The UK is taking steps to protect more than two hundred million people, in some of the world's poorest and most marginalised communities, from the pain and disfigurement caused by treatable tropical diseases.
Ailments such as Trachoma, Guinea worm, and Visceral Leishmaniasis are avoidable infections which can deform, disable, blind and even kill if left untreated.
They prevent children going to school and adults going to work - costing developing economies billions of pounds every year in lost productivity.
The Government's International Development Secretary Priti Patel said: "These diseases belong to the last century.
"They cause unimaginable suffering and pain to some of the world's poorest people, forcing them into a deeper cycle of poverty with no way out. Yet they are treatable.
"The UK's support will protect over 200 million people from a future blighted by tropical disease and represents a huge leap towards ending this scourge.
"These diseases have been named 'neglected' for a reason, but I'm not prepared for them to be neglected any longer."
Researchers at London's Natural History Museum are heavily involved in the initiative.
Schistosomiasis expert Dr Anouk Gouvras told Sky News: "They are actually treatable. There are drugs you can give people to help them clear the worm infections, but it's just making sure that people have access to these drugs that's quite important .
"Another thing is that after you have cured someone, they can easily get reinfected, so in fact you have to regularly treat to stop the disease developing "
Over the next four years, the UK will more than double its financial support for the initiative, committing £360m.
Sunday, April 16, 2017
North Korea conducts another missile test despite US warnings
North Korea has made a failed attempt to launch a missile just hours after telling the US it was prepared for war.
The launch attempt took place in the Sinpo area of the North, a day after a huge military parade took place in Pyongyang.
The US military said the launch took place at 10.21pm UK time (5.51am local time) but the missile "blew up almost immediately".
US officials said they are certain the missile was not an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).
:: Analysis: Why there's no panic in Seoul
They added that the missile was launched from land, rather than a ship or submarine.
There had been fears of an attempted missile launch as Saturday was the 105th anniversary of the birth of the country's founder.
South Korea's defence ministry said in a statement: "North Korea attempted to test an unidentified type of missile from Sinpo area in the South Hamkyong Province this morning, but we suspect the launch has failed."
The White House said US Vice President Mike Pence, who is due to arrive in South Korea on Sunday as part of a tour of Asia, has been briefed.
:: Key steps in North Korea's nuclear ambitions
Secretary of Defence James Mattis said President Donald Trump is also aware of the launch.
The North launched a ballistic missile from the same region earlier this month ahead of a summit between the the US and China.
On that occasion a ballistic missile flew for about 37 miles (60km) before landing in the Sea of Japan.
Mr Trump has put Pyongyang "on notice" over fears the country is developing a weapon that could threaten the US.
On Saturday morning, North Korea warned America to end its "military hysteria" or face retaliation.
The reclusive state said it was prepared to respond to any attacks with "nuclear attacks of our own style".
The launch attempt took place in the Sinpo area of the North, a day after a huge military parade took place in Pyongyang.
The US military said the launch took place at 10.21pm UK time (5.51am local time) but the missile "blew up almost immediately".
US officials said they are certain the missile was not an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).
:: Analysis: Why there's no panic in Seoul
They added that the missile was launched from land, rather than a ship or submarine.
There had been fears of an attempted missile launch as Saturday was the 105th anniversary of the birth of the country's founder.
South Korea's defence ministry said in a statement: "North Korea attempted to test an unidentified type of missile from Sinpo area in the South Hamkyong Province this morning, but we suspect the launch has failed."
The White House said US Vice President Mike Pence, who is due to arrive in South Korea on Sunday as part of a tour of Asia, has been briefed.
:: Key steps in North Korea's nuclear ambitions
Secretary of Defence James Mattis said President Donald Trump is also aware of the launch.
The North launched a ballistic missile from the same region earlier this month ahead of a summit between the the US and China.
On that occasion a ballistic missile flew for about 37 miles (60km) before landing in the Sea of Japan.
Mr Trump has put Pyongyang "on notice" over fears the country is developing a weapon that could threaten the US.
On Saturday morning, North Korea warned America to end its "military hysteria" or face retaliation.
The reclusive state said it was prepared to respond to any attacks with "nuclear attacks of our own style".
Brexit 'must bring us together' says Theresa May in Easter message
People are "uniting" after the divisions of Brexit, according to the Prime Minister.
In an optimistic Easter Message the PM stressed the opportunities for the country as it leaves the European Union.
Theresa May said the process focusing on "shared ambitions" by exiting the EU "can - and must bring us together".
Many see obstacles and division in the negotiations ahead.
But Mrs May said: "This year, after a period of intense debate over the right future for our country, there is a sense that people are coming together and uniting behind the opportunities that lie ahead.
"For at heart, this country is one great union of people and nations with a proud history and a bright future.
"And as we face the opportunities ahead of us - the opportunities that stem from our decision to leave the European Union and embrace the world - our shared interests, our shared ambitions and above all our shared values can - and must - bring us together."
Mrs May, the daughter of a vicar, also said the UK should be "confident" about Christianity's role in society and stand up for people's freedom to speak about their faith.
She said: "We must continue to ensure that people feel able to speak about their faith, and that absolutely includes their faith in Christ.
"And we must do more to stand up for the freedom of people of all religions to practice their beliefs openly and in peace and safety."
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also reflected on the Christian principles in his Easter message, which he applied to overcoming social problems.
He said: "We hear painful stories every day, of homelessness, poverty or crisis in our health service - or across the world, of the devastating consequences of war and conflict, including millions forced to become refugees.
"It would be easy to retreat into our private lives because the challenges seem overwhelming, or allow ourselves to be divided and blame others.
"But we need to respond to these problems head on, through action and support for social justice, peace and reconciliation.
"Those principles are at the heart of Christianity. And Christians throughout the world will this weekend be remembering Jesus's example of love and sacrifice, and the Easter message of redemption and peace."
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron used his Easter message to warn against nostalgia and "turning back the clock".
He said: "Nostalgia and nationalism have become the fuel for an aggressive and irrational brand of politics that is the opposite of what liberals stand for."
The overtly political Easter messages come as a ComRes Survey puts the Tories 21 points clear of Labour on 46% to 25%. That's the largest poll lead for a Conservative government since 1983.
A new Optimum survey also shows 47% of people back Mrs May to be Prime Minister, compared to just 14% supporting Mr Corbyn.
It also found that only 45% of Labour supporters backed Mr Corbyn to be leader in a two way choice between him and the PM.
In an optimistic Easter Message the PM stressed the opportunities for the country as it leaves the European Union.
Theresa May said the process focusing on "shared ambitions" by exiting the EU "can - and must bring us together".
Many see obstacles and division in the negotiations ahead.
But Mrs May said: "This year, after a period of intense debate over the right future for our country, there is a sense that people are coming together and uniting behind the opportunities that lie ahead.
"For at heart, this country is one great union of people and nations with a proud history and a bright future.
"And as we face the opportunities ahead of us - the opportunities that stem from our decision to leave the European Union and embrace the world - our shared interests, our shared ambitions and above all our shared values can - and must - bring us together."
Mrs May, the daughter of a vicar, also said the UK should be "confident" about Christianity's role in society and stand up for people's freedom to speak about their faith.
She said: "We must continue to ensure that people feel able to speak about their faith, and that absolutely includes their faith in Christ.
"And we must do more to stand up for the freedom of people of all religions to practice their beliefs openly and in peace and safety."
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also reflected on the Christian principles in his Easter message, which he applied to overcoming social problems.
He said: "We hear painful stories every day, of homelessness, poverty or crisis in our health service - or across the world, of the devastating consequences of war and conflict, including millions forced to become refugees.
"It would be easy to retreat into our private lives because the challenges seem overwhelming, or allow ourselves to be divided and blame others.
"But we need to respond to these problems head on, through action and support for social justice, peace and reconciliation.
"Those principles are at the heart of Christianity. And Christians throughout the world will this weekend be remembering Jesus's example of love and sacrifice, and the Easter message of redemption and peace."
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron used his Easter message to warn against nostalgia and "turning back the clock".
He said: "Nostalgia and nationalism have become the fuel for an aggressive and irrational brand of politics that is the opposite of what liberals stand for."
The overtly political Easter messages come as a ComRes Survey puts the Tories 21 points clear of Labour on 46% to 25%. That's the largest poll lead for a Conservative government since 1983.
A new Optimum survey also shows 47% of people back Mrs May to be Prime Minister, compared to just 14% supporting Mr Corbyn.
It also found that only 45% of Labour supporters backed Mr Corbyn to be leader in a two way choice between him and the PM.
Saturday, April 15, 2017
The new driving test explained: The changes learners need to know about
The driving test is modernising, so what do you have to do to pass? Here are the changes learners need to know about.
:: You will have to show that you can follow instructions from a sat nav supplied by the examiner.
:: One in five tests will still not use a sat nav, so you will still have to be able to follow road signs as well.
:: It does not matter if you go the wrong way while following the sat nav, providing you do not make a fault while doing so.
:: The amount of independent driving you have to do in your test will increase from 10 to 20 minutes.
:: The requirement to reverse around a corner in the exam is being scrapped, although your driving instructor should still teach you how to do it.
:: Likewise, there is no requirement to do a three-point turn in your test but, again, you should know how to do one.
:: Instead you will have to show that you can perform one of three more common reversing manoeuvres.
:: These include parallel parking and driving in to and out of a parking bay (either backwards or forwards).
:: You will also be expected to show that you know how to wash the windows and use car controls like the wipers or heated windscreens.
:: The examiner will also ask you to answer two questions about vehicle safety. This will include things like tyre pressures and how to check headlights are working.
:: You will have to show that you can follow instructions from a sat nav supplied by the examiner.
:: One in five tests will still not use a sat nav, so you will still have to be able to follow road signs as well.
:: It does not matter if you go the wrong way while following the sat nav, providing you do not make a fault while doing so.
:: The amount of independent driving you have to do in your test will increase from 10 to 20 minutes.
:: The requirement to reverse around a corner in the exam is being scrapped, although your driving instructor should still teach you how to do it.
:: Likewise, there is no requirement to do a three-point turn in your test but, again, you should know how to do one.
:: Instead you will have to show that you can perform one of three more common reversing manoeuvres.
:: These include parallel parking and driving in to and out of a parking bay (either backwards or forwards).
:: You will also be expected to show that you know how to wash the windows and use car controls like the wipers or heated windscreens.
:: The examiner will also ask you to answer two questions about vehicle safety. This will include things like tyre pressures and how to check headlights are working.
US war with North Korea 'may break out any moment'
North Korea has warned America to end its "military hysteria" or face retaliation - as a US strike group, including an aircraft carrier, steams towards the region.
Pyongyang issued the warning as it displayed new submarine-based ballistic missiles in a massive military parade in the city.
The reclusive state said it was prepared to respond to any attacks with "nuclear attacks of our own style", as tension mounted in the region.
China, Pyongyang's sole major ally, has warned that the tensions must be stopped from reaching an "irreversible and unmanageable stage".
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said: "We call on all parties to refrain from provoking and threatening each other.
"One has the feeling that a conflict could break out at any moment.
"Once a war really happens, the result will be nothing but multiple loss. No one can become a winner."
On Saturday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un arrived at Pyongyang's main Kim Il Sung Square, named after his grandfather.
He led a military parade marking the "Day of the Sun", the 105th birthday of the state's founding father Kim Il-Sung.
Goose-stepping soldiers and marching bands filled the square, next to the Taedonggang River that flows through Pyongyang.
Tanks, multiple rocket launch systems and other weapons followed, while single-engine planes flew in a 105 formation overhead.
South Korea's military said it believed some of the missiles in the parade included new types of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).
Pyongyang issued the warning as it displayed new submarine-based ballistic missiles in a massive military parade in the city.
The reclusive state said it was prepared to respond to any attacks with "nuclear attacks of our own style", as tension mounted in the region.
China, Pyongyang's sole major ally, has warned that the tensions must be stopped from reaching an "irreversible and unmanageable stage".
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said: "We call on all parties to refrain from provoking and threatening each other.
"One has the feeling that a conflict could break out at any moment.
"Once a war really happens, the result will be nothing but multiple loss. No one can become a winner."
On Saturday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un arrived at Pyongyang's main Kim Il Sung Square, named after his grandfather.
He led a military parade marking the "Day of the Sun", the 105th birthday of the state's founding father Kim Il-Sung.
Goose-stepping soldiers and marching bands filled the square, next to the Taedonggang River that flows through Pyongyang.
Tanks, multiple rocket launch systems and other weapons followed, while single-engine planes flew in a 105 formation overhead.
South Korea's military said it believed some of the missiles in the parade included new types of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).
Driving test shake-up introduces sat nav into exam
New drivers will have to prove they can operate modern technology, in what could be the last changes to the driving test before the arrival of semi-autonomous cars.
From December examiners will test students to see if they can follow instructions from satellite navigation systems for up to 20 minutes.
The "independent driving" segment of the test will be doubled from its current 10 minutes and drivers will have to demonstrate they can operate equipment like a heated rear window while the car is moving.
Meanwhile new manoeuvres will be introduced, including driving into and out of a parking space, while the old requirement to reverse around a corner will be scrapped.
Junior transport minister Andrew Jones said the changes are designed to improve safety now that half of motorists use satellite navigation.
He said: "Technology is a great facilitator, it has helped us improve our road safety, but the question is, how can we maximise that?"
The changes to the test come as the government is actively promoting the development of driverless cars in the UK, with some "hands off" vehicles expected to be introduced as soon as next year.
Changes are planned to the Highway Code to allow fully autonomous cars on the roads by 2021.
Experts say driver training will have to change again to cope with taking control of a semi-autonomous car in an emergency.
"How are you going to manage that transition from one mode to the other?" asked Paul Knight of Manchester law firm Mills and Reeve.
"It's more than just physical, you actually need to switch on mentally as well," he said.
From December examiners will test students to see if they can follow instructions from satellite navigation systems for up to 20 minutes.
The "independent driving" segment of the test will be doubled from its current 10 minutes and drivers will have to demonstrate they can operate equipment like a heated rear window while the car is moving.
Meanwhile new manoeuvres will be introduced, including driving into and out of a parking space, while the old requirement to reverse around a corner will be scrapped.
Junior transport minister Andrew Jones said the changes are designed to improve safety now that half of motorists use satellite navigation.
He said: "Technology is a great facilitator, it has helped us improve our road safety, but the question is, how can we maximise that?"
The changes to the test come as the government is actively promoting the development of driverless cars in the UK, with some "hands off" vehicles expected to be introduced as soon as next year.
Changes are planned to the Highway Code to allow fully autonomous cars on the roads by 2021.
Experts say driver training will have to change again to cope with taking control of a semi-autonomous car in an emergency.
"How are you going to manage that transition from one mode to the other?" asked Paul Knight of Manchester law firm Mills and Reeve.
"It's more than just physical, you actually need to switch on mentally as well," he said.
'Mother of all bombs' kills 36 Islamic State militants, Afghanistan officials say
Afghanistan officials said 36 Islamic State militants were killed when the U.S. dropped the “mother of all bombs” on a tunnel complex Thursday.
The Afghanistan Ministry of Defense added in a statement Friday that there were no civilian casualties and that several Islamic State caves and ammunition caches were destroyed.
The GBU-43B, a 21,000-pound conventional bomb, was deployed in Nangarhar Province close to the Afghanistan/Pakistan border. The MOAB -- Massive Ordnance Air Blast -- is also known as the “Mother Of All Bombs.” It was first tested in 2003, but hadn't been used in combat before Thursday.
President Trump told media Thursday afternoon that "this was another successful mission" and he gave the military total authorization.
Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump said the bomb had been brought to Afghanistan "some time ago" for potential use. The bomb explodes in the air, creating air pressure that can make tunnels and other structures collapse. It can be used at the start of an offensive to soften up the enemy, weakening both its infrastructure and morale.
"As [ISIS'] losses have mounted, they are using IEDs, bunkers and tunnels to thicken their defense," Gen. John Nicholson, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said in a statement. "This is the right munition to reduce these obstacles and maintain the momentum of our offensive against [ISIS]."
The MOAB had to be dropped out of the back of a U.S. Air Force C-130 cargo plane due to its massive size.
"We kicked it out the back door," one U.S. official told Fox News.
Ismail Shinwari, the governor of Achin district, said the U.S. attack was carried out in a remote mountainous area with no civilian homes nearby. He said there has been heavy fighting in the area in recent weeks between Afghan forces and ISIS militants.
Hakim Khan, 50, a resident of Achin district where the attack took place, welcomed the attack on ISIS, saying: "I want 100 times more bombings on this group."
The strike came just days after a Green Beret was killed fighting ISIS in Nangarhar, however, a U.S. defense official told Fox News the bombing had nothing to do with that casualty.
“It was the right weapon for the right target, and not in retaliation,” the official said.
The U.S. estimates that between 600 to 800 ISIS fighters are present in Afghanistan, mostly in Nangarhar. The U.S. has concentrated heavily on combatting them while also supporting Afghan forces battling the Taliban.
In August, a company of nearly 150 Army Rangers killed "hundreds" of ISISfighters in Nangarhar, though five of the Rangers were shot. Some weapons and equipment, including communications gear and a rocket launcher, were also left behind following the operation.
The Afghanistan Ministry of Defense added in a statement Friday that there were no civilian casualties and that several Islamic State caves and ammunition caches were destroyed.
The GBU-43B, a 21,000-pound conventional bomb, was deployed in Nangarhar Province close to the Afghanistan/Pakistan border. The MOAB -- Massive Ordnance Air Blast -- is also known as the “Mother Of All Bombs.” It was first tested in 2003, but hadn't been used in combat before Thursday.
President Trump told media Thursday afternoon that "this was another successful mission" and he gave the military total authorization.
Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump said the bomb had been brought to Afghanistan "some time ago" for potential use. The bomb explodes in the air, creating air pressure that can make tunnels and other structures collapse. It can be used at the start of an offensive to soften up the enemy, weakening both its infrastructure and morale.
"As [ISIS'] losses have mounted, they are using IEDs, bunkers and tunnels to thicken their defense," Gen. John Nicholson, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said in a statement. "This is the right munition to reduce these obstacles and maintain the momentum of our offensive against [ISIS]."
The MOAB had to be dropped out of the back of a U.S. Air Force C-130 cargo plane due to its massive size.
"We kicked it out the back door," one U.S. official told Fox News.
Ismail Shinwari, the governor of Achin district, said the U.S. attack was carried out in a remote mountainous area with no civilian homes nearby. He said there has been heavy fighting in the area in recent weeks between Afghan forces and ISIS militants.
Hakim Khan, 50, a resident of Achin district where the attack took place, welcomed the attack on ISIS, saying: "I want 100 times more bombings on this group."
The strike came just days after a Green Beret was killed fighting ISIS in Nangarhar, however, a U.S. defense official told Fox News the bombing had nothing to do with that casualty.
“It was the right weapon for the right target, and not in retaliation,” the official said.
The U.S. estimates that between 600 to 800 ISIS fighters are present in Afghanistan, mostly in Nangarhar. The U.S. has concentrated heavily on combatting them while also supporting Afghan forces battling the Taliban.
In August, a company of nearly 150 Army Rangers killed "hundreds" of ISISfighters in Nangarhar, though five of the Rangers were shot. Some weapons and equipment, including communications gear and a rocket launcher, were also left behind following the operation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)