Category: news

The Western Health Trust has said over 100 patients have attended accident and emergency since the start of the year after being attacked by dogs.

Earlier this week a nine-year-old girl was injured in an attack by two pitbull type dogs in Londonderry.

The dogs had escaped from a neighbour’s yard and have since been put down.

Accident and emergency consultant Dr Paul Bayliss said dog owners need to take greater care and too many of the victims are children.

“One in three is under 10, so it’s a very significant proportion of young children are being bitten,” he said.

“The message is clear – if your animal bites a person and there’s a significant injury the animal will be destroyed. So if you love your pet, keep them under control.

“The frustration is that these injuries are entirely preventable if owners take responsibility and children approach dogs with the correct attitude to be not afraid but wary.”

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

England captain Andrew Strauss says any pleasure at winning the one-day series against Pakistan is tempered by relief that their tour is finally over.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

A Canary Wharf property company reports a fall in profits, thanks largely to the collapse of Lehman Brothers two years ago.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Aerosmith frontman Stephen Tyler and singer Jennifer Lopez will be judges on the forthcoming 10th series of American Idol, it has been announced.

The new line-up was announced by presenter Ryan Seacrest at a press conference in Los Angeles.

Of the original four judges, only record producer Randy Jackson remains.

Simon Cowell quit the programme in May to concentrate on a US version of his show The X Factor, while comedienne Ellen DeGeneres left in July.

Songwriter Kara DioGuardi was the last member of the panel to quit, announcing her decision to stand down earlier this month.

Lopez and Tyler had both been rumoured to be joining the long-running reality show for several weeks.

According to People magazine, Lopez – who has had chart hits with Love Don’t Cost A Thing and Ain’t It Funny – will be paid $12m (£7.7m) for her role on the show.

“We’re looking for the next Michael Jackson,” she told the audience at the televised press conference.

This year’s American Idol finale was the lowest rated since the first series in 2002, with 24.2m tuning in to see former paint salesman Lee DeWyze take the crown.

But the programme remains the most-watched TV show in the US.

The new three judge panel sees the programme revert to its original format – when Jackson and Cowell were joined by singer and choreographer Paula Abdul.

The singing contest is expected to return to US television in January 2011. It is broadcast on ITV2 in the UK.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Channel 4 show The Inbetweeners is named best sitcom at the prestigious Rose d’Or television festival in Lucerne, Switzerland.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Pressure is growing on India to deal urgently with problems concerning its hosting of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, amid increasing criticism and concerns over hygiene and security.

Commonwealth Games Canada’s president told the BBC that Indian officials had been “indifferent bordering on intransigent” in tackling the issues.

New Zealand has now delayed the arrival of its athletes for the event.

India insists next month’s Games will be one of the most successful.

Several participating countries have delegates in the capital urgently checking the facilities at the athletes’ village and the arrangements for security.

The president of the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC), Mike Stanley, said the arrival of its athletes should be delayed until at least 28 September because of problems with accommodation and other issues. The Games start on 3 October.

Mr Stanley said: “It’s tremendously disappointing. The long list of outstanding issues has made it clear the village will now not be ready for New Zealand athletes to move in as planned.”

New Zealand’s Dominion Post newspaper reported that the country was looking at using Singapore as a “holding pen” for its athletes if conditions in Delhi did not improve.

The chief executive of Swimming New Zealand, Mike Byrne, told the BBC that two New Zealand officials were in Delhi and would report later on Thursday about the situation.

He said he was trying to remain optimistic, but added: “If the unthinkable happens and the Games are cancelled, one of the things we need to look at is if there is another competition we can take part in.”

Although Australia’s Games chief said the issue of abandoning the event had not been discussed, Sports Minister Mark Arbib said that the current policy of leaving the decision on whether to attend to the athletes “could change”.

The BBC’s Nick Bryant in Sydney says Australia’s concerns are more with security than the facilities, and that there remains a strong commitment to attend.

Australia’s world champion discus thrower Dani Samuels is one of the athletes who has pulled out.

Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) president Andrew Pipe said he was “cautiously optimistic” progress was being made.

But he added: “It’s incomprehensible that Indian officials have been so indifferent in preparing these facilities, bordering on the intransigent, and that is unacceptable to us.”

Singapore’s Games chief executive said he was in Delhi to monitor the situation and that the time was “critical”.

Sir Andrew Foster, chairman of Commonwealth Games England, said the Games were on a “knife-edge”.

“We remain very concerned about the situation and we will monitor it on an absolutely regular day-by-day basis.”

The team remained “intent on going”, he added, but “all options remain open”.

Scotland has delayed its departure over the accommodation.

Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennell is due to arrive in Delhi on Thursday for a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the problems the event.

On Wednesday, Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna told the BBC that the Games would meet international standards.

Mr Krishna said a prolonged monsoon had hampered preparations, but offered reassurance that security would be provided for every athlete and stadium.

“We will see to it that the Commonwealth Games are conducted according to international standards, and the athletes who come to participate in these Games will feel quite happy about their conditions.

“We will be able to deliver on the Commonwealth Games and it will be one of the most successful Games that the Commonwealth will have undertaken.”

When it came to the safety of those taking part, no compromises would be made, Mr Krishna added.

The event has been plagued by construction delays, allegations of corruption and a dengue fever outbreak in the Indian capital.

On Tuesday, a footbridge under construction collapsed near the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium – the main Games venue – injuring 27 workers. On Wednesday, a section of ceiling caved in at the weightlifting venue.

The state of the athletes’ village has come in for criticism, with complaints of flooding, rooms soiled by excrement and stray dogs sleeping on some beds.

And security fears were heightened at the weekend when two tourists were wounded by gunmen on a motorbike near the Jama Masjid mosque.

Ticket sales have been disappointing and the cost of hosting the largest sporting event in the country’s history has soared, making it the most expensive Games in history, with estimates ranging from $3bn to more than $10bn, as organisers attempt to complete work which only began in 2008.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Tom Elliott, the new leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, has said he wants to see it return as the “top force” in unionism in Northern Ireland.

Mr Elliott, 46, assembly member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, saw off Lagan Valley MLA Basil McCrea by 643 votes to 294 on Wednesday night.

Sir Reg Empey quit as UUP leader in the aftermath of a disastrous general election which left it with no MPs.

Many of the party’s senior figures had declared their backing for Mr Elliott.

On Thursday morning, Mr Elliott said he hoped to change the party’s electoral fortunes

“Want I want to do is have a party that can go forward into the elections and ensure that we will rebuild the Ulster Unionist Party to make it the top force in unionism in Northern Ireland again.

“That’s not an easy job, I accept that,” he said.

Mr Elliott was seen as the “establishment” candidate, with his background as a senior Orangeman and former UDR soldier, while Mr McCrea had hoped to secure enough votes from rank-and-file members, positioning himself as a moderniser.

In the past decade, the UUP has gone from having 10 MPs to none. One of the first tasks for Mr Elliott will be healing any rifts within the party.

“What I want to see is a party that actually represents the population of Northern Ireland,” he said.

“I want to see for the Ulster Unionist Party the same as I want to see for the people of Northern Ireland – that is a working together, that is an integration, not a carve up between two parties or two sections of our community.

“I want an all-embracing party that actually represents Northern Ireland.”

Mr Elliott said Northern Ireland had changed dramatically recently.

“This province has moved on hugely in the last number of years I don’t want to take it back and I will not be taking it back into the bad old days.”

Mr McCrea said he “wished Tom all the best” and admitted he was not particularly surprised by his defeat.

“The important thing is that we had a very good debate, a very good argument.

“I’ve been talking to Tom across the country for the last two or three weeks and a lot of the ideas that we’ve put forward have now been taken up by the party,” he said.

Former party leader Sir Reg Empey also sent his congratulations to his successor from the US, where he is attending the Clinton Global Initiative.

“I would like to offer my warmest congratulations to Tom, who will now take up his place at the helm of the Ulster Unionist Party.

“I look forward to continuing to work alongside Tom and indeed Basil as the party enters this new era,” he said.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

The full extent of the poor conditions at the Commonwealth Games athletes’ village in India have been exposed in photographs seen by BBC Sport.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Sunderland footballer Titus Bramble has been released on bail after being questioned over the rape of a woman at a Newcastle hotel.

The Premier League defender and his brother, Tesfaye, were arrested at the Vermont Hotel on Wednesday after a 19-year-old woman complained to police.

Sunderland’s chairman Niall Quinn said the 29-year-old denied any wrongdoing and that the club stood by him.

Bramble, who also played for Newcastle, joined Sunderland from Wigan.

A spokesman for Northumbria Police said two men, aged 29 and 30, had been bailed until December pending further inquiries.

In a statement released by Sunderland Football Club, Niall Quinn said: “This has been very difficult for everyone at the football club, no-one more so than Titus, who categorically refutes the allegations that have been made against him.”

Bramble, a former England Under-21 member, joined the club from Wigan in the summer.

His older brother has played international football for Montserrat and in the Football League for Southend United and Stockport County.

He most recently played non-league football for Felixstowe and Walton United.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Police are hunting a convicted murderer who has absconded from an open prison near Usk, in Monmouthshire.

Wyndham Richard Thomas, 33, was convicted for aggravated burglary and murder in 1998 and was serving a life sentence at HMP Prescoed.

He is described as white, five feet seven inches tall, medium build with a scar on the right side of his forehead.

It is believed he has contacts in the Caerphilly and Maesteg areas.

Members of the public are advised not to approach Wyndham Thomas and to call Gwent Police on 01633 838111.

Thomas, from Croeserw, was convicted along with two others, Alan Naylor and Christopher Chislett, who together had been breaking into a house in Maesteg in July 2007.

Taxi driver Christopher Williams was fatally stabbed in the heart after he confronted the trio when he returned to find them burgling his house.

His fiancée and their young daughter were both asleep in the house at the time.

Mr Williams, called a “decent and brave young man” by the trial judge, had chased the men down the road and was killed during a fight with Chislett and Naylor.

The judge in the original trial concluded that Chislett had inflicted the fatal wound but Naylor had also been armed with a knife.

Thomas knew both men were armed with knives and might use them in the event of a confrontation, the judge at Swansea Crown said at the end of the trial in 1998.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Man Utd defend manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s decision to miss their Carling Cup victory at Scunthorpe in order to watch Champions League opponents Valencia.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson apologises to fans for their Carling Cup loss to League Two side Northampton, calling it a “a major setback”.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Radio One DJ Chris Moyles has played down an on-air tirade about not being paid, in his first show since he made the comments.

Moyles said he was “not embarrassed, just very bemused” by the furore surrounding his “rant” on Wednesday.

“Yesterday was a ridiculous day,” he said as his show began at 0630 BST. “Hopefully, this will go away.”

The 36-year-old had told listeners he had not been paid for two months, branding it “a huge lack of respect”.

“I am so angry that they’ve put me in this position where now I have to choose whether or not I go to work,” he said.

On Thursday, Moyles said he had been “upset” and “frustrated”, but that the matter had been blown out of proportion by the media.

“I’m very, very moody first thing in the morning,” he said. “I’m not a morning person.

“That rant I did yesterday is not the worst rant I’ve done on air.”

Moyles did not retract or apologise for his comments, saying that “everything I said yesterday I stand by.”

He said he had met Radio One controller Andy Parfitt to discuss the situation on Wednesday night.

The BBC has made no comment about the matter or Moyles’s latest contract, which he signed in July.

On Wednesday, his agent said the issue was in the process of being rectified.

Moyles became Radio One’s longest-serving breakfast DJ last year, overtaking a previous record set by veteran broadcaster Tony Blackburn.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

At least 33 people are now known to have died and 42 are missing after Typhoon Fanapi struck southern China, state media report.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

The election commission in Guinea has proposed 10 October as the revised date for the presidential election run-off.

The poll was due last Sunday, but was postponed following violent clashes between rival supporters.

The new date must be approved by the head of Guinea’s military government, Gen Sekouba Konate. He has said that he does not want any further delays.

Earlier, a UN official warned there was a risk of a military takeover if the second round was postponed further.

“We are getting into a situation where things are getting quite risky and dangerous,” Said Djinnit, the head of the UN Office for West Africa (Unowa), told the Reuters news agency.

“There are people in the army who are looking for excuses,” he warned.

Guinea’s first democratic vote since independence in 1958 is intended to end a political crisis which began with the military seizing power in December 2008 after President Lansana Conte died.

Earlier this month, the interim government postponed the run-off election after fighting in the capital, Conakry, between supporters of the two candidates left one person dead and dozens wounded.

Gen Konate said Guinea was “in danger”, and “moving away from our road map”.

He must now approve the revised date, which was proposed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) on Wednesday.

But the military leader said on Tuesday that he “would not accept” any further delays, and his approval is expected to be a formality.

Gen Konate is seen as anxious to step down and has already threatened to resign.

Before the poll was postponed, the electoral commission had said it needed more time to prepare. It was plunged into chaos earlier this month when its president, Ben Sekou Sylla, was convicted of fraud. He later died after a long illness.

Former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo is seen as the favourite in the run-off after gaining 44% of the vote in the first round.

His rival, veteran opposition leader Alpha Conde, won 18%, but says he was defrauded of some 600,000 votes.

Mr Conde’s complaint led to the conviction of Mr Sylla and another official.

Correspondents say the fighting between the two candidates’ supporters has its origins in tensions between Guinea’s two largest ethnic communities in Guinea. Mr Diallo is a Peul, while Mr Conde is a Malinke.

Despite being the largest ethnic group, a Peul has never been president. The Malinke are heavily represented in the ruling military junta.

Guinea is the world’s largest exporter of the aluminium ore bauxite. It also has important deposits of iron ore. But despite its mineral wealth, the country is one of the poorest in West Africa.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.