Firefighters die in Arizona wildfire
By Anonymous on Jul 01, 2013 03:11 am 30 June 2013 Last updated at 23:32 ET 
At least 19 US firefighters have been killed battling a wildfire in central Arizona, local officials say.
The men went missing on Sunday while fighting the blaze threatening the small town of Yarnell.
The fire started on Friday but later spread rapidly amid high heat, low humidity and windy conditions.
Arizona and other parts of the western United States - including California - have recorded near-record temperatures over the weekend.
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Protest group gives Morsi ultimatum
By Anonymous on Jul 01, 2013 03:34 am 1 July 2013 Last updated at 03:34 ET 
Tamarud is a grass-roots campaign calling for early elections
An Egyptian opposition movement that has led nationwide protests against President Mohammed Morsi has given him until Tuesday to resign.
A statement issued by Tamarud (Rebel) said Mr Morsi would face a campaign of civil disobedience if he did not leave power and allow elections to be held.
The group said it had collected more than 22 million signatures in support.
The crowds seen in Tahrir Square in the capital, Cairo, on Sunday were the biggest since the 2011 revolution.
In sporadic outbreaks of violence, at least one person was reported killed in an attack on the headquarters of Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo, while four more died in the central province of Assiut.
Protesters across Egypt have accused the president of failing to tackle economic and security problems since being elected a year ago. His supporters have insisted he needs more time.
Read in browser » Firefighters tackle 'largest blaze'
By Anonymous on Jul 01, 2013 03:34 am 30 June 2013 Last updated at 23:45 ET 
Thirty-five fire engines have been sent to the scene off Dartmouth Road
A fire involving 50,000 tonnes of plastic recycling material and a factory unit in the West Midlands has been declared "a major incident".
The fire service said 150 firefighters were at the scene in Smethwick.
A plume of smoke is rising 6,000ft into the air. Birmingham International Airport has been alerted although there is currently no impact on flights.
The incident is on an industrial estate, but the closest residents are being advised to keep windows closed.
Crews are expecting to be at the scene off Dartmouth Road for days.
The fire service said its control centre had received more than 200 calls about the blaze and urged people to call 999 only if really necessary.
Jack Awal said he could see the fire from his home a couple of miles away in Handsworth.
He said: "I heard a loud bang and went outside to see what it was.
"I immediately recognised where the smoke was coming from. I knew it had to be a factory.
"It was like a scene from a movie. There were so many large explosions and loud bangs. It was like a firework display - there were loud crackles and bangs every few seconds."
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Read in browser » Cameron 'can't stop MPs' pay rise'
By Anonymous on Jun 30, 2013 10:01 pm 30 June 2013 Last updated at 22:01 ET 
The prime minister has urged the independent standards body to "show restraint"
David Cameron has been warned he will not be able to block plans for a big pay rise for MPs, the BBC understands.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority is expected to say backbench MPs' £66,000 salaries should rise to over £70,000 after the next election.
The prime minister has said such a plan would be "unthinkable".
But the BBC's Nick Robinson said the PM could not block the recommendations and advisers had warned him MPs would reject any bid to do so in the Commons.
Our correspondent added that the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority's (Ipsa) recommendation would be "likely to cause outrage from voters at a time when there is significant pay restraint in the public and private sectors".
'Show restraint' Ipsa, which was set up as an independent body to regulate MPs' pay and pensions in the wake of the expenses scandal, is expected to announce its initial recommendations this month.
Continue reading the main story "Start Quote
What must have seemed a good idea at the time of the MPs' expenses scandal is now giving the prime minister a political migraine"
End Quote MPs and members of the public will be able to take part in a consultation before Ipsa publishes its final recommendations - expected in the autumn - which would then come into force without the need for further legislation.
Reports in several newspapers this weekend suggest its initial recommendations will call for a rise of about 15% in the basic salary of a backbench MP from £66,396 to a sum closer to £75,000. MPs would however have to pay much higher contributions towards their pensions.
Speaking in Pakistan, Mr Cameron said he did not know what Ipsa would say but added: "Whatever Ipsa recommends we can't see the cost of politics or Westminster going up. We should see the cost of Westminster go down.
"Anything would be unthinkable unless the cost of politics was frozen and cut, so I'll wait and see what Ipsa have to say. What I said to Ipsa was that restraint is necessary."
And the Mail on Sunday reported that a source close to Labour leader Ed Miliband had said: "We will view any rise for MPs in the light of the current climate of economic austerity.
"It has to be seen in the context of the decision to limit public sector workers' pay increases to 1% and the fact that some private sector workers have had their pay cut."
Nick Clegg has also urged restraint.
The Commons voted against a 1% pay rise in 2011 and last year agreed to extend the pay freeze into 2013.
But in an anonymous online survey of 100 MPs conducted for Ipsa - the results of which were published in January - 69% said they were underpaid.
The average level suggested for the appropriate level of pay was £86,250.
Matthew Sinclair, of the Taxpayers' Alliance which campaigns for lower taxes, said there would be public outrage should the rises go ahead.
He said: "MPs are already very well paid both in terms of European politicians and the average salary in this country.
"It would be particularly egregious for politicians to be handed a whopping great pay rise while hard-pressed taxpayers tighten their own belts.
"Ipsa must recognise that its own polling shows the public simply do not support an increase, nor would it be consistent for MPs to take a rise while rightly freezing pay elsewhere in the public sector."
Read in browser » 'Cut police pensions' for misconduct
By Anonymous on Jun 30, 2013 07:45 pm 30 June 2013 Last updated at 19:45 ET 
The MPs recommended a scale of fines be introduced for police misconduct
Police officers who commit serious misconduct should have their pensions docked, a group of MPs has said.
The Home Affairs Select Committee also called for a new code of ethics for all officers in England and Wales.
Its report comes after the "plebgate" affair and a series of allegations about the conduct of undercover police.
The Police Federation said integrity in policing was "paramount", but it was yet to be convinced a new code of ethics would make a difference.
The committee said there were currently at least eight investigations under way as a result of police failings, which had so far cost £23m.
And last week, it was alleged that undercover Metropolitan Police officers attempted to smear the family of Stephen Lawrence in the wake of his murder.
'Nose clean' The MPs recommended that the recently-formed professional standards body, the College of Policing, should "establish a scale of fines which should be docked from officers' pensions in cases of the most grave misconduct".
Continue reading the main story Police under scrutiny
The MPs cite a number of investigations currently ongoing into suspected police failings, including:
- Operation Alice - into the plebgate affair involving former minister Andrew Mitchell
- Hillsborough - into an alleged cover-up of police misconduct after the disaster
- Cleveland - into a series of cases of "alleged corruption and incompetence" at the force
- Operation Herne - into the conduct of undercover officers within the Met Police
- Operation Elveden - into alleged corrupt payments by journalists to police and other public officials
- "Gaming the crime statistics" - into whether forces have been manipulating the crime recording figures to make themselves appear more successful
One officer told the committee that colleagues tempted to commit wrongdoing often weighed up what they stood to lose and their pension was seen as a big financial incentive to "keep your nose clean".
But the committee said it had learned of numerous cases where police officers facing corruption allegations had retired to avoid disciplinary proceedings and had suffered no financial penalty.
It cited the example of Sir Norman Bettison, former chief constable of West Yorkshire, who stepped down while facing a disciplinary investigation for gross misconduct charges relating to the Hillsborough disaster.
The report said there was currently no way to prevent such resignations, although the government is planning to change the system so that all disciplinary hearings will be taken to their conclusions even if the officer in question resigns or retires.
The committee also recommended that the College of Policing introduce a new code of ethics, and require all new officers to obtain a Certificate in Knowledge of Policing.
Labour MP and committee chairman Keith Vaz said: "Broken systems of accountability and a patchwork of police standards and training, have allowed a minority of officers to get away with corruption and incompetence which is blighting an otherwise excellent service with dedicated officers."
He added: "The days of Dixon of Dock Green are over. The new landscape of policing requires a new type of police officer ready to meet the new challenges."
'Highest standards' A Home Office spokeswoman said the government had already announced "a package of integrity measures to tackle misconduct and promote transparency and a more open culture in the police".
"Under these measures, the College of Policing will publish a new code of ethics and create a single set of professional standards."
From April this year, all regular recruits to the Met Police are required to achieve the Certificate of Knowledge of Policing, which covers skills like dealing with victims and witnesses, and arresting and interviewing suspects.
College of Policing chief executive Chief Constable Alex Marshall said it was working with forces to encourage a wider roll-out of that requirement.
A spokeswoman for the Police Federation of England and Wales, which represents rank-and-file officers, said it remained to be convinced "that creating a new code of ethics would be any more effective than that which already exists and one that we believe already demands the highest standards of each and every police officer".
"Further, there will be considerable cost in creating yet another discipline body within the College of Policing, along with forces themselves, the IPCC and the HMIC."
She added: "Integrity in policing is paramount, but knee-jerk reactions to historic cases and those involving an extremely small minority of the 134,000 officers who police this country with absolute commitment should not dictate future policy making."
The MPs' report also recommends that all forces publish details of misconduct hearings and their outcomes on their websites - a practice recently introduced by Scotland Yard.
And it calls for Home Office plans for a chief constables' register of interests - and a register of dismissed officers - to be implemented immediately.
Among the eight ongoing investigations currently being held into alleged police failings are Operation Alice - concerning the plebgate affair involving former minister Andrew Mitchell - and Operation Elveden, into alleged corrupt payments between police officers and journalists.
Read in browser » Brazil clashes during Rio cup final
By Anonymous on Jun 30, 2013 08:51 pm 30 June 2013 Last updated at 13:51 ET 
Despite the huge security operation, thousands marched towards the stadium
Protests have resumed in Brazil ahead of the Confederations Cup final between the host nation and Spain.
Despite a huge security operation in Rio de Janeiro, thousands marched towards the iconic Maracana stadium.
Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff will not to attend the event, reports say. She was booed as she opened the tournament two weeks ago.
The protests started nearly a month ago, sparked by transport fare rises, but quickly encompassed other issues.
Chiefly, there are grievances over the high costs of staging the World Cup, corruption and demands for better health, education and transport.
Earlier on Sunday a group of demonstrators tried to storm a Brazilian Football Association (CBF) building.
'Fifa - you pay the bill' But police kept them back and the group settled outside the building.
They demanded the resignation of CBF's president, Jose Maria Marin, accused of incompetence, and criticised the 2014 World Cup local organising committee.
In the vicinity of Maracana, several thousand protestors marched towards the stadium banging drums, singing and carrying signs with slogans.
The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Rio de Janeiro said different groups in the crowd had different demands: free public transport, "Fifa - you pay the bill", calls for the resignation of the Rio State governor, chants against forced evictions and corruption.
Traffic was brought to a halt as the crowd booed riot police vans and armoured vehicle patrolling the area.
The wave of protests began nearly a month ago in the city Sao Paulo after bus fares were increased by 10%.
But after heavy-handed police action, it spread to other cities and mobilised public opinion.
The rises in Sao Paulo and many other Brazilian cities were revoked after two weeks of protests.
By then, the demonstrations had turned into a nationwide movement for better education, healthcare and transport.
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