Revenge Porn Offenders To Face Prison

By Harriet Hadfield, Sky News Reporter

Publishing sexually explicit pictures of former partners is to be made a criminal offence - and could carry up to a two-year prison sentence.

It is known as revenge porn and involves uploading private images with the intention of embarrassing or shaming an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend.

The issue was brought into sharp focus after celebrities including pop stars Rihanna and Tulisa Contostavlos fell victim to the cruel craze.

In the last two and a half years 149 cases of revenge pornography were reported to eight police forces in England and Wales and figures reveal the victims include children as young as 11.

An anonymous victim of revenge porn told Sky News: "I felt humiliated, I was shocked that someone had stooped to that level to try and humiliate me because I didn't think that I had disrespected someone enough for them to do something like that to me.

Video: Revenge Porn Victim Tells Her Story

"It makes you feel dirty, it makes you feel unconfident and if something can be done about it, I think it should be."

There is currently no law in the UK that deals directly with the issue but proposed changes to legislation would apply to online and offline images and those convicted could face a maximum sentence of two years in prison.

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said the distribution of such images was "almost beyond belief".

"We want those who fall victim to this type of disgusting behaviour to know that we are on their side and will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice," he said.

Video: Revenge Porn Police Stats

"That is why we will change the law and make it absolutely clear to those who act in this way that they could face prison."

The change in the law would be made via an amendment to the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill.

Adam Pemberton, assistant chief executive for the charity Victim Support, said: "This type of behaviour can be extremely distressing for its victims causing them significant psychological harm.

"We are pleased that people who commit these gross violations of privacy will now face prosecution and victims of revenge porn know they have the full backing of the law."

Video: Revenge Porn Victims As Young As 11

But some experts are questioning whether a specific revenge porn offence will work.

Lawyer Myles Jackman told Sky News: "It is very difficult as there are a number of different scenarios in which revenge porn might be created and not all of them will fit this one scenario.

"Creating an offence that catches all is almost impossible."

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British Troops Back In Iraq To Help Beat IS

The Ministry of Defence has said a "small specialist team" of UK soldiers are in Iraq and working near the front line of the fight between the Islamic State (IS) and Kurdish fighters.

Based near the Kurdish capital of Irbil in the north, they are training peshmerga forces in the use of heavy machine guns the UK supplied to them in September.

The Sunday Times reported that the soldiers were from the 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, which is based in Cyprus.

An MoD spokeswoman said: "The Government has previously made clear its intention to provide training to the peshmerga as part of the continued effort to assist in the fight against Isil (IS).

UK troops are training Kurdish peshmerga forces in the use of UK arms

"The Defence Secretary has approved the deployment of a small specialist team of non-combat Army trainers which is now in the Irbil area providing instruction on operating, employing and maintaining the heavy machine guns that were gifted by the UK last month."

British troops invaded Iraq in March 2003 to overthrow Saddam Hussein.

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1. Gallery: The Moment RAF Jet Attacks IS Truck

   The RAF carried out its first airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq on 1 October, 2014 (All pictures: MoD)

2. Tornados destroyed a heavy weapon position, which was attacking Kurdish forces, and an armed pick-up truck (pictured). The red circle shows the path of the missile fired at the vehicle

3. The strikes were the first since MPs voted to support aerial raids in Iraq last Friday

4. The targets were in the northwest of Iraq

5. The moment the truck, which had a mounted machine gun, was destroyed by a Brimstone missile

6. A plume of smoke rose above the area

7. The strike was successful, according to an initial assessment, said Defence Secretary Michael Fallon

8. The Tornados safely returned to their base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus after the sortie

9. Six of the GR4 fighter jets are based on the island in the Mediterranean

10. The aircraft began their combat missions on Saturday

The last British combat troops from the war left in April 2009, with a small number staying on to train Iraqi forces until 2011.

RAF Tornado fighter jets have been involved in US-led bombing raids on IS fighters for the past two weeks.

But there is strong resistance among British politicians to any ground troop involvement in fighting against the Islamist group, which controls vast areas of Iraq and Syria.

Video: RAF Jets Attack Targets In Iraq

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British Teacher Held Hostage In Libya Freed

A British teacher who was being held hostage by militants in Libya has been released and reunited with his family.

David Bolam, who worked at the International School in Benghazi, was abducted earlier this year.

His kidnapping had not been reported at the request of his family and the Foreign Office.

Although it has not been officially confirmed who his captors were, a group calling itself the Army of Islam, a faction in Libya, released an online video of Mr Bolam dated 28 August pleading for his release.

The 53-second video showed him sitting in a room wearing a white T-shirt.

In it, he said: "My name is David Richard Bolam. I am a British citizen. I am a teacher.

"My health is good at the moment. I have been here a very long time."

He went on to plead for Britain to arrange a prisoner exchange or other diplomatic initiative to secure his release.

The Foreign Office said: "We are glad that David Bolam is safe and well after his ordeal, and that he has been reunited with his family.

"We have been supporting his family since he was taken.

"We do not comment on the detail of hostage cases. The family have asked for privacy."

There are unconfirmed reports a ransom was paid through "unofficial channels" in exchange for Mr Bolam's release.

The Foreign Office confirmed the Government had paid no money, saying: "HMG never pays ransoms. It is illegal to pay ransoms to a terrorist group."

While several Western governments have paid money to secure the release of hostages held by militants, the UK and US governments have a policy of refusing demands for ransoms.

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Alice Gross: Body Found In Hunt For Suspect

Police say a body found in west London may be that of Arnis Zalkalns, the main suspect in the murder of schoolgirl Alice Gross.

The "early indications" are that the badly decomposed body could be that of Zalkalns, who has been missing since the start of September, the Metropolitan Police said.

According to unconfirmed reports, the dead man was found hanged.

The convicted killer is the prime suspect in the disappearance of the 14-year-old, who was found dead in the River Brent on Tuesday following an extensive search.

An area of Boston Manor Park in west London has been cordoned off - a mile from where Alice's body was recovered.

In a statement the Met said: "Although no formal identification has been made early indications suggest the body may be that of Arnis Zalkalns. We have updated his partner and a Family Liaison Officer (FLO) is supporting her.

Video: CCTV Footage Shows Alice Suspect

"Due to the nature of the surrounding area specialist resources will be required to assist with the recovery of the body."

Some people living near the park have voiced their alarm at the discovery.

Ingrid Zalalis, 46, who was with her daughter, said: "This is our park, we come here for walks. We also go on our bicycles near the canal, and spent a lot of time looking there after Alice went missing.

"There are areas in these woods where people don't go.

"The police searched the park a while ago and I don't think they found anything then."

A 57-year-old called Zahra said: "I used to like this park, but now I feel it's not a safe place.

Video: Alice Gross Police Statement

"I have been very upset about Alice Gross, I couldn't sleep when the body was found."

Police say they are still working to establish the full circumstances surrounding the crime, and have repeated their appeal to members of the public for any information that could help their investigation.

Zalkalns was filmed cycling along the same route behind Alice on the day she failed to return to her home in Hanwell on 28 August.

He was reported as missing just days later.

The 41-year-old worked at a building site in Isleworth, west London, and is thought to have come to the UK in 2007.

Authorities faced criticism for apparently holding no record of his conviction for bludgeoning and stabbing his wife Rudite to death in Latvia.

Video: Alice Gross Suspect's Home Searched

It also emerged Zalkalns was arrested in London on suspicion of indecent assault on a 14-year-old girl in 2009, but was never charged.

Alice was last seen on CCTV walking along the Grand Union Canal towards Hanwell at 4.26pm on August 28.

A post-mortem examination on the schoolgirl was inconclusive and further tests are to be carried out to find out how she died.

Police said "significant efforts" were taken to conceal her body in the water.

Zalkalns had not accessed his bank account or used his mobile phone since September 3, nor had he returned home to his partner and young child in Ealing. He also left behind his passport.

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PM's Pledge For Seven-Day Access To GPs

David Cameron will guarantee every NHS patient access to a GP seven days a week by 2020 under plans to be unveiled at the Conservative Party conference.

The Prime Minister is expected to announce a £100m spending boost to improve access to family doctors should the Tories win next year's election.

The plans seek to ensure more people will be able to see their GP between 8am and 8pm on weekdays and weekends.

GPs will also take responsibility for individual patients as part of a new GP contract being launched by NHS Employers.

Mr Cameron is expected to say: "People need to be able to see their GP at a time that suits them and their family.

"That's why we will make sure everyone can see a GP seven days a week.

A £100m spending boost will be announced to improve access to GPs

"We will also support thousands more GP practices to stay open longer, giving millions of patients better access to their doctor.

"This is only possible because we've taken difficult decisions to reduce inefficient and ineffective spending elsewhere as part of our long-term economic plan.

"You can't fund the NHS if you don't have a healthy, growing economy.

"This will help secure a better future for Britain, where people can be confident that when they or their loved ones need it, our NHS will be there for them."

:: David Cameron will talk to Sky News at 7.30am. Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132 and Freesat channel 202.

The announcement comes after Chancellor George Osborne claimed the Tories, not Labour, are "the real party of the NHS".

Last year Mr Cameron set up a Challenge Fund for GP access which allocated £50m to 20 health groups.

Under a second wave of proposed funding, practices will be able to bid for awards from the extra £100m fund.

Mr Cameron says people need access to GPs at times that suit them

Sky's Political Editor Faisal Islam said the NHS is set to be "front and centre" of the campaign leading up to next year's election.

"This is a new front, the NHS. They (the Conservatives) won't cede this ground to Labour," he said.

"They are convinced that if Labour is ahead on the NHS in polling and behind on the economy, they have to have a strong promise on the NHS.

"This is the beginning of what we will get and it's going to be a continuing battle."

But the commitment has already drawn criticism from Labour, which argues the government has made it "harder, not easier" for patients to get a GP appointment.

Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham said: "David Cameron made an almost identical announcement this time last year but, in the 12 months since, he has made it harder, not easier, to get a GP appointment.

"After the election, David Cameron scrapped Labour's GP appointment guarantee and cut support for evening and weekend opening. His broken promises on the NHS have caught up with him."

On Monday, Mr Osbourne announced a two-year freeze on benefits for those who could be working.

Mr Osborne said Britain can no longer afford to be a country where £100bn is spent on paying benefits for those of working age.

"Families out of work should not get more than the average family in work," he said.

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GP Practices Face Closure Over Dangerous Care

By Thomas Moore, Health Correspondent

Up to 200 GP practices across England face the threat of closure for providing potentially dangerous care to thousands of patients, the chief inspector of family doctors has warned.

In his first major broadcast interview, Professor Steve Field told Sky News that a handful of surgeries would be shut down straight away after being found guilty of "serious failings".

And he said scores more would be given a year to improve - or face being closed down as well.

The warning comes as the Conservatives promise to invest an extra £100m a year to provide seven-day GP cover.

Prof Field said most severe problems were found in single doctor practices

Prof Field, the Chief Inspector of GPs for the Care Quality Commission (CQC), said preliminary inspections suggested that up to 200 of the 8,000 practices in England are failing.

Problems included:

:: Late referrals for patients suspected of suffering from cancer, with potentially fatal consequences

:: Wrong medicines being prescribed to patients

:: Over-prescription of antibiotics

:: Child vaccinations not being stored in fridges, putting hundreds at risk

:: Out of date and unhygienic premises

:: Staff shortages and "chaotic management"

Prof Field said that the most severe problems were found in isolated, single doctor practices. "The writing is on the walls" for these type of practices, he said.

Up to 200 GP practices across England are facing the threat of closure

In many of these cases he said the problems had been known about for years, but authorities had not acted.

Prof Field's team have been carrying out pilot checks on surgeries for the past year.

Last December it was revealed that one such check had found maggots at a surgery in Nottinghamshire.

Prof Field said that preliminary results following this process suggested that 2% were failing with large variations in standards of care.

He added that when the inspections were first launched almost one third of practices were struggling to achieve all of the basic standards.

That number had now dropped to below 20%, he said.

Prof Field vowed to act against unsafe surgeries even if politicians protested at the closure of their local practices.

"While there is a small number of practices which are very worrying - probably looking at only about 2% - they can affect hundreds or thousands of patients potentially. So this is very serious.

Many other practices will be given a year to improve

"For the small number of practices [providing unsafe care] they will either improve or they will cease to practice. We will remove their registration."

Prof Field said that the 160 to 200 surgeries found to be failing would be given extra support from NHS England to help them improve.

"Unfortunately there are some ... which have gone on for years failing and people haven't drawn a line and said enough is enough. For those we will take urgent action.

"General Practice is the jewel in our crown and we're undermined by a small percentage of GPs who are not providing the care our patients deserve."

All 8,000 practices in England face inspections from next month and the CQC's findings will be published under a new Ofsted-style regime.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of BMA GP committee, said: "We know that  a lot of GPs are working in an environment that is extremely difficult and challenging, in premises that are not fit for purpose.

"And yet they cannot find another place to work in because there are no funds to relocate them. It would not be right to criticise or blame them for factors outside their control."

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RAF Jets Poised To Strike Jihadists In Iraq

British fighter jets could begin airstrikes against Islamic State fighters in Iraq as early as today after MPs overwhelmingly backed action.

Parliament gave approval by 524 votes to 43 (a massive majority of 481) for Britain to join the US-led coalition in the Middle East.

The vote came after Prime Minister David Cameron said IS forces are "psychopathic terrorists trying to kill us".

Labour MP Rushanara Ali immediately resigned from the party's front bench after the result was announced.

Labour leader Ed Miliband told her afterwards: "I know that you have thought long and hard about this. I respect and accept your resignation."

Ian McKenzie, the Labour MP for Inverclyde, was sacked as a parliamentary aide to Shadow Defence Secretary Vernon Coaker for voting against military action.

Britain has six Tornado GR4 fighter bombers in Cyprus ready to strike northern Iraq, a figure which Cabinet minister Kenneth Clarke said would make the UK's military contribution "almost symbolic".

The planes, which have been in RAF Akrotiri for the past six weeks carrying out surveillance missions in the Middle East, could begin airstrikes over the weekend.

Labour MP Rushanara Ali immediately resigned after the result was announced

Defence Minister Michael Fallon told Sky News: "You're not going to see immediate military action - a wave of shock and awe or anything like that ... not tonight no, absolutely not.

"We have to select our targets in accordance with the American and international effort that's going on in Iraq.

"There's fighting around these towns - we have to fit in to the day-to-day fighting and see where we can help best."

It came as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said US-led airstrikes had already worsened a dire humanitarian crisis in Iraq and Syria.

Mr Cameron told the Commons debate that Islamist militants "have already murdered one British hostage" and are "threatening the lives of two more".

He described IS, which has invaded large areas of Syria and Iraq, as "a terrorist organisation unlike those we have dealt with before".

He said: "The brutality is staggering - beheadings, crucifixions, the gouging out of eyes, the use of rape as a weapon, the slaughter of children. All of these things belong to the dark ages."

During the six-and-a-half-hour debate, Mr Miliband said he understood the deep unease about taking military action, but said the UK could not stand by in the face of the threat from IS, also known as ISIL.

An RAF Tornado GR4 carrying Storm Shadow missiles

"ISIL is not simply a murderous organisation; it has ambitions for a state of its own - a caliphate across the Middle East, run according to their horrific norms and values," he said.

But in a typically firebrand intervention, outspoken Respect MP George Galloway said bombing would not work, and stressed the need to strengthen ground forces in the region.

He said: "ISIL is a death cult, it's a gang of terrorist murderers. It's not an army and it's certainly not an army that's going to be destroyed by aerial bombardment."

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, backed UK airstrikes, telling the House of Lords: "The action proposed today is right."

But he warned "we must not rely on a short-term solution" and a wider effort was needed to turn extremists away from the "evil of ISIL".

On Thursday, the Cabinet unanimously backed military action against IS, which could last up to three years.

The PM was desperate to avoid the embarrassment of the Commons defeat on Syria airstrikes last year, and tabled a cautiously-worded motion intended to win support from all parties for action in Iraq.

Overnight, the US continued to hit suspected IS positions in Syria for a fifth consecutive day of attacks.

The Pentagon said the raids had disrupted lucrative oil-pumping operations that have helped fund IS militants, but that a final victory would need an on-the-ground campaign.

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