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Three million affected by Pakistan floods
Rescue and relief activity is continuing in flood-ravaged Pakistan where the death toll has climbed to over 1,400, and three million people have been affected so far. A spokesperson for the UN Children's Fund said 1.3 million people were severely affected by the floods in the northwest, triggering heavy criticism of the government over its response to the disaster. Pakistani authorities are struggling to help victims of the flooding, many of whom have lost their homes and livelihood and say they had not received any official warnings that raging waters were heading their way. Gul Abad village at Charsadda town is one of the many villages that were washed away with torrential rain and heavy flooding. "It was raining last night and we sat in the open like we are at the moment. We receive some relief goods, the others we don't. But we are in desperate need of tents and shelter," said Saeed Jan, a young man whose house was completely destroyed by floods. Others said they weren't getting enough food: "The ration comes. The village elders give it out to their own people, poor get nothing. Ration officials demand identity cards. Where can we produce identity card from? We lost those cards with our belongings. So, we are facing difficulty," said villager Sher Wali. Authorities expect the death toll to rise, with forecasts of more of the heavy monsoon rains that have been lashing the area for the past week.(itn)
TV worker jailed for killing wife
A television location manager who killed his wife with a single blow during a trivial argument following a dinner party has been jailed for 18 months. Jonathan Wicks, who had worked on several hit shows including the BBC's Holby City, was convicted of manslaughter by a jury at Warwick Crown Court following a four-day trial in May. The trial was told that Wicks, of Stourton, south Warwickshire, had argued with his wife Sarah about several issues before the fatal incident, including an "overcooked" joint of beef which had been prepared for guests. Sentencing the 48-year-old at Birmingham Crown Court, Judge Richard Griffith-Jones said the offence was so serious that only a custodial sentence could be justified. Wicks, who was allowed to remain seated as sentence was handed down, had denied the manslaughter of his wife, claiming to have acted in self-defence after she threw plates at him. Mrs Wicks, 49, died in May last year after suffering a ruptured artery in her neck at the couple's home at The Old Chapel, Stourton. Passing sentence, Judge Griffith-Jones told Wicks: "You are a man of hitherto good character who has led a respectable and successful life. "That success encompassed what I believe to be a loving and harmonious domestic life that was brought to a tragic end during a tiff between you and your much-loved wife, which resulted in a blow from you which in many other instances would have caused bruising, but in this instance caused her death." Wicks, who has already served 110 days in custody on remand, listened intently as the judge added: "It is an important feature of this case that the argument arose very quickly and in your own home. This is not a case of the sort of yobbish violence in public which is so often a feature of one-blow manslaughter cases."(press association)
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Rescue and relief activity is continuing in flood-ravaged Pakistan where the death toll has climbed to over 1,400, and three million people have been affected so far. A spokesperson for the UN Children's Fund said 1.3 million people were severely affected by the floods in the northwest, triggering heavy criticism of the government over its response to the disaster. Pakistani authorities are struggling to help victims of the flooding, many of whom have lost their homes and livelihood and say they had not received any official warnings that raging waters were heading their way. Gul Abad village at Charsadda town is one of the many villages that were washed away with torrential rain and heavy flooding. "It was raining last night and we sat in the open like we are at the moment. We receive some relief goods, the others we don't. But we are in desperate need of tents and shelter," said Saeed Jan, a young man whose house was completely destroyed by floods. Others said they weren't getting enough food: "The ration comes. The village elders give it out to their own people, poor get nothing. Ration officials demand identity cards. Where can we produce identity card from? We lost those cards with our belongings. So, we are facing difficulty," said villager Sher Wali. Authorities expect the death toll to rise, with forecasts of more of the heavy monsoon rains that have been lashing the area for the past week.(itn)
TV worker jailed for killing wife
A television location manager who killed his wife with a single blow during a trivial argument following a dinner party has been jailed for 18 months. Jonathan Wicks, who had worked on several hit shows including the BBC's Holby City, was convicted of manslaughter by a jury at Warwick Crown Court following a four-day trial in May. The trial was told that Wicks, of Stourton, south Warwickshire, had argued with his wife Sarah about several issues before the fatal incident, including an "overcooked" joint of beef which had been prepared for guests. Sentencing the 48-year-old at Birmingham Crown Court, Judge Richard Griffith-Jones said the offence was so serious that only a custodial sentence could be justified. Wicks, who was allowed to remain seated as sentence was handed down, had denied the manslaughter of his wife, claiming to have acted in self-defence after she threw plates at him. Mrs Wicks, 49, died in May last year after suffering a ruptured artery in her neck at the couple's home at The Old Chapel, Stourton. Passing sentence, Judge Griffith-Jones told Wicks: "You are a man of hitherto good character who has led a respectable and successful life. "That success encompassed what I believe to be a loving and harmonious domestic life that was brought to a tragic end during a tiff between you and your much-loved wife, which resulted in a blow from you which in many other instances would have caused bruising, but in this instance caused her death." Wicks, who has already served 110 days in custody on remand, listened intently as the judge added: "It is an important feature of this case that the argument arose very quickly and in your own home. This is not a case of the sort of yobbish violence in public which is so often a feature of one-blow manslaughter cases."(press association)
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