Chief admits officers got it wrong when they arrested Neil McIlwee and Yanan Sun at their wedding ceremony A newlywed in Northern Ireland has rejected a police apology after officers disrupted his wedding ceremony to his pregnant partner, wrongly believing it was a sham marriage. Neil McIlwee and his Chinese fiancee, Yanan Sun, were about to get married at Derry Guildhall on Tuesday when police entered the building and arrested them. Later, it turned out that McIlwee’s wife-to-be was four months pregnant and the couple were very much in love. Jon Burrows, the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s chief inspector in Derry, admitted his officers got it wrong but said they were acting in good faith. McIlwee, who is from Castlederg, said the apology would not make up for the distress caused. “It just doesn’t add up – something on that scale based on an anonymous letter and some paperwork faxed through about two hours before the wedding. It just doesn’t happen like that. So there’s a lot of questions that need answered and there’s a lot of people responsible for this mess-up.” Asked about the PSNI saying sorry, McIlwee said: “An apology? It’s just no good – apologies won’t give us our day back. It won’t make everything better.” After the PSNI realised their mistake and released the couple, they were married the next day. The police operation came 48 hours after a local Sunday tabloid newspaper ran a series of reports about sham marriages, involving local people and foreigners across Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland Police Henry McDonald guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Eight reported injured in blast which has damaged buildings including office of Norwegian prime minster Several people have been injured in a large explosion which has damaged government buildings in central Oslo, including the office of the Norwegian prime minster. A Reuters correspondent said he counted at least eight injured people after the unexplained blast. A photo posted online showed people looking on as smoke rose drifted through the streets . The caption for the picture said “an entire block exploded”. The tangled wreckage of a car was outside one building but the cause of the blast was unknown with police and fire officials refusing to comment. The explosion at around 3.30pm (2.30pm BST) blew out most windows on the 17-storey building housing prime minister Per Stoltenberg’s office, as well as nearby ministries including the oil ministry, which was on fire. Video showed the pavement littered with shattered glass . Norwegian news agency NTB said the prime minister is safe. Newspaper offices in the area were also reportedly damaged. The city centre – which usually empties in July as Norwegians take holidays – is currently closed off with all public transport to and from the centre suspended. More details to follow… Norway Europe Haroon Siddique guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Jude Law says reporters working for News of the World hacked into his phone while he was visiting the US, an accusation which could see Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. facing US charges. The actor has filed a lawsuit accusing the tabloid of hacking into his phone and that of his…
Continue reading …The LAPD has arrested two new men in connection with the near-fatal beating of a Giants fan at Dodger Stadium after clearingthe fan cops busted in May . Police chiefs had expressed confidence that parolee Giovanni Ramirez was the man they were after but they had struggled to build a case…
Continue reading …A New York City subway train erupted when a brawl busted out between women, and the baby of one of the fighters rolled out the door in a stroller. “Yo, the baby, the baby!” one man can be heard shouting on a passenger’s iPhone video as the carriage disappears and…
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Prosecutor rules Peter Flanagan acted in self-defence when he confronted four burglars, one of them armed with a machete A 59-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder following a burglary at his home has been released without charge after it was deemed he had used reasonable force after being confronted by four masked men. Peter Flanagan, 59, was detained after the death of John Bennell, 27, who died from a stab wound to the chest after a number of masked men, one of whom was armed with a machete, broke into Flanagan’s home. He had been due to answer police bail on Monday. Nazir Afzal, the chief crown prosecutor for the north-west, said: “I have today told the police of my decision that Peter Flanagan should not face any charges in connection with the death of John Bennell, an intruder who broke into his home in Salford on 22 June. “I am satisfied that Peter Flanagan acted in self-defence after being woken by noises downstairs in his house shortly before midnight. On investigating the disturbance he was confronted by intruders, one of whom was armed with a machete. “In a case such as this I have to ask myself whether the use of force was necessary and whether it was reasonable in the circumstances. People are entitled to use reasonable force in self-defence to defend themselves, their family and their property.” Greater Manchester police said they respected the prosecutor’s decision. Peter Flanagan’s 27-year-old son Neil and his girlfriend, who contacted emergency services, were also arrested following the incident, but were later released without charge. At the time of the burglary, John Bennell was on bail for another burglary in Staffordshire. His family have been informed of the decision not to pursue charges against Flanagan. Chief Superintendent Kevin Mulligan of Greater Manchester police said: “When presented with the circumstances of that evening we made the right and proper decision to make the arrests. We had a duty of care to John Bennell’s family, the occupants of the house and to the coroner to fully investigate this death to determine whether or not it was a criminal act or one of self-defence. I am satisfied that we provided the full facts of the case to the CPS and I respect their decision.” Martin Jamieson, 27, of Eccles, and Wesley Gibbons, 23, of Stretford, have been charged with aggravated burglary in connection with the incident. Christopher Troy, 23, of Hyde, is also charged with aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article. Crime Manchester Helen Carter guardian.co.uk
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Al-Shabab spokesman says specific agencies still ‘not welcome’ in drought-affected areas, and rejects UN famine claims Somali Islamist rebels have denied lifting a ban on certain aid groups in drought-affected areas and rejected the UN’s claim that there is a famine in the region. The rebel group al-Shabab, which controls much of southern Somalia, had said earlier this month that it would allow all humanitarian groups access to assist with the drought response. But al-Shabab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage has told a local radio station that the ban on specific aid agencies, which was imposed in 2009 and 2010, still stands. At the time, the rebels accused various humanitarian groups, including the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), which is expected to lead the current drought response, of damaging the local economy, being anti-Muslim, and of spying for the government. “Those earlier banned groups are not welcome to serve in our area of control,” Rage said on Friday. Successive poor rainy seasons have caused a hunger crisis across the Horn of Africa , where 11 million people urgently need food aid. The situation is most acute in Somalia due to the ongoing conflict between pro-government forces and the al-Shabab rebels, as well as the Islamists’ mistrust of outside help. The UN this week declared famine in two regions, Lower Shabelle and Bakool, which are both largely under the insurgents’ control. In a media briefing on Thursday evening in Mogadishu, Rage accused the UN of ulterior motives, and said that there was no famine. “We say [the UN declaration] is totally, 100% wrong and baseless propaganda. Yes there is drought, but the conditions are not as bad as they say. They have another objective and it wouldn’t surprise us if they were politicising the situation.” The WFP plans to airlift food within the next few days into Mogadishu, to where many people have fled from the countryside due to hunger. The organisation is also looking at ways of getting food into the famine-hit areas if it can get assurances that its staff will not be harmed and aid will not be diverted. David Orr, spokesman for the WFP in Nairobi, said the organisation had not received any official communication from al-Shabab that the ban was still in place. “We are taking at face value the original statement that all humanitarian agencies will be allowed back in, and are proceeding on that basis. Our imperative remains getting into the famine zone as quickly as possible.” Somalia Drought Aid Famine Food Islam Africa United Nations Water Xan Rice guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …The twins who claim Mark Zuckerberg stole their idea for Facebook don’t like being called assholes. Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss—following some choice remarks from Larry Summers about suit-wearing undergraduates—have accused the former Harvard president of being “tactfully challenged,” the Wall Street Journal reports. When they approached Summers about…
Continue reading …Google has gone on the offensive warning users against malware that hijacks searches. Internet surfers hit with the virus find a yellow warning at the top of their Google search results telling them that their computer appears to be infected, the BBC reports. They’re then directed to fake anti-virus software…
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Council committee votes in favour of turning St Piran’s Day into extra holiday in Cornwall Many Cornish people believe the far south-west of England is a nation apart from the rest of Britain. Now councillors have voted in favour of turning its “national” saint day into a bank holiday just for Cornwall. Members of Cornwall council’s corporate resources overview and scrutiny committee have approved the idea of making St Piran’s Day – 5 March – into a bank holiday. Supporters of the idea argue that many Cornish people already treat St Piran’s Day as an extra holiday and claim it may attract more tourists to the lively celebrations. Others worry that business will be harmed if Cornwall has a day off when the rest of the UK is hard at work and will confuse visitors. Doris Ansari, one of the longest serving councillors, said she was in favour of a St Piran’s bank holiday. “A lot of people take St Piran’s Day off anyway,” she said. Councillor Steve Double, said: “I am proud to be Cornish but I struggle to see how it will actually work if we have a different bank holiday to the rest of the country.” Double, who used to work in a bank, said he could foresee difficulties if banks were closed on 5 March in Cornwall but not across the rest of the country. Councillor Steve Eva, said: “I can’t support this. We should have the same bank holidays as the rest of the country.” St Piran is the patron saint of tin miners. He is accepted by many as Cornwall’s national saint and his flag – a white cross on a black background – will be familiar to many holidaymakers. According to the St Piran Trust , he was probably born in Ireland in the 6th century. One legend has him being tied to a millstone in Ireland and rolled off a cliff into a storm-whipped sea. The sea immediately became calm and he floated safely to Cornwall. In recent years there have been moves, some supported by the council and lovers of Cornwall’s heritage, to boost St Piran’s Day and make it more akin to St Patrick’s Day, which is celebrated joyously not only in Ireland but across the globe. Many pub landlords have seen the commercial benefits of hearty St Piran’s Day celebrations and put on themed events. The corporate resources overview and scrutiny committee was split 50-50 over the idea of a separate bank holiday and it took the casting vote of the chairman to push it through. The idea will now be debated by the full council. The department for culture, media and sport is consulting about moving the May Day bank holiday to a different date. A decision is expected early in 2012. Cornwall council attracted headlines, and some criticism, earlier this summer when it emerged it was mooting a £1-a-night tax on visitors. Cornwall Steven Morris guardian.co.uk
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