Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 21 Februari 2015 | 00.48
A Mafia fugitive who spent two decades living in Britain has been told he must return to Italy to serve a seven-year jail term.
It comes after Domenico Rancadore, known as "The Professor", lost his year-and-a-half battle against extradition.
The 65-year-old was told by a London magistrate that he must go back to his native country to serve his sentence for association with the Mafia.
Rancadore, who had been living in west London under the name Marc Skinner, has been released on conditional bail.
Rancadore pictured in 1994
He has seven days to appeal against the decision, after which he will be removed from the UK within 10 days, said an official at Westminster Magistrates' Court.
The mobster was first arrested on a European Arrest Warrant at his Uxbridge home in August 2013.
The house was surrounded by a fence and large hedge, obscured from view.
He claimed he came to England out of fear the Italian authorities would arrest him again.
Rancadore also said he wanted to give his "children a good life" and that he felt "their life wasn't secure" in Italy.
The home in Uxbridge where Rancadore had been living
He claimed he had changed his name to escape the notoriety associated with his father, Giuseppe, who was imprisoned in 1987 as part of the maxi trial which saw 475 Mafiosi indicted.
Domenico Rancadore was never convicted of murder but the Italian authorities wanted him to be returned to the country, after he fled in 1995.
Rancadore was tried in absentia and handed a seven-year prison term for his "Mafia association".
Italian authorities allege he was a leading figure in the Cosa Nostra, a Sicilian mafia group controlling Trabia near Palermo.
A top musician and conductor has been jailed for 11 years for sex assaults on his teenage students.
Philip Pickett used soundproofed music practice rooms to rape and indecently assault pupils who idolised him.
When one victim's parents complained to the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama, its principal took months to reply, took no action and suggested the girl take lessons elsewhere.
Pickett was allowed to continue his celebrated career as a leading authority on baroque music, touring abroad and playing concerts with some of the world's top performers.
Pickett was arrested two years ago over assaults in the '70s and '80s
He became a musical director at London's Globe theatre on the South Bank and founded the New London Consort ensemble.
The 64-year-old was finally arrested when one victim reported him to police two years ago in the wake of publicity around the Jimmy Savile scandal.
Video:Rapist Musician Speaks On Camera
He denied a string of charges from the 1970s and '80s involving sex attacks against young female students.
Pickett, one of the world's leading woodwind instrumentalists, was convicted of two rapes and two indecent assaults on three pupils. He was cleared of six alleged attacks on four others.
Judge Charles Wide described his crimes as "terrible".
"You were their teacher," he said.
"To a degree they were in awe of you, especially the schoolgirls.
"There is the location of the offences, the practice rooms of the Guildhall School of Music, soundproofed and dark. Even if they had shouted they could not have been heard."
One victim, who was 16 at the time, told the Old Bailey jury that during a music lesson in 1978 he demanded she take off her top "to work on your breathing" and then molested her. At her next lesson he raped her.
She did not report him at the time, but told her mother she did not want any more lessons.
In 1984, another victim told her parents of an assault and they wrote to the school asking for an explanation.
But the then principal John Hosier took months to reply and eventually told them he had received no other complaints, advising their daughter to find lessons at another school.
Mr Hosier, who is now dead, wrote to Pickett saying he was frustrated that the tutor had not contacted him to discuss the allegation, according to documents discovered by the City of London police.
Video:Det Supt Maria Woodall On Pickett
Det Supt Maria Woodall said: "Philip Pickett used his position of authority as an accomplished professor to abuse young talented women who were vulnerable due to their age and the fact they were pupils of his.
"He knew how difficult it would be for them to report his crimes to the school or to the police.
"His access to young women over such a period of time means there could be more victims who have yet to come forward.
"I would urge these people to contact the City of London Police."
Among former students of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama are Beatles producer Sir George Martin, the flautist Sir James Galway and the opera singer Bryn Terfel.
The school said in a statement: "Although these events took place several decades ago, this does not diminish our utter shock that a professional music teacher could abuse the trust placed in him by the school and its students.
"The Guildhall School wholeheartedly welcomes the verdicts. Justice has been done and our thoughts are with the victims of these dreadful crimes.
"The Guildhall School takes the duty of care of its students extremely seriously. Robust safeguarding procedures are in place at the school to ensure safe learning environments for all students and these measures are regularly reviewed."
Pickett lived with his wife in the pretty Cotswold village of Lyneham near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.
He tried to delay his sentence so he could attend music festivals abroad.
He was jailed last week, but a reporting ban was imposed until today when the Crown Prosecution Service decided to drop more charges against him.
Britain's most senior officer in NATO has warned that Russia could invade the Baltic States using tactics on display in Ukraine.
In a speech in London, General Sir Adrian Bradshaw said there is a "danger that Russia might believe that the large scale conventional forces which she has shown she can generate at very short notice as we saw in the snap exercise that preceded the take-over of Crimea could in future be used not only for intimidation and coercion but potentially to seize NATO territory."
The Baltic States consist of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania
Such a move, were it to happen, would invoke Article 5 of the organisation's constitution. This states that all NATO nations must come to the aid of other members in an act of collective defence.
It would bring the Alliance into direct conflict with Russia.
Video:Russia: 'Real And Present Danger'
Sir Adrian is known as DSACEUR - Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO forces.
"We are today seeing Russian conventional forces employed, albeit subject to continued brazen denials by the Kremlin, in eastern Ukraine to assist separatists to seize territory," he told an audience at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).
He added: "The threat from Russia and risk it brings of miscalculation resulting in a strategic conflict, however unlikely we see it, represents an existential threat to our whole being."
1/7
Gallery: Nov 1: RAF Redirects Russia Bombers
Typhoon fighter jets were scrambled to intercept Russian military 'Bear' bombers for the second time in a week, it has emerged (Pic: MoD)
The aircraft were were sent up from RAF Lossiemouth on Friday, 31 October, to escort the Soviet-era Tupolev Tu-95 aircraft (Pic: MoD)
A care home worker has admitted trying to murder three colleagues at a sheltered housing complex by poisoning them.
Melissa Swift, 23, who had also worked as a special constable with West Midlands Police, laced drinks that everyone at the care unit had access to with bleach.
She wept at Birmingham Crown Court as she also pleaded guilty to threatening to kill her estranged sister and another care home colleague.
In August last year, 32 residents and staff were taken ill with food poisoning at the Goldfield Court complex, in West Bromwich, with symptoms including nausea, diarrhoea and severe headaches.
One person who suffered stroke-like symptoms has since made a full recovery.
Detective Chief Inspector Michaela Kerr said: "Melissa deceived her colleagues and hatched a plan to cause ill to those she worked with as a result of some malice, for which we have never truly discovered the cause.
"She not only thought out a way of poisoning her work mates but also followed the plan through and administered bleach to their drinks, leaving them in the usual staff fridge where she knew they would go.
"The plan was dangerous, reckless and hugely alarming.
"There is nothing to have stopped anyone from consuming the drinks she tampered with and, given the nature of her profession and workplace as a care provider, she went against everything her dedicated colleagues worked for.
"Thankfully no one was seriously injured as a result of what she did, but the story could so easily have been different."
Police said Swift had sent anonymous threats in letters smeared with blood to her sister and a colleague.
A short time before her arrest, she left her role as a special constable.
She has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced in April.
An influential aide to Vladimir Putin was behind the sniper killings of 100 activists during protests in Kiev a year ago, the Ukraine president has said.
Petro Poroshenko's claim comes as the capital remembers those who died over three days in demonstrations against the then leader, Moscow-leaning Viktor Yanukovich.
The protests topped Mr Yanukovich's government but culminated in war in the east of the country, which neighbours Russia.
Who fired the sniper shots in Independence Square remains unclear.
But Mr Poroshenko has said police evidence suggested the Russian president's aide Vladislav Surkov directed "foreign sniper groups".
1/45
Gallery: February 2014: Barricades Burn In Kiev Stand-Off
Anti-government protesters walk past a burning bus.
The chief executives of Britain's biggest high street banks will be handed more than £3m in annual bonuses for 2014 but will see their payouts curbed after another year in which their employers faced heavy regulatory fines.
Sky News can exclusively reveal that the boardroom pay committees at Barclays, HSBC and Lloyds Banking Group are finalising the bonus awards, which will be announced alongside the lenders' annual results during the next ten days.
News of the payouts, which will include a £1.3m bonus for Stuart Gulliver, the chief executive of HSBC, will come just weeks before the General Election campaign gets under way.
Insiders said that Mr Gulliver's bonus had been cut from last year's £1.83m, with a substantial proportion of the reduction attributable to the £216m fine from the City watchdog for control failings in HSBC's foreign exchange operations.
Mr Gulliver was paid a basic salary of £1.25m and a "role-based allowance" worth £1.7m introduced to mitigate the impact of new European pay rules in 2014.
Video:HSBC Tax Avoidance Row Continues
In total, he was awarded a remuneration package in 2014 of about £7.4m including pension contributions and other benefits, HSBC's annual report will disclose on Monday.
Mr Gulliver made a public apology last weekend over the re-emergence of a tax evasion scandal at HSBC's Swiss private banking arm and is focused on cleaning up the affair, which dates back a decade, according to one insider.
His annual bonus is expected to be the largest paid to a UK bank chief executive for 2014.
Sky News understands that the Barclays boss Antony Jenkins will receive an annual bonus of approximately £1m, roughly 50% of his maximum entitlement.
A bank insider pointed out that during 2014, Barclays improved its capital and leverage positions - both measures of its financial soundness - while removing £1.7bn from the bank's cost-base, sending sent its shares up by around a third over the last year.
Mr Jenkins is expected to accept the award, the first time he has done so since taking over as chief executive in 2012, taking his total pay for 2014 to in the region of £5m.
City analysts are forecasting that Barclays' profits will be higher than in 2013, while as Sky News reported earlier this week, the bank's overall bonus pool will fall from just under £2.4bn to less than £2bn.
At Lloyds, Antonio Horta-Osorio's annual bonus will be just under £1m, according to an insider.
The figure would have been higher based on Lloyds' performance but was cut to reflect the bank's £220m fine for its role in the Libor rate-rigging scandal, a source said.
Mr Horta-Osorio, who was recruited by the Treasury in 2011 to run bailed-out Lloyds, is also in line for a long-term share award dating back three years that would be worth around £7m.
Lloyds hopes to announce next week that it has gained permission to pay a dividend to shareholders for the first time since the banking crisis.
The chief executives' annual bonuses account for only part of their overall remuneration packages.
Under reforms introduced by the European Banking Authority (EBA) last year, material risk-takers in banks now have their variable pay capped at 100% of their fixed pay, or twice that sum if shareholders have explicitly approved the move.
Investors in Barclays, HSBC and Lloyds have all approved the higher threshold, while RBS fought an unsuccessful private battle with the Treasury which culminated with it only being able to pay out bonuses equivalent to an employee's salary.
The new rules have led to almost all major banks operating in Europe, including the big four UK institutions, introducing 'role-based allowances' to contend with the European cap.
These count towards fixed pay but can be adjusted on an annual or in some more cases more frequent basis, leading to a review by the EBA which may announce further restrictions on their payment in the coming weeks.
Mr Jenkins' allowance is £950,000, which gives him aggregate fixed pay of £2.05m, while at Lloyds, Mr Horta-Osorio is paid a £900,000 allowance on top of his £1.061m salary.
The figures are clouded by the changing value of bank shares, which means that long-term awards made three years ago can be worth markedly more or less than they were at the point of their allocation.
The exception to the structure of the bank chiefs' pay deals will be Ross McEwan, who runs Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).
He is paid a £1m salary and from this year will receive a £1m role-based allowance, but is not entitled to an annual bonus following a decision by the taxpayer-backed lender to cease making such payments in order to minimise the prospect of a yearly public row over his remuneration.
Mr McEwan is, however, eligible for long-term share awards equivalent to the sum of his fixed pay.
None of the banks would comment ahead of the publication of their financial results or remuneration figures.
Police are trying to trace three schoolgirls feared to have run away from east London with plans to travel Syria.
The girls were last seen on Tuesday morning as they left their homes telling their families they would be out for the day.
Instead they met and travelled to Gatwick airport and boarded a Turkish Airlines flight which landed at Istanbul that evening.
Their families reported them missing when they did not return home.
The three are close friends and described as "straight-A students" at Bethnal Green Academy in east London.
The girls are students at Bethnal Green Academy, east London
Police revealed their names as Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and a third female aged 15 who is not being named at the request of her family.
Metropolitan Police Commander Richard Walton said the runaways are good friends with another 15-year-old girl who fled to Syria in December.
He said: "We are extremely concerned for the safety of these young girls and would urge anyone with information to come forward and speak to police.
"Our priority is the safe return of these girls to their families."
Mr Walton added the teenagers' families were "devastated" but there was a "good chance" the girls were still in Turkey.
Police are using Turkish media and social media to try and get messages to the girls.
The number of Westerners who have travelled to Iraq and Syria to join IS is thought to be about 3,000, including as many as 550 women, according to the London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue.
Mr Walton added "We are concerned about the numbers of girls and young women who have or are intending to travel to the part of Syria that is controlled by the terrorist group calling themselves Islamic State.
"It is an extremely dangerous place and we have seen reports of what life is like for them and how restricted their lives become.
"It is not uncommon for girls or women to be prevented from being allowed out of their houses or if allowed out, only when accompanied by a guardian.
"The choice of returning home from Syria is often taken away from those under the control of Islamic State, leaving their families in the UK devastated and with very few options to secure their safe return."
A family friend of one of the missing girls, named Sadek, told Sky News: "It's really sad what has happened.
"The government should try its best to help in any way to find out what happened and try to help the family as well.
"Maybe they need to educate people more, tell them about the risks of going to Syria, that it's not safe out there.
"They've told us a bit about how it's bad going there and whatnot. People do talk about Syria - but not so much in school."
:: Shamima Begum, 15
Shamima is around 5ft 7in tall and was wearing black, thick-rimmed glasses, a black hijab, a light brown and black leopard-print scarf, a dark red jumper, black trousers and jacket.
She was carrying a dark blue cylindrical holdall with white straps. She is a British national of Bangladeshi heritage and speaks English with a London accent. She also speaks Bengali.
:: Kadiza Sultana, 16
Kadiza is 5ft 6in tall, of slim build and was wearing black-rimmed glasses, a long black jacket with a hood, grey striped scarf, grey jumper, dark red trousers and was carrying a black holdall.
She is a British national of Bangladeshi heritage and speaks English with a London accent. She also speaks Bengali.
:: Third Missing Girl, 15
The third girl, who is not being named, is 5ft 6in tall, of slim build, was wearing black, thick-rimmed glasses, a black head scarf, a long dark green jacket with a fur-lined hood, a light yellow long-sleeved top, black trousers and white trainers.
She was carrying a black Nike holdall. She speaks English and Amharic.
Police have been working with their families and overseas authorities since they went missing in an attempt to locate them.
Officers have released CCTV pictures of the girls and have urged anyone who has seen them to contact police.
Two girls accused of stabbing a classmate to please fictional character Slender Man have described in police interrogations their plan to kill their friend.
They said they told their friend that they were going to go bird watching to lure her into the Wisconsin woods.
"People who trust you become very gullible," one of the girls told a police investigator in video obtained by local station WISN-TV.
The girls said they had made a pact with the fictional character
"It was sort of sad," the girl added.
"We knew it was going to be at my birthday sleepover. You have no idea how difficult it was not to tell anyone," one of the suspects said at one point.
The victim, Peyton Leutner, was stabbed 19 times last May in a wooded area of a park in Waukesha, a community about 20 miles west of Milwaukee.
"We told her we were going to get help, but we really weren't. We were going to run and let her pass away. So, we ran," one girl explained to a detective.
Peyton crawled to a path near the woods after her attackers left.
The girl, who was 12 like her attackers at the time of the stabbing, has recovered and is back in school.
One of the girls in court last June
Both suspects described the character Slender Man during their interrogations.
"He was tendrils that are very sharp," one girl said. "I see him in my dreams."
One said that they had made a pact with the character and that he would kill them and their families if they did not carry out the stabbing.
The two girls are charged in adult court with party to attempted first-degree intentional homicide. They each could face up to 65 years in the state prison system if convicted.
Their attorneys want their cases moved to children's court where a conviction could send them to a secure facility until age 25.
Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren said he intends to issue a ruling in the case on 13 March.
Evidence presented in court this week included one of the girl's mutilated Barbie dolls and a notebook where she wrote in one of the pages: "He still sees you."
Many US news outlets are refraining from identifying the girls in case they end up in juvenile court.
A convicted sex offender has won £20,000 damages over posts on a Facebook page entitled "Keeping our Kids Safe from Predators 2".
The High Court in Belfast concluded that information published by Joseph McCloskey on a page hosted by Facebook in Ireland "harmed the public interest, creating the risk of reoffending".
In 2007, the plaintiff, named only as CG, was convicted of gross indecency and indecent assault against a young girl and a teenage boy. He was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment but released on licence in 2012.
CG had sought damages and an injunction on the grounds that Mr McCloskey and Facebook had misused private information and were in breach of Articles 2, 3 and 8 of the European Court of Human Rights and therefore, guilty of actionable negligence.
Mr Justice Stephens held that both the host and operator of the page were liable for misusing private information and ordered the termination of the "Keeping our Kids Safe from Predators 2" profile on the social media site.
He ruled that information published indiscriminately could have threatened public order and incited violence and hatred, adding: "It was an attempt to hunt a sex offender, drive him from his home and to expose him to vilification."
The verdict at Belfast High Court could pave the way for similar cases
Mr McCloskey told the court he had "named and shamed" 400 sex offenders through the page, but denied being responsible for a witch-hunt or hate campaign, stressing that he included a disclaimer opposing violence and intimidation.
But the judge said other internet comments had provided an insight into Mr McCloskey's attitude and purpose.
In one, he stated: "Instead of Hunger Games, it should be Paedophile Games, we could hunt them down on live TV and slaughter them."
The judge made an injunction against Mr McCloskey, preventing him from harassing, pestering, annoying or molesting CG - whether by publishing, distributing, broadcasting or transmitting any information on Facebook or otherwise.
He awarded £20,000 damages to CG - £15,000 against Facebook and Mr McCloskey in respect of his postings, and £5,000 against Facebook in relation to postings by the father of one of CG's victims, who maintained a separate page.
Lawyers for the sex offender who issued the proceedings predicted the landmark verdict could pave the way for compensation claims by others who feel similarly aggrieved.
Outside the court, CG's lawyer, Kevin Winters, claimed the judgment represented the first privacy finding worldwide in relation to third-party disclosure by Facebook members.
An emergency meeting of eurozone finance ministers to discuss the Greek bailout crisis has been delayed as frantic negotiations continue on a possible loan deal.
The country wants an extension on its funding for six months to be agreed in Brussels but has rejected strict austerity conditions, which Germany has insisted must remain.
Talks between finance ministers have been held up as officials scramble to make progress behind the scenes.
Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem said there were difficulties but there was cause for some optimism.
"I do not have to tell you it's quite complicated... There is still reason for some optimism but it is very difficult," Dijsselbloem, who is also Dutch finance minister, told reporters.
"I will now go back to try to get the show back on the road."
Greek sources said Dijsselbloem, the IMF's Christine Lagarde and EU Economics Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici were shuttling between Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis and his German counterpart Wolfgang Schaeuble in an effort to find common ground.
"The officials are talking alternatively with the Greek and German ministers," one of the sources told AFP, adding the unusual situation reflected "the difficulties to make the two men agree."
As he arriving for the meeting, Mr Varoufakis said he hoped to see "white smoke" by the end of the day - an apparent reference to the election of a Pope.
Video:Osborne Warns Of 'Real' Risk To EU
However, a member of the Greek team, Elena Panaritis, told Sky News it was clear creditors wanted Greece to bleed and politics had got in the way of economics.
It has been suggested there is 80% agreement on the Greek plan - which Germany had previously dismissed as a "Trojan horse, intending to get bridge financing and in substance putting an end to the current programme".
Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras told Reuters he was "certain" his government's request would be accepted despite Berlin's objections and called for a "historic political decision" to seal a deal.
His anti-austerity government is seeking a compromise as it runs the risk of running out of cash and defaulting on its debts without agreement by the end of the month.
Video:Greek People 'Need To Suffer More'
Such a scenario could force it to leave the single currency.
Greece has ruled out the prospect of any deal under the terms of its previous rescue, citing its mandate from the Greek people who swept the anti-austerity Syriza party to power last month.
The formal Greek request pledged to honour all Greek debts and not take unilateral action that would undermine agreed fiscal targets.
The government blames the conditions attached to its €240bn (£178bn) bailout of hampering the country's recovery and leading to a marked deterioration of living standards.
1/20
Gallery: Art War On The Streets Of Athens
Athens has become a Mecca for street artists as anger grows over the impact of Greece's bailout deal with Europe
Wall paintings have sprung up all over the city reflecting the general frustration at rising unemployment and falling living standards
Written By Unknown on Kamis, 19 Februari 2015 | 00.27
A video has emerged of the moment a teenage boy playing 'chicken' was hit by a 40-ton truck.
The 14-year-old set off a fraction of a second behind his friend in a bid to run across the road before the vehicle reached them.
A dashboard camera captured the scene as it caught up with youngster and knocked him to the ground.
He is seen disappearing before rolling over several times in the road.
Amazingly the boy survived, limping off with just a badly-bruised ankle.
The collision happened on a country road on the A449 near Penkridge in Staffordshire.
The footage showed that the truck was travelling at 45mph - within the 60mph speed limit.
The truck driver immediately alerted police but was told no action would be taken as he was not to blame.
The maker of the vehicle video recorder, Smartwitness, said it had released the footage in order to make youngsters aware of the dangers of playing near traffic.
A spokesman for Staffordshire Police said: "We received a call at 1pm on 26 October 2014, reporting a collision involving an HGV and a pedestrian on the A449 at Dunston.
"Officers attended the scene. A 14-year-old boy was taken to New Cross Hospital with minor injuries to his hand and knee.
"The incident was looked into and no further action was taken against any parties.
"We would advise people to exercise caution when crossing any road and if at all possible use a pedestrian crossing.
"If one is not available please cross only when it is safe to do so."
Police are investigating whether any of the Chelsea fans who were filmed stopping a black man getting on a train in Paris can be banned from football.
The club has condemned the supporters' behaviour as "abhorrent" and said it will support any criminal action against them.
They are believed to have been travelling to the city's Parc des Princes stadium for a Champions League game against Paris Saint Germain.
The Metropolitan Police said it was aware of the incident and was working with the French authorities.
The Parc des Princes stadium in Paris
It said: "We will examine the footage with a view to seeing if we can apply for football banning orders, preventing people from travelling from future matches."
Footage on The Guardian's website shows the commuter trying to board a metro train at Richelieu-Drouot station in the French capital.
Video:PM: Chelsea Incident 'Disturbing'
A group of supporters are seen shouting and gesturing at the man and chanting "Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea", before pushing him away as he tries to step into the carriage.
When the man attempts to get on the train again, he points to a space where he could stand but is pushed back as he steps forward.
The fans then chant: "We're racist, we're racist, and that's the way we like it."
The supporters are also heard chanting: "Where were you in World War Two?"
Video:'Racist Undercurrent Still In Game'
British expatriate Paul Nolan, who filmed the incident, said: "He was obviously completely shocked when they pushed him off.
"I don't think he realised who they were. He then tried to get on again and got pushed off a second time."
The club said it would take "the strongest possible" action if members are found to have been involved.
It said: "We will support any criminal action against those involved, and should evidence point to involvement of Chelsea season-ticket holders or members the club will take the strongest possible action against them, including banning orders."
Video:Chelsea Fan: It Was Self-Defence
A Chelsea fan at the scene defended the actions of the group, insisting they were chanting about club captain John Terry and that other passengers were also prevented from boarding the train.
Mitchell McCoy said: "I'm not in the video but I'm on the carriage. We got on the train and at the station where the man was trying to get on we stopped for a couple of minutes.
"He tried to get on and a few people were pushing him off because there wasn't much space. You couldn't move.
"People were saying it was because he was black. It's not true at all."
Video:Ex-Chelsea Captain Condemns Fans
Mr McCoy, 17, said the song was about Terry, who was banned for four matches by the Football Association for racially abusing QPR's Anton Ferdinand in 2011.
The regulatory commission which ruled on the case stated that the Chelsea captain was "not a racist".
Kick It Out chairman Lord Ouseley condemned the fans' behaviour and said the anti-discrimination body would support any prosecutions.
Prime Minister David Cameron told LBC Radio: "This does look extremely disturbing and very worrying. It's obviously potentially a criminal offence and so I'm sure the French police will be looking at it very seriously."
Video:Chelsea Fans Condemn Paris Racists
UEFA, European football's governing body, also condemned the incident, but said it was out of its remit because it happened away from the stadium.
A French police spokesman said they had received no complaints.
Prosecutors in Switzerland have launched an investigation into allegations of money laundering at HSBC's Swiss private banking arm.
It follows a report that the bank turned a blind eye to illegal activities of arms dealers and traders in blood diamonds while helping rich people evade taxes.
Geneva's prosecutors said that the premises of HSBC Private Bank (Switzerland) in the city were being searched.
A statement said: "Following the recent revelations related to the HSBC Private Bank (Switzerland), the public prosecutor announces the opening of a criminal procedure against the bank ... for aggravated money laundering."
The prosecutors said that although the probe was against the bank itself, the direction it would take may be widened to include individuals "suspected of committing or participating in acts of money laundering".
Video:HSBC Tax Avoidance Row Continues
The announcement came just over a week after HSBC Switzerland found itself at the centre of a global scandal following the publication of secret documents.
The cache of files, made public in a French newspaper, claimed HSBC's Swiss private banking arm helped clients in more than 200 countries evade taxes on accounts containing £77bn ($119bn).
The files, which include the details of 30,000 accounts and the names of celebrities, were originally stolen by former HSBC IT worker Herve Falciani in 2007.
Video:HSBC Whistleblower Speaks Out
The documents were passed to the authorities in France and on to the HMRC which says it has subsequently clawed back £135m from some of the 3,600 Britons identified as potentially avoiding tax.
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which analysed the list for the Le Monde newspaper, said accounts were held by arms dealers, dictators' associates, diamond smugglers and other "outlaws".
According to the files, the bank's clients included former and current politicians from Britain, Russia, India and a number of African countries.
Video:Timeline Of Whistleblower's Claims
Those named in the files include people sanctioned by the US, such as Turkish businessman Selim Alguadis and Gennady Timchenko, an associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin who was the subject of sanctions over the Ukraine crisis.
A statement from HSBC said: "We have co-operated continuously with the Swiss authorities since first becoming aware of the data theft in 2008 and we continue to co-operate."
Last week, the CEO of HSBC's Swiss private bank Franco Morra said it had shut down accounts from clients who "did not meet our high standards" and that the revelations about "historical business practices" were a reminder that the old model of Swiss private banking was no longer acceptable.
Iraq's ambassador to the UN has asked it to look at claims Islamic State is harvesting human organs as a way of financing its terror campaign.
Bodies with surgical incisions and missing kidneys, or other body parts, have been found in shallow mass graves over the past few weeks, Mohamed Alhakim told the media.
"We have bodies. Come and examine them," he said. "It is clear they are missing certain parts."
A dozen doctors had been "executed" in Mosul for refusing to participate in the practice, he added.
Mr Alhakim accused IS of "crimes of genocide" by targeting certain ethnic groups as he briefed the UN Security Council on the overall situation in Iraq.
1/14
Gallery: Shia Fighters Battle IS In Iraq
Shia fighters, who have joined the Iraqi army to fight against militants of the Islamic State, take part in field training in the desert in the province of Najaf. Continue through for more images
Germany's government has been "overtaken by arrogance" in its approach to debt negotiations, a Greek government source has told Sky News.
The senior Syriza politician said Athens would call for an emergency EU leaders' summit if the Eurogroup failed to convene on Friday to discuss its application for a loan extension.
The new government wants separately to negotiate the conditions attached to the loan at a later date, which has been called unacceptable by German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble.
Greek negotiators say it is a "tactical manoeuvre" designed to give both sides more time to develop a new rescue package, which would would be less onerous on the Greek people.
Criticising Germany's approach to the talks, a Greek government source told Sky News: "Germany has been overtaken by arrogance.
Video:Pressure Tightens On Defiant Greeks
"It's like being back in the 1940s, being asked to surrender."
The €240bn bailout, which came with more than 400 conditions - including reducing the public sector, shrinking pensions and lowering the minimum wage - expires in 10 days.
There are fears that if a deal is not agreed in outline this week, then Greece could start to have difficulty servicing its debts.
That could lead to more capital being pulled out of Greek banks and a so-called messy default, which could see a return to the drachma.
A source told the Associated Press (AP) news agency that Greece will ask for an extension of up to six months of a loan agreement with the eurozone, on conditions to be negotiated.
AP says the source drew a distinction between a loan agreement and the full bailout programme, which the Greek government insists is dead.
Mr Schaeuble dismissed the suggestion of an extension, telling broadcaster ZDF: "It's not about extending a credit programme but about whether this bailout programme will be fulfilled, yes or no."
American rapper Afroman has reportedly been arrested after punching a woman in the face while he performed on stage.
Amateur video shows the musician, best known for 2001 hit Because I Got High, playing the guitar when the female fan begins dancing close to him.
He is seen swinging around and striking the woman in her face, knocking her to the ground.
TMZ reports that the woman was left crying and bleeding, but that the 40-year-old artist continued performing until the house lights were turned off at the show in Biloxi, Mississippi.
The website said the musician, real name Joseph Edgar Foreman, was handcuffed outside the venue and taken into custody before being released after paying a $330 (£214) bond.
A representative told TMZ the incident was totally out of character for Afroman.
A container ship on its way to Norway has run aground off the Scottish coast and is leaking fuel.
An operation is under way to contain any risk of pollution and free Lysblink Seaways, which has nine people on board.
The alarm was raised at around 1.50am on Wednesday when the vessel became stuck off Kilchoan, north of the Isle of Mull, in the West Highlands.
The ship, thought to be carrying paper, did not refloat at high tide at 4.35am.
Tugs are expected to try to free the vessel and the Tobermory lifeboat is at the scene. So far, no-one has been reported injured.
An emergency towing vessel will try to refloat the stranded ship
A spokesman for the RNLI said: "Tobermory RNLI's volunteer crew launched the Severn class lifeboat, Elizabeth Fairlie Ramsey, shortly after 3am to go to the aid of the vessel which was hard aground on rocks close to the ferry slipway.
"On arriving at the scene, the lifeboat crew established that whilst the vessel had sustained damage and was taking on some water, it was not in imminent danger of sinking. There are no reports of any injuries to the crew."
The ship was travelling from Belfast to Skogn in Norway when it ran aground.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has sent emergency towing vessel Heracles to the scene.
It is expected to arrive at around 2am on Thursday.
The RNLI is helping with the operation
The vessel's owners have appointed a salvage company and a commercial tug, which is thought to be heading to the area from Greenock, Inverclyde.
A MCA spokesperson told Sky News: "Counter pollution measures are in place as there is a small amount of fuel leaking from the vessel.
"Currently, there is a light sheen on the water's surface [measuring] two by two metres.
"An assessment will be made early this evening with regard to what course of action should be taken with regard to moving the vessel."
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Ukraine Troops Flee Key Town
Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from the town of Debaltseve following fierce fighting with pro-Russian rebels, the country's president has said.
Petro Poroshenko said 80% of his military units had left in a "planned and organised withdrawal".
Hundreds, if not thousands, of Ukrainian troops were believed to be trapped in the strategically important town, which links the two rebel-controlled regions in the east of Ukraine, Donetsk and Luhansk.
A pro-Russian rebel official cited by the separatist press service DAN earlier said hundreds of government troops were surrendering to separatist forces there.
The bodies of at least 13 Ukrainian soldiers have been delivered to a morgue close to Debaltseve, a morgue official said.
Twenty-two Ukrainian troops have been killed and over 150 were wounded in fighting in the town in recent days, it was reported.
Separatist forces claim to have taken control of Debaltseve
Russian television station Channel One showed the rebels hoisting their flag over a high-rise building in Debaltseve.
But Mr Poroshenko denied claims the pro-government forces were encircled, and said the troops were leaving with weapons and ammunition.
1/25
Gallery: Ukraine Troops Leave Debaltseve
Pro-Russian separatists take position near the eastern Ukrainian city of Uglegorsk, 6 kms southwest of Debaltseve
Pro-Russian rebels stationed in the eastern Ukrainian city of Gorlivka, Donetsk region, launch missiles from Grad launch vehicles
]]>
Pro-Russian separatists patrol a street in the eastern Ukrainian city of Makeyevka
]]>
Ukrainian troops pulled out of the besieged flashpoint eastern town Debaltseve after it was stormed by pro-Russian rebels in what the EU said was a "clear violation" of an internationally-backed truce
]]>
President Petro Poroshenko said 80% of units had left the town, in order to comply with the current ceasefire
]]>
The Ukrainian leader said another two columns were expected to leave the town, and added he was heading to the front line to meet soldiers.
"These actions have confounded Russia, which only yesterday demanded that Ukrainian soldiers lay down their arms, raise the white flag and surrender," he said.
"Despite the fierce artillery bombardments, so far we have information that out of 2,000 Ukrainian troops we have 30 injured."
Praising Ukrainian forces for "really socking it" to the separatists, Mr Poroshenko said he was going to the front "for the great honour of shaking hands with our heroes".
Video:Ukraine Army Confirms Withdrawal
Ukraine accuses Russia of supporting and arming the rebels, a claim Moscow denies.
The 10-month conflict has left more than 5,000 people dead.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Ukraine to admit defeat in Debaltseve, saying "the only choice" of the troops was to "leave behind weaponry, lay down arms and surrender."
Associated Press reporters on the road to the government-controlled town of Artemivsk reported seeing several dozen Ukrainian troops retreating from Debaltseve.
Video:Fighting Goes On Despite Ceasefire
AFP journalists also saw dozens of tanks and vehicles carrying haggard soldiers leaving.
Separatist forces have been claiming they control the town, and at one point offered Ukrainian troops the chance to surrender and lay down their weapons, which Kiev denied.
A rebel military spokesman, Eduard Basurin, told Russian television that more than 300 Ukrainian soldiers had surrendered, the Interfax news agency reported.
Kiev has admitted that soldiers have been taken prisoner, but has not said how many.
Video:US Ambassador Lambasts Russia
Fighting has continued there despite a ceasefire coming into force at the weekend.
Russia's Interfax news agency reported that pro-Moscow rebels have started to withdraw heavy weapons from areas they control in eastern Ukraine where the ceasefire was holding.
The rebels say that the agreement negotiated by Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France last week does not apply to Debaltseve.
The leaders of those four countries will speak by phone later about the crisis, French government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said.
Video:Mortar Fire Explodes Gas Pipeline
Recommended by Outbrain Recommended by Outbrain
Top Stories
Race Row Chelsea Fans May Face Match Ban
Raid On HSBC's Private Bank In Switzerland
Video: Teenager Playing 'Chicken' Hit By Truck
Greek Insider Likens 'Arrogant' Germany To Nazis
Rapper Afroman Filmed Punching Woman In Face
Ukrainian Troops Withdraw From Key Town
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Ukraine Troops Flee Key Town
Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from the town of Debaltseve following fierce fighting with pro-Russian rebels, the country's president has said.
Petro Poroshenko said 80% of his military units had left in a "planned and organised withdrawal".
Hundreds, if not thousands, of Ukrainian troops were believed to be trapped in the strategically important town, which links the two rebel-controlled regions in the east of Ukraine, Donetsk and Luhansk.
A pro-Russian rebel official cited by the separatist press service DAN earlier said hundreds of government troops were surrendering to separatist forces there.
The bodies of at least 13 Ukrainian soldiers have been delivered to a morgue close to Debaltseve, a morgue official said.
Twenty-two Ukrainian troops have been killed and over 150 were wounded in fighting in the town in recent days, it was reported.
Separatist forces claim to have taken control of Debaltseve
Russian television station Channel One showed the rebels hoisting their flag over a high-rise building in Debaltseve.
But Mr Poroshenko denied claims the pro-government forces were encircled, and said the troops were leaving with weapons and ammunition.
1/25
Gallery: Ukraine Troops Leave Debaltseve
Pro-Russian separatists take position near the eastern Ukrainian city of Uglegorsk, 6 kms southwest of Debaltseve
Pro-Russian rebels stationed in the eastern Ukrainian city of Gorlivka, Donetsk region, launch missiles from Grad launch vehicles
]]>
Pro-Russian separatists patrol a street in the eastern Ukrainian city of Makeyevka
]]>
Ukrainian troops pulled out of the besieged flashpoint eastern town Debaltseve after it was stormed by pro-Russian rebels in what the EU said was a "clear violation" of an internationally-backed truce
]]>
President Petro Poroshenko said 80% of units had left the town, in order to comply with the current ceasefire
]]>
The Ukrainian leader said another two columns were expected to leave the town, and added he was heading to the front line to meet soldiers.
"These actions have confounded Russia, which only yesterday demanded that Ukrainian soldiers lay down their arms, raise the white flag and surrender," he said.
"Despite the fierce artillery bombardments, so far we have information that out of 2,000 Ukrainian troops we have 30 injured."
Praising Ukrainian forces for "really socking it" to the separatists, Mr Poroshenko said he was going to the front "for the great honour of shaking hands with our heroes".
Video:Ukraine Army Confirms Withdrawal
Ukraine accuses Russia of supporting and arming the rebels, a claim Moscow denies.
The 10-month conflict has left more than 5,000 people dead.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Ukraine to admit defeat in Debaltseve, saying "the only choice" of the troops was to "leave behind weaponry, lay down arms and surrender."
Associated Press reporters on the road to the government-controlled town of Artemivsk reported seeing several dozen Ukrainian troops retreating from Debaltseve.
Video:Fighting Goes On Despite Ceasefire
AFP journalists also saw dozens of tanks and vehicles carrying haggard soldiers leaving.
Separatist forces have been claiming they control the town, and at one point offered Ukrainian troops the chance to surrender and lay down their weapons, which Kiev denied.
A rebel military spokesman, Eduard Basurin, told Russian television that more than 300 Ukrainian soldiers had surrendered, the Interfax news agency reported.
Kiev has admitted that soldiers have been taken prisoner, but has not said how many.
Video:US Ambassador Lambasts Russia
Fighting has continued there despite a ceasefire coming into force at the weekend.
Russia's Interfax news agency reported that pro-Moscow rebels have started to withdraw heavy weapons from areas they control in eastern Ukraine where the ceasefire was holding.
The rebels say that the agreement negotiated by Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France last week does not apply to Debaltseve.
The leaders of those four countries will speak by phone later about the crisis, French government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said.
Missouri authorities have released the video of a bus shooting in which a teenage girl was injured, as they hunt for the suspect.
The surveillance footage released by Kansas City Area Transit Authority shows a city bus rolling down a street when a man suddenly pulls out a gun tucked in his pocket and fires several times into the moving bus.
The man, wearing a hooded sweatshirt and dark trousers, appeared to be waiting at a bus stop.
The bus' windows were instantly shattered.
The bullets shattered the glass and the two passengers run for cover
Police say a 15-year-old girl and her apparent boyfriend quickly jumped out of their seats as bullets and pieces of glass flew all around them.
The girl was injured but reports said that she has recovered in the aftermath of the shooting, which took place on 30 December.
The video has just been released, with police hoping it might help them locate the suspect.
Detectives suspect the girl's boyfriend might have been the intended victim.
"We're still putting together the pieces of the puzzle," Police Captain Derek McCollum told ABC.
"But from what we understand is that this was not a random act and our victim may know who that suspect is."
Firefighters were called to tackle a blaze on the set of EastEnders in a real life-drama in Albert Square.
It was believed to have been started accidentally by a firework on Tuesday night after rehearsals had finished.
Fire crews were alerted shortly after 11pm to put out the blaze in one of the houses at Elstree Studios.
No one was hurt in the fire which happened on the first floor and roof of the building.
It was extinguished quickly before it caused any serious damage to the set, crews added.
Fire crews were called to Elstree Studios shortly after 11pm on Tuesday
The blaze will not affect this week's 30th anniversary celebrations of the show, which include a live episode on Friday and the unmasking of Lucy Beale's murderer.
A spokeswoman for the programme said: "There was a very small fire on set on Tuesday night after rehearsals had finished.
"It has not affected any #EELive week plans and nobody was harmed."
Area commander Ian Parkhouse said: "Thanks to the hard work of our firefighters, the fire was contained and extinguished before it could cause any serious damage to the set.
"We're pleased that we were able to deal with this incident quickly, so it shouldn't affect the 30-year celebrations taking place this week."
