Grieve Warns Of 'Ethnic Corruption' In UK

Politicians need to "wake up" to the problem of corruption in ethnic minority communities, the Government's senior law officer has warned.

Attorney General Dominic Grieve said he was referring "mainly to the Pakistani community" in his comments.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, the Tory MP pointed out that it could also be found in the "white Anglo-Saxon" community but he said it was a growing problem "because we have minority communities in this country which come from backgrounds where corruption is endemic".

"It is something as politicians we have to wake up to," he added.

The MP for Beaconsfield said: "I can see many of them have come because of the opportunities that they get. But they also come from societies where they have been brought up to believe you can only get certain things through a favour culture.

"One of the things you have to make absolutely clear is that that is not the case and it's not acceptable."

Baroness Warsi said electoral fraud also affects the Asian community

Asked if he was referring to the Pakistani community in his remarks, Mr Grieve told the newspaper: "Yes, it's mainly the Pakistani community, not the Indian community. I wouldn't draw it down to one. I'd be wary of saying it's just a Pakistani problem."

Mr Grieve highlighted electoral fraud as an area of concern, echoing comments made in 2010 by senior Tory Baroness Warsi.

Lady Warsi told the New Statesman magazine there were "at least three seats where we lost, where we didn't gain the seat, based on electoral fraud" and said the problems were "predominantly within the Asian community".

Mr Grieve also said that the UK's infrastructure could be put under strain if significant numbers of Bulgarians and Romanians come to the UK when controls expire in January.

He acknowledged that "the volume of immigrants may pose serious infrastructure issues".

Later in a statement, Mr Grieve said: "I am very clear that integration between ethnic communities in the UK has worked well and has delivered great benefits for all of us.

Mr Grieve said he was 'disappointed' with the Telegraph's front page story

"This is a point I clearly made in my interview with the Telegraph, and I'm disappointed that this has not been reflected in their front page story.

"The point I was making is that, as a law officer, it's my duty to ensure the rule of law is upheld, and one of the issues that I feel requires close attention is any potential for a rise in corruption to undermine civil society.

"I believe this is an issue which needs to be addressed calmly and rationally.

"I am absolutely clear that this problem is not attributable to any one community, as I know very well from my many years promoting community cohesion."

Sky News political reporter Darren McCaffrey said Mr Grieve's comments are likely "to prove controversial".

"We have to remember he is an elected politician and he is also the Government's top lawyer, he is someone that we don't usually hear from a lot and this is why his intervention is unusual," he added.

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Iran Nuclear Talks: Kerry Arrives In Geneva

US Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived for talks in Geneva as world powers push to clinch a historic deal over Iran's nuclear programme.

The arrival of Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov had heightened speculation that Mr Kerry might also attend the crucial final stages of the latest round of talks aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Mr Kerry's goal is to "help narrow differences and move closer to an agreement," a State Department spokeswoman said.

Mr Lavrov joined the talks as negotiators said there had been some progress on the third day of meetings and the White House said the US remained "hopeful" that agreement could be reached.

British Foreign Minister William Hague and his French counterpart Laurent Fabius are also due to travel to Geneva to take part in negotiations.

This third meeting since President Hassan Rouhani's election in June is seen as the biggest hope in years to resolve the decade-old standoff over Iran's nuclear programme.

Iran's Foreign Minister said talks were 'progressing well' on Friday

Failure might mean Iran resuming the expansion of its atomic activities, while Washington and others could toughen already painful sanctions and the possibility of Israeli military action would draw nearer.

Tehran suggested there had been an improvement after an hour-long meeting on Friday between Zarif and the powers' chief negotiator Catherine Ashton.

Mr Zarif said on Facebook: "The negotiations are progressing well but we still have differences of opinion over a limited number of issues."

"God willing we will reach a result," he told Iranian media.

Baroness Ashton's spokesman said that the meeting was "useful", without giving details.

Good relations between Mr Kerry and Mr Lavrov were key to Syria talks

At the last gathering, foreign ministers including Mr Kerry flew to Geneva but three days of intense talks failed and they went home empty-handed.

Both sides say they want a deal but getting an accord palatable to hardliners in the United States, Iran and Israel has proved difficult.

According to a draft proposal hammered out on November 9, the United States, Britain, China, France, Russia, and Germany - the so-called P5+1 nations - want Iran to freeze key parts of its nuclear programme for six months.

In return Iran would get minor and, Western officials insist, "reversible" sanctions relief, including unlocking several billion dollars in oil revenues and easing trade restrictions on precious metals and aircraft parts.

This hoped-for "first phase" deal would build trust and ease tensions while negotiators push on for a final accord that ends once and for all fears that Tehran will get an atomic bomb.

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Women Were 'Kept As Slaves For Over 30 Years'

Two people have been released on bail as part of an investigation into slavery and domestic servitude at a house in London sparked by a report on Sky News.

The inquiry was launched after one of three alleged victims told a charity she had been held against her will for more than 30 years in a house in Lambeth, south London.

She contacted the Freedom Charity after seeing its founder Aneeta Prem in a report last summer about forced marriages.

Scotland Yard said the charity, which advises and supports victims of forced marriages or honour-based violence, got in touch and helped with sensitive negotiations, which revealed the location of the house and led to the rescue of the three women.

Police said two people detained in connection with the investigation - a 67-year-old man and a 67-year-old woman - have been bailed until a date in January, pending further inquiries. 

Police believe the youngest of the alleged victims may have spent her entire life as a domestic slave.

Detective Inspector Kevin Hyland from the Metropolitan Police's human trafficking unit told a news conference at Scotland Yard that the force had "never seen anything of this magnitude".

Home Secretary Theresa May is "shocked by this appalling case," her department said in a statement.

Officers said the two suspects, who are not British, were arrested at 7.30am on Thursday and taken to a south London police station for questioning.

Detective Inspector Kevin Hyland said the victims were 'highly traumatised'

One of the three alleged victims is a 69-year-old Malaysian woman, the other a 57-year-old Irish woman and the third a 30-year-old Briton.

All three, described by police as "highly traumatised", were taken to a place of safety where they remain.

Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said police do not believe the women were sexually assaulted, but they may have been physically and mentally abused.

Ms Prem told Sky News it was the Irish woman who phoned the Freedom Charity after watching her on television.

"I think all of them saw me on the news and made a decision because of the name of the charity and because they had seen me on TV - that gave them the courage to make that phone call," she said.

"I can't go in to too many details but they managed to get to a phone and make a call to us.

"We started to talk to them in depth when we could. It had to be pre-arranged when they were able to make calls to us and it had to be done very secretly because they felt they were in massive danger.

"It was planned that they would be able to walk out of the property. The police were on standby."

The three women were rescued from an address in Lambeth, south London

Police said the British and Irish women left the house and met police at an agreed location on October 25. They helped police find the address, where the third woman was rescued on the same day. 

DI Hyland said the suspects were not immediately arrested as officers had to "establish the facts" from "extremely traumatised" victims.

He said it appeared the three alleged victims had been given "limited freedom" during the three decades they claim to have been held as slaves.

He said he was unable to confirm any relationship between the suspects and the three women who were freed.

"I don't know any relationships between the women in respect of the suspects," he said.

"Clearly, because of the nationalities of the women that have been held victims, it's very unlikely they are related in any way."

He added: "We applaud the actions of Freedom Charity and are working in partnership to support these victims who appear to have been held for over 30 years."

A neighbour said the arrested couple were "very nice".

The neighbour added: "They just kept themselves to themselves and I keep myself to myself. So it was just a case of we'd pass and say hello to each other.

"They just seemed a very normal couple. I just know it's very unfortunate."

A Home Office spokesman said: "The Home Secretary is shocked by this appalling case and while the police need to get to the bottom of exactly what happened here, she's made clear her determination to tackle the scourge of modern slavery."

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Ex Co-op Bank Chairman Paul Flowers Arrested

Former Co-op bank chairman Paul Flowers has been arrested in connection with a drugs supply investigation, police have said.

West Yorkshire Police said officers arrested the 63-year-old in the Merseyside area on Thursday night and he is being questioned at a police station in West Yorkshire.

Mr Flowers, a Methodist minister, was suspended by both the church and the Labour party following claims that he bought and used illegal drugs including crystal meth, crack cocaine and ketamine.

He has also been engulfed in allegations about gay sex, questions over his expenses claims at a drug charity and drink-driving.

Mr Flowers being quizzed by MPs about his time at the bank

It also emerged he had resigned as a Labour councillor after adult material was discovered on his computer.

His arrest comes as the Co-op is seeking to recover £31,000 paid to him since he quit his £132,000-a-year post in June.

Mr Flowers, who led the Co-op Bank for three years, has been accused of incompetence after the bank found a £1.5bn black hole in its finances.

This followed the purchase of Britannia Building Society in 2009 and abortive attempts to take on hundreds of Lloyds Bank branches.

The bank now faces a rescue which will see 50 branches close and investors including US hedge funds take control of 70% of the business.

In a statement, it said: "When Paul Flowers relinquished his responsibilities in June, it was agreed, as per his contractual obligations, that his fees for the rest of his period of office would be paid.

"Following recent revelations, the board stopped all payments with immediate effect and no further payments will be made."

The Co-op is in serious trouble after a series of bad deals

Tory MP David Davis has said George Osborne and the Treasury had "serious questions to answer" about the oversight of the bank.

"There are really serious questions to answer about what they were all doing," David Davis told the Financial Times.

Issues over the bank's operations were raised by a rival at the time of the aborted takeover bid of Lloyds branches.

"These problems were apparent to a rival and would have been - with a bit of work - to anyone else," Mr Davis said.

Labour - which accuses Prime Minister David Cameron of seeking to "smear" the party over its relationship with the Co-op - seized on the comments in a bid to move the spotlight on to the Conservatives.

Leader Ed Miliband insists the party acted with the "utmost integrity" in its dealings with Mr Flowers and suspended him when the allegations about his private life emerged.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls, who received a £50,000 donation to his office from the Co-operative Group, said he had "nothing to hide".

Labout has come under fire over its dealings with the Co-op

He told Sky News political editor Adam Boulton that he had never had a phone call or a meeting with Mr Flowers and stressed that the donation came from the Co-op Group and not the Co-op Bank.

Mr Cameron has announced an inquiry into the bank's ailing finances and the decision to appoint Mr Flowers - with details expected to be announced within days.

It emerged on Thursday that Mr Flowers was convicted of drink-driving in 1990 and for gross indecency in a toilet with a man in 1981.

In 2011, he resigned from Bradford council after being caught with pornography on his council laptop and it has been alleged he falsely claimed £75,000 from a drugs charity when he was chairman of trustees in 2004.

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Hundreds Of Brits Jailed Abroad On Drug Charges

By Tadhg Enright, Sky News Correspondent

More than 850 Britons are locked up in prisons overseas for drugs-related offences - with some facing the death penalty or sentences of up to 39 years.

The figures have been released by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) which has launched an information campaign aimed at preventing others from meeting a similar fate.

The "Know Before You Go" campaign says the zero-tolerance approach of some countries often results in strict penalties which can come as a shock to British travellers who, if arrested, can be detained for months without trial in distressing prison conditions.

Consular affairs minister Mark Simmonds told Sky News:  "There's an assumption that what might be a cautionary offence in the UK will be a cautionary offence in other countries.

"People continue to be astonished at some of the penalties handed down for certain crimes overseas.

"In some countries possessing small amounts of marijuana can lead to decades in prison."

While the FCO helps Britons detained overseas, it has warned it cannot interfere in the process of law, and its message to anyone tempted to smuggle drugs is the risk will always be greater than the reward.

The campaign follows the high-profile cases of Michaella Connolly and Melissa Reid, who are in jail in Peru accused of cocaine smuggling.

They have admitted the charges but prosecutors have rejected their pleas and they face prison terms of up to 15 years.

Briton Terry Daniels is helping to spread the word, having once been jailed in Spain for drug smuggling.

"When I first saw the girls (in Peru), one of them looked very similar to me at that age and it absolutely shocked me," she said.

While working in the bars and clubs of Tenerife in 1997, Terry went on holiday with her boss, only to be arrested upon their return when cocaine was found in his suitcase.

"He was a drug smuggler and in their eyes we were both guilty. Whether I knew or not, they didn't care," she said.

Lindsay Sandiford faces the death penalty in Bali for drug smuggling

She spent the following 14 years, some of it in a mixed prison, fighting and waiting for a pardon from the King of Spain.

She said: "Nobody's invincible, everybody who goes abroad thinks they're wearing some cloak like nobody can see what they're doing. Don't take any risks that you wouldn't take in this country. Drugs are bad enough here, let alone abroad."

Convicted drug smugglers can face the death sentence in a total of 33 countries worldwide, including Thailand and Indonesia.

British grandmother Lindsay Sandiford, 57, is currently on death row in a prison on Bali having been convicted of smuggling cocaine.

In the United Arab Emirates, possessing - or even testing positive for - the smallest amount of illegal drugs carries a minimum four-year sentence.

The charity Prisoners Abroad is currently supporting 80 Britons between the ages of 18 and 30 held in foreign countries for drug offences. Two thirds of these are still awaiting trial, while others are serving sentences from a year to nearly 39 years.

Chief executive Pauline Crowe said: "In many countries, men and women find themselves without access to food, clean water and the most basic of medical care.

"We urge people to consider the unsanitary conditions, overcrowded cells and the constant threat of disease before they get involved in drugs. They may have to live through these conditions for many, many years."

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Paris Shootings: Suspect's DNA Is A Match

DNA collected at one of the scenes of the Paris shootings is a match to a suspect arrested on Wednesday evening.

The man, named by police as Abdelhakim Dekhar, was detained at around 7pm local time (6pm UK time) in a vehicle in an underground  car park in the western suburb of Bois-Colombes.

The office of city prosecutors said the reading of Mr Dekhar's rights had to be postponed because he was not in a position to be questioned.

Several sources close to the investigation said the suspect had been found in a semi-conscious state.

A witness to the arrest told BFM TV: "I don't know if they fired or not to make him stop. He did not move in the ambulance."

Police made the arrest after a tip-off

Police sources told the AFP news agency that the man arrested is the same Abdelhakim Dekhar who was convicted in 1998 for his links to a 'Bonnie-and-Cyde-style' murder spree.

Dekhar was accused of buying a gun used in the 1994 attacks by Florence Rey and her lover Audry Maupin.

Three policemen and a taxi driver were killed in the attacks, in a case that gripped France.

Dekhar protested his innocence at his trial in 1998, claiming he had been recruited by the Algerian secret service to infiltrate the French far-left. Despite that, he was found guilty and sentenced to four years in jail.

Investigators had earlier released CCTV images of the man they were looking for taken in an entrance in the La Defense business area.

They have received hundreds of calls about the case from members of the public.

On Monday, the shooter critically wounded a photographer at the offices of Liberation newspaper.

The suspect was caught on camera in the La Defense area

The photographer was arriving for his first day of freelance work at the newspaper and suffered wounds to his chest and stomach.

After fleeing the newspaper's offices in the east of Paris, the gunman is believed to have crossed over to the western edge of the city, where he fired several shots outside the main office of the Societe Generale bank. No one was hurt.

He then reportedly hijacked a car driven by a priest and forced him to drop him off close to the Champs-Elysees in the centre of the city.

The shootings prompted a manhunt across Paris. The motive for the attacks remains unknown.

The same man is also suspected of previously entering the offices of French TV station BFM carrying a gun.

The attacks led to French police arranging guards at Paris media outlets.

The photographer's assistant, who has not been named, is understood to be awake and off life support.

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Tory Rebels To Block Army Restructure Plan

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

Tory rebels are preparing to vote against controversial Government plans to axe 20,000 Army jobs and replace them with reservists.

Under the plans the newly named Army Reserve, formerly known as the Territorial Army (TA), would increase in size to 30,000 personnel by 2020.

However, led by Basildon MP John Baron, rebel Conservative backbenchers will attempt to block the move.

Mr Baron told Sky News the Government's plans need to be "properly scrutinised" to see if they are viable and cost effective.

"There are so many questions that remain unanswered, let's stop for a moment, let's properly scrutinise these plans and if they pass that scrutiny test by Parliament then, fine, they can proceed," he said.

Armed Forces reservists sign up

This week soldiers from 1st Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, were cheered by crowds in Rochdale and Bury as they marched through the towns following their return from a six-month tour of Afghanistan.

They face the possibility of job losses as the Government restructuring proposals involve axing their sister 2nd Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, and merging the two together.

Captain Rex Anderton told Sky News: "There's a lot of disappointment, but we're a very reactive force, we've learnt to deal with change as it comes, that's one of the good things about the British Army is that we adapt and overcome whatever the decisions are made at a higher level."

Veteran Fusilier Stephen Taylor was watching the troops parade through Bury.

A gunner carrying out a training exercise in Northumberland

He served six years in the regular Army and 10 years in the TA.

He told Sky News he believes reservists cannot replace full-time soldiers.

"When you're a regular you're training every day of your life, seven days a week. When you're in the TA you're allowed to go home," he said.

"Reservists can only do so much. You need the regular Army to train the other people up, but the reservists can only do half the job."

However, among the crowds lining the streets was 18-year-old Army cadet Chris Hall, who believes joining the Army Reserve is an attractive option.

"For me it means I can follow a career other than the Army, I can do pharmaceutical research or go into medicine, and it still means I can be part of the Army ... I can follow a career myself and still serve my country," he said.

Regular and reserve army units prepare for operations in Afghanistan

Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Peter Wall, said: "The Army is committed to delivering Army 2020.

"It will provide a coherent, integrated force of regulars and reserves that will deliver the capability the Government requires of us. We are well on our way to implementing this plan.

"To reverse course at this stage would be destabilising and damaging. Increasing and rebuilding the Army Reserve is crucial to delivering the fighting force of the future.

"To do otherwise would leave a gap in our capability and deprive talented young people of an opportunity to benefit from military service."

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Iran Nuclear Talks With West Resume In Geneva

PM's Key Call To Iran President

Updated: 12:02am UK, Wednesday 20 November 2013

David Cameron has become the first British Prime Minister to call an Iranian president in more than a decade.

The Prime Minister spoke to Hassan Rouhani by telephone on Tuesday afternoon ahead of negotiations over Tehran's nuclear ambitions in Geneva this week.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The two leaders discussed the bilateral relationship between Britain and Iran welcoming the steps taken since President Rouhani took office, including the appointment of non-resident Charges d'Affaires last week.

"They agreed to continue efforts to improve the relationship on a step by step and reciprocal basis.

"On Iran's nuclear programme, both leaders agreed that significant progress had been made in the recent Geneva negotiations and that it was important to seize the opportunity presented by the further round of talks which get under way on Wednesday.

"The Prime Minister underlined the necessity of Iran comprehensively addressing the concerns of the international community about their nuclear programme, including the need for greater transparency."

Dr Rouhani also gave details of the phone call on his Twitter feed, saying they discussed "way to create a positive atmosphere to address concerns on both sides on the nuclear issue".

Three days of high-level talks between representatives from Iran and the P5+1 group of nations earlier this month failed to achieve a breakthrough.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said Iran had been unable to accept a deal "at that particular moment", but Tehran blamed divisions between Western powers.

Some reports suggested France had wanted to place restrictions on the heavy-water reactor being built at Arak.

Iran stresses that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only, and has warned world powers against making "excessive demands" when trying to negotiate a deal.

In September, US president Barack Obama spoke with Mr Rouhani, the first such top-level conversation in more than 30 years.

Mr Obama said it was a "unique opportunity" to make progress with Iran's new leadership.

On the eve of next round of Geneva talks, the President urged Congress against imposing news sanctions on Iran during the negotiations.

He said such measures "would be most effective as a robust response, should Iran not accept the P5+1 proposal, or should Iran fail to follow through on its commitments," according to White House spokesman Jay Carney.

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Stafford Inquiry: 'Nurse Count' To Boost Safety

By Thomas Moore, Health & Science Correspondent

Hospitals will have to make public the number of nurses on their wards under a series of measures to improve patient safety.

The Department of Health said the monthly reports would be mandatory from next April.

Hospitals in England will also have to disclose the percentage of shifts that meet safe staffing guidelines independently approved by the health watchdog NICE.

The plans are part of the Government's response to the inquiry into the scandal at Stafford Hospital, in which several hundred patients are thought to have died as a result of poor care.

NHS England will also set up a national patient safety programme to spread best practice and learn from mistakes.

Health minister Norman Lamb said: "We are determined to see the NHS become a world leader in patient safety, with a safety ethos and level of transparency that matches the airline industry.

"We need transparency on staffing levels, backed up by a strong inspection regime to get better, safer care."

Figures from NHS England show that hospitals expect to recruit an extra 3,700 nurses by the end of the financial year.

Frank Robinson's son John died after misdiagnosis at Stafford Hospital

In February the Mid Staffordshire Inquiry by Sir Robert Francis QC made more than 200 recommendations to change the culture in the NHS and put compassion back at the heart of patient care.

The report had recommended that hospitals should have a duty of candour, a legal responsibility to tell patients if something has gone wrong in their care.

But the Department of Health has so far refused to fully introduce the policy.

Peter Walsh, the head of patient safety campaign group Action Against Medical Accidents, told Sky News: "The current plans are that this is limited to fatal cases and the most severe cases of permanent disability.

"That would be a disaster. In effect, it would legitimise the vast majority of serious harm caused to patients being covered up. That would take us in exactly the opposite direction from the one we need to go in."

Frank Robinson, whose son John died after he was misdiagnosed and sent home from Stafford Hospital, also urged the Government to introduce the duty of candour as soon as possible.

Patient satisfaction at the Princess Alexandra Hospital has soared

He told Sky News: "So many lives have been lost through cover-ups and so many people have suffered. I just don't want that to happen to anyone else and this is a golden opportunity, and if the Government miss this opportunity, that's shameful."

The Mid Staffs Inquiry had strongly criticised managers for chasing government targets, rather than treating patients with compassion.

But there is evidence that the report is beginning to change the culture in the NHS.

The Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex, has increased the amount of consultant time on the unit, and made sure patients have a full assessment by a senior nurse within 15 minutes of arriving.

Patient satisfaction has soared as a result.

Dr Joud Abduljawad, clinical director of urgent care at the hospital, said: "Targets are not our primary reason for looking after patients.

"If you give every patient a timely assessment and timely care you will achieve the target as a secondary point.

"It's not the target, it's what is best for the patient that we are focusing on."

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Toronto Mayor Rob Ford Knocks Over Councillor

Toronto's disgraced mayor Rob Ford went down fighting as the city council stripped him of most of his remaining powers, after a heated debate where he knocked over a female councillor.

Mr Ford, who has been under fire for his drug use and drinking, as well as the way he has handled the accusations, has vowed in an interview to give up alcohol and lose weight.

In the latest chapter of the saga in Canada's biggest city and economic hub, Mr Ford was reduced to largely a figurehead following the latest sanctions against him for his admissions of smoking crack cocaine and binge drinking.

The council voted to cut his office budget by 60% and allow mayoral staff to join the deputy mayor.

"This is a coup d'etat," Mr Ford told council, denouncing the motion.

Members of the public chanted from the gallery "Shame! Shame!" at the mayor. But he taunted back at the hecklers, deriding them as "punks."

In chaotic scenes caught on camera, Mr Ford is shown running across the council chamber straight into councillor Pam McConnell, who falls to the ground.

Mr Ford has vowed to take the council to court

Another councillor asked him to apologise and Mr Ford said he was rushing to the defence of his brother, city councillor Doug Ford.

"I picked her up. I ran around because I thought my brother was getting into an altercation," Rob Ford said.

Visibly shaken after being run over, Ms McConnell, a petite woman in her 60s, said she never expected the chaos that broke out.

Mr Ford now effectively has no legislative power as he will no longer chair the executive committee. But he keeps his title and ability to represent Toronto at official functions.

He has vowed to take the council to court and insists he will seek re-election next year, warning councillors that the campaign would rival the 1991 Gulf War.

"This, folks, reminds of when I was watching with my brother when Saddam (Hussein) attacked Kuwait," Mr Ford said.

"And President Bush said, 'I warn you, I warn you, do not (attack Kuwait).' Well, folks, if you think American-style politics is nasty, you guys have just attacked Kuwait."

Councillors turned their backs on Rob Ford in the chamber last week

The latest council motion is the strongest possible measure it can adopt against Mr Ford since it does not have the power to remove a mayor unless there is a criminal conviction.

Doug Ford also brought a motion that was later ruled out of order that would have called a snap mayoral election, something the mayor also has sought.

"This is a modern-day overthrow of an elected official. This is wrong," said the mayor's brother.

In an interview with CBC on Monday after the council action, Rob Ford said he had not had a drop of alcohol in three weeks and vowed to stop drinking completely.

"Finished," he said when asked by host Peter Mansbridge about his drinking.

"I've had a 'come to Jesus moment' if you want to call it that."

Rob Ford's troubles have thrust Toronto into the international spotlight

A new television show featuring the mayor and his brother also debuted on Canada's right-wing Sun News Network.

During the one-hour show, the mayor and his brother took recorded questions from viewers and defended his recent performance as mayor, but revealed nothing new about the scandal.

Rob Ford's troubles began in May when news reports first surface of a video showing him smoking crack.

Outbursts caught on camera and claims he verbally abused his aides and entertained a prostitute have added to the controversy.

Over the weekend, Mr Ford made the rounds of the US media to try to convey his side of the story, to general incredulity, and attended a Canadian football game where fans cheered him on.

He maintained, however: "I'm not an alcoholic, I'm not a drug addict."

Of his critics, he said: "The haters are going to be the haters."

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Google Agrees To Block Child Abuse Images

Internet searches for child abuse images will be blocked by Microsoft and Google - a decision hailed by the Prime Minister as "significant progress" after the companies had insisted it could not be done.

The groundbreaking move will soon prevent illegal images and videos from appearing in more than 100,000 search terms associated with abuse.

Google says it has also developed technology that will allow illegal videos to be "tagged" so all duplicate copies can be removed across the internet.

The changes will apply across the world in more than 150 languages.

Microsoft, which operates and powers Bing and Yahoo, will reportedly confirm at a Downing Street summit on online pornography today that it is introducing similar reforms.

Google chairman Eric Schmidt, writing in the Daily Mail ahead of the No 10 talks, said: "We've listened.

"We've fine-tuned Google Search to prevent links to child sexual abuse material from appearing in our results."

Illegal images showing child sex abuse will not appear in search results

Mr Cameron welcomed the move as a "really significant step forward", but threatened to bring forward new legislation if search engine companies failed to deliver on their promises.

Calls for internet companies to take action against searching for illegal content grew following the trials of child killers Mark Bridger and Stuart Hazel earlier this year.

Bridger, who murdered five-year-old April Jones, and Hazel, who killed 12-year-old Tia Sharp, both used the internet to search for child abuse images before the killings.

Senior figures from Google, Microsoft and BT were summoned to Parliament for a meeting with Culture Secretary Maria Miller in June where they were told they had to do more to combat the issue.

Mr Cameron told the Daily Mail: "We learnt from cases like the murder of Tia Sharp and April Jones that people will often start accessing extreme material via a simple search in one of the mainstream search engines."

The crackdown comes as Mr Cameron is set to reveal at the summit that Britain's National Crime Agency is to join America's FBI to tackle online child abuse.

The UK's National Crime Agency is to join forces with America's FBI

The transatlantic taskforce is being established by the US assistant attorney general and the British to target criminals who use the internet to hide from the law.

It will be specifically tasked with tracking down offenders who use the "dark web" - secret and encrypted networks that are increasingly being exploited by paedophiles and other criminals.

The NCA estimates the number of UK daily users of secret or encrypted networks will have risen to 20,000 by the end of the year.

While some will be using them for legitimate purposes, UK law enforcement and intelligence agencies believe paedophiles involved in distributing child abuse material are using them to hide their identities.

At the same time a group of industry experts is being set up to look at new technical solutions for removing child abuse material from the the internet.

Joanna Shields, the chief executive of Tech City UK, said it would be looking to spot the "threats of future" to protect the most vulnerable in society.

"It's vital that governments and industry work together to eradicate child abuse content from the internet, and that we mobilise the best and brightest in the technology industry to come up with innovative solutions to tackling this problem," she said.

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US Midwest Hit By Severe Tornadoes: Six Dead

At least six people have been killed after powerful tornadoes carved a path of destruction across the US Midwest.

Entire neighbourhoods were flattened within seconds as the twisters, triggered by a "very dangerous" and fast-moving weather system, touched down in as many as 10 states.

Forecasters warned the extreme weather, which destroyed homes, uprooted trees and flipped cars upside down, could affect more than 50 million people as it pushes east towards Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and New Jersey.

The devastation left behind by a tornado in Washington, Illinois

According to the National Weather Service, more than 60 tornadoes struck, unleashing 80mph winds and hail stones up to two inches in diameter.

Extensive damage was reported in Illinois, where three people are known to have died, as well as Kentucky, Indiana and Missouri.

At one hospital in Peoria, Illinois, doctors were treating at least 24 casualties, some of whom had head injuries and broken bones.

The storm caused major damage

Anthony Khoury, who saw a twister rip through his home city of Washington, Illinois, told Sky News: "Most of my neighbourhood is completely destroyed, everything has been demolished.

"Families have lost their homes, people don't have anywhere to sleep and the electricity has gone."

Michael Perdun, a fellow Washington resident, said: "I stepped outside and I heard it coming.

A car stands crushed beneath a fallen tree in Pekin, Illnois

"My daughter was already in the basement, so I ran downstairs and grabbed her, crouched in the laundry room.

"All of a sudden I could see daylight up the stairway and my house was gone.

"The whole neighbourhood's gone (and) the wall of my fireplace is all that is left of my house."

Ten states may be affected by the storms (Pic: National Weather Service)

Jeff Leeman, who was in his backyard with his son when a tornado struck Pekin, Illnois, added: "In a matter of seconds ... it was right on top of us.

"We hustled in the house and before we knew it, it was gone. It was that fast."

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Age Of Consent 'Should Be Dropped To 15'

The age of consent should be lowered to 15, a leading public health expert has said.

Professor John Ashton, president of the Faculty of Public Health, has called for a national debate, saying that society sends "confused" signals about when sex is permitted.

His intervention comes against a backdrop of official figures which suggest that up to a third of teenagers have sex before the present age of consent of 16.

Prof Ashton told the Sunday Times that lowering the age by a year could "draw a line in the sand" against sex at 14 or younger.

It would also make it easier for 15-year-olds who are in sexual relationships to obtain contraception or sexual health advice from the NHS.

He said: "Because we are so confused about this and we have kept the age of consent at 16, the 15-year-olds don't have clear routes to getting some support.

Lowering the age would make it easier for 15-year-olds to get contraception

"My own view is there is an argument for reducing it to 15 but you cannot do it without the public supporting the idea and we need to get a sense of public opinion about this.

"I would not personally argue for 14 but I think we should seriously be looking at 15 so that we can draw a line in the sand and really, as a society, actively discourage sexual involvement under 15.

"By doing that, you would be able legitimately to organise services to meet the need."

The Faculty of Public Health, part of the Royal Colleges of Physicians, gives advice to ministers and civil servants although it is independent of government.

David Tucker, head of policy at the NSPCC, said he would be happy to have a debate on the issue but said he would want to see the evidence for Prof Ashton's claims.

He said: "Has there really been a significant change in the amount of young people having sex over the past 20 or 30 years?

"If it has changed, then is reducing the age of consent the most sensible way to deal with it?"

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Unions Probe: Review Into Intimidation Claims

David Cameron has set himself on a collision course with the unions by announcing an independent review into allegations of intimidation and bullying.

The move follows claims of sabotage and harassment related to the bitter industrial dispute which almost led to the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery in Scotland.

Downing Street said the wide-ranging review, headed by Bruce Carr QC, will investigate allegations of the use of so-called "leverage" tactics by the unions as well as the impact of such disputes on the critical national infrastructure.

However, in a sign of renewed coalition tensions, the Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable made clear he had only agreed to the inquiry on the basis that it would also examine the practices of employers.

The Unite union dismissed the review as a "Tory election stunt" and warned that no trade union would be prepared to "collaborate" with it.

The review follows claims that Unite sought to intimidate executives from Ineos, the refinery's owners, including sending "mobs" of demonstrators to protest outside their homes and premises associated with Ineos chairman, Jim Ratcliffe.

In recent weeks the Prime Minister has repeatedly attacked the union in the Commons, challenging Labour leader Ed Miliband to hold an inquiry into claims of vote-rigging in the Falkirk constituency party in an attempt to secure the selection of Unite's favoured candidate for parliament.

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey has always denied any intimidation or bullying on the part of the union, insisting that it was acting within the law.

As part of his remit, Mr Carr will consider whether existing laws are sufficient to prevent what Government sources described as "inappropriate or intimidatory actions" in trade disputes as well as the response of the police to complaints.

Unite claimed Grangemouth employees had been bullied during the dispute

More generally, the review will look at the underlying causes of industrial relations difficulties in affected industries, the potential impact on the UK's critical national infrastructure and the consequences for investor confidence in key sectors.

It will also make recommendations on the respective roles of government, employers and employee representatives in ensuring effective workforce relationships.

Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude, a Conservative, said: "Allegations about trade union industrial intimidation tactics, including attempts to sabotage businesses supply chains and harass employers' families are deeply concerning.

"That's why we need an independent review to get to the bottom of these activities, as well as to look at the role played by government, employers and employees in industrial disputes.

"This forms part of our long-term plan to ensure Britain remains competitive and to secure an economic recovery for hard-working people."

Mr Cable, in contrast emphasised that Britain had generally enjoyed good industrial relations for the past two decades while strikes were at a historically low level.

"There were clearly some very serious matters going on in Grangemouth. That is why I have agreed to a proportionate and rational review of industrial disputes, including leverage and other tactics used by both unions and employers," he said.

"There are rogue unions but there are also rogue employers, some of whom have in the past engaged in illegal tactics like blacklisting. This Government will tolerate neither"

A Unite spokesman said: "This review is a sorry attempt by the coalition to divert attention from the cost of living crisis. Vince Cable may not have noticed but the Grangemouth dispute has been settled.

"This review is nothing more than a Tory election stunt which no trade unionist will collaborate with."

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