Category: news

Cholera has now spread to six of 10 regions in Haiti

Cholera is spreading quickly in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, as the death toll rises across the quake-hit country.

More than 80 people have died in the last 24 hours across the country, according to the health ministry, taking the death toll to 724.

Three people have already died of the disease in Port-au-Prince, after it was confirmed in the city early this week.

Officials say six out of 10 regions are now reporting infections.

More than 11,000 people have been infected in total since the outbreak began in October. There have been about 1,000 new cases recorded each day this week, with the death toll rising steeply as the days pass.

Aid agencies are battling to contain it in Port-au-Prince, amid fears that it will spread through tented camps which house 1.1m earthquake survivors.

“We greatly fear a flare-up in the capital which would be serious given the conditions in the camps,” Claude Surena, president of the Haitian Medical Association, told AFP.

“If cholera cases continue to rise at this rate, we’ll quickly be overwhelmed,” warned Yves Lambert, head of infectious diseases at the main public hospital in the city.

Meanwhile, the first portion of US financial aid for reconstruction in Haiti is on its way, more than seven months after it was promised to help the country re-build after the earthquake in January.

The $120 million (£74m) – about a tenth of the amount pledged in total by the US – has faced several delays.

Only 37.8% of the money pledged by all countries for 2010-11 has been delivered to the poverty-stricken nation.

A spokesman for the World Health Organisation in Haiti, Christian Lindmeier, told the BBC that cholera hadn’t yet been detected in neighbouring Dominican Republic, despite concern that the epidemic could cross the border.

The disease broke out in the Artibonite River valley in central Haiti in mid-October and initially seemed to have been contained, but cases have since soared.

Flooding caused by Hurricane Tomas is believed to have exacerbated conditions and helped spread the disease further, officials have said.

The storm at the end of last week left 20 people dead, with 36 injured and 11 missing.

Cholera causes diarrhoea and vomiting, leading to severe dehydration. It can kill quickly but is treated easily through rehydration and antibiotics.

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Cisco chief executive John Chambers tried to reassure investors that the performance was “solid”

Shares in IT networking giant Cisco Systems have fallen sharply following disappointing first quarter results.

Net income rose, by 8% to $1.8bn (£1.1bn; 730m euros), but investors were expecting more.

They were also rattled by comments about the outlook for the firm, which its chief executive said faced “unusual uncertainty”.

Cisco shares fell 13% in after-hours trading in New York, and by as much as 12% in morning trading in Frankfurt.

However, Cisco’s chief executive John Chambers described the results as “solid”, despite the “challenging economic environment”.

Investors consider Cisco as a bellwether, reflecting the health of companies in the sector as it dominates the market for the technology behind corporate IT networks.

Some analysts fear that it is lagging behind faster-growing rivals.

“If you look at what Cisco’s peers have said, as well as other data points in the supply chain, they’ve been arguably more upbeat,” said Kaufman Bros analyst Shaw Wu.

However, Mr Chambers said the key factor was the economy not more intense competition.

“Our execution in areas we can control and influence speak to the success and relevance of the company’s strategy.”

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Nick Miller gives the latest weather forecast

Severe gales of up to 80mph (129km/h) could hit parts of northern England and north Wales overnight, the Met Office is warning.

A spokeswoman said “very, very strong winds” were expected and could cause disruption and damage to trees.

Met Office weather warnings are in place for north West England, Yorkshire and Humber, and Anglesey.

Roads, bridges and ferry services in Wales were affected on Thursday morning by strong winds and localised flooding.

West to southwesterly winds are forecast to strengthen in northern England and north Wales during the late afternoon, building to a peak by the middle of the night, and easing off slowly through Friday morning.

The Highways Agency said it had issued an Amber Alert for high-sided vehicles, caravans and motorbikes travelling in north-east and north-west England because of the increased risk from strong winds.

BBC weather forecaster Nick Miller said exposed costs and hillsides, especially across the Pennines, would feel the brunt of the winds.

“You will hear the wind outside when you’re trying to sleep,” he added.

Showers are also expected during the afternoon and overnight across much of the UK, with the heaviest rain likely in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Strong winds and rain on Thursday forced the closure of the old M48 Severn Bridge crossing to high vehicles, and the introduction of speed restrictions on the A55 Britannia Bridge at Anglesey and along the south Wales stretch of the M4.

Ferry services were also disrupted, and there were reports of fallen trees and power cables in Monmouthshire and Camarthenshire.

Flight and ferry crossings to the Isle of Man have also been cancelled.

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The vase is thought to have left China about 150 years ago

A vase found in a house-clearance in London has been sold for £43m, thought to be a record for any Chinese artwork.

The 18th Century Qianlong-dynasty porcelain piece had been estimated to fetch up to £1.2m for the brother and sister who inherited it.

“The sister had to go out of the room and have a breath of fresh air,” said Helen Porter from Bainbridges auction house in Ruislip, north-west London.

The vase is yellow and sky blue in colour with a fish motif on the front.

The buyer – who is thought to have come from the Chinese mainland – paid £43m, with an additional premium of £8.6m to go to the auctioneer.

The family who inherited the piece “had no idea what they had”, Ms Porter said.

“They were hopeful but they didn’t dare believe until the hammer went down.”

It is thought the vase left China in about 1860, and belonged to one family for about 70 years.

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The Hammer Films franchise has been resurrected after three decades and filming is currently underway on its first English production.

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A woman suffered serious injuries after being impaled by the branch of a tree which smashed into her car in high winds.

Police said the tree crashed down on the outskirts of Wakefield on Thursday evening.

The incident blocked Aberford Road near the junction with Beaumont Street.

The woman was taken to nearby Pinderfields Hospital for treatment after being freed from the car. Another person was also hurt.

A police spokeswoman said officers were called to scene on the A642 – which is the main Wakefield to Rothwell route – just before 2030 GMT.

She said: “It looks like there are two injured parties – one seriously injured.

“The road is closed and is likely to stay that way for a while.”

A West Yorkshire Fire Service spokeswoman described the seriously injured woman as having been “impaled” by a branch.

She said: “This was a tree fallen onto a car and one female, impaled by a branch, was extricated by fire service personnel and passed into the hands of the ambulance service.”

The spokeswoman said three fire crews were called to the scene.

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Canadian mob boss Nicolo Rizzuto is shot dead in his Montreal home, following months of attacks against his family and associates.

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Part of Plymouth city centre is evacuated after an unexploded bomb is discovered on a building site by workmen.

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Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton accepts a violent conduct charge after punching Morten Gamst Pedersen at St James’ Park and apologises to the Blackburn Rovers player.

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Gales are expected to reach up to 80mph in north Wales

Poor weather conditions are affecting the main transport links across Wales.

Storms overnight have brought localised flooding and lane closures to several arterial routes.

The old M48 Severn Bridge crossing is closed to high vehicles and speed restrictions are in place on the A55 Britannia Bridge at Anglesey and along the South Wales stretch of the M4.

Ferry services are being disrupted due to adverse weather on the Irish sea and storms are expected to hit North Wales.

Wind speeds of 43mph (69.2 kmph) have also been reported in the north and gusts could reach 80mph (129 kmph) later.

Wind speeds are expected to average between 30 and 50mph (48kmph and 80kmph) with gusts of up to 70-80mph (113 kmph- 129kmph) in the north.

Drivers are being urged to take care across the country, with flooding affecting many roads.

Flooding is affecting the A470 in Cardiff, at the Gabalfa roundabout. There has also been an accident northbound near Upper Boat and delays are possible.

The A466 is blocked due to a fallen tree near Trelleck Road at Tintern.

There are also reports of fallen power cables on the A40 eastbound between the B4310 and the B4297.

Flood water is also affecting the junction where the A470 meets the M4 at Junction 32.

One lane is closed due to flooding on the A470 northbound at Treforest and at Nantgarw.

The B4309 at Five Roads, Llanelli, is also partially blocked due to flooding around Rehoboth Road (Heol Rehoboth). Motorists are being advised to approach with care.

There are also reports of flooding and debris on the road on the A472 at Nelson, Caerphilly.

Also rain is causing problems with visibility on the M4 at Junction 23(Magor) and at Junction 49 (Pont Abraham roundabout).

Fire crews have been called to assist at several incidents of localised flooding.

Householders in the Brithweunydd area of Trealaw are receiving help pumping out flood water,

Firefighters are also at a house in Perthcelyn, Mountain Ash following a call at 6.30am.

Traffic Wales cameras show that matrix signs are set to 30mph on the A55 Britannia Bridge, due to the strong gusts between J8A A5 Ffordd Caergybi / Holyhead Road and J9 A487 (Treborth).

On the M48 Severn Bridge Westbound the main carriageway is closed to high vehicles and HGVs due to strong winds at J1 A403 / B4461 (Aust) in both directions but the bridge remains open.

High-sided vehicles are asked to find an alternative route and a diversion is in place via the slip roads,

The 10:00 and Stena Line services between Holyhead and Dun Laoghaire and the 13:15 between Dun Laoghaire and Holyhead have been cancelled due to adverse weather conditions.

BBC Wales has the latest online travel news and weather updates.

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Red Bull say they will leave it up to their drivers to decide whether to switch positions to beat Fernando Alonso, if the situation occurs.

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A man who posted a message on Twitter threatening to blow up South Yorkshire’s Robin Hood Airport loses an appeal against his conviction.

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Harry Potter fans camped out in London’s Leicester Square ahead of the premiere of the penultimate film.

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The National Union of Journalists offers to suspend next week’s strikes at the BBC to allow talks over proposed changes to its pension scheme.

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A large blast rocks the centre of Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, leaving at least 10 dead and 40 injured.

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