DVLA made £21m selling details of 4.85m motorists... including passing on 7,000 drivers' names to convicted criminal

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has sold sensitive personal details of more than 7,000 drivers to a convicted criminal and his company.

Today’s revelation comes despite the quango’s promises to clean up its act in the wake of a similar scandal seven years ago.

Yet The Mail on Sunday can disclose that the DVLA sold motorists’ names and addresses to a parking enforcement company just seven weeks after it admitted dozens of criminal offences.

Agency chiefs knew that Observices Parking Solutions and boss Douglas Harris had been fined £29,850 after a court ruled it had been ‘recklessly unfair’ to drivers last year – but they still sold on the personal details.

The Mail on Sunday can also disclose the DVLA has sold 4.85 million drivers’ names and addresses to parking enforcement firms in the past six years at £2.50 a time – without checking if the companies’ use for the private information was legitimate.

This includes details of nearly one million drivers being passed to 12 firms that were subsequently suspended from accessing the register due to wrongdoing or bankruptcy. Read More

Gemma McCluskie Murder: Man aged 35 Arrested on suspicion of being involved in the murder

A second man has been arrested in connection with the murder of former EastEnders actress Gemma McCluskie whose torso was discovered in a canal in east London.

Detectives investigating the killing arrested a 35-year-old man yesterday on suspicion of being involved in the murder.

He was released on police bail until May.

Miss McCluskie's brother, Tony McCluskie, 35, was charged with her murder earlier this month.

He was remanded in custody after appearing in court via video-link from Brixton Prison to appear at the Old Bailey at a future date. Read More

Mali: Army Forced Back By Major Rebel Assault

Mali's army has reportedly abandoned its military bases around the key northern garrison town of Gao after a fierce assault by heavily-armed rebels.

The defeat was the latest for the army after a lightning 48-hour advance by northern rebels seeking to capitalise on chaos in the West African country after last week's coup.

Junta leader Captain Amadou Sanogo read a statement on state television, saying: "Given the proximity of the camps to residential areas, our forces decided not to fight."

One civilian source told Reuters news agency that rebels had already occupied both main bases around the town while another source said just one of the two camps was now under rebel control. No fighting was visible in Gao itself.

"The army has hit the road to Bamako," said the civilian source of the road towards the capital around 600 miles further south. Read More

Voters 'Blame Government For Fuel Panic'

Four out of five voters blame the Government for the panic-buying of fuel that prompted disruption across the UK, according to an opinion poll.

The ComRes poll for The Independent on Sunday and Sunday Mirror also found 72% of the 1,127 adults questioned online said the coalition was "out of touch with ordinary people".

News of the poll emerged as receding fears of fuel shortages saw queues shortening on the country's petrol station forecourts.

Motoring organisations and petrol retailers said demand had eased after the Government reversed its advice that drivers fill up if their tanks drop below two-thirds full. Read More

Syrian 'Victory' As Saudis Call For Weapons

Syria's regime has declared a defeat of rebel forces, as Saudi Arabia announced it is a "duty" to arm opposition groups.

"The battle to topple the state is over, and the battle to solidify stability... and move on towards a renewed Syria has begun," Syrian foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdisi said in an interview on state television.

Meanwhile, Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said that "arming the opposition is a duty".

His call for force reiterates a demand to supply weapons to rebels, just hours before dozens of countries gather in Turkey for talks on Syria's future. Read More

3.2 Magnitude Earthquake NORTHERN CALIFORNIA - 1st Apr 2012

A magnitude 3.2 earthquake has struck Northern California at a depth of 3.8 km (2.4 miles), the quake hit at 06:17:51 UTC Sunday 1st April 2012
The epicenter was 5 km (3.1 miles) West from Clearlake, California
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake BATAN ISLANDS REGION, PHILIPPINES - 1st Apr 2012

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake has struck the Batan Islands Region, Philippines at a depth of 22.1 km (13.7 miles), the quake hit at 05:34:01 UTC Sunday 1st April 2012
The epicenter was 54 km (33 miles) ESE of Basco, Batan Islands, Philippines
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.0 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHERN ALASKA - 1st Apr 2012

A magnitude 4.0 earthquake has struck Southern Alaska at a depth of 127.2 km (79 miles), the quake hit at 03:18:23 UTC Sunday 1st April 2012
The epicenter was 52 km (32.2 miles) ENE from Pedro Bay, Alaska
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.0 Magnitude Earthquake KYRGYZSTAN - 1st Apr 2012

A magnitude 4.0 earthquake has struck Kyrgyzstan at a depth of 2 km (1.2 miles), the quake hit at 01:43:35 UTC Sunday 1st April 2012
The epicenter was 53 km (32.8 miles) North of Toktogul, Kyrgyzstan
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

3.5 Magnitude Earthquake NORTHERN CALIFORNIA - 1st Apr 2012

A magnitude 3.5 earthquake has struck Northern California at a depth of 1.4 km (0.9 miles), the quake hit at 01:28:54 UTC Sunday 1st April 2012
The epicenter was 2 km (1.2 miles) Northeast from The Geysers, California
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake GUAM REGION - 31st Mar 2012

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake has struck the Guam Region at a depth of 51.9 km (32.3 miles), the quake hit at 22:36:30 UTC Saturday 31st March 2012
The epicenter was 146 km (90 miles) SSW of HAGATNA, Guam
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake GUAM REGION - 31st Mar 2012

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake has struck the Guam Region at a depth of 8.8 km (5.5 miles), the quake hit at 22:03:44 UTC Saturday 31st March 2012
The epicenter was 165 km (102 miles) SSW of HAGATNA, Guam
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake MAULE, CHILE - 31st Mar 2012

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake has struck Maule, Chile at a depth of 40.7 km (25.3 miles), the quake hit at 21:52:56 UTC Saturday 31st March 2012
The epicenter was 47 km (29 miles) WNW of Talca, Maule, Chile
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.2 Magnitude Earthquake PAKISTAN - 31st Mar 2012

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake has struck Pakistan at a depth of 38.2 km (23.7 miles), the quake hit at 21:42:48 UTC Saturday 31st March 2012
The epicenter was 93 km (57 miles) NNE of ISLAMABAD, Pakistan
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake VANUATU - 31st Mar 2012

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake has struck Vanuatu at a depth of 71.8 km (44.6 miles), the quake hit at 19:59:58 UTC Saturday 31st March 2012
The epicenter was 77 km (47 miles) SSW of PORT-VILA, Efate, Vanuatu
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE GUATEMALA - 31st Mar 2012

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake has struck offshore Guatemala at a depth of 70.2 km (43.6 miles), the quake hit at 18:55:04 UTC Saturday 31st March 2012
The epicenter was 82 km (50 miles) South of Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Chinese Lawyer Tells of Bo Xilai's Torture Methods

Mass Exodus from Mainland China?

Belarus Draws Further Condemnation from European Union

Wukan's Elected Officials Face Uphill Battle

CIA Secret Prisons Probe: Polish PM Urges "Discretion"

"Tibet in Flames" Conference Brings Self-Immolations to Fore in EU

s

The Voice Of The Falklands Recalls Invasion

Thirty years ago this week Argentinian forces attacked the Falkland Islands, starting a war which would last 74 days and claim more than 1,000 lives on both sides.

On the night of the invasion radio broadcaster Patrick Watts was ordered by the islands' governor to stay on air and keep residents informed about what was happening.

"At around two o'clock the Governor Rex Hunt called me and said all attempts to stop the Argentines invading the Falklands had failed and we can expect them by dawn," Patrick said.

"Those words hit me hard and I started to shake pretty hard."

But he continued broadcasting. As the assault started worried islanders called in relaying what they could see - tanks, troops and the Argentinian flag flying.

But Patrick remembers one caller in particular, who said: "I can see the stars."

Patrick told him: "For goodness sake don't stay outside. Get inside."

The man responded: "No, I am looking through the roof. There is a hole in the roof." more

National Association for Legal Gun Defense, Texas lawyers offer $10,000 for George Zimmerman's legal defense

The National Association for Legal Gun Defense wants to contribute $10,000 toward George Zimmerman's legal expenses, a member said today.

The group represents gun owners involved in self-defense shooting cases, said attorney Blue Rannefeld of Fort Worth, Texas.

Rannefeld said he has not been able to contact Zimmerman, 28, and is trying to reach Zimmerman's attorney, Craig Sonner of Altamonte Springs to make the group's offer of assistance.

Zimmerman's shooting death of Trayvon Martin, 17, on Feb. 26 in Sanford remains under investigation. source

US lifts ban on Dutch deadly bird flu publications

US experts have dropped their opposition to plans by the Rotterdam Erasmus Medical Centre to publish a controversial paper on a particularly deadly H5N1 bird flu strain, the scientific journal Science reports.

The Dutch research team, led by Ron Fouchier, caused controversy last year because it had developed a bird flu strain that could be transmitted by air. Though the lab research involved ferrets, the new strain could conceivably also infect people. Mr Fouchier described the virus as “probably one of the most dangerous viruses one can make.” Soon after Japanese-American researchers reached the same conclusion.

Terrorism
But planned publications in two leading scientific journals, Science and Nature, were blocked by the US National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB). The body said it feared terrorists could use the information to develop a biological weapon of mass destruction. The NSABB called for the publication to omit critical information to prevent it from falling in terrorist hands. The World Health Organisation, on the other hand, insisted on full disclosure of the research results, saying they are essential to help preventing a bird flu pandemic.

Free exchange
After a meeting on Thursday and Friday, the NSABB said “new evidence that gives a better understanding of the virus can help safeguard public health and security.” Global cooperation requires free exchange of information and constitutes a fundamental principle in evaluating publications, the NSABB said in a statement. But it also stressed that the risk of “dual use”, by researchers and terrorists, remained.

The US experts refused to reveal what changes had been made in the publications. It’s thought a statement by Mr Fouchier, saying the virus was not as easily transmitted from person to person as previously thought, may have to do with the about-face.

The H5N1 bird flu virus is regarded as one of the deadliest bird flu viruses. More than half the people who contract it die because of it. Until now, the virus is only known to have spread to humans from poultry. Source

Note: Fantastic what they will agree to if you tell them what they want to hear.....But does that make it true?

Whale Rescued In Southern California, Now Dead?

(ANIMAL RESCUE) Last weekend, a young gray whale named Bart finally swam free after rescuers spent seven hours disentangling him from a large fishing net. However, a similar gray whale was found dead in Long Beach Harbor on Tuesday afternoon. Found with black rope attached to the fluke and injuries at the base of the tale, wildlife authorities are investigating whether this gray whale could be Bart.

Wildlife authorities are investigating whether a gray whale found dead off Long Beach is the same animal that was cut free from a fishing net off the Orange County coast over the weekend.

The young, thin whale was found floating belly up near Port J in Long Beach Harbor on Tuesday afternoon, said Monica DeAngelis, a marine mammal biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries service. Read More

Japanese fleet catches 267 Antarctic whales....all in the Name of Research of Course

The Japanese fleet caught a total of 267 whales in the latest season of the country's research whaling program in the Antarctic Ocean, the Fisheries Agency said Saturday.

Of the total, up from 172 in the previous season, 266 were minke whales and one was a fin whale, the agency said.

Females accounted for 168 of the total, of which 107 were adults and 92.5 percent were pregnant, the agency noted, indicating the breeding season for Antarctic whales has been favorable.

The fleet, which left Japan on Dec. 6, has already returned home. Source

Hand-foot-mouth disease keeps spreading in China Killing 4 infecting 11000 others

NANNING - Hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) has killed four people and sickened more than 11,000 others in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and more people are likely to be affected by the disease as it enters its peak, health authorities said Saturday.

During the first quarter this year, a total of 11,757 HFMD cases have been reported in Guangxi, up 38.24 percent from the same period last year, the Guangxi regional health department said in a statement.

The infectious disease has plagued other areas in China.

Central Hunan province has seen a surge in cases of hand-foot-mouth disease since the beginning of this month, with over 1,000 cases reported over the past week, according to local health authorities.

Also 20 children of a kindergarten in Hong Kong have been infected by the disease.
Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection said the patients, 13 boys and seven girls from two to five years old, started to show symptoms of HFMD since March 23.

Children under three years old are especially susceptible to break-outs of HFMD. The disease starts with a slight fever followed by blisters and ulcers in the mouth and rashes on the hands and feet.

The HFMD virus is usually transmitted through digestive and respiratory systems or through intimate contact. Read More

Dozens sickened at Vallejo hazmat incident, California

VALLEJO, CA - A Vallejo grocery store was evacuated after a carbon dioxide leak got 71 people sick Friday afternoon.

There were 74 people inside Ghiringhelli Specialty Foods, which bills itself as a natural foods processor, at 101 Benicia Road when the leak occurred, possibly from the kitchen area, Vallejo Fire Battalion Chief Patrick Dunn said.

When Vallejo firefighters arrived at the scene, they encountered people experiencing vomiting, respiratory problems and difficulty seeing. Dunn said large amounts of exposure could lead to death, but no one was at that high of an injury level.

Hospital officials said one worker is in serious condition while all others have recovered from exposure to the leak.

People who were vomiting were immediately transported to the hospital for treatment.

Sutter Solano Medical Center spokesman Sy Neilson said 45 patients were treated for symptoms such as nausea, dizziness and trouble breathing. Read More

The knives are coming out

Recent problems appear to point to potential need for prosecutorial oversight of some type?

How about enforcing the rules of ethics for one?

Also it is a few bad seeds not the whole bunch.  But even if it is only one it is one too much.

Policing prosecutors sorely lacking

By Patricia Kilday Hart - Houston Chronicle


As any fan of the popular television drama Law & Order can tell you, the series' prosecutors often have to rein in overzealous cops and defend the rights of the accused. On television at least, our fictional district attorneys frequently admonish their partners in law enforcement for engaging in unscrupulous investigatory tactics. Our primetime heroes don't cut corners.

If only life really imitated art! A new study by the Innocence Project has found that in at least 91 Texas criminal cases between 2004 and 2008, prosecutors themselves engaged in misconduct like hiding evidence that would have proven someone's innocence. And who polices the prosecutors? According to this research, no one. Not a single Texas prosecutor was held accountable for violating the rights of the accused.

The new data came as no surprise to University of Houston Law Center professor Robert Schuwerk, who also researched discipline cases against Texas prosecutors for not playing fair with criminal defendants. Like the Innocence Project, he came up with zilch.

The rest of the story:

Heroism comes pint-sized

God Bless Nicholas!

The is the boy in red, the boy he saved is the one with the glasses sitting nexst to him.

Boy who saved classmate is honored

By Jennifer R. Lloyd - Express-News

It was lunchtime when Jasiah Rubalcava noticed his friend choking on a nacho chip.

Soon Nicholas Carvajal was clutching his neck and turning red. Jasiah raced around the table and performed the Heimlich maneuver, which loosened the chip enough for Nicholas to cough — and breathe.

The difference between Jasiah and other Heimlich heroes is that he is 6, a kindergartener at West Avenue Elementary, who can't yet pronounce the name of the technique.

The rest of the story:

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE EL SALVADOR - 31st Mar 2012

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake has struck offshore El Salvador at a depth of 61.9 km (38.5 miles), the quake hit at 17:13:59 UTC Saturday 31st March 2012
The epicenter was 122 km (76 miles) SSW from Sonsonate, Sonsonate, El Salvador
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Rest in Peace

I wouldn't call it an act of deep devotion.

However, I cannot judge them or his actions.

My condolences to the family.

Man who wrote about Alzheimer's kills wife, self

Associated Press -

TREXLERTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania man who had recently written in The New York Times about his love for his Alzheimer's-stricken wife killed her and himself in what their family called an act of "deep devotion."

The bodies of Charles Snelling and his wife, Adrienne, both 81, were found Thursday in their home in Trexlertown in eastern Pennsylvania.

"Our father ended our mother's life and then took his own life as well," the family said in a statement. "This is a total shock to everyone in the family, but we know he acted out of deep devotion and profound love."

The rest of the story:

5.4 Magnitude Earthquake TONGA - 31st Mar 2012

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake has struck Tonga at a depth of 122.8 km (76.3 miles), the quake hit at 17:06:43 UTC Saturday 31st March 2012
The epicenter was 116 km (72 miles) NNE of NUKU`ALOFA, Tonga
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Syrian official says regime won't back down first

BEIRUT (AP) — The Syrian government will not pull troops from cities and towns engulfed by the country's unrest before life returns to normal in these areas, a high-ranking official said, as activists reported fresh violence that claimed the lives of more than two dozen people across the nation Saturday.

The statement by Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdessi was the first response to an appeal by U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan to Syrian authorities to stop military activities as "the stronger party" in a "gesture of good faith" to the lightly armed opposition.

It suggests that any implementation of Annan's plan to end the conflict — which Syrian President Bashar Assad has accepted — will be a long and complicated process. Damascus appears to be playing for time by indicating broad agreement with the plan but then quibbling over or ignoring the details.

One of the centerpieces of the plan is the withdrawal of Syrian troops from cities, but Makdessi told state TV late Friday that the military is only in populated areas "in a state of self defense and protecting civilians." Read More

A RARE victory for common sense! Britain deports two convicted Islamist extremists who were convicted of possessing ‘chilling’ terror manuals

Britain yesterday managed to boot out two convicted Islamist extremists in a rare victory for common sense.

Christian Emde and Robert Baum, who are both German nationals, were convicted of possessing documents useful to terrorism.

They included a ‘chilling’ article on how to make a bomb.

The pair has been intercepted and arrested by police as they tried to enter the UK at Dover last July.

Ministers have been fighting a losing battle to deport a string of international terror suspects – including Al Qaeda hate preacher Abu Qatada.

But, with Germany considered a safe country by the courts, the Home Office was able to put the two extremists on a plane.

Immigration minister Damian Green said: ‘We refuse to tolerate foreign nationals breaking our laws. Read More

(Note: So you managed to kick two Germans out! Well done here is a gold star......what about the thousands of Criminals you can't kick out? Does this mean your going to do something about this now?)

• Dec 2011: 4000 Dangerous Foreign Prisoners (who should of been Deported) back on Britain's Streets, Many of whom go onto to re-offend
• Abu Qatada the Radical cleric linked to al Qaeda remains in the UK until this day, being funded by us and we have even recently given him a bigger house to make sure he is happy and comfortable.
• Dangerous Sex offender Sarafa Salami gets £1,000 a month from us in Handouts, we can't deport him he also used race and human rights card to fool our weak system
• 12 Year old Amy Houston was Killed by illegal immigrant Aso Mohammed Ibrahim, who driving with NO insurance whilst disqualified and was sentenced to just 4 Months in Jail and won his right to stay in UK using the famous Humans Rights Act

This was also the day Britain proved that British Citizen Amy Houston did NOT have any Human Rights Act backing her short Life.

We could keep going but there are too many cases to list, you will find hundreds in the Weak justice Section.

Fuel strike: government fails to calm panic buying

The Government's attempt to calm worried motorists appeared to have had little effect on Saturday as the country endured a third day of panic buying at the pumps.

Thousands of drivers across the country continued to rush to forecourts to fill up their petrol tanks, ignoring pleas for restraint from ministers.

The AA reported fresh incidents of motorists using "desperate and dangerous" attempts to store petrol although panic buying was said to be receding.

One woman tried to fill two one-gallon glass flagons with petrol at a station in South Wales. The pump nozzle was bigger than the neck of the flagon and she spilt petrol on the ground.

Queues were particularly bad in Coventry and Liverpool, where motorists at BP stations waited for up to an hour to fill up their tank.

Edmund King, AA president urged calm and advised drivers to revert to their normal fuel buying patterns.

"We hope that the weekend will bring back some sanity in this silly situation. It is almost as if the last five days have been one big April Fool come early. Read More

Lauren Jarrell: Tennessee Mother Faces Possible Jail Time For Baptizing Children

A Shelby County mother is facing contempt-of-court charges and possible jail time for baptizing her two children without the knowledge or consent of her ex-husband.

This week the Tennessee Court of Appeals said Lauren Jarrell must face a criminal contempt hearing for violating a court order that said major decisions regarding the religious upbringing of her two children should be made jointly with her-ex-husband.

The mother and her ex-husband, Blake Jarrell, are both Christian — he’s a Methodist and she’s a Presbyterian.

Court records say the father thought the children should be baptized once they are older. He has asked that his ex-wife be found in criminal contempt for baptizing the children without his knowledge or permission.

If convicted, she could face 20 days in jail and a $100 fine. more

Antarctic ice shelves 'tearing apart'

(CNN) -- A new satellite study of ice shelves in West Antarctica has revealed they are steadily losing their grip with adjacent land and could intensify the acceleration of ice loss in the area.

The ice shelves (floating extensions of land-based ice sheets) in the eastern Amundsen Sea Embayment are fracturing at their margins on rocky bay walls, according to glaciologists from the University of Texas at Austin's Institute for Geophysics (UTIG).

Lead author of the study Joseph MacGregor said in a statement: "Typically, the leading edge of an ice shelf moves forward steadily over time, retreating episodically when an iceberg calves off (breaks off and floats out to sea), but that is not what happened along the shear margins."

"Anyone can examine this region in Google Earth and see a snapshot of the same satellite data we used, but only through examination of the whole satellite record is it possible to distinguish long-term change from cyclical calving," MacGregor added. Read More

Thailand Bomb Attacks at least 10 Killed

(CNN) -- At least 10 people were killed and more than 100 wounded following a pair of explosions Saturday in the southern Thai city of Yala, Thai media reported.

The two blasts were the result of bombs stashed in stolen trucks, Police Lt. Gen. Paitoon Chuchaiya told CNN affiliate MCOT.

Video from the scene showed damage to buildings, cars and motorcycles on the street.

The blasts set fires to nearby vehicles, including a van, which itself exploded, leading to initial reports of a third bomb, Chuchaiya said.

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said she has been informed of the Yala bombings and has instructed national police chief Gen. Prewpan Dhamapong to investigate the crime scene immediately, according to MCOT. Police investigators believe suspected insurgents are behind the attacks, MCOT said. Read More