Status Quo Star Taken To Hospital As Gigs Axed

Status Quo have been forced to cancel a series of concerts in Europe after guitarist Rick Parfitt was taken ill in hospital.

The British rock group, known for hits such as Whatever You Want and Rockin' All Over The World, had been due to play in Croatia tonight.

It was one of six shows on the current leg of their European tour which have now been shelved as doctors assess the musician in a hospital in Pula, northern Croatia.

The band's manager Simon Porter said: "The band do not cancel shows lightly, as any of our fans will tell you, but in this instance we have no option but to follow medical advice."

Parfitt with fellow Quo star Francis Rossi

It is not known whether their UK tour, scheduled for December, will be affected.

The nature of Parfitt's condition has not been revealed, although a spokesman said the band will release more information next week.

Nine years ago the rock star - who leads Status Quo with Francis Rossi - was forced to cancel shows as he underwent tests for suspected throat cancer.

In 1997, Parfitt had a quadruple heart bypass after doctors said he could die at any time following a hard-living lifestyle involving drink and drugs.

Status Quo currently hold the record for the most British singles, at 64.

More follows...

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Pistorius' Brother Critical After Head-On Crash

The brother of bladerunner Oscar Pistorius is in a critical condition after a head-on collision in South Africa.

Carl Pistorius, who has regularly been seen in court during his brother's murder trial, was involved in the collision on the N1 near Modimolle in Limpopo.

It is understood a car swerved in front of him colliding with his vehicle. Mr Pistorius is believed to have suffered numerous fractures.

The brothers' uncle, Arthur Pistrious, released a statement which said his nephew was in a critical condition, but was "out of danger".

"We can confirm that Carl was involved in a serious car accident last night," it said.

"He was returning from a business trip to Polokwane. A colleague was following in a different vehicle and witnessed the collision. He was able to tell us what happened.

"The collision took place along a stretch of the N1 where for some reason, traffic had slowed down considerably.

"On the opposite side of the highway to which Carl and his colleague were travelling, traffic was in fact backed up and moving very slowly.

"Carl's vehicle was hit head-on by another car that had swerved from the opposite side of the highway into the oncoming traffic. Carl was was badly hurt but we are thankful that he is out of danger. He was transferred to a hospital in Pretoria last night."

In 2008 Carl was involved in a collision with a motorcyclist who died and was later acquitted of culpable homicide.

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Ebola: Infected American Doctor Arrives In US

One of two Americans infected with ebola in West Africa has arrived in the US.

A plane carrying Dr Kent Brantly took off from Liberia and landed in Marietta, Georgia, about midday on Saturday.

The 33-year-old member of the charity Samaritan's Purse was transported via ambulance to Emory University Hospital where he will continue to receive care in a special isolation unit.

Dr Kent Brantly and missionary Nancy Writebol were infected in Liberia

Dr Brantly is the first ever ebola patient to be transported to American soil for treatment.

A second US patient, missionary Nancy Writebol, is due to be arrive on a later flight as the plane is only equipped to carry one patient at a time.

The aircraft was outfitted with a special, portable tent designed to isolate highly infectious diseases.

The patients will be transported in a specially designed portable tent

On Thursday both patients were said to be in a "stable but grave condition" after contracting the haemorrhagic fever in the Liberian capital Monrovia.

The World Health Organisation's director-general warned on Friday that the ebola outbreak, which has killed at least 729 people, is out of control but can be stopped.

Margaret Chan told the presidents of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra, the three worst affected nations: "This outbreak is moving faster than our efforts to control it.

Emory University Hospital in Atlanta has a dedicated containment unit

"If the situation continues to deteriorate, the consequences can be catastrophic in terms of lost lives but also severe socioeconomic disruption and a high risk of spread to other countries.

"This meeting must mark a turning point in the outbreak response."

Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone announced on Friday a quarantine zone to seal off the epicentre of the outbreak where the three countries meet.

Medical staff take a blood sample from an ebola patient in Sierra Leone

One US citizen has already died of the virus. Liberian health ministry official Patrick Sawyer, a naturalised American, began vomiting on a flight from Liberia to Nigeria last month.

Mr Sawyer, who had planned to visit family in Minnesota in August, was taken to a hospital in Lagos where he died.

His case sparked particular alarm because he was able to board an international flight while infected with the incurable disease.

Two other Americans - Peace Corps volunteers -  have been isolated after becoming exposed to ebola in West Africa and are under observation, though neither has shown any symptoms.

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Death Row Inmate Had 15 Times Intended Dosage

An Arizona death row inmate who took nearly two hours to die during his execution was injected with 15 times the intended dosage, records show.

Joseph Wood "gasped and snorted" for more than an hour during the convicted double killer's execution on July 23.

The botched lethal injection - the third execution to go awry in the US this year - fuelled the growing debate over the death penalty and the efficacy of lethal drug cocktails.

Wood's executioners administered both a sedative and a painkiller in 50-milligramme increments 15 times, according to records released by the Arizona Department of Corrections on Friday.

Karen Sibert, an anaesthesiologist for the California Society of Anaesthesiologists, said: "Those are pretty staggering amounts of medication."

She said patients who are sedated before surgery typically receive no more than two milligrammes each of the sedative midazolam and the painkiller hydromorphone.

Wood's attorney, Dale Baich, said the newly released details show why an independent investigation is necessary.

"The Arizona execution protocol explicitly states that a prisoner will be executed using 50 milligrammes of hydromorphone and 50 milligrammes of midazolam," he said in a written statement.

"The execution logs released today by the Arizona Department of Corrections shows that the experimental drug protocol did not work as promised."

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer ordered a review of the state's execution process.

The Arizona Department of Corrections said on Friday it is seeking an outside investigator for the independent inquiry.

Wood's botched execution followed similar incidents in Ohio and Oklahoma earlier this year.

States have refused to reveal details about their lethal injection procedures, such as which pharmacies are supplying the drugs and who is administering them, because of concerns over harassment.

Corrections departments around the country are also under pressure to find sources for execution drugs after European drug companies objected to their use in capital punishment.

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Israel 'Withdraws Some Troops From Gaza'

Why Obama's Hands Are Tied Over Gaza

Updated: 4:38am UK, Friday 01 August 2014

By Dominic Waghorn, US Correspondent

On the day the White House said the Israeli military should do more to protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza, the US confirmed it had agreed to supply the same military with more ammunition.

The Obama administration has hardened its criticism of the shelling of a UN school in Gaza calling it "indefensible" and saying there is little doubt the Israelis were responsible.

"We need our allies in Israel," said administration press secretary Josh Earnest "to live up to the high standards they have set themselves". Meanwhile those same allies were being invited to help themselves to more of the US arms stockpiles in Israel.

Duplicitous double standards or another sign of the complexity of US-Israeli relations? Depends on your point of view.

There is no doubt the Obama administration is concerned and frustrated by Israel's conduct. There is also no doubt the administration will continue to support it to the hilt for as long as required.

Frustrated not least because of the trashing of the US Secretary of State John Kerry by Israeli cabinet ministers and media after his efforts to broker a ceasefire.

The Obama administration has not hidden its fury at the personal attacks on America's chief diplomat by senior members of the Netanyahu government.

The mounting civilian suffering is a concern to the US, for humanitarian and diplomatic reasons.

What's left of America's standing in the Arab world is further undermined by gruesome pictures of slaughter caused by US-supplied weaponry being fired into Gaza.  

A lot has been made of the dysfunctional relationship of the two countries' leaders. 

Bibi and Barack have had more than their share of differences, and none of the political intimacy of George W Bush and Ariel Sharon. 

But these days Israel can take US support for granted far more than it could back then.

When Ariel Sharon wanted to send his military into Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank in 2002 he personally asked Bush to let him do so and give him enough time to finish the job.

The destruction in Jenin is nothing compared to what Israel has wrought in Gaza and it has done so without needing to ask for American permission. 

There are many reasons for US support for Israel, some historic, others more current.

The US-Israeli relationship is one of the fundamental constants of American foreign policy in the Middle East. With a region in ferment and in a state of flux, that is more important to Washington than ever.

The Israeli lobby is also hugely powerful in the US. 

Capitol Hill has been called Israeli-occupied territory; such is the sway the Jewish state holds over US politicians.

Multifarious pro-Israel organisations, millions given to Israel supporters at election time and masterful use of the media all mean that is unlikely to change.

Israel has the same hold on everyday Americans as it has on politicians.

US public opinion has been overwhelmingly sympathetic to Israel since the second intifada when the Palestinians began blowing up women and children on buses and since 9/11, which hardened US attitudes to violent Muslims of any description.

More often than not the US media is inclined to accept the Israeli narrative. 

Coverage of tunnels out of Gaza is a case in point.

When Israeli military PR shifted the focus from rockets to tunnels, US coverage followed.

Too much talk of rockets is a threat to Israel economically now the country's main airport is within range.

Israel now claims Hamas tunnels are their main casus belli.

There has been little questioning of Israeli claims they are a terrorist threat to women and children, when thus far they have only been used by Hamas militants for military purposes to target Israeli soldiers. 

US support of Israel is mirrored by the attitude of some Arab nations in the region.

Egypt's recent ceasefire plan angered Hamas by including many of Israel's demands and few of the Palestinians'.

The Saudis and Jordanians are also quietly cheering the Jewish state from the sidelines. 

Since the last major Israeli operation in Gaza the faultlines have shifted in the Middle East because of the deepening chasm among Muslims, between Sunnis and Shia. 

On one side, Iran and its allies, the Assad regime in Damascus, and Hezbollah in Lebanon. 

On the other Tehran's enemies in the Gulf and Egypt who are in no mood to help out Iran's Sunni allies, Hamas in Gaza. 

While much of the Middle East remains silent as the carnage continues in Gaza, Israel will assume it is carrying out the wishes of at least some of its neighbours.

Washington will continue dishing out carefully worded criticism if Israel keeps facing claims it has shelled children sleeping in UN buildings.

But it is not going to be reducing its support for its closest ally in an increasingly troubled region.

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Drugs Squad Officer 'Stole £2.5m Of Cocaine'

A French police officer has been accused of stealing a massive haul of cocaine from inside one of France's most famous police stations.

The narcotics squad officer was arrested on Saturday after the 52kg stash went missing from a locked room inside Paris's central police headquarters.

The drug packets - worth a street value of up to £2.5m - had been stored in the secure room in the 36 Quai des Orfevres building after they were seized during a raid in July.

Officers discovered the drugs had disappeared on Friday and scoured CCTV footage in an attempt to find out how it could have gone missing.

A man was found to have entered the drugs squad's officers with two bags and left shortly after and further analysis revealed he was a member of the Paris narcotics unit, a statement said.

36 Quai des Orfevres is Paris' equivalent to Scotland Yard

The arrested officer, who is thought to be aged 34, was held close to the southern city of Perpignan.

He was reported to be on holiday at the time and was tracked down near to the Spanish border.

It is the second time this year that the 36 Quai des Orfevres headquarters - France's equivalent to Scotland Yard - has been involved in scandal.

In April, two officers from an anti-gang squad were placed under investigation after they were accused of raping a 34-year-old Canadian woman who was visiting Paris.

An investigation is ongoing.

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Brady And Ex-M&S Boss To Get Tory Peerages

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

David Cameron is to hand peerages to The Apprentice star Karren Brady, the former Marks & Spencer (M&S) boss Sir Stuart Rose and a multimillionaire Conservative donor in a wave of appointments that could revive a festering row about membership of the House of Lords.

Sky News can exclusively reveal that Ms Brady and Sir Stuart have been lined up as Conservative members of the upper house.

A Government insider said that Michael Farmer, a co-treasurer of and long-standing donor to the Tories, is also expected to be made a peer when the new list is unveiled.

The appointments of Ms Brady and Sir Stuart will bring two of Britain's most prominent businesspeople into the Lords at a time when the main parties are battling to secure high-profile support from business leaders in the run-up to next year's General Election.

Mr Farmer is less well-known outside the City but earned the nickname 'Mr Copper' after making a fortune from the commodities markets.

He has donated several million pounds to Conservative coffers in recent years and became co-treasurer of the party in 2012.

Another source said Joanna Shields, the former Facebook executive who went on to run Tech City, the London-based hub for technology businesses, had also been mentioned in recent days as a potential appointee, although her presence on the final list could not be verified.

Ex M&S boss Sir Stuart Rose (left, middle) has also been lined up as a peer

The timing of an announcement is unclear, although sources indicated that it could come as soon as next week.

Around 20 new peers are expected to be appointed, with the majority selected by Mr Cameron and Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader.

New members of the Lords are subjected to a strict vetting process, which the Government source said had now been completed in relation to the latest nominees.

The forthcoming arrivals will increase membership of the Lords to more than 850, reinforcing its status as the second-largest legislative chamber in the world, behind only China's National People's Congress.

The frequent appointment of new peers has sparked criticism about the cost to taxpayers and the ability of the Lords to function effectively as a legislative scrutineer.

It has also led to rows about the propriety of handing peerages to prominent party supporters and donors.

A number of leading business figures, including Lord Myners, the former M&S chairman, and Lord Davies, who ran Standard Chartered, were parachuted into the Lords during the banking crisis and took on ministerial roles.

Both Ms Brady and Sir Stuart have appeared at Conservative annual conferences in recent years, with the West Ham United boss also taking on a role as small business adviser to the Government.

Sir Stuart, who has taken on a string of jobs since leaving M&S including the chairmanship of Ocado, the online grocer, has also been advising the Government on NHS reform.

Reports this week said that Michael Cashman, the ex-EastEnders actor, would be one of three new Labour members of the Lords, while David Willetts, the former universities and science minister, and the former energy minister Greg Barker are said to be in line for peerages after the next election.

A Downing Street spokesman declined to comment, while none of the prospective new peers could be reached for comment.

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Body Parts Found At Waste Recycling Plant

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

Police are investigating whether a man whose remains were found at a waste depot fell asleep in a recycling bin.

The body of Matthew Symonds, 34, was found on Friday morning at the Biffa-operated site next to Avonmouth docks near Bristol.

Detectives believe he had been transported 45 miles in a recycling bin from his home town of Swindon.

His death is being treated as unexplained and officers are waiting for the results of a post-mortem examination.

Senior investigating officer DCI Gareth Bevan said: "Police enquiries so far suggest the body was transported with commercial recycling waste collected in Swindon and therefore the focus of the investigation will be in that area going forward.

"The investigation is at an early stage and we are keeping an open mind about the circumstances leading to his death. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this very difficult time."

A police team has been working at the waste plant examining machinery and the area where he was found.

Mr Symonds' relatives are being supported by family liaison officers from Wiltshire Police.

In 2012, the body of Canadian student Garrett Elsey was found at a different waste depot in Avonmouth.

The 22-year-old had been out drinking while celebrating his first night in the UK before falling asleep in a wheelie bin hours before it was emptied. Mr Elsey was crushed to death in the back of the bin lorry.

:: Human Remains Found In Ireland

Police are investigating after a human leg was found in a recycling plant in Ireland.

A worker found the severed limb at Thorntons plant in Killeen Road, Ballyfermot, west Dublin, on Thursday night.

A doctor was unable to say whether it is from a woman or a man.

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British Woman 'Murdered' At Safari Lodge

A British woman thought to have been murdered in South Africa has been described as a "wonderful lady" and "very kind".

Christine Robinson, 59, who had been living in the country for about 10 years, is believed to have been found stabbed to death and robbed at her safari lodge.

Her body was discovered on Wednesday in her bedroom in Limpopo, near Thabazimbi, 150 miles north-west of Johannesburg.

The wages she had just withdrawn to pay staff were missing, according to a family spokesman.

Mrs Robinson, a former primary school teacher who was originally from Liverpool, jointly owned the lodge with her husband, Robbie, who died from cancer two years ago.

Her niece Lehanne Sergison, 43, from Bickley, Kent, said friends and relatives were "heartbroken".

She said the Foreign Office confirmed there was a suspect but he could have "fled" to Zimbabwe.

She said of her aunt: "She was wonderful, she really was a wonderful lady. Very kind, humble woman. It's hard to express how wonderful she is.

"Christine was the most wonderful woman anyone could wish to meet, a warm, cheerful, compassionate, kind-hearted and very popular human being, who enriched the lives of everyone she met.

"She was also bubbly and full of fun. She was adventurous, too, and travelled the world - Europe, the Middle East and China - teaching English to foreign children in international schools."

Ms Sergison added: "We know very little (about the incident). She was murdered on Wednesday. We haven't had much joy out of the police in South Africa, so we don't really know anything more than that."

She also said her aunt treated her employees "as family".

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We were notified of the death of a British national on July 30 in South Africa. We are providing consular assistance to the family at this difficult time."

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Former Radio 1 DJ Mike Smith Dies Aged 59

Former Radio 1 presenter Mike Smith has died in hospital at the age of 59.

The broadcaster and qualified helicopter pilot had complications connected to recent major heart surgery.

He was married to fellow television personality Sarah Greene for 25 years.

In a statement released through Smith's aerial filming company Flying TV, Ms Greene said she would "like to offer enormous thanks to the staff at the hospital for their care and compassion".

The statement said Ms Greene has asked that she, her family and friends be allowed to mourn in peace.

A Flying TV spokesman said: "Mike founded Flying TV ten years ago and the company says his legacy will be FTV continuing to go from strength to strength."

The couple were married in 1989

Smith's career began at hospital radio before joining BBC Radio 1 in 1975.

In 1983, Smith took over the weekday lunchtime show and took on the Breakfast Show in 1986, succeeding Mike Read.

Paying tribute, Read said:  "The news is just devastating. Sarah and Mike were a wonderful couple - it is truly horrible to hear."

"He became a mainstay of Radio 1, was highly successful on television too, and started up his own business which he was very good at.

"Mike was a very affable guy, fantastically business-like. It's a real loss and has come as quite a shock."

Smith was a key figure in the early years of Comic Relief but largely stayed away from the limelight after a helicopter crash in 1988 in which both he and his then-girlfriend Ms Greene were injured.

The helicopter he was piloting crashed in Gloucestershire. Ms Greene broke both legs and an arm, and Smith suffered a broken back and ankle.

He proposed to her just weeks later and they were married the following year.

They were childless and lived in London.

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