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Phillip Hughes: Funeral Held For Cricket Star

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 03 Desember 2014 | 23.11

A funeral service for Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes has taken place in his hometown of Macksville, New South Wales.

The 25-year-old batsman died in hospital in Sydney last week after he was hit on the back of the neck by a cricket ball during New South Wales' first-class match against South Australia.

He had scored 63 runs when he was hit by a short ball from bowler Sean Abbott and was wearing a helmet at the time.

Around 1,000 people, mostly locals, packed into his former Macksville High School for the service, with hundreds more watching on big screens outside.

The service was also broadcast live on national television and on big screens in Australia's major cities, including at the Sydney Cricket Ground where Hughes was fatally injured.

It began with the song Forever Young, and lasted around 75 minutes before finishing with Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me.

Hughes' siblings, Jason and Megan, paid tribute to their brother during the service on behalf of the family along with his cousin Nino Ramunno.

Megan said: "I'm sorry you cannot be here with us any longer, but I promise that all the dreams and thoughts we had about the future I will continue in your honour.

"There won't be a day that goes by that I won't think of you, I promise I will talk to you every day and keep you company up there."

An emotional Australian captain Michael Clarke struggled as he addressed the service.

He said: "He left a mark on our game that needs no embellishment. I don't know about you but I keep looking for him.

"Is this what we call the spirit? If so, then his spirit is still with me and I hope it never leaves.

"We must dig in... we must dig in and get through to tea. And we must play on. So rest in peace my little brother, I'll see you out in the middle."

The mourners included Prime Minister Tony Abbott, the Australia cricket team and Sean Abbott.

Former Australian players Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting, Glenn McGrath and the Waugh brothers all attended, alongside Richard Hadlee, Brian Lara and India batsman Virat Kohli.

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland also addressed mourners. He said: "Cricket's heart has been pierced with pain, but it will never stop beating. Phillip Hughes... forever unconquered on 63."

Clarke acted as a pallbearer for his close friend following the service as a funeral procession made its way along the main street in the town.

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  1. Gallery: Australia Says Goodbye To Batsman Phillip Hughes

    The order of service for the funeral of Australia cricketer Phillip Hughes, who died on 27 November after being struck by a bouncer during a game

Australian captain Michael Clarke arrives for the funeral with his wife Kyly

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    UK And World Set For Hottest Year On Record

    By Isobel Lang, Sky News Weather Presenter

    This year is on course to be the hottest on record both for the UK and globally, with human impact the likely cause, say experts.

    The UK's mean temperature from the beginning of January to late November is 1.6C above the long-term average, making it the warmest in records dating back to 1910, according to the Met Office, although a cold December could change this.

    This year is also set to be one of the warmest on record in the Central England Temperature series, which stretches back to 1659 and is the longest instrumental temperature series in the world.

    Around the world, the year is set to be one of the hottest, with global temperatures around 0.57C above the long-term average of 14C from January to October, just ahead of the previous record set in 2010 of 0.56C.

    If November and December follow suit, 2014 is likely to be the hottest year on record, ahead of 2010, 2005 and 1998, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has said.

    The Met Office has cautioned against placing too much emphasis on a single record temperature and long-term climate change.

    But a new research technique indicated breaking the record is much more likely to occur as a result of human greenhouse gas emissions.

    Peter Stott, head of climate attribution at the Met Office, said: "Our research shows current global average temperatures are highly unlikely in a world without human influence on the climate.

    "Human influence has also made breaking the UK temperature record about 10 times more likely."

    Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said: "More record warm temperatures in the UK and across the world are yet more evidence that we need to act urgently to prevent dangerous climate change.

    "UK actions such as our doubling of renewable electricity and our stretching targets for cutting carbon are a good start but we must be frank and acknowledge there is more to do."

    It has also been one of the wettest year's for the UK on record, with 1162 mm of rain between 1 January and 25 November.

    Average rainfall in December would make 2014 the fourth wettest year in records dating back to 1910.

    But a very wet month could still break the UK record set in 2000 of 1337 mm.

    Experts say world temperatures show there is "no standstill in global warming".

    WMO secretary-general Michel Jarraud said: "What we saw in 2014 is consistent with what we expect from a changing climate - record-breaking heat combined with torrential rainfall and floods destroyed livelihoods and ruined lives."


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    Iran Denies Airstrikes In Iraq Against IS Targets.

    Iran has denied Pentagon claims that it has carried out airstrikes in neighbouring Iraq against Islamic State militants.

    A senior official also insisted that cooperation with the US in such attacks was out of the question.

    The denial comes after a Pentagon spokesman said Iran had carried out raids in eastern Iraq, but said the US had not coordinated with Tehran over the strikes.

    Rear Admiral John Kirby said the US continued to fly missions over Iraq and that it was up to the Iraqi government to avoid conflicts in its own airspace.

    He said it was believed to be the first time Iran had launched manned aircraft from inside Iran to strike targets in Iraq.

    Iranian military leaders have admitted that dozens of their forces have been in Iraq fighting alongside Kurdish troops battling extremists.

    The US has not invited Iran to join the coalition fighting Islamic State and Iran has said it would not join in any case.

    Rear Admiral Kirby said: "There's no reason to believe they are not true, those reports that Iranian aircraft struck targets against IS in eastern Iraq.

    "It's Iraqi airspace and it's for Iraqis to deconflict.

    "We are not coordinating with nor deconflicting with Iranian military."

    But a senior Iranian offical said: "Iran has never been involved in any air strikes against the Daesh (Islamic State) targets in Iraq.

    "Any cooperation in such strikes with America is also out of question for Iran."

    It came as NATO foreign ministers met in Brussels to discuss the threat posed by IS.

    US Secretary of State John Kerry said the battle against IS militants would last "as long as it takes to prevail".


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    Student Cheerleader Found Dead In Dumbwaiter

    Police in Wisconsin are investigating the death of a college cheerleader whose body was found in a dumbwaiter at a restaurant.

    Brooke Baures was found dead inside the tiny food elevator at the WingDam Saloon and Grill in Fountain City.

    Police Chief Jason Mork said there were no signs of foul play and it appears to have been a tragic accident.

    The dumbwaiter is used to transfer food between the second and third floors of the restaurant. Its opening is about one metre (3ft 3ins) by one metre.

    Ms Baures, 21, was studying social work at Winona State University (WSU) in Minnesota and had been a member of its gymnastics team.

    Eric Schoh, WSU's Athletic Director said in a statement: "Brooke was a leader on that team and a very talented gymnast.

    "This is a tremendous loss for our community, and we ask that you keep Brooke and her family, friends, coaches and teammates in your thoughts."

    According to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration, dumbwaiter accidents are rare.

    Only two incidents were recorded between 2003 and 2013, both of them fatal.


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    Costa Concordia Video 'Shows Captain Leaving'

    Video has emerged of the captain of the doomed cruiseliner Costa Concordia preparing to leave the stricken ship, having previously claimed he had tripped into a lifeboat.

    The footage was released by prosecutors who have told reporters they are seeking a 20-year prison sentence for Francesco Schettino, who is giving evidence for a second day at his trial.

    Schettino was dubbed Captain Coward after he was accused of abandoning the vessel before passengers had escaped.

    He had told investigators he had ''tripped and stumbled into a lifeboat'' the night of the disaster.

    But in the video, prosecutors say he can be seen in a tie waiting to board an emergency escape craft.

    Schettino crashed the Costa Concordia into rocks off the Italian island of Giglio in January 2012 during an attempted "sail past".

    The holed vessel grounded and partially capsized in shallow water, forcing 4,200 passengers and crew to flee, with the loss of 32 lives.

    Pressed over why he had delayed raising the alarm, Schettino claimed he feared people would jump into the water and wanted to wait until ship was closer to shore.

    "On the ship I am number one after God," he said.

    During a combative performance under cross-examination for the first time on Tuesday, Schettino denied he had organised the sail past to impress Domnica Cermontan, a Moldavian dancer who was working on the ship and has told the court she was having an affair with the married captain.

    Speaking at his trial in Grosseto in Tuscany on Tuesday, Schettino said he had sought to "kill three birds with one stone" by undertaking the sail past.

    He was doing a favour to a ship's official and paying tribute to a former cruise captain who lived on the island of Giglio, while making the cruise more attractive to passengers, he claimed.

    Schettino is charged with manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship.

    He is being tried alone after five other defendants reached plea deals.

    His trial is expected to continue into next year.


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    Japan Launches Probe To Capture Comet Clues

    Japan has launched a space module on a six-year return trip aimed at blowing a hole in a remote asteroid to try to find clues to how the Earth came about.

    Hayabusa 2 successfully blasted off on a H-IIA rocket from the Tanegashima Space Centre in southern Japan at 1.22pm local time after being delayed by bad weather.

    The space explorer separated once the rocket had climbed out of the Earth's gravitational pull, trailing orange flames in its wake.

    The probe will use the Earth's gravity as a slingshot to propel it towards its target.

    The $260m (£166m) project will send it towards the 1999JU3 asteroid in deep space - the carbonaceous asteroid is thought  to contain organic matter and water, the stuff of life.

    The probe's aim is to collect materials unexposed to millennia of wind and radiation in the hope of answering some fundamental questions about life and the universe.

    It is expected to reach the asteroid in mid-2018 and spend around 18 months in the area.

    Akitaka Kishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said: "Our objective is to explore. For people to work in space, it requires various kinds of technology.

    "In that sense, exploring is a step forward to expanding activities in space in a broader way. Our aim to explore lends great meaning to this mission."

    He continued: "If we bring back the material, in a way we can call that a success, but, furthermore, the retrieved rocks and sand taken for analysis would be a finding.

    "For the human race, this will be a new finding that could possibly mean a new discovery for us. Bringing back the material is one goal, but the research of the finding is the future."

    If all goes well, asteroid samples will be returned to Earth in late 2020.

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    1. Gallery: Philae Lander's Touchdown Seen From Rosetta Craft

      This image shows the Philae lander approximately 250m above the comet's surface, as it heads for the planned touchdown point (Pic: ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM)

    This image was taken 86 seconds after touchdown. Scientists say the dark area could be dust kicked up by the touchdown (Pic: ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM)

    ]]>

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    Dewani Murder Trial: Family's Plea To Shrien

    Dewani Murder Trial: Family's Plea To Shrien

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

    The family of murder victim Anni Dewani have begged her husband Shrien to "tell the world what happened the night she died", as the case appears close to collapse.

    At a press conference, Anni's brother Anish Hindocha implored the 34-year-old businessman to take the witness stand and tell his story for the first time.

    In a statement, he said: "It would be a terrible development in what has been a four-year wait if we and the people of South Africa are not afforded the full story.

    "If they are not given the full facts, and by that I mean Shrien Dewani telling the court his version, then Anni's death will remain on the conscience of South Africa forever."

    Anni was shot dead in a suburb of Cape Town in 2010 after the taxi she and her new husband were travelling in was hijacked.

    Three men have been convicted over their roles in the killing, which prosecutors say was organised and paid for by Dewani to get out of the marriage.

    1/7

    1. Gallery: Key Players In The Dewani Trial

      Anni Dewani was murdered during her honeymoon in Cape Town in 2010

    Her husband Shrien Dewani is on trial accused of organising her murder

    ]]>

  • Xolile Mngeni was jailed for life after he was convicted of being the man who actually killed Anni Dewani. He died of cancer behind bars in October.

    ]]>

  • Zola Tongo (C), was jailed for 18 years for the killing after entering a plea bargain. He was driving the taxi that picked the couple were in when Dewani says they were hijacked

    ]]>

  • Mziwamadoda Qwabe (R) kidnapping, robbery, murder and illegal possession of a firearm in August 2012 and was sentenced to 25 years

    ]]>

  • Judge Jeanette Traverso is due to decide on Monday whether to throw out the case, following an application from the defence claiming that the prosecution's argument is weak, inconsistent and based on the testimony of unreliable witnesses.

    Reports in South Africa suggest the case is likely to be dismissed before the defence has a chance to begin its case.

    The trial was due to finish next week, but delays caused by legal wrangling, the availability of witnesses and sicknesses have delayed proceedings.

    The defence application has delayed the case for almost two weeks.

    The Hindocha family, who have travelled from Sweden to be in court every day, say they are confident it will continue.

    Anni's brother said: "Shrien Dewani has insisted all along that he would clear his name and his legal team have promised the court since the trial began dozens of times that he would help the court with his own version of events.

    "The phrase 'my client will tell the court' has become like a mantra to the judge, media and members of the public who have attended the Western Cape High Court.

    "Well, let's have him tell the court, then. That has been his pledge throughout the trial.

    "It would be wrong for him to walk away from South Africa without explaining himself what happened on the night of Anni's murder in this country."

    Mr Hindocha said not hearing from Dewani would mean "a lifetime of further torture for me and my family, particularly my parents".

    He added: "My message is simple: Don't let Shrien Dewani walk away without giving us, South Africa and people all over the world the full story."

    The prosecution alleges that Dewani plotted with cab driver Zola Tongo, Mziwamadoda Qwabe and gunman Xolile Mngeni to kill Anni while they were on their honeymoon in November 2010.

    He denies all of the charges and says the money was to pay for a surprise helicopter trip for his wife.

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    • Dewani Murder Trial: Family's Plea To Shrien

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

    The family of murder victim Anni Dewani have begged her husband Shrien to "tell the world what happened the night she died", as the case appears close to collapse.

    At a press conference, Anni's brother Anish Hindocha implored the 34-year-old businessman to take the witness stand and tell his story for the first time.

    In a statement, he said: "It would be a terrible development in what has been a four-year wait if we and the people of South Africa are not afforded the full story.

    "If they are not given the full facts, and by that I mean Shrien Dewani telling the court his version, then Anni's death will remain on the conscience of South Africa forever."

    Anni was shot dead in a suburb of Cape Town in 2010 after the taxi she and her new husband were travelling in was hijacked.

    Three men have been convicted over their roles in the killing, which prosecutors say was organised and paid for by Dewani to get out of the marriage.

    1/7

    1. Gallery: Key Players In The Dewani Trial

      Anni Dewani was murdered during her honeymoon in Cape Town in 2010

    Her husband Shrien Dewani is on trial accused of organising her murder

    ]]>

  • Xolile Mngeni was jailed for life after he was convicted of being the man who actually killed Anni Dewani. He died of cancer behind bars in October.

    ]]>

  • Zola Tongo (C), was jailed for 18 years for the killing after entering a plea bargain. He was driving the taxi that picked the couple were in when Dewani says they were hijacked

    ]]>

  • Mziwamadoda Qwabe (R) kidnapping, robbery, murder and illegal possession of a firearm in August 2012 and was sentenced to 25 years

    ]]>

  • Judge Jeanette Traverso is due to decide on Monday whether to throw out the case, following an application from the defence claiming that the prosecution's argument is weak, inconsistent and based on the testimony of unreliable witnesses.

    Reports in South Africa suggest the case is likely to be dismissed before the defence has a chance to begin its case.

    The trial was due to finish next week, but delays caused by legal wrangling, the availability of witnesses and sicknesses have delayed proceedings.

    The defence application has delayed the case for almost two weeks.

    The Hindocha family, who have travelled from Sweden to be in court every day, say they are confident it will continue.

    Anni's brother said: "Shrien Dewani has insisted all along that he would clear his name and his legal team have promised the court since the trial began dozens of times that he would help the court with his own version of events.

    "The phrase 'my client will tell the court' has become like a mantra to the judge, media and members of the public who have attended the Western Cape High Court.

    "Well, let's have him tell the court, then. That has been his pledge throughout the trial.

    "It would be wrong for him to walk away from South Africa without explaining himself what happened on the night of Anni's murder in this country."

    Mr Hindocha said not hearing from Dewani would mean "a lifetime of further torture for me and my family, particularly my parents".

    He added: "My message is simple: Don't let Shrien Dewani walk away without giving us, South Africa and people all over the world the full story."

    The prosecution alleges that Dewani plotted with cab driver Zola Tongo, Mziwamadoda Qwabe and gunman Xolile Mngeni to kill Anni while they were on their honeymoon in November 2010.

    He denies all of the charges and says the money was to pay for a surprise helicopter trip for his wife.

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    Woman Randomly Stabs Strangers Along Street

    Police are appealing for help to track down a woman who randomly stabbed two men on a street in New Orleans.

    Both incidents, which happened just before 9pm on November 30, were captured on CCTV.

    The woman is seen walking along Decatur Street, mumbling to herself and poking other pedestrians with a sharp object.

    Two men, one aged 28 and the other 62, suffered minor lacerations.

    The video appears to show the woman turning round afterwards to see if they have noticed anything.

    The suspect is described as white, approximately 5ft 6ins tall and in her 30s.

    She is thinly-built with brunette hair and was wearing an oversized camouflage jacket.

    A cash reward of up to $2,500 (£1,600) is being offered for information leading to her arrest and indictment.

    Anyone who can help is asked to call Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 or toll-free 1-877-903-STOP.

    Crimestoppers can also be contacted anonymously online at www.crimestoppersgno.org.


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    Iran's Involvement Makes US Role More Awkward

    In the fog of war we should not be surprised by smoke and mirrors. Especially not when it comes to Iran.

    Tehran has denied it. Baghdad says it 'knows nothing of it'. But it's been filmed and the Americans have, more or less, confirmed it in Sphinx-like terms.

    Iran has been bombing Islamic State inside Iraq.

    That's awkward. Awkward for Washington, which insists the air strikes are not coordinated with its forces who are also on operations in the same battle space.

    Awkward for Tehran, where appearing to be on the same side as 'The Great Satan' undermines its standing among a fractious population where hardliners will be dismayed and opposition figures snort at the hypocrisy.

    An American-made F-4 Phantom jet was seen bombing IS positions in Iraq's eastern Diya province a few days ago. Only Iran and Turkey fly these aircraft in this region and Ankara is firmly staying out of the war for now.

    The airstrikes were in support of advancing Kurd peshmerga forces. Iran already has training officers and special forces troops from its al Quds brigade embedded with the Kurds who have, albeit unofficially, already benefitted from air support from the US coalition.

    So the F-4 reports are credible. It appears they were conducted near Sa'adiya, identified first by Janes defence experts, as part of the biggest push against IS since June.

    But they are also dangerous for the international coalition fighting IS. It excludes Iran, which is locked in negotiations with the international community aimed at ending its nuclear weapons programme.

    Iran is a major player as a combatant not only against IS but also against all other Sunni rebel groups fighting both IS and the Syrian regime of Bashar al Assad.

    Iran is Shi'a dominated. Its military is in the vanguard of its campaign for influence across the wider Middle East. Hezbollah, its Shi'a proxy in the Lebanon is fighting alongside Assad, as are Quds troopers. Assad gets most of his weapons from Tehran.

    So when Iran's air force bombs Islamic State it risks reinforcing the view among many Sunnis, including those who hate IS, that the Americans are conspiring with Tehran to enfeeble the Sunni umma (nation).

    As the US-led coalition is failing to harness Sunni rebel groups to its air strike campaign in Syria, it looks increasingly to them that the Americans are happy to see them get bombed by Assad (with what are probably Iranian weapons).

    This will make it very difficult to successfully turn the Sunni tribes against Islamic Sate – and without them there is no prospect of destroying the death cult that has soaked the region in blood.


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    Lady Gaga Reveals She Was Raped At Age 19

    Lady Gaga has said she was raped at the age of 19 - but says she does not want to be defined by what happened to her.

    The pop star was talking to the American 'shock jock' radio DJ Howard Stern when he asked her, because of things she had said in the past and had sung about, if she had ever been assaulted.

    She replied: "I went through some horrific things that I'm able to laugh now, because I've been through a lot of mental and physical therapy, and emotional therapy, to heal over the years.

    "My music has been wonderful for me but, you know, I was a shell of my former self at one point.

    "I was not myself and, to be fair, I was about 19... I went to Catholic school and then all this crazy stuff happened and I was going 'Is this just the way adults are?' I was very naive."

    The conversation came about after the DJ asked her about a performance at the South By Southwest music festival, during which she was vomited over by an artist who regurgitates swallowed paint.

    She said after the attack, it took her about four to five years before she fully appreciated what had happened to her.

    "It happens every day. It's really scary and it's sad," said the star, who, according to Entertainment Weekly, is now 28.

    "It did not affect me as much after, as it did about four or five years later. It hit me so hard. I was so traumatised by it. It was like 'keep going'."

    She said, at first, she wasn't "even willing to admit that anything had even happened."

    The DJ asked her if she had ever confronted the man who assaulted her and she said she had not.

    She said: "I think it would terrify me. It would paralyse me. I saw him one time, in a store, and I was so paralysed by fear, because it wasn't until I was a little bit older that I went 'Wow, that was really messed up'.

    "'You were 20 years older than me. I was just a kid'."

    She said she was worried people would judge her for it.

    "I don't want to be defined by it. I'll be damned if somebody's going to say that every creatively intelligent thing I ever did is all boiled down to one d******* that did that to me.

    "I'm going to take responsibility for all my pain, looking beautiful and all the things that I've made out of my strife."


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    Chinese Tycoon Buys Van Gogh Poppies For £39m

    Written By Unknown on Rabu, 05 November 2014 | 23.11

    A rare piece of art by Vincent van Gogh has reportedly been sold to one of China's richest men for £39m ($62m).

    Wang Zhongjun, chairman of the high-powered Huayi Brothers film studio, has become the latest businessmen to pay an eyebrow-raising amount for a painting, according to Shanghai-based news site The Paper.

    The 1890 painting - Still Life, Vase With Daisies And Poppies - was expected to fetch between $30m and $50m at Sotheby's in New York, but sold for $61.8m.

    The auction record for a van Gogh is $82.5m.

    Last year, tycoon Wang Jianlin's Wanda Group bought the 1950 Pablo Picasso painting Claude And Paloma for $28m, more than double the high estimate of $12m.

    At the time, the company came under fire for the extravagant purchase, with some Chinese internet users questioning Wang Jianlin's patriotism and the painting's value.

    Wang Zhongjun has come under similar criticism.

    "One madman buying a painting by another madman," one user wrote on Sina Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter.

    "This is how he spends all the investors' money? What a waste," wrote another.

    The auction also brought in £63.5m ($101m) for Chariot, a rare sculpture by Alberto Giacometti.

    The 1951 bronze sculpture features an elongated, goddess-like figure perched atop a wheeled chariot. The price almost broke the $104.3m record for the artist.

    Amedeo Modigliani's Tete sculpture sold for £44.4m ($70.7m), just topping the previous auction record for the artist at $69m.


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    Hot Air Balloon Flight Lands Tourists In Jail

    By Neville Lazarus, India Producer

    A hot air balloon carrying two foreign tourists has landed in the middle of a prison in India, sparking a major security alert.

    Authorities at the Ajmer jail in Rajasthan feared the hot air balloon had come to rescue inmates inside the jail.

    But by the time the balloon landed in the jail the inmates were already in their barracks.

    The two tourists, who are from the West Indies, had boarded the hot air balloon at the annual animal fair in Pushkar, a temple town in Rajasthan.

    The two sisters in their early twenties told reporters they wanted a bird's eye view of the fair, but then found themselves hovering over the city of Ajmer, and had no idea where they had landed.

    The pilot, Dhawal Kedar, had lost control of the balloon due to strong winds and tried landing it in the police area, but instead crossed over into the jail grounds.

    Sub inspector Hanuman Vishnoi said: "The pilot saw Anasager Lake of Ajmer, he tried to control the balloon and saw the ground of police lines to land safely."

    The tourists and the pilot were questioned for nearly two hours until the authorities were convinced the incident was an accident.

    All hot air balloon rides have been cancelled over the fair as a result.

    A case has also been filed against the tour operator for "unlawful entry" into the jail premises and their licences revoked.

    The two sisters were later seen taking an elephant ride instead.


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    US Midterms: Republicans Take Over Senate

    US Midterms: Republicans Take Over Senate

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    Video: Republicans Take Control Of Senate

    By Sky News US Team

    The US Republicans have swept to power in both houses of Congress for the first time in eight years in midterm elections shaped by President Barack Obama's unpopularity.

    Results continue to trickle in across the US, but the conservatives won seven seats from Democrats, one more than they needed to take control of the 100-seat Senate.

    Tha takeover will limit Mr Obama's political influence and curb his legislative agenda in his last two years in office. The President plans a news conference later on Wednesday.

    Key battlegrounds West Virginia, Arkansas, South Dakota, Montana, Colorado, North Carolina and Iowa all fell to the conservatives.

    The Democrats are still battling to hold on to Senate seats in Virginia and Alaska, while Louisiana's race will go to a run-off next month.

    1/11

    1. Gallery: Midterms: Election Day In America

      The Empire State Building in New York City turns red to mark the Republican triumph in the Senate midterm election races

    Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell will be the next leader of the US Senate as his party swept to power

    ]]>

  • The conservatives cruised to control of the Senate, boosted their House of Representatives majority and chalked up a slew of gubernatorial victories, breaking political opponents' hearts

    ]]>

  • Elections judge Constance Rolon, 96, hands out "I Voted!" stickers in Denver, Colorado

    ]]>

  • The Republicans also successfully defended Senate seats in Georgia, Kentucky and Kansas. Democrats could not win a single conservative seat.

    Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell, who cruised to re-election, will become the new leader of the Senate.

    He told cheering supporters as he captured a sixth term: "It's time to go in a new direction! It's time to turn this country around!"

    However, in his victory speech and in an interview with Time magazine, Mr McConnell also suggested that he would seek to work with the President, at least on some issues.

    Video: How The Senate Looks After Midterms

    "After all, he's going to be there for two more years. Maybe there are things that we can agree on," he told Time, mentioning tax reform and trade agreements. 

    Mr McConnell also ruled out the possibility of a government shutdown.

    Outgoing Senate majority leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, said: "The message from voters is clear: They want us to work together."

    Republicans, who already controlled the House of Representatives, were also on track to expand their majority in that chamber, too.

    1/6

    1. Gallery: Midterms Winners and Losers

      The vote was widely seen as a repudiation of Barack Obama's policies and will curb the President's political influence in the last two years of his presidency

    Republican Mitch McConnell is certain to become Senate majority leader

    ]]>

  • Overall on Tuesday, 36 of the 100 Senate seats, all 435 House seats and 36 of 50 governors' seats were up for grabs.

    In state governor races, the Republicans ousted a Democrat in Mr Obama's home state of Illinois and won the liberal strongholds of Maryland and Massachusetts.

    They also fended off a string of stiff challenges from Democrats.

    Georgia's Nathan Deal defeated former President Jimmy Carter's grandson, potential 2016 presidential hopeful Scott Walker won a tight race in Wisconsin and Rick Scott was triumphant in Florida.

    Video: Why Are Midterm Polls So Expensive?

    The few consolations for Democrats included wins in New Hampshire's Senate race and Pennsylvania's governorship contest.

    Mr Obama, who was shunned by many Democrats on the campaign trail because of his low approval rating, called Democratic and Republican congressional leaders to the White House on Friday to discuss the new political landscape.

    He is likely to face pressure to overhaul his White House team.

    Exit polls showed most of the Americans voting on Tuesday were unhappy or even angry with the Obama administration. There was also criticism of Republican congressional leaders.

    Video: Midterms: The Hillary Factor

    Even with control of the Senate, the Republicans do not have the 60-vote super-majority needed to pass major legislation.

    A difficult election had been expected for Mr Obama's allies: governing parties tend to lose seats in midterm votes and many Democrats were defending seats in states that lean Republican.

    Voters in Alaska, Oregon and the District of Columbia approved ballot measures allowing the recreational use of marijuana by adults.

    Congressional races alone cost almost $4bn (£2.5bn), an unprecedented sum for a non-presidential year election.

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    • US Midterms: Republicans Take Over Senate

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    Video: Republicans Take Control Of Senate

    By Sky News US Team

    The US Republicans have swept to power in both houses of Congress for the first time in eight years in midterm elections shaped by President Barack Obama's unpopularity.

    Results continue to trickle in across the US, but the conservatives won seven seats from Democrats, one more than they needed to take control of the 100-seat Senate.

    Tha takeover will limit Mr Obama's political influence and curb his legislative agenda in his last two years in office. The President plans a news conference later on Wednesday.

    Key battlegrounds West Virginia, Arkansas, South Dakota, Montana, Colorado, North Carolina and Iowa all fell to the conservatives.

    The Democrats are still battling to hold on to Senate seats in Virginia and Alaska, while Louisiana's race will go to a run-off next month.

    1/11

    1. Gallery: Midterms: Election Day In America

      The Empire State Building in New York City turns red to mark the Republican triumph in the Senate midterm election races

    Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell will be the next leader of the US Senate as his party swept to power

    ]]>

  • The conservatives cruised to control of the Senate, boosted their House of Representatives majority and chalked up a slew of gubernatorial victories, breaking political opponents' hearts

    ]]>

  • Elections judge Constance Rolon, 96, hands out "I Voted!" stickers in Denver, Colorado

    ]]>

  • The Republicans also successfully defended Senate seats in Georgia, Kentucky and Kansas. Democrats could not win a single conservative seat.

    Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell, who cruised to re-election, will become the new leader of the Senate.

    He told cheering supporters as he captured a sixth term: "It's time to go in a new direction! It's time to turn this country around!"

    However, in his victory speech and in an interview with Time magazine, Mr McConnell also suggested that he would seek to work with the President, at least on some issues.

    Video: How The Senate Looks After Midterms

    "After all, he's going to be there for two more years. Maybe there are things that we can agree on," he told Time, mentioning tax reform and trade agreements. 

    Mr McConnell also ruled out the possibility of a government shutdown.

    Outgoing Senate majority leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, said: "The message from voters is clear: They want us to work together."

    Republicans, who already controlled the House of Representatives, were also on track to expand their majority in that chamber, too.

    1/6

    1. Gallery: Midterms Winners and Losers

      The vote was widely seen as a repudiation of Barack Obama's policies and will curb the President's political influence in the last two years of his presidency

    Republican Mitch McConnell is certain to become Senate majority leader

    ]]>

  • Overall on Tuesday, 36 of the 100 Senate seats, all 435 House seats and 36 of 50 governors' seats were up for grabs.

    In state governor races, the Republicans ousted a Democrat in Mr Obama's home state of Illinois and won the liberal strongholds of Maryland and Massachusetts.

    They also fended off a string of stiff challenges from Democrats.

    Georgia's Nathan Deal defeated former President Jimmy Carter's grandson, potential 2016 presidential hopeful Scott Walker won a tight race in Wisconsin and Rick Scott was triumphant in Florida.

    Video: Why Are Midterm Polls So Expensive?

    The few consolations for Democrats included wins in New Hampshire's Senate race and Pennsylvania's governorship contest.

    Mr Obama, who was shunned by many Democrats on the campaign trail because of his low approval rating, called Democratic and Republican congressional leaders to the White House on Friday to discuss the new political landscape.

    He is likely to face pressure to overhaul his White House team.

    Exit polls showed most of the Americans voting on Tuesday were unhappy or even angry with the Obama administration. There was also criticism of Republican congressional leaders.

    Video: Midterms: The Hillary Factor

    Even with control of the Senate, the Republicans do not have the 60-vote super-majority needed to pass major legislation.

    A difficult election had been expected for Mr Obama's allies: governing parties tend to lose seats in midterm votes and many Democrats were defending seats in states that lean Republican.

    Voters in Alaska, Oregon and the District of Columbia approved ballot measures allowing the recreational use of marijuana by adults.

    Congressional races alone cost almost $4bn (£2.5bn), an unprecedented sum for a non-presidential year election.

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    Israel 'Flouted The Laws Of War' In Gaza

    By Tom Rayner, Middle East Reporter, in Jerusalem

    Amnesty International has claimed Israeli forces "flouted the laws of war" on numerous occasions during this summer's conflict in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of civilians.

    The group's latest report, Families Under The Rubble, examined a series of airstrikes on Palestinian homes during "Operation Protective Edge".

    Some of the strikes resulted in entire families being killed.

    It focuses on eight incidents in which a total of 111 people were killed, of whom at least 104 were civilians, with 66 children among them.

    Amnesty claims the cases indicate that Israel failed to observe its obligations under international law to limit the risk to civilian lives.

    "Israeli forces have brazenly flouted the laws of war by carrying out a series of attacks on civilian homes, displaying callous indifference to the carnage caused," said Philip Luther, Amnesty's Middle East Director.

    Throughout the conflict, the Israeli military issued numerous statements insisting they were doing all they could to protect civilians.

    They accused militants from Hamas and other organisations of being responsible, as a result of hiding in civilian areas and using residents as human shields.

    Although the Amnesty investigation did identify named individuals who may have been the targets in some of the cases, the report claims Israel has failed to explain why the targeting of those individuals justified the huge loss of civilian life.

    The most deadly airstrike examined was that on the three-storey al-Dali building in Khan Younis on 29 July, in which 36 members of four families were killed, including 18 children.

    Amnesty identified one of the building's residents, Ahmad Muammar, an engineer for Islamic Jihad, as the likely target of the strike.

    Witnesses told Amnesty investigators how Muammar used a room inside the house for work using computers and electronics.

    The second most deadly case documented occurred in Khan Younis on 20 July, when 24 civilians, including 19 children, were killed following an airstrike on the Abu Jame house.

    Amnesty believes a member of the Hamas armed wing may have been standing near the house.

    In both cases, the report claims Israel has failed to explain what the targets were or why they justified the clear risk to civilians.

    "The onus is on Israeli officials to explain why they chose to deliberately flatten entire homes of civilians (...) even if a fighter had been present in one of these residential homes, it would not absolve Israel of its obligation to take every feasible precaution to protect the lives of civilians caught up in the fighting,"  Mr Luther added.

    Nearly 2,200 Palestinians died during the 50-day war in Gaza between July and August. UN figures suggest at least 1,523 of those killed were civilians.

    During the conflict Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza fired thousands of rockets into Israel, resulting in the death of six civilians, including one child. Some 66 Israeli soldiers were killed over the course of Operation Protective Edge.

    :: The Israeli government issued a statement in response to the Amnesty report:

    Amnesty's report on this summer's conflict between Israel and the Hamas terror group accuses Israel of wrongdoing while producing no evidence. At the same time the report ignores documented war crimes perpetrated by Hamas, including the use of human shields, as well as ammunition storage and firing at Israeli civilian population centres from within schools, hospitals, mosques and civilian neighbourhoods in Gaza.

    The report does not mention the word terror in relation to Hamas or other armed Palestinian groups, nor mentions tunnels built by Hamas to infiltrate Israel and perpetrate terror attacks.

    By ignoring the nature of the enemy Israel faced in Gaza - a terror group recognised as such by the European Union, the United States and others - Amnesty's report fails to contribute to the important discussion needed to solve the conflict.

    Instead, Amnesty serves as a propaganda tool for Hamas and other terror groups.

    In Israel, investigations are currently underway by several bodies, inside and outside the Israel Defence Forces, into over 90 incidents. Two criminal investigations are underway.

    These measures are dismissed by Amnesty as insufficient yet in comparison to Israel's rigorous procedures Amnesty's own methodology raises questions: The report was not written by Amnesty staff but by local contractors not mentioned by name and referred to only as "field workers".

    Their own credibility in producing the testimonies detailed in the report is never questioned; independent verification of their claims apparently not deemed necessary.

    The extreme bias of the report is best displayed in its recommendations: Hamas is not mentioned, as if the group has no responsibility for the bloodshed; meanwhile, the report dismisses Israel's security challenges.

    Amnesty should understand that producing a narrow, decontextualised report restricts its capability to advance positive change.


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    Philadelphia Abduction: Suspect Uses Cash Card

    A cash card belonging to a woman abducted from a Philadelphia street has been used at a cashpoint 75 miles (120km) away in Maryland.

    Police released grainy CCTV images of a man using the card nine hours after 22-year-old Carlesha Freeland-Gaither was kidnapped the night before.

    The pictures show a black male in a hoody withdrawing money from a Harford County cash machine near a sliproad for the city of Aberdeen.

    "Fresh lead that we're working on right now is that Carlesha's ATM card was used at a standalone bank in Aberdeen, Maryland," said Dennis Wilson, Chief Inspector of the Philadelphia Police Department.

    Video: Woman's Abduction Caught On CCTV

    Detectives are trying to digitally enhance the video in the hope the suspect can be recognised.

    In a tearful appeal at a news conference, Ms Freeland-Gaither's grandmother pleaded for her safe return.

    "We love her. And we just want her to be returned to us safely. Safely. That's all we want," she said.

    To her daughter, Keisha Gaither said, "All you got to do is just get out. I got you. Just come home. Just come home.

    "I love you.... The whole entire family... Your whole world loves Carlesha," she added.

    Ms Freeland-Gaither's abduction on Sunday night was caught on a security camera.

    The video shows the nurse as she is approached by a man who drags her down the street and bundles her into a car after a fierce struggle. Police do not believe she knew her assailant.

    Police spokesman, Lieutenant John Stanford, said: "Based on how this young lady is fighting, it looks like she's fighting for her life."

    Her glasses and mobile phone were found lying on the street nearby.

    The FBI has put up a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of her abductor.


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    Jailed Pastor's Daughter Held In China

    By Sky News Beijing Team

    The daughter of a jailed Chinese Christian pastor has been detained by authorities in what her husband claims is an attempt to silence her ahead of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

    Zhang Shanshan is the daughter of Pastor Zhang Shaojie, the leader of Nanle County Church in China's Henan Province, who was arrested in November last year along with 23 of his parishioners.

    Pastor Zhang was sentenced to 12 years in jail for "gathering crowds to disturb public order" and "fraud", after a secret detention spanning seven months.

    His case has pitted a Christian community against the local government in a dispute over freedom to worship and the right to own land.

    Sky News has learned that Ms Zhang was taken away by unknown men at around 11am on Wednesday while she was grocery shopping in her hometown.

    Her husband, Hah CheeChuan, a Malaysian national, called her repeatedly when she failed to return home but there was no answer.

    Ms Zhang eventually called back, and managed to shout the name of the hotel in which she was being held.

    Minutes later Mr Hah received a text message from his wife saying: "Nanle Hotel, help me!"

    A series of text messages between husband and wife then revealed that two other women were also being held in the same hotel.

    One of them was Ms Zhang's aunt and the other was church leader Fan Ruizhen. It is believed the local government wanted to demolish their church before Ms Fan could be released.

    Ms Zhang's husband told Sky News that he believed his wife was detained because the local government feared she would try to publicise her father's "unjust" arrest while world leaders were in China for the APEC summit.

    He said: "They tried to cover up the ugly things in the country, and they don't want the outside world to know what is going on in China.

    Video: Jailed Chinese Pastor's Family Flee

    "So I think that's why they've arrested them, and put them somewhere else."

    US President Barack Obama, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Russian President Vladimir Putin are among world leaders scheduled to attend the meeting.

    The US government is aware of Pastor Zhang's case.

    In July, US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said: "I want to express deep concern by the United States by reports that Zhang Shaojie was convicted 4 July and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment in retaliation for his peaceful advocacy on behalf of his church community.

    "We call on Chinese authorities to release Pastor Zhang and we urge China to cease harassment of his family members and congregants."

    Video: China's Christian Challenge

    The hostility and danger faced by some Chinese Christians was witnessed by Sky News in December last year.

    A Sky News crew was attacked by a group of local people believed to have been hired by the government as they investigated Pastor Zhang's arrest. Sky News was removed by force from the town and told not to return.

    The team secured a secret meeting with Pastor Zhang's other daughter Zhang Huixin, who was in hiding with her baby daughter. She described the violent arrest of her father.

    Earlier this year Zhang Huixin - also known as Yunyun - and her husband escaped from China with their baby daughter, and sought shelter in the US state of Texas.

    Despite the constitutional rights to religious freedom, China's Christians are among a number of religious groups persecuted by the authorities.


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    Indonesia Journalist Held Over Murder He Reported

    An Indonesian crime journalist is being held on suspicion of killing a man and then reporting news of his death soon afterwards.

    Edison Purba, who worked for the Pekanbaruexpress.com website, was arrested last week in connection with the death of a man soon after he had taken money out of a bank in Pekanbaru city on Sumatra island.

    "According to evidence, Edison was involved," said the city's chief detective, Mr Hariwiyawan, going on to explain that Purba had regularly contacted police for news on crime stories.

    The suspect is believed to have returned to the scene of the killing and reported on it for the website, according to police and media reports.

    His report was published, together with a photograph Purba took of the victim lying on a blood-stained road.

    In the report, Purba identified the victim as Mulyono, 35, but said the killer and motive were not known.

    The reporter and two other suspects were arrested after one of them turned himself in.

    "One of them didn't get the money that was supposed to be split among them. That was why he confessed to the police," said Mr Hariwiyawan.

    "They are accusing each other of being the killer.

    "From the other suspect's confession, we knew that Edi was on the motorcycle with another suspect called Amin, but Edi said he wasn't.

    "But, from the evidence, we concluded that Edi was involved in this case or at least he knew. The witnesses saw him on the spot too."

    After the arrest, the head of the TV journalists' union, Yusril Ardanis, said: "I hope this case will become an example and learning point for everyone and especially for the authorities in charge of the regulations as it is way too easy to create a media outlet for unclear purposes."


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    Car Rams Pedestrians As Jerusalem Clashes Erupt

    A driver has rammed his car into a crowd of pedestrians in East Jerusalem before getting out and attacking people with a metal bar - killing one and injuring 13.

    The man was shot dead at the scene by police, who described the incident as a "hit-and-run terror attack".

    "A commercial vehicle hit and ran over pedestrians at a light rail station," police spokeswoman Luba Samri said.

    She indicated that the incident took place on the border between west and annexed East Jerusalem.

    Emergency services spokesman Zaki Heller said the car had driven down the light rail tracks then ploughed into people waiting on the platform.

    Video: Jerusalem Pedestrians Run Down

    Police named the attacker as 38-year-old Palestinian Ibrahim al-Akri, who they said had recently been released from prison after serving time for security offences.

    There was no immediate claim of responsibility by any Palestinian organisation but Hamas, the group which runs Gaza, praised the attack and called for more violence.

    Hamas official Fawzi Barhoum said: "We praise this heroic operation."

    "We call for more such ... operations."

    Video: Aftermath Of Jerusalem Car Attack

    A similar attack took place in the same area on October 23.

    It came as Israeli police clashed with Palestinian protesters at the city's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound after hardline Jewish nationalists announced plans to visit the site despite weeks of soaring tensions.

    Jordan announced it was recalling its ambassador to Israel in protest at the Jewish state's "violations" in Jerusalem and its holy sites.

    Jordan's state news agency said the decision was taken "in protest at the increasing and unprecedented Israeli escalation in the Noble Sanctuary, and the repeated Israeli violations of Jerusalem".

    1/13

    1. Gallery: Jerusalem: Fresh Clashes As Car Rams Crowd

      Israeli firefighters prepare to tow the vehicle of a Palestinian man at the scene of what police said appeared to be a deliberate attack on pedestrians in East Jerusalem

    An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man looks into the vehicle near the scene of the attack

    ]]>

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    Dozens Held After Christian Couple Killed By Mob

    Dozens of people have been arrested in Pakistan after a mob beat a Christian couple to death and burned their bodies for allegedly desecrating the Koran.

    A police official in Kot Radha Kishan, 40 miles (64 kms) from Lahore, said the bodies were set on fire in the brick kiln where the couple worked.

    Local media said they were accused of burning a copy of the Koran and throwing it into a rubbish bin.

    "We have arrested 44 people, it was a local issue incited by the mullah of a local mosque," a regional police chief told Reuters.

    He added: "No particular sectarian group or religious outfit was behind the attack."

    Video: Dozens Killed In Pakistan Blast

    The attack is the latest in a series on people accused of religious offences in the primarily Muslim country.

    Last month a British man with a history of mental illness who had been sentenced to death for blasphemy was shot by a prison guard in his cell.

    Also in October, a Pakistani court upheld the death penalty against a Christian woman, Asia Bibi, who was found guilty of making derogatory remarks about the Prophet Mohammed.

    The case drew global headlines after two prominent politicians who tried to help her were assassinated.

    Video: Pakistan Arrests Malala Shooters

    Blasphemy is a highly sensitive issue in Pakistan and those accused of it are sometimes lynched on the spot.

    Christians make up about four per cent of the population and tend to keep a low profile for their own safety.

    Sunni Muslim militants frequently bomb targets they see as heretical, including Christians, and Sufi and Shi'ite Muslims.

    All of Pakistan's minorities say the state fails to protect them against violence.


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    Spanish Nurse Cured Of Ebola To Leave Hospital

    A Spanish nurse who was the first person to catch Ebola outside Africa is to leave hospital after being cured of the virus.

    Teresa Romero, 44, was part of a team at the Carlos III hospital in Madrid who looked after a Spanish missionary who caught the disease in Africa.

    Health officials revealed Ms Romero had twice entered the missionary's room - once to change an incontinence pad and again to retrieve items after he died. She then accidentally touched her face while wearing gloves used during the clean up.

    She was diagnosed with Ebola on October 6, becoming the first person to catch the disease outside Africa in the current outbreak which has killed nearly 5,000 people, mainly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

    Ms Romero was treated with anti-virals and human serum containing antibodies from Ebola survivors and was declared cured on October 21, although she has remained in hospital until she was declared strong enough to leave.

    "She will be able to lead a normal life, there is no more trace of the virus in her body," said the head of the hospital's infectious diseases unit, Jose Ramon Arribas.

    Video: British Military Test Ebola Clinic

    "We have to give her time for a full recovery from a very dramatic event," he added.

    Another three people were quarantined at the hospital, including the woman's husband - who had made a video appeal for authorities not to destroy the couple's dog Excalibur.

    But the animal was put down at the veterinary hospital at Madrid's Complutense University as a precaution, despite protests from animal welfare campaigners.

    Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has promised "transparency" over the Ebola scare, which has raised questions about the country's safety procedures.

    Spain tightened its Ebola control measures following complaints of inadequate training and protective suits that were too small for hospital staff.

    Among the measures introduced was a lowering of the temperature at which a fever serves as a warning that a patient could have the virus.

    Doctors said they could not be sure if the medication given to Ms Romero had been responsible for her recovery.

    "In the absence of a control group, it is difficult to know what worked for our patient," said Marta Arsuaga.


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    Rocket Explosion: 'Hazardous Materials' Warning

    Written By Unknown on Rabu, 29 Oktober 2014 | 23.11

    People have been warned to keep away from any hazardous debris they might find after an unmanned rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station exploded seconds after lift-off.

    NASA footage showed the Antares rocket, built and launched by Orbital Sciences Corp, bolting off its coastal launch pad at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and exploding in a huge fireball seconds later.

    Enveloped in flames, the rocket collapsed to the ground, as a cloud of dark grey smoke rose from the wreckage.

    No one was injured and the damage so far appears to be limited to the facilities, according to the company.

    Ronda Miller, manager of the Ocean Deli in Wallops Island, told the Reuters news agency she felt the force of the blast from five miles (8km) away.

    Video: 'Holy Cow': Plane Captures Fireball

    Investigators quickly secured the perimeter of the area and blocked any outside interviews of witnesses or staff, citing classified equipment that had been aboard.

    The cause is not yet known, and NASA mission control in Houston, Texas, called it a "catastrophic anomaly".

    Engineers said the countdown had gone according to plan and there were no issues apparent with the machinery.

    Video: Beware 'Hazardous' Rocket Debris

    Speaking at a news conference, Orbital Sciences executive vice president Frank Culbertson warned of the dangers of debris around the site.

    He said: "I do want to caution the public…This is an accident site and it is a rocket. It had a lot of hazardous equipment, hazardous materials on board, that people should not be looking for or wanting to collect souvenirs over."

    Anyone who finds anything should not touch it, keep others away from it and contact the local authorities, Mr Culbertson added.

    Video: 'Launch Failures Do Happen'

    The rocket was carrying a Cygnus spacecraft packed with nearly 5,000lb (2,200kg) of food, supplies and materials for space experiments.

    One of the items on board was a nitrogen tank to manage the ISS' air supply, said Tariq Malik, managing editor of Space.com, who also added that some scientists had been waiting years to get their hardware on board.

    Also among its payload were some Maryland crab cakes for the space station crew.

    1/12

    1. Gallery: Antares Rocket Explodes In Huge Fireball

      These images capture the moment a rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station exploded seconds after lift-off from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia

    2. The rocket was unmanned and no one is thought to have been injured

    3. The cause of the explosion is unknown but authorities have warned people not to touch any of the debris as it could be "hazardous"

    4. NASA confirmed that the crew of the ISS is not in danger because of the failed mission

    5. The Cygnus spacecraft was carrying nearly 5,000lb (2,200kg) of food, supplies and materials for space experiments

    6. A picture of the craft docking with the International Space Station on a previous mission. Continue through for more pictures

    12. A map showing where the launch could be viewed from on the US east coast

    The launch was postponed on Monday after a boat ventured into a restricted zone within 10 minutes of take-off.

    NASA is paying Virginia-based Orbital Sciences and California-based SpaceX to keep the space station stocked after the space agency retired its own space shuttles.

    Orbital has a $1.9bn (£1.1bn) contract with NASA for a total of eight supply missions. The rocket itself and the cargo ship were valued at $200m (£123m).

    Video: What Was On Board Rocket?

    The mission, known as CRS-3, was to be Orbital's fourth trip to the ISS.

    After the launch, Cygnus was meant to remain in orbit until 2 November, then fly itself to the station so astronauts could use a robotic crane to snare the capsule and attach it to a berthing port.

    NASA spokesman Rob Navias said there was nothing on the rocket that was urgently needed by the six people living on the station.


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    President Sata Of Zambia Dies In London

    Zambian president Michael Sata has died in hospital in London, the country's government has announced.

    The 77-year-old died on Tuesday night at the King Edward VII hospital where he was being treated for an undisclosed illness.

    His wife, Christine Kaseba, and his son, Mulenga Sata, the mayor of the Zambian capital Lusaka, were at his side.

    In a statement Zambian cabinet secretary Roland Msiska urged Zambians "to remain calm, united and peaceful during this very difficult period".

    Vice president Guy Scott has been appointed acting head of state in Zambia following Mr Sata's death.

    Aged 70, he will remain in post until presidential elections are held in three months' time.

    "Elections for the office of president will take place within 90 days. In the interim I am acting president," Mr Scott said in a brief televised address.

    "The period of national mourning will start today. We will miss our beloved president and comrade."

    Mr Sata, who was nicknamed "King Cobra" because of his sharp tongue, had been president of Zambia, Africa's second-largest copper producer, since 2011.

    The cause of his death was not immediately revealed, although he had been ill for some time.

    Concern over his health had been mounting since June when he disappeared from public view without explanation and was later said to be receiving medical treatment in Israel.

    Mr Sata missed a scheduled speech at the UN General Assembly in September amid reports that he had been taken ill in his New York hotel.

    A few days before that he had attended the opening of parliament in Lusaka, when he joked: "I am not dead."

    The Zambian kwacha fell two per cent against the dollar at the news of his passing.

    However, traders said this was likely to be temporary because of the underlying strength of the economy, which is expected to grow seven per cent this year.

    Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Mr Sata had "played a commanding role in the public life of his country over three decades", adding: "I would like to offer my condolences to his family and to the Zambian people at this time."


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    Rocket Blast 'Catastrophe' Is Not The First

    The "catastophic" Antares explosion off the US east coast is not the first failure of a rocket used in a NASA mission.

    Most pass off without any serious glitches, but a few infamous missions, such as the Challenger disaster and Apollo 13, have given the space agency some its darkest days - and even threatened to bring a halt to America's space programme.

    :: Apollo 1 - 27 January, 1967

    Three astronauts died when a fire broke out during a launch-pad test.

    NASA eased up in its space race with the Soviets after the deaths of Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee and made crucial design and safety changes.

    :: Apollo 13 - 13 April, 1970

    Immortalised in the Hollywood blockbuster starring Tom Hanks, the spacecraft was crippled when a tank carrying liquid oxygen exploded and cut off its power.

    Apollo 13 was heading for the moon on America's third landing mission.

    The three astronauts survived by decamping to the lunar module until they were able to fly the main craft back to earth.

    :: Challenger - 2 January, 1986

    One of the most iconic news events of the 1980s - the shuttle violently broke up 73 seconds after lift-off at Florida's Cape Canaveral.

    The devastating images were broadcast around the world.

    Seven crew, including teacher Christa McAuliffe, were killed and the shuttle programme was shelved for nearly three years.

    An investigation found the explosion was caused when an O-ring seal in one of the rocket boosters failed, allowing pressurised hot gas to escape.

    :: Columbia - 1 February, 2003

    Seven more astronauts died when the shuttle disintegrated on re-entry, spewing debris over Texas and Louisiana.

    The shuttle's left wing was damaged during launch, said investigators, when foam insulation on the fuel tank broke off.

    The damage meant gases from the atmosphere were able to penetrate and destroy the wing as it made its approach back to Earth.

    :: Wallops Island - 22 August, 2008

    Nasa destroyed another unmanned rocket by remote control just 27 seconds into its flight when it veered off course - again at Virginia's Wallops Island.

    Carrying research satellites, it was downed to protect the public at a height of around 12,000ft (3,657m).

    Experts said they did not know why it strayed from its flight path.


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