PM urges firms to block abuse images
By Anonymous on Jul 21, 2013 03:43 am 20 July 2013 Last updated at 19:01 ET 
There have been high profile cases where offenders had searched for child abuse images online
The prime minister has warned companies they need to act to block access to child abuse images on the internet or face legal controls.
David Cameron told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show search firms like Google needed to do more to block "depraved and disgusting" search terms.
Google said when it discovers child abuse images it acts to remove them.
It is one of a number of firms which recently agreed on measures to step up the hunt for abusive images.
In June, the government said Google and others including Yahoo!, Microsoft, Twitter and Facebook would allow the Internet Watch Foundation to proactively search out abusive images, rather than just acting upon reports it receives.
'Big argument' But the prime minister said in the interview to be broadcast on Sunday that while internet providers and search companies were making some progress, he wanted search companies to block certain search terms from providing results.
"I think it's wrong that they should get results and we need to have very, very strong conversations with those companies about saying 'No, you shouldn't provide results for some terms that are so depraved and disgusting.'
"I think there's going to be a big argument there, and if we don't get what we need we'll have to look at legislation."
He added that the extra steps he is demanding represented "an argument on behalf of Britain's parents and children I'm prepared to have".
A spokesman from Google responded, saying: "We have a zero tolerance attitude to child sexual abuse imagery. Whenever we discover it, we respond quickly to remove and report it.
"We recently donated $5m (£3.3m) to help combat this problem and are committed to continuing the dialogue with the government on these issues."
Child protection experts say most illegal child abuse images are hidden and not available via search engines, the BBC's technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones reported.
The debate about online images showing the sexual abuse of children has come to prominence following two high-profile court cases in which offenders were known to have sought child pornography online.
Mark Bridger, sentenced to life in May for the murder of five-year-old April Jones in Machynlleth, Powys, searched for child abuse and rape images.
And police who searched the Croydon home of Stuart Hazell, jailed for life in May for murdering 12-year-old Tia Sharp, said they had found "extensive" pornography featuring young girls.
During Sunday's interview Mr Cameron also said he would like to see more restrictions on access to legal pornography that can be seen online by children.
He said that as a parent he worried "desperately" about it.
"There are rules about what films you can see in a cinema, what age you have to be to buy alcohol or cigarettes.
"But on the internet, there aren't those rules, so we need to help parents with control," he said.
Find out more by watching the Andrew Marr Show on 21 July at 09:00 BST on BBC 1 or later on BBC iPlayer.
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Mosque blast suspect murder arrest
By Anonymous on Jul 20, 2013 05:16 pm 20 July 2013 Last updated at 16:24 ET 
One of two Ukrainian men being held over bomb attacks near three mosques has been further arrested on suspicion of murdering a 75-year-old man.
West Midlands Police said the arrest was in connection with the killing of Mohammed Saleem on 29 April.
They said the suspect, aged 25, had been arrested at 17:05 BST in relation to "a further act of terrorism".
Mr Saleem was attacked in Green Lane, Small Heath, in Birmingham after attending prayers.
Read in browser » Adebolajo 'pushed against window'
By Anonymous on Jul 20, 2013 05:35 pm 20 July 2013 Last updated at 17:35 ET 
Michael Adebolajo was injured during the incident in Belmarsh prison
Woolwich murder suspect Michael Adebolajo was forcefully pushed against a window by prison officers, knocking out teeth, his brother has claimed in an interview with the BBC.
Jeremiah Adebolajo said he spoke to his brother on an almost daily basis.
Five staff at Belmarsh Prison have been suspended and a police investigation has begun into the incident.
But the Prison Officers Association (POA) has strenuously denied its members did anything wrong.
The say the officers used approved restraint procedures.
Michael Adebolajo is accused of killing Fusilier Lee Rigby in May.
'Smashed his head' During the interview with the BBC's Tom Symonds, his brother Jeremiah said: "I wonder why it took five prison officers to restrain one man and how in the course of that restraint his teeth were able to be knocked out if they were following procedures.
"The suggestion is that procedures means that prisoners' teeth are going to be knocked out."
Jeremiah Adebolajo said he speaks to his brother almost daily, and had also spoken to his lawyer, and to the governor of Belmarsh Prison. He had also discussed the incident with the suspect's sister - who received a call from Michael Adebolajo minutes after it happened.
According to Jeremiah Adebolajo his brother said five officers at a time are present when dealing with him and he is never in contact with any other prisoner. He says the altercation began when Michael Adebolajo was given an instruction by one of the guards.
"They decided to twist his arm back... the arm that had been shot.... He manoeuvred out of that so they smashed his head against a window," he said.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Saturday, POA chairman Peter McParlin said: "The reports that were initially put out to the press were saying that the prisoner had been attacked.
"Prison staff do not attack prisoners. We feel that the Ministry of Justice missed an opportunity to correct false reporting of events at Belmarsh."
He said that, although restraint techniques were designed to minimise injuries to staff and prisoners, "sometimes there are unforeseen consequences in any violent incident".
'Control and restraint' Earlier, he had said: "We are absolutely confident, having spoken to our members, that they will have been found to have done absolutely nothing wrong at all.
"The fact that that prisoner has a certain amount of notoriety makes no difference to them, because they're professionals, and they deal with every prisoner in the same way, using control and restraint, which are officially accepted methods to be used within prison, when dealing with prisoners on occasion that need to be restrained."
The POA says the incident was covered by CCTV cameras which would show clearly what had happened.
According to Ministry of Justice guidelines for the prison service, "control and restraint techniques" must only be used as a "last resort after all other means of de-escalating (e.g. persuasion or negotiation) the incident, not involving the use of force, have been repeatedly tried and failed".
"Staff must continue to attempt to de-escalate the situation throughout the incident with the aim of releasing holds and locks," the guidelines continue.
"The application of C&R holds may cause pain to a prisoner and if the prisoner is compliant, the holds must be relaxed."
A police spokesman said: "We can confirm that an allegation of assault was passed to the Metropolitan Police Service on 17 July by Belmarsh Prison. An investigation has been started."
A prison service spokesman said five members of staff had been suspended "while the police investigation is ongoing".
Prison Service procedures state that this should only happen in 'exceptional cases'.
Michael Adebolajo was not given immediate medical treatment for the injury to his mouth following the incident and Jeremiah Adebolajo said he found that "strange".
However, a Prison Service spokesperson said: "Following an incident at Belmarsh prison on 17 July a doctor attended. The prisoner refused medical treatment initially but was subsequently treated by healthcare staff."
The Prison Service would not comment further on the allegations made by Jeremiah Adebolajo.
Read in browser » Rallies in US over Zimmerman verdict
By Anonymous on Jul 20, 2013 09:01 pm 20 July 2013 Last updated at 14:16 ET 
Trayvon Martin's mother was among those to address supporters in New York
Protests are under way in dozens of American cities, a week after George Zimmerman was cleared of murdering unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin.
Protesters want federal charges to be brought against Mr Zimmerman, 29, over the February 2012 incident.
A Florida jury agreed that the neighbourhood watch volunteer killed the 17 year-old in self-defence.
In his first comments, President Barack Obama admitted many black men in the US experienced racial profiling.
The protests against the court's decision are being led by the National Action Network, headed by civil rights activist the Reverend Al Sharpton.
Thousands are gathering for "Justice for Trayvon" rallies outside federal court buildings in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and New York.
Mr Sharpton told supporters on Saturday morning in Manhattan that he wanted to see the scrapping of "stand your ground" self-defence laws, such as that in force in Florida.
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President Obama: "Trayvon Martin could have been me, 35 years ago''
"We are trying to change laws so that this never, ever happens again," he said.
The teenager's mother, Sybrina Fulton, told the crowd: "Today it was my son. Tomorrow it might be yours."
Rapper Jay Z and his wife, the singer Beyonce, appeared on stage at the New York rally.
In Miami, Trayvon Martin's father, Tracy Martin, was among those who gathered to the words of the civil rights song We Shall Overcome.
'Could have been me' In an unexpected press call on Friday, Mr Obama said very few black men in the US had not experienced racial profiling.
Mr Obama said the pain that African-Americans felt around the case came from the fact that they viewed it through "a set of experiences and a history that doesn't go away".
He said African Americans were also keenly aware of racial disparities in the application of criminal laws.
"That all contributes to a sense that if a white male teen was involved in the same kind of scenario, both the outcome and the aftermath might have been different," Mr Obama said.
Continue reading the main story 'Stand Your Ground' laws
- Provide that people who fear for their lives can use deadly force to defend themselves without having to flee a confrontation
- Cited by Florida police after they released George Zimmerman without charge on the night of the shooting
- Allows use of deadly force if citizen believes it is necessary "to prevent death or great bodily harm" or "imminent commission of a forcible felony"
- Critics say they encourage a "shoot first" attitude
- At least 33 states allow use of deadly force in self-defence, according to Association of Prosecuting Attorneys
"When Trayvon Martin was first shot, I said that this could have been my son. Another way of saying that is Trayvon Martin could have been me, 35 years ago."
He shared his experiences of being racially profiled in the past, such as being followed while out shopping.
"There are very few African-American men who haven't had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars.
"There are very few African-Americans who haven't had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she has a chance to get off," he said.
Mr Obama called for the protests to remain peaceful, saying any violence "dishonours what happened to Trayvon Martin".
He said that although criminal matters and law enforcement were traditionally dealt with on a state and not a federal level, it would be useful to examine some state and local laws to see if they encourage confrontation in certain situations.
On Wednesday, US Attorney General Eric Holder cited the case as he urged a nationwide review of the "stand your ground" laws, which permit the use of deadly force if a person feels seriously threatened.
Singer Beyonce was among those at the rally in New York
The issue was never raised during the trial, though the judge included a provision about the law in her instructions to the jury, allowing it to be considered as a legitimate defence.
Trayvon Martin was shot dead by Mr Zimmerman after an altercation in a gated community in Sanford, Florida.
Last Saturday, the all-female jury of six found him not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter.
Read in browser » Israel backs 'vital' Mid-East talks
By Anonymous on Jul 20, 2013 03:08 pm 20 July 2013 Last updated at 15:08 ET 
More than 4,000 Palestinians are thought to be held in Israeli jails
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called the resumption of talks with the Palestinians "a vital and strategic interest" for Israel.
He thanked US Secretary of State John Kerry for his "great efforts" to bring the talks about and said he expected them to be held "in a serious and responsible manner".
Earlier, Israel said it would release a number of Palestinian prisoners
Initial talks are due to be held in Washington in the next week or so.
Mr Kerry's announcement of the talks on Friday ended four days of frenetic shuttle diplomacy, on this his sixth visit to the region in the past few months.
He declined to tell reporters what the two sides had agreed to, saying that the "best way to give these negotiations a chance is to keep them private".
But Israel on Saturday said it would release a number of Palestinian prisoners as part of the agreement, including some "heavyweight prisoners in jail for decades".
'Serious negotiations' Yuval Steinitz, minister responsible for international relations, told Israeli public radio that the deal adhered to the principles set out by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for kick-starting the talks.
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Quentin Sommerville reports on the latest development after months of shuttle diplomacy
The release of prisoners would take place in stages, he said.
While the number of detainees to be freed is unclear, one Palestinian official said discussions had earlier focused on the release of 350 prisoners over a period of months, including around 100 men held since before 1993, when Israel and the Palestinians signed the Oslo peace accords.
According to Israeli human rights group B'Tselem, 4,817 Palestinians are held in Israeli jails.
For their part, the Palestinians had committed themselves to "serious negotiations" for a minimum of nine months, said Mr Steinitz, who is a member of the prime minister's Likud party.
But he made clear that Israel had not accepted Palestinian pre-conditions, including a halt to settlement construction in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Continue reading the main story "Start Quote
Everyone knows, roughly, what must be done. But can all sides now do it? "
End Quote "There is no chance that we will agree to enter any negotiations that begin with defining territorial borders or concessions by Israel, nor a construction freeze."
Israel and the Palestinians last held direct talks in 2010, which were halted over the issue of settlement-building.
Settlements are considered illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this.
Palestinian officials say a core demand is that Israel recognises pre-1967 ceasefire lines but right-wing members of Mr Netanyahu's coalition had refused to accept talks based on the issue.
Read in browser » Storms expected after heatwave peak
By Anonymous on Jul 20, 2013 11:03 pm 20 July 2013 Last updated at 23:03 ET 
The UK heatwave will hit its highest temperatures at the start of next week, before giving way to thunderstorms and potential flooding, forecasters say.
BBC Weather's John Hammond said temperatures will reach 30C (86F) again on Sunday and as high as 34C (93F) on Monday in some parts of the country.
But from Monday evening through to Wednesday increased humidity will cause thunderstorms and risks of flooding.
The Met Office has issued a 24-hour rain warning for Tuesday.
The yellow alert covers all of Wales and all but the far north of England, and warns people to be aware that there may be disruptive storms.
A Met Office spokeswoman said large amounts of rainfall coming down in short periods on to dry ground could lead to localised flooding.
Rain expected The UK is in its first prolonged heatwave since 2006 - though Saturday was the first day in seven when temperatures did not go above above 30C anywhere in the country.
While the warm weather was welcomed initially following an indifferent start to the summer, it has had negative impacts, including grass fires in Scotland and Epping Forest in east London.
Continue reading the main story Too hot to sweat
Normally, when it is hot, the body copes by sweating.
As sweat evaporates, the body cools down.
But if humidity is high, that process is impaired
That's when you feel hot, sticky, and uncomfortable.
The NHS advises people to keep cool by wearing loose clothes, staying indoors in the coolest rooms and splashing faces and necks with cold water.
People with underlying health issues, particularly heart and breathing problems, are likely to suffer more.
And research by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has estimated there might have been between 540 and 760 extra deaths in England, and 60 to 100 in Wales, due to the hot weather.
The current heatwave has not matched the summer of 1976, when temperatures above 32C (89.6) were recorded on 15 consecutive says.
Indeed, Mr Hammond said that by the latter part of the week the heatwave will be over and rain was expected.
Met Office heatwave alerts are triggered when threshold temperatures - which vary by English region - have been reached for one day and the following night, and the level depends on the likelihood of those temperatures being reached again the next day.
In the four years since the current heatwave alerts system was introduced the Met Office has never used its top level-four category - "national emergency".
A Met Office spokeswoman said this would only be used after a long period of extreme hot weather leading to issues such as water shortages, infrastructure damage and deaths among "fit and healthy" people.
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