Obese Could Lose Benefits Unless They Diet

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Obese people could lose benefits if they refuse to diet, under a £500m crackdown on disability handouts ordered by David Cameron.

Drug addicts and alcoholics could also lose benefits if they refuse treatment that would help them get a job, in a move aimed at stopping people claiming as a "lifestyle" choice.

"Too many people are stuck on sickness benefits because of issues that could be addressed but instead are not," said the Prime Minister.

"Some have drug or alcohol problems, but refuse treatment.

"In other cases people have problems with their weight that could be addressed, but instead a life on benefits rather than work becomes the choice.

"It is not fair to ask hardworking taxpayers to fund the benefits of people who refuse to accept the support and treatment that could help them get back to a life of work.

"The next Conservative government is determined to make sure that the hardest to help get the support they need to get them back to a fulfilling life."

Ministers estimate there are almost 100,000 people claiming sickness benefits on the grounds of treatable conditions such as drug or alcohol addiction, or obesity.

At present, there is no requirement for such people to undertake treatment, meaning it is possible to claim without making efforts at recovery.

Of the 2.5 million claiming sickness benefits, about 1.5 million have been claiming for more than five years.

Mr Cameron says he has asked Professor Dame Carol Black to undertake a rapid review in to how best to help those suffering from long-term yet treatable conditions back in to work.

"In particular, I have asked her to consider whether people should face the threat of a reduction in benefits if they refuse to engage with a recommended treatment plan," he said.

"It is vital that people who would benefit from treatment get the medical help they need."

Professor Black, a leading Government adviser on health, work and welfare, said: "I am deeply interested in trying to overcome the challenges these types of benefit claimants pose. 

"These people, in addition to their long-term conditions and lifestyle issues, suffer the great disadvantage of not being engaged in the world of work, such an important feature of society."

Explaining the reasons for the threat to axe benefits from the obese, drug addicts and alcoholics, a Government source said: "As well as the unwarranted expense, this represents an unproductive waste of human potential."

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Ukraine: Fresh Bombing Endangers Peace Deal

Ukraine's president has warned that fresh shelling in the east of the country is putting the impending ceasefire in danger.

At least 11 people have been killed and dozens wounded in the last 24 hours, but a ceasefire agreed on Thursday is due to come into force at 10pm UK time.

A shell landed in a school yard in the eastern Ukrainian town of Artemivsk controlled by the government forces on Friday, killing one child and two adults.

Meanwhile, Ukraine and Russian-backed rebels fought fiercely across the east of the country despite the new peace deal brokered by Germany and France in Minsk.

A newly mobilised soldier trains in the Chernihiv region

And Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said: "We have city of Artemivsk which is situated about 30km from the touchline, absolutely not anything involved in the military operation.

"And in the same way like in Kramatorsk, the Russian multiple rocket launch system Grad, or Smerch, just killed, confirmed killed three civilians.

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1. Gallery: Ukraine Crisis Continues

   Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine agreed a deal on Thursday that offers a "glimmer of hope" for an end to fighting in eastern Ukraine after marathon overnight talks

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko (L) addresses journalists as he takes part in peace talks on resolving the Ukrainian crisis in Minsk

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Guantanamo Bay: The Inmates Who Remain

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Mingazov, Nasser, Isomuddin, Abdulayev, Chekkouri, Aziz, Alwi, Kandari

Some 122 men are being held without charge at Guantanamo Bay, despite many having already been cleared for release.

Here are eight of those prisoners who are still detained at the US-run facility in Cuba.

:: Younis Abdurrahman Chekkouri, 46

Born in 1968 in Morocco, Chekkouri was captured by Pakistani authorities in 2001 and sent to Guantanamo a year later. He is understood to have co-founded the Moroccan Islamic Fighting Group and was a close associate of Osama bin Laden. The US believes he is of high intelligence value and poses a threat to the country and its interests.

:: Omar Hamzayavich Abdulayev, 36

1/20

1. Gallery: Guantanamo Bay: In Pictures

   Detainees sitting in a holding area watched by military police at Camp X-Ray inside Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 11 January 2002

A detainee is escorted by unarmed US army personnel inside Camp X-Ray on the Guantanamo Naval Base, US, 17 January 2002

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General view shows Camp X-Ray at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba

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One of the thirty-four newly arrived detainees is walked to the showers by US Army Military Police 11 Febuary, 2002, at Camp X-Ray

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An Army guard watches over detainees at Camp Delta, 10 September 2002

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Abdulayev, originally from Tajikistan, was reportedly captured by Pakistani authorities at a checkpoint in 2001. It was claimed he was carrying handwritten notes on chemicals and explosives and he was transferred to Guantanamo in 2002 at the age of 24. US authorities say he has admitted to being a member of the Islamic Movement of Tajikistan and is of high risk.

:: Ravil Mingazov, 47

Born in 1967 and reportedly of Russian nationality, Mingazov was detained during a raid by Pakistani police in Faisalabad in 2002 and sent to Guantanamo the same year. US authorities claim he has admitted attending al Qaeda training camps in Tajikistan and Afghanistan and has received explosives and assassination training. He is considered by the US to be of high risk to the US and its allies, but of low intelligence value.

:: Ahmed Ould Abdel Aziz, 44

Abdel Aziz was captured by Pakistani intelligence services during a raid on a suspected al Qaeda safe house in Karachi in 2002. It is claimed a search of the house recovered a mobile phone, radios and a telephone book. Originally from Mauritania, he was transferred to Guantanamo Bay the same year to provide intelligence on members of al Qaeda killed in Afghanistan during attacks by US and Coalition forces. US authorities claim he has provided "vast amounts of information" but has been deceptive regarding key facts such as locations and dates.

:: Riduan Isomuddin, 50

Isomuddin was born in Indonesia in 1964 and captured in Thailand in 2003 before being transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2006 to face prosecution for terrorist offences against the US. Authorities in America claim Isomuddin was responsible for the Bali bombings in Indonesia in 2002 and that he is "committed to the most extreme Islamic ideology". The US considers him a high-value detainee.

:: Ghaleb Nasser, 35

Born in 1979 in Yemen, Nasser was taken prisoner in Afghanistan in 2001 and sent to Guantanamo in 2002. US authorities claim he was part of Osama bin Laden's 55th Arab Brigade and that he is high risk to the US and its allies. He has reportedly provided a significant amount of information about al Qaeda and Taliban activities in or near Tora Bora and the front lines of Kunduz.

:: Moath al Alwi, 37

Al Alwi was captured by Pakistani forces in 2001 while attempting to cross the Afghanistan-Pakistani border. He was assessed to be part of Osama bin Laden's security team and sent to Guantanamo in 2002. The US has claimed al Alwi, who is from Yemen, attended advanced militant training courses at al Qaeda-affiliated training camps where he was trained in "elite hand-to-hand combat". He is considered by US authorities to be of high risk to its interests and of high intelligence value. 

:: Fayiz al Kandari, 37 

Born in Kuwait, al Kandari was reportedly captured by unidentified Afghans as he was heading down the Tora Bora mountains in Pakistan and sent to Guantanamo Bay in 2002. US authorities have claimed al Kandari served as an advisor to Osama bin Laden and have assessed him as being of high risk to the US, its interests and allies.

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Mingazov, Nasser, Isomuddin, Abdulayev, Chekkouri, Aziz, Alwi, Kandari

Some 122 men are being held without charge at Guantanamo Bay, despite many having already been cleared for release.

Here are eight of those prisoners who are still detained at the US-run facility in Cuba.

:: Younis Abdurrahman Chekkouri, 46

Born in 1968 in Morocco, Chekkouri was captured by Pakistani authorities in 2001 and sent to Guantanamo a year later. He is understood to have co-founded the Moroccan Islamic Fighting Group and was a close associate of Osama bin Laden. The US believes he is of high intelligence value and poses a threat to the country and its interests.

:: Omar Hamzayavich Abdulayev, 36

1/20

1. Gallery: Guantanamo Bay: In Pictures

   Detainees sitting in a holding area watched by military police at Camp X-Ray inside Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 11 January 2002

A detainee is escorted by unarmed US army personnel inside Camp X-Ray on the Guantanamo Naval Base, US, 17 January 2002

]]>

General view shows Camp X-Ray at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba

]]>

One of the thirty-four newly arrived detainees is walked to the showers by US Army Military Police 11 Febuary, 2002, at Camp X-Ray

]]>

An Army guard watches over detainees at Camp Delta, 10 September 2002

]]>

Abdulayev, originally from Tajikistan, was reportedly captured by Pakistani authorities at a checkpoint in 2001. It was claimed he was carrying handwritten notes on chemicals and explosives and he was transferred to Guantanamo in 2002 at the age of 24. US authorities say he has admitted to being a member of the Islamic Movement of Tajikistan and is of high risk.

:: Ravil Mingazov, 47

Born in 1967 and reportedly of Russian nationality, Mingazov was detained during a raid by Pakistani police in Faisalabad in 2002 and sent to Guantanamo the same year. US authorities claim he has admitted attending al Qaeda training camps in Tajikistan and Afghanistan and has received explosives and assassination training. He is considered by the US to be of high risk to the US and its allies, but of low intelligence value.

:: Ahmed Ould Abdel Aziz, 44

Abdel Aziz was captured by Pakistani intelligence services during a raid on a suspected al Qaeda safe house in Karachi in 2002. It is claimed a search of the house recovered a mobile phone, radios and a telephone book. Originally from Mauritania, he was transferred to Guantanamo Bay the same year to provide intelligence on members of al Qaeda killed in Afghanistan during attacks by US and Coalition forces. US authorities claim he has provided "vast amounts of information" but has been deceptive regarding key facts such as locations and dates.

:: Riduan Isomuddin, 50

Isomuddin was born in Indonesia in 1964 and captured in Thailand in 2003 before being transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2006 to face prosecution for terrorist offences against the US. Authorities in America claim Isomuddin was responsible for the Bali bombings in Indonesia in 2002 and that he is "committed to the most extreme Islamic ideology". The US considers him a high-value detainee.

:: Ghaleb Nasser, 35

Born in 1979 in Yemen, Nasser was taken prisoner in Afghanistan in 2001 and sent to Guantanamo in 2002. US authorities claim he was part of Osama bin Laden's 55th Arab Brigade and that he is high risk to the US and its allies. He has reportedly provided a significant amount of information about al Qaeda and Taliban activities in or near Tora Bora and the front lines of Kunduz.

:: Moath al Alwi, 37

Al Alwi was captured by Pakistani forces in 2001 while attempting to cross the Afghanistan-Pakistani border. He was assessed to be part of Osama bin Laden's security team and sent to Guantanamo in 2002. The US has claimed al Alwi, who is from Yemen, attended advanced militant training courses at al Qaeda-affiliated training camps where he was trained in "elite hand-to-hand combat". He is considered by US authorities to be of high risk to its interests and of high intelligence value. 

:: Fayiz al Kandari, 37 

Born in Kuwait, al Kandari was reportedly captured by unidentified Afghans as he was heading down the Tora Bora mountains in Pakistan and sent to Guantanamo Bay in 2002. US authorities have claimed al Kandari served as an advisor to Osama bin Laden and have assessed him as being of high risk to the US, its interests and allies.

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1. British Sons Plead For Guantanamo Dad's Release
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5. Scuffles Amid South Africa Parliament Chaos

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British Sons Plead For Guantanamo Dad's Release

By Ian Woods, Senior Correspondent

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

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

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

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

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

Video: Shaker Aamer's Sons Make Plea

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

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

"We felt very happy," he said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

After detention at Bagram Airbase he was moved to Guantanamo.

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

Video: Pressure Grows For Detainee Release

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

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

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

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

But Micheal was unimpressed when he saw the video.

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

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

There have been various theories about the delay.

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

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

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

Video: 2012 - Boyle Calls For Release

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

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

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

"We were all very excited," he said.

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

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

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

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

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

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Tory Peer Says Miliband Tax Claim 'Defamatory'

A Conservative Party treasurer has hit back at a suggestion by Labour leader Ed Miliband that he was involved in "tax avoidance activities".

Mr Miliband accused Lord Fink of seeking to avoid paying taxes by holding a Swiss bank account.

But the Tory peer has written a letter to the Labour chief, saying the claim was "untrue and defamatory".

He challenged Mr Miliband to repeat the allegation outside the Commons, where he would not be protected from legal action by parliamentary privilege, or withdraw it publicly.

Allegations of tax evasion and avoidance centre on HSBC in Switzerland

Meanwhile, the man who lifted the lid on the HSBC tax scandal has told Sky News he first raised concerns about suspect practices at the bank in 2008 - two years earlier than previously thought.

In an interview with Sky News , Herve Falciani said he emailed and called Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs seven years ago.

Video: HSBC Whistleblower Speaks Out

The claims came as David Cameron was challenged to reveal whether he discussed tax evasion at HSBC with Lord Green, the bank's former boss who was subsequently appointed a Tory minister.

There were fierce clashes at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday amid revelations that wealthy donors to political parties were among those who legally held accounts with HSBC's private Swiss bank.

Mr Miliband said Mr Cameron was a "dodgy prime minister" who was "up to his neck" in the HSBC tax avoidance scandal - but the PM hit back, claiming his rival had relied on trade union cash to win the Labour leadership.

The Guardian has published a list of nine Conservative donors who it said were listed in files relating to clients of HSBC's Swiss subsidiary.

The newspaper stated that the accounts were held legally for a wide variety of reasons, and made no allegation of wrongdoing against those listed.

Video: Fierce Clashes Over HSBC At PMQs

Mr Miliband told the Commons that on the list was Lord Fink, who gave £3m to the Conservatives and was appointed party treasurer and given a peerage by Mr Cameron.

Lord Fink said he had a Swiss bank account because he was working for the Man Group in the country for four years from 1996 to 2000.

"During this time I had need of a local bank account to do simple things like receive my Swiss franc salary and pay grocery bills," he said.

"As I already banked with HSBC in London, I set up an account with HSBC. I subsequently set up an account with Credit Suisse as they had a branch much closer to my home and office.

"I submitted tax returns in both Switzerland and Britain showing my revised tax status, which was accepted by the Inland Revenue.

Video: Cameron And Miliband Clash On HSBC

"The only way I have ever sought to depress my income tax liability is by giving a lot of my income to charity."

Mr Miliband claimed that the PM must have talked to Lord Green about HSBC as a coalition minister issued a press release in 2011 referring to the investigation into HSBC's Geneva account holders.

The Opposition leader said: "Do you expect us to believe that in Stephen Green's three years as a minister you never had a conversation with him about what was happening at HSBC?"

Mr Cameron said the Tories had a far better record than Labour on tax avoidance - introducing measures to stop hedge funds dodging levies, make foreigners pay stamp duty and tax all bank profits.

Labour MP Sharon Hodgson asked Mr Cameron directly whether he had conversations about HSBC tax avoidance with Lord Green, adding: "If not, why not?"

Video: Labour MP Asks Cameron About HSBC

The Prime Minister said "every proper process was followed" when Lord Green was made a minister in 2011.

He said: "I consulted the Cabinet Secretary, I consulted the director for propriety and ethics, and of course the House of Lords appointments commission now looks at someone's individual tax affairs before giving them a peerage.

"I made the appointment, it was welcomed by Labour, and three years later they were still holding meetings with him."

Mr Cameron pointed out that Lord Green was the head of Labour PM Gordon Brown's business advisory council and was invited on a trade mission by the party in 2013 - three years after the HSBC revelations first surfaced.

During PMQs, Mr Miliband said: "You gave a job to the head of HSBC and you let the tax avoiders get away with it.

Video: Hodge 'Astonished' By Lord Green

"There's something rotten at the heart of the Conservative Party and it's you."

Mr Cameron replied: "For 13 years they sat in the Treasury, they did nothing about tax transparency, nothing about tax dodging, nothing about tax avoidance.

"This government has been tougher than any previous government. That's why they are desperate, that's why they are losing."

The PM pointed out that Labour donor Lord Paul was also caught up in the revelations.

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Bank Whistleblower: I Tipped Off Taxmen In 2008

By Faisal Islam, Political Editor

Herve Falciani, the man who exposed a tax scandal at HSBC by leaking thousands of account details from the bank's Geneva branch, says he first raised concerns about suspect practices at the bank seven years ago.

In an interview with Sky News, Mr Falciani claims to have emailed and called Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs in 2008 - though he said the full processed data was only given to UK authorities in 2010.

Mr Falciani initially obtained the details while employed as an IT worker in 2007 and passed them to French authorities.

The details of 30,000 accounts - holding almost £78bn of assets - have been revealed after they were obtained by a French newspaper and analysed by a team of investigative journalists.

They accused HSBC's Swiss banking arm of helping wealthy customers avoid tax and hide millions of dollars, and providing accounts to international criminals, corrupt businessmen, politicians and celebrities.

Video: Cameron And Miliband Clash On HSBC

Senior politicians and HM Revenue & Customs have been accused of failing to act over the claims that HSBC helped clients dodge taxes.

And a furious blame game is under way between the Tories and Labour.

Mr Falciani said: "I sent an email, a very naive email, in 2008 ... to England - to the department dedicated to tax evasion - and afterwards I even called them.

"And finally the most efficient move was through the French authorities because when we accepted to work together it was established and agreed that what we were doing should be available to any countries having co-operation treaties signed with France."

The date of this offer is an important part of the scandal impacting British politics.

HSBC now admits problems in controls and compliance in the period before 2008.

Mr Falciani said he was "relieved" that it had made the admission, something he had suggested for years.

Video: Lord Fink Responds To Tax Claims

So this raises questions on all sides.

Firstly, the problems on compliance and control occurred at a time when Lord Green was chief executive and then chairman of Britain's biggest bank.

He was then made a lord, trade minister, and appointed to a Cabinet committee on post-crisis banking reform by the Prime Minister, after HMRC had received a full account of thousands of Britons suspected of avoiding taxes with HSBC's help.

However, Mr Falciani confirms he first tried to contact HMRC in 2008, at a time when Labour was in office.

The picture painted by Mr Falciani is of a Britain reluctant to delve into illegally obtained data that nonetheless contains revelations about personal and corporate conduct.

He said he was used to being ignored by authorities that should have wanted to know more.

"Never did British tax authorities, Parliament nor Government invite me ... right now the British investigators received just a tiny part of the available information on HSBC. Just 1%."

Video: HSBC Files: Debate On Significance

His actions were the ultimate source of the data that has caused political havoc in Greece, Spain, India, France, Belgium and now the UK.

He says he is glad that another French source handed the full data to Le Monde newspaper, who then passed it on to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

"We hope it would increase public awareness of offshore banking which is out of control ... We have proof in front of us".

Mr Falciani is now advising political parties such as Podemos in Spain and the Indian government on how to combat tax avoidance by their richest citizens.

He said he would be delighted to come to Britain, but fears arrest by Interpol on account of a Swiss extradition warrant.

He was arrested in Spain because of the warrant, but his extradition was blocked on account of the help his data had given to Spanish tax and judicial authorities, after he appeared, disguised, at a tribunal.

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Driverless Car Trials Begin Across Britain

By Lisa Dowd, Sky News Correspondent

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

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

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

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

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

Video: UK Driverless Car Trials Begin

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

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

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

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

Video: How The Finished Pods Will Look

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

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

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

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

1/5

1. Gallery: Mercedes Unveils Driverless Car At CES

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

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

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NHS Whistleblowers Set To Get Protection

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

NHS staff who blow the whistle about poor patient care are to be protected by sweeping reforms that will bring an end to the cover-up culture in hospitals.

The measures will be announced in Parliament by the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt in response to a review that he commissioned into the treatment of staff who speak out.

The review by Sir Robert Francis, who led the inquiry into the Mid-Staffs scandal, has been delayed by two months because he received more than 18,000 responses, many of them from doctors and nurses who were sacked for sounding the alarm.

Sir Robert is expected to warn that poor care at failing hospitals went undetected for many years because staff concerns were suppressed.

Dr David Drew, a consultant paediatrician, says he was sacked for gross misconduct because he spoke out over the death of a toddler.

He says for too long the NHS and Department of Health have done nothing to support whistleblowers.

He told Sky News: "They have not lifted a finger to help us. Patients are suffering, patients are dying.

"The staff who would like to speak up for them are being hamstrung by the people in charge of these hospitals."

Sir Robert is expected to make a series of recommendations to ensure NHS workers can raise public interest concerns without fear of recrimination - and that appropriate action is taken as a result.

Those who mistreat whistleblowers could also be held to account.

However, Sir Robert will not re-open any previous cases under the reforms.

Julie Bailey, whose mother died at Stafford Hospital in 2007 and successfully campaigned for an inquiry into the Trust, said: "In his first inquiry, Robert Francis recommended that there would be criminal sanctions against those who try to silence whistleblowers.

"We need this Government now to put that recommendation into action."

Nurse Jennie Fecitt, who was bullied and victimised after raising concerns about a colleague who had claimed to have qualifications he did not, told Sky News: "My main concern was patient safety.

"He didn't possess the essential qualifications for the job that he was doing which was seeing patients, diagnosing and treating them autonomously as a primary care nurse, no reference to a doctor.

"So he was in a considerable position of responsibility."

Calling for protection for whistleblowers, Ms Fecitt said: "I have a duty to make patients my first concern. It's non-negotiable."

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Lung Cancer 'Breathalyser' To Go On Trial

By Tom Cheshire, Technology Correspondent

A "breathalyser" that can diagnose lung cancer will be used in two NHS hospitals this summer as part of a £1m clinical trial.

The device was originally invented by engineer Billy Boyle to detect explosives in airports and on the battlefield, but he refocused on medical applications after his wife Kate Gross, then 34, was diagnosed with colon cancer in October 2012.

Mrs Gross, who after leaving Oxford University had become Whitehall's youngest-ever female civil servant, advising prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, was given a 5% chance of survival.

The LuCID (lung cancer indicator detection) project by Owlstone, the company founded by Boyle, analyses the chemicals present in a person's breath.

Diseases like lung cancer produce miniscule but unique chemical traces.

Video: Inventor On His Wife's Loss

This can indicate illness long before symptoms become obvious - when survival rates are much higher.

The survival rate for Stage 1 lung cancer is 75%; Stage 4 is just 5%.

Mr Boyle told Sky News: "The great thing is the technology exists today.

"We already have the microchip, we're working on small handheld devices in (a) GP's office.

"It's important to get the clinical evidence first. But we think we can have systems available, proven, within the next two years.

"And our goal is to save the NHS £245m - but more importantly to save 10,000 lives."

After two years with cancer, Kate died early on Christmas Day, aged 36.

Mr Boyle said: "Me and my wife talked about different applications of Owlstone's technology.

"We spent many years sitting in cancer wards in Addenbroke's in Cambridge and down in London and you see a lot of people there.

Video: Breathalyser That Can Detect Cancer

"And they're there because the disease is detected too late.

"So early detection means that you will have fewer people sitting in those waiting rooms.

"Because of the experience of my wife and my family, we saw the devastation that cancer brings to families, in the various hospitals that we've been.

"You develop technologies for a reason.

"Sometimes it's for monetary gain. Other times it's to make a difference. And I think we have a real opportunity to try and improve the lives of patients."

Owlstone's technology can be applied to other diseases too, including bowel cancer, tuberculosis and asthma.

Dr Jonathan Bennett, a consultant respiratory physician at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, told Sky News: "If successful, this test could be delivered locally - for example at GP surgeries and pharmacies for people assessed at being high risk."

"We are looking forward to answering this question with this innovative study."

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Police Probe Deadly Truck Crash Near School

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Video: Schoolgirl Among Truck Crash Dead

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

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

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

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

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

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1. Gallery: Runaway Truck Hits Cars And Pedestrians

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

Lansdown Lane in Upper Weston was closed over the accident

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The deaths happened outside a school. Pic: Peter Fletcher

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

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

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A number of people were also injured.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

Video: Schoolgirl Among Truck Crash Dead

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

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

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

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

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

1/9

1. Gallery: Runaway Truck Hits Cars And Pedestrians

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

Lansdown Lane in Upper Weston was closed over the accident

]]>

The deaths happened outside a school. Pic: Peter Fletcher

]]>

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

]]>

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

]]>

A number of people were also injured.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Egypt: 25 Killed In Riot Before Football Match

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Video: Egypt: Football Riot Kills 25

A riot outside a major football match in Egypt has killed at least 25 people, authorities have said.

The violence preceded a game between Egyptian Premier League clubs Zamalek and ENPPI at the Air Defense Stadium east of Cairo.

Security officials, speaking anonymously, said some people died during a stampede, while others were killed in clashes with police.

They claimed Zamalek fans tried to get into the game without tickets, sparking clashes.

One witness said: "We were inside the stadium when the clashes began outside.

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1. Gallery: Clashes Leave 25 Dead Before Football Match In Egypt

   At least 25 people have been killed in clashes between police and football fans in Egypt

Security officials said fans of Zamalek tried to get into the game without tickets, which sparked the violence

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Zamalek fans said on their group's official Facebook page that the violence started because the authorities only opened one narrow, barbed-wire door to let them in

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Some of the victims are reported to have died during a stampede, while others were killed in clashes with police. Continue through for more pictures

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"There was a police car on fire and they were shooting birdshot and tear gas.

"The people fled into the desert to escape."

At least another 25 people were wounded, the health ministry reportedly said.

Zamalek fans, known as White Knights, posted on their group's official Facebook page that the violence started because the authorities only opened one narrow, barbed-wire door to let them in.

They said this sparked pushing and shoving and later police officers fired tear gas and birdshot.

The group later posted pictures it claimed were of dead fans and the names of 22 people it said had been killed.

The images could not immediately be verified.

The state prosecutor has ordered an investigation into the violence, according to a statement from his office.

Video: 2012: Egypt Football Clashes

It said fans had blocked a road to the stadium and torched three police vehicles.

Despite the violence, the match continued, sparking further outrage among the fans.

The Egyptian Premier League has been suspended indefinitely, the prime minister's office said in a statement, which accused fans of trying to storm the stadium and attacking police.

Hardcore fans, known as Ultras, often clash with police inside and outside of stadiums.

Many of them participated in the 2011 uprising that forced President Hosni Mubarak from power.

Fans have only recently been allowed at matches again, and the Interior Ministry planned to let only 10,000 fans into the ground, which has a capacity of around 30,000.

The deadliest football riot in Egyptian history happened three years ago during a match between Port Said's al Masry and Cairo's al Ahly.

A total of 74 people, most of them al Ahly fans, were killed.

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We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

Video: Egypt: Football Riot Kills 25

A riot outside a major football match in Egypt has killed at least 25 people, authorities have said.

The violence preceded a game between Egyptian Premier League clubs Zamalek and ENPPI at the Air Defense Stadium east of Cairo.

Security officials, speaking anonymously, said some people died during a stampede, while others were killed in clashes with police.

They claimed Zamalek fans tried to get into the game without tickets, sparking clashes.

One witness said: "We were inside the stadium when the clashes began outside.

1/7

1. Gallery: Clashes Leave 25 Dead Before Football Match In Egypt

   At least 25 people have been killed in clashes between police and football fans in Egypt

Security officials said fans of Zamalek tried to get into the game without tickets, which sparked the violence

]]>

Zamalek fans said on their group's official Facebook page that the violence started because the authorities only opened one narrow, barbed-wire door to let them in

]]>

Some of the victims are reported to have died during a stampede, while others were killed in clashes with police. Continue through for more pictures

]]>

]]>

"There was a police car on fire and they were shooting birdshot and tear gas.

"The people fled into the desert to escape."

At least another 25 people were wounded, the health ministry reportedly said.

Zamalek fans, known as White Knights, posted on their group's official Facebook page that the violence started because the authorities only opened one narrow, barbed-wire door to let them in.

They said this sparked pushing and shoving and later police officers fired tear gas and birdshot.

The group later posted pictures it claimed were of dead fans and the names of 22 people it said had been killed.

The images could not immediately be verified.

The state prosecutor has ordered an investigation into the violence, according to a statement from his office.

Video: 2012: Egypt Football Clashes

It said fans had blocked a road to the stadium and torched three police vehicles.

Despite the violence, the match continued, sparking further outrage among the fans.

The Egyptian Premier League has been suspended indefinitely, the prime minister's office said in a statement, which accused fans of trying to storm the stadium and attacking police.

Hardcore fans, known as Ultras, often clash with police inside and outside of stadiums.

Many of them participated in the 2011 uprising that forced President Hosni Mubarak from power.

Fans have only recently been allowed at matches again, and the Interior Ministry planned to let only 10,000 fans into the ground, which has a capacity of around 30,000.

The deadliest football riot in Egyptian history happened three years ago during a match between Port Said's al Masry and Cairo's al Ahly.

A total of 74 people, most of them al Ahly fans, were killed.

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HSBC Helped Clients Dodge Tax - Report

HSBC's Swiss banking arm helped wealthy customers avoid tax and hide millions of dollars, according to a report by a network of investigative journalists.

The British banking giant provided accounts to international criminals, corrupt businessmen, politicians and celebrities, secret files analysed by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) show.

The documents have led to criminal investigations in several countries and attempts to get the money back after being stolen by an IT worker in 2007 and passed to authorities in France.

Details of the 30,000 accounts, which hold nearly £78bn of assets, are coming to light after the files were obtained by the French newspaper Le Monde and analysed by the ICIJ.

The files are reported to include evidence that the bank colluded with some clients to hide accounts from tax authorities in their home countries.

While holding a secret bank account is not illegal, they have been used by some to deliberately conceal assets to dodge tax, which is against the law.

"HSBC profited from doing business with arms dealers who channelled mortar bombs to child soldiers in Africa, bag men for Third World dictators, traffickers in blood diamonds and other international outlaws," the ICIJ reported.

According to the files, the bank's clients included former and current politicians from Britain, Russia, India and a number of African countries.

Russian oligarch Gennady Timchenko was named on US sanction list

Those named in the files include people sanctioned by the US, such as Turkish businessman Selim Alguadis and Gennady Timchenko, an associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin who was the subject of sanctions over the Ukraine crisis.

HM Revenue and Customs was passed the data in 2010 and has since then clawed back £135m from some of the 3,600 Britons identified as potentially avoiding tax.

But some MPs have complained about HMRC's perceived slow progress and the fact that only one evader has been prosecuted to date.

The bank said in a statement that since the period in question, it had "implemented numerous initiatives designed to prevent its banking services being used to evade taxes or launder money".

"Although there are numerous legitimate reasons to have a Swiss bank account, in some cases individuals took advantage of bank secrecy to hold undeclared accounts," the statement continued.

"This resulted in private banks, including HSBC's Swiss private bank, having a number of clients that may not have fully met their applicable tax obligations.

"We have taken significant steps over the past several years to implement reforms and exit clients who did not meet strict new HSBC standards, including those where we had concerns in relation to tax compliance," it added.

"We are fully committed to the exchange of information with relevant authorities and are actively pursuing measures that ensure clients are tax transparent, even in advance of a regulatory or legal requirement to do so.

"We are also co-operating with relevant authorities investigating these matters and we acknowledge and are accountable for past control failures."

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Prince Charles: Youth Extremism 'Alarming'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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NHS To Probe Thousands Of Patient Deaths

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

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

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

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

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

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

Video: NHS Shake-Up 'Disastrous'

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

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

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

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

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

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

"It has saved lives and produced better care."

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

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

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

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

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