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0400c2cc83f3ead8e34e3fd2fa0a962963aa25eb | By . Amanda Williams . It should have been the happiest day of their lives. But this bride and groom - pictured just hours before they were marched away from their reception by police - spent their first night of their married lives together behind bars, sleeping next to each other in adjoining cells. Nick and Kirsty Bigland, nee Robinson, from Salford, were arrested at the Hilton Hotel in Manchester city centre on Saturday night following an alleged scuffle with security staff. Pictured moments after their wedding: Kirsty Bigland and husband Nick Bigland, from Salford, who were arrested after an alleged bust-up at their wedding reception in Manchester . Allegations: Police arrest the bride outside the Hilton on Deansgate , Manchester after an alleged scuffle with security. A passer-by took this photograph of the unhappy bride . The couple had booked a room at the venue where they were due to be staying after they had celebrated their wedding party there. But their evening was cut short, when Mr Bigland, 25, was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm. Still . wearing her white gown, his wife Mrs Bigland, 29,a mother-of-four, was . detained on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence. They were held overnight at a nearby police station and slept in neighbouring cells. The . newlyweds have since been released on bail and were keeping a low . profile when approached at their home in Charlestown - with the groom . declining to comment. Cells: The newlyweds (pictured) have since been released on bail and were keeping a low profile when approached at their home in Charlestown - with the groom declining to comment . Party: Pictures taken of Mrs Bigland on her hen night show her apparently dressed as a jailbird in black and white stripes. She is alleged to have shouted racist abuse at the guards . The bride and groom are said to have got into a row with concierge staff at hotel as they attempted to check into their wedding suite and security guards were called . Police were called to the Deansgate hotel at around 11.30pm on Saturday. The . bride and groom are said to have got into a row with concierge staff as . they attempted to check into their wedding suite and security guards . were called. A fight then broke out between the guards and the couple. During . the scuffle, the groom, dressed in his wedding suit, allegedly attacked . one the security guards cutting his face in the process. The bride is alleged to have shouted racist abuse at the guards. Snaps following the ceremony earlier on the Saturday show them smiling and gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes. Other pictures taken on Kirsty’s hen night -show her apparently dressed as a jailbird in black and white stripes. A friend of the newlyweds, who asked not to be named, said the couple denied any wrongdoing. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Nick and Kirsty Bigland, from Salford, arrested at Hilton Hotel in Manchester .
The pair were involved in an alleged scuffle with security staff at hotel .
Mr Bigland, 25, was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm .
His wife, 29, was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated offence . |
0400fd98e59a454e968ce917056e20e7c76b742b | By . Tara Brady . Helen Beaumont pleaded guilty to two charges of fraud by failing to disclose capital . A costume designer on Disney hit movie Maleficent that starred Angelina Jolie has been convicted of a £20,000 benefit fraud scam. Helen Beaumont, 37, also worked on alien invasion movie Attack the Block, music videos for Jarvis Cocker and Scouting for Girls and West End productions of Billy Elliot and Singing in the Rain. Her glittering CV boasts a string of credits for work for the Royal Opera House, English National Opera and Young Vic as well as the BBC and E4. But Beaumont, of Highgate, north London, did not disclose her work or savings of more than £16,000 when applying for housing benefit and Jobseeker's Allowance. A probe by Haringey Council and the Department for Work and Pensions revealed she illegally claimed nearly £20,000 in benefits between May 2009 and November 2012. Beaumont, who studied for a BA in history of art and design at Camberwell College of Art, was spared jail when she was sentenced at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court this afternoon. After pleading guilty of two charges of fraud by failing to disclose capital, she was ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work. Beaumont illegally claimed £13,482.14 in housing benefit and £6,465.58 in Jobseeker's Allowance.She has already repaid the cash in full. Councillor Jason Arthur, Haringey's cabinet member for resources and culture, said: 'Beaumont was living a real-life fantasy, scamming thousands of pounds in benefits out of taxpayers while dressing the rich and famous. 'But she should have known better than anyone that fairytale villains never get away with it. A probe by Haringey Council and the Department for Work and Pensions revealed she illegally claimed nearly £20,000 in benefits . Helen Beaumont has worked on a number of productions including Disney hit movie Maleficent that starred Angelina Jolie (left) and the musical Billy Elliot (right) 'Whatever your job, abusing the benefits system is an insult to the vast majority of families who play by the rules, and we will not tolerate it.' Beaumont was also ordered by magistrates to pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge. | Helen Beaumont, 37, also worked on alien invasion movie Attack the Bloc .
Her CV boasts credits for work for Royal House and English National Opera .
Beaumont, of Highgate, north London, did not disclose her work or savings .
Illegally claimed nearly £20,000 between May 2009 and November 2012 . |
040112db63ad9c454b08c9bc42874d82571f6138 | Three years: Quanique Thomas-Hameen was inside a Wichita Taco Bell on December when his friends raided the belongings of a dying woman . A Kansas man was sentenced to three years in prison Thursday for the role he played in the theft of a dying woman's wedding ring and other belongings as she slumped over dying in a Taco Bell drive-thru. Quanique Thomas-Hameen was inside a Wichita Taco Bell on December when his friends Daquantrius Shaquill Johnson and Keith Hickels, Jr. allegedly raided 43-year-old mother and wife Danielle Zimmerman's belongings as she died of a brain aneurysm behind the wheel of her car. Zimmerman's family got some items back, but not her ring. Johnson and Hickels are awaiting trial. All three are charged with robbery, theft and aggravated burglary, reports KAKE. The story caused outcry across the states when news broke of the horrific treatment of Mrs Zimmerman. 'Instead of trying to help her, somebody robbed her,' her distraught husband of 21 years, Kris, told the Wichita Eagle. 'What really appalled me - the wedding ring. How could you take somebody’s wedding ring off their finger?' While Thomas-Hameen did not physically remove Zimmerman's belongings after she crashed into the Taco bell drivethru speaker box, prosecutors said he benefited from those who did. He also did nothing to stop the events from taking place. Cruel: 43-year-old mother and wife Danielle Zimmerman had a massive aneurysm while pulling into a Taco Bell drivethru and was slumped over and unconscious as her belongings were stolen . While Thomas-Hameen did not physically remove Zimmerman's belongings after she crashed into the Taco bell drivethru speaker box, (pictured) prosecutors said he benefited from those who did . Thomas-Hameen apologized to the Zimmerman family in court Thursday and said he takes responsibility for not speaking up when he had the chance. Mr. Zimmerman responded to Thomas-Hameen's apology by asking the judge to throw the book at him. 'While he may not have been directly involved in the crime, he benefited from the results. He also showed he was a coward for not standing up to help,' Zimmerman said. 'You never know if she would be here today if you would have just stopped.' Daquantrius Shaquill Johnson (right) and Keith Hickels, Jr. (left) allegedly physically took Zimmerman's belongings as Thomas-Hameen was inside. They are awaiting trial . Some of Zimmerman's belongings were recovered but her grieving husband never got her ring back . The purse, including photos of her two teenage sons, has been found by children sledding near to the Taco Bell. The thief took $150 and credit cards from inside. Mr Zimmerman was watching football and waiting for his wife to return home with dinner, which they were to share with one of their teenage sons. After 30 minutes, he called her to no answer, and 15 minutes later, he decided to go and find her. But as he was leaving his driveway, police arrived and told him his wife was in the hospital. There, a chaplain told him that she had suffered a serious aneurysm - although she had never had one before - and that she had blood on her brain. The family soon made the decision to switch off her life support. Her organs were prepared for donation. | Quanique Thomas-Hameen of Wichita, Kansas was punished Thursday for his role as accomplice in the sickening December crime .
Thomas-Hameen was inside a Taco Bell as his friends allegedly stole the belongings of Danielle Zimmerman, 43, as she was slumped in the drive-thru . |
04013cc5cc917e41facd84d645e166ff03c2dbd5 | London (CNN) -- The mother of missing British girl Madeleine McCann felt "totally violated" when she saw her diary had been published in the News of the World newspaper, she told an inquiry into British press practices and ethics Wednesday. "I'd written these words at a most desperate time of my life," Kate McCann said, saying the newspaper had shown "no respect .... for me as a mother or human." The publication of Kate McCann's diary came after the editor of the now-defunct newspaper, Colin Myler, verbally beat her and her husband, Gerry, "into submission" to make them do an interview with the newspaper, Gerry McCann said. He and his wife, Kate, were testifying Wednesday before the British government-backed inquiry into phone hacking and police bribery by the press. Tabloid newspapers published articles suggesting the parents were responsible for their daughter's death, Gerry McCann said, forcing them to sue to demand retractions. "We could only assume they were acting for profit," he said of the newspapers, adding the articles had no basis in fact. Their daughter has never been found. Most of the inquiry's attention has focused on newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., but the McCanns described their troubles with other newspapers, including the Daily Mail and the Evening Standard, which are not News Corp. titles. News Corp. announced Wednesday that Rupert Murdoch's son James had stepped down in September from the boards of subsidiaries that publish The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times. He remains chairman of News International, the News Corp. subsidiary that owns all three newspapers. The McCanns are the latest high-profile figures to give evidence to what's known as the Leveson Inquiry, following actor Hugh Grant and comedian Steve Coogan. Madeleine McCann and her parents have been regular fodder for Britain's tabloid press since the 4-year-old disappeared more than four years ago from a resort in Portugal while her parents dined at a nearby restaurant. The parents of another British girl who disappeared testified Monday how phone hacking on behalf of News of the World newspaper had given their family false hope their daughter was still alive. Milly Dowler's mother, Sally, described her joy at finding that voice mails had been deleted from her missing daughter's phone: "She's checked her voice mail, Bob! She's alive!" In fact, the messages had been deleted by a private investigator working for the News of the World newspaper, Dowler's father, Bob, told the inquiry panel. Milly Dowler had already been murdered. Sally Dowler's face fell as she recalled finding out it was the hacker, not her daughter, who had been checking the voice mail. The best-selling Sunday tabloid News of the World was shut down in July after the revelation that it had hacked into Milly Dowler's voice mail. Grant called the hacking of a murdered schoolgirl's messages "cowardly and shocking." The British actor also accused newspapers of using criminals as paparazzi and the Mail on Sunday of hacking into his voice mail. Grant said he could not think of any other source for a Mail on Sunday story about his relationship with his then-girlfriend Jemima Khan being on the rocks because of his phone flirtation with a "plummy-voiced Englishwoman." That story was later found false and libelous in court. Grant's accusation widened the scope of the British newspaper phone-hacking scandal, which has focused mostly on Murdoch-owned titles so far. The Mail on Sunday is not a Murdoch newspaper. Grant also implied the police were leaking stories about celebrities to the press, saying that when he called the police about his girlfriend being mugged, paparazzi showed up before the police. Police investigating phone hacking by journalists say that about 5,800 people, including celebrities, crime victims, politicians and members of the royal family, were targets of phone hacking by journalists in search of stories. The practice involves illegally eavesdropping on voice mail by entering a PIN to access messages remotely. | NEW: Kate McCann says a tabloid showed no respect for her "as a mother or human"
NEW: James Murdoch resigns from the boards of some News Corp. subsidiaries .
British government-backed inquiry was set up in response to revelations of phone hacking .
Attention focuses on Murdoch papers, but Hugh Grant accuses another paper of hacking . |
04039631a7b1cc432b032bdfea89290b02bcb428 | By . Fiona Macrae . Last updated at 3:49 PM on 4th January 2012 . Dozens of clinics have come forward to admit that breast implants they gave to women have ruptured – but Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has revealed much of the data filed is incomplete. He has . given clinics until Friday to submit full data on the implants and the . results will be published next week. But he . told BBC Breakfast today: 'Some of the private providers, as of yesterday, . had not provided any data at all, many had, some had provided what on . the face of it looks quite good data, others what appeared to be very . poor quality.' There is growing concern about the safety of the cheaply made implants, which used low-grade industrial silicone designed for mattresses . At least 50 clinics have reported . burst, perished and broken implants made by French firm PIP to the . medical watchdog since Friday. The . total number of women whose implants have ruptured is not known, but . even conservative estimates suggest it could be as high as 1,000. The Government still insists there is no need to remove them en masse. Yesterday, consultant plastic surgeon Fazel Fatah, who is sitting on the panel investigating the implant scandal, said there were no firm figures in the UK on what proportion of devices have ruptured. The president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, who is advising Mr Lansley, added: ‘The point is not so much the rupture rates but that the quality of the silicone in these implants is not of medical grade. Andrew Lansley, left has ordered clinics to produce data on the implants and Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham, right, has criticised the cosmetic surgery industry for poor after-care 'when things go wrong' Surgeons can take out most breast implants in around an hour, going in through the original 5cm scar under the breast. All implants create scar tissue around them once inside - known as the scar capsule - and this can be removed at the same time as the implant. However, if an implant ruptures, scar tissue can build up to a greater degree, causing hardness, and can be more difficult to remove. While most women have no symptoms when a silicone breast implant ruptures, the leaking gel can cause pain and result in changes to the contour or shape of the breast. The gel may cause inflammation and the layers of extra scar tissue.Rupture of a breast implant can be confirmed by mammogram, ultrasound, CT scan or MRI. Douglas McGeorge, consultant plastic surgeon said if an implant ruptures the 'goo' must also be taken out. Operations of this type also carry the risks of anaesthetic and a small risk of infection. 'Recovery is also about two weeks - that is you should allow two weeks to get back to day to day activities,' he added. 'Therefore, the implants are not fit to be implanted into humans. They are substandard, they are defective. 'The Government must make sure that . women who have these implants are not caught in the middle of an . argument over who's going to pay for their removal. 'I think we have reached a point and . the level of anxiety is such that there should be clear advice over what . is the right course of action for women to take.' Nigel Mercer, a former president of . BAAPS, said: ‘It would be sensible for the Government to say, “Take them . out” and then sort out the funding later.’ Labour said that the public had been . ‘left in the dark’ and called for the £2.3billion private cosmetic . surgery industry, which carried out 95 per cent of the operations, to . take responsibility. Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham . said: ‘I get a sense that these individuals are very good at the sales . pitch and making money off people at the start but less good at . after-care and facing up to responsibilities when things go wrong.’ But the trade body for private medical . clinics, Independent Healthcare Advisory Services, said it would be . ‘irresponsible’ to remove all implants as any surgery carries risks, . and, in any case, clinics couldn’t afford to foot the bill. It said that an audit of thousands of cases by its members suggests the true rupture rate lies between 1 per cent and 2 per cent and so is ‘within the industry standard’. As many as 50,000 women in the UK, including thousands of breast cancer survivors, have the fragile implants, so even a 2 per cent failure rate would take the number of ruptures to 1,000. French health minister Xavier Bertrand, pictured, has ordered a full investigation into the 'truly contaminated' implants . At the weekend, figures from private chain Transform suggested the true rupture rate to be 7 per cent. But a spokesman said the figure was based on seven cases out of just 108 patients – too small a sample for robust statistics. In France, between 5 per cent and 10 per cent have ruptured and the state is to fund removal from 30,000 women. Last night, French health minister Xavier Bertrand ordered a full investigation into the ‘truly contaminated’ implants. | Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has given .
clinics until Friday to submit full data on the implants .
French health minister Xavier Bertrand has ordered a full investigation into the ‘truly contaminated’ implants . |
04042d90d1d5fbdfdbdacc36de71509b0e575508 | By . Sami Mokbel . PUBLISHED: . 18:33 EST, 8 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 21:39 EST, 8 November 2012 . Comedian and author David Baddiel has spoken out against Spurs fans using the chant - click here to read more . Jermain Defoe's hat-trick gave Tottenham fans even more to sing about after the Metropolitan Police reassured them they will NOT face prosecution for using the word 'Yid' in matchday chants. London's police force agreed with the club and their supporters that the 'Yid Army' songs are not anti-Semitic. Spurs fans often sing songs featuring the expression, and did so during their Europa League clash against Slovenian side Maribor at White Hart Lane, where a stunning treble from Defoe gave them a 3-1 win. Scroll down for video . Backing: Tottenham fans cheer on their side against Maribor on Thursday . 'The club does not tolerate any form of racist or abusive chanting. 'Our guiding principle in respect of . the "Y-word" is based on the point of law itself - the distinguishing . factor is the intent with which it is used ie if it is used with the . deliberate intention to cause offence. 'This has been the basis of . prosecutions of fans of other teams to date. Our fans adopted the chant . as a defence mechanism in order to own the term and thereby deflect . anti-Semitic abuse. They do not use the term to others to cause any . offence, they use it a chant amongst themselves. 'The club believes that real . anti-semitic abuse such as hissing to simulate the noise of gas chambers . is the real evil and the real offence. We believe this is the area that . requires a determined and concerted effort from all parties and where . we seek greater support to eradicate.' Before kick-off, a smattering of . supporters in the South Stand sang 'Yid Army' and, after a third-minute . corner for Spurs, the chant grew louder with the whole end joining in. Then, in clear protest at the . criticism levelled at them, Spurs fans from all corners bellowed: . 'We're Tottenham Hotspur, we'll sing what we want.' Another round of 'Yid Army' then followed. The club released a statement . defending their fans' right to use the expression. It read: 'Our guiding . principle in respect of the "Y-word" is based on the point of law - ie. if it is used with the deliberate intention to cause offence. 'Our fans . adopted the chant as a defence mechanism in order to deflect . anti-Semitic abuse. They do not use the term to cause any offence, they . use it as a chant among themselves.' The Met have advised Spurs that . chants such as 'Yid Army' will not lead to prosecution on the basis that . it is used with no 'deliberate intention to cause offence'. The Society of Black Lawyers . threatened to report Spurs to the police if they were not seen to be . doing more to ensure the term is no longer used. Hat-trick hero: Jermain Defoe . As a youngster growing up supporting Spurs, it took me some time to realise the word 'yid' was an offensive racial slur. I'd never heard it used in a derogatory sense at White Hart Lane, only ever as a collective term - yid army - and as a positive identifier. If a player was good, he was a yiddo. But its significance soon became apparent. Though far from the abhorrent gas chamber hissing of some away fans, it's still sensitive. Context is important, though, and its reclamation as a positive term at the ground should not be ignored. The Society of Black lawyers says use of the word yid, including the tone adopted by Spurs fans, amounts to casual racism. Perhaps they have a point. Perhaps simply substituting the word would be the answer. But Spurs fans are unlikely to take kindly at being told what to do by an external body, especially as it is largely considered a positive, rather than offensive, chant. David Baddiel tried to stamp out its use by Tottenham supporters but, despite his own Jewish faith, the views of a Chelsea fan were never likely to be accepted by the Spurs majority. If the word yid really is to be kicked out of White Hart Lane, it would need concerns to be raised from within the Spurs-supporting community, rather than outside pressures. Andrew Magee, life-long Spurs supporter . | Tottenham fans protest against Society of Black Lawyers' criticism .
Met Police advise that chants will not lead to prosecution .
Jermain Defoe fires hat-trick as team beats Maribor . |
040499c2598d158eaa36c36851063973329427d6 | (CNN) -- Retired army Gen. Otto Perez Molina won Sunday's runoff presidential election in Guatemala, seizing on voters' concerns about growing insecurity in the Central American nation. Perez Molina led with more than 53% of the vote, Guatemala's election authority said. His opponent, businessman Manuel Baldizon, garnered 46% of the vote. "I want to tell you that we are happy, that we are very excited by this decision, but at the same time we have a big responsibility not to fail the Guatemalans in the next four years," Perez Molina told a crowd of cheering supporters. Perez Molina said unity across party lines would be a key step in solving the country's security problems. "Let's put these elections behind us ... and come together in the the things we have in common, to pull Guatemala out of this crisis that we are living," he said. In Guatemala City Monday, Perez Molina's supporters celebrated the news. "I am very happy because we are going to have a change in our country," Jazmin Dominguez said. Perez Molina, a retired army general who pledged to take a tough stand on crime, was the front-runner heading into the election. He won the most votes in the first round of voting in September. Low voter turnout was reported in Sunday's election, according to the state-run AGN news agency. Concerns about violence in Guatemala, which has worsened as Mexican drug cartels have stepped up operations in parts of the country, dominated the vote. In a Vox Latina national survey in July, more than two-thirds of Guatemalans said violence was what concerned them most, far outpacing the combined totals for the economy, unemployment, poverty and lack of education. "Let's hope that it's not like it's been with the government in the past, that they aren't just lies. The truth is that it's important that we return our country to the right path. We need security, education, health. We really hope the new president does all this," Guatemala City resident Juan Diego said Monday. Campaign posters for Perez Molina, who led in polls before Sunday's election, featured a clenched fist. The 60-year-old retired general pledged to bring a "mano dura" -- firm hand -- to Guatemala's highest office. In a debate co-hosted by CNN en Español this year, Perez Molina called for "elite units of the army" to play a larger role in the nation's battle against gangs and drug cartels. But that proposed approach -- and Perez Molina's high rank in the military during Guatemala's decades-long civil war -- worries human rights groups both in Guatemala and abroad. Concerns stem from the fact that the Guatemalan military committed multiple atrocities during the civil war, though Perez Molina has never been directly implicated in any of them. The former general campaigned for president a second time this year. He was defeated in 2007 by incumbent President Alvaro Colom. First-time candidate Baldizon, 41, who ran under the banner of the Leader Party, energized young voters. He promised to continue social and economic programs that he warned would be at risk, if Perez Molina won. Like the former general, Baldizon championed a crime-fighting plan. Poverty is endemic in Guatemala, and the country has one of the worst crime rates in Latin America. Forty-three percent of children under 5 are chronically malnourished. And the murder rate last year was 42 per 100,000 people -- one of the highest in the world. While supporters praised his tough stance on crime, others said they feared the president-elect's platform did not adequately address poverty. "I think that he is going to make a government of the rich. I do not think that they are thinking about the poor and they are going to leave us forgotten again," Guatemala City resident Nelson Guzman said. This is only the fourth time that Guatemala has held presidential elections since peace accords were signed in 1996, officially ending a civil war that devastated the country for 36 years. The conflict left more than 100,000 people dead and a million refugees. Perez Molina will take office in January. | President-elect: "We have a big responsibility not to fail the Guatemalans"
Guatemala City resident: "I am very happy because we are going to have a change"
Retired Gen. Perez Molina garners more than 53% of the vote .
Security issues loomed large during the campaign . |
0404bb322f09c52b86ee0939f03362872bdb003f | Gerard Pique is a target for his former side Manchester United and two other English clubs, according to reports in Spain. Barcelona-based Sport claim that Chelsea and both Manchester teams have submitted offers ranging from £20-£24million for the Spain star. The paper say that Jose Mourinho is hoping to replace John Terry, and believes he can bring the Spaniard to London in the same way he lured Cesc Fabregas this summer. Sport lead with the story of three offers for Gerard Pique while Mundo Deportivo highlight Barca's new tactics . Manchester City, meanwhile, are desperate to sign the Barca defender as early as January, Sport claim, having missed out on his signature last summer. Mundo Deportivo also focus on Barcelona, claiming that Luis Enrique is set to try a new formation with both Sergio Busquets and Javier Mascherano in central midfield. The tactical switch is intended to free the front three of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez, in a style similar to Brazil in 2002 and Spain in 2010, claim the paper. Elsewhere in Spain AS lead on claims from the La Liga president Javier Tebas that Cristiano Ronaldo would not have won the league's player of the year award if the voting was public. Javier Tebas hits out at voting in Spanish awards while Juventus are on alert after poor form in Italy . 'If it wasn’t private a Barca player would never vote for him,' Tebas told the Madrid-based paper, after the Ballon d'Or winner added another award to his personal haul. Meanwhile, in Italy the focus is on Juventus' recent drop-off in form, after the Italian champions won just one of their last four games. La Gazzetta dello Sport splash on 'Juve alert' and highlight 'away form, midfielders and the decline of Carlos Tevez' as manager Massimiliano Allegri's biggest issues. | Sport claim Barcelona have received three offers for Gerard Pique .
Jose Mourinho aiming to lure defender like he did Cesc Fabregas .
City believe Spanish star could answer central defensive problems . |
0404e226afbcb4295a4838118529522726a57ed7 | By . James Nye . It is what everyone who stands out on The Willis Tower's iconic Skydeck Ledge fears the most. And on Wednesday night it almost came to pass when a family visiting the Chicago skyscraper suffered the scare of their lives when the glass floor of the tourist attraction 1,353-feet up cracked as they sat down for a picture. The astonishing incident caused staff to hurriedly evacuate them as the distinct sound of shattering glass could be heard creeping across the glass enclosure that juts out from the 103rd floor of the building. Scroll Down for Video . Glaziers from MTH Industries finish replacing a layer of protective coating over the glass surface cracked on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower in Chicago on Thursday . Terrifying: One of the four boxes of The Ledge, the 103rd floor tourist attraction atop Chicago's Willis Tower, appeared to show cracks Wednesday night, but a building official said what was damaged was a protective layer on the glass and that there was no danger to visitors . About to crack: Alejandro Garibay (center left), his brother Ernesto (center right), and two cousins (also pictured) in the glass enclosure just seconds before they heard the sound of shattering glass . 'I had my palms on the floor and I could feel it cracking,' said Alejandro Garibay, who was posing for pictures at the time with his brother and two cousins. 'Honestly, I was in shock, in disbelief. I was scared.' 'We were watching the fireworks at Navy Pier,' Garibay said to The Chicago Tribune. 'It was an awesome view. We were getting up and walking away and for some reason I thought it would be cool to get a picture of my cousins and brother. . .Then we started getting off and, as we push ourselves off, I could feel it cracking. It was completely shattering. 'I thought there was only cracked glass between us and 103 floors down,' he said. 'One of the craziest feelings I had in my life,' added his cousin, Antonio Saldana. 'I thought I was going to fall through.' Ironically, moments before they . stepped into the glass viewing platform just before 10pm, the Garibay family said they were told by . staff the floor, which can withstand up to 5-tons, was unbreakable. 'I was like, wow, I literally can't believe I could have fallen just through it,' said Alejandro to NBC Chicago, who was visiting the 1,451-foot skyscraper - the world's eighth tallest - with family from California. 'At first I see the glass from the ledge to the building crack and at that point I just hopped off.' 'I can' remember if I crawled off or I jumped off. Just a million things, I couldn't believe what was happening,' said Ernesto Garibay about his family's terrifying experience on Wednesday night. 'Even now I can't believe it, it's hard to believe.' 'Especially when they said it's unbreakable.' The see-through glass bays known as The Ledge were designed with a protective coating that cracked on Thursday and glaziers are now working to replace . The attraction is scheduled to reopen on Friday after Glaziers from MTH Industries complete placing a layer of protective coating over the glass surface that cracked on Thursday . Aftermath: Technicians tend to the shattered protective coating that covers the floor of one of four boxes that make up The Ledge 1,353-feet up the Willis Tower in Chicago . Do not look down! Brave tourists step out onto The Ledge which juts out 1,353ft above the sidewalks of Chicago . The Garibay family were among the last customers on Wednesday night - paying $19 for dizzying views of downtown Chicago and Lake Michigan which can stretch for 50 miles on a clear day. Stepping out onto the clear ledge, Alejandro Garibay said that his brother and two cousins began to hear the distinctive and in this situation, terrifying sound of cracking glass. 'All of us collectively start getting up, and it’s at that point that we hear and feel the glass start shattering. Mind you, this is happening in an instant. Incredibly fast,' said Alejandro's cousin, Tony Saldano to CBS News . 'We see it completely just shatter all the way through, and at that point, all four of us just completely rushed right out of it.' Instinctively jumping off the platform, the Garibay's quickly alerted the staff. 'I walked them over so they could see and they were totally shocked and asked us to step away and then proceeded to start calling staff and techs and I don't know who else. When we pulled our phones to start recording and take pictures they asked us to leave right away,' he said. Indeed, in video recorded by Alejandro, the ominous slow creaking noise of breaking glass can be heard. On Thursday morning, all four boxes of the tourist attraction were closed for what a spokesman called a routine inspection. 'Skydeck Chicago is open today while the protective coating is being replaced,' said Brian Rehme, a spokesman for public relations firm FleishmanHillard. 'We have temporarily closed the four Ledge boxes for routine inspection we hope to reopen them shortly.' Not for the faint hearted: Visitors are protected from the 103-storey drop by three inches of glass . Spectacular: The boxes that jut out from the Willis Tower provide never-before-seen views of the city, and allows spectators to see for 50 miles around . America's second tallest: The Willis Tower, formerly the Sears Tower, is the world's 8th tallest building. The four viewing boxes can be seen on the third windows down from the top on the left of the skyscraper . Rehme added that the visitors were never in any danger. 'This coating does not affect the structural integrity of The Ledge in any way. Occasionally, the coating will crack, as it is designed to in order to protect the surface of the glass,' Rehme said in a statement. Skydeck general manager Randy Stancik said the Ledge is safe but should give off 'the illusion that it’s not safe.''We hid the railings, we hid the structural steel — we want to give the illusion that it’s a little bit, ‘Can I take these two steps out of the building?’'he told the Chicago Tribune. A . spokesman for the Willis Tower said that what cracked was a protective . coating on the top of three layers of glass one half-inch thick. 'Occasionally this happens, but that’s because we designed it this way,' said Bill Utter to The Chicago Sun Times. 'Whatever happened last night is a result of the protective coating doing what it’s designed to.' Utter added that this is not the first time the protective coating has cracked. Usually it is caused by a visitor having something sharp in their pocket that scratches or cracks the coating. Workers with MPH peeled the cracked layer of coating on Thursday and put in new glass and caulk. The attraction will reopen Friday morning after city inspectors check to 'make sure all repairs have been completed according to city code,' spokeswoman Mimi Simon told the Chicago Tribune. Opened to great fanfare in 2009, The Ledge is comprised of four glass boxes that are suspended more than 1,300-feet above the ground. They extend four feet out from the Windy . City's most iconic structure and with transparent walls, floors and . ceilings, provide tourists with the feeling of being suspended on air . for those brave enough to peer down. EdgeWalk CN Tower: Canada . Situated in the CN Tower's restaurant in Toronto - part of the experience is a glass floor, 1,122 feet above the ground level. The glass is 2.5 inches thick and is strong enough to hold 14 hippos. Step into the Void: France . Billed as the tallest attraction in Europe at 3280 feet, the structure was three years in the making. It includes five transparent sides made of three layers of tempered glass fixed with metal to a big support structure. Grand Canyon Skywalk: USA . The horsehoe shaped glass-bottomed viewing platform juts 70 feet beyond the Grand Canyons edge, 4,000 feet above the floor. It can accommodate up to 120 guests at a time and offer a bone-chilling vantage point more than twice as high as the world’s tallest buildings. TILT on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Tower: USA . TILT is housed in 360 CHICAGO on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Tower and, as the name suggests, the enclosed glass and steel platform tilts visitors forward for a unique perspective of the city 1000 feet up. The attraction, which costs $5 to tourists and is thought to be the first of its kind, holds up to eight people, with the platform slowly moving outward to an adventurous angle above the Windy City . | Family visiting from California evacuated from Willis Tower 1,353ft above the streets of Chicago .
Glass floor of tourist attraction The Ledge appeared to shatter beneath them .
Transparent viewing deck opened in 2009 on 103rd floor and the three-inch thick glass is meant to withstand 5-tons .
The Garibay family said that staff told them the glass was unbreakable before they stepped on .
Willis Tower spokesman said that although unusual, this has happened before and is perfectly safe .
All four boxes of The Ledge were closed on Thursday morning for maintenance .
Workers with MPH peeled the cracked layer of coating on Thursday and replaced it with new glass and caulk .
The attraction is set to re-open on Friday . |
0405e4119ac6c1eb83bff8dcc69953a8691d737b | Real Madrid will sell Sami Khedira in January unless there is a breakthrough in contract negotiations. The Germany international was poised to leave in the summer with Arsenal and Chelsea keen to take him while Bayern Munich also wanted the midfielder. However, Bayern’s surprise move for Xabi Alonso instead meant Madrid put the blocks on his departure. Sami Khedira will be sold by Real Madrid in January if he does not extend his contract at the club . Midfielder Khedira (above) won the World Cup with Germany in Brazil during the summer . Now Khedira and his representatives are no closer to committing to Madrid and with the player out of contract in the summer, the European champions are looking to sell rather than lose him for nothing in the summer. They will contact Europe’s top clubs to test the market with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United among those they will look to. Madrid have a good relationship with United following summer business involving Angel di Maria and Javier Hernandez, however, the lack of Champions League football will affect the player’s decision. Khedira has a good relationship with Jose Mourinho from his time at Madrid while he is a fan of Arsenal’s footballing style but they may struggle to match his £200,000-a-week wages. Further talks are planned with his representatives but if no progress is made, Madrid will look to sell for around £10million. Angel di Maria's move to Manchester United and Xabi Alonso's transfer affected Khedira's position . | Sami Khedira will be sold by Real Madrid in January if no contract agreed .
Germany midfielder poised to leave in summer before Xabi Alonso moved .
Chelsea and Arsenal were chasing his signature and could return again .
If no progress is made in contract negotiations, Madrid will sell for £10m . |
04065a963d5f3478437a53650f206d00e821cad1 | By . Wills Robinson . A portrait of Richard III, whose remains will now be laid to rest in Leicester Cathedral following a High Court battle . Richard III will finally be laid to rest at Leicester Cathedral after judges said it was time for the monarch to be given a 'dignified burial'. Distant relatives opposed plans to bury him in the city after his remains were discovered in a council car park in August 2012. They said he should be placed in York Minster because it was a wish of 'the last medieval king of England'. But the High Court told the claimaints, who are part of the Plantagenet Alliance, there was no reason to interfere with the initial plans. Richard was killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 - ending the Wars of the Roses and the Plantagenet dynasty. His body was taken to Leicester by supporters of the victorious Henry VII and buried in Greyfriars church, now the site of the council car park. The Alliance's counsel Gerard Clarke told the court he would be satisfied if a consultation exercise was launched, and suggested the Queen and royal household should be at the top of the list of consultees. He added the relatives themselves as well as members of the public should be involved because it 'is not just any old bones'. But Lady Justice Hallett, sitting with Mr Justice Ouseley and Mr Justice Haddon-Cave, ruled there were no public law grounds for interfering with the plans for reburial at Leicester Cathedral. The three judges said in a joint ruling: 'Since Richard III’s exhumation on September 5 2012, passions have been roused and much ink has been spilt. 'Issues relating to his life and death and place of re-interment have been exhaustively examined and debated. 'The Very Reverend David Monteith, the Dean of Leicester Cathedral, has explained the considerable efforts and expenditure invested by the cathedral in order to create a lasting burial place 'as befits an anointed King'. The skeleton of Richard III, which was discovered at the Grey Friars excavation site in Leicester . The announcement that the initial plans for the burial will go ahead was made at Leicester Cathedral by (left to right) Richard Buckley OBE, The Very Reverand David Monteith, The Right Reverend Tim Stevens, City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby, Professor Mark Thompson and Nick Rushton, the Leader of Leicester City Council . Location: Richard III will finally be laid to rest at Leicester Cathedral after judges said it was time for the monarch to be given a 'dignified burial'. His remains were discovered in a nearby council car park in 2012 . 'We agree that it is time for Richard III to be given a dignified reburial, and finally laid to rest.' It is currently unclear whether or not the Alliance will seek to appeal. Any further matters stemming from the judgment will be dealt with at a later date. Justice Secretary Chris Grayling condemned the Alliance legal action, saying it had 'taken up so much time and money'. Mr Grayling said: 'I have been very clear from the start that the decision to grant an exhumation licence for Richard III was taken correctly and in line with the law. 'I am pleased the court has reached the same conclusion and comprehensively rejected all of the claimant’s arguments. The remains of Richard III as they were discovered by archaeologists in a council car park in Leicester . 'I . am, however, frustrated and angry that the Plantagenet Alliance - a . group with tenuous claims to being relatives of Richard III - have taken . up so much time and public money. 'This case, brought by a shell company . set up by the Alliance to avoid paying legal costs, is an example of . exactly why the Government is bringing forward a package of reforms to . the judicial review process.' There . was applause at Leicester Cathedral as Bishop of Leicester Tim Stevens . read out the result at 10am to a crowd of supporters and media. 'We . are, of course, delighted. Here in the cathedral, in the diocese, in . the city, in the county, we’ve waited a long time for this.' He said plans for the reinterment that had been on hold could now progress. The monarch will be finally laid to rest at Leicester Cathedral after High Court Judges said it was time to give him a 'dignified burial' Distant relatives wanted Richard to be buried at York Minster, claiming it was a dying wish of the last medieval king, who was known as 'Richard of York' Richard was born on in 1452 at Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire. Scientists found he had a curved spine and was riddled with roundworm . Richard was born in 1452 at Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire. During the War of the Roses, Richard's father, Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York was killed and in 1470, Richard and his brother Edward were exiled when Henry VI, from the rival house of Lancaster, took back the throne. Henry's reign was short lived and during a battle the following year, Edward became king. In 1483, Edward died and Richard was named as protector of the realm for Edward's son and successor, the 12-year-old Edward V. Edward V and his brother Richard were placed in the Tower of London and after a campaign to condemn the deceased king's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, the princes were declared illegitimate. Richard III took to the throne the following day. He was crowned in July and in August that year, the two princes disappeared, Rumours spread the king had killed them to remove any threat they may have posed to his reign. In 1485, Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond launched an attack on Richard III on Bosworth Field in Leicestershire. Many of Richard III's key lieutenants defected and he was killed in battle. Henry Tudor took the throne as Henry VII. It has been confirmed that Richard III had a curvature of the spine, although rumours of a withered arm haven't been verfied form the bones found in the Leicester car park last year. Last year scientists discovered the king was riddled with roundworm after finding large numbers of the parasite’s eggs in soil taken from Richard III’s pelvic region. The find suggests that the king’s intestines were infected with roundworm during his life. | High Court judges said it is time for monarch to be given 'dignified burial'
Plantagenet Alliance argued a public consultation should decide location .
Richard died at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 during defeat by Henry VII .
His body was taken to Leicester and buried under what is now a car park .
Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said legal battle was a 'waste of money' |
0406ab5c8423695232401a179f0679071f854166 | Zurich, Switzerland (CNN) -- Top international soccer officials are meeting Thursday in Switzerland to discuss whether to change the dates for the 2022 World Cup tournament in Qatar from summer to winter amid concerns over heat. The two-day meeting of FIFA's executive committee in Zurich will also consider allegations that migrant workers employed on huge World Cup-related construction projects are being abused. Dozens of workers' rights protesters, waving flags and brandishing red cards, gathered outside the complex ahead of the meeting as they delivered a letter to FIFA President Sepp Blatter calling on soccer's world governing body to ensure fair labor practices. A FIFA official took the letter inside, saying that FIFA is taking the matter seriously. Members of the executive committee, known as ExCo, declined to answer reporters' questions as they entered. In addition to the issues of Qatar's summer heat and concerns over labor conditions, the committee is expected to hear an update from Qatar 2022 organizers on their preparations for the World Cup. FIFA has been considering the option of moving the tournament because of fears that players and fans could be adversely affected by temperatures that sometimes reach 122 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer. All 54 member associations of UEFA, Europe's governing body, last month voted against holding the tournament in the Qatari summer, adding to speculation that a move to the winter was in prospect. But a winter World Cup would cause chaos with the European domestic season, with many clubs fearing they could lose out financially. Decision, or no decision? The final decision lies with FIFA's executive committee. Its verdict had been widely expected to come Friday -- but UEFA President Michel Platini has reportedly cast doubt on that. "There will be no decision. It is impossible," he is quoted by Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper as saying Wednesday in Zurich. Platini reportedly added that he was "much more concerned" by the allegations of abusive labor practices in Qatar than the question of when the tournament is played. FIFA said last week that it would raise the issue of workers' rights with the Qatari authorities and that the executive committee would discuss claims that migrant workers are being exploited. A CNN report in May highlighted allegations by rights groups that thousands of construction workers building the infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup have been abused, denied their wages and trapped in a situation from which they cannot escape because, under Qatar's visa system, they cannot leave the country without their employer's consent. Allegations made by The Guardian newspaper last week added to concerns. The world professional footballers association, FIFPro, said that "Qatar must respect the rights of the key people who will deliver the 2022 FIFA World Cup: the workers who build the World Cup stadia and infrastructure and the professional footballers who play in them." The Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee has said it is committed to ensuring workers' safety and well being. Labor ministry: More inspectors, translators . Ali Al Khulaifi, an international relations adviser at Qatar's Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, told CNN that Qatar is taking concrete steps to ensure its labor rules are enforced, including making it easier for workers to report abuses by their employers. "We have a plan to double the number of inspectors by the end of the year," he said. "Since many of the migrant workers don't speak Arabic, we are hiring translators to submit complaints." The Ministry of Labor says it plans to increase the number of branches it has from the current two in the capital, Doha, and five outside, but has not given details. Conditions for workers in Qatar have come under increased scrutiny since a report in The Guardian last week alleging that dozens of Nepali migrant laborers died there over the summer. "We are a member of the ILO (International Labour Organization). We have ratified the forced labor convention. So we're hiring an international firm to look into the allegations," Al Khulaifi said . "Work-related deaths are really unfortunate. But the numbers are less than what was published." He said the ministry would investigate any claims that some companies are holding the passports of workers, preventing them from leaving, as has been alleged. The ministry has commissioned an international law firm, DLA Piper, to carry out independent investigation into the allegations and report back to the government, the state-run Qatar News Agency reported Wednesday. Legal action threatened . The question of any shift in the calendar for the 2022 Qatar World Cup -- or, more drastically, any move to take it away from the wealthy Gulf nation -- will be closely watched around the world. Australia, which lost out to Qatar along with South Korea, the United States and Japan, believes it should be compensated if the World Cup is held in the winter rather than the summer and has threatened legal action. A move to the winter months could also have big cost implications for European clubs and for broadcasters. Moving matches means shifting many of the events that the latter have paid multimillions for and, importantly, would be wanting to tie up in contracts for the future. Blatter, the FIFA president, recently said that it would not be feasible to hold a summer World Cup in Qatar. But Qatar disagrees. Hassan al-Thawadi, secretary general of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, told CNN last week that it is "absolutely not" too hot during the summer to stage the tournament then. He acknowledged that summer in his country is hot, but said, "Other nations have hosted similar World Cups in similar if not more severe conditions." In addition, he said, Qatar is investing in cooling technologies for stadiums, training areas and fan areas. This, he said, "adds more confidence to us in terms of our ability to host a very successful and very memorable World Cup." CNN's Alex Thomas reported from Zurich and Leone Lakhani from Doha, while Laura Smith-Spark wrote in London. CNN's Schams Elwazer contributed to this report. | NEW: Qatar's Labor Ministry says it will boost inspections and investigate claims of abuses .
Workers' rights protesters gather in Zurich as FIFA debates the 2022 Qatar World Cup .
A decision could be made on whether to move the tournament to Qatar's winter months .
There are fears players and fans could suffer in the searing heat of Qatar's summer . |
0408ae7dfff17e1b062c175fd79468fe167f344e | By . Alex Ward . PUBLISHED: . 11:00 EST, 8 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:00 EST, 8 September 2012 . Like a woman at the mechanic, apparently she is just as clueless when it comes to the big, bad world of the internet. Not knowing Google from gigabytes and an email from an envelope, womankind now have the remedy to cure a case of online ignorance in a series of self-help books made just for women. The book series - available only in French - includes titles such as Internet Pour Les Nulles, which can be translated to 'Internet For Women Dummies,' targets women because apparently they need extra help managing the tricky terrain of computer hardware, software and the internet. Not knowing Google from gigabytes: A series of self-help books in French explains the internet, Macs and PCs for 'women dummies' With a tag line which translates to ‘With the Dummettes, you will no longer have anything to be jealous of men for!’ it seems women can sleep easy knowing their computer will not swallow them whole. A translation of the publisher’s summary reads: ‘Practical tips for surfing the web, communicate using email, make purchases or payments securely online, create a blog or manage photographs.’ ‘Maybe you will ask why a book on the Mac specifically dedicated to women… we give you all the advice to start surfing with confidence, communicate with all your friends through messaging, make your purchase safely, and why not, for the most daring of you, create your blog to show your beliefs loud and clear on the web!’ Clueless on computer: The internet self-help book carries the tag line 'With the Dummettes, you will no longer have anything to be jealous of men for!' The series by Françoise Otwaschkau covers PCs, Macs and the internet. While these French self-help books might not quite find their market in the UK, self-improvement books have reached cult status in Britain. While UK book sales were down recently by 1 per cent overall, sales of self-help books for the same period soared by 25 per cent. It is estimated that the cult of self-help has earned publishers some £60 million in the past five years. Obsessed with self-help: Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones mirrors the cult status of self-help book in the UK which has earnt publishers some £60million in the past five years . In America, the self-help market is worth more than $10 billion (£6 billion) a year. It is 75 years since a man called Dale Carnegie sat down to write How to Win Friends And Influence People, widely regarded as the very first self-help book. First published in 1937, it has sold over 15 million copies, is still in print today and is the cornerstone of a billion-pound global industry that fixates on human unease and lack of confidence. | A series of internet self-help books targeting women have been published .
The books are in French .
One of the titles translates to 'Internet for women dummies' |
0409e35fdf1185b30a3f9bde81ac4ce4d28689a5 | By . Lizzie Edmonds . PUBLISHED: . 16:37 EST, 17 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:54 EST, 17 March 2014 . The Pope has cancelled a photo opportunity with Noah star Russell Crowe over fears the meeting would be leaked to the press. Pope Francis was due to meet with the Hollywood actor and the entire creative team behind the biblical movie to give his blessing for the film. Paramount vice chair Rob Moore, director Darren Aronofsky . and Mr Crowe were all supposed to be in attendance - with film executives hoping it would provide the perfect photo opportunity prior to the film's US release at the end of March. The Pope has cancelled a photo opportunity with Russell Crowe and the creative team behind Noah . Speaking last week, Mr Aronofsky confirmed to Variety the meeting had been proposed - but warned it wouldn’t happen if . anybody reported or tweeted about it ahead of time. The group were penciled in to meet with Pope Francis in Rome on Wednesday morning at around 8am, the website reported. But it would appear the director's fears came true - with the Vatican cancelling the arrangement over fears word of the gathering would be leaked. Rather amusingly, the Pope's cancellation came a little too late - as Crowe and Aronofsky had already arrived in the Italian city, the website suggests. Russell Crowe takes the lead in the new film based on the tale of Noah from The Book of Genesis . Noah is thought to cost in the region of £75million and is due for release in America on 29th March. Mr Aronofsky's film, based around the story of Noah’s Ark from The Book Of Genesis, has already gained a fair amount of criticism. Agnostic US TV host Bill Maher slammed the movie for a perceived lack of ‘plausibility.’ 'But the thing that’s really disturbing about Noah isn’t the silly, it’s that it’s immoral,’ he said. It’s about a psychotic mass murderer who gets away with it, and his name is God.' Noah is also thought to be banned in several countries for depicting religious characters, with censorship boards in Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates informing distributor Paramount that they won’t be releasing the film. The actor takes his seat during a press conference ahead of the film's US release at the end of the month. The epic has been banned in several countries for depicting religious characters . Crowe, 49, appeared at the Russian capital’s Lotte Hotel for . promotional commitments for the epic - in which he takes the . titular lead. Speaking of his latest role, the actor recently claimed his depiction of Noah will go against the grain of common belief regarding his character. He said: ‘The funny thing with people, they consider Noah to be a benevolent figure because he looked after the animals: "Awww, Noah. Noah and the animals." 'It's like, are you kidding me.This is the dude that stood by and watched the entire population of the planet perish. ‘He's not benevolent. He's not even nice. 'At one point in the story his son says, "I thought you were chosen because you were good?" And he goes, "I was chosen because I can get the job done, mate.’"' | Vatican is thought to have cancelled photo opportunity with Russell Crowe .
Actors and team behind Noah due to meet with Pope on Wednesday .
Cancelled over fears it would be leaked to the press, reports suggest . |
040c874e061c0c3df0c34e7b8a60b4ff36e1cf71 | Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- Relatives divided since 1953 reunited for the first time Saturday at a South Korean-built tourism resort in North Korea amid tensions between the two sides. Elderly men in suits and women in traditional Korean silk hanbok dresses sat at numbered tables in a large restaurant, . Many burst into tears; some sat, spoke and exchanged photographs; others simply looked bewildered as they clutched hands and stared into faces unseen for six decades. The relatives have been separated from since the 1950-53 Korean War. In Seoul, the scenes at a tourism resort at Mount Kumgang played on TV at a press room. "We have held a memorial service for you every year," South Korean Yi Jong-sool told his North Korean elder brother, Yi Jong-ryeol, 90. "I can't believe you are alive." The oldest of the South Koreans, Kim Lye-jong, 96, bear-hugged her North Korean daughter, Woo Jong-hye, 71. Goh Yoon-sob, 81, from North Korea met his son Koh Bae-il, 63, from the South; the two were separated when the son was three years old. The men clutched hands and exchanged photographs. The son appeared speechless as his father spoke to him. "Our mother was waiting for you, but she died last year," South Korean Yi Yun told his older brother Yi Hwa-chun, 81. "If only she had lived one more year ..." Kang Kyung-won, 79, from North Korea sat across from his younger sister Kang Byong-sun from the South. She dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief unable to speak. There were some remarkable stories. Four South Korean soldiers, initially believed killed in action in North Korea, were alive. They met their family members from the South. Some 436 South Koreans, ranging in age from 12 to 96, met 97 family members from North Korea. But some planned reunions did not go ahead; some relatives had died in the past few days, while others were too ill or fragile to attend. The meetings, which stretch over three days, will be bittersweet; the chances of any of the divided family members meeting again are slim. The tragedy of the divided families dates to the 1950-1953 Korean War, when the Cold War's division of the peninsula into two nations became permanent. Amid fighting, millions of Koreans became refugees -- either fleeing the violence or fearing political reprisals from one side or the other. In winter of 1950, an estimated 650,000 refugees fled North Korea when United Nations forces retreated in the face of a surprise Chinese offensive. There is no direct telephone or mail contact between the two Koreas, but some families in the South have managed to broker surreptitious voice and written contact with their relatives in the North in recent years, as North Korea's border with China has become more permeable and illegal cell phones have penetrated the insulated state. Some 80,000 South Koreans have registered with their government to join one of the infrequent reunions, but 40,000 people are believed to have passed away or given up hope, according to the South's Ministry of Unification. Numbers north of the Korean demilitarized zone are unknown. The first family reunions took place following a landmark summit between the two Koreas in 2000. Since then, 17,100 people representing 3,500 families have been reunited on 17 separate occasions. Seoul has been keen to make the reunions a regular event. But in recent talks on the matter, the North has demanded 500,000 metric tons of rice and 300,000 metric tons of fertilizer to make the meetings a monthly event. The event comes amid tense inter-Korean relations. The North continues to deny any involvement in the sinking of a South Korean warship in March that killed 26 sailors. Seoul, citing an international investigation, accuses Pyongyang of a torpedo attack. On Friday, the day before the reunions were due to begin, North Korean troops fired two bullets at a South Korean guard post. Southern soldiers returned three rounds, and are demanding an explanation via the United Nations' Military Armistice Commission. But the incident has not affected the reunions. | S. Korean to N. Korean brother: "Our mother was waiting for you, but she died last year"
Many divided family members might not see their relatives again .
Families were separated during the Korean War in the 1950s .
80,000 S. Koreans have registered to join one of the infrequent reunions . |
040cf02eb2a6c32dabbdd72a7c5d135d5019e68d | You may think that your Teflon-coated frying pan is pretty good at repelling water. But scientists have now made metals so hydrophobic - literally meaning water fearing - that droplets bounce off them. Unlike Teflon, which is a coating applied to metal, researchers used lasers to etch microscopic patterns into metal, giving it the ‘super’ property. Scroll down for video . Scientists have used lasers to etch a nanostructure into metals, making them so hydrophobic, or water repellent, that water droplets bounce off the surface, when sprinkled from a height (pictured) Scientists at the University of Rochester in New York, believe their invention could be used to prevent rust, stop airplanes icing up, improve sanitation in developing countries and to make efficient and low maintenance solar panels. Chunlei Guo and Anatoliy Vorobyev, of the university’s Institute of Optics, used a precise laser-patterning technique to create an intricate pattern of nanoscale structures in metal. To make water roll off a Teflon-coated material (as used in the frying pan shown), it needs to be titled to a 70 degree angle, whereas Professor Guo’s material only needs to be titled less than five degrees before liquid slides off and is said to be super hydrophobic . To create the water repellent material, scientists used extremely powerful, ultra-short laser pulses to etch a nanostructure - microscopic patterns - into metal and change its surface. A femtosecond laser pulse lasts just of a quadrillionth of a second but at its peak, reaches a power equivalent to the entire power grid of North America. The etchings are part of the surface so they won't rub off, unlike a Teflon coating, for example. The new material is so water repellent that water droplets bounce off it. The researchers claim it's more slippery than Teflon. To make water roll off a Teflon-coated material, it needs to be titled to a 70 degree angle, whereas Professor Guo’s material only needs to be titled less than five degrees before liquid slides off. They are exploring its self-cleaning properties too. The material allows water droplets to collect dust, cleaning the surface and leaving it dry. It could be used to prevent rust, stop airplanes icing up and to make efficient and low maintenance solar panels. They used extremely powerful, but ultra-short, laser pulses - which despite lasting a quadrillionth of a second, reach a power equivalent to the entire power grid of North America - to change the surface of the metals. Their work builds on earlier research by the team in which they used a similar laser-patterning technique to turn metals black. Professor Guo explained that the technique creates surfaces that not only repel water, but are also absorb light effectively. ‘The structures created by our laser on the metals are intrinsically part of the material surface,’ he said, so that they won’t rub off like a coating. It is the patterns that make the metals repel water. ‘The material is so strongly water repellent, the water actually gets bounced off,’ the professor of optics said. ‘Then it lands on the surface again, gets bounced off again, and then it will just roll off from the surface. The etched metals are more slippery than Teflon, which is a common hydrophobic material that’s often used to coat non-stick pans. To make water roll off a Teflon-coated material, it needs to be titled to a 70 degree angle, whereas Professor Guo’s material only needs to be titled less than five degrees before liquid slides off. Chunlei Guo and Anatoliy Vorobyev, of the university’s Institute of Optics, used a powerful and precise laser-patterning technique to create an intricate pattern of micro and nanoscale structures to give the metals their new water repellent property. A droplet bouncing off the material is shown . Scientists at the University of Rochester in New York, believe their invention could be used to prevent rust, stop airplanes icing up and in solar panels. Here, a jet wing is deiced by a specialist machine . Unlike Teflon, it’s described as being super-hydrophobic and as water rolls off the laser-etched surface of metals, it also collects dust particles, cleaning the surface. To test this self-cleaning property, his team took ordinary dust from a vacuum cleaner and dumped it onto a treated surface. Professor Guo hopes that the hydrophobic material could make water collection more efficient in developing countries. Here, a girl in Ghana makes a labour-intensive trip to fetch water . Roughly half of the dust particles were removed with just three drops of water and it only took a dozen drops to leave the surface spotless. The surface was also left completely dry, meaning that if it was used to coat pans in the future, washing up could be much easier. Professor Guo is excited about the potential applications of super-hydrophobic materials in developing countries and the research his supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. ‘In these regions, collecting rain water is vital and using super-hydrophobic materials could increase the efficiency without the need to use large funnels with high-pitched angles to prevent water from sticking to the surface,’ he said. ’A second application could be creating latrines that are cleaner and healthier to use.’ However, before pans and water-collecting equipment can become a reality, a faster method for etching metals has to be created. It currently takes an hour to pattern a metal sample measuring one square inch. The researchers are also looking into ways of applying the technique to other, non-metal materials. Professor Guo believes that the technique could be used to create multifunctional metals. Turning metals black makes them efficient at absorbing light, which when combined with water repellent properties, could lead to more efficient and rust-proof solar panels that don’t need cleaning. The team has also used lasers to attract water to materials. This proved so effective, that they managed to make a drop of water run ‘uphill’ when put into contact with the hydrophilic material. The study was published in the Journal of Applied Physics. | Scientists at the University of Rochester in New York used powerful laser pulses to etch microscopic patterns called nanostructures into metals .
They are so super hydrophobic that water bounces off them .
Material is more slippery than Teflon so water runs off it easily .
Could be used to prevent rust, stop airplanes icing up, improve sanitation in developing countries and to make efficient solar panels . |
040d44476f1bae1672942c255d494607001c076b | It roamed the countryside spreading death and terror – a giant, ferocious hell-hound with flaming eyes and savage claws. For centuries, the beast that came to be known as Black Shuck struck fear into the hearts of all who crossed its path. Just a single glimpse was enough to impart a fatal curse; the briefest encounter sufficient to suck the life from any hapless victim. Discovery: These remains of a giant dog were found during a dig among the ruins of Leiston Abbey in Suffolk . Is it him? The bones are believed to date back to the 16th century, when the legendary hell hound Black Shuck (pictured in an artist's impression) was rumoured to roam East Anglia. They show the dog was a 'large male' One thing, however, has always been . absent from the many tales of the dog-like entity and its sinister . appearances in the East of England flatlands: A single fact. Now that may be about to change with an answer to the question: Did it exist only in folklore ... or was it flesh and blood? Yesterday, . 500 years after Black Shuck first went on the prowl, archaeologists . were examining the skeleton of a 7ft long dog unearthed in the remains . of an ancient abbey. It was . discovered a few miles from two churches where Black Shuck is said to . have killed worshippers during an almighty thunderstorm in August 1577. What’s . more, it appears to have been buried in a shallow grave at precisely . the same time as Shuck is said to have been on the loose, primarily . around Suffolk and the East Anglia region. Site: The bones were uncovered in a 20-inch deep unmarked grave among the ruins of Leiston Abbey (pictured) Experts will subject the bones and surrounding material to 21st century dating techniques. But . first, the legend. The beast’s most celebrated attack began at Holy . Trinity church, Blythburgh. A clap of thunder burst open the church . doors and a hairy black ‘devil dog’ came snarling in. It . ran through the congregation, killing a man and boy and causing the . church steeple to fall through the roof. Scorch marks still visible on . the church doors are purported to have come from Shuck’s claws as it . fled. Local verse records . the event thus: ‘All down the church in the midst of fire, the hellish . monster flew, and, passing onward to the quire, he many people slew.’ Next . stop was 12 miles away in Bungay, where two worshippers were killed at . St Mary’s church. One was left shrivelled ‘like a drawn purse’ as he . prayed. Brendon Wilkins, projects director of Dig Ventures, which organised the dig, pictured, said he believed the dog could have lived around 1577 because it was buried alongside pottery fragments from the period . Ruins: Dig Ventures projects director, Brendon Wilkins, said the grave was dug partly over the foundations of what appeared to have been a kitchen area - indicating it had been created after the abbey fell into disrepair . In his 1577 pamphlet . A Straunge And Terrible Wunder, the Rev Abraham Fleming told how the . Satan-like beast came ‘running all along down the body of the church . with great swiftnesse and incredible haste, among the people, in a . visible fourm and shape’, wringing the necks of two parishioners as they . knelt. Spookily, a later work reveals: ‘Although his howling makes the hearer’s blood run cold, his footfalls make no sound.’ Subsequent . appearances of Shuck – a name believed to derive either from an old . English word for demon, or from local dialect meaning ‘shaggy’ – have . immortalised it. An image of Black Shuck is incorporated in Bungay’s . coat of arms, and the nickname for equally legendary Bungay Town FC is . the Black Dogs. The bones of the giant dog were found during a dig among the ruins of Leiston Abbey in Suffolk . The bones . uncovered in the ruins of Leiston Abbey, Suffolk, were first found by . archaeological group Dig Ventures in a project last year. Painstaking . work revealed the skeleton of an extremely large dog. Estimates suggest . it would have weighed more than 14 stone and stood 7ft tall on its hind . legs. The grave was less than 20 inches deep and unmarked. Pottery . fragments found at the same level date from the height of Shuck’s . alleged reign. Radio carbon . dating tests will now give an exact age for the bones, results that will . serve either to enhance the shaggy dog stories – or perhaps to support . the far less entertaining theory that here lies a 16th century abbot’s . beloved old hunting dog. Folklore: The legend of Black Shuck is now so popular that images of the dog have been put up across Bungay. Above, a weather vane in the town . According to folklore, Black Shuck appeared during a storm on August 4, 1577, at Holy Trinity Church in Blythburgh, about seven miles from Leiston in Suffolk. Villagers were reportedly sheltering inside the church when a huge clap of thunder caused the doors to burst open and the snarling dog crashed in. It ran through the congregation, killing a man and a boy, before the steeple crashed through the roof. The dog then fled, leaving scorch marks from its claws on the church door which are still visible today. Later the same day, Black Shuck is said to have struck again 12 miles away, killing two worshippers during a service at St Mary’s Church, Bungay, while the storm was still raging. Clergyman, . the Rev Abraham Fleming, is believed to have described the appearance of the legendary hell hound in a pamphlet written in 1577, entitled ‘A Straunge and . Terrible Wunder’. He wrote: 'This black dog, or the divel in such a . linenesse (God hee knoweth al who worketh all,) running all along down . the body of the church with great swiftnesse, and incredible haste, . among the people, in a visible fourm and shape, passed between two . persons, as they were kneeling uppon their knees, and occupied in prayer . as it seemed, wrung the necks of them bothe at one instant clene . backward, in somuch that even at a moment where they kneeled, they . strangely dyed.' Historian W. A. Dutt also wrote about Black Shuck in his 1901 book, Highways and Byways, set in East Anglia. 'He takes the form of a huge black dog, and prowls along dark . lanes and lonesome field footpaths, where, although his howling makes . the hearer’s blood run cold, his footfalls make no sound,' he wrote. The legend of Black Shuck is now so popular that images of the dog have been put up in buildings across the town - and the animal is even being . incorporated into Bungay’s coat of arms. There is also a Black Dog Running . Club and a Black Dog antiques shop, while the nickname for the town's football club is 'The Black Dogs'. And the legend has even infiltrated popular culture - with British rock band The Darkness featuring a track inspired by the devil dog on their debut album, Permission To Land. The track, named 'Black Shuck', includes the lyrics: 'In a town in the east, the parishioners were visited upon by a curious beast. 'And his eyes numbered but one and shone like the sun, and a glance beckoned the immediate loss of a cherished one.' | According to folklore, Black Shuck terrorised East Anglia in 16th century .
He towered at seven feet tall, with flaming red eyes and shaggy black hair .
Now, remains of legendary hound may have been unearthed during a dig .
Bones found by archeologists among ruins at Leiston Abbey in Suffolk .
They belong to 'male dog', standing at seven feet tall and weighing 200lbs .
Experts are currently carrying out radio carbon dating tests on remains . |
040f0824ba4a1792ebdee78bc796e383c99854ff | By . Harriet Arkell . and Ted Thornhill . PUBLISHED: . 08:15 EST, 10 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:34 EST, 10 January 2014 . Residents of a town in western Mexico set fire to at least three trailer trucks on Thursday to protest the arrival of 600 vigilantes to their community. The burning trucks blocked roads leading into Paracuaro in Michoacan state before federal police and soldiers removed them. The ‘self-defense’ group arrived Saturday in pickup trucks and SUVs and set up a checkpoint at the entrance to Paracuaro, a town of artisans and lime farmers. Scroll down for video . Torched: A vehicle burns at an entrance to Paracuaro, Mexico, on Thursday as part of a protest by residents at the arrival of vigilantes . The situation in Paracuaro is akin to a civil war, with drug dealers, the police, vigilantes and locals, all fighting each other . An armed member of a self-defense group, that formed to fight organized crime, mans a checkpoint in Paracuaro . Federal police patrol the entrance of Paracuaro . Soldiers guard the entrance to Paracuaro with one of the three trailer trucks that residents set on fire in the background . A man belonging to a self-defense group that formed to fight organized crime stands at a checkpoint in Paracuaro . Vigilant: A member of a self-defense group cleans his weapon at a Paracuaro checkpoint . Townspeople said they oppose the vigilantes because they are forcing young men to join them. Detained: Local vigilantes arrested police in Paracuaro in south-west Mexico as they seized back control of the town from the Knights Templar drugs gang . Taking matters into their own hands: Hundreds of residents joined forces to storm Paracuaro, headquarters of the Caballeros Templarios gang . They disarmed some police officers on . suspicion they were working with drug traffickers. An unidentified man . was killed in a gunbattle after the vigilantes seized the town. Townspeople said they oppose the vigilantes because they are forcing young men to join them. Vigilante . groups have formed to confront drug cartels in parts of Michoacan, a . rich farming state that is a major exporter of limes, avocados and . mangos. Police officers are forced to surrender their weapons to armed vigilantes in Paracuaro after the group seized control . Members of Guerrero state's Public Safety System marched in honour of their first anniversary - their region is a centre for drugs production . Rumors circulate . that some self-defense groups have been infiltrated by the New . Generation cartel, charges that the groups vehemently deny. New Generation has been fighting a turf war with the Michoacan-based Knights Templar cartel. Some . people in the region say members of the Knights Templar have also tried . to use self-defense groups as cover for illegal activities. The . vigilantes drove into the town in black armoured vehicles shouting . 'don't be frightened, we are vigilantes', before expelling drugs . traffickers. Local vigilantes armed themselves to take control of Paracuaro back - they accuse police of being in league with the gangs and say they have to protect themselves . In neighbouring Guerrero state members of the Public Safety System (a community police organisation) marched in honour of their first anniversary . Bloody battle for control: A vigilante aims his weapon after storming into Paracuaro yesterday - one man was reported dead in the gun battles that ensued . Smash: This plane crashed in western Mexico on Sunday, killing one man and injuring four others including vigilante group leader, Dr Jose Manuel Mireles . Michoacan has . been rocked by repeated explosions of civil unrest since February last . year, as vigilante groups have sprung up in communities where people say . they are not being protected from drugs trafficking gangs. Over . in the neighbouring state of Guerrero, which produces half of Mexico's . heroin and is riddled with drugs gangs, members of the Public Safety . System, or the Guerrero community police, marched yesterday to . commemorate the first anniversary of their foundation in Ayutla de los . Libres. Insecurity dominates . the lives of millions of Mexicans, for whom taking the law into their . own hands has become the only option. Drugs cartels make millions of . dollars producing and selling drugs, so the land where they produce . opium poppies and marijuana is highly prized and often fought . over. | Residents living in fear of violent criminal gangs in south-west Mexico are taking matters into their own hands .
600 vigilantes seized control of town of Paracuaro in Michoacan state in bloody battle that left one dead .
Convoy of 'autodefensas', or self-defence groups, drove into the town controlled by drugs gang in blacked-out SUVs .
They took back control from the Cabelleros Templarios (Knights Templar) gang which terrorised local residents .
Residents angry at the vigilantes recruiting young people have burnt at least three trailers to keep them out . |
04106e33706edb77e05186bc9b71a9d7793a09b9 | (CNN) -- Tyler Sampson, a middle-schooler from Frisco, Texas, doesn't let his differences get in the way of his dream. The seventh grader was born with only half of his right arm, but he still excels on the football field. This week, he was part of a different kind of victory. His story was included in the NFL's "Together We Make Football" contest, which highlighted inspiring, heartwarming and empowering stories from football fans around the country. Sampson and his parents had no idea that when a camera crew came to film a pep rally at his school, it meant he had won. Standing in the middle of his school's gymnasium, Sampson was surprised by his favorite player, DeMarcus Ware. Ware had another surprise, too -- tickets to this year's Super Bowl. Ware has been an inspiration to Sampson since they met in a grocery store a few years ago. Ware had taken a moment to encourage Sampson to follow his dreams of playing football. Four other special football fans also won the grand prize, including Lee Krost, who is the quarterback of a flag football team at age 75. Krost received his prize from Joe Namath. | Texas middle-school student among the winners of an NFL contest .
Tyler Sampson received tickets to the Super Bowl from Dallas Cowboys' DeMarcus Ware .
A 75-year-old flag football quarterback gets his tickets from legend Joe Namath . |
0411b0aabc85d640a6623a28575f08cc2ebe393a | (CNN) -- Having just quit a highly lucrative job with tech giant Microsoft in the United States, where he'd made millions working as a program manager, Patrick Awuah would wake up once in a while wondering if he'd done the right thing. "And then I read the words of Goethe," remembers Awuah: "Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it -- begin it now." What Awuah wanted to begin was to create a university in his native Ghana, a state-of-the-art education hub that would help educate the country's next generation of leaders. Inspired by the saying of the famous German writer, Awuah moved with his family back to Ghana. There, he invested his own money and with the help of other donors he founded Ashesi University. "Africa needs to have a renaissance," says Awuah, as he explains what drove him to take the risky decision. "The world needs to change in this way and I strongly believe that people like me who have had the privilege of a great education need to be part of the solution; that I need to be really actively involved in helping to drive this change in Africa so that 30, 50 years from now, the world will be a different place for all people of African descent in the world." Fostering leaders . Located about an hour's drive from the capital Accra, Ashesi, which appropriately translates to "beginning," is the first Ghanaian university to combine technical majors with a liberal arts approach. Its vibrant campus, set on 100 acres in a town called Berekuso, was designed to be inspiring for the more than 500 young Ghanaians studying there. Read this: Building a network of leaders . And while Ashesi has already come a long way -- when the school first opened in 2002 there was no campus, just a couple of rented buildings for its 30 students -- Awuah plans to expand his offering as part of his dream of finding and developing Africa's next problem solvers. "In this country, only 5% of college-age kids go to college," he says. "And there's two problems with that number: one is it's too small, but the second is that everyone who goes to college by definition is going to be running this country one day, the 5% -- they're going to be running the courts, they're going to be designing roads and buildings and infrastructure, they're going to be running the hospitals, the schools, the businesses. "So when I look at universities I see Africa fast-forward 30 years. When this 20-year-old is now in his or her 50s, that person is going to be a leader. And so I felt that engaging how that leadership, that future leadership core, is educated could be catalytic." Tough decisions . Awuah, who grew up in Accra, left Ghana in 1985 to pursue his own education in the United States. There, he got a job at Microsoft, spearheading software design for dial-up internet access, making millions in the process. He admits that quitting Microsoft was not an easy decision and credits his American wife for supporting him. "I won't lie to you -- it was tough," says Awuah. "But I can tell you that when I mentioned this idea to my wife, she immediately agreed," he adds. "She'd never been to Africa before she met me and part of her conviction that this sounded like a good idea and her willingness to go ahead with it was very encouraging." Read this: South Africa's outspoken educator . Committed to providing greater education opportunities in Ghana, he went back to school himself, earning a Master's degree at Berkeley, one of the world's top business schools. For his efforts, he's won many awards. Changing the continent . Today Ashesi, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, offers degrees in business, information systems and computer science, with plans to offer engineering and economics majors in the near future. Its graduation rate is between 70 and 90%, according to Awuah. Total fees costs $9,000 a year, including tuition, housing and meals. Awuah says the university brings together a diverse mix of students from different backgrounds, including scholarship-winning undergraduates from humble beginnings who are the first in their families to attend college. Read this: Young innovators can change how world sees Africa . "Our last freshman class, 50% of that class paid full tuition, 25% were on full scholarships and 25% on partial scholarships," he says."The reason why diversity's so important is that the most important conversation on campus is a conversation about the good society -- what is the good society we would like to see in Africa?' That conversation is a lot more interesting if you have diversity in the classroom," adds Awuah. "Because each person has an important perspective to share, but each person also has certain blinders that need to be peeled away -- that can be peeled away if they're in a room with others who have other perspectives as they do." Looking ahead, Awuah says he hopes Africa's universities will cultivate a new generation of bold and innovative leaders, helping the continent to transform itself. "If you come back in 30 years, universities will be competing for the best and brightest students," he says. "I hope that universities will also be competing on things such as whose students are the most ethical," he adds." If that happens, it will change the continent." | Patrick Awuah is the founder of Ashesi University in Ghana .
He was working for Microsoft and made millions in the United States before returning to his home country .
Ashesi is known for its high-tech facilities and emphasis on business, technology and leadership .
The school celebrates its 10th anniversary this year . |
041539e0165ff2ce92f5872116fad56daf0e1dab | A wildlife park was forced to shut down after more than 300 manatees swam into the central pool at once. The rush at Three Sisters Springs in Citrus County, Florida, came after a rise in tides at noon on Monday. With an average of 65 manatees in the pool at once during cold weather, volunteers blocked off public walkways as they tried to ensure the animals' safety. Scroll down for video . Rush for warmth! More than 300 manatees swam into the central pool of Three Sisters Springs on Monday . Manatees are known to gravitate towards shallow springs during spells of low temperature in a bid to warm up. Last week around 220 gathered in the pool. But Monday's shift was a dramatic surge. The park remains closed and wildlife officials will assess the situation at sunrise on Tuesday. Unexpected: The Florida wildlife park was forced to close to deal with the unprecedented number of animals . | Three Sisters Springs has an average of 65 manatees gathered at once .
On Monday at noon, more than 300 rushed into the central pool .
Volunteers blocked off public walkways to deal with the animals .
Manatees gravitate to shallow springs in cold weather to warm up . |
04154502f518e3994577a15ef4b1d9c0cd82d3d7 | By . Matt Blake . PUBLISHED: . 10:44 EST, 29 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:25 EST, 30 May 2012 . The family of a shopkeeper stabbed to death in a botched robbery have expressed their 'shame and sadness' after his killer was acquitted of murder, despite graphic CCTV footage of the moment a knife was plunged into his throat. Father-of-two Mahesh Wickramasingha was stabbed to death in a struggle with Sam Harrison, 19, after he attempted to foil a hold-up on his store in Huyton, Liverpool, last year. Harrison's ten-inch knife severed the Sri Lankan-born 30-year-old's jugular vein, stopping only when the blade struck his spine. Graphic: The footage seems to show Harrison, in black, walk into Stanley News, in Kingsway and plunge the weapon into Mr Wickramasingha's throat after a brief struggle . But a jury at Liverpool Crown Court accepted the teenager’s account that the killing was an 'accident' and agreed to a manslaughter charge after he insisted his victim had 'impaled himself' on the weapon. He was jailed for ten years, which means he could be out in just over four. Today Mr Wickramasingha's relatives hit out at the verdict, claiming graphic CCTV footage proves it was murder and that Harrison should be jailed for life. Speaking from Sri Lanka, his brother Manjula said: 'It should have been murder - nobody has given us correct justice for our loss. 'We feel shame and sadness. I am out of mind and my mother is crying. 'We look at the photo of Mahesh and into his eyes, and think about how Harrison has broken our family. Mahesh went to the UK to earn money, not to die.' Brave: Father-of-two Mahesh Wickramasingha, left, was stabbed to death in the struggle with Sam Harrison, right, after he attempted to foil a robbery on his store in Huyton, Liverpool . The eight-second CCTV footage, taken at three frames per second, seems to show Harrison walk into Stanley News, in Kingsway, on November 29, and plunge the weapon into Mahesh’s throat after a brief struggle. Today, Mahesh’s family, friends and the city campaign group Families Fighting for Justice demanded the case be reviewed. Mahesh had worked in Liverpool for a year after pawning his few belongings to buy his passage from Sri Lanka. He had a dream of earning enough money to educate his son Wenura, four, and daughter, Indika, 10, and build a home for his wife Dilmi, 28. But his life was ended when Harrison targeted the small shop in the hope of robbing a till to recoup some of the £530 he had blown in a nearby bookies. VIDEO: CCTV of the moment before the attack happened . | Shopkeeper Mahesh Wickramasingha was stabbed to death as he attempted to foil a robbery on his store in Liverpool .
Sam Harrison, 19, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was jailed for just ten years .
He told a court the victim had 'impaled himself' on blade .
Distraught family say the verdict should have been murder after CCTV shows knife being plunged into victim's throat . |
0416f01493da3f8d4ab439940d147fd519983cef | New Delhi (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Pakistan to do more in the fight against global terrorism Tuesday, saying that the latest plot in Yemen shows that extremists continue to devise more "perverse and terrible ways to kill innocent people." Speaking at a New Delhi news conference at the end of her three-nation trip to Asia, Clinton said Washington was committed to going after anyone who posed a threat to the United States or its allies. "We look to the government of Pakistan to do more," she told reporters. "It needs to make sure its territory is not used as a launching pad for terrorist attacks anywhere, including inside of Pakistan." Earlier, Clinton had said the United States believed several significant al Qaeda leaders, including Ayman al-Zawahiri, were on the run and living inside Pakistan. Al-Zawahiri inherited the terrorist network's leadership after the death of Osama bin Laden, who spent years on the lam in Pakistan, fleeing from safe house to safe house, according to one of his widows. "We are intent upon going after those who are trying to keep al Qaeda operational and inspirational," Clinton said in an interview with India's NDTV. Clinton's remarks on Pakistan came after a meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, who equally pressured Pakistan to act against perpetrators of terrorism in India, especially the 2008 assault on Mumbai that killed 166 people, including six Americans. Clinton said the Rewards for Justice program, aimed at obtaining information that could help convict suspected terrorists, demonstrated Washington's seriousness in going after such people. The program, established in 1984, has paid about $100 million to more than 70 people for information about terrorists. Rewards go as high as $25 million for information on al-Zawahiri and $10 million for information about Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, a Pakistani man wanted by Indian authorities in connection with the Mumbai attacks. Clinton said the foiled bomb plot in Yemen served as evidence that terrorists are getting more sophisticated. Investigators said terrorists in Yemen crafted an explosive device intended to slip past airport metal detectors and onto an airplane bound for the United States. "The plot itself indicates that the terrorists keep trying ... to devise more and more perverse and terrible ways to kill innocent people," Clinton said. "It is a reminder as to why we have to remain vigilant at home and abroad in protecting our nation and in protecting friendly nations and peoples like India and others." | Hillary Clinton: Pakistan must ensure it is not used as a launching pad for terrorism .
Clinton says U.S. believes al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri is in hiding in Pakistan .
She says the foiled Yemen plot shows extremists continue to devise '"perverse" ways to kill .
She touts a rewards program intended to obtain information about suspected terrorists . |
041a10a441af1c7ecacc3b3c0b591d083bbbd88d | A daredevil has smashed the world record for the longest distance walked on a highline - tiptoeing a massive 1,230 feet. The drawn-out line, which was anchored between two limestone boulders at 330 feet above the ground, beat the previous record by 230 feet. Alexander Schulz, 23, from Germany, spent three days trying to cross the line - falling scores of times - while battling ferocious wind and rain. Scroll down for video . Training: Alexander Schulz, 23, from Germany, spent three days trying to cross the line - falling scores of times - while battling ferocious wind and rain . Long line: The drawn-out line, which was anchored between two limestone boulders at 330 feet above the ground, beat the previous record by 230 feet . Soggy rope: The constant showers were an extra challenge for the experienced athlete, as the water made the rope heavy and soggy . Picturesque: Alex set up the line in Yangshuo, China, where towering rocks covered in jungle foliage inspired the filmmakers of science-fiction epic Avatar . The constant showers were an extra challenge for the experienced athlete, as the water made the rope heavy and soggy. Alex and his co-workers from One Inch Dreams, a slacklining company, set up the line in Yangshuo, China, where towering rocks covered in jungle foliage inspired the filmmakers of science-fiction epic Avatar. But the striking setting was an additional trial for the team, as much of the rock was too loose to attach the pulley systems and the face of the boulder was covered in shrubbery. For Alex, the difficulty began when he attempted to cross the line and it took him three days before he could complete it. Focus: Alex said the most important thing was 'to get away from the fear of failure in order to be fully relaxed and able to react to the oscillation of the line after smaller mistakes' Trials: But the striking setting was an additional trial for the team, as much of the rock was too loose to attach the pulley systems and the face of the boulder was covered in shrubbery . Day by day: For Alex, the difficulty began when he attempted to cross the line and it took him three days before he could complete it . Take a break: By the end, he had smashed the world record for the longest distance walked on a highline - tiptoeing a massive 1,230 feet . Relaxed: Alex poses for a photograph with his co-workers from One Inch Dreams, a slacklining company, before the world record attempt . He said: 'The most important thing was to get away from the fear of failure in order to be fully relaxed and able to react to the oscillation of the line after smaller mistakes. 'The longer I was on the line, the harder it was to keep up the concentration. 'At the last third, wind came up and started shaking the line. I had to force myself to keep on walking. Thirty metres before the end the wind was gone, but the fear of falling came up like never before. 'When I touched the rock at the end of the line, my first words were 'it's surreal, I can't believe what just happened.' | Alexander Schulz, 23, from Germany, spent three days trying to cross line .
He and team had set it up in Yangshuo, China, where film Avatar was set .
But the constant showers made the rope heavy and soggy with water .
And striking setting was a trial as rock too loose to attach pulley system .
Still he smashed world record for longest distance walked on a highline .
He said: 'The most important thing was to get away from the fear of failure' |
041a58bf26a943aa751c95ac8be4ccec549e4b50 | By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 12:08 EST, 13 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 06:36 EST, 14 March 2014 . There are few, if any, drawbacks to feeling happy and now a new study has shown that a positive state of mind can boost our brain power. Researchers set out to investigate if a new breed of offices complete with football tables, slides and crazy golf are a waste of time, or whether they boost productivity. The scientists discovered that happy people outperformed their stressed counterparts and were more-efficient employees. Happiness makes you smarter: A new study claims that happy employees outperform unhappy ones and make better software developers (illustrated) in particular . It is well known that good moods can be contagious, but researchers now think that happiness can even spread through the world wide web. American researchers studied social networking interactions over three years and found that positive messages spread through contacts. Researchers, from the University of California analysed more than a billion Facebook status updates, among more than 100 million users, and found that positive statements generated similar messages among friends. And they found that happy messages spread further than miserable ones. The study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, examined posts by people in cities where it was raining - known to increase the number of negative posts and reduce the number of positive ones - and the impact this had on the status updates of people in cities where it was not raining. To make sure there was no ‘topic contagion’ all weather-related status updates were removed from the analysis. Each additional positive post generated an estimated 1.75 positive posts amongst friends while each additional negative post yielded 1.29 more negative posts. A number of modern workplaces now offer staff fun things to do during their lunchbreak. Google was among the first large firm to incorporate games tables and fun distractions into its offices. While the company has gone from strength to strength, researchers have wondered if the firm’s 'work hard play hard' work ethic has been part of its success. ‘For more than 30 years, it has been claimed that a way to improve software developers’ productivity and software quality is to focus on people and to provide incentives to make developers satisfied and happy. This claim has rarely been verified in software engineering research,’ the study says. Now a team of researchers from the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano in Italy have proved that Google’s strategy is a good one, after collecting data from 42 computer scientists at the university. They tested students to investigate how their emotions and moods affected their programming abilities as well as their creativity and problem solving, IT World reported. ‘Among the many skills required for . software development, developers must possess high analytical . problem-solving skills and creativity for the software construction . process,’ the study says. After . measuring the emotional states of the students using what psychologists . call the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience Affect Balance . (SPANE-B), they tested the creativity of each participant by . asking them to write captions for photographs, which were scored by a . panel of judges. Researchers set out to investigate if a new breed of offices, exemplified by Google (pictured) which come complete with football tables, slides and crazy golf are a waste of time, or whether they boost productivity. They found that happy software developers write better code . They were then asked to play a game to investigate their problem solving skills and the time they took to solve the puzzle provided a score on their analytical capabilities. They failed to show that happiness boosted creativity, but they did find that happy software developers were better at problem solving – a skill highly-prized by businesses such as Google. ‘The empirical data supported a difference in the analytical problem-solving skills of software developers regarding their affective states,’ the study says. ‘More specifically, the results suggest that the happiest software developers are more productive in analytical problem solving performance.’ So it seems that it is worth tech companies investing in fun activities for coders at work. After measuring the emotional states of the students in the experiment, they were asked to play a game (pictured) to investigate their problem solving skills and the time they took to solve the puzzle provided a score on their analytical capabilities . | The study by the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano in Italy found that happy computer developers write better code than unhappy workers .
Researchers investigated how mood affected students' programming abilities to find that quirky offices with fun distractions are worthwhile .
Having a positive mood boosted problem solving, but an increase in creativity could not be conclusively linked to happiness, in the study . |
041b0e2f8214d869c28a088ad93b07b64bc28eb3 | Some at Manchester United believe that, in Luke Shaw, they have signed the player who will go on to be the best left back in the world. Certainly, Old Trafford chief executive Ed Woodward had told people how pleased he is with the arrival of the teenage defender. Some of have questioned the transfer fee. It was £31m. That, though, will be rendered largely irrelevant if Shaw goes on to play for the club for a decade. Remember that some people thought £30m was too much money for Rio Ferdinand back in 2002. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Roy Hodgson: Luke Shaw and Calum Chambers belong in seniors . Luke Shaw, in action against Everton on Sunday, is starting to impose himself at Manchester United . Shaw cost £31million but not many thought Rio Ferdinand's £30m fee was a waste of money after 10 years . The teenager has been called up to England's Under 21 squad for their crucial play-off . As he prepares to play for England Under 21s this week, what is abundantly clear is that Shaw has some improving to do. His club manager Louis van Gaal has recognised that and much of the the player's work on a daily basis at United's Carrington training ground is understood to focus on the basic nuts and bolts of his defending. Modern full backs play a different game than those that came before them. Many of them are encouraged to be attacking players first and defenders second. In Shaw, it is easy to detect a bit of that. For Van Gaal and the way he likes his teams to play, that does not necessarily represent a fundamental problem. For example, as he was extolling the virtues of a three-man defensive system to his players shortly after his arrival, he told his wing backs that he saw them as 'mainly attackers'. Shaw, however, does look significantly better in one half of the field than the other and that, over time, perhaps needs to be addressed. Shaw impressed against Everton and formed a fine partnership with winger Angel di Maria (below) Against Everton for United at Old Trafford, for example, the 19-year-old was exceptional at times in the other half of the field. His understanding with Angel di Maria appears to have developed immediately and the two of them gave Tony Hibbert right back a terrible time for much of the afternoon. It was the Everton right back, though, whom Shaw brought down to concede a penalty. Shaw thought he was hard done by. He wasn't. It was a reckless, impetuous tackle and that wasn't the only example of the young player getting it wrong that day. Van Gaal, it must be said, didn't know that much about Shaw on arriving at United. His early concerns about his charge's fitness – the defender was carrying extra pounds during pre-season in America – were made clear but what did impress the new United manager is the manner in which the player responded. Shaw admits he must improve defensively after giving away a penalty following a foul on Tony Hibbert . The left back was taken off injured with a knee problem but is fit enough to feature for England's youth side . 'It's something I have got to work on,' admitted Shaw subsequently. 'It was a surprise when I got to United. 'I didn't come into United thinking it would be much harder. That's something that I think I made a mistake on.' Shaw's efforts at Carrington have, by all accounts, been impressive since United's return from tour. Van Gaal noticed them immediately and was happy to enough to take England coach Roy Hodgson to task when he suggested Shaw had issues with general fitness going back to his Southampton days. Louis van Gaal has been impressed with Shaw's effort in training after initially questioning his fitness . Shaw was not picked for the England senior squad but sitting on the bench would do nothing for him . Tom Ince grapples with the young star during an Under 21 training session at St George's Park . 'He [Hodgson] has not been here to see him train,' said Van Gaal. 'He has been an example to the others. I'm really happy.' Having just recovered from a hamstring injury, Shaw limped off with a bang to the knee on Sunday. It is not serious and he should start for Gareth Southgate's Under 21 team against Croatia this week. It may feel like a demotion, but it shouldn't. At this stage of his career, he is better playing competitive football than sitting on the bench watching Leighton Baines. Like our Manchester United Facebook page. | Manchester United were delighted to sign Luke Shaw in the summer .
Teen arrived for £31m from Southampton but has struggled with injuries .
Impressed against Everton and formed partnership with Angel di Maria .
Rio Ferdinand cost £30m and everybody thought that was too much at first .
England Under 21 call-up is better for Shaw's development right now . |
041b4002312fea275293fc55c6d36f3cac3497be | By . Sam Adams . PUBLISHED: . 04:37 EST, 3 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:37 EST, 4 October 2012 . Most staff expect to answer a few probing questions from their employers when they have been off sick for a while. But council workers in the Swedish city of Umeå were outraged after being quizzed about their sex lives, drinking habits and even their bowel movements when they returned to work from illness. They were told to answer the bizarre questions in order to be allowed to return to their old jobs. Bedroom secrets: Council staff in Umea, Sweden were allegedly asked intimate questions about their sex lives when they returned to work after illness . Personal: The local council in Umea (pictured) has reportedly now severed ties with the company that set the intimate quiz questions for staff . One woman claims she lost her job as a cook after refusing to answer the questions, according to reports in Sweden. Several teachers were also apparently told to take the test. One told the Kommunalarbetaren newspaper that she was asked about her 'sex-life, excrement, . how much alcohol I drank even though I’d previously answered that I was . practically a teetotaler.' Umeå council has announced it has now stopped the 70-question test which was developed by the firm Personnel Partner AB, according to the newspaper. Speaking to Sweden's Aftonbladet newspaper, Gunnar Sjölander of the Swedish Teachers' Union (Lärarförbundet) explained that the test was 'mandatory.' He said that several teachers who took it were then told they had two weeks to find a new job or 'face redundancy.' 'If they didn't find one, they were out. And some have already left,' he told the newspaper. Umeå municipality's human resources director Birgitta Forsberg is reported to have said that around ten people were 'reassigned' after taking the test. Umeå municipality and Personnel Partner AB were reported to the Swedish Data Inspection Board following the allegations, according to the Swedish English language news website, The Local. The council has announced it has cut ties with the firm and that it will hold discussions with the people who have taken the test, according to reports. Anders Lilliesköld, the council's personnel officer told the Kommunalarbetaren that the test was used alongside 'many different activities' to determine whether a staff member could return to work. | Woman claims she lost her job as a cook after refusing to answer intimate questions .
Teachers who took test 'told to find new jobs or face redundancy'
Council 'reported to Swedish data protection watchdog following allegations' |
041bc7f3b9ccae95f2c4d392039011d2fb2370a6 | Fourteen British troops are being investigated over the death of an Iraqi civilian on board a UK helicopter taking part in a top-secret mission. Tariq Sabri was carried unconscious from the Chinook aircraft and pronounced dead hours later on April 11, 2003. At the time he was being transported between what are described as ‘illegal prisons’ in the Iraq desert. The police investigation into Sabri¿s death comes just days after the International Criminal Court (ICC) launched a 'preliminary examination' into the alleged torture of Iraqi prisoners by UK troops . Sabri, an odd-job man, was buried without a post-mortem, making it hard to establish a cause of death. Now, The Mail on Sunday has been told how he made a lunge for British airmen aboard the helicopter and was knelt on for the remainder of the flight. The troops being questioned come from the RAF Regiment which last week was at the centre of a row over photos apparently showing airmen posing next to the dead bodies of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. The police investigation into Sabri’s . death comes just days after the International Criminal Court (ICC) launched a ‘preliminary examination’ into the alleged torture of Iraqi . prisoners by UK troops. The ICC probe, triggered by human rights . lawyer Phil Shiner, is controversial because the court usually . investigates Third World dictators who systematically maim and kill . civilians. On the night he died, Sabri was arrested . by Australian Special Forces on suspicion of being an insurgent and . handed over to airmen from No II Squadron, RAF Regiment for his transfer . to a detention centre. Fourteen soldiers from the No II RAF Regiment are being questioned over the incident in April 2003 . Sabri was led aboard the Chinook wearing a sandbag over his head and with his thumbs bound together with plastic-cuffs. Minutes after take-off, he stood up, ripped off his bindings and began swinging his arms aggressively. Fearing he would make a lunge for one of the machine guns stored on board, the airmen jumped on Sabri and pressed his body face-down against the floor. He was also allegedly punched and kicked. When the Chinook landed at the ‘secret prison’ Sabri was unresponsive. British airmen handed him over to US troops and his apparently lifeless body was dumped in the back of a Humvee truck. He received no first aid. UK personnel were later told he was dead. Last night a defence source said: ‘Mr Sabri’s death was a tragic accident, nothing more, nothing less. 'As the flight was over hostile territory, the Chinook was carrying a lot of weapons. When Sabri started behaving aggressively it was imperative that he was subdued. 'Sabri could have brought the Chinook down, killing everyone on board. Necessary force was used to restrain him, but nothing excessive.’ RAF Police are investigating why the . airmen failed to administer first aid and why a sandbag was placed over . his head – a method of restraining prisoners banned in the 1970s. On this occasion the airmen believe they were entitled to hood Sabri because the Chinook was a ‘sensitive environment’ and because the whereabouts of these ‘black ops’ jails was secret. At the time the RAF was responsible for transporting suspect insurgents between detention centres in flights so secretive that British Forces’ top lawyer in Iraq, Colonel Nicholas Mercer, was told nothing about them. Last night a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: ‘As the investigation is ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment at this time.’ | Odd-job man Tariq Sabri died on board a UK helicopter in top-secret mission .
Was being transported between 'illegal prisons' in Iraqi desert in April 2003 .
He 'made a lunge for British airmen and was knelt on for remainder of flight' |
041d546e88c66a97e59ab2275a8db7f04f520751 | By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 20:20 EST, 13 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:20 EST, 13 May 2013 . A man charged with killing three adults and a toddler on an eastern Kansas farm made a brief appearance in a packed courtroom Monday, but showed little emotion while a judge set a new court date. Kyle Flack, 27, has been held on $10 million bond in the Franklin County jail since he was charged Friday with capital murder in the deaths of 18-month-old Lana Leigh Bailey; her mother, Kaylie Bailey, 21; and Andrew Stout, 30. Flack is also charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder in those deaths, as well as that of Steven White, 31. The adults' bodies were found early last week at an Ottawa area farm home. A body believed to be the toddler's was found Saturday in nearby Osage County. Cold-blooded: Kyle Flack sits in court as its announced he's being held in lieu of $10 million bond on the quadruple homicide charges . Shackled: Flack was picked up for questioning about 50 miles from where Kaylie Bailey was found . Flack was picked up for questioning last week about 50 miles southwest of Ottawa in Emporia, where officers also found the car that Kaylie Bailey had been driving when she was last seen. She and her child were reported missing from Olathe on May 3. In court Monday, four armed officers stood between Flack and the small courtroom, which was overflowing with family and friends of the victims. Flack was shackled at the wrists and ankles, and appeared with his lawyer, Ronald Evans. He waived having an initial preliminary hearing set in 15 days, and Judge Thomas Sachse set it for July 8 instead. Evans declined additional comment after the hearing. Found: Lana Leigh Bailey was found on Saturday after an extensive search . Lana Leigh Bailey: 150 people were working to try to find the little girl . Authorities said in the complaint filed Friday against Flack that a firearm was used in the four deaths. Franklin County Attorney Stephen Hunting, however, has declined to say if the four had been shot. Authorities haven't said what the motive for the killings may have been. Sheriff Jeff Richards, who also attended the hearing, said afterward that forensic work was continuing on what authorities believed to be the child's remains. Andrew Helm, 27, of Gardner, was a friend of the victims' and was one of Flack's co-workers at the Ottawa Sanitation Department a couple years ago. Helm said he attended the hearing to support Stout's family. Helm said Stout, Flack, Bailey and her daughter attended a barbecue at Helm's home on April 28 and that he noticed nothing unusual. The criminal complaint filed in the case said Lana and Kaylie Bailey and Stout were killed 'on or about or between' April 28 to May 6, and that White was killed 'on or about or between' April 20 and April 28. Surrounded: Officials said forensic work remains to be done after finding the body believed to be of 18-month-old Lana . Vicki Engstrom, of Ottawa, said she was a longtime friend of Stout's family and attended Flack's hearing so she 'could see his expression.' 'I didn't see any remorse in him at all,' she said. Earlier, when the body of Lana was recovered, officials said the investigation would continue. 'I want the family of Lana, and all the victims, to know that this investigation will continue until we are confident we have collected as much evidence as we can to ensure justice is served on behalf of all four victims,' Franklin County Sheriff Jeff Richards said Sunday. Richards said the body was discovered by an Osage County sheriff's deputy who was searching an area for items that could be connected to the deaths reported May 6 at a farm home in nearby Franklin County. The evidence collected Saturday when the body was recovered led investigators to believe it was the infant's body, his statement said without elaboration. 'We hope that a forensic examination will make a final identification,' Richards added. 'Until the identity is confirmed investigators will continue following up on all tips, leads and information connected to this crime.' Murdered: Kaylie Bailey (right) was found dead on Monday at the Ottawa, Kansas-area farm where she had gone to drop off her daughter Lana (left) Major search: At times up to 150 police used dive teams, police dogs, mounted patrols, planes, boats and all-terrain vehicles to scour fields, farms, ponds and creeks between Ottawa and Emporia, Kansas looking for the girl . On alert: Riders on horseback searched culverts and drainage ditches along a Kansas Highway 68 for 18-month-old Lana-Leigh Bailey. She was found dead on Saturday . The statement did not provide any details of where the body was discovered or how the infant had died. But his statement said a crime scene unit was called to the area 'to process this new crime scene.' 'It is not the outcome we'd hoped for but we knew we couldn't stop searching until Lana was home,' the statement said. Richards told The AP by telephone early on Sunday that he would not have any further details beyond the statement. The Franklin County sheriff's office said its next scheduled statement on the investigation would be Sunday afternoon. On Saturday, search crews had deployed using boats and sonar equipment in search of the child. Earlier authorities had said investigators were scouring ponds and other waterways in the area looking for the body of Lana Leigh Bailey. Charged: Kyle Flack, 27, has been charged in the deaths of Lana and Kaylie Bailey as well as two men whose bodies were found at an eastern Kansas farm home earlier this week . Heading to jail: Officers escort murder suspect Kyle Flack from the Franklin County Courthouse to the Franklin Detention Center . Kyle Flack was charged Friday with capital murder as officials investigated the deaths of Lana Bailey's 21-year-old mother, Kaylie Bailey, and 30-year-old Andrew Stout. The 27-year-old convicted felon also was charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder in those deaths as well as that of 31-year-old Steven White, authorities have said. The investigation had included searching the farm and other rural areas in the 50-mile stretch between Ottawa and Emporia, where Kaylie Bailey's car was found Tuesday. Franklin County Attorney Stephen Hunting said Friday that a firearm was used against the victims at the farm, but didn't elaborate on whether that meant they were fatally shot. Authorities have not commented on a motive. Richards said earlier that the extensive investigation of what he called a 'horrific crime' had taken a toll and that members of the investigative team have required medical attention after searching in difficult areas. Others sought counsel from a chaplain. | Kyle Flack faces death penalty for the quadruple homicide .
Remains of 18-month-old Lana Bailey, a victim of a quadruple murder were found over the weekend .
Her mother, Kaylie Bailey, 21, was found dead last week on the property along with two other male friends .
150 people including dive teams searched nearby waterways and farm ponds . |
041d5dde8d0fb4597ba766019e47390c4e351df7 | The former Chief of the Australian Army, professor Peter Leahy, has warned that Australia needs to prepare itself for a century-long war, both overseas and at home, against radical Islamic militants. Currently the director of the National Security Institute at the University of Canberra, professor Leahy told Daily Mail Australia that as a liberal, secular society, Australia is perceived as 'the far enemy' by radical Islamic groups and individuals, and would no doubt continue to be targeted. 'We are already affected in that there are places that would be wise for us not to travel to and there have been terrorist bombings in places that we do travel to, as we can see from 9/11 and both of the Bali bombings,' Mr Leahy said. Scroll down for video . Former Chief of the Australian Army, professor Peter Leahy, has warned that Australia needs to prepare itself for a century-long war, both overseas and at home, against radical Islamic militants . 'We've even had bomb plots here in Australia and thanks to police and intelligence agencies, have been able to stop those threats. 'But terrorists only have to be lucky once.' Mr Leahy told The Weekend Australian that the war against radical Islam was likely to last for nearly 100 years. 'Australia is involved in the early stages of a war which is likely to last for the rest of the century,' he said. 'We must be ready to protect ourselves and, where necessary, act pre-emptively to neutralise the evident threat. Get ready for a long war.' He also noted the significant increase in brainwashing content online from radicals looking to recruit Australians to their cause and the effect this information has on national security. 'One example is a radical online magazine called Inspire, which encourages people to make attacks,' Mr Leahy said. 'One recent issue had a photo of the Sydney Opera House on the front cover.' He continued: 'Plots have been thwarted at the Holsworthy army base for instance, and other iconic locations. 'I don't see big armies coming here, but I mean these people who have been radicalised, they’re getting ideas off the internet and these ideas are pouring into our lounge rooms. He said Australia needs to defend itself against individuals who are being brainwashed by radical information online, travel overseas to fight and then 'return home radicalized and decentralized and looking to continue the fight' 'There are certain elements of jihad groups who see the West as a target, and there are people living in Australia who have these ideas and some have gone overseas to fight, who will return home radicalised and decentralised and looking to continue the fight.' His warnings come only a day after ASIO chief David Irvine addressed the media to explain the necessity of the mandatory data retention plans that were recently approved by the Cabinet. 'The terrorist threat is suddenly starting to impact on Australian citizens and on the security of Australian citizens to a greater degree than it has in the past,' Mr Irvine told media. On Wednesday, Mr Abbott also revealed the government was increasing the authority of national counter-terror agencies as well as granting them $630 million in funding to assist in the fight against home-grown terrorism. The warnings come after ASIO chief David Irvine argued the necessity of mandatory data retention and Mr Abbott revealed the $630 million in funding being granted to national counter-terror agencies . Mr Leahy voiced his support for the new policies, saying the restriction of civil liberties was an unfortunate necessity for national security. He also suggested that Australia had to 'protect itself' by 'making it difficult for certain individuals to come to Australia.' 'I think the most import thing is to identify that the threat is not the individual terror group but the radical ideology that they're following,' Mr Leahy said. 'We need to counter that. That's a job for moderate Islamist nations and leaders in Muslim communities to say "these radical ideas are wrong and we should be following the rules of the nation we live in". Mr Leahy said the conflicts derive from a century old 'battle of ideas' of how we should live in society, with radical Islamic societies believing that there should be no difference between politics and religion . 'We also have to support the Muslim community in Australia and the de-radicalisation of these ideas.' He suggested that Australia should follow in the footstep of the US and become involved internationally in the internal struggles, highlighting a key point made by Mr Obama in a speech before launching an air-raid on Iraq. 'As we look out from Australia, we can see chaos and unprecedented savagery in some of these lands, particularly in the ISIS groups in Iraq and Syria,' Mr Leahy said. 'How long can we sit back and watch this before we decide out of morality that we have to do something about this?' | Peter Leahy claims Australia is one of many Western countries perceived as 'the far enemy' by radical Islamic militants .
He said terrorist plots have been thwarted for iconic Australian landmarks .
His warning comes only a few days after the government announced its $630 million funding boost to national counter-terror agencies . |
041d7dcddf9989d20d45fb531290225eb9417b72 | There has been a great deal spoken about the sweltering heat and humidity England will face in Manaus when they play Italy on Saturday night. But how does it actually feel to run and exercise in such testing conditions? With the help of a Battersea Park biodome, an industrial-sized heater and a treadmill, Adam Shergold found out. It takes less than 10 seconds for the first bead of sweat to start trickling its way down from my forehead, off the tip of my nose and on to my soon-to-be-saturated shirt. It's a little disheartening for someone who considers themselves fairly fit, and is currently in training for a half-marathon, to be perspiring so uncontrollably after just a minute or so of exercise. Feeling the heat: Sportsmail's Adam Shergold gets going on the treadmill inside a biodome that replicates the hot and humid conditions England will experience when they face Italy in Manaus on Saturday night . Ramp it up: As our man reaches full speed on the treadmill, the 30C heat and 80 per cent humidity starts to take its toll . Venue: The Arena da Amazonia will host England's first World Cup match, against Italy on Saturday evening . Ready, boys? England have been gradually acclimatising to the hot conditions in Brazil . But then the sweltering conditions of Manaus have no mercy on anyone, not even the super-fit elite footballers who will play there during the World Cup. I'm running on a treadmill in a Biodome set up by Ladbrokes in Battersea Park to replicate the extreme conditions England will encounter when they step out to play Italy at the Arena Amazonia on Saturday week. Outside, the late Spring day is grey and drizzly but this 'Mini-Manaus' feels like a pressure-cooker as industrial-sized heaters relentlessly circulate chokingly hot air. The hard yards: Shergold winds down after running for 10 minutes in the 'Mini-Manaus' biodome built by Ladbrokes in Battersea Park . Welcome refreshment: The cold water is very much necessary after completing the 'Mini-Manaus' challenge . The thermometer reads 31C, the average temperature in Manaus at this time of year, and the humidity sits just above the 80 per cent mark. These are conditions in which even walking down the street is an effort, so playing 90 minutes of high-intensity football is not an attractive option. I manage about 10 minutes of running on the treadmill, working up from a walk to an all-out sprint, before the temptation to throw water all over myself becomes too great. Each match at the World Cup will factor in drinks breaks, and these will be absolutely essential for the players to take on water or an energy drink and rehydrate. Warmer climes: A game of football being played on the beach in Manaus . Flavour of the Amazon: Shergold outside the heated biodome built in Battersea Park to replicate the sweltering, tropical conditions in Manaus . The paramedic on standby at the Biodome measures my core body temperature at a normal 37.2C before stepping on the treadmill. At the end, it’s nudging above 38C, the kind of level when you’re suffering from a fever. It’s a relief to step outside the dome again, into the cooling London drizzle, and I have plenty of sympathy for the England players who will have to cope with these energy-sapping conditions while carrying the weight of the nation’s expectation. Go to Ladbrokes.com/manaus to take the challenge yourself and to win £10,000 in free bets . | Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Co will face high temperatures and humidity in Manaus .
Amazon venues is the hottest of the Brazil World Cup venues .
Temperatures will top 30C, with humidity at a stifling 80 per cent . |
041fc845b0a47804cefa96af945278c7a18033ff | Joe Hart has called upon his Manchester City team-mates to prove they have the strength of character to defend the league title for the first time in the club's history. After securing the Premier League title under Roberto Mancini in 2012, the club then relinquished the trophy far too easily to Manchester United, falling 15 points behind their neighbours by February as a mutinous dressing room became disaffected with the volatile Italian. This time around, though, Hart insists that the players are utterly determined to retain the trophy that they won with Manuel Pellegrini last season. After failing to win five of their first 11 Premier League matches of the season - drifting eight points behind Chelsea - some feared it may be another insipid title defence. Joe Hart has demanded his Manchester City team-mates can prove that they can retain the Premier League . Hart kept a clean sheet in Manchester City's 3-0 Premier League win at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday . City have since rediscovered their mojo in spectacular fashion, winning their last six Premier League matches and moving to within a hair's breadth of Chelsea. 'I take my hat off to anyone who has retained a title because it’s difficult,' the England goalkeeper said, 'We failed last time and we don’t want to do it again. We’re all aware of what happened last time. 'I think we’ve turned it around in the right situations. We’ve won ugly. Leicester last week, after a really really tough one in Rome, to go to Leicester and battle out a 1-0 was just as big as beating Roma. It was the same against Palace. Hart rushes out ot make a block but Frazier Campbell shots wide with an acrobatic effort . 'Chelsea are a strong team but I think they appreciate and totally expect us to push them. I don’t think it’s any surprise we’re on their tails.' 'Winning the thing in the first place is really hard, you’ve got to be consistent, you’ve got to get through bad patches and you have to bounce back. We have to prove we’ve got everything we need.' Hart is certainly proving his credentials, marshalling City's defence to four consecutive Premier League clean sheets. After signing a new 5-year deal with the club last week, the uncertainty of last season - when he was dropped by Manuel Pellegrini - seems a lifetime ago and he also accepts he has been pushed on by the signing of Willy Caballero. The England goalkeeper saves from the head of Mile Jedinak during the win against Crystal Palace . 'I'm really lucky that there have been good times and bad and that spell pushed me on, gave me a re-set mode. Now I'm feeling good about what I'm doing and I'm working hard, trying to improve all the time.' 'I feel in a good place,' Hart said, 'I feel I’m in a place where I should be and it’s a level I want to keep. We’re all aware that last season didn’t go according to plan for a tiny bit of the season but that makes me a better goalkeeper. I’m coming to a good age now and really enjoying being here.' | Manchester City are three points adrift of Chelsea in the Premier League .
City won 3-0 at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon .
Joe Hart has called on City to prove they have the strength to retain title . |
041ffb59edacd7d83c1d9b06f58b21bd6f5c4810 | Graeme Souness believes it could take some time for Louis van Gaal's 3-5-2 formation to work at Manchester United. Van Gaal is still waiting for his first Barclays Premier League win as Red Devils boss, having lost the opener against Swansea and then been held to draws by Sunderland and Burnley. Their stuttering start to the season, which also includes a 4-0 Capital One Cup defeat to MK Dons, has prompted criticism of Van Gaal's preference to play with three at the back, and Souness is not sure the formation will work for United given the players at the Dutchman's disposal. Difficult start: Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal is yet to win a competitive game this season . Frustrated figure: Defender Phil Jones reacts during United's 0-0 draw with Burnley at Turf Moor . Straight talker: Graeme Souness (centre) believes Van Gaal's 3-5-2 formation will take time to work . 'If Van Gaal is determined to persist with a back three, this is going to be a long and painful transition for United,' the former Liverpool, Rangers, Blackburn and Southampton boss wrote in his Sunday Times column. 'The team may take until November to settle down. You ain't going to win the league if you take that long and you might not make the Champions League places either. 'United have already dropped seven points from a possible nine. If you continue with three at the back and the results are not improving players will not be slow in turning round and pointing their fingers at the coach, saying, 'It's not that I am not playing well, it's the system'.' Souness went on to say that he does not think the system, which Van Gaal employed so successfully for Holland during the World Cup in Brazil, will bring out the best in British record signing Angel di Maria, a £59.7million recruit from Real Madrid last month. New boy: Angel di Maria could struggle to fit into a 3-5-2 system, according to ex-Liverpool boss Souness . Kicking out: Juan Mata reacts angrily during United's disappointing 1-1 draw with Sunderland last month . The Scot added: 'Angel di Maria is too much of a winger to play as a wing-back, so he could play one position inside the widest man in a 3-5-2. 'If you play with a back four you can play him wide, as Argentina did when he made three goals and scored the other in their 4-2 win over Germany in midweek. I don't read much into international friendlies but that performance showed his talent.' United have the chance to record their first Premier League victory of the season next Sunday when they face QPR at Old Trafford. | Former Liverpool boss Graeme Souness believes it will take time for Louis van Gaal's 3-5-2 formation to work .
Manchester United are yet to win in four competitive games this season .
The Red Devils may not find form until November, according to Souness .
Angel di Maria is not a natural fit in Van Gaal's preferred system . |
042267399d50b5b1699fadf518eb78642838968b | (CNN) -- Nicklas Bendtner scored a hat-trick as a rampant Arsenal side thrashed Porto 5-0 at The Emirates to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League on Tuesday. Danish international Bendtner had been widely criticized for missing a host of chances in Arsenal's 3-1 Premier League win over Burnley on Saturday -- however, he was in the right place at the right time twice in the first-half as the Londonders comfortably overturned their 2-1 first leg deficit. The opening goal came in the 10th minute when Bendtner was on hand to fire into an empty net after goalkeeper Helton had rushed out to block the on-coming Andrey Arshavin. And he doubled the lead 15 minutes later after more good work from Russian Arshavin, who evaded two challenges on the edge of the area before crossing for the striker to comfortably slot home. Porto came out with more determination after the break but were hit by two goals in the space of three minutes around the hour mark. First, Frenchman Samir Nasir produced a moment of breathtaking skill and fast foot-work to dance around three Porto challenges before firing past Helton from an acute angle. Then, with their Portuguese opponents chasing the game, Arshavin collected the ball on the break after a Porto corner was cleared. He had Emmanuel Eboue overlapping in support -- and the pass was perfect for the Ivorian to round the goalkeeper before stroking the ball home. And a superb night for Arsenal -- and Bendtner in particular -- was completed in the final minute when Eboue was fouled in the penalty area, and the Dane stepped up to fire his penalty wide of Helton's despairing dive. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told Sky Sports: "It's never perfect but it was a very good performance, a strong performance. "We had a very good first half, suffered a bit at the beginning of the second half, but Nasri's goal made a big difference and from then it was easy." Meanwhile, Bayern Munich are also through to the last eight, progressing on the away goals rule despite losing 3-2 at Fiorentina. Their qualification was sealed with a stunning strike from Dutchman Arjen Robben, who skipped past a couple of challenges before firing home a thunderbolt shot from a full 30 meters out. The Serie A side took a 28th-minute lead when Juan Vargas netted from a tight angle after a week clearance from goalkeeper Jorg Butt. And the hosts doubled their advantage nine minutes after the break when Stevan Jovetic scored from close range after a superb Alberto Gilardino backheel. Bayern made the scores level 3-3 on aggregate on the hour mark when Mark Van Bommel drilled home a low shot after good work from Frank Ribery. However, just four minutes later Montenerin striker Jovetic out-muscled Daniel Van Buyten to fire home a Gilardino header-on. That sparked wild celebrations from the home bench and supporters, but just 72 seconds later Robben unleashed his devastating strike to break Florence hearts and complete a crazy spell of four goals in 12 minutes. | Arsenal thrash Porto 5-0 to cruise into the quarterfinals of the Champions League .
Nicklas Bendtner scores hat-trick as the London side overturn first leg deficit .
Bayern Munich are also through to the last eight despite losing 3-2 to Fiorentina . |
042371251c1a7e0d54a55bdf60bab191eb3cd53f | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 01:12 EST, 21 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:53 EST, 31 October 2013 . Fox 2 News has reported Mike Reda allegedly shot dead two women at Detroit's Pablo Davis Elder Living Center who were reportedly friends with his ex-girlfriend . A 65-year-old man allegedly shot dead two elderly women with an assault rifle at his nursing home on Sunday in the belief they convinced his ex-girlfriend to dump him. Fox 2 News reported Mike Reda grabbed an AK-47 from his room at Detroit's Pablo Davis Elder Living Center after having a fight with his girlfriend earlier in the day. Reda allegedly hunted down two of his former flame's friends in the center before shooting them dead about 5.45pm. Police said he shot a 54-year-old woman once as she sat outside the apartment building. She died in hospital. The gunman then allegedly shot a 65-year-old woman multiple times inside her apartment. She died at the scene. His ex-girlfriend was allegedly unharmed, but witnesses said she was at the scene. Meanwhile, local resident Paul Frantangelo claimed he was sitting outside the West Vernor Highway apartment complex with the 54-year-old victim when the gunman allegedly confronted him. 'He told me to get on the ground and start praying,' Frantangelo told Fox 2. 'He let off a round and he shot my friend in the head. My ears were starting to ring.' Frantangelo told Detroit News he was lucky he was spared. 'I didn’t see the rifle until he got right on top of us,' Fratangelo said. 'I said, ‘Oh my God. ...’ He said, ‘Get on the ground and start praying'. It was the grace of God that he didn’t shoot me. I really thought he was going to shoot me. I thought it was was over. Instead, he shot both my friends.' The incident happened at the Pablo Davis Elder Living Center in Detroit on October 20 . Victims: A 54-year-old woman died in hospital after being shot once, and 65-year-old woman died at the scene after being shot multiple times . Fratangelo said, after the . confrontation, he ran to the first victim’s apartment to tell her son to . call police. Detroit Police Chief James Craig told Fox 2 News officers detained the suspect soon after arriving on scene. Detroit News reported residents of the 80-unit complex were evacuated onto department buses while police, accompanied by U.S. Border Patrol, swept the building for other victims. Witnesses claimed the suspect had been drinking throughout the day and that he was a 'ticking time bomb'. 'The girl he broke up with said some trouble was going to happen,' Frantangelo told Fox 2. 'We all took it as sure we'll be careful. She said he's going to shoot somebody and we didn't take it for what it was said and it happened.' The identities of the two victims and the gunman's girlfriend have not been released. Close call: Paul Fratangelo claims the gunman confronted him and threatened to shoot, but ultimately spared him . Weapon: Police seized the AK-47 the gunman allegedly used to kill two women . Distressed: Shocked family and friends of the victims and residents of the home gathered at the front of Detroit's Pablo Davis Elder Living Center after the alleged shootings . | A 65-year-old man allegedly shot dead two women with an assault rifle at his nursing home on Sunday .
He reportedly believed they convinced his ex-girlfriend to dump him .
Fox 2 News reported the suspect was Mike Reda who lived at Detroit's Pablo Davis Elder Living Center .
A 54-year-old woman died in hospital and a 56-year-old woman died at the scene .
Local resident Paul Frantangelo claimed he was confronted, but spared, by the gunman . |
0423b1cca6ddfd16880d904659dc9814146be28d | Dripping with chandeliers and lined with gold, this - of course - was Joan Rivers' home. A dazzling gem of old-school showbusiness, it seems only right that her living room ceilings scaled 30ft-high, and velvet drapes framed the vast windows. The 5,000-square-foot penthouse is held up by gold pillars. And in every corner of the opulent New York apartment sit stacks of index cards with jokes spanning her entire career. Scroll down for video . Opulent: The drawing room in Joan Rivers's Upper East Side condo is a sea of pink and gold velvet, with a piano in the corner, lit by three glittering chandeliers . The money shot: Stacks of the biting and controversial jokes that made Joan Rivers a star are scattered around the apartment . In progress: Among her extensive archive there were files of uncompleted jokes ready to be worked on . The comedienne, who died last week at the age of 81, once described the Upper East Side condo as 'where Marie Antoinette would have lived if she had the money'. The limestone mansion was built in 1910 for society figure John R Drexel and his socialite wife. In 1959, it welcomed Ernest Hemingway as a tenant in one of the one-bedroom apartments. He installed a study and hoped to write but found they city too oppressive and soon left. Tributes: Bouquets of flowers have been lain across the marble stairs outside the cast iron front door of the Manhattan apartment following Rivers's death . A pillar of showbusiness: Like Rivers, who died last week at 81, the New York apartment lined with pillars and mirrors is a star of the city, valued at around $35million . Renaissance style: Rivers once described her home with marble statues and cast-iron décor as 'where Marie Antoinette would live if she had the money' Sweeping: To get up to the glittering penthouse, next door to Bette Midler's home, the star would have to scale this vast marble staircase helped by a carved iron rail . Finally, in the 1980s, Rivers descended on the lavish property, called in developers to strip away layers of paint and coat it with gold. The Renaissance-themed bedroom has a four poster bed draped in white lace, surrounded by vases of white lilies and demure paintings. But the soft style is vamped up in one of the numerous living spaces, which has leopard-print carpet and deep red chairs. And the gregarious performer treated every day like a show as her bathroom looks like the backstage of a theatre. Elegant: The bedroom, complete with a four poster bed and lacy drapes and a permanent stock of fresh lilies, is 'as elegant and beautiful as she was', the realtor said . Backstage: She prepared for every day as if she was going to perform, starting in this bulb-lined bathroom which resembled backstage at a theatre . Painstaking: Never one to emerge without a made up face, Joan had an extensive collection of eyeliner, lip liner, eyelash curlers and mascara in little silver pots . Rivers had tried to sell the property a number of times. She first listed it on the market in 2009, when she planned to move to the West Coast to be closer to her daughter, Melissa Rivers. The latest attempt was in 2012 went it was listed with an asking price of $29.5 million. Now, it may be worth considerably more, with similar-sized apartments in the area on the market for $35 million. Cosy: This off-shoot of the vast living area is much smaller but still a treasure trove of silver, gold and pink, with a potted orchid and a mahogany table . Fashion police officer: This is a sneak peek inside the decadent wardrobe of the Fashion Police presenter, who revelled in slating other stars' sartorial mishaps . Exquisite: The living room, with a flat screen TV tucked into a book case, boasts a wood fire, framed artworks, and an oriental rug . Gregarious: The comedienne who entertained the world with her risque jokes spent her time in this leopard print room with stacks of books . In demand: In 2009, Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi allegedly asked to rent the penthouse of the limestone mansion with a cast-iron front door (right) One notable offer allegedly came from the Libyan dictator Muammur Gaddafi in 2009. According to Rivers, his advisers got in touch with her broker offering to rent it for $200,000 a week. She said at the time: 'I thought it was great. I said I would give half the rent to Lockerbie (and the other half) to have an exterminator come and clean the apartment when he was done.' | Joan Rivers's Upper East Side condo, worth $35million, has floor-ceiling windows and gold-plated walls .
The comedienne described the New York apartment as somewhere 'Marie Antoinette would have lived'
Stacks of index cards with famous jokes by Rivers, who died at 81 last week, are in every corner of the flat . |
0424b04ecf31b580425b74c3d6ba9cad59069450 | Obamacare might be a big talking point for politicians on Capitol Hill, but a new survey shows President Barack Obama's health care law wasn't at the top of the agenda for midterm voters earlier this month. Party preferences and individual candidate platforms -- not the Affordable Care Act -- were the main factors that drove Americans to their polling places, according to a survey about health care released Friday by the Kaiser Family Foundation. When asked in their own words to name what influenced their vote for a member of Congress, just over one quarter of voters surveyed said that the most important factor was making sure their party had control. Twenty one percent of Democratic voters said that a candidate's platform was important, while the same percentage of Republican voters said that jobs and the economy factored heavily into their decision. Only 13 percent of Democrats and 8 percent of Republicans listed health care in the top two factors that mattered most to them. RELATED: Boehner: House GOP files Obamacare suit . The survey also showed that 5 percent of Republican voters specifically mentioned their opposition to the Affordable Care Act. On the other end of the spectrum, 3 percent of Democratic voters voiced their support for the ACA as the reason they cast a ballot. When asked about the specifics of the law, 16 percent of those surveyed said the law has helped them and their families, compared to 24 percent who said the opposite. The majority -- 59 percent -- said that so far, the ACA has had no direct impact. Overall, Obama's health care law maintains a 46 percent unfavorability rating according to the poll, a number that has remained relatively steady since its implementation in March 2010. Thirty-seven percent have a favorable view of the law. The Kaiser Foundation conducted the survey of about 1,500 American adults Nov. 5-13 via telephone. The margin of error is 3 percentage points. | A new poll shows little interest in Obamacare from midterm voters .
Voters cared more about party identification and individual candidates' platforms . |
042727cf113457311c7936caa5a35df33ce2da64 | (CNN) -- Robert Richards' love affair with the stars began when he was just a child. "I'm an orphan of Apollo; I grew up with the Star Trek generation," he says. Bob Richards: Aiming for the Moon . Richards was just one of many children left wide-eyed and inspired by the moon landings. But for him, they were a false start. "I had this enormous expectation that I would have an experience in space. It just didn't happen," Richards says. Man stepped on the moon, but only to prove a point. "We faltered," he explains. "We didn't continue our operations on the moon; we didn't go to Mars." Now, Richards and his colleagues are bringing their childhood dreams to life, as part of the burgeoning NewSpace movement, which has sparked a renaissance in space exploration. The children of the moon landings have grown up: they now hold the positions of power to make their dreams come alive. "They want to make the world of 'Star Trek,' of '2001,' and now ... they're in charge of NASA, they're in charge of the private companies, and they're making it happen," he explains. Richards says his path to the stars was "inevitable." Inspired by science fiction authors like his friend, Arthur C. Clarke, visionaries like Carl Sagan and movies like "2001: A Space Odyssey," he studied aerospace and industrial engineering at Ryerson University, then physics and astronomy at the University of Toronto, before moving to Cornell to study space science, where he became special assistant to Sagan. Now, Richards is the ringleader behind Odyssey Moon, a company formed on the Isle of Man to pursue commercial ventures on the moon. The team were the first to enter the Lunar X prize, a Google-sponsored competition with a $20million jackpot for the first privately funded team to land a robotic spacecraft on the moon and send images and data back to Earth. But the X Prize is not Richards' only goal. He thinks that there are fortunes to be made in space -- and he plans to be the first lunar entrepreneur. "We believe that beyond the prize, there's actually ongoing commerce on the surface of the moon," he reveals. Innovation and collaboration, both important drivers in the Odyssey Moon team, are the key to humanity's future, believes Richards. "Space, by its nature, is an international endeavour," he says. "Every space program will be successful based on the amount of international cooperation it's able to achieve." With that in mind, in 1987 he founded the International Space University, which educates students from all over the world in space technology. "We're creating a universal planetary culture looking on space as an achievement and a goal for all humanity." For now, Richards' sights are set on the moon. "The Google X Prize has certainly captivated my enthusiasm and interest, and I would certainly like to win that," he says. But he also sees Earth's satellite as a stepping stone to the stars. He confesses, "If somebody was going to offer an X Prize for Mars, I'd be going for that ..." | As a boy, Richards was inspired by the moon landings and science fiction .
But his childhood expectations failed to be realized as the space race cooled .
Now Richards and the NewSpace movement have renewed interest in space .
Richards is aiming for the moon -- and confesses Mars is tempting ... |
04282b885f8fe4780b27c91d41370b55c6fd755d | By . Aaron Sharp . PUBLISHED: . 09:06 EST, 11 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:58 EST, 12 December 2013 . A list of this year’s top YouTube videos in the UK has been topped by a comedy skit about how animals eat their food, and also contains entries from Olympic diving hero Tom Daley and Peppa pig. How Animals Eat Their Food involved two men doing amusing demonstrations of how creatures such as a rhino, a lizard and a kangaroo eat. The video has been viewed more than 88 million times worldwide and spawned various parodies and follow-ups. HERE IS THE FULL LIST : . 1. How Animals Eat Their Food - MisterEpicMann . 2. My Wedding Speech - Tom Fletcher from McFly . 3. Attraction perform their stunning shadow act - week 1 auditions, Britain’s Got Talent 2013 . 4. Will & Jaden Smith, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Alfonso Ribeiro Rap! - The Graham Norton Show, BBC One . Tom Fletcher from McFly posted his . wedding speech online, which he delivered in the form of a song to his . new bride. That finished up second in the list with 11 million views globally. In third is a shadow act performance by group Attraction, who won Britain’s Got Talent. Tom . Daley’s video, Something I want to say, where he explained he was in a . relationship with a man, only appeared online in early December but . still made it to number seven in the list with 9.8 million views. That just beat Peppa Pig's take on the alphabet, which has been watched by millions of children. 1. How Animals Eat Their Food - MisterEpicMann . 2. My Wedding Speech - Tom Fletcher from McFly . 3. Attraction perform their stunning shadow act - week 1 auditions, Britain’s Got Talent . 4. Will & Jaden Smith, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Alfonso Ribeiro Rap! - The Graham Norton Show . 5. asdfmovie6 . 6. Harlem Shake (original army edition) 7. Tom Daley: Something I want to say . 8. Francine Lewis with her many impressions - week 2 auditions, Britain’s Got Talent 2013 . 9. PEOPLE ARE AWESOME 2013 (Hadouken! - Levitate) 10. Learn the Alphabet with Peppa Pig! This . year YouTube said it did not just look at views, but also took the number of shares, . searches, likes and responses into account when it made the list. Kevin . Allocca, head of culture and trends at YouTube, said: 'As 2013 comes to . a close, these are some of the videos, channels and moments that shaped . our year. 'While each . annual list is unpredictable, trending videos just get bigger each year. And with 80 per cent of all views on YouTube coming from outside the US, the . global community is driving pop culture unlike ever before.' 5. asdfmovie6 - Tom Ska . 6. Harlem Shake (original army edition) 7. Tom Daley: Something I want to say - Tom Daley . 8. Francine Lewis with her many impressions - week 2 auditions, Britain’s Got Talent 2013 . 9. PEOPLE ARE AWESOME 2013 (Hadouken! - Levitate) 10. Learn the Alphabet with Peppa Pig! | Website has compiled top clips viewed in the UK this year .
They took into account speed of views as well as numbers .
80 per cent of all views on YouTube come from outside the US .
List includes Tom Daley's brave bisexual love declaration . |
042834b596b1bfc48fd4f721f87a7cceef264b52 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:25 EST, 24 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 08:14 EST, 25 January 2014 . A mental competency hearing broke out in chaos Friday afternoon as a man screamed out at the mother of a missing 5-year-old in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. 'Where's my nephew? What happened to my nephew?' Sandrino Oliver screamed at Elsa Oliver, whose son Jeremiah was last seen in September. The Boston Globe reports that Sandrino Oliver resisted as he was brought out of the courtroom by both officers and his own relatives. Heartbreaking: Sandrino Oliver (center) shouted out in the court room during Elsa Oliver's psychological wellness hearing, where she was determined to be mentally fit to stand trial . Unusual behavior: The attorney representing Elsa Oliver, seen here in court today, said that he has not been able to communicate with her in spite of hours spent together since her December arrest . After freeing himself from the group, Mr Oliver 'began to weep'. The heartbreaking tale has been months in the making, as Jeremiah was reported missing in December when his sister told someone at her school that she and her siblings were being abused. The girl said that the last time they saw Jeremiah- which is said to be on September 14- his hand was bleeding and for unexplained reasons, his mother Elsa was reportedly worried that he would die as a result of the hand wound. Elsa Oliver and her boyfriend Alberto Sierra, 22, were first brought into court in December. Oliver, 28, was out on bail since December as she was waiting for the psychological evaluation to determine if she was mentally fit to stand trial. The court appearance that erupted into a screaming match today was dedicated to that evaluation, and Judge Margaret Guzman ruled that she was mentally sound, in spite of her lawyers assertions to the contrary. Both Elsa Oliver and Alberto Sierra face multiple charges, including assault with a dangerous . weapon (a belt), two counts of reckless endangerment of a child and two . counts of being an accessory after the fact of a felony and assault and . battery with a dangerous weapon. Gone missing: Jeremiah hasn't been seen since September . and his sister told school authorities in December that when she last . saw him, his hand was bleeding and their mother feared he would die from . the wound . James Reardon Jr., her attorney, told the Boston Globe that he has spent hours with her but she is incapable of coherently communicating with him. The missing boy's biological father, Jose Oliver, said that while he is estranged from his wife, he does believe that she is still competent and thinks that- if allowed- he could have a conversation with her in a meeting to try to get some clues out of her. He reportedly said that Elsa had spoken with his sister-in-law and said little and showed no emotion for her missing son. At one point, she interjected asking: 'Is it the Rapture?' Emotionless: She reportedly spoke to a relative recently and randomly interjected asking 'Is it the Rapture?' The main suspects: Elsa Oliver (right), 28, and . Alberto Sierra (left), 22, have been charged with multiple counts . related to the young boy's disappearance . Another concerning clue came during the initial investigation, when the found that Elsa has a tattoo with a butterfly and the date 'Sept. 25, 2013' written below it. Police have spoken to local tattoo artists because they want to know whether she told a tattoo artist why that date is significant. It is not clear why it took three months for authorities to be notified of Jeremiah's disappearance, but an anonymous tip led them to believe that the mother's boyfriend may have had something to do with the alleged abuse. The source said Sierra, 22, would bully and intimidate those around him, routinely becoming irate and even making death threats on more than one occasion. Both Elsa Oliver and Alberto Sierra face multiple charges, including assault with a dangerous . weapon (a belt), two counts of reckless endangerment of a child and two . counts of being an accessory after the fact of a felony and assault and . battery with a dangerous weapon. Missing: Anyone with information regarding the disappearance of young Jeremiah Oliver is urged to contact authorities immediately . | Elsa Oliver, 28, has been ruled mentally fit to answer questions and stand trial for the disappearance of her 5-year-old son Jeremiah .
The boy was last seen on September 14 but authorities weren't notified until December when his sister complained of being abused .
His uncle Sandrino Oliver was physically removed from the Massachusetts courtroom today following the judge's ruling about Elsa's mental state .
She and her boyfriend face various charges relating to the boy's disappearance even though his body has never been found .
She has been stoic since her arrest, and during a conversation with a friend she randomly interjected: 'Is it the Rapture?' |
04285e5aa9c554c2bcbd3881bd3ea16f10a9c6c6 | Nigel Thrift, of Warwick University, saw his pay rise 21 per cent to £288,000 last year . University chiefs enjoyed pay rises of up to 21 per cent last year as students struggled with spiralling tuition fees. Vice-chancellors of the elite 24 Russell Group universities saw their salary and benefits increase by £10,175 – more than 4 per cent – to £277,000 in the year to August 2012. Their total pay packages, including pension contributions, averaged £311,000 – up from £308,000 in 2010/11. The biggest annual rise was awarded to Warwick’s Professor Nigel Thrift, whose pay rose 21 per cent, or £50,000, to £288,000. At York, Professor Brian Cantor won a 12.5 per cent rise to £251,900 while at Bristol, Professor Eric Thomas, who is also president of Universities UK, went up 11 per cent to £282,000. Durham’s Professor Christopher Higgins saw his pay rise 10 per cent to £232,000. The highest-paid head in 2011/12 emerged as Professor David Eastwood at Birmingham, whose pay was up 1.1 per cent to £372,000. The salary rises, uncovered in an analysis by the Times Higher Education magazine, were awarded as universities prepared to increase maximum tuition fees to £9,000 a year from September last year – up from just over £3,000. Meanwhile, lower-ranking university staff received a flat pay increase of £150. Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union, said: ‘One rule for upstairs and another for downstairs seems to be the order of the day.’ At Durham University, Professor Christopher Higgins saw his pay rise ten per cent to £232,000 . She accused vice-chancellors of ‘hypocrisy’ over pay and pensions. ‘While staff have seen their real-terms pay fall for successive years, many vice-chancellors and principals have had their snouts firmly in the trough,’ she said. A spokesman for the Russell Group said its bosses led ‘complex multi-million-pound organisations’ that collectively contributed tens of billions of pounds to the economy. Wendy Piatt, director-general, said that attracting the best leaders was ‘crucial if our universities are to continue to excel in a challenging economic climate’. Meanwhile, students are struggling with rising tuition fees. Above, demonstrators take to the streets of London in 2011 . | Vice-chancellors of 24 elite universities say salary and benefits rise £10,175 .
Russell Group says they lead ‘complex .
multimillion-pound organisations’
Meanwhile, lower-ranking university staff received a pay increase of £150 . |
0429bb3f07b491a7214adf5923a301013ed8d81e | Manuel Neuer is the ultimate 'sweeper-keeper' and now seems to want to spend more time outside his area than inside it. Germany's No 1 could be found nearer the halfway line during Bayern Munich's 0-0 draw with Hamburg on Saturday. As the match neared its conclusion, Neuer came to clear a loose ball but instead of hacking it away he took on not one but two opponents. VIDEO: Scroll down to see Manuel Neuer make a save near the half-way line on Saturday . Manuel Neuer's loose touch left him scrambling against Julian Green, forcing the keeper to make a save . Unfortunately for Neuer, the incident happened outside the box, and he received a yellow card . He rounded the first, but came unstuck when a loose touch left him scrambling to reach the ball before the second opposition. He didn't get there in time, and goalkeeping instincts came to the fore as Neuer got down low and stopped the ball with an outstretched arm. Luckily for him and Bayern, he was only given a yellow card, and the match finished 0-0. His reputation as a 'sweeper-keeper' was cemented during the World Cup after his display against Algeria. He regularly found himself sprinting off his line to clear and was ultimately the difference as Germany won 2-1 on their way to lifting the trophy. Neuer reacts after a disappointing 0-0 draw with Hamburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday . A loose touch from the Germany No 1 gifted Hamburg an opportunity . Hamburg players react instantly as the ball strikes Neuer's hand, well outside his 18-yard box . Neuer racing from his goal to stop Algeria's Islam Slimani during the World Cup . | Manuel Neuer has earned a reputation for venturing outside his area .
Germany's No 1 is widely regarded as world's best goalkeeper .
Neuer made a save in his own half with his hands .
Neuer was given a yellow card, and the match finished 0-0 . |
042cd1e0176579c6eb2649ce87a219b3b739d4c3 | (CNN) -- A fire that broke out Friday in an empty Boeing 787 Dreamliner at London's Heathrow Airport does not appear to be related to the jet's batteries, the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch said Saturday. "It is clear that this heat damage is remote from the area in which the aircraft main and APU batteries are located and at this stage there is no evidence of a direct causal relationship," the agency said in a statement. No injuries were reported, but the cause of the fire inside the Ethiopian Airlines plane was not clear. The incident puts Boeing's marquee 787 Dreamliner fleet back in the headlines after it was grounded this year because of a fire risk associated with the planes' batteries. The U.S. National Transportation Board said Saturday that it sent an investigator to London to aid in the investigation. Senior Air Safety Investigator Lorenda Ward was to be accompanied by NTSB airplane systems investigators and representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing. Japanese Dreamliner held due to A/C power glitch . Ethiopian Airlines said in a posting on its Facebook page that the incident occurred on one of its jets after it arrived Friday morning on a normal flight from Addis Ababa to Heathrow. After passengers deplaned and the plane was cleaned, it was towed to a remote area, where it was parked and its internal and external power switched off, Ethiopian said. "After more than 8 hours smoke was detected," it added. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said no one was aboard the plane when the fire broke out, causing "extensive heat damage" to the upper portion of the rear fuselage. It predicted the initial investigation would take several days. Another 787 Dreamliner flying out of the United Kingdom and operated by Thomson Airways was forced to turn back Friday after what the airline called "a technical issue." The 787 Dreamliner represents a new generation of efficient wide-body, long-range aircraft, and Boeing has placed a big bet on the fleet. Customer demand for the Dreamliner has remained solid despite the grounding. The plane is more efficient than earlier models due to its lighter weight, using composite material rather than aluminum and wires instead of some of the hydraulics. Another Dreamliner diverted for mechanical problem . Although Boeing has delivered to customers just 68 of the planes, it has 862 unfilled orders. Boeing says it plans to increase production to 10 per month by the end of the year, double the rate earlier this year. The first of the long-delayed Dreamliners went into service for Japan's All Nippon Airways in October 2011, and the planes flew without major problems for more than a year. But after the battery problem emerged in January, the company had to retrofit the 50 Dreamliners already in service before they could return to service. Though Boeing shares sank Friday 3.6% on the news, they were still up more than 30% since the start of 2013. | Fire broke out Friday at London's Heathrow Airport .
No injuries were reported in the incident .
Boeing's marquee 787 was grounded this year because of a fire risk . |
042cdca81cc260286994347887e9bcee17b5d10b | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 04:12 EST, 6 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:53 EST, 6 May 2013 . The Reddit thread was inspired by the story of Florida teenager Kiera Wilmot, who was expelled for a science experiment because the school had to stick to its rules . Thought your office had strange rules? Some of these tales of from the workplace may have you counting your blessings. From regulations for the length of beards to bans on food, it seems some bosses have created rules - and refused to budge - just because they can. A thread discussing dumb workplace rules on Reddit attracted nearly 14,000 contributions from disgruntled employees, prompted by the story of Florida teenager Kiera Wilmot. Kiera, 16, said by her high school principal to be a good kid, was expelled and charged with explosives offences for an experiment that went wrong last week. She was mixing aluminum foil and toilet cleaner in an 8oz water bottle before school when the elements reacted and caused an explosion. Although she said she was just curious to see what happened - and had the good school grades to back this up - she was expelled from Bartow High School in Polk County because they had to stick to school rules over unsupervised explosives. With Kiera's story in mind, Reddit users shared their worst experience of 'rules are rules' being taken to the extreme by jobsworth managers. The most popular tale regarded cell phones at a laser tag arena, trying to combat the problem of younger workers finding creative ways to get round the cell phone ban. 'No cell phone shaped objects in your . pockets at work,' wrote one employee. 'At first I thought it was a typo, then they started to . write people up for wallets, packs of gum, and other rectangular shapes . in our pockets.' One user shared a story about someone reacting badly to a show of social niceties. 'Someone at work sneezed and another . one said "Bless You!" A third party heard it and complained to HR about . it. 'Guy who said "bless you" was given a warning and had to take a . course in professionalism. 'That's something most people . say as without thinking and they mean it in a good way.' One worker was given a warning for saying 'bless you' to a sneezing colleague . One attorney told how they are not allowed to bring in soda to share with other employees because the office has a vending machine. They also said that they have to tell their receptionist where they are going when they leave the office and inform her of their return. 'I'm an attorney for christ's sake, I had more autonomy in undergrad,' they wrote. One user, who said they worked for the United States federal government, said staff are not allowed to move their own furniture. They wrote: 'Want to slide a desk across the room? Can't. That is violating union rules, and taking work away from the facilities team. You have to call and schedule the movers. Then they charge you for it.'. Another government rule on food and personal items was proved to be bananas. 'People used to keep snacks . on their desk while working, because we're human. 'The employer . implemented "lean working" so every desk had to be totally empty, except . for select items that had to be arranged in a certain way (pens had to . be to the upper left of the keyboard, I think). 'This . rule forbid food items, but allowed one "personal item". One staff . member had a banana in a banana case as her personal item. She was told . to put it away. One woman tried to get round the 'no food' rule by claiming an 'inactive' banana in a banana case was a personal item . 'She . refused and took it further until it was ruled that because she wasn't . eating it and the skin hadn't been broken, it was an "inactive banana" and thus a personal item. It only became active during the act of . eating, at which point it became food.' A 'ritzy cafe' had five 'separate and distinct' rules for men wanting to wear beards, according to one user. 'Beards had to be between a certain length or you had to shave it. No mutton chops. Rules about moustache/beard combos. If you wanted to grow a beard, you were not allowed back into work for two weeks until you grew it out to a "respectable length".' Facial hair was clearly problematic for more places than the cafe. Another user said: 'At my former job we weren't allowed to "grow" facial hair. 'So we were allowed to either have no facial hair at all, or have a FULLY grown moustache. 'Our manager told us if we wanted to have a moustache, we would have to go on vacation, grow a stash, and come back from our vacation with a fully grown moustache. One warehouse won't relax the 'no hats' rules for its bald workers . 'So on the next day we all showed up wearing fake moustaches.' One warehouse took its dress code too far, according to another Reddit commenter. 'I work in a warehouse. No hats. It's cold here in the winter and the poor bald guys can't wear hats.' Stationery proved problematic, too, said one contributor. 'We have to wear safety goggles when using a stapler at work due to an idiotic employee.' While one office doesn't trust its employee with water bottles - possibly because they think they will fill them with alcohol. 'My place of employment only lets staff drink water from small cups, and you must drink the whole cup immediately, then dispose of the cup,' said another Redditor. 'You are not allowed to have water bottles on shift, no matter which part of the store you are working in. If you are on break (unpaid time) you cannot purchase a bottle of water, even if you drink all of it and dispose of the bottle before you come back on shift.' An insurance company took punctuality to extremes: 'You are allowed one fifteen minute break at 10:30. You are allowed your lunch at 1:00, and you are allowed one more . fifteen minute break at 3:30. 'If you are ONE MINUTE late coming back . from any of those three things, you are immediately written up' Naturally technology presents its own problems. 'At my work there are signs on the printers that say the warranty will be void if the printer is turned off,' said another comment. One office banned water bottles - only allowing workers to drink from a small cup . While the simple act of supplying the printer and fax machines had its own rules, too. 'Moving a single box without a dolly was breaking the rules. Well, since I am not a tiny girl (unlike all my coworkers) but rather a giant rugger, I would carry several boxes of paper around with me when resupplying the copy and fax machines,' said one user. 'They eventually fired me over it.' | Reddit thread attracted nearly 14,000 comments from disgruntled workers .
They were inspired by the story of Florida school girl Kiera Wilmot .
She was expelled and arrested for an explosion because of school rules . |
042cdd04ce740461c4d6b54760a582fb7937690d | Adding pressure to fix the administration's problem-plagued health care program, former president Bill Clinton says President Obama should find a way to let people keep their health coverage, even if it means changing the law. Clinton says Obama should 'honor the commitment that the federal government made to those people and let them keep what they got'. The former president, a Democrat who has helped Obama promote the three-year-old health law, becomes the latest in Obama's party to urge the president to live up to a promise he made repeatedly, declaring that the if Americans liked their health care coverage, they would be able to keep it under the new law. Scroll down for video . Bill Clinton said during an interview this afternoon that the U.S. was better off with Obamacare but admitted there were problems in the set up . Instead, millions of Americans have started receiving insurance cancellation letters. That, coupled with the troubled launch of the health care law's enrollment website, has prompted Republican critics and frustrated Democrats to seek corrections in the law. House Republicans have drafted legislation to give consumers the opportunity to keep their coverage. Ten Senate Democrats are pushing for an unspecified extension of the sign-up period and several pressed Obama to do so in a private White House meeting last week. Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., has proposed legislation that would require insurance companies to reinstate the canceled policies. The White House says it is working on changes that would ease the impact of the cancellations for some people. But the fixes under consideration are administrative actions, not congressional changes to the law. White House spokesman Jay Carney on Tuesday reiterated the White House argument that the cancellations apply to only about 5 per cent of Americans who obtained health care insurance. Obamacare has been plagued by problems since its launch . He also argued that more than half of those people receiving termination notices would benefit from better insurance at lower prices either through expanded Medicaid or through new health care marketplaces. For the remainder, Carney said: 'The president has instructed his team to look at a range of options.' The issue facing the administration now is how to ease the impact on people who are losing their plans and don't qualify for subsidies to cover higher premiums. Carney said the White House would oppose legislation that would allow insurers to keep selling insurance that doesn't offer the type of benefits required by the new law. 'Any fix that would essentially open up for insurers the ability to sell new plans that do not meet standards would create more problems than it fixed,' he said. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the second ranking Democratic leader in the Senate, on Tuesday said that while the law does face problems, he said some of the changes proposed by Republicans 'are not friendly proposals. They're designed to derail this effort'. n an interview with CNN, Durbin cautioned that if consumers are permitted to keep policies that don't meet the law's minimum requirements 'it's going to be difficult for the insurance industry to produce a product that really is going to serve our needs and that they can adequately tell us what it costs'. Asked whether Obama lied to the public when he promised people that they could keep their policies, Durbin said: 'A couple more sentences added would clarify it.' In his interview with the website OZY.com, Clinton overall praised the health care legislation. 'The big lesson is that we're better off with this law than without it.' | Millions of Americans have started receiving insurance cancellation letters . |
042d2d85c1a634e922c847a45409bfaed08d1924 | (CNN) -- Seven French soldiers were killed when their military helicopter crashed off the coast of Gabon, the country's official news agency said Sunday. A French ship with investigators on board look for clues near the crash site area. Two French soldiers survived the Saturday night crash, the agency said. French Defense Minister Herve Morin arrived in Gabon's capital of Libreville on Sunday and met with President Omar Bongo to coordinate recovery efforts for the body of one of the seven soldiers whose remains had not been found. According to the French minister, "the cause of this tragedy remains unknown. It may be natural or human, or a combination of both." Divers were inspecting the helicopter, which was in water 35 meters (about 115 feet) deep, Morin said. French forces were in the former French colony for maritime security exercises with Gabonese soldiers when the incident happened. | Seven killed, but two French soldiers survive the Saturday night crash .
Recovery efforts underway for body of one of the seven soldiers still missing .
Divers inspecting helicopter, which was in water 35 meters (about 115 feet) deep . |
042d3157353f6c46d9123a9421eccc6961e242c6 | (CNN) -- After 14 years, Larry Page has confessed to the Financial Times that Google "probably does need" a new mission statement. Back in 1999, Google came up with "ten things we know to be true" that defined the then-little Silicon Valley start-up. So here are some suggested tweaks to make the Google's original mission statement more relevant in 2014. Ten things we still know to be true. 1. Original mission: Focus on the user and all else will follow . Tweak: Follow the user and all else will come into focus . Google, of course, relies on knowing everything about its user to make money. Its "free" service isn't really free for us, since Google has become the preeminent "big data" company, mining our personal information to sell advertising. Indeed, as former Google CEO Eric Schmidt boasted, Google follows us so closely that it not only knows where we've been, but also where we are going. 2. Original mission: It's best to do one thing really, really well . Tweak: It's best to do many, many things really, really well . Google started as just another search engine. But today, the $372 billion leviathan, one of the world's three most valuable companies, not only dominates the world's advertising industry, but is also increasingly powerful in the publishing, movie, automotive, education and mapping industries. Google does many, many things really, really well. So well, indeed, that the company has grabbed the attention of anti-trust regulators in Washington DC and Brussels. 3. Original Mission: Fast is better than slow . Tweak: Fast is worse than slow . As the Internet critic Nicholas Carr famously asked: "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" In his 2011 Pulitzer Prize nominated best-seller, The Shallows, Carr concluded that yes, Google is indeed making us stupid. It is shortening our attention spans and making us more and more reliant on links. Through Internet companies like Google, Carr says, we have become information skimmers, snacking continually on unedifying links and other superficial content. 4. Original Mission: Democracy on the web works . Tweak: Democracy on the web doesn't work . Last week, UK spy chief Robert Hannigan said that terrorist groups like ISIS are exploiting the web to successfully peddle their radically anti-democratic message. Describing social media as "a terrorist's command-and-control network of choice," Hannigan warned that unless companies like Google actively cooperate with security services, the web will become an increasingly effective bastion for anti-democratic forces and messages. 5. Original Mission: You don't need to be at your desk to need an answer . Tweak: You don't need to be at your desk or in your car or at a café or in bed to need an answer . Google, of course, now has many, many more ways of following users than its traditional search engine. From Google Glass to Google self-driving cars, the view from the Googleplex is increasingly ubiquitous. Wherever we are, Google is coming up with devices to track our behavior. The desk is so 1999. Today, Google is transforming the whole world into a desktop environment where all our movements and thoughts can be tracked and analyzed wherever we are -- from our cars to our bedrooms. 6. Original Mission: You can make money without doing evil . Tweak: You can make a lot of money without doing good . Okay. So Google isn't any more evil than Exxon, General Motors or Raytheon. But it isn't morally better either. Google was founded on the hubristic notion that one could simultaneously become very rich and do good. But this, of course, is the ultimate Silicon Valley conceit. Ten years on from its original mission statement, Google has emerged as one of the most powerful and profitable multinational corporations in the world. Its mission is making money for its shareholders, not improving the world. Rather than a public service, Google is -- with Apple -- the most successful for-profit company in today's global capitalist system. 7. Original Mission: There's always more information out there . Tweak: There's always more and more information out there . See #5 . 8. Original Mission: The need for information crosses all borders . Tweak: The need for information crosses all borders (except China, Russia and Iran) For a mixture of idealistic and self-interested reasons, Google has branded itself as the information platform for the world. But, of course, the world isn't a United Nations-style high school project and countries like Russia, China and Iran are increasingly making it hard for its citizens to use Google. Indeed, this is Google's greatest challenge in its second decade: how to compete against state-supported search companies like Baidu and Yandex. 9. Original mission: You can be serious without a suit . Tweak: You can be serious with a suit . One of Google's most remarkable accomplishments over the last 14 years has been to disrupt traditional corporate culture. Disruption now is business orthodoxy. Everyone -- from IBM to Ford -- wants to "do a Google" and disrupt entire industries. The Google way -- of encouraging play and creativity -- has become the new corporate conformity. If you want to rebel these days: wear a suit. Everyone else is trying to look like Larry Page. 10. Original Mission: Great just isn't good enough . Tweak: Google just isn't good enough . Google was originally conceived as a way of reinventing the world. "Ultimately, our constant dissatisfaction with the ways things are becomes the driving force behind everything we do," the company wrote in 1999. But today, Google has become the standard operating system for the world - the way things are. Its real challenge over the next 14 years is to convince its billions of users that we can trust a company that relies on mining our personal data for its massive profits. Currently, Google just isn't good enough. Let's hope by 2029, this will have changed. | Google's Larry Page admits Google "probably does need" a new mission statement .
Andrew Keen suggests tweaking the internet behemoth's "ten things we know to be true"
Keen: Google-style disruption of traditional corporate culture is now business orthodoxy .
"Can we trust a company that relies on mining our personal data for its massive profits?" |
042eb216f69996d76ed0951887859cdc1c6773f3 | By . Ashley Collman . PUBLISHED: . 22:34 EST, 5 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 07:25 EST, 6 March 2014 . Miles Scott, the 5-year-old cancer survivor who warmed hearts last fall when the Make-a-Wish foundation let him be superhero 'Batkid' for a day, had an appearance at the Academy Awards canceled - and actor Andrew Garfield may be to blame. The Spider-Man star was set to appear in a segment with Miles, but skipped the ceremony last minute because he didn't like his lines, a source told the New York Post. Following a montage of superheroes in film, Garfield was supposed to introduce Scott as 'the world's next superhero' with Scott coming onstage for an applause. Scroll down for video . Five-year-old Miles Scott made headlines in October when the Make-A-Wish foundation let him be a superhero for a day. He was set to appear at the Academy Awards on Sunday but his segment was cancelled last minute . Where was he? Spider-man star Andrew Garfield was . supposed to be in a segment with Miles, but skipped the ceremony last . minute. One source told the New York Post that the actor backed out because he didn't like his lines . The Academy Awards took place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday night and were hosted by Ellen DeGeneres . The boy's family traveled down to Los Angeles from their home in Northern California on relatively short notice to participate in the awards ceremony. Miles even rehearsed with Garfield for the ceremony in front of a Gotham backdrop that had the name 'Batkid' in big letters on Saturday. The source told the Post that it was in the middle of rehearsals that Garfield decided 'he didn't like his lines'. 'Garfield refused to go by the script. He came up with his own lines. The producers felt that Garfield’s [rewrites] were not appropriate. Garfield had a tantrum. He stormed off. 'Garfield was such a spoiled brat that he didn’t even want to be a presenter,' the source said. Early Sunday morning, Miles' family was notified that the segment had been cut without explanation. 'I don’t know if they ran out of time, or if there was something about the segment they didn’t like,' Miles' mom Natalie Scott told the International Business Times. 'It got pulled so quickly that we didn’t have a lot of insight into what was going on.' The happiest place on Earth: After the segment was cancelled, The Academy Awards paid for the Scott family to go to Disneyland. Above, Batkid (second right) with mom Natalie, dad Nick and his little brother . Mrs Scott says that while her son was disappointed he couldn't wear his fancy tux, they tried to make the most of the trip. 'It is kind of a disappointment, but things happen,' Mrs Scott added. 'I know that’s how TV goes and how Hollywood is. We’re just not used to that; we’re from a really small town.' As consolation, the family was treated to a trip to Disneyland, paid for by the Academy Awards, and that's how Miles spent Sunday and Monday. While the Academy offered no explanation to the family, it seems actor Andrew Garfield's disappearance may have played a role in the change of program. 'Things happen': Miles mom Natalie says her son was disappointed he didn't get to wear his fancy tux, but that they made the most of the situation . In addition to rumors of creative differences, a source speculated to Radar that Garfield's disappearance was a serious family issue, either at home in England or with girlfriend Emma Stone's family in Arizona. 'If it were a fight or something between [Andrew and Emma] one would have just came without the other, but this seemed to be more of something going on with one of their families. 'With Emma, it’s all family first. And Andrew is so devoted to her that he wouldn’t just leave her in New York dealing with some sort of crisis on her own,' the source said. Switched: A source speculated to Radar that Garfield may have had to miss the ceremony due to a personal matter, which may have involved girlfriend Emma Stone (pictured together shooting Spider-Man on the left). Captain America star Chris Evans was brought in as a replacement . Captain America star Chris Evans was brought in as Garfield's replacement. 'He got the call pretty much day of that he'd have to go on,' a source close to Evans told US Weekly. 'Chris hadn't been planning on even going to the Oscars'. The Make-a-Wish Foundation, which organized Batkid's San Francisco superhero day in October, said they had nothing to do with the Oscars segment getting cut. 'Make-A-Wish was not involved in any way with any decision about what did not or what did make it in on-air that evening,' said Josh de Berge, national communications manager for the Make-A-Wish of America organization. | Five-year-old Miles Scott made headlines in October when the Make-a-Wish foundation organized for him to be a superhero for the day .
The cancer-survivor was looking forward to being included in the Academy Awards on Sunday, but his segment got cut last minute .
Miles was set to appear with Spider-Man star Andrew Garfield who ended up skipping the ceremony .
Instead, the Academy Awards paid for Miles and his family to go to Disneyland instead . |
042ec60e1d90785076b0938adb374bee58be3f91 | A father with Parkinson’s disease was arrested as he watched the Olympic cycling road race because he ‘failed to smile or look like he was enjoying himself’. Mark Worsfold, a martial arts trainer and former soldier, claims that he was thrown to the floor and handcuffed just as cyclists passed by. His worried wife Nicola only found out he was being held after she reported him missing when he did not turn up for their daughter’s ninth birthday party. Arrested: Parkinson's disease sufferer Mark Worsfold, pictured with his wife Nicola and their daughter, was held by police as he watched the cycling because he 'failed to smile' The 54-year-old had his fingerprints, DNA and mugshot taken before being questioned about why he did not appear to be enjoying the event on July 28. Police said Mr Worsfold, who was held for over five hours, was arrested because of ‘his manner, his state of dress and his proximity to the course’. A spokesman added that the arrest was necessary to avoid a breach of the peace because he was standing near a group of protesters. But Mr Worsfold, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2010, said that one of the symptoms of the disease is muscle rigidity, which can cause his face to become expressionless and mask-like. Mr Worsfold, who had stopped to watch the men’s road race in Leatherhead, Surrey, after holding a Taekwondo demonstration nearby, said officers told him he was being arrested and taken to Reigate police station because he was not smiling. Martin Worsfold . ‘I was sitting minding my own business,’ he told a local newspaper. ‘Before I knew anything the police grabbed me off this seven-foot wall, threw me to the floor and cuffed me so all I saw of the cycle race was between the feet of people from the pavement. ‘It could have been done better. I was arrested for not smiling. I have Parkinson’s.’ Mr Worsfold, who lives in an £800,000 three-bedroom house in the picturesque village of Ockham near Woking, has since asked for a letter of exoneration from police. Surrey Police said he was initially arrested on suspicion of a public order offence but was ‘given words of advice’ before being ‘released with no further action’. A spokesman added that he was found to be in possession of a legal folding knife and several rubber knives which had been used for his Taekwondo demonstration. Thousands of spectators lined the route of the cycling road race through London and Surrey on the first day of the London Olympics . The officers who made the arrest have apologised to him. In a statement, the spokesman added: ‘He was positioned close to a group of protesters and based on his manner, his state of dress and his proximity to the course, officers made an arrest to prevent a possible breach of the peace. ‘There were a number of factors which led officers to make this arrest, including the fact the race was approaching, the heightened level of security due to the high profile nature of the event and the sheer number of spectators.’ The force has received a letter from Mr Worsfold in which he has said he ‘fully understands and appreciates the action taken by officers’, the spokesman said. Last night, campaigners for Parkinson’s patients said it was an example of the ‘chronic misunderstandings’ those with the condition face. Laura Bowey, of Parkinson’s UK, added: ‘Despite affecting more than 127,000 people in the UK, those with Parkinson’s are subject to chronic misunderstandings and misconceptions about the condition. ‘All too frequently people with Parkinson’s tell us how are they are accused of being drunk, or acting suspiciously as they go about their daily lives. ‘We hope that Mark’s experience will help to raise awareness of this distressing problem.’ | Former soldier Mark Worsfold arrested for his 'manner, state of dress and proximity to the course' as cyclists came through Leatherhead .
He was detained and questioned for five hours . |
042f45fabe07e5e8938c4b23d84cd72e571abdc9 | PARIS, France (CNN) -- The French Senate began debate Tuesday on a law that would mark a significant cultural shift -- allowing many more shops across the country to open on Sundays. The law would permit shops, department stores, and shopping malls to open on Sundays in 20 zones. The bill passed the lower house, the National Assembly, last Tuesday by a vote of 282 to 238, a partial victory for President Nicolas Sarkozy, who backs it. What seems routine in much of the Western world has been fiercely resisted in France, where Sundays have officially been set aside as a day of rest for more than a century and where a 35-hour workweek remains the norm. The new legislation, if approved by the Senate, would overturn a 1906 law that forbids Sunday trading in all but the largest cities. It is part of a raft of reforms Sarkozy has pushed for since becoming president. While the change is significant, it is not as much as the government originally hoped because Sarkozy had to deal with opposition from both the left and the right. Socialists filed thousands of amendments to the president's original version of the law. Leftists and unions said it would effectively introduce a seven-day working week and allow bosses to force employees to work Sundays. Members of the president's own ruling conservative party opposed the law despite assurances it would boost economic activity, saying it would instead deprive families and church groups of their dedicated day. The law would permit shops, department stores and shopping malls to open on Sundays in 20 zones of what are called "exceptional commercial" centers near three of the country's largest cities: Paris, Marseilles, and Lille. Additionally, 29 areas involving about 500 cities and towns would be added to the list of tourist areas, which already allow some economic activity on Sundays. The new law will, among other things, straighten out a somewhat chaotic situation in which some stores managed to obtain exceptions from the old law and others didn't, and where some stores found it made more sense financially to accept fines for breaking the old law because the income from Sunday sales more than made up for the penalties. Opinion polls in France show that slightly more than half the population want shops to have the freedom to open on Sundays, according to Time magazine. The Senate debate is scheduled to last three days, with a vote expected late on Thursday. CNN's Jim Bittermann contributed to this report. | French Senate debates new law allowing more shops to open on Sundays .
If approved new law would overturn 1906 law forbidding Sunday trading .
Sarkozy has had to deal with opposition from both left and right . |
042fb8b4fa07ff30fef7026618173ce6429c953e | (CNN) -- The resilience of a burned baby golden eagle that survived a Utah wildfire is astounding wildlife rehabilitators nursing him back to health. "The trauma and the injury and the situation he is in -- to come out of it is amazing," said DaLyn Erickson, executive director of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah in Ogden. All of the eaglet's feathers, even on his head, were charred. He also suffered burns to the feet and around his beak. His improbable story began June 1, when a volunteer who documents eagles placed a band on the bird. The Dump Fire erupted three weeks later, burning more than 5,500 acres south of Salt Lake City and west of Utah Lake. Kent Keller returned in late June to the nest, built on the edge of the cliff, thinking he would recover the band from a deceased animal. The nest on Lake Mountain was gone, the rocks behind it blackened by the blaze. Keller then spotted legs and talons near a scorched juniper below. Amazingly, the baby eagle was alive. Near him were rabbit and squirrel carcasses, evidence his parents had tried to feed him after disaster struck. Fortunately, his eyes had not been burned. Wildfire victims face second tragedy . Keller said he has thought of the horror the helpless nestling might have felt when flames approached. "He had enough courage to jump from that nest and try to save himself anyway," said Keller, 56, who describes himself as an amateur ornithologist. "He is a real fighter." The fall was about 25 feet, and the eagle probably walked back to the base of the cliff after rolling another 100 feet, said Keller. The bird remained in the area for several days while Keller, who is authorized to band raptors, sought permission from federal and state authorities to obtain care for him. On Wednesday, Keller handed the bird over to Erickson. She and her staff dubbed the survivor "Phoenix" -- a reference to the mythical creature that is reborn from the ashes. There was no food in the craw of the dehydrated eagle, which weighed just over 5 pounds. "He was lethargic and just obviously hurting," Erickson told CNN on Saturday. "After we got him hydrated and medications, he perked up and that fire came back in him." Erickson said Phoenix, now about 70 days old, was a handful Saturday, lunging and using his talons as caregivers fed and provided antibiotics to the animal. "He's not grateful," she quipped. Rehabilitators limit their contact with the eagle so that he will not "habituate," or become too comfortable around people. They use hydrotherapy to help the healing in his feet. "He needs those for hunting. There are lots of tendons and muscles we need to protect," said Erickson. Golden eagles, which are protected, typically eat reptiles, birds and small mammals, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They also are known to scavenge carrion. Colorado's most destructive fire nears containment . Keller said golden eagle females are slightly smaller than the more-famous bald eagle and tend to hunt more and scavenge less. Their particular favorite prey in northern Utah is the black-tailed jackrabbit. The resident of suburban Salt Lake City studies golden eagles and provides population information to state wildlife authorities. Erickson called Keller "the hero in this story." It's too early to tell whether Phoenix will be able to fly in the wild. Rehabilitation will take at least a year and his feathers won't fully molt until mid-2013. "We are fairly confident, but there could be follicle damage we do not know about that would prevent feathers from coming in," Erickson said. The nonprofit center, which treats about 1,800 animals a year, is accepting financial and food donations to offset the cost of caring for the golden eagle. "He is doing well and we are very positive about his outcome right now," said Erickson. "(But) these types of things can turn at any moment." How to donate . In her 12 years of wildlife rehabilitation, Erickson said, the eagle's story is among a few cases she considers "nothing short of a miracle." | Baby golden eagle was burned in a Utah wildfire .
The fire engulfed his nest .
The animal, called "Phoenix," is receiving care at wildlife rehab center .
It's too early to tell whether he will be able to fly . |
04314f962523b8fba85b801d03c8f1d2227ce64a | It should be a no-brainer but then the same ought to have applied to the Liverpool Lip learning his lesson. Surely Colombia, complete with the luxurious skills of new kid on the World Cup block James Rodriguez, will beat Uruguay, minus the penetration of bitter old Luis Suarez. That is what pretty much everyone except Suarez’s countrymen seem to want the outcome to be on this first day of the round of the last 16. While Suarez left the revulsion of Brazil 2014 for a warped hero’s welcome in Montevideo, the Maracana was making ready to admire the refreshing Colombians. But there is a danger here. VIDEO Scroll down to see 'Jose Pekerman: Uruguay a top notch team even without Suarez' In form: Colombia won all three of their games to finish top of Group C and are favourites against Uruguay . Fine tuning: Uruguay train at the Estadio Sao Januario on the eve of their last-16 clash . Setting: The two South American sides will clash at the Maracana on Saturday . Back in town: Luis Suarez returned to Uruguay to a hero's welcome at Carrasco International Airport . A bunker mentality often wins football matches and no team is more huddled together against the outside world than Uruguay. In fact that entire South American country is shutting out criticism of Suarez the serial biter. Even their president is rallying behind him despite it being this man himself – not the English media, a FIFA conspiracy or anything else they care to blame – who has shot his team in the foot. How will the players he has left behind react? If they feel sorry for themselves, they will be soft pickings for Colombia. But the indications are that they are angry about their star striker being expelled from the tournament and are bristling to make a statement. It could be ugly. Passionate: Supporters waited at Carrasco International Airport to greet the arrival of Suarez . Speaking his mind: Colombia manager Jose Pekerman addresses the media at a press conference . Working out: Colombia forward Jackson Martinez (left) and defender Carlos Valdes during training . There are times when there is a sinister side to Uruguay. Their best teams – starting with the two-time World Cup winners back in the 1950s – create beautiful memories. But when it goes against them they can, as Suarez so sharply demonstrates, leave a sour taste in the mouth. Either way, they are never easy meat. Colombia are one of the pleasant surprises here. Their attacking football has captured the imagination. Young Rodriguez is an international legend in the making and it helps that he has Jackson Martinez to help carry the goalscoring burden. Teofilio Gutiierrez is not too shabby, either. But they should take nothing for granted. Dangerman: Colombia playmaker James Rodriguez goes for a jog during a training session in Rio . Eyes on the prize: Teofilo Gutierrez (left), Carlos Bacca and Mario Alberto Yepes (right) during training . If ever there will be a moment for Edinson Cavani to explain to a wider audience outside France why Paris St Germain invested a fortune in him, this is it. Cavani, with his flamboyant style, often flatters to deceive but Uruguay need him to fill the goal void now. The enforced absence of Suarez also gives veteran forward Diego Forlan another day in the World Cup sunshine. The Latin Americans, as usual when the World Cup is played on this continent, have been prospering but one of them has to go out. Stepping up: Edinson Cavani joins in with a training session on the eve of the game against Colombia . Uphill task: Uruguay know they are underdogs against Colombia without star striker Suarez . Hugs all round: Diego Forlan could have a bigger role to play for Uruguay in Suarez's absence . It is worth Colombia reminding themselves that Uruguay were deeply unimpressive in qualifying, reaching Brazil only courtesy of a ridiculously easy play off against Jordan. Hindsight tells us, also, that the group in which they defeated both England and Italy was nothing like as strong as we fondly imagined. Costa Rica are living proof of that. The grand stage of the Maracana is set for Rodriguez to give most of the world what it wants from this match. But with Uruguay in this defiant mood, the 22-year-old prodigy must not expect a gentle ride. | Colombia face Uruguay in second round clash in Rio de Janeiro .
Group C winners enter as favourites for all South American match .
Colombia won all three group games beating Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan .
Uruguay without suspended striker Luis Suarez at Maracana . |
0431551efa2b456783a920e0bbe2f0bacb99610f | SAN FRANCISCO, California (CNN) -- Nearly 3 million gallons of sewage spilled into San Francisco Bay when a pump failed at a waste treatment facility, the Marin County Sheriff's Department told CNN on Friday. Attempts are being made to contain Thursday night's 2.7 million-gallon sewage spill. The 2.7 million-gallon spill occurred Thursday night. A pump failed at the South Marin Sanitation District's waste treatment facility in the town of Mill Valley, said Lt. Doug Pittman. The waste was released into Richardson Bay, an inlet of the large bay on the east shore of Marin County, he said. See the spill from the air » . The sewage and storm water was partially treated, according to Greg Renick of the California Office of Emergency Services. In addition to the pump failure, he said, an alarm that would have alerted workers at the facility to the spill also failed. The accidental release occurred between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. Thursday, according to a statement from Marin County's emergency operations center. But the Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin didn't report it to the state until 11:16 p.m., Renick said. The state Office of Emergency Services notified local offices in the bay area within an hour of receiving the report, he said. The Marin County Department of Environmental Health was conducting tests Friday to determine how far the contamination had spread, Pittman said. Boaters were being warned to avoid the Richardson Bay area, and residents were told to avoid contact with the water. The California Department of Fish and Game has had a boat and personnel on the water since early Friday, and has found no sign of sick or distressed wildlife resulting from the spill, agency spokesman Steve Martarano said. Marin County is just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Chuck Afflerbach contributed to this report . | NEW: Sewage was partially treated, Office of Emergency Services says .
The 2.7 million-gallon spill occurred Thursday night, Sheriff's Department says .
Pump and alarm failed at Marin County waste treatment facility .
Area being tested; boaters advised to avoid Richardson Bay area . |
04327bc3e426eee01ed61d369fd52415aa300ddc | A Southern California man has been arrested after being caught transporting a calf in the back seat of his car. Cesar Zamora Santana, 31, was spotted by police on Wednesday morning suspiciously loitering outside an auto shop in Riverside at 1:50am. They found he had an outstanding arrest warrant for drug-related charges and conducted a search on his vehicle when the three-day-old, 150lb, Jersey cow was discovered. In safe hands: A Southern California man has been arrested for improperly transporting this calf in his car . Santana reportedly told police that he bought the animal for $200 at a gas station. He was arrested on suspicion of transporting livestock without proof of ownership or identifying information. Another unidentified man with Santana was questioned but ultimately released. Animal control officers found that the ear identification tag had been forcibly removed from the bovine found in Santana's car. Unusual: Cesar Zamora Santana, 31, reportedly told police that he bought the animal for $200 at a gas station . Riverside Animal Services spokesman John Welsh says the female calf was turned over to a farmer to be fostered. Meanwhile, authorities have launched an appeal to try to find its owner. Welsh described the incident as 'unusual' and 'very strange.' | Cesar Zamora Santana, 31, was stopped by police on Wednesday morning in Riverside and his vehicle was searched .
A three-day-old, 150lb Jersey cow was discovered on the back seat .
Santana was arrested on suspicion of transporting livestock without proof of ownership or identifying information . |
04328a415752b9ce72079374db39bfacf7969238 | (CNN) -- Buy a $175,000 package to attend the Oscars and you might buy yourself trouble, lawyers for the Academy Awards warn. The 81st annual Academy Awards will be held on February 22 from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. The advertising of such packages -- including four tickets to the upcoming 81st annual Academy Awards and a hotel stay in Los Angeles, California -- has prompted the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to sue an Arizona-based company. The Academy accused the company Experience 6 of selling "black-market" tickets, because tickets to the lavish movie awards show cannot be transferred or sold. Selling tickets could become a security issue that could bring celebrity stalkers or terrorists to the star-studded event, says the lawsuit, which was filed Monday in federal court in the Central District of California. "Security experts have advised the Academy that it must not offer tickets to members of the public and must know identities of the event attendees," the lawsuit says. "In offering such black-market tickets, defendants are misleading the public and the ticket buyers into thinking that purchasers will be welcomed guests, rather than as trespassers, when they arrive for the ceremony." Experience 6 did not return calls from CNN for comment. On Tuesday morning, tickets to the event were still being advertised on the company's Web site. The Oscars will be presented February 22 from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. The Academy Awards broadcast will air on ABC. Hugh Jackman is scheduled to host. | Academy sues Arizona-based company over sales of Oscar packages .
Tickets to lavish movie awards show cannot be transferred or sold, Academy says .
Package includes four tickets to 81st annual Academy Awards, L.A. hotel stay .
Selling tickets could become a security issue, according to lawsuit . |
0433da2e36ffda5fe996f1103b98176820fbbb90 | By . Ryan Gorman . PUBLISHED: . 19:08 EST, 28 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:51 EST, 29 September 2013 . New concrete posts along a suburban Pittsburgh, PA., road have gotten a rise out of locals. Meant to protect citizens from out of control cars, the bollards’ long bases and round tops are quickly becoming the butt of jokes around the small town. ‘People are laughing at it. They're calling it Penis Road," Scott, PA, resident Pat Martin told township commissioners during a Tuesday community meeting, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette. Controversial: Residents of Scott, PA are calling a stretch of one street 'Penis Road' because of these barriers . Despite town manager Denise Fitzgerald saying the bollards were approved by the state Department of Transportation, other town officials called for a change. Having not seen the controversial posts prior to installation, Commissioner Eileen Meyers called for ‘something more antique,’ adding, ‘I think they're too modern for that area.’ Another town commissioner asked if they could be flattened, arguing it would improve their appearance. Not all town officials agreed with the sentiment. One said those in opposition of the unique posts have ‘weird minds,’ another said ‘people need to get their minds out of the gutters.’ Flatten the tops: Residents want the tops flattened to make them look less like 'male body parts' Not all opposition stemmed to the bollards stemmed from their suggestive appearance, one local resident had something else on his mind. ‘I think those posts are too far apart. I think a small car like a Volkswagen could get through.’ City officials have said they will look into the cost of flattening the bollards’ tops. | The protective poles are installed alongside one road in a suburban Pittsburgh, PA, town .
Locals have taken to calling one location 'Penis Road' |
0433f8baf8980a9471180388ea2d27bafc093459 | By . Leon Watson . PUBLISHED: . 10:42 EST, 28 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:00 EST, 28 November 2013 . Go on - give her a tickle. This little meerkat just can't stop laughing when she's given a tummy rub. Named Betty Boo, she lives at the Harnas Wildlife Foundation in central Namibia where a volunteer videoed her being tickled. Tickle time: Betty Boo the meerkat squawks in delight as she's given a little tickle . Having a laugh: Betty lives at the Harnas Wildlife Foundation in central Namibia . The staff there quickly realised, as the clip shows, that she loved it. Betty arrived at the foundation two years ago after being sent there by a family in Windhoek who wanted to donate her to Harnas as she was biting them. On Facebook, the foundation said: 'Herman swiftly fell in love with her and named her Betty! After many discussions and arguments we decided on Betty Boo rather than just Betty! 'She is a beautiful little lady, very kind and cuddly! Linn, our vet nurse, has taken a real shine to her and spends every spare second walking with her on the lawn. 'We have just started the process of introducing her to our other Meerkats; Adam and Eve. Their first meetings went very well so we have high hopes to release the newly formed pack into the lifeline.' Betty arrived at the foundation two years ago after being sent there by a family in nearby Windhoek . Staff at the park quickly realised, as the clip shows, that Betty loved being tickled . | Betty Boo lives at the Harnas Wildlife Foundation in Namibia .
A volunteer there realised she liked being tickled and videoed it .
Betty arrived at the foundation near Windhoek two years ago . |
0435b7db7b56b36291aa5d0b826aaa09c070edeb | It's the biggest countdown for NASA since the shuttle era ended in 2011. The space agency's new Orion spacecraft is scheduled to lift off on an uncrewed test flight at 7:05 a.m. ET Thursday from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. "We haven't had this feeling in awhile, since the end of the shuttle program," Mike Sarafin, Orion flight director at Johnson Space Center, said in a preflight briefing on Wednesday. He said it's the beginning of something new: exploring deep space. Orion looks like a throwback to the Apollo era, but it is roomier and designed to go far beyond the moon: to an asteroid and eventually to Mars. "It is, I think, consistent with those -- the beginning of shuttle and beginning of Apollo," said Mark Geyer, NASA Orion program manager. "I think it's in the same category." When it becomes fully operational, Orion's crew module will be able to carry four people on a 21-day mission into deep space or six astronauts for shorter missions. By comparison, the Apollo crew modules held three astronauts and were in space for six to 12 days. Orion's crew module is 16.5 feet in diameter and Apollo was 12.8 feet in diameter, NASA said. Orion is expected to take up its first crew in 2021. During this test flight, Orion will climb to an altitude of 3,600 miles (15 times higher than the International Space Station) and will orbit Earth twice. Four and half hours later, it will splash down in the Pacific Ocean about 600 miles off the coast of Baja California. Two U.S. Navy ships, the amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage and the Military Sealift Command rescue and salvage ship USNS Salvor, will help NASA recover the capsule. NASA said there haven't been any major issues with the countdown. The vehicle is "extremely clean" and "we're ready to go," said Geyer. The weather forecast for liftoff also is good, with a 70% chance of acceptable launch conditions, according to Kathy Winters, a U.S. Air Force weather officer. "It looks pretty promising weather-wise for launch," she said. Charles Bolden Op Ed: NASA's Mars milestone . Winters said there may be some scattered clouds, but because the launch window will be open for two hours and 39 minutes, mission managers have some wiggle room if rain moves in. The temperature at launch time should be around 72 degrees Fahrenheit. With mostly clear skies in the forecast, residents along Florida's east coast should be able to see the contrail from the huge Delta IV Heavy rocket that will carry Orion into orbit. The rocket is provided by United Launch Alliance, one of the private partners helping NASA with this launch. Eventually, NASA will use its own Space Launch System, which is under construction. Once in orbit, Orion should send back some amazing pictures of Earth, NASA said. If the weather cooperates, NASA said a drone will provide a live video feed of the splashdown. Though Orion's first flight won't have people on it, it won't go up empty. It will carry the names of more than a million people packed on a dime-sized microchip. "Sesame Street" is sending up some mementos to inspire students about spaceflight, including Cookie Monster's cookie and Ernie's rubber ducky. Also going up: an oxygen hose from an Apollo 11 lunar spacesuit and a small sample of lunar soil. A Tyrannosaurus rex fossil from the Denver Science Museum will be on board and lockers will be filled with flags, coins, patches, poetry and music. In one more throwback to the Apollo-era, NASA veteran Gene Kranz will be a VIP in Mission Control at Johnson Space Center in Houston when Orion is launched. Kranz was flight director for Apollo 11 during the first landing on the moon and he was flight director for the return of the Apollo 13 crew. "I look forward very much to having him watch the team in action," Serafin said. | New spaceship Orion is "go" for test flight .
Launch is set for 7 a.m. ET Thursday .
Orion will orbit Earth twice and will splash down in the Pacific . |
043791c99207c4fc73cf20d37d4f342d39145383 | Editor's note: John Feehery worked for former House Speaker Dennis Hastert and other Republicans in Congress. He is president of Feehery Group, a Washington-based advocacy firm that has represented clients that include News Corp., Ford Motor Co. and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He formerly was a government relations executive vice president for the Motion Picture Association of America. John Feehery says he's proud Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize, but now the president needs to earn it. WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Usually, when a president wins the Nobel Peace Prize, it is uniformly seen as a positive development for America and for the world. Both opponents and allies tend to celebrate the fact that an American president actually got recognized by a bunch of Norwegians for something he achieved. But with Barack Obama, who surprisingly picked up his first Nobel Prize on Friday, the reaction was not altogether positive from either the left or the right. You would expect that conservatives would raise questions about the president's award. Conservatives raise questions about everything the president does. But liberals also joined in. Mickey Kaus of Slate said that the president should say thanks, but no thanks. "Turn it down! Politely decline. Say he's honored but he hasn't had the time yet to accomplish what he wants to accomplish." Liberal columnist Richard Cohen wrote a mocking column, comparing Obama's award to a fictional award given to Sarah Palin for promising to "read a book someday." We are all glad that Norway loves Obama, but come on. Let's get serious. I am reminded of when Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf decided to retire the jersey of longtime White Sox player Harold Baines. It was a little premature for Baines to get his uniform retired when he himself was playing for another team. (Baines played a couple more years, surely the only instance where a player's uniform was retired before the player was.) Awarding Obama the Nobel Peace Prize is similarly premature. In fact, the White House seemed as surprised as anybody about the gesture. I imagine that when Obama first picked up the line, he thought it was a crank call. "I won what?" he must have exclaimed. But it is no joke. It seems that President Obama won his first Nobel Peace Prize, for, well, being President Obama. Just the very idea of a President Obama is enough to make the Nobel Selection Committee swoon. The president said he was humbled by this award. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, he has much to be humble about. When it comes to peace, it is hard to see what notable accomplishments have been achieved thus far in the Obama presidency. That is not a slap at him. Peace takes time. It took John Hume and David Trimble about 30 years of really hard and dangerous work in Northern Ireland before they got a Nobel Peace Prize. And despite all of that hard work, peace and reconciliation is still elusive in that region. Mr. Obama hasn't even been able to get a peace deal between Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, who continue to snipe at each other over the health care public option and Afghanistan. Peace hasn't exactly broken out in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Israel, or Iran either. Nobel Prizes usually go for some fairly notable accomplishments. Nelson Mandela spent much of his life protesting apartheid and serving a prison sentence. He is a man who deserved a peace prize. Mikhail Gorbachev allowed the Soviet Union to collapse without much of a whimper. That was an accomplishment that deserved a peace prize. But what exactly has President Obama done to deserve such an award? And if he actually does something in the future, does that mean he gets another one? Apparently, the voting on the peace prize started shortly after the president was sworn in. Perhaps he is getting the peace prize because of his inaugural address. Yep, a lot of people came to that speech, and peace mostly reigned on that day (except for those people with tickets to the Inauguration who got stuck in the "purple tunnel" in Washington). But I don't think he deserves a peace prize for that. I guess he got the prize because he was elected president and he wasn't George Bush. Well, if that is the case, maybe all of those millions of Americans who voted for him should share the prize, because they actually did most of the work. They voted. As an American, I am proud that our president was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. Now, I, like many others on the right and the left, would like to see him do something to earn it. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of John Feehery. | John Feehery: Obama's Nobel Prize win surprised the right, the left, Obama himself .
Hard to see any notable achievements for peace by Obama so far, Feehery says .
He says Obama won because he was elected president and wasn't George Bush .
Obama voters should share the prize, because they elected him, Feehery says . |
0437d4abdd58f8760bf2e708c744e16e6caff9ed | Catalan Dragons scrum-half Sam Williams is to rejoin Canberra Raiders following the French club's capture of Todd Carney. The 23-year-old Williams joined the Dragons on a short-term deal from St George Illawarra in June with a view to earning a long-term contract but is now headed back to the club at which his career began. Williams has played in nine of their last 11 matches but the anticipated arrival of Carney on a three-year deal means there will be no place for Williams at Stade Gilbert Brutus, where Thomas Bosc and Scott Dureau, who returned to Australia this summer to complete his recovery from injury, will compete for the scrum-half role. Sam William is headed back to Canberra with the arrival of Todd Carney squeezing him out of Catalans . Williams, who has signed a two-year deal with the Raiders, will make his final appearance for the Dragons if they lose their elimination play-off at Leeds on Saturday. 'Sam is a gifted playmaker who we believe will be a valuable asset for our squad,' said Raiders recruitment and high-performance manager David Hamilton. Williams played 42 first-grade matches for the Raiders before moving to St George in 2013. Todd Carney is set to be thrown a lifeline by Super League club Catalan Dragons after his NRL axing . Former State of Origin star Carney was de-registered from the NRL after being sacked by Cronulla . 'The Raiders are my home club with some of my best mates and a club I've always wanted to see successful so I'd love to be a part of any success we have in the future,' Williams said. Meanwhile, the Catalans are waiting for the Rugby Football League's board of directors to formally give the green light for them to register the 28-year-old Carney, who was de-registered by the NRL in June following a breach of discipline with Cronulla. Carney has previously been moved on from Canberra and the Sydney Roosters. | Sam Williams will return to the NRL as Catalans look to unveil Todd Carney .
The French club is waiting for Super League approval to sign Carney .
Scrum-half Carney was sacked by Cronulla for a breach of discipline .
The former State of Origin star was then de-registered by the NRL .
Williams joined the Dragons on a short-term deal from St George-Illawarra . |
043968c2bd127a9f60bdfef473c0c466b2651195 | The first legal challenge to the Church of England's ban on same-sex marriage was launched today - months before the first gay wedding can take place. Gay father Barrie Drewitt-Barlow declared: 'I want to go into my church and marry my husband.' He added: 'The only way forward for us now is to make a challenge in the courts against the Church.' The legal move means an early test for David Cameron's promise to the CofE and Roman Catholic bishops that no church would be forced to conduct same-sex weddings against the will of its leaders and its faithful. Barrie (right) Drewitt-Barlow wants to be able to marry his civil-partner Tony (left) in a church . Ministers set down a 'quadruple lock' in the new same sex marriage law - which received Royal Assent last month - which is supposed to protect those churches which oppose gay marriage. However the guarantees will have to be tested in the courts and gay rights groups have been expecting to bring an early challenge. Mr Drewitt-Barlow and his civil partner Tony have been a celebrated couple since 1999, when they became the first gay couple to be named on the birth certificate of a child. They now have five children through surrogate mothers. He said : 'We need to convince the church that it is the right thing for our community for them to recognise us as practising Christians. Tony and Barrie Drewitt-Barlow with their long-distance twins Dallas and Jasper. They now have five children through surrogate mothers . 'I am a Christian - a practising Christian. My children have all been brought up as Christians and are part of the local parish church.' Mr Drewitt-Barlow, 42, who owns a surrogacy company based near the family home in Essex and is opening another in Los Angeles, added: 'If I was a Sikh I could get married at the Gurdwara. Liberal Jews can marry in the Synagogue - just not the Christians. 'It upsets me because I want it so much - a big lavish ceremony, the whole works. He said it was a shame that he and his partner were being forced to take Christians to court to get them to recognise them, but he said the new law did not give them what they have been campaigning for. Mr Drewitt-Barlow, who took out a civil partnership in 2006, added: 'It is like someone giving me a sweetie with the wrapper on and telling me to suck it.' Under the Government's same-sex marriage law, which is expected to lead the first gay wedding next summer, churches must legally opt in before they can conduct same-sex ceremonies. Those that hold objections to gay marriage have been told the quadruple lock will prevent the courts from forcing them to stage gay weddings against the conscience of priests and most congregations.The lock says that no religious organisation could be compelled to marry same-sex couples or to permit this to happen on their premises. Barrie holds his newborn daughter, Saffron, at a hospital in Modesto, California in 1999 . It would be unlawful for ministers to marry same-sex couples unless their organisation's governing body has opted into provisions for doing so. The Equality Act 2010 would be amended to ensure no discrimination claim could be brought against religious organisations for refusing to marry a same-sex couple. The new law also states that it no religious organisation could be compelled to marry same-sex couples or to permit this to happen on their premises. It would be unlawful for ministers to marry same-sex couples unless their organisation's governing body has opted into provisions for doing so. The Equality Act 2010 would be amended to ensure no discrimination claim could be brought against religious organisations for refusing to marry a same-sex couple. The law also states that it is illegal for the Church of England and the Church in Wales to marry same-sex couples. The CofE is also protected by its own internal canon laws, which are part of the law of land, which say marriages must be between a man and a woman. However a succession of past court cases have resulted in defeats for Christians who were in disputes over equality laws, and in particular courts have always found in favour of gays who have challenged Christians. Under the Government's same-sex marriage law, which is expected to lead the first gay wedding next summer, churches must legally opt in before they can conduct same-sex ceremonies . In recent years notable cases have ended in the sacking of a town hall registrar who refused to conduct civil partnership ceremonies, the sack for a Relate counsellor who said he would not give sex advice to gay couples, and defeat for a couple who declined to let a room in their hotel to a gay couple on the grounds that they were unmarried. Colin Hart, of the Coalition for Marriage said: 'The ink's not even dry on the Bill and churches are already facing litigation. We warned Mr Cameron this would happen, we told him he was making promises that he couldn't possibly keep. 'He didn't listen. He didn't care. He's the one who has created this mess. Mr Cameron's chickens are coming home to roost and it will be ordinary people with a religious belief who yet again fall victim to the totalitarian forces of political correctness.' Mr Hart added: 'We now face the real prospect of churches having to choose between stopping conducting weddings, or vicars, and priests defying the law and finding themselves languishing in the dock.' | Barrie Drewitt-Barlow said that he wants to marry partner Tony in a church .
Said that the only way forward is to challenge the church in court .
It is a test for Cameron's promise to the CofE and Roman Catholic bishops .
Said that no church would be forced to conduct same-sex weddings .
Barrie and Tony now have five children through surrogate mothers . |
043988513bd29b6e9751c73a5f5df794e7497727 | Esteemed author Harper Lee has denied giving permission to a journalist to document her life in a highly-anticipated new memoir. The reclusive writer of To Kill A Mockingbird has shunned the spotlight following the success of her Pulitzer prize-winning first and only novel in 1960, refusing to do interviews or make public appearances. However Marja Mills, a former Chicago Tribune reporter, claims to have become friends with Lee after moving into the house next door to her in Monroeville, Alabama, for 18 months in 2004. Mills has now written a book about the experience, The Mockingbird Next Door: Life With Harper Lee, which was released by The Penguin Press on Tuesday and is being pushed as the first official account of Lee's life. Hitting back: Extremely private author Harper Lee, 88, has released a statement saying she did not cooperate with a new book about her life and that she was 'saddened' and 'hurt' by the writer . Under fire: Journalist Marja Mills (left) maintains she was always honest with Harper Lee during their 18-month friendship that she was writing a book . As Mills writes: 'I wasn't an unknown quantity but someone she (Harper Lee) knew and trusted.' 'I could not have done (the book) without the trust, support, and encouragement of Nelle (as Harper Lee is known) and (her sister) Alice Lee and their closest friends.' But Lee, 88, has now released a letter to Entertainment Weekly to deny having anything to do with the project. 'Miss Mills befriended my elderly sister, Alice. It did not take long to discover Marja's true mission: another book about Harper Lee,' the statement said. 'I was hurt, angry, saddened, but not surprised. 'I immediately cut off all contact with Miss Mills, leaving town whenever she headed this way. 'Rest assured, as long as I am alive, any book purporting to be with my cooperation is a falsehood.' It is the second statement Lee has released on the book. The first was dated April 27, 2011. At the time Lee wrote: 'Contrary to recent news reports, I have not willingly participated in any book written or to be written by Marja Mills. Neither have I authorized such a book.' A big part of the dispute is a letter Mills has written by Lee's sister Alice. 'Delicious mystery': Harper Lee, 88, has lived an extremely private life since the release of her first and only book, To Kill A Mockingbird, in 1960 . Responding to the claims on Tuesday, Mills refers to the letter, while maintaining her book is not a Harper Lee biography but a collection of stories that Lee chose to share with her. The written letter I have from Alice Lee, which she sent May 2011 in response to the original letter issued in Nelle's name, makes clear that Nelle Harper Lee and Alice gave me their blessing,' Mills said. 'In regard to the writing and release of Nelle Harper Lee's April 2011 statement about my book, Alice Lee (Alice Lee practiced law until she was 100 years old) wrote: 'Poor Nelle Harper can't see and can't hear and will sign anything put before her by anyone in whom she has confidence. Now she has no memory of the incident.' " Penguin also released a statement on Tuesday, saying: 'Penguin Press is proud to publish The Mockingbird Next Door: Life with Harper Lee by Marja Mills today. The book, a southern gothic novel that won the Pulitzer Prize in 1962, has sold over 30 million copies . This photo of Harper Lee, taken in an Alabama courthouse, was shot around the time she released To Kill A Mockingbird in 1960 . 'Mills' memoir is a labor of love and Marja Mills has done an extraordinary job. We look forward to sharing her story of the wise and wonderful Lee sisters with readers.' Early reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. USA Today book critic Charles Finch gave it 3.5 stars out of four, calling it a 'thoughtful, sweet-tempered, witty piece of work." He also noted that "Mills wrote her story with the approval of both sisters, and it sometimes reads more like a friend's account than a reporter's, which may be why it doesn't pry too insistently into Lee's secrets.' To Kill A Mockingbird has sold more than 30 million copies. Lee has not given an official interview since the book came out, but has intermittently released statements to media. She has been described as a 'delicious mystery', and while having started other books, one a non-fiction about an Alabama serial killer, she filed them away as unfinished. She is said to have been crippled by the pressure to match the success of her debut. | New memoir The Mockingbird Next Door: Life With Harper Lee is a collection of stories reporter Marja Mills was told by Harper Lee over a year-long friendship .
Lee has released a statement saying she did not cooperate with the book and is 'saddened' by how Mills operated .
Mills maintains she was honest with Lee while spending time with her that she was writing the biography . |
043add67723641923208222f5d3af59ae127efa7 | Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls said wants to hit better-off homeowners with the mansion tax in the next financial year . Labour has asked the Treasury to start drawing up plans to levy its mansion tax on 100,000 expensive homes from day one of regaining power. Despite a revolt from some Labour MPs over the annual levy, Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls said he aimed to hit better-off homeowners in the next financial year. Although it is unusual for a tax to be introduced in the course of a financial year, Mr Balls said he wanted to start raising money from the rich in order to plough it into the NHS as quickly as possible. He said Treasury officials were already working on the proposals, in line with the civil service practice of making plans to implement the policies of parties that could win a forthcoming election. Labour and Liberal Democrat plans for a mansion tax had been in doubt after George Osborne’s dramatic reform of stamp duty at the Autumn Statement, which have made buying a home worth £1million or more far more expensive. Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable said his party would stick with its policy of an annual levy – but suggested it may have to be amended following the Chancellor’s changes. Labour opponents of the party’s own mansion tax scheme have also stepped up their campaign to persuade Mr Balls to shift his position. But the Shadow Chancellor insisted in an interview with the Independent: ‘Saving the NHS will be at the heart of our first Budget. I would like to see that revenue coming in in the first year of a Labour government, before the end of the financial year. We will have to see the practicalities.’ Mr Balls denied charges could be imposed retrospectively. ‘A charge is paid in that year on the valuation on a date in that year. No one will have any doubt about our intentions,’ he insisted. The Coalition has sought to undermine Mr Balls’s pledge to raise £2.5billion for the NHS through a combination of the mansion tax, a levy on tobacco firms and reducing tax avoidance by hedge funds by announcing its own £3billion boost. Critics also pointed out that revenues from these measures were unlikely to start flowing in until the middle of the next Parliament. However, Mr Balls said Labour could legislate for the mansion tax to start in the following financial year of 2016-17 ‘as a backstop’. Labour’s mansion tax will be about £3,000 a year for homes in the £2million to £3million bracket. Experts say an average charge of £11,000 a year will need to be levied to raise the £1.2billion a year Labour predicts. The Conservatives claim it will be extended to cover cheaper properties. | It is unusual for tax to be introduced in the course of the financial year .
But Ed Balls wants to plough money back into NHS as quickly as possible .
Comes as Labour opponents step up campaign to change Mr Balls's mind .
Labour's mansion tax plans in doubt since George Osborne's stamp duty reform . |
043d36b0037b978635f89ab21afe69491e3af4ba | The judge in the murder trial of Etan Patz today refused to release the man accused of killing the six-year-old after the prosecution reminded him of the brutal crime he confessed to. Pedro Hernandez, from New Jersey, appeared in court today, where his lawyer asked that he be released from jail immediately due to the slow-moving case and lack of evidence against his client. But the prosecution asked that this request be denied, reminding the court: 'Let's remember he killed a six-year-old child.' Manhattan state Supreme Court Justice Maxwell Wiley said that due to Hernandez's mental state, he would remain in prison until the trial, which is due to begin in Spring 2014. Killing: Pedro Hernandez, right, told police he was guilty of murdering missing child Etan Patz, left . Hernandez, who was led into the court handcuffed by police, said nothing during the short hearing. His lawyer Harvey Fishbein expressed . his frustration at the speed at which the case was moving, . referring to it as Groundhog Day, and accused the prosecution of dragging their feet while his client is languishing in jail, where he has been since May 2012. Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon said prosecutors were moving as fast as they could. Fishbein has always maintained that Hernandez is schizophrenic and bipolar, and that his admission was . false, peppered with questionable claims and made after almost seven . hours of police questioning. Hernandez has entered a not guilty plea in the case. Etan vanished on May 25, 1979. The anniversary was later named National Missing Children's Day in his memory. He became one of the first vanished children pictured on a milk carton. Hernandez was arrested last May after . police got a tip that he'd told people years before that he had killed a . child in New York City. Iconic: Etan was one of the earliest missing children to make national headlines when he disappeared in 1979 . He then told authorities he'd seen . Etan at the bus stop, offered the boy a soda to entice him to a corner . store where he worked and choked the boy in the basement. Hernandez said he tossed Etan's book . bag behind a basement freezer, put his limp body in a box and left it . with some trash about a block away. No body or bag has ever been found. Under New York law, a person can be . convicted based only on a confession if there's additional evidence that . a crime was committed. 'The evidence before the grand jury . (that indicted Hernandez) amply supports the offenses charged,' prosecutors wrote in a filing this winter. Scene: This is the site of the bodega in SoHo where Hernandez claims he killed Etan in 1979 . | Six-year-old went missing in Manhattan on his way to school in 1979 .
Pedro Hernandez, 52, told police he choked Etan and threw body in trash .
His defense claims he is schizophrenic and was coerced by police .
Accused the prosecution of dragging their feet . |
043d67a2f063b7d393b671afa2ba57743e996476 | Speaking at the Royal Academy of Music Elton John criticised modern pop songs as being 'too flawless' He has performed his vast repertoire of pop classics on the world’s stages for almost five decades. But in a wide ranging attack, Sir Elton John said today’s ‘processed performers’ such as Britney Spears lack the skill to perform live. And he dismissed the majority of contemporary pop hits as ‘packaged crap’ - while his songwriting is inspired by the likes of Bach and Beethoven. The 66-year-old songwriter, made the criticisms at the Royal Academy of Music, where he trained for six years from the age of 11. Speaking to the Sunday Times ahead of a private dinner, he cited a lifelong passion for classical music which in turn inspired his own music. He said; ‘If you love Bach, Mozart, Chopin and Beethoven, you can’t help but be influenced. They wrote the greatest melodies and the most beautiful things of all time.’ He complained that modern music stars lack the ‘soul and humanity’ of singers such as Judy Garland and Nina Simone. Sir Elton, said: ‘Everything’s too flawless now. Everything’s autotuned, there’s no trace of humanity. ‘If you go and see a Britney Spears concert, you might as well stay at home and watch the video.’ He said that in the past most singers could sing live, but ‘a lot of them can’t now - it’s a shocker.’ John, whose biggest hits include Candle in the Wind and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, believes that technology has created a generation of under-qualified stars. ‘Anyone can make a record in their living room or their bedroom, and it can be a very good record, but they don’t have the skill to go and play it live, to hone skills,’ he said. ‘It started with MTV, that’s when music started getting processed. You turn on Radio 1 and it’s mostly garbage. David Bowie made a great recent record; I don’t think Radio 1 played that. If it’s good music, play it. They shouldn’t be playing the packaged crap that they are now.’ The flamboyant Candle in the Wind singer singled out Britney Spears, saying that fans would be better off watching one of her concerts on the TV rather than going to see it . His criticisms were made ahead of a function at the Royal Academy of Music, attended by leading figures like impresario Sir Cameron Mackintosh and benefactor Dame Vivien Duffield. They gathered to inaugurate a magnificent £1.2m organ for the Academy’s concert-hall, made possible by Sir Elton’s fund-raising concerts. He was aged 11 when he enrolled at the Academy as a classical music scholar, where he spent six years training. He argued that audiences want performances with ‘human soul’, in which mistakes might happen. He recalled how at a recent show he had tried out a new song that ‘was so bad that in the end I said, “Stop it, we just can’t play it”. ‘I wasn’t ashamed, because it was a new song, but it makes the audience aware that sometimes some things don’t work.’ He believes part of the problem lies with the ‘ageism’ of BBC radio. ‘You get a rock band like Arcade Fire. I love them so much, but they’re not played on Radio 1 because they’re too old, and they’re not played on Radio 2 because they’re not really Radio 2. John also criticised disc jockeys, adding: ‘I don’t think they’re really passionate about music . Disc jockeys of yore were passionate about what they played.’ John stressed the importance of radio in reaching audiences, citing the folk singer Laura Marling as the kind of ‘real musician’ Radio 1 should be playing. It was in 2004 that Sir Elton famously said that singers who mime ‘should be shot’ citing the example of Madonna, whose shows he claimed were heavily lip-synched. | Elton said autotune had lead to a lack of humanity in songs .
Criticised modern pop songs for being 'too flawless'
Said his own inspirations were Mozart and Beethoven . |
043dc7cb1b52e11ea3e4f97f8efeb49ff52c8e58 | By . Simon Tomlinson . PUBLISHED: . 08:27 EST, 6 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 08:47 EST, 6 January 2014 . It's no secret the FBI has steadily shifted its focus towards counter-terrorism since 9/11. But now the agency appears to have finally made its new priority official by quietly updating its mission statement. The bureau's fact sheet has now replaced its decades-long 'primary function' of 'law enforcement' with 'national security' to reflect reforms that have taken place over the last 12 years. The timing of the change, apparently made last summer, has prompted speculation by analysts that it has been influenced by the political climate. Now in black and white: The FBI has changed its fact sheet to replace its primary function of 'law enforcement' with 'national security' to finally reflect reforms made since the September 11 attacks . FBI historian and Marquette University professor Athan Theoharis pointed to the negative publicity the agency received after failing to prevent the Boston marathon bombings in April last year. Meanwhile, Washington-based national security lawyer Kel McClanahan, who noticed the altered fact sheet last month, said the rebranding could bring the agency more power and money. He told Foreign Policy: 'If you tie yourself to national security, you get funding and you get exemptions on disclosure cases. 'You get all the wonderful arguments about how if you don't get your way, buildings will blow up and the country will be less safe.' Political decision? One observer pointed out that the change comes after the negative publicity the agency had received for failing to prevent the Boston marathon bombings (above) in April last year . McClanahan spotted the change in a . Freedom of Information Act response from the agency, each of which is . accompanied by the fact sheet. Between . 2001 and 2009, the FBI has doubled the number of agents dedicated to . counter-terrorism, according to a Inspector General report. Conversely, that period has seen a decline in the number of criminal cases investigated nationally, particularly white-collar crimes. Times of change: The FBI's headquarters in Washington DC. The bureau has doubled the number of agents dedicated to counter-terrorism, leading to accusations that other law-enforcement areas are suffering . The changes last month prompted criticism from Robert Holley, the special agent in charge in Chicago, who said he was being hampered in his efforts to combat violent crime that is rife in the city. FBI spokesman Paul Bresson declined to comment on the timing of the change. But he told Foreign Policy: 'When our mission changed after 9/11, our fact sheet changed to reflect that... so it is certainly accurate to say our primary function is national security.' | Fact sheet altered in the summer of last year, says national security lawyer .
Change reflects reforms over last ten years, but analysts baffled by timing .
Came months after FBI was criticised for failing to foil Boston bombings .
One observer says rebranding could bring agency more power and funding . |
043e06ee6fa0da12a898fdf309ad7b99a8472c02 | By . Amanda Williams . An inventive pet owner has created the world's goldfish walking device - because he was worried his pet was bored. Mike Warren-Madden spent weeks designing his unique 'Aquatic Perambulator' as a way to help pet fish Malcolm have a more exciting life. Former sheet metal worker Mr Warren-Madden, 60, came up with the plan around seven years ago. An inventive pet owner has created the world's goldfish walking device, after worrying that his fish was becoming bored . Mike Warren-Madden spent thousands of hours designing his unique 'Aquatic Perambulator' as a way to help pet fish Malcolm have a more exciting life . Sadly, his beloved goldfish has since died, but he lived to the grand old age of 11, thanks Mr Warren-Madden says, to his adventurous lifestyle - which included trips to the pub and walks around town . Sadly, his beloved goldfish has since died. But the fish lived to the grand old age of 11 thanks, Mr Warren-Madden says, to his adventurous lifestyle - which included trips to the pub and walks around town. Despite Malcolm passing away he hopes his pioneering legacy will now see an entrepreneur come forward to invest in the invention. Mr Warren-Madden, from Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, said: 'We had some right looks around town, we stopped traffic, but everyone has got into it now. It's not every day you see someone taking a fish for a walk. 'If a fish is in a bowl on a shelf swimming in circles it must get bored. I decided it would be fun to take it out with me down the pub. 'People have said to me the fish couldn't see what was going on, but I always said "how do you know?"' Mr Warren-Madden, from Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, said: 'We had some right looks around town, we stopped traffic, but everyone has got into it now. It's not every day you see someone taking a fish for a walk' The contraption even allows fish owners to share a drink at the local with their pet, as Mr Warren-Madden enjoyed to do with the late Malcolm . He said: 'If a fish is in a bowl on a shelf swimming in circles it must get bored. I decided it would be fun to take it out with me down the pub' 'Malcolm lived to almost 12-years-old, I think he was getting something out of it.' The Aquatic Perambulator - which is now a Mark III - stands around four-foot tall and is made from laser-cut mild steel. Mr Warren-Madden, who lives with wife Shirley, 58, said: 'My wife has learned to live with me, I have been tinkering around with this idea for around seven years. 'With the first designs I didn't take into account how heavy water is so I have modified it over the years. 'I've added better elastic to take the shock out of the water and I hope to get better wheels. 'Because of my background as a sheet metal worker I have been able to build this at little cost - but for someone else it would cost hundreds to make. 'I think I'd like someone to come forward and help me motorise it perhaps with a remote control.' | Mike Warren-Madden spent weeks designing 'Aquatic Perambulator'
He feared his pet Malcolm was bored and decided to take him for walk .
Now he wants someone to come forward and invest in his design . |
043ea5ab9abaa5cfa83ea63dcccf94873561c266 | By . Matt Blake . PUBLISHED: . 10:30 EST, 19 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:34 EST, 20 July 2012 . When charity fundraiser Jerri Peterson was selected as an Olympic torch bearer, she wanted a permanent reminder of the honour. The 54-year-old hotel worker, from Atlanta, Georgia, took the unusual step of inking the Olympic rings on to her arm along with the words 'Olympic Torch Bearer' above and 'London' underneath. Unfortunately for Mrs Peterson, her pride soon turned to red-faced shame when the tattoo artist managed to misspell the event as 'Oylmpic' in the permanent memento. Gaffe: Olympic torch bearer Jerri Peterson had a tattoo on her arm to commemorate her part in the relay, only to find out it was spelt incorrectly . Mrs Peterson, an overseas employee of . the British-based Intercontinental Hotels Group, was chosen to take part . in the relay for her charity work, along with 70 other international . colleagues. She paid $10 (£6.40) to a 'really good' tattooist for the words 'Olympic Torch Bearer' to be inked above a . picture of the Olympic rings two months before her big moment. Mrs Peterson was flown over to the East Midlands especially, where she triumphantly carried the torch through Derby on June 30. It was not until after she had successfully carried the flame through the city and sent a photograph of the artwork to a friend that she realised the gaffe. Mrs Peterson, who lives in the Atlanta suburb of Roswell, told BBC News: 'I always wanted to have a tattoo but I never quite felt passionate . about any one thing to have it put on my body permanently,” the charity . fundraiser told BBC News. 'So when I was selected for this wonderful honour, I thought "that's it - I'm ready to have my tattoo".' Proud: Jerri (in white, right), from Atlanta in the US, carried the torch through Derby on 30 June after she was selected for her charity work by the hotel chain she worked for . She was initially delighted with the tattoo until she noticed the mistake in the photograph. 'I looked at it and I was so disappointed. I called my husband and . he giggled a little bit. Then I started laughing about it and I've laughed . ever since.' Amazingly, Mrs Peterson has decided to keep the wrongly spelt tattoo on her arm - despite offers from the tattoo artist to remove it - as she says it is 'as unique as I am'. Controversial artist Tracey Emin carried the Olympic Flame on the Torch Relay leg between Margate and Westgate-On-Sea in Kent today . | Jerri Peterson, 54, is keeping the tattoo because 'it is as unique as I am'
She originally paid $10 (£6.40) for the tattoo in her hometown Atlanta, US .
She only realised the mistake when a friend pointed it out after the relay .
Hotel worker carried the torch through Derby on June 30 . |
04402a61d741dd4c5987f9f236a3efd38db7e576 | By . Jill Reilly . A van belonging to a Michigan-based physician who bore the notorious nickname 'Dr. Death' has been found at a pawn shop. Dr. Jack Kevorkian used the 'Deathmobile', a 1970s VW Minibus while assisting in several deaths, including the poisoning of an Alzheimer's patient that launched his public effort in 1990. It is being stored at a pawn ship in Southfield, Detroit, where Les Gold of American Jewelry & Loan bought it for $20,000. A van belonging to a Michigan-based physician who bore the notorious nickname 'Dr. Death' has been found at a pawn shop . Kevorkian served eight years in prison for second-degree murder after administering a lethal injection rather than helping the patient do it himself . The bus is currently sitting at the shop on layaway - the new owner, a local businessman, is paying $25,000 for the bus, reported CBS Detroit. 'There’s the registration’ we have his driver’s license, we have the pictures,' said Mr Gold. 'We have every document to show that this was actually the van that he used for assisted suicide.' Dr Kevorkian was released from prison in 2007 after serving eight years for a second-degree murder conviction after assisting in the 1998 death of a 52-year-old Michigan man with Lou Gehrig's disease. His parole came under the condition that he would not offer suicide advice to any other person. He said his ultimate goal was to create 'obitoriums', where people would go to die - and doctors could harvest their organs. The van is being stored at a pawn ship in Southfield, Detroit, where Les Gold (pictured) of American Jewelry & Loan bought it for $20,000 . The bus is currently sitting at the shop on layaway - the new owner, a local businessman, is paying $25,000 for the bus . He rose to infamy in the 1990s with his homemade 'suicide machines', which he drove to patients in a rusting VW van. He inserted a needle into the patient's arm, then they pressed a lever to release the fatal chemicals. The first assisted suicide he made public was in 1990, when Janet Adkins, 54, became the first person to use the machine at her home in Portland. But his luck ran out in 1998, when he taped himself injecting Thomas Youk, who had Lou Gehrig's disease, with lethal chemicals. The tape was then broadcast on CBS's 60 Minutes, and led to his conviction. Speaking on the programme, he said: 'The issue's got to be raised to the level where it is finally decided.' He was charged four times with murder, but three juries acquitted him and then a third case collapsed in a mistrial. As the state tried desperately to stop him, Dr Kevorkian likened himself to Martin Luther King and Gandhi and called prosecutors Nazis, his critics religious fanatics. He burned state orders against him, showed up at court in costume, called doctors who didn't support him 'hypocritical oafs' and challenged authorities to stop him or make his actions legal. He once said: 'Somebody has to do something for suffering humanity. I put myself in my patients' place. This is something I would want.' Dr. Jack Kevorkian in Jackson State Prison in Michigan in 1999. He was charged four times with murder, but three juries acquitted him and then a third case collapsed in a mistrial . In 2010 online auction site eBay removed a listing for the van saying the sale would violate the company's policy against the sale of murder-related collectables . In an interview recorded from prison, he later admitted he regretted his actions 'a little'. He said: 'It was disappointing because what I did turned out to be in vain. 'And my only regret was not having done it through the legal system, through legislation, possibly.' After his release from jail, he revelled in his newfound celebrity. In 2010, his life was chronicled in 2010 telefilm You Don't Know Jack, starring Al Pacino as Dr Kevorkian. The film, which also stars Susan Sarandon and John Goodman, follows Dr Kevorkian as he builds the second of his suicide devices, the 'Mercy Machine', which employed a gas mask fed by a container of carbon monoxide. Pacino won Emmy and Golden Globe awards for his portrayal of the doctor, who sat smiling in the audience as the actor paid tribute to him in his acceptance speech, saying it was a pleasure 'to try to portray someone as brilliant and interesting and unique.' But although he liked the film, Dr Kevorkian had little hope it would help inspire a new generation of assisted-suicide campaigners. Dr Kevorkian demonstrates his euthanasia kit . He said: 'You'll hear people say, "well, it's in the news again, it's time for discussing this further." No it isn't. It's been discussed to death. 'There's nothing new to say about it. It's a legitimate ethical medical practice as it was in ancient Rome and Greece.' In 2008, he ran for Congress as an independent, receiving just 2.7 per cent of the vote in the suburban Detroit district. He said his experience showed the party system was 'corrupt and has to be completely overhauled from the bottom up'. In 2011, he died peacefully and pain-free from ongoing kidney disease, aged 83. In 2010 online auction site eBay removed a listing for the van saying the sale would violate the company's policy against the sale of murder-related collectables. Mayer Morganroth, Kevorkian's friend and lawyer at the time said Kevorkian turned the van in to his own auto shop for scrap in 1997 and that he was upset it had been put up for auction. 'Jack never sold it, never got a dime for it,' Morganroth said. 'Jack believed it was destroyed.' June 4 1990: Janet Adkins, 54, becomes the first person to use one of Dr Kevorkian's suicide machines. Murder charges against him are dropped when a judge rules Michigan has no law against assisted suicide.November 1991: Michigan suspends the doctor's medical licence.December 1992: The state introduces a temporary law to make assisted suicide illegal while the issue is examined.1994-1996: Dr Kevorkian is acquitted of five assisted suicides.September 1998: Michigan permanently bans assisted suicide in an attempt to stop Dr Kevorkian. In the same month, the death of Thomas Youk is broadcast on CBS.March 26 1999: Dr Kervorkian is convicted of second-degree murder and delivery of a controlled substance. The next month he is sentenced to 10 to 25 years in prison.October 7 2002: After having his appeal request turned down in Michigan, he goes to the U.S. Supreme Court - but it announces it will not consider his case.June 1 2007: The doctor is released from jail, describing the day as 'wonderful - one of the high points in life'.November 4 2009: The doctor gets 2.7 per cent of the vote when he stands for Congress.April 24 2010: Biopic about his life, You Don't Know Jack, is released by HBOMay 18 2011: Dr Kevorkian is hospitalised for pneumonia and kidney problems and dies June . | Dr. Jack Kevorkian used a 1970s VW Minibus for his 'work'
Kevorkian claimed to have assisted in the suicides of more than 130 .
patients .
Rose to infamy in the 1990s with his homemade 'suicide machines'
Inserted needle into patient's arm, then they pressed a lever to release . |
0440a163f45637e0b6842f1e8feab9539fd2cc5b | England's abject defeat by New Zealand in Wellington ranks as one of their darkest days not only at a World Cup but in the country's entire history of playing the international game. While England have not been expected to mount a serious challenge for the World Cup, nobody can defend a performance of such ineptitude, following so soon after last week's limp surrender to the tournament's other co-hosts, Australia. These are the shocking stats which prove just how low the team coached by Peter Moores and led on the field by Eoin Morgan have slumped. England's James Taylor (left), Ian Bell and Moeen Ali trudge off the field after defeat by New Zealand . 226 - balls remaining when New Zealand wrapped up their stunning eight-wicket victory. 77 - runs scored by New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum during his onslaught. 308.00 - McCullum's strike rate. He scored his 77 off just 25 balls, including eight fours and seven sixes. Brendon McCullum bludgeons another boundary during his savage innings in Wellington . 105 - runs scored by New Zealand during their first seven overs; England scored 36 in the same time. 20 - overs it took England to surpass McCullum's individual total. 6 - England batsmen dismissed in single figures: Ian Bell, James Taylor, Jos Buttler, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad and Steven Finn. James Anderson was left stranded on one not out. Bell is bowled by Tim Southee to kick-start England's humiliation by the co-hosts . 9 - boundaries hit by England in their entire innings, which lasted 33.2 overs; McCullum hit 15 on his own. 4.25 - economy rate PER BALL of Steven Finn - the equivalent of being hit for a boundary every delivery. 49 - runs conceded by Finn in just two overs. He was hit for three fours and six sixes. 13 - extras scored in England's innings, which is more than their entire last six batsmen's totals combined. Southee (left) celebrates one of his seven wickets while Steven Finn (right) reflects on a chastening day . 7 - wickets taken by New Zealand seamer Tim Southee. 2 - wickets taken by all four of England's bowlers. Both fell to Chris Woakes. 5.61 - run rate of England's most economical bowler (or least expensive) so far in the tournament - Woakes. 19 - runs scored by Eoin Morgan in his last eight games, including four ducks in his last six innings. 56 - days between Alastair Cook's sacking as England captain and the start of the World Cup. 293 - runs scored by Kevin Pietersen, who was sacked by England despite top-scoring in last winter's Ashes whitewash - in this year's Big Bash. Only one batsman scored more. New Zealand captain McCullum seems to enjoy the moment as he consoles England captain Eoin Morgan . | England were humiliated by New Zealand at the Cricket World Cup .
Eoin Morgan's men lost by eight wickets against the co-hosts .
Brendon McCullum savaged England's bowlers with the bat .
Fast bowler Tim Southee ripped through England's batting order .
CLICK HERE for all the latest news from 2015 Cricket World Cup . |
04416b90ad094006c0290f42798b221ea3e211dc | By . Steph Cockroft . A honeytrapper and her boyfriend lured a man to a park over Facebook so they could attack him with a meat cleaver for his money and mobile phone. Haseena Aziz arranged to go on the 'date' in order to give her 29-year-old boyfriend Afahan Hussain a chance to rob the victim. The 28-year-old tempted the man to meet her in a park in Birmingham by flirting with him in a series of messages over the social-networking site. Haseena Aziz, 28, pictured left, arranged to go on a 'date' with a man in Birmingham so she and her boyfriend Afahan Hussain, 29, pictured right, could threaten him with a meat cleaver and rob him . The unnamed 25-year-old victim caught a train to Birmingham from his home in London in June this year in the belief Aziz wanted to start a relationship with him. He took a seat on a bench in parkland near a fly-over in Hockley, Birmingham, expecting to meet Aziz for a date. Instead, Hussain - who has a gold tooth - appeared from behind and punched and headbutted the defenceless victim. He then held a meat cleaver to his face and demanded his phone and cash. The court heard how Aziz laughed as she watched the attack and even waded in by kicking the man in the groin. The pair later sent texts to the victim mocking him for falling for their set-up. West Midlands Police launched an investigation. The pair were found through phone and social media enquiries. They were charged with robbery and both found guilty at Birmingham Crown Court. The pair - who later sent texts to the victim mocking him for falling for their set-up - were convicted at Birmingham Crown Court of robbery . Recorder Oscar Del Fabbro . jailed Hussain for a total of 12 years after he was found . guilty of the robbery, as well as a separate crime of wounding with intent to cause GBH. Aziz was also found guilty of robbery and was sentenced to four years in prison. The court heard how, weeks after the park attack, Hussain also slashed a complete stranger across the face with a Stanley knife during an unprovoked street attack. He shoulder-barged a 27-year-old man to the floor in the early hours of August 7. As the victim scrambled to his feet, Hussain then pulled out a knife and slashed him down the left side of his face severing an artery and narrowly missing his left eye. Unemployed Hussain denied the offence but the victim's recollection of his attacker's distinctive gold tooth was crucial in the conviction. Speaking about the second attack Detective Constable Sara Caldwell, from West Midlands Police, said: 'It was completely unprovoked. The man was walking with a friend to a local shop to buy cigarettes when Hussain deliberately barged into him and lashed out with a knife. 'The victim suffered significant blood loss, nerve damage and has lost sensation on the left side of his face. It was an outrageous attack. 'Anyone who carries a knife in public is potentially putting themselves and others in danger and can expect to be jailed, even if they don't strike out with it in anger. 'The judge described Hussain as a dangerous man and a risk to the public.He will rightly spend many years behind bars and be subject to an extended licence period upon his eventual release.' | Haseena Aziz, 28, from Birmingham, arranged to meet 25-year-old man .
Her boyfriend Afahan Hussain, 29, appeared from behind and beat victim .
Aziz kicked him as weapon-wielding Hussain demanded money and mobile .
Defendants - who mocked victim via text after attack - were jailed for robbery . |
0441a082ce814762ebd524e5de9560e52ffa71e1 | (CNN) -- Miguel Cotto says he will beat Floyd Mayweather -- "no doubt" -- but don't expect him to dance around the gym, making it rain and running his mouth about it. It's not how he rolls. Unlike his opponent in Saturday's WBA super-welterweight title fight, Cotto doesn't resort to third-person, braggadocio-packed soliloquies when a reporter asks a question. "I'm ready and prepared for anything he can bring to me the night of May 5," Cotto said of Mayweather. Period. That's it. Cotto has trained his trunks off and all the Mayweather jawing in the world can't get into his head. "Those guys can't penetrate our minds," he said. HBO, which is airing the fight on pay-per-view, has used its prefight coverage to paint the men as entirely different species ahead of their bout in Las Vegas. It's Puerto Rican vs. African-American, inconspicuous vs. flamboyant, custom Freightliner vs. Rolls Royce, wife and kids vs. 50 Cent. And if not for a segment showing Mayweather running a 5K for charity and cutting a six-figure check to Habitat for Humanity, good vs. evil. And let's not forget their purses: A reported $8 million for Cotto and $35 million for the man appropriately known as Money. Where Cotto says he doesn't want to dictate how history remembers him, Mayweather demands to author his own legacy. When HBO's third installment of the behind-the-scenes "24/7" aired last week, Mayweather tweeted that he didn't like it, apologized to fans and called for HBO to replace the producer. Even the fighters' styles are at odds, with Cotto employing a more aggressive technique that can resemble brawling when his opponent forces it. Mayweather prefers to size up his opponent and rely on footwork, defense, counterpunching and Joe Louis-like accuracy. Max Kellerman, a boxing analyst and commentator for HBO, which like CNN is owned by Time Warner, said their styles have evolved in recent years and he sees Mayweather today as a "consistent, thudding puncher" who relies less on the ropes and the ring's perimeter and more on a high guard and his ability to "walk down" or pressure his opponent. Cotto, on the other hand, is not the all-out brawler he's sometimes made out to be. He's a deft puncher and he's aggressive, but don't expect him to go blow for blow with Mayweather. "He's looking to inflict damage, but he's not like a wild, face-first brawler," Kellerman said. Former four-division champ Roy Jones Jr. said he wouldn't be surprised to see Mayweather chase Cotto around the ring. He said that if Cotto is to win against a smaller, quicker Mayweather, he is going to have to "change the game," something he hasn't seen Cotto do since his 2007 WBA welterweight title bout with "Sugar" Shane Mosley. In that fight, Cotto used his jab to neutralize Mosley's speed. He moved around a lot so Mosley couldn't settle down, and he took a lot of punches (248, to be exact) to set up his own attack. He'll need to do the same with Mayweather to slow him down and change the fight's rhythm. Cotto will also need to take some punches, something Jones isn't sure he's ready to do. "They're not the most devastating punches, but at the same time, (Cotto's) still got to take them," he said, adding with skepticism, "He's not going to stay and take no punches to get his attack in." Jones was also concerned about some of the statements coming from Mayweather, a notorious prefight smack talker. In a recent appearance on Kellerman's HBO show, Mayweather called Cotto "solid" and "one of the best fighters out there." He went on to say he viewed Cotto as "an undefeated fighter." "You don't hear him talk like that till after the fight," Jones said, speculating that Mayweather may feel Cotto lacks confidence or can be easily outclassed. "That bothers me." Cotto has lost twice in his professional career, once against eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao, in which Pacquiao made Cotto drop weight, and another against Antonio Margarito, who was suspended for a year after a subsequent fight against Mosley when officials found plaster in his hand wraps. Those circumstances are what prompted Mayweather's remark that Cotto was undefeated. Many in the boxing world, including Cotto and Jones, believe Margarito cheated when he fought Cotto the first time in 2008. Cotto, who defeated Margarito in last year's rematch, said his evidence was simple: "All the swelling in my face in the first fight did not even compare with how good, how healthy I looked on December 3." Cotto himself blew off Mayweather's "undefeated" remark, saying the losses made him a more mature fighter. "If it weren't for those defeats, I wouldn't be this person," he said. The reigning WBA super-welterweight superchamp also dismissed comparisons of his and Mayweather's performances against common opponents. The pair have each fought Mosley, Zab Judah, Victoriano Sosa, Justin Juuko and DeMarcus Corley. They earned unanimous decisions against Mosley, and Cotto won by technical knockout in the other four fights. Mayweather knocked out only Juuko, winning by unanimous decision in the other three. On their face, those outcomes would seem to favor Cotto, but the pugilist flatly stated, "Every fight's different ... The fighters we have in common doesn't mean anything." It's an assertion with which Jones and Kellerman concurred. Despite Mayweather being a heavy favorite, Cotto's close friend and manager, Bryan Perez, told Fight Hype last month that Team Cotto had devised a "blueprint" for beating Mayweather and that he hadn't seen Cotto this motivated in "many, many fights." "I trained a lot. I make my training the right training to beat Mayweather," Cotto added Tuesday. Cotto will need something special if he's to hand Mayweather his first loss, Kellerman said. Unlike many champs before him, Mayweather never takes an opponent lightly, and "he has never shown up in less than top-notch condition." Despite the sideshows surrounding Mayweather, which include a domestic violence plea that will land him in jail for 90 days beginning next month, the Money Team's mantra has always been "hard work and dedication," and it pays off, Kellerman said. The analyst pointed to the once-invincible Mike Tyson, who successfully defended his heavyweight title only nine times before James "Buster" Douglas, a 42-to-1 underdog, clocked him in the 10th round, leaving Iron Mike scrounging for his mouthpiece. Former middleweight champ "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler said it best, according to Kellerman: "It isn't easy to get up at 6:30 on a bitterly cold morning for road work when you're wearing silk pajamas." Kellerman said he expects a good fight. He felt the odds of a Cotto win, which reached as high as 7-to-1 (they were 9-to-2 as of Friday morning), were a little long but that "Mayweather is correctly the substantial favorite." Jones had less confidence in Cotto's chances, especially if he doesn't alter his technique. He predicted it will be a close fight for about five rounds before Mayweather starts wearing his opponent down. Cotto, of course, doesn't care what the bookmakers or commentators think. He's known he was the underdog since he began training in March, and he's unfazed, he said. "I'm going for victory," he said. "I have no doubt I'm going to be the winner." | Match will pit aggressive Miguel Cotto against fleet-footed Floyd Mayweather .
Team Cotto says boxer has "blueprint" to hand Floyd Mayweather first loss .
Former champ Roy Jones Jr. skeptical, says Cotto will have to change style .
Mayweather uncharacteristically heaping praise on Cotto before fight . |
04423c63496f8b4418efdf5dd97053ac2e78469b | A group of climbers have scaled Africa's highest mountain - wearing just their shorts. Dutch daredevil Wim Hof, known as the 'iceman', led a group of 26 people to the summit of the world's highest free standing mountain - Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. In just 48 hours the group climbed all 5,895m (19, 340ft) without succumbing to hypothermia or altitude sickness - an achievement considered impossible by experts. Clearly, they were in peak condition. Wim Hof (right) led a group of climbers to the peak of Mount Kilimajaro in Tanzania - wearing just their shorts . Eleven of the team climbed the mountain dressed just in shorts and without tops - to arrive unhurt at the mountain's peak, where the temperature is a brutal -20C. Before the project started, the Dutch Mountaineering and Climbing Federation and expedition medics considered this impossible. The success rate of reaching Uhuru Peak in a regular mountaineering expedition is 41 per cent. Kilimanjaro is the world's highest free-standing mountain at 5895m . Hardy: The scantily clad climbers during the long trek to the top . At the summit the amount of oxygen is less than 50 per cent of the amount of oxygen at sea level - usually for a climber going up, it takes five to seven days to acclimatise. Altitude sickness can occur from 3000m upwards and usually starts with headaches, dizziness and confusion. In extreme cases cerebral edema - brain swelling - and even death may occur. Whim believes a combination of training focus, breathing and training at low temperatures made it possible for the participants to gain control over altitude sickness. Wim Hof shows off his muscle power during the trek to the top of the Tanzanian mountain . The participants of this expedition, aged between 29 and 65 years, were without any real mountaineering experience and some suffered conditions such as rheumatism, asthma and chrones disease. Wim Hof, who sat in an ice bath for one hour 13 minutes to break the world record, said: ‘Until now the world thought that only I was capable to conquer extreme cold and altitude. ‘These heroes have shown that everybody is able to do what I am doing. Peak condition: Wim Hof at the top with his signature pose . Climbers at a pit stop on the way to the snowy summit . The mountain is one of the most famous natural landmarks in the world . ‘My method offers people the possibility to influence their mind and body, and in particular their nervous system. ‘In the course of time people forgot how much they are able to do with their own bodies, and they have become dependent of pills and powders. ‘I want to show the world that they do not always need those and can do much more themselves. ‘The general opinion about altitude sickness has always been that it could not be prevented, not even with medication. If people can control this disease on their own, what else could be possible?’ Mr Hof claims that he can alter his body's heat using just the power of his mind. | A group of 26 were led to the summit by Dutch daredevil Wim Hof .
Hof holds the world record for the longest time spent in an ice bath .
None of his group succumbed to hypothermia or altitude sickness .
Hof claims to be able to control his body temperature using just his mind .
Kilimanjaro stands at 5,895m and dominates the Tanzania landscape .
The group's feat was considered impossible by experts . |
0443d90fc54a9b33ccbef04847cac40f0ca68735 | A photograph of a well-dressed black man holding a baby is reportedly of George Zimmerman's great-grandfather - and could become a crucial piece of evidence in his murder trial. CNN aired the picture last night and if its authenticity can be verified then it supports what the accused murderer's family have been saying since the shooting took place - that Zimmerman is from a mixed-race family and did not kill Trayvon Martin because he was black. The 28-year-old's family and legal team have repeatedly asserted that he killed the unarmed 17-year-old on February 26 out of self defense rather than because of his race. Black roots: This photo shown on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight is said to show George Zimmerman's great-grandfather. Above is Zimmerman's grandmother, and his mother is in the man's arms . Message: Trayvon's mother made a special video for Mother's Day urging tighter gun control laws across America . He is awaiting trial on a second-degree murder charge and has been accused of racial profiling in the shooting death of Trayvon - whose death caused mass protests all over the country. National civil rights leaders and campaigners were up in arms when Zimmerman was not charged over the teen's death. Police cited Florida's 'Stand Your Ground' Law in their decision. Florida, which has some of the most lenient gun laws in the nation, . enacted the self-defense measure in 2005, which provides people wide . latitude to use deadly force if they fear bodily harm. The law is now in . effect in more than 20 states. Trayvon was walking through the gated . Florida community where George Zimmerman was a neighborhood watch guard . when he was shot and killed. He was unarmed. Zimmerman . said the teen attacked him, knocking him to the ground and bashing his . head into the sidewalk. He pulled the trigger of his 9mm handgun in self . defense, he claims. After initial questioning from police that night, he was released without charge. Mixed race: Zimmerman, pictured left as a boy and right after his arrest, was raised in a racially integrated household and himself has black roots through an Afro-Peruvian great-grandfather . Zimmerman's family members have insisted for months that he is no racist. Orlando attorney Mark NeJame appeared . on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight on Thursday with the photo and said it . originated from someone in the family. It shows a middle-aged black man in a shirt and tie with a baby on his lap and young woman standing behind him. The baby is thought to be Zimmerman's mother, and the young woman his grandmother . The . man is Zimmerman's great-grandfather, NeJame told the network, the baby . is Zimmerman's mother and the young woman is his grandmother. Loss: Sybrina Fulton is facing her first Mother's Day without her son Trayvon . Last month, an investigation by Reuters portrayed George Zimmerman as a trusted aid to most of his black neighbors in the gated community of Sanford, Florida that was plagued by a string of burglaries in the weeks leading up to the shooting of Trayvon Martin. The 28-year-old insurance-fraud investigator comes from a deeply Catholic background and was raised in a racially integrated household. It emerged this week he waived his right to a speedy trial while his legal team prepares his defense. The mother of Florida shooting victim Trayvon Martin appears in a Mother's Day gun control video produced by an advocacy group led by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Noting that 'this will be my first Mother's Day without my son, Trayvon,' Sybrina Fulton asks viewers to urge their state governors 'to re-examine similar Stand Your Ground laws throughout the nation to keep our families safe.' 'Nobody can bring our children back,' Fulton says in the video, released on Thursday to several websites by a Bloomberg-led gun control coalition called Second Chance on Shoot First. 'But it would bring us comfort if we can help spare other mothers the pain that we will feel on Mother's Day and every day for the rest of our lives.' Forty-five days after the shooting, following the appointment of a special prosecutor and protest marches across the country, Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder in the racially charged case. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and is free on bail. Mayor Bloomberg often refers to the Stand Your Ground laws as 'shoot first' laws. 'I hope Sybrina Fulton's courage will persuade state legislators to take a second look at shoot first laws and take a second chance to get them right,' he said in a statement. Bloomberg is one of the nation's most outspoken mayors on the issue of gun control. He has crafted gun law legislation at the local and national level, formed a gun control coalition that counts at least 600 U.S. mayors, and in 2006 directed city attorneys to sue out-of-state gun dealers whose weapons were used in crimes in New York City. | If picture is authentic it could be crucial evidence in Trayvon murder trial .
Victim's mom records Mother's Day video asking for tighter gun laws . |
044435e26d05fe7dd3ab8a0d25732b625114ec36 | (CNN) -- Dan Wallrath was honored as a Top 10 CNN Hero last year for his efforts to build mortgage-free homes for U.S. troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. He and his group, Operation Finally Home, recently partnered with the television show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" to build a house for Army Staff Sgt. Patrick Zeigler, who survived the 2009 shooting spree at Fort Hood, Texas. CNN Heroes producer Kathleen Toner recently spoke to Wallrath about the experience, which will air on ABC on Sunday night. Kathleen Toner: How was working with "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" different from one of your typical builds? Dan Wallrath: The biggest difference was just the magnitude of it. The first day when we had the Braveheart March, where volunteers and builders march in, that was very exciting -- getting things kicked off, just feeling the energy of all the volunteers and the folks. Video: Watch volunteers arrive at the build site . And then this house was built in about 100 hours, where normally we take about six months. When you do it in a week, you see the impact of the whole community. We had so many volunteers. It was amazing how smooth everything went. Of course on our other projects, we get to interact with the family a lot more during the construction. So we missed that. But the good part about working with the show is that the family has this amazing week where everything changes. So it's pretty exciting. Toner: Building a house in 100 hours sounds almost impossible. How did it really work? Wallrath: There were probably 4,000 or 5,000 volunteers involved, and it was a 24-hour work site. They set up floodlights and worked 'round the clock. They had to talk to the neighbors and let them know it's going to be going on 24/7, but the community was all for it. What amazed me was that meant that people were volunteering at all hours. To volunteer from midnight until 4, 5 o'clock in the morning -- when the cameras and the celebrities are not there -- that's pretty special. I'd built homes for 30 years and never seen anything like that. And we stayed ahead of schedule. I was impressed. They said that if we didn't exceed the record (for their shortest build time), we came real close. Toner: What was the moment like when the family saw the home for the first time? Did you really say the show's signature line? Wallrath: (laughs) We really did say, "Move that bus!" It was special. There were so many people there that day who'd helped out. It was very exciting to see the look on the faces of the young couple. It's the same look I've seen so many times when we've given away homes before -- when the young man realizes that no matter what happens to them, his family is going to be taken care of. For him, going through everything he has, to see that burden being lifted off him, it was such a joy. Toner: I hear you have plans for the empty lot next door to that home? Wallrath: We had such a good response from the community (Salado, Texas, about 30 minutes from Fort Hood), so we felt like it was the right place to put another family. We spoke to the developer that we worked with, and he gave us that lot at a very discounted price. And we've found a great couple that's going to be in this house: another wounded veteran. It'll just be great for them to have another veteran nearby. You and I can't relate to what they went through, but all of the guys tell me that when they have tough times, there's no substitute for talking to someone who's been through the same thing. Toner: And you've established a fund where people can donate to help others wounded in the Fort Hood attack. Wallrath: We're going to reach out to the other families that are all over the United States now. We're not going to be able to build homes for every one of them. But if they need wheelchair ramps, doors widened, a room added on -- that's the kind of thing that, as homebuilders, we're going to be able to do. It's so exciting to be part of it, because now all these families are not going to be forgotten. America's going to step up, and we're going to be able to help them. Read the full update on CNN Hero Dan Wallrath: Support, donations pour in for Hero homebuilder . | CNN Hero Dan Wallrath will be featured Sunday on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"
Wallrath said thousands of volunteers pitched in to help him build a home in Texas .
The home is for an Army soldier who was injured in the 2009 Fort Hood shootings .
Wallrath: "These families are not going to be forgotten" |
04449c30573846d085b22cb4f6b948562e8af091 | By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 03:49 EST, 6 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:13 EST, 6 February 2013 . Having solved one of the greatest mysteries of British history, scientists desperate to unearth the next one and confirm if Richard III did murder the princes in the tower have been left disappointed. Previously secret documents show that the Church of England, backed by the Queen, has for 20 years refused repeated requests by experts to test skeletons believed to be the Tudor successors buried in Westminster Abbey. And it appears they will not be changing their minds after the University of Leicester announced to the world . this week that the skeleton found under a council car park in Leicester is that . of Richard III. The hunchback king: The skeleton unearthed in a Leicester dig last September was confirmed this week as Richard III but the mystery of the two princes will not be solved this way . Crime: The princes Edward and Richard in the Tower in a 1878 painting (left) but clerics will not allow their remains held in an urn to be probed by the same scientists who found the treacherous king Richard (right) Dastardly: On the seizure of the throne by their uncle Richard III, the young Edward V along with his brother the Duke of York were supposedly smothered in their sleep on the new king's orders . Those in charge of Wesminster Abbey will not allow the same forensic tests used to identify the former king to be tried on remains there. Their argument is that it could set a precedent for testing any number of historical theories linked to the many famous people buried at the church. Clerics are also concerned what they will do with the bones if they are found not to belong to who they thought they did. Blocked: The bosses of Westminster Abbey will not let scientists in and have had the backing of the Queen and the Government to do so . Richard, depicted by William . Shakespeare as a monstrous tyrant who murdered two princes in the Tower . of London, died at the Battle of Bosworth Field, defeated by an army led . by Henry Tudor. The king's . nephews Edward and Richard were kept in the Tower of London, according . to history recorded at the time, and 'stifled with pillows by the order of . their . perfidious uncle Richard the Usurper', according to the inscription on . the urn their remains are kept in. Leicester University's Turi King said this week they could take DNA from the princes and match it with Richard III to find if they were related. But a Westminster Abbey spokeswoman told the Guardian: 'The recent discovery of . Richard III does not change the abbey's position, which is that the . mortal remains of two young children, widely believed since the 17th . century to be the princes in tower, should not be disturbed.' The Richard III Society, who were behind this week's confirmation of the monarch's identity, tried twice to get the urn opened in 1993 with the BBC and in 1995 with Channel 4. But the Dean of Westminster the Very Rev Michael Mayne refused to allow carbon dating and DNA testing to get to the bottom of the mystery. In 1993 he took advice from academics and experts who said the techniques would only age the bones to within 50 years, and as Richard III only reigned from 1483 to 1485 it would not be accurate enough. 'It could not therefore differentiate between Richard III or Henry VII – . or another – being the guilty party. Nor would the C/14 technique give . any clue as to the age at death of the children,' the Dean said. The Palace and Home Secretary at the time, Michael Howard, were all consulted and were in 'full agreement'. The face of a king: There were cheers from media . who had gathered from around the world as the announcement was made at . the University of Leicester this week . The fatal blows? This image of the skull shows where Richard III was injured . Theory: Dr Turi King discusses the DNA evidence and is the first to confirm the remains are those of Richard III and says this information will confirm if the bones in the Abbey are linked to him by blood . In 1995, dealing with the Channel 4 request, the Dean then admitted science had moved along further but could cause even more problems if he agreed to testing. 'A sample of bone (skin/hair/tissue) from a known individual related to . the princes would be required, and that almost certainly means opening a . second tomb in the Abbey or elsewhere. If the result is positive, the . remains of the two princes are placed back in Sir Christopher Wren's . urn. But what if they are negative: what do we do with the remains?' he said. 'Keep them in the urn in the royal chapels, knowing they are bogus, or . re-bury them elsewhere? And what would we have gained, other than to . satisfy our curiosity in one area. It would not bring us any nearer the . truth of the affair. 'There are others buried in the abbey whose identity is somewhat . uncertain, including Richard II, and allowing these bones to be examined . could well set a precedent for other requests. I do not believe we are . in the business of satisfying curiosity, or of certifying that remains . in the abbey tombs are what they are said to be.' | Princes Edward and Richard were killed by the king's men in 1483 .
Their bones are kept in Westminster Abbey, who won't let them be tested .
Academics say discovery of Richard III will allow them to solve the mystery . |
04456a027f9c7578390e215c8dde7b2a73864076 | Los Angeles (CNN) -- Authorities confiscated an antique gun and some bullets from the home of Charlie Sheen after a search, the actor's divorce attorney said Friday. Mark Gross told reporters he did not believe that by having the items his client was in violation of a temporary restraining order taken out against Sheen this month. Gross said no drugs were found and police were courteous during the Thursday night search -- a sentiment authorities echoed about the actor. "Mr. Sheen was very cooperative and we are done," said Los Angeles police spokeswoman Norma Eisenman. The actor took to Twitter immediately afterward, informing his 2.5 million followers, "the LAPD were AWESOME. Absolute pros! they can protect and serve this Warlock anytime!!! c." The restraining order was filed March 1 after Sheen's estranged wife, Brooke Mueller, requested it, alleging that he had threatened to kill her. "I will cut your head off, put it in a box and send it to your mom," Mueller claims that Sheen told her late last month. The revelations were in a court document that resulted in a court order that removed Sheen's twin boys from his home. The restraining order states Sheen cannot possess, have, buy or try to buy, receive or try to receive, or in any other way get guns, other firearms or ammunition. It came to the attention of the Los Angeles police department that Sheen is the registered owner of firearms, Eisenman said, and the search was conducted to see if any firearms or ammunition were in his possession. A source close to Sheen told CNN the actor knew authorities were coming to search his home for firearms. Sheen told the source that he had no weapons there. His attorney, Gross told reporters that both he and Sheen were aware beforehand that that the search was going to occur, though Gross did not offer specifics as to when he or Sheen were notified. The attorney said he did not believe Mueller was behind the tip that led to the search. Warner Bros fired Sheen from the hit sitcom "Two and a Half Men" on Monday after he conducted a long-running rant against the show's producers. Warner Bros is owned by Time Warner, as is CNN. CNN's Denise Quan, Douglas Hyde and Scott Thompson contributed to this report . | NEW: Police find, confiscate an antique gun and bullets from Sheen's home .
"The LAPD were AWESOME," Sheen says on his Twitter account .
A temporary retraining order was filed against Sheen this month .
His estranged wife says he threatened to kill her last month . |
0445c2f8dddc424577508f24bb3c4fd9a31b612d | By . Larisa Brown . PUBLISHED: . 04:34 EST, 26 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:50 EST, 26 August 2012 . Tragic: Scott Bradley (pictured) was driven to suicide after rumours circulated in the Scottish village where he lived that he was one of James Bulger's killers . A distraught mother whose son was driven to suicide by rumours he was one of James Bulger's killers claims an ignorant mob were to blame for his death. Scott Bradley, 36, was accused of being . child murderer Robert Thompson, whose real identity is protected, and . suffered months of malicious abuse and torment from a hate mob in the . village of Garlieston, Wigtownshire, in Scotland. His mother Sue Bradley, 66, found her beloved son hanging from the top of their stairs three weeks ago. Mrs Bradley said her son, a handyman, had turned . into a nervous wreck after a campaign of hate in which he was branded a . killer and a paedophile. She said: '(One man) went round telling everyone . that my son was definitely Thompson. People started shouting abuse at . Scott in the street and calling him a child killer.' 'It was a build-up of months and months of pressure. The worst part for him was feeling helpless. He just couldn't take anymore.' She said she was shocked at how callous people have been about his death and how little remorse his tormenters have shown. She told the People: 'The night Scott died a friend was at a party and a woman talked about it and said, "Good result".' In December 2010 Mr Bradley, who had moved from Bury, Greater Manchester, to share a home with him mother in the Scottish coastal village, broke into two sheds and stole some tools. The following August he was jailed for four months for theft. Shortly after, the community council put a poster warning about a man recently been released from jail. It said he was due to go back to England but he was still in the area preying on young girls and frightening people. Some locals assumed the man was Mr Bradley - which is when the evil hate campaign began. Rumours circulated that Mr Bradley was under protection from the Home Office because he was Robert Thompson, who murdered James Bulger, two, along with Jon Venables, now both 30, in 1993. Scott Bradley was accused of being Robert . Thompson, left, who murdered James Bulger in February 1993 along . with Jon Venables, right. The pair were given new identities on release . The rumours started spreading to other villages and Mr Bradley, who had a teenage daughter and a young son, could not find work. Then they intensified after after a local playwright wrote a . fictional play last year about Robert Thompson moving to a remote . coastal village in Galloway. The play, Village of the Damned, proved so controversial that playwright . Des Dillon was interviewed by police. Jamie Bulger, who was abducted and murdered in 1993 at the age of two . In June this year it was revealed . Dillon was negotiating the rights to turn it into a Hollywood film. Mr Bradley, who moved to Scotland seven . years ago, left a heartbreaking suicide note which read: 'They called me . all sorts - a paedophile, a follower of young girls, walking around . bullying old people. 'The list is endless. And I’m supposed to be a child killer.' Mrs Bradley said Scott had turned into a nervous wreck after a campaign of hate in which he was branded a killer and a paedophile. She said at the time of his death: 'My son was tormented by the allegations. He had a good heart and didn’t deserve this. It’s been heartbreaking. 'He kept saying ‘I’ve had enough, I’m going to kill myself’, but I didn’t believe him.' James Bulger's mother Denise Fergus said . earlier this month that she was 'shocked and upset' to hear of Mr Bradley's death and claimed . he would still be alive if the identities of Thompson and Jon Venables . were not a secret. Mrs Fergus said: 'What happened to Scott makes my blood run cold. 'I’m shocked and upset that he has apparently taken his own life. 'Whatever . the rights and wrongs of this case, this is one that shows how . dangerous it is to spread false rumours and gossip about something as . serious as the identity of child killers.' She . said: 'Sadly Scott’s death goes to show it is other people who are left . to suffer as a result of the official conspiracy, lies and deceit that . the authorities have used in this case.' Robert Thompson and Jon Venables were just 10 years old when they abducted James Bulger from a shopping centre in Bootle in February 1993. Denise Fergus, James Bulger's mother, said she was 'shocked and upset' to hear of Mr Bradley's death . The pair walked the toddler several miles to a railway line in Walton, where they tortured and killed him, leaving his body on a train line where it was hit by a train. Thompson and Venables were convicted of murder and served eight years in prison before being freed in 2001 and issued with secret new identities to protect them from vigilantes. Venables was recalled to prison in 2010 after downloading child pornography. He is set to remain in prison indefinitely for his own safety after revealing his true identity. | Scott Bradley, 36, was found hanging after months of being hounded by mob who circulated false rumours he was child-killer Robert Thompson .
Mother Sue, 66, shocked at how little remorse his tormenters have shown . |
0446ed029e45d19eaa9f11e2746ab4e8b145ec4e | Villarreal coach Marcelino has admitted he could sell defender Gabriel Paulista to Arsenal during the January transfer window. Paulista has been heavily linked with a move to north London, with reports suggesting boss Arsene Wenger is ready to meet the club's £15.3million release fee. Wenger has been under increased pressure to bring defensive reinforcements in to the club and has already confirmed that he will be active in the market. Villarreal's Gabriel Paulista (right) could be heading for Arsenal during this transfer window . And the Frenchman may get his man as Marcelino confirmed the defender could be sold this month. He told El Larguero: 'I hadn't considered selling Gabriel, it's bad news from a sporting point of view. 'But if both Gabriel and the club believe that his sale to Arsenal is the best for all parties, we will accept.' Paulista has played every single match this season, helping Villarreal to sixth place in La Liga following a run of 15 games unbeaten. Brazilian defender Paulista could soon be on his way to England with Arsenal keen on his services . Paulista will provide much needed cover for the likes of Laurent Koscielny . Could the impending arrival of Paulista see Per Mertesacker lose his place in the Arsenal first team? But the Brazilian defender hinted last weekend that a move to England is a definite possibility. 'Whether I go to Arsenal or stay at Villarreal, I won't lose my head,' said Paulista. 'I'm very calm. My head is at Villarreal and I'm very focused. My agent is working on making sure I continue being calm.' Paulista (left) fights for the ball with FC Zurich ace Marco Schonbacher during a Europa League group game . | Gabriel Paulista will be sold to Arsenal if move is 'best for all parties'
Arsenal ready to pay Villarreal's £15.3m release clause this transfer window .
Paulista has helped La Liga club go 15 games unbeaten in all competitions .
Defender could provide cover for Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker .
Click here for more Arsenal transfer news . |
0447f3ea0ca1859daa0319c9500ab77687bdf4a0 | Beijing (CNN) -- After walking several blocks through New York's busy streets recently, I finally found Wang Juntao in the middle of Times Square, where the exiled Chinese dissident was holding a sit-down protest. Wearing a grey suit and yellow tie, Wang sits in a makeshift cage to dramatize the imprisonment of Wang Bingzhang, a fellow pro-democracy activist who has been imprisoned in China for the past 11 years. Occasionally, tourists come by to read the posters on display, which explain the plight of Wang in English and Chinese, before they walk away. Close by, a bank of giant video screens flash advertisements for a range of consumer products and, by coincidence, for Xinhua, China's state-controlled news agency. Wang's hairline is receding and his waistline has expanded, but he remains the quick-witted rabble-rouser I remember from our days as students at Peking University in China. "Armed uprisings aside, I've done all kinds on anti-establishment projects in a Communist society," he says, talking at full throttle. "And I did very well. Now I am looking forward to resuming it." I remember Wang as a "Wunderkind" who enrolled at a relatively young age as a nuclear physics student, even though his passion was in politics and the liberal arts. But in 1989, he was imprisoned for over four years for his role as one of the "Black Hands," the term Chinese state media used for demonstration organizers, in the Tiananmen protests. He was eventually released on medical grounds in 1994 and found his way to the United States, where he enrolled at Harvard and Columbia, earning a Ph.D in political science in the process. Now 53, Wang lives in New Jersey and is co-chairman of the China Democratic Party, which campaigns for change in his homeland. China's Harvard . Beida alumni like Wang are fiercely proud -- some say chauvinistic -- of the school's free-spirit tradition and its reputation as "China's Harvard." "'Conquer or die', that's one of Beida's spirit," Wang recalls. "We care more about thinking or ideology than political achievements." Peking University, known in Chinese simply as Beida from the first syllables of its Chinese name Beijing Daxue, was founded 114 years ago as a training ground for China's intellectual leaders. Over the years, the university has been a bulwark of intellectual pursuit, academic freedom and patriotism. In 1919, Beida students led street demonstrations in Beijing, known then as Peking, condemning Confucian traditions and values, as well as the foreign domination of their country. Years later, many became leaders of the so-called Red Guard -- a movement of young revolutionaries who swore allegiance to Mao Zedong -- during the convulsive Cultural Revolution (1966-76), while others became the shock troops of the 1989 Tiananmen protests, organizing discussion groups, street demonstrations and hunger strikes. Crème de la crème . When I enrolled at Beida in the fall of 1977, the university was steeped in the political ferment that followed Chairman Mao's death and the start of Deng Xiaoping's reforms. My classmates, many of whom had worked on farms or in factories during the Cultural Revolution, were viewed by many as China's crème de la crème. They belonged to the storied "Class of '77" who passed the first college entrance exams held after the Cultural Revolution. During the four years I spent at Beida, I met many other fascinating fellow students who went on to become important players in China's divisive political scene. Among them was Bo Xilai, once one of the most powerful politicians in China, now disgraced and sentenced to life in prison for corruption and abuse of power. Bo majored in world history, while I studied Chinese history. Among my classmates, Bo stood out as a charismatic and gregarious one. He was not shy in striking up conversations with foreign students like me to practice English and chat about current affairs. A princeling -- his father Bo Yibo was a revered revolutionary veteran -- Bo seemed destined for a sterling political career, but in college he seemed more intent on pursuing a career as a foreign correspondent for China's state media. After two years in Beida, he moved to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and enrolled in a master's program in journalism. Years later, however, Bo did venture into politics, serving as a city mayor, provincial governor, minister of commerce and then a member of the powerful politburo of the Communist Party. Last year his political career crashed after his wife Gu Kailai was arrested and convicted for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood. In September, Bo himself was convicted to life in prison for corruption and abuse of power. He is appealing his conviction but analysts say his political career is now over. Interestingly, Wang does not think Bo is finished just yet. "When Bo was arrested last year, I had said that Bo's political career had just begun. The Communist Party may have ended his political career within the party, but it has given him his political identity and charisma as a Leftist, and in a way has made him a martyr." During his time as party chief in Chongqing -- China's biggest metropolis -- Bo's red-tinged economic policies, which included millions spent on social housing, garnered him rock star status among ordinary people increasingly frustrated by the growing wealth divide. But his populist stance and high-profile personal style did not go down well with others in the party, particularly the economically liberal and reform-oriented faction, who would not have lamented his dramatic fall from grace. "Perhaps Bo will be our biggest opponent in the future," adds Wang mischievously. Rise to the top . Another Beida contemporary, Li Keqiang, has fared better. Li, who studied law and later earned a Ph.D. in Economics at Beida, is now one of the two most powerful leaders in China. Last November, he was catapulted into the top tier of the Communist Party during the party's once-in-a-decade leadership transition before being installed as China's premier in March. "He gave me a good impression then and even now," Wang tells me as he takes a break from his Times Square protest. "He exuded the spirit of Beida -- vigorous, who prevailed with reason, virtue and performance rather than race, nationality and bloodline." But Wang thinks Li has a dual character. "On the one hand, Li is keen, diligent, eloquent and open-minded, not arrogant. On the other, he is savvy, a good listener and a sharp observer of different opinions from different sides, but he never crosses the forbidden zones." After college, Li avoided political activism and dissent, or studying overseas, as many of his contemporaries chose to do. Instead, he opted to climb the ladder of the Communist Youth League -- a training ground for communist leaders -- where he became the protégé of the former President Hu Jintao. Analysts say Li is a virtual political clone of Hu. Looking back at the colorful careers of these three Beida contemporaries -- Bo on the Left, Wang on the Right and Li in the Center -- I am reminded of how our alma mater is so closely linked with China's recent history and politics. | Wang Juntao, Bo Xilai, Li Keqiang were all students at Peking University in the 1970s .
Wang is now an exiled dissident, Bo is in prison, while Li is China's premier .
Peking University, known in Chinese as Beida, founded as training ground for China's intellectuals . |
04485e9153e34405313ab73d82b5bba20aad0034 | By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 04:18 EST, 19 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:56 EST, 19 April 2013 . This young Jack Russell got a jolly good barking at when his lively antics went a step too far. The three-month-old puppy, appropriately called Jackie, was pinned up against the wall by his seven-year-old mother Morha after he became a bit too boisterous. His mother decided to step in to deal out the rough justice after Jackie had been harassing his ten-year-old grandmother Mowa. Ticking off: Jackie the three-month-old Jack Russell is 'told off' by its mother . Wildlife photographer Jack Perks captured the action while walking with a friend and their pets on holiday in Halwill, Devon. The telling-off didn't last too long however as they started to play together before carrying on with their walk. He said: 'The dogs were making the most of the sun and the little one was bothering its grandmother. 'When Jackie's playful nature got a bit boisterous, his mother stepped in and seemed to tell him off by pressing him against the wall. 'But it was all in good fun as they had a play with each other before trotting on.' The pictures offer a revealing insight into the relationship dynamics between dogs and their parents. Rough justice: Jackie was given the stern telling-off after his mother became fed up of his boisterous behaviour . Sorry mum! Jackie appears a little sheepish after his telling off . Abashed: With his head bowed, Jackie walks off with his mother after she told him off for being boisterous . After the dog has been given its stern telling off he appeared a little crest-fallen, but quickly gather his wits before moving on. It shouldn't come as too much of a surprise the young dog needs keeping in line every now and again - Jack Russell's are notorious for wanting to be the centre of attention. They also have masses of energy and will always try to challenge authority. No wonder Jackie's mother was not willing to let him get away with his boisterous antics for too long. In the dog house: Jackie the 3-month old Jack Russell puppy faces his grandmother Mowa (left) and his mother Morha (right) Mother and son: Morha and Jackie quickly made up after the telling off and were soon carrying on with their walk . Insight: Wildlife photographer Jack Perks captured the action while walking with a friend and their pets on holiday in Halwill, Devon . | Puppy Jackie was pinned up against the wall by his mother Morha .
Wildlife photographer Jack Perks captured images while walking with friend .
But telling off didn't last too long as they soon started to play together again . |
04492e5f44f11a62de6d75d79abd8719a66d929d | By . Hayley Peterson . and Steve Nolan . and Associated Press Reporter . The founders of Twitter look set to vastly increase their already impressive wealth after they announced that the company is preparing to float on the stock market. After years of speculation, the social networking site, which has more than 200 million users worldwide, will finally follow in the footsteps of the likes of Facebook by filing an IPO. The move could take the collective wealth of Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams and Biz Stone, who co-founded the site back in March 2006, from its estimated $3billion to more than four times that. Jack Dorsey founded Twitter in 2006 when he was 29 years old. He now serves as chairman . Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey (right) attended the Allen & Company Sun Valley tech conference in July with girlfriend Kate Greer . This is the first ever tweet sent by creator and co-founder Jack Dorsey on March 21, 2006 . Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey . (right with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg) has told CBS's '60 Minutes' that . he wants to run for mayor in the future . Christopher Issac 'Biz' Stone, co-founder of Twitter and his wife Livia Stone, left, and Evan Williams and his wife Sarah, right, are to increase their wealth through the floatation . The company . announced on Thursday that it had filed paperwork with the U.S . Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in its first step toward an . initial public offering. It is expected to debut at a valuation of between . $14 billion and $20 billion. The move is one of the most highly anticipated IPOs in tech history with Twitter the last of the major social networking sites to go public. Evan Williams . Age: 41 . Net worth: $1 - $2billion . Potential worth: $8billion . CNN Money estimated that he has a 30 to 35 per cent share in the company. His firms have also founded Blogger and Medium. Williams, a vegetarian, lives in the San Francisco Bay area with his wife Sara Morishige and the pair have two children. Role: Co-founder and former Chief Executive of Twitter . Jack Dorsey . Age: 36 . Net worth: $1.1billion . Potential worth: $3.1billion . Mr Dorsey sent the first ever tweet in March 2006 and is thought to own a 10 per cent share in the company. Although he made his name with Twitter, most of his current fortune is thought to have been amassed through his estimated 25 per cent stake in mobile payment start up Square. He is a certified masseur and lives in San Francisco. Role: Executive chairman at Twitter, CEO at Square . Biz Stone . Age: 39 . Net worth: Thought to be around $200million . Potential worth: Around $2billion . As well as Twitter, Stone, full name Christopher Isaac, helped to create and launch Xanga, Blogger, Odeo and Medium. He is also CEO of a 2012 start-up called Jelly Industries, thought to be a mobile app. He has written two books on blogging and made his directorial debut as part of Project Imaginat10n with Ron Howard. Role: Co-inventor and co-founder of Twitter, CEO of Jelly Industries . It comes after Facebook floated on the US stock market in May 2012 for $104 billion (£66.2 billion) and, despite seeing an initial slump in shares, has since had a resurgence. It is thought that like Facebook, Twitter bosses' hands were forced by the Jobs Act which requires a U.S firm to file an IPO once it has reached 2,000 investors. Although the IPO was filed confidentially - the law allows companies with less than $1billion revenue in its last financial year to do so - the company was quick to announce its intentions, naturally, with a tweet last night. The confidentiality should help Twitter avoid the media scrutiny that surrounded Facebook's decision to float. The company has been ramping up its advertising products and working to boost ad revenue in preparation. But it is still small in comparison to Facebook, which saw its highly anticipated IPO implode last year amid worries about its ability to grow mobile ad revenue. Under the law, Twitter's financial statements and other sensitive information contained in the IPO filing must become publicly available at least 21 days before company's executives begin traveling around the country to meet with potential investors - a process known as a 'road show'. The decision to float the company is likely to see the company's founders Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams and Biz Stone stand to gain huge financial windfalls. The site was founded in March 2006 but has become one of the world's most popular social networking sites over the past seven years. Dorsey introduced the world to the site by sending out the first ever tweet which read: 'Just setting up my twttr'. The 36-year-old is also the founder and CEO . of Square, a mobile payments company. He is reportedly living in a $10 . million home in San Francisco and dating his longtime girlfriend, Kate . Greer. Dorsey's interest in programming . began at the ripe age of eight, according to a 2011 Vanity Fair article. He . came up with the idea for Twitter in his 20s and shared it with Biz . Stone and Evan Williams, two of his bosses at San Francisco software . startup Odeo. Williams embraced the idea and made Dorsey, who was 29 at the time, the founding CEO of the new company. Stone, 39, and Williams, 41, have also helped create Blogger, Medium, and a host of other Internet ventures. Dorsey is currently thought to be worth around $1.1billion but the floatation could see that figure increase threefold. Biz Stone's wealth could jump from $200million to $2billion, while Evan Williams, thought to be the richest of the three, could see his personal fortune jump from $2billion to $8billion. Biz Stone is one of Twitter's three co-founders. He is pictured here in 2012 at at Canon's Imaginat10n Lab. He has also helped create Medium and Blogger . Big name: Dorsey originally approached Evan Williams (pictured) about getting a job at the old company he used to run with Glass called Odeo. Williams was famous in the tech world at that point for selling Blogger to Google for millions . Others . that stand to gain from Twitter going public include early investors . Union Square Ventures, Charles River Ventures and Spark Capital, as well . as Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen, Ron . Conway and Naval Ravikant. The . company delivered the news of its planned IPO Thursday in a tweet sent out at 5 p.m. The tweet read, . 'We've confidentially submitted an S-1 to the SEC for a planned IPO. This Tweet does not constitute an offer of any securities for sale.' That tweet was followed up by a second post: 'Now, back to work.' Bloomberg reports that Goldman Sachs is expected to be the lead underwriter of the offering. Twitter had been working to boost ad revenue in . preparation for the move. It recently acquired MoPub, a mobile advertising company that has a $100 . million annual revenue run rate, and in July, the company hired a number . of people with IPO experience. Rowghani Ali, COO of Twitter, is pictured. Twitter has filed paperwork in its first step toward an initial public offering of stock . Big business: Twitter is following in the footsteps of other major social networking websites that have gone public, such as Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook which now has a share value of some $108billion . EMarketer . estimated in March that Twitter's revenue will be $582 million this . year and close to $1 billion in 2014. Twitter will be hoping to fare better than when Facebook floated last year, a move which was initially a flop. Facebook . priced its IPO in May 2012 at $38 per share, but the stock fell almost . immediately, trading well below its launch price. The stock continued to . fall over the next couple months, trading at $22 per share by September . 2012. A year later, . however, share prices have made a full recovery. By the time the markets . closed Thursday, Facebook's stock was priced at $44 per share. Twitter’s CEO is Dick Costolo, the company’s former Chief Operating Officer - a position now held by Rowghani Ali. Twitter was created back in March 2006 but its popularity soon went through the roof with more than 500 million users registered worldwide as of last year and more than 500 million tweets sent a day. Here is a list of interesting facts about what makes Twitter a global phenomenon: . | Twitter is expected to go public at a valuation of between $14bn and $20 bn .
Facebook's IPO valued the social network at around $100bn .
Twitter now has more than 200 million users after seven years . |
0449a49683cf7e85fd8754c758dca89dfdbfb855 | By . Sarah Fitzmaurice . PUBLISHED: . 20:03 EST, 12 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:29 EST, 13 February 2013 . Denise Welch's toyboy fiancé Lincoln Townley was rushed to hospital after collapsing at home. Paramedics thought the 39-year-old, of Alderley Edge, Cheshire, was having a heart attack after he complained of chest pains. A spokeswoman for Denise told the MailOnline on Wednesday that Lincoln, who acts as the former Loose Woman's publicist, did not suffer a heart attack as was first thought, and doctors are continuing to run tests. She added: 'Denise thanks everyone for their concern.' In hospital: Denise Welch's fiancé Lincoln Townley is reportedly in hospital after suffering a suspected heart attack . The couple were last seen at the premiere of Run For Your Wife in London last week, with both looking healthy and happy. Denise and Lincoln plan to get married this summer in the Algarve, with the actress' ex-husband Tim Healy already having been invited. Lincoln proposed to former Coronation Street star Denise last August while the pair were on holiday in France. Worried: The Loose Women presenter is said to be at hospital with the publicist while he awaits the results of blood tests, according to reports . In preparation for the wedding Denise had admitted that she was going to focus on shedding pounds, by getting more active in the bedroom. She told the Sunday People: 'Burning calories in the boudoir is something I intend to keep doing. That’s a very important part of our relationship.' Denise suffered heartache when she split from ex-husband Tim but has since recovered after settling down with Lincoln. She said: '2012 was a year full of more highs and lows than I’ve ever had in my life. The high being my relationship with Lincoln and the lows everything else that happened.' | Doctors have ruled out a heart attack but continue to do tests on the 39-year-old - a spokeswoman for Denise told MailOnline .
Couple plan to wed this summer . |
044a9ce43e766804918b056502de087f41d162b6 | (CNN) -- Jefferson Thomas, one of the so-called "Little Rock Nine," the nine students who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957, has died, according to Carlotta Walls LaNier, president of the group's foundation. He was 67. Thomas died of pancreatic cancer on Sunday, the Little Rock Nine Foundation said in a statement. He was living in Columbus, Ohio. As a 15-year-old, Thomas was one of the nine African-American students who braved segregationist mobs to integrate the all-white school under the protection of military forces. A retired federal accountant for the Department of Defense, Thomas "had spent the last decade of his life doing community service, traveling to promote racial harmony and supporting young people in seeking higher education," the foundation said. In 1999, he and the others received a Congressional Gold Medal from President Bill Clinton. Thomas' oldest sister, Alma Hildreth, told CNN she believes God protected Thomas so that he could accomplish a mission that God had given him: "To stand up and do what he thought was right, [and to show] that education belonged to him and all the children." "He did a lot of good that he really enjoyed doing and wanted to do. He did a lot of speaking and encouraging young people to reach for the stars. That was his mission, to do that," Hildreth said. President Barack Obama expressed his condolences to Thomas' family in a statement issued Monday, and praised Thomas' bravery in entering Central High School. "Mr. Thomas was just a teenager when he became one of the first African-American students to enroll in Little Rock Central High School. Yet even at such a young age, he had the courage to risk his own safety, to defy a governor and a mob, and to walk proudly into that school even though it would have been far easier to give up and turn back," the Obama statement said. Obama said the action "helped open the doors of opportunity for their generation and for those that followed." The surviving members of the Little Rock Nine "expressed their heartfelt sadness at the passing of the man they called their brother in a unique group for the past 53 years," the foundation's statement said. The nine have remained close, and through their foundation they provided college scholarships and mentoring to students. "I will miss his calculated sense of humor," said LaNier, another member of the nine. "He had a way of asking a question and ending it with a joke, probably to ease the pain during our teenage years at Central. He was a Christian who sincerely promoted racial harmony and took his responsibilities seriously." "Jefferson has always been, to us, a brother," said Melba Pattillo Beals, another one of the nine. "He's funny and very strong, like when we would have a very difficult day, things were absolutely at their worst, he would say, 'Smile, you're on Candid Camera,' or, you know, 'Look at what you're wearing!' He was just really, really funny." She said Thomas sent other members of the group funny e-mails almost until the day of his death. On September 4, 1957, a national furor erupted as the nine students attempted to enter Central High. Then-Arkansas Gov. Orval Faubus, in defiance of a federal court order desegregating schools, called out the Arkansas National Guard to prevent them from entering. "The nine students, chosen by Little Rock school system administrators for their excellent grades and records of good behavior, were stunned by the presence of hundreds of rioting segregationists and the Arkansas National Guard, the foundation said. The group was turned away. For two weeks, the group remained at home, attempting to keep up with their schoolwork. The federal court ordered Faubus to stop interfering with the court order, so he removed the guardsmen from the front of the school. On September 23, the nine entered the school for the first time, but an angry crowd outside beat African-American reporters who were covering the events, according to the encyclopedia. Little Rock police, who feared they could not control the mob, pulled the nine from the school that day, and they returned home. President Dwight D. Eisenhower then mobilized the Army's 101st Airborne Division to escort the nine into the school, calling the mob's actions "disgraceful," according to the encyclopedia. The nine entered on September 25. The military presence remained for the entire school year, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. However, the harassment did not end after the nine integrated the school. Military guards were assigned to escort the nine students to classes, according to the encyclopedia, but could not go everywhere, and name-calling, kicking and shoving continued in restrooms and locker rooms. "I do remember [the family] got a call that he had been knocked out -- someone had hit him on the back of head while he was at a locker in hallway," said Jessie Agee, another sister of Thomas'. "But he wanted to continue on with it." When it was time to leave school, he'd run home, and one of his older brothers -- armed with a tire iron -- would wait around a corner to escort him the rest of the way, Agee said. The following year, Faubus closed all the Little Rock high schools to avoid integration, the foundation said. When the high schools reopened for the 1959-60 school year, Thomas and LaNier returned to Central High and graduated in May 1960. "We're very sad," Minnijean Brown Trickey, also a member of the nine, told CNN Monday. "We were friends before the Little Rock Central crisis, and we've been very close over the years, so it's a great tragedy for us." Thomas was a track athlete at the African-American Dunbar Junior High School in Little Rock when he volunteered to attend Central High as a sophomore, according to his biography on the Little Rock Nine Foundation website. Hildreth said one of the reasons Thomas was inspired to volunteer came to him in biology class. At his old school, the class and the teacher had to share one frog when it came time to dissecting an animal. "But he heard at Central, all the students had their own frog to dissect. And he said he wanted to go to Central High because he would be in a class where each student had their own frog," Hildreth recalled. "We would laugh about it [later]. He said, 'I just want my own frog.'" "He found out about the wonderful education they were getting there, and that's what he wanted to experience," Hildreth said. Agee told CNN that everyone in their family, except their mother, thought Thomas' attempt to go to Central was a good idea. "She wasn't too keen on it, but she went along with it. His father wanted him to do it. She finally gave in. Him being the youngest, she was very protective of him. And he managed to do it," Agee said. After graduating from Central, he entered Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, but joined his family after they relocated to Los Angeles in 1961. He attended Los Angeles State College, where he was a member of the student government and president of the Associated Engineers. He was inducted into the Army in 1966, and was assigned to duty in south Vietnam with the 9th Infantry Division, the biography said. "He served as an infantry squad leader and directed numerous field campaigns as they confronted enemy troops." He returned to civilian life in 1968, where he helped his father run the family business and obtained his bachelor's degree from Los Angeles State College. He went to work as an accounting clerk and later a supervisor for Mobil Oil Corporation's Los Angeles Credit Card Center, while still working with the family business. When Mobile moved its operations to Kansas City, Missouri, in 1978, Thomas chose to stay in Los Angeles and went to work for the Defense Department. When the department relocated some of its Los Angeles operations in 1989, he sold the family business and moved to Columbus. In Columbus, he was active in education and community service. He received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Ohio Dominican University "in recognition of his life-long efforts in human rights and equality," the biography said. Thomas was a recipient of the NAACP's Springarn Medal. "Date and time are pending for a celebration of Thomas' life in Columbus, Ohio, and Los Angeles, California," the foundation said. Thomas is survived by his wife, Mary; a son, Jefferson Thomas Jr.; and two stepchildren, identified as Frank and Marilyn by the foundation. "We volunteered to go to Central, not anticipating the opposition that we would face," Trickey told CNN. It was only after Eisenhower sent in the 1,200 troops that the group was able to enter, she said. "We stay in contact because we had that experience, and we grew up together in Little Rock," she said. "... we cared so much about each other and felt that, that common experience bonded us in an amazing way." In 1999, the group formed the Little Rock Nine Foundation, which according to its website aims "to promote the ideals of justice and equality of opportunity for all." CNN's Jason Hanna and CNN Radio's Michelle Wright contributed to this report. | NEW: President Obama praises Thomas' bravery .
Thomas died of pancreatic cancer on Sunday .
He was 15 when he and others integrated Arkansas schools in 1957 .
Other Little Rock Nine members remember Thomas as being able to keep them laughing . |
044bc6965f77b9f41b83550d3ee7e50ff89e4d0f | Two of the youngest Sydney sige hostages have revealed they considered stabbing gunman Man Haron Monis during the horrific 17-hour ordeal. Lindt Café workers Jarrod Hoffman and Joel Herat told how they were secretly armed with kitchen knives and switch-blades and grappled with how and when to make their move against Monis. Hoffman, 19, and Herat, 21, tried to seize an opportunity to stab Monis 'in the jugular' but were also concerned their actions would further place other hostages' lives in danger. Cafe workers Jarrod Hoffman and Joel Herat revealed to 60 Minutes they considered attacking gunman Man Haron Monis in a bid to end the ordeal. 'I've got this knife in my pocket and I know Joel has a knife in his pocket,' said Hoffman . 'What if I miss?' Joel Herat grappled with the idea of stabbing the crazed gunman. He was brought to tears when he recalled the moment he decided to run out of the cafe . 'I've got this knife in my pocket and I know Joel has a knife in his pocket,' said Hoffman. Herat recounted the thoughts that went through his head during the siege. 'He was, you know, right below me sitting on the lounge and like, do I stab him? You know, what if I miss? What are the consequences of that, you know?' he told 60 Minutes. Hoffman then decided his actions would lead to fatal consequences - potentially the life of pregnant lawyer Julie Taylor. 'We are so close we could do this but you know someone would need to jump, hold his arms down and then I would stab him in the jugular,' he said. 'But he had his gun, he had it on his knee and I could see that it was pointed directly at Julie Taylor's back.' For the first time, the rantings of Sydney siege gunman Man Monis can be heard from inside the Lindt cafe, as hostages were forced to make phone calls to media outlets making demands. Monis can be clearly heard during the 60 Minutes siege special, in the background of their conversations, making almost incomprehensible statements: 'You, you call her she's ringing some of the politicians now.' 'Very good that everyone know, because everyone today realise that politic they all lie and they all cheat but before today they didn't know about it,' he continues. 'Most of you they thought different.' Scroll down for videos . Gunman Man Monis can be clearly heard in the background ranting as hostages are forced to make calls to the media by their captor . The gunman forced hostages to make the calls as the siege dragged into the late hours of December 15. In his comments, the gunman focuses on politicians claiming 'they all lie and cheat' During the Channel Nine program presented by Liz Hayes, pregnant cafe worker Harriette Denny spoke about the gunman's bizarre behaviour. 'It was very strange, he would have a big smile on his face when he would threaten us,' she said. 'I don't know why he kept smiling. But I will remember those teeth.' Ms Denny spoke about what she thought would be last desperate conversation, about her unborn child, with partner Jorge, who was waiting outside in Martin Place, powerless to help. Ms Denny, 30, revealed she had secretly kept her phone despite Monis' demands all wallets and mobiles be handed to him - and how used it during a trip to the bathroom to call her partner, Jorge. 'He asked me if I was in the building. And I said yes. And I said I loved him, as you would, because I didn't think I was coming out,' she admitted. 'You always think that you're not going to come out.' She said her partner made sure to say that 'he loves me and he is waiting for me outside'. Jorge had raced to the scene from a work site and watched on, helpless. Lindt cafe worker Harriette Denny told Liz Hayes on 60 Minutes that she thought a mass execution was about to take place when they were all up against the windows. 'I thought I was gone' and recalls her secret phone conversation with partner Jorge . Harriette Denny and her partner Jorge with the ultrasound in the weeks before the Lindt cafe siege . She also made the startling revelation that she prepared herself to be shot in the back in a mass execution inside the Lindt cafe. Denny, thought the moment gunman Man Monis forced all hostages up against the shop windows, was the beginning of the end. 'I heard him - I heard a velcro opening. I literally thought that he was going to shoot us. So everybody can see through the window, I thought I was gone,' she said. 'And I knew my family would be watching.' Pregnant 30-year-old Harriette Denny, has spoken of how she made a secret phone call to her partner Jorge who rushed to Martin Place when he found out she was trapped inside the Lindt cafe. She had made peace with the fact she was going to be shot, when she believed she would die inside the building . Two months on from the siege inside the Lindt Chocolate Cafe, the Nine Network has brought together eight of the surivors; Paolo Vassallo, Harriette Denny, Joel Herat, Jarrod Morton-Hoffman, Fiona Ma, Selina Win Pe, Louisa Hope and Robin Hope. Harriet Denny, the Lindt cafe barista who was pregnant at the time of the siege, revealed how she made peace with herself when she thought she was going to be shot by Monis in the early hours of the morning. 'Knowing that you’re about to die is kind of hard, the desperation you feel, the fear, you lose hope, thinking about your family outside, thinking there’s nothing you can do to get yourself out and it’s very hard..' she said. 'I remember sitting down and I thought I had a sense of calm. I started to be grateful for my family, for my partner and my friends and the fact that I know that maybe I won’t be able to have this baby. 'I was very grateful that I was able to experience the pure love and happiness of being pregnant so at that time I remember thinking if he shoots me, as long as I don’t feel it or see it coming I’d be okay with it.' Ms Denny continued. Joel and Harriette were among those who were able to escape the clutches of Man Monis from inside the Lindt Chocolate Cafe at the height of the Sydney siege . The anguish of the moment Joel Herat decided to make a run for it, takes its toll . Harriette Denny runs from the Lindt cafe as the siege reached its early morning climax on December 16 . As more and more people escaped, the remaining hostages recalled their fear, convinced that the gunman would turn on them in revenge as promised. 'If someone else leaves, someone dies,' café worker Jarrod Morton-Hoffman recalled Monis saying. 'They had left us. 'A glass or something just smashed and made this big bang and the gunman, he yells..."what was that?!" And then everything just slows down,' Joel recalled. 'I didn't think I was coming out. Knowing that you're about to die is kind of hard, the desperation you feel, the fear. And without even thinking I just ran,' Ms Denny (far left) said . Selina Win Pe revealed that she faced the brunt of the gunman's rage when he realised hostages had escaped earlier in the siege. 'He pressed me against the storage room side door. And I said "please, brother. Please don't shoot me please, please don't shoot",' the 43-year-old said . He recalled when his manager Tori first told him to go get the keys to shut the front door. 'Well, generally when someone says, "Everything is OK," "tell the staff that we're not in danger," pretty much usually means that you're in a lot of danger.' Yet, despite being aware of endless opportunities to escape, the 19-year-old refused to budge until the very end. Louisa Hope, 52, who was at the café with her elderly mother Robin, prepared to pay for the escaped hostages with her life. Neither woman had the option to escape due to restricted mobility - Louisa suffers from multiple sclerosis and her 72-year-old mother doubted she could run at great speed. 'I looked up and opened my eyes and they were all gone. [I thought] "Well this is it" but at the same time "I'm ready",' Ms Hope told 60 Minutes. Louisa Hope is taken from the scene of the siege early on the morning of December 16 with shrapnel wounds to both feet . Louisa Hope, 52, who was at the café with her elderly mother Robin, said she had prepared to pay for the escaped hostages with her life . Selina Win Pe revealed that she faced the brunt of the gunman's rage when he realised more of the hostages had escaped. 'Now he's realised another two, and he's heard it, we all heard it. He pressed me against the storage room side door. And I said "please, brother. Please don't shoot me please, please don't shoot",' the 43-year-old said. Louisa Hope recalled thinking: "Well, this is it," but also at the same time, "Well, I'm ready." And then he says to Tori (Johnson), "Kneel down." 'He shot him.' | Two Lindt workers who had knives considered whether they could kill the gunman who seized the cafe with 18 people inside .
The two eventually decided against an attack, fearing the gunman would start killing people if they failed .
Another hostage revealed the gunman smiled as he threatened them .
Pregnant cafe worker Harriette Denny tells of her secret bathroom phone call to partner Jorge standing outside in Martin Place, to say goodbye .
She had prepared herself to be shot in the back when all the hostages were placed against windows . |
044bdde9a8e597b21408d670b9b85269be8d68ca | She always liked to play shops when she was younger. Now schoolgirl Angel Thomas is playing the game for real - after opening her own boutique at the age of 11. The mini-entrepreneur has become Britain’s youngest shopkeeper with a business selling pet clothes and accessories. Angel Thomas is the country's youngest shopkeeper - running a pet clothing store in Liverpool . The 11-year-old balances her schoolwork with managing accounts, logging sales and promoting the site online . She runs a city centre store and balances school work with managing the accounts, processing sales and promoting her enterprise on the internet. She has just taught herself to sew and knit so she can create her own range of designer doggy fashions. ‘I’ve always wanted to be successful and run my own business,’ she said yesterday. ‘I love being my own boss and I really enjoy going to work.’ Angel has just taught herself how to sew so she can start making her own range of products . The schoolgirl recently gave her mother a prestigious 'employee of the month' award . The extraordinary enthusiasm Angel applies to her trade has produced steady sales since Pawabella opened its doors two months ago in Gostins Arcade, a collection of independent shops in a small mall in the heart of Liverpool. Every evening she rushes home from school to update her Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook accounts, checks the store’s website for orders that need to be processed and answers enquiries from customers. All her free time, holidays and weekends are spent running the shop, which she leases in the name of her mother Anita. The schoolgirl convinced her to save the money she spent on music lessons for her daughter - and to use it instead as capital for the business venture. This picture shows just some of the products the schoolgirl has on offer at her Liverpool shop . More of the fabulous doggy outfits on sale in the store. The girl doesn't plan on being in retail forever - and wants to study at University to become a vet . In return for starting the Pawabella bank account and helping behind the counter, Angel generously bestowed on her mother an ‘Employee of the Month’ award. Now the Catholic primary school pupil is looking to expand her empire to finance and fulfil her next ambition - going to university to study to become a vet. ‘It’s all I have ever wanted to do,’ she said. ‘Hopefully Pawabella will make enough money to pay for me to study. I don’t feel like I’m giving up my free time or weekends because I enjoy the work so much. My dream now is to build up stock and move into a bigger shop.’ She also plans to expand the empire by advertyising and setting up stalls at dog shows. Yesterday Anita, who has three other children, said: ‘The business is all her. She knows exactly what she wants, and how she wants things to look. I have absolutely no say in any of it - she’s very much in charge. She chooses her own stock, designs her own patterns and even designs and makes a lot of the products herself. Angel puts the final touches to the shop. She wants to build up stock and move shop in the near future . 'She works so hard and is so committed. Everyone is so proud of what she is doing. It’s great to see her really enjoying something she has created herself. She is so full of ideas. 'Her next challenge is making her own personalised dog treats and she wants to start a stall at dog shows. 'Angel has seen her older sister go to university and struggle with money, and she knows that she doesn’t want that for herself when she’s older. She wants to be able to afford to study for her dream. I’m just so proud of her.’ | Angel Thomas has business selling pet clothes in the heart of Liverpool .
Balances school work with managing accounts and processing sales .
Has just taught herself to sew - so she can make her own range . |
044cc53859ccd95a933190953c34ced4b63719c0 | By . John Stevens, Political Reporter . No wonder Sally Bercow looks so pleased with herself. She and her pal Farah Sassoon are enjoying the best seats in the house for the State Opening of Parliament. Tickets for the glittering ceremony are highly sought after but the Speaker’s wife and wealthy businesswoman Mrs Sassoon were sitting in a prime spot in the House of Lords gallery. Best view: Sally Bercow (left) and Farah Sassoon watch the State Opening of Parliament from the Lords gallery . Last night John Bercow was accused of bringing his office of Commons Speaker into disrepute after it emerged Mrs Sassoon was given the ticket just days before she donated thousands of pounds to his re-election campaign. The Queen set out the Government’s agenda at the occasion on June 4. Three days later, Mrs Sassoon’s conference and booking firm handed £5,000 to Mr Bercow. The Speaker already faces questions on why Mrs Sassoon was granted a pass giving her access to the parliamentary estate. Yesterday Mr Bercow was warned that the donation would be seen as a reminder of previous ‘cash for access’ and sleaze scandals. Accused: Last night, Speaker John Bercow was accused of bringing his office into disrepute after it emerged Mrs Sassoon was given a ticket to the ceremony just days before she donated £5,000 to his campaign . Drinking pals: Mrs Sassoon came to public attention last year when she was pictured draping her leg across Mrs Bercow's lap in a cab (above) while on a night out. She is married to hotelier Peter Sassoon Munns . Tory MP Rob Wilson said: ‘This raises further questions about the Speaker, but in particular his wife’s relationship with Farah Sassoon. ‘For her to be given such a lofty place at the State Opening of Parliament, mere days before she donates thousands to the Speaker’s re-election campaign, raises the spectre of past Parliamentary scandals.’ During the State Opening, Mrs Sassoon and Mrs Bercow watched as Mr Bercow paraded into the chamber with MPs before the Queen spoke. An onlooker said: ‘Sally and Farah appeared to be enjoying themselves. They were chatting away and having a joke before the ceremony started.’ Earlier this week, it emerged that Mrs Sassoon had been granted a pass giving her access to the parliamentary estate two years before she made the donation, which Mr Bercow has declared in the Register of Members’ Interests. The pass allows her to bypass airport-style security checks at the Houses of Parliament. Mr Wilson wrote to Mr Bercow to ask him why it had been granted and raised the prospect of writing to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards about the issue. Mr Bercow said that the pass allowed Mrs Sassoon access to his grace-and-favour apartment overlooking the Thames. He stated: ‘My family is entitled to apply for security clearance for those who visit us regularly. A close personal friend of my wife holds such a pass. ‘The security pass in question does not permit that person to access the wider Parliamentary Estate unless escorted by a full pass holder.’ Mrs Sassoon came to public attention last year when she was pictured draping her leg across Mrs Bercow’s lap in a cab while on a night out after an awards ceremony. She is married to hotelier Peter Sassoon Munns. She has given more than £40,000 to Labour. She is listed as director of Trust Reservations, a conference and hotel booking agency, which made the donation to Mr Bercow. Couple: Mr Bercow and his wife Sally attend the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding in April 2011 . One of its contracts is said to be arranging hotels for Labour delegates at party conferences. Last night a spokesman for Mr Bercow said: ‘Farah Sassoon is a good friend of Sally Bercow. Ms Sassoon has accompanied Mrs Bercow to hear the Queen’s Speech from the West Gallery, in the House of Lords, on the previous two occasions.’ Mrs Sassoon has made clear that she does not wish to speak to the Press. | Sally Bercow and Farah Sassoon pictured at State Opening of Parliament .
They sat in prime spot in House of Lords gallery for the glittering ceremony .
Last night, Speaker John Bercow accused of bringing office into disrepute .
Mrs Sassoon was given ticket to ceremony just days before donating £5,000 to his re-election campaign . |
044e7ae004632ddb352984a014bb0ec1c79bb008 | Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Protesters of a tuition hike at University of California campuses stood their ground into Friday night, with 41 demonstrators at UC Berkeley cited for trespassing after their takeover of a campus building. Nearly 100 protesters at UC campuses have been arrested over the past two days in the demonstrations over a 32 percent tuition increase. The demonstrators, students and nonstudents alike, were cited for trespassing, spokeswoman Claire Holmes told CNN. Holmes said those arrested would be cited and released rather than taken to jail, per agreement with student leaders. Three students were arrested earlier at Berkeley in the wake of protests across several campuses that have shaken up the University of California system a day after officials approved a tuition increase to be enacted over the next two school years. University officials said the $505 million to be raised by the tuition increases is needed to prevent even deeper cuts than those already made because of California's persistent financial crisis. Protesting students said the hike will hurt working and middle-class students who benefit from state-funded education. The first tuition hike, which takes effect in January, will raise undergraduate tuition to $8,373. The second hike kicks in next fall, raising tuition to $10,302, said university spokeswoman Leslie Sepuka. Students who live on campus could pay up to an estimated $17,200 in additional fees that include the annual cost of books and housing, according to the system's July 2008 finance guide. The January increase of about 15 percent is more than double the average public university tuition hike last year. On average, tuition and fees at four-year public universities nationwide increased 6.5 percent, or to $7,020, since the previous school year, according to data from College Board. Students eligible for financial aid and whose families make under $70,000 will have their tuition covered, the university said. Caitlin Lawrence Toombs, a UCLA student, told CNN she'd have to request additional loans to pay for school and that with her brother starting at Berkeley soon the cost would place a heavier burden on her family. She, too, participated in the student outcries against the increase, she said. And many other students had yet to back down Friday. On the Santa Cruz campus -- where building occupations began last week with a library sit-in -- about 100 students staged a sit-in in the second-floor lobby of Kerr Hall soon after hearing the tuition hike had been approved, according to UC Santa Cruz Provost David Kliger. Many remained there Friday afternoon. The demonstrators made demands, Kliger said without listing them. They would not keep exits clear and broke into some parts of the building, he said, adding they are trespassing and could be arrested. In addition, the students could face suspension or expulsion. "We cherish the principle of free speech," Kliger said. "Regrettably, these actions go well beyond that." At UC Berkeley on Friday morning, students occupied the second floor of Wheeler Hall, UC Berkeley spokeswoman Janet Gilmore said. Campus police broke through a barricaded of furniture and office equipment on the ground floor and arrested three students, she said. The protesters demanded the reinstatement of 38 custodial staff members recently laid off, according to a Berkeley news release. The demonstrators also asked for amnesty and for a drop of charges against any protesters. Are you there? Share your images, video . An additional 250 demonstrators remained outside Wheeler Hall into the night, according to Holmes. Authorities arrested dozens of angry students on the campus late Thursday after they refused to vacate the school's administration building. The 52 students were taken into custody by the Davis Police Department and deputies from the Yolo County Sheriff's Department, according to Claudia Morain, a UC Davis spokeswoman. The arrests at Mrak Hall, the campus' main administration building, came about four hours after the normal 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET) closing time. At one point, as many as 150 students were at the building protesting the tuition increase, Morain said. UCLA's Campbell Hall was occupied for several hours Thursday evening, a school spokesman said. The takeover was not planned or sanctioned by the main protest organizer -- the United State Student Association, according to USSA representative Gabby Madriz. The same building was briefly occupied Wednesday night by several dozen student protesters, according to a UCLA news release. The building was the site of the 1969 shooting deaths of two Black Panther Party members during an internal dispute, according to the release. The UCLA campus was the scene of the largest and loudest demonstrations Thursday. "We're fired up. Can't take it no more," students chanted as they marched and waved signs at UCLA. "Education only for the rich," one sign read. Some faculty members and campus workers -- worried about furloughs and layoffs to come -- joined the protesting students. "Stop cuts in education and research," a sign carried by a teacher said. After the regents voted, students rushed to parking decks to stage a sit-in to block regents' vehicles from leaving. Campus police and California Highway Patrol officers in riot gear stood nearby. As one regent member walked out, students lining his path shouted, "Shame on you, shame on you." The situation ended without incident as students gradually left the scene. University executives told the regents the fee hikes are needed because they've already made deep spending cuts in the past two years -- cuts forced by the state budget. About 26 percent of the $20 billion spent each year by the system comes from the state's general fund coupled with tuition and fees paid by students, according to a summary on the regent's Web site. The fee increases are to be balanced by a raise in "the level of financial assistance for needy low- and middle-income students," according to a statement from the Board of Regents. The tuition hike is expected to raise $505 million for the university system, and about $175 million of that money is to go toward student financial aid, the board said. CNN's Alan Duke, Augie Martin, Greg Morrison and Lynn Lamanivong contributed to this report. | NEW: Nearly 100 have been arrested at UC campuses over the past two days .
NEW: 41 demonstrators at Berkeley cited for trespassing after taking over building .
Higher-ed students across California have been protesting a 32 percent tuition hike .
University officials say fee hikes needed since they've already made deep spending cuts . |
044eb5362e469c4be6a60b015490cb576b4c8596 | Jessica Wynter gave birth to her baby son Kye in a onesie after he was born suddenly as she struggled across a hospital car park . A young mother who gave birth in a onesie as she struggled across a hospital car park has described the moment she found her baby son ‘curled up in the right leg, safe and sound’. Jessica Wynter was taken to hospital by her parents after she went into labour one-week early. But she ran out of time when she got to the car park of King's College Hospital, in Lambeth, south London, and little Kye was born in the onesie. Ms Wynter, 21, described how at the time she thought her waters had broken, saying it 'felt like a rubber duck slapped across my leg'. She said it was lucky she had been wearing the garment as it prevented baby Kye from hitting the floor. She said: 'I got up because I wasn't in pain any more. My mum came over and we could both hear crying coming from inside. 'I unzipped the onesie and Kye was curled up in the right leg, safe and sound. 'He looked really happy just sitting there.' Ms Wynter said she woke up at three in the morning on December 27 suffering from serious back pain. The Coventry University design student, from Streatham, was in pain throughout the day and decided to get into a hot bath at 5.30pm in a bid to soothe her backache. She then realised however that she was going into labour. She put on the polka dot adult-sized babygro as her mother Christine and father Davonne helped her into the car to race to hospital. She was undergoing contractions in the car and ran out of time straight after arriving at the hospital car park. Following the birth, the pair were stretchered into the maternity ward where medics checked little Kye to make sure he was healthy . Kye was suddenly born as his mother struggled across the car park to the hospital. He was caught safely in the leg of his mother's polka dot onesie, given to her at Christmas by her grandmother Enid. Ms Wynter said: 'My contractions were nearly five minutes apart and my back was in agony - I realised I was in labour. 'It . was really scary. I went in the bath a couple of times for the pain. By . the time dad got home I knew that we had to go to the hospital. Ms Wynter gave birth as she made her way across the car park at King's College Hospital, in Lambeth, south London . 'We left around half five in the afternoon. I was yelling "He's here he's here". 'I was in the back seat of the car screaming my heart out. Ms Wynter said it was 'so lucky' she put the onesie on before going to the hospital . 'I was really frightened and in pain and I kept worrying we would be stopped because I had no seatbelt.' Her . father parked up in the drop off area but after she got out of the car . Ms Wynter struggled as she tried to make her way to the hospital . She . said: 'And I knew something had come out. I thought it was the water . sack. It felt like a rubber duck slapped across my leg.' Ms Wynter said eight doctors turned up following the birth, with one throwing a blanket over the new mother to keep her warm. She was then stretchered into the maternity ward where medics checked little Kye to make sure he was healthy. Ms Wynter said: 'His temperature was a little bit low because he was born outside but apart from that he seemed fine. 'He was born at 39 weeks, a week early. 'I just threw on the onesie as I came out of the bath. It could have been anything else, it's so lucky. 'If it had been something like a nightie I don't think he would have survived. 'I was in so much shock when I saw him on my leg. I couldn't believe it. Lots of babies don't stick to a time schedule so every day surprise deliveries can regularly be a cause of havoc for parents as well as medical staff. Last summer, MailOnline reported how on Tuesday, June 18, a father delivered his daughter's baby in the front seat of his car, while three days later a baby said hello to the world in a police station. Two weeks previously an eager tot arrived a month early while his blindsided mother was on the toilet. Father-of-three, Tony Hall, described how he delivered his daughter's baby in the front seat of his car on a busy road after he had been driving her to hospital when he was caught up in heavy school traffic in Welling in Bexley, London. And Kayleigh Thompson and Dan Hunt, who worked together to deliver their baby boy in their bathroom on May 31, have a lasting reminder of the big day after they named him Lou. 'I've got to keep the onesie in my keepsake box- it's just so surreal. 'I'm sure I'll tell him all about it when he's older, probably as soon as he can talk.' Doctors said Kye, who was born at 6lb 5oz, was healthy and well enough for the pair to be allowed to return home the same day. The onesie has been washed and will be kept in a keepsake box as a reminder of Kaye's dramatic arrival. Ms Wynter's father Davonne, 48, said: 'It's a real shock to the system. 'When I was coming home from work I had no idea what was about to happen. 'I parked in the drop off area in the hospital and went to call the labour unit to let them know Jessica had arrived. 'I got back and she was on all fours in pain screaming. The next thing I knew, about eight medical staff appeared and it was all over. 'She thought she had given birth to the water sac, not the actual baby. 'We were all in a state of complete shock. If it had been a night dress who knows what could have happened, it's such a blessing really. 'I'm just thankful that she had the onesie on - it's so lucky he's safe. 'I'm sure lot's of young mums are going to want them now.' | Jessica Wynter, 21, was rushed to hospital after going into labour early .
But she gave birth suddenly while in the car park of King's College Hospital .
She said she opened the garment to find her son curled up in the right leg .
The student was given the onesie by her grandmother for Christmas .
She said it was lucky she was wearing garment as it stopped Kye hitting the floor . |
044f131c703c8ea6277286b79ccf8c08eaa4387d | (CNN) -- Norway's navy announced on Monday that it will help search for the missing plane of 20th century explorer Roald Amundsen, more than 80 years after his death. Roald Amundsen led the first successful expedition to the South Pole from 1910 to 1912. The search -- scheduled for later this year -- will focus on a 40 square-mile (104 square-kilometer) area of the Arctic Ocean where researchers believe Amundsen's plane crashed in 1928. "If there is something down there, we will find it," said senior Commander Frode Loeseth told CNN. Loeseth said they will be concentrating on finding the plane's wreckage, and do not expect to find any remains. Amundsen, who is a national hero in Norway, led the first successful expedition to the South Pole from 1910 to 1912. He is also credited with being the first person to reach both the North and South Poles. He went missing in June 1928 at the age of 55 while flying to the North Pole for a rescue operation. The location of his disappearance "is one of the remaining unsolved mysteries in our time," a press release from the Norwegian Navy said. Loeseth said the navy will participate in the search along with the Norwegian Aviation Museum; Kongsberg Maritime, a Norwegian maritime technology company; and Context TV, a German TV production company that will document the operation. The search is scheduled to begin the last week of August. There have been several attempts to find the location of Amundsen's crash, most recently in 2004. But this time Norway's navy will be able to scour the depths of the Arctic Ocean with a submarine, named after a character in Norse mythology. "We have one special tool -- Hugin -- that is a state-of-the-art submarine, unmanned, and can search for 18 hours," the commander said. Hugin is the mythological raven that traveled around Earth and informed the Norse god, Odin, of what happened that day. Loeseth said the navy has had the unmanned submarine for some time, but the one that will be used in the search is the Hugin 1000, a "newly modified and upgraded" model. Loeseth would not say how much the operation was expected to cost, or which organization was funding the bulk of the search. He stressed that the partners have an agreement and a budget, and Norwegian taxpayers will not be paying for any part of the search. He said Amundsen's relatives support the project. He noted that it has been five years since the last search for Amundsen's wreckage because "it takes time to raise funding for such projects." | Unmanned submarine to be used in search for Roald Amundsen's plane .
Amundsen's plane crashed in 1928 while he was on a rescue mission to North Pole .
Amundsen first to reach South Pole; credited with being first to both poles .
Search due to begin later this year . |
044f439de3f1d103d4341859349737b89607c344 | The Archbishop of Canterbury has criticised energy companies for imposing huge price rises that will hammer struggling families. Justin Welby said power giants had a ‘massive’ moral duty beyond squeezing customers for maximum profit, and challenged the firms to justify their huge increases in bills. The Archbishop, himself a former oil executive, said he understood the anger over apparently ‘inexplicable’ rises and called on the companies ‘to behave with generosity and not merely to maximise opportunity’. Sympathy: Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said he understood anger over 'inexplicable' rises . He hit out after British Gas announced a 9.2 per cent hike, despite parent company Centrica recording a £2.7 billion profit last year. Other suppliers are expected to follow suit. Speaking exclusively to The Mail on Sunday, Britain’s most senior cleric said that rises which would add an average £123 a year to bills were ‘a huge moral issue’ for energy firms. Archbishop Welby’s comments will heap pressure on the Government to get tougher on the industry. Energy prices have become a major political issue, with Labour accusing the Government of failing to tackle ‘rip-off’ companies, while Ministers have said consumers should switch to better deals and even wear jumpers to keep warm. The Archbishop called on energy companies to be ‘conscious of their social obligations’ and said: ‘The impact on people, particularly on low incomes, is going to be really severe in this, and the companies have to justify fully what they are doing. ‘I do understand when people feel that this is inexplicable, and I can understand people being angry about it, because having spent years on a low income as a clergyman I know what it is like when your household budget is blown apart by a significant extra fuel bill and your anxiety levels become very high. That is the reality of it.’ Price rise: Profits at British Gas rose 11 per cent last year . The issue of fuel prices has shot to the top of the political agenda since Labour leader Ed Miliband promised to freeze bills for 20 months if he won the next Election, a pledged branded a ‘con’ by David Cameron. Shadow Energy Secretary Caroline Flint welcomed the Archbishop’s comments, saying: ‘The chorus of voices telling this Government to act on spiralling energy bills is deafening.’ Archbishop Welby said the energy companies had a moral obligation to set prices fairly. He said: ‘They have control because they sell something everyone has to buy. We have no choice about buying it. ‘With that amount of power comes huge responsibility to serve society. It is not like some other sectors of business where people can walk away from you if they don’t want to buy your product and you are entitled to seek to maximise your profit. ‘The social licence to operate of the energy companies is something they have to take very, very seriously indeed.’ Archbishop Welby added that he was concerned that fuel poverty was ‘a very severe issue... because real incomes are flat or declining and the cost of energy has gone up. It ties in with the food banks and the debt. They are all part of the reality of life for many people today.’ ‘The chorus of voices telling this Government to act on spiralling energy bills is deafening.’ -Shadow Energy Secretary Caroline Flint . Fuel poverty is defined as when ten per cent or more of a household’s disposable income is spent on adequate heating. Following the Archbishop’s comments, The Mail on Sunday discovered that The Church of England itself invests heavily in energy firms. Accounts show the Church owns more than £7 million worth of shares in Centrica and about £6 million in SSE. The Church says it uses its investments for ‘active engagement’ with companies and their boards to exert a positive influence. British Gas’s price rise announced last week follows an 8.2 per cent increase by SSE. Other ‘Big Six’ suppliers are likely to follow. The hike dismayed campaigners, who said it was a ‘big, nasty’ shock for families who would have to choose between eating and heating this winter. But the suppliers all say they have to put up bills in the face of rising costs. SSE summed up the position, saying: ‘We regret having to put our prices, but the cost of supplying energy is going up: buying it, delivering it to homes and the cost of government taxes all cost more than last year and are outside our direct control.’ Archbishop Welby, who worked for French firm Elf Aquitaine and London-based Enterprise Oil before becoming a vicar in Coventry, said he did not have enough evidence to know if the suppliers were too quick to pass on wholesale rises, but slow to pass on price falls. Profits at British Gas rose 11 per cent last year to £606 million, and managing director Chris Weston is expected to net £2 million in share bonuses this year on top of a £595,000 salary. Archbishop Welby pays the energy bills for his Lambeth Palace flat out of his annual £74,000 stipend, but most clergy receive less than £25,000 a year. 'Wrong place': Energy minister Greg Barker said some planners have been 'too insensitive' 'Cannot be at any place at any price': Minister Greg Barker . Wind farms have scarred the British landscape and turned the public against the renewable energy agenda, an Energy Minister has conceded. Greg Barker made the admission as he promised that future projects would be located off-shore. ‘We put certain projects in the wrong place,’ the Energy and Climate Change Minister said. ‘Some planners have been too insensitive to the impact on the landscape and it has turned public opinion against the wider renewable agenda. We are very clear about the need to limit the impact on the countryside and landscape. It is quite clear the expansion of the on-shore wind rush is over.’ Mr Barker’s comments come amid growing political tension over rising household energy bills and a week after it was revealed that a record number of on-shore wind farms have been approved for construction this year. Between January and August, 188 were granted planning permission – a 49 per cent increase on the same period in 2012. As energy companies continue to lodge applications to take advantage of generous green subsidies, Mr Barker said Britain was on course to meet a target that 20 per cent of electricity must come from sustainable sources by 2020. But the Minister added that he would write to every council, warning they must ban turbines from areas of outstanding natural beauty. He said: ‘There’s enough wind projects in the system now so we don’t need to see any more on-shore expansion. The big area for expansion is off-shore, where there is scope for larger projects. ‘With those projects in the system or under consideration in the planning process at the moment, it means we have enough to get to our 2020 targets. ‘But it cannot be at any place and at any price.’ | Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby criticised energy companies .
The former oil executive said he understood anger over price hikes .
Speaking exclusively to Mail on Sunday he said rises were 'huge moral issue' |
044fcb7c0009980ec77c33cab3d1bb6e12f12658 | Washington (CNN) -- He was talking about health care, but President Obama could have just as easily been summing up his entire first year when he made some blunt comments in a closed-door meeting with House Democrats last week. Democratic sources who were in the room say Obama, pressed by liberals angry about the reform package getting watered down, decided to quote Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, who said recently: "What we're building here is not a mansion, it's a starter home. It's a starter home, but it's got a great foundation for expanding health care coverage to 31 million Americans." Obama's point was that he believes the health bill -- if it can pass (and that's in real doubt now) -- would be a dramatic step forward but is just the first draft. He hopes to come back later in his presidency to pass a second reform package that finishes the job. The same goes for other big Obama promises like energy reform to deal with climate change and financial regulatory reform to clean up Wall Street -- "mansions" that have not been built yet, even though a strong "foundation" has been put down to meet these promises in the future. But Republican Scott Brown's stunning victory in Massachusetts on Tuesday suggests Obama may not even get the first draft of health care reform through Congress, because of a huge split in his own party: Angry liberals in the House are signaling they will not rush through what they consider to be the Senate's weak version of reform before Brown gets seated in the Senate, while skittish conservative Democrats in the Senate, like Ben Nelson of Nebraska, may no longer be on board with any kind of reform, out of a fear of becoming the next Martha Coakley. The broader problem Obama has been facing, even before Massachusetts, is that securing a mere "starter home" on health care or any other major issue is a far cry from the sky-high expectations he set for his supporters one year ago, when they were shouting "Yes We Can!" after a campaign in which he laid out plans for dramatic change. To be fair, the president warned in his inaugural address, one year ago Wednesday, that all of the nation's problems would not be solved so quickly. "They are serious, and they are many," he said then. "They will not be met easily or in a short span of time." Nevertheless, most Americans skipped past that section of the speech, and focused instead on Obama's promise to end the bitter partisan divide in Washington on the way to shaking up the system. That goodwill from the early days evaporated quickly, and the president's approval ratings have dipped as disappointment has grown among the very independent voters who helped elect him in 2008. That's why he very deliberately tried to recalibrate expectations at a Washington church this Sunday as he delivered remarks celebrating the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. "There was a hope shared by many that life would be better from the moment that I swore that oath," Obama said. "Of course, as we meet here today, one year later, we know the promise of that moment has not yet been fully fulfilled. Because of an era of greed and irresponsibility that sowed the seeds of its own demise, because of persistent economic troubles unaddressed through the generations, because of a banking crisis that brought the financial system to the brink of catastrophe, we are being tested -- in our own lives and as a nation -- as few have been tested before." Poll: 51 percent approve of Obama after first year . Channeling the outrage that fueled Brown's upset victory in Massachusetts, House Republican Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia said the reason for the disconnect is that the president dropped the talk of unity too quickly and instead "forged ahead with a narrow ideological agenda that has compromised his ability to create sustainable jobs and thereby fix our nation's most pressing problems." In an op-ed on the new conservative Web site Daily Caller, Cantor charged his party has offered to work with the president but he has "paid our proposals mere lip service when the cameras are on, only to rebuff our ideas in their entirety once the meeting ends. As a result, the history books may well look back on the beginning of the Obama presidency as the era of squandered opportunities." White House press secretary Robert Gibbs insists Republicans have not made serious overtures to meet the president halfway, perhaps hoping instead that Obama's struggles will help the GOP in the November midterm elections. And Gibbs says the real reason for Obama's problems stems from the fact that he made some tough decisions on unpopular -- but necessary -- government interventions to save the economy. "Ensuring that the banks didn't collapse was not a popular decision," Gibbs said. "The president strongly believes it was the right one. Ensuring that two domestic auto companies didn't go out of business -- not popular. Again, the president believed it was the right decision to make." Obama also frequently reminds the public that in addition to inheriting that financial crisis, he was also handed two unpopular wars, in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a continuing threat from al Qaeda, that have tested his mettle as commander in chief. All of that has weighed on Obama's approval rating, especially the difficult decision to send more than 50,000 additional U.S. troops to escalate the war in Afghanistan. The terror incident on Christmas Day was a fresh reminder that national security is a wild card for any president. As each day in office passes, it will become harder and harder for Obama to continue pointing the finger of blame at former President George W. Bush for all of the "inherited" problems. And in a strange way, Tuesday's election loss could help Obama refocus his agenda at the start of year two. A top Democratic strategist close to the White House said that it's a lot better for the White House to take its lumps now and readjust priorities in the weeks ahead to avoid much larger losses in the midterm election -- rather than coasting along now and then getting hit with an awful surprise in November. But will Obama and his top aides dig in and refuse to move to the middle a bit? Or will they acknowledge that Massachusetts is a wake-up call, as Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh and other moderate Democrats have suggested, and make some adjustments? Then-President Clinton was briefly humiliated by the 1994 midterm election debacle caused in large part by his overreaching health care effort, but he quickly picked himself up off the canvas and started focusing on bite-sized initiatives that won Republican support and positioned him for an easy re-election victory in 1996. Ron Pollack, head of the liberal health group Families USA, is pushing Obama to finish off health reform quickly before Democrats lose their 60-vote supermajority in the Senate. But Pollack also said he thinks on some of the other big issues after health reform, like climate change and Wall Street regulatory reform, "they will have to get some Republican" lawmakers on board, and the new political reality may force some compromise on both sides. But Pollack added that it's "way premature" to suggest the Massachusetts race will bring a major shift to the political climate. He's still confident that as the unemployment picture improves down the road, "people will see the good in Obama's policies" on health and other matters, and his standing will improve. Of course, there's also the possibility the public mood continues to sour on the economy and Obama's other key initiatives like health care. Brown seemed to be warning in his victory speech Tuesday night that the anti-incumbent anger Obama rode into office could wind up blowing up in his face in November. "What happened here in Massachusetts can happen all over America," Brown said to cheers. In fact, when Brown talked about scrapping the health reform effort and starting over because "we can do better," the Republican crowd started a chant that had to send a tiny shiver down the spine of even the most confident White House staffer. "Yes we can!" Brown's supporters shouted. "Yes we can!" | Obama stresses building foundation for future steps toward his agenda .
Republican win in Massachusetts could create split among Democrats .
Obama also faces gap between high hopes at his inauguration and reality now .
One expert says it's better for White House to take its lumps now, before midterm elections . |
04526d09096fc390c974c0b61091f1f26f76357e | LINKENHOLT, England (CNN) -- Hidden away in the hills of Hampshire lies the village of Linkenholt. This idyllic community, home to just 50 people comes complete with grand Edwardian manor house, cricket pavilion and grounds, blacksmith's forge, rectory, shooting grounds, 22 houses and grade 2 listed cottages. The current owner has ensured that houses are not sold off in the near future. It's all one could ever want from a quintessential English village, and now it is on sale for $33 million. Once owned by English cricketer Herbert Blagrave, the estate was left to his own charitable trust which has now put the entire village -- church not included -- up for sale. "That," joked local estate agent Tim Sherston, "is owned by God." In times of financial downturn and falling house prices, the decision to sell up is curious. The trust says though it wants to free up the capital tied up in the estate so it can give more to charity on an annual basis. Sherston maintains that Linkenholt is not only a rare opportunity; it is a sound buy. "Big time investors will look upon it as a safe haven to place their money because in five years you're going to see a great deal of appreciation here, so this is perfect." The new owner could also take away a significant income from the rent of the houses. Watch as village goes on sale » . Likely buyers are private individuals interested either in farming or the shoot, regarded as one of the finest in the south of England, according to Sherston. There has also been some foreign interest though he adds "the village is run very much as it has been for the last 200 to 300 years and it is the trustees' hope that the new owner will continue to run it in the same manner." Provisions have been made by the trust to ensure the houses are not sold off in the near future. Only the manor house will be vacant for the new owner. But locals do worry about their new landlord. The village thatcher Paul Raynsford told CNN: "I'd sooner not see a banker or someone who's going to asset strip it. I'd like to see a film star, pop star, footballer, someone who just wants to buy it so they can say 'I'm the lord of the manor.'" Ray Smith, known locally as "the Sheriff," has worked as the estate's manager for 50 years. He says: "I'd like to see an Englishman live in the manor, run the farm and the shoot like it used to be." Indeed, Linkenholt is idyllic; within the beautiful surroundings classified as an area of outstanding beauty, this is a village full of characters and local tales. Ray's wife Elsie talks of how they met as teenagers cycling past each other everyday on the way to work along the same path. Stopping one day to help with her broken bike, they have been together ever since. He made the permanent move to Linkenholt when the keeper before him caused a local scandal when caught illegally shooting the ground's deer. Two doors down lives Elsie's sister, who is married to Ray's brother. The sisters were born here, christened and later married in the church here, worked in the cricket club, and though their own children have moved further afield, they would never leave. Their father even died on Linkenholt's cricket ground during a game in the 1930s. Having dedicated their lives to the village, the Smiths and childhood friend Alan Dewey, another original local, were given the houses in which they live by the trust. Ray adds: "I'm on holiday all the time. With a place like this to sit in the sun and look at all the views, I don't think you'd want to go anywhere else." Though the media has shone a temporary light on Linkenholt, the hope after the arrival of the new owner is that the village will revert back to times of old, unspoilt and wonderfully English. Reiterating the ideal of having a new lord of the manor, blacksmith Colin Boast adds: "We would like to see someone come in and take the village to their heart and to love it like the people here do." | Village of Linkenholt, in southern England, up for sale for $33 million .
Estate was left to a charitable trust that has put entire village on market .
Trust, villagers hope new owner will continue to run it in same manner . |
0452803a57bb43443d267da37cc9507a1911475b | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:04 EST, 31 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:32 EST, 2 November 2013 . A Utah mother has given birth to a 14lb baby boy who's already wearing the same sized diapers as his two-year-old twin sisters. Joel Brandon Jr., nicknamed J.J., was born by cesarean section on May 9 at Timpanogos Regional Hospital in . Orem, weighing in at 14 pounds and measuring 22 inches long. He is believed to be the heaviest baby born in the U.S. this year; only Addyson Gale Cessna of Pennsylvania, who weighed 13 pound 12 ounce, comes close. His mother, Sara Brandon, said she was stunned by how big J.J. was when she delivered him at 38-and-a-half weeks, as a previous ultrasound predicted he was going to be 11 pounds. Big bundle: Joel Brandon Jr., or 'J.J.', was born in May weighing 14lbs exactly, shocking his mother Sara (pictured) who thought he was only going to be around 11lbs. He could be the biggest in the U.S. this year . The family is now wondering if their bundle of joy is indeed this year's biggest. 'We've kind of been watching and waiting to see if there is a baby who is bigger, because he might be the biggest of the year,' Brandon told KSL. But because of his size, he needed two doctors to help with the birth, rather than one, and required special maneuvering as he was 'so big and crammed in there', she told the Huffington Post. After he was born, he suffered respiratory problems and needed to spend a week in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. But he has since returned home and is in good health, his mother said. Big brother: He's so large he wears the same size diapers as his identical twin sisters, who are two . Cute: J.J.'s is in the 150th percentile for height and weight for his age but will slim down as he gets older . At his last check-up, J.J.'s doctor said he was in the 150th percentile for height and weight for his age group - and he's so big that he is wearing the same sized diapers of his twin sisters, aged 2. KSL reported that his size could be because of his mother's Type 1 diabetes or simply because of her family's history of big babies and her husband's height. But doctors said that as J.J. grows and becomes a toddler he'll slim down closer to average size. 'This big bubba melts my heart,' Brandon . said. 'I love him more than I ever imagined I could love a sweet baby . boy. He is my squishy cuddle bug.' Together: His mom said his big sisters love to play with him - but he's too big for them to hold on their own . Brandon joked that she doesn't think she can have normal sized babies as her two-year-old twins were born weighing just 4lbs each. She added that the girls love to play with him - although they can't hold him on their own. While J.J. could be the largest born in the U.S. this year, KSL noted that the biggest newborn in the world is likely George King from England, who was born in February weighing 15 pounds 7 ounces. | J.J. Brandon was 14lbs and 22 inches long when he was born in May .
Family believes he could be the heaviest born in the U.S. this year .
His mom Sara says his large size could be because of her Type 1 diabetes or simply a family history of big babies . |
0453685c50650c801661fa6caf0948c42ba39b7c | (CNN) -- Spawning at least 24 possible tornadoes, mostly in the Midwest, a giant storm system stretched Tuesday night from Alabama to Maryland, bringing new watches and warnings. The system unleashed its wrath on several communities in northern Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina on Tuesday night. At one time, it had stretched a staggering 1,200 miles from north to south. Tornado watches were in effect for several counties near Charlotte, North Carolina, and forecasters say some areas will see continued strong winds Wednesday. In Lincoln County, North Carolina, five homes were damaged and two of them destroyed, said spokesman Dion Burleson. Five people were hurt; one has life-threatening injuries. Several cars were overturned in Catawba County, according to the National Weather Service. In Chattanooga, Tennessee, a possible tornado struck a fence near Chickamauga Dam and threw debris into a roadway, police said. Seven cars lost control and crashed, with five people suffering injuries. Deputies were assessing damage near the town of Geraldine in DeKalb County, Alabama, and in Marshall County, said Lauree Ashcom, spokeswoman for the Alabama Emergency Management Agency. Marshall includes the lake resort city of Guntersville. A tornado may have touched down southwest of Geraldine, she said. Downed trees are making it difficult to reach residents and determine any injuries, said DeKalb County emergency official Michael Leath. "We're having to batten down the hatches for another system coming in." No injuries had been reported late Tuesday. A tornado watch was in effect for the District of Columbia until 3 a.m. ET Wednesday. Wind, rather than flooding, appeared to be the biggest danger, with gusts exceeding 70 mph in some places. The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center said there were 258 reports of wind damage by mid-evening Tuesday. No deaths had been reported to state emergency officials by early evening. Extensive damage from the high winds and possible tornadoes was reported in a band from Minnesota to the Gulf Coast. Six tornadoes were confirmed in Indiana, three in Ohio and another in Wisconsin. Up to 200,000 residents lost electrical power. A tornado smashed into a business in LaPorte County, Indiana. Dan Hill, general manager of Hoosier Machinery Solutions, heard a weather siren and went to check. He turned to another employee after spying an odd cloud formation outside the business door. " 'Does that look like a tornado?' I asked. As soon as I said that, it touched down." The twister tore a roof off a pole barn, damaged some reconditioned recycling equipment and employees cars. No one was hurt. The 10 employees "all ran for [heavy] equipment and got inside," Hill told CNN. All 48 floors of the Chase Tower in downtown Indianapolis were evacuated for a short time at the height of the storm. People took refuge in the building's fallout shelter, according to CNN affiliate WRTV. The system appears to have made weather history. Preliminary readings indicate that a new record was set for the lowest pressure in a nontropical storm in the mainland United States, said Chris Vaccaro of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The minimum central pressure of 28.22 inches of mercury was equivalent to the pressure of a major Category 3 hurricane, without the corresponding wind scale, he said. If confirmed, the reading would break the current record of 28.28 inches, set on January 26, 1978, during what became known as the Blizzard of 1978. Storms caused extensive damage to buildings near Racine, Wisconsin, and Peotone, Illinois, Tuesday morning. A Peotone youth who was with his brother at a farm that was damaged described to CNN affiliate WLS-TV in Chicago what it was like in the middle of the tempest. "All of a sudden, the wind kicked up," Justin Schroeder said. He said the force of the wind "sent us back into the foyer about five feet. It was like a bomb went off. You didn't hear a tornado. You didn't hear a whistle. It was a like an explosion of glass." Some experts told WLS that the storms might be the most powerful to hit Illinois in more than 70 years. The CNN Severe Weather Center reported the storm was moving quickly eastward at more than 50 mph. The Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport reduced air traffic from three runways to one runway for landings and takeoffs Tuesday mid-afternoon because of high winds. About 50 flights had been canceled or delayed, a spokesman said. Conditions may still be difficult in the region Wednesday. O'Hare International Airport in Chicago reported that 500 flights had been canceled as of 3:35 p.m. Some delays were reported at Chicago Midway Airport. Indianapolis International Airport reported some delays for flights to Detroit, Michigan; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Cleveland, Ohio; and Minneapolis, Minnesota, while Detroit Metro Airport said most flights were on time with the most significant delays to O'Hare. Indiana and Illinois each had at least 60,000 power outages and 38,000 were reported in Ohio. Other states reported smaller figures. Gabrielle Torres and her husband experienced extreme weather in Corydon, Indiana. "There were extremely strong winds that were even rocking my husband's semi-truck side to side," she said. "The tornado sirens were sounding but we could barely hear them over the pounding rain." In St. Louis, Missouri, two reported partial building collapses were blamed on the extreme weather, according to Officer Donna Wisdom of the St. Louis Police Department. Video from CNN affiliate KSDK-TV in St. Louis showed downed trees, damage to homes and thick rubble on a sidewalk beside a building damaged in the storm. Wisdom said no serious injuries were reported from the partial collapses. A National Weather Service damage assessment team confirmed that an tornado touched down near Somers, Wisconsin, causing two injuries. Numerous uprooted trees, snapped and downed power poles and roof damage to several buildings was reported. Several parked tractor-trailers were also tipped over, according to the National Weather Service. Severe thunderstorm warnings and tornado watches popped up throughout central Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee around midday Tuesday as the intense band of storms began to push through Indiana. At least one tornado was reported to have severely damaged a house in Howard County, northeast of Kokomo, according to CNN affiliate WRTV in Indianapolis. Witnesses gave accounts that underscored the fury of the storm. Several said they'd never seen anything like it. CNN iReporter Trey Sturgeon, 23, of Connersville, Indiana, described the wind and rain as "a little bit scary." "Where I live in Indiana, we don't get winds and possible tornadoes," said Sturgeon, a musician who was at home when he looked out the window to see the storm. "The first thing I thought of was my family," he said. "When the winds came, it was a lot more like a dense fog than rain -- from the wind pushing the rain sideways," he said. "On a tree right down the road, a big tree limb was broken off and it blew across the street before it hit the ground, and we're talking maybe a 200-, 250-pound tree limb. There were reports on my police scanner of tree limbs falling and landing on power lines in the northern part of the county." All 48 floors of the Chase Tower in downtown Indianapolis were evacuated briefly at the height of the storm, and occupants took refuge in the building's fallout shelter, WRTV reported. "It was pretty bad up there," Nick Hoetmer, who works in the building, told WRTV. "The windows were moving back and forth, so it was nasty." CNN meteorologist Sean Morris and CNN's Dave Alsup, Shawn Nottingham, Michael Martinez and Kara Devlin contributed to this report. | Northern Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina are hit Tuesday night .
A U.S. low-pressure record may have been broken .
Up to 200,000 customers lose power, many of them in Indiana, northern Illinois, Ohio .
Emergency official: "We're having to batten down the hatches" |
04545286e248fe30a29e792bf3a7169eebab0dfc | Evidence for a giant glacier that once existed in the deepest canyon on Mars has been found. A type of mineral 1.2 miles (2km) up the side of the canyon wall suggests that a huge glacier once passed through. While the idea of a glacier is controversial, the scientists say such a theory is the best explanation for their latest findings. Research led by Dr Selby Cull from Bryn Mawr College in Philadelphia suggests that part of Valles Marineris may have played host to an ancient glacier. Evidence comes from a mineral called jarosite found half way up the cliff wall (shown), which may have been the top of an ancient glacier that has long since disappeared . The research was led by Dr Selby Cull from the Department of Geology at Bryn Mawr College in Philadelphia. Evidence for the glacier comes in the form of the mineral jarosite being spotted in the wall, a sulphate that forms in highly acidic water with low temperatures - such as the top of a glacier on Mars. While evidence for glaciers on Mars has been spotted before, this is one of the first times evidence for one has been found in Valles Marineris. Named after the Mariner 9 Mars orbiter of 1971/1972, Valles Marineris is one of the largest systems of canyons in the solar system. At more than 2,500 miles (4,000 km) long, 120 miles (200 km) wide and up to x miles (7 km) deep it is among the largest canyon in the solar system. It is located on the Martian equator and stretches for a quarter of the planet’s circumference. If it was located on Earth it would stretch across the entire US. One of its largest sections is the Ius Chasma, which is about 938km long, in which this latest discovery was made. Several theories for its formation have been proposed, including water erosion and a tectonic ‘crack’ in the Martian crust. The canyon itself is thought to have been formed by tectonic stresses, but Dr Cull tells MailOnline the best explanation for the discovery of jarosite here is that a glacier once filled half the canyon. The jarosite was found in a thin layer 330ft (100 metres) along part of the cliff wall, suggesting it was once the boundary of the top of an ancient glacier. ‘The canyon wall starts at about zero metres elevation and descends to about -4,000 metres [2.5 miles],’ she explains. ‘We see the jarosite at -1,900 to -2,000 metres [1.18 to 1.24 miles], so about half-way down the canyon wall.’ She continued: ‘We found [jarosite] in a few places on Mars before, but the exciting thing here is we found it half way up a 3-mile [4.8km] high cliff face in the North Marineris. ‘All previous jarosite deposits have been found in low-lying deposit areas, places where water would cool.’ Jarosite usually forms in wet and acidic locations like rivers and groundwater, but Dr Cull explains that couldn’t have happened here. 'It would have required half the valley to be filled with water, which would have left huge indicators and evidence that there had been water there, and there’s no evidence,' she says. ‘So we think the only viable way you see jarosite is if there was a glacier.’ If true, this would be among the first mineralogical evidence for glaciers in the Ius Chasma - one of the largest portions of Valles Marineris. The mineral known as jarosite must have been desposited by highly acidic water at low temperature - and a glacier is the best explanation. Dr Cull says it could not have been a regular water flow such as a river as it would have had to fill half the deep canyon (Ius Chasma shown in image) The discovery was made using instruments on Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (left) and Esa's Mars Express (right) spacecraft. Further observations in future will be used to verify the findings . On average, Mars lies 141.6 million miles (227.9 million km) from the sun. With a diameter of 4,222 miles (6,795km), it’s around half the size of the Earth and has an average temperature of -65°C (-85°F). The gravity there is much weaker than on Earth - slightly less than 40 per cent of ours. The atmosphere is also desperately thin - one per cent of Earth’s pressure - and 95 per cent of it is carbon dioxide. It boasts the solar system’s biggest mountain – Olympus Mons, a dead volcano. This measures 335 miles (540 km) across and rises to a height of 88,000ft (26,800 metres), which is almost three times higher than Everest. Mars has two natural satellites - the moons Deimos and Phobos. The planet's red colouring comes from the iron oxide that coats its surface. Mars has huge amounts of ice at its polar caps. If they melted, the resulting liquid would cover the whole planet in water 36ft (11 metres) deep, according to Nasa. The team used data from two spacecraft, Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Esa's Mars Express, to make the findings. Dr Cull admits the theory that this canyon played host to a glacier remains controversial in the scientific community. But she says other explanations for this feature just don’t make sense. One possibility was that this jarosite came from a water table but, as it is not near the surface, Dr Cull says this would require the water table to be slanted, ‘which is a very strange thing for a water table to do.’ She continues: ‘If it was a glacier, it would be the top point of the glacier.' The mineral jarosite would form at the top of the glacier, where the ice melts, and be deposited on the cliff wall. One other theory is that this jarosite was deposited by an acid fog. Acid fog is essentially water vapour that is highly enriched in sulphur, which can be released during volcanic emissions. However, with no volcanic vents nearby, this theory looks unlikely. ‘We are continuing to map Ius Chasma, and will map the surrounding wall surfaces to see if we can find this same mineral elsewhere,’ Dr Cull adds. ‘It’s very exciting.’ Named after the Mariner 9 Mars orbiter of 1971/1972, Valles Marineris is one of the largest systems of canyons in the solar system. It is located on the Martian equator and stretches for a quarter of the planet’s circumference. This image of Valles Marineris was taken by Nasa's Viking orbiter in June 1992 . | Study suggests part of Mars' Valles Marineris had an ancient glacier .
This giant canyon stretches across a quarter of the red planet's surface .
Evidence for an glacier comes from a mineral found half way up the cliff wall on one of the canyon's largest segments called Ius Chasma .
The mineral known as jarosite must have been deposited by highly acidic water at low temperature - and a glacier is the best explanation .
This would have meant the ancient river was 1.2 miles (2km) deep . |
04548a388181e65c7fd67d9822540841cfcc26ae | Scientists could be closer to finding water on the moon - a discovery that could help create rocket fuel and breathable air for future colonies. Using data from the Lunar Reconnaisance Orbiter's Lend tool, Nasa scientists have been mapping the hydrogen levels across the moon craggy deposits. And they've found surprisingly higher levels of hydrogen in a very specific area; the slopes of craters in the moon's southern hemisphere facing the South Pole. Nasa scientists have found surprisingly higher levels of hydrogen in a very specific area; the slopes of craters in the moon's southern hemisphere facing the South Pole. Pictured is a Lunar Reconnaisance Orbiter mage of the moon's Hayn Crater, located just northeast of Mare Humboldtianum . These slopes could be mankind's best hope finding drinkable water on the lunar surface, they claim. Hydrogen could be found as either hydroxol - which is a single atom bound with a single oxygen atom — or it may be two hydrogen atoms bound with oxygen. Scientists believe lunar water could be used for drinking or its components – hydrogen and oxygen – may be used to manufacture rocket fuel or even breathable air. 'There's an average of about 23 parts-per-million-by-weight (ppmw) more hydrogen on Pole-Facing Slopes (PFS) than on Equator-Facing Slopes (EFS),' said Nasa scientist, Timothy McClanahan. This is the first time a widespread difference in the spread of hydrogen on the moon has been detected. Using data from the Lunar Reconnaisance Orbiter's Lend tool (artist's impression pictured), Nasa scientists have been mapping the hydrogen levels across the moon's surface . The cause of the discrepancy between PFS and EFS may be similar to how the sun move or redistributes frozen water from warmer to colder places on the surface of the Earth. There are different possible sources for the hydrogen on the moon. Comets and some asteroids contain large amounts of water, and impacts by these objects may bring hydrogen to the moon. Hydrogen-bearing molecules could also be created on the lunar surface by interaction with the solar wind. The solar wind is a thin stream of gas that's constantly blown off the sun. Most of it is hydrogen, and this hydrogen may interact with oxygen in silicate rock and dust on the moon to form hydroxyl and possibly water molecules. After these molecules arrive at the moon, it is thought they get energized by sunlight and then bounce across the lunar surface; and they get stuck, at least temporarily, in colder and more shadowy areas. 'Here in the northern hemisphere, if you go outside on a sunny day after a snowfall, you'll notice that there's more snow on north-facing slopes because they lose water at slower rates than the more sunlit south-facing slopes' said McClanahan. 'We think a similar phenomenon is happening with the volatiles on the moon – PFS don't get as much sunlight as EFS, so this easily vapourised material stays longer and possibly accumulates to a greater extent on PFS.' Slopes closer to the South Pole show a larger hydrogen concentration difference. Broader slopes provide stronger hydrogen signals than smaller slopes. Since the 1960s scientists thought that only in permanently shadowed areas in craters near the lunar poles was it cold enough to accumulate this volatile material, but these results suggest that hydrogen on the moon is more widespread. At the moment, however, it's uncertain if the hydrogen is abundant enough to economically mine. 'The amounts we are detecting are still drier than the driest desert on Earth,' said McClanahan. The team now wants to see if the hydrogen abundance changes with the transition from day to night. If so, it would back up existing evidence of a very active production and cycling of hydrogen on the lunar surface, according to McClanahan. Since the 1960s scientists thought that only shadowed areas in craters near the lunar poles was it cold enough to accumulate this volatile material, but these results suggest that hydrogen on the moon is more widespread . | Hydrogen was found in larger quantities on slopes of the lunar south pole .
These slopes could be mankind's best hope finding water on the moon .
Scientists believe lunar water could be used for drinking by astronauts .
Its hydrogen and oxygen molecules may be used to create fuel and air .
But the amounts detected are still drier than the driest desert on Earth . |
0454c7b478d5e7d14ce43aaa200d943ac8e402eb | (CNN) -- It's hard to describe billions of years of cosmic history. But scientists have used a code to create a model of how the universe as we know it today might have evolved. A new study in the journal Nature describes a simulation of the universe that is unique because of "how realistically it recreates the galaxies and the universe that we see, which is kind of a first for a simulation like this," said Dylan Nelson, study co-author at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Nelson and collaborators released several videos this week showcasing highlights of what their numerical simulation, called Illustris, can do. Running this model "took approximately 16Â million CPU (central processing unit) hours," Michael Boylan-Kolchin, astronomer at the University of Maryland, College Park, wrote in an accompanying article in Nature. "The end result, however, is a simulated Universe that looks an awful lot like the real one." This simulation begins 12 million years after the Big Bang, which is still pretty early considering that the universe is about 13.8 billion years old. "What it allows -- a statistically robust comparison against observations across all of cosmic time -- is a critical aspect in the development of better and more realistic models, which directly translates into more physical insight which we can extract from such simulations," Nelson said. A range of galaxy types emerges in this simulation, such as blue spiral and red elliptical galaxies. The content of hydrogen and elements heavier than hydrogen and helium seems consistent with observational data, study authors wrote. "These observations capture a large variety of galaxy luminosities, sizes, colours, morphologies and evolutionary stages, providing remarkable benchmarks for galaxy formation theories," study authors wrote. A total of 41,416 galaxies are represented in the simulation. It includes a population of elliptical galaxies that don't form stars, disk galaxies that do form stars, and irregular galaxies. Our own Milky Way galaxy is a disk galaxy, and simulating how such a galaxy would be formed has been problematic in the past. But the scientists' calculations have overcome this, the study said. The simulation takes into account that there are phenomena in our universe that we have never detected but that have had huge influence on cosmic evolution. Dark matter accounts for about 24% of the universe, while normal matter -- everything that we can see -- is only 4.6%. Dark matter "dominates the gravitational pull of everything, especially on large scales," Nelson said. "It's the backbone of the cosmic web." Over the course of the universe's history, galaxies have formed where dark matter was most concentrated. But most of the universe is made of dark energy, responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe. The universe is expanding, but how quickly? Obviously, you can't model the entire universe at once, but this simulation does represent a substantial chunk of it: 350 million light years in each dimension, Nelson said. It allows scientists to zoom in to see the structure of individual galaxies, such as spiral arms. Still, there are shortcomings to the simulation: For instance, the mass of stars in low-mass galaxies gets built up earlier than what has been observed, meaning that populations of stars are shown as two to three times older than in reality. Joel Primack, professor of physics and director of the High-Performance Astro Computing Center in Santa Cruz, California, takes issue with the idea that this new simulation is better than its predecessors. "Other groups are doing a much better job of understanding what's going on inside galaxies, including my own group," said Primack, whose team also works on modeling the cosmos. But the simulation does have strengths on a larger scale -- for instance, in showing how galaxies affect their surrounding environments, and how environments impact galaxies, he said. The code used in the simulation, Arepo, is not publicly available -- another of Primack's criticisms. But Nelson said that a complete description of its methods has been published, and that anyone with expertise who is motivated could use it to develop a similar code. | Scientists have released a new model of how the universe might have evolved .
The simulation begins 12 million years after the Big Bang .
It represents more than 41,000 galaxies .
Dark matter is the 'backbone of the cosmic web' |
045554c2aba0664d3e41d95119f4c377c5e2c9fe | By . Jennifer Smith . PUBLISHED: . 07:21 EST, 6 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:17 EST, 6 September 2013 . Connecting to WiFi, knowing how to use Google and tuning HD TVs were listed today as some of the most useful skills of modern life. In a survey which polled 2,000 adults, using a self-service checkout,online banking and operating satnav replaced talents such as knitting and baking to be named the most 'essential' capabilities in British culture. Only 10 of the 50 most important skills didn't involve modern technology, with cooking and using a calculator among them, while participants counted sewing and letter writing as skills that are no longer needed. Knowing how to use Google was top of the list of 50 essential life skills, with most modern daily tasks requiring the use of a computer. Posed by model . Other 'essential skills' included using Google maps and knowing how to navigate social media sites such as Facebook. Writing postcards and needing to know friends and relatives’ phone numbers are also among the ‘redundant’ skills which people no longer consider necessary. A spokesman for touch-typing course www.kaz-type.com, who carried out the poll said: 'For generations, there are skills which have been passed down from parent to child, because they were deemed so essential to everyday life. Online banking was listed as the fourth most important skill in the list which polled 2,000 British adults . Cooking was considered the fifth most important skill in the poll after using google and mobile phones . 'However, it seems technology is wiping out some of those skills as gadgets can now do it for us. 'The internet has become such a huge part of life that it’s so important to know how to use it, while built-in address books on mobile phones mean we no longer have to memorise the phone numbers of loved ones. 'It does seem that there are some . skills which are standing the test of time though - knowing how to cook . and touch-typing are things people have needed to know as much now as . they did in previous years. 'If . anything, touch-typing is only becoming more important over time as so . many careers now rely on computers more than ever for their day-to-day . work.' Knowing which bins to put rubbish into at home and how to use satnav (posed by model) were also listed . Using a calculator and working a mobile phone were among the top 10 most useful skills listed . 'Being able to search the internet was named life’s most essential skill, followed by operating a mobile phone and connecting a device to WiFi. Learning how to manage your bank account online came fourth, while the classic skill of being able to cook was at five. Knowing how to turn off water at the mains was voted life’s sixth most essential skill, followed by knowing what rubbish goes into which bin and how to set online privacy settings. Using a calculator and knowing how to operate self-service checkouts in supermarkets completed the top ten. Other ‘essential’ skills in the list included being able to set and follow a route on a sat-nav, using discount voucher websites, downloading music and tuning HD TVs. Series-linking TV shows, buying and selling via online auction websites and communicating via Skype also featured in the top 50. Working self-service check out was considered an important skill coming in at number 10 on the list . Connecting to Sky/Cable channels or setting progammes to record on 'series link' were the 32nd and 34th most essential skill listed . In comparison, darning has been named the skill least likely to be used in modern life, closely followed by knitting and being able to polish brass or silver. Baking bread from scratch has been replaced by modern day bread makers, while putting up a tent has been also deemed as ‘no longer essential’. Servicing the car yourself and understanding how to work out pounds and ounces are also among the list. Six in ten Brits polled admitted they would struggle to do some of the ‘outdated’ skills. Baking fresh bread and knitting were no longer considered important talents having been replaced with more technology based skills . Another 65 per cent believe many of these skills are irrelevant to modern day life because gadgets now do so many of them for us. However, 85 per cent of Brits think modern technology has simply changed the skills we need, with a third believing we are actually more skilled that previous generations. Only one in 10 people believe gadgets have led to people having fewer skills nowadays. The spokesman for website added: 'The survey confirms our own findings that touch typing is more important for education and job prospects than ever before - there are few jobs today where a keyboard doesn’t play a part. 'Like all essential life skills - whether it’s cooking or using a phone - learning to type has been updated and simplified for the 21st century. Researches believed technological advances have replaced old fashioned skills, such as Google Maps (12th on the list) which plans a route at the push of a button. 1. Googling2. Operating a mobile phone3. Connecting WiFi4. Mastering online banking5. Learn to cook . 6. Turning off the water at the mains7. Knowing which recycling bins to use8. Knowing about privacy settings online9. Using a calculator10.Using a self-service checkout . 11.Searching and applying for jobs online12.Using Google maps13.Installing computer programmes14.Being able to use satnav15.Touch typing . 16. Re-heating food in the microwave17. Checking in for flights online 18. Uploading photographs19. Using Facebook20. Changing settings on the thermostat . Ordering fast food (number 29) was one of the few things mentioned on the list which didn't require technology . 21. Booking cheap flights22. Working a tablet23. Using a USB charger24. Working out the underground25. Using voucher discount websites . 26. Set up a wireless printer27. Download music28. Tuning HDTV29. Ordering at fast food restaurants30. Having an amazon account . 31. Knowing how to use an SD card32. Setting up Sky/cable33. Shopping on auction websites34. Series linking television shows35. Knowing how to use social media . 36. Using Bluetooth37. Changing the clock on your oven38. Using Skype39. Using hands free in the car40. Working a Smart TV . 41. Book cinema tickets online42. Syncing iTunes43. Using Twitter44. Transferring money on your phone45. Connecting the laptop to the TV . 46. How to put on an out of office47. Using YouTube48. Knowing how to download movies/torrents49. Paying for parking on your phone50. Finding the best prices by scanning barcodes on your phone . 1. Darning . Darning was chosen as the most redundant skill by the 2,000 with fewer people tending to their own clothes than in the past . 2. Knitting . 3. Polishing brass/silver . 4. Baking fresh bread . 5. Putting up a tent . 6. Writing postcards . 7. Sewing . 8. Knowing the phone numbers of friends . 9. Servicing the car yourself . 10. Understanding pounds and ounces . 11. Dinner party etiquette . 12. Writing letters . 13. Speaking a foreign language . 14. Knowing capital cities . 15. Understanding feet and inches . 16. Putting up a shelf . 17. Planning your route in advance . 18. Being able to change a tyre . 19. Having neat handwriting . 20. Knowing how to spell long words . | Online banking, microwaving and connecting to WiFi among most 'essential' skills .
Knitting, baking bread and writing letters no longer considered important .
2,000 adults polled in survey which listed knowing how to use Google as most needed skill . |
04565cbd287f0a88669700a8191ab63f37939495 | (CNN) -- These are extraordinary times, and like a lot of Republicans I believe that a well-crafted stimulus plan is needed to put people back to work. But the Obama spending bill would stimulate the government, not the economy. Mitt Romney says Obama's spending bill would stimulate the government rather than the economy. We're on an economic tightrope. The package that passed the House is a huge increase in the amount of government borrowing. And we've borrowed so much already that if we add too much more debt, or spend foolishly, we could invite an even bigger crisis. We could precipitate a worldwide crisis of confidence in America, leading to a run on the dollar or hyperinflation that wipes out family savings and devastates the middle class. It's still early in the administration of President Obama. Like everyone who loves this country, I want him to adopt the correct course and then to succeed. He still has a chance to step in and insist on spending discipline among the members of his own party. It's his job to set priorities. I hope for America's sake that he knows that a chief executive can't vote "present." He has to say yes to some things and no to a lot of others. As someone who spent a career in the private sector, I'd like to see a stimulus package that respects the productivity and genius of the American people. And experience shows us what it should look like. First, there are two ways you can put money into the economy, by spending more or by taxing less. But if it's stimulus you want, taxing less works best. That's why permanent tax cuts should be the centerpiece of the economic stimulus. Watch Romney make argument for tax cuts » . Second, any new spending must be strictly limited to projects that are essential. How do we define essential? Well, a good rule is that the projects we fund in a stimulus should be legitimate government priorities that would have been carried out in the future anyway, and are simply being moved up to create those jobs now. As we take out nonessential projects, we should focus on funding the real needs of government that will have immediate impact. And what better place to begin than repairing and replacing military equipment that was damaged or destroyed in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan? Third, sending out rebate checks to citizens and businesses is not a tax cut. The media bought this line so far, but they've got it wrong. Checks in the mail are refunds, not tax cuts. We tried rebate checks in 2008 and they did virtually nothing to jump-start the economy. Disposable income went up, but consumption hardly moved. Businesses aren't stupid. They're not going to invest in equipment and new hires for a one-time, short-term blip. What's needed are permanent rate cuts on individuals and businesses. Fourth, if we're going to tax less and spend more to get the economy moving, then we have to make another commitment as well. As soon as this economy recovers, we have to regain control over the federal budget, and above all, over entitlement spending for programs such as Social Security and Medicare. This is more important than most people are willing to admit. There is a real danger that with trillions of additional borrowing -- from the budget deficit and from the stimulus -- world investors will begin to fear that our dollars won't be worth much in the future. It is essential that we demonstrate our commitment to maintaining the value of the dollar. That means showing the world that we will put a stop to runaway spending and borrowing. Fifth, we must begin to recover from the enormous losses in the capital investment pool. And the surest, most obvious way to get that done is to send a clear signal that there will be no tax increases on investment and capital gains. The 2001 and 2003 tax cuts should be extended permanently, or at least temporarily. And finally, let's exercise restraint in the size of the stimulus package. Last year, with the economy already faltering, I proposed a stimulus of $233 billion. The Washington Post said: "Romney's plan is way too big." So what critique will the media have for the size of the Obama package? In the final analysis, we know that only the private sector -- entrepreneurs and businesses large and small -- can create the millions of jobs our country needs. The invisible hand of the market always moves faster and better than the heavy hand of government. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Mitt Romney. | Mitt Romney: We're in extraordinary times and we need to stimulate economy .
He says Obama's plan would stimulate the government more than economy .
Giving people permanent tax relief would be better than higher spending, he says .
Romney: Business is better than government at creating millions of jobs . |
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