New York Marathon Scrapped Due To Sandy

Sunday's New York City Marathon has been cancelled due to a public backlash against the road race in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy, the city's mayor has announced.

The U-turn comes just three hours after Mayor Michael Bloomberg defended the decision to hold it - despite mounting criticism from New Yorkers that this was not the time for a road race.

They complained that holding the event just six days after the disaster would be insensitive and tie up precious resources when many people are still suffering.

Residents were concerned the city's already stretched police force would be re-deployed to patrol the race from handling relief work - and feared storm victims would be evicted from hotels to make room for people coming into town for the race.

Runners make their way through Queens during the 2011 race

There has been growing anger too at the thought of big generators being brought in to power equipment at the finish-line tents in Central Park, while vast swathes of the city's population were still struggling to cope without electricity.

Mr Bloomberg described the marathon as being an "integral part of New York City's life for 40 years" and "an event tens of thousands of New Yorkers participate in and millions more watch".

He still insisted that holding the race would not require diverting resources from the recovery effort, but said he understood the level of friction and opposition to it.

"It is clear it that it has become the source of controversy and division," he said.

"The marathon has always brought our city together and inspired us with stories of courage and determination."

Flooded streets in Queens where the Rockaway boardwalk was washed away

An estimated 40,000 runners from around the world had been expected to take part in the 26.2-mile event.

The race had been scheduled to start in Staten Island, one of the hardest-hit areas by this week's storm.

"We would not want a cloud to hang over the race or its participants, and so we have decided to cancel it," the mayor said in a statement.

"We cannot allow a controversy over an athletic event - even one as meaningful as this - to distract attention away from all the critically important work that is being done to recover from the storm and get our city back on track."

Earlier, Mr Bloomberg had said he hoped to lift spirits and unite the storm-stricken city when he decided to press ahead with the event.

A fallen tree on top of a parked car in the borough of Queens in New York

At a news conference, the mayor said New York "has to show that we are here and we are going to recover" and "give people something to cheer about in what's been a very dismal week for a lot of people".

He also pointed out that his predecessor, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, went ahead with the marathon in 2011 two months after the September 11 attacks, and "it pulled people together".

But in a sign of the how the political mood was turning against Mr Bloomberg, city comptroller John Liu warned that it had become clear that holding the marathon this weekend would "compromise the city's ability to protect and provide for the residents most affected by the hurricane".

Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer called for a postponement, saying New Yorkers deserved nothing less than to know that the entire government was focused solely on the recovery, while city council speaker Christine Quinn said pressing ahead "is not a decision I would have made".

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Third Man Held Over NI Prison Officer Murder

A third man has been arrested in connection with the murder of prison officer David Black, who was ambushed on a motorway in County Armagh.

The suspect, 29, was detained in the Irish Republic by police.

Two other men including prominent dissident republican Colin Duffy were earlier arrested north of the border.

David Black, 52, was gunned down on Thursday during a high speed ambush on a motorway as he drove to work at Maghaberry high security prison.

His killing has prompted condemnation from across Britain and Ireland and police have blamed it on dissident republicans.

The father-of-two's car veered off the road and into a drainage ditch after the shots were fired.

The ambush took place on the M1 motorway

He was on a stretch of the motorway between Portadown and Lurgan - a dissident republican stronghold in County Armagh.

A Toyota Camry used in the attack was later found burned out in the Inglewood area of Lurgan.

Police have blamed dissident republicans opposed to the peace process for the ambush. They have been engaged in a long-running campaign against conditions in Maghaberry.

Detectives leading the inquiry have insisted they need the public's help to bring the killers to justice.

Superintendent Keith Agnew said: "I welcome the universal condemnation there has been from right across our community in response to David's murder. I am sure it is of comfort to his family at this difficult time.

Cars similar to David Black's Audi A4 (top) and his killers' Toyota Camry

"But condemnation, however strident, is not enough. My team of detectives need condemnation to be translated into information if our investigation is to make maximum progress."

Mr Black, from Cookstown, County Tyrone, had served in the Prison Service for more than 30 years and was considering early retirement.

His wife and children are said to be "absolutely devastated" by the killing.

A long-standing member of the Orange Order, Mr Black was the 30th prison officer to be murdered in Northern Ireland since 1974, although the first for almost 20 years.

He was driving his black Audi A4 when the dark blue Toyota drew up alongside and several shots were fired. Police believe he may have already been dead when his car veered off the road.

All sides in Northern Ireland have condemned the shooting, along with Prime Minister David Cameron.

Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers made a statement in the House of Commons on the matter on Friday.

She offered the Government's "profound sympathies" to Mr Black's family and colleagues and said the attack "demonstrated the gravity of the threat that dissident groups continue to pose".

Ms Villiers said the UK remained "vigilant", adding: "The numbers involved in terrorism activities are small but these groupings have the capability and they have lethal intent."

The Northern Ireland Police Service have launched a "meticulous investigation" into the ambush, and officers "will not rest until the attackers have been put behind bars", she told MPs.

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said the killing of the prison officer was wrong.

He said: "There is no rationale now for the existence of armed groups or for carrying out armed actions in any part of this country.

"Those involved have no popular support or political strategy."

Earlier in the day the shooting was discussed at a north-south meeting in Armagh involving Enda Kenny, prime minister of the Irish Republic, Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.

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Superstorm Sandy: Fuel Shortages Hit Recovery

Long queues have formed at petrol stations due to mass fuel shortages following superstorm Sandy, as the death toll from the disaster reached 82 in the US.

At least 37 people were killed in New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg confirmed today - three days after the storm battered the East Coast.

Tens of thousands of people are still stranded in their properties due to flooding, while emergency teams are struggling to reach the worst hit areas and restore power to millions.

A limited service returned on some train and subway lines in New York, but more than half of the petrol stations in the city and neighbouring New Jersey remained shut due to power outages and depleted fuel supplies.

Even before dawn, long lines formed at petrol stations that were expected to open.

Residents in the flooded city of Hoboken

Nearly 20,000 people have been trapped at home in the New Jersey city of Hoboken, just across the Hudson River from New York City, amid accusations that officials were slow to deliver food and water.

One man blew up an air mattress and floated to City Hall, demanding to know why supplies had not reached residents - at least a quarter of homes there are flooded and 90% do not have power.

National Guard troops have arrived in Hoboken to help evacuate stranded people.

In total, about 4.7 million homes and businesses remain without power, mostly in New York and New Jersey - while miles of coastline, including Atlantic City, was ripped apart by the storm.

Parts of Manhattan remained without power after the superstorm

As the region struggles to recover, a clean-up operation in that state has begun while New York City has taken the first tentative steps to getting back to some form of normality as it re-opens some unaffected parts of the subway system - which suffered the worst damage in its 108-year history.

Three of the region's main airports, John F Kennedy, Newark Liberty and LaGuardia, have also opened and are running limited schedules.

Broadway shows have resumed and people packed on to buses that returned for the first time to city streets since the storm.

Electricity outages continue as far west as Wisconsin in the Midwest and as far south as the Carolinas.

The superstorm, which also hit parts of Canada, came ashore over a thousand miles of coastline to engulf 20 states. It is now winding down and its remnants have been felt in the Appalachian mountains.

Sandy brought up to 3ft (1m) of snow to parts of West Virginia and Maryland and several more inches are possible before it dies out for good later this week.

Flood-damaged food is removed from New York shops

Restoring the usually vibrant New York City to its ordinarily frenetic pace could take days, while rebuilding the hardest-hit communities and the transportation networks could take considerably longer.

Power company Consolidated Edison says it could be the weekend before power is restored to Manhattan and Brooklyn, perhaps longer for other New York boroughs and the New York suburbs.

There are still only hints of the economic impact of the storm.

Part of a home rests upside-down in Seaside Heights, New Jersey

Forecasting firm IHS Global Insight predicted it would cause $20bn (£12.4bn) in damage and $10bn (£6.2bn) to $30bn (£18.5bn) in lost business. Another firm, AIR Worldwide, estimated losses up to $15bn (£9.3bn).

Amtrak said the amount of water in train tunnels under the Hudson and East rivers was unprecedented, but it said it planned to restore some service on Friday to and from New York City.

Speaking at a shelter, US President Barack Obama told New Jersey residents that the government will support them "for the long haul".

The bill for Sandy could top $20bn

The region took the brunt of its impact and is among the worst affected areas on the East Coast.

Joined by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Mr Obama -  who described the disaster as "heartbreaking for the nation" - inspected the impact from Sandy, flying high over flooded neighbourhoods and sand-strewn streets.

He told those affected by the storm: "Our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones. Their world has been torn apart ... they are in our thoughts and prayers.

"For those like the people I have had a chance to meet on this block, throughout New Jersey and throughout the region whose lives have been upended, my second message is: We are here for you, and we will not forget, we will follow up to make sure that you get all the help that you need until you've rebuilt."

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Freddie Starr Released On Police Bail

Freddie Starr has been released on police bail after being questioned by detectives investigating the Jimmy Savile sex scandal.

More follows...

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Cameron Defeated In Key EU Budget Vote

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

David Cameron has suffered a humiliating defeat in the Commons on Europe, with more than 50 Tory MPs rebelling against the Prime Minister.

MPs voted by 307 votes to 294, a majority of 13, in favour of a rebel Tory call - backed by Labour MPs - for a real terms cut in the European Union's budget.

The vote came at the end of an acrimonious three-hour debate in which Tory MPs openly and angrily clashed with each other on Europe and support for the Prime Minister.

At Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Cameron said he would veto any real terms rise in the 2014-20 financial framework.

"At best we would like it cut, at worst frozen, and I'm quite prepared to use the veto if we don't get a deal which is good for Britain," he said.

But his hardened stance failed to persuade rebel Tory MPs not to join Labour in voting for a reduction in the budget in real terms, a defeat that leaves the PM's authority badly undermined.

A total of 53 Conservative MPs rebelled, 51 voting against the Government, plus two tellers - the members who count the votes.

Thirteen Conservative MPs – including former defence secretary Liam Fox and 1922 Committee chairman Graham Brady – were absent.

The Tories voting against the Government included serial eurosceptic rebels as well as Mr Cameron's one-time leadership rival David Davis, the Father of the House Sir Peter Tapsell and many of the 2010 intake.

The votes of the minor parties were also crucial and swung the result against the Government. Five Democratic Unionists, six Scottish Nationalists and the Green Party's Caroline Lucas voted for the rebel amendment.

Opening the debate earlier, Treasury minister Greg Clark pleaded with MPs to support the Prime Minister as he went to Europe to "bat for Britain" over the seven-year spending plan.

The Prime Minister is due to head to Brussels for EU budget negotiations

But the mover of the rebel amendment, Mark Reckless, said many of his constituents could not understand why, when there were cuts to budgets in the UK's public services, the EU was getting a larger budget.

Mr Reckless said: "If there are inflationary increases as the Government proposes, we are looking at a net contribution going from £9.2bn last year to £13.6bn at the end of the process. We simply cannot, cannot afford that."

Bill Cash, who chairs the European Scrutiny Committee, condemned the EU for demanding more cash.

"The money comes from the taxpayer, it doesn't grow on trees - that's what they don't understand," the veteran Tory eurosceptic told MPs.

"They are living on another planet, that's the real problem."

But in a passionate speech in support of the Prime Minister, former Tory minister Sir Tony Baldry said: "Colleagues on this side of the House have a choice.

"We are either going to support the Prime Minister or not support the Prime Minister, and if colleagues are not prepared to support the Prime Minister, every time they go into a division lobby different to that of the Prime Minister, they are weakening the Prime Minister's negotiating hand in Europe."

The Major government, he said, was weakened by colleagues "persistently" voting against the Government in the 1990s.

He said: "We simply cannot carry on with this sort of self-indulgence that we are seeing on the order paper today.

"If this party hopes to be in government after the next general election, it has just got to get a grip and start supporting the Prime Minister."

Tory Bernard Jenkin said Mr Reckless's amendment was "a cry of despair from the British people who want their elected representatives to say something to the front benches of both parties that have so betrayed the British people" over Europe.

And towards the end of the debate, the architect of the rebellion, Mark Pritchard, said: "Are we going to continue to ask families up and down this country to stop putting new shoes on their children's feet while we fill the very large Mercedes fleet of Brussels?

"That is the choice. This is a moment of truth."

After the Government defeat, another rebel, Peter Bone, hailed the "remarkable victory" and said: "Parliament spoke for the people. There was enormous pressure on colleagues to vote with the Government.

"It was a very significant victory for the people. It was because MPs have to face their constituents."

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Sandy: Barack Obama Sees New Jersey Damage

US President Barack Obama has told New Jersey residents devastated by Superstorm Sandy that the government will support them "for the long haul".

The region took the brunt of its impact and is among the worst affected areas on the East Coast of the United States, along with New York.

At least 62 people have been killed across the US and Canada.

Joined by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Mr Obama -  who described the disaster as "heartbreaking for the nation"  - inspected the impact from Sandy, flying high over flooded neighbourhoods and sand-strewn streets.

At a community centre where people have taken shelter, Mr Obama said: "We are going to be here for the long haul."

The superstorm wreaked havoc across the east coast of America

Later, after touring parts of the storm-ravaged region in Atlantic City on foot, he said his "biggest priority is restoring power to those without it".

He told those affected by the storm: "Our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones. Their world has been torn apart ... they are in our thoughts and prayers.

"For those like the people I have had a chance to meet on this block, throughout New Jersey and throughout the region whose lives have been upended, my second message is: We are here for you, and we will not forget, we will follow up to make sure that you get all the help that you need until you've rebuilt."

He added: "We are going to have a lot of work to do. I don't want anybody to feel that somehow this is all going to get cleaned up overnight. We want to make sure people have realistic expectations.

"But what I can promise you is that the federal government will be working as closely as possible with the state and local officials - and we will not quit until this is done."

The foundations of the historic Rockaway boardwalk are all that remain

Businesses and homes along the shore were wrecked and communities were submerged under floodwater.

But talk in the state quickly turned to rebuilding and recovery.

"It's heartbreaking after being here 37 years," Barry Prezioso of Point Pleasant, New Jersey, said as he returned to his house in the coastal community to survey the damage.

"You see your home demolished like this, it's tough. But nobody got hurt and the upstairs is still liveable, so we can still live upstairs and clean this out. I'm sure there's people that had worse. I feel kind of lucky."

National Guard troops arrived in the flooded city of Hoboken to help evacuate thousands still stuck in their homes and deliver meals.

Fresh problems arose when fire crews were unable to reach blazes rekindled by natural gas leaks in the shore town of Mantoloking.

The President, who has suspended election campaigning for three days, is fighting a close race with Republican rival Mitt Romney and the White House has been keen to portray him as a strong leader ahead of polling day on November 6.

The Empire State Building seen through the flooded Erie-Lackawanna Park

Mr Christie has been one of Mr Romney's most prominent supporters, but has been effusive in his praise of Mr Obama's response to the storm.

Mr Romney is currently campaigning in Florida, where he said people had "come together" to help each other following the storm.

Some newspapers have suggested that Tuesday's election could be delayed, but Sky News' Political Editor Adam Boulton said that was unlikely.

"No-one is talking about that. In Manhattan they haven't even called off the marathon this weekend."

Earlier, the President visited the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) for the second time in four days. On Sunday, he met officials and told reporters the government would "respond big and respond fast" after the massive storm made landfall.

More than eight million homes have been left without electricity by the biggest storm to hit the country in generations, which swamped parts of New York's subways system and Lower Manhattan's financial district.

Falling trees proved to be particularly deadly during the storms

It is feared it could be days before electricity is restored to some of those cut off - adding to their struggle to return daily life to some sense of normality.

Forecasters predict the storm could end up causing around $20bn (£12bn) worth of damage in the US.

While the storm has now passed the worst-hit area, Sky News weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said the bad weather will continue.

"The storm is still reacting with cold air from the west, so there will be further heavy snowfall as well as inland flooding," she said.

"Rainfall totals could reach around 6-8 inches, and winds will remain gale force in strength.

"The forecast suggests that the centre of the low will move northwards from western Pennsylvania into the west of New York and then into Quebec by Thursday."

Queues could be seen outside museums, the Empire State Building, Broadway theatres and many stores in New York on Wednesday, but parks, the 9/11 Memorial, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and many other top attractions remained closed.

The city's Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan was reportedly forced to evacuate around 500 patients due to a power cut.

Areas along the shoreline were badly damaged

More than 80 homes in New York City's borough of Queens were destroyed in a fire caused by the storm.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who toured the area, said: "To describe it as looking like pictures we've seen of the end of World War Two is not overstating it. The area was completely levelled."

Neighbour John Frawley, 57, said: "I stayed up all night. The screams. The fire. It was horrifying."

Subways were flooded and public transport and flights disrupted across the areas hardest hit by the storm.

However as the rain and wind eased, JFK and Newark airports were reopened. LaGuardia airport remains closed, but is expected to reopen with a limited schedule on Thursday.

New York governor Andrew Cuomo said a limited subway service would also resume on Thursday, while organisers of the New York City Marathon said Sunday's race was still on track to go ahead.

The UN Security Council chamber, situated in the basement of the United Nations headquarters overlooking the East River, was forced to move to a temporary base due to flooding.

Meanwhile, British nationals forced to leave belongings in hotels when they fled the storm were being issued with emergency passports to help them get home.

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Sandy: Search For Bounty Captain Continues

The search for the captain of a tall ship that sank during Hurricane Sandy is to continue for a second night, US coast guards have said.

Lt Mike Patterson said a C-130 plane and two cutter ships will be used to look for HMS Bounty captain Robin Walbridge.

Searchers hope the 63-year-old of St. Petersburg, Florida, has been able to survive in the relatively mild 25C (77F) waters of the Atlantic, about 90 miles (145km) off Cape Hatteras.

Lt Patterson said search planes could no longer see the Bounty, an 18th-century replica tall ship used in many movie dramas.

The ship's masts had stayed visible for hours after the decks disappeared below the waves early on Monday.

A woman rescued from the sea hours after the Bounty went down later died.

Claudene Christian was pulled from the water hours after the historic ship sank - but was unresponsive.

The 42-year-old, who lived and sailed on the ship, was taken to hospital in a critical condition but was later pronounced dead.

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Sandy: Obama To Visit Storm-Hit US East Coast

Frankenstorm: Why Is Hurricane Sandy So Big?

Updated: 3:41pm UK, Monday 29 October 2012

A number of complications have caused Hurricane Sandy to grow into a menacing monster storm which is threatening to become the biggest in US history.

Sandy, which is hundreds of miles across, is set to merge with other weather systems, unleashing a deadly punch of high wind, heavy rain, extreme tides, several days' worth of snow and potentially deadly storm surges.

On course to interact with Sandy is a wintry storm moving across the US from the west and frigid air streaming south from Canada.

New York and Long Island could see huge seawater surges of up to 11 ft (3 m) which coincide with high tides due to a full moon.

Sky News Weather producer Christopher England said these factors makes Sandy "unusually intense".

"It's a major storm that's going to hit a major place - and it will hit New York City at high tide, due to a full moon, causing a massive storm surge," he said.

England said most hurricanes that hit America's biggest city tend to make landfall further south, so they weaken before hitting the Big Apple.

"Most storms don't come from over the ocean, like Sandy is. They tend to hit land earlier, often around North Carolina, and lose their strength," England said.

"It's often the decaying remnants that hit New York - rather than the full-blooded storm.

"But Sandy has maintained its strength because it has kept its track up over the ocean."

England said another major issue making Sandy worse is the fact the air is set to be colder than usual.

"A storm's energy comes from temperature and humidity differences in the atmosphere - essentially warmer air rises and condensing water vapour adds to the energy and drives the storm," he said.

"Sandy is moving into a region with a strong flow from the Arctic, so will be coming into contact with much colder than average air causing the potential for greater temperature contrasts, and hence greater energy release and a more potent storm."

While Sandy does not yet pack the punch of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005, it could become more potent as it approaches the US coast.

And England said the storm is unlikely to change its path.

"It could change track, but it doesn't seem likely," he said.

"It's possible that the worst-case scenario will not happen - it all depends on how it comes together.

"But it certainly looks like it's going to be a big event."

Sandy killed 66 people in the Caribbean before pounding US coastal areas with rain and triggering snow falls at higher elevations.

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HMS Bounty Sinks: Captain Still Missing

The Coast Guard has found one of the missing crew members of the stricken HMS Bounty.

Lt Mike Patterson said crews have taken 42-year-old Claudene Christian to hospital for treatment. She is described as "unresponsive".

They are still searching for the captain of the ship Robin Walbridge, aged 63.

HMS Bounty sunk near the eye of Hurricane Sandy on Monday.

Fourteen crew members were hoisted to safety from a lifeboat. The replica tall ship has now disappeared from view, apart from the top of the mast.

Sixteen people were aboard the ship (Pic: www.tallshipbounty.org)

The captain ordered his crew to abandon the ship at about 5am on Monday morning.  They were located 160 miles from the hurricane's centre, and the vessel had lost power and started to take on water.

The US Coast Guard said the Bounty's crew had donned cold water survival suits and lifejackets before launching in two 25-man lifeboats with canopies.

The suits are designed to protect people from the cold waters for up to 15 hours.

"The first Jayhawk (helicopter) crew hoisted five people into the aircraft and a second helicopter arrived and rescued nine people," the Coast Guard said.

They were flown to Air Station Elizabeth City for medical treatment.

Rescuers faced 40mph winds and 18ft waves at the scene, which is 90 miles southeast of Hatteras in North Carolina.

Coast Guard Sector North Carolina received a call from the owner of the 180ft, three mast ship, saying she had lost communication with the vessel's crew late on Sunday evening.

It regained contact with the ship after receiving a signal from the emergency position indicating beacon registered to the Bounty.

The current Bounty was built for the 1962 movie Mutiny On The Bounty with Marlon Brando and has since appeared in Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

The original Bounty is known for the mutiny that took place in Tahiti in 1789.

The rescued crew were flown to Air Station Elizabeth City for treatment

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Superstorm Sandy Batters US Eastern Coast

Frankenstorm: Why Is Hurricane Sandy So Big?

Updated: 3:41pm UK, Monday 29 October 2012

A number of complications have caused Hurricane Sandy to grow into a menacing monster storm which is threatening to become the biggest in US history.

Sandy, which is hundreds of miles across, is set to merge with other weather systems, unleashing a deadly punch of high wind, heavy rain, extreme tides, several days' worth of snow and potentially deadly storm surges.

On course to interact with Sandy is a wintry storm moving across the US from the west and frigid air streaming south from Canada.

New York and Long Island could see huge seawater surges of up to 11 ft (3 m) which coincide with high tides due to a full moon.

Sky News Weather producer Christopher England said these factors makes Sandy "unusually intense".

"It's a major storm that's going to hit a major place - and it will hit New York City at high tide, due to a full moon, causing a massive storm surge," he said.

England said most hurricanes that hit America's biggest city tend to make landfall further south, so they weaken before hitting the Big Apple.

"Most storms don't come from over the ocean, like Sandy is. They tend to hit land earlier, often around North Carolina, and lose their strength," England said.

"It's often the decaying remnants that hit New York - rather than the full-blooded storm.

"But Sandy has maintained its strength because it has kept its track up over the ocean."

England said another major issue making Sandy worse is the fact the air is set to be colder than usual.

"A storm's energy comes from temperature and humidity differences in the atmosphere - essentially warmer air rises and condensing water vapour adds to the energy and drives the storm," he said.

"Sandy is moving into a region with a strong flow from the Arctic, so will be coming into contact with much colder than average air causing the potential for greater temperature contrasts, and hence greater energy release and a more potent storm."

While Sandy does not yet pack the punch of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005, it could become more potent as it approaches the US coast.

And England said the storm is unlikely to change its path.

"It could change track, but it doesn't seem likely," he said.

"It's possible that the worst-case scenario will not happen - it all depends on how it comes together.

"But it certainly looks like it's going to be a big event."

Sandy killed 66 people in the Caribbean before pounding US coastal areas with rain and triggering snow falls at higher elevations.

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HMS Bounty Sinks: Captain Still Missing

The Coast Guard has found one of the missing crew members of the stricken HMS Bounty.

Lt Mike Patterson said crews have taken 42-year-old Claudene Christian to hospital for treatment. She is described as "unresponsive".

They are still searching for the captain of the ship Robin Walbridge, aged 63.

HMS Bounty sunk near the eye of Hurricane Sandy on Monday.

Fourteen crew members were hoisted to safety from a lifeboat. The replica tall ship has now disappeared from view, apart from the top of the mast.

Sixteen people were aboard the ship (Pic: www.tallshipbounty.org)

The captain ordered his crew to abandon the ship at about 5am on Monday morning.  They were located 160 miles from the hurricane's centre, and the vessel had lost power and started to take on water.

The US Coast Guard said the Bounty's crew had donned cold water survival suits and lifejackets before launching in two 25-man lifeboats with canopies.

The suits are designed to protect people from the cold waters for up to 15 hours.

"The first Jayhawk (helicopter) crew hoisted five people into the aircraft and a second helicopter arrived and rescued nine people," the Coast Guard said.

They were flown to Air Station Elizabeth City for medical treatment.

Rescuers faced 40mph winds and 18ft waves at the scene, which is 90 miles southeast of Hatteras in North Carolina.

Coast Guard Sector North Carolina received a call from the owner of the 180ft, three mast ship, saying she had lost communication with the vessel's crew late on Sunday evening.

It regained contact with the ship after receiving a signal from the emergency position indicating beacon registered to the Bounty.

The current Bounty was built for the 1962 movie Mutiny On The Bounty with Marlon Brando and has since appeared in Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

The original Bounty is known for the mutiny that took place in Tahiti in 1789.

The rescued crew were flown to Air Station Elizabeth City for treatment

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Superstorm Sandy Batters US Eastern Coast

Frankenstorm: Why Is Hurricane Sandy So Big?

Updated: 3:41pm UK, Monday 29 October 2012

A number of complications have caused Hurricane Sandy to grow into a menacing monster storm which is threatening to become the biggest in US history.

Sandy, which is hundreds of miles across, is set to merge with other weather systems, unleashing a deadly punch of high wind, heavy rain, extreme tides, several days' worth of snow and potentially deadly storm surges.

On course to interact with Sandy is a wintry storm moving across the US from the west and frigid air streaming south from Canada.

New York and Long Island could see huge seawater surges of up to 11 ft (3 m) which coincide with high tides due to a full moon.

Sky News Weather producer Christopher England said these factors makes Sandy "unusually intense".

"It's a major storm that's going to hit a major place - and it will hit New York City at high tide, due to a full moon, causing a massive storm surge," he said.

England said most hurricanes that hit America's biggest city tend to make landfall further south, so they weaken before hitting the Big Apple.

"Most storms don't come from over the ocean, like Sandy is. They tend to hit land earlier, often around North Carolina, and lose their strength," England said.

"It's often the decaying remnants that hit New York - rather than the full-blooded storm.

"But Sandy has maintained its strength because it has kept its track up over the ocean."

England said another major issue making Sandy worse is the fact the air is set to be colder than usual.

"A storm's energy comes from temperature and humidity differences in the atmosphere - essentially warmer air rises and condensing water vapour adds to the energy and drives the storm," he said.

"Sandy is moving into a region with a strong flow from the Arctic, so will be coming into contact with much colder than average air causing the potential for greater temperature contrasts, and hence greater energy release and a more potent storm."

While Sandy does not yet pack the punch of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005, it could become more potent as it approaches the US coast.

And England said the storm is unlikely to change its path.

"It could change track, but it doesn't seem likely," he said.

"It's possible that the worst-case scenario will not happen - it all depends on how it comes together.

"But it certainly looks like it's going to be a big event."

Sandy killed 66 people in the Caribbean before pounding US coastal areas with rain and triggering snow falls at higher elevations.

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Gary Glitter Released From Custody On Bail

Former pop star Gary Glitter has been released on bail after he was questioned on suspicion of sexual offences.

Glitter, real name Paul Gadd, was seen leaving Charing Cross Police Station by the side entrance at around 5pm.

He was bailed to return to the police station in mid-December.

Gadd had been taken from his central London home at around 7.15 on Sunday morning and detained by officers working on Operation Yewtree, which is investigating allegations of child sex abuse against Savile and others.

A police spokesman said: "Officers working on Operation Yewtree arrested a man in his 60s in connection with the investigation.

"The man, from London, was arrested on suspicion of sexual offences, and was taken into custody at a London police station.

"This individual falls under the strand of the investigation we have termed 'Savile and others'."

Gadd served almost three years in jail in Vietnam after being convicted in March 2006 for child abuse offences.

He had moved to Vietnam to avoid media attention into his private life.

Gadd was deported back to the UK in 2008.

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Hurricane Sandy: Dozens Of Flights Cancelled

Flights to and from airports in the north east of the United States have been cancelled due to the impending landfall of Hurricane Sandy.

British Airways flights to and from New York's JFK airport, Newark airport in New Jersey, Baltimore airport in Maryland and Boston airport in Massachusetts, have been cancelled.

Virgin Atlantic flights to and from New York, Washington and Boston have also been halted.

Both airlines told passengers to check their websites for further details.

British Airways said: "We understand that customers may be disappointed, however their safety is our highest priority. We are offering the option to rebook or receive a refund to those customers whose flights are cancelled."

Virgin Atlantic also warned passengers of cancelled flights not to travel to departure airports and advised travellers to check their flight status page for the latest information.

Meanwhile, more than 375,000 residents of the US east coast have been told to leave their homes amid fears of possible 11ft storm surges near New York.

People are boarding up their homes and businesses

New York mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered the mandatory evacuation ahead of the storm's arrival and said 72 evacuation centres had been set up around the city in schools and community centres.

The New York Stock Exchange will close its trading floor on Monday, but transactions will continue electronically.

"This is a serious and dangerous storm," Mr Bloomberg said.

"If you don't evacuate you are not just putting your own life in danger, you are also endangering the lives of the first responders who may have to come in and rescue you."

The hurricane is expected to start hitting the area on Sunday night, with the worst weather following on Monday due to tropical storm winds extending some 520 miles from its epicentre.

All of the city's public schools have been closed, and the evacuation zone includes parts of Coney Island, Manhattan Beach and other areas along the east river in Brooklyn.

Stretches of the Lower east side, Staten Island and Manhattan are also included in the danger zone and President Barack Obama said authorities needed to take Sandy 'seriously' and advised residents to listen to state officials for guidance.

Shoppers in New York stock up on supplies ahead of the hurricane

"We don't yet know where it's going to hit, where we're going to see the biggest impacts.  And that's exactly why it's so important for us to respond big and respond fast as local information starts coming in," he said.

"My main message to everybody involved is that we have to take this seriously.  The federal government is working effectively with the state and local governments. It's going to be very important that populations in all the impacted states take this seriously, listen to your state and local elected officials".

Hurricane Sandy is heading north from the Caribbean, where it has killed 65 people.

The majority of the deaths have happened in Haiti and the area around the capital Port-au-Prince, which holds most of the 370,000 Haitians who are still living in flimsy shelters as a result of the devastating 2010 earthquake.

Officials said 51 people have died there although the number is expected to rise.

"This is a disaster of major proportions," Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe said.

The hurricane is expected to affect up to 60 million people in the US when it meets a winter storm and a cold front, plus high tides from a full moon.

Parts of West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina could get 2ft or more of snow in places, experts said.

Experts said the rare hybrid storm that results will cause havoc over 800 miles, from the Atlantic coast inland to the Great Lakes.

Sandy was at Category One strength with 75mph winds, about 260 miles south east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and moving northeast at 15mph at midnight GMT on Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Centre in Miami. 

It was about 395 miles south of New York City and expected to make landfall on Monday afternoon.

US rail operator Amtrak began cancelling train service Saturday night, including services between Washington and New York.

Domestic airlines also moved planes out of airports to avoid damage, and added Sunday flights out of New York and Washington ahead of flight cancellations on Monday.

The Virginia National Guard had been authorised to call up 500 troops for debris removal and road-clearing, while homeowners stacked sandbags at their front doors in coastal towns.

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Savile Family: Our Hearts Go Out To Victims

Savile Family Statement In Full

Updated: 11:25am UK, Saturday 27 October 2012

Jimmy Savile's nephew Robert Foster speaks in detail about the family's reaction to the scandal.

"A year ago our uncle, Sir Jimmy Savile, passed away.

It was a shock when it happened as I had only seen him the week before and although seeming under the weather, I had no concerns over his wellbeing. A week later he was dead and my cousin and I were left with the task of organising his funeral.

We were proud of him. Proud of his achievements and the help he had been able to give to others.

We knew nothing of the firestorm of allegations to come. We set out to organise the funeral knowing that he was well respected by many, many thousands of people.

We knew that the funeral was going to grow because so many people wanted to be a part of the celebration of his life.

We felt so honoured that so many wanted to remember him and mark his passing.

As time passed, the grieving process enabled us to come to terms with his death. By the time summer arrived we were getting ready for the auction of his possessions so that, as he requested in his will, the money could go to his charities. It was a great success.

We became aware of the programme that was being made with allegations of a darker side to him that we knew nothing about.

I watched the programme in horror and could not believe that these allegations were about our uncle. This wasn't the man we knew and loved.

Like everyone else we asked the question, Why now? We couldn't find an answer.

The allegations kept coming and were beginning to overwhelm us. Media were chasing us asking for interviews as family members.

The allegations are very serious and we began to have doubts as to our own feeling towards our uncle.

How could the person we thought we knew and loved do such a thing?

Why would a man who raised so much money for charity, who gave so much of his own time and energy for others risk it all doing indecent criminal acts? How could anyone live their life doing the 'most good and most evil' at the same time?

We became more aware of the outrage that many members of the public were feeling.

We began to think that his headstone, which we had only unveiled a couple of weeks earlier could become a target for people wishing to show there emotions. The dignity of the cemetery, the people who are buried there and the relatives who tend the graves had to be respected. We took the decision to remove and destroy the headstone so that it couldn't become a focus for malicious people.

The decision was a difficult one to make but we knew it was the right one.

A vilification of his name, his achievements and everything he stood for followed. People are moving as quickly as possible to disassociate themselves from him.

His charities, which he was so proud of, debated the prospect of removing his name from their title.

The trustees have since decided that this wasn't enough and that the charities will have to be wound up and the monies given to other charities working in a similar field.

Records of all his efforts and the good work he had done, have been, or are in the process of being removed.

We recognise that even our own despair and sadness does not compare to that felt by the victims.

Our thoughts and our prayers are with those who have suffered from every kind of abuse over so many years and we offer our deepest sympathy in what must have been a terrible time for all of them.

We can understand their reluctance to say anything earlier and can appreciate the courage it has taken to speak out now.

Our hearts go out to them and we offer them our sympathy and understanding in their anguish.

Where will it all end? Who knows? The repercussions of this scandal are enormous. We, as his closest family, have to endure further revelations on a daily basis. 
Our feelings are in turmoil as we await the next turn of events."

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Hurricane Sandy: 60 Million People Warned

Hurricane Sandy is expected to affect up to 60 million people in the US when it meets two other powerful winter storms.

The hurricane is continuing to head north from the Caribbean - where it has killed at least 43 people - to threaten the eastern US with sheets of rain, high winds and heavy snow.

Officials warned millions in coastal areas to get out of the way.

Experts said that no matter how strong it is when it hits land, the rare hybrid, monster storm - dubbed "Frankenstorm"-  will cause havoc over 800 miles (1,300kms) from the East Coast to the Great Lakes.

"This is not a coastal threat alone," said Craig Fugate, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "This is a very large area."

Sandy weakened briefly to a tropical storm early on Saturday but was soon back up to Category One hurricane strength, packing 75mph (120kph) winds about 335 miles (539km) southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, on Sunday.

Experts said the storm is most likely to hit the southern New Jersey coastline by late Monday or early Tuesday.

Residents have boarded up their homes in New Jersey

Governors from North Carolina, where heavy rain was expected on Sunday, to Connecticut have declared states of emergency, while Delaware has ordered mandatory evacuations of coastal communities.

Massachusetts was forecast to feel the hurricane's effects as early as Sunday evening and the peak of the storm's forces on Monday afternoon.

New York was considering shutting down the subways to avoid flooding. Mayor Michael Bloomberg warned New Yorkers of the dangers of Hurricane Sandy, but stopped short of ordering any evacuations.

"This is a dangerous storm and I think we're going to be OK but if it were to strengthen unexpectedly or change its expected path, it could do a lot of damage and you could be at risk," he said.

Half a dozen states have warned residents to prepare for several days of lost power.

It is feared that the presidential election could be affected by Hurricane Sandy.

The storm's trajectory has already disrupted at least one presidential campaign stop, with Mitt Romney cancelling a Sunday event in coastal Virginia Beach, Virginia.

A satellite image of Sandy off the US east coast

The Obama campaign cancelled a Virginia Beach event for Vice President Joe Biden on Saturday, as well as a New Hampshire appearance by First Lady Michelle Obama set for Tuesday.

The category one storm could mean further late changes to the candidates' campaign schedules and any resulting flooding and power cuts could make it hard for voters to get to the polls.

Meanwhile, airlines have told passengers to expect cancellations and have waived change fees for those who wanted to reschedule their trips.

The US National Weather Service said Sandy, after it hits the coast, is expected to merge with two winter weather systems near New York or New Jersey as it moves inland.

That combination may create a rare hybrid monster storm that could bring nearly one foot of rain, high winds and up to two feet of snow to the nation's most heavily populated corridor.

Experts said the storm could be wider and stronger than Hurricane Irene, which caused more than $15bn in damage when it struck in August 2011, and could rival the worst East Coast storm on record.

"It's looking like a very serious storm that could be historic," said Jeff Masters, meteorology director of the forecasting service Weather Underground.

Members of a Joint Base in New Jersey prepare sandbags

James Franklin, forecast chief for the National Hurricane Center, added: "It's going to be a long-lasting event, two to three days of impact for a lot of people."

Electric utilities were taking no chances, lining up extra crews and tree-trimmers.

Trees that still have their leaves could be weighed down by snow and topple onto power lines, or strong winds could knock trees and lines down.

Some observers have compared Sandy to the so-called Perfect Storm that struck off the coast of New England in 1991, but that one hit a far less populated area.

"The Perfect Storm only did $200m of damage and I'm thinking a billion" this time, the Weather Underground's Masters said.

"Yeah, it will be worse."

Earlier in the week Sandy killed more than 40 people in the Caribbean, wrecked homes and knocked down trees and power lines.

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