Justice secretary says ‘all rape a serious crime’ after sparking furore when he gave impression there were ‘serious rapes and other categories of rape’ The justice secretary, Kenneth Clarke, is to “look again” at the proposal to introduce a maximum 50% sentence discount in return for an early guilty plea after a furore over his remarks on the sentencing of rapists. Under pressure from Downing Street, Clarke returned to the TV studios on Wednesday afternoon to make it clear that he regards “all rape as a serious crime” after sparking a major row when he gave the impression there were “serious rapes and other categories of rape”. Clarke did not apologise for his comments, but stressed that he now agreed with Downing Street that proposals to increase the maximum sentence discounts for early guilty pleas from 33% to 50% should be looked at again. He said he had not intended to cause any offence, telling Sky News: “Obviously, I don’t intend to give the impression, and didn’t intend to choose words which gave the impression, that all rape is not serious. “Every rape is serious. That’s always been my view, and that’s why I haven’t the faintest intention of changing the sentence for rape.” Clarke said he would look back at the transcripts of his interviews, adding: “Obviously it’s a mistake if I gave the impression I have any other views.” Both Clarke and his minister, Crispin Blunt, gave the clear impression in the Commons on Tuesday that the sentence discount plan – which applies to all crimes, including rape – had been given the go-ahead. The cabinet’s home affairs committee met to discuss the government’s sentencing reforms on Tuesday morning. That now appears to be back on the table. Whitehall sources suggest the final proposal may now exclude the most serious crimes, including murder and rape. Clarke had earlier taken to the airwaves in the face of a fierce reaction to the disclosure that he intended to increase the maximum discount for an early guilty plea for rapists from 33% to 50%. But instead of calming the row, the justice secretary’s media appearances and explanations only served to fuel the controversy. A rape victim broke down in tears after confronting Clarke when he appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live, telling him his sentence discount plan was “a disaster”. During other television interviews, Clarke appeared to claim that campaigners had only singled out rape because it injected a degree of “sexual excitement” into the argument over discounts for early guilty pleas for all offences. But it was his statement that no one convicted of a “serious rape” would be released as quickly as those guilty of some “date rapes” that sparked a political storm as the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, challenged David Cameron on the matter at prime minister’s questions. Miliband said: “The prime minister, when he leaves this chamber, should go and look at the comments of the justice secretary and then he should say to him very clearly the justice secretary should not be in his post at the end of today.” But immediately after question time, Cameron’s spokesman said Clarke was not going to be sacked but would have to clarify his remarks. The prime minister sought to distance himself from Clarke’s comments, and underlined the government’s commitment to increasing the rate of rape cases ending up in court. Downing Street said Clarke was under pressure from Cameron to clarify his comments. The prime minister faced down calls to sack the justice secretary, telling MPs he had not heard the interview and insisting the proposal to extend a reduction in sentence as a result of plea bargaining from one-third to half was merely out for consultation. “We have not yet decided which offences it should apply to or how it should be brought in. This is a consultation,” he said. Downing Street aides also insisted the domestic affairs cabinet committee had not yet finally cleared the sentencing green paper, and said there would be no relaxation of the penalty for rape. Kenneth Clarke David Cameron Conservatives Liberal-Conservative coalition Ed Miliband Labour UK criminal justice Rape Alan Travis guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …George W. Bush’s Yale fraternity has been suspended for 5 years by the university for threatening and sexist behavior. Officials ruled that the Yale DKE chapter had violated undergraduate regulations concerning “harassment, coercion and intimidation” earlier this year when pledges were instructed to chant phrases such as: “No means yes”…
Continue reading …Sales are up at a company that promises to look after believers’ pets after the Rapture, and the founder of “Eternal Earth-Bound Pets” says he has Family Radio to thank. The religious organization has declared that Judgment Day will be this Saturday, and if it occurs, Bart Centre’s company will…
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Mike Weightman denies being under political pressure after he said there was no need to curtail UK atomic operations An enormous row broke out on Wednesday after the chief nuclear safety inspector gave Britain’s reactor fleet the all-clear and made modest “recommendations” to be incorporated in the planned new plant design. Critics immediately accused Mike Weightman of rushing to judgment and “complacency” in his interim report on the lessons to be learned from the Fukushima atomic crisis. The safety boss said there was no need to curtail the operations of atomic plants in Britain, given that conditions in Japan were so different, but wanted a review of backup power supplies, ventilation procedures and plant layout. “We are not complacent. No matter what the differences are, and how high the standard of design and subsequent operation of the nuclear facilities here in the UK, the quest for improvement must never stop,” Weightman argued. The chief nuclear inspector denied he was under political pressure to keep the atomic bandwagon rolling in Britain, and said energy companies would need to take on board his list of 26 recommendations. “We are independent and do not operate under government auspices… We need to be open to the UK public,” he argued. “We are not just asking them [plant operators] to do things. We put the onus on the industry… Make no mistake: while I will seek reassurances from the industry, if I am not satisfied, they will not operate,” he added. The interim report – to be followed by a fuller report in September, following Weightman’s own visit to Japan, was demanded by the energy secretary, Chris Huhne, in the aftermath of the 9-magnitude earthquake and tsunami that battered the Japanese coast and caused an explosion at a nuclear plant, leading to radioactive releases . Weightman’s report was welcomed by Huhne, EDF, the French company at the forefront of plans to build new reactors, and the nuclear workers’ union, Unite, but came under attack from Greenpeace and other nuclear sceptics. Doug Parr, policy director at Greenpeace, said the regulator’s review of safety essentially concluded that the industry should go away and think about it. “Many people will regard that as complacent, given the huge cost and misery inflicted by the Japanese accident, and this cannot inspire confidence in Britain’s nuclear regulators. Even as the struggle to control Fukushima reactors continues, it appears Huhne has rushed to judgement on the safety of reactors to keep the timetable for new nuclear power on track,” he added. Paul Dorfman, an academic and member of the Nuclear Consultation Group , said it was an “outrage” that conclusions on Fukushima had been made while facts from Japan remained so sketchy and the crisis was far from over. He added: “There is really not enough information around yet to base any rational decisions on.” But Weightman, insisting he could still amend the recommendations in his final report, concluded that it was “not credible” to expect a Japanese-style earthquake in the UK, and he pointed out that existing and planned nuclear power stations in this country were of a different design from those at Fukushima. Flooding risks were unlikely to prevent the construction of new nuclear power stations at potential development sites in the UK, all of which were on the coast, he added. The government is reviewing plans by EDF and others to develop a new suite of nuclear reactors on existing British sites to maintain electricity supplies and cut greenhouse gas emissions as power stations of an older generation are shut down. Huhne made it clear that the report paved the way for new reactors. “I am pleased that today’s report confirms that the UK’s current safety arrangements are working. We want to see new nuclear as part of a low-carbon energy mix going forward, provided there is no public subsidy. The chief nuclear inspector’s interim report reassures me that it can,” he added. Unite, which represents 40,000 workers in energy and utilities, said the positive interim report from the UK’s chief nuclear inspector was the green light for fast-tracking newbuild. “The government must now publish its national energy policy statements without delay and get on with the job of creating the right environment for creating a low-carbon energy infrastructure fit for the 21st century,” said Kevin Coyne, Unite’s national officer for energy. “This includes commissioning the first newbuild nuclear power station for a generation at Hinkley Point.” On Tuesday, Germany’s environment minister, Norbert Röttgen, said the results of post-Fukushima safety checks on its nuclear reactors showed there was no need to switch plants off now . Röttgen said there was “no argument to say that we must get out of [nuclear power] in a hurry, overnight for safety reasons.” But he added that Germany was committed to phasing out nuclear, as announced by chancellor Angela Merkel in March: “It remains the case that we should find a way to give up nuclear energy as soon as is sensible,” he said. The end was approaching for Germany’s seven oldest nuclear plants, because they would not be able to withstand a large plane crash he said. Japan’s prime minister, Naoto Kan, said last week that the country was starting from scratch on its energy policy and was likely to abandon plans to increase the amount of Japan’s electricity provided by nuclear from the existing 30% to 50%. Nuclear power Energy Japan disaster Terry Macalister guardian.co.uk
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Leaked UN report says China was used as trans-shipment point to help Pyongyang breach weapons sanctions China has denied allegations it was used as a trans-shipment point in the trade of banned missile technology between North Korea and Iran, following the leak of a United Nations report. Beijing blocked publication of the review, which accuses Pyongyang of breaching sanctions designed to tackle its nuclear and missile programmes, Associated Press reported. China’s ambassador to the UN, Li Baodong, said it was still studying the document. Other diplomats said China was the only security council member that objected to its release. Britain’s deputy UN ambassador, Philip Parham, told AP there was “pretty broad support” for the report but China had problems with it. There has been increasing international concern over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes , particularly given high tensions on the Korean peninsula and concerns over the transition of power in coming years. The North unveiled a uranium enrichment plant in November and experts believe it has built a second launch site for long-range rockets . The report by a UN panel of experts – since obtained by media organisations including the Guardian – said North Korea appeared to have been sharing technology and expertise with Iran, violating sanctions. “Prohibited ballistic missile-related items are suspected to have been transferred … on regular scheduled flights of Air Koryo and Iran Air, with trans-shipment through a neighbouring third country,” the panel wrote. UN diplomats told Reuters that the unnamed country was China. However, assistant Chinese foreign minister Hu Zhengyue told reporters at a briefing today: “I completely deny such a view.” He added: “On the issue of denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula, the Chinese position is crystal clear … We have nothing to hide.” Earlier, foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu had said in a statement that the document did not have the authority of the security council or the relevant security council sanctions committee. She added: “China is conscientious and responsible in enforcing security council resolutions.” The allegations from UN diplomats echo a US diplomatic cable from 2007, saying China had to act “urgently” to halt a trans-shipment of ballistic missile components from North Korea to Iran via Beijing . The memo, signed by Condoleezza Rice – then secretary of state – urged the US ambassador to raise the issue at the earliest opportunity and at the highest level possible. It was one of the cables obtained by WikiLeaks and published by the Guardian . China’s foreign ministry said when the US cables were leaked that it would not respond to their content. The UN panel report said the implementation of sanctions needed to be improved, with North Korea becoming increasingly sophisticated in exploiting loopholes in transport systems and using methods such as shell and front companies. But it added: “Evidence suggests that the sanctions have succeeded in economic terms by raising the cost of illicit transfers while simultaneously lowering the returns to the DPRK.” North Korea has yet to respond to the report. China is the north’s main ally, but does not control it and has often been left frustrated with Pyongyang. Tehran is another important partner for geo-strategic reasons as well as growing bilateral trade and China’s increasing thirst for oil. But Beijing pledged to end civil nuclear co-operation with Iran in 1997 and has backed sanctions against both countries in recent years – albeit watering them down substantially. China North Korea Iran Middle East Nuclear weapons United Nations WikiLeaks US foreign policy Tania Branigan guardian.co.uk
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Leaked UN report says China was used as trans-shipment point to help Pyongyang breach weapons sanctions China has denied allegations it was used as a trans-shipment point in the trade of banned missile technology between North Korea and Iran, following the leak of a United Nations report. Beijing blocked publication of the review, which accuses Pyongyang of breaching sanctions designed to tackle its nuclear and missile programmes, Associated Press reported. China’s ambassador to the UN, Li Baodong, said it was still studying the document. Other diplomats said China was the only security council member that objected to its release. Britain’s deputy UN ambassador, Philip Parham, told AP there was “pretty broad support” for the report but China had problems with it. There has been increasing international concern over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes , particularly given high tensions on the Korean peninsula and concerns over the transition of power in coming years. The North unveiled a uranium enrichment plant in November and experts believe it has built a second launch site for long-range rockets . The report by a UN panel of experts – since obtained by media organisations including the Guardian – said North Korea appeared to have been sharing technology and expertise with Iran, violating sanctions. “Prohibited ballistic missile-related items are suspected to have been transferred … on regular scheduled flights of Air Koryo and Iran Air, with trans-shipment through a neighbouring third country,” the panel wrote. UN diplomats told Reuters that the unnamed country was China. However, assistant Chinese foreign minister Hu Zhengyue told reporters at a briefing today: “I completely deny such a view.” He added: “On the issue of denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula, the Chinese position is crystal clear … We have nothing to hide.” Earlier, foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu had said in a statement that the document did not have the authority of the security council or the relevant security council sanctions committee. She added: “China is conscientious and responsible in enforcing security council resolutions.” The allegations from UN diplomats echo a US diplomatic cable from 2007, saying China had to act “urgently” to halt a trans-shipment of ballistic missile components from North Korea to Iran via Beijing . The memo, signed by Condoleezza Rice – then secretary of state – urged the US ambassador to raise the issue at the earliest opportunity and at the highest level possible. It was one of the cables obtained by WikiLeaks and published by the Guardian . China’s foreign ministry said when the US cables were leaked that it would not respond to their content. The UN panel report said the implementation of sanctions needed to be improved, with North Korea becoming increasingly sophisticated in exploiting loopholes in transport systems and using methods such as shell and front companies. But it added: “Evidence suggests that the sanctions have succeeded in economic terms by raising the cost of illicit transfers while simultaneously lowering the returns to the DPRK.” North Korea has yet to respond to the report. China is the north’s main ally, but does not control it and has often been left frustrated with Pyongyang. Tehran is another important partner for geo-strategic reasons as well as growing bilateral trade and China’s increasing thirst for oil. But Beijing pledged to end civil nuclear co-operation with Iran in 1997 and has backed sanctions against both countries in recent years – albeit watering them down substantially. China North Korea Iran Middle East Nuclear weapons United Nations WikiLeaks US foreign policy Tania Branigan guardian.co.uk
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Defence secretary says departure of 170 navy training personnel will mark conclusion of Operation Telic Britain’s eight years of military commitment in Iraq will finally and formally come to an end on Sunday, when the remaining forces in the south of the country will withdraw. The announcement to bring to an end one of the most controversial military campaigns in recent history was made on Wednesday in a statement to the Commons by the defence secretary, Liam Fox. In total, the UK still has about 170 mostly naval personnel in Iraq, helping to train the fledgling Iraqi navy from the port of Umm Qasr. The contingent includes a few Royal Marines. That compares with the 46,000 British troops and other military personnel that were committed to the first phase of Operation Telic, the name given to the campaign to remove Saddam Hussein. In all, 178 UK service personnel, and one Ministry of Defence civilian, died in Iraq between 2003 and 2009. UK combat forces, primarily based in the southern city of Basra, withdrew in July 2009 but since then the Royal Navy has continued working alongside US forces to train 1,800 Iraqis. In his statement, Fox said that the UK-Iraq training and maritime support agreement “will conclude on 22 May”. He added: “British forces have been involved in this important task since 2003 and, under the agreement signed in 2009, Royal Navy trainers have developed the capacity of the Iraqi maritime security forces to protect their territorial waters and offshore oil platforms, which are vital to Iraq’s economic revival. “Having successfully completed their mission UK personnel deployed to Iraq under this agreement will now leave the country. This will mark the formal conclusion of Operation Telic.” Fox said that the UK would continue to train members of the Iraqi security forces in the UK, and contribute to the Nato training mission which remains in Iraq. “I pay tribute to all UK service personnel who have served in Iraq over the last eight years and to the sacrifices made by so many for the benefit of the people of Iraq and our national security,” the statement said. Fox said that this was “also an opportunity to reflect on the wider contribution of Britain’s armed forces to Iraq since 2003. Thanks to the sacrifice, commitment, and professionalism of thousands of British service men and women Southern Iraq is an area transformed”. The MoD issued two further statements on the withdrawal. Brigadier Max Marriner, commander British forces Iraq, said: “The UK armed forces can look back with pride at what they have achieved in Iraq since 2003 – security has fundamentally improved and as a consequence the social and economic development of the south has dramatically changed for the better, as too have people’s lives. “The Iraqi navy are ready, so now is the time for the UK to dress back and let them complete the mission they were created for.” Brigadier Tim Chicken, director, Iraq training assistance mission (naval), added: “Although conducted out of the limelight, the work of British forces in Iraq since the end of the combat mission two years ago, spearheaded by the Royal Navy, has achieved significant results. “I am confident that our work with the Iraqi navy has set the agenda for a fruitful, long-term defence relationship between our two countries and everyone here is very proud of the role they have played.” Iraq Middle East Military Liam Fox Nick Hopkins guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Defence secretary says departure of 170 navy training personnel will mark conclusion of Operation Telic Britain’s eight years of military commitment in Iraq will finally and formally come to an end on Sunday, when the remaining forces in the south of the country will withdraw. The announcement to bring to an end one of the most controversial military campaigns in recent history was made on Wednesday in a statement to the Commons by the defence secretary, Liam Fox. In total, the UK still has about 170 mostly naval personnel in Iraq, helping to train the fledgling Iraqi navy from the port of Umm Qasr. The contingent includes a few Royal Marines. That compares with the 46,000 British troops and other military personnel that were committed to the first phase of Operation Telic, the name given to the campaign to remove Saddam Hussein. In all, 178 UK service personnel, and one Ministry of Defence civilian, died in Iraq between 2003 and 2009. UK combat forces, primarily based in the southern city of Basra, withdrew in July 2009 but since then the Royal Navy has continued working alongside US forces to train 1,800 Iraqis. In his statement, Fox said that the UK-Iraq training and maritime support agreement “will conclude on 22 May”. He added: “British forces have been involved in this important task since 2003 and, under the agreement signed in 2009, Royal Navy trainers have developed the capacity of the Iraqi maritime security forces to protect their territorial waters and offshore oil platforms, which are vital to Iraq’s economic revival. “Having successfully completed their mission UK personnel deployed to Iraq under this agreement will now leave the country. This will mark the formal conclusion of Operation Telic.” Fox said that the UK would continue to train members of the Iraqi security forces in the UK, and contribute to the Nato training mission which remains in Iraq. “I pay tribute to all UK service personnel who have served in Iraq over the last eight years and to the sacrifices made by so many for the benefit of the people of Iraq and our national security,” the statement said. Fox said that this was “also an opportunity to reflect on the wider contribution of Britain’s armed forces to Iraq since 2003. Thanks to the sacrifice, commitment, and professionalism of thousands of British service men and women Southern Iraq is an area transformed”. The MoD issued two further statements on the withdrawal. Brigadier Max Marriner, commander British forces Iraq, said: “The UK armed forces can look back with pride at what they have achieved in Iraq since 2003 – security has fundamentally improved and as a consequence the social and economic development of the south has dramatically changed for the better, as too have people’s lives. “The Iraqi navy are ready, so now is the time for the UK to dress back and let them complete the mission they were created for.” Brigadier Tim Chicken, director, Iraq training assistance mission (naval), added: “Although conducted out of the limelight, the work of British forces in Iraq since the end of the combat mission two years ago, spearheaded by the Royal Navy, has achieved significant results. “I am confident that our work with the Iraqi navy has set the agenda for a fruitful, long-term defence relationship between our two countries and everyone here is very proud of the role they have played.” Iraq Middle East Military Liam Fox Nick Hopkins guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …The mother of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s love child has been identified as long-time family housekeeper Mildred “Patty” Baena. Baena, now 50, had the former California’s governor’s son some 10 years ago and lives as a single mom divorcée with the boy and her three other children outside Los Angeles, according to…
Continue reading …The Catholic Church’s requirement for all priests to be celibate is not to blame for the church’s sex abuse scandals, according to a study commissioned by and partially funded by America’s Catholic bishops. The study concludes that most sex abuse cases involved priests trained in the ’40s and ’50s who…
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