Diberdayakan oleh Blogger.

Popular Posts Today

'Evil' Cleric Abu Hamza Sentenced To Life

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 10 Januari 2015 | 18.54

By Sky News US Team

A New York judge has told radical preacher Abu Hamza he is "evil" as she sentenced him to life in prison for supporting terrorist organisations.

The 56-year-old was found guilty of 11 charges last May, including a plot to establish an al Qaeda training camp in the US state of Oregon.

He was also convicted of providing a satellite phone and advice to Yemeni militants who kidnapped Western tourists in 1998.

Judge Katherine Forrest told Hamza: "Evil comes in many forms but doesn't always show itself immediately in all its darkness...

"There is a side of you which this court believes is evil."

The judge said his actions were "barbaric, misguided and wrong".

Sky News' Hannah Thomas-Peter, who was at Friday's hearing, said Hamza addressed the Manhattan court shortly before learning his fate.

He said even a lenient sentence would "consume the rest of his life", and pleaded to be kept in a medical facility.

Hamza, who wore blue prison clothes, asked the court that his incarceration not be a "back door for a slow-motion crucifixion, not a back door for torture".

He also complained about his last two-and-a-half years in a Manhattan holding prison.

"I've been coerced to do things no disabled should be asked to do," he said.

"This is torture. When the cuts happen, when the pain happens, when the stress happens."

Hamza finished by pleading in the courtroom, just a few blocks from Ground Zero, that "the victims of all wars get together ... and investigate how the (Twin) Towers collapsed".

He said he wanted "victims of all this false intelligence to see their day in court".

Throughout the hearing, Hamza had access to a prosthetic with a pen attachment for making notes, which he seldom wore.

Manhattan prosecutor Preet Bharara issued a statement on the sentencing that made reference to the jihadist attacks in France.

"Abu Hamza's blood-soaked journey from cleric to convict, from imam to inmate, is now complete," he said.

Hamza's lawyers said their client's toenails were not cut for nine weeks, causing them grow painfully into his skin.

His legal team have argued he is too disabled to spend life in a high-security jail.

They say the court should consider Hamza's disabilities - including his amputated forearms, psoriasis, diabetes and high blood pressure.

UK Home Secretary Theresa May said on Friday: "His sentence reflects the severity of his crimes and I am pleased he will spend the rest of his life behind bars where he belongs."

In the 1990s Hamza led London's Finsbury Park Mosque, which was reportedly attended by 9/11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui and shoe-bomber Richard Reid.

Hamza denied ever having met the pair.

He later spread violent messages at the mosque after the 9/11 attacks.

Hamza was jailed in Britain for seven years for soliciting murder and inciting racial hatred in 2006.


18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Britain Braced For Second Storm - And Snow

The first widespread snowfall of the year is expected today as a second burst of extreme weather from across the Atlantic sweeps parts of the country, the Met Office has said.

More than 100,000 homes were left without power on Friday as hurricane-force winds bringing gusts of up to 113mph battered the north of Britain, bringing down power lines.

The worst affected areas were across the Highlands, islands, Aberdeenshire and the central belt of Scotland.

There was also major disruption to travel services. National Rail said trains between Edinburgh and Glasgow Central via Carstairs will divert and not call at Motherwell today.

While flooding near Kingussie in the Scottish Highlands has meant trains are not running between Perth and Inverness.

Ferries were cancelled, roads closed and the Forth Road Bridge was shut for a period after a van was blown onto its side.

A gust of 113mph was recorded at Stornoway, the strongest there since records began in 1970.

High winds caused severe problems on the A1 throughout Yorkshire and the North East as a number of lorries were blown over, blocking the carriageway.

The trans-Pennine A66 route has been closed to high-sided and vulnerable vehicles between Brough and Bowes.

The ferocious gales have been stirred up by an extra-powerful jet stream triggered by plunging temperatures in the US hitting warmer air in the south.

Gales are expected to return this weekend but are due to peak at around 80mph.

Forecasters said they will be accompanied by snow with yellow "be prepared" weather alerts in place for all of Scotland, the north and Midlands of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Sky News weather presenter Jo Wheeler said: "There will be snow, mainly over hills, but also to lower levels for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

"Tonight there will be further wintry showers in the north and west, with snow over northern hills, reaching lower levels at times.

"Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England are most at risk from snow and ice."

The Met Office said between 2cm and 4cm of snow, and perhaps 8cm on the highest ground, is likely.

Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution said it has restored supplies to around 60,000 customers and is working to restore electricity to more than 32,000 customers.

It said its engineers were continuing to reconnect homes today, but staff were "facing a monumental task'' in getting to damaged lines in remote parts.

Scottish Power said around 20,000 customers have been reconnected after losing power, with work ongoing to reach a further 800 properties.


18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

PFA Boss Sorry For Ched Evans Comparison

The head of the Professional Footballers' Association has apologised for comparing convicted rapist Ched Evans' situation to the Hillsborough disaster.

The comments made by Gordon Taylor led to calls from Liverpool fans for the PFA chief executive to resign.

Mr Taylor was speaking in a radio interview after Oldham Athletic confirmed plans to sign Evans had collapsed.

"He (Evans) would not be the first person or persons to have been found guilty and maintained their innocence and then been proved right," Mr Taylor told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"If we are talking about things in football, we know what happened, what was alleged to have happened at Hillsborough.

"And it's now unravelling and we are finding it was very different to how it was portrayed at the time - indeed by the police at the time.

"He's in a very difficult situation because he's been put through a wringer and the minute you show any sympathy for Ched everybody will say 'Well, what about the other parties concerned?'

"And that's why I'm making the point that nobody's forgetting them."

Amid widespread criticism, Mr Taylor returned to the airwaves to apologise.

"The last thing I intended to do was to upset anybody connected to the Hillsborough case," he told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"I've long been a supporter of them (the Hillsborough families) so if that's the impression they got, it's a totally wrong one and I'm very sorry for that."

Social media users were quick to condemn Mr Taylor's initial comments.

Paul LFC Foreman posted on Twitter: "Expect nothing more than a P45 for #GordonTaylor in the morn from @PFA absolutely disgusting comments not even comparable #JFT96."

Liverpool-based singer Pete Wylie said: "@PFA @LFC should withdraw the players from all activity-including playing-until Gordon Taylor apologises AND resigns+takes Evans too #JFT96."

Oldham Athletic's deal to sign Evans collapsed after staff, sponsors and fans suffered "vile" threats, the football club said.

The League One outfit had come under increasing pressure to turn its back on Evans with tens of thousands of people signing an online petition.

The club's main sponsor ZenOffice also threatened to pull out if they signed him.

After the deal fell apart, the former Wales international issued an apology "for the effects that night in Rhyl has had on many people, not least the woman concerned".

However, he maintained he had consensual sex with the 19-year-old in a hotel room in 2011.

"Finally, it has been claimed that those using social media in an abusive and vindictive way towards this woman are supporters of mine," he added.

"I wish to make it clear that these people are not my supporters and I condemn their actions entirely and will continue to do so."

The victim has reportedly changed her identity and moved house a number of times after abuse on social media.

Evans has been unable to find a team since being released from prison in October having served half of a five-year sentence.


18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Recovery Mission For Pair Missing In Sea

The search for two men missing at sea off the coast of Brighton has turned into a recovery mission.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has said there is now "no chance of finding them alive".

The pair were among four men believed to have been on a night out in the town who had gone into the water in the early hours of this morning.

Two managed to get back to shore and called the coastguard just after 1am, saying two of their companions were missing.

Volunteer lifeboat crews are expected to resume searches in waters close to the shoreline, although the helicopter crews have returned to base having "exhausted all possible options", the coastguard said.

1/5

  1. Gallery: Two Missing In Sea Off Brighton

    The search for two men missing at sea off the coast of Brighton has turned into a recovery mission, with "no chance of finding them alive", the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said. Pic: Jason Reeve

]]>
18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

MI5: Al Qaeda Plotting New Massacre In Britain

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 09 Januari 2015 | 18.54

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

Al Qaeda is plotting to massacre huge numbers of civilians in Britain and other western countries, the head of Mi5 has warned.

Andrew Parker, director general of the security service, told a select group mostly from the Royal United Services Institute at his London headquarters that while the so-called Islamic State is the newest threat to the West and that self-started lone wolf plots are hard to foil, al Qaeda still has ambitions for something more spectacular.

He said: "We know that terrorists based in Syria harbour... ambitions towards the UK - trying to direct attacks against our country, and exhorting extremists here to act independently."

But this was in addition to newly identified plans from al Qaeda to revisit their traditional style of operations.

He said: "…we still face more complex and ambitious plots that follow the now sadly well-established approach of al Qaeda and its imitators: attempts to cause large scale loss of life, often by attacking transport systems or iconic targets.

"We know, for example, that a group of core al Qaeda terrorists in Syria is planning mass casualty attacks against the West."

Al Qaeda experts are known to have moved from Pakistan to Syria, where they may be able to draw on British volunteers to conduct attacks in the UK. Their mission is entirely focussed on plots against the West.

They are known to be led by Muhsin al Fadhli, an expert bomb maker wanted by the FBI who has a $7m price on his head. He moved to Syria two years ago and was unsuccessfully targeted in a coalition air strike last year.

It is also known that British citizens are in the ranks of al Qaeda in Syria and could be used in a major atrocity back home.

The domestic spy chief spoke hours after the UK's COBRA committee ordered a boost to national security.

Home Secretary Theresa May said: "Following the attacks we took the precautionary step yesterday of increasing security at the French-UK border.

"The UK threat level, which is set by the independent Joint Terrorism Advisory Centre, remains at severe; that means a terrorist attack is highly likely and the public should remain vigilant.

"This morning I chaired COBRA to consider Britain's response to the attacks and our own preparedness to a similar attack."

Extra police have already been deployed at British ports and stations serving the Eurostar.

Lone wolf plots aimed at the police and military have surged over the last year and these have combined with the Paris killings to cause unease among officers.

"It's a huge worry for us," said Sir Peter Fahy, chief constable of Greater Manchester Police.

"There is a particular increased threat to police officers at the moment and there have been a number of attacks foiled in differed parts of the country, but I can tell you that our officers are very concerned about it… they see what happened in France, and clearly we are an unarmed police force but it is the nature of that threat which is worrying but despite that our officers go out there and do their duty." 

Such concerns from front line police reflect similar fears in the intelligence community. Put simply - the world is getting more dangerous.


18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

PFA Boss Compares Evans Plight To Hillsborough

The head of the Professional Footballers' Association has been criticised for comparing convicted rapist Ched Evans' situation to the Hillsborough disaster.

The comments made by Gordon Taylor led to calls from Liverpool fans for the PFA chief executive to resign.

Mr Taylor was speaking in a radio interview after Oldham Athletic confirmed plans to sign Evans had collapsed.

"He (Evans) would not be the first person or persons to have been found guilty and maintained their innocence and then been proved right," Mr Taylor told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"If we are talking about things in football, we know what happened, what was alleged to have happened at Hillsborough.

"And it's now unravelling and we are finding it was very different to how it was portrayed at the time - indeed by the police at the time.

"He's in a very difficult situation because he's been put through a wringer and the minute you show any sympathy for Ched everybody will say 'Well, what about the other parties concerned?'

"And that's why I'm making the point that nobody's forgetting them."

Social media users were quick to condemn the comments on Twitter.

Paul LFC Foreman posted: "Expect nothing more than a P45 for #GordonTaylor in the morn from @PFA absolutely disgusting comments not even comparable #JFT96."

Liverpool-based singer Pete Wylie said: "@PFA @LFC should withdraw the players from all activity-including playing-until Gordon Taylor apologises AND resigns+takes Evans too #JFT96."

Oldham Athletic's deal to sign Evans collapsed after staff, sponsors and fans suffered "vile" threats, the football club said.

The League One outfit had come under increasing pressure to turn its back on Evans with tens of thousands of people signing an online petition.

The club's main sponsor ZenOffice also threatened to pull out if they signed him.

After the deal fell apart, the former Wales international issued an apology "for the effects that night in Rhyl has had on many people, not least the woman concerned".

However, he maintained he had consensual sex with the 19-year-old in a hotel room in 2011.

"Finally, it has been claimed that those using social media in an abusive and vindictive way towards this woman are supporters of mine," he added.

"I wish to make it clear that these people are not my supporters and I condemn their actions entirely and will continue to do so."

The victim has reportedly changed her identity and moved house a number of times after abuse on social media.

Evans has been unable to find a team since being released from prison in October having served half of a five-year sentence.


18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

BAFTA Award Nominations Revealed

Benedict Cumberbatch, Eddie Redmayne and Rosamund Pike are among the leading contenders for awards at this year's BAFTAs.

Redmayne and his co-star Felicity Jones are nominated for their roles as Stephen and Jane Hawking in the film about the scientist's life, The Theory Of Everything.

"I'm feeling amazing, I'm feeling really extraordinary, we're in Los Angeles and we just found out so we're about to open a bottle of something," Redmayne said.

Jones said: "I'm sort of stunned and excited. It's wonderful. I'm looking forward to celebrating with a glass of champagne and Skyping my family."

In the best-actor category, Redmayne is up against fellow English acting darling Cumberbatch for his part in The Imitation Game, about the life of wartime codebreaker Alan Turing.

The other best actor nominees are Jake Gyllenhall for Nightcrawler, Michael Keaton for Birdman and Ralph Fiennes for The Grand Budapest Hotel.

The contenders for best actress are Jones, Pike for Gone Girl, Amy Adams for Big Eyes, Julianne Moore for Still Alice and Reese Witherspoon for Wild.

But it is Wes Anderson's stylish comedy The Grand Budapest Hotel that surprisingly leads the pack with 11 nominations.

One of those nominations is for best film; it is up against Birdman, Boyhood, The Theory of Everything and The Imitation Game.

Birdman, a dark comedy tipped for glory at the Golden Globes this weekend, and The Theory of Everything both received 10 nominations, while The Imitation Game got nine.

Mike Leigh's Mr Turner is up for four awards, including costume design, but Timothy Spall was snubbed for his performance in the title role which won him the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

The film version of Paddington, which stars Ben Whishaw as the voice of the famous bear, picked up two nominations.

Other nominations include nods for Keira Knightley and Imelda Staunton for best supporting actress, along with Steve Carell and Ethan Hawke for best supporting actor.

The winners will be announced at London's Royal Opera House on 8 February.

The main nominations, announced by BAFTA host Stephen Fry in London, are:

:: BEST FILM

Birdman

Boyhood

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

The Theory of Everything

:: OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

'71

The Imitation Game

Paddington

Pride

The Theory of Everything

Under The Skin

:: DIRECTOR

Alejandro G Inarritu - Birdman

Richard Linklater - Boyhood

Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel

James Marsh - The Theory of Everything

Damien Chazelle - Whiplash

:: LEADING ACTOR

Benedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation Game

Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything

Jake Gyllenhall - Nightcrawler

Michael Keaton - Birdman

Ralph Fiennes - The Grand Budapest Hotel

:: LEADING ACTRESS

Amy Adams - Big Eyes

Felicity Jones - The Theory of Everything

Julianne Moore - Still Alice

Reese Witherspoon - Wild

Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl

:: SUPPORTING ACTOR

Edward Norton - Birdman

Ethan Hawke - Boyhood

J.K Simmons - Whiplash

Mark Ruffalo - Foxcatcher

Steve Carell  - Foxcatcher

:: SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Emma Stone - Birdman

Imelda Staunton - Pride

Keira Knightly - The Imitation Game

Patricia Arquette - Boyhood

Rene Russo - Nightcrawler


18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Winds Top 110mph As Jet Stream Lashes UK

Hurricane-force winds have brought gusts of around 110mph to Scotland as extreme weather from across the Atlantic reached Britain.

A gust of 113mph was recorded at Stornoway, the strongest there since records began in 1970.

The ferocious gales have been stirred up by an extra-powerful jet stream triggered by plunging temperatures in the US hitting warmer air in the south.

The winds have brought power lines down and caused travel disruption.

Up to 85,000 properties in Scotland were left without power while ScotRail suspended its rail services "for safety reasons". Some services have since been resumed.

The Forth Road Bridge was closed for some hours when a van blew over and Aberdeen Police said a number of trees had been blown down on Aberdeenshire and Moray roads.

Police in Inverness said several roads and bridges, including the Skye Bridge and Dornoch Bridge, had been closed in northern Scotland and travel conditions in the Highlands and Islands were "hazardous".

The winds followed Met Office amber warnings for northern and central Scotland.

Flood warnings are also in place with all schools in the Western Isles and Orkney been closed as a precaution.

Gusts of between 60mph and 70mph were predicted throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Met Office issued yellow "be prepared" warnings.

The bad weather led to delays to CrossCountry trains running between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Newcastle, while in Kent a  broken-down train at Westgate-On-Sea caused hold-ups to services between Margate and Chatham.

Will Lang, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: "We'd advise anyone planning to travel ... to be prepared for some transport disruption and check traffic and travel conditions before heading out to ensure you can make your journey safely."

The AA has also warned that drivers faced "potentially hazardous" conditions.

John Seymour, national manager of the AA's severe weather team, said: "Drivers need to be prepared for possible widespread travel disruption and challenging driving conditions across the affected areas.

1/15

  1. Gallery: Large Parts Of US In Deep Freeze

    A frozen beach at Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois

Commuters endure sub-zero temperatures in Chicago as a deep freeze sweeps across much of the nation

]]>
18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Your First-Hand Experiences Of A&E Wards

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 07 Januari 2015 | 18.55

Overwhelming patient demand has seen accident and emergency waiting times plunge to their worst levels in a decade and several hospitals implement major incident plans to cope.

Health professionals estimate nearly a third of people going to A&E are not emergency cases, while a lack of community healthcare has also been blamed for adding to the problem.

In response to the crisis, many viewers have contacted Sky News via email to relate their personal experiences of A&E.

Here are some of them:

:: Alan Pitts

"My 92-old-mother spent just over 24 hours in the A&E department in December. They ran out of blankets pillows, chairs and beds.

"The hospital was like a third world country. The general manager of the hospital advised me that the hospital was operating in an unsafe condition."

:: Barry Fryer

"My 96-year-old mother recently had a bad fall and had to wait on a trolley in a corridor for three hours whilst the staff dealt with more serious patients.

"There was no room on the wards and there were 10 patients on trollies in the corridor. Some were bleeding from cuts and wounds.

"The more serious patients turned out to be aggressive drunks which ended up in security staff and the police being called.

"My mother was 'seen' within the four-hour period but that was only someone taking details of the problems. She was not treated or seen by a doctor for more than seven hours.

"Why should drunks take over A&E departments and why shouldn't they be made to pay for the costs of their self-inflicted problems clogging up A&E?"

:: Wendy McKenzie - her mother, who died last August, had been a patient at two hospitals

"Both hospitals have large A&E departments and in all instances my mum was treated very well. Even if there was a wait someone kept checking on her.

"The last incident could have been very traumatic as she had taken a bad fall.

"The ambulance service were great, ensuring that mum suffered as little discomfort as possible and stayed with her until they could officially hand her over to the medics in A&E.

"The team there again were great.

"Yes, we had to wait even though this was late at night, but nurses continually checked on her and she was treated well.

"Sadly she did not survive, passing away two days later due to a massive haemorrhage. I cannot speak more highly of how she was treated."

:: Shona Wedderburn

"I was in A&E three weeks ago and I was seen within half-an-hour for an X-ray and I was taken into the nurse within an hour of that for my details tombs confirmed.

"I did have to wait nearly four hours to see the doctors but that was due to six ambulances coming in with emergencies, two of which were for resuscitation so to say that 92.6% is bad is wrong."

1/5

  1. Gallery: When Should You Go To A&E?

    Unresponsive - Loss of consciousness

Confusion - Acute confused state and fits that are not stopping

]]>
18.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Labour Councillor Suspended Over Nazi Parody

A Labour councillor from Nottingham has been suspended for sharing a doctored Conservative election poster on Twitter which shows a photo of a Nazi death camp.

Rosemary Healy, who represents Nottingham City Council's Mapperley ward, has expressed "profound apologies" after sharing the image with more than 1,500 followers.

She said she did not realise the altered version of the Tory election poster had used an image of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

A Labour Party spokesperson confirmed: "Rosemary Healy has been suspended from the Labour Party."

The original Conservative poster shows a country road above the slogan "Let's stay on the road to a stronger economy".

The poster has been mocked in recent days after it emerged the country road shown in the photo is in Germany, not the UK.

The altered version of the poster was posted by the @ThomasPride Twitter account and replaced the road with a picture of the railway lines at Auschwitz.

"The new Tory campaign poster featuring a German road's a bit controversial" the post said, adding the slogan "more people on zero hours, more tax cuts for the rich, no more NHS".

Ms Healy later deleted her retweet and posted: "Profound apologies for that retweet which was a genuine mistake and would never have been retweeted had I recognised it for what it was."

The user of the Thomas Pride account has defended the parody image against complaints from other Twitter users.

He also insisted the parody poster was legitimate satire, adding that he was of Polish descent.


18.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

A&E Crisis 'Impacting' Fire Service Operations

The pressure on NHS emergency services has had a knock-on effect on the fire brigade after vehicles were pressed into service as makeshift ambulances, a union has claimed.

More than a dozen hospitals have declared "major incidents" as they struggle to cope with the rising number of admissions in accident and emergency departments and Labour has called for a summit to find ways to ease the strain.

Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge was the latest hospital to activate a major incident plan, warning patients on Tuesday evening they faced long waits due to "unprecedented levels for demand for our services".

London's Fire Brigades' Union tweeted: "The NHS crisis is now impacting on the operations of other emergency services. Fire engines often being used to take casualties to hospital."

It highlighted an incident in York on Friday when an elderly woman who had fallen in the street was picked up by a passing fire engine because the ambulance service was "extremely busy".

:: Click here for the In The Margins console 

David Cameron has admitted the NHS is under pressure following the release of figures showing waiting times at A&E in England have hit their worst level in 10 years.

But he dismissed claims the service is on the brink of disaster.

The Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham has published a letter accusing his opposite number of failing to anticipate the current problems.

Reports of fire engines and police cars being increasingly used as ambulances raised "major patient and public safety concerns", he wrote.

Mr Burnham said the summit needed to include representatives from the police, fire and ambulance services as well as NHS professionals.

The latest figures on A&E waiting times showed just 92.6% of patients were treated within the four-hour time limit against a target of 95%

The figure is much worse in Wales, where Labour is in charge, but Mr Burnham told Sky News the statistics "don't matter".

He said: "What really matters is that there are thousands of people today waiting on a trolley in hospital corridors, held in the back of ambulances outside A&E, people who cannot get the care they need in a very serious situation.

"The emergency services are not functioning as they should be. That's a serious issue. It requires urgent action and constructive suggestions, and that's what I'm asking the Government to do immediately."

The British Medical Association says there are now "unprecedented levels of pressure" on the health service, while the Royal College of Nursing said the system was in "crisis".

But Mr Cameron said there was a "short-term pressure issue which we need to meet with resources and management".

He added: "A lot of the pressure on A&E is coming from frail, elderly people, often with many different health conditions and the best place for them, frankly, is not A&E.

"They should be being looked after by the family doctor or in other health settings and I think the long term challenge is to make sure those sorts of settings are more available."

The hospitals that have declared major incidents are:

:: The Royal Bolton Hospital
:: Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge
:: Scarborough Hospital In Yorkshire
:: Royal Stoke University Hospital
:: Peterborough City in Cambridgeshire
:: Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
:: Cheltenham General Hospitals
:: Walsall Manor in the West Midlands
:: Croydon Hospital in south London
:: Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals
:: Ashford and St Peter's hospitals in Surrey
:: Stafford's County Hospital
:: Leicester General, Glenfield and Leicester Royal hospitals


18.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Baby Death: Sister And Her Partner Are Charged

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 06 Januari 2015 | 18.55

A teenager and her partner have been charged with murder following the death of her baby brother in Birmingham.

Santino Balaz, who was 14 months old, died at Birmingham Children's Hospital on New Year's Day.

He was living in Brighton Road, Balsall Heath, and was taken to hospital following an emergency call on 1 January at 3.45pm.

Santino's sister, Czech national Tereza Lackova, 19, and her partner Marek Holub, 27, have been charged with his murder.

They were due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates' Court.

Detective Inspector Justin Spanner said: "We are awaiting further tests following a post mortem.

"Santino was found to have extensive injuries and fractures to several areas of his body.

"West Midlands Police is currently liaising with colleagues in the Czech Republic to trace Santino's mother, who is believed to have returned home in September last year."


18.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Saving The NHS: What The Parties Promise

The NHS has become a key battleground for the General Election with all parties claiming to be the guardians of the health service.

But NHS England is warning of a £30bn shortfall by 2020 and we have now hit the long-predicted winter A&E crisis.

So what are the political parties going to do about it?

Here's how the policies are shaping up for the battle for votes:

Conservatives:

:: Ring-fence NHS Budget with an extra £2bn for the NHS in 2015/16

:: GP access from 8am-8pm including weekends by 2020

:: 5,000 more GPs trained by 2020

:: Named family doctor for every patient

Labour:

:: Extra £2.5bn for the NHS in 2015/16

:: 20,000 extra nurses, 8,000 extra GPs, 5,000 extra care home workers, 3,000 midwives

:: One-week cancer test waits

:: Guaranteed GP appointment within 48 hours 

Liberal Democrats:

:: Extra £2bn for NHS in 2015/16 £8bn extra above inflation per year by 2020

:: £500m for improvements in mental health care

:: Patients to get "care footprint" detailing the cost of their care

:: More power and budget control for health and wellbeing boards over GP services

UKIP:

:: Migrants and visitors banned from UK entry without valid private medical insurance

:: Doctors and nurses who cannot speak proper English barred from health service

:: End of hospital parking charges

:: Cuts - middle management named as target


18.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

A&E Waiting Times Are Worst For 10 Years

A&E Waiting Times Are Worst For 10 Years

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

Accident and emergency waiting times in England have fallen to their worst levels for more than a decade, latest figures confirm.

New data shows just 92.6% of patients were treated within the four-hour time limit against a target of 95%.

It comes as a surge in demand at emergency departments has forced several hospital trusts to activate major incident plans, leading to routine operations being put on hold, and extra staff being drafted in.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt admitted the figures were "disappointing", but said the NHS was continuing to see nine out of 10 people within four hours.

"We do very well by international comparisons," he said.

1/5

  1. Gallery: When Should You Go To A&E?

    Unresponsive - Loss of consciousness

Confusion - Acute confused state and fits that are not stopping

]]>

Chest Pain - Persistent, severe chest pain

]]>

Airways - Breathing difficulties

]]>

Life-Threatening - Severe bleeding which cannot be stopped

]]>

He told Sky News better social care is at the heart of the solution.

But Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham accused the Government of failing to tackle the crisis.

Sky's Health Correspondent Thomas Moore said the waiting time figures were a sign of how emergency departments were struggling to cope with the huge rise in admissions, which have soared by a third over the last 10 years.

When broken down, the quarterly records show the country's major A&E departments fared even worse, with fewer than nine in 10 patients - 88.9% - being seen within the target.

Dr Sarah Pinto-Duschinsky, director of operations and delivery for NHS England, said: "Today's figures show that, in the three months to the end of December, more than nine out of 10 A&E patients in England continued to be seen and treated in under four hours - the best measured performance of any major Western country.

"In the immediate run-up to Christmas, the NHS treated 446,500 A&E attendees, up 38,000 on the same week last year.

"And there were 112,600 emergency admissions - the highest number in a single week since we started publishing performance figures in 2010.

"We faced similar demand over Christmas itself. In the week ending December 28 A&E attendances were up more than 31,000 on the same period last year, meaning we successfully treated more patients in under four hours than ever before."

Hospitals were required to treat 98% of patients within four hours until 2010 but the Coalition scaled the target back to 95%.

The figures were released as a number of hospitals had major incident plans in place to cope with demand.

Gloucester Royal, Cheltenham General Hospital, Scarborough Hospital and the University Hospitals of North Midlands in Staffordshire have implemented the emergency measure.

Others, including the Royal Surrey County Hospital, urged people to stay away from A&E unless their case was a genuine emergency.

Mike Proctor of Scarborough NHS Trust told Sky News cases were prioritised according to clinical need.

"It does mean people will have to wait longer," he said.

Among the worst performers in terms of meeting the target were Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust (79.1%), Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (80.5%), Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust (83.4%) and North Bristol NHS Trust (82.7%).

Recommended by Outbrain Recommended by Outbrain

Top Stories

  1. Five Reasons A&E Wards Are Struggling
  2. Father's Perilous Missions To Save Syria Jihadis
  3. 'Very Happy' Stephen Fry Is Getting Married
  4. Rape Investigation Into Tory MP Is Dropped
  5. Baby Death: Sister And Her Partner Are Charged

A&E Waiting Times Are Worst For 10 Years

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

Accident and emergency waiting times in England have fallen to their worst levels for more than a decade, latest figures confirm.

New data shows just 92.6% of patients were treated within the four-hour time limit against a target of 95%.

It comes as a surge in demand at emergency departments has forced several hospital trusts to activate major incident plans, leading to routine operations being put on hold, and extra staff being drafted in.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt admitted the figures were "disappointing", but said the NHS was continuing to see nine out of 10 people within four hours.

"We do very well by international comparisons," he said.

1/5

  1. Gallery: When Should You Go To A&E?

    Unresponsive - Loss of consciousness

Confusion - Acute confused state and fits that are not stopping

]]>

Chest Pain - Persistent, severe chest pain

]]>

Airways - Breathing difficulties

]]>

Life-Threatening - Severe bleeding which cannot be stopped

]]>

He told Sky News better social care is at the heart of the solution.

But Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham accused the Government of failing to tackle the crisis.

Sky's Health Correspondent Thomas Moore said the waiting time figures were a sign of how emergency departments were struggling to cope with the huge rise in admissions, which have soared by a third over the last 10 years.

When broken down, the quarterly records show the country's major A&E departments fared even worse, with fewer than nine in 10 patients - 88.9% - being seen within the target.

Dr Sarah Pinto-Duschinsky, director of operations and delivery for NHS England, said: "Today's figures show that, in the three months to the end of December, more than nine out of 10 A&E patients in England continued to be seen and treated in under four hours - the best measured performance of any major Western country.

"In the immediate run-up to Christmas, the NHS treated 446,500 A&E attendees, up 38,000 on the same week last year.

"And there were 112,600 emergency admissions - the highest number in a single week since we started publishing performance figures in 2010.

"We faced similar demand over Christmas itself. In the week ending December 28 A&E attendances were up more than 31,000 on the same period last year, meaning we successfully treated more patients in under four hours than ever before."

Hospitals were required to treat 98% of patients within four hours until 2010 but the Coalition scaled the target back to 95%.

The figures were released as a number of hospitals had major incident plans in place to cope with demand.

Gloucester Royal, Cheltenham General Hospital, Scarborough Hospital and the University Hospitals of North Midlands in Staffordshire have implemented the emergency measure.

Others, including the Royal Surrey County Hospital, urged people to stay away from A&E unless their case was a genuine emergency.

Mike Proctor of Scarborough NHS Trust told Sky News cases were prioritised according to clinical need.

"It does mean people will have to wait longer," he said.

Among the worst performers in terms of meeting the target were Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust (79.1%), Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (80.5%), Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust (83.4%) and North Bristol NHS Trust (82.7%).

Recommended by Outbrain Recommended by Outbrain

Top Stories

  1. Five Reasons A&E Wards Are Struggling
  2. Father's Perilous Missions To Save Syria Jihadis
  3. 'Very Happy' Stephen Fry Is Getting Married
  4. Rape Investigation Into Tory MP Is Dropped
  5. Baby Death: Sister And Her Partner Are Charged


18.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Five Reasons A&E Wards Are Struggling

Accident and emergency departments are a barometer for the whole NHS - and the latest waiting time statistics show the system is under extraordinary pressure.

So why is that?

:: Population

The population is rising and it's getting older. Frailer patients have more complex medical problems that are likely to require admission to hospital.

:: Pressure on GPs

Long waits to see a GP are driving more patients with trivial problems into A&E.

Doctors say around a third of the patients arriving don't actually need emergency care. But many patients would rather wait four hours in A&E than four days to see their GP.

:: Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol is adding to the pressure on units. Patients who have nothing wrong with them - apart from being drunk - are taking up beds.

Many ambulance services are setting up booze buses staffed by paramedics to help free up beds. But it's not enough.

:: Social Care Stretched

There is a severe shortage of social care beds, largely because of local authority cuts.

1/5

  1. Gallery: When Should You Go To A&E?

    Unresponsive - Loss of consciousness

Confusion - Acute confused state and fits that are not stopping

]]>
18.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Newborns To Be Tested For Rare Disorders

Written By Unknown on Senin, 05 Januari 2015 | 18.54

Newborn babies will be tested for four rare disorders under a programme launched by Public Health England today.

Every child born in England will be offered screening for the life-threatening conditions homocystinuria, maple syrup urine disease, glutaric aciduria type 1 and isovaleric acidaemia.

Each disorder is genetic and can cause learning difficulties, development problems, lifelong disabilities and even death.

The NHS already uses a blood test on babies aged five to eight days to screen for five conditions including cystic fibrosis and sickle cell disease.

The same test is being extended as part of the programme.

The four disorders affect the metabolism.

Affected babies cannot process certain substances in food and without a carefully managed diet can become suddenly and seriously ill.

Early detection is expected to benefit about 30 children in England each year.

Sixteen-month-year-old Phoenix Thompson was diagnosed with glutaric aciduria type 1 in the initiative's pilot programme at Sheffield Children's Hospital.

His mother Michelle Thompson said: "It is unexplainable how important the screening was for us. It means Phoenix can receive the care and treatment he needs.

"It doesn't bear thinking about what would have happened if the condition wasn't picked up early."

Public Health Minister Jane Ellison added: "Expanding the screening has the potential to make a huge difference to the lives of babies born with rare genetic disorders.

"Detecting the disorders early can help prevent babies being severely disabled or even dying, which is absolutely vital for the families affected."


18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Search For Cargo Ship's Crew Called Off

The search for the missing crew of an overturned cargo ship has been suspended and will not be resumed.

Two helicopters, four lifeboats and five coastguard rescue teams have been looking for the eight people who were on the Cypriot-registered Cemfjord since Saturday afternoon.

The search began after the ship's upturned hull was spotted in the waters of the Pentland Firth.

It was halted when darkness fell on Saturday and resumed again on Sunday, but there has been no sign of the crew, made up of seven Poles and one Filipino.

The coastguard however is continuing to broadcast messages to all ships asking them to look out for anything that could be related to the vessel.

The last confirmed sighting of the ship was at about 1pm on Friday. There was no distress call before it sank.

The 83-metre bulk cement carrier was heading to Runcorn, Cheshire, on the west coast of the UK. She was carrying 2,000 tons of cement.

The families of the missing crew have been notified.

Northern Lighthouse Board ship Pharos is due on the scene on Monday morning to do a sonar examination of the seabed where the vessel sank and assess how it is lying on the seabed.

The RNLI tweeted: "Our thoughts are with the crew of the upturned cargo ship, their family, friends and all those involved in today's search operation."


18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Prince Andrew Back In UK Amid Sex Claims

Buckingham Palace says there is "no record" of the Queen ever meeting a woman who claims she was forced to have underage sex with Prince Andrew.

Sky News understands the Duke of York flew home on a private jet from a ski resort in Verbier, Switzerland, following the allegations, which were made in court papers in the US.

Buckingham Palace has in recent days issued two denials over the woman's claims.

It has "emphatically denied" the Duke had sexual contact with the woman, who has been named in reports as Virginia Roberts.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman insisted "any suggestion of impropriety with under-age minors" was "categorically untrue".

The woman's father, Sky Roberts, claimed in an interview with the Daily Mail that his daughter met the Queen during a visit to London.

However, a palace spokesman insisted: "There is nothing to suggest the claim is true. We have no record of such a meeting."

Sky Reporter Harriet Hadfield said it is likely Andrew will return to his home in Windsor, making a face-to-face meeting with the Queen unlikely as she is in Sandringham.

Scotland Yard has confirmed it has not received a complaint relating to the case, but added it would investigate if an allegation was made.

Two Sunday newspapers have published details of interviews with the woman, who reportedly named Prince Andrew in US court documents.

Her claim is part of a lawsuit in connection with American billionaire and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein - a former friend of the Duke.

Andrew was photographed with Epstein in New York two years after his release from prison in 2009, and has faced criticism over their friendship.

In an interview in 2011 he denied any sexual contact with any of the young women connected to the banker.

The woman claims that between 1999 and 2002 she "was forced to have sexual relations with this prince when she was a minor" in London, New York and on a private Caribbean island owned by Epstein.

She is believed to have been 17 at the time - underage in US law.

The accusation is reportedly contained in a motion filed in a Florida court this week which is part of a lawsuit over how prosecutors handled Epstein's case.

The Duke is understood to be planning to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, later this month, despite the controversy.

An associate of Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, has branded the claims against her as "untrue" and "obvious lies" after she, too, was reportedly named in the court documents.

But the woman has hit back, saying in a statement: "These types of aggressive attacks on me are exactly the reason why sexual abuse victims typically remain silent and the reason why I did for a long time.

"That trend should change. I'm not going to be bullied back into silence."


18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Oldham Sponsor To Cut Ties If Ched Evans Signs

One of Oldham Athletic's main sponsors says it will be "out of the door" if convicted rapist Ched Evans is signed.

Craig Verling, a director of Verlin Rainwater Solutions which sponsors a stand at Boundary Park, said: "The club know our stance and that is if they sign or allow Ched Evans to train we will be out of the door."

The player is believed to have held fresh talks with the side, who insisted in December they would not offer him a contract or a chance to train.

Thousands of people have signed a petition against convicted Mr Evans potentially joining the club.

The letter to Oldham chairman Simon Corney - which has attracted more than 20,000 signatures since Sunday - comes as the club prepares to stage a news conference today.

Now a local newspaper reports that Mr Corney is now "wavering" as a result of the backlash, and the decision now hangs in the balance.

Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) chief Gordon Taylor confirmed a League One team would make an announcement about signing the 26-year-old striker on Monday - but would not name them.

Evans was released from prison in October after serving two-and-a-half years of a five-year sentence for rape.

He still protests his innocence. Oldham have yet to comment.

Evans had an offer to train with former club Sheffield United retracted in November following a backlash.

Tranmere and Hartlepool have also rejected the opportunity to sign him.

The PFA has said it will support Evans continuing his football career.

News of Oldham's interest has prompted a lively debate on fan forums but Sky News Correspondent Becky Johnson said it is the sponsors "we really need to watch".

She said: "It will be very interesting to see what sponsors here in Oldham will make of this, as we understand it is the case that Ched Evans will be coming here, because of course in the end in football it does all come down to money."

Oldham have previously signed a player convicted of a criminal offence.

Lee Hughes, who served three years in prison for causing death by dangerous driving, played for the club after his release in 2007.


18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Second Palace Denial Over Andrew Sex Claims

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 04 Januari 2015 | 18.54

Buckingham Palace has issued a second denial over a woman's claims she was forced to have underage sex with the Duke of York.

It has branded the allegations "false and without any foundation".

The denial comes after two Sunday newspapers published details of interviews with the woman, who reportedly named Prince Andrew in US court documents.

The palace said on Friday that "any suggestion of impropriety with under-age minors" by him was "categorically untrue".

In the second statement, a spokesman said: "It is emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with (the woman).

"The allegations made are false and without any foundation."

The woman's claim is part of a lawsuit in connection with American billionaire and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein - a former friend of the Duke.

Andrew was photographed with Epstein in New York two years after his release from prison in 2009, and has faced criticism over their friendship.

In an interview in 2011 he denied any sexual contact with any of the young women connected to the banker.

The woman claims that between 1999 and 2002 she "was forced to have sexual relations with this prince when she was a minor" in London, New York and on a private Caribbean island owned by Epstein.

She is believed to have been 17 at the time - underage in US law.

The accusation is reportedly contained in a motion filed in a Florida court this week which is part of a lawsuit over how prosecutors handled Epstein's case.

The Mail on Sunday and the Sunday Mirror have since published details of interviews given by the woman in recent years, in which she discusses three alleged encounters with the Duke.

According to the Sunday Express, Andrew was due to fly back to Britain later following a ski trip in Switzerland.

Epstein was convicted in 2008 and spent 13 months in jail after he admitted having sex with a 14-year-old.

He had been investigated for paying underage girls to have sex with him at his luxury Palm Beach home - and 40 women had come forward as victims.

However, he cut a deal with federal prosecutors and the charges were not progressed.

Two of his victims have now brought a case against the prosecutors, claiming their rights were violated because they were not consulted on the secret deal.

The woman, referred to as Jane Doe 3 in documents, has applied to the court to be included in the lawsuit.


18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fears For Eight As Vessel Overturns Off Scotland

A major search effort has resumed in a bid to find the missing crew of an overturned cargo ship.

Two helicopters, four lifeboats and five coastguard rescue teams are looking for the eight people who were on the Cypriot-registered Cemfjord.

A spokeswoman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said "every effort" was being made to find them.

The Marine Accident Investigation Board (MAIB) has also deployed a team to investigate.

The search was sparked after the crew of a passenger ferry raised the alarm when they spotted the upturned hull of the vessel in the Pentland Firth, off the north coast of Scotland.

After darkness fell it was called off, although passing vessels were asked to scan the area, between Orkney and John O'Groats.

The MCA spokeswoman said: "The search has resumed this morning, with two helicopters, four lifeboats and five coastguard rescue teams. There is no sign of any of the crewmen.

"It is early in the day so we will see how the day progresses, but every effort is under way."

German shipping company Brise of Hamburg confirmed that there were eight people on the ship, seven Poles and one Filipino.

A spokesman for the company said: "No distress call was received from the vessel. Bad weather prevailed in the area at the time and conditions remain difficult at the scene, with storm force winds."

Shetland Coastguard was alerted by the NorthLink ferry Hrossey which spotted the vessel around 10 miles east of the Pentland Skerries, about 15 miles from Wick.

The 83-metre bulk cement carrier had been bound for Runcorn, Cheshire, on the west coast of the UK. She was carrying 2,000 tons of cement.

The RNLI tweeted: "Our thoughts are with the crew of the upturned cargo ship, their family, friends and all those involved in today's search operation."


18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man Stabbed To Death In Manchester

A murder investigation has been launched after a 26-year-old was stabbed to death in Manchester's city centre.

The man was found at about 3.25am in Charles Street in the city centre and died later in hospital.

Detective Superintendent Joanne Rawlinson of Greater Manchester Police said: "A young man has sadly died and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his relatives and friends.

"I cannot begin to imagine what they are going through and specially-trained officers are offering them whatever support we can."

She appealed for any witnesses to come forward, adding: "We are in the very early stages of the investigation and we have a team of experienced detectives working to establish the circumstances leading up to his death."

A 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Det Supt Rawlinson said:"Although one man has been arrested in connection with the murder, we still need to hear from anyone who was around the Charles Street area in the early hours of this morning or has any information which may assist us with our investigation.

"We will have an increased police presence in the area as we continue our investigation and to reassure local residents, so if you have any concerns or information you wish to provide please come and speak to us."

:: Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call police on 101 or independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Two Charged With New Year's Day Pub Murder

Two men have been charged with murder after an alleged axe and knife attack at a Plymouth pub which left builder Tanis Bhandari dead.

Four other people were seriously injured in the "major disturbance" outside the Kings Arms in the village of Tamerton Foliot on New Year's Day.

Police said Ryan Williams, 21, and Donald Pemberton, 20, both of St Budeaux, Plymouth, have been charged with murder.

They are also accused of being in possession of an axe and a knife in a public place.

The pair are due to appear at Plymouth Magistrates' Court on Monday.

Police were called to the pub, which had held a New Year's Eve disco, at around 1.30am.

Mr Bhandari was taken to Derriford Hospital with serious injuries, but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Another man, aged 21 from Plymouth, remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition.

Three others were treated in hospital.

Detective Inspector Gregg Dawe said: "An axe and knives have been recovered and searches are continuing in the Milford Lane area for any further knives that may have been used.

"I want to thank everyone who has assisted us with the police investigation so far. Searches and inquiries are continuing in relation to this incident."

A statement posted on the Kings Arms Facebook page described the incident as a "terrible attack" on a "lovely group of people on the way home from a great night in our pub".


18.54 | 0 komentar | Read More
techieblogger.com Techie Blogger Techie Blogger