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The little girl who broke millions of hearts after surrendering to a camera she mistook for a gun is now in the clutches of Al Qaeda, the MailOnline can exclusively reveal. Four-year-old Hudea was pictured late last year by photographer Osman Sagirli in Atmeh refugee camp, just 10km from the border with Turkey. She, her mother and three siblings are understood to have been living in the Syrian camp since Hudea's father was killed in the 2012 Hama massacre. But two weeks ago, the family took a fateful decision to move south, towards the city of Idlib - only for it to fall into the hands of Al Qaeda's brutal Syrian affiliate at the weekend. It means, once more, the family are in danger of becoming victims of a battle between the regime and rebels which has killed 220,000 since 2011 - 10,000 of whom were children. Scroll down for video. Harrowing: Taken at the Atmeh refugee camp on Syria's border with Turkey, the image shows four-year-old Hudea frozen in fear with her arms raised and her lips tightly pursed. Hudea and her family left the camp two weeks ago; it is thought they headed for Idlib - now in the control of Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra. Pictured: An Al-Nusra fighter holds his group flag in front of Idlib's governor building. Sharia law: Al-Nusra have promised to bring in Sharia law in the city, and have already started burning things considered banned under Islam - like these cigarettes. The Nusra Front-led rebels is set impose Sharia law on the city, which is only the second state capital to fall from the grip of President Bashar al-Assad's regime. 'We salute the people of Idlib and their stand with their sons, the Mujahideen, ... and God willing they will enjoy the justice of sharia, which will preserve their religion and their blood,' said Abu Mohamad al-Golani, Nusra Front's leader, in a recording released on Wednesday. This is horrifying news for those living under the Nusra Front. The group group has a reputation for violence which is only rivaled by the horrors seen in ISIS-controlled territory. Charlie Winter, of the Qilliam Foundation, warned: 'Jabhat al-Nusra is an outspoken al-Qaeda affiliate. It espouses a severe interpretation of Islam and sharia law. 'They have been known to execute women who are allegedly running brothels, and stone adulterers. It is a violent interpretation of sharia law.' Indeed, the group appears to be all but following in the footsteps of ISIS, who have terrified the world with an onslaught of violence, including throwing people from the tops of buildings and getting small children to shoot so-called spies dead. Worringly, the Nusra Front - who reiterated their allegiance to Al Qaeda in the last month - have said they want to create their own 'Islamic state'. The group is known for its use of suicide bombers as it tries to achieve its goal, and has claimed responsibility for mass executions, murdered journalists and even priests in the past few years. In the days since they took control of Idlib, there have been reports of two Christian men being executed, while the Vatican - citing local news sources - claimed a Greek Orthodox priest had been kidnapped by jihadists. Fight: The city fell after a four day battle which saw fighters on both sides lose their lives. Flee: It is thought about 15,000 people ran from the city as the Nusra Front approached. Trauma: Save the Children reports many of the children were traumatised by what they had seen. For a child like Hudea, who has clearly already been left horribly traumatised by a war which has been raging her entire life, life under the strict sharia law is likely to be nothing be more terrifying. But life is no better under the Syrian regime: indeed, it is al-Assad's fighters who were said to be behind the Hama massacre in which she lost her father. Pro-government militia killed at least 55 people that day, going from house to house, murdering men, women and children. It was after this the family fled north, to the camp near the border with Turkey, which has grown to become a home to 30,000 refugees. But despite being so close to the safety of Turkey, the family appear to have never made it across. Instead, for reasons unknown to MailOnline's source within the camp, they decided to leave the camp - venturing out into territory which has changed hands between the different rebel factions and the al-Assad regime numerous times over the last four years. The MailOnline's source within the camp said: 'The child does not exist now in the camp. They fled to a village in Idlib about two weeks ago.' Wherever they have gone, it means the family are trapped once more between three violent sides - none of which are prepared to stop until they have wiped the other off the face of the earth. Relative safety: Many of the 15,000 are headed to refugee camps like Atmeh, near the Turkish border - but it is not known where Hudea and her small family are. Civil war: Fighting has been going on Hudea's entire life, killing 10,000 children since 2011. Pictured: Atmeh, her home after he father was killed in 2012. And living in an area recently won by one side, does not guarantee survival - or peace. A source in the Syrian military force told EA World View: 'We have an obligation to liberate the city... I swear to god the highest we are not scared.' Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at University of Oklahoma, was also certain Damascus would not give up without a fight. He told Bloomberg: 'Assad will likely bomb Idlib so that its captors find little peace in their new prize.' Mr Winter thinks it is unlikely they will have gone to areas controlled by the Syrian government. One suspects the memory of what they did to her husband will mean Hudea's mother will keep her family away from al-Assad's forces. But villages not in the control of the regime have come under attack since Nusra Front's assault on Idlib - which itself sent 15,000 people fleeing for their lives. Ironically, many are making their way to the refugee camps in the north - like Atmeh, the safe haven Hudea has just left. And now there are reports of the regime using chlorine-filled bombs against the towns surrounding Idlib - a new horror for the little girl and her family to contend with. One can only imagine how Hudea, caught in the crossfire in a fight she is too young to understand and so scared already she surrenders to cameras, will respond to any of this.
| Hudea and her family are thought to have gone to Idlib two weeks ago. But Idlib fell to Al Qaeda's Syrian affiliate at weekend after four day battle. Al Nusra's leader has now promised to bring in sharia law in the city. Already started burning banned items and two Christians killed by jihadists.
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Archaeologists have uncovered the complete skeleton of a 17th-century camel that was likely used in the second Ottoman-Habsburg war. They believe the camel - the first intact camel skeleton found in central Europe - may have been left in the town of Tulln for trading after the siege of Vienna in 1683. In a country where cows dominate the rural landscape, the discovery in an Austrian cellar shocked scientists. The researchers described it as a 'sunken ship in the desert'. Archaeologists have uncovered the complete skeleton of an 'alien' 17th-century camel that was likely used in the second Ottoman-Habsburg war. They believe the camel - the first intact camel skeleton found in central Europe - may have been left in the town of Tulln for trading after the siege of Vienna in 1683. Genetic analysis of the beast show that it was a Bactrian-dromedary hybrid – a breed popular in the Ottoman army at the time. 'The partly excavated skeleton was at first suspected to be a large horse or cattle,' said Alfred Galik, a researcher at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. 'But one look at the cervical vertebrae, the lower jaw and the metacarpal bones immediately revealed that this was a camel.' The camel was male, around seven years old and most likely castrated. The camel was male, around seven years old and most likely castrated. Along with DNA evidence, the shape of the animal's skull indicated it was a hybrid. The cross-breed camel had been most likely used as a riding and transport animal by the Ottoman army during the Siege of Vienna in 1683. Pictured are various views of the camel's metacarpus, which is part of its legs. The battle that took place on 11 September 1683 after Vienna had been seiged by the Ottoman Empire for two months. It was won by the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation against the invading Ottoman Empire. Historians claim the battle marked the turning-point in the Ottoman–Habsburg wars, a 300-year struggle between the Holy Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire. The loot that fell into the hands of the Holy League troops and the Viennese was large. King John Sobieski vividly described in a letter to his wife a few days after the battle:. 'Ours are treasures unheard of... tents, sheep, cattle and no small number of camels... it is victory as nobody ever knew before.' Galik and his team also said the cross-breed camel had been most likely used as a riding and transport animal by the Ottoman army during the Siege of Vienna in 1683. The remarkable find was made during an archaeological dig that took place amid preparations for a new shopping centre in the town. If modern-day scientists were stumped by the find, it would have been an even greater shock for residents of 17th-century Tulln. 'The animal was certainly exotic for the people of Tulln. They probably didn't know what to feed it or whether one could eat it,' Galik said. While Roman-era camel bones occasionally surface in Austria, Serbia and Belgium, the Tulln discovery was the first complete camel skeleton to emerge in Central Europe. 'This means that the animal was not killed and then butchered. It may have been acquired as part of an exchange,' said Galik. The remarkable find was made during an archaeological dig that took place amid preparations for a new shopping centre in the town. Pictured the camel's shoulder blades. In addition to horses, the Ottoman army also used camels for transportation and as riding animals. In cases of scarcity, the soldiers also ate the animal's flesh. The camel was likely used in the 1683 Battle of Vienna, which took place on 11 September after Vienna had been seiged by the Ottoman Empire for two months. It was won by the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation against the invading Ottoman Empire. Historians claim the battle marked the turning-point in the Ottoman–Habsburg wars, a 300-year struggle between the Holy Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire. The loot that fell into the hands of the Holy League troops and the Viennese was large. King John Sobieski vividly described in a letter to his wife a few days after the battle:. 'Ours are treasures unheard of... tents, sheep, cattle and no small number of camels... it is victory as nobody ever knew before.' In a country where cows dominate the rural landscape, the discovery in an Austrian cellar shocked scientists. The researchers described it as a 'sunken ship in the desert'. The find was made it the town of Tulln. Genetic analysis of the beast show that it was a Bactrian (pictured)-dromedary hybrid – a breed popular in the Ottoman army at the time.
| Scientists say camel was left in Tulln after the 1683 siege of Vienna. It would have shocked residents as camels were an alien species. 'They didn't know what to feed it or whether one could eat it,' study said. Ottoman army used camels for transportation and as riding animals.
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Hundreds of explorers, theorists and fantasists have spent their lives searching for the infamous 'big-foot'. But a leading geneticist believes he has found evidence to prove that it - or rather she - could have been more than a myth. Professor Bryan Sykes of the University of Oxford claims a towering woman named Zana who lived in 19th Century Russia - and appeared to be 'half human, half ape' - could have been the fabled yeti. Witnesses described the six-foot, six-inches tall woman discovered in the Caucasus mountains between Georgia and Russia as having 'all the characteristics of a wild animal' - and covered in thick auburn hair. Scroll down for video. Historic: A leading genetecist claims a towering woman named Zana (artist's representation) who lived in 19th Century Russia - and appeared to be 'half human, half ape' - could have been the fabled yeti. Proof: DNA evidence from Zana's granddaughter (left) and the remains of her son Khwit (right) seemed proved that Zana was of African descent even though she lived in the wild Caucusus. Wild: Zana was discovered and trapped by a local merchant who hired a group of hunters to hunt her down in the region of Ochamchir - and she was eventually tamed by a nobleman on his estate in Tkhina. Treacherous: It is thought Zana roamed the remote Caucusus mountains, where Sykes says her African ancestors lived for many generations. Trapped: A merchant found Zana in the Ochamchir region of western Georgia and after hunters caught her, they placed her in a ditch surrounded by sharp spikes. Mythical: Witnesses described the six-foot, six-inches tall woman as having 'all the characteristics of a wild animal' (fabled 'big-foot' pictured) Experts believe the wandering 'Wild Woman' was found lurking in the remote region of Ochamchir in the Republic of Abkhazia. She was captured by a local merchant in the 1850s who hired a group of hunters to subdue and shackle her in the mountainous terrain. Professor Sykes claims Zana was kept in a 'ditch surrounded by sharpened spikes' and sold from owner to owner until she came to serve nobleman Edgi Genaba as a servant. Famously known as the ape woman, Zana had at least four children by local men and some of her descendants still live in the region, the Times reported. Sykes made an astonishing discovery when he carried out saliva tests on six of her living relatives and the tooth of her deceased son Khwit. The DNA analysis revealed that they all contained the right amount of African DNA for Zana the ape woman to be '100 per cent African' but remarkably she did not resemble any known group. Discovery: Professor Bryan Sykes of the University of Oxford analysed the DNA of her living relatives in the Caucuses region and found west-African genes. Myth? The first accounts of the Yeti emerged before the 19th century from Buddhists who believed that the creature inhabited the Himalayas. Her resemblance was that of a wild beast - 'the most frightening feature of which was her expression which was pure animal,' one Russian zoologist wrote in 1996. The man who organised various eyewitness accounts of Zana wrote: 'Her athletic power was enormous. Evidence: In his book 'Nature of the Best', Sykes argues that Zana could be the yeti. She would outrun a horse and swim across the Moskva river even when it rose in violent high tide.' Some have argued that she was a runaway Ottoman slave but Professor Sykes says her 'unparalleled DNA' refutes that theory. He believes her ancestors came out of Africa over 100,000 years ago and lived in the remote Caucasus for many generations. Zana was eventually 'tamed' by the nobleman who bought her as a servant and kept her on his estate in Tkhina in the Republic of Abkhazia. Accounts from the time claim she was incredibly muscular, slept outdoors and ran around naked until she died on the estate in 1890. Some of his colleagues doubt his other findings - which include a claim that an unknown species of bear might account for yeti sightings in Bhutan. Despite the lack of hard proof from the analysis of the alleged 'yeti hairs', he says he has developed a strong sense that 'something is out there' after speaking to dozens of witnesses. Professor Sykes could not say if the yeti, bigfoot or the Russian almasty is the best candidate for a surviving race of human 'apemen'. He said: 'Bigfoot has many more people trying to find it. But I suppose either the yeti or the alma / almasty, which live in inaccessible and very thinly populated regions, is the most likely.' The first accounts of Yetis emerged before the 19th century from Buddhists who believed that the creature inhabited the Himalayas. They depicted the mysterious beast as having similarities to an ape and carrying a large stone as a weapon while making a whistling sound. In 1832, an explorer who had his account of trekking in Nepal published in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal spoke of seeing tall, bipedal creature covered with long dark hair, which seemed to flee in fear. The term Abominable Snowman was developed in 1921 following a book by Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Howard-Bury called Mount Everest The Reconnaissance. Popular interest in creature gathered pace in early 20th century as tourists began making their own trips to the region to try and capture the Yeti. They reported seeing strange markings in the snow. Mystical: Hundreds of explorers, theorists and fantasists have spent their lives searching for the infamous 'big-foot' The Daily Mail led a trip called the the Snowman Expedition in 1954 to Everest. During the trip mountaineering leader John Angelo Jackson photographed ancient paintings of Yetis and large footprints in the snow. A number of hair samples were also found that were believed to have come from a Yeti scalp. British mountaineer Don Whillans claimed to have witnessed a creature when scaling Annapurna in 1970. He said that while searching for a campsite he heard some odd cries which his guide attributed to a Yeti's call. That night, he saw a dark shape moving near his camp. In recent times, there have been more reported Yeti sightings and at a conference in Russia in 2011, scientists declared they were 95 per cent certain of the existence of Yetis. In 2013, a scientist claimed that the Yeti was a distant relative of the polar bear, which is thought to have died out more than 40,000 years ago. But researchers have shown that the two hair samples analysed actually originated from a modern polar bear, and a type of rare bear native to the high mountain ranges.
| Witnesses said Zana the apewoman had the 'characteristics of a wild animal' She was allegedly trapped in Caucusus mountains and covered in thick hair. Had 'enormous athletic power' and she could infamously outrun a horse. A genetics professor has analysed DNA of six of her living descendants.
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Young job seekers are filling in application forms using 'txt spk' - text speak - instead of proper words, prompting one of Britain's biggest companies to hit out at falling standards. Insurance giant Admiral said many youngsters addicted to their mobile phones lose out at the very beginning of looking for work - because they failed to string a normal sentence together. Forms saying: 'U r a gr8 company 2 work 4' and 'Btw am out of work atm' are examples hitting their job chances. Young job seekers fill forms with text speak such as 'U r a gr8 company 2 work 4' and 'Btw am out of work atm' The Cardiff-based insurer with more than 5,000 staff voiced their fears in evidence to the Welsh Assembly's Enterprise and Business Committee that many youngsters failed at the application form stage. An Admiral spokesperson said: 'We do not ask for any formal qualifications, but we expect the spelling and grammar on the application form to be of a certain standard. 'A lot of it is like text-speak, there is no punctuation or upper case. So, that is the first impression that you get.' The committee called on the experience of Admiral, one of the UK's biggest car insurance providers employing more than 5,000 people. Its report concluded too many young people were confused about how to grab hold of job opportunities. It also said youngsters are leaving school without English and Maths skills - and that their inability to manage money led to many of them overestimating the costs involved in taking a job. William Graham (left), Conservative Welsh Assembley member, said young people were facing a number of factors as they enter the workforce. Cardiff-based car insurer admiral (left) employs over 5,000 people. Monmouthshire Youth service, which also offered its findings, said able students were leaving education with very little idea of how to construct a CV or how to deal with potential employers, WalesOnline reported. The committee’s final report concluded too many school and college leavers were confused about finding and then applying for appropriate jobs on offer. The drift from personal, face to face careers advice to online-based information was also a barrier for some young job seekers the Welsh Assembly committee noted. The report concluded too many young people were confused about how to grab hold of job opportunities. The body also found after consulting with local councils, charities, employers and training providers that academic study was often misdirected given the employment opportunities on offer. In 2014 just 0.3 percent of school leavers in Cardiff went on to vocational training as opposed to 87 percent going on to further education. Where young people were leaving school without essential numeracy and literacy skills, this was leading to a lack of confidence after education, the committee found. William Graham, Conservative AM for South Wales East, said: 'There are a number of factors that young people face as they try to enter the workforce, such as a lack of confidence, lack of qualifications and lack of experience.' The Welsh National Assembly (pictured) consulted with councils, charities and others to create the report.
| Admiral insurance has complained about use of text speak in applications. 'U r a gr8 company 2 work 4' just one example of the poorly worded forms. Welsh Assembly asked companies to say why school leavers out of work.
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After Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus announced that it will no longer have elephants in the show starting in 2018, the organization gave a rare tour of the facility where the elephants will retire. Once the animals are done in the ring, they'll be taken to the Ringling Brothers Elephant Conservation Center in an undisclosed, 200-acre area of Polk County in central Florida. Some of the Asian Elephants will live out their post-performance lives in the center, while other will be used for breeding. Scroll down for video. All elephants will be phased out of the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus performance by 2018. Once they retire from performing, elephants will be taken to the Ringling Brothers Elephant Conservation Center in an undisclosed, 200-acre area of Polk County in central Florida. Ringling spokeswoman Melinda Hartline told FOX Tampa Bay that the center is 'all about preserving the Asian Elephant'. Elephants born in the center can be sold to zoos or other breeding programs. This will hopefully increase genetic diversity in the species and increase its population. The population of animal has decreased to between 25,000 and 32,000 from it's 100,000 population over the last century. Poaching and habitat destruction are among the reasons for the decline. Twenty people work at the center to feed, care for and manage the animals, and over the next three years Ringling will determine if more staff or additional facilities are needed. Despite having what seems to be ideal living conditions, Ringling ties some elephants by the leg overnight, something animal rights groups, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are disappointed by. Some elephants will live out the rest of their lives in the conservation center, while others will be use for breeding. A spokesman for the center said that the organization's goal is to conserve the Asian Elephant, an animal who has seen massive population decline over the last century. Much of the population decline - which has gone down from 100,000 to between 25,000 and 32,000 - has been caused by poaching and habitat destruction. 'Zoos don't chain elephants and the American Veterinary Medical Association advises against it' Delciana Windners, PETA general counsel, told FOX. The animal-rights organizations also urge the company to take the animals off the road sooner. Just days before announcing that the elephants would be taken out of the ring, PETA prevailed in an open-records request and obtained documents proving that, at least since 2010, Ringling has had elephants test positive for the human strain of tuberculosis. TB is highly transmissible from elephants to humans, even without direct contact. A statement from PETA frames Ringling’s announcement as a preemptive move to keep the public in the dark about the health risk posed by moving sick elephants to cities throughout the country. 'These elephants suffer greatly, but now their retirement is vital to everyone’s safety,' the statement read. Animal rights groups, including PETA, have said that Ringling Brothers should take elephants out of their shows before 2018. PETA released information earlier this year stating that at least since 2010, Ringling has had elephants test positive for the human strain of tuberculosis.
| Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus announced that it will no longer have elephants in the show starting in 2018. The elephants will be taken to the Ringling Brothers Elephant Conservation Center in central Florida. Some will live their lives out there while others will be used for breeding.
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The owner of the Mystic Pizza restaurant made famous in a 1988 movie has pleaded guilty to federal tax charges. The U.S. Attorney's Office says 48-year-old John Zelepos of North Stonington faces up to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to tax evasion and financial structuring offenses. The restaurant owner may also be forced to pay a $500,000 fine. Prosecutors said in a release that between 2006 and 2010, Zelepos diverted just over $567,000 from Mystic Pizza's gross receipts into his personal bank accounts and those of family members. They say he then filed false tax returns to hide the income. Owner: Mystic Pizza owner John Zelepos (seen here in 2008) has pleaded guilty to federal tax charges. On the big screen: The 1988 movie 'Mystic Pizza,' starring (from left to right) Annabeth Gish, Lili Taylor and Julia Roberts, focused on three waitresses working at the pizza restaurant. Prosecutors said he's agreed to paying $234,407 in restitution over the tax returns along with interest and penalties. They also said that Zelepos is going to forfeit funds he put in accounts in an attempt to skip currency transaction reports (CTRs), which come to $522,658. 'Federal law requires all financial institutions to file a CTR for currency transactions that exceed $10,000,' the release said. 'To evade the filing of a CTR, individuals will often structure their currency transactions so that no single transaction exceeds $10,000.' Prosecutors said in the release that Zelepos made deposits 'ranging from $3,000 to $9,998 on sequential days or multiple cash deposits on the same day.' They said Zelepos made deposits under $10,000 on purpose to skip the reports. A slice of heaven: The famed 'Mystic Pizza' opened in 1973. Its owner, John Zelepos, has pleaded guilty to tax evasion and financial structuring offenses. Sensation: Mystic Pizza (seen in 2008) has become a tourist attraction since Julia Roberts starred in the movie about the lives of three waitresses working at the small-town pizza parlor. Zelepos will actually forfeit $459,573.51 since the IRS earlier seized $63,084.49, prosecutors said. 'Our voluntary system of self-reported tax liability depends upon people to honestly report their income and pay their taxes,' U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly said in the release. Daly added 'Those who willfully hide their income and purposefully evade paying their taxes steal from the public and damage our nation’s system of taxation. 'Violators will be prosecuted, punished, and obligated to repay their taxes along with applicable penalties and interest.' The Hartford Courant reported the restaurant was previously required to pay $105,000 to 110 workers for failing to pay them mandatory overtime and paying them under minimum wage. The famed pizza restaurant opened in 1973, according to Mystic Pizza's website. Mystic Pizza became a tourist attraction after Julia Roberts starred in the movie about the lives of three waitresses working at the small-town pizza parlor. Zelepos is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23.
| The U.S. Attorney's Office says Mystic Pizza's 48-year-old owner John Zelepos faces up to 15 years in prison. He has pleaded guilty to tax evasion and financial structuring offenses. Prosecutors between 2006 and 2010, Zelepos diverted just over $567,000 from Mystic Pizza's gross receipts. He diverted the money into his personal bank accounts and those of family members, they said. Prosecutors said Zelepos also made bank deposits under $10,000 to skip currency transaction reports filed by banks. Mystic Pizza became a tourist attraction after Julia Roberts starred in a 1988 movie about the lives of three waitresses working there.
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Gabby Giffords and her astronaut husband were seen jetting out of Los Angeles on Thursday ahead of the Easter weekend after taking a trip to visit his former space shuttle . The inspirational Ms Giffords, 44, walked through the airport in California using a cane, hard-won steps that show her continued progress four years after she survived an attempted assassination in Tucson, Arizona. The former U.S. representative, who is now an advocate for gun control, was accompanied by her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, on the trip, and a young woman who carried several bags. Gabrielle Giffords walked through the LA airport using a cane on Thursday alongside a young woman, showing her continued remarkable progress four years after she survived an attempted assassination. Ms Giffords, who was shot in the head by a gunman as she made a speech at a supermarket in Tucson, Arizona, is now a passionate advocate for gun control. Gabrielle Giffords walks with the help of a cane through an airport in Los Angeles. The former U.S. representative continues to make progress after she almost died in an assassination attempt four years ago. Ms Giffords posted a picture on social media on Wednesday of the couple visiting the Space Shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center in LA. The picture was captioned: 'So fun to see the awesome Space Shuttle Endeavour with the awesome guy who flew it, Captain Mark Kelly!' Kelly also shared the snap and wrote: 'Good to be back with Gabby Giffords at the California Science Center to see Space Shuttle Endeavour. My old shuttle - and still my favorite.' Last week, the couple had watch at the Johnson Space Center in Texas as Mark's identical twin brother, astronaut Scott Kelly, blasted off aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on his yearlong mission to the International Space Station. Giffords posted a picture from mission control on her Facebook page and wrote: 'So exciting to be at NASA’s Mission Control during my brother-in-law NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly's successful launch aboard a Soyuz rocket. 'Now, he’s on his way to the place he’ll call home for the next year: the International Space Station. I’ll miss him a lot, but I am really grateful for all that he is doing for our country during his #YearInSpace.' Giffords, the former Democrat representative, survived a gunshot to the head on January 8, 2011, when a man opened fire in Arizona. Six people were killed and 13 wounded, including Ms Giffords, when Jared Loughner opened fire at a Tucson shopping center car park where she was giving a stump speech. She retired from Congress in 2012 and has since been a passionate advocate for gun control. The former U.S. representative and her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, were seen just before catching a flight on Friday. Ms Giffords shared a picture of her and husband Mark Kelly visiting the Space Shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center in LA and reminded her followers that he flew it. Gabby Giffords posted a picture of herself and husband, Captain Mark Kelly, on Facebook Wednesday with the message: 'So fun to see the awesome Space Shuttle Endeavour with the awesome guy who flew it' Ms Giffords, who was shot in the head by a gunman as she made a speech at a supermarket in Tucson, Arizona, is now a passionate advocate for gun control.
| The inspirational Ms Giffords, 44, flew out of Los Angeles on Thursday with her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly. The couple visiting the Space Shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center in LA this week. Giffords wrote: 'So fun to see the awesome Space Shuttle Endeavour with the awesome guy who flew it, Captain Mark Kelly!' Mark's identical twin brother, astronaut Scott Kelly, blasted off aboard on his yearlong mission to the International Space Station last week.
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When Gareth Silk let his five friends plan a stag do, he might have imagined it would involve pranks, costumes and drinking - but denim hotpants and heels were far from his thoughts. Little did he realise his friends from Cwmbran, south Wales, were inspired by the hilarious Money Supermarket advert, featuring a man dressed in shirt and jacket from the waist up and tight booty shorts and stilettos from the waist down. When the men in their matching outfits walked down the street in Benidorm, Spain, they earned cheers, clapping and even policemen driving past waved and laughed. David Rowles snaps the gang, from left to right: Steve Harvey Taylor, Gareth Edwards, Michael Groves, groom Gareth Silk and his father Andrew Silk. David Rowles, 38, who filmed the stag stunt, said: ‘We were in our local pub planning the stag weekend. ‘We decided that whatever the first advert was that came on the TV, that was what we were going to do.’ The Money Supermarket advert featuring 'Dave's epic strut' came on. David said: 'Everyone thought it would be a head-turner.’ The next step for the group was to buy some high heels, and David admitted the men asked their other halves for help in purchasing the right shoes. Each of the men dress in high heels and the video maker noted that some of them were walking 'too well' Michael Groves channels Dave's 'epic strut' from the original ad that quickly went viral. He added: ‘A couple of them were walking a bit too well in their high heels. It looked like they had been practising.’ Wearing heels earned them blisters along with laughs and attention from the crowds. The group of six - which included the groom-to-be Gareth Silk and his stags Gareth Edwards, Steven Harvey Taylor, Michael Groves, dad Andrew Silk and David Rowles - descended on the promenade of the Spanish resort on March 29. David captured them strutting their stuff on his camera phone. They each wear suits from the waist up with braces over their shirts and denim hot pants and high heels from the waist down. In the video, the men mimic the advert, walking towards the camera in a line of five, with groom Gareth in the middle, pulling a variety of humorous poses from the TV commercial. Later in the video the stag do can be seen garnering much attention from locals, holiday goers and even the police. Mr Rowles said: ‘The whole promenade was at a standstill. People were cheering and clapping and all different nationalities stood around to watch and take photos. ‘A police car went past and I was trying to get them to beep their sirens. They waved and laughed – they were fine. ‘I’ve been on many stag weekends and this was probably one of the best. We couldn’t believe the attention.' The stag do garnered a lot of attention from locals, other holiday goers and even the police. Unfortunately for the group however, who wore their outfits from 1pm until 7pm, there were repercussions and the men each had sore feet to contend with for the rest of the trip. ‘We joked before we left saying that someone was bound to break their ankle. Luckily no one did, but they all got blisters,’ said David. According to the filmmaker, the group have already made plans to go on a fishing trip to Ireland in the near future. The original ad stars American Michael Van Schoick, who has been forced to deny he's had buttock implants, insisting his bottom is all natural. In the ad he struts and twerks to the Pussycat Dolls' hit Don't Cha.
| New video shows stag do strutting in denim hotpants and heels. Hilarious homage to TV ad that got them cheers and applause in Benidorm. Preparations for weekend included getting shoes stretched. After wearing heels from 1pm to 7pm, the six men had painful blisters.
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A German former police officer who dismembered a willing victim he met on a website for cannibal fetishists was today sentenced to eight years and six months in prison. Detlef Guenzel chopped Polish-born Wojciech Stempniewicz into small pieces while listening to pop music before burying them in the garden of his home in Hartmannsdorf-Reichenau in 2013. 'He was found guilty of murder and disturbing the peace of the dead,' said presiding judge Birgit Wiegand at the regional court in the eastern city of Dresden. State attorneys had sought 10 and a half years in prison for the defendant, a trim, soft-spoken father of three whom neighbours described as friendly, generous and unfailingly polite. Lawyers representing the family of Stempniewicz, 59, had requested a 15-year sentence, usually the maximum in a murder case. But prosecutors said they stopped short of this demand because Stempniewicz said he wanted to die. Macabre: Former German police officer Detlev Guenzel smirks in court before being sentenced to eight years and six months in jail for killing a willing victim he met on a website for cannibalism fetishists. Deranged: Guenzel, 57, went on trial in August over the killing of Polish-born business consultant Wojciech Stempniewicz whose body he had cut into small pieces and buried them in his garden. The defendant sat impassively with arms folded as the verdict was read out. The men came across each other in October 2013 on a website for slaughter and cannibalism fantasies billed as the '#1 site for exotic meat' and boasting more than 3,000 registered members. The two kept in contact via email, text message and telephone before finally arranging the fatal date for November 4 that year. Gunezel picked Stempniewicz up at Dresden's main railway station and drove him back to his house in Hartmannsdorf-Reichenau which he ran as a bed and breakfast with his male partner. Prosecutors said Gunezel then took his victim to the basement where he strangled him using a rope tied to a pulley before chopping the corpse up into small pieces. A video reportedly shows Guenzel in his underwear slicing the naked body of his victim into pieces while it hangs from a hook. The back garden of Guenzel's home in Hartmannsdorf-Reichenau where the body parts were buried in 2013. Described as 'absolutely horrific' and 'beyond belief' by lawyers, the 50-minute tape features Guenzel dismembering the corpse while pop music plays. At one point he stops to listen for a heartbeat before continuing. However the defence team argue that the video shows Stempniewicz had his feet in constant contact with the ground, meaning he could have stopped the strangulation if he had wanted to. They claimed the video, which was shown to judges behind closed doors, proves the victim hanged himself. Gunezel then spent a total of four hours cutting the body up with a knife and saw, before burying it in shallow holes the garden. Policemen search for evidences in the area where body parts were found in Reichenau near Dresden in 2013. Officers traced him via computer messages and telephone calls and he was arrested at the police HQ where he worked as a handwriting specialist. When police arrived at the property he showed them where the pieces were buried, but officers say the victim's penis has never been found. The case mirrors that of Armin Meiwes, a man found guilty of killing, dismembering and eating computer technician Bernd Brandes at his remote farmhouse home near Kassel. Meiwes, now serving life imprisonment, packaged the flesh of his 16-stone victim into neat parcels which he froze and ate portions of over a ten month period. When police finally arrived to arrest him there was less than 40lbs of Brandes remaining.
| Detlef Guenzel sliced Polish-born Wojciech Stempniewicz into small pieces. Video reportedly shows him strangling victim using a rope tied to a pulley. Defence argued victim could have stopped strangulation if he wanted to. Guenzel then buried the body parts in the garden of his bed and breakfast. Prosecutors sought lower sentence because Stempniewicz wanted to die.
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The attorney for an Arizona city where 19 firefighters died while battling a massive woodland blaze says he was told it was an order from the group's supervisor led to their deaths in June 2013. Prescott City Attorney Jon Paladini claims the fire's sole survivor, lookout Brendan McDonough, heard the leader of the Granite Mountain Hotshots order the crew to leave a safe spot where the fire had already burned. Paladini tells the Arizona Republic that he was told the order came just before winds whipped Yarnell Hill into a deadly, all encompassing firestorm. Fatal orders? The Yarnell Hill Fire killed 19 firefighters in 2013, the worst disaster of its kind since 1933. New revelations now claim their deaths came after their supervisor gave orders for the crew to leave a safe zone. But first, Paladini claims McDonough heard crew supervisor Eric Marsh and his top deputy arguing over making the dangerous move. Marsh ordered it, Paladini says, while his deputy Jesse Steed warned against it. Whether or not Paladini's claim is true, neither man is alive to verify it. What's more, Paladini's claim is based on what he says he was told by Darrell Willis, former chief of woodland fires for the city. Paladini says McDonough told Willis about the deadly decision. But neither Willis nor McDonough will verify that account. McDonough told the Arizona Republic when asked about the radio interaction he allegedly heard between Marsh and Steed: 'I think you're being misinformed.' Prescott, Arizona City Attorney Jon Paladini (left) claims that the lone surviving Granite Mountain Hotshot Brendan McDonough overheard an argument between the crew leader and his deputy over the move, which would prove deadly. Former Prescott Fire Division Chief Darrell Willis, seen here speaking during a memorial service honoring the 19 fallen firefighters, says McDonough came to him to get something 'off his shoulders.' Willis won't say what that was, but both he and McDonough have denied it was a recounting of any argument between crew chief Eric Marsh and his deputy Jesse Steed. And when the paper asked Willis about the argument, Willis said: 'That was not part of the detail that I knew — that he told me.' Paladini says that's a departure from what Willis previously told him. Paladini told the Arizona Republic, in part:. 'McDonough allegedly overheard radio traffic between Marsh and Steed... 'Marsh told Steed to leave the 'black,' which was safe... 'Steed protested, saying the move would be dangerous... 'That is what Darrell (Willis) told me,' Paladini said. Despite his claim that Paladini got the facts of their conversation wrong, Willis does not deny speaking to the attorney. Willis says he did so after McDonough came to him because he 'wanted to get something off his shoulders.' Willis, evidently, just isn't saying what that something was. The members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots (pictured) were engulfed by wind-whipped flames on the third day of a lightning-sparked blaze that destroyed scores of homes and charred 8,400 acres in and around the tiny town of Yarnell, northwest of Phoenix. The June 30 disaster marked the greatest loss of life from a U.S. wildfire since 1933, when more than two dozen firefighters were killed battling the Griffith Park fire in Los Angeles. Nonetheless, the Arizona Republic writes, 'when Willis reported the conversation to Paladini and others, it set off a chain reaction of legal actions beginning with reports to the Arizona State Forestry Division, the Prescott City Council and the Arizona Attorney General's Office. It also led authorities to interview other potential witnesses, and prompted an unsuccessful effort to subpoena McDonough.' The purported revelation may change the outcome of a wrongful death suit filed by the families of a dozen on the hotshots last June accusing the state of negligence. It could also change the outcome of suits filed by dozens more area property owners suing the state for alleged mismanagement that led to the destruction of their property. The Forestry Division's liability might be reduced if it turns out Marsh overruled Steed's concerns over moving out of the 'black' safe zone. The members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots were engulfed by wind-whipped flames on the third day of a lightning-sparked blaze that destroyed scores of homes and charred 8,400 acres in and around the tiny town of Yarnell, northwest of Phoenix. The June 30 disaster marked the greatest loss of life from a U.S. wildfire since 1933, when more than two dozen firefighters were killed battling the Griffith Park fire in Los Angeles. The purported revelation may change the outcome of a wrongful death suit filed by the families of a dozen on the hotshots last June accusing the state of negligence. The Forestry Division's liability might be reduced if it turns out Marsh overruled Steed's concerns over moving out of the 'black' safe zone.
| Prescott City Attorney Jon Paladini claims sole survivor Brendan McDonough heard an argument between the crew leader and his deputy. Paladini claims McDonough told his secret to former city fire chief Darrell Willis. Willis admits McDonough came to him to 'get something off his chest' but says it wasn't about infighting that occurred before the tragedy. McDonough has also denied the accuracy of Paladini's account, but reports of it may alter lawsuits stemming from the tragic June 2013 fire.
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The hunt for proof of the Loch Ness monster's existence may be over - and it doesn't lie in a blurry photograph. Fossils of a creature bearing a 'striking' similarity to depictions of Nessie have been found in a 19th century collection. Originally belonging to Cromarty writer and geologist, Hugh Miller, the specimens now sit in Inverness Museum and Art Gallery. Scroll down for video. Vital clue? Scientists have revealed that the rediscovered fossil dubbed 'Pessie' (pictured) may have lived at the bottom of the freshwater lakes that would later become Loch Ness. The intriguing fossils were rediscovered when the president of the Official Loch Ness Fan Club, Gary Campbell, was invited to the museum and spotted them. He saw the resemblance and called for scientists to investigate the ancient creature. As part of research for the upcoming Inverness Science Festival, museum and festival teams went hunting for the origins of the fossil, belonging to a species known as Pterichthyoides milleri - or 'Pessie' as it has been christened. Now researchers have revealed that 'Pessie' may have lived at the bottom of the lakes that would later become Loch Ness. The fish ancestor roamed Earth's freshwater lakes during the Paleozoic Era, between 542 million and 251 million years ago. The creatures were some of the earliest known vertebrates to possess jaws, though they had grinding plates rather than teeth. Great-great grandma? Pterichthyoides milleri (illustration pictured) roamed Earth's freshwater lakes during the Paleozoic Era, between 542 million and 251 million years ago. The name 'Pterichthyodes' refers to the creatures' odd wing-like appendages - 'pterichthys' coming from the Ancient Greek for 'wing-fish'. It is believed that the 'wings' led to the pectoral fins seen in modern fish. Cait McCullagh, curator at the museum said: 'If you think of the picture that most people have in their heads of the Loch Ness Monster, our fossils pretty much meet what they would expect. 'Pterichthyoides milleri lived at the bottom of freshwater lochs and had flippers to help it move around. 'Its head and back were covered in an armoured shell, showing that it was well-protected from predator attacks; ready for anything.' In 2013, this shadowy form measuring around 100ft long and seemingly having two giant flippers powering it through the waters of Loch Ness was photographed by Apple's satellite map app. The image was studied by experts at the Official Loch Ness Monster Fan Club, who concluded it is ‘likely’ to be the elusive beast. Elusive: A satellite high in the atmosphere, accessed using Apple's satellite map app, took this amazing image of a creature swimming below the surface of the world famous loch. During preparation work for the Festival, Dr Evelyn Gray, an orthopaedic researcher and imaging specialist who is part of the Science Festival team worked with Cait on the history of 'Pessie'. The investigations were undertaken as part of research into possible scientific explanations for the origins of the Loch Ness Monster. 'It became clear that what we have here could be Nessie's great granny,' explained Dr Gray. 'It fits all the criteria that people around the world associate with lake monsters, albeit a little smaller than popular images would suggest. 'However, if we assume that this form of Nessie would evolve in a normal fashion, then we can project how biological changes over the millennia might make it similar to the larger Nessie we think of today'. Tantalising: Many hunters have claimed to have spotted the elusive Loch ness beast - such this photo of its 'head taken in November 2014 - but concrete evidence has been lacking until now. Gary Campbell, President of the Official Loch Ness Monster Fan Club said: 'This is fantastic news for all Nessie fans. 'We always said that the first sighting of the monster was by St Columba 1450 years ago - now we can say her family has been living in the area for 360 million years.' 'For the first time, visitors to Loch Ness can be guaranteed to see a real Nessie, notwithstanding that it's one that's a few years older than her relative that lives in the loch today. 'No one is sure of what Nessie actually is and the popular view is that she's some sort of dinosaur - maybe she's actually Pessie after all' 'Pessie' is available to view in the museum in Inverness but visitors will have the chance to actually hold her during a lecture on the origins of the Loch Ness Monster on 7th May 2015. An online register lists 1067 total Nessie sightings. The list was created by Gary Campbell, the man behind the Official Loch Ness Monster Fan Club and is available at www.lochnesssightings.com. Mr Campbell said: 'Jonathan's photo bears an incredible similarity to Bob Rines series of pictures and will certainly further stimulate discussion about this enduring legend.' Among the most famous claimed sightings is a photograph taken in 1934 by Colonel Robert Kenneth Wilson (below). It was later exposed as a hoax by one of the participants, Chris Spurling, who, on his deathbed, revealed that the pictures were staged. This famous photograph, produced in 1934, was exposed as a hoax by one of the participants, Chris Spurling, on his deathbed. A close-up of what could be the Loch Ness Monster. The photo was taken by William Jobes in 2011. Another renowned sighting was made in 2001 by semi-retired photographer James Gray and his friend Peter Levings when they were out fishing on the Loch. This blurred picture, said to show the Loch Ness Monster, was taken by Hugh Gray in 1933 and published in the Daily Express.
| Fossils of a creature bearing a striking similarity to depictions of Nessie have been found in a 19th century collection. It is thought the fossil was found in Cromarty and would have once lived in a freshwater lake between 542 million years ago to 251 million years ago. Researchers have revealed that Pterichthyoides milleri - or 'Pessie' - lived on the bottom of the lakes that would later become Loch Ness.
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Teaching assistant Phil Smith, 25, (pictured) died after trying to climb through an upstairs window. A primary school teaching assistant who forgot to take his keys on a night out died after trying to climb through an upstairs window. Phil Smith, 25, scaled a fence to try to get in his flat in Cottingham, Hull, but fell and hit his head. The 25-year-old, who worked at a school for disabled children, fractured his skull and suffered a bleed on the brain and a blood clot in the fall. He was placed in a medically induced coma at Hull Royal Infirmary, but died five days later on April 9. Mr Smith's parents have paid tribute to their 'lovely son' who had a 'natural talent with children'. His mother Lisa Darnbrough, 49, said: 'Phil was such a lovely lad. You could not ask for a better son. 'He fought like a hero in hospital for five days after the fall, surprising us and the hospital staff. Sadly, he lost his battle but he gave us five days to come together and have time to say our goodbyes. 'We are so proud of Phil and we will make sure our hero gets the send-off he deserves.' His father, Nick Smith, 50, said: 'He just had such a positive outlook on life, we called it 'Phil's bubble'. 'He found out ways to bring out love in other people which is a rare quality to have.' The 25-year-old was found by his housemate Kris Lake who tried to resuscitate him. He gained a degree in sports science at the University of Hull and worked as a teaching assistant at Riverside Special School in Goole, Yorkshire, where he met his girlfriend Eve Netherwood. Ms Darnbrough said: 'His eyes lit up when he talked about his job. 'I saw him in the classroom and he just had a natural talent with the children. It was effortless. He was so amazing at interacting with his students.' His mother Lisa Darnbrough, 49, (pictured together) paid tribute to their 'lovely son' who had a 'natural talent with children' He was placed in a medically induced coma at Hull Royal Infirmary, but died five days later on April 9. Eve, 28, said: 'Phil was simply amazing and a wonderful boyfriend. We had so many good times together.' Phil played football for Haltemprice in the East Riding County League and a minute's silence will be held at the next game. His manager, Rob Kennington, said: 'He was a manager's dream. He was always the first to training and used to text me constantly to see if he was playing. 'He was very determined and wanted to improve and get better at everything. 'We will do everything we can to make sure people remember him and we are trying to get promoted this season as a legacy for Phil.' The 25-year-old, who also coached young children, was found by his housemate Kris Lake who tried to resuscitate him.
| Phil Smith, 25, forgot his keys and scaled fence to try to get in his flat. But teaching assistant fell and hit his head while climbing through window. He fractured his skull and suffered a bleed on the brain and a blood clot. Parents paid tribute to 'lovely son' who worked at special needs school.
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Conviction: Amy Wilkinson, 28, left, the granddaughter of former Manchester United manager Tommy Docherty, has admitted falsely claiming almost £18,000 in benefits. The granddaughter of former Manchester United manager Tommy Docherty has admitted falsely claiming almost £18,000 in benefits. Amy Wilkinson, 28, claimed housing benefit and council tax benefit even though she was living in a home owned by her mother and her partner, who was also working. Wilkinson, who was a British Airways cabin crew attendant, was ordered to pay back a total of £17,604 that she claimed over two years when she appeared at South and East Cheshire Magistrates Court last week. She admitted two charges of dishonestly making false representations in order to claim housing benefit, Council Tax benefit and income support. Magistrates sentenced her to 24 weeks' imprisonment suspended for 24 months and ordered her to pay costs of £675 and a victim surcharge of £50. Her grandfather, Tommy Docherty, now 86, was manager of Manchester United from 1972 until 1977. He was sacked over his affair with the wife of the team's physio in 1977. Steph Cordon, Cheshire East Council's head of communities, said: 'It is a big mistake for fraudsters to think they can get away with claiming benefits they are not entitled to. 'They risk ending up with a criminal conviction for a serious offence of dishonesty and being ordered to repay the money they have falsely claimed. 'We have a zero-tolerance policy towards benefit fraud because we are determined to ensure that the benefits system works for people who really need help.' Wilkinson of Knutsford, applied for housing benefit and Council Tax benefit in April 2011, saying that she was on a low income, was living in a privately-rented property and needed assistance with her rent and council tax, a court heard,. Football star: Tommy Docherty, now 86, was manager of Manchester United from 1972 until 1977, pictured here after winning the FA Cup in his final year at the club. She also made a claim for income support to help her and her daughter as she had no other income. Fundraising: A pregnant Amy Wilkinson outside Downing Street in 2011 after she raised £10,000 for charity after the death of her son. However, investigators from Cheshire East Council's benefit fraud investigation team and the Department for Work and Pensions found she had failed to declare that her mother owned the property for which she was claiming housing benefit. They also discovered that Wilkinson's partner had joined her household in January 2012 and had been supporting her and the family financially. Over a two-year period, she received a total of £17,604 in state benefits that she was not entitled to. She will have to repay in full the benefits that she fraudulently obtained. In 2011 she raised more than £10,000 for baby charity Tommy's and was thanked by the Chancellor George Osborne, who is also her local MP. She spent 18 months fundraising after she went into labour at 29 weeks and lost her son, Billy John, who tragically only lived for three minutes. Describing why she raised the money she said at the time: 'I was 29 weeks pregnant when I went into labour but they don't know why, there's just no answer for it. I needed something to focus on. 'Tommy's has been fabulous with us and on their website, they have a forum where you can talk to other people about it. I never realised how many people have been through what we have been through because at times I thought I was the only one.'
| Amy Wilkinson, 28, falsely claimed housing benefit and Council Tax benefit. Court gives her suspended sentence and orders her to pay back £18,000. Her grandfather Tommy Docherty managed Man United from 1972 to 1977.
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The world’s first cloned camel is pregnant, scientists claim. The mother-to-be, whose name is Injaz, was cloned from the ovarian cells of a slaughtered camel in 2009 and born from a surrogate mother. Injaz was six years old this week and is said to have conceived naturally. The world’s first cloned camel is pregnant, scientists claim. The mother-to-be, whose name is Injaz, was cloned from the ovarian cells of a slaughtered camel in 2009 and born by surrogate mother. Injaz is pictured here when she was just six days old. Dr Nisar Wani, scientific director of the Reproductive Biotechnology Centre in Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, told The National: ‘We are very excited because Injaz is now pregnant and we expect to have a calf from her late this year. ‘She has conceived in a natural way. This will prove cloned camels are fertile and can reproduce the same as naturally produced camels.’ The birth of Injaz, whose name means 'achievement' in Arabic, caused great excitement in 2009 and scientists said that cloning would help to preserve the genetics of the camel population. Camels are a valuable commodity in the desert sheikdoms of the Persian Gulf, and are used for racing and transport. They can also produce low-fat milk and can make owners millions of dollars at camel beauty contests. Since Injaz was born, many more animals have been produced by genetic cloning, including one from the cells of a camel beauty pageant winner. It's 19 years since the first mammal was cloned. Dolly the sheep (pictured) was born in Edinburgh using DNA from an adult cell. Since Injaz was born, many more animals have been produced by genetic cloning, including one from the cells of a camel beauty pageant winner, the BBC reported. It took five years of work before Injaz was cloned. She was born on April 8, 2009 weighing 66lbs (30kg), after an uncomplicated gestation of 378 days. The calf was created from cells harvested from the ovary of an adult camel. The cells were then planted into the egg of a surrogate mother. Injaz was confirmed as genetically identical to the camel the cells were taken from, according to United Arab Emirates newspapers at the time. The world's first mammal was cloned 19 years ago. Dolly the sheep was born in Edinburgh using DNA from an adult cell. Dolly was put down in 2003, after being diagnosed with lung disease, but since then, scientists have successfully cloned mice, cows, pigs and dogs as well as camels. Human embryos have been genetically modified so that any changes made will be carried on into future generations for the first time, according to scientists. Researchers around the world are bracing themselves for the results of a study by scientists in China that has introduced DNA changes to reproductive cells. Many scientists have already reacted with horror at the idea, for fear it could be misused to allow parents to 'select' the genes they will pass on to their grandchildren. Human embryos, like the one above, may have been genetically modified with new gene editing techniques. They say that even embryos created in this way for research purposes only could have serious ethical and safety implications. They have described it as 'dangerous and ethically unacceptable'. However, others argue that the technology could also be used to rid families of devastating inherited diseases like cystic fibrosis or certain cancers. Until now scientists have concentrated on using genome editing techniques on somatic cells - non-reproductive cells like those found in skin, muscle, nerves, bone and liver for example - to help them study diseases. Modifying the DNA of human embryos so that DNA changes are preserved in the germline - the sperm and eggs - means such alterations can be passed on to future generations. Such work is already illegal in many countries around the world including the UK, but is permitted in the US and China. A number of groups around the world are thought to be working on techniques to genetically modify human embryos.
| Cloned camel was born in 2009 and called Inzaz, which means achievement. She was cloned from ovarian cells and born by surrogate mother. Injaz is now six years old and is said to have conceived naturally. She's expected to give birth late this year, proving cloned animals' fertility.
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The mystery of what appears to be a screw fixed inside a rock (pictured) has perplexed scientists. An object that appears to be a screw fixed inside a rock has captured the world's attention since it was found in the 1990s, but the debate rages on about what it really is. Russian researchers believe the unusual object is 300 million years old, leading some people to claim that it may be proof of a highly advanced lost human civilisation, or even the work of aliens. However, experts suggest that there may be a more earthly answer – that the ‘screw’ is in fact a fossilised sea creature. The researchers stumbled across the ‘screw’ after searching the Kaluga region after an asteroid strike occurred there, Ancient Code reported. The ‘screw’ measures an inch (2cm) long and was collected by a UFO and paranormal research team called the Kosmopoisk Group. They claim that the stone is between 300 and 320 million years old and after X-raying it, believe there is another hidden ‘screw’ inside the stone. But more conventional scientists have not got a look at the object, so have had to base their speculation on grainy pictures posted online. The Kosmopoisk Group has not said what the screw is made of, or given any detailed information about it. The self-styled group, which is also known as Spacesearch and the Russian Scientific Organisation, conducts expeditions to sites that are believed to have extraterrestrial activity or unusual creatures - and has a mixed reputation. Scroll down for video. The screw-like shape may actually be the reversed-shape of the creature, which gradually dissolved while the rock formed around it. Fossils of Jurassic crinoids collected in Israel are pictured. The leading hypothesis from experts who have seen photos of the stone is that the ‘screw' is actually the remains of an ancient sea creature called a crinoid. The screw-like shape may actually be the reversed-shape of the creature, which gradually dissolved while the rock formed around it. Some 600 species of Crinoids are now extinct but the creatures live on in different forms in modern seas. They have five arms to snatch passing prey and a hidden mouth on the top. It is thought that the fossilised creature in the mysterious rock is a form of ‘sea lily’ – a type of crinoid that grew a stalk when it became an adult, to tether itself to the seabed. Crinoids were extremely common millions of years ago, and countless fossils have been found, some segments of which do resemble screws. Russian researchers have dated the unusual 'screw' to 300 million years old, leading some people to claim that it may be proof of a highly advanced lost human civilisation, or even the work of aliens (stock image) Researchers stumbled across the ‘screw’ after searching the Kaluga region after an asteroid strike occurred there. The ‘screw’ measures an inch (2cm) long and was collected by a UFO and paranormal research team called the Kosmopoisk Group. There are hundreds of species of extinct Crinoids, although the marine animal continues to live in seas today. Crinoids have a mouth on the top surface - next to their gut and anus - that's surrounded by feeding arms to grab passing prey. They generally have five main arms and a stem to attach themselves to rocks or the seabed. In fossilised form, the stem does resemble a screw. It's thought they were more common in ancient times, because limestone beds dating to the mid Palaeozoic are full of Crinoid fossils. The first Crinoids are thought to have appeared in the Ordovician period, between 488 million years ago and ending 444 million years ago and underwent a selective mass extinction at the end of the Permian period, where they evolved more flexible arms. Crinoid fossils look slightly different to reflect the variations across the species. However, some say that the stalks of crinoids were typically much smaller than the ‘screw’, with slightly different markings, and have discarded the theory. More far-fetched theories include that the 'screw' is the remains of an ancient form of technology that proves aliens lived on Earth millions of years ago, or that our ancestors were far more advanced than we think. Nigel Watson, author of the UFO Investigations Manual told MailOnline: ‘Lots of out-of-place artefacts have been reported, such as nails or even tools embedded in ancient stone. 'Some of these reports are…misinterpretations of natural formations. ‘In this case sceptics claim the screw is nothing more than the fossilised remains of a crinoid marine animal, while believers note that the screw is very different from the surrounding fossil evidence. ‘It would be great to think we could find such ancient evidence of a spaceship visiting us so long ago, but we have to consider whether extra-terrestrial spacecraft builders would use screws in the construction of their craft. ‘It also seems that this story is probably a hoax that is being spread by the internet, and reflects our desire to believe that extra-terrestrials have visited us in the past and are still visiting us today in what we now call UFOs.’ The leading hypothesis is that the ‘screw; is actually the remains of an ancient sea creature called a crinoid. It had a thick stem that attached it to the sea bed, which looks a bit like a screw when it's fossilised (pictured) Some 600 species of Crinoids are now extinct but the creatures live on in new forms in our seas today. This image shows a modern Crinoid, known as a Variable bushy feather star in the Philippines. The Alien that terrified people in the 1979 sci-fi film, was inspired by a crinoid. Swiss surrealist artist, Hans Rudolf Giger, created many artworks based on fossils, which were seen by Ridley Scott who commissioned Giger to make props for his film. Mr Giger's designs - one of which was all too memorably seen bursting out of a character's chest on screen - went on to win his team an Academy Award for Best Achievement for Visual Effects on the 1979 film and the franchise that followed. The Alien that terrified people in the 1979 sci-fi film, Alien (pictured) was inspired by a Crinoid. He was inspired by a 300-million-year-old Crinoid fossil, which was stolen in 2012. While the piece was returned to the Aathal dinosaur museum in Zurich, Switzerland, from which it was taken, it was slightly damaged. Museum curator Dr. Thomas Bolliger said: 'It was comparatively undamaged - although one of the arms had broken off. 'It really is a remarkable fossil and shows two separate species of a spineless animal that lived at the bottom of the sea around 300 million years ago.' A museum spokesman added: 'It is a very valuable but also a very unique fossil and it will be very difficult for anybody to sell or indeed to keep secret given the publicity around the theft.' Alien abduction: Swiss surrealist artist, Hans Rudolf Giger, created many artworks based on fossils, which were seen by Ridley Scott who commissioned Giger to make props for his film. This rare Crinoid fossil was stolen from a museum and later returned damaged.
| 'Screw' was found in a stone by UFO researchers in Kaluga region, Russia. The unusual object is said to be 300 million years old. Some think it's proof aliens used to live on Earth or a radical civilisation. But it's more likely to be a fossilised sea creature called a Crinoid.
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An eight-year-old boy has died a day after his family's car hurtled off the road and into a Los Angeles harbor. His 13-year-old brother, identified as Abdelkrim Elmezayen, was pulled dead from the water at the scene shortly after 6pm on Thursday. Their parents are in a stable condition in the hospital. Firefighters rushed to the port in San Pedro when passers-by heard cries for help. The family of four had been driving out of a parking lot on Berth 73 when the vehicle, driven by the boys' father, veered off the edge of the harbor. Scroll down for video. Two dead: Both children who fell into the LA Harbor has died and their parents are recovering in hospital. Hero: Firefighter Miguel Meza (left) who dove into the water in San Pedro after a car carrying a family of four plunged into the water has been hailed a hero on the Facebook page of City Councilman Joe Buscaino (right) It landed upside down in the 30-foot water. Two adults were found swimming in the water when rescuers arrived, he said. Witnesses told NBC the car appeared to speed up as it neared the edge. Divers found the two boys inside the car. They had no pulses and weren't breathing when divers brought them up, and resuscitation efforts began immediately, Humphrey said. The adults were described as being in fair condition but 'clearly emotionally distraught,' Humphrey said. Firefighter Miguel Meza who dove into the water in San Pedro after a car carrying a family of four plunged into the water has been hailed a hero on the Facebook page of Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino. 'Firefighter Miguel Meza jumped into the water at Berth 73 tonight in San Pedro after a car with a family of four drove into the water. This man is a true hero in the City of Angels and I am so proud of him!' he said. Sucessful search: Divers emerge from the water as debris believed to be from the car floats to the surface where a car went off the berth and into the water. Divers working in murky water searched the car and even opened the trunk, but they found no one else in it, Humphrey said. The cause of the accident was under investigation. 'We don't know at this time whether it was an accident or an intentional event,' he said. Nearly 100 firefighters, divers and helicopter and boat crews went to the scene, Humphrey said. ABC reports that the event that led up the incident remain unknown. Witnesses told police that they heard screeching tires before the car made the plunge.
| A car plunged off a road into Los Angeles harbor on Thursday, and two children pulled from the submerged vehicle were hospitalized. The adults were described as being in fair condition but 'clearly emotionally distraught' Witnesses said the car appeared to speed up as it neared the edge. Firefighter Miguel Meza who dove into the water in San Pedro after a car carrying a family of four plunged into the water has been hailed a hero.
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It is a common fear, known as trypanophobia. For around 20 per cent of the population, the thought of going to the doctors for an injection invokes a deep-rooted sense of dread. Many avoid the doctor's surgery altogether, leaving themselves open to the risk of various illnesses and infections. But for those terrified of needles, a team of scientists at Rice University in Houston, may have the answer. They have developed a new device, Comfortably Numb, to ease the pain of an injection. Their invention numbs the skin prior to the jab by producing a rapid chemical reaction to cool the patient's skin. Scroll down for video. Comfortably Numb is a new, single-use device that eases the pain of an injection by producing a rapid chemical reaction to cool the patient's skin within 60 seconds. Three first year students, (from L-R) mechanical engineer Mike Hua, bioengineer Andy Zhang and computer scientist Greg Allison, came up with the invention, they describe as 'simple and elegant' The trio, made up of computer scientist Greg Allison, bioengineer Andy Zhang and mechanical engineer Mike Hua, currently has a functioning prototype, that has produced a numbing effect in just 60 seconds. 'Our device is 3D printed and consists of two sealed chambers containing the chemical ammonium nitrate and water, ' Mr Hua said. 'A simple twisting motion moves the chambers into alignment to allow the chemicals to flow through the chamber to produce a rapid endothermic reaction. 'We then numb the skin by contacting the device's metal surface to the patient's skin.' Current solutions are either ineffective because they fail to numb the skin adequately, or take too long, the researchers said. They noted that a commonly used medicated topical patch takes about an hour to work, whereas their new device 'works on the order of seconds and minutes', Mr Zhang said. 'We are targeting anyone who has to get an injection, which is nearly everyone,' Mr Allison said. 'But the device is especially applicable to people who are more susceptible to pain.' As such, he said, it is particularly useful for children and the elderly. And, it is intended for use during procedures 'where you have to get shots in more sensitive areas of the body, such as the face or the groin', he added. The team designed the device to be single-use, rather than reusable to avoid the difficulties of cleaning it and resetting the device. It costs around $2 (£1.34) to produce, they said. The trio said the device could also be used to ease the pain of ear piercings and tattooing, and help reduce swelling. 'We looked into all sorts of methods for numbing, both quick and long-term, chemicals, using ice packs - which is similar to what we're using now,' Mr Hua said. The device is 3D printed and consists of two sealed chambers containing the chemical ammonium nitrate and water. A simple twisting motion moves the chambers into alignment to allow the chemicals to flow through the chamber to produce a rapid endothermic reaction. The skin can then be numbed by contacting the device's metal surface to the patient's skin. Within 60 seconds the patient's skin is numb and they can have an injection without experiencing pain. 'We explored everything that surrounded the problem before we even began brainstorming.' 'At the end of the day, what we're creating is a self-contained device with a very cold contact surface, and there are many applications for that,' Mr Allison added. Some of the solutions the trio researched were highly technical and required a materials science degree, or skills the first-year students had not yet learned. 'That's the kind of amazing thing about our project,' Mr Allison said. 'Because we don't have these incredibly refined skills in certain areas, that meant we had to think of very simple solutions. 'Being limited in that way led to something that is very novel and innovative, but at the same time, simple and elegant.' The team designed the device to be single-use, rather than reusable to avoid the difficulties of cleaning it and resetting the device. Mr Zhang, said: 'The materials that we use are relatively inexpensive and found in abundance: plastic, rubber and metal. The team from Rice University in Houston said the device could be used in future for those having tattoos, or people wanting to get their ears pierced without suffering the pain. 'The materials for one of these cost about a quarter, and then we just had to do estimates based on how much manufacturing would cost. 'We compared our device to similar things already in production, and we've estimated the cost at about $2 (£1.34).' The team is currently in the process of applying for a provisional patent for the device, and the students hope to continue their work together in their spare time when they return to Rice in their second year. 'As a team, we just want to follow the project, because we think it has a lot of potential. I think that's what drew us to this specific project,' Mr Allison said. 'We haven't really discussed yet whether we're going dedicate to making this a company, but it's something we're open to.'
| Comfortably Numb is a single-use 3D printed device that numbs the skin. Produces a rapid chemical reaction to cool the patient's skin in 60 seconds. Invention costs around $2 to make and could help millions terrified of pain. Three first-year students behind invention say it could work for tattoos too.
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The plastic surgeon who gave a 'Brazilian butt lift' to a young Australian tourist who died during the procedure lost another patient just a year before her tragic death, it has been revealed. The family of Evita Nicole Sarmonikas arrived back in Sydney on Tuesday from Mexico where they flew on a mission to bring her body home, after being pressured to have her remains created before an official autopsy could be carried out following her death in March this year. It has now been revealed Dr Victor Ramirez, of the Hospital Quirurgico del Valle in Mexicali, the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California, operated on Roseann Falcon Ornelas in 2014. Australian woman Evita Nicole Sarmonikas died while undergoing plastic surgery last month in Mexico. The 52-year-old American woman was given a tummy tuck by Dr Ramirez, and began complaining of shortness of breath just five hours after her operation, and was in so much pain she could not move. Ms Ornelas sister Belinda Munoz told The ABC's 7 30 Report that she 'sat there in a mess of fluids and blood just oozing out of her body causing her to be soaked in bed. And yet the clinic associates refuse to change her bedding or help in any way.' Ms Munoz said that she wished she had spoken out about Dr Ramirez when her sister died, and that 'now the beautiful Evita is gone. My heart breaks for her family'. 29-year-old Evita Sarmonikas, from the Gold Coast, was admitted to Hospital Quirurgico del Valle on March 20 while on holiday with her boyfriend, and died on the same day. Her sister Andrea told 7 30 Report that the clinic in Mexicali attempted to convince Ms Sarmonikas boyfriend to have her body cremated before an official autopsy could be conducted. Her family insisted that an independent inquest into her death be arranged, and flew over to Mexico to collect her body. 'I knew I had to go over. I wasn't going to let her body leave without having a proper investigation,' Andrea told 7 30. Dr Ramirez lost another patient the year before Ms Sarmonikas died on his operating table. Ms Sarmonikas' sister Andrea told 7 30 Report that the clinic in Mexicali attempted to convince Ms Sarmonikas boyfriend to have her body cremated before an official autopsy could be conducted. Ms Sarmonikas's sister and her mother flew to Mexico to collect her body after an official autopsy. When Andrea and her grieving mother arrived in Mexico, they were handed paperwork that Ms Sarmonikas was meant to have filled out before surgery, and found that sections were incomplete. Ms Sarmonikas' sister said that the autopsy also highlighted discrepancies in the report prepared by the Mexican clinic. 'It's information that confirms this needs to be investigated seriously and that there are some irregularities that need to be clarified,' she said. The President of the College of Plastic Surgeons in Mexicali confirmed that Dr Ramirez's certification had lapsed, and that he had been stood down until after the investigation into Ms Sarmonikas' death had been completed. 'Currently, due to issues referring to our association's guidelines, statutes, and rules, he is temporarily suspended from duty,' Marco Antonio Gutierrez Lamadrid said. The Hospital Quirurgico del Valle has also been closed down amid dozens of reports of poor hygiene, outdated facilities and unsafe practices. An inspection also discovered inadequate operating theatres, insufficient post operative care and outdated medical devices, according to Proceso. The Australian Medical Association has warned Australians of the danger of travelling to developing countries to seek cosmetic surgery. The AMA's vice president Dr Stephen Parnis said that doctors would often see complications such as bleeding, wound breakdown, and wound complications in patients who underwent the procedures. Ms Saarmonikas died at the Hospital Quirurgico del Valle in Mexicali, the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California. Andrea Sarmonikas said that the clinic's report revealed inconsistencies. The family of American woman Belinda Munoz, who died after being operated on by Dr Ramorez, said they wished they had spoken out after her death. 'What we see from time to time is things like infections, often with highly resistant bugs that we don't see in Australia,' Dr Parnis said. 'We have no information about the original procedure and it often makes it more difficult to care for that person in the absence of that vital medical information,' he said. Dr Parnis said that Australia had a 'world-class' level of care and that regulation was taken seriously. 'That often does not occur in other parts of the world. And that is important because that is an important check on the standards provided so that we can find if there is an adverse outcome and why it happens,' he said. A statement from Ms Sarmonikas' family released a statement urging other women not to 'risk death to improve on perfection'. 'The autopsy showed Eva went into cardiac arrest following surgery. The hospitals' only response was to cling to their waiver, removing themselves from any liability,' a family member wrote on the Facebook group. 'There have been no answers and their only offer of 'cooperation' was an urgency to return her to us in the form of ashes. The Australian Embassy has strongly advised we do not allow this to happen,' the statement said. 'Evita as we knew her on earth would be devastated at the amount of attention she is receiving at the moment, as she was extremely private and worked very hard to never be a burden on anybody,' her family wrote. 'However the abundance of love that we all hold for her is propelling the action that needs to be taken before she be laid to rest, and she deserves that.' Dr Victor Ramirez's name made headlines in 2012 after he used a photo of Kim Kardashian on a billboard to advertise his services. Tributes have poured in for Evita Nicole Sarmonikas (right, pictured with friend Sherri Burton) after her death in a Mexican hospital last week. Ms Sarmonikas's family did not at first say what procedure Evita was undergoing before she died but they explained: 'As beautiful as Evita was inside and out. She was still filled with certain inadequacies. As almost every woman on earth does.' 'Her perfect and whole soul was not strong enough in light of a world that constantly bombarded her with an urgency to demand more from herself and her body,' they explained. 'She never demanded anything from anybody, but was always out giving her people. These near perfect graphic comparisons our young women are bombarded with from get go are too much for innocent hearts to battle, and the consequences are fatal when not conducted by adequate professionals. 'These doctors promised her more perfection to fill an emptiness that began developing early in our childhood. This emptiness further expanded with traumatic experiences in her adult life and the constant social boarding of a false beauty illusion,' they Facebook post continued. Her sister Andrea has urged others not too risk their lives in the pursuit of what they perceive as beauty. 'This was not the way to go home, no woman should risk death to improve on perfection,' they said. 'Tomorrow morning when you look in the mirror say to yourself 'I am enough, I am worthy, I am perfect just the way I am'. 'Don't listen to a world that is hungry to fill your insecurities with poison. Stop feeding an industry that hates humans, especially women in the natural state and their perfect birth bodies. Do it for Eva, do it for you.' The doctor who performed the procedure, Dr Ramirez, made headlines in 2012 after he used a photo of the famously curvaceous reality star Kim Kardashian on a billboard to advertise his services. A Facebook tribute page has been set up for Evita to share advice and support and to help fundraise to bring her body home to Australia. Tributes have also poured in from friends and family, vowing to remember her as a happy woman. The billboard was accompanied with the slogan 'No arriesgue su belleza, ni su salud', which translates as 'Don't risk your beauty or your health' - a bid to encourage people to visit a professional plastic surgeon instead of an unsafe one. Dr Ramirez's website says the ideal candidate for buttock augmentation surgery is someone with 'lack of volume of the buttocks'. 'Currently, the safest way to achieve the desired results through buttock augmentation is using silicone implants,' an outline of the procedure which takes 2 and a half hours reads. 'Although it might seem easy and economical, never allow anyone to inject substances that increase the volume of the buttocks through the injection of oily substances because the damage that they cause is irreversible due to the fact that the modelling agents cannot be extracted from your body and will generate serious problems the rest of your life.' The news comes after emotional tributes poured in for Ms Sarmonkias from friends and family. 'Eva my heart, my love, my joy. Where are you? I need you. We were meant to grow old together and still be conquering life hand in hand as sisters. I'm still not understanding. I haven't been able to sleep,' Sherri Burton wrote. Ms Burton recalled the last time the pair spoke, and the final day they spent together before Ms Sarmonkias went overseas. 'The last thing you wrote to me, about 7 hours before you went to be with our Heavenly Father, was "wish you were here with me". You always thought about me when you were having fun and wanted me to experience it. 'It has been 7 days since you were physically with me in this very room I’m typing in. Sitting on this very chair,' the tribute continued. 'Eva… There are not enough words to express how I feel about you. Thank you for loving me. I am honoured to have received such love. I am honoured to call you my sister. Ms Sarmonkias worked as a receptionist at LJ Hooker in Surfer's Paradise, and her former colleagues have remembered her as bubbly, bright and beautiful young woman. 'The LJ Hooker Surfers Paradise Network is deeply saddened to hear of the sudden passing of one of our past employees Eva Sarmonikas,' a statement read. 'With the bubbliest and brightest personality anyone could ever imagine it was a pleasure to hear her wonderful voice at the other end of the line.
| Evita Sarmonikas, 29, died in Mexico in Mexico after undergoing a 'butt lift' The doctor who performed the procedure had another patient die in 2013. Ms Sarmonikas' family ordered an independent autopsy on her body. They said it revealed inconsistencies with the report which said she died of cardiac arrest. The family raised funds to bring her body back to Australia. The AMA has warned against having procedures in developing nations.
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Rita Wilson took to her Twitter account on Wednesday to thank her supporters, one day after revealing she has breast cancer and undergone double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. The 58-year-old actress - who is married to actor Tom Hanks - tweeted: 'I am overwhelmed with gratitude by your prayers and good wishes and the kindness you're sending. Thank you. Thank you.' On Tuesday, she shared the news of her disease through a statement published by People magazine. Thanking her supporters: Rita Wilson took to her Twitter account on Tuesday after revealing she has breast cancer and undergone double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery (pictured in September 2014) Rita, who took a leave of absence from Broadway play 'Fish in the Dark' earlier this month, revealed she was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and completed a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. She explained that her first test for cancer came back negative but that she was correctly diagnosed after seeking a second opinion and underwent the procedure last week. 'Last week, with my husband by my side, and with the love and support of family and friends, I underwent a bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction for breast cancer after a diagnosis of invasive lobular carcinoma,' she said in the statement. Grateful for the outreach: 'I am overwhelmed with gratitude by your prayers and good wishes and the kindness you're sending. Thank you. Thank you' By her side: The star - married to Tom Hanks - announced on Tuesday that she was recently diagnosed with cancer and has undergone a double mastectomy (pictured together in February) 'I am recovering and most importantly, expected to make a full recovery. Why? Because I caught this early, have excellent doctors and because I got a second opinion.' A mastectomy is an operation that removes all or part of the breast. Before the diagnosis, Wilson said she had 'vigilantly monitored' her health with mammograms and MRIs because she knew she had an underlying condition of LCIS, (lobular carcinoma in situ)'. The mother-of-two explained that she recently underwent a breast biopsy, but no sign of cancer was discovered until she sought the opinion of a second doctor on the advice of a friend. The doctor discovered the cancer and she then sought out the opinion of another pathologist, who confirmed the diagnosis, she said. Recuperation: 'I am recovering and most importantly, expected to make a full recovery' Advice: She shared the news on Facebook and linked to a statement printed by People magazine. Her cancer was not found in the first round of tests so she encourgaed others to seek a second opinion, like she did. Rita, who married Oscar-winner Tom in 1988, went on to implore others to seek a second opinion before thanking her loved ones for their support. 'I share this to educate others that a second opinion is critical to your health,' she said. 'You have nothing to lose if both opinions match up for the good, and everything to gain if something that was missed is found, which does happen. Early diagnosis is key.' On Facebook on Tuesday, she encouraged other women to seek a 'necessary and vital' second opinion if they found themselves in similar situations. Treatment: Wilson, pictured last year, said she underwent two breast biopsies before she was diagnosed. 'Not just by another doctor but by another pathologist,' she added. 'I'm doing well and getting stronger every day.' Following her announcement, famous friends passed on their best wishes to the actress. 'Sending the wonderful Rita Wilson my love and best wishes for a speedy recovery and good health,' Katie Couric wrote on Twitter on Tuesday morning. Support: Celebrity friends flocked to Twitter to pass their best wishes to the actress after her announcement. Thankful: CNN host Christiane Amanpour noted how Wilson's statement will help future families. Christiana Amanpour added: 'Wishing my good friend @RitaWilson the best as she makes this important announcement, which will help millions of women and their families.' 'Sending all my love to the brave and beautiful @RitaWilson,' Josh Groban tweeted. Wilson released the statement on Tuesday after it was announced earlier this month that she had temporarily left the Broadway play, written by and starring Larry David. At the time, a spokesperson said Wilson was expected to return to the stage on May 5. While on medical leave, she has been replaced by Glenne Headly. Admiration: Singer Josh Groban also sent his best wishes to the actress on Twitter on Tuesday. By her side: Actress Christina Applegate also sent her love to Wilson. Wilson is also known as the mother of Marnie, played by Allison Williams, in HBO's 'Girls'. She has two sons with Hanks, Chester Marlon, 24, and Truman Theodore, 19, as well as two stepchildren from Hanks' previous marriage - actor Colin Hanks, 37, and writer Elizabeth, 32 - to whom Wilson is close. Hanks and their mother, Samantha Lewes, had met in college but divorced in 1987, the year before he married Wilson. Lewes passed away in 2002, when she was just 49, after battling bone cancer. Wilson's message to other women to get screened comes just days after Taylor Swift revealed her mother, Andrea, had been diagnosed with cancer. She also urged her fans to remind their parents to get checked. Family: Wilson is pictured with Hanks and one of their sons, Chester, in December 2011. The couple has two sons together and Hanks is also father to a daughter and son from his first marriage. Invasive lobular carcinoma is a type of breast cancer that starts in the milk-producing glands of the breast and spreads in a web-like manner. Due to this, it does not typically form a lump, as is expected with breast cancer, and instead causes a thickening of the tissue, making one part of the breast feel fuller than other areas. Other symptoms including a change in the texture of appearance of the skin on the breast, such as dimpling, or an inverted nipple. Women with this type of breast cancer are usually a few years older than women diagnosed with other types, and it is more likely to occur in both breasts compared with other types. The cancer is invasive, which means it has the potential to spread to other parts of the body. It can be found through screening tests including physical exams or mammograms. Mammograms are encouraged yearly when a woman turns 40s or earlier if they have a family history of breast cancer. Treatment includes removing part or all of the breast followed by chemotherapy or radiation. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 180,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with invasive breast cancer each year, and about one in ten cases are invasive lobular carcinomas. The earlier the diagnosis, the better the prognosis. Patients have a slightly better outlook for both short- and long-term survival compared to other types of breast cancer. According to a study by Breast Cancer Research, the five-year survival rate is 85 per cent.
| The 58-year-old actress revealed her diagnosis in a statement on Tuesday. She explained that doctors initially failed to find the cancer but that it was discovered after she sought out a second opinion. She underwent surgery last week with Hanks by her side and she is expected to make a full recovery. Wilson took medical leave from the Broadway play Fish in the Dark earlier this month but is expected back on stage in May.
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Once famed for his mop of blacker than black hair, disgraced Democrat Rod Blagojevich, 58, has really let his haircare regime go while he serves his prison time. The former Illinois governor has return to his roots while inside and has been photographed with his still full head of hair a shocking white color rather than the boot polish black that was his trademark as a politician. Blagojevich was infamously caught trying to sell Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat when he was elected president in 2008. Fade to gray: Once famed for his mop of blacker than black hair, disgraced Democrat Rod Blagojevich, 58, has really let his haircare regime go while he serves his prison time. Back in his days as governor of Illinois, Blagojevich was famed for his boot polish black hair. He was impeached and removed from office by the state Legislature in early 2009 following his arrest on federal corruption charges. Blagojevich is currently serving a 14-year sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution Englewood near Denver. The photos, the first of Blagojevich in prison, were first published by the National Enquirer. The photos show the former governor sitting at a desk, reading a book and wearing glasses and sitting outside in shorts and a wife beater shirt. While he continues to awaiting word on a last-ditch appeal, Blagojevich has daily contact with his family and teaches the history of war battles to other inmates, his attorney said. Last July lawyers attempted to argue that a high court ruling in McCutcheon v. the Federal Election Commission in April 2014 bolstered their view that Blagojevich was engaged in legal, run-of-the-mill political horse trading, not corruption. The McCutcheon ruling, they argued, found that soliciting contributions crosses the line into corruption only when a politician makes a clear, explicit promise to take official action in return for a donation. Blagojevich is currently serving a 14-year sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution Englewood near Denver after he was caught trying to sell Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat when he was elected president. In that context, defense attorneys said the trial judge was wrong to set a lower standard for jurors by telling them, to convict, they only needed to find that Blagojevich sought donations 'knowing or believing' it would be given for some official act. But government attorneys responded saying that Blagojevich's legal team hadn't correctly characterized the Supreme Court's findings in McCutcheon. 'The decision provides no support for Blagojevich's argument on appeal,' the two-page filing said. 'Nothing in the (McCutcheon) decision suggests that an exchange of contributions for specific official acts is quid pro quo corruption only if the arrangement is stated 'explicitly' or 'expressly.'' The Chicago-based appellate court has been considering Blagojevich's appeal for more than a year months. It's unclear when it might issue a decision.
| The former Illinois governor has been photographed in prison for the first time since starting his 14 year sentence in 2012. As a politican he was famed for his boot polish black hair, but nowadays he has let his hair return to its natural white color. Blagojevich was infamously caught trying to sell Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat when he was elected president in 2008. He continues to await word of a last-ditch appeal and teaches the history of war battles to other inmates.
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The US body that regulates Internet addresses is looking to crack down on a Canadian company using the new '.sucks' domain name to extract exorbitant sums from celebrities such as Kevin Spacey and companies looking to protect their reputations. So far, purchased names include Youtube.sucks, Bing.sucks, Visa.sucks, Bankofamerica.sucks, Yahoo.sucks, Telusmobility.sucks and other major brand names. Kevin Spacey has reportedly paid have his his '.sucks' domain taken down. Kevin Spacey is reportedly among celebrities paying out to have their name removed from one of the '.sucks' domains which opened on 30 March. Taylor Swift has also had to spend defensively in the past to remove her name from '.porn' and '.adult' domains attacking her, CNBC reported. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or 'ICANN,' sent a letter on Thursday to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and Canada's Office of Consumer Affairs to see if the actions of company Vox Populi Registry Ltd. were illegal. ICANN initially approved of the so-called top-level domain name, among nearly 600 it has added recently to expand beyond common names such as '.com,' '.org' and '.us.' But it is backtracking after an advisory panel made up of industry groups and companies like Microsoft, Verizon and eBay complained last month. Vox Populi began accepting registrations using '.sucks' on March 30 from trademark holders and celebrities before it is released to public applicants. Taylor Swift has also had to spend defensively in the past to remove her name from '.porn' and '.adult' domains. It has recommended charging $2,499 a year for the privilege, and according to Vox Populi CEO John Berard, most of the names have been sold by resellers for around $2,000 a year. Berard has said the domain name is meant to create destinations for companies to interact with their critics and called his company's business 'well within the lines of ICANN rules and the law.' Two weeks ago, the advisory body called the Intellectual Property Constituency representing major companies and industry groups asked ICANN in a letter to halt the rollout of '.sucks,' calling it a 'shakedown scheme' and 'predatory.' Companies like GoDaddy.com register some domain names for just $1 a year, and Vox Populi will offer consumers the right to secure a '.sucks' address for just $10 a year starting in September. The advisory body says that the threat of opening a '.sucks' site to the average consumer later is 'an essential element of Vox Populi's coercive scheme.' ICANN said in its letter that if Canadian or U.S. regulators find Vox Populi's actions are illegal, it could declare the company in breach of its contract and seek to change the registry's behavior. It said it is also seeking other remedies within its agreement with the company. The advisory body says that the threat of opening a '.sucks' site to the average consumer later is 'an essential element of Vox Populi's coercive scheme.
| Kevin Spacey among celebrities who've paid to get the domains removed. Youtube, Bing, Visa, Bank of America and Yahoo among others targeted. US regulator will see if the actions of Vox Populi Registry Ltd. were illegal. Owners recommended to resell '.sucks' domains for around $2,499 a year.
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A report on the threat posed by Australian foreign fighters has cited the Abbott government's 'troubled relations' with the Muslim community as undermining efforts at countering violent extremism. The Lowy Institute report, released on Thursday, says the large number of Australians fighting in Syria and Iraq represents a 'serious national security threat' but that the risk of an attack on home soil could be mitigated by the right policy response. The new report comes just a day after the news of the death of Melbourne model-turned-jihadist Sharky Jama. The Australian was reportedly killed in Syria while fighting with terrorist organisation Islamic State. Scroll down for video. A report on the threat posed by Australian foreign fighters has blamed the Abbott government's troubled relations with the Muslim community for worsening the situation. Melbourne'sSharky Jama was reportedly shot dead in Syria after joining Islamic State last year. Mohamed Elomar (above) is a boxer-turned-terrorist who fled Sydney to join the Islamic State in Syria. The Department of Foreign Affairs was unable to confirm Sharky's death as its capacity to do so was 'extremely limited'. A spokesman for the department told Daily Mail Australia consular assistance was no longer available within Syria 'due to the extremely dangerous security situation'. He further added Australians who were involved in overseas conflicts were 'putting their own lives in mortal danger'. 'Any Australians fighting with non-state militia in Syria or Iraq should end their involvement in the conflict now and leave the conflict zone,' the spokesman said. 'Australians are strongly advised not to travel to Syria or Iraq; any Australians in either country should leave immediately.' Khaled Sharrouf's fled to Syria from western Sydney. His 14-year-old daughter married Mohamed Elomar. Sharrouf posted a photo last year of his son holding up a severed head, causing international uproar. The new report outlines how returned fighters pose a serious threat to Australians. 'Returned foreign fighters have been involved in many of the most serious jihadist plots in the West, including in Australia,' the report says. 'Returnees from Syria have already engaged in terrorist plots in Europe, and the large number of Australians involved with groups such as IS (Islamic State) and Jabhat al-Nusra raises well-founded fears of an increased threat at home.' While much of the responsibility in dealing with the threat will lie with the police and intelligence services, the report says, it adds that programs aimed at countering violent extremism (CVE) need to be a core element of the response. The report says 'questions remain' as to how any new CVE approach will be implemented by the government, and that 'troubled relations with Australia's Muslim communities mean that its efforts to counter violent extremism are not off to the strongest of starts'. Propaganda prop: Abdullah Elmir, 17, from western Sydney, featured in a high-definition Islamic State broadcast earlier this year. Australian Mahmoud Adullatif, who is known as the 'Playboy Jihadi', died recently while fighting for IS. Melbourne woman Zehra Duman (pictured above) was married to Abdullatif and has threatened Australia. A successful CVE approach should draw on the talent that already exists within relevant communities, the report said, but that 'community co-operation has been undermined' by a lack of information about changes to the government's approach, including funding of grant schemes. 'Moreover, the poor consultation by the government with the Muslim community on much of Australia's new counter-terrorism legislation as well as the Prime Minister's (Tony Abbott) claim that Muslim leaders are not doing enough to speak out against radical ideas have undermined the prospects for effective co-operation.' The report said the Abbott government's introduction of number of CVE programs, such as $13.4 million Living Safe Together initiative, had been welcomed but that there were also valuable lessons to be learned from European countries, which had more experience in addressing the current foreign fighter threat. The wife of Australian terrorist Suhan Rahman (above) also urged people to look up U.S. president Barack Obama's White House schedule and 'take down that treacherous tyrant'
| Report into threat posed by foreign fighters blamed Australian government. The Lowy Institute Report says Australians fight in Syria and Iraq represent 'a serious national security threat' The report claims the right policy response could mitigate potential disaster. It comes a day after Melbourne model-turned-terrorist Sharky Jama was reportedly killed fighting with the Islamic State in Syria. Family were told on Monday by friends via a text message and phone call.
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A girl whose mother reached out on social media to find a movie goer offended by her daughters behavior has apologized to her victim on national television. Lexy Wood, the 13-year-old daughter of Kyesha Smith Wood, told Rebecca Boyd that she is 'embarrassed' by the way she acted when she disrupted a screening of Cinderella in Bessemer, Alabama. She and her step-sister were said to have been 'rude and obnoxious' throughout the film. She and her brother Nick, 16, were approached after the screening by Mrs Boyd, who said that her husband had just been laid off and the teenagers had ruined the last time she would be taking her daughter to the movies for a while. Mrs Wood, 36, was mortified when she heard about the encounter from her son and said 'It was a hard pill to swallow, but I knew they weren’t raised that way' Scroll down for video. Lexy Wood, 13 (back left), has apologized to Rebecca Boyd (right) after her mother posted a message on Facebook. Above, Nick, 16 (back center) and Ashley (front center) join them on television. Boyd said that the apology and aftermath of the encounter 'reminded me that there are still good people in the world' The mother, who was watching Cinderella with her daughter Ashley, confronted the 13-year-old outside of the movie theater and told her that her husband had just been laid off (reenactment) The story gained national attention after Mrs Wood turned to social media to try and find the woman and apologize to her for her daughter's behavior and pay for her next trip out of her children's allowance. Mrs Wood and Mrs Boyd ended up meeting at the end of March and now share a bond, they say. 'It was old fashioned parenting that we were both using. You approach kids that are acting up and you [ask them to] apologize,' viewers will hear Mrs Wood say when they tune in to Inside Edition. Lexy now says that she 'didn’t realize how loud we were really being' and apologized in person to Mrs Boyd. The offended mother says that the aftermath of the counter and apology has 'reminded me that there are still good people in the world'. Mrs Wood's post was shared by thousands of people, prompting Mrs Boyd to write her a message. Since that message was uploaded, her husband has received job offers and others have offered to fund the next visit. Both families have had dinner together and Mrs Boyd has also received money for movie tickets and snacks from the Woods. Kyesha Smith Wood (pictured with her husband Damond) called out her 'disprectful' children on Facebook after she found out they were rude to a mother. She wrote this lengthy Facebook post in a bid to track the mother down, and it was subsequently shared thousands of times. The post was shared by thousands of people, prompting the mother in question, Mrs Boyd, to write her a message. Since news of them finding each other spread, her husband has received job offers and others have offered to fund their trips to the movies. Mrs Wood told AL.com she was 'devastated and ashamed' after learning of the way her girls behaved after Boy tried to correct their behavior. The lengthy Facebook post read: 'This is a long shot, but I'm looking for a woman that was at Tannehill Premier tonight seeing Cinderella at 7pm. I dropped my teenage daughter, step daughter, and son off at the movie. 'My son later told me, much to my humiliation and embarrassment, that my girls were rude and obnoxious during the movie. The woman I'm looking for addressed them and asked them to be quiet and they were disrespectful. Rebecca Boyd (left and right) got in touch with Wood and said she was 'touched' by how she cared about her children's behavior. Her husband has also received job offers following the publicity. Despite all the attention Wood (left) insists the 'real hero' in the situation is Boyd, who she calls a 'great mom' 'I can assure you that these girls are being strongly dealt with and appropriately punished. This rude, disrespectful, and awful behavior is unacceptable and they owe you an apology. 'My husband and I are having them write your apology letter tonight and we would like to pay for your next movie and snacks out of their allowance. Please message me if this is you. I apologize profusely for their disrespect.' After seeing the post, Boyd said: 'I was touched that she cared how her kids behaved. You don't see that a lot these days. Despite all the attention Wood insists the 'real hero' in the situation is Boyd, who she calls a 'great mom'. Boyd added: '[I've learned] that as parents we need to support each other. The girls are not bad, they made bad choices. 'I am overwhelmed by all the love and support! This is something my daughter Ashley and I will never forget.'
| Lexy Wood, 13, apologized after ruining Cinderella for Rebecca Boyd. Offended moviegoer, whose husband was recently laid off, approached teen after movie and said that she should be more considerate. They were 'loud, rude and obnoxious' throughout the movie. Mother Kyesha Wood found out about behavior and searched for Boyd. She eventually found the mother after social media post went viral. Mothers now share a bond and families have had dinner together.
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A King Charles Spaniel suffered three degree burns from a pad used to keep him warm during a scan which vets had heated up in a microwave. Twelve-year-old Alfie underwent a general anaesthetic for an MRI scan at the Animal Health Trust clinic in Newmarket, Suffolk. The pet, who is also completely deaf, had the scan, last month after his owner Lynne Edwards from Huntington in Cambridgeshire, noticed a lump behind his ear. Alfie's owner Lynne Edwards, said she only realised something was wrong with the pet when he started to refuse food and found puss oozing from his back. But when Alfie returned from the clinic she realised something was wrong when he started refusing food and found puss oozing from his back. She then took him to a local vet, where staff clipped his fur and exposed the severe burns in his back. Ms Edwards, 64, then discovered that a pad used to keep her dog warm while he had the scan got too hot after it was heated in a microwave. She said: 'I just don't understand how it could have been taken from the microwave and then put directly onto Alfie without it being noticed how hot it was. King Charles Spaniel Alfie, who suffered three degree burns after vets place a heat pad on his back that had been warmed in a microwave. 'They have told me that they always warm them up in microwave but after what happened they have promised to change their practice. 'I am glad that they’ve now said they will do that but it took nearly a week for them to stop the practice.' Alfie is now on medication while his wounds heal, but could face surgery to remove some of the skin around the burns. Ms Edwards, an interfaith minister, is now calling on all vets to ensure they heat up the pads correctly and monitor them adequately. The Animal Health Trust confirmed their vets are now using an incubator to heat the pads. A spokesman said: 'We pioneered the use of MRI in animals back in the 1990s and since then we have scanned more than 20,000 animals. 'In the last five years, around 3,000 of these patients would have had heat pads to maintain their body temperature. 'To the best of our knowledge, we have never seen anything like this before in any of the AHT’s patients. 'We understand how upsetting this situation must be for Lynne Edwards and her family, and have carried out a full investigation. 'We have reviewed, and are updating, our Standard Operating Procedure for the use of heat pads. 'We are also standardising the way in which all heat pads are heated at the AHT.' Alfie, who is also deaf, is now on medication while his wounds heal, but could face surgery to remove some of the skin around the burns.
| Spaniel Alfie had a heat pad placed on him during an MRI scan at a clinic. But vets had warmed it up in a microwave rather than in an incubator. After his owner Lynne Edwards then suspected something was wrong. The 12-year-old pet was then found to have suffered three degree burns. WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT.
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Lord of the Rings and Hobbit fans who can’t afford to travel to themed attractions on the other side of the world can find a slice of Middle-earth on the American frontier. A guest house inspired by author JRR Tolkien’s fictional tales is attracting devoted followers of the book and film franchise – and others who are simply looking to stay in a place that is out of the ordinary. Set in a remote valley in the north-west corner of the state, The Shire of Montana gives guests the chance to live like Bilbo Baggins for just under $300 (£200) a night. The Shire of Montana, located in the north-west corner of the state, is inspired by JRR Tolkien's fantasy books. At 1,000 square feet, the underground house one king bedroom and a smaller guest room, plus custom-made wooden furniture. The 20-acre property near Trout Lake, Montana has decorative hobbit homes, fairy doors and a tree stump-shaped troll house. At 1,000 square feet, the Hobbit themed guest house is built into a hill on a 20-acre property which boasts decorative hobbit homes, fairy doors and a large tree stump-shaped troll house that people can step foot in. Located in Trout Creek, about 100 miles south of the US-Canada border, the tiny home has custom-made wooden furniture, a stove and barbecue for cooking and cosy rooms with round doors, and has no mobile phone service as it is completely underground. There is one king bedroom and a smaller guest room, and even though guests are unable to use their mobile phones indoors they can watch TV or select a title from the home’s collection of books about hobbits, or simply relax while escaping the grind of everyday life. Set in a remote valley, the Hobbit-inspired guest house - and tiny village - offers visitors the chance to escape the everyday grind. The house has a stove and barbecue for cooking, cosy rooms with round doors, and no mobile phone service as it is underground. Owners Steve and Christine Michaels spent more than $400,000 to transform the property into a destination for fans of the series. Children and pets are not allowed during overnight stays, and it costs $295 a night for two guests, with a minimum of two nights. Steve and Christine Michaels spent more than $400,000 to transform the property, which was intended to serve as a getaway for their family. Steve, a fan of JRR Tolkien’s fantasy novels, decided to transform it into a shrine for fans of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, which were filmed in New Zealand, after a friend told him the underground guest house looked like a hobbit house. The owner transformed the house into a shrine for fans of JRR Tolkien's books after a friend told him it looked like a hobbit house. In the woods surrounding the guest house, visitors may spot everything from deer and elk to mountain lions and bears. Children and pets are not allowed during overnight stays, and it costs $295 a night for two guests, with a minimum of two nights. The guest house has granite counters in the kitchen, a gold ring that hangs from a rafter, and replicas of Gandalf’s hat and walking staff, a large slingshot used by trolls in the series, and hairy hobbit feet that guests can slip on. In the woods guests may spot everything from deer and elk to mountain lions and bears. There is a wood burning stove to keep warm on chilly nights, although the interior temperature is constant at 12 C because the cottage is underground.
| Set in a remote valley, The Shire of Montana is located about 100 miles south of the US-Canada border. It is built into a hill on a 20-acre property which boasts decorative hobbit homes, fairy doors and a troll house. There is no mobile phone service as the 1,000 square foot guest house is located entirely underground.
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Usually a highlight of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, Alex Perry's name is a notable absence from the schedule in 2015. The designer revealed in February that he would not be presenting a collection at the Sydney event this week, and revealed to Daily Mail Australia on Sunday that he was enjoying 'taking a breather'. Despite this year marking the 20th anniversary of MBFWA, Perry is taking in the fashions from the comfort of the front row, after focusing on his international efforts of late. 'My team and I just need a bit of a breather - we've just finished selling in Paris, and we've had an incredible season over there, so we're busy focusing on international at the moment,' Perry told DMA at the Ellery show on first night of Fashion Week. Scroll down for video. Perry pulls out of presenting: Acclaimed designer Alex Perry opts out of showing at this year's MBFWA. 'We're busy working on Cruise too,' (Perry's popular party dress collection). 'I wouldn’t be standing here talking to you if we were showing on Monday or Tuesday,' he laughs. This is only the second Fashion Week the design powerhouse has missed in two decades. When asked if he will miss the excitement of running his own show, Perry said while he loves it, he's happy to sit back and see it from a new perspective. 'The chances I do get, I love to take in the whole thing, my eyes will be wide open as I sit in the front row,' he says. 'Because I'm not presenting a show I can really look forward to supporting some of my friends like Kym (Ellery) and Johnny (Schembri from By Johnny) they're my two faves I'm specifically wanting to see.' Fashion favourite: Perry says Kym Ellery (pictured left) is one of his favourite designers showing this week. On Kym Ellery's show, Perry says she had a great cast of models and knew the fashion would be beautiful and all about showcasing shape and new directions. As for what he sees trending this season, Perry said the Australian market is so diverse, anything could happen. 'There are so many different designers with so many styles now, It’s not like it was 50 years ago when skirts are to the knee or something like that, there are so many handwritings, so I think it will all become really apparent after we see them this week.' 'Someone like Kym is so incredibly on point internationally at the moment which is her style, but then Johnny is going to give us some fun, sexy tight stuff.' Fashion flashback: Showing since 1996 , this marks the second time in twenty years Perry won't show. Model moment: Perry with Cheyenne Tozzi (pictured left) who previously starred in Australia's Next Top Model. Perry also believes the Australian market has it's on unique flair, different to fashion internationally that has a more uniform look. 'We definitely have our own signature. I wouldn't say relaxed even though people say that all the time, it’s more we have a different take on fashion. There's a mix of designers that are increadibly accomplished then there are younger designers who take more risks and challenges,' he says. 'And at the same time you can Australian designers anywhere in the world and it stands up in any country you go to and people are intrigued by it when they see girls wearing it.' Taking a break from the runway, Perry now is devoting his time to international enterprises, with a specific focus on the Asian and Middle Eastern market. Front row fashionistas: Perry front row alongside Marie Claire's Jackie Frank (left) and Kyly Clarke (right) 'Asia is a big expansion market and the Middle East is huge, it’s had unprecedented growth in so while I’m doing stuff in Australia I’m also doing things that resonate in those regions to build brand profile in those countries.' For Perry who also is a judge on Australia's Next Top Model, this also will include more work in TV overseas. He has currently filmed production for Asia’s Next Top Model which is said to broadcast to over 11 million homes in Asia and Middle East via the Star World Network and he's also looking into more TV opportunities there but can't go into the specifics yet. Model Mogul: Perry with Alessandra Ambrosio (left) who guest stars in this year's Australia's Next Top Model. From A-List to Asia: Perry has just filmed Asia's Next Top Model and plans to work on more TV projects in Asia. As for his fashion empire, Perry believes despite his work in TV, as well as linen and Specsaver lines, fashion is his first and foremost love and while he admits he won't stop at one thing, everything has to have synergy with his fashion brand. 'TV stuff gets a lot of press, but in reality I’m a fashion designer and it’s all about the credibility of clothes, so I’m really focused on that because that propels everything else.'
| Australian fashion designer Alex Perry won't show at this year's MBFWA. The designer is excited to kick back and enjoy the shows from front row. This will be the designer's second MBFWA he has missed in two decades. Perry is now focusing on global expansion in Asia and Middle East.
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A man who claims he kicked a young mother out of his car when she got too drunk on their date has been arrested for obstructing justice two weeks after she vanished. Ashley Pegram, a 28-year-old mother-of-three, left her Summerville, South Carolina home for a date with a man she had met on messaging service Kik on the evening of April 3. Her sister, Brandy Chance, reported her missing the next day and went through her Kik account, where she found messages from a man who identified himself as 18-year-old Emoney Bon. But when she spoke with him, it emerged he was actually a 30-year-old man, Edward Primo Bonilla. Scroll down for video. Missing: Ashley Pegram, left, has been missing since she went on a date with Edward Primo Bonilla, right, on April 3 after they met online. He has now been charged with obstructing justice. Bonilla told her he had kicked her sister out of the car around midnight. On the messaging service, he had sent Pegram's account a message apologizing for leaving her but making sure she had got home OK, WCSC reported. But surveillance video taken outside a Sunoco gas station on the night of Pegram's disappearance shows her getting out of Bonilla's car, entering the convenience store and returning to the vehicle at 1am. The car then drives away with both people inside, although it is not clear if the person seen in the surveillance footage in Bonilla, WCSC reported. WVTM reported that the blue Hyundai Sonata belonged to Bonilla. He told authorities he believed he had dropped her near the Piggly Wiggly supermarket in Berkeley County. Caught on camera: She was seen inside a gas station convenience store in the early hours of April 4. Spotted: She then headed back to a car, identified as Bonilla's. He said he later forced her out of the car. Deputies interviewed Bonilla and during a follow-up, he allegedly gave false and misleading information, but they would not provide further details. 'At this point, foul play is a definite possibility,' Dorchester County Sheriff's Captain Tony Phinney said. Bonilla has been charged with obstruction of justice and he was given a $400,000 surety bond during a court appearance on Thursday. Pegram's sister, Brandy Chance, said the missing woman's children, aged 13, eight and nine months, are devastated. 'Her little baby's having nightmares,' she told ABC News 4. 'The oldest one is having depression. And I can't do anything, I'm not really good for comforting now, you know.' Have you seen her? Pegram is a mother to three children who are devastated by her absence, family said. Chance added that her sister would often go on dates with men she met online, and even though she told Pegram it was dangerous, 'she just didn't listen'. Pegram had been mourning the death of her boyfriend, who passed away in a traffic accident in January, but her family does not believe she would hurt herself. 'She loves us too much,' Chance said. The 28-year-old is 5ft1 with brown har and brown eyes. She was wearing a black shirt, blue jeans and black flip flops with sparkles. If you have any information you are asked to called the Dorchester County Sheriff's Office at 843-832-0300. See below for video.
| Ashley Pegram, from Summerville, South Carolina, went on a date with a man she met online on April 3 and has not been seen since. Her sister found she had been messaging an 18-year-old man - but he turned out to be 30-year-old Edward Primo Bonilla. Bonilla told her and police that he had kicked Pegram out of his car because she was too drunk. He has been charged with obstructing justice for 'giving false and misleading information' and police say foul play is 'a definite possibility'
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A man who launched an online campaign to help him destroy his brand new $49,000 Jeep will read out a 'not sorry' apology to the company on national television tonight. In June last year, Ashton Wood raised $18,000 online so he and 300 people could destroy his car after Jeep refused to pay a full refund for the car or replace the vehicle which he claimed had suffered 21 separate mechanical problems. During a failed settlement between the manufacturer, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' Jeep, and Mr Wood, one of the requests made by the car company was for the disgruntled buyer to publish an 'apology' in a national publication. However, because no one would publish the apology, he will instead read it out on the ABC's 'The Checkout' tonight. Scroll down for video. Ashton Wood issued this apology to Jeep after the car company requested he apologise for criticising them. The Queenslander launched a public campaign last year asking others to help him destroy his car in protest. Compiled by Mr Wood and the ABC's The Checkout, the apology reads: 'My personal apology to Jeep: I'm Sorry. 'Dear Jeep, I'm sorry. I'm sorry my Jeep broke down before it even left the dealership. 'I'm sorry it had 21 problems. I'm sorry it had to be towed four times. I'm sorry I wasn't more grateful for your offer of a new battery. 'I'm sorry you wouldn't offer me a replacement or refund. But most of all, I'm sorry I bought a Jeep.' Mr Wood launched a Kickstarter campaign last year in an effort to raise $22,500 - the amount Chrysler offered him to buyback the car - and allow donors the chance to be involved in the car's destruction. He is now campaigning for the United State's Lemon laws to be introduced in Australia. Pictured: 'lemon car' drivers protest against vehicle companies who refuse to refund or replace their cars. Mr Wood's extreme measures came after years of frustration with his 'cursed' Jeep Cherokee, which in the four years since he bought it in 2010, had numerous problems. The extreme measures came after years of frustration with his 'cursed' Jeep Cherokee, which in the four years since he bought it in 2010, had numerous problems including the fuel line falling off, coolant leaks, the rear strut leaking oil, ongoing ignition failure, and the turbo inlet manifold cracking. He claims years of campaigning the car manufacturer to refund or replace his car, which he bought from a Sunshine Coast dealer in Queensland had proved fruitless. Despite successfully destroying his vehicle, Mr Wood - who could not afford to challenge the international car company in court - has refused to back down. Along with a number of consumer led organsiations Mr Wood is campaigning for the United States' Lemon Laws to be introduced in Australia. These included the fuel line falling off, coolant leaks, the rear strut leaking oil, ongoing ignition failure, and the turbo inlet manifold cracking. He said that Lemon Laws state 'that if there's three major issues with car or a number of minor issues or one safety issues then it needs to be replaced or refunded with no questions asked' 'Lemon is the old term which was used to mean a really bad car. In the U.S. they have had the Lemon Law's in place for about 35 years, we don't have it,' Mr Wood told Daily Mail Australia. 'They differ from state to state but in Kansas, where they have the most strict version, is states that if there's three major issues with car or a number of minor issues or one safety issues then it needs to be replaced or refunded with no questions asked. 'It's a lot clearer than Australian consumer laws which just says that the product should be fit for purpose and the dealer should do the right thing. 'I'm not done yet. I want to keep the pressure up until the government sits up and takes some responsibility and reviews this law.' Consumer laws have somewhat improved since Mr Wood's story came to the public's attention, by including a notion of 'major failure'. However, they still remain unclear about a car owner's rights when their vehicle has a number of smaller problems like Mr Wood's. After Mr Wood's car was destroyed, a fire was lit to bring the rubble to nothing but scrap metal. Along with Lemon Laws for Australia and Lemon Vehicles in Australia, Mr Wood has launched several petitions and staged a number of events campaigning for more specific laws that address the holes in the legislation. They have sent out Lemon Law stickers to hundreds of Australians with 'lemon cars' in order to 'put pressure on the government and show that the movement is gaining momentum'. A spokesperson for Jeep told Daily Mail Australia 'we never comment on individual cases except to say we have and always will treat Mr Wood in a fair and professional manner'. Mr Woods car was destroyed over four hours with the help of 300 people who wielded bats and sledgehammers and shot bow and arrows at it at a demolition derby last year. More than 300 people turned out to either witness the public smashing or to take part in it. A spokesperson for Jeep told Daily Mail Australia 'we never comment on individual cases except to say we have and always will treat Mr Wood in a fair and professional manner' 'The car was spinning in the air with the auger through the top of the roof,' Mr Wood said. 'The whole car lifted two, maybe three foot off the ground before we crushed it and lit on fire.' He said the 'Pièce de résistance' was putting a flame to it and watching it burn before burying the scrap heap and laying flowers at the head of its makeshift burial plot. 'The serious side to it is that I shouldn't have had to destroy a $50,000 car,' he said. 'If the law was there today and if Chrysler group respected and looked after its customers then it wouldn't have had to happen.' Chrysler offered Mr Wood a settlement of $22,500 for the car, for which he originally paid $49,000. Despite knowing he could make $28,000 by selling it himself, he said felt uncomfortable with the option. Mr Wood's apology can be seen in full on Thursday night at 8pm on ABC's The Checkout. Mr Wood's apology can be seen in full on Thursday night at 8pm on ABC's The Checkout.
| Ashton Wood has issued a tongue-in-cheek apology to Jeep and will read it out on ABC TV's The Checkout tonight. The car company requested he apologise for slamming them after he was not given a refund or replacement for a faulty vehicle he bought in 2010. Mr Wood instead launched an online campaign to destroy his $49,000 car. He is now campaigning to introduce Lemon Laws in Australia. A spokesperson for Jeep said 'we have and always will treat Mr Wood in a fair and professional manner'
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Tinder has added the ability to let people add their latest Instagram snaps to their profile. The firm's latest update automatically shows the latest pictures posted to Facebook's site. Tinder also said it had improved its mutual friends feature. Scroll down for video. Tinder will now display the last 34 pictures of a person's Instagram feed - and allow users to see more. Simply open Tinder, go to your new profile, and connect it to your Instagram account with a single tap - your Tinder profile will automatically start displaying your recent Instagram photos. Tinder only displays the last 34 photos, users can venture out to the app for a look at the full library. 'You asked, we listened,' the firm said. 'We’ve made some exciting new changes to your Tinder profile including a slick, new Instagram integration and more common friends.' The firm said it made the changes after noticing many users put their Instagram user name in their profile. 'Now there’s no need to put your Instagram handle in your profile description to tell your story (we got sick of having to do that, too).' It also stressed that the app would not let other visitors to your Instagram feed know it was part of a dating profile. 'And in case you were wondering, Tinder won’t post anything to Instagram on your behalf or alter your existing Instagram privacy settings.' Tinder has overhauled its profile as part of the Instagram integration - and now shows friends of friends as well as more interests. The firm has also used Facebook to boost its 'mutual friends' feature. Tinder now shows you the mutual friends and friends of friends you have in common with your potential matches. 'This adds more context and an extra degree of connection to every swipe,' Tinder claims. It is also preparing an overhaul of the way profiles look, expanding the number of interests people can add. Earlier this month Tinder rolled out ‘Tinder Plus’, a premium service allowing people to ‘undo’ a like or change their location. A study has found that nearly two thirds of dating app users are men - and one in five will pay for premium services. Sixteen to 34 year-olds make up the majority of mobile dating app users, accounting for 70 per cent of the total user base. The study, carried out by London-based research firm GlobalWebIndex, also found that six per cent of web users currently use a location-based dating app. Significantly, just a fifth of dating app users are paying for an online dating service,' co-authors Jason Mander and Felim McGrath said in the report. But now they have set a limit on the number of ‘likes’ a user can perform in one day - which seems to be set at 100. When a user reaches this limit, the app tells them ‘You’re Out of Likes’, and gives a countdown clock until 24 hours are up so they can start swiping again. But, below this clock, a big red button says ‘Get Unlimited Likes with Tinder Plus’. A price is then shown. But different users are reporting the app is asking for different amounts. It seems the prices range from around £1.49 a month to as high as £14.99 - but the reasons why are not clear. This means some users will pay £17.88 a year for Tinder Plus - but others, in the upper price category, will have to fork out a whopping £179.88 a year. This equates to some users inadvertently paying £162 more than others over the course of a year. Speaking to MailOnline, Rosette Pambakian, Vice President of Communications and Branding at Tinder, told MailOnline the app is testing out different price points ahead of a global release. 'We are testing Tinder Plus in select markets at various price points before rolling it out globally,' she said. 'The UK is one of our test markets, so a certain portion of the population was given access to Tinder Plus at varying price points.' However, it is still not clear how the app decides how much to charge a user - and whether it is based on location or activity. In addition, Tinder has not commented on whether a user will receive a refund if they ultimately paid over the odds for the final price of the service.
| Tinder only displays the last 34 photos - but users can easily see more. Firm also said it had improved its mutual friends feature.
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A new study has suggested the oral contraceptive pill could shrink parts of the brain that govern a woman's emotions. For the 100 million women worldwide on the contraceptive pill, the side effects are familiar. Mood swings, headaches and nausea, while more serious complications include blood clots and breast cancer. But scientists in California have added another potential cause for concern to the check list. Their new study has found the oral contraceptive shrinks two key regions of the brain, changing the way they function. The findings suggest the synthetic hormones found in the Pill cause these alterations in brain structure and function. Furthermore the ingredient is thought to suppress the natural hormones that occur when women take the Pill. Neuroscientists at UCLA examined the brains of 90 women, 44 of whom took the Pill, and 46 who experienced natural cycles. They found the lateral orbitofrontal cortex and the posterior cigulate cortex were thinner in those women taking the contraception. The lateral orbitofrontal cortex plays an important role in regulating a person's emotions and their response to rewards. As a result the changes noted by researchers could, they say, be responsible for increased anxiety and depressive symptoms experienced by some women on the Pill. Meanwhile the posterior cingulate cortex governs the 'internal state', or inward-directed thought, helps process emotions and retrieve memories. Nicole Petersen, the study's lead author, told The Huffington Post: 'Some women experience negative emotional side effects from taking oral contraceptive pills, although the scientific findings investigating that have been mixed. 'So it's possible that this change in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex may be related to the emotional changes that some women experience when using birth control pills.' Researchers said they do not yet know if these changes to the brain are permanent, or if they only last while a woman is taking the Pill. Dr Petersen said more research is needed, but added that this study is the first step. The latest study comes five years after research by the Royal College of General Practitioners revealed Pill-users have a 12 per cent reduction in their risk of developing cancer. Scientists at UCLA found the lateral orbitofrontal cortex and the posterior cigulate cortex were thinner in those women taking the contraception. They believe it could account for increased anxiety and depressive symptoms experienced by some women taking the Pill. The researchers studied 46,000 women across four decades, and found those on the Pill were less likely to die of cancer, heart disease or stroke. It contradicts past studies that have linked the Pill to breast cancer. The risks associated with taking the Pill are increased if a woman smokes, has a family history of thrombosis, is severely overweight, diabetic, has a high blood pressure or high cholesterol level. The study was published in the journal Human Brain Mapping.
| UCLA study found the Pill shrinks two parts of the brain linked to emotion. Synthetic hormones found in the contraceptive are thought to be to blame. Believe it could account for increased anxiety and depressive episodes.
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A retired major general is among 1,000 British service personnel requiring psychiatric treatment after taking an anti-malarial drug issued by the Ministry of Defence. New figures released by the MoD show that since 2008, 994 personnel have been treated for mental health issues after having been prescribed Lariam. Despite Lariam - the brand name for the drug mefloquine - being banned by the U.S. military due to concerns over side effects, the MoD has ignored appeals to stop prescribing it in what critics say is an escalating 'scandal'. Major-General Alastair Duncan (pictured) is currently in a psychiatric unit after having been given the drug prior to a deployment in Sierra Leone. According to The Independent's Jonathan Owen, retired Major General Alastair Duncan is currently in a psychiatric unit following a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder episode four months ago. Maj-Gen Duncan was given the drug Lariam before a deployment to Sierra Leone. His wife Ellen told the paper: 'If 1,000 troops have reported the effects then you can be sure there are others who have not. I know personally of several and anecdotally of many more. The long-term effects of this will be more and more in evidence over the coming years.' Mrs Duncan's comments follow those from string of former military servicemen who have hit out at the MoD over its continuing use of Lariam. General Lord Dannatt told the paper it was 'extraordinary' the MoD continued to prescribe Lariam given the weight of evidence about its side effects, and urged it to use other anti-malaria medicines. Lariam's use by the U.S. military has also been closely scrutinized. The drug has been heavily discredited by the country's medicine watchdog. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns Lariam can cause serious mental health issues and should not be taken by anyone suffering from depression. These include anxiety, seizures, paranoia, hallucinations, and depression. In 2013, the organisation gave it a 'boxed warning' - the most serious of its kind - due to the neurological and psychiatric side effects associated with it. It stated: 'Neurologic side effects can occur at any time during drug use, and can last for months to years after the drug is stopped or can be permanent.' It went on to state that such symptoms interfered with patients' daily activities and ability to work, and in some cases were noticed after having taken only one or two doses. The U.S. military banned Lariam after it was linked to the case of Robert Bales, a soldier who massacred 16 Afghan civilians. Mefloquin is used to treat malaria and was developed by Army researchers towards the end of the Vietnam War. It gained support among the fighting forces because it works in areas where mosquitoes developed resistance to an earlier treatment, chloroquine, and requires just one tablet a week, not the daily dose needed with other medications. Side effects include seizures, depression, hallucinations, violent behaviour, feeling that others want to harm you, thoughts of hurting or killing yourself and many others. Almost four decades after inventing it, the U.S. Army pushed it to the back of its medicine cabinet. The about-face followed years of complaints and concerns that mefloquine caused psychiatric and physical side effects. In recent years, the Army slashed by almost 75 per cent the amount of mefloquine it prescribes, even as it sent thousands more soldiers to malaria-prone Afghanistan. Soldiers who had suffered from traumatic brain injuries were particularly advised against using it. 'Mefloquine is a zombie drug. It's dangerous, and it should have been killed off years ago,' said Dr. Remington Nevin, an epidemiologist and Army major who has published research that he said showed the drug can be potentially toxic to the brain.
| Almost 1,000 personnel required psychiatric treatment after taking drug. They were prescribed anti-malarial drug Lariam by the Ministry of Defence. The product's side effects include psychosis and hallucinations. Retired Major General Alastair Duncan is currently in a psychiatric unit. He was prescribed the drug prior to a deployment in Sierra Leone.
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A new HIV treatment pioneered using an antibody to attack the virus could lead to a new vaccine to prevent the infection. The first results to emerge from patient trials reveal the experimental therapy can dramatically reduce the level of virus in a patient's blood - their viral load. The scientists behind the discovery believe their findings offer new strategies for fighting or even preventing HIV infection. The antibody was designed by researchers to block the key viral protein receptor that is needed to infect human blood cells. As a result patients injected with the neutralising antibody during the trials saw a 300-fold reduction in their viral load. Scientists at the Rockefeller University in New York believe a new antibody therapy could pave the way for an HIV vaccine after clinical trials revealed the treatment resulted in a 300-fold decrease in the amount of HIV, pictured, in sufferers' blood. In a person infected with HIV, there is an ongoing battle between the virus and the body's immune system. As the body produces new antibodies that target the virus, the infection mutates to escape, managing to stay a few steps ahead. The team of scientists at Rockefeller University in New York now believe that using synthetic antibodies that attached to the surface of proteins on the outer membrane of the HIV virus, could offer an alternative treatment to the anti-retroviral drugs currently used. They hope the breakthrough will result in new therapeutic vaccines. HIV antibodies previously tested in humans had shown disappointing results, but the antibody tested at Rockefeller University belongs to a new generation of broadly neutralising antibodies that potently fight a wide range of HIV strains. Healthy gay men should be given anti-retroviral drugs to 'slash the number of cases of HIV', a groundbreaking study published earlier this year suggested. The Proud study, conducted in England, provides the first evidence that preventative HIV treatment is highly effective in a real-world setting. It showed that pre-exposure to the HIV drug Truvada can reduce the risk of infection in men-who-have-sex-with-men by as much as 86 per cent. Previous research had suggested that preventive treatment might cut HIV infection rates but it was unclear whether such an approach would work in practice. 'One antibody alone, like one drug alone, will not be sufficient to suppress viral load for a long time because resistance will arise,' said Dr Marina Caskey, co-first author of the study. 'What's special about these antibodies is that they have activity against over 80 per cent of HIV strains and they are extremely potent.' The research showed the new antibody therapy was effective against 195 of 237 HIV strains. The immune systems of people infected with HIV naturally produce broadly neutralising antibodies in 10 to 30 per cent of sufferers, but only after several years of infection. By that time, the virus has typically evolved and mutated to a point rendering the powerful antibodies ineffective. However, by isolating and cloning these antibodies, researchers are able to harness them as therapeutic agents to use against HIV infections that have had less time to evolve. As part of the new study, uninfected and HIV-infected people were given a single dose of the antibody intravenously, and monitored for 56 days. At the highest dose level - 30mg per kilo of weight - all eight infected people treated showed up to a 300-fold decrease in the amount of HIV virus measured in their blood. Most of those participants reached their lowest viral load just one week after treatment. The study marks the first time the new generation of HIV antibodies has been tested in humans. Dr Marina Caskey, co-first author of the study, said: 'What's special about these antibodies is that they have activity against over 80 per cent of HIV strains and they are extremely potent.' (File picture) Dr Caskey said further trials could result in the antibodies being used in conjunction with existing anti-retroviral drugs to maintain better control over the infection to prevent the onset of Aids. She said antibody therapy might require treatment once every few months, compared with daily doses of antiretroviral drugs, currently the front line treatment for the virus. Besides the possibility of treatment, the study also raises hopes for an HIV vaccine. Dr Caskey said that if researchers can induce an uninfected person's immune system to generate potent antibodies such as that tested, it might be enough to block the HIV infection before it can be established. The study was published in the journal Nature.
| New antibody blocks protein receptor needed to infect human cells. Patients injected saw 300-fold reduction in amount of HIV in their blood. Scientists believe breakthrough could result in new vaccines against virus.
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Actress Jemima Kirke has revealed details about her experience with abortion, admitting that she was forced to use up every penny of her savings in order to pay for the procedure. The 29-year-old actress made the admission in a newly-released PSA for the Center of Reproductive Rights, an organization which aims to advance reproductive freedom, in the hopes that her story will help to encourage women to be more open and honest about the taboo topic. 'In 2007 I became pregnant with my boyfriend at the time,' she says in the video, which appears on the website for the center's Draw the Line campaign. 'My life just wasn't conducive to raising a happy, healthy child. I just didn't think it was fair. So I decided to get an abortion, and I went to Planned Parenthood.' Scroll down for video. Abortion advocate: Girls actress Jemima Kirke, 29, spoke out about her abortion in a new PSA for the Center for Reproductive Rights. Costly procedure: Jemima says she needed her boyfriend's help to pay for the procedure, and even then she could not afford anesthesia. While she was able to easily access the local clinic in Providence, Rhode Island, where she went to school, Jemima says she faced numerous other hurdles to obtain her legal abortion. 'Because I couldn't tell my mother that I was pregnant, I had to pay for it out of pocket,' she explains. 'I did have to like, empty my checking account, what I had in there, and get some from my boyfriend. 'I realized that if I didn’t take the anesthesia, I would be able to afford to do this. The anesthesia wasn’t that much more, but when you’re scrounging for however many hundreds of dollars, it is a lot. I just didn't have it.' Jemima says that it's obstacles like these that have made her want to speak out publicly about reproductive rights. '[Abortions are] not completely unavailable, and that's the tricky part,' she says. 'We do have free choice, we are able to do whatever we want, but then there are these little hoops we have to jump through to get them.' Speaking out: The actress says getting an abortion was the right decision for her at the time, and she has since given birth to a daughter named Rafella Israel Mosberg. It is not the first time that Jemima has used her own experience in order to raise awareness about abortions; in a 2012 episode of HBO series Girls, Jemima's character Jessa had a pregnancy scare and booked herself in for an abortion. While she eventually realized that she wasn't actually pregnant, the episode touched on some of the scarier realities that many young women have to face when placed in a similar situation. In reality, women have to jump through numerous 'hoops' before they can undergo the procedure, including lack of health insurance coverage for abortion, legal impediments, and limited access to facilities that offer the procedure in some states. According to the Guttmacher Institue, 33 per cent of women who obtained abortions in 2008 did not have health insurance; of the 66 per cent of women who did have health insurance, 57 per cent paid for the procedure out of pocket. There are difficulties even for women who can afford to pay; from 2011 to 2013, more laws restricting abortion were passed than during the entire previous decade, including gestational limits, state-mandating counseling, and waiting periods. Bold show: In the first season of Girls, Jemima's character Jessa schedules an abortion but doesn't go through with it; her character later has a miscarriage. Similar storyline: In 2012, 858,000 viewers tuned in to watch the episode of Girls in which Jessa plans to get an abortion. The actress adds that the stigma that still exists concerning abortion has made her more vocal about the subject, and she has never shied away from discussing her own experiences. 'I've always felt that reproductive issues should be something that women, especially, should be able to talk about freely,' she says. 'I have always been open about my stories.' Jemima is also concerned about the reproductive rights of her children — she has an 8-year-old step-daughter and a 4-year-old daughter with her husband, lawyer Michael Mosberg. 'I would love if when they're older, in their teens or their twenties, that the political issues surrounding their bodies were not there anymore,' she said. 'I would hate to see them having to fight for rights over their bodies.'
| The actress, 29, says she had to pay out of pocket for her 2007 abortion because she couldn't tell her mother. Jemima says she was only able to afford the procedure by forgoing anesthesia, which would have made it more expensive. In the Center for Reproductive Rights video, the star says she worries about the obstacles her young daughters may face in the future.
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Egypt’s oldest pyramid was built almost 5,000 years ago but a similar structure hidden beneath rubble could be up to four times older. If true, the claim could rewrite prehistory and shed light on an obscure yet powerful and advanced ancient civilisation. Geologist Dr Danny Hilman believes that a site in West Java is revered because it hides an ancient temple built between 9,000 and 20,000 years ago. Scroll down for video. A geologist claims that the world's oldest pyramid is hidden under rubble (pictured) in West Java, which if true, could re-write pre-history in the region and shed light on a powerful and advanced ancient civilisation. The Megalithic site of Gunung Padang was discovered in 1914 and is the largest site of its kind in Indonesia. It is nestled among volcanoes, banana palms and tea plantations, at 2,903 ft (885 metres) above sea level some 75 miles (120km) south of Jakarta. Chunks of volcanic rubble jut out up from the stepped hillside, which is considered sacred by the Sundanese people who live locally. Geologist Dr Danny Hilman believes the site is culturally important is because it is an ancient pyramid which was built between 9,000 and 20,000 years ago. He suggests that it may have been built for worship or astronomy. The megalithic site of Gunung Padang (pictured) was discovered in 1914 and is the largest site of its kind in Indonesia. It's nestled among volcanoes banana and tea plantations, at 2,903 ft (885 metres) above sea level. Chunks of volcanic rubble stick up from the stepped hillside (pictured), which is considered sacred by the Sundanese people who live locally. Geologist Dr Danny Hilman thinks the reason the site is so revered is that it is an ancient pyramid which was built between 9,000 and 20,000 years ago. If the structure in West Java is revealed to be a 20,000-year-old pyramid, it will be the oldest on Earth. In 1996, archaeologists discovered pyramids on the Atlantic coast of southern Brazil that sate to around 3,000 BC, making them a few hundred years older than Egypt's oldest pyramid. But both civilisations built them for religious reasons. The Brazilian pyramids are made from shells and were probably built in phases over decades or even centuries, The Independent reported. For years, experts thought the pyramids were simply piles of domestic rubbish. Egypt’s oldest known pyramid is the step pyramid of Djoser, which was built in around 2,700 BC. It was built by a master builder called Imhotep for the burial of Pharaoh Djoser and is composed of six steps. the ancient structure was rocked by a pyramid in 1992, leaving it unstable with a large hole in its domed roof, but restoration is underway. If this is true, prehistoric people would have had to manoeuvre chunks of volcanic rock onto terraces built on the mountainside and stack them on top of each other to create a pyramid – a considerable feat of ancient engineering. Dr Hilman, a senior geologist at Indonesia’s Centre for Geotechnical Research, says that proof of the structure’s organisation lies underground. His excavations have been backed by the Indonesian government, which recently decreed that the upper part of Gunung Padang is 'the largest megalithic structure in south-east Asia,' The Sydney Morning Herald reported. President Yudhoyono dubbed the dig a ‘task of history…of important value to humanity.' and it has yielded some ancient artefacts. Dr Hilman said: ‘People think the prehistoric age was primitive, but this monument proves that wrong.’ He believes such a pyramid would be proof of an advanced ancient civilisation in Java and said that the majority of the stepped site is man-made, perhaps built by generations over a matter of centuries. The geologist is now working to establish the authenticity of the site. Some rocks were originally stuck together with a form of ancient glue and have been carbon dated to be around 7,000 BC. Dr Hilman said that the ruins hide walls and rooms with steps and terraces below, which are evidence of a complex building. Dr Hilman said: ‘People think the prehistoric age was primitive, but this monument proves that wrong.’ Some rocks were originally stuck together with a form of ancient glue and have been carbon dated to be around 7,000 BC. The site is thought to have been built for worship or astronomy. The site (marked on the map) is nestled among volcanoes, banana palms and tea plantations, at 2,903 ft (885 metres) above sea level some 75 miles (120km) south of Jakarta, and south east of Sukabumi City (marked) The terraces are bordered by retaining walls of stone that can be accessed by 400 steps rising around 311 ft (95 metres). The structure is covered with massive rectangular stones of volcanic origin. It has been subjected to multiple geoelectric surveys, where ground penetrating radar and samples have been used. From this, he believes the terraced hill is 328 ft (100 metres) thick and is made up of a number of layers. He said that so far man-made structures have been detected 49 ft (15 metres) underground. Experts dated rock between nine and 13 ft (three and four metres) below the surface as 6,500 years old and 12,500 years old below the surface. However, Dr Hilman’s controversial findings are disputed and 34 Indonesian archaeologists and geologists have submitted a petition criticising the projects’ methods and motives. They say that the excavation threatens the preservation of the site as it is and are annoyed at the prospect of involving civilian archaeologists in the excavation. Volcanologist Sutikno Bronto believes that the structure isn’t a pyramid at all, but the neck of an old volcano and that the stones surveyed have been weathered by nature instead of being cut by humans. Another anonymous expert is sceptical that such an ancient civilisation could have been advanced enough to build a pyramid so many thousands of years ago, when tools recovered from a nearby cave, dating to 7,000 BC were very primitive. The terraces are bordered by retaining walls of stone (pictured) that can be accessed by 400 steps rising around 311 ft (95 metres). They date to at least 5,000 BC.
| Geologist claims the site in West Java could be 9,000 to 20,000 years old. Dr Danny Hilman says man-made hillside hides a pyramid structure. Tests have established parts of the structure date to 7,000 BC. Could re-write pre-history, but other experts claim excavation is flawed.
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Veteran airman Andrew Danziger claims to have seen a UFO. A veteran pilot, who flew President Obama's campaign plane, has revealed that he has seen a UFO flying through the sky. Andrew Danziger claimed that virtually all airmen believe in unidentified flying objects and that he had his own close encounter in the cockpit between Kansas and Iowa in April 1989. The aircraft captain said the UFO initially appeared as a white disc before changing into a 'giant red ball.' The aviator, who has 28 years of cockpit experience, said the alien aircraft glowed bright red for around 30 seconds before disappearing below the clouds, according to the New York Daily News. Mr Danziger recalled that his plane had left Kansas City International Airport and reached the cruising altitude of 15,000 feet when he first saw a 'white disc' clearly visible through the clouds. He explained that the Captain of the aircraft, named only as Bruce, also spotted the foreign object that appeared similar to the moon. Despite, both of the men having a number of years of experience behind them they could not identify the mystery gizmo that was visible for around 40 minutes. As the pair began their decent into Waterloo, Iowa, Mr Danziger said the UFO suddenly changed colour. 'I yelled to Bruce, "Holy s***," he told the newspaper. 'Above the clouds, where the white disc had been, was a now giant red ball.' He said the bright disc appeared to hover above the clouds. Mr Danziger, who flew Barack Obama during his 2008 election campaign, recalled the object flying in the same direction as his aircraft for around 30 seconds before it vanished like the 'setting sun.' The experienced airman said most pilots have reported similar sightings (file picture) A series of flashing lights were then visible through the clouds, according to the pilot who has flown Boeing aircraft. The men later informed the National UFO Report Centre of the sighting and it was stressed to the pair that countless pilots have witnessed similar objects in the sky. 'While neither of us had any idea what we had saw one thing we were certain of, it wasn't from here,' the North American Airlines captain told the New York Daily News. 'I'm not going too far out on a ledge to say that virtually all pilots believe in UFOs.'
| Andrew Danziger flew President Obama during 2008 election campaign. Claims to have seen a UFO on flight between Kansas and Iowa in 1989. Saw a 'giant red ball' flying parallel to his jet in the sky for 30 seconds. The aircraft captain revealed that nearly all pilots believe in UFOs.
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An 18-year-old man has been charged with conspiring to commit terrorist acts following Saturday morning's counter-terror police raids, in which police seized a number of knives and swords. Sevdet Besim, from Hallam in Melbourne's south-east, was charged with 'conspiracy to commit acts done in preparation for, or planning, terrorist acts' at the Melbourne Magistrates Court. He did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody for a filing hearing on April 24. Mr Besim is one of two 18-year-old men police arrested for allegedly planning an 'ISIS inspired' attack on an Anzac Day ceremony following the raids. Scroll down for video. Sevdet Besim, from Hallam in Melbourne's south-east, was charged with 'conspiracy to commit acts done in preparation for, or planning, terrorist acts' at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Saturday afternoon. Multiple photos of Mr Besim on his social media pages show him posing with one raised index finger, a symbol that other ISIS supporters have also frequently used. Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said the 18-year-old men, from Hallam and Hampton Park, were 'associates' of Abdul Numan Haider, the 18-year-old who was shot dead after stabbing two officers outside a Melbourne police station on September 23. He is one of two 18-year-old men police arrested for allegedly planning an 'ISIS inspired' attack on an Anzac Day ceremony. The duo were 'associates' of Abdul Numan Haider (pictured) The second teenager is still being interviewed by police who plan to charge him with a number of offences related to preparing for and planning terrorist acts and possessing prohibited items. A number of 'edged weapons' - including knives and swords - were seized at some of the properties searched. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews dubbed the plans 'simply evil' on Saturday morning, while insisting the individuals 'do not represent any faith, culture or religion'. 'It is alleged both men were undertaking preparations for a terrorist attack at an Anzac Day activity in Melbourne which included targeting police officers,' Australian Federal Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Neil Gaughan said on Saturday morning. Commissioner Patton later added that: 'some evidence that was collected at a couple of the scenes and some other information we have, leads us to believe that this particular matter was ISIS-inspired.' A total of five teenagers were arrested as part of the Melbourne Joint Counter Terrorism Team operation named Operation Rising, which saw 200 officers' raid seven properties on Saturday morning. Three of the men were released by Victoria Police on Saturday evening. However, according to Australian Federal Police Acting Commissioner Michael Phelan, all five had been on the radar of counter-terrorism investigators. 'Particularly since late last month the investigation ramped up and it became very obvious to us that their plans were specific,' he told reporters in Sydney. 'We received information earlier this week that led us to undertake the resolution today,' Mr Patton said, adding that investigations had begun last month. A smashed window can be seen at the charged teen's Hallam home in Melbourne's south-east where he was arrested during the counter-terror raids. The teen was interviewed by police all morning before travelling to the Magistrates Court where he was charged. Mr Besim did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody for a filing hearing on April 24. Australian Federal Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Neil Gaughan (left) confirmed that two 18-year-old men had planned to target Anzac Day activities. Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton (pictured) later added that evidence 'collected at a couple of the scenes and some other information we have leads us to believe that this particular matter was ISIS-inspired' Three other men, also aged 18 and 19, were arrested separately in Narre Warren. Pictured: one of the homes in the suburb where police made one of several arrest during terror raids. One 18-year-old man from Narre Warren was charged with weapon offences, while the two others men from the same suburb, aged 18 and 19, are currently in custody assisting police with enquiries (stock image) It is understood police chose to execute the search warrants immediately as they 'couldn't be sure that they [the arrested men] wouldn't act earlier'. An 18-year-old man from Narre Warren was also arrested and charged with weapon offences, while two other men from the same suburb, aged 18 and 19, are currently in custody assisting police with enquiries. 'I think the entire Australian community should be concerned about the young age of these men, this issue is not just for law enforcements agencies, but the broader community,' Mr Patton added. 'We need intervention strategies to make sure they [young adults] don't go down this path.' Mr Patton confirmed that the arrested teens were not related, but were 'associates' and that some had attended the Al Furqan Islamic study centre in South Springvale. Mr Patton confirmed that the arrested teens were not related, but were 'associates' and that some had attended the Al Furqan Islamic study centre in South Springvale. Mr Patton said police would charge the two teens with a number of offences including the possession of prohibited items, adding that 'edged weapons' were found at one property (stock images) Mr Haider, whose body is pictured being taken to the coroner for examination, died when he was shot by officers after stabbing two policemen outside a Melbourne police station on September 23. However he insisted the 'the individuals were acting by themselves and are not representative of any religious, cultural or national group'. Three of the teenagers are believed to have suffered minor injuries during the arrests and were taken for medical examination, with one man reported to have suffered a head injury. Searches will continue at several addresses throughout Saturday. Police said the investigations are ongoing. Residents living next door to the homes that were raided in the early hours of the morning have described waking to glass smashing, screams and 'fire-cracker like' noises before seeing lights. 'It woke me up, I heard a whole heap of screaming outside. It kept going for at least 20 minutes. It scared the crap out of me,' one neighbour told the Herald Sun. 'I was woken up through hearing the car doors everywhere and the police telling them to get down,' another said. Most of the residents said they were shocked by the news of the arrests, describing the teenagers as 'lovely guys', 'nice people' and 'the perfect neighbours'. Residents living next door to the homes that were raided in the early hours of the morning have described waking to glass smashing, screams and 'fire-cracker like' noises before seeing lights. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott (right) and Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Michael Phelan (left) address a media conference in Sydney. Mr Abbott urged all Australians to continue with their Anzac Day celebration plans as normal. Prime Minister Tony Abbott urged all Australians to continue with their Anzac Day celebration plans as normal during a conference in Sydney. 'We've had this serious threat for quite a few months now but we have responded effectively to it at all stages,' he said. 'The best thing you can do in the face of those who would do us harm is to live your life normally, the best sign of defiance that we can give to those who would do us harm is to go about a normal peaceful, free and fair Australian life.' Increased security measures including a strong police presence will be enforced at all public events across Victoria and the rest of the country on Anzac Day. 'I think the entire Australian community should be concerned about the young age of these men, this issue is not just for law enforcements agencies, but the broader community,' Mr Patton said during a police press conference. Pictured: Mr Haider's funeral. Mr Patton confirmed that the arrested teens were not related but were 'associates', and that some had attended the Al Furqan Islamic study centre in South Springvale. Pictured: Mr Haider. It comes just two months after Sydney house-mates Omar Al-Kutobi, 24, and Mohammad Kiad, 25, were arrested at their Fairfield home just hours before they allegedly planned to carry out a terrorist plot. It comes just two months after Sydney housemates Omar Al-Kutobi, 24, and Mohammad Kiad, 25, were arrested at their Fairfield home just hours before they allegedly planned to carry out a terrorist plot. Police uncovered a machete, a hunting knife and an Islamic State flag during a raid of their squalid granny flat in western-Sydney. A video featuring one of the men standing in front of the flag while making threats of carrying out a terrorist attack was also uncovered. In September of 2014, Australia saw 15 men arrested across Sydney's west and north-west in the country's largest ever terrorism-raids. More than 800 police officers searched 25 properties in the early hours of the morning with the aim of dismantling a terror-plot to behead a random member of the public. Omarjan Azari, 22, who was arrested in his Guildford home during the raids, faced court in late February after officers alleged he was involved in the plot. He was refused bail and will reappear on April 29. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
| Sevdet Besim, 18, was charged with 'conspiracy to commit acts done in preparation for, or planning, terrorist acts' on Saturday afternoon. He was one of two teenagers who officers arrested for planning terror acts. Police allege they planned to target an 'Anzac Day ceremony' and police. They are expected to be charged with a number of offences including the possession of prohibited items, with 'edged weapons' found at a property. Another 18-year-old was also arrested and remains in custody. Three men released by police late on Saturday night. Over 200 police officers raided seven properties in Melbourne on Saturday.
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Ed Balls (pictured) said he would not allow Nicola Sturgeon's party to insist on a deal that would see Scotland benefit at the expense of England. Ed Balls has ruled out any post-election pact with the SNP that would put Scotland ahead of England - insisting it would be a 'betrayal of the English vote.' The shadow chancellor said he was 'unequivocal' that he would not allow Nicola Sturgeon's party to dictate a deal at England's expense. Ed Miliband has insisted Labour will not form a coalition with the SNP but has so far stopped short of dismissing a looser arrangement that could prop up a Labour administration. Mr Balls told Wolverhampton's Express and Star newspaper: 'On the SNP point, there is absolutely no possibility of any vote being put to parliament or any budget measure in a Labour budget which would in any way disadvantage the West Midlands or any other part of England, because that's what the SNP demand. 'No way. Unequivocal. I'm not going to do it and Labour won't do it. We've been very clear we won't have a coalition with the SNP and the reason is that the SNP - they can't stand up for the interests of people in England because they want to break up the UK.' He went on: 'Now, we will put a vote to parliament to abolish the bedroom tax. I want a Labour majority to get that through. If the SNP decided to vote against it, that's up to them. 'But the idea that we would ever be in a position where the SNP come along and say, "we want you to advantage Scotland against the West Midlands in return - in order to win our support", that would be a betrayal of these constituencies here in the Black Country and the West Midlands, it would be a betrayal of the English vote and we will not do it. Unequivocal.' Yesterday, it was revealed that more than half of Scots plan to back the SNP in the general election, shattering Ed Miliband's hopes of securing a Labour majority. Nicola Sturgeon has been buoyed by a series of TV debates opposing austerity cuts, despite threatening another referendum on independence. A TNS survey shows the SNP has almost doubled its lead over Labour in a month, with 52 per cent now backing Ms Sturgeon with only 24 per cent of Scots planning to vote for Mr Miliband. The Scottish nationalists’ surge in the polls comes amid signs of a split between Labour leadership in London and Jim Murphy, the Labour leader in Scotland. Mr Murphy has suggested that the party would not need to make ‘further cuts to achieve our spending rules’ in the next parliament. But yesterday Chuka Umunna, Labour’s business spokesman, slapped him down; telling the BBC’s Daily Politics programme that cuts would have to be made throughout the life of the new parliament. Nicola Sturgeon has offered to work with Labour's Ed Miliband to lock the Tories out of power, even if David Cameron wins more seats on May 7. Ms Sturgeon has offered to work with Labour to lock the Tories out of power, even if David Cameron wins more seats on May 7. But Labour and the SNP have clashed on Ms Sturgeon's call for full fiscal autonomy for Scotland, and her suggestion that another referendum could be held before 2020. In March, Mr Miliband flatly ruled out going into coalition with the SNP as he attempted to draw a line under weeks of Tory jibes. The Labour leader insisted there would be no power-sharing deal with Nicola Sturgeon's party and he would not lead a government that included SNP ministers. However, he stopped short of dismissing a looser arrangement that could prop up a Labour administration, such as the 'confidence and supply' agreement. This would essentially see Scottish MPs supporting Labour by helping to get legislation through the Commons.
| Ed Balls rules out any SNP pact benefiting Scotland at England's expense. Ed Miliband has ruled out forming a coalition with Nicola Sturgeon's party. But stopped short of dismissing deal to prop up a Labour administration.
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Tragedy: Prasanna ‘Nick’ Arulchelvam died when he fell from a van while chasing a gang of thieves. A courageous shopkeeper was killed when he made a desperate attempt to stop a gang of thieves who had broken into his van in a cash and carry car park. Prasanna ‘Nick’ Arulchelvam ran and jumped through an open side door of their van, but was pushed out and hit the ground as the vehicle sped away. A customer in the Costco car park in Watford where the incident happened reported hearing a ‘nasty crunch’ as the 34-year-old’s head hit the ground. Today, the man who pushed Mr Prasanna to his death was jailed for 11 years after admitting all he wanted was ‘a few cheap packets of cigarettes’. Mr Prasanna had just finished his purchases when he returned to his silver Transit van and loaded a large box containing 21 smaller boxes of cigarettes in his van. He took his trolley back to a bay and returned to see that the stock he had bought had been disturbed, Luton Crown Court heard. Mr Prasanna then gave chase as he saw a separate van speeding off. Prosecutor John Price QC said: ‘Mr Prasanna courageously acted in an attempt to stop the driver getting away. ‘With equal determination and with an utterly callous regard for his safety, the two men used violence that cost this man his life. ‘Mr Prasanna was forced out but managed to hold onto the side of the vehicle before the door was shut and he fell to the ground.’ A witness said it was as if he had been pushed or kicked away from the van. Nothing had been taken from Mr Prasanna’s van. Last October cousins Patrick and James O’Driscoll were handed jail terms of ten-and-a-half years and seven-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Prasanna. The sentence of Patrick O’Driscoll, who was driving the van, was later increased to 12 years on appeal. His cousin was in another vehicle at the scene while a third man, Michael McInerney, 34, was in the rear of the van Mr Prasanna chased. McInerney went on the run after he was arrested in December 2013 and bailed. A European Arrest Warrant was issued but he was arrested in Corby, Northamptonshire in December 2014. Today he was jailed for a total of 11 years - ten-and-a-half years for manslaughter, two years concurrent for conspiracy to steal, with six months consecutive from the suspended sentence. Defence barrister Henry Hughes said the father of three accepts responsibility for the death of a man who deserved no harm at all. Jailed: Michael McInerney was handed an 11 year sentence after admitting to pushing Mr Prasanna. ‘He will live with the horror of the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life. He wanted no more than a few cheap packets of cigarettes,’ he said. Judge Michael Kay QC told McInerney: ‘Mr Prasanna was a hard working man and a family man with a wife and two-and-a-half-year-old son. He is described as a devoted and very loving father and husband. ‘I can’t help but compare Mr Prasanna who was a hard-working and lawful citizen with you. What example are you setting to your three children? “. ‘You applied violence to get Mr Prasanna off the vehicle. You pushed him out of the vehicle which began the chain of events that led to his death.’ McInerney, from Borehamwood, Hertforshire, who was living at the time in Radwell, Bedforshire, appeared via a video link from Woodhill Prison, Milton Keynes. At an earlier hearing he pleaded not guilty to murder and not guilty to conspiracy to rob. His pleas of guilty to alternative charges of manslaughter and conspiracy to steal were accepted by the prosecution. He had 17 convictions for 32 offences and operated with alias names and false dates of birth. At the time Mr Prasanna was attacked, McInerney was serving a seven month suspended sentence suspended for 15 months for a similar theft from a motor vehicle at a cash and carry in Sheerness, in which a man who tried to stop him fell into the road. The day before Mr Prasanna was killed, the two O’Driscolls had carried out thefts and attempted thefts at Booker cash and carry stores in Dagenham, Chelmsford, Colchester and Ipswich. On the Sunday they drove to Radwell and collected McInerney. The Costco in Watford where three men - cousins Patrick and James O’Driscoll and Michael McInerney - tried to grab cigarettes from Mr Prasanna's van before speeding off in separate vehicles. All have now been jailed. In two vans they went to three sites, where they stole or attempted to steal from customers at Bookers in Bedford and Luton and at PC World at the Staples Retail Park in Hendon, before going to Costco in Watford. Mr Prasanna died on June 6 2013 in St Mary’s Hospital in London, 11 days after the attack on him. He came to England from Sri Lanka in 1998 and worked for Tesco as a manager. Mr Prasanna later opened his own shop in Basingstoke, Hampshire, with his younger brother Uday. They opened another store in Sittingbourne, Kent, and were looking at starting a third Southampton. Four years ago he married Shayanthy, 30, and the couple lived in Grandfield Avenue, Watford with their young son.
| Prasanna Arulchelvam leapt into van as it sped away but was pushed out. His head hit the ground with a 'nasty crunch' and he died 11 days later. A gang tried to steal cigarettes from the victim's van before he gave chase. All three have now been jailed, including the man who pushed Mr Prasanna.
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Nineteen people needed medical treatment and hundreds of firefighters deployed to fight a huge blaze at a Chinese chemical plant that produces a toxic chemical. Authorities said initial tests suggested there had been no leaks from the plant's three tanks of burning hydrocarbon liquids and no signs of contamination of the environment following the blast at Goure PX Plant in Zhangzhou, Fujian province — the second explosion to hit the factory in 20 months. Hundreds of residents were evacuated from their homes in the surrounding area after the blast on Monday night, while 177 fire engines and 829 firefighters battled the blaze. Scroll down for video. Firefighters battle to extinguish the ferocious blaze at the Chinese chemical plant. Flames rise from the chemical plant in Zhangzhou after the huge explosion on Monday night. It took 177 fire engines and 829 firefighters to bring the blaze under control, officials said. Residents are evacuated from their home in a village close to the fire at the chemical plant. The plant manufactures paraxylene, or PX, a chemical used for producing fibers and plastics. Exposure to the chemical can cause eye, nose and throat irritation. There have been several protests against the chemical plants in China in recent years. Authorities told The People's Daily Online that an oil leak at the plant had caught fire, leading to the explosion of three oil storage tanks at Tenglong Aromatic Hydrocarbon (Zhangzhou) Co. Ltd. on the Gulei Peninsula in Zhangzhou City. Environmental officials are monitoring the surrounding area for signs of contamination. The blaze could be seen for miles, with reports that tremors from the explosion were felt 30 miles away. The plant produces paraxylene, or PX, a chemical used for producing fibers and plastics. Officials said initial tests suggested there had been no contamination of the surrounding enivronment. It was the second accident at the controversial plant in just 20 months. Nine experts were at the site to investigate in the accident. Health authorities said six injured people are being treated in hospital, while another 13 had required medical attention. Environmental protection authorities have dispatched more than 50 personnel to monitor the situation. Officials claimed they had brought the blaze under control this morning. Firefighters examine the damage done by the blaze at the plant. Officials said the blaze had been brought under control by Tuesday morning and that an investigation had begun. The initial explosion was reportedly caused by a leak that ignited three oil tanks. It is the second accident in 20 months at the same facility, owned by Tenglong Aromatic Hydrocarbon (Zhangzhou) Co. Ltd. The plant attracted protests even before it was built. It was slated for the densely populated city of Xiamen in Fujian, but protests in 2007 by residents concerned about potential health hazards succeeded in getting it moved to a less populated area in Zhangzhou. It was reported that tremors from the blast were felt up to 50 kilometers (30 miles) away.
| Plant in Zhangzhou, Fujian province, is used to make a toxic chemical. Nineteen people required medical treatment after blast caused by oil leak. Plant produces paraxylene, which can cause eye, nose and throat irritation. It is the second accident at the controversial plant in 20 months. It took 177 fire engines and 829 firefighters to bring blaze under control.
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A British solicitor and former Mayor of Glastonbury has been revealed as a key prosecutor of the evil camp guards of Bergen-Belsen after its liberation in 1945. Cecil Hamilton-Miller, from Kensington, London, was responsible for the convictions of 31 concentration camp guards in 1945, including several key Belsen figures, such as camp commander Josef Kramer and Dr Fritz Klein. Mr Hamilton-Miller, who died in 2001, aged 91, struggled to talk to about the horrors he witnessed during the holocaust or the role he played after the liberation of Belsen, his family has said today. Hero: Cecil Hamilton-Miller, pictured as Mayor of Glastonbury, was part of the team that prosecuted dozens of the men and women responsible for running the notorious Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp. Cecil Hamilton-Miller can be seen on the right, watching on as Bergen-Belsen camp commander Josef Kramer, known as The Beast of Belsen, is marched to his death at gunpoint following his trial in 1945. Despite his honourable actions in the wake of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, which took place 70 years ago this month, many family and friends had no idea of his involvement. A historic photograph found by Mr Hamilton-Miller's family shows him watching on as camp commander Josef Kramer, known as The Beast of Belsen, is marched to his death at gunpoint following his trial. His cousin William Miller, 63, who has written a biography about the late solicitor, said: 'Cecil couldn't talk about his Belsen experience in later life without tears streaming down his face because of the traumatic memories. 'He never publicised his extraordinary war record but I am very proud of it - it must rate as the most important legal work of his career.' Prosecutor: Mr Hamilton-Miller served in India for much of World War II and arrived in Bergen-Belsen shortly after its liberation in May 1945. Bergen-Belsen was a Nazi concentration camp in Lower Saxony, Germany. It was initially intended to hold prisoners of war, but in 1943, parts of the camp became a 'transit camp' for, mainly Jewish, civilian prisoners,. The camp became the final resting place of some 20,000 prisoners of war and 50,000 Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, Nazi opponents and disabled, and was is burned to the ground after its liberation by British and Canadian troops in April 1945. After qualifying as a solicitor in 1935, Cambridge educated Mr Hamilton-Miller was enlisted into the Territorial Army in 1936 and then, in 1939, was granted an emergency commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the Border Regiment. For much of the war he served in India, until in 1944 he returned to Britain on leave and was posted to Carlisle. This ended abruptly on April 15, 1945 when the 11th Armoured Division of the British Army liberated Bergen-Belsen. Recognising that the liberated camps on the continent would require military lawyers, Mr Hamilton-Miller was among those immediately posted immediately to the British Liberation Army, 49 Reinforcement Holding Unit, where he was appointed Staff Captain to 21 Army Group HQ, War Crimes Investigation Team, arriving at Belsen sometime after May 5 to a horrific, challenging and distressing scene. Mr Hamilton-Miller's role appears to have been to assist Major Savile Geoffrey Champion, head of No. 1 War Crimes Investigation Unit, Belsen, to prepare the legal cases against the SS camp personnel. Mr Miller added: 'Cecil's team opened a war crimes investigation office inside the camp and files were opened on each guard. 'Gradually written witness statements and other evidence built up in each file enabling decisions to be made as to whether and when the case against each guard was sufficiently clear and strong to progress to trial.' The first Belsen trial began on September 17, 1945, at Luneburg Town Hall and took the form of a Military Tribunal. Up in smoke: Bergen-Belsen, which became the final resting place of 20,000 POWs and 50,000 Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, Nazi opponents and people with disabilities is burned to the ground after liberation in 1945. The trial of the prison guard, called Rothe, who killed a young girl by beating her was sentenced to ten years in prison. Mr Hamilton-Miller was also responsible for the camp commandant Kramer, the doctor, Dr Klein, and nine guards, being sentenced to death by hanging. Nineteen guards were sentenced to prison terms of between life and one year, with most of them having to serve between ten and 15 years. Mr Miller added: 'Many inmates at Belsen had been moved hurriedly from Auschwitz, and Cecil's unit took evidence from witnesses against Nazi criminals such as Dr Mengele, guards responsible for selecting people to go to the gas chambers, as well as conducting horrific medical experiments on them. 'Cecil appears to have remained in the Belsen posting until December 1945 after which he was sent home and demobbed.' Upon his return to the UK, Mr Hamilton-Miller re-qualified as a solicitor and married Sylvia Hurle. The pair lived in Glastonbury, Somerset, where Cecil lived for the majority of his life, becoming Mayor of the city in 1969. After his wife's death Cecil moved to family in Norwich before his death in 2001 aged 91.
| Cecil Hamilton-Miller prosecuted dozens of Belsen guards in 1945. Solicitor responsible for conviction of camp commander Josef Kramer. Cambridge grad served in India before being sent to Belsen in May 1945. Mr Hamilton-Miller also took evidence from former Auschwitz prisoners.
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The Tesla Model S P85D's 'insane mode' may be fast, but a new electric car by Drive eO is set to be even faster. The Latvian firm is currently developing a one megawatt electric race car to compete in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in June. The stomach-churning vehicle, dubbed eO PP03, runs on 50 kWh lithium-ion battery pack driving six YASA-400 electric motors. Latvia-based Drive eO has created a vehicle, named eO PP03, which runs on 50 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that drives six YASA-400 electric motors and produces 1020 kW (1368 horsepower) It is capable of producing 1020 kW (1368 horsepower) and speeds of up to 160 mph (260 km/h), compared to the top speed of 155 mph (249 km/h) on the Model S. Drive eO says it will be the 'first one megawatt all-electric race car with peak torque of 2160 Nm and kerb weight is targeted at 2646lb (1,200kg). The car is still in development and the company has yet to reveal its range. 'We want to become the first overall winner with an electric vehicle,' said Kristaps Dambis, project director at Drive eO. Drive eO was the first to enter and complete the Dakar Rally with a hybrid electric vehicle. That was followed by the creation of eO PP01, a purpose built fully electric prototype race car to participate at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb competition. The one megawatt electric race car is set to compete in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (pictured) in Colorado Springs. The race is the second oldest motor racing event in the US and runs on a challenging 12.42 mile (20km) course with 156 turns in Colorado Springs. All wheel drive. Six YASA-400 electric motors with eO controllers. Peak power 1020 kW / peak torque 2160 Nm. 50 kWh lithium-ion battery pack with BMS. Steel tubular spaceframe with carbon fibre body. Electrically assisted power steering. 4-way adjustable shock absorbers. 320/710 R18 slick tyres / 13' × 18' wheels. Kerb weight: 2646lb (1,200kg) Top speed:155 mph (249 km/h) The race is the second oldest motor racing event in the US and runs on a challenging 12.42 mile (20km) course with 156 turns in Colorado Springs. It begins at 2,862 metre elevation (9,390 feet) and finishes at the 4,301 metre (14,110 feet) summit of the Pikes Peak mountain in Colorado Springs. The announcement of the Drive eO PP03 following the development of software upgrades to make the P85D even faster. 'Tesla P85D 0 to 60mph acceleration will improve by ~0.1 sec soon via over-the-air software update to inverter algorithm,' Tesla founder Elon Musk tweeted earlier this year. Musk was referring to something known as the 'insane mode' which allows the car to accelerate from 0 to 60 in a little over three seconds. The D model, unveiled in October has two motors - one powering the front wheels and one powering the rear wheels. It has a top speed of 155 mph (249 km/h), compared with the current 130 mph (209 km/h) on Tesla's previous S model. In Insane Mode, the full 691 horsepower of the electric car's two motors is applied in one go. At the launch event, Mr Musk said the car reaches 60mph in three seconds from a standstill. During recent tests of the Insane acceleration, also carried out by DragTimes, the car achieved the speed in 3.17 seconds.
| eO PP03 runs on 50 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that drives six motors. It produces 1020 kW (1368 horsepower) and has a peak torque of 2160 Nm. Car will compete in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado.
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Three teenagers have been charged with the vicious bashing of a father and his daughter on the streets of NSW. The attackers, two aged 15 and one aged 14, were arrested by on Friday after the incident took place on Sunday night at Charlestown Square shopping centre, Newcastle. The youths could have been dealt with under the controversial Young Offenders Act, but the seriousness of the incident led police to charge them as normal, according to Fairfax Media. Scroll down for video. Tibor Racsits, 42, had gone to pick up his daughter Kiara from the movies at Charlestown Square in Newcastle, north of Sydney, on Sunday night when they were attacked. One 15-year-old boy was charged with assault and affray. The other was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, affray and a count of stealing after he allegedly took a wallet and phone off the 42-year-old victim. The 14-year-old boy was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray. The charges come after shocking footage emerged of the moment a father and his 13-year-old daughter were bashed and robbed by a gang of 25 teenagers outside a shopping centre. Tibor Racsits, 42, had gone to pick up his daughter Kiara from the movies at Charlestown Square in Newcastle, north of Sydney, on Sunday night when they were attacked. Vision of the disturbing attack showed Mr Racsits being dragged across the road by at least three young men before being kicked in the stomach and head. The incident took place outside the Charlestown Square shopping centre in Newcastle, north of Sydney. His daughter can be heard screaming as she runs to help, but she is pushed from behind by a young girl and slams face-first into the concrete. Mr Racsits said he went to pick his daughter up after she called to say some girls wanted to assault her, the Newcastle Herald reports. There had earlier been some trouble between Kiara and at least one girl before she called. As he went up the escalators and called his daughter telling her to come out of the movies, he noticed three girls standing nearby. 'And within 15 seconds, there was like 20 of them. I don't even know where they came from,' he said. Vision of the disturbing attack showed Mr Racsits being dragged across the road by at least three young men before being kicked in the stomach and head. 'They must have been hiding. I think it was a set-up, it was planned. 'They just swarmed and when I looked around I just thought oh s**t there is going to be trouble here.' Mr Racsits was walking his daughter down the stairs when he pushed a young man out of the way to get to their car. 'But as soon as I have pushed him out of the way, there was just kicks and punches from the side,' Mr Racsits told the newspaper. He was dragged about 10 metres across the road before they started punching and kicking him. His daughter can be heard screaming as she runs to help, but she is pushed from behind by a young girl and slams face-first into the concrete. The father and his daughter were treated at the scene for minor injuries, but Mr Racsits is undergoing further examinations to check if any of his ribs were broken. 'It got to a point where I was starting to get a bit dizzy from all the hits I was copping and I went down,' he said. 'As I was going down I was just basically covering my head up and I actually grabbed one of the guys legs and bit him on the leg. It was the only thing I could do.' The father and his daughter were treated at the scene for minor injuries, but Mr Racsits is undergoing further examinations to check if any of his ribs were broken. Police said Mr Racsits car keys, mobile phone and wallet were taken following the attack. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to call Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.
| Three attackers charged over vicious beating that was caught on camera. Tibor Racsits, 42, and daughter Kiara, 13, were attacked on Sunday night. He'd gone to pick her up from the movies in Newcastle, north of Sydney. Footage shows group of boys kicking Mr Racsits in the stomach and head. Kiara ran to help her father but was slammed face-first into the concrete.
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When Stacey Johnson was diagnosed with a brain tumour, her whole family was heartbroken. The pain of a cancer diagnosis never went away, but after eight years of battling the condition, they cared for her and began to live with the disease. But though she had experienced enough grief, Stacey Johnson was soon delivered another cruel blow - doctors discovered her younger sister Dannii also had a growth in her brain. Stacey, now 22, was diagnosed with an inoperable tumour in 2007 and has undergone gruelling rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Her sister, Dannii, now 20, helped her mother care for her throughout her teenage years, and became her full-time carer last year. Stacey Johnson (left), 22, from Much Hadham, Hertfordshire, had just been told her brain tumour had grown when she was dealt another blow - her sister Dannii, 20, also had a tumour. Stacey (left) and Dannii (right) have grown up sharing their toys and clothes, and now find themselves both battling ill. In December 2014, Stacey was told her brain tumour, called an astrocytoma, had grown. The family, who live in Much Hadham, Hertfordshire, began to process this frightening news, wondering what treatment Stacey would now have to undergo. But they then suffered another shock – as Dannii was diagnosed with a brain tumour. She had been feeling ill and had suffered headaches, so had gone to her doctor who had referred her for tests that confirmed there was a growth in her brain. She describes her surprise at being told her headaches were being caused by a brain tumour. Dannii said: 'I had never expected it to be a tumour. 'I have been with Stacey through it all and it never even occurred that me that that's what it could be. 'I was really shocked when they told me, but I just got on with it really. Dannii had been Stacey's full time carer since last year, but began to suffer headaches and feel ill. She was shocked to discover she too had a tumour, although hers is benign. Stacey has never been able to work since her diagnosis eight years ago, and has undergone gruelling chemotherapy. She is pictured here with her sister in 2012. 'I was down for a few days after I was diagnosed, but I thought I can't do anything about it, so I just thought I had to get on with it.' Stacey, who is due start her next round of chemotherapy soon, said the news was so shocking it didn't seem real. She said: 'It sort of felt like a dream and I thought I was going to wake up from it. 'She is one of those types of people who just gets on with it. We are helping each other through it.' The sisters live with their mother, Sharon, 47, their father Brian, 48, and brother Charlie, 28. They were both born with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) - a condition that causes café au lait spots (flat brown birthmarks) on the skin, freckles in unusual places, and benign lumps and bumps. One third of people with the condition will have one or more medical complication during their lifetime, which can include either benign or cancerous brain tumours. However, it is unclear whether the NF1 is related to the sisters' growths, and they say they have been told there probably is no link. Dannii is now awaiting a scan to see if it has grown and what the best course of treatment will be. Both sisters were born with neurofibromatosis type 1 - a condition that causes benign lumps and bumps, although they do not know if it is related to their development of brain tumours. Dannii said she was shocked when she too was diagnosed. She said: 'I have been with Stacey through it all and it never even occurred that me that that's what it could be. The sisters are pictured in 1997. She has been told her tumour is not cancerous, and is classed as Grade 1, the lowest risk. However, her mother, Sharon Johnson, 47, is worried the tumour could grow and endanger her health. Mrs Johnson, a housekeeper, said: 'I thought it was a joke when they first told us, I just couldn't believe how this could happen to us again. 'They started to explain more about it and I realised it was nothing like Stacey's. 'Dannii's is at the front of her brain and Stacey's is right at the back.' They have now set up a charity providing days out for children with terminal illnesses. Doctors say Dannii does not need surgery yet, but Mrs Johnson said when Stacey was first diagnosed with a tumour, doctors believed it was benign. She wants Dannii to have the tumours removed, so that it cannot grow and turn into cancer. She said: 'First of all they said they would take it out, but then they did a biopsy and found it wasn't cancerous, so they have decided to monitor for the next few months. 'I am annoyed that they're not doing anything. 'Exactly the same thing happened with Stacey, they said it wasn't cancerous but then it grew within three months. 'If they just take it out now then it wouldn't have the chance to grow. 'They've said that surgery is dangerous and they only do it when absolutely necessary though.' In an effort to help others in the same situation, Stacey has set up a charity called "Kisses for Kids" providing days out for children with terminal or long term illness. The two sisters now spend their time fund-raising for it. Sarah Lindsell, chief executive of The Brain Tumour Charity, said: 'A brain tumour diagnosis is a huge shock for anyone. 'For a family to experience it twice is extraordinarily cruel and our hearts go out to the Johnsons. 'For the sake of all of those like Stacey and Dannii whose lives are turned upside down by a brain tumour, we are absolutely determined to improve treatments through research and raise awareness of this devastating disease.'
| Stacey Johson, 22, was diagnosed with cancer in her brain eight years ago. Her sister Dannii, 20, became her carer last year but suffered headaches. After going to the GP Dannii was also found to have a benign brain tumour. Stacey has found out her tumour has grown, while Dannii awaits treatment.
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A skier in Switzerland proved that his dog is certainly his best friend when he brought it along to a snowy slope for a day of skiing. Videoed descending the crisp ski runs of the small resort of Minschuns in Val Müstair, Adrian Schaffner is initially featured ascending the mountain on a button lift. Perched on his shoulders looking entirely at ease is his dog Sintha – an Appenzeller mix according to the owner, who noted alongside the upload of the original video that he only knows the breed of the dog's mother. The dog named Sintha appears to be entirely at ease as it sits across its owners shoulders. Once at the top, Mr Schaffner points his skis down the mountain and takes off at speed with the dog remaining calmly sat on his back. The dog appears to be enjoying the sensation of speed as it points its face into the wind and the camera angle changes to show the skier’s descent. After a long ski to the bottom, Mr Schaffner comes to a stop and the dog jumps from his shoulders and onto the ground. Mr Schaffner points his skis down the mountain and begins skiing at speed and the dog remains calmly sat on his back. The dog appears to be enjoying the sensation of speed and points its face into the wind. The skier smiles at the camera as the excited dog begins barking and running off in the snow. The video concludes with the dog – who obviously loves snow – chasing after some more skiers as they make their way down another section of mountain. Discussing the video, Mr Schaffner wrote: ‘She grew up on a farm in the mountains pretty wild and more or less without any supervision. Mr Schaffner said the dog is used to being held because she spent a lot of time being carried after an accident. After a long ski to the bottom, Mr Schaffner comes to a stop and the dog jumps from his shoulders and onto the ground. ‘And she had severe problems with walking because of an accident with a biker when she was about five-weeks-old. She almost died. ‘When we adopted her at the age of about 13 weeks, we had to carry her around. So she was used to it from the beginning. ‘After some months her injuries completely healed – but we kept trying to prevent long walks in her first year – the doctor advised so. ‘That time I started to carry her on my back. That's why she is so comfortable with it.’ The dog jumps from its owners back and begins barking and running in the snow before chasing after other skiers. Mr Schaffner recorded the video of himself and his dog at the small skiing resort of Minschuns in Val Müstair.
| Adrian Schaffner skis at speed with pet dog on his shoulders. Dog called Sintha appears content and leans into the wind. Video concludes with dog jumping off and running in snow. Footage was captured in ski resort in Val Müstair, Switzerland.
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Emergency services in Laos have recovered a body in the search for Johanna Powell, from Cardiff. The 37-year-old is feared to have drowned while on holiday in Laos after a tourist boat she was travelling in hit a rock and sank in the Mekong river. A body has been recovered in the search for a missing BBC worker, who is feared to have drowned while on a dream holiday in south east Asia. Johanna Powell, a picture editor working for BBC Wales, was reported missing on Saturday after a cruise boat she was in hit a rock and sank 'within a minute'. The 37-year-old was sailing on a traditional wooden cruise boat along the Mekong river in Laos with three friends when it hit a rock in a stretch of rapids. The crew, tour guide and other passengers - including her friends - all swam to safety, but Ms Powell, from Cardiff, disappeared in the strong current. Rescuers launched a massive search along 20km of the river to try and find her, in one of the most isolated parts of the country. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) confirmed a body has been found, but it has not yet been identified. A BBC Wales spokeswoman said: 'We are aware that a body has been found in the area where Jo went missing following a boating incident on Saturday. 'Our thoughts remain with her family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time.' Ms Powell - who combined working at the BBC with helping to run a hotel - was in the country as part of a three-week holiday, starting in Bangkok. One of her group was marking their 40th birthday. Ms Powell was travelling on a boat like this along the Mekong river, when it hit a rock in a stretch of rapids. While the rest of the passengers and crew managed to swim to safety, she disappeared under the water. A spokesman for BBC Wales, where Ms Powell worked as a picture editor, said they were 'very concerned' about their missing colleague. The Foreign Office confirmed a British national has been reported missing. They spent Friday night on the chartered boat, and had an overnight stay at the DP guesthouse in the village of Pakbeng. The boat set sail at 8am on Saturday, before the accident happened at 9.30am. Passengers on the trip are not required to wear life-jackets and one survivor said the water was very rough 'like a washing machine'. 'It was terrifying. We all thought we were going to die', she added. Her brother-in-law Dean Price said the family was told she was asleep when the boat hit a rock in rapids causing it to tip, take on water and capsize, said the BBC. The tragedy happened in a remote part of Laos in the Mekong river, pictured. Emergency services in the country have now launched a massive search, covering 20km of the river, to try and find missing Ms Powell. A work colleague described Cardiff resident Ms Powell, 37, as 'lovely, outgoing and always smiling' Adisak Star, the co-owner of cruise company Negi of Mekong that owned the boat, said they did not know what happened to her. He said: 'Ms Powell was travelling with three women friends who have all been accounted for. 'The boat which has a steel bottom but is otherwise made of wood hit a rock in the rapids and sank in a minute. It was that fast. 'Everyone on board went into the water but there were rocks for people to cling to. 'They were all able to get to the river bank except for Ms Powell.' Friends in Cardiff are taking care of her dog called Agatha Christie. A work colleague, who asked not to be named, paid tribute to the University of East Anglia graduate, saying: 'She is lovely, outgoing and always smiling. 'She had been looking forward to the trip for a long time.' After the accident her friends and the other survivors were taken to Luang Prabang and have been flown to Vientiane where they were being dealt with by consular officials. The owner of the cruise company whose boat sank while Ms Powell was a passenger vowed they would not give up looking for her. The survivors of the accident clung to rocks on the Mekong river to help keep afloat. Alex Chitdara, co-owner of rival company Shompoo Cruise said the accident happened on a very isolated stretch of the Mekong river. 'There are few roads and no telephones or mobile phone signal', he said. 'The water level is low, you have to know what you are doing to get a boat that big through the rapids.'
| Johanna Powell from Cardiff is feared to have drowned in the Mekong river. Picture editor for BBC Wales was on 'trip of a lifetime' to Laos with friends. Cruise boat hit a rock in a stretch of rapids and sank within minutes. Huge search launched over 20km of river to try and find missing woman.
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A gang of violent high school students were caught on camera as they brutally attacked a man. Orrden Williams Jr. says he was outside a BP gas station in Memphis, Tennessee, when a crowd of loud and unruly teenagers suddenly descended upon the establishment. Williams, who was with a baby, asked the teens to be quiet, and soon after was sucker punched and attacked. Scroll down for video. A crowd of students from Northwest Prep Academy descended on a gas station in Memphis, Tennessee on Monday. Orden Williams Jr. (above) ended up covered in bruises because of the unprovoked attack, and his baby was also almost hit by the teens. 'As we get to the car they are in the parking lot throwing up gang signs and putting up a ruckus,' Williams told News 3. Police arrested Joe Brittman (above) Wednesday. He rushed to his car as the attack began, but almost lost it when the teenagers almost his his child. 'It would have been a couple of mommas who’s child wouldn’t have come home — justifiably not coming home,' he said. The child was unhurt, but Williams would up covered in bruises. Meanwhile, staff inside the store had to hold shut the doors as the teens tried to break in, seemingly ready to attack again. 'I was freaked out,' said Mary Fuller, who was inside the store. The students dispersed soon after, and on Wednesday police made their first arrest. Thanks to the video they apprehended 19-year-old Joe Brittman, a student at Northwest Prep Academy who has now been charged with aggravated riot, simple assault and vandalism. Police continue to investigate, and believe all the boys attend the same high school. Williams wants all the boys to have to appear in juvenile court for their actions.
| A crowd of students from Northwest Prep Academy descended on a gas station in Memphis, Tennessee on Monday. They began to yell and throw up gang signs and then attacked a man, Orrden Williams Jr. Williams ended up covered in bruises because of the unprovoked attack, and his baby was also almost hit by the teens. Police are investigating and have made one arrest in the case, 19-year-old Joe Brittman.
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It may be a British staple but the traditional fish and chips is in peril. As waters around the UK get warmer, popular species of fish including haddock, plaice and lemon sole could become less common as they migrate to more preferable water temperatures. And this could see the prices of these fish soar, or see them being taken off the menu completely. Researchers have developed a model that combined long-term fisheries data with climate model projections from the Met Office. From this they predicted the abundance and distribution of popular fish, such as haddock and plaice, could fall as the North Sea warms and this could increase the price of fish and chips. In the past 40 years, reports suggest the North Sea has warmed four times faster than the global average. And with further warming predicted over the coming century, fisheries and scientists are studying the impact on so-called commercial species. This includes research by Dr Steve Simpson, senior lecturer in marine biology and global change at the University of Exeter and Dr Martin Genner, senior lecturer in fish ecology and evolution at the University of Bristol. The researchers developed a model that combined long-term fisheries data with climate model projections from the Met Office. From this they were able to predict the abundance and distribution of the UK's fish over the next 50 years. As the North Sea warms, species won't be able to migrate north to avoid warming temperatures because habitat of a suitable depth is rare. As a result UK fisheries will need to replace current species with those that prefer warmer water such as red mullet (left) and John dory (right), for example. Their research found that as the North Sea warms, species won't be able to migrate north to avoid warming temperatures because habitat of a suitable depth is rare. And due to higher temperatures, numbers of many of the species are predicted to fall. Marine biologists have found that shellfish take on a sour flavour if they are reared in slightly acidified sea water. They warn that as the planet's oceans grow more acidic, due to rising carbon dioxide levels, many of our favourite seafoods could become less appetising. Climate change experts predict that over the next century, the acidity levels of the world's oceans could drop from pH8 to pH7.5. Many have warned this could lead to shrimps and prawns struggling to build the shells and skeletons they need to survive. 'We will see a real changing of the guard in the next few decades,' said Dr Simpson. 'Our models predict cold water species will be squeezed out, with warmer water fish likely to take their place. 'For sustainable UK fisheries, we need to move on from haddock and chips and look to southern Europe for our gastronomic inspiration.' These fish include John dory and red mullet, for example. According to the study, fish distributions are limited by water temperature and some species can only thrive in certain habitats and depths. Dr Martin Genner, senior lecturer in Fish Ecology and Evolution at the University of Bristol, added: 'Long-term standardised fisheries surveys from many European countries, alongside leading climate models for the region, mean it is a unique region to develop and test new modeling approaches.' 'The modeling technique used in this analysis performed remarkably well when tested on available long-term datasets. 'This provides real confidence in the model's ability to predict future patterns of fish distributions around the UK. The study was published in Nature Climate Change.
| Researchers developed a model that combined long-term fisheries data with climate model projections from the Met Office. As the North Sea warms the number of popular species is likely to fall. The prices of these staple fish could also rise as they become more rare. John dory and red mullet may replace haddock, plaice and lemon sole.
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While David Cameron has long played up to his image as a family man, Nigel Farage has preferred posing with a pint in the pub. But with the general election getting ever closer, the Ukip leader has resorted to traditional campaign methods to get out the vote. Mr Farage was out in Thanet South today after polls showed he had fallen behind the Tories in his campaign to be elected to Parliament. Scroll down for video. Ukip Leader Nigel Farage meets local people in Broadstairs, Kent, as he continues his campaign trail for the South Thanet seat at the general election. Mr Clegg was in Kingston and Surbiton to campaign with Cabinet colleague Ed Davey where he met seven -months-old Elise Popperwell and her mother Melissa Popperwell. The Deputy Prime Minister was heckled by anti-tuition fees campaigners during his visit to south west London. A ComRes poll last weekend found Mr Farage trailing his Tory opponent Craig Mackinlay, by 1% with Labour’s Will Scobie just behind on 29%. The unlikely images of Mr Farage come after the Prime Minister and his Lib Dem deputy Nick Clegg were also snapped on the campaign trail posing for photographs with mothers and their babies. In the last few days alone the Prime Minister has been pictured cuddling babies, brushing his daughter’s hair and even feeding an orphaned lamb. On Friday last week, Mr Cameron was overheard telling his wife Samantha they should have another baby. Mr Cameron looks on as his wife Samantha holds seven-week old Regan in a showhome during a general election campaign visit to a housing development in Chorley last week. Lilli Docherty and her daughter Dakota, left, and Jo White, right, eat lunch as they talk David Cameron, on the election campaign trail near Poole, Dorset. The PM, visiting a young family helped onto the housing ladder through a government help-to-buy scheme, was pictured cooing over a new-born baby held by his wife. Mr Cameron was heard quipping: 'Come on darling, maybe another one?' The Prime Minister, already a father of four, later admitted he could not help thinking about having more children when he was around young babies. After sympathising with the couple about sleepless nights he said: 'Whenever I see a small baby I feel broody, but don't worry, nothing is going to happen on that front.' Today, Mr Cameron stopped for lunch with supporters near Poole in Dorset, while Mr Clegg spent the day campaigning in South West London and Bath. Mr Farage, meanwhile, sent an email to Ukip supporters pleading with them to help him regain the momentum in Thanet South. Mr Farage asked his supporters to do "him a personal favour" and join him on an 'Action Day' to help deliver leaflets, adverts for Ukip public meetings alongside canvassing on the doorstep. Mr Cameron was joined for lunch in a garden with the Docherty family from Poole as he ramped up his campaign for re-election with an attack on Labour's tax plan. Mr Cameron feeds orphaned lambs on Dean Lane farm near the village of Chadlington in the Cotswolds yesterday. The plea for help follows comments from Diane James, Ukip MEP for South East England, who told Pienaar’s Politics there were people "waiting" to put themselves forward as the next Ukip leader. “There are people there waiting. When the leadership race is announced, I’m sure individuals will put their hats into the ring,” she said yesterday. In a Sunday Times interview, Mr Farage reiterated his intention to stand down as Ukip leader if he fails to make it to the Commons in May.
| Ukip leader posed for tradition campaign photo while out in Thanet, Kent. Nick Clegg also stopped for pictures with mothers and their babies. It comes after David Cameron admitted he was 'broody' for another baby. The Prime Minister also posed feeding orphaned lambs on Easter Sunday.
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Britain's Got Talent returns to our screens for a ninth series tomorrow. The auditions for the nationwide search for a Brit with very special talent will be televised for six weeks until a winner is chosen. But after the TV cameras subside, their show at the Royal Variety Performance is over, and they've spent their £250,000 - what happens to them? Scroll down for video. Ant and Dec pictured with popular dancing pair Ashleigh and Pudsey on Britain's Got Talent in 2012. BGT judges Simonm Cowell (left), Amanda Holden (centre) and Aleesha Dixon (right) at the BGT press launch last week. From the incredible success of Paul Potts and Diversity to Attraction's questionable tactics and Jai McDowell's 'album flop', we look back at the show's winners to decide whether nabbing the prize on BGT can make you a star for longer than your 15 minutes. The biggest star to come out of the show by far is Scottish singing sensation Susa Boyle - but she didn't actually win. The reality show's judging panel - Simon Cowell, David Walliams, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon - have all said they are looking forward to finding fresh talent, and ITV chiefs are expecting bumper audience ratings. But is it really worth signing up? We look back at some of the biggest names to come out of the programme. Paul Potts. Series 1 - 2007. Paul Potts performs on Britain's Got Talent in June 2007. Welsh opera singer Paul Potts, from Port Talbot, remains one of the most successful winners of Britain's Got Talent. The classical singer's post-show album One Chance sold millions of copies and was No.1 in nine countries. In 2013, James Corden played Paul in a Holywood movie about his life called One Chance. He is to perform during a short autumn tour at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre in North Wales on October 9 and Rhyl's Pavilion Theatre on October 14. One Chance (2013), starring James Corden as Paul Potts and Alexandra Roach as Julie-Ann Cooper. Paul and wife Julie-Ann pose on the red carpet prior the Echo award 2014 at Messe Berlin, March 2014. George Sampson. Series 2 - 2008. George Sampson, now 21, from Warrington, was just 14 when he won BGT. The street dancer (and now actor) is an official ambassador of the United Dance Organisation. George enjoyed a stint acting on Waterloo road from 2011-2013, and last year featured in an episode of The Dumping Ground on CBBC, as well as an episode of Mount Pleasant. He ahs also appeared in the films StreetDance 3D and StreetDance 2. George Sampson performs a show-stopping dance on Britain's Got Talent in May 2008. Now a young actor at 21, he's pictured at an In The Night Garden Live show in London last May. Diversity. Series 3 - 2009. Street dance group Diversity formed in 2007 and won the third series of Britain's Got Talent in 2009, beating bookies favourite Susan Boyle to the No.1 spot. In 2009 they toured with BGT, while 2010 saw the first dates to their Diversitoys tour sell out in 24 hours, and they've been touring every year since. There is currently eight members, from Leytonstone, Dagenham and Essex, which includes two sets of brothers. Ashley Banjo has become the standout star of the group, he is a member of the judging panel of Sky1's dancing talent show Got To Dance and has presented several other TV shows including Ashley Banjo's Secret Street Crew, with fellow members of the dance group. In early 2014, a new Sky 1 show called Ashley Banjo's Big Town Dance followed saw Ashley and Diversity trying to bring the residents of Stockton-on-Tees tr together through dance. Perri Kiely has also had extensive solo success, winning the second series of Splash! and working as a UK presenter alongside Jordan Banjo. But the group as a whole has also had lasting success commercially - they have appeared in a number of adverts for Transformers toys, Cadbury Marvellous Mix-Up and British Gas. Diversity perform at the Britain's Got Talent final in May 2009. Diversity on stage during the Invictus Games Closing Concert in September 2014. Spelbound. Series 4 - 2010. Gymnastic troup Spelbound rose to fame in 2010 when they won the fourth series of Britain's Got Talent. They took away £100,000 and appeared at the 2010 Royal Variety Performance, as well as performing in the Britain's Got Talent Live tour. They have since performed at numerous venues and featured in TV adverts. Spelbound in BGT in May 2010. The gymnasts perform at the Rays Of Sunshine concert at Royal Albert Hall in June 2012. Jai McDowall. Series 5 - 2011. Jai McDowall, now 28, from Scotland, won the fifth series of Britain's Got Talent. He received £100,000, performed at the 2011 Royal Variety Performance and was signed to Syco Music. However by 2012, due to poor album sales, the singer/songwriter was dropped after fulfilling his one-album contract. He then, ironically, bought a house on Fail Avenue. In 2013 Jai performed at the March & Rally for Scottish Independence in Edinburgh, and in 2014 he was the support act on the Gareth Gates UK tour. Jai McDowall failed to set the music world alight after winning Britain's Got Talent in 2011 and was dropped by Syco records after his first album. But the singer continues to play gigs and last year he supported Gareth Gates on the Pop Idol singer's UK tour. Ashleigh and Pudsey. Series 6 - 2012. Ashleigh Butler and her pet Border Collie cross, Pudsey, stole the nation's hearts as contestants in the sixth series of the television talent show Britain's Got Talent, which they won in May 2012. Their dog trick act has continued to be a roaring success - in 2012 Pudsey had a role in the TV version of the book Mr Stink by David Walliams. The pair also present the CBBC TV show Who Let the Dogs Out? In 2014, Pudsey starred in the film called Pudsey: The Movie, with his character voiced by David Walliams. For the last few years, they have also become a popular fixture on the pantomime circuit - this month they're playing Dorothy and Toto in the Easter pantomime of The Wizard of Oz at the Playhouse in Whitley Bay. Ashleigh and Pudsey perform at the Britain's Got Talent final in May 2012. Ashleigh and Pudsey, pictured here on the Lorraine TV show in December 2014 have had roaring success since they won BGT. Attraction. Series 7 - 2013. Hungarian shadow theatre group Attraction, from Budapest, Hungary, first rose to fame thanks to a performance at the Hungarian Olympic Oath Ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics. Less than a year later they won the seventh series of BGT. They've since appeared on television several times, including on Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. Last year they fronted a TV advert for UK insurance broker Swinton but they are yet to announce a tour. Attraction perform on BGT last May. Attraction on Daybreak TV show in June 2013. Collabro. Series 8 - 2014. Boy band Collabro, who specialise in musical theatre, won the eighth series of Britain's Got Talent in 2014. They signed a record deal with Simon Cowell's record label Syco Music and their debut album, out in August 2014, debuted at number one in the UK. They're going on their first ever tour this year - watch this space. Collabro perform on BGT last June. Collabro perform at the Christmas Lights Switch-on in Manchester last November. Susan Boyle at her BGT audition in 2009. Susan Boyle competed in BGT in 2009, where she sang 'I Dreamed a Dream' from Les Misérables. The crowd, who were initially sceptical of Susan, were blown away by her performance, which has since been viewed more than 167 million times on YouTube. Susan was expected to win the BGT show, but was pipped to the post by the dance group Diversity. But since coming second, she has gone on to become on of the most successful talent show contestants of all time. Her debut album I Dreamed a Dream went to No.1 one around the world, including in the UK and the US, and became the UK's best-selling album of all time. She has released six records in total, sold more than 19 million albums worldwide and received two Grammy nominations.
| TV show Britain's Got Talent returns to screens for a ninth series tomorrow. Winner gets to perform at the Royal Variety Performance - and £250,000. But once the spotlight comes off - what happens to them?
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Condition: Jessica Knight can't stop eating carpet underlay and the stuffing from soft furnishings. It's not the first time a child has been accused of eating her parents out of house and home – but in Jessica Knight’s case, it’s literally true. The four-year-old has an unusual appetite for furniture, soft furnishings and fittings, and doctors say they are unable to treat her. Hardly anything is off the youngster’s menu, with the filling from a rocking horse, padding in an armchair and even carpet underlay taking her fancy. Other non-food items she devours include sand and chips of cement from paving blocks. Jessica suffers from pica, a rare medical disorder that leads to an appetite for non-nutritious substances. It is more commonly recognised among pregnant women, some of whom develop unusual cravings. ‘I was really shocked when I realised just how much she was eating. If you lift up the carpet in her room now you can see there is no underlay left,’ said her mother, Kelly Will. ‘We are at our wits’ end. We try to keep her busy so she doesn’t do it, but if we try to stop her she will find a way to do it. ‘I’d have to remove everything from my house, including all chairs and sofas.’ Miss Will, 36, first noticed the problem when Jessica was two and began eating the filling from a children’s armchair. Staff at her pre-school also spotted her licking her hands and placing them in a sandpit before sucking the grains from her fingers, before tell-tale signs of snack-attacks became clear from the damage to items around the house. Jessica, who has a three-year-old sister, Jennifer, is now allowed to keep a small purse filled with some of the spongy underlay to eat. Cravings: Jessica's Pica makes her want to eat substances including sponge, sand and even rocks. Worry: Kelly Knight says doctors are unable to treat Jessica until she is six years old. Her mother, who lives in March, Cambridgeshire, with partner Chris Knight, 40, an engineer, said: ‘We’d rather she ate the underlay because it is non-toxic. If we try and stop her we fear she will eat something with chemicals in it.’ Pica is an eating disorder that is characterised by the desire to eat items with little or no nutritional value. These can include stones, sand, paint and dirt. It is most common in people with learning disabilities and during pregnancy. It can cause a range of serious complications if the person is eating something that is poisonous or indigestible. These include being poisoned by toxic ingredients and having a part of the body obstructed (which is often seen in people who eat hair). It can also lead to excessive calorie intake, but also nutritional deprivation if the person eats a substance with no nutritional value instead of nutritious foods. The person can also damage their teeth and be infected with parasites. Experts have examined Jessica but said they cannot intervene until she is six, and old enough to make conscious decisions about what she eats rather than acting on impulse. Fortunately, she does like plain sausages, cheese strings, rice pudding, bread, Weetabix and fish fingers. But her unusual snacks can leave her in agony because they cause stomach cramps and constipation. Despite her tender years, Jessica is aware that her diet is highly unusual, and does worry what people would think of her craving different food. She also shuts her little sister out of their shared room when she is satisfying one of her cravings, saying: ‘I don’t want her to be poorly.’ The family will find out this month if Jessica is on the autistic spectrum, which is often linked to pica. The Challenging Behaviour Foundation, a learning problems charity, said: ‘It is estimated that four to 26 per cent of people with learning disabilities display pica behaviour. ‘Whilst some objects pass through the body without harm, pica can potentially be life-threatening. Risks include vomiting, blockages, choking and poisoning.’ Dr Alison Sansome, clinical director at Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust, added: ‘Pica is a complex condition and treatment is dictated by the specific circumstances in each case.’ Damage: Half of the carpet underlay in Jessica's bedroom has vanished because she has eaten it. Control: Jessica's parents have given her a purse full of bits of sponge to eat.
| Jessica Knight loves eating carpet underlay and furniture stuffing. She also snacks on sand and rocks even though parents try to stop her. Family now give her a purse full of sponge to control her cravings. Jessica suffers from rare condition Pica but doctors say they can't treat her until she is six years old.
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Countryfile presenter Ellie Harrison said that she completely 'accepts' that she will one day be replaced on the BBC show. The 37-year-old, who has defended her image against criticism that she's too 'Hollywood', told The Mirror: 'You're hot one year but completely out of favour the next.' But the mother-of-two, who joined the programme in 2011, said she'd love to stay where she is for 'a long time'. Scroll down for video. Ellie Harrison has spoken about how she believes that she will fall out of favour on Countryfile. She told The Mirror: 'It's a funny business and the nature of the beast with females is that what you get is not down to you.' She continued to say that she knew that she would become less popular. 'You are hot one year but completely out of favour the next. I know next year someone will be hotfooting it. I accept that and I know that.' For Ellie her appearance has always been a sensitive area on Countryfile as in December 2014 she revealed that she was told to tone down her look. After her first appearance on the BBC show in 2011 she was told her flowing blonde tresses were 'too present.' She was asked by producers on the Sunday evening show to be more countryside, 'less Hollywood' in her appearance - a statement she believes was related to the long blonde locks that have earned her fame. Ellie says that as a woman 'what you get is not down to you' and she wouldn't be surprised if she was replaced. In 2011 Ellie was asked by producers to be 'less present' a comment she believes was directed at her blonde hair. Pictured: presenters (L-R) Matt Baker, Ellie, Adam Henson, Tom Heap and John Craven. At the time she said the statement was an example of the problems she has encountered because of her good looks, as well as the different culture in the UK compared to the US - which she said was far more welcoming. 'It is celebratory over there; they really want you to do well,' the mother-of-two told Countryside magazine. 'It's like over here they would almost rather you were on the edge of a breakdown.' In 2009 Miriam O'Reilly successfully sued the BBC for age discrimination after being dropped by the show in a revamp. Ellie previously worked for the Countryfile Discovery Channel in America and has spoken about the problem of being viewed first for her looks and regarded as a 'blonde, fluffy thing.' Her long blonde hair has attracted much debate among viewers of Countryfile and the presenter previously admitted her tresses get much attention. She added: 'I get asked a lot about my hair. It's a subject that always seems to come up.' Ellie has previously spoken about her looks being a barrier to her career, with people presuming because she is attractive she will not be able to do her job properly. The journalist said: 'It can get in the way of people thinking you're credible, so I try and shrug it off. 'I've had people approach me – inside and outside TV – who are surprised I can string a sentence together.' This is not the first time the BBC has been under the spotlight for judging women by their looks and age, and Ellie was candid about being aware that her career in television could stop without much warning. In 2008 Miriam O'Reilly was dropped from the show and won a tribunal against the corporation three years later for age discrimination. Her case for sex discrimination failed. Miriam was axed from the show, along with Juliet Morris and Michaela Strachan, when it moved to a prime time Sunday evening slot. She was given three years to return to the BBC but decided to leave in 2012 to launch a service for women facing discrimination in the workplace. Miriam was replaced by Julia Bradbury, 43 and more than 10 years her junior.
| Ellie Harrison says she 'accepts' that she will one day be replaced. She has previously been asked to be less 'Hollywood' on screen a comment she believes refers to her blonde hair. In 2009 BBC came under fire for dropping former Countryfile presenter Miriam O'Reilly who successfully sued them in 2009.
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Stephanie Scott was a 'favourite teacher' to many students at Leeton High School. Local Leeton parents have expressed anger over the loss of their children's 'favourite teacher' as the town continues to mourn the death of Stephanie Scott. A week before students are due to return to class after school holidays, mothers have have taken to a community Facebook page to talk about how the 26-year-old's murder has affected their kids. 'Well said, my daughter has lost her favourite teacher, and she will never be the same,' wrote Glenda Goolagong. Meanwhile Jodie Salerno posted: 'Stephanie was my son and 2 daughters favourite teacher at leeton high this ... has put so much pain and sadness on our comunity [sic].' Ms Salerno told The Australian her three children 'don't want to return' to school because they are so upset over Ms Scott's death. This comes as police are due to begin an autopsy on Stephanie Scott's body to determine how she was killed. Ms Scott's remains have been transported to Glebe Morgue in Sydney, and a NSW Department of Justice spokeswoman confirmed State Coroner Michael Barnes has ordered that an autopsy be carried out this week. Detectives who are leading the investigation into the death of Stephanie Scott will reportedly make inquiries with authorities in the Netherlands in an attempt to run a background check on the accused killer. School cleaner Vincent Stanford, who moved to Leeton from Holland over a year ago with his mother and brother, was charged with Ms Scott's murder on Thursday. The 26-year-old Leeton High School teacher was allegedly murdered and dumped in bushland six days before she was due to walk down the aisle to marry her partner of five years. A week before students are due to return to class after school holidays, mothers have have taken to a community Facebook page to talk about how the 26-year-old's murder has affected their children. Police were lead to the place where Stephanie Scott's remains were found, by the family of her accused killer. Her body was discovered on Friday evening around 5pm in Cocoparra National Park north of Griffith, NSW. The high school where she worked turned into a memorial site after it emerged Ms Scott had been murdered. Stephanie Scott (right), pictured with her fiancé Aaron Leeson-Woolley, was last seen on Easter Sunday. NSW Police will get in contact with their counterparts in the Netherlands to determine if the accused 24-year-old murderer had any relevant history there, AAP reports. Stanford has reportedly been uncooperative with investigators. Daily Mail Australia has contacted NSW police for comment. It has also emerged that one of the last actions of Ms Scott was to send an email to the bus company hired for her wedding, confirming transportation for guests. The revelation follows after police discovered the charred remains of a woman's body around 5pm on Friday after they were directed to Cocoparra National Park north of Griffith, NSW by Stanford's family. It's further alleged a gasoline can had been found nearby. It is understood Stanford was familiar to the area and went on regular camping trips to the national park on many occasions with his family. On Saturday - the day which English and drama teacher Ms Scott was set to marry her fiance Aaron Leeson-Woolley - a memorial was held to honour the late bride-to-be. Ms Scott, pictured on a wine tour for her hen party last month in Canberra last month with her mother Merrilyn. On Saturday, the day Ms Scott was due to marry fiance Aaron Leeson-Woolley, a memorial was held. Aaron Leeson-Woolley was comforted by friends and family at the heartbreaking service at the weekend. In a poignant move, the memorial service took place at the same time as when her wedding ceremony was due to take place. Her father Robert Scott spoke to the gathered mourners on behalf of his family and friends who were united in their grief on Saturday at Mountford Park in Leeton. The 26-year-old was last seen on Easter Sunday, when her disappearance sparked a widespread search for the much-loved teacher. 'Stephanie was a bright, intelligent and fun-loving woman who has impacted on many people here today,' Mr Scott said at his daughter's memorial on Saturday. 'Our wishes for the future are that this stays in your minds and you remember her. 'I'm sure she'd wish for that to be the case and you could remember her for the great little girl she was.' Ms Scott's grief-stricken fiance Aaron Leeson-Woolley was too upset to take the stage, but was supported by loved ones to release yellow balloons into the air to commemorate her life. A vigil has been created at the school where the popular 26-year-old teacher taught drama and English. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
| Leeton parents say their children are devastated by teacher's murder. Police discovered a body in nearby bushland on Friday afternoon. An autopsy will now be conducted to determine the cause of death. Police will contact authorities in Holland for a background check on accused killer, Vincent Stanford, who was charged with murder.
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David Cameron will launch a multi-billion pound sale of Lloyds Bank shares if he wins the Election – in what would be the largest privatisation bonanza since the Thatcher era. The Prime Minister will today pledge that if he is returned to Downing Street he will offer the public £4 billion of Lloyds shares still held by the Government after Gordon Brown’s £20 billion panic bailout with taxpayers’ money during the 2008 economic crisis. Individuals will be allowed to buy up to £10,000 worth of Lloyds Banking Group shares, which were worth 78.7p when the stock market closed on Friday – comfortably above the 73.6p paid by Mr Brown’s government. Scroll down for video. David Cameron will launch a multi-billion pound sale of Lloyds Bank shares if he wins the Election. The shares will be offered at a discount of at least 5 per cent on the market rate at the time, with the proceeds used to help pay down the national debt. It is the latest ‘retro’ Conservative policy to hark back to the 1980s, following Mr Cameron’s revival in the manifesto of the Thatcherite ‘Right to Buy’ offer for housing association tenants. But while investors 30 years ago took overnight profits on their stakes in privatised companies such as British Gas and British Telecom – leading critics to claim that it encouraged ‘carpetbaggers’ – Lloyds shareholders will be encouraged to hang on to their holding. A loyalty bonus will be offered of one free share for every ten held for at least a year after the sale, up to a maximum bonus value of £200. The sale of Lloyds shares would be the biggest privatisation since the 1980s when Mrs Thatcher’s government sold £3.9 billion of BT shares and £5.6 billion of British Gas shares in the famous ‘Tell Sid’ campaign. Thirty-three major companies were privatised under Mrs Thatcher between 1984 and 1991, which supporters said led to a dramatic improvement in their efficiency and a boost to tax revenues for the Treasury. Like Right to Buy, it also helped to entrench Tory support among voters who benefited from the windfalls. No 10 strategists hope Mr Cameron’s pledge will remind voters of the economic problems that blighted the country under Mr Brown’s premiership. The recovery under Chancellor George Osborne has allowed him to sell £9 billion of shares in Lloyds to City investors for more than the price that former chancellor Alistair Darling paid in 2008. CLAIM: Jesse Norman and the chocolate cake he allegedly gave out while campaigning for re-election. Police are investigating a Tory MP over claims he attempted to bribe voters with chocolate cake. Jesse Norman allegedly gave out cake while campaigning for re-election at an Asda supermarket in his Hereford constituency. West Mercia Police last night said it was investigating reports of a breach of the Representation of the People Act 1983, which bans Election candidates from providing food, drink or entertainment in a bid to win votes. The probe follows would-be Ukip MP Kim Rose, who is standing in Southampton Itchen, being grilled by police for giving out sausage rolls at a party event earlier this year. Detectives are expected to speak to Mr Norman after he was photographed with trays of baked goods on April 2. He described the allegations as ‘nonsense’, saying: ‘We had a couple of small boxes of chocolate muffins ... we may have given out one or two to children, who are not even voters.’ There have been two sales to big pension funds and City institutions in 2013 and early in 2014. Late last year, UK Financial Investments, the Treasury body that manages the Government stake, hired investment bank Morgan Stanley to sell a few million Lloyds shares in the market every day over a six month period – a practice known as a ‘dribble-out’. The Government still owns £12.5 billion of Lloyds shares and experts expect £4 billion worth to be offered to the public, with the rest sold to City institutions. With the share price currently above 78p, the Tories will be able claim they have banked a profit running into billions for the taxpayer. However, while Lloyds has been a success story, the Government’s other big bank investment – Royal Bank of Scotland – has not. The Treasury under Mr Brown paid an average of 502p a share for RBS when it was rescued. They were changing hands on Friday for 349p. In Mr Cameron’s announcement today, he is expected to say: ‘The £20 billion bailout of Lloyds Bank by the last Labour government became a symbol of the crisis that engulfed the British economy under Labour. After the public bailed it out, people feared they wouldn’t see their money returned. Today they are. ‘Today’s announcement marks another step in the long journey we have been making repairing our banks, turning our economy around and reducing our national debt, only made possible by our long-term economic plan. ‘That’s why it is so important that we don’t put all that progress at risk, but instead build on what we’ve done so we can deliver a brighter, more secure future for our country.’ COUNTRY LIFE: A 'beater' at work and below, a bottle of Sipsmith Dry Gin. The Prime Minister indulged his love of country sports by taking part in a secret country shoot near his Oxfordshire constituency home. And he celebrated with a nip of a specially prepared ‘Chipping Norton’ cocktail. But witnesses say that David Cameron did not himself use a gun – despite his reputation as a skilled marksman. Instead, he acted as a ‘beater’ to flush out the game. The event took place on New Year’s Eve but until now has been kept a closely guarded secret. It took place near Chipping Norton, the Oxfordshire town which has given its name to the ‘Chipping Norton set’ of high-profile local residents from the world of politics, media and showbusiness such as Mr Cameron and Jeremy Clarkson. Last night, the man who served Mr Cameron the cocktail said other people on what he described as a ‘country walk’ had no idea there would be a VIP guest. Jared Brown, master distiller at the West London ‘artisanal’ gin company Sipsmith, said: ‘No one but the landowner knew the Prime Minister would be joining us.’ He fought shy of describing the event as a shoot, but added: ‘I can say with utter certainty that Mr Cameron did not handle a gun.’ Mr Brown confirmed, though, that the PM did sample the cocktail, based on Sipsmith London Dry Gin. Last night, the drink, also containing manuka honey, raspberry tea and extract of echinacea, was being dubbed the ‘Chipping Norton cocktail’.
| David Cameron will pledge to sell Lloyds shares if he wins the election. Government hold shares after Labour's £20billion bailout in 2008. The £4billion sale would be the biggest privatisation since the 1980s.
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A teenage Welsh international has had her promising career halted by a dead shin bone. Hannah Bluck, 18, from Porthcawl, south Wales, had her dreams shattered after a rare condition ruled her out of the game for two years. The teen football prodigy was warned by doctors that her leg could collapse into her ankle after being diagnosed with avascular necrosis in her distal tibia. Wales' Hannah Bluck, 18, has had her promising career halted after suffering a rare condition. The 18-year-old has played for the Wales youth national teams at U19, U17 and U16 level. Avascular necrosis is bone death due to poor blood supply. The flow of blood to a section of bone can be interrupted if the bone is fractured or the joint becomes dislocated. The condition can lead to the eventual collapse of the bone. It is most common in people between the ages of 30 and 60, though most suffer from it in the hip and shoulder. The ultra-rare condition has caused her weight-bearing shin bone to die from lack of oxygen. Doctors have been baffled by the condition, which has never been seen before on a leg bone and usually affects joints. Mum Kerstin said: 'The doctor told her "Hannah, you have to listen to everything I say because even if you go jogging then your leg could collapse into your ankle and that would be the worst thing that could ever happen". 'I think she's dealt with it better than we have as parents. She's been so brave. 'She has such a high pain threshold and her first words to me after her accident were "where've you been and what took you so long?" 'Hannah's a girl of few words but one of the most aggressive centre-backs you'll ever see.' The youngster set records at youth level for Wales - appearing for the under-16s, under-17s and under-19s sides in the space of just eight days - before she was struck down by a freak accident in March 2013. The promising centre-back suffered a sickening dislocation of her ankle and fractured her fibia and tibia after falling while running on astroturf during routine training. Despite the help of Football Association of Wales and Cardiff City physios, the talented star hit a brick road in her recovery and saw specialists in November 2013 when she discovered she had AVN. A scan of Bluck's shin bone, which has left doctors baffled by the rare condition. Hannah, who is also autistic, has not kicked a ball since and turned her hand to coaching, working with the girls' Under-8s, 10s and 14s at Swansea. Kerstin said: 'Hannah has always had a ball at her feet and played for her first club when she was seven. 'She used to play with the boys until she was 11 and she wasn't happy when she had to stop - she enjoys the rough and tumble.' 'Football is everything for her and she has missed out on the social side because all her friends are at football so she doesn't see them. 'She's had her bad days but we're getting more positive ones now.' Despite two years on the sidelines, Hannah is still dreaming of a senior appearance for the Wales national side and is being followed by Women's Super League side Bristol Academy. Bluck (centre) pictured with former Swansea City player Wilfried Bony in the gym last year. Manchester United supporter Hannah said: 'It would mean everything to get back out on the pitch after two years out - when I play that is when I am most happy in life. 'It's so frustrating having to sit and watch when I just want to be out there playing. 'It's my dream to get a full senior Wales cap and I'd love to go and be a professional player in America too.' The treatment Hannah had been receiving was discovered to have stopped working last month leaving the family with nowhere to turn. In desperation, mum-of-five Kerstin took to Facebook and was amazed when a school friend she had not spoke to for almost three decades got in touch. Bluck (left) poses for a photo with Wales manager Chris Coleman and the U16 cap she won in 2012. The long-lost contact threw the family a lifeline as experts at the world's biggest orthopaedic conference in Las Vegas in the USA ended up analysing Hannah's MRI scan. As a result, Hannah, who lives with brothers Daniel, 23, Thomas, 20, Conor, 16, Ben, 10, and dad Jonathan, 42, as well as Kerstin, has secured an appointment with a leading specialist in London on April 20. Kerstin said: 'She is still training all the time at Swansea City and you should see her upper body now. 'She has a core that puts some of the men to shame when she is in the gym with all of them. 'Hannah's so humble but she can do so many things that even the men there would struggle to do. 'It's been a hard two years for her but she has never given up and she never will do. 'I'm proud of every single breath that girl takes.'
| Hannah Bluck has not played football since a freak accident in March 2013. The 18-year-old was diagnosed with avascular necrosis in her distal tibia. Bluck was warned that her leg could collapse into her ankle. The promising centre-back has played for Wales U19, U17 and U16. She is currently coaching the girls' Under-8s, 10s and 14s at Swansea.
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They could be depicting the froth off a latte or frosted sea-glass washed ashore, but these unique photographs are actually the surreal moment ocean foam explodes in the air. Ocean photographer Lloyd Meudell started taking images of the sea with a GoPro after being an avid surfer his entire life. He formed an obsession with photography and after purchasing all the high end equipment, he began to shoot ocean foam, calling the venture 'foam surrealism.' 'When the tide is high, the water comes in and it breaks in front of cliffs, explodes into the air and creeps over the sand,' Mr Meudell told Daily Mail Australia. An Ocean photographer has captured the unique and surreal moment ocean foam hits the sand. 'When the tide is high, the water comes in and it breaks in front of cliffs, explodes into the air and creeps over the sand,' he said. 'Taking these sort of images is all I do apart from go to work.' Mr Meudell grew up on the south coast of New South Wales and takes most of his shots on Kiama beach spanning to Gerrigong beach. After receiving emails from potential buyers asking how they can purchase one of his prints, Mr Meudell started a website and he admits the purchasers are not what you'd expect. 'They are for anyone, from any country and it's not just people who love ocean photography that buy these pieces,' he said. 'I surprisingly have a lot of elderly ladies purchase my foam images.' The 40-year-old chooses his time wisely, often waking up at the crack of dawn to get the ultimate shot. 'The best time is always the morning or the evening because that's when you get the beautiful colours,' he said.' Although he has only been taking ocean photos for two years, Mr Meudell's shots draw from works of surrealism such as Salvador Dali and appear very dream-like. Mr Meudell takes most of his shots on Kiama beach spanning to Gerrigong beach on the south coast of NSW. He uses an EOS 5D Mark III DSLR and numerous lenses to achieve the unique shots but does not reveal settings he uses to keep air of mystery. The 40-year-old advises other budding photographers to familiarise themselves with how the ocean works before getting behind a lens. Mr Meudell uses an EOS 5D Mark III DSLR and numerous lenses to achieve the remarkable shots but admits, as an artist, he regrettably cannot reveal his secrets. 'Through my Instagram and website, I get so many people asking me what shutter speed, ISO and aperture I use,' he said. 'And it's cool they want to do the same thing, but I got out there and did it myself, so that's what I advise others to do.' Mr Meudell instead advises budding photographers to familiarise themselves with how the ocean works before getting behind a lens. 'Spending time in the water and knowing how a wave breaks really helps with this kind of photography,' he said. 'Someone who has never surfed in their life won't pick it up as quick as someone who has spent their whole life surfing.' He also said to start with a GoPro due to their simplicity and build up to a DSLR. 'But on top of everything, make sure you're having fun.'
| An Ocean photographer has captured the unique and surreal moment ocean foam hits the sand. Surfer Lloyd Meudell formed a severe photography obsession after buying a GoPro two years ago. He now shoots on a EOS 5D Mark III DSLR and uses numerous lenses but does not reveal his secrets. The 'foam surrealism' pieces are shot on the south coast of NSW at Kiama beach through to Gerrigong. Mr Meudell's shots draw from works of surrealism such as Salvador Dali and appear very dream-like.
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'The General': Mohammed Suleman Khan, 43, was sent to prison for four years last April but faces ten more years if he does not pay back £2.2m. A jailed tax fraudster who hid his wealth in the UK while building an estate in Pakistan modelled on Buckingham Palace must pay back £2.2million within six months or face a ten more years in jail. Mohammed Suleman Khan, 43, was sent to prison for four years last April after defrauding the taxman of £450,000. His nine-year scam was exposed after police raided his Birmingham home and discovered plans for his own mansion in Pakistan, complete with library, cinema and servant quarters. Serving inmate Khan faced a proceeds of crime hearing at Liverpool Crown Court last week and was ordered to pay £2.2million within six months. If he fails to hand over the cash he faces a further ten years in prison. The tax fraudster had contested the order, brought by West Midlands Police and prosecuted at court by Andrew Smith QC. Judge Andrew Menary QC presided over the week-long case, which heard details of Khan's complicated financial affairs. The original tax fraud court case heard how he had lived in a gated £500,000 house in Moseley and drove a BMW, but had no obvious job. His family home belonged to relatives and only small amounts of money went through his bank accounts. Yet while he was careful to avoid showing trappings of wealth in the UK, detectives from West Midlands Police's Force CID discovered he had secretly paid for the £2.3million mansion to be built in Pakistan. In court his defence team portrayed him as a legitimate businessman who had earned around £400,000 over the nine-year period from debt collecting and other business interests in the UK and abroad. But police found no evidence of a legitimate debt collecting company and their investigation proved he had netted more than £1million during that period, without paying the required tax and National Insurance. Inspiration: Khan built himself a vast estate in Pakistan, left, inspired by Buckingham Palace, right. A search of Khan's Birmingham home after his arrest uncovered plans for the 'palace' in the Attock region of Pakistan. The outer shell and roof of the building had been completed by Khan at a cost of £893,000. Once finished, the property would have been valued at £2.3 million. Khan was known in criminal circles as 'The General' and his prosecution sent shockwaves around Birmingham's criminal fraternity, who had held him up to near 'mythical' status. One gangland source said: 'In recent years he was said to have turned religious but this man was still feared and his dealings and movements were shrouded in mystery. 'Not many people had even ever set eyes on him. He had this kind of mythical status where people only spoke his name in hushed tones. Most people referred to him simply as 'The General' which gave an indication of the kind of status he had in the community.' A police source close to the investigation into the unsolved murder of of Tony Yaqub in Birmingham in 2004 said: 'Khan was arrested after returning to Birmingham from Pakistan a few days after the murder and he was questioned at length'. Khan was later released without charge. An appeal was later made on the BBC’s Crimewatch programme but Mr Yaqub’s killers have continued to evade police and no motive for his murder has ever been revealed by police.
| Mohammed Suleman Khan lived extravagant lifestyle without a job. Police found he was building his own Buckingham Palace in Pakistan. Known as 'The General' in UK gangland and jailed for four years last year. Judge orders him to pay back £2.2m or face another ten years in jail.
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Boris Johnson last night urged Ukip voters to 'swing behind the Conservatives' to avoid the 'nightmare' of a 'backward-looking Labour government' propped up by an 'even more Left-wing' SNP. The London Mayor claimed Ukip supporters are in 'increasing psychological conflict' as they realise a vote for Nigel Farage's party is a 'vote for Ed Miliband'. 'A lot want to come home to the Tories. Any gain by Ukip is a gain by Miliband,' he told the Daily Mail as he campaigned in the Thanet South, the Kent seat where Mr Farage is standing. 'The risk is that would let in a Labour/SNP government which would be a catastrophe for the country'. Scroll down for video. Boris Johnson receives a kiss on the cheek while campaigning in Finchley High Road and Edgware High Street. Mr Johnson poses for a photo with a group of locals while out on the Tory campaign trail. Two young women take a photo with Mr Johnson while he campaigned on the streets of London yesterday. Mr Johnson also visited Ramsgate, Kent, to support local candidate Craig McKinley. While in Kent, the Mayor of London warned that a vote for Ukip would be equal to a vote for Ed Miliband. Mr Johnson's intervention shows the Tories are determined to ramp up their warnings over a Labour government propped up by the SNP. He also urged Labour and Liberal Democrat voters to rally behind the Conservatives in Thanet and defeat the Ukip leader, an outcome he said would mean Ukip's 'puffball had exploded'. Mr Johnson's intervention signals that the Tories are determined to ramp up their warnings over a minority Labour government dependent on the votes of SNP MPs. Yesterday, former prime minister Sir John Major clashed with Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon over the prospect of the surging Scottish Nationalists, on course to win 40 or more seats, holding the balance of power at Westminster. Miss Sturgeon has ruled out any deal with the Conservatives and said she would be prepared to put Mr Miliband in Number Ten even if Labour wins fewer seats in a hung Parliament. In an unusual intervention in contemporary politics, Sir John warned the SNP represents a 'real and present danger' to the future of the United Kingdom. A partnership between Labour and the SNP would mean Mr Miliband being subjected to 'a daily dose of political blackmail' from an SNP determined to 'create merry hell' in order to bring about the end of the Union, he said. His remarks drew a furious response from Miss Sturgeon, who said his remarks about her party being a threat were 'an affront to democracy'. Mr Johnson leaves a walkabout in Ramsgate, Kent, with lipstick on his cheek. 'These are the same politicians that during the referendum campaign urged Scotland to lead the UK not leave the UK. Now they appear to say Scotland's voice should only be heard if we say the things they want us to say and vote the way they want us to vote,' she said. 'My message to John Major is Scotland's voice deserves to be heard in whatever way the Scottish people choose, and voting SNP means Scotland's voice will be heard more loudly and strongly at Westminster than it has ever been heard before.' Former First Minister Alex Salmond insisted Sir John's position was 'fundamentally undemocratic'. He said he was 'the man who, let us remember, rather carelessly mislaid every single Tory seat in Scotland'. 'What these Westminster parties fear - and what many people in England would welcome - is not just the size of the SNP, but the majority for progressive politics that would come from it,' he said. Mr Miliband, who has repeatedly refused to rule out relying on the support of the SNP to get into Downing Street, also reacted angrily. 'David Cameron is setting one part of part of the UK against another. That is dangerous. He is talking up the SNP chances and not taking them on. That is dangerous,' the Labour leader said. 'I have to say to Conservatives, frankly, I think they should tell the prime minister to stop because he is demeaning his office, he is demeaning himself, he is demeaning those people he sends out on his behalf, and frankly, I think it is threatening the integrity of the United Kingdom.' Even one former Tory Cabinet minister expressed unease, claiming the party's campaign attacks on the SNP risk undermining the future of the United Kingdom. Former Scottish Secretary Lord Forsyth said talking up the threat posed by the Scottish nationalists was 'short-term and dangerous'. The Prime Minister was unrepentant last night, rejecting the suggestion he risks stoking SNP support in Scotland. SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon was mocked by ex-PM Sir John Major over her demand to play a role in propping up a Labour government. Mr Miliband yesterday claimed David Cameron was 'setting up one part of the UK against another' 'I am responsible for lots of things. Heck, I am the prime minister, I am responsible for everything. But I am not responsible for the fact that the Labour Party has failed to get its message across in Scotland. 'The rest of the country does have to wonder, what is the price that they will pay? I fear for our country if this were to happen.' Mr Cameron said the SNP would want voters across the UK to feel by the end of five years of chaotic administration that 'the country doesn't work, that the government does not work, that the country should break up'. Campaigning in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, he added: 'By raising this I am not only raising the issue and the fear that people have that money will be sucked out of areas like this. 'I am also raising the point that we care about our UK, I care passionately about it. Don't let the SNP into government of the UK because they would try to break it up.' Mr Johnson, campaigning in Thanet, said: 'Ukip voters can see the argument that we have got the plan for the economy, and I hope very much that they will think sensibly and carefully. 'There is an element of internal conflict in the minds of many Ukip voters. They are thinking they could end up with something – a backward-looking Labour government propped up by an even more Left-wing SNP – that would really set the country back.' Mr Cameron has repeatedly warned against allowing the SNP into government for fear they will 'try to break it up'
| London mayor Boris Johnson has urged Ukip supporters to vote Tory. He said Ukip supporters realise a vote for Ukip is a 'vote for Ed Miliband' Conservative votes would avoid the 'nightmare' of SNP propping up Labour. Mr Johnson yesterday campaigned in Kent, where Nigel Farage is standing.
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Love the lighting in these photography shots? They become even more awe-inspiring at the realisation that they're paintings, and someone spent between 50 to 300 hours painstakingly creating them. Patrick Kramer is a 33-year-old artist hailing from Springville, Utah, who specialises in remarkably hyper-realistic paintings. Scroll down for video. Action shot: The artwork of 33-year-old Patrick Kramer is so realistic it's impossible to tell apart from a photo. In this image, he has painted a falling woman with a deeply intricate background. The US artist specialises in beautifully in-depth oil painted portraits, including this intricate black and white portrait of a man called Matt. The paintings, including this of a sleeping young girl called Anna, take the artist up to 50 to 300 hours to complete. It's almost impossible to tell that Kramer's flawless creations are in fact oil paintings due to their incredible pin-sharp detail and clarity. His portrayals vary between vivid city scenes, still-life objects, portraits and breathtaking motion-shots. As well as his portfolio of hyper-realistic paintings, he also constructs more surreal variations on still life, involving insects or inanimate objects in front of a background. One of his images is an imitation of the cover art for musician Drake's 2013 album, Nothing Was the Same. Kramer also paints highly-detailed urban shots, which are impossible to tell apart from a photo. His technique involves building layers of oil paint in order to achieve the intense level of detail. The US artist works from photos and builds up delicate layers of oil paint on a board or canvas. This allows him to add controlled detail and subtle shadowing, which appear almost three-dimensional in the pieces of artwork. Kramer has admitted that an oil painting can take anywhere between 50 to 300 hours (one to six weeks) to complete. The length of time taken depends entirely on the size of the painting and the level of detail. The 33-year-old artist has admitted that this type of artwork suits his precise preferences and personality. Kramer also constructs more surreal imagery of insects, which all still have the same high level of detail - including (left) a dragonfly on an intricate background, and (right) Kramer's painting of a butterfly resting on a wad of letters. Cracks in the surface: The artist, from Utah, specialises in creating exceptionally-realistic works of art. In this case, it is a paintbrush against a background of cracked paint. Kramer said: 'Being a perfectionist, I have always been considering art as an outlet for my slightly obsessive personality. The artist's background and education was also important in honing his interests. 'I studied painting in college, and experimented with hyper realism as a way of perfecting my craft. 'I never intended to pursue the style, but found it hard to give up, as it suited my nature.' Kramer's artwork - including this painting of half-filled glasses - is astounding in its level of clarity. Glass half full or half empty? This painting is incredibly detailed, from the fine fish fins to the bubble floating at the top of the glass. Kramer's paintings can vary between still-life of subjects such as paint-brushes (left) and detailed portrayals, such as this harbour (right) Nothing Was the Same: This painting imitates the album cover art for Drake's 2013 album, but swaps Drake for a female model.
| Patrick Kramer, 33, is a hyper-realist artist from Springville, Utah. Works from photos and builds up layers of oil paints on canvas. Each work of art takes anywhere between 50 to 300 hours to complete.
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An apprentice electrician fell off a ladder and died in front of his father after he was electrocuted while testing lights in a factory, an inquest has heard. Nathan Brown, 19, was working with his father David, an experienced electrician, when he apparently touched a set of exposed electrical bars powering a crane. The shock caused him to fall 12ft head first onto the roof of a toilet block below the crane. He was airlifted to hospital but later died from his injuries. Tragic: Apprentice electrician Nathan Brown died after being electrocuted while testing lights. Accident: Nathan fell 12ft from a ladder after being electrocuted, and later died of his injuries. The inquest in Oldham heard that Nathan - described by his family as a 'cheeky, happy boy' - trained to become an electrician so he could follow in his father's footsteps. The pair were both working at Eurofabs UK Ltd, a sheet metal manufacturer in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, when tragedy struck in September 2013. Nathan was told to climb up a ladder onto the walkway of a crane and test the lights in the building's roof, taking readings and shouting them down to his father - a task as easy as plugging in a television. But he accidentally touched a 400-volt busbar, a metal strip which conducts electricity within a switchboard, while he was trying to climb high enough to carry out the tests. Forensic pathologist Philip Lumb told the inquest he found burn marks consistent with electrocution on Nathan's arm. Family: The 19-year-old was working with his father David, an experienced electrician, at the time of his death. He said: 'I gather Nathan was an apprentice electrician who was working for his father and contracted by a company called Eurofabs to conduct a complete electrical inspection. 'One of his duties was to inspect one part of the roof. In order to gain access, Nathan had to get on top of a toilet block and place a ladder against an electrical crane to access the platform where the lights were located. 'His father was working in the premises at the time. A short time late his father saw Nathan fall head first into the roof of the toilet block, about 12ft. He did not note any sounds of attempts to break his fall. 'He went to attend to him but found him in a collapsed condition, although his father said he may be able to feel a pulse.' Dr Lumb told the inquest the cause of Nathan's death was electrocution and that he probably suffered cardiac arrest before falling to the ground. His mother Nicole, 47, said she learnt of the accident when she was called by her other son Gary, who worked at Eurofabs. She told the inquest: 'He said, "Don't panic mum but Nathan has had a fall." I remember saying, "Why, what happened?" He said, "He has fallen from a ladder." 'I asked if he was OK and he said he didn't know as he wasn't conscious. He said, "You need to get here as soon as you can mum." I just rushed out the house and got on the car and drove straight over. 'I remember running up the stairs to get to him. I just got more or less up the stairs and I saw the paramedics trying to save him.' Workplace: Nathan and his father were carrying out electrical tests at Eurofabs UK in Rochdale. In a statement Mr Brown, 50, who has been an electrician for 32 years, said that his son had joined him as an apprentice in September 2012 after embarking on a three-year training course, and had completed health and safety training a month before the fatal accident. He said: 'As an apprentice he was learning on the job and only ever allowed to complete basic tasks such as basic electrics, switches, sockets and lights. 'You would only ever allow Nathan to carry out work when safe for him to do so and work within capability, knowledge and competence.' Mr Brown said he had carried out work at the Eurofabs premises twice before, and on this occasion was carrying out a general electrical survey which he likened to an 'MOT.' He said he decided to put a ladder over the toilet block beneath a 10-tonne travelling crane and had not seen the busbar overhead. He told the inquest: 'As far as I am aware the busbar should have been marked up in a sleeve with the marking "danger high voltage". I have never come across a busbar not sleeved and marked with an appropriate sign. 'Had I been aware of the presence of the busbars in such unprotected conditions then I would not have continued to take this work. In all 32 years' experience with busbars I have seen them properly protected and never come across exposed busbars as present on the day of the accident. 'That was the worst and fastest day of my life. It's a blur but I can't get rid of some of those thoughts. The test he was doing would be as simple as plugging a TV into a wall. 'I'm completely devastated by the accident and life will never be the same again. He was the light of my life and my family and I will miss him so much. Time is a great healer and I hope that will be the case.' The inquest continues.
| Nathan Brown, 19, was working with father David testing lights in a factory. He climbed up on a crane but accidentally touched exposed power supply. The shock made him fall 12ft head first and he died of his injuries. Inquest hears that the power supply was not clearly marked as dangerous.
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A. Alfred Taubman, the self-made Michigan billionaire whose philanthropy and business success — including weaving the enclosed shopping mall into American culture — was clouded by a criminal conviction late in his career, has died aged 91. Taubman, who donated hundreds of millions of dollars to universities, hospitals and museums, died Friday night at his home of a heart attack, according to son Robert S. Taubman, president and CEO of Taubman Centers, Inc. 'This company and all that you stand for were among the greatest joys of his life,' Robert S. Taubman wrote in a message to the company's employees. Dead at 91: Real estate mogul and Michigan billionaire A. Alfred Taubman died on Friday night at his home after a heart attack. 'He was so proud of what this wonderful company he founded 65 years ago has accomplished.' Taubman's business success spanned from real estate and art houses to the hot dog-serving A&W restaurant chain, for which he traveled to Hungary to figure out why the country's sausage was so good. He also became a major backer of stem-cell research. But it was his rearrangement of how people shop — parking lot in front, several stores in one stop close to home — that left a mark on American culture. Taubman Centers, a subsidiary of his Taubman Co., founded in 1950, currently owns and manages 19 regional shopping centers nationwide. 'Everything that excited me that I got interested in, I did,' Taubman told The Associated Press in a 2007 interview. Born January 31, 1942, in Pontiac, Michigan, to German-Jewish immigrants, Taubman worked as a boy at a department store after school near his family's home, which was among the custom houses and commercial buildings developed in the area by his father. He was a freshman at the University of Michigan when he left to serve in World War II, around the time he stopped using his first name, Adolph. When he returned to Ann Arbor to study art and architecture, he created small on-campus businesses to cover expenses, then transferred to Lawrence Technological University near Detroit to take night classes while working at an architectural firm as a junior draftsman. Family business: Taubman Prestige Outlets Chesterfield officially opened in 2013 in Chesterfield, Missouri a western suburb of St. Louis. Recognizing the booming post-war growth of the middle class, particularly in the Motor City, he launched his first real estate development company in 1950. His first project was a freestanding bridal shop in Detroit — but he had his eyes on something bigger. He'd noticed shoppers responding to the convenience of 'one-stop comparison shopping opportunity,' he wrote in his autobiography. So when a friend suggested a shopping plaza in Flint, Taubman's company did something radical for the time: stores were pushed to the back of the lot and parking spaces were put up front. It was a success, his young company took on larger-scale developments in Michigan, California and elsewhere in the 1950s and early '60s. A. Alfred Taubman is assisted as he leaves federal court in New York, on Monday, April 22, 2002 where Taubman was sentenced to a year in jail for fixing commissions at Sotheby's. Taubman served as chairman of Sotheby's Holdings, Inc., parent company of Sotheby's art auction house, from 1983 to 2000, and was a partner in international real estate firm The Athena Group before he was tangled in a price-fixing scheme. He was convicted in 2001 of conspiring with Anthony Tennant, former chairman of Christie's International, to fix the commissions the auction giants charged. Prosecutors alleged sellers were bilked of as much as $400 million in commissions. Taubman was fined $7.5 million and spent about a year in a low-security prison in Rochester, Minnesota, but long insisted he was innocent and expressed regret for not testifying in his own defense. 'I had lost a chunk of my life, my good name and around 27 pounds,' he recalled in his book, saying he was forced to take the fall for others. Mall man: A. Alfred, Robert and William Taubman, along with Randy Benderson and other dignitaries, cut the ribbon today to open The Mall at University Town Center in Sarasota, Florida in 2014. The case cast a shadow over Taubman's accomplishments, but it diminished over the years — and his philanthropy continued unabated. He had pledged $100 million to the University of Michigan's A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute and its stem-cell research by 2011. He also financed public-policy programs at Harvard, Brown University and the University of Michigan, which received several large donations. He donated millions and spoke passionately in support of the 2008 ballot initiative in Michigan that eased restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research and enabled his namesake institute to conduct major research for diseases — including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, which claimed the life of his good friend, New York Sen. Jacob Javits, in 1986. After turning over control of Taubman Centers to his two sons, Taubman made sustaining the Detroit Institute of Art a priority. His knowledge of how shoppers negotiated malls was tapped to help reconfigure the flow of the museum, and he helped guide the DIA as president of the Detroit Arts Commission through chronic financial problems.
| A. Alfred Taubman, the self-made Michigan billionaire died on Friday night at his home of a heart attack. Taubman's business success spanned from real estate and art houses to the hot dog-serving A&W restaurant chain. Waubman was convicted in 2001 of conspiring with the former chairman of Christie's to fix the commissions the auction giants charged at Sotheby's. Taubman was fined $7.5 million and spent about a year in a low-security prison in Rochester, Minnesota, but long insisted he was innocent.
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Emergency services are preparing for damaging winds to hit large parts of New South Wales as residents in Victoria and Queensland prepare for a week of colder weather. The NSW State Emergency Service anticipates calls across the Sydney metropolitan, Hunter and Illawarra regions with winds of up to 100km/h expected over the next two days. The SES had responded to about 15 jobs on Monday morning, mainly in Sydney metro area. Scroll down for video. Winds of at least 100km/h lashed parts of the east coast, causing this tree to fall on a car in East Gosford, on the NSW Central Coast, wth a driver and passenger inside. They were treated for only minor injuries. They were treated for minor injuries by paramedics. The SES is preparing for damaging winds to hit parts of NSW over the next two days. Pedestrians shelter under umbrellas from heavy rain in Sydney on Monday. Rain and damaging winds averaging 55 to 70 km/h with gusts to about 100 km are forecast to develop along the coastal fringe of the Sydney Metropolitan, Hunter and Illawarra regions. MONDAY. TUESDAY. WEDNESDAY. THURSDAY. FRIDAY. SATURDAY. A pedestrian is drenched while crossing the street in the Sydney central business district during heavy rain on Monday. 'We anticipate there will be some more requests for assistance coming through, due to the fact there's a severe weather warning currently for damaging winds,' an SES spokeswoman told AAP. According to the Bureau of Meteorology forecast, winds averaging 55km/h to 65km/h with gusts to about 100km/h are set to develop in Sydney, the Hunter and Illawarra on Monday afternoon and evening. The SES said there is also some rainfall forecast in the same areas for Monday, which are not yet included on the warning. Rainfall could be 40-60mm across most of those areas, with up to 100mm in some places. A weather map from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology shows three-hourly precipitation as at 1pm AEST on Monday. A ship makes its way out to sea in Sydney on Monday. The Bureau of Meteorology has been issued for Sydney Closed Waters, the Hunter Coast, Sydney Coast, Illawarra Coast, Batemans Coast and Eden Coast. The SES had responded to about 15 jobs on Monday morning, mainly in Sydney metro area. Snow has started to fall at Perisher in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales. Perisher will see a snow shower or two on Monday with a maximum temperature of three degrees celcius. On Tuesday there will be a 30 per cent chance of a snow shower with temperatures expected to sit between -1 and 3 degrees. '(We're) waiting for it to develop,' the spokeswoman said. Dangerous surf conditions are also expected to develop on Monday. The SES is advising people to move their cars under cover, secure loose yard or balcony items and keep clear of fallen powerlines. Meanwhile in Victoria, residents are bracing for what could be the coldest April week in six years, The Age reported. People in Melbourne endured hail storms on the weekend and are set to endure a cold week until the end of the weekend with ranging between lows of 7 degrees and highs of 19 degrees all week. A cold front is expected to move across the state on Friday, creating the conditions for a cold and rainy Anzac Day. South-east Queensland is also preparing for below average temperatures this week and rain on Monday and possibly Tuesday. The first major snowfall of the year has happened at the ski fields at Thredbo, in southern New South Wales near the Victoria border. The area's forecast says to expect possible snow showers in areas above 1200m and temperatures between -2 and 3 degrees. On the weekend Melbourne endure freak hail storms. Victorians are bracing for what could be the coldest April week in six years. Melbourne residents are set to endure a cold week until Anzac Day with ranging between lows of 7 degrees and highs of 19 degrees.
| Emergency services are preparing for damaging winds of up to 100km/h to hit large parts of New South Wales. The SES had responded to about 15 jobs on Monday morning, mainly in Sydney metropolitan area. Residents in Victoria and Queensland prepare for a week of colder weather after a hail storm hit Melbourne.
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Sofia Vergara and her ex fiance Nick Loeb are embroiled in a legal fight over her frozen eggs which they planned to have children with before their bitter split, a new report claims. Loeb has filed a lawsuit in California in a bid to prevent the Modern Family actress from destroying two cryopreserved female embryos created through IVF, according to InTouch. Vergara’s representatives declined to comment on the allegations when contacted by DailyMail.com on Wednesday. Court documents, filed under pseudonyms Jane and John Doe, detail how the couple fertilized embryos using her eggs and his sperm six months before their split in November 2013. Scroll down for video. Legal fight: A magazine claims Nick Loeb has filed a lawsuit against his ex-fiancee Sofia Vergara in a bid to prevent her from destroying two cryopreserved female embryos created through IVF, pictured here in 2011. Loeb, 39, is seeking to ensure the female embryos are not destroyed, but Vergara has refused to 'agree to their preservation under all circumstances,' according to the legal papers. The lawsuit was first filed in August 2014 before it was refiled again on April 1 with updated information and after Loeb sought new legal representation. Another claim in the documents is that, previously, the pair twice had eggs implanted in a surrogate, but the procedure failed. Elsewhere in the lawsuit, it is claimed 42-year-old actress Vergara - who got engaged to True Blood hunk Joe Manganiello on Christmas Day after six months of dating - was 'physically and mentally abusive' to Loeb. Wrangle: The lawsuit has been filed under the pseudonyms John and Jane Doe. No directive: Ultimately, the outcome will be at the discretion of a judge, but it would be unlikely that Loeb would be able to use the embryos without Sofia's consent, according to a legal expert who spoke to InTouch. The documents state: 'She punched him in the face on two occasions, kicked him, and threw her phone at his head. She also routinely bullied him, calling him a "loser," "worthless" and other degrading names.' In April 2013 Vergara - who has a 23-year-old son Manolo from her first marriage - spoke publicly about having frozen her eggs and her desire to have more children. She revealed that she and Loeb - who she dated on-off for almost four years - planned to use a surrogate on the account that she had thyroid cancer in 2000 and, as a result, had a lot of radiation. Complicated matter: In this page of the document it states Sofia and Nick were planning on using a gestational surrogate in 2012 to start a family and that Sofia had insisted on using a 44-year-old friend and emloyee. Arduous process: After the first two embryos failed to implant in the first surrogate the couple looked for another suitable candidate. Getting ugly: Page five of the document further details Sofia and Nick's disagreements over the usage and disposal of the embryos and also alleges Sofia was physically, emotionally and mentally abusive to him. InTouch has previously claimed that now Vergara and 38-year-old Manganiello have found a surrogate and plan to have children of their own. The actress recently told Vanity Fair magazine that while having another child would be 'weird', it something she might do if it made Joe happy. She told the magazine: 'My son, Manolo, is 23 years old, which is going to be really weird if I have another baby. But, you know, Joe wants babies and if it's going to make him super-happy, then...' The complicated legal wrangle with Loeb still stands, though. Moving on: The Modern Family actress is now engaged to Joe Manganiello and there are rumours the couple are planning to have children of their own via a surrogate. Other documentation obtained by InTouch which forms part of the lawsuit shows that Jane Doe (Vergara) asked that the embryos be destroyed in the event of her death, while Loeb refused to agree to this condition. No agreement was made between the couple about what would happen to any frozen eggs in the event they ended their relationship. Ultimately, the outcome will be at the discretion of a judge. However legal experts told InTouch that it would be unlikely that Loeb will be able to use the embryos without Sofia's consent. Mom-of-one: Sofia has a 23-year-old son Manolo from her first marriage, pictured together here in 2014 at HBO's Golden Globes after party in Los Angeles.
| Loeb has filed a lawsuit to stop Modern Family actress destroying two frozen embryos, according to legal documents obtained by InTouch. Embryos were fertilized using her eggs and his sperm six months before their split in November 2013, it is claimed. Former couple previously tried to use surrogate to have children twice during their relationship, but procedures failed, according to the lawsuit. But the split before remaining embryos could be implanted, it is alleged. Lawsuit also claims that Vergara was 'physically and mentally abusive' to Loeb during their almost-four-year relationship.
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A boy of 11 is among children arrested over a spate of fires across Welsh countryside which have cost £500,000 to fight. Five children were questioned by police after 623 fires ravaged 600 acres of fields and woodland this month alone. Fire crews in South Wales say they have been stretched to breaking point by the ‘unprecedented’ scale of destruction, which is mainly being blamed on gangs of youngsters. Five children have been questioned after 623 fires ravaged 600 acres of fields and woodland in one month. Officers yesterday called on parents to report their children if they suspect them of lighting fires. Deputy Chief Constable Matt Jukes, of South Wales Police, said: ‘It is only a matter of time before somebody gets seriously injured or even killed. ‘What is most concerning is that we believe that many of these grass fires are being caused by children. This must be addressed and everybody can do their bit.’ ‘Teachers, neighbours, shop owners, but most importantly parents or carers have a role to play and can make a stand against this recurring problem.’ DCC Jukes added: ‘The sad reality is that because of the naïve and reckless actions of some of the youngest members of the community, the lives of those who need the emergency services most are being put at serious risk.’ From Friday morning to Monday evening, emergency services took more than 1,600 calls for grass fires. Gordon Shumack, of Crimestoppers Wales, said: ‘The valleys are turning black again as a result of these fires being deliberately started.’ The cost of fighting the blazes, which devastated wildlife, has risen close to £500,000 since the month began. Fire chief Stephen Rossiter said: ‘The natural terrain of mountains is very dangerous underfoot, and more so when we are fighting grass fires – even for our best-trained people.’ South Wales: Gordon Shumack said the valleys were turning black as a result of the deliberately started fires. ‘It is quite possible a house will catch fire if the incidents continue. People lighting them need to understand the danger they can cause.’ The arrested 11-year-old was given ‘stern’ advice by police. Four suspects aged 12 to 14 were released on bail. It comes as the dry and sunny weather has left heathlands especially vulnerable to fast spreading fire. Meanwhile a blaze which ravaged the Pirbright Army ranges in Surrey was yesterday still smouldering nearly a week after it began. Conservation experts say that the area could take ten years to recover. A man, 33, has been arrested and released on bail over the fire.
| Fire crews in South Wales stretched to breaking point by wave of wildfires. Authorities call on parents to report children if suspected of starting blazes. Fires 'turned the valleys black' and devastated wildlife in surrounding area.
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It is perhaps the most iconic ship of all time, but the closest most people will get to the Titanic is a visit to the museum in Belfast, or a viewing of the Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet blockbuster. Not so for those with endless funds. One company is offering the chance to dive 12,500ft below the surface of the sea to explore the ship at the bottom of the Atlantic. The tour takes in sights like the famous grand staircase, the ship's huge anchors and the Marconi Room, from which the world's very first SOS was broadcast. The once-in-a-lifetime privilege is being offered by luxury concierge service, Bluefish, and does not come cheap, setting you back a whopping £41,000 ($60,000). Unique experience: Travel to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean to the wreck of the Titanic with concierge service Bluefish. Haunting: Beams of light illuminate the features of the tragic ship, which sank on April 14, 1912. A port side forward expansion joint on the boat deck of the bow section of the shipwreck. Travellers will learn about the ship in a series of lectures in addition to the dive. The hefty price may seem like a lot but more than 40 people have so far booked the trip to the Atlantic Ocean depths. Director of Bluefish, Steve Sims said: 'We have sent over 40 people down and they have been housewives to technology billionaires, the Titanic really does capture the minds of a wide crowd. 'Bluefish is known for providing the amazing and rare and the Titanic fits both those criteria. 'More people have been into space than set eyes on the Titanic.' Guests will stay aboard the Akademik Keldysh ship at sea and wait for suitable conditions to see the Titanic up close. The transport to the ocean floor is a MIR I or II submersible which are capable of reaching ocean depths of 20,000 ft (98 per cent of the ocean floor worldwide) and withstanding intense pressure. The submersible is constructed of nickel steel and can hold one pilot and two passengers, providing a personal encounter of the vessel. The unique dive takes 11 or 12 hours in total and once you reach the ocean floor powerful lights let you see the main features of ship. As well as this divers can spot harrowing personal items such as shoes or bags caught between the metal rust, which serve as a poignant reminder of the tragic human loss. The starboard railing near the bow of the Titanic. Expeditions take place in a MIR I or II submersible, which is able to withstand the water pressure 12500ft below the surface. The wreck of the Titanic is situated around 676 kilometres from Newfoundland, almost four kilometres below the surface. Not only does the trip offer a truly unique ocean expedition, but it also offers the chance to learn about the majestic vessel in depth. You will take part in a series of lectures and briefings, revealing latest findings about the 269 metre-long liner. There will also be a ceremony commemorating the tragic events and remembering all those who lost their lives on April 14, 1912. Meals, accommodation and personal video are also included in the somewhat hefty price tag. The RV Keldysh and MIRs have made over 15 expeditions to the site of the wreck and have made over a hundred dives. The unique dive takes 11 or 12 hours in total and once you reach the ocean floor powerful lights let you see the main features of ship. Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! More people have been to space than have explored the Titanic, and the dives aim to collect data for scientific experiments. The aim of the dives is not just tourism, but also obtaining imagery from the site, data and physical samples from the wreck to further research and be used in ongoing scientific experiments being conducted by worldwide scientists. Since Deep Ocean Expeditions began dives to the wreck in 1998 no artefacts have been removed from the site. However it hasn't been plain sailing for Bluefish trips to see the famous ship. Only eight people took the voyage between 2002 and 2006 and after the recession put a strain on luxury spending. 'The recession hit and everything went to pot,' Simms told CNN Money. After years of fruitless searching by many organisations the wreck of the RMS Titanic was found by Dr Robert Ballard in 1986. Since that time multiple dives have been conducted by some of the world’s five deep diving submersibles, representing France, USA and Russia. Now the service has picked back up and guests can experience the whole package, or opt to have everything apart from the dive to the wreck, for £6,820 ($10,000). The bespoke concierge service offers a range of elaborate services, besides the Titanic expedition. Whether it is racing half a million dollars Mercedes in the Mojave Desert, a Virgin Galactic flight into space, or having a James Bond experience in Monaco with Bond girls and being rescued by American Navy Seals, Simms sees no challenge as impossible for the right clients. The luxury does not come cheap, with membership to the club being £3,414 ($5,000) per annum before you have forked out for any experience. Star-crossed lovers! Many were captivated by the James Cameron film, released in 1997, which saw the affluent Rose (played by Kate Winslet) fall in love with poor Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) on the Titanic's fateful voyage.
| Concierge service Bluefish are offering dives to journey to the magnificent ship on the Atlantic floor. The unique experience will let you see the famous grand staircase along with many other rooms and areas. The dives form part of valuable research, with data being relayed to scientists worldwide. So far 40 people have done the service compared to over 500 people visiting space.
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A San Antonio man who fatally shot a SWAT team member with the officer's own gun more than 14 years ago was executed on Wednesday. Manuel Garza Jr. received a lethal injection of pentobarbital for killing San Antonio Police Officer John 'Rocky' Riojas in February 2001. He is the sixth convicted murderer to be put to death in Texas this year. The U.S. Supreme Court had refused in November to review his case, and no last-day appeals were filed before his execution. Manuel Garza Jr. was given the death sentence after killing San Antonio Police Officer John 'Rocky' Riojas in February 2001. Asked to make a final statement, Garza said he was sorry for causing pain to his family, friends and 'especially police officers'. 'Y'all probably hate me,' he said, looking at three friends of his victim, dressed in their navy blue San Antonio police uniforms. He wished them 'peace and love and hope y'all find God like I have and I'll see you on the other side.' As the lethal drug began taking effect, Garza uttered: 'Here it comes!' His voice rose as he said 'Goodbye,' and then he let out a howl that was cut short within seconds as he took three deep breaths, then a couple of shallow ones. He was pronounced dead 26 minutes later at 6.40pm. Before his death, Garza was given the same food as the rest of the inmates in his unit for his final meal because Texas no longer allows special-order last meals, according toLast Suppers. He had a grilled pork chop, sweet potatoes, green beans, black beans, cornbread, and peach cake, with a choice of water, tea, or punch to drink. Garza, 35, already had a long criminal record at age 20 when he was stopped by Riojas, who was part of a team targeting property crimes at apartment complexes. Garza ran off and witnesses say that when Riojas caught up with him, the two struggled and Garza grabbed the officer's gun. Riojas, 37, was fatally shot in the head. Witnesses said Garza put Riojas's gun in his pants, cursed at the fallen officer, and ran away. Garza was apprehended a day later at his sister's apartment after an informant told detectives that someone had tried to sell him the officer's missing semi-automatic service weapon. In a statement to detectives, Garza blamed Riojas. 'I truly think this was the cop's fault,' he said. 'I don't see why he wanted to pull out his gun.' Garza said he initially ran because he feared the officer would discover he was wanted on outstanding warrants. 'I didn't want to go to jail,' he said. While being escorted to a holding cell after his arrest, court documents described Garza as cocky and smirking. Riojas (pictured), 37, was part of a team targeting property crimes at apartment complexes. Garza fled when he was stopped by Riojas, which led to a struggle and the police officer's death. He used obscenity-laced language to tell officers they were 'lucky I didn't get y'all... too.' The San Antonio Police Officers Association provided buses for officers to make the 200-mile-trip to Huntsville. Several dozen police officers were outside the prison Wednesday evening, and stood at attention and saluted as Riojas' sister - who also is with the San Antonio department and watched Garza die - and the officer-witnesses emerged. 'We want them to see we do care and the salute is a form of respect,' said Mike Helle, president of the association. But Helle, who was in the same police academy training class with Riojas, said the execution 'doesn't bring back my classmate and my friend.' Defense attorneys had said the shooting was accidental and Garza was a product of childhood neglect and abuse. In a 2013 failed appeal, attorney Michael Gross said Garza's family encouraged him to break the law. His criminal record began at age 14, and included burglaries, thefts, escape from custody and leading police on a stolen car chase. Texas carries out the death penalty more than any other state. Garza was the first inmate executed with a new supply of pentobarbital recently obtained by Texas Department of Criminal Justice officials that would allow his and two other lethal injections scheduled for this month to be carried out. If the other two take place, the state prison agency once again will have to replenish its inventory of the scarce drug or find a new chemical to accommodate at least three more scheduled executions beginning next month. Drug manufacturers, under pressure from death penalty opponents, have been withholding their products for use in capital punishment.
| Manuel Garza Jr. died from a lethal injection on Thursday. He was put to death for killing a San Antonio police officer in 2001. He shot officer John Riojas after a struggle that ended with Riojas being shot in the head. Garza was pronounced dead 26 minutes after being injected.
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Stephanie Scott was allegedly murdered just days before she was due to walk down the aisle. The man accused of the brutal murder of young teacher Stephanie Scott led a secret life online that included violent video games, a seeming obsession with fantasy worlds and rambling writings for a science fiction series. New details have emerged about Vincent Stanford, who created an online alter ego to use in science fiction, gaming and fantasy forums characters. Stanford, 24, has been charged with killing Ms Scott, a popular high school teacher in Leeton, 550 kilometres from Sydney, on Easter Sunday, just days before she was due to be married to her childhood sweetheart. Fairfax Media identified an online profile it said Stanford used, including a YouTube channel and multiple gaming forums. Using the name of a mythical Aztec serpent Quetzalcoalt, Stanford's wrote scripts for his favourite TV series, the science fiction show Stargate, titled 'Secret endangered' about a fictional land 'under imminent threat when wraith survivors know about atlantis'. 'Hi. Wanted to introduce myself names Vincent. Love stargate and videogames and I do a bit of 3d modelling in my spare time [sic],' he wrote as Quetzalcoalt in one forum. 'Loved stargate resistance and i like fallout 3 gears of war franchise halo 1 through 3 and the dead space games.' he posted in another forum, in June 2012, in reference to some of his favourite shooting games. According to Fairfax Media, Stanford signed petitions to save violent galactic warfare games such as Stargate World and Stargate Resistant. His YouTube account included more than 65 videos - mostly recordings of him playing games with other people online, including the violent zombie apocalypse Dying Light and the fantasy game League of Legends. In many of the videos he can be heard talking in a European-sounding language. In one, he laughs after deliberately blowing up his game character by shooting a gas cannister. Scroll down for video. The online profile named quetzalcoalt identifies himself as a person named Vincent who loves videogames. Stanford uploaded some of his online video game battles to YouTube (seen here) Stanford has uploaded more than 65 videos of his gaming interactions with other gamers as he commentates. Stanford had an obsession with a number of computer games, including League of Legends. Stanford commented 'I regret nothing' on a YouTube video about Nazi leader Rudolf Hess. 'RIP Rudolf Hess. Ich bereue nichts,' he wrote. The gamer was like an invisible man in the small rural town he moved to just 13 months ago. Leeton has a close-knit community of only 6,700 people, but little else is known of the casual school cleaner who has swept the halls of Leeton High School since October. Stanford was born in Tasmania and lived in Holland with his family and working in the city of Rotterdam before returning to Australia as an adult. He moved into a single-storey home with his mother Anika and elder brother Luke with just a small bag of belongings each. His neighbours in Maiden Avenue say the family were welcomed by the community but Stanford made few connections. Neighbour Gail Scanlan told Daily Mail Australia Stanford was a ‘big strong fellow with dark, black eyes’ who she and her husband would chat to over the fence. Police were lead to the place where Stephanie Scott's remains were found, by the family of her accused killer. Stephanie Scott (right), pictured with her fiancé Aaron Leeson-Woolley, was last seen on Easter Sunday. She described him as a beautifully mannered and polite young man who wanted to get ahead in life. Mrs Scanlan said the accused and his family mostly kept to themselves but were friendly and 'would come over for a cup of coffee'. His mother Anika, a qualified nurse, worked at a local nursing home and Stanford, along with his brother Luke, worked shift work so Mr Scanlan said they did not see the family often. Meanwhile, as Stanford adjusted to life in Leeton, his identical twin brother – who moved from Holland back to Australia in June 2013 - settled in South Australia. Stanford engaged in fictional gunfire with other gamers in the violent video games. In one YouTube video, he commented 'I regret nothing' on a video about Nazi leader Rudolf Hess. Mr Scanlan, the retired pensioner living next door to Stanford, confirmed on Friday that photographs of Stanford's twin that had circulated in the media were correct. ‘That’s definitely him. They really look identical. Vincent is a little broader and fatter in the face but you can’t mistake who it is,’ he told Daily Mail Australia. ‘They look exactly the same in the face – the image of each other. He also has the same receding hairline. Looking at him is like looking at Vincent.’ Hinting at a possible family rift, the alleged killer’s twin wrote on Facebook on January 4: ‘One good thing about not being able to go home, been back to Swan Reach and Gawler for the first time in 4 years.’ The Sydney Morning Herald reports Stanford worked with his twin designing a new video game called Overseer but it was never released. Ms Scott, pictured on a wine tour for her hen party last month in Canberra last month with her mother Merrilyn. Steph was set to marry her childhood sweetheart Aaron and honeymoon in Tahiti. Before moving back to Australia, Stanford - who speaks with a Dutch accent - previously worked as a cleaner for a dental company in Holland. In Leeton, he landed a casual job with cleaning company Colin Joss & Co, who have a contract with the Department of Education in NSW. Senior manager at the company Fleur Dooley told Daily Mail Australia that Stanford had worked for them since October last year. She explained he had passed national criminal record checks and worked at multiple schools in the area, as well as the local TAFE. 'He was employed as a casual cleaner and worked on different sites a required,' Ms Dooley said. It has now emerged Stanford was not contracted to work on the Sunday that he allegedly killed Ms Scott. Her body was discovered on Friday evening around 5pm in Cocoparra National Park north of Griffith, NSW. Detectives piled evidence bags outside the home Stanford shared with his mother and brother on Friday. A police forensic officer carried evidence from his home after Stanford was charged with murder. Ms Scott was preparing lesson plans at Leeton High School for a relief teacher who would be working in her place while she was on her honeymoon when she disappeared. An autopsy will soon begin on Ms Scott's body to determine how she was killed and dumped in bushland six days before she was due to get married. Ms Scott's remains have been transported to Glebe Morgue in Sydney, and a NSW Department of Justice spokeswoman confirmed State Coroner Michael Barnes has ordered that an autopsy be carried out this week. This follows after it has emerged detectives who are leading the investigation into the death of Ms Scott will reportedly make inquiries with authorities in the Netherlands in an attempt to run a background check on the accused killer. NSW Police will get in contact with their counterparts in the Netherlands to determine if the accused 24-year-old murderer had any relevant history there, AAP reports. Police discovered the burnt remains of a woman's body around 5pm on Friday. Stanford has reportedly been uncooperative with investigators. Daily Mail Australia has contacted NSW police for comment. It has also emerged that one of the last actions of Ms Scott was to send an email to the bus company hired for her wedding, confirming transportation for guests. Police discovered the burnt remains of a woman's body around 5pm on Friday after they were directed to Cocoparra National Park north of Griffith, NSW by Stanford's mother and brother. It's further alleged a gasoline can had been found nearby. It is understood Stanford was familiar to the area and went on regular camping trips to the national park on many occasions with his family. Ms Scott's grief-stricken fiance Aaron Leeson-Woolley was supported by loved ones to release yellow balloons into the air to commemorate her life at a memorial on what would have been their wedding day. On Saturday, the day Ms Scott was due to marry fiance Aaron Leeson-Woolley, a memorial was held. Ms Scott was last seen at Leeton High School as she prepared to go away on her honeymoon. On Saturday - the day which English and drama teacher Ms Scott was set to marry her fiance Aaron Leeson-Woolley - a memorial was held to honour the late bride-to-be. In a poignant move, the memorial service took place at the same time as when her wedding ceremony was due to take place. Her father Robert Scott spoke to the gathered mourners on behalf of his family and friends who were united in their grief on Saturday at Mountford Park in Leeton. The 26-year-old was last seen on Easter Sunday, when her disappearance sparked a widespread search for the much-loved teacher. 'Stephanie was a bright, intelligent and fun-loving woman who has impacted on many people here today,' Mr Scott said at his daughter's memorial on Saturday. 'Our wishes for the future are that this stays in your minds and you remember her. 'I'm sure she'd wish for that to be the case and you could remember her for the great little girl she was.' Ms Scott's grief-stricken fiance Aaron Leeson-Woolley was too upset to take the stage, but was supported by loved ones to release yellow balloons into the air to commemorate her life. 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| Police discovered the body of a female in bushland on Friday afternoon. Stephanie Scott was last seen on Easter Sunday which sparked a search. New details revealed alleged killer Vincent Stanford reportedly had an obsession with online video games and neo-Nazi propaganda. It comes as police will contact authorities in Holland for a background check on 24-year-old Stanford, who was charged with murder. Stanford's family led police to Cocoparra National Park north of Griffith. Forensic testing will be carried out on the remains of the body on Monday.
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A 31-year-old British woman has died in a freak accident when she was crushed by a falling tree in the Bolivian jungle while on her dream round-the-world trip. Louise Shepherd had been hiking through the remote Madidi national park in the north-western part of the country when a tree toppled onto her during a storm. Ms Shepherd, from Cobham, Surrey, had taken a 'gap year' off work in order to go travelling around the world with her sister Hannah and college friend Rose Jones, both 30. Tragedy: Louise Shepherd, 31, from Cobham, Surrey, was hiking through a national park in north-west Bolivia with her sister and a friend when a tree toppled onto her during a storm. Her grief-stricken parents, Peter and Christine Shepherd from Cobham, Surrey said they were left having to choose a burial plot instead of planning for her birthday. Mrs Shepherd said: 'She lit up a room, everybody instantly liked her. 'We have been so moved by all the condolence cards from around the world. Ms Shepherd, from Surrey, had taken a 'gap year' off work in order to go travelling around the world. 'She was a special person and touched a lot of people's lives. She was the kindest person you could meet.' Louise gained her first degree in business and marketing at the University of Westminster in 2006. Ms Shepherd went onto obtain a masters degree at Kingston University in south-west London in museums, galleries and the creative economy, after which she took a position at the university's alumni office. She formerly worked as a support worker for the disability and dyslexia support office. Hannah Shepherd said today that she herself was nearly killed at the same time as her sister. She said: 'It was like a tornado that hit us within seconds. We were told to run by the guides and heard a tree crack and then it fell. 'Louise was killed instantly as she was hit by the full force of the tree. She was my best friend. She had such charisma and was beautiful and good to everyone. 'People just gravitated towards her. She died as she was having the time of her life - and not many people can say that.' One friend said in an online message: 'A parent's worst nightmare, lovely girl.' Ms Shepherd's former colleagues have also paid their respects on the university's website. One staff member said: 'She was a beautiful young lady inside and out, and always a pleasure to work with.' Heartbreaking: Friends and family of the popular university graduate have been paying tribute to her today. Helen Trott, the department head she worked with at Kingston, said : 'Louise had a passion for life and love of people. She was a beautiful young lady. Our thoughts are with her friends and family at this sad time.' The university has set up a book of condolences which, after being signed, will be handed to Ms Shepherd's family. A Kingston University spokesman said : 'Louise was an invaluable member of the team and made a major contribution to developing relations with alumni across the world. 'She was one of those people who lit up the room wherever she was. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this sad time.' Staff and students are being invited to sign a book of condolence which has been opened at the university for people to make personal tributes in Louise's memory.
| Louise Shepherd, 31, killed in Bolivia while on round-the-world trip. Ms Shepherd died after a tree fell on her during a jungle tour. Recently worked at Kingston University, but left in order to travel.
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Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul, on the defensive after a set of acrimonious exchanges with female journalists including, is denying that he has a problem with women. 'I think I have been universally short-tempered and testy with both male and female reporters. I'll own up to that,' the Kentucky senator told CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer yesterday, responding to accusations of sexism that bubbled up following his Wednesday morning dust up with TODAY host Savannah Guthrie. Paul, who announced his bid for the Oval Office on Tuesday, admitted that he needs to 'have more patience' with reporters, even if he's 'annoyed' with them while maintaining that 'interviews should be questions and not editorializing.' The confession summed up the freshman lawmaker's second day as an official 2016 contestant - a bumpy ride that has so far included a confrontation with the chairwoman of the Democratic Party over late-term abortion and Paul's declaration that she seems to be 'OK with killing a 7-pound baby.' Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul is on the defensive after an acrimonious exchange with TODAY host Savannah Guthrie on Wednesday morning. 'No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!' Listen, you've editorialized,' he blasted at Guthrie. Paul, a libertarian-leaning Kentucky senator, launched his presidential bid on Tuesday in Louisville. Responding yesterday to accusations of sexism that bubbled up following his dust up with Guthrie, Paul said, 'I think I have been universally short-tempered and testy with both male and female reporters. I'll own up to that' Paul's woes on Wednesday began with an early morning sparring match on TODAY with Guthrie over perceived flip flops on foreign policy issues. A disgruntled Paul cut her off and said, 'Why don't we let me explain instead of talking over me, OK?' 'Before we go through a litany of things you say I've changed on, why don't you ask me a question: "Have I changed my opinion?" That would be sort of a better way to approach an interview.' Guthrie proceeding as requested, asking him if he had shifted his views on any foreign policies, but he still wasn't satisfied, telling her, 'No, no, you've editorialized.' 'No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!' Listen, you've editorialized. Let me answer a question! You ask a question, and you say, "Have your views changed?" instead of editorializing and saying my views have changed,' he continued. Paul responded with a similarly peevish attitude to a line of questioning he considered 'slanted' in a February back and forth with CNBC anchor Kelly Evans, whom he shushed and told to 'calm down a bit' before giving her advice on how to do her job. American Bridge 21st Century, a liberal opposition-research group, tore into Paul on Wednesday morning, telling Daily Mail Online, 'Rand Paul can't seem to step in front of a camera without proving that shooting from the hip is a good way to shoot yourself in the foot.' 'He's got miles to go before his ability catches up to his ambition,' the group's spokesman, Ben Ray, said. ''And judging by his temper, he knows it, too.' A spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee accused Paul of running away from his record. 'Every time he gets asked about something he’s said, his response is to deny ever having said it,' DNC National Press Secretary Holly Shulman said, adding that it will be difficult for Paul to run as the ' "trust" candidate when he keeps blatantly lying to voters about his own record.' 'And Senator… don’t bother shushing us. We have the video to prove it,' she said. By Wednesday afternoon Paul was being labeled as a sexist, leading the conservative to declare on CNN that he's an 'equal opportunity' offender. 'I was annoyed with a male reporter this morning,' he said. 'I will have to get better at holding my tongue and holding my temper.' The male reporter in question may have been the Associated Press' Philip Elliot, whom Paul had derided earlier that day at a New Hampshire campaign stop for aggressively pressing him to nail down his views on abortion. 'I gave you about a five-minute answer. Put in my five-minute answer,' he reportedly told Elliot, growing tired of the discussion. According to Elliot, Paul had previously contended that, 'The thing is about abortion — and about a lot of things — is that I think people get tied up in all these details of, sort of, you're this or this or that, or you're hard and fast (on) one thing or the other.' 'I think the most important thing is the general concept of: Do you support the sanctity of life? Do you think there's something special about life? So you think when we're born that a human baby is different than an animal, that there's something special that is imbued into human life? And I think there is.' Paul acknowledged that he'd supported bills that granted exceptions in cases of rape and incest and bills that did not. 'In general, I am pro-life. So I will support legislation that advances and shows that life is special and deserves protection,' he explained. The freshman senator also had confrontation with Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz on Wednesday. 'Why don't we ask the DNC: Is it OK to kill a 7-pound baby in the uterus?' had said. Schultz responded by attacking his position on personal liberty - and by asking him not to shush her. Paul was joined by his wife Kelley Ashby on stage Tuesday as he declared that he would campaign to 'take our country back' After the DNC blasted the Associated Press' write-up of the conversation, other reporters following Paul around in New Hampshire began asking him about abortion, at which point the freshman senator turned the argument on the campaign arm of the Democratic Party. 'Why don't we ask the DNC: Is it OK to kill a 7-pound baby in the uterus?' he shot back. 'You go back and go ask Debbie Wasserman Schultz if she's OK with killing a 7-pound baby that's just not born yet,' Paul said, referencing the DNC's chairwoman. 'Ask her when life begins, and ask Debbie when she's willing to protect life. When you get an answer from Debbie, come back to me.' Reporters didn't have to wait very long for a response. Shortly after Paul laid down the gauntlet, the DNC issued a statement on behalf of Wasserman Schultz that said: 'Here’s an answer. I support letting women and their doctors make this decision without government getting involved. Period. End of story.' 'Now your turn, Senator Paul,' she said. 'We know you want to allow government officials like yourself to make this decision for women — but do you stand by your opposition to any exceptions, even when it comes to rape, incest, or life of the mother? 'Or do we just have different definitions of "personal liberty"?' Getting in one last dig, Wasserman Shultz ended her statement with the remark, 'And I’d appreciate it if you could respond without ’shushing’ me.' Appearing on CNN, Paul said, 'It sounds like her answer is yes, that she’s OK with killing a 7-pound baby.' 'Debbie’s position, which I guess is the Democratic Party’s position, that an abortion all the way up until the day of birth would be fine, I really think most pro-choice people would be uncomfortable with that,' he asserted. Thursday morning brought better news for Paul, as a Quinnipiac University Poll was released that showed him beating possible Democratic competitor Hillary Clinton in a general election match up in two swing states that President Barack Obama won by several points in 2012. Paul has consistently performed well against Clinton in surveys, but he now leads her in Iowa and Colorado by one and three points, respectively. Hurting Clinton is the perception among voters that she is 'not honest and trustworthy,' Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, explained in a statement accompanying the release of the survey. Reviewing survey data, Brown said, 'it is difficult to see Secretary Clinton's slippage as anything other than a further toll on her image from the furor over her e-mail.' That Paul and other probable GOP contenders have gained so much ground on her since it became public knowledge that she exclusively used her private email address during her tenure at the State Department, Brown said is 'ominous.' 'I'm going to keep an open mind and look at the agreement,' Paul said, while allowing that 'I do believe that negotiation is better than war.' He mirrored other Republicans in questioning the 'sincerity of the Iranians' in reaching an agreement with the U.S. and five European nations. 'If they're immediately saying that the agreement doesn't mean what President Obama says, that is a big problem,' Paul said. 'The Iranians put out 500 words, the Americans put out 1,300 words, the Europeans put out 200 words. And they don't all seem to agree, but it's very, very little information so far.' He defended his position on foreign aid, saying that even Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed that his country should one day shake off its dependence on America to fund its defense program. 'I still agree with my original precept, which is – lemme answer the question! – I still agree with my original statement from years ago that ultimately all nations should be free of foreign aid,' he said, 'because we shouldn't borrow money to do it.' 'But my opinion's not any different than Netanyahu's opinion.' The Paul campaign did not respond to a request for comment no whether or not Guthrie gave him a fair interview.
| 'Why don't we let me explain instead of talking over me, OK?' he asked TODAY's Savannah Guthrie as she tried to corner him Wednesday morning. Paul unleashed on on a female CNBC anchor during a line of questioning he considered 'slanted'; he shushed her and told to 'calm down a bit' 'I think I have been universally short-tempered and testy with both male and female reporters. I'll own up to that,' he now concedes. Admission summed up the freshman lawmaker's second day as an official 2016 contestant - a day that also included a confrontation with the chairwoman of the Democratic Party over late-term abortion. Paul declared that she seems to be 'OK with killing a 7-pound baby'
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It is the smallest computer in the world - and 150 of them can fit in a thimble. Called the Michigan Micro Mote, to tiny technology is a complete computer system. Its inventors say it can act as a smart sensor, and give everyday objects computing capabilities. The Michigan Micro Mote is the smallest computer in the world, measuring less than 2mm across. The Michigan Micro Mote contains solar cells that power the battery with ambient light, including indoor rooms with no natural sunlight, allowing the computers to run perpetually. This line of 'smart dust' devices includes computers equipped with imagers (with motion detection), temperature sensors, and pressure sensors. By strobing light at a high frequency, the operator is able to send information to the computer. Once the Micro Mote processes the data, it is able to send the information to a central computer via conventional radio frequencies. The Michigan Micro Mote is the first complete, operational computer system measuring as small as two millimeters across. 'To be 'complete,' a computer system must have an input of data, the ability to process that data - meaning process and store it, make decisions about what to do next – and ultimately, the ability to output the data.' Professor David Blaauw explained. 'The sensors are the input and the radios are the output. The other key to being a complete computer is the ability to supply its own power.' The Michigan Micro Mote contains solar cells that power the battery with ambient light, including indoor rooms with no natural sunlight, allowing the computers to run perpetually. This line of 'smart dust' devices includes computers equipped with imagers (with motion detection), temperature sensors, and pressure sensors. They are the culmination of work initiated by Blaauw and Sylvester on very low-power processing for millimeter-scale systems. A key breakthrough in the size/power matchup came with the Phoenix processor in 2008. The Phoenix processor is miniscule at 915 x 915µm2, and boasts ultra-low operating voltage and a unique standby mode that results in an average power consumption of only 500pW. (Consider that 1pW is the average power consumption of a single human cell.) Blaauw explained why Phoenix's extreme energy efficiency is so important: 'As you shrink down in size, the percentage of the system tends to be dominated by the battery. 'It's actually not hard to make chips small, but it is hard to make them low power. 'We could have very small chips, but we'd still end up with really large batteries.' This line of 'smart dust' devices includes computers equipped with imagers (with motion detection), temperature sensors, and pressure sensors. One key application for this line of smart sensors lies in personal security and information, its inventors say. The solar system allows the computer to work under indoor lights without ever having to be charged. 'With a 1mm2 solar cell producing 20nW, the device can harvest enough energy under ambient light to run perpetually,' the team say. The device's standby power consumption is 2nA. That's about a million times less power than the average mobile phone consumes while on standby, or the comparative difference between the thickness of a sheet of paper and the length of a football field. There are currently three different systems in the M3 family, focusing on several different applications: sensing temperature, pressure, and taking images. 'Down the road we want these sensors to be able to talk to one another,' says Blaauw, 'and we're currently working to extend their range to about 20m.' The working computer is smaller than a grain of rice programmed and charged via light and could be used for a variety of medical and industrial purposes. One key application for this line of smart sensors lies in personal security and information. Numerous specks of technology could be discretely placed to invisibly monitor a home, business, or personal device. 'We found that a lot of people were very interested in these devices, and that's why we went with the modular or stacked approach.' Blaauw explained. 'It's the key aspect of our design. If you need a different sensing modality you take out one sensor and replace it with another - like mix and match tinker toys.'
| Michigan Micro Mote is a complete computer system less that 5mm across. Contains solar cells that power the battery with ambient light. Can be equipped with cameras, temperature and pressure sensors.
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Hillary Clinton 'whooped' for joy at the birth of her granddaughter before she saw Bill becoming tearful in the hospital waiting room, she has revealed. The former Secretary of State gave details of her daughter's pregnancy in a new Epilogue for her memoir, Hard Choices, released just days before she is expected to announce her presidential run. In the new chapter, shared by the Huffington Post on Friday, she suggested that the birth of her granddaughter made her think about the future of all children and had motivated her political plans. She explained how in 2014, she and her husband got the 'wonderful news' that their daughter Chelsea and her investment banker husband Marc Mezvinsky were expecting a baby. Doting: Hillary Clinton, pictured with her husband Bill and their granddaughter Charlotte after her birth last year, has said the baby girl has made her realize she has much more work to do. Hillary Clinton was 'unabashedly giddy' at the news, she said. 'As the summer slipped away, I drove Chelsea crazy checking in practically every hour,' she wrote. 'How are you feeling? Any news from the doctor? When's it going to happen!' But, whereas she and Bill had been disorganized ahead of the birth of Chelsea, their daughter was far calmer and better prepared, she wrote. 'I remember how frazzled [Bill] was when it was finally time to go to the hospital,' she recalled of her own labor. 'Lamaze recommended bringing a small plastic bag of ice to suck on during labor. Bill ended up bringing enough to fill a thirty-nine-gallon garbage bag. It was quite a sight. 'By comparison, Chelsea and Marc were much more organized and prepared.' In September, Chelsea started going into labor in New York City, so they headed to the hospital to greet their first grandchild - Charlotte Clinton Mezvinksy, who was born on September 26. 'Chelsea emerged, exhausted but glowing,' she wrote. 'All our pent up nervous energy burst out in laughter and excited whoops, more like a couple of kids than the newly-minted grandparents we had suddenly become. 'After a while, Bill and I stepped out into the hallway to let them rest. We sat quietly, holding hands, trying to process the rush of emotions. I looked over and saw a tear in Bill's eye.' Calm: In a new chapter of her book, Hillary Clinton said her daughter Chelsea and son-in-law Marc Mezvinksy were far more organized and relaxed about the birth of baby Charlotte than she was about Chelsea. Proud: She revealed that she saw tears in her husband's eyes after the birth of baby Charlotte at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, pictured, last September. She is the couple's first granddaughter. She explained that while she had been nervous about giving birth to Chelsea and the impending responsibility, 'as a new grandmother... there is nothing but joy'. 'It's probably the world's best job,' she wrote. 'I love every minute of it.' She added that even though she has a terrible singing voice - so terrible that an 18-month-old Chelsea told her to stop singing to her - she enjoys singing lullabies to baby Charlotte. 'Charlotte has yet to complain,' she wrote. Welcoming her granddaughter has made her want to make the world a better place for Charlotte and other children, she wrote in the epilogue - hinting that she will be back in politics soon. 'Becoming a grandmother has made me think deeply about the responsibility we all share as stewards of the world we inherit and will one day pass on,' she wrote. 'Rather than make me want to slow down, it has spurred me to speed up.' Nervous: She said that before the birth of Chelsea, pictured together in the 1980s, she had been so nervous about being a mother but that now she finds being a grandmother is pure joy. She went on: 'In just a few months, Charlotte had already helped me see the world in new ways. There was so much more to do.' Earlier this week, former President Bill Clinton said his granddaughter has changed his outlook in politics too - although it's had the opposite effect. 'I've told Hillary that I don't think I'm good [at campaigning] anymore because I'm not mad at anybody,' he told Town & Country magazine. 'I'm a grandfather, and I got to see my granddaughter last night, and I can't be mad.' It followed reports that Hillary has rented space for her campaign headquarters in Brooklyn Heights. According to reports on Friday, she will announce her bid to run for president on Sunday before immediately traveling to Iowa and New Hampshire to meet with voters.
| In the new chapter released on Friday, Clinton shared her experiences as a grandmother and how they had motivated her political plans. She recalled how disorganized she had been before the birth of Chelsea, whereas Chelsea had been so composed before becoming a mother. The Clintons 'whooped' with delight when Charlotte was born last September and Hillary noticed Bill becoming emotional. While she had been nervous about being a mother, being a grandmother is 'pure joy' - and has made her think about all children's futures, she said. She is expected to announce her run for president on Sunday.
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Private matter: Larry Reid was arrested about 12:30 p.m. Monday on U.S. Highway 95 near the edge of Boulder City city limits. Senator Harry Reid's 73-year-old brother has been arrested and charged with driving drunk and hitting a police officer. Larry Reid was arrested for DUI about 12:40 p.m. between Boulder City and Searchlight in Nevada. Mr. Reid was also charged with battery of a police officer, driving across a median, resisting arrest, not wearing a seat belt and possession of a gun while under the influence of alcohol. A trooper saw Larry Reid's Lexus SUV in the dirt median with the engine still running, Patrol spokesman Trooper Loy Hixson said. The Nevada Senator's office released a statement confirming that Larry Reid is the Democrat's brother, saying only that it is 'a private matter.' Details of the arrest were not immediately available since the official complaint had not been filed with the court. Meanwhile, his older brother, Senator Harry Reid, who recently suffered an accident while exercising, said in a video message last week he would not seek re-election next year, and threw his weight behind New York Senator Chuck Schumer to replace him when he leaves office. 'The job of minority leader of the United States Senate is just as important as being the majority leader,' Reid said in the video. 'It gives you so much opportunity to do good things for this country. And that's what I am focused on.' U.S. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is pictured announcing that he will not seek re-election, in this still image taken from a video released in Washington last week. He is leaving Congress after 30 years.
| Larry Reid was arrested about 12:30 p.m. Monday on U.S. Highway 95. The incident happened on a highway in Nevada near Boulder City.
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Sheriff Mbye died in hospital two hours after he suffered multiple stab wounds in a brawl outside a KFC in Birmingham. A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of murder after an 18-year-old was stabbed to death in a scuffle outside KFC. Sheriff Mbye died in hospital two hours after he suffered multiple stab wounds in a brawl which also left a 19-year-old in a critical condition. Police were called to a KFC restaurant in Northfield, Birmingham, shortly after 5pm yesterday after reports of a stabbing. When officers arrived they found a 19-year-old with stab wounds in a barber shop being tended to by customers. A murder investigation has been launched and police were alerted to the fact that Mr Mbye had been dropped off outside Queen Elizabeth Hospital in a white Audi which then sped off. The car was later found by police abandoned in Hickman Gardens, Ladywood. An 18-year-old man from Birmingham has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody. Detectives believe a group of other men were involved and are trying to identify them. Forensic teams have sealed off part of Bristol Road South in order to search for clues. Tributes for the 18-year-old from the Lee Bank area have been flooding in with many describing it as a 'tragic loss of life'. Dee Webb said: 'Awful news..what is happening to our children..another mother is grieving today for her son..This has got to stop..my thoughts are with you all...r.i.p.' And Liz Goodman said: 'What a terrible thing to happen and what a waste of a life. Rip to young Sheriff & thoughts are with his family & friends.'' Tracie Coles said: 'So sad, RIP. This knife crime is getting worse another life taken too soon.'' Police were called to a KFC restaurant (pictured) in Northfield, Birmingham, shortly after 5pm yesterday after reports of a stabbing. When officers arrived they found a 19-year-old with stab wounds in a barber shop being tended to by customers. A post mortem will take place later today to determine the precise cause of death. Detective Inspector Harry Harrison, from West Midlands Police said: 'My condolences go to the family of Sheriff who are heartbroken at losing their loved one. 'I would like to reassure them that many people who were in the area at the time responded admirably to the terrible situation which confronted them. Both victims were tended to, details of possible people or vehicles involved were relayed to police and vital clues were guarded. Their assistance has been invaluable to our investigation. Detectives believe a group of other men were involved and are currently trying to identify them. 'I'd also thank those people who have helped us so far and ask that others follow their lead by doing the right thing. If you were in the area at the time, and you have not yet spoken to police, please do so now. 'You may have seen the actual stabbings or the argument and scuffle beforehand. You could have possibly seen the Audi arriving at the scene or racing away after the attack. If you did, you need to call us immediately. 'This will have been a very frightening situation to witness but we are very experienced at supporting people who are worried about giving information.' Anyone with relevant information should call police on 101. Information can also be passed anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
| Sheriff Mbye, 18, died in hospital after being stabbed outside a KFC. A 19-year-old suffered serious stab wounds and is in a critical condition. Police are trying to trace a 'number of men' as part of murder investigation. An 18-year-old from Birmingham has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
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Gruesome death rituals performed 1,200 years ago have been uncovered in dozens of tombs in Peru's Cotahuasi Valley. Each tomb was filled with bones of up to 60 mummies, with infants kept in small containers, and others repeatedly ripped to pieces while decomposing. Archaeologists have so far opened up seven of the tombs, recovering 171 broken mummies from the ancient ceremonial site known as Tenahaha. Gruesome death rituals performed 1,200 years ago have been uncovered in dozens of tombs in Peru's Cotahuasi Valley. Pictured is the burial of a young woman found in the middle of one of the tombs. Analysis of her skeletal remains reveal that she suffered dental problems, including the loss of teeth. 'When we think of the dead, we bury the relative and that's it,' Justin Jennings, a curator at Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum told DailyMail.com. 'But back then, in the Andes, you continued to interact with those folks. People were moving bodies around all the time.' The mummies in the tombs ranged in age from several days old to the elderly. But over the years rats had eaten away many of the remains, leaving only fragments. In one tomb, researchers discovered 400 isolated human body parts, including teeth, hands and feet. The few mummies that remained intact were bound by rope and placed in a foetal position. The mummies in the tombs ranged in age from several days old to the elderly. But over the years rats had eaten away at many of the remains. This image shows three vessels found by the feet of an individual. The mummies were buried with a variety of items including some beautifally decorated ceramic, pictured. Pictured is the partial skull of an individual found in one of the seven opened tombs. The dead, numbering in the low thousands, towered over the living from in their tombs high on the hills around the valley. 'On occasion, there were mummies that were placed as offerings around the outside of the tombs,' said Jennings. The Middle Horizon period (A.D. 600–1000) was a time of sweeping cultural change in the Andes. Archaeologists have long associated this period with the expansion of the Wari state in the south-central Andes and coastal area of modern-day Peru. Along with their expansion, came widespread violence. Skull fragments in some areas of their territory reveal that 50 per cent had dents in their heads caused by violent blows. Pottery in these areas were etched with drawings of fanged teeth and human trophy skulls. But Tenahaha was believed to have been a relatively peaceful area in Peru at that time. In Tenahaha, only one per cent of skulls had dents. The pottery at the site is also decorated with what looks like depictions of people smiling. Tenahaha may have served as a 'neutral ground' where people could bury their dead and feast. 'They were broken apart but then placed back together in an anatomically correct position.' Scientists are still trying to understand why some of the mummies and artefacts were broken up in this way. One theory is that the movement of the mummies may have helped create a sense of equality among the community. There is also evidence that the rituals went on for days at a time, with parties being held in the valley below the tombs. Jennings said that the dead, likely numbering in the low thousands, towered over the living from in their tombs high on the hills around the valley. 'It seems to be a place where people were bringing down their dead to that location,' said Jennings. 'They were having parties. There is evidence that they were making and drinking corn beer, and placing offerings underneath them.' But he adds that the picture remains blurry, as the rituals were performed over many years, and likely changed during that time. A study of pottery at the site suggests it was used between about A.D. 800 and A.D. 1000, with the Inca settling there 500 years later. Tenahaha was believed to have been a relatively peaceful area in Peru during those years. Pictured is a dismembered mummy. A tupu, which was an artifact that could have been used to fasten clothing, fell through this mummy’s rib cage when it was moved. Tenahaha appears to have been created as a place where people from nearby villages could feast. Parties, that lasted for several days at a time, were often held in the valley below the tombs. This image shows a storage area where food for feasting could have been kept. Pictured are some of the decorated cups found in the tombs. Human hands, lines, dots and happy faces can be seen. Pottery found in other parts of Peru had more gruesome images, largely due to a culture of violence. The wider area, however, was undergoing dramatic change, with populations growing, agriculture expanding and class differences emerging. At this time, the Wari was being established in the south-central Andes and coastal area of modern-day Peru. And with it came widespread violence. Skull fragments on the islands close by revealed that 50 per cent had dents in their heads caused by violent blows. Pottery in these areas were etched with drawings of fanged teeth and human trophy skulls. In Tenahaha, only one per cent of skulls had dents. The pottery at the site is also decorated with what looks like depictions of people smiling. Jennings believe Tenahaha may have served as a 'neutral ground' where people could bury their dead and feast. 'We have finished the excavations, and we're now trying to look at a different sites nearby during the same period to understand the relationship,' Jennings added. Cotahuasi Canyon near the city of Arequipa in Peru is the deepest canyon in the world, and a site of archaeological significance. The canyon is an impressive chasm that the river has eroded between two enormous mountain massifs: the Coropuna and the Sulimana. Scientists are still trying to understand reasons why some of the mummies and artefacts were broken up in this way. One theory is that the movement of the mummies may have helped create a sense of equality among the community. Pictured is the Cotahuasi Valley.
| Tombs discovered at a ceremonial site, Tenahaha in Cotahuasi Valley. Infants were kept in small containers, and others had limbs removed. In one tomb, researchers discovered 400 isolated human body parts. The movement of bodies may have helped create a sense of equality.
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Polls yesterday suggested the election will be too close to call – with the Tories narrowly ahead in two, while another showed Labour edging in front. The news came as an American pollster – who predicted the results of the 2008 US presidential election almost exactly – concluded that both main parties will struggle to cobble together any kind of workable majority. The latest ICM poll for the Guardian had the Tories ahead on 34 per cent – down five points from a week ago. Labour were down one point on 32 per cent. Nate Silver, who correctly predicted the winner in 49 of 50 US states in 2008, believes that neither Labour or the Tories will be unable to get enough support together for a majority government. Meanwhile a new Populus poll found Labour unchanged on 34 per cent, while the Tories were down one, on 32 per cent. In a third poll, Lord Ashcroft found a Tory lead of four points – with the party on 34 per cent compared to Labour's 30 per cent. Pollster Nate Silver, who correctly called the winner in 49 of 50 US states in 2008, yesterday predicted a hung parliament after May 7 with the Tories winning 283 seats and Labour 274. This means that both David Cameron and Ed Miliband could find it almost impossible to secure enough support from other parties for a working majority – let alone rule on their own. Paddy Power said Mr Miliband is now more likely than Mr Cameron to be prime minister after the election. Mr Silver said Labour, who have ruled out a formal coalition with the SNP, would also be short of a majority even with the help of the Scottish Nationalists, whom he expects to gain 42 seats. Mr Silver said that even if the Tories join forces with the Lib Dems – who he believes will win 27 seats – they would still be 13 short of the 323 MPs needed for a majority. With Ukip expected to have only one MP in the projection, Nigel Farage would not be able to offer much help – and even with the support of eight Democratic Unionist Party MPs from Northern Ireland, Mr Cameron could not achieve a majority. Mr Silver said Labour, which has ruled out a formal coalition with the SNP, would also be short of a majority even with the help of the Scottish Nationalists, who he predicted will gain 42 seats. That would give Mr Miliband 316 seats – seven short of a majority. He would then have to try to gain support from smaller parties such as Plaid Cymru, the Greens and Northern Ireland's SDLP – but as they are projected to win only six seats between them, Labour would still be one short of the necessary 323.
| Nate Silver predicts the Conservatives will win 283 seats and Labour 274. Means both David Cameron or Ed Miliband could find it all but impossible to cobble together a workable coalition – let alone rule on their own. Respected US pollster predicted results of 2008 US election almost exactly.
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A 46-year-old man has been reported missing after a kayak he had taken out with his fiance capsized in choppy waters. Vincent Viafore from Poughkeepsie, New York, was on the rough Hudson River near Newburgh with Angelika Graswald when he was thrown in on Sunday evening. According to CBS 2, Viafore was not wearing a life jacket and was unable to get back into the kayak. Scroll down for video. Vincent Viafore (right) from Poughkeepsie, New York, was on the rough Hudson River near Newburgh with Angelika Graswald (left) when he was thrown in on Sunday evening. He is still missing. She managed to make it out of the water and call 911. On Monday she asked friends on Facebook to keep praying for her partner and hoped for a miracle. His partner fell out of the boat while trying to help him and was rescued by another boat travelling in the area at the time. She then called 911 when she made it to land. Graswald was taken to hospital and treated for hypothermia but her fiance has not been found. On Monday she asked friends for their prayers as the search continued. She wrote on Facebook: 'I just want to thank everyone for reaching out. Please, keep your prayers for Vince. 'Miracles ARE possible. The authorities are doing everything they can. 'We do not need anyone else getting hurt, as it is very dangerous out there, especially without daylight. Please, no questions at this point, we're doing everything we can. We will find him.' New York State Police Captain Brendan Casey told CBS 2: 'Yesterday, it started out as a nice day and as the day went on, it grew cooler and the winds picked up and it became more like today.' Viafore was not wearing a life jacket and was unable to get back into the kayak. Residents say the water at this time of year is ' precarious ' as it is so cold. Viafore's friend Wes Gottlock said he saw them out on the water, but did not discover there was a search underway until later on that evening. He added that the couple had been together for a long time and have a 'wonderful relationship'. He said the water at this time of the year is 'precarious' as the water is still cold. Peter Brandt, who has lived by the water for 40 years, asked if they were 'accomplished kayakers' because the water was very rough.
| Vincent Viafore, 46, from Poughkeepsie was on the Hudson River near Newburgh, New York, with Angelika Graswald on Sunday. He was thrown out of the boat when they hit rough waters. She was rescued by people in a nearby boat and made it to shore. Residents say the water at this time of year is 'precarious' as it is so cold.
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With a 45,000sq ft spa, 21 treatment rooms, a two Michelin-star restaurant and eight swimming pools, it's no wonder celebrities flock to the award-winning Pennyhill Park. Nestled in the pretty Surrey countryside in Bagshot, the luxury spa and hotel has attracted so many famous names since it opened, it looks like a who’s who of the celebrity world. Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman, Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michael Douglas, Lewis Hamilton and Russell Crowe have all enjoyed some time at the venue. Nestled in the pretty Surrey countryside in Bagshot, the luxury spa and hotel has attracted many celebrities. Pennyhill Park has heated outdoor hot tubs, hydrotherapy pools and a 25-metre heated swimming pool. Celebrities including Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig are regulars at Pennyhill Park. And the England Rugby Team had Pennyhill Park – which has recently unveiled a £500,000 makeover to its spa – as their training base for the Rugby World Cup. The historic property, which according to the Tithe Land Registry of 1609 is on the site of a warning beacon used as part of the defences against the Spanish Armada in 1588, was first built in 1851. It then changed hands to a Frankfurt banker in 1879, and an Orangery – the site of the current spa – was added in 1881. Pennyhill was used as a rest house during the First World War. Exclusive Hotels then bought it and transformed it into a world-class five-star hotel. Today, it's a sight to behold, mixing history with modern luxury. It's a wedding venue, a delightful spot for afternoon tea, and is perfectly placed close to Ascot, Sunningdale and Wentworth for golf and racing lovers. The spa offers the best in treatments delivered in stylish, chic treatment rooms. Pennyhill Park boasts a 45,000sq ft spa, 21 treatment rooms, and eight swimming pools. Inside the high-end hotel (which also boasts a helipad) are 123 guest rooms – all of which are individually designed so no two are the same. I’m staying in the plush Silver Birch suite, which boasts a sumptuous four-poster bed featuring a super-comfortable handmade mattress – as well as a pillow menu. The rustic design blends antique with contemporary, dark mahoganies with pastel hues, giving the interior a grand air. However, the piece de resistance is the bathroom. It’s larger than the actual bedroom, with huge apex ceilings. It features two, free-standing white volcanic limestone baths, separated by a Champagne chiller, and a large flat-screen TV recessed into the wall. Guests can take full advantage of Thermal Heaven at the spa, exploring its various treatment rooms. The spa boasts an extensive outdoor decking area along with seating for up to 200 people. It’s stunning. And for those who don’t fancy a soak in the tub, there’s a huge shower in which you can experience various settings from the rain curtain and the head spray to cold water mist and body spray. Although the number of buttons and settings does become quite confusing. My friend and I wander down to the spa, which boasts an extensive outdoor decking area along with seating for up to 200 people, featuring dining tables and luxurious loungers. The bathroom features two, free-standing white volcanic limestone baths, separated by a Champagne chiller. The rustic design blends antique with contemporary, dark mahoganies with pastel hues. There are heated outdoor hot tubs, with varying powerjets, a Jacuzzi, hydrotherapy pools and a 25-metre heated swimming pool. There’s also a bar with a Pimms pump; perfect for the summer BBQ season. Once inside the spa, which has received ‘5 Bubbles’ from The Good Spa Guide, guests can take full advantage of Thermal Heaven. We spent a few hours going from room to room – enjoying herbal saunas, aromatic laconium, tepidarium, ice cave, schnapps steam room and foot massage thrones. After, we go for a swim in the crystal blue 25-metre indoor pool – which also features underwater music. Surrounding it are cosy loungers where you can while away a few hours reading or having a snooze. It really is a haven of tranquility. We stay for lunch in the spa where guests are encouraged to wear their fluffy white robes while they eat. The various spa therapy rooms mix sweltering saunas with icy plunge pools and everything in between. Pennyhill Park is perfectly placed close to Ascot, Sunningdale and Wentworth for golf and racing lovers. I help myself to the gourmet salad bar, featuring dishes such as swordfish steak, chicken quinoa salad and tiger prawn noodles. There's also a juice bar and a menu featuring sirloin steak, sea bass and tortilla wraps. We spend the afternoon in and out of the various spa therapy rooms, mixing sweltering saunas with icy plunge pools and everything in between. I’m booked in for a vitality massage, and emerge an hour later like I’m walking on air. It’s up there with the best massagers I’ve ever had – incorporating traditional Swedish techniques which aim to boost circulation and restore vitality. I find myself dozing off despite having an already-relaxing day. The Brasserie (2 AA Rosettes) is Pennyhill’s contemporary, relaxed restaurant, affording views over the stunning grounds. During lunch in the spa, guests are encouraged to wear their fluffy white robes while they eat. Guests are spoiled for choice when it comes to dining options. There’s Michael Wignall at The Latymer (two Michelin stars and fiveAA Rosettes) – a 50 cover restaurant serving stunningly-crafted dishes. The elite Chef’s Table, a private dining option which opens for a minimum of six and a maximum of eight people. And the Ascot Bar – ideal for meeting for pre/post dinner drinks or to enjoy light meals or afternoon tea. So that evening, we enjoy a drink at the bar before being seated in The Brasserie (2 AA Rosettes), Pennyhill’s contemporary, relaxed restaurant affording views over the stunning grounds. Michael Wignall at The Latymer (two Michelin stars and five AA Rosettes) serves stunningly-crafted dishes. The menu is full to the brim with delicious-sounding main courses and desserts. The menu is full to the brim with delicious-sounding dishes. There’s a trio of Gressingham duck, compressed watermelon, English asparagus and aged balsamic for starters; braised shoulder of lamb and loin, haricot bean fricassee, spring cabbage, smoked celeriac puree and lamb caper jus for main; and valrhona 70 per cent hot chocolate fondant, Cocoa streusel, white coffee ice cream for dessert. There's also goat cheese parcel, butternut squash risotto and roast chestnut gnocchi for vegetarians. It’s a perfect ending to a perfect day. We head back to our room for what turns out to be a fantastic night’s sleep. If you end up leaving Pennyhill Park feeling this invigorated, it’s no wonder A-listers keep heading back for more. The total price of a similar stay at Pennyhill Park is £750 to £850, depending on availability. It includes a three course meal at the Brasserie plus a bottle of house wine and mineral water, overnight accommodation in an Exclusive Junior Suite, full English breakfast, and full use of the spa facilities from 3pm on the day of your arrival to 2pm on the day of your departure. As an extra, the 60-minute vitality massage was priced at £105. Pennyhill Park Hotel & The Spa. London Road, Bagshot, Surrey, GU19 5EU. 01276 486156.
| Pennyhill Park has a 45,000sq ft spa with 21 treatment rooms. Celebrities flock to the award-winning hotel and spa. Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman are among those who have visited.
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Russia is considering bailing out Greece in exchange for the country’s ‘assets’, it was reported last night. Alexis Tsipras, Greece’s prime minister, will meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow today, amid reports that the Kremlin will offer controversial loans and discounts on supplies of natural gas in a bid to lessen its dependence on the West. The visit will raise fears the radical left government is looking east in search of alternative sources of finance as it bids to avoid bankruptcy. Scroll down for video. Alexis Tsipras, Greece’s prime minister, will meet Vladimir Putin (pictured earlier this week) in Moscow today, amid reports that the Kremlin will offer controversial loans and discounts on supplies of natural gas. Ahead of his visit, Mr Tsipras condemned the West’s economic sanctions on Moscow as ‘a road to nowhere’. But Martin Schulz, the president of the European Parliament, has already warned it would be ‘unacceptable’ if Mr Tsipras ‘jeopardised Europe’s common policy on Russia’ in return for Kremlin aid. Kommersant newspaper quoted an anonymous Russian government source last night saying that lines of credit were being offered. ‘We’re ready to consider the question of providing Greece discounts on gas: the price for it is tied to the cost of oil which has significantly fallen in recent months,’ the source said. ‘We are also ready to discuss the possibility of granting Greece new loans. But here we, in turn, are interested in reciprocal moves – in particular, in Russia receiving particular assets in Greece.’ Yesterday Greece demanded more than £200billion in compensation from Germany for Nazi atrocities during the Second World War. The government unveiled its final calculation for the war reparations stemming from occupation by the Third Reich. The radical left Syriza party says Germany owes Greece nearly 279billion euros, or £204billion to compensate it for looting and war crimes. The German government says the issue was resolved legally years ago. Greece’s defence minister said it had obtained ‘stunning evidence’ to support its massive claims for reparations. Panos Kammenos said the country had obtained records held by the US military that review the extent of damage to private and public property during the Nazi occupation. Ahead of his meeting with Putin, Mr Tsipras (pictured) condemned the West’s economic sanctions on Moscow as ‘a road to nowhere’. Greece is obliged to pay 450million euros of its debt in a matter of days. The demand comes just days before Greece is obliged to pay 450million euros of its debt to the International Monetary Fund. Yanis Varoufakis, the Greek finance minister, has said the country ‘intends to meet all obligations to all its creditors, ad infinitum’. Greece suffered a brutal occupation at the hands Adolf Hitler’s forces in 1941. More than 40,000 people are believed to have starved to death in Athens alone. Yesterday a parliamentary committee established by Mr Tsipras for the first time put an official number on the reparations claim. It includes the cost of a 10billion euro forced Nazi loan made by the Bank of Greece and the return of archaeological treasures. The revised figures amount to nearly 10 per cent of Germany’s GDP. Mr Tsipras raised the reparations issue when he met German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin last month. He has called the reparations question a ‘moral and ethical’ issue for his country. The new figure was revealed yesterday by Greek deputy finance minister Dimitris Mardas. ‘According to our calculations, the debt linked to German reparations is 278.7bn euros,’ he told a parliamentary committee investigating responsibility for Greece’s debt crisis. Mr Mardas said the reparations calculation had been made by Greece’s state general accounting office. Berlin paid 115m deutschmarks to Athens in 1960 in compensation – a fraction of the Greek demand. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras raised the issue of compensation from Germany for Nazi atrocities during the Second World War when he met German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin last month (pictured) Greece says this did not cover payments for damaged infrastructure, war crimes and the return of the forced loan. Germany insists the reparations issue was settled in 1990 legally and politically before Germany reunified. Syriza politicians have frequently blamed Germany for the hardship suffered by Greeks under the tough bailout conditions imposed by international lenders. Ministers have floated the idea of seizing German assets in the country to compensate the families of victims of Nazi war crimes. A poll carried for Greek radio found more than 80 per cent of Greeks agreed with the pusuit of Nazi war debt claims. Yesterday Greek MPs also voted to establish a committee examining the circumstances of its 2010 bail-out by eurozone creditors and the IMF to the tune of 240billion euros. ‘After five years of parliamentary silence on the major issues that caused the bailout catastrophe, today we commence a procedure that will give answers to the questions concerning the Greek people,’ Mr Tsipras said. Finance minister Yanis Varoufakis has claimed the economy was unfairly lumbered with the liabilities that it is now struggling to pay off as its coffers run empty. He has claimed Europe dealt with his country’s bankruptcy by ‘loading the largest loan in human history on the weakest of shoulders - the Greek taxpayer’.
| Alexis Tsipras, Greece’s prime minister, will meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The meeting comes amid reports Russia is considering bailing out Greece. Reports Kremlin may offer loans and discounts on supplies of natural gas.
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She may have been showcasing some serious hipster style on the streets of New York in recent weeks, but Princess Eugenie proves she can dress to impress too. The 25-year-old royal, who has been living in the US for a year now, looked glamorous as she arrived at the For The Love Of Cinema dinner in New York City on Thursday during the Tribeca Film Festival. The cousin of Princes William and Harry looked serene in a chic white dress with gold embellishment. Princess Eugenie looked glamorous at the For The Love Of Cinema dinner in New York City on Thursday during the Tribeca Film Festival. Wearing her hair in its signature sleek bob, the royal fashionista accessoried her outfit with a peach clutch and matching court shoes. Princess Eugenie mingled with a host of A-listers and film industry bigwigs at the event, which was also attended by Dakota Fanning. Dakota donned a sleeveless navy velvet dress along with a pair of strappy silver heels while hitting the red carpet at the event during the Tribeca Film Festival. The War Of The Worlds actress accessorised the look with a blue leather clutch and matching navy watch. The 25-year-old, who has been living in New York for a year now, looked serene in a chic white dress with gold embellishment and matching clutch bag and shoes. Princess Eugenie, who works in an auction house in New York, mingled with a host of A-listers and film industry bigwigs at the event. During the actual dinner, she was spotted sitting next to actress from HBO's The Newsroom Alison Pill while enjoying the festivities together. Also in attendance was Jennifer Morrison, who wowed in white in a half-sleeved dress featuring sheer panels, which she paired with white leather heels. Kelly Brook was the yin to her yang as she donned a lacy sleeveless black mini dress along with matching patent leather heels for the occasion. The event was also attended by young starlet Dakota Fanning, left, and fledgling thespian Kelly Brook, right. Princess Eugenie has been living in New York for a year now, and, as these photos attest, she is right at home in the cosmopolitan city. At the end of last month, the young royal, who lives three and a half thousand miles away from her family in the UK, celebrated her 25th birthday. In the middle of a Palace function, her father, Prince Andrew, whipped out his iPad and used it to video call his daughter, who currently lives in Manhattan. Eugenie has been in New York for the past year, working for an online auction house. The Duke of York holds an iPad as he invites the audience at the Pitch@Palace event to sing happy birthday via FaceTime to his daughter Princess Eugenie. Princess Eugenie of York, pictured with her sister Beatrice at attend The Serpentine Gallery Summer Party last summer, proves she can cut a glamorous figure.
| Princess, 25, looked chic in a white and gold dress. Mingled with Kelly Brook and Dakota Fanning at the dinner. Cousin of Princes William and Harry is working at auction house in city.
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Model Ciara Nugent may benefit from the right to buy scheme being extended to housing association tenants as her mother plans to buy her a property. Housing association tenants paying cheap rent to live in homes worth millions could get the chance to buy them at discounted prices under new right-to-buy plans. A number of people are currently paying around £150 a week to live in flats in exclusive parts of Mayfair and Covent Garden in London which are owned by housing associations and are now worth several million. Under Conservative plans to give tenants the chance to own their own homes, people living in these plush properties could now get the chance to buy them with discounts of up to £102,000 in London, after living in them for cheaper rents. The properties form part of affordable housing because of agreements with developers to provide low-cost provisions when new developments are built over a certain size. Many of them were built years ago in areas which have now become expensive and are worth millions of pounds. This enables tenants to occupy properties worth at least £1million for cheap rents, and many tenancies go unreviewed if circumstances change. However the value of the housing stock has raised questions over whether they should be sold to fund more housing. An investigation by the Sunday Times found that 10 properties owned by the Peabody housing association in London are located in the expensive areas of Mayfair and Covent Garden - and are worth between £1million and £2.2million. The house used in the recent Paddington Bear film, in Primrose Hill, is also owned as affordable housing. Philomena Nugent,who lives in one of the Peabody flats in Drury Lane, told the newspaper she plans to buy her property for her pregnant daughter, Ciara Nugent, a model based in New York. Scroll down for video. One Housing, which owns 15,000 properties in London, said around 750 of these were worth more than £1million. Under plans proposed by the Conservatives the right to buy will be extended to 1.3million homes, occupied by 2.75million people. It is aimed at giving more people the opportunity to own their own homes and every house sold will be replaced on a one-for-one basis. But Housing Associations have opposed the proposals to sell their costly buildings at discounted prices, saying it will mean while individual tenants may benefit there will be no affordable housing left for people who need it most. Housing Associations own expensive properties, such as a house used in the Paddington film in Primrose Hill. Paddington Bear was filmed in an exclusive part of Primrose Hill, a property owned by a housing association. They have also said owning property which has recently risen in value allows them to finance future developments. National Housing Federation director Ruth Davison recently branded the scheme the 'wrong' solution to the housing crisis. She said: 'Halfway through a programme of austerity and in the grips of a housing crisis, if you had £20 billion of taxpayers' money, would you just give it away as a gift to some of the most securely housed people in the country on some of the lowest rents?' The original right-to-buy scheme saw more than 1.5million council homes being sold off at discounted rates, and became one of Margaret Thatcher's best known policies. At the moment housing associations, which receive public money and loans to provide affordable housing, are exempt from the scheme. Around 800,000 people have a 'limited right to acquire', and are eligible for maximum discounts of £16,000. Some tenants who are currently paying around £150 a week to live in the expensive London districts are keen to take advantage of the right-to-buy plans to try and buy their properties. However some insist even with the discount of up to £102,000 in London they will still be unable to buy their homes. How does right-to-buy work? Introduced in 1980, it gives council house tenants discounts to buy their home. Labour dropped its opposition to the policy but, in 1999, Tony Blair's government cut the top discount from £50,000 to £38,000 and sales slowed. What has the Coalition done? It has sought to reinvigorate the scheme, cutting from five to three the number of years tenants need to have been in a home before they can buy it and upping the discounts to a maximum of £77,000 for most areas. Are housing association tenants covered? Housing associations – autonomous, not-for-profit bodies that receive public money and loans from the private sector to provide low-cost homes – are largely exempt. However, around 800,000 HA tenants have a limited 'right to acquire' with discounts capped at between £9,000 to £16,000. The other 500,000 tenants lack any right to buy. What are the Tory proposals? They would legislate to give all housing association tenants full right-to-buy. Tenants in houses would get a 35 per cent discount, increasing by 1 per cent for every extra year they have been a tenant. Those in flats will get a 50 per cent discount, going up 2 per cent every year. Discounts for houses and flats would be capped at the lower of 70 per cent or £102,700 in London and £77,000 across the rest of England. How will this be paid for? The Tories say they will make councils sell off expensive properties when they become vacant. Council homes that rank in the most costly third of all properties of that type in their area will be sold off. Around 15,000 such properties become vacant each year, because tenants die or move. The sell-off could net £4.5billion a year. What about the proceeds? They will be split, with a proportion used to replace on a 'one-to-one' basis the council homes sold off. The new properties would be more affordable, probably in less expensive locations, and could be built either by a council or housing association. Another slice of the proceeds would be used to fund the new right-to-buy discounts for housing association tenants. The rest would go to create a £1billion fund, enabling councils to bid for cash to develop brownfield land for housing. It would enable them to clean up derelict or contaminated land, and could lead to 400,000 new homes in five years, Tories say.
| Housing association tenants are paying £150 a week to live in £1m homes. Properties are owned by associations as part of affordable housing pledge. New right-to-buy legislation could see tenants able to purchase homes. They will be offered discounts to buy their properties, giving an extra benefit to those who currently occupy flats in Mayfair for cheap rents.
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Loss: Audrie Pott, 15, killed herself in 2012 after she was sexually assaulted at a party. Two of her attackers have finally apologized and admitted she was unconscious during the 'criminal act' Two teenagers have finally apologized for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl who later committed suicide after images of the attack were shared around her high school. The pair, who have not been named, admitted Audrie Pott was unconscious at the time and did not consent to their 'criminal acts' as they reached a civil settlement with her family. They also apologized for sharing false rumors spread around Saratoga High School in Northern California that 'served to shame and humiliate her'. The teenager fell asleep after drinking Gatorade laced with vodka at a friend's party in their hometown of Saratoga. She awoke to find her pants off and lewd comments scribbled over her body. Her family says she hanged herself days later after learning cellphone photos were taken of her during the assault and shared through text messages. Audrie's parents, Lawrence and Sheila Pott, filed a civil lawsuit against the boys to hold them more accountable for their actions. Their attorney, Bob Allard, said the parents decided to settle with one of the teens because he showed remorse and 'told the truth' about what happened to Audrie. Now the final two teens have reached an agreement after initially refusing to say sorry - reportedly paying $950,000 to the devastated family. As part of the settlement, they were also made to release a lengthy apology and will have to give presentations about 'sexting', sharing nude photos, 'slut-shaming' and the dangers of alcohol. The pair said: 'We apologize that we said things that made it seem like Audrie invited or encouraged these acts. 'We admit that we committed these acts and shared inappropriate images of Audrie to others. 'Audrie wasn't conscious during these criminal acts that we committed and did not consent to what we did.' They also apologized for false rumors that 'served to shame and humiliate her'. It continued: 'We would like every teenager out there to understand that words about someone's character can have a life altering effect. That taking advantage of an incapacitated human being is a crime each and every time. They also said they would participate and support a petition to to the Saratoga High School Administration to give Audrie an honorary diploma, because their 'actions contributed to prevent her from graduating. During a hearing on Friday, the boys stood up and apologized to the courtroom, including Audrie's parents, to mark the signing of the agreement. According to the San Jose Mercury, one of them said: 'I wish Audrie was still here, and I miss her a lot. She was a great person who didn't deserve anything that happened to her due to my actions. I apologize. I wish I could make it right.' Anger: Larry Pott and and Audrie's stepmother and his second wife Lisa, have finally settled their lawsuit against two of their daughter's attackers after one admitted and apologized. Grieving: Audrie's mother, Sheila Pott, found her daughter hanging in the bathroom in September 2012. Tormentors: The three teenagers (pictured with their faces obscured) pleaded guilty to sexual assault last year and were sentenced to 30-45 days in a juvenile detention facility. The second teen, who is now a senior at Christopher High in Gilroy, said that if he could, he would 'take back the pain and suffering I caused Audrie and the Pott family. This has caused a tragedy to all involved due to my actions.' He added: 'I will do everything I can to mentor teens to not do what I did in September 2012.' The teenagers also agreed to be interviewed in a documentary film already in production about the case. The three attackers, all classmates, were prosecuted in private juvenile proceedings and sentenced to between 30 and 45 days in juvenile hall. Two continue to attend Saratoga High, while the third transferred to high school about an hour south in Gilroy. Allard said that had the two other teens apologized, they might not have been sued. 'If they had simply knocked on the door of the Pott household, apologized, accepted responsibility and jumped headfirst into our quest to educate our youth by, for example, speaking at high schools about the mistakes they made and how this can be prevented, there would be no civil lawsuit,' Allard said. Audrie's parents led the campaign to pass a California law which allows prosecutors to seek harsher sentences for juvenile sex offenders who take pictures of their crimes and use them to bully the victims. The trio of teenagers whom Daily Mail Online is not identifying because they are minors, pleaded guilty in January 2014 and were sentenced to 30 to 45 days each in a juvenile detention facility. Pott, from Saratoga, California, hung herself September 10, 2012 - just eight days after the teens digitally penetrated her at an alcohol-fueled Labor Day party and took pictures of her in a compromised state. The 15-year-old girl felt humiliated after she discovered that the cellphone photos showing her naked body covered in lewd comments written in marker had been shared with students at her school. In February, Pott's parents tried to get all three expelled from their schools - which they returned to after their sentences. Cruel: Pott, right, was assaulted after a night of drinking and boys spread photos of the attack. They launched a petition on the site Change.org calling on the principals of Saratoga High School and Christopher High School to expel the three perpetrators responsible for Audrie's 'slut-shaming.' At a party in early September 2012, Audrie Pott drank alcohol-laced Gatorade and woke up without her shorts on, with her face painted black and with mocking comments written in indelible marker all over her body. Over the course of the next week, Audrie learned that cellphone photos had been taken of her during the assault, which involved digital penetration, and shared with students at the school she attended with the three attackers. 'My life is over...I ruined my life and I don't even remember how,' Audrie said to a classmate in the days following the incident. She then pleaded with the boys to delete the photos. 'I swear to god if u still have those pictures illl killl u [sic],' she wrote to one of her alleged attackers in the days after the party. 'It's gonna get out.' Another male classmate responded: 'lol that s*** gets around haha everyone knows mostly everything hahaah.' Left behind: Audrie is pictured left with her father, step mother and half brother and sisters. Eight days after the attack, on September 12, 2012, Audrie hanged herself in a bathroom at her mother's house. In police interviews, the teenagers admitted to coloring half of her face black with marker, then pulling down her bra, taking off her shorts and drawing on her breasts and near her genitals. They photographed themselves sexually assaulting her and, by the time she started her sophomore year at Saratoga High School two days later, scores of students had seen the images. Rolling Stone magazine has revealed the torment Audrie suffered in the days before her death and has detailed the messages she exchanged with her alleged attackers, whom she had known since middle school. She messaged one boy, vowing to kill him if he still had the images. 'They are deleted and I didn't take them,' he wrote. 'I promise it wasn't me.' 'I'm sorry about the marker,' he added of the drawings that covered her body. She also messaged another boy who had been at the party to ask if one of the teenagers had photographs of her. 'ur fine,' he responded. 'ill make sure nothing goes around.' She replied: 'It's gonna get out. S*** always does. Especially with the people who were there.'
| Parents of Audrie Pott reach financial settlement with remaining two teens. Family made an agreement with one weeks ago after he 'showed remorse' Issued a lengthy apology as part of the wrongful death civil suit. Admitted the teenager was unconscious and did not consent at the time. Apologized for spreading rumors that 'served to shame and humiliate her' During a hearing one of the boys said he 'missed Audrie a lot' Pair will also have to give presentations on 'sexting' and 'slut-shaming' The trio stripped her naked, drew on her and attacked her during a party.
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Many people long to win the lottery and enjoy the trappings of wealth. But for one woman, securing a job at the Pokemon Centre in Japan would be her dream come true. Lisa Courtney, of Hertfordshire, has spent most of her life collecting Pokemon memorabilia of all shapes and sizes. Lisa's mother had to move to the smallest room in the house to make room for her daughter's collection. Lisa Courtney, of Hertfordshire, has spent most of her life collecting Pokemon memorabilia. Indeed the 26-year-old has amassed so many during her 17-year hobby, she now holds the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of Pokemon items, having 25,000 of them spread around the home she shares with her mother, Sharon. 'I just love Pokemon so much - there's just something about it that brings joy to me every day,' said Lisa. Her fixation with the Japanese characters started at the age of nine when she saw a picture of the cartoon's protagonist, Pikachu in a Nintendo magazine. Her collection of the Nintendo franchise has grown so large that her mother had to move from the largest to the smallest room in their house to make room for her vast array of cuddly toys, models, clothing, badges, flannels and posters. Lisa clinched the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of Pokemon memorabilia in 2009 when she had 12,113 items, but that hasn't stopped her from collecting more. The devoted fan even travelled to Japan when the 11th Pokemon movie was released to get hold of exclusive merchandise that wasn't available in Europe. Lisa Courtney searches for Pokemon items online at her home. Lisa Courtney owns the world's largest collection of Pokemon memorabilia. 'I went for the release of the eleventh Pokemon movie in an attempt to get some exclusive Shaymin merchandise - it was amazing,' she said. Despite having to sacrifice her bedroom, Lisa's mother and the rest of her family are very supportive of her obsession and even buy her more items for special occasions. 'The first toy I ever got was a large Psyduck plush toy from Japan - my mother and grandmother ordered it from a mail order company before Pokemon hit the UK,' she said. 'We had to guess what we were ordering because the names of the Pokemon hadn't even been translated into English yet.' For Lisa, Pokemon isn't simply a cartoon, the programme really helped her through a very difficult stage of her life. For Lisa, Pokemon isn't simply a cartoon, the programme helped her through a very difficult stage of her life. 'I started collecting when I was getting bullied at school, Pokemon was the only thing that made me feel happy.' Sharon Courtney said she did not mind moving to a smaller bedroom as Pokemon was so important to her daughter. 'I love Pokemon now. It helped Lisa through horrific times when she was at school and was kicked in the head and the back. 'Every time she came home and was tearful she would go to Pokemon and she would be smiling. 'She would love to work in Japan at the Pokemon Centre - more than winning the lottery - that would be her dream!' Lisa appears on Collectaholics on BBC2 at 7pm last night. Lisa spends seven hours a week on the internet browsing for new Pokemon releases to buy and trade, she also visits car-boot sales hunting for rare memorabilia to add to her collection. 'I try and get new merchandise as soon as the new characters come out - it's often difficult as they are only available in Japan and America or are too expensive,' she added. Despite trying to save money where she can Lisa does own one particular item that she is sure must be worth a fortune. 'My most valuable piece is my large Ho-Oh plush toy, it was a prize in Japan, only available in raffles and in their amusement arcades. I bought mine for £60 online. 'I will always collect Pokemon, here's always something new to get. 'For me, Pokemon is like an additional family - it always lifts my spirits.' Watch Collectaholics on BBC iPlayer.
| Lisa Courtney holds the Guinness World Record for largest collection. The 26-year-old started amassing the items after being bullied aged nine. Spends seven hours a week surfing the internet looking for new characters. Vast hoard ranges from cuddly toys to cornflakes made in Japan.
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A 46-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison on Monday after shooting dead a father and son because they were related to a driver who killed his nine-year-old sister in a crash 45 years ago. Alfred Guy Vuozzo swore loudly as he was told he would not be eligible for parole for 35 years for murdering Brent McGuigan, 68, and his son, Brendon, 39, on Prince Edward Island last August. As he was escorted from the courtroom, he screamed: 'You've sentenced me to life and I sent them to death', while the judge called the brutal double-murder an act of 'hatred and misdirected vengeance'. Vuozzo was two years old when his older sister, Cathy, was killed in a crash in 1970. Brent's father, Herbert, who was behind the wheel, later received a nine-month sentence for dangerous driving. Scroll down for video. 'Revenge': Alfred Guy Vuozzo, 46, has been sentenced to life in prison after shooting dead Brent McGuigan, 68, and his son, Brendon (both pictured), 39, because they were related to a driver who killed his nine-year-old sister in a crash 45 years ago. The defendant was told that he will not be eligible for parole for 35 years. Crash: Vuozzo was two years old when his older sister, Cathy, was killed in a crash in 1970. Brent's father, Herbert, who was behind the wheel, received a nine-month sentence. Above, a newspaper photo of the crash. After more than 40 years of torment, Vuozzo confronted the driver's son, Brent, and grandson, Brendon, in their home on St Mary's Road, near the town of Montague, CTV News reported. He shot them both in 'execution-style' killings to avenge his sister's death - despite neither victim having had anything to do with the crash that had claimed the life of his sibling all those years ago. In February, Vuozzo pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of Brent and the second-degree murder of Brendon. At the time, he told the court that when Cathy was killed, 'Our lives were ruined'. He added he had needed to do something for her. 'Call me a cold-blooded killer, but I'm not,' he said. Before his sentencing on Monday, Vuozzo said Herbert's 'short' sentence 'has haunted me all my life', saying: 'That's all her life was worth. She only had nine years in this world. And nobody cared.' Shooting: After more than 40 years of torment, Vuozzo confronted the driver's son, Brent, and grandson, Brendon, in their home near Montague, Prince Edward Island, and shot them. Above, police at the scene. Emergency vehicle: He killed both in 'execution-style' slayings to avenge his sister's death - despite neither victim having had anything to do with the car crash that claimed the life of his sibling all those years ago. However, Crown lawyer John Diamond told the provincial Supreme Court in Charlottetown that Vuozzo was a 'cold-hearted' murderer who had shot his victims with a handgun to get 'revenge'. 'It was revenge. He was a cold-hearted and calculated individual,' he told the court, CBC reported. Mr Diamond also called the double-murder on August 20 'callous', 'pointless', and the worst crime in the Island's history, adding that it has caused life-long pain for surviving McGuigan family members. In a victim impact statement, Brent's wife and Brendon's mother, Marie McGuigan, who was home at the time but was not targeted by a hell-bent Vuozzo, said 'a part of me died with them that night'. Attack: In February, Vuozzo pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of Brent and the second-degree murder of Brendon. He said that when Cathy was killed, 'Our lives were ruined'. Above, the scene of the killings. Meanwhile, Brent's only daughter, Donna, said she has been consumed by hatred. 'I feel so much anger and hatred that it scares me. I hate that they died this way and it haunts me,' she sobbed. At an earlier hearing, Gerald Quinn, prosecuting, explained how Cathy had been fatally thrown from a car being driven by her father when it was struck by Mr McGuigan, who was driving a truck, in 1970. The youngster's father and two other children also received minor injuries in the crash, but Herbert was not injured, The Eastern Graphic reported. Cathy died on the scene near Commercial Road. Mr McGuigan has since passed away. Referring to Brent and Brendon, Quinn said: 'These two men, by all accounts, were good hard-working men, had no involvement whatsoever in the motor vehicle accident years ago, at all. He added: 'This gentlemen [Vuozzo] had no familiarity with them other than knowing who they were. He walked into the home and he shot them both multiple times and killed them.' Thane MacEachern, defending, argued that the defendant had no previous criminal record and had suffered from depression and mental illness prior to the shootings, according to CBC. Vuozzo, of Lower Montague, will be 81 by the time he is eligible for parole. The first 25 years' ineligibility are for his first-degree murder charge, while the other 10 years are for killing Brendon. In 2011, federal legislation was passed allowing courts to impose consecutive periods of parole ineligibility in cases where defendants have been convicted of multiple murders.
| Alfred Guy Vuozzo, 46, shot dead Brent McGuigan and his son, Brendon. He carried out shooting last August to avenge nine-year-old sister, Cathy. Cathy was killed in a car smash involving Brent's father, Herbert, in 1970. Herbert given nine-month sentence for dangerous driving; has since died. Vuozzo, from Prince Edward Island, said the sentence had 'haunted' him. Knew victims, who lived near Montague, were not involved in fatal crash. Defendant pleaded guilty to first- and second-degree murder in February. He was jailed for life on Monday; he is not eligible for parole for 35 years.
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Trials: Researchers at Hadassah Medical School in Jerusalem found pregnancy helps regenerate tissue. Expectant mums really do bloom - for being pregnant has a 'rejuvenating effect' on women, according to new scientific research. And for older women it could help them feel young again, almost literally, as pregnancy helps regenerate tissue and slow down the ageing process, it added. Appearing to bloom is not just a cosmetic side effect of carrying a child, said medical experts for the journal Fertility and Sterility but an actual physical process. Researchers studied the effects of liver transplants on pregnant and non-pregnant mice using a high-tech MRI scanner at the Hadassah Medical School in Jerusalem. It found in young, non-pregnant mice, 82 per cent of the liver had regenerated after two days and in older, non-pregnant mice, only 46 per cent had regenerated in that time. But in older, pregnant mice around 96 per cent had regenerated after two days, better than the non-pregnant rodents both young and old, they reported. They also found that pregnancy protected the rodents from tissue damage around the heart, which is also an irreversible part of the human ageing process, said the study. Pregnancy is a unique condition for the human body, said the researchers, and as a result it has to cope with two people's systems at the same time. For the older of the two bodies, it is as if it has been injected with a youth serum from the baby it is carrying, hence the rejuvenating process affecting the mother, it suggests. The report added: 'As we age, it is more difficult for our tissue to regenerate itself. 'Because pregnancy is a unique biological model of a partially shared blood system, we have speculated that pregnancy would have a rejuvenating effect on the mother.' Tal Falick Michaeli, Rubin Chair in Medical Science at Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, who led the review, has also done research that suggests that pregnancy can restore the mother's muscles' ability to regenerate. The research found, in the mice used to test their hypothesis, that the positive effect of pregnancy was 'transient' and lasted for about two months after delivery. Serum: Say tests carried out on pregnant mice suggested they 'got youth serum injection' from babies. Previous research has also found that old mice given a transfusion of younger mice's blood performed better in a memory task than those that aged naturally. A study by Stanford University found that changes in the make-up of people's blood as they age may damage connections in the brain and so cause memory deterioration and the decline of other brain functions. This could be tackled by filtering more youthful blood into the older body, which would rejuvenate old tissue and keep nerve cells in better working order, according to the research.
| Researchers in Jerusalem found pregnancy helps regenerate tissue. Suggest pregnancy could restore mother's muscles' ability to regenerate. Claim mice 'got youth serum injection' from babies they were carrying.
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Emma Hannigan had her breasts and ovaries removed in 2006 to reduce her risk of cancer after she was diagnosed with the faulty BrCa1 gene. A mother-of-two has battled cancer nine times in the last seven years, despite having her breasts and ovaries removed to try and prevent the disease. Emma Hannigan was told in 2005 that she carried the faulty BRCA1 gene, which increases a woman's chance of getting breast cancer by 85 per cent, and ovarian cancer by 50 per cent. She opted to have a double mastectomy and oophorectomy the following year, to reduce her risk. But despite the drastic surgery, the 42-year-old received the diagnosis she had been dreading - she had breast cancer. Since that point, Mrs Hannigan has battled the disease a staggering nine times, including four bouts in the space of a year. She is now undergoing chemotherapy every three weeks as specialists try to keep the disease at bay. Mrs Hannigan, an author from Bray, near Dublin, said despite it failing to prevent cancer, she does not regret having preventative surgery. The Breast Cancer Campaign estimates preventative mastectomy is thought to reduce breast cancer risk in carriers of the BRCA gene, by 90 per cent. The odds reduce a woman's risk to lower than that of the average for women who do not carry the mutated gene. 'I didn't look at it like I was losing my ovaries or breasts,' Mrs Hannigan said. 'I looked at it like I was gaining my life. 'It wasn't a difficult decision. It was a no-brainer - I wanted to live.' But at the age of 33, Mrs Hannigan was devastated when she was told, just a year after having surgery, that she had cancer. 'I was tested because there was a family history of breast and ovarian cancer in my family,' she said. 'My aunt Helen died of breast cancer when she was 42. My other aunts, Ruth and Cathy, survived breast cancer in their 30s and 40s. My great aunt, Anneliese, died from ovarian cancer. 'When gene testing came in my family were invited to have tests. My mother, Cathy and Ruth were all diagnosed with the faulty gene. 'So I was tested and I was diagnosed too. Then I made the decision to reduce my risk of cancer and have surgery. 'It was not difficult. I had seen Helen die. 'I had two young children. I only had to look at them and know that I had made the right choice.' Following the mastectomy, her breast tissue was sent away for testing. The results showed early signs of cancer. But in 2007, the mother-of-two, from Bray near Dublin, was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent treatment, including radiation, pictured, and within a few months doctors told her she was in remission. Since 2007, Mrs Hannigan, an author, has battled the disease nine times, including facing four bouts in one year. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy as specialists try to keep the disease at bay. But doctors said they were pre-cancerous cells, and she was clear of the disease at the time. In June 2007, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. 'In January 2007 I had muscle pains and a rash,' the former beautician said. 'My arms and legs started seizing and my face, head, arms and upper torso became covered in a burning itchy rash. Women with a significant family history of breast cancer may have an increased risk of getting the disease. A significant family history is defined by:. Women who inherit the faulty, or mutated, BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes have a 50 to 80 per cent chance of developing breast cancer during their lifetime. Genetic tests are available to women who are likely to have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, or faults in two other genes called TP53 and PTEN. BRCA gene faults are more common in the Ashkenazi Jewish population, about 2.3 per cent of Ashkenazi Jewish women have a BRCA gene mutation. Source: Breast Cancer Campaign. 'Between February and April I was in and out of hospital. 'In June I was diagnosed with cancer for the first time and also dermatomyositis, an autoimmune disease. 'I had IV chemotherapy used to treat both conditions, along with steroids to stop the dermatomyositis.' After a few months of treatment, doctors told the mother-of-two she was in remission. 'I thought it was over,' she said. 'I thought I had done my time and that was it. 'But cancer doesn't have a social conscious. It came back.' The disease returned again in March 2008 and October 2009. Both times she was treated with chemotherapy and went into remission with scans and blood tests coming back clear. Then in 2010, Mrs Hannigan was diagnosed with cancer four times and was treated with a mixture of chemotherapy and radiation. Each time she went into remission. But the cancer returned in 2011 and she received six months of chemotherapy. Again she went into remission. But again, it returned in 2013. 'This was the worst,' she said. 'I got a tumour in my skull and needed 50 bouts of radiation. 'I couldn't move my head. It was awful.' Mrs Hannigan said she wrote to see her through it the long hours of radiation. She has had a successful career as an author writing such books as Driving Home for Christmas and The Secrets We Share. 'Currently the cancer is gone – but I'm having chemo every three weeks as a precaution,' she said. 'Cancer doesn't get any less scary. 'The words, "it is breast cancer" are never easy to hear. 'All the cancer is classed as breast cancer as this was the primary source – the place where it first started. 'Each time I was diagnosed it was in my lymph nodes in the area around my neck, shoulder, underarm and or the back of my head. Mrs Hannigan said: 'Cancer doesn't get any less scary. 'The words, "it is breast cancer" are never easy to hear.' She said she is no better than anyone else at beating cancer, rather treatments have improved. 'Each time I found the cancer myself in the form of lumps just under the skin. I go to the doctor and am treated. 'Then I have scans and blood tests and it is clear. I am in remission. 'My husband, Cian, 41, and I crack open the champagne. 'But the cancer comes back.' She said she was no better at beating cancer than other people, rather treatments have improved. 'And I should know,' she laughed. 'Sometimes I wonder, "why I have had it nine times when some people get it once?" 'There's no reason.' Her son, Sacha, 15, and daughter, Kim, 13, will be offered the opportunity for testing when they are 18. 'But it's their choice,' she said. 'Whatever happens I will be there for them.' Mrs Hannigan has teamed up TanOrganic, the world's first eco-certified self-tanning brand, to raise money for cancer research. From every bottle sold in Waitrose, TanOrganic will donate 35p to cancer research charities.
| Emma Hannigan was diagnosed with the faulty BRCA1 gene in 2005. A year later she had her breasts and ovaries removed to prevent cancer. But in 2007, despite the surgery, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then she has battled the disease nine times - four times in one year.
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It may look like CGI in the trailer, but the droid that will join R2-D2 in the forthcoming Star Wars film - The Force Awakens - is very much real. The robot, named BB-8, took to the stage at Star Wars Celebration convention in Anaheim, California, where it literally ran rings around the retro droid on its spherical body. JJ Abrams, the film’s director, confirmed that a real robot was used during filming, but did not reveal how it works. Scroll down for video. The robot, called BB-8 (left) stars in the eagerly anticipated film Star Wars: The Force Awakens and took to the stage at Star Wars Celebration convention in Anaheim, California, where it literally ran rings around retro droid R2-D2 (pictured right) It’s a question that’s got Twitter talking, with a user named Jock tweeting: BB8? BBGREAT more like and Jimmy Wong in LA saying: ‘HOW DOES BB-8 WORK. It's so coooool.’ Joshua Harris, a teenager from Oxford said: ‘#BB8 is one of the few things in life that makes me want to understand engineering, while Video editor Ron Dot Org tweeted: ‘This is the part of the #StarWars event today that really blew my mind. #BB8 is not cgi. AT ALL’. BB-8’s body is a spherical ball that allows it to move in any direction, but it also has a completely free-moving head that doesn’t fall off, leaving applauding spectators wondering how it works. Speaking about filming the movie, JJ Abrams said: 'There were a lot of discussions about how having a CGI BB-8 could be so much easier for shooting. JJ Abrams, the film’s director, confirmed that a real robot was used during filming, instead of CGI, but did not reveal how the robot worked. Here, BB-8 the rolling droid BB-8 is spotted inside the Millennium Falcon, peeking around a corner. From today, Star Wars fans will be able to tweet using new emojis exclusive to the social network. Three emojiis have been introduced showing C3PO, a Storm trooper and a new droid. They have been rolled out in anticipation of the release of Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens. To tweet a Star Wars emoji, users must include hastags: #C3PO, #STORMTROOPER or #BB8 which will be transformed into little cartoons. ‘But we talked originally about it would be better for the film, for the actors, for the sets and the look of it if it were performed.’ He confirmed that BB-8 was ‘built and puppeteered’ in the film, but no strings were visible when the beeping, chirping droid rolled on stage, leading experts to speculate that it must be controlled by at least one remote control. The robot’s body is likely to be a large robotic ball, like a big version of the Sphero, Mashable’s Andrew Tarantola speculated. The toy by Orbotix is controlled by a smartphone app using a Bluetooth connection and allows users to make it go in any direction – much like the new droid. BB-8’s body is a spherical ball that allows it to move in any direction (pictured) but it also has a completely free-moving head that doesn’t fall off, leaving applauding spectators wondering how it works. The robot’s body is likely to be a large remote-controlled robotic ball, like a big version of the Sphero (pictured). The toy by Orbotix is controlled by a smartphone app using a Bluetooth connection and allows users to make it go in any direction – much like the new droid. Professor Will Stewart, a Fellow of The Institution of Engineering and Technology in London, told MailOnline that the walking globe is easy to achieve – ‘we could build one if we had the budget’. ‘It’s related to the default egg-race-style self-propelled double wheel device or the walk-in-balloon which anyone can try,’ he said, referring to a zorb, which humans walk inside and push against the side to move along. But the real mystery is how the robot’s head can move independently but stay on top of the free-rolling ball. It’s possible that magnets are involved to ‘stick’ the droid’s head to its body, but it would require remarkable control by a human operator to make sure it’s head stayed on top of the body – and the stage performance seemed effortlessness. It could be that the droid’s head is a separate robot with its own set of remote controls, enabling it to ‘look’ around. It's currently a mystery as to how BB-8 moves, but its white and orange case may hide a larger mechanism like that found in Sphero, which allows it to move quickly in any direction. The real question is how its head stays on. BB-8’s body is a spherical ball that allows it to move in any direction, but it also has a completely free-moving head that doesn’t fall off, leaving applauding spectators wondering how it works. This image shows the robot on the set of the film, which will be released in the UK in December. It may be able to stay upright easily by depending on a gyroscope that tells it which way is up and use an accelerometer to monitor motion, much like many smartphone games. Magnets may still be used to keep the head in contact with the body. Professor Stewart said: ‘The floating ‘head’ is probably on rollers magnetically bound through the plastic ball to the "driving" robot inside.’ He explained that rare earth magnets are very strong and light and the robot’s ‘movements are consistent with this, such as a tendency to move in the direction of travel.’ ‘The inside and head could be wirelessly linked but given that this robot is radio controlled rather than autonomous…I suspect that head and body are just independently radio controlled.’ It’s possible that magnets are involved to ‘stick’ the droid’s head to its body (pictured), but it would require remarkable control by a human operator to make sure it’s head stayed on top of the body – and the stage performance seemed effortlessness. From today, Star Wars fans will be able to tweet using new emojis (pictured) exclusive to the social network. Sphero is the world's first robotic toy ball that's controlled by a smartphone app. It's been suggested that BB-8 may use similar technology in its body. The Sphero toy can be programmed to weave in between objects, follow augmented reality race tracks and even keep a pet entertained. The 2.8-inch (73mm) ball travels up to 5mph (0.6 km/h), is fully waterproof and costs $99.99 in the U.S, and £99.99 in the UK. Sphero (pictured) is the world's first robotic toy ball that's controlled by a smartphone app. The gadget weighs 178g (0.4lbs) and has a gyroscope and accelerometer inside that connect to a tablet or smartphone via Bluetooth, as well as two rubber wheels. A counterweight gets the ball rolling on demand and sensors allow users to control the direction and speed of the ball. The wheels inside work like a hamster running inside a ball and never leave Sphero's surface, so it can turn corners at high speed. There are up to 30 games available via apps including driving, sports and arcade games, and the polycarbonate ball could soon be on its way to school classrooms to give children an insight into robotics. It is hoped the waterproof ball will inspire a future generation to get involved in computer science and design and technology.
| BB-8 moved in all directions on stage at Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim. Director JJ Abrams said a real robot and not CGI was used in the film. Audience were mesmerised by the droid but it's a mystery how it works. Suggestions include giant robotic ball has another magnetic robot on top.
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A woman's missing wedding ring has turned up after four months - in the family dog's excrement. Nikki Balovich had taken off her diamond-encrusted silver ring as she was pregnant and her fingers were swollen. When she couldn't find it, she suspected their 90-pound baby mastiff Halli had swallowed it up, but there was no way of checking. Nikki Balovich had taken off her diamond-encrusted silver ring as she was pregnant and her fingers were swollen. When she lost it, she suspected her 90-pound baby mastiff Halli had swallowed it. 'She picks them up, and carries things around – hair clips, rocks, hair ties. She’s always spitting them out,' Balovich told The Daily Sitka Sentinel. 'My husband was always saying, put them away, put them upstairs – you’re going to lose them.' Finally, almost half a year later, the mystery was solved when the mother-of-three, based in Sitka, Alaska, saw a post on a Facebook sales site. It said: 'FOUND! Beautiful wedding type band. If u have lost a ring, no matter where, call and describe! Found in an unusual place.' Balovich told the Sentinel she had a gut feeling it could be hers - and what the 'unusual place' might refer to. 'I gave up, I thought it was long gone,' she told the newspaper. 'We take the dog everywhere with us, on hikes, on the boat – what were the chances we were going to find it? 'It’s been so long, but I had a gut feeling. I thought I’ll call, why not?' Half a year after it vanished, she saw a Facebook post saying a wedding ring had been found in an 'unusual place'. She contacted the user, Bob Potrzuski, who said he had found it while picking up dog feces in a field. She contacted the Facebook user, Bob Potrzuski, and sure enough it was hers. Turns out, his wife found the ring while picking up dog poop at a local ball field, where Balovich had recently volunteered - with Halli. She collected the ring on Thursday. 'I feel very lucky,' she said. 'It’s been on my hands ever since – my hand was feeling naked without it.'
| Nikki Balovich took off her ring when she was pregnant with swollen fingers. Suspected their 90lb mastiff puppy, Halli, had swallowed it. Four months later it was returned by a stranger who found it in excrement at local field they walk in.
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Four South African men accused of stabbing a Mozambican man to death in an anti-immigrant attack in a Johannesburg township appeared in court today. The brutal murder of Emmanuel Sithole was captured on camera and shocking images show men stabbing him and beating him with a wrench. Anti-immigrant violence has spread across South Africa in recent weeks and the government has now sent in troops to control the riots. Four South African men suspected of killing Mozambican national Emmanuel Sithole in Alexandra township in an apparent xenophobic attack, are arraigned at the Wynberg Magistrate Court in Johannesburg. The brutal attack on Mr Sithole in Alexandra township near Johannesburg on Saturday was captured on camera by a local journalist and published across the world the following day. They show the four men surrounding the Mozambican man, before repeatedly stabbing him with knives and bludgeoning him with a wrench in broad daylight. Witnesses took Mr Sithole to a nearby medical centre but found it was closed because the foreign-born duty doctor had failed to turn up for his shift for fear of being attacked by the xenophobic hordes rampaging through the township. Mr Sithole was taken to hospital where he later died, the cause of death was established as a direct stab wound to the heart. The four men accused of his murder will remain in custody until a full trial, set to be held on May 4th. Horror: The brutal murder of Emmanuel Sithole in a township near Johannesburg was captured on camera. Brutal: The four men surrounded Mr Sithole, before repeatedly stabbing him with knives and bludgeoning him with a wrench in broad daylight. No mercy: One of the men can be seen beating Mr Sithole with a wench, while another grabs a shovel and a third holds a blade. The South African army has been deployed to areas that remain volatile after a spate of attacks targeting immigrants, the defense minister announced on Tuesday. Soldiers have already been sent to support police in troubled areas, Defense Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said in a live broadcast. The minister made the announcement in Alexandra, a Johannesburg township where a Zimbabwean couple survived a shooting overnight. The man and woman were both shot in their necks and the woman suffered an additional shot in her leg, the minister said. Both Zimbabweans were treated and discharged from hospital. Troops have also been sent to Durban, the coastal city where the attacks on foreigners began, Mapisa-Nqakula said. The violence has been concentrated in areas of Johannesburg and Durban where poor immigrants and South Africans live. The recent spate of attacks has mainly affected immigrants from African states like Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, according to a statement from the aid group, Doctors Without Borders. A woman and man washes outside a shelter for displaced foreigners in east of Johannesburg. In response to the recent violence, the South African army has been deployed to areas in that remain volatile after a spate of attacks targeting immigrants, the defense minister announced on Tuesday. A view of an informal settlement where foreign nationals were displaced in east of Johannesburg. Anti-immigrant riots, such as this in the Jeppestown suburb of Johannesburg last week, has spread across South Africa and the government has now sent in troops to control the riots. The South African attacks on foreigners have angered many in other African countries. In Malawi, nearly 2,000 protesters marched to the South African High Commission, demonstrating against the wave of violence, said Billy Mayaya, a human rights activist. A diplomat at the South African mission said earlier that there were several hundred marchers. 'South Africa, why kill your fellow blacks?' read one poster carried by the singing demonstrators in the capital Lilongwe. The march organizers called on the South African government to do more to protect immigrants and handed a petition to South African High Commissioner Cassandra Mbuyane-Mokone. Nearly 400 Malawians returned home on Monday, travelling overnight by bus from South Africa, Malawi's Information Minister Kondwani Nankhumwa said.
| Four men appear in court accused of brutal murder of Mozambican. Emmanuel Sithole was stabbed and beaten to death in Johannesburg. The attack took place in broad daylight and was captured on camera. Anti immigrant violence has swept across South Africa in the past week.
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A Missouri family has bee reunited 49 years after a mother was falsely told her daughter had died at the hospital just hours after being born. For the first time, Zella Jackson Price, 76, and Melanie Diane Gilmore, 49, met in-person at Price's Olivette home. When Price gave birth at Homer G. Phillips Hospital so many years ago, she was told shortly after delivery that the infant had died. But Gilmore was alive and for an unknown reason adopted by another family. Scroll down for video. Zella Jackson Price (pictured), 76, was told shortly after delivering her baby that the infant had died. But the baby was still very much alive and had for an unknown reason been given up for adoption. Melanie Diane Gilmore, 49, has been reunited with her mother after 49 years. Her children helped her find her mother through a name given to Gilmore through her adoptive parents. Price and Gilmore immediately embraced when the daughter arrived at her mother's house in Olivette, Missouri. 'I'm so elated. I'm just hugging her and there's such a big family. She didn't know she had so many people here in St. Louis,' she said. Price told Daily Mail Online that when she was still in the hospital ward, she was told by doctors her baby, which was prematurely born, had died. The details she was given were very vague, and she said she was told the baby's twin had died, too, even though she had only had a single-child birth. The hospital had a big maternity ward, she said, adding that she had seen women nursing the wrong babies while she was there. 'There's a lot of information they should have given me,' Price said. 'I still have a lot of questions.' Friends of Gilmore's foster parents revealed to Price this week that her daughter had spent six months in an incubator before being taken to the family who adopted her. Her foster parents have since died, but Price said it was heartwarming to know that she grew up in a good home. 'She ended up in a family of love. They cared for her so much,' Price said. Gilmore, who lost her hearing when she was three years old after a childhood illness, said meeting her biological mother - her father has passed away - is something she's wanted for a long time. Price and Gilmore exchanged many hugs and said they loved one another during their first in-person meeting. 'I'm just so happy... very excited,' she told KTVI. Gilmore's four children knew about their mother's wish and researched a name that Gilmore was given from her adoptive parents. They eventually came across Zella Price. Price received a text message from one of Gilmore's four children at 4am several weeks ago, something she 'will never forget'. 'She texted me a messaged asking if I was her grandmother. I said, "Why do you think that", and she started asking questions and asked if I had given birth on November 25 - which I had,' Price said. The mother and daughter eventually video chatted on Oovoo and the pair did a DNA test and confirmed Price was Gilmore's mother. And then they decided to meet in person. On the day she met her mother, Gilmore was also able to meet her biological brother Harvey, who picked her and her own daughter and son up at Lamber-St. Louis International Airport. The family had flown from Oregon. Gilmore also had a chance to meet her biological brother Harvey, who picked Gilmore and her children up from the airport. When the mother and daughter finally came face-to-face, they hugged for several moments and said they loved each other. 'There was a bond that automatically started when we saw each other,' Price said. She added that she has been hurt by the separation and is relieved to have a new start. '(God) has given me everything the devil has taken from me,' Price, an accomplished gospel singer, told KTVI. 'I'm getting it back. I'm getting my baby back.' Price said that Gilmore's kids told her they hadn't ever seen her as happy as she was when she arrived in St. Louis to meet her biological mother. 'She's been dancing and all of her comedy and laughter has come out,' Price said. 'We're all so happy.' The family will soon begin an investigation into what happened at the hospital the day Gilmore was born. Price has hired an attorney to help with the process. But for now, they celebrate being a family once again. 'There’s nothing greater. There’s nothing greater than this. Nothing,' Price said. Price (center) said that she's looking forward to having a second chance at forming a relationship with her daughter, who she thought had died nearly 50 years ago.
| Zella Jackson Price of Olivette, Missiouri, gave birth to her baby 49 years ago. After she was told her baby had died, the baby, now named Melanie Gilmore, was adopted to another family for an unknown reason. Price, 76, and Gilmore, 49, confirmed they were related through a DNA test. They both appear to be overwhelmed with emotion during reunion. Soon they will begin an investigation into the hospital to see what happened.
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A mass doggy wedding saw more than 40 pooches, complete with tulle wedding dresses and celebrity guests, tie the knot in a park in Beijing on Sunday. The collective ceremony, which was billed the first of its kind to be held in China, was organised by a new social media app designed for pets. A traditional wedding march played as the love-struck pooches were led down the aisle by their owners to ‘exchange vows’ and receive marriage certificates, according to the People’s Daily Online. Love-struck pooches were led up the aisle by owners to ‘exchange vows’ and receive marriage certificates. Canine couples arrived in BMW convertibles and, in one case, a stretch Hummer limousine. Forty-two dogs tied the knot at the wedding, which is complete with tulle wedding dresses and celebrity owners. No expense was spared for the special occasion, as the 21 canine couples arrived in BMW convertibles and a stretch Hummer limousine. Organisers set up lavish flower arches and banquet tables in the park, where the couples showed off their outfits. One pet owner who attended the wedding, Ms Li, said: ‘I have attended many weddings before, but this is the first time I've ever been to such a large scale collective pet wedding. ‘Looking at these lovely pets getting married and listening to their stories, I was really moved.’ One owner said this was the first collective pet wedding for her and she was really moved by the scene. Organisers said the wedding was designed to give pets and their owners a day to remember. The ceremony was also designed to raise awareness of animal rights, said the organiser. Organiser Zhang Zhongsham, CEO of pet social media app Smack Talk, said the event was designed not only to give pets and their owners a day to remember, but also to raise awareness of animal rights. He said: ‘The idea of a collective wedding came about from our previous communication and research with users. ‘This is our first try and we want to take the opportunity to continually promote the development of the pet industry, improve the social lives of our pets and allow them to enjoy egalitarian treatment to that of mankind.’ Among the guests were Chinese Olympic gymnast and gold medallist Teng Haibin, who married off his pet. The organiser Smack Talk, which is available in Simplified Chinese on iPhone and Android, allows pets to have their own social media profile page and aims to get pets ‘speaking’ via their owners. The app has gained millions of users in three months. Chinese Olympic gymnast and gold medallist Teng Haibin (centre) also married off his pet. The wedding is organised by Smack Talk, a social media app for pets to have their own online pages.
| The pets wear tulle wedding dresses and tuxedos with bow ties. Couples are given marriage certificates after 'exchanging vows' Wedding is organised to promote a social media app designed for pets. No expense spared as pooches arrived in BMWs and a stretch Hummer.
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Loneliness is often associated with elderly people who may have lost their partner or feel isolated because they're less mobile. But a new report released today reveals that it is in fact younger people who feel more lonely than older generations - despite being more connected to their friends online. The survey, funded by the Big Lottery, found that more than 80 per cent of young people feel lonely at some point. Scroll down for video. Chloe Jackson, 19, appeared on today's This Morning to talk about how Facebook makes her feel lonely. The research revealed that half of those aged 55 and over said they never felt lonely. In comparison, 43 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds admitted they wished they had more friends. A third of the under 34-year-olds said they found it hard to make new friends and they didn't know how to form new friendships. Many admitted they were more likely to interact with friends online than face-to-face and that seeing what their friends were up to via social media sites like Facebook increased their feelings of isolation. One young person who feels this way is Chloe Jackson, 19, from Norfolk, who appeared on today's This Morning to discuss the issue. She told presenters Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford that she often feels lonely thanks to websites like Facebook. She said: 'You look at all the things your friends are doing on social media where they have checked into a pub and tagged their friends or shared pictures of themselves out having fun and you're sat at home not there. 'During my A levels I spent lot time inside revising but you still see all these people having fun without you and it's hard not to take that personally.' Ruth, 54, agreed that this contrasted with her experience growing up as 'when we were young, if you weren't invited to a party you didn't know about it.' Chloe added that people often create an online persona that doesn't reflect how they are really feeling and as a result, she often feels under pressure to do the same. She said: 'It makes you feel down all the time you are expected to be massive happy person like you are on social media, you start doubting the friends you have got. I have 1000 friends on Facebook but I don't have 1,000 friends in real life.' Chloe said Facebook often made her feel like she was left out of the fun her friends were having. This Morning's agony aunt Denise Robertson advised people to be proactive if they are feeling lonely. She suggested they join more groups, take up a new hobby or organise an event like a coffee morning in order to meet more friends. She said: 'Friendship like love does not climb in your window, if you don't go out, you won't find it.' The Big Lottery funded survey was carried out to promote 'The Big Lunch', an idea from the Eden Project encouraging people across the UK to have lunch with their neighbours on the first Sunday in June in an act of community, friendship and fun. In 2014, 4.83 million people took to their streets, gardens and community spaces for the sixth annual Big Lunch.
| Younger people feeling lonelier than older generations according to report. 43% of 18 to 34-year-old wish they had more friends. Many only interact with friends online. Chloe Jackson, 19, said Facebook makes her feel lonely. Feels left out when she sees friends' posts when they're out having fun.
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The parents of a student who vanished in mysterious circumstances after leaving a nightclub made a desperate appeal for information last night. Karen Buckley, 24, disappeared from the Glasgow club in the early hours of Sunday morning without collecting her coat after telling friends she was going to the loo. CCTV cameras filmed her talking to a man outside the club before getting into his car and travelling to his flat in nearby Kelvindale . But fears over the Irish student’s safety were heightened yesterday after police revealed they had tracked down the man and he is not being treated as a suspect. Scroll down for video. Karen Buckley, 24, (left) pictured with friends on the night she went missing after leaving a Glasgow nightclub. Karen Buckley, a student at Glasgow Caledonia University, has been missing since Sunday after going out with friends. Miss Buckley, who is brunette and 5ft 2in, was wearing a black jumpsuit and red heels when she was last seen leaving the man’s flat in Kelvindale at around 4am. A handbag thought to belong to her was found in a park near the man’s home yesterday, causing police to say they are ‘gravely concerned’ about her safety. The family of Miss Buckley, who is from Cork in the Republic of Ireland, have flown to Scotland to help with the search for the Glasgow Caldeonian University student, who studies occupational therapy. Her mother Marion told a press conference in Glasgow: 'We just want Karen home safely, we are desperate. She is our only daughter, we love her dearly. Miss Buckley, who is originally from Cork in Ireland was last seen when she left the flat of a man she had met at around 4am on Sunday morning and was planning to walk home to her flat in Hill Street in the Garnethill area. Miss Buckley's parents Marian and John have travelled to Glasgow from Cork to help in the search for their daughter. 'If anybody has any information please come forward, we would dearly appreciate it.' Her father John Buckley, 62, added: 'We are extremely concerned for her. We are desperate to get her back and safe with her family - she is our only daughter, we love her dearly and just want her to come home safe and sound. 'She always keeps in contact with her family and friends to let them know where she is and what she is up to. 'To not return to her flat or be in contact with her pals - not responding to texts and calls to her mobile is very, very worrying as it is so out of character.' Miss Buckley arrived at the Sanctuary club with friends at around 11.45pm on Saturday and at around 1am she told them she was going to the toilet. She failed to return and did not take her jacket. She was then seen outside on CCTV talking to a man and then walking west along Dumbarton Road towards Church Street. Friends then raised the alarm on Sunday, saying it was 'very out of character' for her not to return home. Officers have traced the man Ms Buckley was seen speaking to outside the nightclub, and he is 'helping police with inquiries.' A map showing the last known movements of Miss Buckley around Glasgow on the night that she went missing. A handbag which police believe belongs to Miss Buckley was found in Dawsholm Park, near Dorchester Avenue, early this afternoon. There has been no activity on her social media accounts in the last couple of days and her mobile phone is believed to be out of battery. Detective Superintendent Jim Kerr, from Police Scotland's major investigations teams, stressed that the male was 'not a suspect.' He told the press conference: We've traced the man she was with in Dorchester Avenue. He believes he was intimate with her at his flat consensually in the early hours of Sunday. 'From what we can see, she does not appear to be under duress, there's no signs of a struggle or reluctance on her part to leave the club. 'However, that does not mean that something untoward has happened to her at a later stage. 'There was talk of another man she had been seen with. We've also traced him, we've spoken to him.' Police comb through trees in Kelvingrove Park below the tower of Glasgow University in the search for Miss Buckley. Police say there has been no activity on Miss Buckley's social media accounts and say that they have recovered her handbag. Miss Buckley, who has three older brothers, is described as white and around five to five foot two inches tall with brown eyes and dark hair which had long black curly extensions in it. When last seen, she was wearing a black jumpsuit with red high-heeled shoes and was carrying a black handbag. She also speaks with an Irish accent. Miss Buckley lives with three other student friends and earlier on Saturday evening had drinks with them in their flat before going to the night club, although her friends told police she was not drunk. Mr Kerr appealed for people to come forward with any information about the missing woman's whereabouts, saying while it 'may seem insignificant to them, however to us it may be the piece of information that leads us to finding her.' The Sanctuary nightclub on Dumbarton Road, where Miss Buckley was seen outside talking to a man before leaving. A man walks past the nightclub where Miss Buckley was last seen (left) and police behind the door of a flat at Dorchester Avenue (right), where she reportedly went back to after leaving the club. Miss Buckley was last seen leaving the flat of a man in Dorchester Avenue, pictured in the Kelvindale area of Glasgow. Her handbag was found at Dawsholm Park, near Dorchester Avenue, by a member of the public today. He said the public response so far had been 'encouraging', adding: 'People really do want to help. 'However, at this time we need the information about her whereabouts and her movements after leaving the club.' DS Kerr also appealed for information on a grey car that had been seen parked on remote roads between Milngavie and Drymen on Monday. He added: 'From our inquiries we are also keen to trace a grey car which was seen on the country roads between Milngavie and Drymen, between 11am and 3pm on Monday. 'The activity of this grey car on the Monday is something that we're a wee bit concerned about. This car has been seen at various locations on these roads and I want to know why.' 'We are gravely concerned that Karen has come to some harm, whether that is down to foul play, criminality or she has taken unwell or had an accident is obviously still to be established.' Officers gathered outside Dawsholm Park in Glasgow before they began combing the area in their search. Police are continuing their search for the missing occupational therapy student in Glasgow today. Her parents say they are 'deeply concerned' and want their only daughter to return home safely as searches continue. Police also appealed for information on a grey car that had been seen parked on remote roads between Milngavie and Drymen on Monday. A police helicopter was seen circling above Dawsholm Park in Glasgow this afternoon after Miss Buckley's belongings were allegedly found there. Police are 'gravely concerned' for her safety and officers are treating her disappearance as a high-risk missing person inquiry.
| Karen Buckley, 24, had been at the Sanctuary Nightclub in Glasgow. Left her friends and went back to a man's house in the Kelvindale area. Was last seen leaving his house at 4am and was planning to walk home. Friends raised alarm after she failed to return home on Sunday morning.
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A missing schoolgirl was murdered by a 60-year-old man who called police two weeks prior to the killing to see how officers would react to her disappearance, a jury heard today. Robert Ewing, 60, was said to have had an 'inappropriate sexual interest' in 15-year-old Paige Chivers and took advantage of her 'chaotic and dysfunctional' upbringing which had left her 'very troubled and vulnerable'. He is accused of murdering the schoolgirl, from Blackpool, Lancashire, between August 23 and August 27, 2007. Scroll down for video. Robert Ewing, 60, is accused of murdering 15-year-old Paige Chivers (pictured left as a young schoolgirl and right aged 15) after she disappeared from her family home in Blackpool, Lancashire, in August 2007. Police investigate a site in Thornton Cleveleys in Lancashire during an earlier search for Paige's body. Paige was 15 when she vanished after a row with her father at their seaside home and, despite appeals from police and a £12,000 reward offer from TV chat show host Jeremy Kyle, no trace of her has ever been found. Ewing was arrested in connection with her disappearance in September last year and is currently on trial at Preston Crown Court. The jury was told today how he allegedly rang police anonymously less than a fortnight before she went missing to tell officers that a 'problem child' had turned up on his doorstep having been thrown out by her father. Brian Cummings QC, prosecuting, told jurors that the Crown Prosecution Service believes he did so to 'test the water'. He told the court: 'We allege that he wanted to see what official reaction there would be to the suggestion of a 15-year-old girl turning up on the doorstep of a 52-year-old man and the answer he learned, we suggest, was very little reaction.' The court also heard how eight months after the schoolgirl's disappearance, Ewing's friend, Gareth Dewhurst, 46, was overheard in conversation saying he had used his car to dump the teenager's body. Mr Cummings said: 'He then went on to say: "I didn't want to have sex with her, they made me".' The prosecutor said a 'highly stoned' Dewhurst told a 16-year-old boy that Ewing had killed Paige and had then made him have sex with her before forcing him to use his car to dispose of her body. Mr Cummings said: 'He (Dewhurst) said that he had put the body in the boot and was saying that he was going to set his car on fire. He was frightened that he was going to get arrested, or that Bob (Ewing) would kill him.' Paige (right) was 15 when she vanished after a row with her father at their seaside home (left) and, despite appeals from police and a £12,000 reward offer from TV host Jeremy Kyle, no trace of her has ever been found. Detectives hunting for Paige Chivers, who vanished in suspicious circumstances more than seven years ago, dug up a farmer's field amid fears she maybe buried in a shallow grave but still no trace of her has been found. An extensive proof of life inquiry has not found any evidence Paige is alive and she has yet to claim a 'significant' inheritance sum left to her on her mother's death once she turned 18, the jury heard. The prosecutor said: 'The prosecution say that even though no body has been recovered, you can be sure that Paige Chivers is dead.' The court heard that Paige's father reported her missing on August 26 and clearly stated she was 15, but her date of birth was wrongly entered on the police system as 1962. 'In consequence, the matter was dealt with as though Paige were an adult aged 45 who had moved on voluntarily, rather than a girl of 15 who was worryingly missing from home,' said Mr Cummings. That approach was not corrected until September 7 when police inquiries then commenced, he added. Ewing, formerly of Blackpool, denies murder and intending to pervert the course of public justice by intimidating witnesses and providing false information to the police in their investigations. Dewhurst, of Blackpool, denies sexual penetration of a corpse and assisting an offender in disposing of a body. The trial continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
| Paige Chivers was aged 15 when she disappeared from Blackpool home. Despite police appeals and a £12,000 reward, she has never been found. Robert Ewing is on trial accused of murdering schoolgirl in August 2007. His friend Gareth Dewhurst is accused of assisting in disposing of body.
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Jeremy Hunt said a future Conservative government would look into the findings 'in detail' The Mail’s revelations sparked outrage last night with all three major political parties backing calls for an inquiry. There was disgust too among frontline NHS staff and patients. The head of the Royal College of Nursing said nurses who had faced five years of pay freezes would struggle to comprehend the six per cent pay rise for their bosses. Patient groups said the packages were indefensible when patients were seeing spiralling waiting times and cuts to routine procedures. Professor Jane Dacre, president of the Royal College of Physicians, called for an independent review of top NHS pay while Professor Sir Brian Jarman, a senior Government health adviser, called for a public inquiry, saying bosses were manipulating the system. The main political parties promised an inquiry. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: ‘A future Conservative government would ask the Department of Health to look at the Mail’s investigation in detail. 'Too often high executive pay has been awarded as a matter course, not because of exceptional performance. Labour’s Andy Burnham said: ‘Labour will conduct a thorough investigation into this, as part of our plan to ensure pay fairness from bottom to top in the NHS. We have called for loopholes to be closed to prevent abuses.’ For the Liberal Democrats, Norman Lamb said: ‘NHS frontline staff will rightly feel that this situation is unfair. It is right to have an investigation so that these contracts are looked into so that we can make the best use of taxpayers’ money.’ Calling for an independent review, Professor Dacre said: ‘Transparency in the NHS, including transparency of remuneration, is vital to ensure accountability to the patients we serve. An independent review would help to ensure that NHS CEO salaries are fair. ‘It is important that we appoint high quality chief executives in NHS Trusts and their focus should always be on standards of patient care. They should be rewarded for the difficult role that they have taken on, but this should relate to the standard of patient care that they provide and the size of the organisation they run.’ Dr Peter Carter, chief executive and general secretary of the RCN, described the findings as 'shocking' Sir Brian Jarman said: ‘It is wrong. It is as simple as that. It seems to be manipulating the system. ‘They should be putting their attention on to lowering their death rates or seeing if there’s a problem with the quality of care rather than getting themselves higher incomes. That should be their priority. It is very worrying. ‘It is something that should be investigated, absolutely, by the Department of Health. Or a public inquiry so you can subpoena witnesses and they must give evidence under oath and if they don’t give evidence that’s relevant they can go to jail for up to 51 weeks.’ The country’s foremost pensions expert, Dr Ros Altmann, said the figures showed executives were ‘milking the system’. She said NHS bosses were signing off their own pay rises and taking advantage of loopholes in the ‘exceptionally generous’ NHS pension scheme. She added: ‘It is outrageous, it is so wrong. 'They think they can get away with it just because the law allows it. But morally it is questionable. ‘It is like the MPs’ expenses scandal. The rules would never have been intended to be used in this manner – they are meant for nurses struggling, who need to keep working to make ends meet. ‘These executives are exploiting the rules for their own advantage. It is not acceptable. There should be independent scrutiny. The idea that senior executives can retire and come back to work to double-dip needs to be rethought. ‘Taking lump sums and then re-employing themselves when there is evidence of failure – that needs to be challenged.’ Dr Peter Carter, chief executive and general secretary of the RCN, said: ‘At a time when NHS finances are in crisis, it is shocking that some NHS bosses continue to receive such vastly inflated financial rewards. Nursing staff will struggle to comprehend that their bosses have had an average 6 per cent pay rise when they are only getting 1 per cent this year, having seen their pay fall further and further behind the cost of living over the last few years. Norman Lamb for the Liberal Democrats said frontline staff would rightly find the revelations 'unfair' ‘Senior managers such as chief executives do important and highly valued work, but they should not be getting disproportionate pay rises and bonuses while frontline staff continue to struggle.’ Mark Littlewood, director general at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said the revelations of ‘misallocation of money’ in the NHS required ‘serious attention.’ Roger Goss of Patient Concern, said: ‘These pay packets are simply outrageous. They are indefensible. We need a formal inquiry into this. ‘It is impossible to justify these ludicrous pay arrangements when patients who are being told they cannot have routine treatments on the NHS and are suffering huge waiting times because of stretched resources. Patients will be horrified.’ Campaigner Julie Bailey, who helped expose the horrific neglect at Stafford Hospital, said: ‘The public would be shocked with these huge salaries and added perks. ‘Where else could you fail so badly and yet be rewarded so highly, by yourself?’ Dave Prentis, general secretary of the Unison union, said: ‘Staff working in hospitals and health centres up and down the country are right to feel outraged that their pay has been reined in year after year, while their bosses see such huge increases.’ And Richard Murphy, director of Tax Research UK, and an adviser to the TUC, added: ‘This is the private sector’s influence on the NHS gone mad.’ Sue James retired for a day to claim a £155,000 payout. TRICK ONE: Retiring for a day. One of the most lucrative loopholes NHS bosses exploit is the health service’s ‘24-hour-retirement’ rule. In the past, the NHS banned employees from retiring to claim benefits and then returning to the same job. From 2008, however, an exception was written in allowing staff to ‘retire’ for 24 hours to claim retirement benefits before carrying on working. Pension experts said this was aimed to make life easier for highly experienced nurses and other low paid front-line staff and to encourage them not to leave. NHS board members are now exploiting this, allowing them to claim hundreds of thousands of pounds in lump sums from their huge pension pots when they turn 60. This cash can be taken tax-free. But because they only really ‘retire’ for 24 hours, they can carry on drawing their huge NHS salary afterwards. Peter Herring, chief executive at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, claimed a £252,000 tax-free lump sum by ‘retiring’ for 24 hours, before returning to the same position. Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Sue James did the same to claim a £155,000 payout. Despite their public positions, they did not announce their brief retirements and their trusts did not disclose the highly sought-after posts were vacant before re-employing them. Instead, the details were hidden in the small print of their annual reports the following year. Under pension rules, most NHS workers can claim the retirement benefits only if they work for 16 hours or less per week for a month after ‘retiring’ for 24 hours. But none of the executives approached by the Mail team had announced they were working part time for a month – or taken a salary cut accordingly. TRICK TWO: Compensation bonuses. Hospital chiefs were awarded extraordinary compensation payments after quitting their pension schemes for apparent tax reasons. Under national rules, there are tax benefits applied to pension pots up to a limit, which was £1.5million until last year and has since been reduced to £1.25million. As a result, many choose to stop contributing to their pots when approaching the limit. When hospital bosses found themselves in this position, however, some received top-ups to their already huge salaries as compensation. South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Lorraine Lambert withdrew from the NHS pension scheme in 2012/13 as she approached the tax-free pension pot limit. She was awarded £20,000 the following year on top of her £165,000 salary. A footnote in her trust’s annual report stated: ‘During 2012/13 the chief executive withdrew from the NHS Pension Scheme and received additional remuneration to compensate for the loss of the employer’s contribution to that scheme.’ TRICK THREE: Flexible new job. Many bosses retire to claim their huge lump sums – before being re-employed on ‘flexible’ contracts. North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust boss Mike Walker earned more than £1million in 2012/13, including £855,000 in pension-related benefits. He is also entitled to a £220,000 tax-free pension lump sum after turning 60 last October. At the end of 2013, Mr Walker – who has a £1.6million pension pot – was allowed to ‘flexibly retire’. The former medical director is now working on the development of a new hospital and a patient feedback system. Because he is no longer on the board, his new pay is not disclosed. TRICK FOUR: Leaving after pension boost. The generous NHS pension scheme is said massively to favour high earners. The scheme – until this year a final salary system – still uses a calculation method that gives a huge pension boost as salaries increase. If an employee’s salary suddenly goes up, their pension pot will receive a huge boost – sometimes worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. As a result, staff promoted to hospital boards see their pension-related benefits for the year rise dramatically. Many bosses appear to stay in jobs until they get a promotion and a pay rise which boosts their pension, before quitting the year after they have banked the pay out.
| A Daily Mail investigation revealed NHS bosses raked in £35m last year. Nearly 50 hospital separate bosses took home more than £400,000. MPs and frontline staff are united in their outrage at the Mail's findings. All three of the major political parties have called for an inquiry.
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Ask any Peruvian where the best place to party is and you'll always get the same reply: 'Puno!' The city's colourful fiestas, combining Spanish and Inca traditions, often last for days. During the fortnight-long Candlemas celebrations, dancers parade through the streets. Men dress as multi-coloured dragons or monsters, while local women, known as cholitas, wear skirts puffed up with petticoats and small bowler hats. Reeds all about it: Hand-crafted boats on the gentle surface of Lake Titicaca. Arriving in Puno, you wonder at first where on earth the inhabitants get their energy. This city of 100,000 souls on the shores of Lake Titicaca could leave you breathless for all the wrong reasons. Situated on a vast plateau in the Andes, at an altitude north of 13,000 ft, it is higher than any Alpine ski resort, and you need to go gently the first few days you're here. Hotels stock oxygen to revive tourists from soroche - altitude sickness - an affliction that causes shortness of breath, headaches and worse. But once acclimatised, you're in for a treat. Though its architecture is underwhelming (with the exception of a splendid central square), what entrances every visitor to Puno is Lake Titicaca. One of the world's largest lakes, and its highest navigable one, it stretches 110 miles by 38 miles across Peru and Bolivia. It is vast, remote, unworldly. The high peaks of the Andes frame it in the distance, some glistening with snow. There are more familiar sights, too. At the town's busy port, you'll see a gunboat called the Yavari, which has a distinctively British look. It was built in London in 1862, then transported, piece by piece, across the Andes to Puno, where it ferried people around for 70 years until the roads made it obsolete and it was left to rot. It was saved from the scrapheap by an English woman, Meriel Larken, who restored and turned it into a B&B. Local life: The ingenious floating Uros Islands in the middle of Lake Titicaca are made from totora reeds. The accommodation onboard is suitably nautical - you sleep in bunk beds. If you're not spending the night, for a small donation you can just tour the ship. The port is the gateway to Puno's fascinating islands. A standard, full-day tour will first take you to the Uros Islands, originally built by the Uru people as a way to escape rival tribes. These man-made floating structures are hewn from mats of totora reeds, which grow abundantly in the shallows of the lake. Secured to the bottom of the lake by ropes, as the layers at the bottom rot, new ones are added to the top to keep it dry and afloat. Stepping on them feels decidedly squidgy, as if you're treading on a giant waterbed. Uru women greet you dressed in wide-brimmed hats and brightly-coloured skirts. Islanders make the most of their income from tourists, so will invite you into their cosy, pointy-roofed huts, which smell of hay. The only hint of the 21st century? A television in the corner. After the Uros, the next port of call is an island in the conventional sense. Taquile, with its craggy, terraced hillsides dotted with sheep, is reminiscent of the Aegean Islands. It's around the same size as Sark in the Channel Islands and home to 1,700 people. A glimpse of traditional Peru: You can meet Uru islanders, and go inside their homes, on the lake. Like Sark, cars are banned here, but the island's elders also forbid beasts of burden, such as donkeys and horses, which leaves the locals to lug everything around on their backs. The other thing you'll notice is that the men all wear distinctive woollen hats, reminiscent of Victorian nightcaps. These denote their marital status - the tip of a bachelor's hat is white to signify it is unfinished. Knitting here is the preserve of men, who pass the tradition down from father to son. On marrying, a man may wear a totally red hat, to show that he, like his hat, is now complete. Early evening in Puno and the streets are abuzz. Head to the pedestrianised Calle Lima and a restaurant called La Casona. Here, you'll eat some of the city's best ceviche, the national dish of raw fish 'cooked' by being marinated in lime juice, a trend that has caught on in the UK. Being so close to the bountiful Lake Titicaca, Puno has some of Peru's best ceviche restaurants. Another excuse, as if you needed one, to visit this wonderful place. KLM (www.klm.com) flies to Lima, Peru, from £541 including taxes. Journey Latin America (020 8600 1881, www.journeylatinamerica.co.uk) has a 12-day Value Peru: Sacred Valley Of The Incas to Lake Titicaca itinerary, visiting Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Puno and Lake Titicaca. The trip costs from £2,290 per person based on two people sharing, all flights, transfers, B&B accommodation, most meals and excursions and a visit to the Lake Titicaca islands.
| Puno is not the most famous place in Peru - but it is one of the most fun. It sits on the west bank of the famous (and spectacular) Lake Titicaca. Visitors can sail on the lake to visit the fabled artificial Uros Islands.
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Isabelle Obert, a nutrition consultant, believes a good diet can affect the health of the sperm and the egg before they even meet. One in seven couples have trouble conceiving - and it's often not clear why. But one nutritionist argues that a good diet can affect the health of the sperm and the egg before they even meet. Isabelle Obert, who runs Nurture Me Fertility, believes a diet rich in minerals, vitamins, essential fats and proteins can prepare both a man and a woman's body for conception. Writing for Healthista.com, Ms Obert said: 'I believe passionately that good nutrition is important for 'good' fertility. 'Many of us are leaving it until much later to start trying for a family, by which time our fertility may not be what it was. 'We will have been exposed to more hormone disrupting chemicals, more free radicals to damage egg and sperm quality and of course much more stress - which can have wide-ranging negative effects on our bodies.' She goes on to explain how the health of both the sperm and the egg - even before they meet - can affect the outcome of the pregnancy and the health of the baby, child and even through to adulthood. Ms Obert adds: 'I also think food should be fun, delicious, moreish, colourful, fantastic. We should live to eat, not eat to live.' Here, she reveals her list of ten top foods to boost fertility, plus some tips on how to prepare them... AVOCADOS. Avocados are nutritional powerhouses packed with minerals, vitamins, essential fats, protein, carbohydrate and fibre. They are a fantastic source of vitamin E, which studies have shown can be beneficial in improving endometrial lining (the lining of the uterus). They can also help with embryo implantation, which is how a fertilised egg becomes a pregnancy. Avocados are also an excellent source of folate. It is known that consuming foods high in folate - as well as taking a folic acid supplement - can help prevent spina bifida. 'Avocados are nutritional powerhouses packed with minerals, vitamins, essential fats, protein, carbohydrate and fibre,' Ms Obert said. Top Tip: Choose carefully as a ripe avocado is nectar — sliced onto wholemeal or rye toast, topped with cherry tomatoes, basil and a drizzle of peppery extra virgin olive oil makes a nutritious and delicious breakfast. BUTTERNUT SQUASH. This is one of the most nutritious and healthy vegetables you can eat, with a rich array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants - as well as significant amounts of digestible fibre. It's rich in beta-carotene, which is known to help boost production of the hormone progesterone. It can also help increase both sperm quality and count, the latter according to a study published in the medical journal Fertility and Sterility. Ms Obert recommends beetroot juice for women undergoing IVF treatment as a way to improve blood flow to the uterus to help with embryo implantation. Top Tip: Butternut squash is hugely versatile -it’s delicious roasted with garlic, thyme and black pepper, or spice it up in a warming curry or soup. BEETROOT. A fantastic source of the antioxidant resveratrol, which is thought to help combat against age- related infertility, beetroots are also rich in nitrates. These are well known to improve blood flow and are often used by athletes for this purpose. I particularly recommend beetroot juice for women undergoing IVF treatment as a way to improve blood flow to the uterus to help with embryo implantation. Top Tip: Forget pickled beetroots from school lunch days — try quartering small fresh beetroot, tossing with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and whole garlic cloves. Add some fresh oregano, thyme or marjoram, place in a tinfoil pouch to avoid burning and roast in a hot oven. SALMON. Salmon is a great protein source, rich in many nutrients but particularly anti-inflammatory omega 3. Research has shown that optimal levels of omega 3 are important in the management of female infertility. For general health, salmon is excellent for the cardiovascular system, boosting brain function and eye health. Ideally it should be wild or organic in order to avoid unnecessary pesticides, fungicides and excessive omega 6 consumption found in conventionally farmed fish. Top Tip: Salmon works beautifully with oriental flavours - try it grilled with a teriyaki glaze and a crunchy vegetable stir-fry. Butternut squash is rich in beta-carotene, which is known to help boost production of the hormone progesterone and increase sperm quality and count. POMEGRANATES. In ancient Persia, pomegranates were seen as a symbol of fertility and this still exists today in some countries. In fact, research shows that drinking pomegranate juice during pregnancy may prevent brain damage in babies. Pomegranates are also rich in many nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid and several other vitamins and minerals. And they are known to have anti-ageing properties, anti-cancer properties, can be helpful for cardiovascular health and bone health and have anti-inflammatory properties as well as helping boost blood flow. Top Tip: Incorporate pomegranate seeds with quinoa, walnuts and fresh mint for a Middle Eastern experience. Pomegranats are rich in vitamin C, vitamin K and folic acid. They also boost blood flow, which is important for people trying to conceive. EGGS. Eggs are among the most nutritious foods you can eat — after all, they contain the nutrients to turn a single cell into a baby chicken. They are rich in choline, which studies have shown can have significant positive effects on foetal development that may have a lasting influence into adult life, according to a study at Cornell University. Eggs are also rich in many different vitamins and minerals, as well as essential fats, and of course are an excellent source of protein. Not only this, they are good value and have a multitude of uses. Walnuts are beneficial for sperm quality as they are good sources of omega 3 and vitamin E. Top Tip: When time and inclination are in short supply, why not top a wholemeal English muffin with wilted spinach, a poached egg and some black pepper for highly nutritious simple supper. WALNUTS. Walnuts are packed with health-giving nutrients which include cancer fighting properties (they’re known to reduce prostate and breast cancer risk). They can be beneficial for sperm quality, are excellent sources of omega 3 fats and vitamin E, which is great for endometrial health, as well as B vitamins and protein. In fact, walnuts could be called ‘king’ among nuts and, according to a study by the Society for the Study of Reproduction at UCLA, a handful of walnuts daily was linked with increased sperm vitality, motility and morphology. This means how healthy and fast sperm are, and whether they are normal-shaped. Top Tip: Eat raw as a simple snack or add flavour and crunch to boost a superfood salad. QUINOA. This little seed is highly nutritious, a complete protein. It’s gluten-free and rich in many minerals and vitamins as well fatty acids and fibre – a great alternative to starchy grains such as couscous and bulgar wheat. A real superfood. The Mediterranean diet is widely recommended for optimal fertility, as it is rich in vegetable proteins, and quinoa makes the perfect addition as it goes without saying protein requirements are raised when trying to conceive and during pregnancy. Top Tip: Quinoa cooks like rice, top with vegetables roasted with plenty of garlic and herbs, drizzle with fruity olive oil and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts for a Mediterranean treat. Protein requirements are raised during pregnancy, and quinoa is a great source of protein, Ms Obert said. WATERCRESS. Watercress is a member of the cruciferous vegetable family and rich in many nutrients including vitamin C, vitamin K, calcium, beta-carotene, iron and iodine — which is often lacking in the Western diets of today. Asparagus is high in folic acid, which is well-known to be important for male and female fertility. Watercress is well known to be a superfood, rich in age-defying antioxidants that may help to prevent or slow the oxidative stress induced by free radical damage. Several studies have found watercress has significant anti-cancer properties and can help repair DNA damage. Top Tip: What a crime to use just as a garnish — make it the main attraction in soups and salads. ASPARAGUS. Asparagus is high in the potent antioxidant vitamin C and folate (folic acid) amongst other health giving nutrients and a valuable addition to your diet. The importance of folate is well documented in research for both male and female fertility. Top Tip: Lightly steam asparagus and dip into boiled eggs, or grill and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and shavings of parmesan.
| Isabelle Obert, a nutrition consultant, believes good diet can boost fertility. Says 'a good diet affects the health of the egg and sperm before they meet' She shares her top 10 foods to aid fertility, and tips on how to eat them...
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Technology billionaire Elon Musk pursued a sale of struggling electric-car company Tesla to Google in 2013, according to an excerpt of a book published on Monday by Bloomberg News. Beset by technical problems on its flagship Model S, Tesla in early 2013 was on the verge of bankruptcy, Bloomberg reporter Ashlee Vance said in an excerpt of his biography Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX And The Quest For A Fantastic Future, which will be published May 19. In March 2013, Musk contacted Google co-founder Larry Page, according to the excerpt, which cited two people close to the situation. Technology billionaire Elon Musk pursued a sale of his struggling electric-car company Tesla to Google for $6 billion before its share price rocketed in May 2013, according to a new biography. Musk proposed that Google buy Tesla for $6 billion and promise an additional $5 billion in factory expansions. He also demanded that he be permitted to run Tesla as a unit of Google for eight years, or until Tesla produced a third-generation car, the excerpt said. Page declined to comment on the matter, but told Vance that a 'car company is pretty far from what Google knows.' But Page, Vance reported, 'accepted the overall proposal' and the two sides began negotiating specific points. Tesla's fortunes changed suddenly in May 2013 when the company reported its first profit after an intense drive overseen by Musk to address technical glitches yielded a sudden jump in Model S orders. The surprisingly good earnings sent Tesla shares rocketing higher and ended the Google negotiations. Musk 'no longer needed a savior,' Vance wrote. Tesla's fortunes changed suddenly in May 2013 when the company reported its first profit after an intense drive overseen by Musk to address technical glitches yielded a sudden jump in Model S orders. Last year, Tesla was at the center of rumors that Apple was considering an acquisition of the company. Google, which has pursued technology for a self-driving car, earlier this year, along with investment giant Fidelity, pumped $1 billion into SpaceX, Musk's private space-travel technology venture.
| The technology billionaire pursued a sale of struggling electric-car company Tesla to Google in 2013 for $6 billion. Musk demanded that he be permitted to run Tesla as a unit of Google for eight years, or until Tesla produced a third-generation car. Negoitations promptly ended in May 2013 when his company unexpectedly yielded its first profit and he no longer needed the finanical support. The claims are made in the new biography Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX And The Quest For A Fantastic Future.
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Authorities in Montgomery County have released the 911 call that led to two 'free range' getting picked up and held by police and Maryland CPS for five hours over the weekend. The unnamed caller gave the operator a blow-by-blow account as he wandered behind Rafi Meitiv, 10, and his sister Dvora, 6, in Silver Spring on Sunday. The 7-minute call would reignite a controversy focused on those kids and their scientist parents, Danielle and Alexander Meitiv, who espouse the hands-off parenting style. The caller, who was out walking his dog in the suburb adjacent to Washington, DC, said he saw 'two kids that are unaccompanied, and they've been walking around for probably about 20 minutes by themselves.' Scene: The 911 call that reignited the 'free-range' parenting controversy for two Maryland parents has been released and reveals that Rafi Meitiv, 10, and his sister Dvora, 6, were picked up by police while walking through this vicinity of the Washington, DC-adjacent suburb of Silver Spring on Sunday. The operator asked, 'Have you talked to them to see, you know, why are they just walking around by themselves?' 'No, no, they came up and asked to pet my dog, I let them, and that was it...I don't want to scare them,' he said. The man continued to tail the children, who eventually did become frightened when they realized they were being followed, until police arrived. Their parents Danielle and Alexander Meitiv have been cited multiple times for allowing their kids to roam free in their suburban neighborhood. But the Meitivs say authorities crossed a line over the weekend when they picked up Rafi and Dvora and held them nearly six hours without food before allowing them to reunite with their parents. Picked up: Officials seized Dvora, 6, (far left) and 10-year-old Rafi (left, blue hat) on Sunday in a Maryland park. The parents Danielle and Alexander Meitiv (right) have vowed to sue authorities responsible for keeping them in custody for six hours. Picked up AGAIN: The Meitivs say they were left to panic for hours by CPS workers after their children--who they raise with a so-called 'free-range' approach--were picked up by police for the second time in two months while walking down the street alone. Attorney Matthew Dowd, of the firm Wiley Rein, is representing the Meitivs and on Tuesday sent a pointed letter regarding Sunday's events. Rein wrote:. 'The actions of Maryland CPS and Montgomery County Police violate the fundamental rights parents have in raising their children. 'This fundamental, constitutional right of parents cannot be infringed simply because certain governmental employees disagree with a parent's reasoned decision on how to raise his or her children.' The firm declined to say who the suit would be against, exactly, when asked by the Washington Post. However, the attorney has vowed to pursue 'all legal remedies' to protect the rights of the Maryland parents. The Meitivs made headlines just before Christmas when police found Rafi and Dvora walking the sidewalk on their own. 'Besides the policeman pulling up...no': Asked if he was scared during the hours-long ordeal Sunday, 10-year-old Rafi admitted he was, but not because he'd been left alone with his sister. Free-range parenting is the name given to a style of raising kids in opposition to so-called 'helicopter parenting'. 'Helicopter parents' are named for their habit of hovering over their offspring, micro-managing their lives in an attempt to keep them safe. However critics believe this creates under-confident, over-reliant children, while also causing the parents stress. Free-range parents advocate a more hands-off approach, where children are allowed to go out and experience the world on their own. Instead of constantly monitoring activities to make sure children are safe, the emphasis is put on adults assessing risk ahead of time, and equipping children with the skills to deal with danger themselves. On Sunday, a concerned citizen reportedly called authorities once again after seeing the siblings unaccompanied near a neighborhood park around a third of a mile from their home. The children were picked up by police, who say they followed protocol by turning them over to CPS. Meanwhile, Mrs Meitiv tells Fox 5 DC that CPS workers left her and her husband to panic for hours before letting them know their kids were safe. What's more, the elder child, Rafi, insists the scariest part of the hours-long ordeal was being picked up by police. 'They kept the kids for hours,' a shaken Danielle Meitiv told Fox 5 after being reunited with them. 'It's 10:30 at night. They've been missing since 6 o'clock…Somebody called 911 and the police called CPS and they decided to bring the kids here and they didn't call us.' According to Mrs. Meitiv, the children were expected home no later than 6:30. When 6:30 came and went, they became frantic. They would not receive a call from CPS until 8pm. Even then, they say they weren't reunited with their children or even told where they were for hours. in the interim, Rafi tells Fox 5 that initially he believed the responding police officer was simply offering them a lift. Rafi said:. 'The policeman said 'We'll give you a ride home' when we were like two blocks away. And two and a half hours later, after sitting in the car two and a half hours, he said 'I'll bring you home' and, instead, he brought us here.' 'Here' was Child Protective Services, Rafi said. And as he and his sister sat waiting to go home, their parents say 'upper management' at CPS was involved in keeping that from happening. Only at 10:30pm did Mrs. Meitiv say she was reunited with her children and only after promising not to let them off the leash. Parenting style: The Meitivs believe in giving children an unusual amount of independence from a young age. Guarantees: As part of their free-range parenting philosophy, the Meitivs make sure their children carry these badges in case someone worries and asks while they are out on the street. 'They made us sign a safety plan that says we will not leave them attended at all until they follow up,. 'And I'm not gonna risk my kids being snatched again like this by CPS.' When questioned, the Meitivs say they believe in a so-called 'free-range' approach to parenting, which encourages independence from infancy. In March, the CPS found the couple guilty of neglect for letting the children walk home from school alone. It meant the agency would start a file on the family's activities and whereabouts for at least five years. The Meitivs hit back at the ruling, insisting they would continue to bring up their own children as they see fit - whatever the consequences. Unsubstantiated child neglect is not a criminal charge, but is in most cases a prelude to such charges. It usually comes when the CPS has deemed parents to have neglected their children, but has insufficient information or witnesses to press charges or take action.
| Police seized Rafi, 10, and Dvora, 6, in a Maryland park on Sunday and their parents say they weren't reunited by CPS for hours. Scientists Danielle and Alexander Meitiv believe in 'free range parenting' meaning the children are afforded total independence from infancy. The Meitivs were found guilty of neglect in March. After Sunday's incident they were forced sign a paper pledging not to leave them unattended.
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A Georgia road about 125 miles away from where Duane Allman died nearly 45 years ago took the life of one of the Southern rockers who played on the hit dedicated to the Allman Brothers guitarist. The former drummer and a founding member of the Southern hard rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, Robert 'Bob' Burns Jr, died late Friday in a single-vehicle crash near Cartersville, Georgia. Burns' vehicle went off the road just before midnight as it approached a curve, striking a mailbox and a tree, Georgia State Patrol spokeswoman Tracey Watson said. The former drummer of the Southern hard rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, Robert 'Bob' Burns Jr, died late Friday. Burns' vehicle went off a road just before midnight as it approached a curve near Cartersville, Georgia. Burns was one of five people who founded the band in Jacksonville, Florida, and played on its first two albums. Burns, 64, was killed in the wreck. He was not wearing a seatbelt. Cartersville is about a two hour drive away from where Allman was killed after he crashed his motorcycle into a truck outside of Macon, Georgia, when he was just 24. After Allman's untimely death. the members of Lynyrd Skynyrd dedicated their song Free Bird to his memory. Burns was one of five musicians who founded the band in Jacksonville, Florida, and played on its first two albums. While Burns was with the group, it recorded other hits like Sweet Home Alabama, Gimme Three Steps, Simple Man and Don't Ask Me No Questions. Cartersville is about 125 miles away from Macon, Georgia, where Duane Allman died in a 1971 motorcycle crash. He left the group in 1974 because he was 'overwhelmed by life on the road', the Cartersville Patch reported. Burns continued to play for fun or in guest appearances nationally, said his father, Robert Burns Sr. Early on, the group played in the Burns' family garage. Three other band members were previously killed in a plane crash in 1977. The elder Burns said: 'He was a product of his mother, so far as manners is concerned. 'He had the manners that would suit the King of England. 'Very soft-spoken and extremely well-mannered person to come out of that kind of industry.' The single-vehicle accident remains under investigation and weather may have played a factor.
| His vehicle struck mailbox as it was approaching a curve near Cartersville. Burns helped found the Southern hard rock band in Jacksonville, Florida. Played on hit songs like Sweet Home Alabama, Simple Man and Free Bird. Cartersville is about 125 miles away from Macon, where Duane Allman died. After 1971 death of Allman Brothers guitarist, Skynrd dedicated Free Bird. Three other band members were previously killed in a plane crash in 1977.
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A bowel cancer patient told he had just 18 months to live claims he has been cured by cannabis oil. David Hibbitt, 33, was diagnosed with the disease in July 2012 and underwent chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery to remove his large bowel. Doctors told him the cancer was terminal - so he decided to try cannabis oil as a last resort and bought it from a local dealer for £50 a gram. Now the father-of-one says he has been cancer-free since his last scan in January - and puts the class-B drug down to his miracle recovery. David Hibbitt, 33, claims doctors said he had between 18 months and five years to live after being diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer. In desperation, he tried cannabis oil, which he now credits with his recovery. He is now looking forward to the future after tying the knot with his partner of six years Heather Martin, 26, at a registry office today. Mr Hibbitt, from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, said: 'Friends had told me about cannabis oil and I dismissed it at first. I've never been into drugs. 'But in February last year I was told I only had 18 months to five years to live, and I felt I had to try everything I could. 'I felt like the chemo was killing me and I had nothing to lose. I couldn't accept I was going to die.' After going online to research his options, he discovered a lot of information about cannabis oil - and decided to try it. 'I pay around £50 for a gram from a bloke I know who makes it,' he said. 'That lasts me about a month usually. 'It gets your pretty high and knocks you for six, but it's nowhere near as bad as chemotherapy. 'The pain just seemed to disappear and it seems to have done the job. 'I just want to make other people aware that there are other options out there.' Mr Hibbitt was diagnosed with stage-three bowel cancer after initially being told he was suffering from piles. Mr Hibbitt, with fiance Heather, said: 'I felt like the chemo was killing me and I had nothing to lose. I couldn't accept I was going to die' After undergoing treatment at the Christie Hospital, in Manchester, the cancer returned and he had another operation in July 2013 followed by more chemotherapy. He was given the all-clear before Christmas that year, but a month later he found a lump, and was told the cancer was in the lymph nodes in his groin. Dr Kat Arney, from Cancer Research UK, said: 'We know that cannabinoids - the active chemicals found in cannabis - can have a range of different effects on cancer cells grown in the lab and animal tumours. 'But at the moment there isn't good evidence from clinical trials to prove that they can safely and effectively treat cancer in patients. 'Despite this, some cancer patients do choose to treat themselves with cannabis extracts. 'Researchers are collecting patients' experiences to build a picture of whether these treatments are helping or not, although this is weak evidence compared to properly-run clinical trials. 'Cancer Research UK is supporting clinical trials for treating cancer with cannabinoid-based drugs in order to gather solid data on whether they benefit people with cancer.' Mr Hibbitt, who works in advertising, added: 'This time they told me there wasn't a lot they could do. 'In July, after doing a lot of research, I got some cannabis oil. I was having chemo, and I was getting to a point where I couldn't really do much, I had no energy. 'In August I decided I'd had enough and I was going to stop the chemotherapy. In October, he had an operation to remove the affected lymph nodes at the Royal Stoke University Hospital. But he chose to carry on taking cannabis oil rather than have any more treatment, deciding against further chemotherapy sessions. Following a scan in January he was given the all-clear - paving the way for him to organise his wedding. Mr Hibbitt, who has a five-year-old son, Ashton, said: 'We never thought this would happen, it's great. Fingers crossed now I will grow old. 'I feel really good and I hope my story will help other people.' His fiance Heather, a nursery nurse, said: 'I didn't want him to take the cannabis oil at first because it's illegal, but I saw the change in him and slowly got used to it. 'He is a determined person and did a lot of research. He wanted to live. 'We are all amazed how well he's done. I can't see my life without him. We have come through a hell of a lot.' Describing the effects of cannabis oil, he said: 'It gets your pretty high and knocks you for six, but it's nowhere near as bad as chemotherapy.The pain just seemed to disappear. I just want to make other people aware that there are other options out there' Cancer Research UK says it is aware of patients using cannabis extracts to treat themselves but stressed there is 'no good evidence' to prove it was safe and effective. The charity is supporting clinical trials into the use of the drug and a synthetic cannabinoid to treat the disease. Dr Kat Arney, from Cancer Research UK, said: 'We know that cannabinoids - the active chemicals found in cannabis - can have a range of different effects on cancer cells grown in the lab and animal tumours. 'But at the moment there isn't good evidence from clinical trials to prove that they can safely and effectively treat cancer in patients. 'Despite this, some cancer patients do choose to treat themselves with cannabis extracts. 'Researchers are collecting patients' experiences to build a picture of whether these treatments are helping or not, although this is weak evidence compared to properly-run clinical trials. 'Cancer Research UK is supporting clinical trials for treating cancer with cannabinoid-based drugs in order to gather solid data on whether they benefit people with cancer.'
| David Hibbitt was diagnosed in 2012 after initially being told he had piles. Underwent chemo, radiotherapy and surgery but was told he was terminal. Desperate, he researched online and bought cannabis oil, at £50 a month. Credits it with his remarkable recovery and is now cancer-free.
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A woman who successfully set up her brother with one of her best friends ended up becoming so jealous of their relationship she tried to wreck their marriage. Husband and wife David and Sandra Greatrex, 53 and 52, from Plymouth, have told their shocking story of harassment, which culminated in David's sister Anne cancelling the couple's wedding using a fake email address just weeks before the big day. The couple have spoken about their family feud on Channel 5 documentary, Family Secrets and Lies, which airs tonight. Scroll down for video. David, 53, and wife Sandra, 52, from Plymouth, were harassmed by David's sister. 'I was in tears and was so angry. I did not think someone was capable of doing that,' says Sandra of the horrifying moment Anne informed them she'd managed to cancel their nuptials behind their back. 'Everything was paid for so it was a lot of worry,' she added. Luckily, the couple managed to piece their plans back together in time for their winter wedding though. and they subsequently took Anne to court for harassment. Sandra first met David after his 20-year marriage fell apart and her friend Anne, David's sister, suggested they meet. 'I met Anne for coffee and David came out and I've never let his side since,' she says. 'When I first met him I didn’t realise how important he would become. He’s my everything.' Before long the couple were inseparable. But although Anne's matchmaking had worked, she was not happy about their relationship and started sending Sandra threatening text messages telling her to stop seeing her brother. 'They were hurtful at the time but I couldn’t understand why. Maybe it was jealousy,' says Sandra. ‘My mum had lung cancer and was going through chemo at the time. Anne was sending messages saying, "Your mum’s dying and you better get back to her".' Ann Duffy, pretended to be her now sister-in-law and cancelled her brother's wedding. But the relationship continued and Sandra and David became even closer. Then one day Sandra proposed. 'I was joking around - but not,' says Sandra. Then David took the hint and gave Sandra a romantic proposal. For a while the angry texts from Anne tailed off. 'We went to the registry office, put the deposit down and made special invites - I couldn't believe it was really happening,' Sandra says of the wedding. 'My mum got involved in the beginning and helped me pick my dress.' But in 2012, Sandra’s mother lost her battle with cancer and a year later David’s mother Celia also became ill and moved in with Sandra and David. But Sandra wouldn’t let Anne in their house, which reignited the rift. ‘I wouldn’t let her come to my house and see her mum because of all the hurtful thing she’s said to me. 'She could come to take her out but not in the house. 'She made a big deal about that and said that I was trying to replace my mum with her mum and that I was taking her away from her.' Then 20 days before the wedding, the couple received a distressing phone call. David remembers: 'I was lying in bed when the phone rang and Anne said: "I've got to tell you - you might want to pot the phone on loudspeaker." 'Then she said: "I’ve saved you from divorce. I've cancelled your wedding."' David and Sandra Greatrex at their wedding. Sandra says: 'I was in tears and angry. I wanted to go nuts at her. Everything was paid for so it was a lot of worry. We were up all night. 'I did not think someone was capable of doing that. 'How low can you get? This is your brother getting married. We had paid for everything and I thought she’d ruined it. 'In the morning we rang the registry office and they confirmed that our wedding had been cancelled. 'They said we should come in so they could print everything off for us to give to the police.' Anne had created an email address in Sandra's name to set about jeopardising the couple's plans. Luckily the registry office juggled things around and were able to fit David and Sandra back in on their planned date. Ann Duffy called Plymouth Register Office 20 days before her brother's wedding and canceled it. Anne was jailed for eight weeks at Plymouth Magistrates' Court. When Sandra reported Anne to the police, Anne admitted it straight away and was given a date to appear in court. But the angry text messages still continued and when the big day arrived, the couple still feared Anne might ruin it. Sandra and David at their wedding. 'We didn’t see her until we got out side,' remembers Sandra of their wedding day. 'We were going to get photos taken when she started shouting commiserations, filming me and putting two fingers up. 'I wish I didn’t have to go through that, but I still had the best day I could have wished for.' At court, Anne pleaded guilty to harassment and was sent to prison. She was jailed for eight weeks at Plymouth Magistrates' Court and was also given a restraining order against Sandra for an indefinite period. David said: 'It was quite upsetting. She got eight weeks but I believe she only did four.' And of Anne's injunction against coming near Sandra, David says: 'It's the best way – the less we see of her the better.' Sandra says: 'It's jealousy bitterness and anger. To this day if she could split us up she would. 'But we’ve been through so much, I don’t think there’s anything out there that could hurt us.' Anne did not want to appear on the programme but said she had her reasons for cancelling the wedding and loved her brother. Family Secrets & Lies is on Channel 5 tonight at 10pm.
| Sandra and David Greatrex were introduced by David's sister, Anne Duffy. Soon Anne started sending threatening text messages to Sandra. Rift got so bad she stopped tried to cancel their wedding using fake email.
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