My fight against an invisible enemy

Health workers fighting Ebola have been named as Time's "Person of the Year", and one face splashed on covers of the magazine is that of an ambulance driver, Foday Gallah, in the Liberian capital, Monrovia. Here he tells the BBC of his determination to battle a disease which almost killed him.

In August, I went to pick a little four-year-old boy up from his home. I knew the place well. I had already taken seven members of his family, who all eventually died. He was the last one.

I hadn't taken him before because he had showed no symptoms. But I had asked the neighbours to keep an eye on him and call me if he got sick.

On the afternoon of the morning that I took his father and grandmother and brothers, I got the call. I drove straight to his home and I saw the boy lying in a pool of vomit. I picked him up and I was carrying him in my arms to the ambulance when he vomited again on to my chest. As it turned out, my protective suit was not completely sealed, but in that moment I was very focused on what I was doing, getting him to the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) treatment centre as quickly as possible.

The following Saturday, I went down with a fever. I gave myself some medication, but the fever wouldn't break. I told my family to stay away from me, and the following day I went to a treatment centre to be tested.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30418759

Brazil 'serial killer' das Gracas alleges 42 deaths in a decade

Sailson Jose das Gracas, 26 said he began a life of crime at the age of 15 and killed his first victim at 17

Brazilian police have arrested a man who has confessed to the killing of 42 people over the last decade in the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Police say they arrested Sailson Jose das Gracas on Wednesday, shortly after he stabbed a woman to death in a city suburb.

He then confessed to killing another 37 women, three men and a two-year-old girl.

The police are searching for alleged victims and say they have found four.

In a police interview broadcast on Brazil's TV Globo, the man said he would go out hunting, and he killed for the adrenaline.

He told police that if he was ever released from prison he would kill again.

'Watched for months'

He said he preferred victims who were white females, whom he strangled.

His three male victims had been killed when he was operating for hire, he added.

Das Gracas said: " I would wait for an opportunity to break into the house and kill," adding that he would watch his victims for months before making his move.

Experts said Das Gracas appeared to be a psychopath who enjoyed the media spotlight and warned that what he said needed to be carefully checked.

Police said they had begun cross-referencing his confession with police reports and had already found four of his victims.

In October a security guard in the Brazilian city of Goiania confessed to killing 39 people.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-30441301

Net is 'less free and more unequal', says web founder

Richer countries rank highest for net access, freedom and openness

he web is becoming less free and more unequal, according to a report from the World Wide Web Foundation.

Its annual web index suggests web users are at increasing risk of government surveillance, with laws preventing mass snooping weak or non-existent in over 84% of countries.

It also indicates that online censorship is on the rise.

The report led web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee to call for net access to be recognised as a human right.

The World Wide Web Foundation, led by Sir Tim, measured the web's contribution to the social, economic and political progress of 86 countries.

Other headline findings from the report include:

• 74% of countries either lack clear and effective net neutrality rules and/or show evidence of traffic discrimination

• 62% of countries report that the web plays a major role in sparking social or political action

• 74% of countries are not doing enough to stop online harassment of women

The index ranked countries around the world in terms of:

• universal access
• relevant content and use
• freedom and openness
• empowerment

Four of the top five were Scandinavian, with Denmark in first place, Finland second and Norway third. The UK came fourth, followed by Sweden.

"The richer and better educated people are, the more benefit they are gaining from the digital revolution," said Anne Jellema, chief executive of the World Wide Web Foundation, and the lead author of the report.

"Extreme disparities between rich and poor have been rightly identified as the defining challenge of our age, and we need to use technology to fight inequality, not increase it."

One of the best starting points would be to put net access at the top of the agenda, she added.

Sir Tim said: "It's time to recognise the internet as a basic human right.

"That means guaranteeing affordable access for all, ensuring internet packets are delivered without commercial or political discrimination, and protecting the privacy and freedom of web users regardless of where they live."

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30432487

Hospital face pressures as winter hits - health leaders

Demands on the NHS tend to increase during the colder months because of illnesses like flu and Norovirus.

But with winter just getting under way pressures are already reaching record levels.

Extra money is being invested in each nation, but the four-hour A&E waiting time target is still being missed everywhere.

The warning comes as the BBC launches its NHS Winter project, which tracks how the health service is performing down to individual hospital trust level.

British Medical Association leader Dr Mark Porter said: "Pressure on NHS services is at a critical point and cracks are beginning to appear.

"While the NHS is used to seeing a spike in demand during winter months, this year emergency departments have experienced a spring, summer and autumn crisis as well, leaving no spare capacity in hospitals as we approach winter.

"At the same time, GP surgeries are struggling to cope with unprecedented levels of demand."

Rob Webster, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents health bosses, said he agreed, adding the pressures were "huge" across the whole system.

"While the winter brings its own challenges, our members regularly tell us that it is 'winter all year round' with pressures being experienced regardless of the time of year."

But Sarah Pinto-Duschinsky, director of operations and delivery for NHS England, said: "The NHS is pulling out all the stops, with local hospitals, ambulances, GPs, home health services and local councils all working hard to open extra beds and seven-day services using the extra winter funding."

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-30433575

ndian Agra Muslim fear conversions to Hinduism

Ramzan Sheikh, a witness to the ritual, said there was a lot of fear in the area

Nearly a dozen Indian Muslim families have fled their homes in Agra after 57 families were reportedly converted to Hinduism against their will.

Muslim organisations have accused Hindu nationalist groups, close to the governing BJP, of "forced conversions" and demanded action against them.

The Hindu groups have denied the charge and say the conversions were voluntary.

Meanwhile, opposition MPs have accused hardline Hindus of undermining India's unity and secular nature.

The issue has been hotly debated in parliament, with opposition parties demanding an explanation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Critics say Hindu hardline groups are flexing their muscles under the new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, led by Mr Modi.

Recently, a row broke out after government minister Niranjan Jyoti used an abusive term to refer to non-Hindus, by asking people at a public rally to choose between Ramzada (children of the Hindu God Ram) and Haramzada (bastards).

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-30429118

ustralia PM Abbott wants indigenous referendum in 2017

Indigenous Australians represent about 2.5% of Australia's 24 million people

Australian PM Tony Abbott has vowed to "sweat blood" to secure constitutional recognition for indigenous people, saying he wants a referendum in 2017.

But Mr Abbott said he would not rush with the date until he was confident the referendum would succeed.

To be passed, the change must be backed by a majority of people in a majority of Australia's six states.

The constitution currently does not recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the nation's first people.

Unlike in other nations settled by Europeans, such as Canada and New Zealand, Australia's constitution does not mention indigenous people.

In the past few years, there have been discussions about recognising them in a preamble to the constitution, and about changing the main part of the constitution to include a section that outlaws racial discrimination.

Aboriginal Australians represent about 2.5% of Australia's 24 million people. Generations of discrimination and disadvantage have left them with poor health and low levels of education and employment.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-30443319

Golden Globes: Cumberbatch, Redmayne and Jones among Britons recognised

Redmayne (l) and Cumberbatch (r) are recognised for playing Stephen Hawking and Alan Turing

Benedict Cumberbatch, Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones are among a host of British stars in contention for the 2015 Golden Globe awards.

Cumberbatch, Redmayne and fellow Briton David Oyelowo make up three of the nominees for best actor in a drama.

Felicity Jones, Redmayne's co-star in Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything, is up for best actress in a drama, as is Gone Girl's Rosamund Pike.

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-30430965