No bonus until 2015 for new RBS CEO
By Anonymous on Aug 02, 2013 03:42 am 2 August 2013 Last updated at 02:05 ET 
Royal Bank of Scotland has confirmed that Ross McEwan, the current head of the bank's retail arm, is to take up the role of chief executive.
Mr McEwan will take up the role at the start of October.
In June, incumbent Stephen Hester said he would step down after five years in the role.
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US pledges end to Pakistan drones
By Anonymous on Aug 02, 2013 02:52 am 2 August 2013 Last updated at 02:52 ET 
The use of drones is much resented by many Pakistanis who resent the high levels of civilian casualties
US Secretary of State John Kerry has concluded a visit to Pakistan by pledging to end drone strikes against militants "very, very soon".
Correspondents say his comments are intended as a message to ease anti-American resentment in strategically important Pakistan.
On Thursday Mr Kerry agreed to resume high-level talks over security issues.
The talks were stalled after 24 Pakistani soldiers were killed by the US on the Afghan border in 2011.
'Sovereignty violation' CIA drone strikes strikes have killed up to 3,460 people in Pakistan since 2004.
Most strikes take place in the troubled border region of North Waziristan, which is regarded as an al-Qaeda and Taliban stronghold.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who won elections in May, met Mr Kerry on Thursday.
Mr Sharif has consistently demanded an end to such attacks, saying they violate Pakistan's sovereignty.
His foreign affairs adviser, Sartaj Aziz, told reporters the US should stop the strikes "not just curtail them".
Correspondents say the issue is complicated by the fact that some Pakistani officials have been accused of criticising the use of drones in public while co-operating with them in private.
'Constructive and positive' "I think the programme will end as we have eliminated most of the threat and continue to eliminate it," Mr Kerry said in a television interview.
Continue reading the main story US drone strikes in Pakistan
- Bureau of Investigative Journalism has recorded 368 drone strikes in Pakistan
- Every strike has to be approved by US president
- Vast majority carried out under Barack Obama
- Four US citizens killed in strikes since 2009
"The president has a very real timeline and we hope it's going to be very, very soon," he said when asked whether the US had a schedule for ending the strikes.
Analysts say his comments went further than those of President Barack Obama, who said in a 23 May speech that drone strikes would decrease in "the Afghan war theatre" as US troops withdraw by the end of 2014.
The number of strikes has fallen significantly over the past 30 months - totalling 17 so far this year compared to 48 in all of 2012 and 73 in 2011, according to estimates compiled by the New America Foundation.
Speaking after meeting Mr Sharif on Thursday, Mr Kerry said their talks were "constructive" and "positive".
"We are here to speak honestly with each other, openly about any gaps that may exist that we want to try to bridge," Mr Kerry said. "Our people deserve that we talk directly."
Read in browser » Berlusconi rages at prison ruling
By Anonymous on Aug 01, 2013 09:07 pm 1 August 2013 Last updated at 21:07 ET 
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"We are living in a country... that doesn't know how to be just"
Italy's former PM Silvio Berlusconi has broadcast an angry video message after his prison sentence for tax fraud was upheld by the country's highest court.
Berlusconi said he was the innocent victim of "an incredible series of accusations and trials that had nothing to do with reality".
The court also ordered a further judicial review on whether he should be banned from holding public office.
Berlusconi, 76, is unlikely to go to jail because of his age.
He is expected to serve house arrest or carry out community service.
'Judicial harassment' The ruling by Rome's Court of Cassation, which he cannot appeal, came after a three-day hearing. Berlusconi was not in court.
In an emotional nine-minute video, Berlusconi denounced the decision as "based on nothing, and which deprives me of my freedom and political rights".
Opponents of Silvio Berlusconi celebrated Thursday's court ruling
"No-one can understand the veritable violence which has been reserved for me through a series of charges and trials that had no basis in reality," he said.
He described the more that 50 court cases he has faced as "genuine judicial harassment that is unmatched in the civilised world".
"In exchange for the commitments I have made over almost 20 years in favour of my country and coming almost at the end of my public life, I have been rewarded with accusations and a verdict that is founded on absolutely nothing, that takes away my personal freedom and my political rights."
He criticised the country's judicial record, saying: "Is this the Italy that we want? Is this the Italy that we love? Absolutely not."
It is the billionaire businessman's first definitive conviction after decades of criminal prosecutions.
The case concerns deals that his firm Mediaset made to purchase TV rights to US films.
Continue reading the main story Analysis
Alan Johnston BBC News, Rome
The courtroom dramas of Silvio Berlusconi are part of the backdrop to Italian life. The nation has watched around two dozen trials unfold over nearly 20 years.
But until now they have never seen Mr Berlusconi definitively convicted. And there can be no appeal.
This damning judgement will forever be part of his record - and he will surely see this as one of the darkest moments in his extraordinary political career.
But it could have been even worse: the judges did not uphold the order that would have barred Mr Berlusconi from public office. That will be re-examined by a lower court.
So Mr Berlusconi is certainly down, but not entirely out. He has been diminished and humiliated, but even now it might be a mistake to bet against him.
The former prime minister was sentenced to four years in prison at the conclusion of the trial in October last year, though this was automatically reduced to a year under a 2006 pardon law.
'Stay calm' The court at the time heard that he and other executives had bought TV rights at inflated prices to avoid paying taxes.
He was labelled the "author of a whole system of tax fraud".
The review of the lower court's five year ban on holding public office means Berlusconi can remain as a senator and as leader of his centre-right People of Freedom Party (PDL) for now.
The BBC's Alan Johnston in Rome says the former prime minister will be relieved that judges ordered a review of the political ban.
Berlusconi's political grouping forms part of Italy's coalition government. Prime Minister Enrico Letta needs both the PDL and his own centre-left Democratic Party to govern.
In a statement after the court ruling, Mr Letta urged "a climate of serenity" for the good of the country.
Italian President Giorgio Napolitano also urged the country to stay calm.
"The country needs to rediscover serenity and cohesion on vitally important institutional matters which have for too long seen it divided and unable to enact reforms," he said.
Appeals pending A former minister and ally of Berlusconi, Nitto Palma, told Reuters on leaving a PDL meeting that there was a lot of bitterness about the verdict.
Berlusconi remained at his Rome home, Palazza Grazioli, as the judges delivered their verdict
However the sentence would not affect the Letta government, he said.
Berlusconi's legal team said there were "solid reasons" why Berlusconi should have been acquitted, and it would "evaluate and pursue any useful initiative, also in Europe, to make sure that this unjust sentence is radically reformed".
Anti-establishment politician Beppe Grillo welcomed the court ruling, comparing the sentence to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
In a statement on his blog, Mr Grillo said Berlusconi had "polluted, corrupted and paralysed Italian politics for 21 years".
The three-time prime minister and senator has faced a string of trials since leaving office in November 2011.
Appeals are pending in other cases in which he was convicted of having paid for sex with an under-age prostitute, and arranging for a police wiretap to be leaked and published in a newspaper.
Two other alleged tax evasion cases, one of them involving British lawyer David Mills, expired under the statute of limitations.
Read in browser » Financial struggles 'have worsened'
By Anonymous on Aug 01, 2013 07:01 pm 1 August 2013 Last updated at 19:01 ET 
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Running out of money? Simon Gompertz looks how different areas compare
More than half of UK adults are struggling to keep up with bills and debt repayments, a major survey of people's finances has suggested.
Some 52% of those asked said they were struggling, compared with just 35% in a similar study in 2006, the Money Advice Service said.
In Northern Ireland, some 66% said they were struggling.
The effects of the financial crisis meant fewer were planning ahead and putting money aside for emergencies.
Cheap as chips? The Money Advice Service, a government-backed website, asked 5,000 people a series of questions about their finances. It also followed 72 families over the course of the year to see how they managed their money.
To assess the financial state of the nation, it is comparing the findings with a similar piece of work conducted in 2006 by the City regulator which, at the time, was called the Financial Services Authority.
Les Manning says people start to spend in coins, not notes, in the days before payday
The banking crisis and the subsequent credit crunch have changed the way people view and cope with their financial situation, the survey findings suggest.
Individuals were worried about their ability to make their money last until the next payday, the advice service said.
The English region where people were struggling to cope the most is the North West, the research suggested, with 60% of those surveyed finding it tough.
This was in evidence in Crewe, according to the owner of a local fish and chip shop who has started selling "more affordable" fish strips and potato fritters.
Les Manning, who owns Les's Fish Bar and has been in business in the region for 35 years, said squeezed budgets were obvious just before payday.
"At certain times of the month, trade moves from the restaurant to the takeaway," the 56-year-old said.
"The money in your till goes from £10 and £20 notes down to £1 coins and £5 notes. When they get towards the end of the month, there is nothing left to spend, really."
'Tough times' Stretched finances meant many people were not putting money aside, such as saving for a pension.
In addition, there was no money ready for dealing with emergencies, even though a third of those asked said they had suffered a financial shock in the last three years.
Individuals financial skills may have improved, but many still struggle
Some 21% said they had experienced a large drop in income, while 42% said they would have to think about how to cover an unexpected bill of £300.
The 2006 study raised concerns about how much people understood money matters. The financial crunch means that 84% of those asked said that they kept track of their money. Most who made a budget did stick to it.
Yet the latest survey found that 16% of those surveyed were unable to identify the balance on a bank statement.
"In theory, money management is easy - spend less than you earn and consider your future. But the difficulty comes when applying this in the real world," said Caroline Rookes, chief executive of the Money Advice Service.
"This report reveals just how difficult it is at the moment for so many of us, but also highlights ways we are adapting to manage financially."
A spokesman for the UK Treasury said: "We recognise that times are still tough for families, but Britain is holding its nerve, we are sticking to our plan and the British economy is on the mend.
"The government has taken continued action to help households with the cost of living, including cutting tax for 25 million people by raising the personal allowance and freezing fuel duty.
"This report shows that, despite these tough times, managing your everyday finances effectively can really help to make things a little easier, which is why the government continues to support efforts to boost people's financial skills."
Read in browser » Daniel murderers to be sentenced
By Anonymous on Aug 01, 2013 11:33 pm 1 August 2013 Last updated at 23:33 ET 
Daniel was locked into his bedroom for more than 30 hours before he died from a head injury, in March last year
A mother and her partner who subjected her son to an "absolutely wretched existence" before killing him are due to be sentenced later.
Magdelena Luczak and Mariusz Krezolek, were convicted of four-year-old Daniel Pelka's murder on Wednesday.
Daniel was beaten and starved by the pair and his emaciated body was likened by a doctor to a concentration camp victim, Birmingham Crown Court heard.
Luczak, 27, and Krezolek, 34, had denied murder and blamed each other.
During their nine-week trial, the defendants gave a different version of events about what happened to Daniel, who eventually died from a head injury.
'Poisoned with salt' The court heard that injury was one of 30 he suffered in the run up to his murder, which West Midlands Police said was "pre-planned and premeditated".
Jurors were also told how Daniel was left to die in his room - described as an unheated "cell" - for around 33 hours after suffering the head injury at his Coventry home, on 1 March last year.
The court heard Mariusz Krezolek and Magdelena Luczak worked as a pair
Det Insp Chris Hanson said that before he died "[Daniel] was beaten, he was drowned and he was poisoned with salt - it was an absolutely wretched existence".
During the trial, the court heard how Krezolek and Luczak, who came to the UK from Poland in 2006, hid the horrifying abuse by claiming Daniel had an eating disorder.
However, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said starving Daniel had been forced to steal food from fellow pupils and from school dustbins.
At time of death, he weighed just 1st 7lb (10.7kg) and had been reduced to the point of "skeletal emaciation".
Despite blaming each other, text messages between Krezolek and Luczak proved they worked as a team.
Serious case review One text from Krezolek encouraged Luczak to lock Daniel in his box room. Another, from Luczak, said she had nearly drowned him.
Krezolek, a factory worker, and Luczak were both drinking heavily and taking drugs, at the time of the abuse.
Daniel's death is the subject of a serious case review by Coventry's Safeguarding Children Board and a report is due to be published in the next six weeks.
The review will look at why police and social services did not get involved after staff at Daniel's school - Coventry Little Heath Primary School - noticed bruising on his neck and what appeared to be two black eyes.
Krezolek had denied murder and causing or allowing Daniel's death.
Luczak denied murder but had admitted through her counsel that she was guilty of causing or allowing her son's death.
Read in browser » Crackdown on Everest mountaineers
By Anonymous on Aug 02, 2013 02:15 am 2 August 2013 Last updated at 02:15 ET By Navin Singh Khadka Environment reporter, BBC News 
Expeditions on Mount Everest will be more closely monitored than before from next year, the BBC has learnt.
Nepalese officials say that for the first time, a government team will be located at the base camp.
They will monitor and help expedition teams, coordinate rescues and protect the environment.
The move follows embarrassing incidents on the slopes of the world's tallest peak, including a fight between sherpas and mountaineers.
"A need for a permanent government mechanism at the Everest base camp... [will] regulate mountaineering activities," Purna Chandra Bhattarai, chief of the tourism industry division that oversees mountaineering, told the BBC.
"The Integrated Service Centre will also facilitate climbers by offering them communication and safety related services."
Mr Bhattarai said that, starting from next year's spring climbing season, the team at base camp will represent the government's administration on the ground. Observers say it was getting difficult to regulate mountaineering activities from the capital, Kathmandu.
"When there is the presence of the government on the ground, the message 'violating the law is punishable' becomes clearer," he said.
Close scrutiny Current rules require each climbing team to have a government employee as a liaison officer during expeditions.
But there has been widespread criticism that designated liaison officers often do not even leave Kathmandu and there is no-one to regulate expedition teams on the mountain.
"And even when the liaison officers rarely went to the field, they were accountable to expedition teams only and not to the system [of government]," Mr Bhattarai said.
"Now personnel with the Integrated Service Centre will also do the job of liaison officers and that will include checking climbing permits and verifying whether climbers reached the Everest summit.
"Up until now, the information whether someone made it to the summit took time to reach us in Kathmandu while the rest of the world knew about it first through the media. That will change now."
Officials and mountaineering experts also said the new regulations would constrain what they say is a growing competition to set bizarre records.
They said climbers will be required to announce beforehand if they planned to set any record.
"We have had many examples in the past when climbers did not share their plan to set a record beforehand and they made the record claims only after they reached the summit," said Ang Tshering Sherpa, the immediate past president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association - a professional body of expedition operators.
"These days we see people trying to make bizarre records like, for instance, standing on their head or taking off their clothes while on the summit.
"These behaviours don't bode well for the dignity of Everest, which is a global icon," said Mr Ang Tshering, who is also a member of the committee that has recommended the new rules.
"And now the integrated team will make sure that expedition teams inform them beforehand if they intend to make a new record.
"The team will then let the climbers know whether the planned record-making effort falls within stipulated criteria set by the government."
Wishful thinking? The incumbent president of NMA, Zimba Zangbu Sherpa, said such criteria existed in the past as well and climbers were required to inform the tourism ministry of their plans to set records.
"That rule was flouted and now the idea is to strongly remind climbers what they can do and what they cannot, just when they are about to begin the climb."
Expedition operators, however admit monitoring what happens atop Everest will be almost impossible.
"If climbers still violate the rules, the administration will not be able to stop them because the officials at base camp cannot be expected to reach the summit every now and then," said Mr Zimba Jangbu.
But the integrated team members will now be expected to go above the base camp in case of emergencies, mountaineering experts who contributed in the new policy-making said.
In a clear reference to an alleged fight between European climbers and their Nepalese mountain guides on Everest last April, they said members of the official team could also have the legal authority to deal with such situations.
The new regulations will also restrict helicopter flights to nearby Everest slopes, officials said.
"Barring rescue operations, helicopters will not be allowed to fly to nearby mountain slopes as the vibrations and even the sound can cause the snow to fall, endangering lives of other climbers," said Mr Adhikary.
He also said rubbish management will be another major focus of the team.
Under the new rules, there will be no change in the expedition royalty fee - an important source of tourist revenue for the government - at least for now, he told the BBC.
Mount Everest sees more than 30 expedition teams every year.
Experienced trekking and mountaineering operators said the government's plan sounded good but the question was if it would be implemented.
"The idea of regulating mountaineers from the Everest base camp itself is great - only if the officials entrusted with the duty are regulated first," said an expedition operator.
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