Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 14 Februari 2015 | 20.48
An alleged plot to kill as many people as possible at a shopping centre on Valentine's Day has been foiled, say Canadian police.
A 19-year-old Canadian man and 23-year-old US woman were suspected of planning to carry out a shooting in Halifax on 14 February before committing suicide.
There could have been a "large loss of life" if the attack had gone ahead, according to authorities.
The pair had access to firearms, were apparently obsessed with death, had many photographs of mass killings, and had been on a chat site, an official said.
The woman was arrested at Halifax's airport and confessed to the plot, said the official, who added she had written a number of messages to be tweeted after her death.
The teenager had shot himself dead after police were tipped off about the plot and surrounded his home, the official went on.
Police had stopped his parents while they were driving and then officers called the suspect.
The suspect took his own life as he made his way out of his house
He said he did not have any guns but then took his own life as he was on his way out of the house, it is believed.
Meanwhile, a 20-year-old man was detained at the airport and a 17-year-old youth, who was wanted for threatening to carry out a gun attack at a school, was arrested elsewhere.
It is thought the pair were also involved in the plot but investigators were still trying to work out what their roles were.
The plot was not related to Islamist extremism, said authorities.
Brian Brennan, from Nova Scotia Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said: "Information gathered suggested that a 19-year-old Timberlea male and a 23-year-old Geneva, Illinois, female had access to firearms.
"And it was their intention to go to a public venue in the Halifax region on February 14 with the goal of opening fire to kill citizens and then themselves.
"Evidence also suggested that two other males, ages 20 and 17, of Halifax and Cole Harbour respectively were involved. Their role is still to be determined as part of the investigation."
He added: "Had they been able to carry out their intentions, the possibility for a large loss of life was definitely there.
"I would classify it as a group of individuals that had some beliefs and were willing to carry out violent acts against citizens. But there is nothing in the investigation to classify it as a terrorist act."
Three men have been killed after a double-decker coach collided with their stationary car on the M1 in Bedfordshire.
Their vehicle was on the hard shoulder between junctions 12 and 13 when the collision occurred at 6.46am this morning.
A fourth man has been taken to a hospital in Oxford with serious injuries, and the northbound carriageway of the M1 remains closed.
Meanwhile, at least one person has died in a pile-up on the M40. Another six people are seriously hurt, and as many as 45 people have been left with minor injuries.
The crash occurred just before 7.50am this morning on the northbound carriageway between junctions 9 and 10 in Bicester, Oxfordshire. An estimated 40 cars were involved.
Northbound stretches on both motorways, indicated in blue, are closed
That stretch of the motorway has been closed by the emergency services, and is not expected to open until 2.30pm. A couple of southbound lanes have now reopened.
"It is quite a major collision. We have a lot of resources on the scene - ambulances, our helicopter ambulance, rapid response vehicles, our doctor and our hazardous area response team," a spokeswoman for the South Central Ambulance Service said.
According to the Met Office, it was "quite foggy" on the roads this morning, and this would have hampered visibility considerably.
Traffic was already busier than usual on the M40 as families began their travels for the half-term holidays.
West Ham fans had been advised to avoid both motorways as they travelled to the Midlands to watch their team play West Brom.
Obese people could lose benefits worth up to £100 a week if they refuse to diet, as a review into sickness payments is ordered by David Cameron.
Drug addicts and alcoholics could also lose benefits if they refuse treatment that would help them get a job, in a move aimed at stopping people claiming as a "lifestyle" choice.
"Too many people are stuck on sickness benefits because of issues that could be addressed but instead are not," said the Prime Minister.
David Cameron has ordered a review into sickness benefits
"Some have drug or alcohol problems, but refuse treatment.
"In other cases people have problems with their weight that could be addressed, but instead a life on benefits rather than work becomes the choice.
Video:Obesity 'Could Bring Down The NHS'
"It is not fair to ask hardworking taxpayers to fund the benefits of people who refuse to accept the support and treatment that could help them get back to a life of work.
"The next Conservative government is determined to make sure that the hardest to help get the support they need to get them back to a fulfilling life."
Ministers estimate there are almost 100,000 people claiming sickness benefits on the grounds of treatable conditions such as drug or alcohol addiction, or obesity.
At present, there is no requirement for such people to undertake treatment, meaning it is possible to claim without making efforts at recovery.
Of the 2.5 million claiming sickness benefits, about 1.5 million have been claiming for more than five years.
Mr Cameron says he has asked Professor Dame Carol Black to undertake a rapid review in to how best to help those suffering from long-term yet treatable conditions back in to work.
"In particular, I have asked her to consider whether people should face the threat of a reduction in benefits if they refuse to engage with a recommended treatment plan," he said.
"It is vital that people who would benefit from treatment get the medical help they need."
Professor Black, a leading Government adviser on health, work and welfare, said: "I am deeply interested in trying to overcome the challenges these types of benefit claimants pose.
"These people, in addition to their long-term conditions and lifestyle issues, suffer the great disadvantage of not being engaged in the world of work, such an important feature of society."
Explaining the reasons for the threat to axe benefits from the obese, drug addicts and alcoholics, a Government source said: "As well as the unwarranted expense, this represents an unproductive waste of human potential."
Tam Fry from the National Obesity Forum told Sky News: "Obesity is the issue which might bring down the NHS.
"We have the most appalling problem and so far the coalition government have done absolutely nothing serious about it. If this is a sign they are taking obesity serious then I think this is something they should be considering."
He added: "You've got to be very careful about how you do it because all those people who are fat because they have a metabolic and a medical syndrome attached to it, they have got to be protected.
"But for the people who just eat and eat and eat and refuse to take any kind of treatment, then I think there is a salvo that has to be fired across their bows."
However, disability campaigner Ellen Clifford was outraged by Mr Cameron's proposal, telling Sky News: "If you threaten taking away people's benefits that's not actually going to help people. It didn't work in the Victorian times, it's not going to work now.
"That isn't going to suddenly snap people out of an enduring condition. It's punitive and it's savage."
And former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell, who had a well-publicised battle with booze and is an Alcohol Concern ambassador, criticised the proposal as a "stupid little stunt".
He said the Prime Minister was "pathetic" and was not taking the problem of addiction seriously.
Lord Green is to step down from a financial services industry body amid claims HSBC enabled tax avoidance while he was in charge.
A former trade minister in David Cameron's Government, the peer will step down as chairman of TheCityUK's Advisory Council with immediate effect.
He was the chairman of HSBC from 2006 to 2010, and is facing considerable pressure to answer questions about the behaviour of the bank's Swiss division.
Sir Gerry Grimstone, who will be succeeding Lord Green in his TheCityUK role, said: "Stephen Green is a man of great personal integrity who has given huge service to his country and the City.
"He doesn't want to damage the effectiveness of TheCityUK in promoting good governance and doing the right thing, so has decided to step aside from chairing our Advisory Council."
Video:HSBC Claims Timeline
Sir Gerry also stressed that Lord Green's departure "was entirely his own decision".
In a speech to the Welsh Labour conference in Swansea, Ed Miliband will warn that "he will not back down" in his campaign on tax avoidance.
The Labour leader will also launch a fresh attack on the Prime Minister, who he claims is "turning a blind eye" to the practice, which mainly benefits the rich and powerful.
Written By Unknown on Jumat, 13 Februari 2015 | 20.48
Former weather presenter Fred Talbot has been found guilty of indecently assaulting two boys when he was a teacher.
Talbot showed little reaction to the verdicts, which related to two victims who were aged 14 or 15 in the 1970s.
The 65-year-old, who was known to millions for his forecasts on a floating weather map for ITV's This Morning show, was described as a "chancer" at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.
He was said to have been "obsessed" with teenage boys and "could not help himself", particularly when he had been drinking alcohol.
Talbot's diary entries formed part of the prosecution's case
Victims described how they were forced to sleep naked with him during school trips on canal barges that he had organised.
One told how boys would take turns to sleep in Talbot's bed on one of the trips, and that at one stage the defendant "started talking to me about sexual stuff" before assaulting him.
Video:Talbot Concealed Dark Past Of Abuse
Talbot's diary entries spanning three decades were seized by police and formed a key part of the prosecution's case. One entry read: "What I am doing with the kids means a lot to me, but it may be the wrong thing."
Greater Manchester Police Detective Constable Chris Doggart praised the bravery of the victims and said: "Talbot was an extremely popular and well liked individual - both as a celebrity weatherman and formerly as a science teacher - who earned not only the trust and adulation of many of his peers and pupils, but also much of the nation.
"Now he has been exposed as an opportunistic sex offender and that reputation is rightly in tatters."
The jury cleared Talbot of eight counts of indecent assault in relation to three other complainants.
Among prosecution witnesses at the trial was The Stone Roses singer Ian Brown, who had told the court how Talbot had explained to boys in his class how to carry out a sex act.
Brown said Talbot had also shown a gay porn film in another class.
Video:Talbot's Abuse Was 'Appalling'
Talbot's teaching career ended abruptly in 1984 after a proposal he made to two boys about sleeping with them at his home.
During a police interview in 2013, Talbot refused to answer questions about allegations by men who claimed they had been abused as children.
The abuse happened during his time as a biology teacher at Altrincham Grammar School for Boys in Cheshire, which said in a statement: "These awful events took place over 30 years ago and naturally our thoughts go out to those former pupils who were subjected to this abuse.
"We are confident that our present pupils and their parents know that the school is totally committed to ensuring the safety of our students and staff at all times and that these historical offences have no bearing on the School's outstanding reputation today."
Talbot has been remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced on 13 March.
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Video:'Fade To Grey'
Eighties pop star Steve Strange has died of a heart attack in Egypt at the age of 55, his record company has said.
The Welsh singer found fame in the 1980s as the frontman of Visage, whose best-known hit was Fade To Grey.
Strange also managed the Blitz Club in Soho, a focal point for the New Romantic movement.
Steve Strange (L) gave Boy George his big break
He died on Thursday morning in Sharm el-Sheikh International Hospital.
Marc Green, label manager at August Day Recordings, said: "Steve died in his sleep of heart failure. Steve's family, band members and friends are all distraught at this sudden news of his untimely death."
1/12
Gallery: Steve Strange: A Life In Pictures
1981: Steve Strange (right) of the new romantic synth-pop group Visage at the People's Palace club in the Rainbow Theatre, London
Strange in his London flat in the 1980s - he had been inspired to make music after seeing Sex Pistols in concert in 1976
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1984: Steve Strange with the model Yasmin Le Bon, the wife of the Duran Duran lead singer, Simon Le Bon, who described him as being "the leading edge" of the New Romantic movement
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1984: Steve Strange and singer and actress Hazel O'Connor
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Bands such as Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet and Boy George's Culture Club all got their start at the Blitz Club.
Boy George tweeted: "Heartbroken about the death of my friend Steve Strange. So bloody sad. Such a big part of my life!"
Duran Duran singer Simon Le Bon tweeted: "I'm very sad to announce that our friend Steve Strange has died in Egypt today. He was the leading edge of New Romantic. God Bless him."
Billy Idol also paid tribute online, writing: "Very sad to hear of my friend Steve Strange passing, RIP mate..."
Pop singer Kim Wilde, who toured with Strange in 2002, added: "I'm so grateful that life brought Steve and I together, he was funny, great company and completely bonkers in the most adorable way.
"He would often call up for a long chat, and always asked after my husband Hal, and our children Harry and Rose.
"Steve was a family man first and often spoke of his beloved family in Wales."
Strange, who was born Steven John Harrington in Newbridge, Monmouthshire, endured several difficult periods in his career.
Following two successful albums he became addicted to heroin after trying the drug while modelling at a Jean Paul Gaultier show in 1985.
"It was the worst mistake that I ever made in my life," he said in 2000.
There followed legal problems such as an arrest and suspended sentence for shoplifting a Teletubbies doll and cosmetics set in Bridgend, south Wales.
Strange's agent, Pete Bassett, said: "He will be remembered as a hard-working, very amusing and lovable individual who always was at the forefront of fashion trends.
"Up until last year he was putting together a book of fashion styles based on the New Romantic movement and it comes as a great shock.
"We understood that he had certain health problems but nothing we knew was life threatening.
"His friends and family are totally shocked, we had no idea anything like this was likely to happen."
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New Romantic Pioneer Steve Strange Dies
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Video:'Fade To Grey'
Eighties pop star Steve Strange has died of a heart attack in Egypt at the age of 55, his record company has said.
The Welsh singer found fame in the 1980s as the frontman of Visage, whose best-known hit was Fade To Grey.
Strange also managed the Blitz Club in Soho, a focal point for the New Romantic movement.
Steve Strange (L) gave Boy George his big break
He died on Thursday morning in Sharm el-Sheikh International Hospital.
Marc Green, label manager at August Day Recordings, said: "Steve died in his sleep of heart failure. Steve's family, band members and friends are all distraught at this sudden news of his untimely death."
1/12
Gallery: Steve Strange: A Life In Pictures
1981: Steve Strange (right) of the new romantic synth-pop group Visage at the People's Palace club in the Rainbow Theatre, London
Strange in his London flat in the 1980s - he had been inspired to make music after seeing Sex Pistols in concert in 1976
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1984: Steve Strange with the model Yasmin Le Bon, the wife of the Duran Duran lead singer, Simon Le Bon, who described him as being "the leading edge" of the New Romantic movement
]]>
1984: Steve Strange and singer and actress Hazel O'Connor
]]>
Bands such as Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet and Boy George's Culture Club all got their start at the Blitz Club.
Boy George tweeted: "Heartbroken about the death of my friend Steve Strange. So bloody sad. Such a big part of my life!"
Duran Duran singer Simon Le Bon tweeted: "I'm very sad to announce that our friend Steve Strange has died in Egypt today. He was the leading edge of New Romantic. God Bless him."
Billy Idol also paid tribute online, writing: "Very sad to hear of my friend Steve Strange passing, RIP mate..."
Pop singer Kim Wilde, who toured with Strange in 2002, added: "I'm so grateful that life brought Steve and I together, he was funny, great company and completely bonkers in the most adorable way.
"He would often call up for a long chat, and always asked after my husband Hal, and our children Harry and Rose.
"Steve was a family man first and often spoke of his beloved family in Wales."
Strange, who was born Steven John Harrington in Newbridge, Monmouthshire, endured several difficult periods in his career.
Following two successful albums he became addicted to heroin after trying the drug while modelling at a Jean Paul Gaultier show in 1985.
"It was the worst mistake that I ever made in my life," he said in 2000.
There followed legal problems such as an arrest and suspended sentence for shoplifting a Teletubbies doll and cosmetics set in Bridgend, south Wales.
Strange's agent, Pete Bassett, said: "He will be remembered as a hard-working, very amusing and lovable individual who always was at the forefront of fashion trends.
"Up until last year he was putting together a book of fashion styles based on the New Romantic movement and it comes as a great shock.
"We understood that he had certain health problems but nothing we knew was life threatening.
"His friends and family are totally shocked, we had no idea anything like this was likely to happen."
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Breaking News: Talbot Guilty Of Indecent Assaults On Two Boys
The British family of a prisoner in Guantanamo Bay have pleaded with the US government to send him home to London.
In their first interview, the teenage sons of Shaker Aamer told Sky News how their hopes of a reunion have been raised and then dashed.
Mr Aamer has been detained without trial inside the maximum security prison for 13 years - even though he was cleared for release in 2008.
The British government has lobbied on his behalf, and his case has attracted cross-party support, but there has been no explanation as to why he has not yet been freed.
Although he was born in Saudi Arabia, his wife and four children are British citizens. They barely remember their father; indeed his youngest son, Faris, was born on the same day as Mr Aamer arrived at Guantanamo on Valentine's Day 2002.
Video:Shaker Aamer's Sons Make Plea
Faris celebrates his 13th birthday on Saturday and told Sky News: "It's upsetting and quite shocking that I've never met him in my entire life."
His 15-year-old brother Micheal spoke of how their hopes have been dashed.
"We felt very happy," he said.
"We thought there might be a chance for him to come home, but it just kept getting delayed.
"We just felt more sad because nothing happened. We've seen other people with their parents... seen how they enjoy themselves, how they're so close to them.
"It's like there is a part of our heart that is missing because we've been yearning for him to come home for many years and nothing's happened yet."
Mr Aamer took his young family and pregnant wife to Afghanistan in 2001. He says he was working for a humanitarian charity.
But a few weeks later the 9/11 attacks put the country at the centre of America's so-called War on Terror.
Video:Pressure Grows For Detainee Release
His family escaped to Pakistan but Mr Aamer says he gave himself up to the Northern Alliance and was then handed over to US forces.
After detention at Bagram Airbase he was moved to Guantanamo.
The Pentagon compiled a lengthy list of allegations claiming he had ties to al Qaeda.
His lawyer insists the allegations are false and are the result of torture or false confessions to earn rewards.
And his supporters stress that if the Americans actually believed them, they would not have cleared him for release.
Guantanamo spokesman Lt Col Myles Caggins told Sky News: "In 2009 Shaker Aamer's detention status was reviewed. As a result he was placed in a category we call 'eligible for transfer'.
"At some point in the future we will find a new home for him to be repatriated or resettled to."
But Micheal was unimpressed when he saw the video.
Video:2012 - Boyle Calls For Release
"I feel very sad because the man said they were going to try to find him a home," he said.
"But his home is here in London with his family."
There have been various theories about the delay.
Some say the US may prefer to see him sent to Saudi Arabia, where he is less likely to speak publicly about allegations of torture. There is also the issue of compensation.
Lt Col Caggins said: "We make these moves after a rigorous inter-agency process between our security officials, law enforcement and intelligence officials to ensure that transfer will be to a place that can maintain security assurances and human rights protections for those former Guantanamo detainees."
Mr Aamer's lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, scoffs at that.
"The most obvious person in the entire world to release is Shaker Aamer because he would be coming to the country with the best record of released prisoners, Britain," he said.
"And he would be coming to a place where we know his human rights are going to be respected, and he's been cleared for eight years, and he's got a wife and four children. What on earth is the argument against it?"
Video:Archive - Guantanamo Bay in 2003
At least in recent years the family have been able to speak to their father. The International Red Cross has organised Skype video calls. Micheal remembers the first.
"We were all very excited," he said.
"We were very energetic. We couldn't wait to see him. And then when the call finally happened, we couldn't believe it was actually him.
"His voice. We hadn't heard it for such a long time.
"It was very surprising to hear his voice again. It was a shock. Skype has been very good at lifting our hopes up again because we've been able to speak to him, see how he's doing, and he's a very funny person.
"He always makes jokes. He lightens the mood a lot of the time. We talk about what's going on in our lives, how our education is."
Mr Aamer's wife and daughter preferred to stay in the background and not be interviewed. Because both boys are under 16, Sky News has agreed not to show their faces.
At least 11 service personnel have been killed and dozens wounded in the last 24 hours in eastern Ukraine, officials have reported.
It comes despite the ceasefire agreement reached on Thursday, which is due to come into force this weekend.
"In the Donbass, this night was not a calm one. The enemy shelled positions of the 'anti-terrorist operation' forces with the same intensity as before," a statement by the military said.
It said fighting had been particularly intense around Debaltseve, a key railway junction linking the rebel strongholds of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Residents forced to escape the fighting in Debaltseve
Pro-Russia separatists had used rockets and artillery to attack government forces holding the town, the statement added.
Rebel authorities said three civilians had been killed and five wounded in shelling by government troops on Luhansk.
Video:Ceasefire Deal In Ukraine Conflict
Another two civilians were killed and six injured on Friday morning when a shell fired by separatists hit a busy cafe in the nearby town of Shchastya, the Kiev-controlled regional administration said.
Russia has been warned sanctions will be stepped up if the truce to end the 10-month Ukraine conflict is not fully implemented.
The ceasefire, which comes into effect on Sunday, was agreed after 16 hours of talks between Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany in the Belarusian capital Minsk.
A previous truce was violated almost immediately by both sides and there are doubts the latest one will hold.
Video:Poroshenko Expresses Surprise
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the deal provided "a glimmer of hope - no more, no less".
Russia has already been hit with financial and diplomatic sanctions for allegedly supplying the separatists with heavy weapons and fighters - which it denies.
Mrs Merkel warned: "We hold open the possibility, if these new agreements are not implemented, that we must take further measures."
European Council President Donald Tusk said previously-agreed sanctions against 19 Russian and Ukrainian individuals and nine entities would still come into force next week.
Video:Can Ukraine Peace Deal Succeed?
"Our trust in the goodwill of (Russian) President Putin is limited, this is why we have to maintain our decision on sanctions," he said.
The terms of the ceasefire include a withdrawal of heavy weapons, Ukraine taking control of its Russian border, the granting of special status to rebel regions and addressing the humanitarian crisis created by the fighting.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko admitted to having doubts, saying: "It was very difficult negotiation and we expect a not easy implementation process."
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe has said it plans to send 350 of its observers to eastern Ukraine to ensure the terms of the truce are monitored.
Written By Unknown on Kamis, 12 Februari 2015 | 20.48
Ceasefire In Eastern Ukraine From Sunday
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Video:Ceasefire Deal In Ukraine Conflict
A ceasefire in eastern Ukraine has been agreed after all-night talks in Belarus involving the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany.
It will come into effect on 15 February and will be followed by the withdrawal of heavy weapons, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
"We have managed to agree on the main things," he told reporters after the talks, which began on Wednesday evening and lasted 16 hours.
Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande embrace after the deal was reached
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said: "The main thing which has been achieved is that from Saturday into Sunday there should be declared without any conditions at all, a general ceasefire."
The truce was signed by the so-called "contact group", comprising pro-Russian separatist leaders, Russian and Ukrainian envoys and European mediators.
Local residents look at the remains of a rocket shell on a street in the town of Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine
Seven civilians have been killed and 26 wounded in rocket strikes on the town of Kramatorsk
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The body of a woman killed by the recent shelling lies on a street in the town's residential sector
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Members of the Ukrainian armed forces ride on an armoured personnel carrier (APC) near Debaltseve, eastern Ukraine
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A previous truce signed last September collapsed soon after.
The key points of the latest agreement are:
:: A general ceasefire to start on Sunday
:: Heavy weapons to be pulled back from a division line determined by both sides
:: Ukraine to take control of the border with Russia
:: The provision of special status for the rebel regions
Video:Russian Jets Conduct War Drills
:: Measures for addressing the humanitarian crisis affecting thousands of civilians caught up in the fighting
Mr Putin said there was still disagreement over Debaltseve, a key transport hub and the centre of fierce fighting.
He understood rebels had surrounded up to 8,000 Ukrainian troops and expected them to lay down arms ahead of the ceasefire, but Mr Poroshenko disputed this.
The ceasefire deal was welcomed by French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who led the discussions.
Mr Hollande said Mrs Merkel, Mr Poroshenko and himself would ask the European Union to back the agreement at a summit later on Thursday.
Mrs Merkel said it offered a "glimmer of hope" that the conflict, which has claimed over 5,300 lives since April, would come to an end.
Video:The Demands From Both Sides
However, she added that "concrete steps must of course be taken and there will still be big hurdles ahead".
Her concerns were echoed by Mr Hollande who said the next few hours will be "decisive" as he arrived for the EU summit in Brussels.
Ukraine received an extra boost when the International Monetary Fund confirmed a $17.5bn aid package for the country, conditional on sweeping economic reforms.
Russia also benefited from the ceasefire agreement. Its main stock market rose 6% on the news amid hopes it would lead to an easing of western sanctions.
Before the deal was announced reports suggested little progress had been made at the summit, in the Belarusian capital Minsk.
Sky's Stuart Ramsay, in Minsk, said: "This has been quite a remarkable night where it looked like they weren't even going to come at one point.
Video:Mortar Attack On Bus Station
"Then we had this huge marathon meeting where everyone was convinced it would come up with a plan, then everyone thought there was a plan and then suddenly there wasn't a plan.
"Our understanding from the Ukrainians is that the rebels aren't happy with the agreement and of course the Ukrainian government itself said they weren't happy with the agreement."
Fighting in eastern Ukraine intensified ahead of the talks and continued as they were taking place, with 10 civilians and two Ukrainian soldiers killed in the last 24 hours, officials said.
Kiev claims around 50 tanks and dozens of other heavy weapons entered Ukraine from Russia while the summit was being held.
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Ceasefire In Eastern Ukraine From Sunday
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Video:Ceasefire Deal In Ukraine Conflict
A ceasefire in eastern Ukraine has been agreed after all-night talks in Belarus involving the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany.
It will come into effect on 15 February and will be followed by the withdrawal of heavy weapons, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
"We have managed to agree on the main things," he told reporters after the talks, which began on Wednesday evening and lasted 16 hours.
Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande embrace after the deal was reached
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said: "The main thing which has been achieved is that from Saturday into Sunday there should be declared without any conditions at all, a general ceasefire."
The truce was signed by the so-called "contact group", comprising pro-Russian separatist leaders, Russian and Ukrainian envoys and European mediators.
Local residents look at the remains of a rocket shell on a street in the town of Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine
Seven civilians have been killed and 26 wounded in rocket strikes on the town of Kramatorsk
]]>
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The body of a woman killed by the recent shelling lies on a street in the town's residential sector
]]>
Members of the Ukrainian armed forces ride on an armoured personnel carrier (APC) near Debaltseve, eastern Ukraine
]]>
A previous truce signed last September collapsed soon after.
The key points of the latest agreement are:
:: A general ceasefire to start on Sunday
:: Heavy weapons to be pulled back from a division line determined by both sides
:: Ukraine to take control of the border with Russia
:: The provision of special status for the rebel regions
Video:Russian Jets Conduct War Drills
:: Measures for addressing the humanitarian crisis affecting thousands of civilians caught up in the fighting
Mr Putin said there was still disagreement over Debaltseve, a key transport hub and the centre of fierce fighting.
He understood rebels had surrounded up to 8,000 Ukrainian troops and expected them to lay down arms ahead of the ceasefire, but Mr Poroshenko disputed this.
The ceasefire deal was welcomed by French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who led the discussions.
Mr Hollande said Mrs Merkel, Mr Poroshenko and himself would ask the European Union to back the agreement at a summit later on Thursday.
Mrs Merkel said it offered a "glimmer of hope" that the conflict, which has claimed over 5,300 lives since April, would come to an end.
Video:The Demands From Both Sides
However, she added that "concrete steps must of course be taken and there will still be big hurdles ahead".
Her concerns were echoed by Mr Hollande who said the next few hours will be "decisive" as he arrived for the EU summit in Brussels.
Ukraine received an extra boost when the International Monetary Fund confirmed a $17.5bn aid package for the country, conditional on sweeping economic reforms.
Russia also benefited from the ceasefire agreement. Its main stock market rose 6% on the news amid hopes it would lead to an easing of western sanctions.
Before the deal was announced reports suggested little progress had been made at the summit, in the Belarusian capital Minsk.
Sky's Stuart Ramsay, in Minsk, said: "This has been quite a remarkable night where it looked like they weren't even going to come at one point.
Video:Mortar Attack On Bus Station
"Then we had this huge marathon meeting where everyone was convinced it would come up with a plan, then everyone thought there was a plan and then suddenly there wasn't a plan.
"Our understanding from the Ukrainians is that the rebels aren't happy with the agreement and of course the Ukrainian government itself said they weren't happy with the agreement."
Fighting in eastern Ukraine intensified ahead of the talks and continued as they were taking place, with 10 civilians and two Ukrainian soldiers killed in the last 24 hours, officials said.
Kiev claims around 50 tanks and dozens of other heavy weapons entered Ukraine from Russia while the summit was being held.
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Breaking News: Miliband Stands By Fink Tax Avoidance Claims
Herve Falciani, the man who exposed a tax scandal at HSBC by leaking thousands of account details from a Geneva branch, says he first raised concerns about suspect practices at the bank seven years ago.
In an interview with Sky News, Mr Falciani claims to have emailed and called Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs in 2008 - though he said the full processed data was only given to UK authorities in 2010.
Mr Falciani initially obtained the details while employed as an IT worker in 2007 and passed them to French authorities.
The details of 30,000 accounts - holding almost £78bn in assets - have been revealed after they were obtained by a French newspaper and analysed by a team of investigative journalists.
They accused HSBC's Swiss banking arm of helping wealthy customers avoid tax and hide millions of dollars, and providing accounts to international criminals, corrupt businessmen, politicians and celebrities.
Video:Cameron And Miliband Clash On HSBC
Senior politicians and HM Revenue & Customs have been accused of failing to act over the claims that HSBC helped clients dodge taxes.
And a furious blame game is under way between the Tories and Labour.
Mr Falciani said: "I sent an email, a very naive email, in 2008... to England - to the department dedicated to tax evasion - and afterwards I even called them.
"And finally the most efficient move was through the French authorities because when we accepted to work together it was established and agreed that what we were doing should be available to any countries having co-operation treaties signed with France."
The date of this offer is an important part of the scandal impacting British politics.
HSBC now admits problems in controls and compliance in the period before 2008.
Mr Falciani said he was "relieved" that it had made the admission, something he had suggested for years.
Video:Lord Fink Responds To Tax Claims
So this raises questions on all sides.
Firstly, the problems on compliance and control occurred at a time when Lord Green was chief executive and then chairman of Britain's biggest bank.
He was then made a lord, trade minister, and appointed to a Cabinet committee on post-crisis banking reform by the Prime Minister - after HMRC had received a full account of thousands of Britons suspected of avoiding taxes with HSBC's help.
However, Mr Falciani confirms he first tried to contact HMRC in 2008, at a time when Labour was in office.
The picture painted by Mr Falciani is of a Britain reluctant to delve into illegally obtained data that nonetheless contains revelations about personal and corporate conduct.
He said he was used to being ignored by authorities that should have wanted to know more.
"Never did British tax authorities, Parliament nor Government invite me... right now the British investigators received just a tiny part of the available information on HSBC. Just 1%."
Video:HSBC Files: Debate On Significance
His actions were the ultimate source of the data that has caused political havoc in Greece, Spain, India, France, Belgium and now the UK.
He says he is glad that another French source handed the full data to Le Monde newspaper, who then passed it on to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.
"We hope it would increase public awareness of offshore banking, which is out of control," he said. "We have proof in front of us."
Mr Falciani is now advising political parties such as Podemos in Spain and the Indian government on how to combat tax avoidance by their richest citizens.
He said he would be delighted to come to Britain, but fears arrest by Interpol on account of a Swiss extradition warrant.
He was arrested in Spain because of the warrant, but his extradition was blocked on account of the help his data had given to Spanish tax and judicial authorities, after he appeared, disguised, at a tribunal.
Al Jazeera journalists Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed have been freed on bail by an Egyptian court after spending more than a year behind bars.
A judge in Cairo ordered that the pair should be released at the start of their retrial on charges of spreading lies.
Canadian-Egyptian Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian national Baher Mohamed had spent more than four hundred days in jail.
Mohamed Fahmy raises an Egyptian flag in court in Cairo
Mr Fahmy's fiancee cheered "long live justice" as the decision to grant bail was announced.
The men's colleague, Peter Greste, was released last week and returned to his native Australia.
Video:4 February - Greste Arrives Home
He was freed under a decree which authorised the country's leader to approve the deportation of foreign prisoners.
Mr Greste took to Twitter to congratulate his colleagues when their release was announced: "This is a huge step forward. Not time to declare it over, but at least you get to go home!"
The three were arrested in 2013 followed the ousting of Egypt's Islamist president and Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi by the military.
The men were accused by the new government of acting as a mouthpiece for the Muslim Brotherhood, which had been designated as a terrorist organisation.
Their case provoked an international outcry and widespread calls for their freedom.
Human rights groups and several media outlets condemned the men's detention as being politically-motivated, saying the three were just doing their job.
Mr Fahmy and Mr Mohamed's case has been adjourned until 23 February.
The Labour leader Ed Miliband has said he stands by comments made in the Commons, accusing a Tory peer of tax avoidance activities.
And he charged the Government with "turning a blind eye to tax avoidance", after the former Conservative treasurer acknowledged he did take "vanilla, bland" measures to reduce his liabilities.
Mr Miliband was responding to a challenge from Lord Fink to repeat a claim he made during a bitter exchange in the House of Commons over alleged tax avoidance linked to HSBC's Swiss subsidiary.
However, he stopped short of repeating his Commons claim, which was protected by parliamentary privilege, that David Cameron was "a dodgy Prime Minister surrounded by dodgy donors".
Lord Fink had branded this accusation as "untrue and defamatory" , and had threatened legal action if he made it in public.
Video:Cameron And Miliband Clash On HSBC
But in an interview with the Evening Standard and said he did not want to sue Mr Miliband, and acknowledged he had engaged in tax avoidance, although he said this was at "the mildest end of the spectrum".
"What I did ... was at the vanilla, bland, end of the spectrum," he insisted.
And he said he had rejected expert advice that he could save a fortune by adopting "aggressive" avoidance measures.
Lord Fink told the newspaper: "I don't even want to sue Ed Miliband. In my life I have been libelled a few dozen times and I have never sued anybody, even for some comments that were quite outrageous.
"f he simply uses the words 'Lord Fink did ordinary tax avoidance' then no, I couldn't sue him. But if he made the statement 'dodgy' about my bank account, that was potentially libellous. That was the issue I took exception to.
"I also took exception to him saying I had questions to answer. In fact, whenever anyone has put questions to me I have answered them."
He went on: "The expression tax avoidance is so wide that everyone does tax avoidance at some level."
Speaking at the launch of Labour's education policy for the May general election at his former school in north London, Mr Miliband said: "Yesterday a Conservative donor challenged me to stand by what I said in the House of Commons. I do.
"And believe it or not, now today he confirmed it as well. He has just said, and I quote 'I didn't object to his use of the word tax avoidance, because tax avoidance - everyone does it'.
Video:'You've Only Seen 1% Of Wrongdoing'
"David Cameron must explain why he appointed a treasurer of the Conservative Party who boasts about engaging in tax avoidance and thinks it is something that everyone does.
"This the big choice facing our country - a choice between an old economy defended by this Government in which a blind eye is turned to tax avoidance, and a new economy built by investing in the talents and education of all our young people."
Mr Miliband told Sky News: "The difference between today and yesterday is Lord Fink is saying what I said about Lord Fink.
"When somebody says I am going to sue the Labour leader because he says I am engaged in tax avoidance and the next day says I am not going to sue him because I have engaged in tax avoidance, I'd say that's a pretty open and shut case."
But responding to Mr Miliband's comments, Lord Fink said: "Yesterday I challenged Ed Miliband to repeat the accusations he made in the Commons - that I used an HSBC bank account to avoid tax and that I was a 'dodgy donor'. He did not.
"This is a major climbdown by a man who is willing to smear without getting his facts straight."
Meanwhile, the man who lifted the lid on the HSBC tax scandal has said he first raised concerns about suspect practices at the bank in 2008 - two years earlier than previously thought.
In an interview with Sky News, Herve Falciani said he emailed and called Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs seven years ago.
Written By Unknown on Rabu, 11 Februari 2015 | 20.48
By Jonathan Samuels in Grosseto
The captain of the stricken Costa Concordia has told his trial "a part of me died" on the night of the disaster - as judges retire to consider their verdicts.
Francesco Schettino wept in court as he addressed three judges who could decide his fate at 6pm this evening (7pm local time).
He claimed the blame for the disaster that killed 32 people lay with his employer Costa Cruises and said the media had portrayed him unfairly.
He said: "In this court a lot of words have been said to destroy my dignity. I have spent the last three years in a media meat grinder.
Schettino arrived at court in Grosseto just after 10am local time
"It is difficult to call what I have been living through a life.
"All the responsibility has been loaded on to me with no respect for the truth or for the memory of the victims.
Video:Time Lapse: Concordia Under Tow
"I want to say that on 16 January a part of me died."
He was unable to finish his statement, breaking into loud sobs before declaring "basta" (enough) and slumping back into his seat.
Schettino is charged with manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and leaving the liner ahead of some of the passengers when it hit rocks and capsized off the island of Giglio in 2012.
The trial has heard there is a "tsunami" of evidence against the cruise ship's former commander, as prosecutors called for him to be sent to prison for 26 years.
Ian Donoff and his wife were among the 37 British passengers and crew on board during the chaotic and delayed night time evacuation.
Mr Donoff told Sky News: "We said our prayers together and we said it was so unfair that we were married only 11 days and this would be happening to us.
Video:Chilling Video Of Sunken Liner
"Everything passes through your mind and I said 'I don't think we're going to get out of here'."
Lawyers spent Wednesday morning summing up the case in court in Grosseto, Tuscany, where the trial began in July 2013.
Lead defence lawyer Domenico Pepe said his client was "the victim of a legal and media circus", who had suffered a lot of pain since the disaster.
On Tuesday, prosecutor Stefano Pizza called the captain's conduct "reprehensible" and said: "It was a Titanic affair that merits adequate punishment."
He said: "There is a tsunami of evidence against Francesco Schettino but he has admitted to nothing.
"It would be easier for a lawyer to fly than to defend Schettino."
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Gallery: Italian Cruise Ship Runs Aground Off West Coast Of Italy
Rescuers on inflatable boats are seen next to the Costa Concordia cruise ship that ran aground off the west coast of Italy
The cruise ship suffered a lengthy underwater gash after hitting a submerged rock and foundered just yards from shore on the island of Giglio
A former US Marine goes on trial in Texas today charged with killing the real life American Sniper.
Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, credited as the most deadly sniper in US military history, was shot dead at a gun range in February 2013.
His friend Chad Littlefield was also shot dead during the attack.
The two men had taken former Marine corporal Eddie Ray Routh to the range as part of his treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Routh does not deny shooting the men, but is expected to plead not guilty to murder by reason of insanity.
The movie adaptation of Kyle's autobiography American Sniper is now the highest-grossing war movie of all time.
Both the film and Bradley Cooper, who plays Kyle, have been nominated for Oscars.
The movie has attracted controversy with claims it glorifies violence in its telling of Kyle's 160 confirmed "kills" during four tours in Iraq.
But in Kyle's home town of Midlothian, where his widow Taya and two children still live, they dismiss the criticism.
Dennis DeWeerde, who runs the barbecue restaurant where Kyle regularly ate Sunday lunch, told Sky News: "Chris truly was a hero and you could sit and talk to him about things that happened overseas and he really was genuine in saying he was more worried about the people he didn't save.
Eddie Ray Routh is expected to plead not guilty to murder
"I don't know how else to describe him but for what he was, a true American hero."
The trial will take place in the small town of Stephenville.
Until now the town was most famous for being the "Cowboy Capital of the World".
Stephenville has been swamped by media from around the world who are covering the trial.
The jury has been told to ignore the film - currently playing at the town's cinema, four miles from the court - and focus on the evidence.
Several potential jurors were released after saying they had already made up their minds.
Routh's lawyers had asked for a delay in proceedings, or for the trial to be moved, because of the attention surrounding the movie.
And military veterans' organisations have questioned their use of PTSD as his defence.
Cliff Sosamon, president of the North Texas Military Association, said: "Just because you have post-traumatic stress, it doesn't give you the right or the excuse to do those kind of things.
"If that was the case you'd have veterans running wild all over the place, and that's not the case at all."
The trial is expected to last two weeks.
Prosecutors have decided not to seek the death penalty so, if found guilty, Routh would face life in prison.
If he is found not guilty by reason of insanity, he would most likely be sent to a psychiatric hospital.
A man and two women have been arrested on suspicion of terror-related offences.
The man, aged 31, is being held on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism and his arrest comes as police search five addresses on Merseyside..
Officers from the North West Counter Terrorism Unit and Merseyside Police raided the houses after "intelligence received" from law-enforcement agencies.
Police said the searches were expected to take many hours or even days.
Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Mole from the North West Counter Terrorism Unit, said: "It is our intention to carry out a thorough, professional investigation to determine the circumstances and details of the activity reported.
"We are taking all measures necessary to ensure public safety, which is our primary concern.
"Members of the public will see a lot of police activity at a number of addresses in the coming hours and possibly days.
"However, it is absolutely vital to stress - and, I hope, at the same time, reassure the public - that there is no current threat or evidence of an imminent attack."
Anyone with concerns about suspicious activity should contact local police or the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789321.
Meanwhile, officers from the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit have arrested two women from Walsall in connection with Syria-related offences.
One, aged 23, was held on suspicion of preparing for acts of terrorism and the other, aged 33, is accused of failing to disclose information.
The arrests are the latest of about a dozen since the UK raised its international terrorism threat level to "severe" in August.
NHS staff who raised the the alarm over poor patient care were driven to the brink of suicide, a major review into the treatment of whistleblowers has found.
The report's author, Sir Robert Francis QC, said he repeatedly heard horrific stories of workers' lives being destroyed because workers had tried to to the right thing for people in their care.
He said the health service must undergo a "major change of culture", warning that: "Failure to speak up can cost lives."
Action has been urged at "every level of the NHS" to make staff raising their concerns the norm.
Sir Robert's proposals include:
:: Action at every level of the NHS to make raising concerns part of every member of staff's normal working life
:: Freedom to Speak Up Guardian in every NHS Trust - a named person to give independent support to whistleblowers and hold board to account if it fails to focus on the patient safety issue.
:: A National Independent Officer to support the Guardians an intervene when cases go wrong.
:: A support scheme to help good NHS staff who are without work after raising concerns to get another job.
:: Sets out 20 Principles and Actions which aim to create the right conditions for staff to speak up.
Some 600 staff spoke to the review team, with another 19,000 responding to an online survey.
Many staff said they did not speak up because they felt their concerns would not be listened to, while others feared victimisation.
The report said student nurses and doctors believed the problem to be "endemic" within the health service.
Sir Robert wrote: "I heard shocking accounts of the way some people have been treated when they have been brave enough to speak up.
"I witnessed at first hand their distress and the strain on them and, in some cases, their families.
"I heard about the pressures it can place on other members of a team, on managers, and in some cases the person about whom a concern is raised.
"Though rare, I was told of suicidal thoughts and even suicide attempts."
Sir Robert wrote: "The genuine pain and distress felt by contributors in having to relive their experiences was every bit as serious as the suffering I witnessed by patients and families who gave evidence to the Mid Staffordshire inquiries."
Announcing the raft of measures, Sir Robert stressed that a change in culture was more important than regulation in bringing about the much-needed change.
"What I heard during the course of the review from staff, employers, regulators and unions and others leaves me in no doubt that there's a serious problem in the National Health Service," he told reporters.
"Taking into account all the evidence obtained by the review, I have come to the conclusion there must be a change of culture.
"No amount of legal or regulatory change will make it easier for staff to raise issues that worry them unless there is a culture which encourages and supports them to do so."
He added: "Too often, honestly-expressed anxieties have met with hostility and breakdown of working relationships.
"Worse still, some people suffer life-changing events, they lose their jobs, their careers and even their health."
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt ordered the review last June after Sir Robert led two inquiries into failures at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, which the QC said had shown the "appalling consequences for patients when there is a 'closed ranks' culture".
Mr Hunt said he was accepting all Sir Robert's proposals "in principle".
He told MPs: "The message must go out today that we are calling time on bullying, intimidation and victimisation which have no place in the NHS."
The Government would also fast-track a new law protect whistleblowers against discrimination.
Written By Unknown on Selasa, 10 Februari 2015 | 20.48
David Cameron has hailed business as "the country's job engine" as he unveiled plans to help expanding firms through the financial "valley of death".
The Prime Minister said a Tory Government would launch a financing scheme to help the country's 500 fastest growing companies.
A pilot scheme will be launched at the Budget before the election using £100m from the British Investment Bank, he said.
Mr Cameron made the pledge during a speech to the British Chambers of Commerce annual conference where he outlined a series of steps taken by the Government, which he said had helped support business.
And he warned companies had reason "to fear the alternative" in a sideswipe at the opposition.
He claimed a Labour government would mean "more borrowing, more debt, higher interest rates, a loss of confidence in Britain".
In an apparent move to spike opposition accusations of a "cost of living crisis", Mr Cameron also called on business leaders to pass the benefits of economic growth and low oil prices to staff.
He said economic success should be reflected in the contents of workers' pay packets.
"Put simply - it's time Britain had a pay rise," the PM told the conference.
But unions have dismissed his call as "pre-election mood music".
However, Mr Cameron rejected criticism that he was pressing for private firms to increase wages while holding pay down for public sector workers.
He said: "Within the public sector we have actually seen quite a lot of pay increases through progression, through people taking on new skills and talking on new tasks.
"And we have seen that take place, for instance in the NHS, so that people have had pay rises, in many cases year on year."
Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been confronted by topless protesters outside a courthouse in France before taking the stand at his "aggravated pimping" trial.
The economist was ambushed as his car approached the building, with Femen activists climbing on to the roof and shouting insults.
Many of the women had "guilty" scrawled on their half-naked bodies, amid allegations that Strauss-Kahn was involved in a prostitution ring.
Police attempted to cover up the women after they were handcuffed
Police handcuffed the demonstrators and forcibly removed them from the scene, throwing coats over the women's exposed chests.
Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, faces 10 years behind bars and a £1.1m fine if he is found guilty of organising prostitutes to attend sex parties with him in luxury hotels around the world.
The activists are part of the provocative Femen group
In court, the 65-year-old denied any wrongdoing and insisted that his attendance at sex parties was rare.
The one-time presidential hopeful is expected to say that engaging in orgies with consenting adults is within his rights, and that he was unaware that the women giving him attention were prostitutes.
Strauss-Kahn denies any wrongdoing
In 2011, a maid accused Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault at a luxury hotel in New York. That case was eventually settled in a civil suit.
His lawyer, Henri Leclerc, said at the time: "In these circumstances one isn't always clothed, and I challenge you to tell the difference between a prostitute naked and any other woman naked."
A "breathalyser" that can diagnose lung cancer will be used in two NHS hospitals this summer as part of a £1m clinical trial.
The device was originally invented by engineer Billy Boyle to detect explosives in airports and on the battlefield, but he refocused on medical applications after his wife Kate Gross, then 34, was diagnosed with colon cancer in October 2012.
Mrs Gross, who after leaving Oxford University had become a high-flying civil servant, advising prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, was given a 5% chance of survival.
The LuCID (lung cancer indicator detection) project by Owlstone, the company founded by Mr Boyle, analyses the chemicals present in a person's breath.
Diseases like lung cancer produce miniscule but unique chemical traces.
Video:Inventor On His Wife's Loss
This can indicate illness long before symptoms become obvious - when survival rates are much higher.
The survival rate for Stage 1 lung cancer is 75%; Stage 4 is just 5%.
Mr Boyle told Sky News: "The great thing is the technology exists today.
"We already have the microchip, we're working on small handheld devices in (a) GP's office.
"It's important to get the clinical evidence first. But we think we can have systems available, proven, within the next two years.
"And our goal is to save the NHS £245m - but more importantly to save 10,000 lives."
After two years with cancer, Kate died early on Christmas Day, aged 36.
Mr Boyle said: "Me and my wife talked about different applications of Owlstone's technology.
"We spent many years sitting in cancer wards in Addenbroke's in Cambridge and down in London and you see a lot of people there.
Video:Breathalyser That Can Detect Cancer
"And they're there because the disease is detected too late.
"So early detection means that you will have fewer people sitting in those waiting rooms.
"Because of the experience of my wife and my family, we saw the devastation that cancer brings to families, in the various hospitals that we've been.
"You develop technologies for a reason.
"Sometimes it's for monetary gain. Other times it's to make a difference. And I think we have a real opportunity to try and improve the lives of patients."
Owlstone's technology can be applied to other diseases too, including bowel cancer, tuberculosis and asthma.
Dr Jonathan Bennett, a consultant respiratory physician at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, told Sky News: "If successful, this test could be delivered locally - for example at GP surgeries and pharmacies for people assessed at being high risk."
"We are looking forward to answering this question with this innovative study."
Police are investigating the cause of a collision involving a tipper truck that left four people dead, including a four-year-old girl.
The 32-tonne truck, which was carrying aggregate, crashed into cars and pedestrians as it travelled down a steep hill in Upper Weston in Bath, Somerset, just after 4pm on Monday.
Mitzi Rosanna Steady, who was walking with her grandmother, died at the scene.
Three men from South Wales, aged 59, 52 and 34, were also killed when the truck overturned and smashed into their car at the bottom of the hill.
Eyewitness accounts given to police suggest the driver of the truck had been trying to avoid an accident.
Video:Witness: 'It Sounded Horrendous'
The area was busy with parents collecting children from school, and police have asked Weston All Saints Primary School to remain closed today due to the incident.
The young girl's grandmother was airlifted to Southmead Hospital in Bristol in a critical condition from a primary school playing field.
Another three patients, two men and one woman, suffered minor injuries and were taken to the Royal United Hospital in Bath.
One of the men - a HGV driver - and the woman remain in hospital with minor injuries, while the second man was discharged overnight.
A makeshift facility at the school was set up to treat several "walking wounded" with less serious injuries.
Video:Bath Truck Crash Victims Remembered
A detailed examination of the scene has begun, and motorists have been told to avoid the Lansdown Lane area between the High Street and Deanhill Lane, which will remain closed.
Avon and Somerset Police Chief Inspector Norman Pascal said: "This is a tragic incident in which three men and a young girl have lost their lives and we're carrying out a full and meticulous investigation to find out what happened.
"The tipper truck has been recovered and will undergo a full examination and our investigators will be carrying out further inquiries at the scene today.
"We have specially trained family liaison officers supporting the victims' families to make sure they have all the help they need and are being kept updated on the progress of our investigation."
Liberal Democrat MP Don Foster said the council had imposed a 20mph speed limit on parts of the road to improve safety.
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Gallery: Runaway Truck Hits Cars And Pedestrians
The tipper truck - carrying gravel - turned over in the accident
Lansdown Lane in Upper Weston was closed over the accident
Written By Unknown on Senin, 09 Februari 2015 | 20.49
Footage has been revealed of an armed man trying to escape a high-speed police chase by hijacking a car on a busy motorway.
Two men had been tracked by police from Queensland, Australia, on a 93-mile (150km) police chase from near Brisbane through to New South Wales.
Police halted the blue Mitsubishi Lancer with road spikes at Tweed Heads before one of the men fired his semi-automatic handgun at police.
He then tried to shoot at a passing car, forcing it to stop suddenly and the car behind it to plough into its back, sending belongings across the busy Pacific Motorway.
Both drivers appeared unhurt.
Apparently trying to hijack another car, the 32-year-old pointed his gun at another vehicle, which struck him, knocking the gun from his hand.
Lying by the roadside, the man was then arrested by police, who had been following the pair while dodging bullets.
The other man, aged 20, was also arrested by police.
New South Wales Police said the men have been charged with intent to murder, discharging a firearm to avoid arrest, attempted car-jacking and Skye's law.
Skye's law is aimed at greater punishment for people who lead police on dangerous high-speed chases and is named after 19-month-old Skye Sassine, who was killed when two alleged thieves crashed into her parents' car in Sydney.
Vladimir Putin will not be spoken to in the language of ultimatums, a Russian radio station has quoted the Kremlin as saying.
Reports suggest German Chancellor Angela Merkel had given him until Wednesday to agree a peace plan over Ukraine or face new sanctions.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Govorit Moskva radio: "Nobody has ever talked to the president in the tone of an ultimatum - and could not do so even if they wanted to."
The leaders of Ukraine, Germany, France and Russia are preparing for a summit in the Belarussian capital of Minsk on Wednesday, aiming to end the 10-month conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has killed more than 5,000 people.
Putin hosted Merkel and the French leader Francois Hollande for talks in the Kremlin on Friday and the Wall Street Journal had reported that Merkel had given Putin until Wednesday to agree to a Franco-German peace plan.
Video:Hammond: Putin Acting Like 'Tyrant'
Merkel is to meet US president Barack Obama to discuss the peace initiative as the White House considers supplying weapons to Kiev.
Meanwhile, the European Union has approved new visa bans and asset freezes on more Ukrainian separatists and Russians but has suspended the new sanctions until 16 February to give peace talks a chance, according to French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.
He said: "The principle of the sanctions will be kept but their implementation will depend on the situation on the ground.
