to be far higher.
In 1997 Hong Kong transferred from a British colony to a region with special status under Chinese rule.
Caught between the traditions of Chinese culture and the westernising influence of 137 years of British rule, the city has experienced dramatic political, social and economic change leaving some of its most vulnerable citizens out in the cold.
Linda Lam is Chief Editor of the Hong Kong Journal of Psychiatry. She believes that the provision of mental health services in the city is way below need.
"We don't have figures for the prevalence of most psychological disorders in Hong Kong but like most developed cities there are estimates that anxiety and depressive disorders would be over 10%.
"If we project this to Hong Kong then our mental health needs would be tremendous."
It is widely assumed among mental health professionals in Hong Kong that mental illness is vastly under-diagnosed.
Strong religious beliefs lead people to see mental illness as a curse One of the main reasons for this is rooted in traditional Chinese beliefs and the idea of reincarnation.
In China, it is widely believed that misfortune in this life is the result of misdeeds in the past.
Professor Daniel Wong, a practicing therapist and social scientist at the City University of Hong Kong, explains this attitude to mental illness.
"In Hong Kong when you mention anything about mental illness people immediately think that this person is dangerous, violent and is going to kill someone.
"The general public is quite scared of people with mental illness and does not want to mix with them."
Discrimination against those with mental illness is a world-wide problem but in Hong Kong the situation is particularly acute.
'Wendy' Living with mental illness“I even thought of committing suicide because the weight of life was unbearable.”
Roy Chen is a 45-year-old mature student at Hong Kong University and has experienced this first hand.
Eight years ago, he was working on the reservations desk of an airline when his colleagues discovered he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
"They started to have strange feelings about me, they didn't want to take the elevator with me, instead they just took the stairs. They didn't want to have lunch with me."
One group that is particularly at risk of mental illness are Chinese migrants, as "Wendy" from Guang Dong province in China explains.
"I was a stranger in Hong Kong," she says. "Life was miserable compared to my life back in mainland China.
"All my family were squeezed into a small room where there was only one table and a bed.
"I even thought of committing suicide because the weight of life was unbearable."
But what makes it especially hard for people like Wendy to get help is that the actual word for depression isn't part of their vocabulary.
"I don't accept it," she says. "I just know that I lose my temper easily. They asked me to take medicines to get the situation under control, but I disagreed.
"To me, feeling stressed and depressed is only a natural reaction towards the hardship of life."
For Linda Lam this attitude is not surprising.
"It is not deliberate that they are hiding their depression," she explains, "but it is very hard for Chinese subjects, particularly older people, to talk openly about their emotions."
She has found that a general attitude exists in Hong Kong and across China that Chinese people don't get depressed. She believes people misinterpret the physical symptoms of depression for other illnesses.
"We are taught since we are very young not to talk about our feelings," she says.
Recently this attitude has started to change and in the last six years demand for mental health services has doubled. It is now far exceeding supply.
Often patients will wait up to two or three years for their first consultation and even if they are able to see a doctor, consultation time is only two or three minutes.
Chief officer for the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong, Mr Chi Kong Ching, explains this shortage.
"In Hong Kong the spending is 0.25% of GDP, I think it is only one quarter of what is spent in the US or Australia."
Health CheckHealth Check is broadcast weekly by the BBC World ServiceListen to this programme More from Health Check More from BBC World Service
Added to this is the problem of a rapidly ageing population.
Men in Hong Kong live longer than anywhere else in the world, while women's longevity is second only to Japan. In less than twenty years, a quarter of the population will be over 65.
"We used to say that the baby prams are disappearing," says Linda Lam, "but wheelchairs are becoming much more prevalent."
As more and more old people try to adapt to the pressures of intense city living it presents a ticking time-bomb for mental health services.
"The government really needs to have a mental health policy that cuts across different bureaus with a long term plan for mental health services," says Lam.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/health-13687793
bbc news international itv news bbc bangla news watch live bbc news bbc news politics
Men face court over Derry bombs
A 42-year-old man appears in court in Londonderry charged with a mortar bomb attack on Strand Road police station in May 2010. 
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-northern-ireland-13809553
bbc bangla news watch live bbc news bbc news politics bbc world news headlines bbc persian news
Thursday, 16 June 2011
Public sector pension 'due at 66'
Mr Alexander is also expected to criticise unions "hell bent" on strikes The government is to say for the first time that it plans to link the public sector retirement age to the state pension age, which is to rise to 66.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander is also due to confirm public sector pensions will be based on workers' average salaries.
Mr Alexander is expected to criticise unions who are due to go on strike on 30 June in protest at pensions changes.
Up to 750,000 public sector workers are due to walk out on 30 June.
They are angry about changes to the way pensions are calculated and plans to seek higher employee contributions.
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury will confirm in a speech that many of Lord Hutton's recommendations on public sector reform will be adopted.
He is expected to say most public sector workers - bar the army, police and fire service - will see their retirement age linked to the state pension age.
But he will also say low paid public sector workers on less than £15,000 will not face any increase in pension contributions and those earning less than £18,000 will have their contributions capped at 1.5%.
Mr Alexander will say: "There is an indisputable case for reforming public sector pensions to ensure that they are affordable and sustainable but still amongst the very best available.
"That case is simple. People are living much longer - the average 60 year old is living ten years longer now than they did in the 70s. This advance comes at a price. It is unjustifiable to ask the taxpayer to work longer and pay more so that public sector workers can retire earlier and receive more themselves."
He will say the changes will put pensions on a "fair and affordable footing" but would ensure they remained "among the very best, if not the best available".
And he will criticise unions "who seem hell bent on premature strike action before discussions are even complete" - accusing them of a "head-in-the-sand approach".
Teachers and lecturers are expected to join hundreds of thousands of civil servants in a walk-out on 30 June which the unions predict will see schools and jobcentres shut and queues at ports and airports.
PCS union general secretary Mark Serwotka said civil servants were being asked to work up to eight years longer and accept a three-fold rise in their contributions, while also seeing their eventual payments halved.
"It's absolute daylight robbery.
"I don't think it's surprising that people will want to defend themselves and if you're going to defend yourselves it obviously makes sense that you make common cause with council workers, health workers and teachers because we all face the same attacks."
Mr Alexander's speech comes after former Labour cabinet minister Lord Hutton produced his final report on public service pensions concluding that there was a "clear need for reform" in March.
He rejected any suggestion that public sector pensions were "gold-plated", but said that in order to make them affordable for the future, millions of employees should work longer, receive less and have their pensions linked to career average earnings, rather than final salaries.
The government accepted his proposals as a basis for consultation with public sector workers.
In the Budget, Chancellor George Osborne also changed the way public sector pensions are "uprated" against inflation - switching from using the Retail Price Index to the, usually lower, Consumer Prices Index to save £11bn a year by 2015-16.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-politics-13800573
bbc news podcast bbc news feed bbc news vietnamese bbc news quiz live bbc news
Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Burns museum misses out on award
A seated Buddha from Gandhara was one of the objects included in the History of the World project The British Museum has been named Museum of the Year by the Arts Fund.
The accolade was awarded to the museum after the success of its History of the World project which attempted to tell the world's history in 100 objects.
The project, which included a 100-part series on BBC Radio 4, featured objects such as the world's oldest football.
Other shortlisted museums were the University of Cambridge's Polar Museum, Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway and Roman Baths Museum in Bath.
The British Museum was presented with a £100,000 prize at a ceremony held at Tate Britain on Wednesday evening.
Former cabinet minister Michael Portillo, who chaired the judging panel, said: "We were particularly impressed by the truly global scope of the British Museum's project, which combined intellectual rigour and open heartedness, and went far beyond the boundaries of the museum's walls.
"Above all, we felt that this project, which showed a truly pioneering use of digital media, has led the way for museums to interact with their audiences in new and different ways."
The museum's director Neil MacGregor said: "The British Museum is delighted to win the Art Fund Prize on behalf of the extraordinary coalition of UK museums that made A History of the World so successful.
"A History of the World celebrated objects and the stories they tell; the prize will pay for a series of Spotlight Tours, lending star British Museum objects around England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales."
The project involved 550 heritage partners and museums across the country as well the BBC.
This is the first time a London-based national museum has won the prize.
Previous winners include the Ulster Museum, Stoke-on-Trent's Wedgwood Museum and the National Mining Museum in Wales.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/entertainment-arts-13786604
Honeymoon pair were shot in head
Ben and Catherine Mullany were on the last day of their Caribbean honeymoon when they were shot A honeymoon couple murdered in Antigua both died from gunshot wounds to the head, a trial on the island has heard.
Catherine and Ben Mullany, both 31, from Pontardawe, Swansea, were attacked in the Caribbean in July 2008.
Doctor Derek James, senior forensic pathology lecturer at Cardiff University, gave evidence that both were shot in the back of their heads.
Avie Howell, 20, and Kaniel Martin, 23, deny the murders, and the murder of a local shopkeeper. The trial continues.
The couple were on the last day of their honeymoon when they were shot.
Mrs Mullany, a doctor, died at the scene while her husband, who was a physiotherapy student, was flown back to Britain for treatment but was pronounced dead a week later at Morriston Hospital in Swansea.
The court heard Dr James conducted post mortem examinations on the couple on 5 August, 2008.
A security guard who was on duty at the Cocos Hotel and Resort has previously told the trial it is possible he may have napped on shift on the night the Mullanys were killed.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-13771993
bbc news europe bbc news live broadcast watch bbc news live bbc news in arabic google news
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
VIDEO: Liberia's President on jab money
Liberia's President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf on how child vaccine money can help 
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/health-13749208
bbc news persian bbc news arabic bbc news radio bbc news online bbc news middle east
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)