Tens Of Thousands To Demonstrate Over Pay

Tens of thousands of workers are holding protests in London, Glasgow and Belfast to call for an increase in wages.

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is organising the demonstrations under the banner Britain Needs A Pay Rise, following days of industrial action from nurses, midwives and civil servants.

Midwives went on strike for the first time in their history over the Government's decision not to pay a recommended 1% increase to all NHS staff.

Protesters prepare for the march in London

Hospital radiographers and prison officers are due to hold strikes next week over the same dispute.

TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Our message is that after the longest and deepest pay squeeze in recorded history, it's time to end the lock-out that has kept the vast majority from sharing in the economic recovery.

Video: Life On NHS Wages Is 'Demeaning'

"The average worker is £50 a week worse off than in 2007 and five million earn less than the living wage. Meanwhile, top directors now earn 175 times more than the average worker."

Lynn Burbidge, a healthcare assistant at a hospital in Kent, said she was joining the march "because the Government needs to listen to us".

She said every month she faces a decision of whether to "pay your bills or buy food" and constantly having to budget was "demeaning".

Video: TUC: Workers £50 A Week Worse Off

"I've worked for the NHS for nearly 30 years and I'm still in the same position," she told Sky News.

"I'm 20% worse off now than what I was 10 years ago ... while the Government they've just accepted an 11% pay rise - I'm only after 1%."

One cleaner, called Nana, told Sky News how he struggles to provide for his family despite juggling three jobs and working a 12-hour day on minimum wage.

Video: Wages Fall As Economy Grows

"My social life is very bad. Secondly, I have a lot of debt to pay. The TV licence is coming up and we haven't got enough money to pay it," he said.

"They wrote to me that the bailiffs will come to my house. I've no choice, (but to) pray for the nation to come to our aid, to increase our wages and then we can make our ends meet."

A Treasury spokesman said: "Under this Government we've seen the largest annual fall in unemployment, more people in work than ever before, and inequality lower than the average under the previous government, proving that the Government's long-term economic plan is working.

Video: Family Needs £40,000 To Live In UK

"The only sustainable way to raise living standards is to keep working through the plan that is building a resilient economy and has enabled us to announce the first real-terms increase in the minimum wage since the great recession.

"We appreciate that the effects of the great recession are still being felt, which is why we have taken continued action to help hard-working people by cutting income tax, freezing fuel duty, helping local authorities to freeze council tax, cutting energy bills, providing free school meals, and reducing childcare costs."

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fears For Britons Caught In Nepal Snowstorms

Fears are growing for the safety of a number of British trekkers who have not contacted their families since a series of deadly blizzards and avalanches in Nepal.

The Foreign Office has confirmed it has spoken to concerned families who have not heard from their relatives since the unseasonably bad weather caused at least 29 deaths earlier this week.

The body of a victim is moved from an ambulance to the morgue

A spokeswoman said they had been in close touch with authorities in Nepal but had not been informed of any British casualties.

More than 230 trekkers - most of them foreigners - have been rescued since Wednesday and search teams continue to scour the Annapurna range looking for more survivors, who may be sheltering in lodges and huts.

An unofficial list of trekkers suggests more than a dozen Britons may have been in the area at the time of the storms, although some of them have since been confirmed as safe or rescued.  

A list of patients rescued and receiving treatment at hospital in Kathmandu

Officials believe some people may be stranded in waist-deep snow in remote locations where mobile phone signal is poor.

The skies were clear at the start of the week, said Gombu Sherpa, who was guiding a group of Germans near the popular trekking circuit. But that changed suddenly when the snow blew in.

"We could hardly see anyone, even within a couple of feet. The wind was blowing snow and visibility was almost zero," he said, adding many people lost their way in the storm, but that everyone in his group survived.

A friend of Lizi Hamer posted a message on Facebook to say she was safe

One of his assistants, who was behind the group when the storm hit, was missing for an entire night, lost in the blizzard.

"We found him the next morning wandering in the snow. It is a miracle that he is alive," he said.

Meanwhile, a British survivor has told how he escaped the disaster - likely to become the worst trekking and climbing tragedy Nepal has seen.

A rescued trekker is stretchered to safety

Paul Sheridan said walkers were left stumbling through "an abyss of nothing" as dense snow left them unable to get their bearings on the slopes of the mountain range in northern Nepal.

Mr Sheridan said that trekkers should have been prevented from going up the mountain, but were "herded to their deaths" by guides who he alleged were not carrying the correct emergency equipment.

The Nepalese government has announced a high level committee with two senior ministers to monitor and co-ordinate rescue efforts.

Some British trekkers remain unaccounted for despite the rescue effort

For two days this week, Nepal was lashed by heavy rain brought by the cyclone that also battered neighbouring India.

The 150-mile (240km) Annapurna circuit offers spectacular views of jagged peaks and Buddhist villages.

It takes almost three weeks to complete and is nicknamed the "apple pie" circuit because of the teahouses lining the route that offer cold beer and home baking.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sheffield Denies Offering Ched Evans Contract

Sheffield United has denied reports it has offered a contract to disgraced footballer Ched Evans.

The striker has been released from prison after serving half of a five-year sentence for raping a 19-year-old in a hotel room in Rhyl, North Wales.

More follows...

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fourteen Feared Dead At Girl Band Pop Concert

Fourteen people are feared dead after a ventilation grate collapsed at a pop concert in South Korea.

The victims were standing on the grate while watching an outdoor performance by the group 4Minute, who are popular across Asia.

They fell 20 metres into an underground parking area following the collapse, the Yonhap news agency and YTN TV reported.

Two people have been confirmed dead and 12 others were unresponsive after the accident in Seongnam, south of the capital Seoul, according to fire officials.

The group are popular across Asia

They said 10 others were seriously injured.

About 700 people had gathered to watch the concert, which was part of a local festival, according to Yonhap.

The cause of the accident was not immediately known.

More follows...

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ebola: Not All Passengers Being Screened In UK

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

Some passengers arriving at London Heathrow from West Africa are still not being asked any questions about ebola.

Sky News joined a flight from Paris to London earlier this morning where passenger Saikou Keita from The Gambia said he was disappointed that he was asked nothing when he landed at Terminal 4.

He had flown into Paris from Dakar in Senegal, and transferred on to a shuttle flight from Paris to London.

He said: "It is disappointing. They should be questions for people who come out from West Africa, they should be thinking more of the health of the people here as well."

Fellow passengers on the flight into London had started their journeys in Guinea - one of the countries worst hit by the ebola crisis.

Video: Testing Heathrow's Ebola Checks

One family from Nigeria explained that they were reassured by the checks that were made in Abuja before they started their trip.

Nigeria has managed to contain a small outbreak they had a few months ago but stringent screening remains in place.

Hani Yashe Jaafar was travelling with her four-year-old daughter and said they were regularly using hand sanitisers to do everything they could to protect themselves.

Hani told Sky News that she was reassured by the huge efforts being made in Nigeria: "The checks were very vigilant and quite serious."

"When you go into the airport your hands have to be sanitised and then the temperature monitors are being used just to make sure everyone is monitored."

There were though no further checks for her family as they transited through Paris.

As they crossed the UK Border at Terminal 4 at Heathrow Hani said she was surprised that the were no questions at all about ebola.

Video: How China Screens At Airports

She said: "I was just asked the normal immigration questions, no health related questions or anything based on the outbreak of ebola.

"I was a bit surprised because ebola is spreading in Europe so I expected some sort of vigilance."

Screening of passengers started at Terminal 1 at Heathrow this week and is in the process of being rolled out.

French authorities have said rigorous screening will begin at Charles De Gaulle airport this weekend.

Following a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee on Thursday, David Cameron expressed concern about the quality of checks in place elsewhere in Europe.

The Prime Minister indicated that he would like to see other countries adopt Britain's screening regime, warning they "must do more" to halt the spread of the disease.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sobbing Pistorius 'Should Get 10 Years In Jail'

Oscar Pistorius solemnly hugged his lawyer Barry Roux and then sat down alone in court as the defence and prosecutions teams finished their closing arguments.

The Paralympic athlete sobbed through parts of the final day as Mr Roux claimed the runner "lost everything" after shooting dead his girlfriend.

Pistorius has admitted killing Reeva Steenkamp and said he mistook her for an intruder, thinking he and the model were in danger.

Mr Roux said Pistorius had lost his sponsors, lost all his money and had not got enough to pay for legal expenses following the tragedy on Valentine's Day last year.

He argued the disabled runner should not be sent to prison but should be put under house arrest and have correctional supervision - community service.

However, prosecutor Gerrie Nel argued he should be jailed for a minimum of 10 years.

Video: Prosecution Praises Reeva's Cousin

Judge Thokozile Masipa adjourned the court in Pretoria, South Africa, until next Tuesday when she is expected to hand down her punishment.

Mr Roux said Pistorius was an icon, in the eyes of South Africans, who had "lost everything", "has not earned a penny" since the shooting and "is broken".

He said his client sold his last asset - his car - to give money to the Steenkamp family.

The lawyer added he will have to live with "excruciating pain which will never go away" - that he killed his girlfriend.

Mr Roux criticised "wildest speculations" when he was first arrested on suspicion of pre-meditated murder.

He said the false claims included how Pistorius allegedly crushed her head with a cricket bat, had roid (steroid) rage, took acting lessons and pretended to have feelings for her.

Video: Pistorius Walks Ahead Of Sentence

Mr Roux said his client's actions when he killed her in his bathroom were "dominated by vulnerability and anxiety".

He said the double-amputee athlete was a "compromised person" when he opened fire on 29-year-old Ms Steenkamp.

Mr Roux told the court his client "did not consciously act unlawfully", though he admitted the runner had "acted excessively".

Mr Nel urged the judge to think about what happened to Ms Steenkamp, and losing a child was the "most devastating thing that can happen to a person".

He said society may lose their trust in court if Pistorius was not jailed for killing the model who died a "violent" and "horrific" death.

She had "nowhere to go, she was in a small cubicle" as she was hit by four bullets, he said.

1/6

1. Gallery: Reeva Steenkamp's Life In Pictures

   Reeva Steenkamp, 29, was born in Cape Town and grew up in Port Elizabeth. She went to a convent school and studied law. She was a keen horse rider until she broke her back.

2. She moved to Johannesburg from Cape Town to model for Avon cosmetics. In 2012, Reeva was voted number 45 in the South African FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World poll.

3. She featured as a celebrity contestant on BBC Lifestyle show Baking Made Easy in 2012.

4. The model was a keen Twitter user, and had more than 34,000 followers. She used the site to promote women's rights and empowerment.

5. Her former fashion editor, Barbara Robertson, described the model as being "sweet, and down-to-earth" with the "it factor". She compared her to an "early Kate Moss".

6. Reeva Steenkamp on the set of reality TV show Tropika Island of Treasure (Pic: Stimulii)

He said "we were lucky" to hear in court the voice of the victim's cousin Kim Martin - which he called a voice representing society.

Mr Nel argued her "softly-spoken" remarks imploring the court to hand down a prison term "trounced any other noise referred to".

On Thursday, Ms Martin told the judge the alternative sentence of community service while under house arrest did not seem to fit the crime.

She said Pistorius needed "to pay for what he'd done" and warned a lenient sentence would send the wrong message out to society.

She said: "My family is not seeking revenge, but to shoot someone behind a door who's unarmed and harmless needs sufficient punishment."

Pistorius, 27, could face a fine and a suspended jail sentence or up to 15 years in prison after he was found guilty of culpable homicide, the equivalent of manslaughter in the UK.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pistorius 'Needs To Pay For What He's Done'

Reeva Steenkamp's cousin has told Oscar Pistorius' sentencing hearing that the athlete "needs to pay for what he has done".

Kim Martin told the High Court in Pretoria "everybody has suffered" since the athlete shot dead his girlfriend on Valentine's Day 2013.

Making a clear appeal for Pistorius to be jailed, she said: "I feel Mr Pistorius needs to pay for what he's done for taking Reeva's life, for what he's done to my uncle and to my aunt [Ms Steenkamp's parents], what he's done to the rest of my family but also what he's done to his family."

Pistorius makes her "very fearful" but Ms Steenkamp's family is not looking for revenge, Ms Martin added.

"I've tried very hard to put him out of my mind," she said.

Pistorius, 27, could face a fine and a suspended jail sentence or up to 15 years in prison after he was found guilty of culpable homicide, the equivalent of manslaughter in the UK.

Video: Cousin Wants Justice For Reeva

He was acquitted of murder last month after he said he had mistaken Ms Steenkamp, 29, for an intruder in his home.

Ms Martin, who was the first prosecution witness at the sentencing hearing, was completing her evidence to the court after speaking on Wednesday for the first time about how the death of the model and law graduate affected her family.

Sky's Alex Crawford, who is in Pretoria, reports that as the court was breaking up for lunch, Pistorius' sister complained of "intimidation" from two men in the public gallery of the court.

Aimee Pistorius left the court weeping, Crawford said, telling a court official that one of the men mouthed obscenities at her.

Crawford said: "One of the Pistorius family tells reporters he mouthed 'f*** you' at Aimee Pistorius."

Video: Prison Boss On Pistorius Disability

Earlier, another witness, Zacharia Modise, the acting national director for South Africa's prison service, was asked about the ability of the service to accommodate double amputee Pistorius if he got a custodial sentence.

He said that although some of South Africa's prisons are "very old", every region has a "facility where we are able to cater for people with disabilities".

Asked by Pistorius' defence lawyer Barry Roux whether his client would be kept in the hospital section of prison, Mr Modise said that would be decided only after an assessment of his needs once he arrived in prison.

Pressed by Mr Roux, Mr Modise indicated that the assessment would find that Pistorius' disability meant he should serve any jail sentence in a hospital wing - rather than be kept with other inmates in the main section of the prison.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel said this week that anything but a prison sentence for the athlete would be "shockingly inappropriate".

1/6

1. Gallery: Reeva Steenkamp Life In Pictures

   Reeva Steenkamp, 29, was born in Cape Town and grew up in Port Elizabeth. She went to a convent school and studied law. She was a keen horse rider until she broke her back.

2. She moved to Johannesburg from Cape Town to model for Avon cosmetics. In 2012, Reeva was voted number 45 in the South African FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World poll.

3. She featured as a celebrity contestant on BBC Lifestyle show Baking Made Easy in 2012.

4. Her former fashion editor, Barbara Robertson, described the model as being "sweet, and down-to-earth" with the "it factor". She compared her to an "early Kate Moss".

5. The model was a keen Twitter user, and had more than 34,000 followers. She used the site to promote women's rights and empowerment.

6. Reeva Steenkamp on the set of reality TV show Tropika Island of Treasure (Pic: Stimulii)

The hearing is expected to continue to a fifth day on Friday.

If Judge Thokozile Masipa is unable to deliver a sentence by the end of the day the court will not resume until she is next available, on 10 November.

More follows...

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ebola: Mistakes In Fighting Deadly Virus

A man has been spotted helping a nurse in the US with ebola board a flight to a specialist unit - without wearing any protective equipment.

The man, who is carrying a clipboard, comes within feet of Amber Vinson, who is now being treated in isolation in Atlanta, Georgia.

He is seen handling items given to him by a person wearing protective clothing.

Ebola is contracted through contact with an infected person's bodily fluids, and it is not airborne.

But this incident is the latest to raise questions about the US response to the outbreak, which has killed more than 4,000 people in West Africa.

Video: Ebola Nurse Told She Could Fly

Other mistakes include:

:: Allowing Ms Vinson to travel on a commercial plane from Cleveland, Ohio, to Dallas, Texas, even though she was showing the early symptoms of ebola.

The nurse did tell officials she was running a temperature, and now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is trying to track down 132 other passengers who were on that plane.

Video: Why Is The Ebola Virus So Deadly?

:: Another nurse who contracted ebola did so after an "unspecified breach of protocol". Nina Pham, 26, had been wearing full protective gear when she was treating Thomas Eric Duncan, who died after catching ebola in Liberia.

:: Healthcare workers have inadvertently violated protocols by wearing too many protective layers, according to CDC director Thomas Frieden.

:: Mr Duncan was sent home from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital with antibiotics, despite telling medical staff he had come from the West African nation. Staff mistakenly thought he was suffering from a "low-grade common viral disease".

Video: Speed of Ebola Spread Graph

:: Workers were seen not wearing any protective clothing while they cleaned the outside of his Dallas apartment.

:: A nursing union has alleged a litany of errors in the treatment of Mr Duncan, claiming that he was kept in a non-isolated area of the emergency department for several hours and that nurses treating him were also taking care of other patients.

However, one notable success in the fight against ebola involves Nigeria and Senegal, two countries where the outbreak has been largely contained.

Video: Hazmat Crews Board Plane In Boston

Nigeria had eight deaths but brought its outbreak under control by tracking 894 people who had been in contact with a man who brought the virus from Liberia, and visiting 18,500 more people to check for symptoms.

Francisco Ferreira, the World Bank's chief economist for Africa, said the organisation was "incredibly impressed by the ability of Nigeria and Senegal to keep their epidemics contained".

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Second Ebola Nurse Told She Could Fly By CDC

A nurse with ebola who was able to board a flight in the US despite suffering from a fever did tell officials she was running a temperature, it has emerged.

Amber Vinson was able to travel from Cleveland, Ohio, to Dallas, Texas, on a commercial plane even though she was showing the early symptoms of the killer disease.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now trying to track down 132 other passengers who were on the plane at the same time in case they too have been infected.

CDC director Dr Tom Frieden said Ms Vinson should not have been allowed to travel by plane, but added that "the level of risk to people around her would be extremely low".

However, the admission heaps further pressure on an organisation that has been criticised for the speed of its response to the ebola crisis, and raises questions about the readiness of the US to cope with the virus.

Video: Unprotected Man Helps Ebola Victim

It comes as British army medics are due to arrive in Sierra Leone to help in the fight against the virus, which has killed more than 4,000 people in West Africa.

France will start screening passengers for ebola at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport on Saturday, while screening is expected to start at Heathrow airport's Terminal Three.

Ms Vinson, who is one of two nurses in the US to have contracted ebola, has since been transferred to a specialist unit in Atlanta, Georgia, where she will be treated in isolation and monitored.

Video: Why Is The Ebola Virus So Deadly?

CDC spokesman David Daigle said Ms Vinson, 29, reported that her temperature was below 100.4 degrees (38C) and had no symptoms. Ebola sufferers are not contagious until they show symptoms.

As a result, the nurse was told she could travel on Frontier Airlines Flight 1143 and the plane's crew said Ms Vinson did not exhibit any symptoms during Monday's flight.

Ms Vinson caught ebola after being one of several nurses to treat Thomas Eric Duncan, who came down with the virus and died after travelling to the US from Liberia.

Video: Obama Warns Of Global Ebola Spread

The other infected nurse, 26-year-old Nina Pham, remains in isolation at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas and is said to be in stable condition after receiving a plasma transfusion donated by ebola survivor Dr Kent Brantly.

President Barack Obama has cancelled a scheduled trip to Rhode Island and New York to remain at the White House to monitor the government's response.

A meeting of the UK Government's emergency committee, COBRA, is due to take place on Thursday.

Video: Dallas Turns To Brit Ebola Expert

A team of 91 British medics, including nurses, doctors and infectious disease consultants, will join 40 soldiers already in Sierra Leone to work at a UK-supported treatment centre, which has 12 out of 92 beds set aside for healthcare workers who risk infection while treating others.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bono Says Sorry For iTunes Album Giveaway

U2 frontman Bono has apologised to fans for invading their iTunes library, saying they "might have got carried away" with their album giveaway.

In a filmed Q&A session on Facebook, the band answered questions from their fans about their friendship and music. 

But it was to Harriet Madeline Jobson's question that Bono gave his revealing answer.

"Can you please never release an album on iTunes that automatically downloads to people's playlists ever again. It's really rude," she said.

Looking sheepish, the musician answered: "Oops, I'm sorry about that. Um, I had this beautiful idea ... might have got carried away with ourselves. Artists are prone to that kind of thing."

Apple tool to delete U2 album

Bono could have stopped there, but he continued with his mea culpa, which seemed to provide some amusement for his fellow band members.

"A drop of megalomania, touch of generosity, dash of self-promotion and a deep fear that these songs that we poured our lives into over the last few years won't be heard, there's a lot of noise out there.

"I guess we got a bit noisy ourselves to get through it."

The Irish rockers made their surprise announcement last month at an Apple unveiling event, but it was met with wide criticism.

More than half a billion people had Songs Of Innocence automatically downloaded to their iTunes libraries.

Bono with Apple chief executive Tim Cook

Twitter user @EricAmer wrote: "Waking up with the new U2 album on automatically installed on your iTunes is like waking up with a pimple in the morning. #nothanks"

On Monday Iggy Pop slammed the band for the move, saying they had stolen the listener's choice to buy or download music.

Apple created a special tool which allowed users to delete the album if they wished.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pistorius: Anything But Jail Term 'Shocking'

Anything but a prison sentence for Oscar Pistorius for shooting dead his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp would be "shockingly inappropriate", prosecutor Gerrie Nel has said.

He resumed his relentless cross examination of probation officer Annette Vergeer, a defence witness, who on Tuesday told the athlete's sentencing hearing that Pistorius would be "broken as a person" if he was jailed.

Mr Nel said to place the runner under house arrest and sentence him to community work for three years as she had recommended would be "too light" a punishment.

The prosecutor also raised the prospect of a public backlash if the sentence for the double-amputee Olympian was not harsh enough, saying the court had to guard against people "taking the law into their own hands".

"Our courts and society value human life," he told Ms Vergeer, and asked her: "Don't you think society wants a heavy punishment?"

"You're recommending house arrest... but the accused could be allowed to pursue his athletics, train, find a job and go to work and return to his house..."

Video: Oscar Pistorius Witness Challenged

"That this accused be sentenced to three years correctional supervision, with 16 hours a month correctional duties is shockingly inappropriate. It cannot even be considered," Mr Nel said.

The 27-year-old was convicted last month for killing Ms Steenkamp on Valentine's Day, 2013.

Ms Vergeer, who was paid by the defence to produce her report, said Pistorius would be vulnerable to violence and placed in highly stressful situations because of his disability.

"The death of the deceased and the period since have been a far bigger punishment than incarceration," she said.

Mr Nel said people in wheelchairs in prison were more vulnerable than those with prosthetics, and accused Ms Vergeer, who insisted she had almost three decades of experience, of being "irresponsible" for coming to court and not being as knowledgeable as he said she should be.

Sky's Alex Crawford, at the hearing at the High Court in Pretoria, said: "The prosecutor appears to be trying to portray Ms Vergeer as a slapdash ignoramus with unreliable and biased conclusions."

The court also heard yesterday that Pistorius paid 6,000 rand (£350) per month to the Steenkamps.

Video: 'Blood Money' Paid to Steenkamps

He also offered Ms Steenkamp's family 375,000 rand (£21,305) as compensation after already making a number of monthly payments to them.

Mr Nel said the Steenkamps rejected the lump sum - which they called "blood money" - and had decided to hand back the other monthly payments to help them with their rent and living expenses.

Referring to a statement released today through the family lawyer, defence lawyer Barry Roux told the court the Steenkamps intended to pay back Pistorius "every cent" of the monthly payments, and also confirmed they would not be pursuing a civil claim against Pistorius for killing their daughter.

Pistorius was back in court on Wednesday for the third day of his sentencing hearing after being found guilty of culpable homicide, the equivalent of manslaughter in the UK.

He could receive a fine and a suspended jail sentence or up to 15 years in prison.

More follows...

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ebola: Second Texas Health Worker Tests Positive

A second health worker at a Texas hospital where a man died of ebola has tested positive for the disease.

The unnamed member of staff reported they had a fever on Tuesday and was immediately isolated at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital.

The health worker is the second person to have treated Liberian Thomas Eric Duncan, who died on 8 October.

Nina Pham, who is reported to be in stable condition, has been in isolation at the Dallas hospital since Friday.

The nurse has since received a plasma transfusion donated by Dr Kent Brantly, the first American to return to the US from Liberia to be treated for ebola.

The Texas Department of State Health Services said officials were identifying anybody who may have had contact with the newly infected health worker.

"Health officials have interviewed the latest patient to quickly identify any contacts or potential exposures, and those people will be monitored," a statement said.

Video: Obama Wants More Action On Ebola

"The type of monitoring depends on the nature of their interactions and the potential they were exposed to the virus."

The third case to be reported in the US was identified before world leaders were due to hold a video conference on how to tackle the disease that has killed more than 4,400 people, almost all of them in West Africa.

US President Barack Obama said he planned to pressure some countries into taking firmer action to slow the spread of the disease, which health experts have warned could infect 10,000 people a week within two months.

British, French, German and Italian leaders will be among those involved in the talks.

Video: Ebola: Infected Dallas Nurse Named

Tom Frieden, US Centers for Disease Control director, has unveiled a series of steps designed to stop the spread of the disease, including the rapid response force to be sent to hospitals where infected are being treated and increased training for healthcare workers.

He made the move after being told by many hospital staff that they lacked the training needed to deal with the virus.

Health officials remain uncertain on exactly how Miss Pham contracted ebola, but Dr Frieden initially blamed an unspecified "breach of protocol".

He later apologised after health workers said he appeared to be blaming Miss Pham, who wore protective gear while treating Mr Duncan.

Video: Dallas Turns To Brit Ebola Expert

Meanwhile, NBC's chief medical editor has apologised for a breaching voluntary quarantine that she and her team were placed in after cameraman Ashoka Mukpo caught ebola in Liberia.

Dr Nancy Snyderman and two members of her crew were reportedly seen collecting a takeaway order.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Broadcasters Reveal Leaders' Debate Plan

By Jason Farrell, Political Correspondent

Sky News, the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 have announced joint plans for a series of party leader debates across TV and the internet in the run-up to the 2015 General Election.

The format for 2015 would see three different styles of debate – one of which will include Nigel Farage.

Sky News and Channel 4 intend to host a straight head-to-head contest between David Cameron and Ed Miliband, which would be chaired by former Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman with Sky News' Kay Burley introducing the programme and presenting post-debate analysis.

April 2010: the Sky News leaders' debate

The BBC would broadcast a similar debate to the 2010 format where the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat leaders are pitted against each other. This would be presented by David Dimbleby.

ITV would have a four-way contest between the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and UKIP leaders. This would be chaired by ITV presenter Julie Etchingham.

Video: Leaders Must Discuss Debate Plan

It amounts to a 4-3-2 strategy, rather than the 3-3-3 of 2010, and the broadcasters say they are "responding to the changes in the political landscape" which has seen a poll surge in UKIP support.

The news organisations describe the debates as "vital in engaging voters with the political process" and have written to Mr Cameron, Mr Miliband, Nick Clegg and Mr Farage inviting them to take part. 

YouGov pollster Peter Kellner said the plan was a "very, very smart proposal". He said Mr Cameron's internal advice from his strategic adviser Lynton Crosby would be to avoid televised debates that give "Nigel Farage an opening".

Video: Cameron Most To Lose From Debates

He told Sky News: "David Cameron has the most to lose and Nigel Farage has the most to gain."

Mr Farage, voiced concerns that he would be exempt from two of the debates, and said: "This is better than it could have been. At last, there is a recognition of UKIP but if the political situation changed, we will expect to be included in the second debate."

While a Liberal Democrat spokesman said: "The Liberal Democrats, like the Labour Party, have publicly said that we would be prepared to sign up to the same 3-3-3 system we had in 2010.

1/3

1. Gallery: Leaders' Debates: A 4-3-2 Line-Up

   Sky News: David Cameron v Ed Miliband

2. BBC: David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg

3. ITV: David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage

"We do not accept the proposal that the Liberal Democrats, as a party of Government, should be prevented from defending our record in one of the TV debates.

"That is the case we will make strongly in the negotiations that will now take place and we urge the other parties to join us around the negotiating table without excuse or delay."

The leaders have agreed in principle to the debates, but the Prime Minister has resisted pinning down the detail and other party leaders have accused him of dragging his feet.

Video: 13 May 2014: Public Expects Debates

Privately, some senior Conservatives believe it was the 2010 debates that cost David Cameron a majority and they want him to try and wriggle out of Round Two.

Previously, the debates were at weekly intervals in the last three weeks leading up to polling day. Mr Cameron has suggested they should happen before campaigning gets under way.

The Head of Sky News John Ryley said: "There are only 24 weeks to go before the start of the General Election Campaign.

Video: 22 Apr 2010: Sky Leaders' Debate

"Sky, Channel 4, the BBC and ITV have put together a clear compelling proposal; three debates during the election campaign. It's now critical that the political parties engage and start negotiating for the debates seriously."

The proposal for the 2015 debates addresses Mr Cameron's concerns by suggesting the three debates take place at fortnightly intervals beginning in early April. The suggested dates are April 2, April 16 and April 30.

Live debates have now become a normal part of the political landscape. Mr Clegg and Mr Farage clashed over Europe, and the bitter battles between Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling energised the Scottish independence fight. 

Video: 23 Apr 2010: Leaders' Debate Review

While 2010 was the television election, drawing 22 million viewers, 2015 will engage more widely with voters online and using social media.

As well as live studio audiences, comprising members of the general public, questions will also be provided to the leaders using social media including Twitter and Facebook to ensure the widest possible audience engagement. Each broadcaster will make their debate available live to all other media outlets.

In a joint statement, the news organisations said: "All four broadcasters believe televised party leader debates are vital in engaging voters with the political process. The broadcasters intend to transmit the leaders debates live for all their extensive audiences, on air, online and on social media, which together have a mass reach amongst the British population."

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

No Murder Trial For Mum Who Killed Kids

A mother who admitted suffocating her three young disabled children before trying to kill herself will not face trial for murder, a court has heard.

Tania Clarence, 42, had pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Olivia, four, and three-year-old twins Ben and Max by diminished responsibility - but denied murder.

Her plea was accepted at a hearing at the Old Bailey meaning she will no longer face trial next year.

The court was told that in the light of medical reports, the Crown Prosecution Service accepted that Clarence was suffering from a "major depressive episode" at the time of the killings which amounted to an "abnormality of mind".

Clarence, who was not in court, will be sentenced on 14 November when she is likely to face a hospital order.

Jim Sturman QC, defending, said a hospital order would be a "just and compassionate" sentence.

He said: "This is a truly tragic case. Anybody who reads the evidence cannot fail to be moved.

"... [Clarence] was manifesting stress throughout the life of the children by their suffering and caring for three children with this condition was exhausting, distressing, debilitating and turned out to be overwhelming."

He said as a result of her illness Clarence had "no hope for the future" and her suicide attempt was genuine.

Clarence's husband Gary was in court for the brief hearing. The investment banker was in his family's native South Africa when he heard about the deaths.

At a previous hearing, the court heard that Clarence confessed to killing three of her children at her home in the wealthy south west London suburb of New Malden on 22 April.

Clarence left three notes before allegedly smothering the children, who all had type 2 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a life-limiting genetic condition which leaves children with little or no control of their movement.

She then tried to kill herself by taking a drug overdose and slashing her wrists.

The mother of four was discovered bleeding and crying by the children's distraught nanny and a neighbour. They arrived to find the home in darkness and at the bottom of the stairs discovered a note written in Afrikaans to husband Gary.

The court heard how they found Mrs Clarence in a bedroom and she told "them to go away, saying that it was too late".

Asked if she had taken anything, the court heard that Clarence replied: "I took something yesterday, but it didn't work."

Police were called and the neighbour checked if anyone else was in the house. He opened the door into the children's bedroom and saw the twin boys dead, but was too shocked to continue his search of the house.

The three children were pronounced dead at the scene when officers arrived.

Clarence confessed to the triple killing to a female police officer at the scene, saying: "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Asked why she was sorry, the tearful mother said: "I killed them. I suffocated them."

Two other notes were found in the house. One discovered on top of a pile of clothes in the master bedroom read: "Gary, I don't want to be saved please. I can't live with the horror of what I have done. I thought the pills would work, they didn't."

A third note was addressed to the nanny, described in court as "a significant member of the family". Its contents were not divulged.

:: Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 08457 90 90 90 or email jo@samaritans.org mailto:jo@samaritans.org

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pistorius A 'Broken Man' After Killing Model

Oscar Pistorius is a "broken man" after killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp and "flashbacks of the shooting will be mental images he always carries with him", a court has heard.

The double-amputee athlete is in court for sentencing - and could make a personal plea to the judge in an effort to avoid jail.

He was cleared of murdering the 29-year-old model, but was found guilty by Judge Thokozile Masipa of culpable homicide - the equivalent of manslaughter in the UK.

Pistorius, 27, was also found guilty of discharging a firearm in public, an offence relating to him firing a gun in a restaurant.

The sentencing process is likely to take a week, both the defence and prosecution teams told the court in Pretoria.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel, who is looking for a lengthy jail term for Pistorius, having failed to secure a murder conviction, said he would call two witnesses.

Video: Pistorius 'Diagnosed With PTSD'

Pistorius' lawyer Barry Roux said he would call three witnesses, plus one from the correctional services department.

The first of these, psychologist Dr Lore Hartzenberg, told the court how Pistorius was referred to her for grief therapy.

He had been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after shooting Ms Steenkamp, and the sessions sometimes had to be abandoned "due to retching", she said.

Under cross-examination, Mr Nel asked her about the Steenkamp family, saying: "Haven't they suffered?"

Video: Oscar 'Should Face House Arrest'

She agreed: "I have no doubt they are a broken family."

Mr Nel said he will bring evidence that Ms Steenkamp's father Barry suffered a stroke because of his daughter's death.

Dr Hartzenberg said "Mr Pistorius' remorse was unabated during the therapy sessions" and concern for her parents was an "unremitting theme".

"I can confirm his remorse and pain to be genuine," she added.

Video: Pistorius: The Full Story

"What we are left with is a broken man who has lost everything, his relationship with Reeva Steenkamp, his moral and professional reputation. His career and therefore his earnings."

She said "flashbacks of the shooting will be mental images he always carries with him" and it is "unlikely that he will ever recover from the shooting incident that happened on the 14 February 2014."

Pistorius shot Ms Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year, but Judge Masipa concluded he had not intended to kill her.

He was negligent when he raced down the corridor towards his bathroom armed with a gun - then fired four bullets through the locked toilet door, she said.

Video: Pistorius Bailed Following Verdict

If he is sent to jail, the longest sentence Judge Masipa is expected to dish out would be 15 years.

Joel Maringa, a social worker for the Office of Correctional Services, recommended Pistorius be held under house arrest for three years.

He said the runner could stay at his uncle's house in Pretoria because his behaviour is "socially acceptable", while doing 16 hours a month of cleaning at a local hospital.

However, Mr Nel said house arrest was "shockingly inappropriate" and questioned whether Mr Maringa had thought about the impact on Ms Steenkamp's family.

Video: Pistorius Verdict: Families React

The defence then called their third witness, Pistorius' agent Peet Van Zyl - one of the first people the athlete rang after shooting Ms Steenkamp.

He listed the charity work his client was involved in, and how he insisted on keeping his good deeds private.

The court has now adjourned for lunch.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More