Hero Bus Driver In Close Shave With Huge Pole

A bus driver has been hailed a hero after managing to stop his vehicle despite being struck by a huge lamppost smashing through the windscreen.

CCTV footage appears to show Mao Zhihao chatting to someone before spotting the danger ahead, but he has little time to react before the giant blue pole pierces the glass.

Mr Mao was pinned down but managed to steer the vehicle to a halt

He seems to dive out of the way and manages to avoid being hit head-on, but the pole apparently swipes him to the left of his body.

He suffered a ruptured spleen in the accident.

The pole fell because of a separate crash

Mr Mao was able to bring the bus to a halt before rising to his feet and helping the 26 passengers to safety.

"I was pinned down by the lamppost and put the bus into gear instinctively," he said.

"I just wanted to slow the bus down.

Mr Mao was taken to hospital with a ruptured spleen

"I couldn't see the road, and tried to drive it to one side of the road. The bus hit the guardrails and finally stopped."

Mr Mao, who reported the accident to police, was taken to hospital for treatment.

The lamppost toppled after a separate two-car crash in Jiangshan, in China's eastern province of Zheijang, on Monday afternoon.

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North Korea Rocket Strike Threat Targets US

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

North Korea has ordered its military to be ready to strike US bases in Guam, Hawaii and mainland America, according to state TV.

North Korea threatens a missile attack on Guam, Hawaii and the US mainland

"The Korea People's Army top command declares that all artillery troops including strategic rocket units and long-range artillery units are to be placed under class-A combat readiness," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

The announcement came as images were released showing a new round of military exercises by the isolated state.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un talks to a group of female soldiers

The still photographs show what appears to be a sea-borne assault using hovercraft and an artillery drill using multiple rocket launchers - none of which would have the capacity to reach more than a dozen or so miles.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un is pictured visiting troops and watching the exercise from a vantage point above the unidentified beach on the country's east coast.

North Korea has previously threatened a nuclear attack on US military bases

The photographs, released by KCNA, are accompanied by language which matches weeks of rhetoric.

According to the news agency, Mr Kim "stressed the need to destroy and wipe away any enemy who lands on their coast through strong firepower and ordered the soldiers of the heroic Korean People's Army to display their mettle in the great war against the enemies".

It's not thought to have the technology to hit the US with an atomic weapon

"Crazy like wild wolves threatened with fire, send all of them to the bottom of the sea," he is quoted as saying.

The exercise and the photographs of it are a clear response to a series of month-long exercises taking place across the border in South Korea involving American and South Korean troops and naval forces.

Defence analysts have been studying the latest photographs with interest.

Kim Jong-Un is photographed visiting troops

James Hardy, the Asia-Pacific Editor of Jane's Defence Weekly, told Sky News he had not seen hovercraft like those in the photographs before.

However, he added: "I can categorically state that multiple rocket launchers and 'long-range artillery' are not going to threaten the US mainland, Guam or Hawaii, unless they are put on a ship and sailed to within firing distance (which I doubt the North Koreans are about to do)."

Rockets and long-range artillery have been ordered to be combat ready

It has been an uneasy few months on the Korean peninsula with rhetoric and threatening language at a level not seen for several years.

The increased tension comes as Seoul marks the third anniversary of the sinking of a South Korean warship.

On March 26, 2010, the Cheonan was torpedoed by the North Korean military with the loss of 46 sailors.

Order was issued in a statement from the North's military "supreme command"

In December, North Korea launched a satellite into orbit in the tip of a rocket.

Their claim then was that this was all part of Pyongyang's legitimate right to pursue a space programme.

Few countries bought that claim, believing instead that it represented the latest move in North Korea's development of a ballistic missile programme.

The fresh threat marks the latest fiery rhetoric from Pyongyang

The rocket launch was followed in February by an underground nuclear test and a sharp escalation in tension.

Faced with unprecedented UN sanctions, backed by his historical ally China, Mr Kim admitted the rocket launch and nuclear test were indeed all part of his ideological desire to destroy America and its allies.

The warning follows joint military drills by the US and South Korean forces

Asked about the accuracy and range of rockets like that fired in December, Mr Hardy said he believed North Korea was still some way off possessing an operational missile of this type.

"It's a mish mash of fuel types and requires quite a bit of time to assemble on a purpose-built launch pad," he continued.

"The US, or anyone else, would have plenty of time to scope it out before it got airborne so its operational value is quite low even before you start talking about the challenges of placing a warhead on it," he added.

US military bases in the Pacific are in range of its medium-range missiles

The annulment of the armistice agreement with South Korea and repeated threats to attack the South over the past three weeks have, so far, been exposed as nothing more than bluff and bluster.

However, with unattributed cyber attacks in Seoul, repositioned missile defence systems on America's west coast and the presence of US B-52 bombers in the skies above the Korean peninsula, there's no doubt minds across the region and beyond are very focused on a fragile peace and an unpredictable regime.

The South says it has seen no signs of an imminent military action

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Amanda Knox Faces Retrial Over Kercher Death

Italy's highest criminal court has overturned the acquittal of Amanda Knox and her ex-boyfriend for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher, and ordered a retrial.

Knox and Italian Raffaele Sollecito, who were originally sentenced to 26 and 25 years in prison for killing and sexually assaulting Miss Kercher in 2007, were acquitted on appeal in 2011 after four years in prison.

Reacting to the Supreme Court's decision, Knox said it was "painful" to have the acquittal overturned "when the prosecution's theory of my involvement in Meredith's murder has been repeatedly revealed to be completely unfounded and unfair".

Ms Kercher, 21, was found half-naked with her throat slashed in a pool of blood in her bedroom in the house that she shared with Knox in Perugia in November 2007.

The sister of the murdered Briton, Stephanie Kercher, told Sky News her family welcomed the ruling by the Italian court.

Raffaele Sollecito also faces retrial over Ms Kercher's death

Speaking from Coulsdon in Surrey, the elder sibling said there were "still questions that are unanswered and we are all looking to find out the truth".

"Rudy Guede was convicted along with others so we need to to find out who those other people are but as a family we know there is still a long way to go.

"We welcome the decision that a retrial has been ordered and are pleased it is a step forward to finding an answer to some of those questions," she added.

Knox returned home to Seattle immediately after her release. It is possible that she will be tried in absentia in the new hearing, which will take place in Florence, because the United States does not normally extradite its citizens to face legal action.

Knox's lawyer Carlo Dalla Vedova said the 25-year-old student was upset but "willing to fight" and had not yet decided whether she would turn up for the trial in person or not.

A date for the retrial has not yet been set, but it is thought it could be as early as the summer. It is understood that all the DNA evidence will be reviewed.

Rudy Guede is currently in prison over the murder

A third person, Ivory Coast-born drifter Rudy Guede, who like the other two has always denied the murder, is the only person still in jail for the crime.

After choosing to undergo a separate, fast-track trial in 2008, he was found guilty of sexual assault and murder and sentenced to 30 years in prison. This was reduced to 16 years on appeal.

The Kercher family insists that 47 knife wounds on Meredith and the apparent use of two different knives in the attack meant that more than one killer was involved, leaving the second murderer still at large.

Initial handling of the long-running case has been sharply criticised by independent forensic experts.

In her statement following the Supreme Court's decision, Knox said: "I believe that any questions as to my innocence must be examined by an objective investigation and a capable prosecution.

"The prosecution responsible for the many discrepancies in their work must be made to answer for them, for Raffaele's sake, my sake, and most especially for the sake of Meredith's family. Our hearts go out to them.

Meredith Kercher's family have welcomed the latest court ruling

"No matter what happens, my family and I will face this continuing legal battle as we always have, confident in the truth and with our heads held high in the face of wrongful accusations and unreasonable adversity."

Knox had been scheduled to speak about the trial for the first time on American television in April, when her book about the case, called Waiting To Be Heard, is due to be released.

Sollecito, who turned 29 on Tuesday, is now living with his family near Bari in southern Italy.

Before the decision was known, Giulia Bongiorno, the lawyer representing Sollecito said she was convinced the court would not over-rule the acquittal.

"We are hopeful. We know Raffaele Sollecito is absolutely innocent and we expect that it ends here. Even if it doesn't end here we just need to follow the precis, but I am convinced this case will end here," she said before entering the court.

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Hospital Inspector To Name Failing NHS Trusts

A new Chief Inspector of Hospitals will name and shame failing NHS trusts in a shake-up sparked by the Mid Staffordshire scandal.

The new Chief Inspector will give hospitals Ofsted-style rankings for their performance and act as "whistleblower-in-chief".

If trusts fail to deliver, they could be put into a "failure regime" - the equivalent of special measures - and could end up in administration.

Failing NHS bosses will also be put on a blacklist to ensure they cannot just move to a different part of the organisation and keep working.

And NHS providers will have a new "statutory duty of candour" to ensure patients are fully informed if anything goes wrong with their care.

Trusts that fiddle mortality data figures could also face legal sanctions at a corporate level.

In further moves to restore a culture of compassion, student nurses will spend up to a year performing basic frontline work.

Hundreds of people may have died needlessly at Stafford Hospital

Initially under a pilot scheme, they will have to do a placement as a support worker or healthcare assistant in order to receive funding for their studies.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt unveiled the changes as he delivered the Government's initial response to the Francis report into Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

Robert Francis QC made 290 sweeping recommendations for healthcare regulators, providers and the Government.

As many as 1,200 patients may have died needlessly after they were "routinely neglected" at the hospital.

Many were left lying in their own urine and excrement for days, forced to drink water from vases or given the wrong medication.

The Health Secretary said the scandal was "a betrayal of the worse kind" and admitted it was "the NHS' darkest hour".

But he demanded that it become "not a byword for failure but a catalyst for change" as he set out a string of new measures.

He told MPs they would help embed a "culture of zero harm and compassionate care" with patients at its heart.

It is unclear how many of the 290 recommendations were taken up by the Government but a number of key measures were noticeably absent.

Mr Francis had called for a regulation system for healthcare assistants but Mr Hunt only announced a code of practice and minimum training standards.

He claimed a regulatory system would create a "bureaucratic quagmire".

The QC also wanted staff to be criminally liable as individuals if they harmed or killed patients but the Health Secretary is waiting on a further report before making a decision.

And instead of creating specialist registered nurses to look after elderly patients, Mr Hunt strengthened nurse training in the field.

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Choirmaster And Ex-Wife Jailed For Sex Abuse

By Nick Martin, News Correspondent

A choirmaster who sexually assaulted a pupil at a music school more than 30 years ago has been jailed for six years.

Michael Brewer, a former National Youth Choir music director, and his ex-wife were found guilty on five counts of indecently assaulting his student Frances Andrade more than 30 years ago.

During the trial, Ms Andrade, 48, was found dead at her home less than a week after she gave evidence against Brewer at Manchester Crown Court. She had reportedly killed herself.

The 68-year-old was convicted of sexually abusing her in his office at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester when she was aged 14 and 15.

Passing sentence, Judge Martin Rudland said: "You were, and may still be, a predatory sex offender. Of that let no-one be in any doubt.

"The extent of your breach of trust in this case cannot be overstated."

Frances Andrade gave evidence against Michael Brewer at his trial

Brewer's ex-wife, Kay Brewer, 68, was also convicted of indecently assaulting Mrs Andrade, then known as Shorney, when she was an adult at their former family home. She was sentenced to 21 months in prison.

The jury returned not guilty verdicts on charges that Brewer raped Mrs Andrade when she was aged 18 and that Mrs Brewer aided and abetted the attack.

Brewer was also cleared of one charge of indecently assaulting Mrs Andrade when she was a child in his home.

The Crown Prosecution Service decided to continue with the trial and the judge ruled that news of Mrs Andrade's death should be kept from jurors until after they reached their verdicts.

Mrs Andrade was visibly agitated on occasions as she gave her evidence over two days on January 16 and 17.

She chose to take to the witness box in full view of everyone in the courtroom, including the two defendants in the dock.

Michael Brewer was a teacher at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester

The jury heard that the police investigation was sparked by National Youth Choir teacher Jenavora Williams after Mrs Andrade, her friend, told her about her time at Chetham's.

The mother-of-four, from Guildford, Surrey, who was married to acclaimed viola player Levine Andrade, was supported from the public gallery by one of her sons.

At one point she complained about Brewer smiling as she gave her evidence, but she chose to press on without drawing a curtain to block off the dock.

The judge remarked that she was "clearly undergoing a cathartic experience, whatever the source" while giving evidence.

He said she was "combative" during cross-examination by Kate Blackwell QC, representing Brewer, adding that she had taken personal issue with some of the barrister's questions, although the judge indicated that Ms Blackwell had acted professionally.

Jurors were only told of Ms Andrade's death after reaching their verdicts

During the cross-examination, Mrs Andrade told her: "You are hugely insulting, even though it's your job."

Her son, Oliver Andrade, described his mother as "an amazing person", but appeared to criticise authorities for failing to provide more support despite two previous attempts to kill herself.

He said in a statement: "Like all people she was not impervious. Being repeatedly called a 'liar' and a 'fantasist' about a horrific part of her life in front of a court challenged her personal integrity and was more than even she could bear.

"She was forced to relive the many times Michael Brewer had sexually abused her as a child, both to the police on multiple occasions and in court to a hostile party."

Brewer went on to become the artistic director of the National Youth Choirs of Britain and has directed the World Youth Choir.

The judge told him: "The care and attention which you gave her, in so manipulative and depraved a way, were regarded by her as blessings.

"She was prepared to submit to almost anything, which clearly she did, as you pushed the boundaries further and further - treating her as your sexual plaything in the context of a false loving relationship which she readily accepted."

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UK Border Agency Back In Home Office Control

The UK Border Agency is being split in two and brought back under the control of the Home Office, Theresa May has announced.

The Home Secretary unveiled the shake-up in the Commons 24 hours after MPs published a damning report about the organisation's record.

Mrs May said the current agency was too big, not transparent enough, had failing IT systems and struggled to operate in the existing legal framework.

It will now become two separate operations, with an immigration and visa service assessing applications and an enforcement arm to trace people breaking the law.

Mrs May said: "The agency has been a troubled organisation since it was formed in 2008 and its performance is not good enough.

"In truth, the agency was not set up to absorb the level of mass immigration that we saw under the last Government.

"This meant the agency has never had the space to modernise its structures and systems and get on top of its workload."

It was a mistake to keep it at arms length from ministers because this "created a closed, secretive and defensive culture", she added.

A new board chaired by the Home Office permanent secretary Mark Sedwill will be formed to oversee every part of the immigration system.

There are also plans to modernise IT across the board to speed up case handling.

And in a move to make it easier to remove illegal immigrants, Mrs May said she intended to bring forward an immigration bill in the next parliament.

A leaked internal memo revealing staff had been told they would "still be doing the same job in the same place with the same colleagues for the same boss" risked undermining the reforms.

It is the second time the Home Secretary has had to shake up the agency in the wake of major criticism about its operations.

Last year, the Border Agency was divided from the Border Force - which handles frontline controls at ports - after it emerged hundreds of thousands of people had entered the UK without being checked against a watch list.

The latest changes follow a scathing report from the Home Affairs select committee which warned on Monday that UKBA's backlog would take 24 years to clear.

The committee also attacked the head of Britain's tax office Lin Homer for her "catastrophic leadership failure" when she ran the agency.

MPs were "astounded" that she was promoted to the £180,000-a-year role of chief executive of HM Revenue & Customs after her performance there.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper admitted the UKBA had suffered with problems for years but also claimed its record had worsened under Mrs May's watch.

"Enforcement has got worse, delays have got worse, 50% fewer people are being refused entry at ports and borders and you said the number of illegal immigrants removed does not keep up with the number here illegally - that's because you're letting rather more of them in," she said.

Ms Cooper highlighted a 34% cut in the UKBA budget and a 20% rise in the backlog of asylum cases in the last three months.

"Your reforms and your cuts is what has gone wrong throughout 2012. Why should we believe the latest round of reforms will do any better?," she asked.

Committee chairman Keith Vaz said after the shake-up: "Ministers are now on the front line.

"Proper accountability and scrutiny of our immigration system must continue, and it will need effective and strong leadership if the Home Office is serious about having a fully functional immigration system."

Lib Dem Julian Huppert added: "Lib Dems have always argued you have to have a proper enforcement agency and exit checks, and that's what the Coalition is doing.

"Building a fairer society means making sure everyone plays by the rules. That means an immigration system that works for those who should be here, and acts against those who shouldn't."

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Survivor Contestant Dies During Filming

A contestant in the French version of the hit reality TV show Survivor has died of a heart attack on a tropical Cambodian island.

Filming of the latest series of the show - which in English is called Koh Lanta: The Revenge Of The Heroes - has now been cancelled, French broadcaster TF1 revealed.

Gerald Babin, 25, fell ill on Friday during the first day's filming on Koh Rong, off Cambodia's southwestern coast.

According to production company Adventure Line Productions, Babin complained of cramps during one of the challenges set for contestants and received emergency medical care from the show's doctor.

It did not say exactly what he was doing at the time, although some reports suggested he had been taking part in a tug of war.

Babin was airlifted to hospital in nearby Sihanoukville but later died, according to Cambodian police, who said there were no suspicious circumstances.

"There will be no further investigation because he died from a heart attack," local deputy police chief Kol Phally said.

TF1 - one of France's top private national TV channels - said Babin had had a medical examination during the show's selection process, like the other contestants.

The TV crew had planned to spend five months in Cambodia, but is now returning home, said Cambodian Tourism Minister Thong Khon.

"The contestants have already gone home," he said. "The family members have arrived in Cambodia to collect the body."

Koh Lanta - named after an island off Thailand's Andaman Coast - drew more than seven million viewers for its previous series, which was the 15th since its launch in 2001.

The original British show has been adapted for dozens of international versions, some of which have also been struck by tragedy.

In 2009, a 53-year-old contestant on the Bulgarian version of the show died of a heart attack during filming in the Philippines.

In the same year, a 32-year-old participant on the Pakistani adaptation drowned in Thailand.

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Lib Dem MP Mike Hancock To Be Investigated

By Sophy Ridge, Political Correspondent

An investigation has been launched into the conduct of Lib Dem MP Mike Hancock.

Portsmouth City Council - where Mr Hancock is also a councillor - announced on Tuesday that a sub-committee had decided to refer a complaint against him for investigation.

The council refused to reveal the content of the complaint, but the Portsmouth South MP has been the subject of allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a woman with mental health issues.

He denies the allegations.

Solicitor Michael Lawther said: "A sub-committee of Portsmouth City Council today decided to refer a complaint against Cllr Mike Hancock for investigation.

"The governance and audit and standards committee (assessment) sub-committee, made up of three councillors, considered evidence of a breach of the council's code of conduct and decided there was a case to answer. They made no judgement as to whether or not there had been a breach.

"I will now appoint an independent lawyer to carry out an investigation. We estimate the investigation will take two or three months.

"If a breach is proved against a councillor, they can be censured for their conduct."

The news comes as another high profile Lib Dem faces investigation over his alleged behaviour.

Lord Rennard, the Lib Dems' former chief executive, is the subject of a probe by the party after allegations of sexual harassment towards women. He strongly denies the claims.

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Stella McCartney Picks Up OBE From 'Chic' Queen

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

Stella McCartney has labelled the Queen "chic" after being awarded an OBE by the 86-year-old monarch.

The daughter of former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney said at Buckingham Palace: "She looks very chic I thought, beautiful," then added laughing: "It should have been Stella McCartney of course - I slipped her a card."

Stella McCartney receives her Officer of the British Empire (OBE) award

The designer said that the Queen had told her: "You've been busy", to which she replied: "Not as busy as you are."

Stella McCartney, who designed the Team GB and Paralympic GB Olympic kit, said: "I feel amazing. I told the Queen I designed the kit for her nation."

"It's pretty high up there and marks an incredible moment in your life."

One of those to wear the McCartney designed outfits, Victoria Pendleton, was also at the Palace to pick up an OBE.

"When I picked up an MBE in 2008 it was a bit of a whirlwind visit and I didn't quite take it all in," the Queen of the velodrome told Sky News.

"This time I was more excited as the Queen presented me with my honour and said, 'here's another one for your collection'."

Pendleton retired from cycling after winning gold in the 'Keirin' and silver in the sprint at last year's London Olympics.

"This is special because it's the culmination of everything I've done in sport. It's the last 10 years of my life."

Victoria Pendleton holds her OBE award aloft

The 32-year-old now dedicates much of her time to getting more women into cycling.

"Take the 'Cycletta', it's a great way to get more women out on their bikes. It's starting to work," she said.

Cycletta is the UK's leading series of women-only bike rides supported by the Olympic Gold medallist.

Also at Buckingham Palace to pick up a gong was gold medal-winning Olympic triathlete Alistair Brownlee, who was keen to poke fun at his brother who won bronze.

"Picking up an MBE is such a massive honour, but what makes it just that little bit better is the fact Jonathan hasn't got one," he said.

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Gary Neville's Father Arrested: Sky Sources

Neville Neville, the father of footballer Gary Neville, has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault, say Sky sources.

His arrest follows an alleged assault in Bury in the early hours of Saturday. Greater Manchester Police said a 63-year-old man, whose identity has not been confirmed, has been bailed until May.

Neville Neville is an agent for his sons

Neville Neville, a former cricketer, is well-known for representing his Premier footballer sons Gary and Phil as an agent. Gary is a former captain of Manchester United and Phil is captain of Everton.

As director of Bury FC, he was praised for his efforts in spearheading a campaign to save the club from administration, said Sky's Mike McCarthy.

A police spokesman said: "Police are investigating a sexual assault which happened in the early hours of Saturday, March 23, 2013, in the North Manor area of Bury.

"A 63-year-old man from Bury was arrested on suspicion of indecent assault and has been bailed till May pending further inquiries."

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