Number Of Hate Crimes Soars 42% In A Year

More than 3,000 hate crimes were reported to police across the UK in the second half of June - a 42% rise compared with the same period last year.

The daily rate peaked at 289 alleged offences on 25 June - the day after the EU referendum result was announced.

Data published on Friday by the National Police Chiefs' Council give the most comprehensive insight into the nationwide picture so far.

Forces were asked to reveal weekly numbers after a series of reports sparked fears of a wave of xenophobic and racial abuse in the wake of the vote to leave the EU.

The first set of figures shows 3,076 hate crimes and incidents were reported to police between 16 and 30 June.

This was an increase of 915, or 42%, compared with the same period in June 2015.

A Polish family's shed was burned down and a note left telling the family to 

The NPCC said the main type of offence reported over the fortnight was "violence against the person", which includes harassment and common assault, as well as verbal abuse, spitting and "barging".

The second and third most common types of incidents were public order offences and criminal damage.

The NPCC said that since then there has been a marked decrease in reports, but weekly figures will continue to be collated to monitor the situation.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton, NPCC lead for hate crime, said: "We now have a clear indication of the increases in the reporting of hate crime nationally and can see that there has been a sharp rise in recent weeks.

"This is unacceptable and it undermines the diversity and tolerance we should instead be celebrating.

"Forces have been monitoring and managing hate crime more robustly since the attacks in Paris in 2015. We believe that greater awareness and confidence in the police response has contributed to this increase in reporting."

Mr Hamilton added that police forces have heightened their response to hate crimes over the last 10 days.

The release of the figures comes as police said white powder and hate messages had been sent to three mosques in London.

The Metropolitan Police were called to mosques and Islamic centres in Tottenham, Leyton and Finsbury Park on Thursday after concerns about the mystery packets.

They were among a handful of similar deliveries across the city which sparked security alerts and led to parts of the parliamentary estate to be closed when peer Lord Ahmed, a Muslim, was among the recipients.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "There were exactly the same circumstances at all three mosques. Officers were stood down when it was discovered the powder was not noxious.

"The investigation is being conducted by the north-east London counter-terrorism unit."

At least 30 killed in ISIL assault on Iraq shrine

At least 30 people have been killed in an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) suicide bomb, gun and mortar attack on a Shia shrine north of Iraq's capital Baghdad, officials said.

At least 30 people have been killed in an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) suicide bomb, gun and mortar attack on a Shia shrine north of Iraq's capital Baghdad, officials said.

The overnight assault on the Sayyid Mohammed shrine in Balad also wounded 50 people, the army's Joint Operations Command spokesman said in a statement on Friday.

The shrine was first targeted with mortar rounds before suicide bombers arrived and opened fire. Two of the bombers blew themselves up in a market next to the shrine, while a third was killed and his explosives belt defused, the statement said, giving no further details on how he was killed.

Iraq had been on high alert after Sunday's devastating attack in Baghdad ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday to mark the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Health Minister Adila Hamoud said late on Thursday that the bodies of 115 people killed in the bombing had now been handed over to families, while the identities of 177 others had yet to be determined.

Trapped by flames

The blast also wounded 200 people, said the minister, who on Tuesday told the AFP news agency that the process of identifying the dead - which she put at 150 at the time - was expected to take 15 to 45 days.

The attack has overshadowed what would normally be a joyful holiday for Iraqi Muslims, instead turning it into a time of mourning and sadness. Families have said they are furious over delays in identifying their relatives.

Police Major General Talib Khalil Rahi said the suicide bomber on Sunday detonated a minibus loaded with plastic explosives and ammonium nitrate.

The initial blast killed a limited number of people, but flames spread and trapped people inside shopping centres that lacked emergency exits, Rahi told a news conference in Baghdad.

Interior Minister Mohammed Ghabban resigned after the attack, and authorities also announced the execution of five convicts and the arrest of 40 fighters in an apparent bid to limit fallout.

Read Mark Zuckerberg’s Response to the Video of Philando Castile’s Shooting

The shooting of Philando Castile by a police officer in Minnesota — the second fatal police shooting of a black man by police in as many days — has caused outrage across the U.S. and reignited the debate over race and law enforcement. Much anger has stemmed from graphic footage of the shooting’s immediate aftermath, streamed live on Facebook by Castile’s girlfriend Diamond Reynolds.

In a statement posted to Facebook on Thursday, the social network’s founder Mark Zuckerberg called Reynolds’ video “heartbreaking” but recognized its role in bringing attention to the issue.

“The images we’ve seen this week are graphic and heartbreaking, and they shine a light on the fear that millions of members of our community live with every day,” Zuckerberg said. “While I hope we never have to see another video like Diamond’s, it reminds us why coming together to build a more open and connected world is so important — and how far we still have to go.”

US State Department restarts Hillary Clinton email probe

The US State Department is to restart its investigation into Hillary Clinton's handling of classified material when secretary of state.

The likely Democratic presidential nominee learned this week that she will not face criminal charges over her use of private email.

The FBI said that although she had sent and received sensitive material there was no evidence of intent.

Now that inquiry is over, the State Department will reopen its review.

As well as the former secretary of state, it will also include some of her former aides, all of whom have now left the department.

Will this hurt her? Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington

Hillary Clinton - and some of her most trusted senior advisors - will twist in the wind a while longer. The State Department's renewed inquiry into possible mishandling of classified information in emails is not nearly as serious as the recently closed FBI criminal investigation, but it keeps the email server story alive for an indeterminate period of time. 

While the most serious consequence - loss of security clearance - seems impossible (bordering on absurd) to enforce on Mrs Clinton were she to be elected president, it could prevent her from placing any affected staff into high levels of her administration. 

And, needless to say, any sort of administrative sanction Mrs Clinton or her staff receives - such as an official letter of reprimand - would instantly become a political weapon in the hands of her Republican adversaries.

Shortly after FBI Director James Comey announced he would recommend no criminal charges against Mrs Clinton, her campaign issued a press release saying they were glad the matter is resolved. 

So much for that.

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A spokesman for the department, John Kirby, said: "We will aim to be as expeditious as possible, but we will not put artificial deadlines on the process."

Former officials can still face "administrative sanctions," he said.

That could range from counselling and warnings to the revocation of security clearances.

Republican critics of the FBI decision not to recommend Mrs Clinton be prosecuted said this showed that she was above the law.

But FBI Director James Comey defended himself in front of a House committee on Thursday, reiterating that no reasonable prosecutor would recommend charges.

Mrs Clinton, who will be officially made her party's nominee later this month, was secretary of state until early 2013.

Snipers Shoot 11 Police Officers At Protest

Four police officers have been shot dead by what appears to be two snipers at a protest in Dallas, Texas, police say.

The gunshots were heard at Belo Garden Park around 8.45pm local time, with Dallas police chief David O Brown saying the snipers took their shots "from elevated positions" during the protest.

He said the officers had been fired on "ambush style" and some had been shot in the back.

Two are in surgery and three are in critical condition in hospital, he added.

"An intensive search for suspects is currently underway.

"No suspects are in custody at this time.

"Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers tonight."

TV showed protesters scrambling for cover and police officers crouching behind parked cars or running into a what appeared to be a car-parking building with guns drawn.

The scene remains chaotic, with heavily-armed police officers guarding street corners and helicopters hovering overhead.

The search for the suspects is stretching throughout central Dallas - an area of hotels, restaurants, businesses and some residential apartments.

Mr Brown said that officers have cornered and are negotiating with one suspect.

The gunshots were heard at Belo Garden Park around 8.45pm local time, with Dallas police chief David O Brown saying the snipers took their shots "from elevated positions" during the protest.

He said the officers had been fired on "ambush style" and some had been shot in the back.

Two are in surgery and three are in critical condition in hospital, he added.

"An intensive search for suspects is currently underway.

"No suspects are in custody at this time.

"Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers tonight."

TV showed protesters scrambling for cover and police officers crouching behind parked cars or running into a what appeared to be a car-parking building with guns drawn.

The scene remains chaotic, with heavily-armed police officers guarding street corners and helicopters hovering overhead.

The search for the suspects is stretching throughout central Dallas - an area of hotels, restaurants, businesses and some residential apartments.

Mr Brown said that officers have cornered and are negotiating with one suspect.

Police at the scene of a shooting in Dallas, Texas, after snipers shot at 10 police officers

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he has directed the head of the Texas Department of Public Safety to offer "whatever assistance the City of Dallas needs at this time".

Protesters in Dallas are angry about recent shootings of black men by police officers

The shootings came amid protests across the US over recent police shootings.

On Tuesday, music vendor Alton Sterling was shot in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after being held down by police officers.

The following day, Philando Castile was in a car with his girlfriend and child when he was shot by an officer in Minnesota.

Both shootings were captured on mobile phones and the footage widely shared.

In New York on Thursday night, protesters gathered in Union Square Park, chanting before they moved on to Fifth Avenue, blocking traffic as police struggled to keep up with them.

Other groups headed through Herald Square and Times Square, where several people were reported to have been arrested.

Meanwhile, the police officer allegedly involved in the shooting of Mr Castile has been identified as Jeronimo Yanez.

Mr Yanez was with his colleague Joseph Kauser, both of whom had worked for the St Anthony Police Department for four years.

Calls Grow For Blair To Face Legal Action

Calls are growing for Tony Blair to face prosecution over the lead-up to the Iraq war, following the Chilcot Inquiry's report yesterday.

The former prime minister was revealed to have told then US President George W Bush "I will be with you whatever", eight months before British troops were sent into the troubled country in 2003.

The report also found that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein posed "no imminent threat", that Mr Blair had relied on "flawed" intelligence and that diplomatic options had not been exhausted by the time the invasion began.

Reg Keys, whose son Tom died in Iraq, said it was clear that Mr Blair had "deliberately misled" the country.

Roger Bacon, whose son Matthew was killed by a roadside bomb, said families of the 179 who died in the conflict reserved the right "to call specific parties to answer for their actions in the courts".

Sarah O'Connor, whose brother Bob died when a military plane was shot down near Baghdad in 2005, described Mr Blair as "the world's worst terrorist".

Shadow cabinet minister Paul Flynn said that prosecution of Mr Blair should be "seriously considered" but Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn stopped short of making the same call.

While the Chilcot Report contained "serious criticisms", it showed that "there were no lies, Parliament and the Cabinet were not misled, there was no secret commitment to war, intelligence was not falsified and the decision was made in good faith", it said.

Mr Blair remained defiant in the face of the reports accusations, spending two hours speaking at a press conference during which he said he would make the same decision again if presented with the same information about the threat posed by Saddam Hussein.

He insisted that he could look the families and the nation in the eye but added that he took responsibility for "mistakes in planning and process" identified in the report and felt "more sorrow, regret and apology than you may ever know" for those whose loved ones had been killed in the war.

May And Leadsom Fight For PM Job As Gove Out

Theresa May and Andrea Leadsom will battle it out to become the next Conservative leader and first woman Prime Minister for 26 years.

It comes after the second round of voting among Tory MPs saw Home Secretary Mrs May pick up 199 votes, with Energy Minister Mrs Leadsom receiving 84.

Justice Secretary Mr Gove was eliminated from the contest after he only managed the support of 46 MPs.

Pro-EU Mrs May and pro-Brexit Mrs Leadsom will now go head-to-head in a ballot of around 125,000 Conservative members across the country in the next few weeks.

Mrs May and Mrs Leadsom were first and second in the MPs' leadership vote

It means that by 9 September, Britain will have its first female PM since Margaret Thatcher, who left No 10 in 1990.

It is clear Mrs May has a big advantage among Tories at Westminster and has more ministerial experience than her rival.

But it is thought 60% of the party membership voted to leave the European Union last month.

Mrs Leadsom played a high-profile role in the campaign for Britain to quit the EU.

And she is likely to attract votes from eurosceptic activists who want a "Brexit Prime Minister" to oversee withdrawal negotiations with EU chiefs.

Sky's Senior Political Correspondent Beth Rigby said: "Andrea Leadsom is extremely popular among grassroots.

"They tend to be Brexiteers, they tend to be more right wing.

"There are certain issues that will go down well with them that she has voted on, for example abstaining on gay marriage.

"Theresa May got 60% of support from MPs so we know among the parliamentary party that she is the favourite.

"But there is a fear among Mrs May's supporters and her camp that among the grassroots it could be Andrea Leadsom that begins to take the lead."

Although Mrs May signed up to the Remain side, she maintained a low profile during the referendum campaign.

And she tried to neutralise the issue as she launched her leadership bid by saying she would not seek to overturn the result, declaring: "Brexit is Brexit."

Mrs May will also know that in both previous Tory ballots under the current system, grassroots Conservatives rejected the MPs' choice.

During those ballots in 2001 and 2005, members opted for Iain Duncan Smith and David Cameron over Ken Clarke and David Davis.

After winning the most votes from parliamentary colleagues, Mrs May said the UK needs "strong, proven" leadership to handle Brexit negotiations and unite the country.

She said: "I am delighted to have won so much support from my colleagues.

"This vote shows that the Conservative Party can come together - and under my leadership it will.

"We need strong, proven leadership to negotiate the best deal for Britain as we leave the European Union, to unite our party and our country, and to make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few but for every one of us."

Mr Gove said: "I'm naturally disappointed that I haven't been able to make it through to the final round of this leadership contest."

But he added: "Whoever the next Prime Minister of this country will be, it will be a female Prime Minister and a female Prime Minister who has formidable skills and I know whichever one of the two wins they will lead this country well."

Anti-EU campaigner and ex-London mayor Boris Johnson, who is backing Mrs Leadsom, said: "She is now well placed to win and replace the absurd gloom in some quarters with a positive, confident and optimistic approach, not just to Europe, but to government all round."

Earlier in the day, Mrs Leadsom pitched herself as the "prosperity not austerity" candidate.

She told her supporters she was the voice of optimism and would "banish pessimism" in the wake of the Brexit vote.

She also promised to listen to the thousands of people who felt they had been ignored by the country's leadership.