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Govt Fined Over Lost Prisoner Data Hard Drive

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 26 Agustus 2014 | 23.17

The Ministry of Justice has been hit with a £180,000 fine after a back-up hard drive containing confidential information about prisoners was lost.

The data watchdog issued the punishment after the storage device was lost at HMP Erlestoke prison in Wiltshire in May last year.

The drive was not encrypted and contained sensitive and confidential information about 2,935 prisoners.

Details such as links to organised crime, health information and drug use was contained on the drive, along with details of victims and visitors.

An investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office found data was routinely being handled without encryption at all 75 prisons in England and Wales.

The loss of the Wiltshire hard drive followed a similar case in October 2011, when the ICO was told of the loss of another unencrypted hard drive containing the details of 16,000 inmates at HMP High Down in Surrey.

In response to the Surrey incident, the Prison Service provided new hard drives to all prisons.

But the ICO found the Prison Service did not realise the encryption option on the new hard drives needed to be turned on to work correctly.

This meant highly sensitive information was insecurely handled for more than a year.

ICO head of enforcement Stephen Eckersley said: "The fact that a government department with security oversight for prisons can supply equipment to 75 prisons throughout England and Wales without properly understanding, let alone telling them, how to use it beggars belief.

"The result was that highly sensitive information about prisoners and vulnerable members of the public, including victims, was insecurely handled for over a year."

He added: "We hope this penalty sends a clear message that organisations must not only have the right equipment available to keep people's information secure, but must understand how to use it."


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Rotherham Abuse Victims Treated With Contempt

In the wake of the shocking revelation that more could and should have been done to prevent the sexual abuse of more than 1,400 children in Rotherham, the resignation of the leader of the town's council is unlikely to be enough to restore public confidence in a system that has let down so many of the most vulnerable in society.

Councillor Roger Stone made the announcement that he is stepping down with immediate effect minutes after the council's chief executive had insisted publicly to reporters that not one member of his staff would be facing disciplinary action, despite admitting that council workers had failed to protect vulnerable children.

The details of the abuse in Rotherham are shocking and yet, terribly, are beginning to sound all too familiar after similar high profile cases in Rochdale, Oxford and elsewhere.

Over a 16-year period in Rotherham children as young as 11 were gang raped, vulnerable youngsters were trafficked between towns, groomed over a period of years. In some cases children were doused with petrol. Threats were made to set them alight.

We know that almost all the victims told authorities the perpetrators were of Pakistani heritage.

We know that a major failing in Rotherham is that officials wanted to play down ethnicity dimensions for fear of being though racist. At no point did safeguarding teams contact leaders within the Pakistani community to discuss the issue of child abuse.

The report makes a series of recommendations. They include practices that should be obvious, ensuring there are up to date risk assessments of children affected by sexual abuse and ensuring authorities work together to tackle he problem.

These are practices that by the authorities' own admission should have been in place earlier.

In 2002, 2003 and again in 2006 reports were available to the council and police that detailed stark evidence "which could not have been clearer in their description of the situation in Rotherham".

Yet the sad truth is that authorities simply did not listen to the victims.

Children trying to seek help after suffering horrendous abuse were treated in some cases with contempt. Despite the fact that a third of the children were already known to authorities as being victims of neglect.

Gandhi once said that  "The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members".

How then should Rotherham's safeguarding teams be judged?


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Salmond Wins With 'Debt Is Yours' Threat

By Faisal Islam, Political Editor

Finally, Alex Salmond delivered to the hype in the television debate with Alistair Darling on Scottish independence.

The surroundings in Glasgow were grand, next door to the Commonwealth Games bowling green, but this was more of a blood sport.

The innovative ramble in to the centre of the stage. The bulldozing of plausible and legitimate concerns about his lack of a currency plan.

The blitzing of Mr Darling's attempt to reuse lines from the first debate. And the clear message shouted from the rooftops: Darling is a Tory Trojan horse.

On food banks, on the bedroom tax, on Trident, and NHS "privatisation", Mr Salmond painted the leader of Better Together as an enabler of centre-right control over centre-left Scotland.

Happily for the First Minister, a rather high number in the audience seemed to share in this vitriol, launching highly personalised attacks on Mr Darling.

Scotland debate Alistair Darling points at Mr Salmond during an exchange

Voting "Yes" is the only way to protect Scotland, was Salmond's sell. Mr Salmond critiqued the No campaign's so-called "project Fear" a fortnight ago. On Monday night he doubled up on his own version, Project Feartie, perhaps.

The debate was brutal. Mr Darling was accused by an audience member of essentially shaming Nye Bevan's legacy in creating the NHS.

He was also "accused" of privatising the Post Office (untrue). Mr Salmond jabbed his finger at Mr Darling as he blamed him for the bedroom tax (which he and the Labour party will rescind).

And he also tried to make a huge play of Darling admitting that Scotland could use the pound unilaterally (the "Panama" option). (This is true, but Scottish banks would lose access to central bank funding, so goodbye RBS HQ).

But, for me, the really big development, was the candid, transparent use of threat by Mr Salmond over currency union.

No currency union, means no share of assets, which means "the debt is yours". The First Minister said this repeatedly and clearly. This is high wire stuff with implications for the banking system.

More than that, it suggests that a yes vote will lead to a messy divorce, not an amicable split.

And that Yes vote was made a little bit more likely or rather, less unlikely. Indeed the ICM/Guardian exit poll had a thumping win for the First Minister.

We are in for an interesting few weeks.


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Masked Gunmen Raid Boutique Hotel In Soho

Police are searching for two masked gunmen who raided a hotel in London's West End in the early hours.

They tied up a member of staff at the Dean Street Townhouse in Soho before making off with cash and mobile phones.

Police were called to the four-storey boutique hotel at 3.05am after the two men burst in and demanded money.

Dean Street Townhouse hotel The hotel is a converted Georgian townhouse

No shots were fired and no one was injured, although staff were threatened and one man was treated for shock.

The two robbers were said to have eastern European accents and were wearing white hoodies.

Detective Superintendent Jess Ruddell, of the Metropolitan Police, said hotel staff had been left "very shaken" by the raid and urged witnesses to contact police.

She said: "This is a very serious incident and we are working around the clock to identify those responsible.

"It was a very frightening experience for staff, who were threatened with a long-barrelled weapon and were very shaken."

A Soho House spokesman said: "We can confirm that an incident took place in the lobby area of the Dean Street Townhouse in the early hours of this morning.

"Two male members of staff were on duty and no one was hurt in the incident. The matter is currently being investigated by the Metropolitan Police."

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information is asked to call the Metropolitan Police on 101.


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Darling Under Pressure After 'Losing' Debate

Alistair Darling insists the momentum is still with the 'No' campaign despite claims by his rival that he "muffed" the arguments in Monday night's final Scottish independence TV debate.

As the first postal ballot papers were sent out ahead of the referendum on September 18, polls suggest the  'Yes' campaign leader Alex Salmond came out on top in front of the TV cameras.

A key aspect of the debate was currency - with former Chancellor Mr Darling, who is fronting the Better Together campaign, admitting no one could stop Scotland using the pound.

Mr Salmond also outlined three 'plan Bs'.

Speaking to Sky News on Tuesday, Scotland's First Minister said the 'No' campaign's "bluff had been called" over use of the pound.

"He muffed his chance," said Mr Salmond.

Scotland Referendum Debate. There were angry exchanges over North Sea oil, the NHS and welfare

"We explained the currency options for Scotland - the three plan Bs, if you like.

"But we explained why the currency union between Scotland and England is what we're asking for a mandate for."

However, Mr Darling told Sky News the 'Yes' side remained "vague" on currency and had to "make up their minds".

"TV debates are important but the real debates are going on in people's homes," he said. "Increasingly, people are making up their minds and saying 'no' to the risks of independence.

"They're concerned that after three hours of prime time TV we still haven't had answers to basic questions about currency.

"The postal votes are going out and this is perhaps the biggest decision people will make in their lifetime - and he (Mr Salmond) still can't answer basic questions."

Alistair Darling Alistair Darling said the 'Yes' campaign failed to answer basic questions

Sky's Political Editor Faisal Islam says that whether people believe Mr Salmond on currency could decide the outcome of the referendum.

"Mr Salmond views the currency debate as over and if that's right and people have heard enough, just maybe he can creep back up the vote share and reduce the 'No' lead.

"If Mr Darling is right, and currency is still impacting people on the doorstep, then surely 'No' will win."

There were also angry exchanges over North Sea oil, the NHS and welfare during the 90-minute debate, which was hosted by the BBC in front of an audience of 200 at Glasgow's Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery.

Voters have to register to cast postal ballots by September 3, meaning some could cast their votes within days.

After the debate, a Sky News poll carried out on Twitter saw more than 2,000 retweets for a Salmond win, compared to under 500 claiming Darling had topped the debate.

Scotland Referendum Debate. Polls put the Better Together campaign in the lead ahead of the vote

A Guardian/ICM poll gave the debate to Mr Salmond with 71% of the vote.

Mr Darling was widely judged to have won the first.

A poll of polls, carried out by Sky News before the debate, put 39% in favour of Scottish independence, with 50% against and another 11% undecided.


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Cheerio Marvellous... You're No Longer Awesome

A Listicle Of The New Online Words

Updated: 1:23pm UK, Thursday 14 August 2014

OxfordDictionaries.com in its latest quarterly update giving an insight into current language usage trends. Here are some of the words.

:: Amazeballs
This refashioning of "amazing" originated on YouTube and was popularised by Hollywood blogger Perez Hilton

:: Baller
Originally used to refer to successful basketball players, this complimentary term has been used in two songs by girl group Destiny's Child

:: Bare
Another way of saying "very"

:: Binge-watch
In the world of Netflix, Binge-watch refers to excessive or over-indulgent watching of a TV series

:: Bro hug
This hug between two men combines a handshake with a one-armed hug, striking the balance between love and machismo

:: Catfish
Popularised in a 2010 documentary film and the MTV series that followed, "catfish" refers to someone who uses a fake social media identity, often to pursue deceptive online romances

:: Clickbait
Sensational Internet content designed to attract attention.

:: Cotch
This originally Jamaican word is slowly replacing "chill" and refers to resting somewhere or "hanging out"

:: Cray
Crazy, but without the Z. Popularised by a song by Kanye West and Jay-Z, the word is often used twice for extra effect ("That's cray cray")

:: Doncha
Possibly originally from the Pussycat Dolls song "Don't cha", this is slang for "Don't you". Doncha love all these new amazeballs words?

:: Hench
This is the buzzword used nowadays in place of "well-built" or "muscly". Bodybuilder Tiny Iron is known for his slogan "Get Hench or die trying". Time to hit the gym and get hench?

:: Hot mess
This one's been around for a long time and referred to food for soldiers in the 1800s; today it refers to an attractive person in a state of disarray.

:: Humblebrag
Arrogance made to look like self-deprecation, this might be used to mean "fake modesty".

:: Listicle
Merge the words "list" and "article" and you have a listicle; an article made up of a list. You may have seen one on Buzzfeed … you might say this is a listicle.

:: Live-tweet
#Providing #live #coverage #of #an #event #via #Twitter.

:: Mansplain
This refers to a man speaking condescendingly to a woman on the assumption that she knows less than he does about the topic in question. It has even been used to describe Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.   

:: Neckbeard
Also often referred to as "neard", this refers to a person whose facial hair is primarily on their chin and neck. It has also been popularised as an internet term referring to unattractive internet users.

:: Side boob
The bared breast as seen from the side – used when discussing women and men.

:: SMH
This acronym expresses disapproval and can either stand for "Shaking my head" or "So much hate".

:: Vape
Using an electronic cigarette instead of smoking.

:: Zonkey
A zonkey is a hybrid of a zebra and a donkey. It's actually part of a whole class of zebra hybrids, called zebroids – the first step towards zebmen?


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Will Pooley 'Optimistic' Of Recovery From Ebola

The boss of the hospice where Britain's first ebola victim had worked before he caught the disease says his former colleague is "optimistic" he will be back working there soon.

Gabriel Madiye, of the Shepherd Hospice in Freetown, said Will Pooley had told him he believes he will recover in a little as two weeks.

The 29-year-old nurse is being treated in an isolation ward at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, north London, after being flown back to the UK from West Africa on Saturday.

There has been no word from doctors at the hospital on his progress but Mr Madiye said Mr Pooley had been confident he would pull through.

Mr Madiye said: "Will told me that he has been seriously ill and tested for ebola and he told me I don't need to help him because he's already being helped by the British government.

"(He told me) that he will be treated in England and he is very optimistic that he will recover in a matter of two weeks and after that he will come back to me."

Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead, London Mr Pooley is being treated at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead

Up to 90% of people who catch ebola die from the virus.

The World Health Organisation says that more than 2,500 people have died as a result of the latest outbreak in West Africa so far.

Mr Pooley, from Eyke, in Suffolk, worked at the hospice in Freetown before moving to the ebola centre in Kenema, Sierra Leone, where he was infected.

He was airlifted back to Britain by a specially equipped C-17 RAF jet, and is being treated by doctors clad in protective plastic clothing, gloves and masks.

Experts said his treatment could take weeks, if not longer, and there is no guarantee he will survive.

His family have said they were confident he could not be treated at any "better place".

Ebola victim arrives in the UK Mr Pooley was brought into the hospital in an RAF ambulance

Days before he contracted the disease, he told The Guardian newspaper about the joy of seeing ebola victims make a full recovery.

He said: "It's great seeing them walk away after some of them have been in a terrible state. Seeing them on the wards and then seeing them recover and walk out the door is great."

Friends have paid tribute to his bravery after he left Freetown and went to Kenema because workers were falling ill.

Oliver Johnson, who worked with him in Sierra Leone, said he was an "extraordinary guy" who knew the risks but was prepared to take them for the patients.

Dr Robert Garry, an American colleague at the hospital, said: "He saw the need. He read about our nurses who were unfortunately dying there and took it on himself to come over and volunteer and learned how to be as safe as he could.

"But when you work hard like that ... you're going to make a mistake and unfortunately that seems to have happened in this case."


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'Horrific' Cases Of Child Abuse in Rotherham

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

More than 1,400 children were sexually exploited in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013, a report has concluded.

The abuse of children, some just 11 years old, has been described as "horrific".

The report also found it is "not confined to the past but continues to this day".

Roger Stone, the leader of Rotherham council, has stepped down following the publication of the report.

Roger Stone Council leader Roger Stone

"I believe it is only right that I, as leader, take responsibility on behalf of the council for the historic failings that are described so clearly in the report and it is my intention to do so," he said.

"For this reason, I have today agreed with my Labour group colleagues that I will be stepping down as leader with immediate effect."

Despite Mr Stone's resignation, chief executive Martin Kimber said no council officers will face disciplinary action as he did not have enough evidence against individuals.

"Officers in senior positions responsible for children's safeguarding services throughout the critical periods when services fell some way short of today's standards do not work for the council today," he said.

"To that extent, I have not been able to identify any issues of professional practice related to current serving officers of this council that would require me to consider use of disciplinary or capability procedures."

In the summary of her findings, independent reviewer Professor Alexis Jay said: "It is hard to describe the appalling nature of the abuse that the victims suffered.

"They were raped by multiple perpetrators, trafficked to other towns and cities in the north of England, abducted, beaten, and intimidated.

"There were examples of children who had been doused in petrol and threatened with being set alight, threatened with guns, made witness to brutally violent rapes and threatened they would be next if they told anyone.

"Girls as young as 11 were raped by large numbers of male perpetrators."

Martin Kimber Chief Executive Rotherham Council Chief executive Martin Kimber: 'No sackings'

The report highlights a variety of historical and serious child protection failings and concludes the council and other agencies should have done more to protect those at risk.

In just over a third of cases victims were previously known to services in the town because of child protection and neglect.

The report says there was a series of failings including poor leadership from senior managers in child protection services and a perceived "lack of interest" in, and understanding of, grooming as a model of child abuse.

Victims were not heard or believed and there was a perception that a "macho and bullying" culture within the council prevented child sexual exploitation from being properly discussed. Professional jealousies between organisations also prevented effective action.

There was "denial" that such events could happen in Rotherham and issues of ethnicity were "played down" by senior managers. "Almost all" the perpetrators were described by victims as being of Pakinstani origin, but the authorities "wanted to play down ethnic dimensions... for fear of being thought racist."

Alexis Jay Professor Jay presents her report

Prof Jay found a series of reports made available to both the council and police raising serious concerns were not apparently acted on, and there had been a series of missed opportunities to understand the scale of the problem since 2002.

The spotlight first fell on Rotherham in 2010 when five men, described by a judge as "sexual predators", were given lengthy jail terms after they were found guilty of grooming teenage girls for sex.

The prosecution was the first of a series of high-profile cases in the last four years that have revealed the exploitation of young girls in towns and cities including Rochdale, Derby and Oxford.

In response to Prof Jay's report, Rotherham Council's chief executive Martin Kimber, said: "(It) does not make comfortable reading in its account of the horrific experiences of some young people in the past, and I would like to reiterate our sincere apology to those who were let down when they needed help.

"I commissioned the independent review to understand fully what went wrong, why it went wrong and to ensure that the lessons learnt in Rotherham mean these mistakes can never happen again.

"The report confirms our services have improved significantly over the last five years and are stronger today than ever before. This is important because it allows me to reassure young people and families that should anyone raise concerns we will take them seriously and provide them with the support they need."


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Boris Johnson To Stand As MP In West London

UKIP's 12 Target Seats: A Closer Look

Updated: 4:27pm UK, Tuesday 26 August 2014

A closer look at the key seats being targeted by UKIP in 2015.

:: Thurrock - Conservative
A target not only for UKIP but also Labour. The Tory incumbent, Jackie Doyle-Price, won by just 92 votes in 2010.

:: South Thanet - Conservative
Arguably UKIP's best chance of gaining an MP. Nigel Farage looks set to stand against Tory incumbent Laura Sandys, who secured a majority of 7,617 last time voters turned out for a General Election.

:: North Thanet - Conservative
North Thanet has been held since its 1983 creation by Sir Roger Gale. The Tories clinched a 13,528 majority in 2010.

:: Sittingbourne and Sheppey - Conservative
This UKIP target is currently represented by George Henderson, who ousted Labour and won a 12,383 majority for the Tories in 2010.

:: Aylesbury - Conservative
Another Tory stronghold, held by David Lidington since 1992. He won the seat by 12,618 four years ago.

:: East Worthing and Shoreham - Conservative
Tim Loughton has been the incumbent since 1997 and clinched an 11,105 majority last time around.

:: Great Yarmouth - Conservative
Brandon Lewis was victorious in 2010 - booting out Labour by a margin of 4,276 votes.

:: Boston and Skegness - Conservative
Held since 2001 by Tory Mark Simmonds, who came home with a 12,426 lead in 2010.

:: Forest of Dean - Conservative
Another seat with a large majority for the Tories in 2010 - 11,064, won by Mark Harper.

:: Great Grimsby - Labour
Grimsby has been a safe seat for Labour's Austin Mitchell since 1977 - but the Parliamentary veteran is standing down next year. His last majority was among his lowest ever - 714.

:: Eastleigh - Liberal Democrats
Mike Thornton holds this seat for the junior party in the coalition. He replaced former Cabinet minister Chris Huhne following a by-election in 2013, but with a significantly reduced majority of just 1,771.

:: Portsmouth South - Independent
Mike Hancock was a Lib Dem when he gained a 5,200 majority in 2010 - but has since been kicked out of the party. He is standing down in 2015.


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Terror-Related Travel Arrests Increase Fivefold

There has been a fivefold increase in UK nationals arrested for travelling to Syria or Iraq to engage in terrorist activities, according to Scotland Yard.

Police said 69 suspected extremists have been arrested so far this year who planned to travel to Syria or fund terrorism there.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Rowley, of the Metropolitan Police, appealed to family members of potential UK terrorists to come forward and said nearly half of would-be extremists identified as part of the Syria investigations were not previously classed as dangerous.

"The biggest growth in Syrian-related investigations has occurred in London and the West Midlands," he said.

"The growth of dangerous individuals poses challenges for policing, especially when nearly half of Syria travellers of concern were not known as terrorist risks previously.

"Hence, we appeal to the public to help identify for us aspiring terrorists - they may be about to travel abroad, have just returned or be showing signs of becoming radicalised."

Mr Rowley added that seizures of cash which people had been trying to take out of the country to fund Syria-related terror activity have also doubled.

Investigators are attempting to get hundreds of pieces of terror-related content linked to Syria removed from websites including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

Mr Rowley said police in the UK are trying to prevent hate crimes that could be influenced by events abroad, including anti-Semitic offences related to the Gaza conflict.

He added: "There is a lot at stake.

"In addition to the public assistance in identifying potential terrorists, we all need community and religious leaders to continue to speak out against warped narratives and we need everyone to ensure that public debate does not give oxygen to the terrorists by giving them the publicity they seek."

An estimated 500 Britons have travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight alongside extremists, half of whom are thought to be from London.


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