World News joined 0012

[JohnCenaFan28]

Taleban fighters have been prevented from taking over a small Afghan town centre close to Pakistan's border, Nato and Afghan government officials say.



Nato forces said they were called in to help Afghan national police in Spera in the south-eastern province of Khost.

This was after they were attacked by gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades.

Khost's governor said 50 to 70 fighters had been killed; Nato said the number was in double figures. There is no independent verification.

Border tension

Both Nato's International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) and the Afghan government said about 100 insurgents had amassed in the district close to the border with Pakistan in the early hours of the morning and appeared to be trying to take over the town centre.

An Isaf statement said helicopter gunships were brought in and the militants surrounded.

It described how some fighters took cover in a nearby building which was then struck by missiles. The fighting from the air and on the ground went on for some hours.

The governor added that many fighters had fled into local villages and air strikes were then stopped to prevent civilian casualties.

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of clashes and bombings in eastern Afghanistan this year.

It is thought many of the fighters openly cross over the border from Pakistan.

There has been increasing tension between the two countries over the issue, and international military commanders express frustration that they are trying to fight an insurgency that is constantly fuelled by fighters who cannot be targeted on the other side of the border.

BBC News

[JohnCenaFan28]

The body's own immune system may cause pre-eclampsia, a common condition which is potentially dangerous for pregnant women and their babies.



Pre-eclampsia affects one in 20 pregnancies, but experiments on mice in the US found that it could be triggered by immune molecules.

This could potentially help lead to new treatments and tests for the condition, reports the journal Nature Medicine.

A pre-eclampsia charity said other evidence hinted at the immune link.

It is hard to predict which women will be affected by pre-eclampsia, although those with a family history of the condition, or who have had it in previous pregnancies, are at greater risk.

It generally starts after the 20th week of pregnancy, and warning signs can include high blood pressure and protein in the urine.

However, it is not easily treated, and if it worsens, it can place the health of both mother and unborn baby at risk. Often, the only solution is to deliver the baby, even prematurely.

The causes are not understood, but scientists at the University of Texas believe the response of the mother's immune system to the pregnancy may hold the key.

To test this, they took immune molecules called "autoantibodies" from women with pre-eclampsia and injected them into mice.

The mice started to develop a condition very similar to pre-eclampsia in humans - they had high blood pressure, protein in the urine, and telltale abnormalities in the placenta, the organ grown by the mother to supply the foetus with oxygen and nutrients.

When the Texan team also gave mice a drug which blocked the action of these autoantibodies, this condition did not develop, supporting the theory that they played a part in the disease.

They suggested that as well as revealing something about the cause of the disease, it might point to potential tests and treatments.

Drug danger

However, Professor James Walker, consultant obstetrician at St James's University Hospital in Leeds and spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said he would need further evidence to be convinced that these molecules were the direct cause of the condition in humans.

He said: "It's very interesting research, and there is other research suggesting that the immune system is involved in pre-eclampsia, but we don't know how much this is the cause of the condition, and how much is an adaptation by the mother to counter its effects.

"Unfortunately, you can't just give the drug they used here in pregnant women, as about a third of the babies will die."

Dr Margaret Macdonald, the chief executive of the charity Action on Pre-eclampsia, said there had been very little progress in half a century of research into the causes of the condition.

"The possibility that it is auto-immune is supported by other, curious evidence, that women with many sexual partners have a higher risk of pre-eclampsia than women with few, long-term partners," she said.

"This suggests immune stimulation by 'foreign material' might be involved."

BBC News

[OMEN]

BREAKING NEWS: The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd has been placed on trading halt at its own request, the stock exchange says.

Seperately, the group has forecast its 2008 annual profit before provisions to rise by around eight per cent and its annual cash profit to exceed A$3 billion (NZ$3.90 billion).

The bank said credit impairment costs would remain high in the second half as a result of the ongoing deterioration in global credit markets, a weak New Zealand economy and a softening Australian economy.

Provisions in the second half are likely to be about A$1.2 billion, up from A$980 million in the first half, ANZ said.

The bank said it expected its full-year dividend to be maintained at A$1.36 per share, fully franked.

ANZ expects 2008 cash EPS to fall by between 20 to 25 percent, reflecting the impact of the high provisions.

The bank has reset its collective provision above one percent of credit risk weighted assets, which it said was a prudent response to the deteriorating credit environment.

The second half collective provision charge is expected to be A$375 million (NZ$487.90 million), from A$376 million in the first half.

For individual provisions, ANZ said known credit issues had deteriorated including "certain commercial property clients, securities lending and Bill Express".

Second half individual provisions are expected to be around A$850 million, from A$604 million in the first half.

"ANZ's underlying business is continuing to deliver a solid performance, and we expect a cash profit of over A$3 billion in 2008," chief executive Mike Smith said.

"However we need to recognise where we are at with legacy issues in institutional and the change in the economic cycle.

"As the deterioration in global credit markets continues and the slowing of the global economy plays out in Australia and in New Zealand, there are flow-on effects for our commercial portfolios and to a lesser extent the personal portfolios."

- Reuters and AAP

[JohnCenaFan28]

Thanks for this.

[lɐuǝɯo⊥ǝɥԀ]

A huge fire has destroyed the historic Grand Pier at Weston-super-Mare.

Dozens of firefighters fought to tackle the blaze which took hold of the partly wooden pier in the North Somerset seaside resort at about 0700 BST.

No-one was injured in the fire, though black smoke and flames were said to be visible from as far away as Cardiff.

BBC Radio Bristol reporter Nigel Dando, who is at the scene, said: "There'll be nothing left after this fire, it's a desperately sad scene."

Dee Williams, deputy manager of the Grand Atlantic Hotel, which lies 200 yards from the pier, said: "It is an inferno. There will be no pier by tonight.

"There are loud bangs going off, which could be fireworks because there was a display on there recently. The tide is out and I think they are having difficulty getting water to it.

"My night porter spotted the flames at 7.15am. There are lots of people about, watching the fire, and the police have blocked off the road.

"The pier was bought by new owners and done up recently, it is part of our identity and would really affect trade if we were to lose it."

Jacquie Whelan, owner of Sunfold Hotel on Beach Road, said: "I just looked out of the window... when I woke up and could not believe what I was seeing.

"It is the most horrendous thing. There are massive red flames, hundreds of feet in the air, all over the pier.

"We are a five minute walk to the pier and from where I am standing it just looks like a huge bonfire. It is not going to survive."

Bruce Watson, who works at the Sovereign shopping centre opposite the Grand Pier, said: "The fire has taken complete control of the pier, they won't be able to repair it.

"It's just a shell virtually now, the flames are hundreds of feet high and the smoke into thousands of feet."

Police have placed a cordon around the pier and beach and advised people to avoid the area.

The quarter-of-a-mile-long pier, which attracts thousands of visitors a year, reopened in April after a massive revamp.

It first opened in 1904 and was later bought by the Brenner family who sold it earlier this year in a multi-million pound deal to brother and sister Michelle and Kerry Michael.

The Michael family's regeneration of the site has included a new funfair and go-kart track and there were also plans to open restaurants and offer Victorian-style shows.

Relatives of Mr Michael said he left the country yesterday for a holiday in Spain.

Speaking from his home in Bleadon, near Weston-super-Mare, a woman, who asked not to be named, said Mr Michael was aware of the situation and was likely to return home as soon as possible.

The cause of the fire is not yet clear.

Foundations safe

Stephanie Mounsey, from Avon Fire and Rescue, said the structure, which is supported by iron girders, was not at risk of collapse.

She said fire officers were first notified of a blaze at 0645 BST.

Ms Mounsey added: "There is plenty of water on it and things look like they are getting under control.

"We believe the foundations should be safe."

Rod Brenner, who owned the pier until six months ago when he sold it to the current owners, said: "I think that what has happened is, fortunately it had a very thick hardwood floor, and I think that has held, from what I can see here.

"The entire pavillion has gone admittedly, and it'll be obviously a huge project to rebuild it, which will take a considerable amount of time.

"I mean, when it burnt down last time, in 1930, it took three years and they probably moved a bit quicker then than we do nowadays."

Christopher Donkin, manager of Seaquarium aquarium in Marine Parade, some 500 yards from the pier, was alerted to the fire by a colleague as he drove to work.

All those people's livelihoods and businesses - where will they go?
Christopher Donkin, Seaquarium

He said: "Fortunately, we're not in danger, no other properties are in any other danger.

"The fire brigade have put a wall of water along the walkway between the seafront and the end of the pier.

"Traffic this morning was absolutely chock-a-block.

"When I first saw the fire, to be honest my first thoughts were for the livelihoods of people who work here.

"It's Weston's number one attraction. It's full of childhood memories.

"All those people's livelihoods and businesses - where will they go?"

Tory MP for Weston-super-Mare John Penrose said he was "shocked and dismayed" by the scenes at the Grand Pier.

"The Grand Pier is one of the icons of Weston's seafront," he said.

"Anybody who has ever visited the town or lives here permanently has probably strolled along the boardwalk, eating candyfloss, to play on the amusements at the far end.

"Kerry and Michelle Michael have been investing huge amounts of their own time and money into regenerating the pier. This is a tragedy for the town as a whole and for them in particular.

"The only piece of good news is that there are no reports of casualties. At least there is something to be thankful for."

BBC News

[JohnCenaFan28]

Thank goodness no one got killed, thanks for posting.

[Black Widow]

PICS OF THE FIRE

[Black Widow]

A British newlywed has been shot dead and her husband critically injured in an apparent robbery while honeymooning in Antigua.

Catherine Mullany, formerly Bowen, died from her injuries after the attack in a hotel on the idyllic island.

Her husband Benjamin, of Pontardawe, near Swansea, Wales, is fighting for his life in a local hospital.

The couple, both reportedly 31, were staying in a cottage at the Cocos Hotel when they were attacked in what local police said may have been a robbery.

The Antigua Sun reported that Mrs Mullany was shot in the head while her husband was hit in the neck. He was taken to hospital in a comatose state and is brain dead, Sky sources said.

She was pronounced dead at the scene, the paper said.

Antigua tourism minister Harold Lovell said the shooting took place shortly before 5am on Sunday.

He told Sky News "no stone would be left unturned" in the investigation.

"The police are still obviously trying to work out the motive, but they think robbery will be the motive," he said.

"It is something that is being fully investigated by the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda. They will leave no stone unturned."

The Antigua Sun said the couple were staying for two weeks and had been due to return to the UK today.

Two other shootings were also reported at the weekend, it said.

Andy Liburd, the paper's news editor, told Sky News gun crime was on the rise on an island normally associated with paradise.

"This has really sent shock waves through the entire community," he said.

"This is not the sort of crime Antigua is accustomed to but crime is on the increase and police need to step up their resources."

The parents of Catherine Mullany, have spoken of their devastation in a statement issued through South Wales Police.

It said: "We are deeply shocked and devastated at the recent events in Antigua and are struggling to comprehend what has happened to Ben and Catherine.

"We appreciate the support of our family and friends and would ask the media to respect our privacy at this difficult time."

Mrs Mullany is a registered doctor who graduated from the University of London in 2002, according to General Medical Council records.

She worked in the paediatric department at Swansea's Singleton Hospital at the time of her death but was training as a general practitioner.

Paul Williams, chief executive of ABM University NHS Trust, said: "She was a popular, talented and caring young doctor with a wonderful career ahead of her."

Mrs Mullany's uncle, Gareth Jones, said his own son regarded the resort as too violent after he honeymooned there five years ago.

"He and his wife felt Antigua was too violent. They didn't like to go out at night," he said.


sky news

[Black Widow]

Proposed reforms of the law on homicide in England and Wales could change the circumstances under which a murder charge is reduced to manslaughter.

Defendants who successfully claim they were "seriously wronged" by the victim could now be convicted of manslaughter.

Under the plan, long-term domestic abuse victims can also use a partial defence of "fear of serious violence".

Attorney General Baroness Scotland said the proposed changes would bring murder laws "right up to date".

The plans face public consultation before new legislation is introduced.

They follow a 2006 report from the Law Commission which made wide-ranging recommendations for changes to legislation.

The proposals suggest the current defence of provocation should be scrapped.

However, the new defence in its place - that "words and conduct" left the killer "seriously wronged" - should only be available in exceptional cases, the report says.

The Ministry of Justice has stressed that the law would be changed to make it clear that someone who discovers their partner is having an affair would be unable to argue they had been "seriously wronged".

One of the changes due is to the so-called "provocation defence".

This allows men who kill their wife or partner in a fit of jealousy to plead provocation but does not currently apply to women who murder someone who has been abusing them for many years.

But barrister Geoffrey Robertson, QC, told the BBC that the changes did not address all his concerns:

"Quite a few of these reforms are moderate and sensible, but the real problem with the law of murder is that it doesn't distinguish - it has a mandatory life sentence.

"Any mandatory sentence is unjust because it doesn't distinguish between the terrorist and the gangland executioner and the mercy killer at the other end of the scale, who maybe doesn't deserve to go to prison at all, but has to be sentenced to life imprisonment, and the domestic killings."

This change would mean that men and women facing domestic violence would be able to argue they were forced to kill their tormentor.

Solicitor Harriet Wistrich, founder of Justice for Women, said: "It will really help move things forward so we have a defence for the modern age that helps those who have suffered long-term abuse to use a defence to they are not convicted of murder and go to prison for life."

Government documents say current laws have made it too easy for men to kill their wives and claim they were provoked by the victim's infidelity.

Legislation has restricted the use of partial defences by women with abusive partners.

Justice Minister Maria Eagle said recent cases had seen judges and juries "trying to stretch the current law".

"With these changes, the law will be clearer," she said.

The minister said the proposed partial defence of long-term abuse marked a "substantial change", although she stressed that the government "would not want to introduce anything that would allow cold, calculating killers to get away with it".

Under the proposals, the partial defence of diminished responsibility would be abolished and replaced with a new defence based on "recognised medical conditions".

But leading barrister Geoffrey Robertson criticised the plans, saying they did not go far enough.

The mandatory life sentence for any murder conviction should be abolished, he told the BBC's Today.


BBC News

[JohnCenaFan28]

Thanks for the news