Babak Belurs

Senin, 24 Agustus 2020

Carole Packman murder: Grandson urges Parole Board not to free killer - BBC News

A man who killed his wife 35 years ago but has never revealed where he put her body must not be freed, his grandson has pleaded.

Russell Causley killed Carole Packman in 1985 but evaded justice for a decade after faking his own death as part of an elaborate insurance scam.

Causley, 78, has changed his account of the Bournemouth murder multiple times.

Grandson Neil Gillingham urged the Parole Board, due to hear the killer's case for release, not to free him.

Mr Gillingham, the grandson of Mrs Packman and Causley, told the BBC his family has been "tortured" by the killer's continued refusal to reveal what he did with his victim's remains.

The Parole Board will hear the case for Causley's release later and is expected to make public its decision in two weeks.

Mr Gillingham urged the board to "please encourage Russell to provide reassurance to us that he is indeed rehabilitated by allowing us to give Carole the burial any human following death, including Russell, rightfully deserves".

Causley initially denied the murder before later admitting to it while in prison and then retracting his confession.

Mr Gillingham said Causley's efforts to continually change his story proved he was "still wicked and arrogant".

What happened to Carole Packman?

Aviation engineer Causley moved his lover Patricia Causley - whose surname he took after they had an affair while he was married to Mrs Packman - into the family home on Ipswich Road, Bournemouth, in 1984.

The day before her disappearance in 1985, Mrs Packman - then aged 40 - had visited a solicitor to inquire about a divorce.

She was later reported missing by their teenage daughter Samantha, who had witnessed Causley physically and psychologically abusing her mother.

However, Dorset Police reported that Mrs Packman had turned up at a police station to say she was safe and to stop searching for her.

Detectives involved in the case have since admitted the force made a "major mistake" by not making basic identify checks and now believe the woman at the police station was not Mrs Packman.

The case was then closed for nearly a decade, when Causley was caught trying to claim £790,000 in life insurance in 1993 after faking his own death on a boating trip.

He was convicted of murder in 1996 before the conviction was quashed in 2003. A retrial the following year found him guilty again and he was jailed for life.

"We do not believe that his mentality has sufficiently changed as such that he will never be tempted to act or behave in the similar manner that imprisoned him all those years ago," said Mr Gillingham.

"We have a genuine fear that Russell Causley poses a significant risk to our family's safety."

He added: "[Causley] should have been honest, he should've finally ended years of suffering and should have provided closure when that it is the logical, human and decent thing to do given the serious nature of his offences and his continued plight for reintegration into society.

"Russell hasn't done any of this - he hasn't been honest, he hasn't ended years of suffering."

Following a hearing in 2018, the Parole Board recommended Causley be moved to an open prison but this was blocked by the justice secretary.

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2020-08-24 23:48:22Z
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Met Office updates weather warnings as Storm Francis barrels towards NEW areas of UK - Daily Express

Met Office warnings for wind were previously in place as far north as Manchester as of Sunday. But today now sees fresh yellow warnings for rain in place for regions such as south-west Scotland and Newcastle, until 6am on Wednesday. A yellow warning for blustering winds has also been issued across a huge part of the UK, from the midlands to the South coast and all of Wales.

Chief Meteorologist Andy Page, said: “The UK is in for another unseasonably wet and windy spell with Storm Francis arriving on Tuesday.

“There will be strong winds and heavy rain, especially in the west of the UK.”

Nicola Maxey, also of the Met Office, added: "Since 2015 when we started naming storms, we have never had to name a storm in August - and now we've had two in a few days.

"There are a lot of people on holiday in the UK at the moment, going camping and on walking breaks, many in coastal locations where the winds are likely to be stronger, so it is worth checking on the Met Office website ahead of time."

Storm Francis is expected to make landfall today from the South West coast, bringing the second “unseasonable” storm in less than two weeks.

The South East coast will suffer winds at speeds of 70mph throughout the day.

Along with the horrendous wind speeds, it will be soaked by up to staggering 90mm of rain throughout the day and Wednesday,

Northern Ireland and South West Scotland is also set to see the worst of the rainfall, with between 60 to 90mm expected throughout today.

Temperatures across the UK will stay cool, as Storm Francis brings a chill.

London and the South East will again see the best of the temperatures, with 21C (69.8F) by 4pm.

In the areas hit worst by Storm Francis the thermometer will read 17C (62.6F) , but it will feel more brisk at 11C (51.8F).

The same will be seen on Wednesday, but it will feel warmer for coastal regions as the storm moves through the UK.

The Met Office said Storm Francis is expected to clear by Wednesday lunchtime, after moving eastwards across the UK.

After it moves away, the weather will see a brighter and more settled outlook for the remainder of the day.

At 7am, the North East will still see some of the worst rainfall, at near 1mm per hour, but that will clear by midday

The Met Office added the bank holiday weekend will likely see a mixture of sunshine and some scattered showers across the country.

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2020-08-25 04:04:00Z
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Storm Francis arrives with heavy rain warning for southern Scotland - BBC News

Warnings have been issued for heavy rain as the last named storm of the season hits Scotland.

Storm Francis is due to move across the country and a Met Office warning is in place for all of Tuesday and until 06:00 BST on Wednesday.

Drivers have been warned to prepare for poor conditions and the RNLI has urged caution on the coastlines.

Rain will be heaviest in south-west Scotland where up to 90mm (3.5in) could fall.

Dumfries and Galloway police asked drivers to allow extra travel time for work and school journeys and to drive according to the conditions.

Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures with disruption to public transport.

The Met Office yellow warning suggested some communities could be cut off by flooded roads.

The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) issued 10 flood alerts covering the affected warning area.

ScotRail told passengers to check their journeys on their website or app before heading out to travel by rail.

Two weeks ago, a major incident was declared in Fife after torrential rain and thunderstorms battered parts of central and eastern Scotland overnight.

The heavy rain caused a ScotRail passenger train to derail after hitting a landslip near Stonehaven. Three men died and six were injured after carriages slipped down an embankment.

Investigators said 52mm (2in) of rain had fallen within the space of four hours.

The Met Office said that this was the first time since they started naming storms in 2015 that they had to name a storm in August and they had to name two - Ellen and Francis - in a matter of days.

They said many people taking holidays in the UK would be affected - many in coastal locations where the winds were likely to be stronger.

Wind will mainly affect England and Wales, with severe rain being the imminent threat for southern Scotland.

Chief meteorologist Andy Page said: "The UK is in for another unseasonably wet and windy spell with Storm Francis arriving on Tuesday.

"There will be strong winds and heavy rain, especially in the west of the UK."

The wettest August on record in the UK was in 1912 when 167.3 mm was recorded across the country as a whole.

Between 1 and 22 August, the UK as a whole had seen some 72.7mm of rainfall - around four-fifths of the average rainfall for the month.

RAC Breakdown spokesman Rod Dennis said: "Drivers look set for yet more miserable conditions.

"At the very least, surface spray on the roads will be a problem, but if conditions deteriorate further there's the prospect of localised flooding and falling branches which could both negatively affect journey times.

"Drivers must be on their guard."

Similarly, the RNLI warned people to take care on the coastline and not to enter the water where a red flag was flying.

Road management company Bear Scotland said the forecast could affect two major road repair operations.

Work to repair the damaged A68 near Fala reached a milestone at the weekend with the completion of the first phase of rock infill.

The forecast for heavy rain means a review of the site is being undertaken and mitigation measures put in place where required to reduce the potential for further damage.

The official signed diversion route is via the A7.

Boulder risk

The weather is again affecting complex repairs of the A83 at the Rest and be Thankful after a landslide on 4 August.

Teams are currently working on the construction of a bored pile wall to support the road allowing it to re-open. Bear has warned that the forecast could mean a closure of the Old Military Road (OMR) diversion route if necessary.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland's North West Representative said: "Work is continuing on the repair works to the A83 following some delay due to boulder risk over the weekend.

"The Old Military Road local diversion is operating well and will remain open overnight, however its operation will be kept under review through the forecast rain on Tuesday."

Storm Francis is expected to clear by Wednesday lunchtime.

No new storm is currently forecast this month, meaning the next storm will begin with "A" rather than "G", as the storm-naming calendar resets on 1 September.

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2020-08-24 23:06:29Z
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Storm Francis brings fresh weather warnings to NI - BBC News

It's still officially summer and yet we have another storm on the way.

Storm Francis was named by the UK Met Office on Monday - it is the seventh named storm of the season (2019/2020) and the second storm in a week to impact the UK and Ireland.

Ellen was named on 18 August and the impacts were felt on the 19th and 20th - just last week.

Warnings for both strong winds and heavy rain have been issued by Met Éireann and the Met Office.

Met Éireann have issued an orange-level warning for Connacht along with counties Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Wexford, Cork, Kerry and Waterford

The UK Met Office has issued a yellow-level rainfall warning for Northern Ireland.

A combination of heavy rain and strong wind warnings (yellow level) have been issued for parts of Scotland along with most of England and Wales.

It is expected that the UK Met Office will upgrade the wind warning to amber in some areas later on Monday when confidence is higher on wind strength and the extent of impact.

At this stage, the main hazard for Northern Ireland is expected to be heavy rain from midnight on Monday to 06:00 BST on Wednesday, with accumulative rainfall totals of 20-40 mm widely and 60-90 mm locally in some hilly areas.

River levels are high after recent rainfall events and flooding is possible in some areas.

This could lead to road closures, delays to transport, difficult driving conditions and potential damage to some homes and businesses.

Strong winds are also forecast for Northern Ireland with wind gusts of 50mph at times, especially over exposed east-facing coasts and hills.

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2020-08-24 19:41:47Z
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BBC backs down: Rule Britannia will NOT be cut from BBC Proms after furious backlash - Express

Organisers of the concert announced the line-up for the Last Night of the Proms ahead of the event on Saturday September 12 at Royal Albert Hall. A campaign to omit the Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory from the concert has garnered widespread support on social media. Many backers had said the words of the songs were offensive and outdated and called for a ban on them being performed in public.

In a statement, the BBC said: "In light of the recent speculation about the Last Night of the Proms, we are today announcing the programme for the concert.

"We very much regret the unjustified personal attacks on Dalia Stasevska, BBC Symphony Orchestra Principal Guest Conductor made on social media and elsewhere.

"As ever, decisions about the Proms are made by the BBC, in consultation with all artists involved.

"The Proms will reinvent the Last Night in this extraordinary year so that it respects the traditions and spirit of the event whilst adapting to very different circumstances at this moment in time.

"With much reduced musical forces and no live audience, the Proms will curate a concert that includes familiar, patriotic elements such as Jerusalem and the National Anthem, and bring in new moments capturing the mood of this unique time, including You’ll Never Walk Alone, presenting a poignant and inclusive event for 2020."

The BBC said the programme would include "new orchestral versions of Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 “Land of Hope and Glory” (arr. Anne Dudley) and Rule Britannia! as part of the Sea Songs, as Henry Wood did in 1905".

Dalia Stasevska, from Finland, is conducting the Last Night this year, with soprano Golda Schultz and the BBC Symphony Orchestra performing.

On Monday an Express.oc.uk poll asked readers whether Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory should be cut from the BBC Proms programme.

Ninety-six percent of respondents said no while just four percent said yes.

Only 109 (less than one percent) said they didn't know.

Between 8.45am and 8.15pm a total of 19,790 readers took part in the survey.

The BBC's confirmation comes after The Sunday Times reported that organisers feared a backlash because of the perceived association the traditional anthems have with colonialism and slavery.

Downing Street waded into the controversy and Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said he had written to the BBC over the issue.

A Number 10 spokesman said the Prime Minister believes in tackling the "substance" not the "symbols" of problems.

He said: "This is a decision and a matter for the organisers of the Proms and the BBC.

"But the PM previously has set out his position on like issues and has been clear that while he understands the strong emotions involved in these discussions, we need to tackle the substance of problems, not the symbols."

Culture Secretary Mr Dowden said that "confident, forward-looking nations don't erase their history".

He wrote on Twitter: "Rule Britannia! and Land of Hope and Glory are highlights of the Last Night of the Proms.

"(I) Share concerns of many about their potential removal and have raised this with (the) BBC.

"Confident forward-looking nations don't erase their history, they add to it."

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2020-08-24 18:54:00Z
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Andrew Neil sends clueless SNP supporters into frenzy – 'What will your currency be?' - Daily Express

The veteran TV presenter became embroiled in a debate which lasted days on Twitter on the issue of Scottish independence and Scotland rejoining the European Union. Mr Neil was still debating with online users two days after the debate started. He responded to an initial tweet put out by an independence campaigner on August 22 who claimed Boris Johnson's Government were "utterly bricking it over losing Scotland via Indyref2".

The campaigner said Westminster had "no idea how to reverse not just polls but a strong trend" and had resorted to "attacking the franchise, legitimacy, time and wording" of the independence campaign.

The man added: "Dissolve the Union to regain Scottish independence."

Mr Neil asked the campaigner "What will your currency be?" and received a flurry of replies from independence supporters.

The presenter, who is in the running for the role of BBC chairman, ripped apart many suggestions put forward.

Another Twitter user challenged Mr Neil, saying: "Wow... it sounds like Mr Neil thinks that only England can fathom the complexities of currency.

"I remember an ex-colony Cyprus for instance running its own currency CYP it was, and it was higher in value per pound than GBP.

"I don't think the Scots fear naming a piece of paper."

The journalist said that after Cyprus gained independence it went for its own currency and has since adopted the euro.

He questioned whether Scottish independence supporters would rather see a Scottish currency in place or the euro in circulation above the border, as many put forward opposing answers to his question.The Twitter debate came after the former director-general for devolution, Professor Jim Gallagher, said the coronavirus pandemic has sunk the economic case for an independent Scotland.

Gallagher said: "Scotland starts, structurally, from a weaker place. Its deficit will be even more staggering, probably well over 25 percent of gross domestic product.

"That’s like borrowing the whole budget of the Scottish parliament in one year.

"No small country on its own could sustain that.

"The hard truths on jobs can’t just be waved away with fantasy fiscal policies."

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2020-08-24 16:49:00Z
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Could the BBC Proms drop Rule, Britannia? - BBC News

Rule, Britannia! and Land of Hope and Glory could be dropped from the Last Night of the Proms in the wake of the recent Black Lives Matter protests, according to reports.

The Sunday Times claims there are concerns at the BBC about associations with colonialism and slavery.

The Last Night of the Proms is due to take place on 12 September, but without an audience, due to coronavirus.

A government spokesman said they would leave any such decision up to the BBC.

However, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden explained on Monday that he had raised "concerns" with the corporation over reports the popular songs could be axed on the night.

Proms concerts will change depending on Covid rules

The Sunday Times suggested that conductor Dalia Stasevska believes it is time "to bring change" to the Royal Albert Hall, in the year that the anti-racism movement gathered pace following the death of George Floyd.

The 35-year-old Finnish conductor, who will be joined by soprano Golda Schultz and the BBC Symphony Orchestra for this year's classical finale, declined to comment on the reports directly, and BBC Proms refused to confirm or deny the story.

"We are still finalising arrangements for the Last Night of the Proms so that we are able to respond to the latest advice in regards to Covid-19 and deliver the best offering possible for audiences," a spokeswoman told BBC News, noting that full details will be announced nearer the time.

The BBC's chief political correspondent Vicki Young said the government would not interfere with the broadcasters over the issue.

But, she went on to explain, a Downing Street spokesman noted Prime Minister Boris Johnson has previously set out his position on similar issues, saying "he understands the strong emotions but thinks we must tackle the substance not the symbols".

Dowden tweeted that the anthems were the musical highlight of the Proms, and that "confident forward-looking nations don't erase their history, they add to it".

Several other politicians and commentators have voiced their disapproval of the proposal on social media.

"Seriously? Has the Beeb totally lost touch?" asked Conservative MP Andrea Leadsom.

Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan, meanwhile, said the proposal to bin the songs was "ridiculous".

Why is Rule, Britannia! so controversial?

Rule, Britannia! was set to music by Thomas Arne in 1740, and its lyrics were based on a poem by James Thomson.

It contains verses such as: "The nations, not so blest as thee / Must, in their turns, to tyrants fall.

"While thou shalt flourish great and free / The dread and envy of them all.

"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves / Britons never will be slaves."

Last year, pop singer Lily Allen criticised its continued usage. "Sorry what? Britannia rule the waves… I think we should not [sing] this song anymore," she wrote online.

Land of Hope and Glory makes similar reference to the "might" of the former British Empire, which some people today find problematic.

'Jingoistic echoes of empire'

Chi-chi Nwanoku runs the Chineke! Foundation, which aims to provide opportunities for black, Asian and ethnically diverse classical musicians in the UK and Europe. She told BBC News she would be "elated" to see the back of the songs.

"We find it offensive," she said. "Of course I know other people are going to want to cling to it, but I know why they want to cling to it.

"These songs are jingoistic echoes of empire and, depending on what side of the fence you're sitting on, you either feel joyous, emboldened and patriotic and immediately identify with all the sentiments of it."

But, she continued: "For any conscious black person who is aware of their history, the empire and colonialism, for example, they will struggle to enjoy the patriotic jingoism of these songs."

She particularly draws attention to the themes of superiority, domination and ownership of black people.

"And the thing is, people continue to benefit from the proceeds of that relationship," she says. "How are we going to break down the institutional system, if we hang on to these [songs]?"

Double bassist Nwanoku thinks that it would be particularly galling for Schultz, a black woman, to have to sing such songs.

"If the BBC can't or won't cut Rule, Britannia! and Land of Hope and Glory, this year of all years - with the Black Lives Matter movement at the forefront of everyone's mind - it shows a lack of courage and a lack of understanding and a complete and utter belief of their own superiority of the British."

'Unifying force for the nation'

On the other side of the argument, music writer and commentator Norman Lebrecht told Radio 4's Today programme he was "thrilled that there's a row" as it had got people talking about the Proms again.

He says the songs in question bring the country together, rather than tear it apart.

"Rule, Britannia! is very much a part of the Proms, it's a tradition that goes back at least seven decades, and it's a unifying force for the nation," he said.

"The Proms is the only time the BBC ever shows classical music on a live channel, the only time the nation unifies around it, and it's a prelude to what follows.

"It's the end of the summer, it's the beginning of what promises to be an extremely bleak winter of recession, it raises people's spirits, it brings us together."

Lebrecht went on to say he feels the whole row boils down to the use of the word "slaves" in the lyrics, which he said is "beyond absurd".

"For heaven's sake, when the French President comes here we play La Marseillaise, which says, 'Let all alien blood be expunged from the soul'," he said.

"The day that we replace La Marseillaise with [French nursery rhyme] Frere Jacques when Monsieur Macron comes to Downing Street, we can consider replacing Rule, Britannia!"

Follow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

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2020-08-24 15:20:15Z
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