Syria: Brutal Photos 'Are Evidence Of Torture'

Syria is facing fresh war crimes allegations after "clear evidence" of the "systematic torture and killing" of up to 11,000 people was published.

The claims were made by a group of top international lawyers, who were handed 55,000 images of dead prisoners.

The lawyers, who are all former war crimes prosecutors, said the photographs showed emaciated corpses with severe injuries and would support findings of crimes against humanity by Bashar al Assad's regime.

Some detainees appeared to have been beaten, strangled or electrocuted, they claimed.

Sir Desmond De Silva, one of the report's co-authors, described the photographs as "very harrowing" and said victims had suffered the "most awful" injuries.

Photos appeared to show Syrian detainees with ligature marks on their necks

"These killings were clearly methodical, daily and systematic as a consequence," he told Sky News. "They could certainly underpin a charge of crime against humanity."

He added: "This industrial killing of people in detention is clearly the work of the Syrian government."

The report draws on evidence smuggled out of Syria by an ex-military policeman, known only as Caesar.

He was described as a "truthful and credible witness" by the inquiry team, who said he was "carefully interviewed" and showed "no signs of being sensational".

Caesar told the inquiry team he was asked to take photographs of numbered corpses - a demand that is "wholly consistent with the need of the regime to ensure that orders for the killing of persons in detention facilities had been carried out", according to the report.

Syrian President Bashar al Assad denies his regime has massacred civilians

"The need to photograph those who were killed is a strong pointer to the fact that the killings were systematic, ordered and directed from above," it added.

Mr Assad, who describes opponents to his regime as "terrorists", previously rejected claims that his troops have killed civilians.

"These organisations do not have a single document to prove that the Syrian government has committed a massacre against civilians anywhere," he said.

"The army does not shell neighbourhoods. The army strikes areas where there are terrorists."

The report, which was commissioned by Qatar, one of the main supporters of the Syrian opposition, was released the day before crucial peace talks are due to get under way.

Officials from around 40 countries are due to meet in Switzerland, although Iran will not be present after its invitation was withdrawn by the UN.

Mr Hague and Mr Zarif (pictured last year) spoke on the phone on Tuesday

After strong objections from the United States and the Syrian opposition, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on Monday uninvited Iran, the Damascus regime's main regional ally, less than 24 hours after it was issued.

On the eve of the talks, Foreign Secretary William Hague told Parliament that Mr Ban had been right to withdraw the invitation because of Tehran's refusal to declare its support for a transitional government in Syria.

Mr Hague said Iran's involvement in any future peace settlement would be "extremely important", saying it needed to urgently rethink its Syria policy.

He spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on the phone after making his comments, telling him that the idea of brokering a transitional government by mutual consent was the way to end the conflict in Syria and that Britain remained open to working with Iran on that basis in future.

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23.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

William Roache 'Tried To Groom Girl With Sweets'

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

Coronation Street star William Roache tried to groom a young girl by giving her money for sweets, a court has heard.

The alleged victim, now aged 57, said that she hated the actor and felt like a coward for not reporting him to the police earlier.

Speaking via video link to Preston Crown Court, the woman also said that she had been offered £10,000 by The Sun to sell her story but had turned the offer down.

The woman, who is legally granted anonymity, said she was about 13 or 14 years old when Roache indecently assaulted her in his Rolls Royce.

She said the actor had offered her and a friend a lift home and during the journey took her hand and made her perform a sex act on him.

Afterwards he is alleged to have dropped them off and told them to catch the bus home because he wanted to go and play golf.

"It was deathly quiet in the car," she said. "I was absolutely petrified. He never uttered a word."

Roache arriving at court on Tuesday with his son Linus and daughter Verity

Occasionally crying while giving evidence, the complainant said as she grew older she became increasingly upset about the incident and angry towards Roache.

"I hate him. It's a very strong word. I'm angry about it ... He gave us money to get sweets from the shop but it was a grooming process." she said.

The woman told the jury that she had been angered by a television interview broadcast in recent years in which the Coronation Street actor allegedly claimed that starstruck girls had "thrown themselves" at him, and that abuse victims were being punished for their behaviour in a previous life.

Asked how she felt when she first heard that Roache had been accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl she said: "She made me feel like a coward because she had guts to do it. She was brave enough to do it. I did not have the guts to do it first."

She added: "I am obviously very scared but I am quite pleased I have done it."

Asked by Prosecutor Anne Whyte QC what she was afraid off, she replied: "The defendant making out that it has not happened. I am worried about being believed."

The alleged victim said she had had "a really big row" with her husband after he had approached the press about her story.

She said: "No amount of money will clear up what we have been through the last few months."

Roache, who has played the part of Ken Barlow in Coronation Street since 1960, denies two charges of rape and five of indecent assault against girls aged under 16 in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

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23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Drax Convictions Quashed Over Undercover Cop

The convictions of 29 environmental campaigners involved in a protest at a power station have been quashed because of the failure of the prosecution to disclose the involvement of an undercover police officer.

The protesters were convicted of obstructing engines or carriages on railways - an offence under the Malicious Damage Act 1861 - and sentenced at Leeds Crown Court in 2009 and 2010 after stopping a freight train heading to the Drax power station.

The plant in North Yorkshire is Europe's largest coal-fired power station.

Among those involved in the 2008 protest was undercover police officer Mark Kennedy, who spent seven years posing as Mark "Flash" Stone.

Undercover police officer Mark Kennedy drove protesters to the site

His actions led to the collapse of another case in 2011, in which six environmental campaigners had been accused of planning to storm the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station in Nottinghamshire.

That led the-then Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer, to question the safety of the Drax convictions before inviting the protesters to appeal. 

Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas said on Tuesday: "There was a complete and total failure, for reasons which remain unclear, to make a disclosure fundamental to the defence.

"In those circumstances, this court has no alternative but to quash the convictions."

Drax is Europe's largest coal-fire power station

Mr Kennedy hired a van and took the protesters to the site where the protest took place, according to records kept by his West Yorkshire Police handler.

Outside court, Beth Stratford, speaking on behalf of the 29, said: "We are pleased because this shines a light on the underhand tactics of the police and the Crown Prosecution Service in their policing of political movements.

"It underlines further the need for public independent inquiry into the use of political policing."

The collapse of the 2011 Nottinghamshire protests led to a review of police undercover tactics.

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23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Michael Cope Given Life For Linzi Ashton Murder

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

Michael Cope has been jailed for life for murdering his ex-girlfriend in a "prolonged, extremely violent and determined attack".

The 28-year-old admitted murdering barmaid Linzi Ashton, 25, who was found dead at her home in Winton, Salford, on June 29 last year.

Cope, who pleaded guilty to murder at the start of his trial on Monday, will have to serve a minimum of 27 years in prison before being considered for parole. He also admitted three counts of assault.

Members of Miss Ashton's family cheered as the sentence was delivered at Manchester Crown Court. One said: "It's still not enough."

Cope, who had gone on the run for more than a month after the killing, smiled and turned towards the public gallery. Male relatives of Miss Ashton ran towards him, punched the reinforced dock and shouted "rot in hell".

A post-mortem examination found Miss Ashton died as a result of pressure to the neck and multiple injuries during the hour-long attack.

The court heard Miss Ashton had an "acrimonious" relationship with Cope

She had suffered 108 injuries to her head and body caused by a combination of punches and kicks and a ligature around her neck. Miss Ashton, who had two daughters, Destiny, seven, and Daisy, two, was discovered dead in her bed by members of her family.

Delivering his sentence, Mr Justice Parker told Cope he had "set out in a most deliberate and calculating manner to kill your victim".

He added: "This was a savage attack on a defenceless woman in her own home."

Cope had begun an "acrimonious" relationship with Miss Ashton in November 2012 and the court heard he subjected her to "deliberate, extensive and sustained domestic abuse".

Cope went on the run after the murder and was spotted on CCTV

Her family and friends wept as Kate Blackwell QC, prosecuting, described a series of attacks, including two occasions in March 2013 when Cope strangled Miss Ashton. Cope admitted three counts of assault on Miss Ashton.

One text message she sent to Cope read: "I'm scared every time you drink … You could have actually killed me ... You strangled me until I passed out."

The court heard that in April the abuse suffered by Miss Ashton was reported to police by a friend. Her ex-boyfriend, Liam Grime, had warned her "you are scared of him Linzi and he's going to kill you".

Ms Blackwell told the court the abuse continued. During an attack in the early hours of May 18 Cope had told Miss Ashton: "I'm going to kill you. I'd gladly do time for you. I like it in prison."

Two days later Miss Ashton was interviewed by police and told officers Cope had raped and attacked her. The rape allegation, which he denied, will lie on file.

Ms Blackwell told the court the interview was "chilling given the fears she had of being murdered in a revenge attack". Miss Ashton told officers: "I'm scared of him coming to get me. Until he is in prison I'm not going to be OK."

Miss Ashton's mother Philomena McMahon said her death had left their lives "dark and empty" and added: "Heartbroken doesn't go anywhere near describing how it feels. It is really difficult knowing she won't be there for her daughters."

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23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dave Lee Travis Accused Of Panto Assault

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

A woman who worked on a panto with Dave Lee Travis has described how the star "engulfed her" during an alleged assault in his dressing room.

She explained she worked at the theatre in Crawley, Sussex, in the early 1990s.

The woman told Southwark Crown Court: "He was suddenly behind me, he is a big chap, he engulfed me."

She said she struggled to get away while the DJ allegedly held the door closed with his hand.

"He put his other hand down the front of my jogging pants, she said.

"I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

"It felt like a long time but it was only probably a matter of moments before I got the door open."

When she did manage to get the door open she said she heard someone in the corridor say: "Alright Dave."

The woman said it was the Chuckle Brothers who were also starring in the panto.

She confirmed the police had told her that Paul and Barry Chuckle cannot remember the incident.

The woman said she would not have expected the pair to recall such a short encounter because neither of them saw the alleged indecent assault.

She said she then informed the stage manager and steps were taken to ensure she had no more contact with Travis.

However, she did see the star again in the bar and felt "humiliated and embarrassed" when he allegedly said to her in front of a group of people: "You don't come to my dressing room any more." 

A male colleague from the pantomime told the court that following the incident there was a "general consensus" among the cast and crew that women should not be left alone with the star who continued in his starring role.

The woman finished her evidence by saying: "I think it is important that women know that they don't have to accept this kind of behaviour."

Earlier, a former BBC employee said she felt "unprotected" in the face of sexual harassment while working at the corporation.

She alleged Travis grabbed her bottom while they recorded a show in a BBC studio.

The woman said this happened in the early 1980s.

She told the court: "I was really taken aback at that moment and that is why I remembered it really well."

The woman said she just tried to get on with her job and that any complaints she could have made "would have fallen on deaf ears".

She added: "They were celebrities and I was just a worker on the floor ... and I didn't see what I could do at the time. I felt unprotected if I am honest with you."

Working with an overwhelmingly male workforce led to "severe sexual harassment while I was there - it was verbal and coercive", she said.

Much of the harassment she ignored, but the alleged incident with Travis "crossed a physical boundary", she explained.

"I was working with men rigging and de-rigging and that takes a lot of close working."

But, she said, "this was something totally different".

A cameraman who worked on the same programmes as the woman also gave evidence in which he said he remembered his female colleague as "quite young, shy and easily embarrassed".

Travis denies 13 charges of indecent assault and one of sexual assault that date from the 1970s until 2008.

The trial continues.

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23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ditch Killer Dennehy Took Selfie Before Attacks

A picture triple killer Joanna Dennehy took of herself just moments before she stabbed two dog walkers in Hereford has been shown during the trial of her two alleged accomplices.

The selfie shows the 31-year-old grinning and sticking out her tongue in the back of a Vauxhall Astra allegedly being driven by defendant Gary 'Stretch' Richards.

Mark Lloyd, who was in the car with Dennehy and Richards, told Cambridge Crown Court he had witnessed the first attack on Robin Bereza.

"I thought she was going to mug him but then it twigged on me," he said. "I thought 'You just want blood'."

Dennehy went on to repeatedly stab second victim, John Rogers, on a separate Hereford street. Both men survived the attacks with serious injuries.

Richards allegedly drove Dennehy to Hereford in this Vauxhall Astra

Mr Lloyd told the court Dennehy then climbed back into the vehicle carrying the victim's whippet, which she described as her "only friend".

"Afterwards, Gary drove off very, very calmly. It was as if they'd just stopped for McDonald's," he told the court.

He added Dennehy had earlier made it clear she wanted to find "a man with a dog".

At the time of the attack, Dennehy, 31, had already killed three other men, dumping their bodies in ditches near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.

She has admitted to murdering Lukasz Slaboszewski, 31, John Chapman, 56, and Kevin Lee, 48, whose bodies were discovered in March and April last year.

Dennehy is said to have stabbed Mr Bereza and Mr Rogers "for fun"

She has also admitted the attempted murder of Mr Bereza, 64, and Mr Rogers, 56, and preventing the lawful and decent burial of all three murder victims.

Her alleged accomplices, Richards, 47, and Leslie Layton, 36, are charged with helping Dennehy dispose of the bodies and covering up her crime.

As he was cross-examined by Richards' counsel, Karim Khalil QC, Mr Lloyd said fear had motivated him to join Dennehy and Richards in their journey to Hereford.

He said: "If she had told me to put my head through the windscreen, I would have done."

Dennehy likened herself and Richards to Bonnie and Clyde, the court heard

Describing the moment he discovered police were searching for the pair, he said: "I thought it was Gary who done the murders because he's 7ft 2in and looks like Herman off The Munsters.

"She looks like butter wouldn't melt until she opens her bloody mouth."

The jury had already been shown a series of photographs taken hours before Dennehy carried out the final attacks.

One shows her sticking out her tongue while posing with a large jagged knife. She has handcuffs attached to her belt.

Another shows her lifting up her top to reveal a red bra and scars on her stomach, reportedly inflicted through self-harm. Pictures of Richards copying her pose were also shown to the court.

Richards denies three charges of preventing the lawful burial of three men and two counts of attempted murder.

Layton denies perverting the course of justice and two counts of preventing the lawful burial of the bodies of Mr Chapman and Mr Lee.

A third man, Robert Moore, 55, is awaiting sentence after admitting to assisting an offender.

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23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dog Deaths Mystery: Signs Warn Of Killer Disease

By Sunita Patel-Carstairs, Online Producer

Signs have been erected in the New Forest warning dog owners about an unidentified disease which has caused a spate of "unexplained" dog deaths across the UK.

Several cases were reported to the Forestry Commission between December 2012 and April 2013, prompting an investigation into the "mystery dog illness" which can lead to kidney failure.

A further seven dogs have died outside of the New Forest - including one as recently as this month - in Dorset, Worcestershire, Cornwall, County Durham and Surrey.

Dog owners have been warned to look out for wounds that do not heal or lesions on the limbs or face of their pets.

Other signs their dogs may be affected include vomiting, a loss of appetite and severe depression.

It has been suggested the symptoms are similar to those caused by Alabama Rot, a disease first seen in the US in the 1980s, which affected greyhounds, and is thought to be related to a toxin produced by E. coli bacteria.

Some 16 dogs have been affected in the UK, 13 of which have died

However, despite extensive testing, the Forestry Commission said the exact underlying cause remains unknown.

"The reported cases represent an extremely small proportion of the many hundreds of dogs that are exercised in the New Forest every day and it is likely that this syndrome is extremely rare," it said

David Walker, head of medicine at Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists in Winchester, Hampshire, which has dealt with some of the cases, said the practice was aware of 16 dogs being affected in total, 13 of which had died.

He told Sky News: "When we look at the disease under the microscope, it looks very similar to a disease that appeared in the 1980s in the USA known as Alabama Rot. We have looked for an E. coli trigger in some of the affected dogs but we haven't found it.

"We have a much better understanding of what is going on, but we don't know what the underlying trigger is.

"The message we are trying to get out there is for dog owners to remain vigilant."

The issue has also been brought to the attention of the British Veterinary Association.

BVA President and vet Robin Hargreaves told Sky News: "Dog owners in these regions will feel understandably anxious about the recent cases but it seems that only a very small proportion of the dogs walked in these areas each day have been affected.

"Owners should make sure they are aware of the signs and symptoms and contact their vet immediately if they have any concerns. We are keeping our members informed about the ongoing situation."

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23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

George Stinney Execution: Call For New Trial

A judge is set to hear an appeal for a new trial in the case of a black 14-year-old who was executed in South Carolina in 1944 for killing two white girls.

Lawyers for George Stinney's family say new witnesses will prove the boy's innocence and fresh evidence will warrant a new trial.

They hope his conviction for the killings will be thrown out.

"This is a horrific case," defence lawyer Steven McKenzie said.

"Whether justice is 70 years old or one year old or one month old, we think justice needs to be done."

The new witnesses include a cell mate of Stinney, who said the teenager told him he had been forced to confess, as well as a pathologist who recently reviewed the case and found problems with the conclusions of the autopsy.

Stinney was found guilty by a jury of white men after only 10 minutes of deliberations.

George Stinney is the youngest person to be executed in 100 years

He was executed by electrocution just 84 days after the two white girls were killed in South Carolina. No official records of the trial exist.

But lawyers say they have determined he was convicted solely on the testimony of police who said the teen confessed to killing Betty June Binnicker, 11, and Mary Emma Thames, seven.

The two girls disappeared on March 23, 1944, after leaving home on their bicycles to look for wildflowers.

They were found the next morning in a ditch, their skulls crushed and their bicycles on top of them.

After Stinney told of how he had seen the girls along the railroad tracks, he was picked up by police and held for five days before being arrested, according to one of the family's lawyers, Matthew Burgess.

Stinney's sister, Amie Ruffner, now in her 70s and living in New Jersey, will testify that her brother was with her the entire day of the murders and could not have killed the girls.

Relatives of one of the girls killed, Betty June Binnicker, have said they do not want the case revisited without good reason.

Stinney is the youngest person to be executed in the US in the past 100 years.

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23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Internet's Worst Password List Revealed

The number sequence "123456" is the internet's worst password, according to a software company.

The six-digit pass phrase was hacked more times than any other in 2013, leapfrogging the previous year's winner, "password".

Other common passwords were "abc123", "admin", "iloveyou", "1111111" and "photoshop".

New to the list this year are easy-to-guess passwords like "1234" and "000000".

Morgan Slain, CEO of SplashData, the company which compiled the list, said: "Seeing passwords like 'adobe123' and 'photoshop' on this list offers a good reminder not to base your password on the name of the website or application you are accessing.

"Another interesting aspect of this year's list is that more short numerical passwords showed up even though websites are starting to enforce stronger password policies."

SplashData, which makes password management applications, compiles its list every year, saying it hopes to encourage users to come up with more original and stronger passwords.

The list is made from files containing millions of stolen passwords posted online during the previous year.

The company also offered advice on how to make passwords harder to hack.

It recommends long words - at least eight characters long - with mixed types of characters, though it suggests avoiding common substitutions such as "dr4mat1c".

Passwords with spaces or characters separating them are good because they are long but easy to remember, it said.

The company also recommends avoiding using the same password on multiple sites.

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23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lord Rennard Takes Legal Action Against Lib Dems

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Rennard has begun legal proceedings against the party after he was suspended for failing to apologise over allegations of sexual harassment.

It comes after the party's former chief executive was suspended by the Lib Dems pending an investigation into claims he brought the party into disrepute by refusing to apologise to four women activists who alleged he harassed them.

Party leader Nick Clegg ordered the peer to issue the apology after an earlier inquiry concluded that the women's claims were credible but there was insufficient evidence to bring disciplinary charges.

A spokesman for Lord Rennard said he had instructed a QC specialising in public law to advise him on the "lawfulness or otherwise" of the decision to launch a second inquiry into his conduct.

More follows...

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