Millions of Britons with old-style passports are being warned they will be turned away from the United States following a security clampdown amid terrorism concerns.
Under new rules introduced by the US government, visitors travelling to America from a Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) country, including the UK, are required to have an electronic passport - one which has an embedded electronic chip.
The change came into force on April 1 but some Britons, unaware of move, have reportedly been caught out and refused entry to the US.
E-passports were brought in on October 2006. Passports last for 10 years so the change is thought to only affect British passports issued between April and October 2006.
But with six million of the travel documents handed out each year, it is thought over three million Britons could be caught up in the change.
A spokeswoman for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said after the Visa Waiver Programme Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act 2015 was passed, detail have been posted on its own and the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (Esta) websites.
She added: "CBP encourages travellers to check their passports and their current Esta status to make sure they are in compliance with the requirement.
"CBP also sent an email to the applicants whose passports would no longer be valid for travel, as long as a valid email address was on file with their applications."
The VWP scheme allows passport holders from those nations to visit the US for a period of up to 90 days.
Visits that can be made include business, tourism and travel to another country.
The CBP spokeswoman said those from VWP countries without an e-passport and who wished to travel to the US could obtain a non-immigrant visa.
According to advice on the Home Office website, this visa can be applied for and obtained from the nearest US embassy or consulate.
Friday, May 6, 2016
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Burnham Preparing To Run For Manchester Mayor
Shadow home secretary Andy Burnham has been approached to stand as the Labour candidate to be the first elected mayor of Greater Manchester.
Sky News understands the Burnham team is actively considering the proposal, and has made some initial preparations for a run in next May's election - part of the Government's "devolution revolution" of new powers to city regions.
The new "Metro Mayor" will have unprecedented powers over billions in funding for health, transport, planning, housing, policing, skills and criminal justice.
Labour MPs from the area told Sky News the party wants a big hitter for the role - with more impact than current candidates Ivan Lewis MP and the current interim mayor and ex-MP Tony Lloyd.
Mr Burnham will make a final decision in the next few weeks, but sources in Greater Manchester say he has sounded out a small number of local figures.
The MP for Leigh in Greater Manchester has been widely praised for his response to the Hillsborough inquiry, and has taken an active interest in the debate among Greater Manchester councils.
The timetable for selection kicks off this month.
Friends of Mr Burnham were adamant he has no intention of resigning from the shadow cabinet, and has promised Jeremy Corbyn he will stay "as long as he wants him there".
But it would mark a huge departure for the man who just over a year ago - before "Corbynmania" - was favourite to become the next Labour leader.
Labour sources in the region said Mr Burnham had privately expressed the view that "Devo Manc" was a "big moment in British politics" which could "give the north a real voice, if done properly".
Many senior northern Labour politicians have suggested the party's big mistake in Scotland was not to get its biggest national hitters to stay at Holyrood, letting in the Scottish National Party.
Mr Burnham, a former health secretary, also wrote Labour manifesto plans for the integration of national health and social care last year.
The Manchester mayor will have new powers over the integration of health and social care for 2.7 million locals, covering 100,000 health staff.
After being contacted by Sky News, a spokesperson for Andy Burnham said: "Approaches have been made to Mr Burnham to give consideration to this role.
"It is early days and no decision has been taken. Whatever the decision, he will continue to serve the leader of the party and stay in the shadow cabinet."
Israel Uncovers 'Attack' Tunnel From Gaza
Israeli military says it has discovered another "attack" tunnel entering Israel from Gaza.
It is the second infiltration tunnel to be found in a month and comes as fighting escalates between Hamas and the Israeli army.
It is not clear if the tunnel is a new excavation, or is leftover from the 2014 Gaza war, called Operation Protective Edge by the Israelis.
The tunnel was uncovered by Israeli forces operating along the security fence in the southern Gaza Strip.
IDF spokesman Peter Lerner said Israeli troops operating in the area have come under mortar fire over the past two days.
"We stay committed to safeguarding the people of southern Israel while Hamas is committed to violence and terror. No one should be living in fear of being attacked in their home from terrorists infiltrating from underground," he said.
Israel said one of its tanks responded and fired towards the threat and that counter-terrorist operations will continue.
Israel also launched airstrikes on several Hamas targets.
The Palestinian group's armed wing accused Israeli forces of encroaching into Gazan territory and said it was ready to respond.
"We will not permit this aggression to continue," it said.
It is the most serious escalation in violence between Hamas and Israel since the 2014 war, which lasted 50 days.
For the past few months, Israeli forces have been trying to uncover Hamas' tunnels amidst reports that the organisation has been building new ones.
Analysts suspect Hamas fighters have tried to target the army with mortar fire to prevent them from uncovering further tunnels.
Hamas has invested huge amounts of money and human capital into building a network of tunnels which it views as an important weapon against Israel.
GPs In 'Crisis' Over Growing Workload - Study
General practice is in 'crisis' and health bosses have failed to recognise the decline due to a lack of data, according to a report.
GPs are now working under such pressure that the profession is facing a major problem with both recruitment and retention.
Research by the King's Fund found the overall number of consultations - including face-to-face and telephone appointments - has increased by 15% over the last five years, three times the rate of increase in the number of GPs.
That means doctors are juggling ever-greater workloads.
Almost half of GPs who left the profession between 2009 and 2014 were younger than 50.
The report's lead author Beccy Baird told Sky News: "One of the biggest reasons we found that GPs were at least not considering working full time in general practice was the intensity of the working day.
"Lots and lots of short appointments, dealing with very complex problems, sometimes on the telephone, sometimes face-to-face and no extra time to do all the associated follow-up work that is needed - the paperwork, checking blood results. There is just too much work for them to do in a day.
"This crisis has slightly crept up on us because NHS England and the Department of Health have had no data to tell them what has been going on in general practice for a really long time.
"We think it is absolutely critical that they put measures in place to know and understand what is happening in general practice, in the same way they know what is happening in hospitals."
The report makes a number of recommendations to "avoid the service falling apart", including the use of technology to cope with growing demand, enhancing the workforce with new roles such as "health coaches" and reducing bureaucracy.
Dr Maureen Baker, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said, "This report provides cold hard facts that confirm what the College has been saying for years: that general practice is suffering under the unsustainable pressures of rising demand and a diminishing workforce.
"We should never have reached this point - the lack of national-level data on the state of general practice in recent years enabled many to turn a blind eye to the ever-worsening crisis until our profession was on the brink."
Canada Fires: State Of Emergency As Homes Ruined
A state of emergency has been declared in the Canadian province of Alberta as wildfires continue to rip through the region.
More than 80,000 residents were forced to flee the main oil sands city of Fort McMurray on Tuesday night as hundreds of firefighters battled desperately against the flames.
They are being helped by a dozen helicopters, two air tankers groups and nine air tankers, according to Danielle Larivee, Alberta's Minister of Municipal Affairs.
The Canadian Forces have also deployed helicopters and Ms Larivee said that the state of emergency would "enable us to bring more measures to support operations".
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said 1,600 buildings had been damaged or destroyed by the fire but that no injuries or deaths had been reported.
There was a fatal collision on a nearby road that has not been officially connected to the evacuation or fires.
He added: "There are certainly areas of the city that have not been burned, but this fire will look for them and it will find them and it will want to take them."
Unseasonably high temperatures and dry conditions have left the boreal forest in much of Alberta vulnerable and officials expect more strong winds and hot weather to make things worse.
Most of the evacuees have headed south to Edmonton, the province's capital which is about 260 miles away, but many had little time to pack supplies before they left their homes.
Fort McMurray resident Breanna Schmidt said: "We had to literally drive through smoke and fire, vehicles littered all over the sides of the road, and we had to drive as fast as we could and breathe as little as we could because the smoke was so intense and we could feel the heat from inside the vehicle."
Federal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale called it one of the largest fire evacuations in Canadian history, if not the largest.
He said: "This is going to take a while to recover."
More than 80,000 residents were forced to flee the main oil sands city of Fort McMurray on Tuesday night as hundreds of firefighters battled desperately against the flames.
They are being helped by a dozen helicopters, two air tankers groups and nine air tankers, according to Danielle Larivee, Alberta's Minister of Municipal Affairs.
The Canadian Forces have also deployed helicopters and Ms Larivee said that the state of emergency would "enable us to bring more measures to support operations".
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said 1,600 buildings had been damaged or destroyed by the fire but that no injuries or deaths had been reported.
There was a fatal collision on a nearby road that has not been officially connected to the evacuation or fires.
He added: "There are certainly areas of the city that have not been burned, but this fire will look for them and it will find them and it will want to take them."
Unseasonably high temperatures and dry conditions have left the boreal forest in much of Alberta vulnerable and officials expect more strong winds and hot weather to make things worse.
Most of the evacuees have headed south to Edmonton, the province's capital which is about 260 miles away, but many had little time to pack supplies before they left their homes.
Fort McMurray resident Breanna Schmidt said: "We had to literally drive through smoke and fire, vehicles littered all over the sides of the road, and we had to drive as fast as we could and breathe as little as we could because the smoke was so intense and we could feel the heat from inside the vehicle."
Federal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale called it one of the largest fire evacuations in Canadian history, if not the largest.
He said: "This is going to take a while to recover."
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Drone Q&A: All The Facts About Unmanned Ops
Sky News Defence Correspondent Alistair Bunkall speaks with a British officer conducting drone operations from a Middle East base.
:: How long can the drones stay airborne?
Flight-time to Syria and Iraq is around 90 minutes. The drones can stay above a target for about 13 hours.
:: How can a pilot thousands of miles away from the battlefield be as accountable as a plane right above it?
They are a weapons system but there is a man in the loop at all times. No weapon gets delivered without a decision making process. The pilot feels completely immersed. Once the pilot gets into work they get an intelligence update on what's happened, get fully briefed and then fly the mission.
:: How does the kill chain work?
The aircraft beams live pictures to a command centre in Baghdad and another one in the Gulf. Senior officers and lawyers, watching the feed must approve every strike. It's a matter for rules of engagement and laws of armed conflict. The pilot can refuse to take the shot and the missile can be steered away from the target at the last second if necessary.
:: What weapons are onboard?
The aircraft can fly to quite high-altitudes, on paper as far as 50,000ft but usually between 15-20,000ft. Where the pilot will position the aircraft in terms of its height and distance from the target will depend on what they are looking at and the weather conditions and the conditions on the ground. Urban environments, for example, are noisier and drones are less likely to be detected. In rural areas they could be more easy to detect. The crews will adjust their altitude for the mission.
:: What weapons are onboard?
The Reaper carries four laser guided Hellfire missiles and two 500lb Paveway bombs - very accurate weapons used against a wide variety of target sets.
:: How high does the drone fly?
The aircraft can fly to quite high-altitudes, on paper as far as 50,000ft but usually between 15-20,000ft. Where the pilot will position the aircraft in terms of its height and distance from the target will depend on what they are looking at and the weather conditions and the conditions on the ground. Urban environments, for example, are noisier and drones are less likely to be detected. In rural areas they could be more easy to detect. The crews will adjust their altitude for the mission.
:: What are the benefits of a drone compared to a manned aircraft?
Persistence. It can loiter in an area for a considerable amount of time. That allows us to absorb what's happening over a period - to develop a more sophisticated understanding. You can normally work out any patterns of life they might have. You can watch an individual for days, weeks, months.
:: How do you deal with firing a missile during the day and going home at night to have dinner with your family?
You're effectively entering the war every day you go to work. If you've had a long day where you might have been particularly active then there are various techniques you can use to compartmentalise what you have done. We have the Chaplaincy and Padre team on each station that allow you to discuss anything you might wish. You've got things like using the gym and even the long drive home that nicely separates what you might have just done and what you're going back home to.
:: How long can the drones stay airborne?
Flight-time to Syria and Iraq is around 90 minutes. The drones can stay above a target for about 13 hours.
:: How can a pilot thousands of miles away from the battlefield be as accountable as a plane right above it?
They are a weapons system but there is a man in the loop at all times. No weapon gets delivered without a decision making process. The pilot feels completely immersed. Once the pilot gets into work they get an intelligence update on what's happened, get fully briefed and then fly the mission.
:: How does the kill chain work?
The aircraft beams live pictures to a command centre in Baghdad and another one in the Gulf. Senior officers and lawyers, watching the feed must approve every strike. It's a matter for rules of engagement and laws of armed conflict. The pilot can refuse to take the shot and the missile can be steered away from the target at the last second if necessary.
:: What weapons are onboard?
The aircraft can fly to quite high-altitudes, on paper as far as 50,000ft but usually between 15-20,000ft. Where the pilot will position the aircraft in terms of its height and distance from the target will depend on what they are looking at and the weather conditions and the conditions on the ground. Urban environments, for example, are noisier and drones are less likely to be detected. In rural areas they could be more easy to detect. The crews will adjust their altitude for the mission.
:: What weapons are onboard?
The Reaper carries four laser guided Hellfire missiles and two 500lb Paveway bombs - very accurate weapons used against a wide variety of target sets.
:: How high does the drone fly?
The aircraft can fly to quite high-altitudes, on paper as far as 50,000ft but usually between 15-20,000ft. Where the pilot will position the aircraft in terms of its height and distance from the target will depend on what they are looking at and the weather conditions and the conditions on the ground. Urban environments, for example, are noisier and drones are less likely to be detected. In rural areas they could be more easy to detect. The crews will adjust their altitude for the mission.
:: What are the benefits of a drone compared to a manned aircraft?
Persistence. It can loiter in an area for a considerable amount of time. That allows us to absorb what's happening over a period - to develop a more sophisticated understanding. You can normally work out any patterns of life they might have. You can watch an individual for days, weeks, months.
:: How do you deal with firing a missile during the day and going home at night to have dinner with your family?
You're effectively entering the war every day you go to work. If you've had a long day where you might have been particularly active then there are various techniques you can use to compartmentalise what you have done. We have the Chaplaincy and Padre team on each station that allow you to discuss anything you might wish. You've got things like using the gym and even the long drive home that nicely separates what you might have just done and what you're going back home to.
You Can't Always Get What You Want, Trump
The Rolling Stones have told US presidential hopeful Donald Trump to stop using their songs at his campaign rallies.
The brash billionaire is an avid music fan and The Stones' 1969 hit You Can't Always Get What You Want was a particular favourite in a soundtrack that included Sir Elton John, opera and classic rock songs.
In a statement, the band said: "The Rolling Stones have never given permission to the Trump campaign to use their songs and have requested that they cease all use immediately."
They are not the first musicians to distance the controversial tycoon and reality television star from their music.
In February, a spokesman for Adele said: "Adele has not given permission for her music to be used for any political campaigning."
The words were in response to reports that Mr Trump, who is a fan of the British singer and attended one of her New York concerts, had been playing Rolling In The Deep to fire-up his supporters.
Aerosmith frontman Steve Tyler asked him to stop playing Dream On during campaigning, a request that prompted a backlash from Mr Trump, who tweeted that he had a legal right to use the song but had found "a better one to take its place".
He added: "Steven Tyler got more publicity on his song request than he's gotten in 10 years. Good for him!"
Neil Young also objected when Mr Trump used Rockin' In The Free World during the announcement of his campaign last year.
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