Kate: First Portrait Of Duchess of Cambridge

The first official portrait of the Duchess of Cambridge has been unveiled - and was described by Kate herself as "amazing".

Paul Emery's painting of the Duchess

Award-winning artist Paul Emsley created the large head and shoulders painting of the Duchess, set against his trademark dark background.

It was commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery, which Kate supports as patron.

At the Duchess' own suggestion it depicts her natural, not official, persona.

Kate, wearing a burgundy dress by Whistles, was joined by her husband the Duke for a private viewing of the painting before it went on display to the public.

The royal couple spent around 10 minutes looking at the portrait privately then met Emsley and his wife Susanne and daughter Marie.

Kate has been suffering from a rare form of pregnancy sickness but looked well and smiled as she chatted to the artist.

She told him: "It's just amazing, I thought it was brilliant."

William also had high praise for the painting, saying: "It's beautiful, it's absolutely beautiful."

The Cambridges later attended a private breakfast reception at the London gallery to mark the unveiling.

Among the guests were Kate's parents Carole and Michael Middleton and her brother and sister Pippa and James.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Avalanche Video Shows Echo Peak Rescue

Helmet-cam video footage has been released of the moment a skier was swept away in an avalanche - and his successful rescue.

The video shows the skier triggering the slide on fresh storm snow and then disappearing from view as the mass moves down the mountain peak.

Four other less experienced skiers can then be seen preparing a rescue and activating an emergency beacon before attempting to dig out the trapped man.

The first person on the scene sees the trapped skier waving a hand, although the rest of his body is buried.

He then pulls out a plastic snow shovel from a backpack and starts digging.

Struggling to avoid sinking into the soft snow, the rescuer continues to dig until the skier can grab a ski pole.

They then attempt to pull the trapped person out but the weight of snow prevents any movement.

The remarkable rescue happened on December 29, on Echo Peak in California's Tahoe National Forest.

The rescue was hampered by the effort involved with strenuous work in the thin air at an elevation of almost 9,000ft.

But after continued digging the rescued skier, still wearing his safety helmet, scrambles to his feet.

The skier later permitted the Sierra Avalanche Centre to publicise details of the accident, to help other skiers to avoid similar pre and post-accident errors.

The skier said: "Once the slope let go, I was helpless. Everything I'd ever heard, read, or talked about went through my mind. Stay on top. Get your feet downhill. Backstroke.

"Remember to create an air pocket when the slide slows. Punch a hand towards the sky. The truth is that I was at the mercy of the snow."

"Everything was black and the urge to panic was overwhelming. After repeatedly telling myself to calm down, I was able to clear an airway with my free hand. Then all I could do was wait.

"I was very lucky."

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Richard Landers: Missing Boy Found 19 Years On

A boy who vanished from his home town almost 20 years ago has been found alive and living under an assumed name 700 miles away.

Richard Wayne Landers was five years old when he was abducted in 1994 by his paternal grandparents from the town of Wolcottville, Indiana, in an apparent custody dispute.

News he was found safe at the age of 24 left his mother, Lisa Hartner, "overjoyed and jumping up-and-down," according to her husband Richard, who added his wife was "the happiest woman on Earth".

Police said it appeared Mr Landers' biological father was absent in his life and his mother had married Mr Hartner a year before he went missing.

Detectives believe the boy's grandparents became upset about a pending court hearing regarding custody and secretly took him away to an unknown destination.

Police worked tirelessly with Mrs Hartner to locate her son and arrest warrants were issued for the grandparents, but no trace was ever found of them.

Then in September 2012, Mr Hartner found the boy's old social security card, which police used to establish a man living in Long Prairie, Minnesota, was using the same social security number.

Police checked the man's driving license photograph and discovered he bore a striking resemblance to the missing boy.

Further enquiries revealed the grandparents were living seven miles away under assumed names.

When questioned by police they admitted their true identities and confessed the young man was their grandson.

Investigators have not released the names under which Mr Landers and his grandparents had been living, but they revealed he is now married and due to become a father.

"It's nice to put closure to this case and now the family can begin the process of re-connecting with their loved one," said La Grange County Sheriff Terry Martin.

Indiana State Police Detective Jeff Boyd added: "This is an example of inter-agency co-operation, both here in Indiana and in Minnesota that allowed this almost 19-year case to come to a successful conclusion."

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Teenager Survives Nail Shot Into Heart

An Argentinian carpenter who had a three-inch nail accidentally shot into his heart has become one of the few people to survive such an injury.

The unnamed 19-year-old was shot by a colleague wielding a nail gun while working in a wooden pallet factory in Canuelas, Buenos Aires.

The man was taken to El Cruce Nestor Kirchner Hospital after the accident last Monday.

An x-ray revealed the nail had pierced straight through his heart muscle to become lodged in one of its chambers.

Only three people in the world have survived this type of injury, according to the hospital's CEO, Arnaldo Medina.

And this is the first time it has happened in Argentina, he added.

Surgeons could not simply pull out the nail because it was "acting as a stopper and preventing a haemorrhage", said Mr Medina.

Instead the man's breast bone was carefully opened up to allow the surgeons to see and gently remove the nail.

The operation took more than two hours but the teenager has now "recovered well", said lead surgeon Dr Marcelo Nahin.

He added that tens of thousands of US manual workers are seriously injured by nail guns each year.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Olympic 100m Bottle Thrower Found Guilty

A man who threw a beer bottle on to the track before the men's Olympic 100m final has been found guilty of public disorder.

Ashley Gill-Webb, who suffers from bipolar affective disorder, pushed his way to the front of an exclusive seating area at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford and shouted: "Usain, I want you to lose. Usain, you are bad, you are an a******e."

He then threw the plastic beer bottle as the race - which Bolt won in 9.63 seconds - started on August 5 last year.

The 34-year-old was confronted by Dutch judo champion Edith Bosch, then escorted from the stadium and arrested.

Stratford Magistrates' Court heard that he used an old ticket to get into the Olympic Park and then the stadium. Police never found a ticket on him.

The bottle is visible in this picture as the sprinters leave their blocks

Gill-Webb was suffering from a manic episode at the time, with an urge to be "involved" in the Olympics, the court heard.

His lawyers argued that his mental state meant he could not have intended to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

But prosecutors claimed that although he was unwell, he knew what he was doing.

In a statement, judoka Ms Bosch described how he pushed past her to get to the front of the seating.

She said: "He was shouting specifically at Usain Bolt. Things like 'Usain, I want you to lose'." she said.

"He repeated these taunts over and over - it went on and on for about two minutes."

She saw Gill-Webb move his arm behind his head, then forwards in a throwing motion, then saw the bottle hit the track, she said.

Gill-Webb, pictured arriving at court, also shouted abuse at Usain Bolt

Ms Bosch confronted him, saying "Dude, are you crazy?"

"He was trying to walk away so I pushed him hard to stop him," she said. "I was angry with what he had done, which was so disrespectful."

Other witnesses saw Gill-Webb shouting at finalists including Bolt, fellow Jamaican Yohan Blake, and US sprinter Justin Gatlin.

His behaviour in police custody was said to be "somewhat unusual", and he told officers that he was Scottish actor Alan Cumming, signing a statement with the star's name.

Gill-Webb, who did not give evidence during his trial, originally denied throwing the bottle, but his DNA was later found on it. He later said he could not remember the incident.

Finding Gill-Webb guilty of two public order offences, District Judge William Ashworth said: "The video, in my view, clearly shows Mr Gill-Webb checking to see if he is under observation before taking the risk of throwing the bottle.

"I am sure that he was at that point weighing up the chances of being caught."

The case was adjourned until February 4 at Thames Magistrates' Court for a pre-sentence report to be completed. Judge Ashworth said the sentence would be limited to a community-based penalty.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Batman Cinema Shootings: Hearing Delayed

A judge has delayed the arraignment of suspected gunman James Holmes until March, as his lawyers had requested.

Judge William Sylvester granted the defence motion on Friday, setting the date of the new arraignment as March 12. The hearing, where Holmes will have to enter a plea, had been scheduled for Friday.

The decision came a day after he ruled that Holmes should stand trial in the shooting. He is accused of killing 12 people and injuring dozens more in a July massacre during the midnight premiere of the Dark Knight Rises film outside of Denver.

Holmes' attorneys did not give a reason for requesting the delay, but may want to use the time to seek a mental health evaluation by a doctor of their choosing

They have said their client is mentally ill, possibly indicating they will mount an insanity defence. 

The 25-year-old has been charged with a total of 166 offences. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

During this week's preliminary hearing prosecution witnesses said Holmes' demeanour was calm the night he was arrested, and described the carnage of the shooting scene. 

Officer Jason Oviatt testified this week during Holmes' preliminary hearing

Other witnesses testified Holmes put months of preparation into planning the attack, stockpiling weapons and intricately booby trapping his apartment with homemade napalm.

A promising neuroscience student, Holmes had begun to see a university psychiatrist and then dropped out of his course shortly before the attack.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dreamliner Safety And Design Review Ordered

America's aviation watchdog has ordered a comprehensive review of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner after a spate of incidents involving the aircraft.

The head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said he is confident the Boeing 787 is safe, but he remains concerned about recent events, including a fire and a fuel leak earlier this week.

Michael Huerta, the FAA administrator, said there is nothing in the data the agency has seen to suggest the plane is not safe.

The watchdog announced it is undertaking a comprehensive review of the 787 to include "critical systems, including design, manufacture and assembly".

The manufacturer responded to fears over the plane and said: "Boeing is confident in the design and performance of the 787. It is a safe and efficient airplane that brings tremendous value to our customers and an improved flying experience to their passengers.

"The airplane has logged 50,000 hours of flight and there are more than 150 flights occurring daily."

Boston fire crews attend the JAL plane after it filled with smoke

The move by the US aviation authority was prompted after a fifth Dreamliner fault this week was reported on Friday morning.

Oil was discovered leaking from the left engine of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight operated by All Nippon Airways (ANA).

An ANA spokeswoman said the leak was found after the domestic flight landed safely at Miyazaki airport in southern Japan.

It came on the same day another Japanese 787 suffered a cracked cockpit window while in flight on a domestic route.

ANA said crew noticed a spider web-like crack in a window in front of the pilot's seat about 70 minutes into Friday's flight, which was close to its destination.

The Dreamliner, the world's first carbon-composite airliner, which has a list price of $207m (£128m), has been beset by problems this week.

The plane was designed to use power plants made by General Electric and Britain's Rolls-Royce.

On Wednesday, a domestic flight was halted by ANA because brake parts to the rear left undercarriage needed replacing, a spokesman at Yamaguchi Ube Airport said.

An investigator in the US examines a Boeing 787

A Japan Air Lines (JAL) jet was also grounded at Boston Logan International airport in the US following an engine fuel leak.

About 40 gallons of fuel spilled from the jet that was supposed to be bound for Tokyo.

That event followed the first incident of the week, which also occurred at Boston, on Monday.

Emergency services had been called after another JAL 787 filled with smoke shortly after passengers and crew had disembarked.

Firefighters used infrared cameras to locate the fire in a battery pack in the belly of a different Boeing 787 and extinguished the blaze within 20 minutes.

Sky sources revealed that if the battery fire had occurred during a transocean flight the aircraft may have been brought down.

The 787 Dreamliner made its first commercial flight in late 2011, after a series of production delays put deliveries more than three years behind schedule.

By the end of last year, Boeing had sold 848 Dreamliners, and delivered 49. JAL and ANA operate 24 of the planes.

After the Boston events, British carriers including BA, Virgin Atlantic and Thomson Airways reaffirmed their plans to integrate 787s into fleets this year and next.

In India - where state-owned Air India has taken delivery of six Dreamliners and has more on order - a senior official at the aviation regulator said there was concern at the recent spate of 787 glitches.

Meanwhile, an Air India spokesman said the airline's debut Dreamliner flight from India to Paris on Thursday went without a hitch.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Savile: Report Reveals Full Scale Of Sex Abuse

Jimmy Savile Abuse Report: Timeline

Updated: 11:45am UK, Friday 11 January 2013

The police and NSPCC report on the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal follows a lengthy investgation sparked by a television documentary.

This is how the case unfolded:

October 29, 2011

:: Veteran DJ and broadcaster Jimmy Savile is found dead in his home in Roundhay, Leeds, after a spell in hospital with a suspected bout of pneumonia. He was 84.

September 30, 2012

:: It emerges allegations about Savile will be made in a new ITV documentary due to be aired on October 3.

October 1

:: Surrey Police confirm Savile was interviewed in 2007 over allegations dating back to the 1970s but was released without charge.

October 2

:: An historic rape allegation made against Savile is referred to Scotland Yard. It is also revealed that Jersey and Surrey police investigated accusations about alleged abuse in two children's homes, but decided there was not enough evidence to proceed.

:: The BBC says it will make direct contact with police to provide full support over the "disturbing allegations".

:: Newsnight editor Peter Rippon says the show dropped a story about allegations against Savile because it "had not established any institutional failure" on behalf of the police or Crown Prosecution Service. Mr Rippon writes on a BBC blog it was "totally untrue" he came under any pressure to drop the story.

October 3

:: Sussex Police confirm that in 2008 a woman reported she had been indecently assaulted by Savile in Worthing, West Sussex, in 1970, but did not want to co-operate with any inquiry or prosecution.

:: Exposure: The Other Side Of Jimmy Savile is shown on ITV1. In it, five women claim they were indecently assaulted by him when they were schoolgirls in the late 1960s and 1970s.

October 9

:: Comedian Freddie Starr denies any wrongdoing in relation to claims he groped a teenager following the recording of one of Savile's shows.

:: Scotland Yard reveals it is looking at 120 lines of inquiry and as many as 25 victims. Commander Peter Spindler says allegations span four decades and abuse was on a "national scale". He says the inquiry, dubbed Operation Yewtree, will only become a criminal investigation if there is evidence against living individuals.

October 11

:: Allegations emerge that Savile abused children at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire and Leeds General Hospital.

October 12

:: BBC director general George Entwistle offers a "profound and heartfelt apology" to alleged victims as he announces two inquiries - one into potential failings over the handling of the abandoned Newsnight investigation, and a second into the "culture and practices of the BBC during the years Savile worked here".

October 13

:: The Department of Health says it will carry out an investigation into how Savile was appointed to lead a "taskforce" at Broadmoor in 1988.

:: Police say Savile's alleged catalogue of abuse could have spanned six decades and included around 60 victims.

October 19

:: A leaked internal email casts doubt on the BBC's stated reason for cancelling a Newsnight investigation into sexual abuse by Savile, The Times says.

:: Scotland Yard announces that Operation Yewtree is now a formal criminal investigation involving other living people.

October 22

:: The BBC announces that Newsnight editor Peter Rippon has stepped aside "with immediate effect". It says his explanation as to why the show dropped its investigation was "inaccurate or incomplete in some respects".

:: The Crown Prosecution Service say Surrey Police passed a file to them in 2009 based on a complaint made by "a woman who said she had witnessed an indecent assault by Jimmy Savile in the 1970s".

The force found evidence of "three further potential offences" by Savile but evidence showed none of the alleged victims would support a prosecution.

October 25

:: Scotland Yard says it is investigating in excess of 400 lines of inquiry involving 300 victims, of whom all except two are women. Commander Peter Spindler says Savile is one of the most prolific sex offenders in recent history and the inquiry into his abuse will be a "watershed" investigation into sex crime.

October 26

:: It emerges that seven alleged victims of Savile made complaints to four separate police forces - Surrey, London, Sussex and Jersey - while the disgraced television presenter was alive, but it was decided no further action should be taken.

October 28

:: Former pop star Gary Glitter is arrested by officers working on Operation Yewtree. He is bailed to return in mid-December.

November 1

:: Comedian Freddie Starr is arrested in connection with the Savile abuse investigation. He is released on bail.

November 2

:: Freddie Starr returns for further questioning and is later bailed again.

November 11

:: Former BBC producer Wilfred De'ath is arrested at an address in Cambridge but later insists he was the victim of mistaken identity.

:: BBC director general George Entwistle resigns after an "unacceptable" Newsnight broadcast into child abuse in North Wales wrongly implicates a former senior Conservative politician.

November 15

:: Former Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis is arrested on suspicion of sexual offences. Police say the allegations do not directly involve Savile, and are classed under the strand of their investigation termed "others". Mr Travis denies any wrongdoing, saying: "This is nothing to do with kids."

November 29

:: A man in his 80s, from Berkshire, is arrested and questioned by detectives investigating the Savile abuse scandal after attending police premises in south London by appointment. Scotland Yard says he is being treated as part of the investigation that does not directly relate to Savile.

December 6

:: PR guru Max Clifford is arrested at his Surrey home on suspicion of sexual offences and taken to Belgravia police station in central London for questioning. Clifford tells reporters: "These allegations are damaging and totally untrue."

December 10

:: A man in his 60s, from London, is arrested on suspicion of sexual offences and taken to a south London police station. Scotland Yard says he falls under the strand of the investigation termed "others". He is later bailed until January.

December 12

:: Scotland Yard says 31 rape allegations have been made against Savile - out of a total of 450 complaints. It adds 589 people have come forward with information relating to the scandal.

December 19

:: Former BBC radio producer Ted Beston, 76, is arrested in London on suspicion of sexual offences and vehemently denies the allegations the following day.

January 2, 2013

:: Former TV presenter Jim Davidson is arrested but "vigorously denies" allegations of sexual offences made against him by two women. A 53-year-old man is also arrested. Police say the allegations are not directly related to Savile and both men are bailed until March.

January 11

:: The police and NSPCC report on the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal is published.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Snow Warning As Met Office Issues Alert

The Met Office has issued a weekend weather warning with snow expected to blanket most of England.

The Level 2 Alert warns there is a high risk of severe cold, icy and snow conditions between Saturday morning and next Tuesday.

The alert highlights all of England as being at risk.

Sky News weather presenter Isobel Lang said temperatures will plummet on Saturday, heightening the risk of sleet or snow.

"Outbreaks of rain across southern Britain will turn to sleet or snow," she said.

"At this stage around 5cm to 10cm (2in to 4in) of snow is possible over more hilly areas with nearer 2cm to 5cm over some low-lying areas later. Some snow may fall in London."

She added: "Some more significant snow is possible into Monday, and this could bring disruption across central and eastern Britain - so keep an eye on the forecast."

The Level 2 Alert issued by the Met Office

Sunday is likely to be even colder than Saturday. However it may be brighter although temperatures will remain just above freezing point.

The Met Office warned: "The snow event on Monday may bring 2cm to 5cm (0.75 to 2in) quite widely across England as it spreads southeastwards, with greater than 5cm falling over hills.

"This warning may be extended early next week."

The Met Office also warned of the dangers of cold ahead of the weekend, especially those who are most vulnerable.

It said: "Prolonged periods of cold weather can be dangerous, especially for the very young, very old or those with chronic diseases.

"If you want more information about how cold weather can affect your health please visit www.nhs.uk.

"If you are concerned about your health or somebody you care for, please contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647, www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk, or your local pharmacist."

A Level 2 Alert means there is a 60% risk of either heavy snow or widespread ice, or temperatures below 2C for 48 hours or longer.

The highest cold weather alert the Met Office can issue is Level 4, which is classified as a national emergency.

The RAC warned it was expecting up to 56,000 breakdowns and widespread disruption as the snow affects roads.

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jessops Close All Stores - 1,370 Jobs To Go

Administrators say camera chain Jessops is to close all its 187 stores with the loss of 1,370 jobs

Jessops is the first high-profile retail casualty of 2013, after suffering from online competition and a boom in camera phones in recent years.

Rob Hunt, from administrators PwC, said: "Since my appointment, we have reviewed the position of the business and held extensive discussions with suppliers around their support for ongoing trading.

"It is apparent that we cannot continue to trade and as a result we have had to make the difficult decision to begin the closure of all 187 Jessops stores at the close of business today.

"Regrettably, this will result in around 1370 job losses across the stores with further job losses likely, in due course, at the head office in Leicester.

"The stock will be collected over the coming days and returned to a central warehouse. It will be returned to suppliers if they are entitled to it.

"As a consequence of the closure, Jessops is no longer able to accept returned product from customers.

"This is an extremely sad day for Jessops and its employees.

"We are very grateful for the support we have received since our appointment and we will continue to ensure that employees are paid as they assist us during the closure."

00.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

New York Ferry Crash: More Than 50 Injured

A commuter ferry has crashed into the dockside in Lower Manhattan in New York during the morning rush hour, injuring between 30 and 50 people.

The Seastreak Ferry, which provides daily services from Atlantic Highlands in New Jersey, struck Pier 11 in the East River not far from Wall Street at about 8:45am ET (1:45pm GMT).

Officials say at least two of the passengers were in a critical condition, one with confirmed head injuries.

The vessel apparently had a hard landing as it was trying to dock. Images showed a corner of the ferry ripped open.

"There was a jolt when that occurred, throwing the people forward into their seats and the walls," Seastreak President James Barker told NBC 4 New York.

A corner of the ferry appeared to have been ripped open by the impact

Passenger Ellen Foran said people tumbled on top of each other, hysterical and crying.

"All of a sudden, the boat felt like it smashed into a wall," Richard Correra told WCBS-TV.

"Dozens of passengers got thrown out of their seats, got thrown forward," he said.

"Some were heading downstairs and just flew down the stairs and hit their heads on various poles and walls."

Many were helped off the ferry by emergency workers

Many of the 340-plus passengers and crew were taken off the ferry on backboards for medical evaluation, their heads and necks immobilised.

Television pictures showed more than a dozen people on stretchers spread across the dockside, surrounded by emergency workers and firefighters.

Dee Wertz saw the impact from the shore, where she was waiting for the ferry to arrive. She said she had been talking with a ferry employee about recent complaints about the boat's manoeuvrability.

"He was telling me that none of these guys like this boat," Ms Wertz said. 

In 2003, 11 people were killed when a Staten Island Ferry crashed into a city pier after its pilot passed out at the wheel.

Three people were badly hurt and about 40 injured when the same ferry hit the same pier in 2010 because of a mechanical problem.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday it had dispatched investigators to the scene.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Wedding Balloon Crash Captured On Video

A sunset wedding ceremony on board a hot air balloon ended in terror after a gust of wind forced the pilot to make a crash landing.

One of the 14 people in the balloon suffered a minor back injury after it was dragged over a wall and into the garden of a home in San Diego, California.

The newly-weds, Kerin and Jonathan Narcisse, told a local TV station the gust hit the balloon just after they exchanged their vows.

A member of the wedding party captured the moment the balloon landed on a hillside fence behind the house.

Footage then showed the blue and yellow balloon draped over nearby trees.

The couple went on to their reception after the crash.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kashmir: Pakistan Troops 'Behead' Indian Soldier

One of the two Indian soldiers killed in a clash along the disputed Kashmir border was beheaded by Pakistani troops who then carried away his head, India's chief military spokesman has claimed.

"We can confirm that one of the Indian soldiers was beheaded by the Pakistani army in Kashmir," J Dahiya said.

"They have taken away the head."

Indian military chiefs said one of their army patrols was attacked byPakistani troops who crossed the so-called Line of Control dividing the region and violated a ceasefire.

Their deaths followed another disputed incident on Sunday, when Pakistan said Indian army troops attacked one of their bases and killed a soldier.

Each sides disputes the others description of events in recent days.

Checkpoints along the disputed Line of Control in Kashmir

However, Dahiya accused the Pakistanis of being "in a state of denial".

"We are absolutely convinced Pakistan army regulars were involved because it was a surgical strike with high-calibre weapons," he said

The countries have fought two full-scale wars over Kashmir, which is claimed by both of them and is divided between them.

A 2003 ceasefire ended the most recent round of fighting, though each side occasionally accuses the other of violating it by using mortars or shooting across the border dividing the Indian and Pakistani sides of Kashmir.

It had been hoped that the relationship between the two countries was improving after new visa rules were announced in December, designed to make cross-border travel easier.

They have also been taking steps to improve cross-border trade.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Australia Wildfires: Family Clings To Jetty

A terrified family clung to a jetty for more than two hours while wildfires raged around them.

As the flames destroyed her Tasmania home, grandmother Tammy Holmes was forced to tread water with her five young grandchildren in the sea.

Photographs taken by Mrs Holmes' husband Tim, and released on Wednesday, show two-year-old Charlotte, four-year-old Esther, Liam Walker, nine, 11-year-old Matilda and six-year-old Caleb huddled together in the water.

A NASA satellite image of the fires burning in southeastern Australia

The children's mother, Bonnie Walker, had left them with her parents while she attended a funeral.

She said: "We just waited by the phone and received a message to say that mum and dad had evacuated, that they were surrounded by fire, and could we pray. So I braced myself to lose my children and my parents."

The family eventually found a dinghy to escape the fire zone, and dragged it 300 metres to where the air was cleaner.

Mr Holmes said: "We saw tornadoes of fire just coming across towards us and the next thing we knew everything was on fire.

"I had sent Tammy ... with the children to get down to the jetty because there was no other escape, we couldn't get off."

More than 100 bushfires are still raging across southeastern Australia, following a heatwave that saw the region scorched by record temperatures.

About 30 fires in New South Wales are out of control

Cooler weather has now brought some relief - but highs of 50C are forecast for the weekend.

Meteorologists have been forced to readjust their scales to accommodate the unprecedented heat.

After facing one of the highest-risk fire days in its history on Tuesday, residents in hard-hit New South Wales woke to shifting winds that caused temperatures to drop significantly.

While the mercury topped 42C in Sydney on Tuesday, it was forecast to peak at just 25C today, while the Victorian capital Melbourne was down to 20C.

The ratings on many bushfires were downgraded with none now at the "catastrophic" level which signifies fires will be uncontrollable, unpredictable and fast-moving, and evacuation the only safe option.

Bathers at Lake Conjola watch as smoke billows from a bushfire at Deans Gap

But NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons warned against complacency, with new fronts breaking out despite the colder weather and a total fire ban still in place.

Speaking from Bookham, a small village in Yass Shire west of Canberra where a fire has so far burnt out 16,000 hectares, he said: "It is far from over when it comes to the threat to New South Wales.

"We need to sustain the vigilance today. We are not out of the woods yet, the risk is very real and there's a long day ahead and a forecast for a return to hot conditions toward the weekend and into next week."

More than 2,000 firefighters worked through the night tackling more than 140 blazes across New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, with 30 of those uncontained.

New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell said an estimated 10,000 sheep had perished in the Yass area alone.

The state of Victoria has also been experiencing extreme conditions with four homes destroyed and six people treated for minor burns or smoke inhalation in a bushfire in the farming community of Carngham, which was evacuated.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the federal and state governments were working together in the recovery effort and to support victims.

"Firstly, it's all hands on deck fighting the fires, dealing with the emergency, and then we move into the recovery phase," she said.

No deaths have so far been reported.

While it was initially believed as many as 100 people could be missing in the southern island of Tasmania after wildfires razed more than 100 homes over the weekend, police said there was confusion about movements during the crisis.

"We know there have been no significant injuries, which is amazing, and we are encouraged that we haven't found any human remains at this stage," Tasmanian acting police commissioner Scott Tilyard told Sky News.

Wildfires are a fact of life in arid parts of Australia. Some 173 people perished in the 2009 Black Saturday firestorm, the nation's worst natural disaster of modern times.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Eddie Kidd: Estranged Wife Denies Assault

The estranged wife of paralysed former motorbike stunt rider Eddie Kidd has pleaded not guilty to assaulting him.

Samantha Kidd, 44, is accused of beating Mr Kidd, 53, six times in four months.

Kidd, wearing a black coat, black boots and spotted tights, spoke only to enter six pleas of not guilty and to confirm her name.

Brighton Magistrates' Court heard that the beatings were alleged to have taken place between July and October last year.

Kidd in 1978, jumping over 10 Radio One DJs

Kidd was given bail on the condition that she is not to contact Mr Kidd and she is not to visit a property in Peacehaven except on one occasion with a police officer to collect belongings.

District Judge Stephen Nicholls said the trial will take place at the same court on July 9 and 10.

Mr Kidd was left paralysed and brain damaged in a motorbike accident 16-years-ago, but in 2011 he completed the London Marathon in 50 days.

In a statement after Kidd was charged, Sussex Police said: "After a prompt and thorough investigation into allegations of domestic abuse made on December 11, a woman has been charged with six offences.

"44-year-old Samantha Kidd, unemployed, of High Street, Seaford, was charged with six counts of assault by beating between July and October this year.

"She has been bailed with stringent conditions not to contact the male victim, who was known to her, or to visit the area where he lives."

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Norovirus: Vomiting Bug Spread From Australia

In Brief: Norovirus

Updated: 3:32pm UK, Sunday 30 December 2012

:: Noroviruses are a group of viruses that are the most common cause of stomach bugs in the UK.

:: Known as norovirus, it is highly contagious and is spread through contact with an infected person or contaminated surfaces and objects.

:: Symptoms include sudden vomiting, diarrhoea, or both, a temperature, headache, aching limbs and stomach cramps.

:: Although it is not considered dangerous, there is a risk of severe dehydration.

:: There is no need to worry if you are pregnant as there is no risk to your unborn child.

:: People with norovirus or flu-like symptoms are advised to stay at home, rest and drink plenty of fluids. Paracetamol is advised for aches and pains.

:: Contact your GP if your symptoms last longer than a few days or if you have a serious illness.

:: You can also contact NHS Direct, or check symptoms online via the NHS Direct website.

:: There is no cure as such, the illness just has to run its course.

:: The bug usually goes away within a few days but can be contagious for a couple of days after vomiting has ended.

:: To stop it spreading, wash your hands regularly, do not share towels or flannels and disinfect any surfaces that may have been touched by a sick person.

:: There are no long-lasting effects.

:: Norovirus spreads rapidly in closed environments such as ships, hospitals, schools and nursing homes.

:: It is known as the winter vomiting bug, but people can suffer from norovirus at any time of the year.

:: The most cases are seen between January and March.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Russia Zorbing Accident: Father Killed In Fall

A man has died in a zorbing accident after the giant inflatable ball he was strapped into fell off a cliff edge.

Father-of-two Denis Burakov, 27, broke his neck and spine when the out-of-control orb hurtled down a mountain at the Dombai ski resort in southern Russia.

His friend Vladimir Shcherbov, 33, who was in the ball with him, escaped with minor cuts and bruises.

The accident was caught on camera by his friends.

The footage shows the pair climbing into the ball, and one friend can be heard saying: "Denis, you'll be like Jackie Chan in the Armour of God movie."

Two members of resort staff then push the orb down the piste, and another staff member is on hand at the bottom to stop it.

But as it neared the gathered crowd it suddenly veered left, and a man's voice can be heard saying: "Oh ****, it's gone in the wrong direction again."

He screamed to "hold it" but then said: "It's OK, it'll stop by itself."

The orb sped out of control and disappeared from view over a cliff edge. It travelled for nearly a mile before coming to a halt on a frozen lake.

Russian crash investigators said in a statement: "For unknown reasons the ball deviated from the route and fell into the Gonachkhir gorge - a slope of 70-80 degrees."

Authorities are interviewing eyewitnesses and relatives of the victims, as they decide whether to launch criminal proceedings.

Zorbs have been adopted as a symbol on the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jessops Slashes Jobs And Ignores Gift Vouchers

Troubled high street photography retailer Jessops has gone into administration and will no longer accept gift vouchers or returned goods, it has been confirmed.

Sky sources earlier revealed that an application for administration was filed on Wednesday morning at the High Court, leaving some 2,000 jobs at risk.

PwC administrator Rob Hunt said: "Over the last few days the directors, funders and key suppliers have been in discussions as regards additional consensual financial support for the business.

"However these discussions have not been successful. In light of these irreconcilable differences the directors decided to appoint administrators and we were appointed earlier today.

"Our most pressing task is to review the company's financial position and hold discussions with its principal stakeholders to see if the business can be preserved.

"Trading in the stores is hoped to continue today but is critically dependent on these ongoing discussions. However, in the current economic climate it is inevitable that there will be store closures."

The company's website was still operational on Wednesday afternoon

The administrators  added: "At present Jessops is not in a position to honour customer vouchers or to accept returned goods."

The demise of the decades-old chain would be the first high street casualty of 2013, and comes soon after consumer electricals chain Comet hit the wall, sparking more than 6,000 job losses.

Jessops has struggled amid the digital photo revolution and the retail shift to online trading and camera phones.

It underwent a major overhaul in 2007 and a swathe of store closures, but came close to collapse two years later before being rescued by its main lender HSBC in a controversial debt-for-equity swap that saw it taken off the stock market.

The bank took a 50% stake in the business in return for writing off £34m of loans.

There was speculation last year that suppliers such as Canon were considering injecting cash into Jessops to help prop the business up, but no deal materialised.

Last year it also lost two key executives, chairman David Adams and chief executive Trevor Moore - who joined HMV.

Martyn Everett was then appointed as chairman and Neil Old was promoted to lead the business as chief operating officer.

The firm began life in 1935 when Frank Jessop opened his first shop in Leicester.

The company's website was still active on Wednesday afternoon and its helplines were still in operation.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Barack Obama Mulls Action On Gun Laws

President Barack Obama is considering making a possible executive order to prevent gun attacks in the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings.

Vice President Joe Biden said that Mr Obama was "determined to take action" against gun violence and was considering making executive orders to stop further attacks.

Last month's shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, in which 20 children were gunned down with a semi-automatic rifle, reopened the debate on America's liberal gun laws.

Mr Biden has been meeting with victims of gun violence and with members of America's powerful gun lobby as part of an investigation into how the country deals with guns.

He is due to make his recommendations to Mr Obama later this month.

A memorial to the Sandy Hook Victims. Inset: British victim Dylan Hockley

Speaking at a White House conference, he said that occasionally something so grave happened that it "awakens the conscience of the country".

He said that the massacre of the six and seven-year-old children in Connecticut had weighed on that conscience "in a way like nothing I've seen in my career".

Mr Biden has met with America's most powerful gun lobby the National Rifle Association, which insisted the answer to the problem with gun violence is to arm more "good guys" buy putting armed security officers in every school.

Mr Obama is hoping to announce his next steps to tackle the gun issue after he is officially sworn in for his second term in office on January 21.

Sandy Hook children return to school earlier this month

A coalition of conservative and gun-rights groups are organising a "Gun Appreciation Day" to coincide with the President's inauguration. They have called on people to visit gun ranges and shops to show support and to fly US flags with "hands off my gun" on.

Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14 and gunned down 26 people after shooting dead his mother at their nearby home.

He had taken his mother's guns, including a rifle which fires 20 to 30 rounds at a fast pace.

The AF-15 style rifle he used is America's most popular rifle, it is also the weapon most commonly used in the US's massacres. It is the same as the one used by the gunman in the cinema shooting in Colorado.

Adam Lanza shot his mother before the massacre

Despite the calls for the overhaul of the gun laws, there has also been an increase in the number of people applying for approval to buy guns.

It illustrates a complicated and often conflicting relationship with guns in a country where the right to bear arms is enshrined in the second amendment of the constitution.

Gabrielle Giffords, the former congresswoman who was shot in the head two years ago in a mass attack, is forming a political action committee to counter the existing gun lobby while reaching out to gun owners like herself.

But as the shock and sorrow begin to fade over the Connecticut attack some gun rights advocates are already fighting tighter gun restrictions and the Senate's top Republican has warned it could be spring before Congress begins considering any gun legislation.

"The biggest problem we have at the moment is spending and debt," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said this week, pointing to looming debates over the country's borrowing limit and massive deficit.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Moira 'Killer' Abused On 'Same Scale As Savile'

By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

The daughter of a paedophile suspected of killing an 11-year-old more than 50 years ago has said she thinks her father abused children on the same scale as Jimmy Savile.

Sandra Brown told Sky News that she thought Moira Anderson was not the only girl to meet an unpleasant fate at the hands of her father, Alex Gartshore.

She said she suspected her father, who died in 2006, was part of a paedophile ring operating in the central belt of Scotland.

Forensic scientists are exhuming a grave at Old Monkland cemetery, in Lanarkshire, where they suspect Gartshore concealed the body of Moira in the open grave of a friend of his.

Moira Anderson went missing 1957

Radar tests on the grave of Sinclair Upton in 2007 showed an anomaly which indicated the body of a child could also be buried there.

The family of Moira, who went missing in 1957, applied to have the grave exhumed.

Visiting the grave, Gartshore's daughter, told Sky News: "My father was every bit a paedophile as Jimmy Savile ever was and my sad conclusion is that Moira's not the only child in the central belt of Scotland who suffered this fate.

"I believe there really was an active paedophile ring that was operating in this part of the world.

Forensic scientists are exhuming the grave of Sinclair Upton

"Who knows if it's still the case that it is.

"But it's my belief that in the fifties, sixties and seventies certainly, there were other victims and they are very likely to have come from care homes and those would be kids who would be labelled, unfortunately, runaways, troubled teenagers.

"Sadly, they would possibly not even be reported in the media at the time."

She added: "Whether we find Moira or not, we know we've looked, I hope we see results in the next few days.

"My belief is that it's been a very difficult road but there are reasons why we are here, we've not just put a pin into a haystack, so I really hope we will have favourable outcomes.

"It's very much the end of the road if Moira's not here."

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More