Thursday, March 12, 2015

Fresh scandal hits US Secret Service

The organization which protects American presidents is facing more embarrassment.

There are allegations that two senior Secret Service agents drove a car into security barriers at the White House after drinking.

One of the officers involved is the second-in-command of the team which protects President Obama.

Malcolm Brown reports.

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Texas down to last dose of lethal drugs

The American state of Texas has only one dose of lethal drugs left for use in its death chamber.


With European manufacturers refusing to supply drugs to American states that plan to use them in executions, it's unclear how Texas will carry out the next batch of executions already scheduled.


Our US Correspondent Simon Marks reports.


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British laws give intelligence agencies "a blank cheque" for bulk data collection

Britain's laws governing mass surveillance need a total overhaul to make them more transparent, according to a parliamentary committee.
An 18 month inquiry, following the revelations of Edward Snowden in 2013, has found current laws are out of date.
Elena Casas reports from London.


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Iran's Supreme Leader lashes out at U.S. Republican Senators' letter

Iran's Supreme Leader has lashed out at a letter by U.S. Republican lawmakers threatening to dismantle any nuclear deal after President Barack Obama leaves office.

Reports say Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has also accused U.S. negotiators of becoming tougher every time nuclear talks move forwards- and has said Washington is known for its 'backstabbing'.

Nina-Maria Potts reports:

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Dozens Trapped After a Fire In Kazan

Five people have died and dozens are feared trapped in rubble after a fire at a shopping center in Russia's city of Kazan. Part of the building, one of the largest in the city, collapsed as emergency workers evacuated some 650 people from the center. Anya Ardayeva reports from Moscow.

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Two police officers shot in Ferguson Missouri

Two police officers - one from the county and one from a nearby town - were shot outside the Ferguson Missouri police station during late night protests

In the past few days the City Manager and the Police Chief of Ferguson have resigned following the U-S Justice Department report into open racism in the town's law enforcement

Our U-S correspondent Priscilla Huff reports:

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UK SPYING 'LACKS TRANSPARENCY' BUT 'NOT SEEKING TO BREAK LAW'

UK intelligence and security agencies do not seek to circumvent the law, according to a major inquiry into spying.

The inquiry by the UK Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee was set up after leaks via whistleblower Edward Snowden on surveillance by British and American agencies.

Its report does recommend the simplification of laws on how UK security agencies are allowed to access private communications between citizens.

But the Committee does believe UK spies require the ability to use 'bulk interception' of internet traffic, despite concerns about infringement of privacy.

Committee chair Hazel Blears MP says the British people don't need to be concerned that spies are attempting to trawl through all their online communications.

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Aid agencies condemn lack of protection and help for Syrians

21 aid agencies say the United Nations Security Council has failed to protect and help civilians in Syria. 

The agencies, led by British charities Oxfam and Save the Children, say 2014 was the deadliest year yet for civilians with at least 76 thousand Syrians having been killed in the fighting. 

From London, Catherine Drew reports. 

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Two European banking giants fail US 'Stress tests'

Two European banking giants have failed so-called 'Stress tests' in the United States which evaluate whether banks could withstand another financial crisis.

Spain's biggest bank Santander and Germany's largest Deutsche Bank are were the only two not to pass the annual assessment.

Our Europe correspondent Jack Parrock reports. 

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TTIP under pressure in Germany

A leading German industry association has drastically cut its forecast of the economic benefits of a proposed EU-US free trade agreement. 

The move comes amidst increasing pressure from opponents of the deal within Germany.

Our correspondent Ira Spitzer reports from Berlin.

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TWO POLICE OFFICERS SHOT IN FERGUSON, MISSOURI

Two police officers have been shot in Ferguson - the town in Missouri at the centre of riots sparked by the killling of an unarmed black teenager last year.

It followed the resignation of Ferguson's police chief over a report which outlined widespread racial bias in his department.

Protesters gathered outside Ferguson's police headquarters after the report was released.

But St Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar says two of his officers were later shot at.

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But St Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar says he's not surprised an incident like this has taken place.

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'HOUSE PRICES FALLING' IN LONDON

House prices in the prime London market are falling, in contrast to the rest of the UK, according to the latest figures.

Data from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors suggests that a housing bubble in the British capital may be coming to an end.

London has some of the most valuable property on earth.

But Danny Cox of stockbroker Hargreaves Lansdown says it may not be the case that London housing is returning to more affordable levels in the long term - despite a difficult market currently.

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UKIP LEADER ACCUSED OF RACISM

The leader of Britain's right-wing UK Independence Party has made comments about racial discrimination that are seeing him branded racist.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage says discrimination laws are outdated and that employers should be able to choose to give jobs to Britons rather than people from overseas.

He also stands accused of making anti-Muslim remarks in a documentary due to be shown next week.

Reporter Lorraine Horgan has the details.

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LIBERAL DEMOCRATS IN NEW DONATION SCANDAL

Another scandal has hit British politics with a Liberal Democrat being forced to quit as a candidate over the acceptance of a 'potentially illegal donation'.

Ibrahim Taguri will now not stand in May's general election as the party's candidate in the London constituency of Brent Central, but denies wrongdoing.

The Daily Telegraph claims he advised a fake businessman on how to get around rules on donating to the party, and offered the undercover reporter a meeting with a senior minister in the coalition government.

Political reporter Theo Usherwood has more.

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Bali Nine ringleaders appeal adjourned for a week

The State Administrative Court in Indonesia's capital Jakarta has adjourned the legal appeals of convicted Bali nine ringleaders of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.
Arthur Stevens has more

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Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Ferguson Missouri Police Chief Resigns

The embattled police chief of Ferguson Missouri has resigned his post. 

The chief  has been under intense scrutiny,  after one of his white officers shot and killed an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson last August. 

Michael Brown's death set off a national furor over police use of deadly force that continues to reverberate across the United States. 

Rachel Silverman has that story.

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"Blurred lines" songwriters Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams to pay $7.4 million

UN torture report slams US for prison policies, stalling UN requests to visit

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The United Nations' lead torture investigator has accused the US of dragging its feet in allowing him access to prisons to check conditions there.


Juan Mendez, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, has raised concerns about the use of solitary confinement against prisoners in the US.


Liling Tan reports.


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Growing Email Security Controversy Across US Government


There's growing embarrassment in the US government over the security of official emails.
The row over how former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton dealt with her emails has now spread across the bureaucracy. As John Clarke reports from Washington, it might blunt some of the personal criticism against Mrs Clinton as she prepares for a probable presidential bid.

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A British military healthcare worker in Sierra Leone has tested positive for Ebola