Olympic starting pistols converted into guns by Tottenham gangster

 

TOTTENHAM man who specialised in converting Olympic starting pistols into deadly firearms has been jailed for seven years. James Jones, 27, ran a gun conversion business out of a suitcase which was uncovered when officers raided his home last year and arrested him. The Collingwood Road resident is one of 37 people caught in the Boombox music store sting by Enfield Police, to catch gangsters trading guns, ammunition, weapons, and drugs. Detective Chief Inspector Paul Harwood, who ran the major undercover operation – codenamed Peyzac – said: “It is believed that James Jones had converted many more firearms than actually recovered. “He specialised in Olympic 38 starting pistols, which he converted to live firing firearms. This particular make of starting pistol is now illegal to possess in the UK.” Boombox, in Fore Street, was wired with hidden cameras and listening devices, and operated for more than a year with a functioning shop at the front and a backroom for criminals to trade in. Loaded guns, thousands of pounds of drugs, and ammunition were all brought into the shop, and sold to police. Among those jailed at Wood Green Crown Court in the Boombox case, Damien McGowan, 33, of Collingwood Road, Tottenham, received a ten-year prison term for conspiracy to supply nine firearms and ammunition. Kasheef Hardy, 25, of Mount View Court, Green Lanes, was also jailed for ten years for leading a group who sold a gun and ammunition to police in January last year. And Junior Homer, 21, of Bath Road, Edmonton, was jailed for ten-and-a-half-years for conspiracy to supply firearms, conspiracy to supply drugs, receiving stolen goods, and passing counterfeit currency. Judge Fraser Morrison, who oversaw all 37 cases, said on Friday at the sentencing of the final two defendants: “I need to say for the record, being involved in the movement of guns is very serious indeed. “The reason why it is viewed so seriously is the items can dispatch lethal force. There is a lot of violence in this country with guns when people suffer very severe consequences.”

Microsoft online services hit by major failure

 

Millions of Microsoft users were left unable to access some online services overnight because of a major service failure. Hotmail, Office 365 and Skydrive were among the services affected. Microsoft was still analysing the cause of the problem on Friday morning, but said it appeared to be related to the internet's DNS address system. Such a major problem is likely to raise questions about the reliability of cloud computing versus local storage. Especially embarrassing is the temporary loss of Office 365, the company's alternative to Google's suite of online apps. Its service also went offline briefly in mid-August, less than two months after it launched. The latest disruption is believed to have lasted for around two-and-a-half hours, between 0300 GMT and 0530 GMT. In a blog, posted at 0649 GMT, Microsoft said: "We have completed propagating our DNS configuration changes around the world, and have restored service for most customers." The Domain Name System (DNS) is responsible for translating URL web addresses , such as bbc.co.uk into the internet's native system of IP addresses, e.g. 212.58.246.95.

Dramatic new phone hacking twist as police quiz top Guardian writer

 

A Guardian newspaper reporter has been questioned under caution by detectives investigating phone-hacking at the News of the World. Amelia Hill, who has broken major scoops about the scandal engulfing the Murdoch media empire, was quizzed by police probing alleged leaks from the investigation into News International. It is understood the 37-year-old reporter had a friendship with a detective who works on Operation Weeting. A Scotland Yard officer has been arrested and suspended on suspicion of leaking information to the Guardian. It marks an extraordinary twist in the five-year saga that has led to the arrest of 16 people, including Prime Minister David Cameron's spin doctor Andy Coulson, and the resignation of NI chief executive Rebekah Brooks. A Guardian News & Media spokesman said: "We can confirm Amelia Hill has been questioned in connection with an investigation into alleged leaks. On a broader point, journalists would no doubt be concerned if the police sought to criminalise conversations between off-record sources and reporters." In July Hill broke the Guardian's Milly Dowler story - described as a "tipping point" in the scandal - which revealed that private investigators working for the NoW hacked the voicemails of the murdered schoolgirl after she went missing. Within weeks, Mrs Brooks, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson and Les Hinton, media mogul Rupert Murdoch's right-hand man for more than 50 years, had all resigned. It is understood Hill received police tip-offs about impending arrests. The Evening Standard has been told the police officer suspended from Operation Weeting called the Guardian the night he was arrested asking to speak to Hill. The Guardian has broken key scoops relating to the scandal which began when former NoW royal editor Clive Goodman was jailed for hacking the voicemails of royal aides in 2006. In July 2009, the newspaper also revealed NI had paid £700,000 to football union boss Gordon Taylor in a bid to cover up alleged widespread phone-hacking at the now-defunct Sunday tabloid. Dan Roberts, the Guardian's national news editor, said on Twitter that the developments were a "bleak day for journalism when (a) reporter behind vital hacking revelations is criminalised for doing her job". Two separate internal inquiries into police relationships with the media were launched after it emerged that the NoW had allegedly paid more than £100,000 to corrupt royal protection officers in return for information. An inquiry by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary is examining "alleged corruption and abuse of power" in police relationships with the media. Separately, former Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Elizabeth Filkin is drawing up a framework for how police officers handle their relationships with reporters. Three years ago, a case against Sally Murrer, a reporter on the Milton Keynes Citizen, and a former Thames Valley police detective Mark Kearney was thrown out. Kearney had been accused of leaking information to her. Meanwhile, police arrested another 35-year-old man at his home at 5.55am on suspicion of conspiracy to intercept voicemail messages. He was taken to a north London police station for questioning. He is the 16th suspect to be held since the scandal broke. The dawn raid came as it emerged that Mr Coulson is refusing to give evidence to the House of Commons committee investigating the scandal. MPs on the culture, media and sport select committee have asked him to comment on claims that he knew that hacking was widespread on the NoW when he was editor

The Liberal Democrats' biggest donor, who has been on the run for three years after being convicted of a multimillion pound theft, is hiding in the Dominican Republic under a false British identity

Michael Brown has been on the run for three years after being convicted of a multimillion pound theft. Photograph: Rex Features

 

Michael Brown, 45, the convicted Glaswegian who bankrolled the party with £2.4m of stolen money, is being sought by British authorities on the Caribbean island but is currently at large. Brown disappeared from Britain while on parole and was sentenced in his absence to seven years in prison.

The disclosure of Brown's bolthole will be an embarrassment for Nick Clegg. His party has refused to compensate Brown's victims, some of whom claim their money went directly into the party's coffers to finance the 2005 election campaign.

City of London police detectives have been in talks with the Crown Prosecution Service over how to bring back Brown. The Dominican Republic does not have an extradition treaty with Britain. The Home Office is believed to have approached its government for help in apprehending him.

While on the island, Brown has been based in the province of La Altagracia, the easternmost tip of the Republic close to some of its most beautiful beaches.

One source with knowledge of Brown said he has lived a low-key but pleasant life. "His businesses have been doing OK. He has lived in a wealthy area, he loves the beaches and he plays golf on some of the world's best courses. It could be worse."

Brown, who was using an alias, was held on remand by the Dominican authorities while he was investigated over an oil deal. Court papers from the country's capital in Santa Domingo show he was accused by a Dominican businessman in February of failing to honour a contract for 4,820 tonnes of oil.

He was ordered to be held for three months while the investigation continued. Its outcome is not known.

It has also been established that he launched a real estate business in 2008 based in the Republic, and has launched a subsidiary in Nassau in the Bahamas.

Michael Robert Alexander Brown appeared from nowhere when he approached the Liberal Democrats in November 2004 with a generous offer of money for Charles Kennedy's impending election campaign.

The brash, ponytailed Brown claimed to be an offshore trader living in Majorca. His claimed his clients were vetted by US embassy officials. Despite not being a party member, not being registered to vote and living abroad, he was welcomed with open arms by the party's grandees. Money came through his company, 5th Avenue Partners, in four tranches. It remains the biggest donation ever received by the party from an individual.

In the general election, the party increased its share of the vote by nearly 4% after the cash was spent on posters and advertising.

Brown told journalists that he had given the enormous donation because he liked Kennedy. "Charles is my kind of man. And I like to see a level playing field," he said.

Within months, Brown was flying Kennedy across Britain in a private jet and was being invited to dinners in Mayfair. Former Lib Dem insiders say he dazzled them with stories of Gordonstoun public school and St Andrew's University.

In fact, he had failed his maths O-level at his local school and completed a City and Guilds in catering at Glasgow College of Food Technology. He had no US government links – although he was wanted in Florida for cheque fraud.

Brown was arrested in late 2005 after four former clients came forward claiming he had duped them out of more than £40m in a high-yield fraud.

His victims included Martin Edwards, the former Manchester United chairman, who had invested £8m with 5th Avenue Partners.

In June 2008, while awaiting trial for theft, false accounting and perverting the course of justice, Brown fled and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

In the weeks before he disappeared from his Hampstead bail address in north London, he changed his name on the electoral roll to Campbell-Brown and allowed his hair to turn grey.

In his absence the court was told that the political donation was made to impress clients and create an air of importance and influence around Brown.

The disclosure of his whereabouts has given hope to Brown's victims who are still owed millions.

A copy of the passport that Brown has been using has been obtained by the Guardian. It shows a noticeably older and gaunt Brown, sporting dark hair and a goatee beard, compared with photographs taken four years ago when he was awaiting trial. He is believed to have adopted someone else's real identity which has been obscured at the request of the police.

Tony Brown, managing partner at law firm Bivonas which represents US attorney Robert Mann who was lost more than $5m (£3m), said: "This development may allow us to pursue Brown's assets in the Dominican Republic for our client."

Mann's legal team was forced last year to drop a high court claim against the Lib Dems for the return of around $600,000 after running out of funds. He hopes that if Brown is returned to Britain, any subsequent court case could cause further uncomfortable questions for the party.The Liberal Democrats have maintained that the money was received in good faith and have been cleared by an Electoral Commission inquiry into Brown's donations.

A police investigation has been launched this week into how Brown fraudulently obtained a passport. A spokesman for City of London police declined to comment. The Home Office declined to comment.

Annan man was part of £40M cocaine gang

 

THREE DUMFRIESSHIRE men were part of an international drug smuggling gang which brought up to £40 million of cocaine into the UK. Keith Blenkinsop of Annan was one of the ringleaders in the group which also included Robert Dalrymple of Gretna, David Harbison of Annan and three others. But their drugs network, which stretched from Columbia to Scotland via Spain, unravelled after Harbison turned supergrass. The drugs courier was caught with some counterfeit £20 notes and blurted out details of the drugs operation to police who quizzed him in Dumfries. A five-week trial at Glasgow High Court heard how the gang was importing massive amounts of cocaine into the country between 2007 to 2009 and distributing it in the Glasgow area with some also being sold in Dumfries and Galloway. Blenkinsop, with fellow ringleader Lindsay Harkins of Helensburgh, sewed the cocaine into suitcases in Barcelona and used couriers to bring it into Glasgow, Prestwick and Newcastle airports. Over a two-year period the gang flew out to Spain with suitcases full of Euros and came back with two kilos of cocaine at a time. At the conclusion of the trial on Wednesday, Blenkinsop, 43, of Winterhope Road, Annan; Harkins, 44, of Helensburgh, Andrew Burns, 56, of Helensburgh, Robert Dalrymple, 43, of Loanwath Road, Gretna, and James Elvin, 35, of Clydebank, were all convicted of being concerned in the supply of cocaine in Scotland, England, and Spain. Dalrymple and Elvin were only convicted of being involved in the drugs operation as couriers in 2009. The court heard that despite the massive size of their operation, the gang managed to remain completely under the radar of the UK’s drug enforcement agencies. The gang was snared because a teller in a Marks and Spencer’s bureau de change in Carlisle noticed counterfeit notes among a bundle of sterling that gang member David Harbinson was wanting to change into Euros. When Harbinson was arrested by police, he turned supergrass and gave evidence which put his former associates behind bars. He has now been placed on a witness protection programme. He told advocate depute Iain McSporran, prosecuting, that the gang had a direct connection to Columbian drug barons. Harbinson said that Blenkinsop and Harkins were the brains behind the operation and the other accused were merely couriers paid to take Euros to Spain and bring back drugs. In fact the gang exchanged so much sterling in Euros that Blenkinsop’s local post office won an award for the amount of Euros it sold. The jury was told they sourced their cocaine from the Columbians based in Barcelona and transferred them to Harkins’ house in Barcelona. Harbinson even told police that Harkins had an X-ray machine at the Barcelona house, like those used at airports, to make sure that the drugs would not be spotted – although he never said this in the witness box. When Blenkinsop’s house in Annan was searched 12 kilos of cannabis resin were found in a holdall in the attic. Dad-of-two Harbinson, 41, said that he would fly out to Barcelona with Euros in his suitcase and travel back to Newcastle with two kilos of cocaine. He told the court that he was offered £2,000 per kilo of cocaine to bring it into the UK and added: “I was told that Lindsay would fit up a suitcase and you would never know it was there.” Mr Harbinson said had changed a total of £250,000 sterling into Euros for Keith Blenkinsop in the Dumfries and Carlisle areas. All accused claimed that Harbinson was a liar and a self-confessed cocaine addict and said that no one would have used him as a drugs courier. Blenkinsop was also convicted at the High Court in Glasgow of being involved in the supply of cannabis resin and amphetamines between January 2007 and June 19, 2009. Harkins was found guilty of being involved in the supply of amphetamine. Blenkinsop was caught with three others off the Spanish coast in a yacht containing four tonnes of cannabis resin worth £12 million. Prosecutor Mr McSporran told the court that Blenkinsop had been sentence to four years imprisonment in Spain in 2004 for a drugs offence. All five will be sentenced next month. Judge Lord Doherty ordered background reports before sentencing them. Yesterday, Detective Inspector Gary Coupland who headed up a team of up to 30 officers who worked on the case for around nine months, told the Standard: “This was quite a complicated operation and we used Interpol to gather evidence in South America and Spain. It is a good example of how serious organised crime does not just affect the large city areas.”

Authorities Confirm Gun Found In Arizona Is Third At U.S. Crime Scene Tied To ATF's 'Fast And Furious'

 

Authorities confirm a weapon from the failed ATF program 'Operation Fast and Furious' was found at a violent crime scene in Maricopa, Ariz. in 2010. This is the latest in a series of cases where Fast and Furious guns have been linked to violent crimes across the U.S. and Mexico. The two guns found at the scene were an AK-47 and a Beretta pistol, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety. The AK-47 is linked to Fast and Furious, according to ATF. The weapons were found inside a stolen truck in March 2010 after the driver slammed into two DPS vehicles while trying to evade members of the Arizona Vehicle Theft Task Force, ABC 15 reports. The driver, Angel Hernandez Diaz, was reportedly arrested and charged with multiple crimes, including flight from a pursuing law enforcement vehicle, aggravated assault on an officer with a dangerous instrument or deadly weapon, theft of means of transportation and misconduct involving a weapon, according to court documents. Fast and Furious was an operation launched in late 2009 by the Phoenix office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to follow gun purchasers in hopes that suspects would lead investigators to the heads of Mexican cartels. But hundreds of high-powered rifles and other guns ended up in Mexico, and many now accuse the ATF and the Justice Department of letting the guns "walk" even after safety concerns were raised. Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich said last week that three weapons linked to Operation Fast and Furious had been used in violent crimes in the U.S.  Weapons linked to the program were used in a December attack along the Southwest border that killed U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. Months later, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif, launched his committee's investigation, as the Justice Department's inspector general also opened an inquiry, at Attorney General Eric Holder's direction. On Wednesday, Holder said for the first time that not only he but also other higher-ups at the Justice Department were not aware of the operation as it was being carried out. Holder also suggested politics could be a driving force behind Republican lawmakers' forceful inquiries into the matter. Recently, the man who headed ATF in the midst of it, Ken Melson, was reassigned, and U.S. attorney Dennis Burke, who oversaw the prosecution of cases coming out of the operation, abruptly resigned. At least three men have been charged in connection with the murder of agent Terry, though only one is in U.S. custody. The Justice Department recently informed lawmakers that cases coming out of Operation Fast and Furious will now be led by prosecutors from outside Arizona.

Police officer who shot dead Mark Duggan will NOT return to duty until probe is complete

 

The firearms officer who shot dead Mark Duggan, the event believed to have triggered the London riots, has not returned to active duty despite reports to the contrary, Scotland Yard has confirmed. Mr Duggan, a father-of-four, was shot in the chest and arm after the taxi he was travelling in was stopped by police near Tottenham Hale on August 5 His death sparked protests in the area which were later followed by rioting. It had been reported that the officer who fired the fatal shot had been returned to duty as part of the Metropolitan Police's CO19 firearms unit, but Scotland Yard have denied this saying he will remain suspended until investigations have been completed. The funeral of Mr Duggan is due to be held today with between 1,500 and 3,000 people expected join a procession through the Broadwater Farm estate where he lived. It was initially reported that Mr Duggan, 29, had shot at police. But ballistic tests later found that a bullet which lodged itself in one officer's radio was police issue. Mr Duggan's relatives have accused officers of deciding to 'shoot to kill' and say they do not believe the gun discovered hidden in a sock belonged to him.

'Credible' terror threat for 9/11

 

The threat is unconfirmed but reportedly involves Washington DC and New York, where people are preparing to mark the 10 year anniversary of 9/11, the worst ever terrorist attack on US soil in which nearly 3,000 people died. New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the new threat was uncorroborated, but he asked citizens to report suspicious activity and said that security would be increased at bridges, tunnels and on public transport. He added: "For the record, I plan to take the subway tomorrow morning." 9/11 anniversary The anniversary of 9/11 will be marked by a ceremony at Ground Zero, attended by President Barack Obama as well as former president George W Bush. The White House said President Obama had been briefed on the threat against the United States. It noted that the US government had "enhanced its security posture" ahead of the anniversary. White House spokesman Jay Carney added: "We're hyper-vigilant to this specific report that's just coming in."

Corruption scandal plunges Kuwait into deep crisis

 

The wealthy Gulf state of Kuwait appeared headed Thursday for a major political crisis over allegations of corruption involving several members of Parliament and former ministers. Media reported that a number of banks planned to refer as many as 15 MPs and possibly former ministers to the public prosecution to investigate "suspicious" huge cash deposits into their accounts. Citing informed sources, Al-Rai daily said local banks are likely to refer between 15-20 MPs in the 50-member parliament to public prosecution to probe money-laundering suspicions. It said a number of former ministers could be involved in the scam. State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Ali al-Rashed denied late Wednesday reports that incumbent ministers were involved in the alleged scandal. The government has instructed the central bank and the finance ministry to "take all necessary legal measures" to deal with the allegations. The scandal, as opposition MPs describe it, was exposed by Al-Qabas newspaper in an unsourced report two weeks ago that cash funds totaling 25 million dinars ($92 million/65.4 million euros) had been deposited into the accounts of two MPs. The report claimed the deposits were linked to domestic political events including grillings, indicating that the deposits were used to buy the support of the lawmakers in crucial voting in parliament. Independent Shiite MP Hassan Jowhar expected the issue to develop into a major political crisis that will lead to dissolving parliament and calling for snap polls, the fourth since May 2006. Youth activists campaigning to oust Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, a senior member of the ruling family, plan to stage a new rally on September 16 and the corruption charges could energize them. Kuwaiti opposition MPs demanded recalling parliament from summer recess for an emergency session on September 22 to review government measures on the allegations and debate and pass a number of anti-corruption laws.

Shameful phone hacking scandal forces change inside the Murdoch bunker

 

A community with a voracious appetite for scandal, it does appear we are experiencing Murdoch news fatigue. Like frogs in boiling water, we are losing sensitivity to the barrage of sensational News Corp instalments flowing from the phone hacking affair. On Tuesday, two former News International managers - head of legal affairs Tom Crone and News of the World editor Colin Myler - told a British parliamentary committee that James Murdoch had been made aware of widespread phone hacking despite his written statement to the contrary. The testimony was another milestone in the series of explosive revelations of systemic criminal phone hacking which had been going on for years but allegedly covered up by a corporate and police conspiracy. Advertisement: Story continues below Since the hacking affair was blown open, there has been a myriad of developments from the company, government and police - many of them astonishing. Much of this is highly significant to the Murdoch empire, and the ramifications have been difficult to digest. This shameful episode has changed the News Corp organisation and Rupert Murdoch's management style. In a corporate sense, the decision by Murdoch to undertake a $US5 billion ($4.7 billion) share buyback is, on its own, momentous. Aggressive expansion of the News Corp empire has been a hallmark of Murdoch's modus operandi. The decision to undertake a capital management program that allocated cash to shareholders rather than to acquisitions marks a major departure. The focus of News Corp's strategy in the past has been on raising funds and using available cash to expand, and avoiding the dilution of Murdoch family control. This was never more evident than in the creation of News Corp non-voting stock and the move to domicile the company in the lax regulatory jurisdiction of Delaware. The only other incidence of Rupert Murdoch bowing to outside pressure was in the early 1990s, when the Pittsburgh Bank famously forced News Corp to the brink of bankruptcy by threatening to block the rollover to a new debt package. News Corp has otherwise been run by Rupert Murdoch and in his way. The notion of appeasing minority shareholders is new to Murdoch, as is divorcing the hard-wired nepotism.

Amelia Hill was questioned under caution by police in an inquiry into alleged leaks of information from Operation Weeting

. Photograph: Katherine Rose

The National Union of Journalists and a respected media watchdog have criticised the questioning of a Guardian journalist in an inquiry into alleged leaks of information from Operation Weeting, the investigation into phone hacking at the News of the World.

It emerged on Wednesday that Amelia Hill, a reporter involved in a number of the Guardian's key phone-hacking revelations over recent weeks, was questioned under caution several days ago in a case that raises concerns about attempts to criminalise contact between journalists and off-the-record sources.

Last month a 51-year-old detective constable was arrested in connection with alleged leaks from the Scotland Yard phone-hacking investigation. At the time there were reports that the officer had passed information to the Guardian, but the newspaper said it had "no comment to make on the sources of our journalism".

Michelle Stanistreet, the general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, said that there was "a vital journalistic principle at stake here" and that "it is outrageous that an allegation of off-the-record briefings is being treated as a criminal matter".

She added: "There is a clear distinction between legitimate off-the-record interviews and the illegitimate payment of bribes."

Martin Moore, the director of the media watchdog the Media Standards Trust, said that in the light of the phone-hacking scandal it was becoming "increasingly important to sustain and defend journalism in the public interest". He said that it was "not the time to be threatening public interest journalism" by the police moving to question reporters such as Hill.

The Guardian said in a statement: "We can confirm Amelia Hill has been questioned in connection with an investigation into alleged leaks." The newspaper argued that the case could have lasting repercussions for the way journalists deal with police officers. The statement added: "On a broader point, journalists would no doubt be concerned if the police sought to criminalise conversations between off-record sources and reporters."

Although the paper said it would not comment on any specific confidential source, a spokesman said Hill had never paid a police officer for information.

The police investigation into leaks from Operation Weeting has been going on for several weeks.

Meanwhile, Raoul Simons, 35, the deputy football editor of the Times, became the 16th person to be arrested as part of the phone hacking enquiry.

Simons, who had joined the Times from the Evening Standard in August 2009, is understood to have been arrested at 5.55am on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications. He was released on police bail until a date in October.

He was not arrested by prior appointment. He was taken to a north London police station and questioned on suspicion of conspiracy to intercept voicemail messages, contrary to Section 1 (1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977.

Hill's police interview comes amid growing pressure to clamp down on contacts between officers and journalists following the News of the World phone hacking scandal, which has spread out into wider allegations of police corruption.

Emails from News International allegedly imply that journalists on the now closed Sunday tabloid bought copies of Buckingham Palace's private phone directory from a royal protection officer.

Following those revelations, an inquiry by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary is examining "alleged corruption and abuse of power" in police relationships with the media, and Elizabeth Filkin, the former parliamentary commissioner for standards, heads a group drawing up a framework for how police officers handle their relationships with reporters. Both inquiries are considering whether communication between police officers should be officially monitored and recorded by a press officer.

The questioning of Hill has similarities to a case police mounted against Sally Murrer, a reporter on the Milton Keynes Citizen, and a former Thames Valley police detective, Mark Kearney, which was thrown out. Kearney had been accused of leaking information to Murrer. The collapse of the case was widely seen as a victory for journalistic freedom.

It was reported meanwhile that Andy Coulson, the former editor of the News of the World and the prime minister's former personal communications director, is refusing to appear before a Commons select committee that is investigating phone-hacking.

His solicitors have written to the culture, media and sport committee declining an invitation to appear, citing "concerns" about "parallel inquiries and investigations and the publicity generated by them".

He has consistently denied knowing that phone hacking took place but last month a previously unseen letter from Goodman emerged that claimed phone hacking was "widely discussed" at editorial conferences until Coulson banned mentions of it. Goodman's letter also claimed that Coulson had offered to let him keep his job if he agreed not to implicate the paper in hacking when it came to court.

Coulson resigned from the News International paper in 2007 after its former royal editor Clive Goodman was jailed on phone-hacking offences.

It also emerged yesterday that MPs on another committee have been told that News International asked a technology firm, HCL, to delete emails and other documents 13 times since 2009.

Technology company HCL, which provides services under contract to News International, informed the Commons home affairs committee in August that it was aware of the deletion of hundreds of thousands of emails on nine occasions between April 2010 and July 2011, but said it did not know of anything "untoward" behind the requests. Yesterday, HCL's solicitor, Stuart Benson, contacted the committee again to say that a further four requests had come to light - one of which related to the deletion of emails from an inbox of a user who had not accessed his account for eight years.

£40m cocaine smuggling gang convicted

 

drugs gang responsible for smuggling cocaine with a street value of up to £40m into the UK has been convicted at the High Court in Glasgow. They were involved in importing the drugs from Spain between 2007 and 2009. The ringleaders were Keith Blenkinsop, of Annan, and Lindsay Harkins from Helensburgh. Three men who acted as mules - Andrew Burns, of Helensburgh; Robert Dalrymple, of Gretna; and James Elvin, from Clydebank - were also convicted. The cocaine was concealed inside suitcases and holdalls flown by couriers into Prestwick, Glasgow and Newcastle airports. The court heard how the drugs were concealed beneath a false bottom sewn into suitcases The court heard how the operation came to an end when one of the gang's couriers, David Harbinson, 41, of Annan, was caught with some counterfeit £20 notes and blurted out details of the drugs scheme to police. A teller at a Marks and Spencer bureau de change in Carlisle noticed the currency among a bundle of sterling he wanted to convert to euros. Mr Harbinson subsequently gave evidence against his former associates and has now been placed on a witness protection programme. He told advocate depute Iain McSporran, prosecuting, that the gang had a direct connection to Colombian drug barons. He said Blenkinsop and Harkins were the brains behind the operation while the other accused were couriers paid to take euros to Spain and bring back drugs. In fact, the gang exchanged so much sterling into euros that Blenkinsop's local post office won an award for the amount of euros it sold. The jury was told they sourced their cocaine from Colombians based in Barcelona and transferred it to Harkins' house in the Spanish city. Harkins, a former upholsterer, would then put the drugs inside a suitcase and sew in a false bottom. The cocaine brought in by the gang was mostly destined for the Glasgow area, although some of it was also sold in Dumfries. Refuted claims Mr Harbinson also gave the court a detailed breakdown of how he was approached to become a courier and the payments made to transport the drugs. All of the accused claimed that he was a liar and a self-confessed cocaine addict and said that nobody would have used him as a drugs courier. After a five-week trial Blenkinsop, 43, of Winterhope Road, Annan; Harkins, 44, of West Princes Street, Helensburgh; Burns, 56, of Old Luss Road, Helensburgh; Dalrymple, 43, of Loanwath Road, Gretna; and Elvin, 35, of Garscadden View, Clydebank, were all convicted of being concerned in the supply of cocaine in Scotland, England and Spain. Blenkinsop was also convicted of being involved in the supply of cannabis and amphetamines while Harkins was found guilty of supplying amphetamines. Dalrymple and Elvin were only convicted of being involved in the drugs operation as couriers in 2009.

Crimes by EU citizens treble but few are kicked out

 

27,000 crimes were committed by EU citizens in the UK last year and more than 30,000 are expected this year. And because of EU rules and human rights laws only a fraction of the criminals are removed from the country. It will fuel concerns over the impact of immigration on towns and cities, especially following the two most recent EU expansions in to Eastern Europe. Critics last night said the restrictive EU rules that prevent removals must be addressed as a matter of urgency. Dominic Raab, the Tory MP who unearthed the figures, said: “Far from helping us tackle crime, the current straitjacket EU arrangements for securing our borders, deportation and law enforcement are imposing a massive net burden on policing and prison cells.”

Phone hacking: Police bail sports writer Raoul Simons

 

Police bail sports writer Raoul Simons A total of 16 people have now been arrested as part of the investigation into phone hacking Continue reading the main story Phone-hacking scandal Q&A: Phone-hacking scandal Key people and profiles Timeline Inquiries and legal challenges A 35-year-old man held by officers probing phone hacking at the News of the World has been bailed, police say. The BBC understands he is sports journalist Raoul Simons who used to work at London's Evening Standard before moving to the Times in 2009. The man was bailed on suspicion of conspiracy to intercept voicemails. Meanwhile, Guardian reporter Amelia Hill has been questioned under caution over alleged police leaks surrounding the hacking inquiry, the paper said. It followed the arrest of a Met Police detective constable last month who worked in the Operation Weeting team. Scotland Yard says the "investigation continues" and they are not giving a "running commentary" on events. Mr Simons was appointed deputy football editor at the Times in August 2009, having previously worked at the Evening Standard. In September 2010, he went on extended leave after material allegedly linking him to phone hacking emerged. He is still on the payroll but has not returned to work since. It is understood he has not been involved in any inappropriate behaviour while at the Times. The man has been bailed by police to a date in October pending further inquiries. A total of 16 people have now been arrested on suspicion of phone hacking - 15 of whom are still under investigation - since Operation Weeting was launched in January. Scotland Yard's fresh investigation was set up to examine the illegal interception of voicemails. Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and ex-Downing Street communications chief Andy Coulson are among those who have already been arrested as part of the inquiry. The scandal has led Met Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson and Assistant Commissioner John Yates to resign, and the News of the World to close down after 168 years.

former MP Margaret Moran, who is to face 21 charges in relation to claims she made for parliamentary expenses.

File photo of former MP Margaret Moran, who is to face 21 charges in relation to claims she made for parliamentary expenses. Photograph: Michael Stephens/PA

The former Labour MP who claimed for dry rot treatment on a home more than 100 miles from her constituency will be charged with fiddling her expenses by more than £60,000, prosecutors said today.

Margaret Moran, one of the last politicians investigated over the scandal, will appear before magistrates facing 21 charges relating to her parliamentary claims.

Moran, former MP for Luton South, will appear before City of Westminster magistrates' court on 19 September, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

police have released images of 28 suspects they want to question about serious street disorder that “wreaked havoc” across Northern Ireland

The police have released images of 28 suspects they want to question about serious street disorder that “wreaked havoc” across Northern Ireland.

Detectives from a specialist public order inquiry team are hoping the public will help them identify the men in these images as part of their investigations into rioting in east Belfast and Ballyclare during June and July.

Three people were shot during three nights of sustained sectarian violence at an interface on the Lower Newtownards Road in Belfast in June.

In Ballyclare six officers sustained whiplash when a hijacked bus rammed a police vehicle during riots that erupted after Union and paramilitary flags were removed from lampposts in July.

Assistant Chief Constable Alistair Finlay said the response from the public appeals to date had been “positive”.

A second tranche of photographs will be released on Thursday showing suspects police want to speak to in connection with rioting in north and west Belfast during July.

Last month all of Northern Ireland’s main news organisations wrote to the PSNI Chief Constable to protest at having to hand over riot footage of trouble in east Belfast.

The letter highlighted to Matt Baggott the “genuine fear that terrorists and rioters will target the media whom they perceive to be evidence gatherers for the State” if the PSNI continues to demand the disclosure of material gathered for news purposes.

The PSNI has declined to comment on the source of these latest images.

TV cameras to be allowed into criminal trials

 

David Cameron is expected to pave the way for the historic move in a long-awaited speech on crime planned for later this month. However, the televised coverage is expected to be limited and will not allow cameras to record witnesses giving evidence as occurs in America. Television cameras are currently banned from most courts in England and Wales although the proceedings of the new Supreme Court - the top court of appeal which replaced the law lords - can be broadcast. Some Scottish court cases are also televised, including proceedings involving Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber. The decision to allow limited broadcasting in other criminal cases is set to spark debate.

Grilling for phone hack witnesses

 

Four former News International executives will face a fresh round of questioning from MPs over the phone-hacking scandal. The Commons Culture, Media and Sport committee will quiz the News of the World's former editor Colin Myler and ex-legal manager Tom Crone after the pair publicly challenged evidence given by James Murdoch over his knowledge of the illegal practice. News International's former director of legal affairs Jonathan Chapman and Daniel Cloke, former group HR director, will also appear before the committee as the probe into the scandal is resumed following the summer recess. Mr Myler and Mr Crone have been summoned before MPs for the second time after publicly disputing claims made by Mr Murdoch earlier in the Parliamentary inquiry. The News International chairman told the committee he was not made aware of an email in 2008 indicating that the practice of illegally intercepting voicemails was not confined to a single "rogue" reporter. But the two former Sunday tabloid executives insist that they told him about the message in June of that year. The panel of MPs could now recall Mr Murdoch "depending on their evidence under questioning". Committee chairman John Whittingdale said the latest round of questioning was an attempt to uncover the truth in the "continuing difference in the accounts of James Murdoch and Tom Crone and Colin Myler about whether or not James Murdoch was aware of the so-called 'for Neville' email". The 2005 email contained transcripts of hacked phone messages and was headed "for Neville", in an apparent reference to the News of the World's then-chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck. Its existence came to light in April 2008 when Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor brought a damages claim against the paper over the interception of his voicemail.

Anger over police who made no arrests in whole year

 

2,000 police officers in a Yorkshire force made no arrests last year because they were kept in supporting roles that could be fulfilled by civilians, wasting millions, a think-tank claims today. Too many officers are working in control rooms and forensic suites when those roles could be carried out by cheaper civilian staff, saving police for frontline duties, the Policy Exchange said. Nationally one in 20 police officers is doing work that could be done by civilians, wasting almost £150m a year, it argues. This, it said, contributes to a situation where more than 14,500 officers in the UK made no arrests at all last year, including almost half of all officers in the Derbyshire force and more than 2,000 in West Yorkshire. While this includes some officers not in a position to make an arrest, such as those in management or on restricted duties, the think tank adds: “It does suggest that there remain too many officers not in frontline roles where their warranted powers are being exercised.” Claims of inefficiency have been denied by the region’s forces, however, and come as South Yorkshire Chief Constable Meredydd Hughes prepares for a meeting on Wednesday to press home to MPs how cuts are piling pressure on his officers. Mr Hughes has warned that crime will rise because of cuts to police and council services. Constabularies face a 20 per cent funding cut over the next four years, which is expected to result in the loss of 16,000 officer posts. The Government has insisted savings can be made without affecting front-line duties. The head of crime and justice at the think-tank, Blair Gibbs, said: “Too many sworn officers are hidden away in back offices. Some forces like Surrey and Suffolk became more efficient by hiring cheaper civilian staff but many did not. “As a result taxpayers have spent at least £500m since 2006 in extra employment costs for over 7,000 police officers who have a uniform, but who aren’t policing.” The Cost of the Cops analysis of official data and Freedom of Information responses from forces claims that civilian staff could be used instead of officers in areas such as forensics, control rooms, operational support and business support, saving more than £20,000 per head. But, as of March last year, the level of civilianisation in forces ranged widely from just 34 per cent in the West Midlands to 55 per cent in Surrey, with an average of 43 per cent. Between March 2010 and March 2011, only two forces, West Mercia and Humberside, were said to have “notably increased” their level of civilianisation while 33 forces reduced their proportion of civilian employees. The report calls for improved visibility, suggesting officers should wear their uniform on their way to work, more patrols, and a re-evaluation of staffing by police chiefs including measures to tackle sickness and absence. West Yorkshire deputy chief constable David Crompton dismissed the conclusions as “nonsense” and added: “We know some forces have given information based on operational staff only, whereas we have used the whole workforce. “About 1,200 of those officers are in supervisory ranks – managing and overseeing investigations rather than arresting on the streets. “A force the size of West Yorkshire has a huge specialist capability to deal with things like underwater search, child protection and covert operations which aren’t currently involved in day-to-day arrests. “Trying to compare West Yorkshire with another force that used a different starting point is like comparing apples with oranges.” Mr Crompton added the data used was already out of date: “It is common knowledge throughout the public sector that budgetary pressures have driven huge changes in the last 18 months, and to suggest that data from the period April 2009 to March 2010 accurately reflects the position in late 2011 is misleading.” He added: “In our opinion, there is more mischief-making than mature debate about this report.

NSW businesses warned of travelling conmen

 

Residents and businesses in NSW are being urged to be on the lookout for travelling conmen and itinerant domestic gangs. A nationwide crackdown aims to have scammers who visit Australia seasonally removed from the country and barred from re-entering, as well as local gangs that travel around conning people. NSW Fair Trading Minister Anthony Roberts on Monday warned of conmen specialising in scams such as bitumen laying, roof painting and back-of-truck dealings on electronics. "We want to catch these crooks, hold them accountable for their crimes and keep the market fair and free of rip-offs," he said in a statement. "What we are dealing with is organised, criminal activity that creates market distortions as legitimate businesses face unfair competition." The conmen structure their operations so consumers are often unable to get remedies in courts, consumer tribunals or through dispute resolution. They are the focus of a new nationwide strategy finalised at the Ministerial Council on Consumer Affairs in Canberra earlier this year. "All Australian consumer protection jurisdictions are working together under the new Australian Consumer Law with concerted, nationally coordinated operations using new prosecution powers and remedies," Mr Roberts said.

Oz 'collar bomb' teen now safe

Australian police are battling to defuse a suspected bomb believed to be strapped to a teenage girl's neck at her multimillion-dollar mansion in Sydney.

A teenage girl who had a "collar bomb" strapped to her neck in a 10-hour terrifying ordeal at her multimilllion-dollar Australian home is now safe, police have said.
Madeleine Pulver, 18, told detectives a stranger wearing a balaclava broke into her family's home in the wealthy suburb of Mosman and attached her to the device.
The teen called police after the culprit left a ransom note and fled the house in Burrawong Avenue - an exclusive street home to many prominent Australians.
Bomb squad detectives rushed to the scene and a 250m exclusion zone was enforced.
Authorities believe she was the victim of an extortion attempt to get money out of her businessman father, Bill Pulver.
A police source said the unusual "collar bomb" used had never been seen before in Australia.
Bomb squad officers swarmed the property in the plush harbourside suburb of Mosman after the young woman called police.
The girl is understood to be part of one of Sydney's wealthiest families and is in her final year of high school.

 

Cleveland chief constable and deputy arrested

The Chief Constable of Cleveland and his deputy were arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of corruption and fraud, a source with knowledge of the investigation said.
Sean Price, his deputy Derek Bonnard and an unnamed woman were detained by detectives from two other forces which have been drafted in to investigate the allegations.
Officers arrested "three people on suspicion of misconduct in a public office, fraud by abuse of position and corrupt practice," said a statement from Warwickshire Police, a force in central England which is leading the probe.
"Two men and a woman were arrested and have been taken to a police station in North Yorkshire (in northern England) where they will be interviewed later today.
"A number of premises are being searched in connection with these arrests."
Police would not confirm the identity of those arrested, although a source with knowledge of the investigation confirmed the men were Price and Bonnard.
Warwickshire Police were asked in May to launch a wide-ranging investigation into people with links to the Cleveland force. They are being assisted by North Yorkshire Police.
Earlier this year, the police watchdog announced a separate inquiry into claims that Price had used "undue influence" to appoint a junior member of staff to Cleveland Police.
Price denied the accusation and threatened legal action against the watchdog.
The arrests are a fresh blow to the reputation of the British police, after two of the country's top officers based in London resigned last month over the phone-hacking scandal at the now defunct News of the World.

 

A nurse has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the deaths of three patients at a hospital in Stockport, Greater Manchester.

Rebecca Leighton, 27, of Heaviley, Stockport, was arrested at home and is being questioned after two men and a woman died at Stepping Hill Hospital.Police believe insulin was deliberately injected into saline containers.Sixty detectives have been involved in the inquiry and officers have questioned more than 50 people so far.Tracey Arden, 44, 71-year-old Arnold Lancaster, and George Keep, 84, have all died at the hospital in the past month.A fourth patient, a man in his 40s, remains critically ill.Greater Manchester Police believe the sabotaged saline containers were used by at least two wards, A1 and A3.Deaths 'unexplained'The force said they were working on the assumption the contamination had taken place on the site.The four patients are among a total of 14 whose treatment since 7 July is being examined by police.Dr Chris Burke, chief executive of Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We are aware that Greater Manchester Police have made an arrest this morning of a 26-year-old female.Security has been increased at the hospital"As the police are continuing with their enquiries, we are unable to provide any further details, but it is important to stress that no charges have been made at this stage."A hospital spokesperson said it hoped to return to full business by 0900 BST on Thursday, although security measures would remain in place.The Nursing and Midwifery Council, which regulates nurses in the UK, said: "We are aware that an individual is being questioned who may be a nurse. Fitness to practice proceedings will be commenced immediately, if appropriate."Detectives were called to the hospital after an experienced nurse reported a higher-than-normal number of patients on her ward with "unexplained" low blood sugar levels.Officers found insulin had contaminated a batch of 36 ampoules in a storeroom close to ward A1.Security has been increased on the hospital site and staff have been told to work in pairs when they check or administer drugs.Senior NHS bosses at the hospital are having daily meetings with police.Insulin is always stored in a fridge in a locked treatment room but saline has also been locked away as a result of the incidents.Contaminated bagSouth Manchester coroner John Pollard has opened and adjourned inquests into Ms Arden, Mr Lancaster and Mr Keep.Police have said a damaged bag containing saline solution was found in the maternity ward but it had not been contaminated.Assistant Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, leading the inquiry for Greater Manchester Police, said: "It is important to stress that this product has not been contaminated and, in fact, the damage could very well be accidental, as can happen quite easily in a busy hospital environment."Extra security measures are in place across the hospital and staff continue to be vigilant, which of course is to be expected."Due to heightened awareness, staff are alerting police to anything they feel might be suspicious or relevant to the investigation and to date there has been no further contamination of any product since the control measures were introduced."n arrested on suspicion of murder after the deaths of three patients at a hospital in Stockport, Greater Manchester.

Rebecca Leighton, 27, of Heaviley, Stockport, was arrested at home and is being questioned after two men and a woman died at Stepping Hill Hospital.

Police believe insulin was deliberately injected into saline containers.

Sixty detectives have been involved in the inquiry and officers have questioned more than 50 people so far.

Tracey Arden, 44, 71-year-old Arnold Lancaster, and George Keep, 84, have all died at the hospital in the past month.

A fourth patient, a man in his 40s, remains critically ill.

Greater Manchester Police believe the sabotaged saline containers were used by at least two wards, A1 and A3.

Deaths 'unexplained'
The force said they were working on the assumption the contamination had taken place on the site.

The four patients are among a total of 14 whose treatment since 7 July is being examined by police.

Dr Chris Burke, chief executive of Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We are aware that Greater Manchester Police have made an arrest this morning of a 26-year-old female.


Security has been increased at the hospital
"As the police are continuing with their enquiries, we are unable to provide any further details, but it is important to stress that no charges have been made at this stage."

A hospital spokesperson said it hoped to return to full business by 0900 BST on Thursday, although security measures would remain in place.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council, which regulates nurses in the UK, said: "We are aware that an individual is being questioned who may be a nurse. Fitness to practice proceedings will be commenced immediately, if appropriate."

Detectives were called to the hospital after an experienced nurse reported a higher-than-normal number of patients on her ward with "unexplained" low blood sugar levels.

Officers found insulin had contaminated a batch of 36 ampoules in a storeroom close to ward A1.

Security has been increased on the hospital site and staff have been told to work in pairs when they check or administer drugs.

Senior NHS bosses at the hospital are having daily meetings with police.

Insulin is always stored in a fridge in a locked treatment room but saline has also been locked away as a result of the incidents.

Contaminated bag
South Manchester coroner John Pollard has opened and adjourned inquests into Ms Arden, Mr Lancaster and Mr Keep.

Police have said a damaged bag containing saline solution was found in the maternity ward but it had not been contaminated.

Assistant Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, leading the inquiry for Greater Manchester Police, said: "It is important to stress that this product has not been contaminated and, in fact, the damage could very well be accidental, as can happen quite easily in a busy hospital environment.

"Extra security measures are in place across the hospital and staff continue to be vigilant, which of course is to be expected.

"Due to heightened awareness, staff are alerting police to anything they feel might be suspicious or relevant to the investigation and to date there has been no further contamination of any product since the control measures were introduced."

Corrupt police officers must face full weight of law

Police officers found guilty of taking money from News International should face the full weight of the law, Cambridge’s MP insists.
Julian Huppert was among 11 MPs listening to the evidence of senior Met officers Sir Paul Stephenson and John Yates when they appeared before the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee yesterday.
Answering questions at the committee, Sir Paul, who resigned as Commissioner of the force on Sunday, revealed that nearly a quarter of the Met’s communications team previously worked for the News International.
And Mr Yates, who quit as assistant commissioner on Monday, said it was time for the newspaper company to face up to its responsibilities – “confidently” predicting officers would be jailed.
Dr Huppert, the only Liberal Democrat on the committee, said: “Their evidence raised a whole series of concerns for me about what has being going on in the Met.
“The general attitude seemed to be that officers did not know who was in charge of what, and there seem to have been constant links with News International.
“If officers have broken the law, then there must be action. Corruption in the police must lead to prosecutions.”
The committee hearing took place in a room close to where Rupert Murdoch and his son James were facing their intensely-awaited grilling by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee about the News of the World phone hacking scandal.
Rupert Murdoch told MPs he could not be held responsible for hacking, saying he was let down by “people I trusted”, but adding he was “humbled” by what had happened.
There was drama when a man threw a paper plate covered in shaving foam over him as he gave evidence. The media tycoon’s wife Wendi leapt to his defence, first pushing him away and then smacking the plate over the demonstrator as he was led away by police.
Dr Huppert said: “I heard the noise next door when the incident happened.”
The MP said he was doubtful about the Murdochs’ claims that they were unaware of the extent of the wrongdoing at News International.
Dr Huppert said: “Senior executives should know what is going on in the organisations they’re in charge of.”

 

The Metropolitan police assistant commissioner John Yates has become the second high-profile Scotland Yard officer to resign over the phone-hacking scandal.

The resignation of Yates – the country's top counter-terrorism officer – comes a day after his boss, the Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson, stepped down.

In a statement, Scotland Yard said: "Assistant commissioner John Yates has this afternoon indicated his intention to resign to the chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA). This has been accepted. AC Yates will make a statement later this afternoon."

His decision to quit came as the Metropolitan Police Authority's professional standards cases subcommittee held a meeting to consider a slew of complaints against him.

The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said the resignations of Yates and Stephenson were "regrettable but right". He said: "Whatever mistakes have been made at any level in the police service, now is the time to clear them up."

The MPA disciplinary committee, which met on Monday morning, announced that it had decided to suspend Yates pending an inquiry into allegations following the phone-hacking scandal.

Cressida Dick would replace Yates in the interim, Johnson said.

Green party MPA member Jenny Jones said the resignation should have happened earlier and left Johnson with a lot to explain.

"I think it's a real pity Yates did not go before his boss," she said. "It just shows who the most honourable person is. Boris has mishandled this from the start and he obviously has lots of questions to answer."

Earlier on Monday it emerged that Yates had been recalled to give evidence before the Commons home affairs select committee on Tuesday.

Keith Vaz, the Labour chairman of the committee, said: "The committee has recalled Mr Yates to give evidence tomorrow to clarify aspects of his evidence that he gave to the committee last week and following the statement of Sir Paul Stephenson."

When he appeared before the select committee last Tuesday, Yates expressed regret at his 2009 decision not to reopen the phone-hacking investigation. He insisted he had always told the truth to MPs investigating the issue and suggested that the News of the World "failed to co-operate" with police until the start of this year.

He told the committee: "I can assure you all that I have never lied and all the information that I've provided to this committee has been given in good faith.

"It is a matter of great concern that, for whatever reason, the News of the World appears to have failed to co-operate in the way that we now know they should have with the relevant police inquiries up until January of this year.

"They have only recently supplied information and evidence that would clearly have had a significant impact on the decisions that I took in 2009 had it been provided to us."

Vaz told Yates that his evidence was unconvincing and warned him it was "not the end of the matter".

Under-fire police chief John Yates said he had done "nothing wrong" today

Under-fire police chief John Yates said he had done "nothing wrong" today amid speculation he will be suspended over the phone hacking scandal.

The assistant commissioner said "give me a break" to reporters after a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority claimed his position had become untenable in the wake of Sir Paul Stephenson's resignation as commissioner.

John Yates to be suspended, say reports

One top figure at the Metropolitan police has already been sacrificed to the phone hacking scandal, with commisioner Sir Paul Stephenson's resignation. Now, it looks like the future of assistant commissioner John Yates is hanging in the balance, too.

The Metropolitan Police Authority's (MPA) professional standards is currently meeting to discuss Yates's handling of the phone hacking crisis. Also under discussion will be his links with Neil Wallis, the former News of the World executive whose employment with the Metropolitan Police ledStephenson to resign yesterday.

The committee does not have the power to dismiss Yates, but it can call for further investigation.

Boris Johnson has called an emergency press conference for 2pm. According to the Daily Telegraph, the mayor will announce that Yates is to be suspended, pending an investigation over his role in phone hacking and his relationship with Wallis. The newspaper quotes a source as saying: "If an investigation is ongoing he cannot stay in his job."

This follows increasing pressure on Yates to step down. Several people have now called for his resignation, including John Prescott, an independent member of the MPA, and a London Assembly member. However, the signs are that Yates, who twice decided not to reopen the inquiry into telephone hacking, will not resign of his own accord. Last week, when Keith Vaz asked if he was considering his position, he said:

No, I haven't. And if you're suggesting that I should resign for what News of the World has done and my very small part in it, I think that's probably unfair.

The last week has not shaken this, clearly, as he told Sky News this morning: "I've done nothing wrong". Sources say that he does not plan to step down unless the judge-led inquiry finds him guilty of wrong-doing.

 

China arrests 36 for fraud on Alibaba

Chinese police have arrested 36 people connected with operating an online fraud on Alibaba.com and other websites, the company has said.

Those arrested stand accused of duping overseas buyers of more than $6bn (£3.7bn) by posing as suppliers on the Chinese e-commerce websites.

The fraud resulted in the chief executive and chief operating officer of Alibaba quitting earlier this year.

Alibaba is China's largest e-commerce group.

"The arrest of the suspects hits online scammers hard," said Alibaba.com boss Jonathan Lu.

The company said the arrests were made following a 40-day investigation earlier this year.

Reduced complaints
Alibaba said it had introduced strict procedures in an attempt to prevent a repeat of such cases.

As a result, the number of fraud complaints received monthly by the website declined by 70% between February and June, Alibaba officials said.

The company said it would keep up its efforts to ensure the safety of its consumers.

"We will continue to co-operate with defrauded buyers and police to pursue the investigation, arrest and sentencing of those who commit crimes using our platform," said Linda Kozlowski of Alibaba.com.

"If scammers think they can hide on the internet and that no-one will go after them, they are wrong," she added.

 

Despite warrants, arrests not likely in Lebanese prime minister’s death

Warrants issued for the arrest of four men wanted for the murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri have the potential to tear Lebanon apart – but don’t expect the men to stand trial or even be arrested any time soon.

Mr. Hariri and 22 others were killed on Valentine’s Day 2005 from the blast of a massive truck bomb on the corniche in downtown Beirut. More than six years later, the warrants were given to Lebanon’s Prosecutor-General, with the demand his officials arrest the four Lebanese citizens.


The names of the four people have not officially been revealed, but Lebanese media report that all four are members of Hezbollah, the militant Shia political movement that now controls the government of Lebanon.

The men reportedly include Mustafa Badreddine, said to have been Hezbollah’s deputy military commander, and brother-in-law of the late Hezbollah military commander Imad Mughniyeh. The others – Salim Ayyash, also known as Abu Salim; Assad Sabra and Hassan Anise, who changed his name to Hassan Issa – are relative unknowns.

Hezbollah has denounced the tribunal as a U.S.-Israeli front and says it will never allow its people to be tried. It toppled the previous government of Saad Hariri over the pending tribunal actions, and the whole country lives in fear of a return to the kind of civil war that plagued the country from 1975-90.

Saad Hariri, son of the late Rafik Hariri, hailed the tribunal’s act as “historic.”


Maybe so, but “nothing’s going to happen,” said Karim Makdisi, deputy director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut, “and Hariri knows it.”

“If they try to serve the warrants they’ll be blocked,” Mr. Makdisi said. And if they ever should actually arrest someone, all hell will break loose.

Officials in the newly formed government of Najid Mikati have 30 days to report to the tribunal “on the measures they have taken to arrest the accused.” It doesn’t mean they have to serve the warrants within that first month.

“Lawyers will spin things out,” Mr. Makdisi said, suggesting they’ll comply with the technical reporting requirements but make absolutely no real move to arrest anyone.

“It’ll be a case of ‘don’t call us, we’ll call you,’ ” he said.

Of course, it helps in protecting Hezbollah that Lebanon’s new Justice Minister, Shakib Qortbawi, is a member of the Free Patriotic Movement, a Maronite Christian party led by General Michel Aoun, a close ally of Hezbollah. The Justice Ministry was the one post Gen. Aoun insisted his party be given during deliberations to form the coalition. His allegiance to Hezbollah won him their support, and gave him the largest number of seats in cabinet.

For his part, Mr. Mikati said his government “will act responsibly” in dealing with the tribunal’s request.

A statement from his office read: “The government confirms that it will follow the progress of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which was set up in principle to see justice served in a manner that is neither politicized nor vengeful, and as long as it does not negatively affect Lebanon’s stability and civil peace.”

In other words, the government will put stability and civil peace ahead of the arrest warrants, and the situation will remain as it is for a long time to come.

“Lebanon may be the safest place for the four wanted guys to be,” Mr. Makdisi said. “They don’t even have to hide out.”

Saad Hariri understands this, and if the Mikati government does nothing, as expected, Mr. Hariri figures to use that as leverage against the prime minister in the lead up to elections less than two years away.

In much the same way Mr. Hariri’s March 14 political movement came to power in the wake of his father’s assassination, Mr. Hariri hopes that a backlash against the Mikati government will make the people see that Mr. Hariri is the better Sunni leader to run the country.

The only complication in all of this is if Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad should fall from power. Indeed, the warrants may not be the last ones the tribunal issues.

Detlev Mehlis, the first head of the international inquiry, stated publicly that Hezbollah acted as the sub-contractor of the Syrians. Ominously, General Ghazi Kanaan, Syria’s Interior Minister, was reported to have “committed suicide” in October 2005, after allegations surfaced in Lebanon that he was behind the Hariri assassination.

With all the uproar currently in Syria, an indictment against Syria’s leaders could help propel Mr. al-Assad from office.

In that event, Hezbollah will become very concerned. The Assad regime is a close ally and the principal conduit to Hezbollah’s main benefactor, Iran.

“The worse things get for Assad, the more nervous Hezbollah becomes,” Mr. Makdisi said.

The question is, says Joseph Bahout, a lecturer in Syria-Lebanese studies at Sciences Po in Paris, “If the Syrian regime gets weaker, will Hezbollah gradually become more flexible … or, on the contrary, will it increasingly pursue a radical position and bitterly defend its share [of power]?”

 

Lawyers in China are increasingly being attacked, harassed and ‘disappeared’

In the past year, the Communist party has tightened its grip on China’s legal system and reminded lawyers that the party controls the country’s courts.
The tiny number of Chinese lawyers who try to use the legal system to highlight abuses of power or defend activists and religious groups have found themselves increasingly targeted in the past year, according to Amnesty International.
“Intimidation, harassment, violence, arbitrary detention were all increasingly used against lawyers and their families in 2010. Such acts are carried out in more and more blatant ways, with officials abandoning even the pretence of obeying the law,” said the Amnesty report.
The report came on the eve of the 90th anniversary of the Communist party, ahead of which cadres have tightly censored any dissent.
Amnesty also said the government had suspended or revoked lawyers’ licences to stop them from taking on sensitive cases. Amnesty has counted 30 lawyers who have had their right to practice stripped from them since 2008.

The pressure intensified in February with one of the broadest campaigns of repression in years. Dozens of lawyers were rounded up and questioned as the Communist party worried whether the so-called Arab Spring democracy movement would spread to China.
Among them were Teng Biao, a law professor at the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing, who disappeared halfway through February and did not surface for more than two months. Jiang Tianyong, a lawyer who represented victims who had been infected with AIDS by botched blood transfusions, also disappeared for two months.
All the lawyers who were “disappeared” have kept a low profile since their re-emergence, suggesting they had been intimidated. Meanwhile, one of China’s most famous lawyers, Gao Zhisheng, has now been missing for over a year, despite a brief re-emergence during which he left behind an interview accusing the authorities of torturing him.
The Communist party’s determination to exert total control over China’s courts contradicts a pledge this week in London by Wen Jiabao, the Chinese premier that the “future China” would be one that “fully achieves democracy, the rule of law, fairness and justice”.