| Rhino horn smuggler is sentenced A man from Lancashire who tried to smuggle rhino horns through Manchester Airport is jailed for 12 months. bbc.co.uk |
William Hague statement on death of aid worker Linda Norgrove Live coverage as the foreign secretary gives a statement to MPs about the death of Linda Norgrove in Afghanistan3.21pm: Good afternoon. Welcome to live coverage of foreign secretary William Hague's Commons statement on the death of Linda Norgrove, the British aid worker killed in Afghanistan during a US-led operation to rescue her from her kidnappers. The US initially said that she had died at the hands of her captors but at a press conference this morning, David Cameron revealed it is now thought she was killed by a grenade thrown by US troops. Cameron said he backed the action taken by US troops as the indications were that the longer Norgrove was held, the greater the risk to her life. The prime minister has already said that there will be a joint British-US investigation into the incident.3.38pm: Hague begins by detailing the circumstances of the circumstances of the kidnap. "Intensive efforts to locate Linda began", there were meetings of Cobra. The objective was to secure her safe release without making concessions to the kidnappers. She was assessed to be "in grave danger", intelligence indicated the objective was to move her further up the terrorism chain. She was being held by local Salifists associated with the local Taliban. A rescue operation was the "only realistic" prospect for her release. A rescue attempt was not possible in the early days of her kidnap because of poor weather conditions.3.41pm: "Every indication" over the weekend suggested she had been killed by a suicide vest but that changed when General David Petraeus contacted Downing Street today. "I wish to pay tribute to the US services in Afghanistan who risked their lives to rescue a British subject."Isaf will carry out a full investigation.The taking of hostages and targeting of aid workers is under any circumstances "morally indefensible". He says "the whole house will be united in sorrow [for Norgrove's family]".3.45pm: The new shadow foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, responds: "We condemn utterly the actions of the hostage takers throughout these events.""There are important questions that now do arise," adds Cooper. She asks about the nature of the authorisation Hague gave to the operation and his level of involvement. Cooper also wants to know the basis for the information released on the weekend, ie that Norgrove was killed by her kidnappers. Who will the investigation report to, how long will it take and will it be made public?Will there be a review into the way in which information was disseminated over the past 48 hours?What advice is the government giving to British aid workers?3.48pm: Hague congratulates Cooper on her appointment as shadow foreign secretary but wishes it could have been under happier circumstances. He shares her admiration of British aid workers.Hague says he was aware this was a group with links to al-Qaida and the Taliban but can't expand on further intelligence but everyone was agreed, including UK intelligence officials, that "there was a continual threat to the life of Linda Norgrove".He gave the authorisation to take military action "hours" after Norgrove was kidnapped. UK special forces were only involved in a liaison role. Hague regrets the inaccurate information given over the weekend, adding "we err on the side of transparency".3.52pm: "We should not rush to judgment," cautions Hague, with respect to the rescue operation. He cannot give an exact timescale for the investigation. "We will certainly keep Linda's family informed as much as possible."Hague said the decision was taken by Petraeus as Isaf commander but political authority from the UK was required.3.56pm: Hague said they concluded "from the beginning" that they would take the earliest opportunity to rescue her because of weather conditions and the prospect of her being removed to more inhospitable terrain.The UK will be "fully involved" with the investigation. It will either be conducted by Isaf or by the US government with UK involvement.4.01pm: The foreign secretary says of course the government will see whether there are any lessons to be learned but a great deal of security is already provided to aid workers."Often people take considerable risks in order to deliver humanitarian aid ... and we should salute the people who do that."Bob Stewart (Con, Beckenham) is "worried" that helicopters were used as they make a lot of noise and can compromise the element of surprise.Hague says the investigation will be able to look at all the military circumstances surrounding the operation but the terrain in Afghanistan can make helicopters a necessity. He points out that troops travelling over land over months could be at greater risk of losing the element of surprise.4.04pm: Asked by Labour's Denis MacShane about the wider strategy in Afghanistan, Hague says the incident should not divert from Britain's Afghan strategy. Labour's Paul Flynn says there is a responsibility on the house to bring "this increasingly futile conflict to an end".Hague hopes to be able to make a statement to the house before the end of the month on its quarterly strategy update on Afghanistan.4.08pm: Hague wraps up talking about the fact that Norgrove was seized by people dressed in Afghan uniforms. He describes it as a "difficult problem", given that so many uniforms are available. We'll have a story up on the site taking in this statement shortly. Thanks for your comments.Linda NorgroveWilliam HagueAfghanistanForeign policyHaroon Siddiqueguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Jesse Jackson: Britain's moral authority is undermined by police discrimination US civil rights leader launches campaign after research shows black people are up to 26 times more likely to be stopped and searchedThe Rev Jesse Jackson has said that Britain's moral authority is being damaged by the government's failure to stop the police discriminating against ethnic minorities.The US civil rights leader will tomorrow help launch a campaign against the discriminatory use of stop and search powers. He told the Guardian the British government must do more to end discrimination and realise it undermines the image of the UK."We've gone through this process in our country of ethnic and religious targeting," he said. "It resulted in disastrous consequences. Wherever it happens it undermines the moral authority of the democracy. It damages the image of Britain, because Britain is held in high esteem."Jackson marched alongside Martin Luther King in the 1960s and in the 1980s tried to become the Democratic nominee for president. The new campaign, called Stopwatch, is supported by academics, campaigners and the Open Society Justice Initiative, which is backed by the billionaire financier George Soros.Research for the group shows African-Caribbean people in Britain are 26 times more likely to be stopped under section 60 of the Public Order Act, where an officer does not require reasonable suspicion.When the law requires reasonable suspicion of involvement in crime, black people are still ten times more likely to be stopped in some areas than white people, according to research by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission.This disproportion has remained for more than a decade, despite the 1999 official report into race and policing after the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence.Jackson said it was a "moral outrage" and dismissed police claims that the disproportion was nothing to do with race. "It is racial profiling. It's as fundamental as that. It is based on sight, suspicion and fear. It's a systematic pattern. In the US it is called driving while black. In Arizona it is called driving while Latino."This weekend it emerged that new draft Home Office guidance will allow police to stop and search people using ethnic origin as part of the justification. Critics say it could see a return to the hated "sus" laws of the 1970s and early 1980s, blamed for stoking up tensions that led to inner city riots.Jackson said: "People who not long ago were colonised became immigrants, and now they are citizens. It is unfinished business … we have to give all citizens of Britain equal protection under the law."He said ethnic minorities in the US and UK shared a history of struggle. "Both ... have legacies of slavery and colonialism and both have been forced to end those ugly patterns and embrace democracy."Jesse JacksonStop and searchPoliceUK criminal justiceVikram Doddguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Second suspect arrested over farm murder A second suspect has been arrested over the murder of a man believed to have died in a botched robbery at his farm. telegraph.co.uk |
One New Change shopping centre to open in City of London Bankers, City of London residents and tourists are set to benefit from a new retail and entertainment centre in the Square MileBankers looking to spend their bonuses could be tempted by the lure of Topshop instead of a Ferrari showroom from this week as the City's first major retail centre opens in the shadow of St Paul's Catherdral.One New Change was built at a cost of £540m and has attracted the ire of Prince Charles who has criticised its sleek design, which has won the 560,000 sq ft complex the nickname of the "stealth bomber". Financial professionals seeking something more expensive than Topshop will be able to browse Banana Republic and Hugo Boss concessions, while Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay are opening restaurants in the building. In keeping with its surroundings, One New Change will have 330,000 sq ft of office space above its retail outlets.The shopping centre is targeting the 350,000 City workers who normally have to shop in the West End and is also expecting interest from the City's 10,000 residents, as well as tourists, by staying open at weekends. The City of London gave the go-ahead to One New Change as part of a drive to improve the quality of food and entertainment in the area over the past two decades.In a Guardian interview last month, the City of London's planning officer, Peter Rees, said the shopping centre would help confirm that the City has shed its bowler-hatted image. "The City has become a much more rounded place. The quality of food available and the entertainment and leisure facilities have improved, and we're bringing shopping back to the City. It's not just a place to work any longer."Retail industryCommercial propertyReal estateFinancial sectorDan Milmoguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |