Russia vows to 'neutralise threats' over bank cyber attacks plot

Russia has said it has foiled a series of cyber attacks on its banks planned to have started on 5 December.

Russia's domestic security agency the FSB claimed foreign intelligence agencies were behind the plot and were aiming to destabilise the country's financial system.

It said in a statement: "It was planned that the cyber attack would be accompanied by a mass send-out of SMS messages and publications in social media of a provocative nature regarding a crisis in the Russian banking system, bankruptcies and licence withdrawals.

"The FSB is carrying out the necessary measures to neutralise threats to Russia's economic and information security."

The agency said the computer servers involved were in the Netherlands and belonged to Ukrainian company BlazingFast but did not say which countries' intelligence agencies were involved.

Anton Onoprichuk, director of the Kiev-based firm, said no-one had contacted him and he was waiting for more information so he could investigate.

Asked if his servers could be used to to instigate a cyber attack, he said: "Technically it is possible. It is possible with any hosting company, where you rent a server.

"You can attack whatever (you want) from it and in 99% of cases it will become known only after the event."

Russia has been on high alert since President Obama's government accused Russia of carrying out a series of hacks on the US with the aim of interfering with November's presidential election - Moscow denied the claims.

US Vice President Joe Biden said at the time that his country would mount a "proportional" response to Russia.

Since then, there have been a number of cyber attacks affecting Russian institutions, though it is unclear if they were linked to the row between Moscow and Washington.

Meanwhile, US politicians in Congress have passed a bill calling for a high-level panel to counter Russian political interference around the globe.

President-elect Donald Trump in his campaign promised to improve US relations with Moscow.

Mr Trump has drawn criticism for repeatedly praising Russian President Vladimir Putin's leadership and advocating a closer working relationship with Russia, despite its record of human rights abuses and recent military incursions in Ukraine and Syria.

Former Argos security guard elected Gambia president

A former Argos security guard has ended the 22-year rule of the president of Gambia in a shock election victory.

Despite being unknown on the political scene just six months ago, Adama Barrow comfortably defeated longtime leader Yahya Jammeh.

It is understood Mr Jammeh, who had previously vowed to rule for "a billion years", will be releasing a statement to concede leadership of the West African nation.

Declaring Mr Barrow president for the next five years, Alieu Momarr Njai, head of Gambia's electoral commission, called for peace and tolerance following the initial shock.

"There will be celebrations, there will be disappointment, but we all know we are all Gambia," he said.

Mr Barrow won by 263,515 votes - 45% of the total - while Mr Jammeh finished second with 36%.

The father-of-five was thrust into the limelight following the jailing of top officials from the United Democratic Party in July, with eight opposition parties joining forces to put him forward as a unifying figure.

He now owns an estate agency but lived in Britain for three-and-a-half years when he was younger, working as a security guard for Argos in London, where he developed a love for Arsenal Football Club.

Gambians voted for him on Thursday by placing marbles into drums marked for each candidate.

Mr Jammeh had been confident of winning, saying his victory was all but assured by God while predicting "the biggest landslide in the history of the country".

Omar Amadou Jallow, an opposition leader for the People's Progressive Party, said the result will delight Gambians.

He said: "We are happy to be free. We are able to free the Gambian people from the clutches of dictatorship, and we are now going to make sure Gambia becomes a bastion of peace and coalition.

"Our foundation will be based on national reconciliation."

Mr Jammeh came to power in a coup in 1994 and swept elections in 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011 after a 2002 constitutional amendment removed presidential term limits.

Human rights groups have accused Mr Jammeh of ordering the deaths of countless political opponents as well as targeting journalists and homosexuals.

IS group to step up attacks on Europe - Europol

Europol has warned that militants from so-called Islamic State (IS) will aim to step up attacks on European targets, as they face defeat in the Middle East.

The European police force says more foreign fighters will try to come back to Europe, and "several dozen" capable of attacks could already be there.

Their tactics could include car bombs, kidnappings and extortion, it said.

But the report plays down the likelihood of attacks on critical infrastructure, such as nuclear sites.

It says that IS militants now prefer soft targets, and there is now a greater emphasis on "lone actors" such as the perpetrator of the lorry attack in Nice in July.

It warns that some Syrian refugees in Europe may be vulnerable to recruitment by extremists who infiltrate refugee camps.

Europe has been shaken by a series of attacks in recent years blamed on IS militants.

How France is wrestling with jihadist terror

Europol terror data found online
'Threat still high'

The report said the EU faced a range of threats and attacks from both organised networks and lone actors, either directed or inspired by IS and involving a range of weapons including bladed weapons and vehicles.

Home-made, commercial and military explosives in improvised devices such as those used in Syria and Iraq had not yet been used in Europe but this was "conceivable... at some stage", it added.
Major recent terror attacks in Europe

It warns that some Syrian refugees in Europe may be vulnerable to recruitment by extremists who infiltrate refugee camps.

Europe has been shaken by a series of attacks in recent years blamed on IS militants.

How France is wrestling with jihadist terror

Europol terror data found online
'Threat still high'

The report said the EU faced a range of threats and attacks from both organised networks and lone actors, either directed or inspired by IS and involving a range of weapons including bladed weapons and vehicles.

Home-made, commercial and military explosives in improvised devices such as those used in Syria and Iraq had not yet been used in Europe but this was "conceivable... at some stage", it added.
Major recent terror attacks in Europe

Europol Director Rob Wainwright told the BBC that improved collaboration between European intelligence agencies had reduced the chances of large-scale attacks.

But he cautioned against complacency regarding potential terrorists: "They're resorting to random attacks by lone actors," he said.

"The threat is diverse and challenging as we have to make sure our intelligence collection and exchange is up to the mark so we can identify who among them pose the greatest danger."

Other key points of the report:
Any EU member states involved in the US-led coalition against IS, not just France and Belgium, could be targeted
Same modus operandi as in previous attacks the most probable scenario
IS expected to start planning and dispatching attacks from Libya
Increase in contact between terrorists and career criminals
As well as IS, al-Qaeda-affiliated and other groups continue to pose a serious threat

BHS liquidation proceedings begin, ending 88 year history

British retail chain BHS has officially entered liquidation, after falling into administration earlier in the year.


The news marks the official end of the iconic company's 88-year history in the UK.


While a company, or parts of a company, can still be bought and saved from administration, the liquidation of assets means the firm will now be dissolved and the money used to pay back BHS's creditors.


But some may get returns as little as 8p on the pound thanks to the huge deficit in the BHS pension fund, which had reached £571m at the time of the company's collapse but is likely to have grown since thanks to volatility in the markets.


BHS's downfall in April marked the biggest British high street collapse since Woolworths nearly a decade ago.


Former owner of the company, Philip Green, has been heavily criticised for his handling of the firm and its pension pot.


Mr Green claimed he did everything he could to keep the business afloat, despite taking more than £400m in dividends from the company before selling it to serial bankrupt Dominic Chappell for £1.


The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) took on responsibility for paying retirement funds to thousands of former BHS employees, making it BHS's biggest creditor.


:: The Demise Of BHS - A Timeline Of Events


Malcolm Weir, Head of Restructuring and Insolvency at the PPF, commented:


"We believe the liquidation is the right way to secure the best possible recovery for the pension schemes and other creditors of the insolvent company.


"The liquidator will now be able to progress all remaining issues, including the leases and the ongoing investigatory work."


Sky News reported in November that the administrators who were put in charge of BHS in April, Duff & Phelps, had resisted starting the liquidation process as they hoped to secure better returns for creditors.


Frank Field MP, who chairs the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee, said that the news is "another milestone in the collapse of BHS that Sir Philip Green sailed away from".


"At this stage, though, it is welcome," he said.


"It gives the PPF's preferred administrator - rather than Sir Philip's - the best chance of salvaging some money for the pension schemes.'


"It does beg the question, though, of why the BHS pensioners are having to jostle for position, when Sir Philip promised months ago he would 'sort' their pension payments."

Andrew Sachs, Fawlty Towers' Manuel, dies aged 86

Fawlty Towers star Andrew Sachs, who played hapless Spanish waiter Manuel in the BBC sitcom, has died aged 86, his family has confirmed.

The actor died on 23 November and was buried on Thursday, his wife Melody said in an interview in the Daily Mail.

She told the paper that Sachs had been diagnosed with dementia four years ago.

On his role of Manuel, Sachs had told the BBC in 2014: "It was just a part I was playing and people seemed to laugh."

Manuel was one of the most imitated comedy characters of the 1970s.

That 'tremendous' call between Trump and Pakistan's PM Nawaz Sharif

Late on Wednesday afternoon US President-elect Donald Trump had a phone call with Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

According to a Pakistani account of what should probably have been a procedural discussion, Mr Trump lavished extravagant praise upon Pakistan's prime minister and its people.

"You have a very good reputation. You are a terrific guy," it goes. In addition, Pakistan is "a fantastic country, fantastic place" with the most "intelligent" people and "your country is amazing with tremendous opportunities".

Not satisfied with that, the account, commonly known as read-outs, culminates with this flourish: "Please convey to the Pakistani people that they are amazing and all Pakistanis I have known are exceptional people, said Mr Donald Trump."

It is unclear to what extent these are direct quotes, but there was much bemusement both in mainstream and social media.
Then the US released its account of the call

Hours later, the Trump team released a statement which, if brief, emphasised the pleasantries generally found in these exchanges.

Describing it as a "productive conversation", the two discussed how they would achieve "a strong working relationship in the future", the US-statement said.

"President-elect Trump also noted that he is looking forward to a lasting and strong personal relationship with Prime Minister Sharif."

But the effusive praise detailed by the Pakistanis did not go unnoticed.
What might India say?

Many pointed out that India may have something to say about the president-elect's apparent delight at the invitation to visit Pakistan - "a fantastic country, fantastic place, of fantastic people" - when no US president has been since 2006 and there is a delicate diplomatic tightrope to be negotiated.

It it not yet clear if Delhi has any view at all. Following a number of cross-border attacks, relations between the neighbours are at their lowest point in years. And the tone of the exchange certainly contradicts a Trump view in 2011.

But while Mr Trump was criticised by some as naive for being fulsome in his praise of the leader of a country that has been accused of backing militants, many more just saw the funny side.

The two did not apparently discuss Mr Trump's campaign promise to enact a "total and complete" shutdown of Muslims coming to America, later downgraded to "extreme vetting". The overwhelming majority of Pakistanis, including the prime minister, are Muslim.

For now, the two former businessmen stuck to warm words.

And just in case there was any doubt: "All Pakistanis I have known are exceptional people," was Mr Trump's view in the words of Pakistan.

Lib Dem Sarah Olney wins Richmond Park by-election

The Lib Dems have won the by-election sparked by Zac Goldsmith's resignation over Heathrow Airport expansion.

Voters in the southwest London constituency of Richmond Park delivered a Brexit backlash against Theresa May, overturning a massive 23,000 Tory majority.

Sarah Olney won 20,510 votes, a majority of 1,872 over the pro-Brexit Mr Goldsmith, who won 18,638 votes standing as an independent.

Speaking after her win, Mrs Olney told Sky News that anti-Brexit feeling had been a major theme among voters she had spoken with during her campaign.

She added: "Most voters were saying they were really alarmed about Brexit, really alarmed about the direction it is taking the country and they want to do something about it."

During her victory speech, she said the voters had "sent a shockwave through this Conservative Brexit government and our message is clear: We do not want a hard Brexit, we do not want to be pulled out of the single market and we will not let intolerance, division and fear win".

To her rival, Mr Goldsmith, she said: "I wish you well and assure you I will continue your fight against the expansion of Heathrow."

Following his defeat, Mr Goldsmith said: "This by-election that we just had was not a political calculation, it was a promise that I made and it was a promise that I kept."

Labour's Christian Wolmar came a humiliating third with 1,515 votes, losing his deposit, in a dismal performance that will lead many of the party's MPs to question whether they should have bothered to stand.

Turnout, on a bitterly cold December day, was 53.6%, the highest in a UK mainland by-election since the Tories won Crewe and Nantwich from Labour in 2008.

While all three main candidates were opposed to Heathrow expansion, the Lib Dems were spectacularly successful in turning the by-election into a referendum on Brexit.

The constituency voted by a large majority for Remain in the EU referendum on 23 June and the Lib Dems fought a campaign that was almost entirely about the Government's Brexit strategy.

The Lib Dems sensed the opportunity for a by-election upset in Richmond Park after winning a 19.3% swing in Witney in October and slashing David Cameron's 2015 majority of 25,000 majority to just 5,700.

They flooded the constituency with senior party figures and activists. Leader Tim Farron made 10 visits and former leader Nick Clegg six.

On two weekends during the campaign the Lib Dems had 1,000 activists on the streets. The result: 150,000 door-knocks and 50,000 chats with voters.

The Lib Dems even brought in Bob Geldof, who was involved in a noisy and ill-tempered clash with Nigel Farage on the River Thames during the EU referendum campaign, to campaign for their candidate on the eve of polling day.

Their victory now ranks along previous spectacular Lib Dem by-election triumphs such as Christchurch in 1993, Winchester in 1997, Romsey in 2000 and Brent East in 2003.

This by-election was highly unusual in that for the first time since Tony Benn renounced his peerage and returned to the Commons in 1963, the governing party failed to put up a candidate.

Some Tories will question the wisdom of their party not fielding a candidate against Mr Goldsmith, although had they done so the Conservative vote would have been split and made the Lib Dems' task even easier.

UKIP did not field a candidate either. Nor did the Greens, who urged their supporters to vote Lib Dem. Many Labour voters also voted tactically for Mrs Olney.

The failure of UKIP to stand in the by-election enabled the Lib Dems to portray Mr Goldsmith as UKIP's candidate, which went down badly in a constituency that voted heavily for Remain in the EU referendum.

For Mr Goldsmith, millionaire son of the late financier Sir James Goldsmith, the defeat is a personal humiliation after his pledge to resign if Heathrow expansion was given the go-ahead.

Since winning his huge 23,000 majority over the Lib Dems at the 2015 general election, his political career has gone into a disastrous freefall.

Chosen as Tory candidate for London mayor in the election in May this year, he was not only beaten decisively but also faced fierce criticism for the tone of his campaign, which critics - including many Conservatives - claimed was racist.

He will now have to continue his campaign against Heathrow from outside Parliament and decide whether he wants to attempt to regain his old seat from the Lib Dems in the 2020 general election.