Young People Divided On Scottish Independence

Sky News' infamous travelling office sofa has toured the length and breadth of Scotland in the run-up to this week's Scottish referendum.

At a stop-off in Gretna Green, young people had a chance to have their say.

Sky News brought together students from either side of the border to hear their opinions on the independence debate.

The encounter showed it is not just geography that divides them - they are also split when it comes to their views.

Thursday's decision is a big one for young people in Scotland, as it marks the first time 16 and 17-year-olds have been able to vote.

Four in five under-18s (81%) have registered to cast their vote in the Scottish referendum and the issue of independence is a prominent topic on Sky's Stand Up Be Counted website - a new platform for young people aged 16-25 to have their say on subjects that matter to them.

On the sofa, students from Grange School in Cheshire and Grange Academy in East Ayrshire shared their views.

One said: "I think the referendum's only come about because of the current economic situation and I worry that when the situation improves, Scotland (would) regret moving away from the UK."

"I think there would be a general distaste between (England and Scotland) if we did go to independence," said another.

A third student added: "It's easier to say all the things that could go right than to say all the things that can be better if we did stay together because, if it could be so much better, why aren't they now?"

Highlighting the importance of the 16 and 17-year-old vote in her Stand Up Be Counted post, user FLHashemi9 said: "This is the minority which has the potential to determine the outcome of the Scottish referendum."

User MMT39, who describes himself as "very much on the Yes campaign", added: "There's been a lot of talk of voter apathy ... I think Scotland's pretty much thrown that myth right into the fire and smashed it to bits.

"People will vote as long as there's something worth fighting and worth voting for."

Young people can have their say on the Scottish referendum or any other topics by uploading blog posts or short videos to the Stand Up Be Counted website.

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Rotherham Abuse Scandal: Shaun Wright Resigns

South Yorkshire Police Commissioner Shaun Wright has resigned after coming under mounting pressure over the Rotherham child abuse scandal.

Mr Wright had resisted calls to step down from the Prime Minister and Home Secretary after a report found 1,400 children in the South Yorkshire town had been victims of child sexual exploitation since 1997.

He also endured a grilling from MPs and was confronted by relatives of abuse victims at an angry public meeting in Rotherham earlier this month, when he again refused to quit.

Mr Wright was councillor with responsibility for children's services in the borough from 2005 to 2010, when Professor Alexis Jay's report found officials failed to act to stop gangs of abusers.

Sarah Wilson confronted Mr Wright last week over her abused sister's death

In a statement released by his office, he said: "My role as South Yorkshire police and crime commissioner has clearly become prominent in terms of public opinion and media coverage following the publication of Professor Alexis Jay's report.

"This is detracting from the important issue, which should be everybody's focus - the 1,400 victims outlined in the report - and in providing support to victims and bringing to justice the criminals responsible for the atrocious crimes committed against them.

"With this in mind, I feel that it is now right to step down from the position of police and crime commissioner for South Yorkshire, for the sake of those victims, for the sake of the public of South Yorkshire and to ensure that the important issues outlined in the report about tackling child sexual exploitation can be discussed and considered in full and without distraction."

Joyce Thacker has resisted calls to resign from her children's services job

Mr Wright is the first of 41 elected police and crime commissioners to resign and his departure will trigger a by-election in South Yorkshire to find a replacement.

Keith Vaz, chair of parliament's Home Affairs Select Committee, said: "This is something that we asked Shaun Wright to do 10 days ago when he appeared before the committee.

"At that stage, he said he needed to stay on because of the victims. Today, he says he has to resign because of the victims.

"I welcome this, I think this is the right thing to do. To let it go on any longer would put him in direct conflict with some of the issues we were discussing in parliament.

"The committee is actively drafting a bill based on ensuring police and crime commissioners can't stay on when they've lost the confidence of local people."

Roger Stone, leader of Rotherham Council, announced he was stepping down when the damning abuse report was published in August and the council's chief executive Martin Kimber said last week that he would leave his post in December.

The current head of children's services in Rotherham, Joyce Thacker, has refused to quit despite being told by Mr Vaz that she should resign "as a matter of conscience".

Rotherham Council also faces an independent inspection that will look at whether years of abuse in the town were covered up.

The probe will be led by Louise Casey, head of the Government's troubled families programme and a former victims' commissioner.

Bassetlaw MP John Mann called for former Labour home secretary David Blunkett, who is leaving the Commons next year, to put himself forward to replace Mr Wright.

He said: "He is a credible and dedicated public servant who has served in a variety of roles locally and nationally. He knows and understands South Yorkshire and is widely respected throughout the area.

"I believe he will get to the bottom of what went wrong in South Yorkshire."

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Helicopter Crashes In Sea Off Flamborough

A helicopter has crashed into the sea near the lighthouse at Flamborough, East Yorkshire, police have said.

A coastguard officer has been winched down to assess the crash site, and lifeboats from Flamborough and Bridlington are also searching the area.

The helicopter is not believed to be from the British or US military, with an eyewitness describing it as a "small, white" aircraft. 

There have so far been no details on the condition of those on board.

Ron Marwood, from the local golf club, which fringes the cliffs, described the helicopter as probably having just two to four seats.

Golfers at the Flamborough Head club saw the aircraft disappear from view

He told Sky News he had heard a change in engine noise and then it "just disappeared".

"It was flying along quite happily. The engine noise seemed to change - that was the first I sort of took notice of it," said Mr Marwood.

"It appeared to be coming in, as if to try and get in close to the cliff and maybe land on the cliff, because it's all cornfields and that.

"But it disappeared below the level of the cliff."

Visibility was around three to four miles and emergency services arrived within minutes, Mr Marwood said.

It is believed the helicopter was a JetRanger type.

Coastguard, police and the ambulance service were called to the scene at 1.39pm.

A Yorkshire Ambulance Service spokeswoman said an air ambulance, an ambulance, the RAF and rapid response vehicles had been sent out.

A team from the Government's Air Accidents Investigation Branch has also been dispatched.

The Glasgow crash is one of a number of recent fatal incidents

Members of the public are being warned to stay away from the crash site due to dangerous cliff edges and aviation fuel in the water.

The UK has seen a number of fatal helicopter crashes in recent years.

In January 2013 there was a crash in the Vauxhall area of London when a helicopter crashed 700ft after hitting a crane during morning rush hour.

The pilot and a pedestrian died and 12 people were injured.

Four people died months later, in August 2013, when a Super Puma came down in the North Sea.

Drinkers in Glasgow's Clutha Vaults pub were then among 10 people killed in November after a police helicopter crashed on to the roof.

In January this year four crew members also died when a US military helicopter crashed near a Norfolk nature reserve.

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Scotland Campaign Trail 'Sours', Says Darling

How Facebook Shaped The Referendum

Updated: 8:27am UK, Tuesday 16 September 2014

By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

It's Facebook 'wot might win it.

Sure, the August poll surge in support for independence was down, in part, to traditional campaigning. Meetings and megaphones have thrust the Yes campaign "in yer face" over years leading up to Thursday.

But why, according to the opinion polls, did it all seem to come together in the space of a few weeks? Why, suddenly, the knife-edge?

In the word of a senior Yes strategist: Facebook.

I chatted to him as the Alex Salmond Labour Heartland tour rolled up at its latest venue, playing to the target market through the TV cameras. It was a big, well-attended, photo-call - the staple diet of the political campaign.

As the strategist stood back from the madding crowd, he told me that the magic formula didn't lie in the blood and snotters of a mass media scrum, but in the quiet exploitation of social media. Facebook, in particular.

The challenge for supporters of Scottish independence, historically, has been in turning it from a fringe notion into something people allow themselves to contemplate. Check their election success at the Scottish Parliament to see the considerable style with which that's been accomplished.

Scots have taken the hop and a step. Why, now, might they be shaping to take the jump? 

The Yes strategist pinned it on Facebook.

"Ask yourself," he said, to paraphrase him, "if a parent wants to check on their youngster who's on a night out, what do they do?  They don't phone them, because they probably won't answer.

"They might text ... but, invariably, they'll Facebook them. And when they do, dozens or hundreds of their friends will see it. It's a chat network that plugs people into the other people they value. There are no better opinion-formers for someone than the friends and family they like and trust.

"So, as a campaigning tool, it's been very effective. We encourage Yes supporters to spread the word to their Facebook friends and, over time, you build a network around people that builds a political case.

"Facebook is more effective than Twitter. You put something on Twitter and you reach people within the political bubble. With Facebook, you tap into a far bigger community."

So why the spike in support for Yes after polls that had No with a consistent and strong lead over the course of a two and a half year campaign?

"People just didn't turn their mind to the referendum until it actually came round. It's been in the far distance for most of the campaign but, now that people realise they're getting to decision time, large numbers are now weighing up the arguments ... and they're deciding having had their views on independence softened by Facebook friends."

There were more than 10 million referendum-related interactions on Facebook in the five weeks to September 8 - 85% of which was from Scotland.

He said he reckoned the Yes campaign had been four or five times more active than their opponents on Facebook and pointed out a Facebook chat with Scotland's pro-independence First Minister Alex Salmond attracted around 5,000 questions.

Data suggests the Yes campaign is slightly in the lead with 2.05 interactions in Scotland compared to 1.96 million for the no campaign.

The strategist said the campaigning beauty of social media was that it eliminated the need to rely on mainstream media coverage, that the likes of Facebook cut out the middle man and enabled them to reach out to the voter directly.

Just how many the campaign has touched and what effect it has had, we'll find out soon enough.

23.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

Thai Murders Suspect Captured On Camera

FCO Advice For Thailand Tourists

Updated: 10:39am UK, Monday 15 September 2014

The latest Foreign Office advice for tourists in Thailand warns of the danger of robberies and sex assaults in areas popular with backpackers.

Here is the FCO's advice on crime in the country, which draws around 800,000 British visitors each year.

Eleven British nationals have been murdered in Thailand since January 2009.

Western tourists have been victims of vicious, unprovoked attacks by gangs in Koh Phangan.

These attacks are particularly common around the time of the Full Moon parties and generally occur late at night near bars in Haad Rin on Koh Phangan.

In January 2013 a British national was killed in a shooting incident while at a beach party in Haad Rin.

Violent assaults and robberies have been reported in Chaweng, Koh Samui.

Attacks have also occurred in other tourist districts in Thailand including in Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Krabi. Take care, especially at night.

There have been sexual assaults against foreign men and women, especially in the Koh Samui archipelago and Krabi province.

Tourists have also been robbed after bringing visitors to their hotel rooms.

In some cases their drinks were drugged. Be careful about taking drinks from strangers and at clubs and parties, particularly in Koh Samui, Pattaya and at the Full Moon party on Koh Phangan, where date rapes have been reported.

Alcohol and drugs can lead to you being less alert, less in control and less aware of your environment. If you drink, know your limit.

Drinks served in bars overseas are often stronger than those in the UK. Some British nationals have suffered severe psychiatric problems because of drug use, resulting in some suicides.

Be aware of the possibility of credit card fraud. Don't lose sight of your card during transactions.

There have been incidents of ATM skimming in Thailand. Where possible use an ATM within a bank and always protect your PIN.

Be careful to observe demarcation lines between shops and stalls, particularly in market areas and at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Taking items from one shop's area to another may be treated as suspected theft.

Be on your guard against pickpockets and bag snatchers. Foreigners have had items snatched by thieves on motorbikes when walking along busy streets or travelling in open transport like tuk tuks.

If you travel by bus, make sure cash and valuables you have are kept securely. There have been incidents where passengers have had items taken from bags while asleep.

Gem scams are common. There have been reports of visitors buying gems for inflated prices from seemingly respectable establishments then later finding out the stones are worth a tiny fraction of the purchase price.

You should report any incidents of crime to the Thai police before leaving the country.

23.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

Families 'Devastated' Over Thai Beach Killings

FCO Advice For Thailand Tourists

Updated: 10:39am UK, Monday 15 September 2014

The latest Foreign Office advice for tourists in Thailand warns of the danger of robberies and sex assaults in areas popular with backpackers.

Here is the FCO's advice on crime in the country, which draws around 800,000 British visitors each year.

Eleven British nationals have been murdered in Thailand since January 2009.

Western tourists have been victims of vicious, unprovoked attacks by gangs in Koh Phangan.

These attacks are particularly common around the time of the Full Moon parties and generally occur late at night near bars in Haad Rin on Koh Phangan.

In January 2013 a British national was killed in a shooting incident while at a beach party in Haad Rin.

Violent assaults and robberies have been reported in Chaweng, Koh Samui.

Attacks have also occurred in other tourist districts in Thailand including in Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Krabi. Take care, especially at night.

There have been sexual assaults against foreign men and women, especially in the Koh Samui archipelago and Krabi province.

Tourists have also been robbed after bringing visitors to their hotel rooms.

In some cases their drinks were drugged. Be careful about taking drinks from strangers and at clubs and parties, particularly in Koh Samui, Pattaya and at the Full Moon party on Koh Phangan, where date rapes have been reported.

Alcohol and drugs can lead to you being less alert, less in control and less aware of your environment. If you drink, know your limit.

Drinks served in bars overseas are often stronger than those in the UK. Some British nationals have suffered severe psychiatric problems because of drug use, resulting in some suicides.

Be aware of the possibility of credit card fraud. Don't lose sight of your card during transactions.

There have been incidents of ATM skimming in Thailand. Where possible use an ATM within a bank and always protect your PIN.

Be careful to observe demarcation lines between shops and stalls, particularly in market areas and at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Taking items from one shop's area to another may be treated as suspected theft.

Be on your guard against pickpockets and bag snatchers. Foreigners have had items snatched by thieves on motorbikes when walking along busy streets or travelling in open transport like tuk tuks.

If you travel by bus, make sure cash and valuables you have are kept securely. There have been incidents where passengers have had items taken from bags while asleep.

Gem scams are common. There have been reports of visitors buying gems for inflated prices from seemingly respectable establishments then later finding out the stones are worth a tiny fraction of the purchase price.

You should report any incidents of crime to the Thai police before leaving the country.

23.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

Salmond: Leaders' Vow A 'Desperate Offer'

How Facebook Shaped The Referendum

Updated: 8:27am UK, Tuesday 16 September 2014

By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

It's Facebook 'wot might win it.

Sure, the August poll surge in support for independence was down, in part, to traditional campaigning. Meetings and megaphones have thrust the Yes campaign "in yer face" over years leading up to Thursday.

But why, according to the opinion polls, did it all seem to come together in the space of a few weeks? Why, suddenly, the knife-edge?

In the word of a senior Yes strategist: Facebook.

I chatted to him as the Alex Salmond Labour Heartland tour rolled up at its latest venue, playing to the target market through the TV cameras. It was a big, well-attended, photo-call - the staple diet of the political campaign.

As the strategist stood back from the madding crowd, he told me that the magic formula didn't lie in the blood and snotters of a mass media scrum, but in the quiet exploitation of social media. Facebook, in particular.

The challenge for supporters of Scottish independence, historically, has been in turning it from a fringe notion into something people allow themselves to contemplate. Check their election success at the Scottish Parliament to see the considerable style with which that's been accomplished.

Scots have taken the hop and a step. Why, now, might they be shaping to take the jump? 

The Yes strategist pinned it on Facebook.

"Ask yourself," he said, to paraphrase him, "if a parent wants to check on their youngster who's on a night out, what do they do?  They don't phone them, because they probably won't answer.

"They might text ... but, invariably, they'll Facebook them. And when they do, dozens or hundreds of their friends will see it. It's a chat network that plugs people into the other people they value. There are no better opinion-formers for someone than the friends and family they like and trust.

"So, as a campaigning tool, it's been very effective. We encourage Yes supporters to spread the word to their Facebook friends and, over time, you build a network around people that builds a political case.

"Facebook is more effective than Twitter. You put something on Twitter and you reach people within the political bubble. With Facebook, you tap into a far bigger community."

So why the spike in support for Yes after polls that had No with a consistent and strong lead over the course of a two and a half year campaign?

"People just didn't turn their mind to the referendum until it actually came round. It's been in the far distance for most of the campaign but, now that people realise they're getting to decision time, large numbers are now weighing up the arguments ... and they're deciding having had their views on independence softened by Facebook friends."

There were more than 10 million referendum-related interactions on Facebook in the five weeks to September 8 - 85% of which was from Scotland.

He said he reckoned the Yes campaign had been four or five times more active than their opponents on Facebook and pointed out a Facebook chat with Scotland's pro-independence First Minister Alex Salmond attracted around 5,000 questions.

Data suggests the Yes campaign is slightly in the lead with 2.05 interactions in Scotland compared to 1.96 million for the no campaign.

The strategist said the campaigning beauty of social media was that it eliminated the need to rely on mainstream media coverage, that the likes of Facebook cut out the middle man and enabled them to reach out to the voter directly.

Just how many the campaign has touched and what effect it has had, we'll find out soon enough.

23.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

Politician Dumped In Skip By Angry Crowd

Ukraine Ratifies EU Pact Amid Fragile Ceasefire

Updated: 2:30pm UK, Tuesday 16 September 2014

Ukrainian MPs have voted to strengthen the country's political and economic ties with the European Union - the very issue which first sparked the crisis last year.

Before the ratification of the agreement, President Petro Poroshenko told parliament that Ukrainians who lost their lives in the protests and subsequent fighting in the east "died not only for their motherland - they gave up their lives for us to take a dignified place among the European family".

Shying away from such a pact resulted in the ousting of then president Victor Yanukovych in November 2013, who instead chose to establish stronger ties with Russia.

It also led to the annexation of Crimea by Russia and an ongoing five-month war with pro-Russian separatists which has claimed the lives of more than 2,600 people.

Earlier, MPs also agreed to grant greater autonomy to the rebel regions in eastern Ukraine, and an amnesty for most of those involved in the fighting as part of a fragile ceasefire which has repeatedly been broken since it came into effect 10 days ago.

Three people were killed and five wounded when their homes were struck by shells overnight in the eastern city of Donetsk.

Reports of the latest fatalities of the crisis came as Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu talked of a need to send extra troops to Crimea because of the increase in fighting.

"The deployment of proper and self-sufficient forces in the direction of Crimea is one of (our) top priorities," Russian news agency Itar-Tass reported him saying.

"The situation in Ukraine has escalated sharply and the presence of foreign military has increased in the immediate vicinity of our borders."

The chain of events since last November has provoked the worst crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War, with the United States and its Western allies imposing sanctions against Moscow.

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Man Falls Through Roof During Fashion Show

A man is being treated in hospital after falling through the roof during a Topshop show at London Fashion Week.

The Fashion East event was taking place at a venue on Gray's Inn Road when the incident happened.

The man, who is thought to have been working on an adjacent building, hit his head on a scaffolding pole after he fell 30ft through a corrugated glass panel.

Blogger Zoe LDN was in the audience and tweeted: "A man just fell through the roof of the topshop show space in front of me and I'm shaking. I saw his head hit the scaffolding."

The show continued despite the accident

The London Ambulance were alerted about the accident - a "fall from height" - at 1.18pm.

A spokesman said: "We sent an ambulance crew and London's Air Ambulance to the scene.

"We treated a man reported to be in his 30s for a back injury. He was taken to The Royal London Hospital, as a priority, by road ambulance, escorted by the doctor from London's Air Ambulance."

Some witnesses expressed their surprise that the catwalk show continued despite the accident.

Zoe LDN said: "To be honest I'm pretty upset that the show carried on going. It was unfortunate, but we all saw the man fall. They could have stopped."

Topshop said it did not stop the show because the injured builder was immediately dealt with.

A spokesman said: "We're aware that people are asking why we didn't stop the show, as soon as we realised what had happened medical staff and production security were taking care of him.

"The builder was working on an adjacent building site to the Topshop show space and walked on the corrugated glass roof on top of the space - as to why he walked on it we do not know yet - but the slate of glass gave way."

Delevingne on the catwalk for Topshop

Topshop tweeted: "For those at the #TopshopShowspace earlier for @fashion_east the worker from the adjacent building is being cared for by medical staff."

On Sunday, the Topshop Unique show starred Cara Delevingne and Jourdan Dunn and attracted a host of celebrity spectators.

Fashion East, a project aimed at helping to nurture emerging young designers through the difficult early stages of their career, receives sponsorship funding from high street fashion chain Topshop, Topman and the Greater London Authority.

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General: US Ground Troops Possible In Iraq

America's top military leader has told Congress that US ground forces could be deployed once again in Iraq.

Army General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Senate panel that he would make the recommendation if the US strategy of airstrikes fails to defeat Islamic State (IS) militants. 

"To be clear, if we reach the point where I believe our advisers should accompany Iraqi troops on attacks against specific ISIL targets, I will recommend that to the president," said Gen Dempsey, using another name for the terrorist group.

Pressed to expand, he said he "would go back to the president and make a recommendation that may include the use of ground forces".

Tuesday's Senate hearing was disrupted by anti-war protesters

President Barack Obama has previously said there will no combat role for American forces in Iraq.

Gen Dempsey spoke after American warplanes stepped up their offensive against IS targets in Iraq, pounding targets southwest of Baghdad in two raids on Sunday and Monday.

US personnel in Iraq are currently said to be serving purely in a combat advisory role to help Iraqi troops tackle the IS forces.

Gen Dempsey said that if Iraqi forces launched a major offensive to recapture Mosul, he might want US troops to accompany the Iraqi troops or provide close combat advice.

Aid volunteer Alan Henning (centre right) pictured before he left for Syria

He also told senators the US was ready to strike the extremists in Syria.

"This will not look like 'shock and awe' because that is not how ISIL is organised," he said, "but it will be persistent and sustainable."

Gen Dempsey appeared alongside Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, who warned the war would not be easy or brief.

"Victory is when we complete the mission of degrading, destroying and defeating ISIL," the Pentagon chief testified.

The Senate hearing was repeatedly disrupted by anti-war protesters.

British hostage David Haines was beheaded by his captors

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the UK Government was doing all it could to save British hostage Alan Henning, and warned it would not be deterred from its goal of "crushing" the Islamic State fighters behind his abduction.

Mr Henning, an aid convoy volunteer, appeared at the end of an IS video released on Saturday in which fellow UK hostage David Haines was killed, with a threat that he would be next.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Hammond said he understood Mr Henning's family were "going through hell", and that the Government was doing everything possible to protect him.

An Islamic State gunman in Raqqa, Syria

But he said the SAS, the elite British regiment, had not been sent in to rescue Mr Henning because it was not clear exactly where he was being held.

Mr Hammond was speaking after a summit in Paris where world leaders agreed to provide military aid to fight the extremist network.

The meeting of 30 countries agreed to "support the Iraqi government by any means necessary - including military assistance".

US Secretary of State John Kerry has been urging allies - especially Middle East and Gulf states - to show a united front, and one American official said several Arab countries had offered to join the airstrikes.

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