Bankers Face Jail Risk For Workers' Wrongdoing

Senior bankers will be held accountable for the wrongdoing of people in their teams from now on under tough new rules.

The Senior Managers Regime will hold individuals, not companies, to account and means they can be punished for their actions.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Bank of England's Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) will have the power to impose prison sentences of up to seven years and unlimited fines.

The new system means the most senior individuals in firms, who hold key positions and oversee whole departments, must take reasonable steps to "to prevent a regulatory breach from occurring".

However, the new rules have been watered down: the presumption of responsibility, which placed the burden of proof on mangers to show they had acted to prevent wrongdoing, has been removed.

Andrew Bailey, chief executive of the PRA and deputy governor of prudential regulation at the Bank of England, said: "At the heart of the new accountability regime, is one very simple principle - you can delegate tasks but you cannot delegate responsibility.

"This means that senior managers at banks and insurers should know what they are responsible for and can be held accountable for failings in their area. This is a crucial milestone in our drive for greater accountability in financial services."

Sarah Henchoz, partner at law firm Allen & Overy, said: "We might see a collective holding of breath on Monday morning but in reality, the regime will not have a huge impact on the day-to-day work of those in scope.

"The Senior Manager aspects of the new regime are simply the tip of the iceberg. Now the real work begins in ensuring that the banking culture is changed for good."

Kelly Clarkson Said She Was ‘Blackmailed’ Into Working With Dr. Luke

In an interview with Australian radio on Monday, Kelly Clarkson slammed producer Dr. Luke as having “poor character” and said she was forced to work with him by her label.

Clarkson appeared on Monday’s Kyle and Jackie O’s radio show on Australia’s KIIS 106.5, and was asked about working with Dr. Luke (real name Lukasz Gottwald) on songs like “Behind these Hazel Eyes” and “Since U Been Gone.”

“He’s a talented dude but he’s just lied a lot,” she said. “I’ve run into a couple really bad situations. Musically, it’s been really hard for me because he will just lie to people. It’s like ‘What?’ It makes the artist look bad. He’s difficult to work with, kind of demeaning, it’s kind of unfortunate. People are like well you’ve worked with Max [Martin] and Luke and I’m like Max and Luke are very different. Obviously the dude is a talented guy but character-wise, no. I only worked with him – even the last time I worked with him – because literally I got blackmailed by my label. They were like we will not put your album out if you don’t do this.”

Clarkson recently spoke outagainst the producer on Twitter after pop star Kesha was denied a preliminary injunction against Dr. Luke earlier this month. Kesha has accused the producer of “sexual and drug related assault,” claims Dr. Luke has denied in court and on social media. Clarkson was just one of many stars to support Keshaafter the ruling.

When asked about her comment – at the time, she tweeted, “Trying 2 not say anything since I can’t say anything nice about a person… so this is me not talking about Dr. Luke” – Clarkson told KIIS 106.5, “He’s just not a good person to me. We’ve clashed. I can’t really say anything about [Kesha’s accusations]. Her fans are like, ‘Why aren’t you standing up for her?’ and I’m like, ‘Well, I wasn’t there.’ I don’t know specifically what happened in their situation. Obviously I wasn’t there in the room. I can remark on his character.”

Clarkson called Dr. Luke’s character “poor” and said many artists don’t like working with him. “I get along with everyone I work with. I love everyone I work with. He’s just not a good guy for me,” she said.

Clarkson also said she knew nothing about the specifics regarding Kesha’s claims against Dr. Luke. “He’s never done anything like that with me […] I don’t know that situation,” she said. “I don’t know that situation. But if it’s true I can’t imagine working with someone who had done something like that.”

A representative for Dr. Luke declined to comment, but a source says, “Dr. Luke and his partner were asked to work with her.” A representative for Sony Music has not responded to requests for comment.

Hear Clarkson’s comments about Dr. Luke at the 1:22:00 mark.

This isn’t the first time Clarkson has spoken out against Dr. Luke; back in 2013 she challenged stories published in Clive Davis’ memoirThe Soundtrack of My Life in which the music industry legend said she cried while writing “Since U Been Gone” with Dr. Luke and Max Martin.

“First, he says I burst into ‘hysterical sobbing’ in his office when he demanded ‘Since U Been Gone’ be on my album,” Clarkson wrote in a note on her WhoSay account. “Not true at all. His stories and songs are mixed up. I did want more guitars added to the original demo, and Clive did not. Max, Luke and I still fought for the bigger sound and we prevailed and I couldn’t be more proud of the life of that song. I resent him dampening that song in any way.”

Earthquake felt in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire

An earthquake with a magnitude of 2.3 has been recorded in Oxfordshire, the British Geological Survey (BGS) has confirmed.

Residents in Chinnor and Thame as well as Princes Risborough, Aylesbury and Bledlow in Buckinghamshire reported feeling shaking late on Sunday.

The BGS said the earthquake, centred on the village of Emmington, happened at 23:11 GMT.

Seismologist Glen Ford said: "The fact it was noticed makes it a bit special."

A caller to BBC Radio Oxford, who lives in Chinnor, said: "The whole place shook - it was more than a wind and rattled the windows."

People also took to social media to post comments after experiencing the late-night movement.

Anna Edwards tweeted: "Earthquake or explosion? Something moved n S Oxon. Felt in Chinnor & Thame."

Chris White tweeted: "Bucks earth quake? We felt it, house shook, low noise!"

Emily Smith also posted: "Magnitude 2.3 earthquake in Bucks last night, that explains the house shaking then."

The BGS said the quake was one of about a dozen felt in the UK each year.

Mr Ford said: "Old geological faults still get activated by the stresses which are put on them from the major fault lines we have, and every now and again these pressures are released with a small earthquake."

He added: "It was a very small earthquake, but in UK terms it was significant as it was actually felt by the general public - 90% of earthquakes go completely unnoticed."

US drone 'kills 150 Somali militants'

A US drone strike has killed more than 150 al-Shebab militants in Somalia, the Pentagon says.

Spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said the strike hit a training camp where a "large-scale" attack was being planned.

"We know they were going to be departing the camp and they posed an imminent threat to US and [African Union] forces," Captain Davis said.

"Initial assessments are that more than 150 terrorist fighters were eliminated," he added.

Captain Davis said the strike, on Saturday, targeted a camp about 120 miles (195km) north of the capital, Mogadishu.

Hackers Say Anti-IS Twitter Accounts Suspended

Islamic State fighters use social media to spread their message

Anonymous activists who target Islamic State-supporting accounts on Twitter say they are being banned from the social network.

A band of internet users who identify as the 'Anonymous' group created the #OpISIS hashtag following the November attacks in Paris last year.

They have targeted hundreds of accounts which they suspect are IS-linked, but say they themselves are often being shut down by Twitter bosses.

An activist known as WauchulaGhost said his account was briefly suspended in February.

Anonymous activists have targeted IS on Twitter

He says that other accounts using the #OpISIS hashtag have suffered similar problems.

"I can say they are suspending a lot of accounts for harassment. Good accounts not Daesh accounts," he told Epoch Times.

"Even a lot of our [Anonymous] accounts are being suspended for harassment."

it did not want to comment on the claims.

The social network has taken down 125,000 accounts for "threatening or promoting terrorist acts, primarily related to IS".

But WauchulaGhost said social media activists are the real last line of defence against the terror group.

"Who suspended 125,000 accounts? Anonymous, Anonymous affiliated groups, and everyday citizens.

"You do realise if we all stopped reporting terrorist accounts and graphic images, Twitter would be flooded with terrorists."

McGee Thanks Fans For Daniels Cancer Support

There is no treatment which can help Daniels

Paul Daniels' wife, Debbie McGee, has said messages from fans are "truly amazing" after it was revealed that the magician has terminal cancer.

The 77-year-old fell at home and was rushed to hospital suspected of suffering a stroke, although he was later diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour, his son has said.

McGee wrote on Twitter: "I wish I could answer all your wonderful messages individually but there are so many. They are all appreciated so much.

"Paul and I had no (idea) of how people felt. Truly amazing. Thank you."

Daniels' son, Gary Daniels, one of his three children by his first wife Jacqueline Skipworth, has also been calling his father with messages of support.

McGee wrote: "My youngest stepson Gary has phoned everyday since his Dad took ill and he has now lost his voice. Missing your calls so get better soon xxx"

Another of the entertainer's sons, Martin Daniels, said the family do not know how long his father has left.

He told the Sunday Mirror: "There's no treatment which can help him. Doctors haven't said how many weeks or months he might have - and we haven't asked.

"He knows things are not in his hands now and we are living in the knowledge every day is a bonus.

"It is unbearably difficult. He has said before 'When It's your time, it's your time' and that's how he is trying to face up to things."

The entertainer remained upbeat while undergoing tests in hospital which later revealed he had a "rapidly growing" brain tumour, his son said.

"A couple of days after I arrived to see Dad in hospital he was up and walking about trying to cheer up all the other patients.

"He said to me 'Right, I am going to have a wander round now and see if everyone is all right'.

Daniels, who is said to be "lucid", is now at his Thames-side home surrounded by his family, said his son, adding that the support of his fans had given them "tremendous strength at what is a very difficult time".

Women In Equalities Minister's Dept Earn Less

Women civil servants working for the Equalities Minister are earning £4,000 less each year than their male counterparts.

The figures, disclosed by the Labour Party ahead of International Women's Day on Tuesday, showed that women working in the Department for Education (DfE) were paid nearly £2 an hour less than the men.

The research also showed that just one in four board members of the department, headed by Nicky Morgan, were women.

Last month, Ms Morgan announced plans to name and shame firms with more than 250 workers who failed to pay men and women equally by publishing league tables.

Lucy Powell, shadow education secretary, said: "This is deeply embarrassing for the Education Secretary, who is also the  Government's lead equalities minister.

"If Nicky Morgan is unable to tackle the gender pay gap in her own department for women, what can she do?"

It comes as the recruitment firm Robert Half disclosed that women earned £300,000 less in their working lives than men - a gender pay gap of 24%.

A spokesman for the DfE said: "This Government has gone further than ever before in tackling the gender pay gap.

"Only last month we unveiled a raft of measures requiring companies with more than 250 employees to publish their gender pay gap and we are extending that duty across the public sector.

"We have a world class civil service that is increasingly equal and more diverse than the majority of British employers.

"These figures show that we are closing the gender pay gap and increasing the numbers of women in senior roles in the DfE. There will always be more to do but we expect that trend to continue as we continue towards a truly equal workforce in all sectors."

Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "Closing the gender pay gap is in the interests of everyone. Nicky Morgan, as equalities minister, should lead by example in her own department and in her role of Secretary of State for Education."