Rocket Explosion: 'Hazardous Materials' Warning

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.

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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."

Guy Scott has become Africa's first white leader in 20 years

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.

The Columbia crew were killed after their shuttle's wing was damaged

:: 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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Netanyahu Dismisses 'Coward' Claims From US

By Tom Rayner, Middle East Reporter, in Jerusalem

Israel's Prime Minister has vowed not to bow to "pressure" from Washington, after US administration officials reportedly labelled him a "coward".

An article in The Atlantic magazine quoted unnamed White House officials condemning Benjamin Netanyahu for lacking political courage, his posturing over the Iranian nuclear issue, and for his commitment to the continued construction of illegal settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

The article is the latest sign of the apparently deteriorating relationship between the Israeli and US leaderships.

Officials in Mr Netanyahu's office said the Prime Minister would "continue to meet the security interests of Israel's citizens and the rights of the Jewish people in Jerusalem".

Ties between traditional allies US and Israel are increasingly strained

"No pressure will change that."

Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, the leader of pro-settler Jewish Home party, called on the Obama administration to reject the criticisms, which also described Mr Netanyahu as being "chickens***".

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1. Gallery: September 2014: West Bank Clashes

   A Palestinian protester uses a sling to throw stones towards Israeli border policemen during clashes following a protest against the near-by Jewish settlement of Qadomem, in the West Bank village of Kofr Qadom near Nablus

3. A Palestinian protester uses a sling to throw stones towards Israeli border policemen

4. A Palestinian protester throws back a gas canister towards Israeli border policemen

6. Israeli soldiers and border policemen run towards Palestinian protesters

7. Mourners chant slogans during the funeral of Palestinian prisoner Raed al-Jaabari in the West Bank city of Hebron

8. A Palestinian protester pushes a burring tyre towards Israeli troops during clashes following funeral of Palestinian prisoner Raed al-Jaabari in the West Bank city of Hebron

"Serious curses such as these towards the Prime Minister of Israel are hurtful to millions of Israeli citizens and Jews around the world," said Mr Bennett.

"If what was written is true, the current government is planning to throw Israel under the wheels of the bus. I call for the US government to renounce these provocative insults and reject them out of hand."

The article in The Atlantic come days after reports the Israeli government is forwarding plans for the construction of a further 1,000 housing units in settlements in East Jerusalem.

Some 600 new units were penned for the Ramat Sholmo settlement in North East Jerusalem, and 400 in the Har Homa settlement, on the southern edge of the city.

Israeli settlements beyond the so-called "green line", which represents Israel's pre-1967 borders, are considered illegal under international law.

Israel seized east Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it - a move which has never been recognised by the international community.

The latest announcement prompted stern criticism from EU governments and the US.

US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said: "We continue to make our position absolutely clear that we view settlement activity as illegitimate and unequivocally oppose unilateral steps that prejudge the future of Jerusalem."

But, speaking at the Israeli Parliament on Tuesday, Mr Netanyahu said: "I've heard the claim that our construction in Jewish neighbourhoods in Jerusalem distances peace."

"It's this criticism that distances peace. These statements are detached from reality, they foster false statements by Palestinians."

Later on Wednesday the UN Security Council will discuss Israel's settlement announcements, following a request by Jordan.

Palestinian officials have warned the announcement of further settlement construction will fuel rising tensions in Jerusalem and the West Bank, where protests and violent incidents have been on the increase.

On Friday a Palestinian teenager was shot dead during protests.

Last week a three-month-old Israeli baby was killed and several other people injured when a Palestinian man drove his car into a crowd waiting at a tram station.

Days earlier a five-year-old Palestinian girl was run over and killed by an Israeli settler in the West Bank.

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Angry Mugabe Fights To Remain Zimbabwe Leader

A furious Robert Mugabe has gone on national television to insist that he is still in control as Zimbabwe's President.

The 90-year-old, who is Africa's oldest leader, is trying to reassert his authority in the former British colony amid fears that rivals in the ZANU-PF party are plotting to overthrow him.

He said: "Some are saying 'Mr Mugabe is old, so he should step down'. Me, who brought the party to where it is now, who experienced colonial rule, jail, and was in the bush alongside the freedom fighters?

"Then along comes a mere child. No! When my time comes, I will tell you."

Grace Mugabe, 41 years younger than her husband, could be next in line

Mugabe has been in power since 1980, when Zimbabwe secured its independence.

But younger politicians, such as Vice President Joice Mujuru, have been tipped as potential successors when he steps down.

There have also been rumours that Mugabe's wife, Grace, may have ambitions to take over from her husband.

The 49-year-old has secured a surprise nomination to run the influential women's wing of ZANU-PF, in what would be her first foray into politics.

However, her husband is expected to be re-confirmed as ZANU-PF's leader at its annual congress in December.

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Free Syrian Army Rebels Join Fight For Kobani

Rebels from the Free Syrian Army have joined Kurdish fighters in their battle to defend Kobani from Islamic State militants, officials have confirmed.

As many as 150 men travelled to the embattled town, on the Turkey-Syria border, in the early hours of Wednesday. They were escorted in an eight-vehicle convoy.

But the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it believed just 50 Free Syrian Army fighters have been deployed to the town.

US and allied airstrikes have continued to target IS positions near Kobani

Their arrival came at the same time as that of Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga troops, who were sent to Kobani with the blessing of the Turkish and Iraqi governments.

It is thought that the group are equipped with anti-armour and anti-tank weapons to help defend themselves from IS fighters.

Video: I.S. Hostage Appears In New Video

The US State Department has said it "certainly encourages" the deployment of Iraqi Kurds to the embattled region.

Since IS launched its assault on Kobani and surrounding villages, more than 800 people have died, with an estimated 200,000 people fleeing across the border into Turkey for refuge.

On Tuesday, a video purporting to show British hostage John Cantlie in Kobani was released by IS.

Video: US Airdrops Allegedly Intercepted

In the footage, Mr Cantlie discounted claims that IS militants had been driven out of the town and said US-led airstrikes were not halting their advances.

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Ebola: DEC Launches 'Unprecedented' Appeal

The Disasters Emergency Committee is to launch a major television appeal over the Ebola crisis, the first time it has called for donations in response to a disease.

The committee, which is made up of 13 of the UK's major aid charities, said it took the decision because the killer virus threatens to become a "catastrophe".

The DEC described the spread of the virus as "explosive", and said it was devastating communities, health services and people's ability to support themselves.

Ebola, which has killed almost 5,000 people and infected more than 13,000, has hit Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea the hardest.

The DEC said some parts of West Africa faced catastrophe within 60 days unless urgent help was provided.

Video: Ebola: Volunteer's Video Diary

The UK's main broadcasters, including Sky News, are due to screen the appeal tomorrow.

DEC chief executive Saleh Saeed said: "This appeal is completely unprecedented and that is a sign of just how serious the situation in West Africa has become.

"In its 50 year history the DEC has launched appeals for humanitarian disasters caused by floods, famines, earthquake, typhoons, and countless conflicts.

"We have never run an appeal in response to a disease outbreak - until today.

Video: Ebola Tales: The Orphans

"While many chronic diseases cause untold suffering in poorer countries, the worst acute outbreaks of deadly diseases such as measles or cholera have usually occurred in the wake of another type of disaster.

"In West Africa today we are seeing a disease create not just a medical crisis but a humanitarian emergency.

"Without urgent action to stop the spread of Ebola and to help those affected by the crisis, parts of West Africa face catastrophe within 60 days."

DEC members, including the British Red Cross, Oxfam and World Vision, have already been involved in helping dispose of victims' bodies, running treatment centres and providing food to families.

Video: Ebola In UK - What Would You Do?

The BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky will carry the appeal, the DEC said, with support from the committee's major partners including ITN, BT, Post Office, British Bankers Association, Royal Mail, RadioCentre and NewsNow.

Ahead of the appeal, the World Health Organisation said there had now been 13,703 Ebola cases in eight countries and revealed the spread of the virus may be slowing down in Liberia.

The organisation's assistant director General Bruce Aylward said: "Do we feel confident that the response is now getting an upper hand on the virus? Yes, we are seeing slowing rate of new cases, very definitely."

But he said he would be "terrified" if people interpreted his statement as meaning the disease was under control, adding: "It's like saying your pet tiger is under control." 

Video: How Ebola Attacks The Human Body

He said if current trends continued, the worst hit countries - Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone - should be able to "comfortably" meet a target to scale up Ebola containment measures by 1 December.

In the US, Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered all troops returning from Ebola missions in West Africa to be kept in supervised isolation for 21 days.

More than 1,000 US troops are in Liberia and Senegal supporting efforts to combat the virus.

:: To make a donation visit www.dec.org.uk, call the 24 hour hotline on 0370 60 60 900 or donate £5 by texting the word SUPPORT to 70000.

Video: Ebola: Busting The Myths

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Dewani's Tears On Fourth Wedding Anniversary

Shrien Dewani was seen wiping tears from his eyes as CCTV footage of his late wife, Anni, was shown in court.

The British businessman became emotional as Zola Tongo, the taxi driver serving 18 years for his role in her death, continued to give evidence at Dewani's murder trial.

Wednesday would have marked the couple's fourth wedding anniversary.

At Western Cape High Court in South Africa, Tongo talked through video clips which showed him escorting the pair around Cape Town on their honeymoon.

Tongo pictured during a court appearance in 2010

The convicted criminal described how he handed himself into police after Ms Dewani was killed. Her husband denies any involvement in her death, and says their car was hijacked.

Explaining why he chose to co-operate with police, Tongo said: "What I did was wrong. I was a fool. I was misled."

In earlier evidence, the prisoner alleged that Dewani was willing to pay him 5,000 Rand (£285) to arrange for his wife to be "taken out" during their holiday.

The 31-year-old claimed he was angry because he only received 1,000 Rand (£57) following the crime.

On Wednesday morning, Francois Van Zyl, defending Dewani, asked Tongo about the plea agreement he made with the state in December 2010 - one month after Ms Dewani was found dead.

Tongo confirmed he had been facing life in prison for his role in the murder, but instead, he was sentenced to 18 years - with the chance to qualify for parole after nine years.

As Van Zyl continued to question Tongo, the defence claimed that there were several discrepancies in his evidence.

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Video: Woman Is Catcalled 100 Times In A Day

A 24-year-old actress has recorded a secret video documenting the catcalls and harassment she received during a 10-hour walk through New York.

Shoshana Roberts was miked up by friend and filmmaker Rob Bliss and the footage captured the reactions of men as she makes her way around the city.

At one stage, the actor was accompanied by one man for five minutes

Wearing jeans, a T-shirt and trainers, the graduate of Kutztown University, Pennsylvania, said she was subjected to more than 100 unsolicited catcalls during her experiment.

Walking silent and unsmiling through the streets, Ms Roberts attracted attention from men sitting outside stores or moving past her.

At one stage, one man makes a remark and then proceeded to silently walk alongside her for more than five minutes.

Ms Roberts is even urged to acknowledge the comments or to "say thank you more" as the men make supposedly flattering remarks as she walks by.

One man told her: "Somebody's acknowledging your for being beautiful. You should say thank you more."

The film was made for Hollaback!, an international non-profit making group dedicated to ending street harassment.

It was filmed by Rob Bliss, who installed a GoPro camera on his backpack and walked in front of Ms Roberts during the filming.

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Nurse Vows To Flout Ebola Quarantine Rules

By Sky News US Team

A US nurse who is in isolation after treating Ebola patients in West Africa says she does not plan to follow guidelines to quarantine herself until next month.

Kaci Hickox told television morning shows that she will sue if the state tries to keep her in seclusion.

She has tested negative for Ebola, but Maine health officials have recommended she be isolated at home in Fort Kent, Maine, until 10 November as a precaution.

Kaci Hickox was expected to spend quarantine at her boyfriend's home

Ms Hickox said she would remain in seclusion on Wednesday.

She told NBC's Today programme: "If the restrictions placed on me by the state of Maine are not lifted by Thursday morning, I will go to court to fight for my freedom."

Video: Ebola Video Diary: Day 3

Ms Hickox said the policies are "not scientifically or constitutionally just".

"I don't plan on sticking to the guidelines," she added.

She told ABC's Good Morning America programme she remained "completely symptom-free".

Video: Obama Makes Ebola Statement

Lawyers for Ms Hickox said their client would challenge any move by Maine officials to seek a court order to enforce a quarantine.

She was the first person forced into New Jersey's mandatory quarantine after arriving at Newark's airport following her work in Sierra Leone for Doctors Without Borders.

Ms Hickox spent the weekend in a quarantine tent.

Video: Ebola-Free Nurse 'So Grateful'

New York and New Jersey have defended their decision to impose automatic 21-day quarantines on doctors and nurses returning from the three countries at the heart of the outbreak.

But the rules exceed federal guidelines and President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that medical volunteers should not be discouraged from going to the frontline of the fight against Ebola.

He spoke as a Texas nurse who alarmed the public by boarding two US flights after being infected with Ebola from a dying patient walked out of hospital virus free.

Video: Ebola: Busting The Myths

Also on Wednesday, Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered all US troops returning from Ebola missions in West Africa to be kept in supervised isolation for 21 days.

More than 1,000 US troops are in Liberia and Senegal supporting efforts to combat the virus.

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