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Britain Braced For Second Storm - And Snow

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 10 Januari 2015 | 14.43

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, with ScotRail forced to temporarily suspend all train services in Scotland over safety reasons.

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

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.

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.

Met Office forecaster Alex Burkill said: "As we go through Saturday morning a band of squally rain will move south eastwards and that's going to bring brighter but much colder conditions behind it.

"Some showers are likely to be heavy and may well fall as sleet or snow, particularly in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north of England and some of the showers could bring significant accumulations, particularly over higher ground. We could widely see 2cm to 4cm of snow, and perhaps 8cm on the highest ground.

"That could cause major disruption to travel so there are yellow warnings in place for affected areas.

"As it moves south it will leave colder conditions so after a mild night temperatures will really tumble to 4 or 5C."

Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution said it has restored supplies to around 60,000 customers and is working to restore electricity to more than 2,000 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.


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'Recovery Mission' For Pair Missing In Sea

Two men are missing at sea off the coast of Brighton after getting into trouble in severe weather, the Coastguard has said.

They were among four men who had gone into the water in the early hours of this morning.

Two men managed to get back to shore and called the Coastguard just after 1am this morning telling them that two of their companions were missing.

Coastguard and lifeboat teams are looking for the men, but the severe wind is hampering search efforts.

UK Coastguard controller Matt West said: "The unfavourable weather on scene is making the search extremely difficult for those involved.

"The weather is currently South West eight to severe gale force nine with very high waves."

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PFA Boss Compares Evans Plight To Hillsborough

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 09 Januari 2015 | 14.44

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.


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Weather Warnings As Jet Stream Hits UK

ScotRail has suspended train services until further notice "for safety reasons" after hurricane-force winds brought gusts of up to 110mph.

The extreme weather is caused by an extra-powerful jet stream triggered by low temperatures in the US hitting warmer air.

Up to 75,000 properties in Scotland are without power.

The Forth Road Bridge was closed when a van was blown over - it has now been reopened.

Aberdeen Police said a number of trees had been blown down on Aberdeenshire and Moray roads.

The winds arrived following Met Office amber warnings for northern and central Scotland, with flood warnings also in place for the region.

Schools in the Western Isles and Orkney have been closed as a precaution.

The strong winds blew over a lorry on the M6 in Cumbria, police reported.

Gusts of between 60mph and 70mph are expected in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Met Office has issued yellow "be prepared" warnings.

Schools have been shut and travel restrictions are in place.

Forecasters say conditions could rival the weather that battered parts of southern England at the end of 2013.

Dublin airport suspended arrivals and departures on Thursday night due to bad weather, with one flight being forced to abort its landing.

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

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  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

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Your First-Hand Experiences Of A&E Wards

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 07 Januari 2015 | 14.44

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."

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

    Unresponsive - Loss of consciousness

Confusion - Acute confused state and fits that are not stopping

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A&E 'Crisis' Summit Demanded By Labour

An emergency summit is needed to find ways to ease the pressure on struggling A&E departments, Labour has said.

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.

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

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", Mr Burnham wrote.

"Patients are already being exposed to unacceptable levels of risk and the situation cannot be allowed to get any worse.

"Urgent action is needed to provide a coordinated response across Government from all public services."

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 British Medical Association said the records showed the "unprecedented levels of pressure" on the health service and 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".

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

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

    Unresponsive - Loss of consciousness

Confusion - Acute confused state and fits that are not stopping

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British Ebola Nurse 'Stabilised' In Hospital

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 06 Januari 2015 | 14.44

British nurse Pauline Cafferkey, the first person to test positive for Ebola in the UK, remains in a critical condition but has "stabilised".

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt gave the update as Save the Children said it was urgently reviewing its Ebola safety protocols.

Ms Cafferkey was diagnosed with the deadly virus when she returned to Britain after volunteering with the charity in Kerry Town, Sierra Leone.

She is in an isolation tent at the Royal Free Hospital, in North London, and is being treated with an experimental anti-viral drug.

Save the Children is trying to find out whether the 39-year-old contracted the virus while at the Ebola Treatment Centre or in the community, but said it "may never be possible to be 100% sure" how she was infected.

The charity said in a statement: "Save the Children has been conducting a review since Pauline Cafferkey was confirmed as Ebola positive.

"The Serious Event Review (SER) is looking at how the patient might have contracted Ebola by reviewing training, safety protocols, how protective equipment is used, and working practices.

"The findings of the review will be considered by a panel including independent health experts, which will support Save the Children and make recommendations for any actions if necessary."

Ms Cafferkey was part of a 30-strong team of medical volunteers deployed to Sierra Leone by the UK Government in November and had been there for three weeks before returning home for a break.

In a statement to the Commons, Mr Hunt praised Ms Cafferkey and her colleagues for their "exceptional bravery and compassion they showed in joining the battle against Ebola".

He added: "The work done by Pauline and her colleagues is not just helping to save thousands of lives in Africa, it's protecting the UK from potentially disastrous consequences if the disease spreads beyond the countries where it has currently taken hold."

He said he had spoken to the doctor leading Ms Cafferkey's care at the Royal Free Hospital.

"As has been reported, Pauline's condition has deteriorated to a critical state although she stabilised yesterday and continues to receive the best possible care," he said.

Mr Hunt also said the UK has tightened steps for dealing with possible Ebola patients - and that the extra measures have been in place since 29 December.

"We have ... strengthened our guidance to ensure that anyone from a high-risk group who feels unwell will be reassessed, advice will be immediately sought from an infectious diseases specialist and the passenger will be referred for testing if appropriate," he told MPs.

"Even if someone isn't displaying symptoms but says they are feeling a bit under the weather, then we would isolate them if they are in the high-risk category."

Ms Cafferkey, who works at Blantyre Health Centre, in South Lanarkshire, first raised concerns about her condition when she returned to Heathrow Airport last Sunday.

Despite undergoing seven temperature checks she was given the all-clear to fly to Glasgow where she lives.

The following morning she was diagnosed with Ebola and placed in isolation at Gartnavel Hospital in Glasgow before being flown to London.


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Second Palace Denial Over Andrew Sex Claims

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 04 Januari 2015 | 14.44

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.


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Man Stabbed To Death In Manchester

A murder investigation has been launched after a 19-year-old was stabbed to death in Manchester's city centre.

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

Detective Inspector Richard Ennis 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."

He 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."

The man has not yet been formally identified.

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